It was not the King of Zhenbei. Duke Wei meant that he was guessing the Yuanjing Emperor … Xu Qi 'an nodded and agreed with Wei Yuan's explanation.
According to his speculation, even if the King of Zhenbei was not instructed by the Yuanjing Emperor, it had to be a conspiracy between the two brothers. So, maybe it was the Yuanjing Emperor's idea to massacre the entire city.
Did the Yuanjing Emperor really do all this just to help the King of Zhenbei reach the second rank? Even if he trusted the King of Zhenbei and hoped that the King of Zhenbei would reach the second rank, he would at most acquiesce to the Yuanjing Emperor's plan … Xu Qi 'an furrowed his brows and said,
"Yuan … I see. Does the Emperor have another purpose?"
Wei Yuan fell silent and then said, "Next question."
At that moment, Xu Qi 'an did not know if he was seeing things, but he saw that Wei Qingyi was in a daze for a moment.
"Does the Yuanjing Emperor really have another purpose? And Duke Wei knows, but he doesn't want to tell me … "Xu Qi 'an, who was an expert in the psychology of micro-expressions, said calmly,
"Did the spy Cai 'er in Sanhuang County give me fake information?"
He had gone back to see Cai 'er, and the madam told him that she had been bought by a man the day after Xu Qi' an left.
"I was just looking for an excuse to send you away. Chu Zhou City is too dangerous. You will be walking into a tiger's den if you go there." Wei Yuan held the teacup and said,
"Next question, do you want to ask me if I have leaked the information about Chu Zhou City to the barbarians?"
Xu Qi 'an nodded.
Wei Yuan's lips curled up into a sarcastic smile and he said,
"The Emperor has already secretly taken the Nation Suppressing Sword out of the Yongzhen Mountain River Temple and sent it to Chu Zhou City. Not only did the brothers want to massacre the city, but they also wanted to kill Jili Zhigu and Zhu Jiu once and for all if the location was leaked.
"At the same time, we can push the crime of massacring the city onto the barbarians and the demon race. In any case, the people of Great Feng will be able to accept this explanation. Rumors of the barbarians raiding the borders and stealing food and people have never stopped for hundreds of years.
"The King of Zhenbei didn't hesitate to slaughter the people of Chu Zhou City in order to accumulate enough Life Essence and steal the Queen's Spiritual Essence. If that was the case, then let them fight each other.
"As long as either Lucky Zhigu or Candle Nine Middle School dies, the pressure on the Northern Region will decrease, and the people will be able to live in peace for many years. If the North Conqueror King died, it would be the greatest punishment for him. As for me, I will seize the opportunity to take over the northern army. This will lay the foundation for attacking the Witchcraft Cult in the northeast after the autumn harvest. "
It will be a dog-eat-dog fight anyway, so it would be a good thing if one of them died … "Xu Qi 'an looked at him and said in a low voice,
"However, if it weren't for that mysterious expert, the North Garrison King would have advanced to the second rank and become the hero of the Great Consecration. Can you accept that, Duke Wei? "
"The King of Zhenbei won't be able to become a Level Two Cultivator because you took the Queen away from him." Wei Yuan took another sip of tea and didn't drink it.
"You … You know everything?"
Xu Qi 'an's face stiffened and he forced a smile. "How did you know?"
Wei Yuan put down the teacup and said grumpily, "I know it with my brain. We'll talk about it later. "
After a pause, he continued, "If the King of Zhenbei becomes the winner and consumes the Blood Elixir, he will reach the peak of Level Three. Then he will be the vanguard when we fight against the Witchcraft Cult.
"Hehe, the Witchcraft Cult is invading the border, and the imperial court is in urgent need of a high-ranked Warrior to lead the army. The high-ranked leader in the north has fallen, so the King of Zhenbei has no excuse to stay out of it.
"What happens in the Northern Region is thousands of miles away, so it's out of our control. However, it would be a piece of cake to punish the North Vanquishing King on the battlefield. The Witchcraft Cult is much more useful than Lucky Zhigu and Zhu Jiu. "
Leaking information to the Monster Tribe and the Barbarian Tribe and letting them fight against the King of Zhenbei was like driving the tiger to swallow the wolf. If the Monster Tribe and the Barbarian Tribe were defeated, the King of Zhenbei, whose cultivation had improved greatly, would deal with the invasion of the Witchcraft Cult, and then wait for an opportunity to do the same thing again.
If the King of Zhenbei was defeated, not only would he be able to punish the sinner who had slaughtered the city, but he would also be able to leave the imperial court and regain control of the army. With the ferocity of the northern barbarians, without the King of Zhenbei, who would be the most suitable person to guard the north?
The answer was obvious.
Xu Qi 'an swallowed and shook his head. "But the King of Zhenbei is in cahoots with the Witchcraft Cult."
Wei Yuan cracked a gentle smile and said, "If our interests are the same, I can work with the Witchcraft Cult. However, when there is a conflict of interest, even the closest allies will draw their swords against each other. Therefore, the King of Zhenbei didn't have to die in Chu Zhou City.
"Xu Qi 'an, you have to remember that a good schemer needs to be patient. Bravery may be good for a while, but it will cost you more. "
But Duke Wei, I am a Warrior. I don't believe in God, I don't worship Buddha, I don't worship the king, and I don't respect the world. I dare to turn the world upside down. That is a real Warrior.
That is what you told me before …
Wei Yuan was good at scheming, and he liked to hide behind the scenes. Most of the time, he only cared about the result, and he could bear the loss and sacrifice in the process.
Xu Qi 'an knew that he couldn't do it. He was idealistic and focused more on the process than the end result.
For example, when Zhu Yinluo raped a thirteen-year-old girl, Xu Qi 'an chose to tolerate it. But now, he could make the father and son of the Zhu family pay for it.
At the time, he chose to severely injure Zhu Yinluo and was sentenced to be cut in half at the waist.
This was what Wei Yuan meant when he said he had to endure. Showing off his bravery would only cause him to lose more.
However, the price of forbearance was that the innocent girl was raped by a beast in front of a group of men. She would either be hanged or thrown into a well.
What was the point of revenge?
The girl died in the end.
What Xu Qi 'an wanted at the time was not revenge, but the girl's safety.
With a slash, his thoughts were clear, and he had a clear conscience.
"I am different from Duke Wei after all …" He sighed in his heart and asked, "Duke Wei, how did you know that the princess couldn't see the King of Zhenbei?"
He had a strong suspicion in his heart. He suspected that the one who betrayed the princess was Wei Yuan.
Wei Yuan said slowly, "I have sent back those servant girls that Yang Yan had the Imperial Guards send back to Duke Huai Palace. With Yang Yan's personality, if there was no problem with these maids, he would have sent them back to Duke Huai Palace instead of me. Otherwise, it would mean that there was a problem with these maids.
"After I asked about the situation, I knew that the princess must have been rescued by you. Yang Yan also had this suspicion, so he sent them back to the night watchman's yamen. Apart from Yang Yan, no one saw the scene. Your suspicion is very light. No one would suspect you.
"But with His Majesty's suspicious personality, he would not let go of any possibility. He might send someone to investigate. But right now, he doesn't have the mood and energy to care about the princess. "
No wonder Yang Yan told me to consult Duke Wei before I left Chu Zhou City … Xu Qi 'an heaved a sigh of relief. It was a blessing to have a group of amazing teammates.
At this time, Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes and put on a serious expression.
"Before the envoy left, His Majesty told me that the princess would be accompanying us. He was warning me not to play any tricks. I didn't expect the princess's whereabouts to be leaked. "
Xu Qi 'an thought occurred to him. "Duke Wei, I want to report this to you in detail."
Wei Yuan's eyes lit up. He sat up straight and said: "Tell me about it."
"There is a group of spellcasters behind the barbarians. That day, when I … I killed my way to the barbarians, I found a spellcaster mingling with the barbarians."
Wei Yuan pondered and then said: "The mastermind behind the tax case?"
Xu Qi 'an paused and heaved a sigh in his mind. With Wei Yuan's intelligence, how could he have overlooked the existence of a mysterious spellcaster?
"The former Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Xianping, is most likely working for that mysterious spellcaster. I have talked to the Supervisor about this, but he didn't give me an answer. However, I am sure that this mysterious spellcaster still has spies in the court. "
Wei Yuan and Xu Qi 'an brought it up, but the two of them subconsciously changed the topic and did not continue to discuss it.
The shift happened naturally, and they instinctively ignored it. Even they didn't realize that something was wrong.
"What do you plan to do with Mu Nanzi?"
Wei Yuan said with a faint smile on his face.
"What do you think, Duke Wei?" Xu Qi 'an asked humbly.
Wei Yuan pondered for a moment and said: "Keep her as a mistress, but be careful to control yourself. Don't take her body before she reaches the third rank. Otherwise, it will be a waste. "
Oh, Duke Wei, you are so vulgar. Hehehe.
"What questions do you have?" Wei Yuan looked at him with gentle eyes.
"What is so special about the Princess? What is her identity? "
He had been puzzled for a long time.
"Go to Yunlu Academy and find a book called 'The Zhou Dynasty'. You will know after reading it." Wei Yuan finished and asked:
"Anything else?"
Xu Qi 'an shook his head.
Wei Yuan nodded and looked at him. "What do you plan to do after you bring the King of Zhenbei's body back to Jing City?"
Hearing this, Xu Qi 'an put on a serious face and said in a firm voice: "Convict the King of Zhenbei and bring justice to the people of Chu Zhou City."
He used to be a police officer, so he was very concerned about the final verdict.
The King of Zhenbei had slaughtered the entire city. Even if he died, he would not be able to leave behind a good name.
Wei Yuan glanced at him and said: "You are not an expert in court affairs, so don't worry about it."
Xu Qi 'an was taken aback. "What do you mean, Duke Wei?"
Wei Yuan didn't answer and took a sip of the warm tea.
"…"
Xu Qi 'an rose to his feet, cupped his fists, and left the building.
…
The Ministry of Justice!
Arrester Chen didn't have time to go home. After he left the palace, he rushed to the government office.
He came to the hall and saw Minister Sun was working on the government affairs. Arrester Chen said respectfully: "Minister, I have returned to Jing City."
Minister Sun was taken aback and looked up. "When did you return?"
Arrester Chen stepped over the threshold and said in a low voice: "I just came back, so I came to see you immediately."
"It seems that the investigation of the Three Thousand Miles Case has not been concluded …" Minister Sun thought to himself. He lowered his head to read the documents and said lightly: "How is the investigation going?"
The reason he made such a judgment was not purely based on speculation, but based on his rich experience in officialdom.
If the investigation of a case as big as the Three Thousand Miles Case had been concluded, the envoy would have sent back the documents in advance, and the Emperor would have held a meeting in the Imperial Study to discuss the matter.
But he didn't receive any news, which meant that the case had not been resolved, so no one paid attention to it.
Arrester Chen looked at Minister Sun and said softly: "The City of Chu Zhou City is gone …"
Minister Sun grunted and didn't seem to care. After a few seconds, he slowly raised his head as if he had just come to his senses. He stared at Arrester Chen and said word by word:
"What — did — you — say?"
Arrester Chen took a deep breath and added: "The King of Zhenbei did it."
Minister Sun was petrified.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze. In the silence, Minister Sun slowly stood up with his hands on the table. He looked at Arrester Chen in a daze.
"The King of Zhenbei, where is he?"
Arrester Chen said in a deep voice: "The King of Zhenbei has been executed."
A wave of dizziness hit Minister Sun's eyes and he fell back into his chair.
Arrester Chen hurried forward and said: "Sir, are you alright?"
Minister Sun waved his hand and said in a trembling voice: "Tell me everything, tell me the truth."
Arrester Chen immediately told Minister Sun everything he had seen and heard, regardless of whether it was important or not.
They reported the matter to their respective superiors and joined forces with the civil officials to threaten the Yuanjing Emperor. This was the strategy that the diplomatic mission had formulated long ago.
An hour later, it was lunchtime. Minister Sun's carriage left the Ministry of Justice and rushed to the Prince's Mansion.
At about the same time, the carriage of the Chancellor of the Dali Monastery also left the yamen and headed to the Prince's Mansion.
…
The Imperial City, the Prince's Mansion.
The Wang Family's Mansion was bestowed by the Yuanjing Emperor. It was located in the Imperial City and was heavily guarded. It was one of the benefits of the Prime Minister.
It was lunchtime. It only took Wang Zhenwen 15 minutes to return from the Cabinet to the Prince's Mansion for lunch.
At the dining table, Wang Zhenwen glanced at his wife, his two sons, and his daughter-in-law. He didn't see his daughter, Simu Wang. He frowned and asked: "Where is Mu 'er?"
"She left early in the morning. I heard she had an appointment with someone and went sightseeing." The dignified Mrs. Wang replied to her husband.
"Sightseeing?"
Wang Shoufu's frown deepened. He looked at his wife and asked for confirmation: "These days, Mu 'er seems to have gone out frequently. Did she have appointments with someone?"
The Prime Minister was busy every day. For him to remember these details, it meant that he really cared about his daughter.
Mrs. Wang was a little hesitant. Everyone else lowered their heads and focused on eating.
Only the relatively simple-minded Second Young Master of the Wang family took a sip of wine with a 'slurp' and said with a smile, "Father, Younger Sister has recently gotten together with Erlang of the Xu family. Don't you know that the Spring Exam will be held in the Xu New Year?"
Everyone's faces froze. They stared silently at Second Young Master of the Wang Family. Their eyes seemed to be saying: Are you an idiot?
Second Young Master of the Wang Family frowned. Miss Mu had reached the marriageable age and her husband was a concubine of the Hanlin Academy, a first-class noble.
Miss Mu and that Xu Erlang were willing to get together. This was the legendary "lovers will become lovers" … Anyway, that was what it meant.
When the time was right, her father would send Xu Erlang to ask for her hand in marriage. Then he would conveniently marry Si Mu, and a happy marriage would be achieved.
When Second Young Master of the Wang Family married his wife, he did this. Originally, his wife's family did not agree. They disliked him for not having an official position. Second Young Master of the Wang Family brought his entourage and family guards to convince his wife for a whole day. Only then did he marry his wife.
His wife was very happy now. She was much happier than when she was at her family.
Wang Shoufu's expression became more serious, but his tone did not change. In fact, it became calmer and colder. He said: "Xu Qi'an's cousin?"
Mrs. Wang carefully observed her husband's expression. She nodded slightly and explained: "It's not as exaggerated as Erlang said. At most, they have a good impression of each other."
Wang Shoufu nodded. He did not show his emotions.
After lunch, there was a two-hour break. Wang Shoufu was about to go back to his room to take a nap when he saw the housekeeper rushing in. He stood at the door of the inner hall and said:
"Master, Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice is here."
At this time … Wang Shoufu was surprised. He said: "Invite him to my study."
What surprised Wang Shoufu even more was that after Minister Sun, the Chancellor of the Dali Monastery also came to visit. The Chancellor of the Dali Monastery was the current leader of the Qi Party.
In addition, there were many officials who held important positions. They ranged from the fourth rank to the seventh rank, but all of them were people with real power.
In the study, after Wang Shoufu ordered the servants to prepare tea, he looked around and said with a smile: "What's going on today? Did all of you take the wrong invitation and mistakenly think that I am holding a happy event? "
Even though he was joking, his expression was dignified and serious.
"Don't think about a happy event, but we need to think about a funeral." Minister Sun sighed.
"Something big has happened in Chu Zhou City. Prime Minister, let's think about what to do next."
Wang Shoufu stared at him and then looked at the others. He straightened his back and said in a deep voice: "What happened?"
