Wang Zhenwen frowned slightly and replied in a deep voice, "Come in!"
He knew that the wife's daughter was sensible and would not disturb him at this time if there was nothing important.
The door to the study was pushed open. Simu Wang stood at the door and bowed gracefully. Her posture was perfect. "Father, your excellency Xu wishes to see you for an urgent matter."
Minister Sun and the others thought that the "your excellency Xu" Simu Wang mentioned was Xu Qi 'an. Their eyes lit up and they became very interested.
Although this troublemaker was annoying, his ability and means to stir up trouble had long won the acknowledgement of the officials in the imperial court.
What was the purpose of Xu Qi 'an visiting the Wang Residence at this time?
Wang Zhenwen also became spirited and said, "Invite him in."
Simu Wang turned her head and looked to the side. A few seconds later, Xu Erlang walked out from the side of the door with a bloody nose and a swollen face. He crossed the threshold and bowed. "This lowly official greets my lords."
'So it's him …' Qian Qingshu and the others shook their heads.
Xu Cijiu was a very talented person. His knowledge and courage were outstanding, but compared to his elder brother, he was too far behind.
In their eyes, Xu Cijiu was an outstanding junior with a lot of potential. However, in their eyes, Xu Qi 'an was an opponent that made their scalps go numb.
Their importance could not be mentioned in the same breath.
Wang Zhenwen's eyes flashed with disappointment, but he quickly recovered. He nodded and said, "your excellency Xu, what business do you have with me?"
Xu Xinnian took out a stack of secret letters from his sleeve and walked to the table. He pushed them to Wang Shoufu. "These things should be useful to the Grand Secretary."
Wang Shoufu glanced at them and picked them up indifferently. He flipped through them and his gaze suddenly froze.
He quickly scanned through the first secret letter and impatiently opened the second letter, the third letter …
After reading all of them, Wang Shoufu remained seated and did not move. He seemed to be in a daze, but also seemed to be thinking.
Minister Sun and the Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu looked at each other. The latter leaned forward slightly and probed, "Grand Secretary?"
The Minister of Personnel and the others exchanged glances. They realized that these letters were not ordinary.
Wang Shoufu tidied up the secret letters and handed them to the nearest Minister Sun. Seeing him reaching out to take them, he hastily warned: "Be careful."
Sun Shangshu was taken aback. He nodded his head and focused his attention on the letter.
As he watched, he suddenly froze, his eyes slightly widening.
After a few seconds of silence, he hurriedly opened the other letters. His actions were crude and impatient. When he saw Wang Shoufu, he raised his eyebrows, afraid that this old fellow would damage the letters.
Minister Sun's reaction made the Grand Secretaries and Ministers even more curious and perplexed.
He was eager to know what was recorded in the letter.
"Good, good! With these things, we don't need to give in to any benefits, and we can rope in a large number of forces. Didn't His Majesty want to investigate? Ha, even if he investigates until next year, he won't be able to find anything. "
Minister Sun sneered.
"Let me have a look."
The Minister of Personnel was the first to grab the letter and read it. After a dozen seconds, he excitedly said "Wonderful" three times.
"I thought of searching for the evidence of Yuan Xiong and the others' crimes to counterattack, but there is too little time, and the other party has already dealt with the beginning and the end, so this method won't work. This, this is like a pillow sent to me when I want to doze off. "
In the study, the big shots finished reading the letters one by one. Their previous solemn expressions were replaced by excited smiles.
Wang Simu stood at the door, quietly watching this scene. She saw her father and uncles' faces from the dignified expression to the excited laughter after reading the letter. She saw it all.
Although the letters belonged to Xu Qi 'an, her father couldn't ignore Erlang's kindness … She quietly breathed a sigh of relief and became more confident about her future.
Wang Shoufu took back the letters and put them on the table. Then he looked at Xu Erlang and said in a gentle tone: "Your excellency Xu, where did these letters come from?"
Minister Sun, Minister Xu, and the Grand Secretaries all looked at Xu Erlang.
Xu Erlang bowed and said: "From my brother."
"So it was him …" Minister Sun had mixed feelings, so much so that he didn't even know how to feel. Without a doubt, he hated Xu Qi 'an.
Because of the Sang Po case, that little bastard had repeatedly opposed him. The most extreme time was when he wrote a poem to scold him, nailing him to the pillar of shame.
Yes, not to kidnap his son, but to scold him with a poem.
According to the rules of the government, this was a fight to the death. As a matter of fact, Minister Sun also wanted to kill Xu Qi, so he kept working hard.
That was until the massacre in Chu Zhou City, which was a turning point.
Some people were like this. You wanted them dead, but you couldn't help but admire them for certain things.
And now, when the Royal Faction was at a critical juncture, Xu Qi 'an actually delivered such an important item. It must be known that if this item fell into their hands, the crisis this time would be more daunting than dangerous.
It was a great favor, and Minister Sun couldn't refuse it.
Qian Qingshu and the others were both surprised and not surprised. These letters were left by Cao Guogong, but who killed Cao Guogong?
They were surprised because they didn't believe that Xu Qi 'an would help them.
Wang Shoufu heaved a sigh and said calmly: "What does he want?"
Xu Erlang bowed and said: "Once the matter in the court is settled, my brother will pay you a visit."
Wang Shoufu thought for a few seconds and nodded. "Okay."
Then, Simu Wang said: "Father, in order to get these letters, Erlang and his brother almost turned against each other. The wounds on his face were caused by Xu Qi 'an. Erlang just didn't want to take credit for it."
Wang Shoufu was taken aback. He looked at Xu Erlang carefully and his eyes softened.
Qian Qingshu and the others looked at Xu Erlang and then turned to look at Simu Wang with a strange look on their faces.
They were all experienced officials, so they immediately picked up a lot of information.
If Xu Qi 'an was unwilling, Xu Cijiu wouldn't be able to get it even if he risked his life. After he retired from officialdom, he was consciously looking for a backer for the Xu family … Qian Qingshu was excited when he thought of this.
From his point of view, it was a good thing that Xu Qi 'an was willing to offer an olive branch. Although he was Wei Yuan's confidant and Wei Yuan didn't see eye to eye with the Royal Faction, other than that, if the Royal Faction needed Xu Qi' an, he would definitely not reject it based on his relationship with Xu Xinnian. Both parties could reach a certain degree of cooperation.
Xu Qi 'an was a handy and useful tool.
After the Year of Jingcha, most of the officials in the court had a similar concept.
If the Royal Faction could control this tool, it would definitely be of great use in the future.
This person is very good with words. If we can support him, he will be invincible in a quarrel in the future. Hmm, he seems to have an ambiguous relationship with niece Si Mu … Most importantly, we can use this tool, Xu Qi 'an, if we take Xu Cijiu in, we can use it … Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel pondered.
Everyone else had the same thought. They quickly weighed the pros and cons and speculated about the relationship between Xu Xinnian and Simu Wang.
Wang Shoufu coughed and said, "It's getting late. Let's split the secret letters and go on our own."
He did not look at Xu Xinnian again.
…
Simu Wang rushed to send Xu Xinnian out of the Imperial City before dusk. She also gave a lot of medicinal wine and powder for Xu Erlang. After returning to the residence, she heard her eldest brother, second brother, and mother talking in the hall.
Wang Erge said in a relaxed tone, "Father and the uncles seem to have a countermeasure. I saw that when they left, their footsteps were light and their brows were no longer solemn. I chased after them and asked. Uncle Qian said not to worry. "
Wang Erge said with a smile, "Father also deliberately told the housekeeper to inform the kitchen to make fried meat tonight. He hasn't eaten this dish for a long time in order to preserve his health."
Wang Erge clapped his hands, "This means that father's worries are gone and his whole body is relaxed."
Madame Wang listened on the side and also revealed a smile, "What Simu said is right. Your father has seen all kinds of storms and waves. Don't worry."
Seeing Simu Wang come in, Wang Erge said with a smile, "Sister, father has just left the residence. I have good news for you. Uncle Qian said he found a way to break out of the situation."
After a pause, he immediately said, "What about that boy? Second brother wants to use this opportunity to test him and see if we can go through thick and thin together. Take me to him. I'll tell him that the Wang residence has encountered a great disaster and the future is uncertain. Let's see what kind of attitude he will have towards you. "
He was talking enthusiastically when Simu Wang coldly interrupted, "Compared to second brother who only knows how to talk big, he is much better."
Wang Erge glared at her, "Sister, how can you say that?"
Wang Erge was in a good mood and was willing to flatter his second brother.
He smiled and said, "The moral character of a scholar from Yunlu Academy is trustworthy. However, your second brother also has good intentions. If he wants to try, let him try. "
Wang Simu pursed her lips and sat down to drink a mouthful of tea. She slowly said, "The method that father and uncles used to break out of this situation is the evidence of the corruption of the officials in the imperial court."
"How do you know?" Wang Erge was surprised.
"Because this was brought by Xu Erlang. He paid a huge price for it." Simu Wang felt sweet and heartbroken.
"Then what Xu Erlang brought …" Wang Erge murmured.
"This, this is a generous bargaining chip. He just gave it up like that?" Wang Erge also murmured.
Madame Wang looked at her two sons' expressions and realized that the Xu family's boy that her daughter liked had made an important contribution in this matter.
…
In the next three days, the capital's officialdom was turbulent. At first, the neutral faction looked on coldly from the sidelines as the Royal Faction was being suppressed by the imperial power. Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao represented the "Imperial Power Faction".
However, as the situation developed, Dali Monastery chose to side with the Royal Faction. They joined forces with the Ministry of Justice to clear the Royal Faction's officials who were imprisoned and started a tug-of-war with the Imperial Censorate.
Subsequently, many people in the six departments changed sides and accused Qin Yuandao and Yuan Xiong of being on the same side and abusing their power. The flames of war spread to the two of them.
Following that, a few powerful figures in the Xun Gui Group also wrote to impeach Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao.
In a short period of time, people from all walks of life jumped out to protect the Royal Faction. The Ministry of Justice and Dali Monastery blocked the "Royal Faction's officials" trial. Without any results, Yuan Xiong and the rest's follow-up plans were ruined.
There were no results from the interrogation, and the imperial court was flooded with impeachment memorials. Rumors began to circulate in the officialdom that Emperor Yuan Jing was settling scores after the fall. Those who forced him to issue the edict of self-condemnation would all be punished.
For a time, people's hearts wavered and rumors spread everywhere.
This was not the end. The six departments and the censors led by Zhang Xingying were like sharks that smelled blood. They excitedly wrote to impeach the Yuanjing Emperor, accusing him of being narrow-minded and vengeful. They accused him of damaging the dignity of the royal family and the Emperor.
The happiest thing they could do was to pick on the Emperor and then write a memorial to criticize him. This meant that they were loyal officials. At the same time, they could quickly gain fame in the officialdom and scholarly circles.
On the fifth day, after the Yuanjing Emperor flew into a rage in his bedchamber, he called a halt to the matter and released the imprisoned members of the Royal Faction.
Yuan Xiong was demoted to the Right Imperial Censor and the former Right Imperial Censor Liu Hong took over.
The Assistant Minister of War, Qin Yuandao, was so angry that he could not get out of bed.
…
On this day, the Crown Prince, who had been observing the changes in the court, summoned Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel in the name of admiring the flowers.
In the garden of the East Palace.
The Crown Prince sat in the pavilion and took a sip of wine. He asked, "The changes in the court these few days have left me speechless. I still don't understand it. Minister Xu, please explain it to me."
Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel was a supporter of the Royal Faction and the Crown Prince. It was the most appropriate to summon him.
Minister Xu was dressed in casual clothes. The cool breeze in the garden carried a faint fragrance of flowers. He smiled contentedly.
"There's no big mystery in this matter. A while ago, Hanlin Academy's Shu Jishi, Xu Xinnian, sent a few secret letters. They were left by High Duke Cao."
Immediately, he told the Crown Prince the whole story.
The Crown Prince's breathing quickened. He asked, "Where are the secret letters? Are there more? There must be more. High Duke Cao has been in power for many years. It's impossible for him to only have a few letters. "
If he could get his hands on those secret letters, his power would soar and his position as the Crown Prince would be even more stable.
"I think so too. Unfortunately, Xu Qi'an is Wei Yuan's man …" Minister Xu smiled and did not continue.
The Crown Prince suddenly thought. The Royal Faction couldn't get it, but it didn't mean that he couldn't get it.
Now that he thought about it, Lin An's letter played a role. Otherwise, why would Xu Qi'an borrow his cousin's hand to pass the secret letter to Wang Shoufu?
Xu Qi'an didn't reply to the letter to avoid arousing suspicion. After all, his identity was sensitive.
"I have to go to Shaoyin Palace and ask Lin An to find a way to contact Xu Qi'an. Maybe I can get more secret letters from him …" The Crown Prince only felt that the wine was bland and his butt was on pins and needles.
He patiently talked with Minister Xu for a while and then sent him out of the palace.
He immediately went to Shaoyin Palace.
…
Shaoyin Palace.
After lunch, Lin An took a nap. She sat up in a thin dress and stretched her waist lazily.
In the hot summer, her clothes were thin. Although she was not a great bosom, it was not small. But compared with Huaiqing, it was a story of a cup injury.
When she stretched her waist, a small part of her snow-white waist was revealed.
The curve of her water snake waist was beautiful, and the two waist pits were sexy and cute.
Under the service of the palace maid, she put on a complicated and gorgeous palace dress. After rinsing her mouth with tea and cleaning her face, Lin An waved a beauty fan and sat in the pavilion in a daze.
The personal palace maid who was patted by Xu Qi'an on the butt read the story. Taking advantage of the gap between breathing, she secretly looked at Her Royal Highness.
Compared with the melancholy a few days ago, Her Royal Highness had recovered a lot recently, but she was still a little listless.
"Tell me, if the young lady in the book was not a woman from a wealthy family, would that poor scholar still like her?" Lin An gently waved his fan and looked into the distance absentmindedly as he suddenly asked.
The palace maid thought for a while and said, "Yes, after all, the scholar eloped with her."
Lin An shook her head and said softly, "But someone told me that the scholar deliberately eloped with the daughter of a rich family. In this way, he didn't need to pay a sky-high betrothal gift and could marry a beautiful wife. A real responsible man shouldn't do this. "
The palace maid asked, "Then what should he do?"
Lin An raised her head and said sadly, "I don't know either. I used to think that he was like that …"
At this time, a guard came from outside and stopped not far away. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Royal Highness, Xu Xinnian, the scholar of Hanlin Academy, asks to see you."
Lin An was stunned for a moment. After a few seconds, she remembered that Xu Xinnian was that person's cousin. She frowned slightly. She had never interacted with that scholar. What matter could he have to see her for?
After thinking for a few seconds, she said, "Go and take him into the palace."
After a quarter of an hour, Xu Qi'an, who was wearing a sky blue brocade robe, a pair of cloud-covered boots, and a golden crown with his hair tied up, entered the reception hall with the guard of Shaoyin Palace.
He sat behind the table, straightened his waist, and looked serious. He ordered the palace maid to serve tea and said in a flat tone, "Why does your excellency Xu want to see me?"
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