The snow accumulated in the winter had completely melted, and the spring rain silently moistened everything.
In the middle of March, as the Jurchen finally withdrew from Taiyuan to the north, the country, which had experienced a lot of pain, also woke up from this sudden blow. In the city of Bianliang, the changes of the political situation in the upper echelons were like ice water that had thawed in spring, gradually turning from a trickle into a mighty river. With the emperor's self-condemnation edict, all the changes and incentives that had been brewing before were now implemented.
All kinds of rewards for the meritorious officials and troops in this war had been confirmed and implemented. Inside and outside the capital, preferential treatment and compensation for the deceased had also been announced and implemented one by one. The officialdom of the capital was in a state of turmoil and solemnity. A few corrupt officials had already been investigated. At the very least, to the common people of the capital and even the scholars and scholars, the Wu Dynasty's Imperial Court was being reorganized and reinvigorated because of the pain brought about by the Jurchen invasions to the south. Everything that had happened was gratifying and moving.
With the political purge and the capital being besieged for an entire winter, a large number of peddlers and travelers poured into the capital. For a moment, the atmosphere in the capital was full of vitality. The scholars still held poetry meetings, and most of the themes became courage after being ashamed, and the spirit to pull themselves together. Mixed in were poems that criticized the cruelty of the Jurchen and accused them of being beasts, pigs, and dogs. There were also some great scholars who wrote eloquently, from a strategically advantageous position, describing in detail the difference between humans and animals, proving that the Jurchen Tartars were barbaric in nature, going against the natural order and human ethics, and that sooner or later they would not have a good death. When these articles circulated in the circle of scholars, they inevitably made people's hearts surge with excitement, their blood boiling, and people were willing to praise this man and this man for his sharp words.
This was the situation in the eyes of the ordinary people in the capital. But in the upper levels of the officialdom, those with discerning eyes knew that a huge storm had been brewing for a long time and was about to break out. This was a battle that would determine whether the officials who had made great contributions in the defense of the city could rise in a single step. On one side were the old forces like Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Wang Ci. On the other side were the two Prime Ministers Li and Qin, who had been put in an important position by the Emperor for many years and had finally found the best opportunity. Once they passed this hurdle, the power of the two Prime Ministers would truly be stabilized, and they would be able to directly confront Cai Jing and Tong Guan.
The brewing of this storm caused a large number of officials to move about in private. They either sought to protect themselves or chose sides. Even the minor officials of the court were more or less affected and understood the seriousness of the matter.
Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng were two of them.
As Shishi's friends, the two of them did not have a high starting point. They relied on their family connections or their own businesses. Now, one of them was in the Ministry of Revenue, while the other was in the Ministry of Personnel. They were both small officials. Recently, they had been surrounded by a lot of political insider news, some of which were related to Ning Yi.
In the capital, if one wanted to talk about the connection between the political situation and the people, it would often be the brothels. The officials came to the Fan House and occasionally revealed some information. Then, through the information channels of the brothel, it was spread to the upper class of the commoners. Most of the information was ambiguous, some were true and some were false. Yu and Chen would also occasionally come to talk about these things.
"… Two days ago, Martial Scholar Luo Shengzhou went to take over the Wu Rui Camp outside the city. In less than two hours, he was seriously injured and was driven out with his tail between his legs. Right now, the Ministry of War is handling this matter, and the Ministry of Personnel is also involved. Others may not know, but I do. The Wu Rui Camp is under General Qin Shaoqian's command, and Liheng is also among them … To be honest, Liheng's side is not smart to go against the higher-ups like this. "
In the small courtyard where Shishi was in Fan House, Chen Sifeng lowered his voice and was talking about this matter. Shishi frowned and poured tea for him. "Is there a problem now?"
"Luo Shengzhou is Tan Zhen's man. Now that something like this has happened, how can Lord Tan lose face? Moreover, the situation inside and outside the capital is very tense, especially the Ministry of War, which is now the most important thing. Now that something like this has happened, they will definitely investigate it. The Wu Rui Camp made great contributions in defending the city, and they are arrogant and unruly. Perhaps even Royal Prince Tong will be alarmed. "
Yu Ho-chung said, "After all, Liheng doesn't have an official position. In the past, when I looked at his actions, he had a chivalrous air. At this time, it's hard to not care about anything. Ai, it's hard to say …"
The two of them normally didn't have much contact with Ning Yi. Although they were childhood friends because of Shishi, in reality, the people Ning Yi came into contact with in the capital were people of a higher level than them. Perhaps it was his reputation as the number one scholar, his relationship with the Right Minister, or his possession of a huge business system like Takeshi. Shishi often came into contact with the two of them because of the obsession in her heart, but Ning Yi wasn't. If it wasn't necessary, he wouldn't even look for Shishi, let alone Yu and Chen Er. Therefore, at this time, when talking about Ning Yi's troubles, the two of them might have an attitude of sitting back and watching. Of course, there was no malice.
Shishi asked, "What exactly is going on in the military camp?"
Chen Sifeng shook his head. "I'm not very clear about how Luo Shengzhou got injured. However, Shishi, you don't have to worry too much. Although Liheng has a relationship with the Wu Rui Camp, he isn't the real chief official. How can he bear such a big responsibility? "
After all, he wasn't very clear about the matter of the Wu Rui Camp. He said it might be related to Ning Yi, but after thinking about it carefully, at this critical moment, how could Ning Yi stir up such a big thing? Then they changed the topic and talked about some other gossip, such as the recent activities of Tang Ke and other advocates of peace, Zhong Shidao seemed to be neglected, the gathering of the big bosses under Cai Jing, and so on.
Shishi was well-informed, but it was impossible for her to know everything. At this time, after hearing about the Wu Rui Camp, she was more or less worried. She couldn't go to Ning Yi to ask about this matter. In the next few days, she learned from several generals that the matter of the Wu Rui Camp had been resolved. Tong Guan's confidant, Li Bingwen, personally took over the Wu Rui Camp. This time, there was finally no trouble.
The matter of Luo Shengzhou's serious injury was also heard during this period.
"… Luo Shengzhou was a martial arts scholar. He was proud of his martial arts skills. When he went to the Wu Rui Camp, he wanted to use force to suppress people, but in the end, he fought with people in the army … In the first battle, both of them were bare-handed. Luo Shengzhou knocked the other party to the ground, but in the second battle, they used weapons. The soldiers of the Wu Rui Camp killed their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. How could they be provoked? It was said that both sides exchanged a knife, and both were seriously injured … "
The general who came over talked about the matter of the Wu Rui Camp. Although it was simple, it was also thrilling. Then, unexpectedly, he added, "As for the Ning Yi you mentioned, he's the one from Takeshi, right? I heard something about it."
"Huh?" Shishi's eyes widened.
Being able to perform in front of Shishi, the general was also quite proud. "It was said that after Luo Shengzhou entered the Wu Rui Camp, although he didn't know how to measure himself and ended up in a sorry state, he was, after all, Lord Tan's trusted confidant. The one who fought with him was just a lowly soldier. After the one surnamed Luo was seriously injured, the Wu Rui Camp couldn't take it anymore. How could he swallow his anger? The Ministry of War wanted to punish the lowly soldier severely with military law. I heard that Luo Shengzhou also said that he would definitely take the lowly soldier's life. A few days ago, it was that Ning Liheng of Takeshi who came forward and used a lot of connections. He begged and begged, and even asked a few officials to come forward. Finally, that lowly soldier was saved … "
"In private, I also heard that Luo Shengzhou used some tricks, but until now, he still hasn't succeeded," the general said. "Speaking of which, for the sake of a mere lowly soldier, this Sir Ning came forward and finally settled the matter. He has the style of an ancient chivalrous hero. I also quite admire him. Now that Royal Prince Tong has come forward to take over, there probably won't be any more trouble. "
Although the other party said this, after understanding the ins and outs of the matter, Shishi felt that something was wrong. At this time, the situation in the capital had changed. Left Prime Minister Li Gang had ascended to the throne, and Cai Jing and Tong Guan wanted to stop him. This was the most discussed matter. For the lower-class people, they liked to see treacherous officials suffer and loyal officials rise to power. In the years that Li Gang was the Prime Minister, his character was upright and upright, and he had a good reputation among the people. Everyone knew that Cai Jing and the others formed a clique for personal gain. In this political struggle, although it was said that Cai Jing, Tong, and the others wanted to deal with Prime Minister Li, Li Gang's upright style made it impossible for them to do anything. Although there were all kinds of memorials in the court, there was almost no impeachment against Li Gang. When others talked about this matter, they all felt a little excited.
After Li Gang was Zhong Shidao. After Zhong Shidao, the figure of Qin Siyuan appeared in the eyes of many people. The Qin family had a mixed reputation. There were those who said that it was good and those who said that it was bad. But in general, Wu Rui Camp defeated Guo Yaoshi in Xia Village, and Qin Shaohe died for the country in Taiyuan. This made the Qin family quite popular. But … since it was so popular, why did it become so troublesome for Liheng to stand up for a small soldier?
She had been in the news circle of the capital for so many years, and already had the ability to be aware of the autumn wind before the cicada moved. Every major event in the capital, the struggle between factions, and the scheming and scheming of the court, although it would not be immediately and accurately reflected in Fanlou's information system, in the chaotic and complicated information, as long as one had the heart, they would always be able to sort out some clues.
In the following two or three days, there were all kinds of news, and her heart was even more uneasy. In this time, the Qin family's eldest son died for the country in the Jurchen invasion of the south, and now the second son was deprived of his military power. Could it be that this knife in this chaotic vortex was going to cut the head of the Right Minister's residence?
That night, she met Mama Li Yun. As they were chatting, she heard Mama Li say, "Ning Liheng might as well sell that Swallow Weaving Building to me."
Li Shishi was stunned, "What?"
When Ning Yi founded Takeshi, he opened restaurants one by one, and this Swallow Weaving Building was one of the restaurants in the capital. Li Yun looked at her, "I am not very clear, but I accidentally heard someone say that Swallow Weaving Building was sold to someone else. Since you don't know, it might be fake. Hmm, have you been looking for him recently? "
Shishi's eyes were puzzled, and she said, "He is too busy, and I can't always look for him. Besides, Fanlou and Takeshi …" As she said this, she remembered the decision that Mama Li made at the beginning of the year. Regarding Takeshi's extensive propaganda and collection of information about the war, Mama Li did not let Fanlou cooperate. Although she did not stop Shishi and others from helping, in fact, she had an attitude of staying out of it. Thinking of this, Shishi looked at her and said, "Mama, could it be that you … have already guessed …"
"Guessed what?" Li Yun blinked her eyes.
"Guessed that … the Right Minister lost his power …"
"How would I know?" Li Yun hesitated for a moment, "But, are you also guessing this? I only recently felt that the wind is not right. If it is true, then your enemy is preparing to retreat to the south … Unfortunately, I have always felt that he is a powerful character. "
Shishi was silent. Li Yun looked at her for a moment, and comforted her, "You don't have to think too much. The fighting in the bureaucracy is not that simple. Until the end, it is hard to say who is the winner. That Ning Liheng definitely knows more inside information than you and me. If you are really curious, you can directly go and ask him. How difficult is it? "
Shishi nodded.
That night, she was thinking about this matter in her room, and all kinds of thoughts came one after another. Strangely, she did not care about the Right Minister losing his power. The thought that lingered in her mind was always Mama Li's words, "Your enemy is preparing to retreat to the south." If it was in the past, when Mama Li said this, she naturally had many ways to coquettishly refute. But at this time, she suddenly found that she was very concerned about this point.
He might be leaving?
Thinking back, from the reunion with Ning Yi until now, the relationship between the two was actually a little strange. Carefully thinking about it, it even felt a little unreal. They were old acquaintances, but even when they were young, they did not have much contact. After the reunion, at first, she thought that he was a man who had no ability and married into her family. Later, she gradually found that there was something strange about it. He was good at poetry and was the number one scholar in Jiangning. His temperament was also strange. When she got along with him, he did not feel like he was with Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng.
Later, he came to the capital, he went to Shandong, and slaughtered the Liangshan bandits. He cooperated with the Right Minister's residence in disaster relief, and attacked the rich and powerful landlords who had stockpiled grain. He had always been chased by the people of the Underworld, but no one was able to succeed. Then, the Jurchen people invaded south, and he left the city to join the battlefield. In the end, he narrowly escaped death, but he still achieved great things... In truth, she still had not completely accepted that she had such a powerful friend, and suddenly, he might be leaving.
All of this was not without clues. All along, his temperament had been relatively straightforward. When the Liangshan bandits came to his home to kill people, he directly went over and destroyed Liangshan. When the people of the Underworld came to kill him, he mercilessly killed them back. When the rich and powerful landlords and merchants stockpiled grain to harm people, their power was so great, but he still did not have the slightest fear. When the Jurchen people invaded south, he also faced the danger. The last time they met, when they talked about what happened in Taiyuan, his tone was somewhat depressed. At this time, if the Right Minister's residence really lost its power, it would not be strange for him to choose to leave.
But suddenly... he was going to leave...
Recently, the situation in the capital had been changing, and it was difficult for ordinary people to see clearly. He was obviously also running around everywhere. Since the Lantern Festival, the two had not seen each other. That night, she hugged the quilt, and suddenly thought: if he was going to leave, would he come and tell me?
Then she felt that their relationship was not as good as she had imagined.
*****
The tranquil night gradually passed.
When a large number of people were watching from the outside of the chaotic whirlpool, there were some people who were struggling bitterly in a difficult situation.
The next day was the 18th of March in the 14th year of Jinghan. In the Right Minister's residence, all kinds of trees and plants were sprouting new green buds, flowers were blooming, and spring was overflowing.
In the afternoon, a large number of soldiers and imperial officials entered the Minister's residence. Because of the various accusations and impeachment in the court, and the fierce discussion among the people, Zhou Zhe had no choice but to let the three departments investigate the series of cases that Qin Siyuan had committed during his time as Minister, to prove his innocence.
After some twists and turns, the command of the Wu Rui Battalion had been taken over by Tong Guan.
And then on this day, Qin Siyuan was imprisoned.
When Ning Yi stepped into the Right Minister's residence, there was not much sorrow in the Right Minister's residence. The old lady of the Qin family, who had collapsed because of the news of Qin Shaohe's death, was now in charge of the affairs of the family. She directed the servants and relatives to pack up and prepare to leave at any time. And when Qin Shaoqian was so angry that he wanted to cause trouble, it was also this old lady who was usually kind and gentle, holding her walking stick, who sternly shouted at him to stop.
In order to prevent the situation of this day, it was not fair to say that the aides of the Right Minister did not do anything. When they sensed the impending crisis, everyone, including Ning Yi, had already done a lot of things in private, trying to change it. But ever since they realized that the cause of this matter was the high and mighty Emperor, they had already mentally prepared themselves for the futility of these things.
Even the old lady was the same.
"… He (Qin Siyuan) has served the country and the people all his life, and has a clear conscience. Now that the Emperor wants him to leave, then we should also leave … The Wu dynasty established the country, and did not kill the scholar-officials. He has done meritorious service for the country, they have to let him live."
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