Ji Zeyu nodded and said in a low voice, "They are indeed antiques, calligraphy, and paintings from the Yan dynasty. The items have already been delivered and are waiting for Your Majesty to inspect them. "
Li Qitian sat in his original position with a gloomy expression. After thinking for a moment, he called someone to inspect the items.
The two chests were made of camphor wood and had rivets embedded in the corners of the chests. When the chests were opened, there were square brocade boxes and long scrolls arranged in a disorderly manner inside. Li Qitian checked them one by one with a sullen expression. After confirming that they were indeed items from the Yan dynasty, he ordered someone to record the items and store them in the internal treasury. No one was allowed to touch them without permission.
When he returned to the imperial study, Li Qitian frowned and rubbed his chin in deep thought.
The study was so quiet that only the sound of light breathing and the faint sound of water dripping from the table could be heard.
After a quarter of an hour, Li Qitian looked at Li Guanwen and asked, "Where are the Yuchi Yan and that old dog surnamed Gu?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, you previously ordered them to be locked up in the imperial prison. It has been a year since then, so they should still be there."
Li Qitian immediately ordered, "Go and call the Yuchi Yan and Gu Shixiong over to me."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Also." Li Qitian called over a trusted spy. "Keep an eye on the main subjects of the Yan dynasty who have surrendered to me. If there are any strange movements, report it immediately. "
"As you command." The spy bowed and retreated.
After Li Guanwen and the spy had left, Li Qitian asked Ji Zeyu, "What do you think is going on?"
Ji Zeyu lowered his eyes and said, "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject thinks that there is something fishy going on."
What was the difference between this answer and not answering at all?
Li Qitian had always known that Ji Zeyu was a man of few words. It was precisely because of his cold temperament that he would never beat around the bush or pretend to be attentive in front of him. That was why he had put him in an important position. Now that he heard this, Li Qitian did not suspect anything. He only sighed and said, "Zhen naturally knows that something is fishy. However, I originally thought that the treasure would definitely not be in the capital, but now it has happened. I suspect that there must be treasures hidden in the Northern Ji Imperial Mausoleum at the foot of the mountain. "
Ji Zeyu thought for a moment and said, "I'm not sure, but the Tian Jizi is involved. I'm sure it's a Tatan conspiracy. After all, the situation between the two countries is tense. "
"Even if we want to go to war, we need to use money." Li Qitian sighed and stood up. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. "We know what you mean. We also have our suspicions. But now that he had a chance to find the treasure, he shouldn't let go of this opportunity. If we find the treasure, we'll have the strength to deal with the Tatan barbarians. "
Ji Zeyu only nodded.
Li Qitian said, "If the treasure is really in the capital, where would it be hidden … We suddenly feel that although the capital is known as the foot of the Emperor, it's not completely impregnable."
Li Qitian's voice was full of vicissitudes. This was because the relationships in the imperial court were too complicated. The surrendered officials of the Northern Ji Imperial Mausoleum belonged to one faction, the nobles belonged to another faction, and the nobles belonged to another faction. The surrendered officials of the Yan dynasty and the people of the aristocratic families in the imperial court all belonged to another faction. Li Qitian could not find anyone who was completely loyal to him!
The situation in the imperial court was complicated. It was not easy for Li Qitian to keep the balance. Now that he was facing internal and external troubles and the national treasury was empty, of course he would pay special attention to the appearance of the treasure.
Ji Zeyu said, "Why don't Your Majesty first order people to secretly search for it in the city? As long as the city gates are guarded, if the treasure is really in the capital, I believe it won't be able to escape Your Majesty's eyes. "
"You're right."
Li Qitian immediately ordered someone, "Tell the Warden's Office of the Five Cities that spies from other countries have infiltrated the capital. Let them investigate secretly. If they find traces of suspicious people, wandering monks, or hidden treasures, they have to come back immediately. They can't miss any clues!"
"Yes!"
The eunuch who received the order hurriedly went to pass on the imperial edict.
At this time, Li Guanwen ran in from outside in a panic.
"Your Majesty!"
Li Guanwen had been by Li Qitian's side for a long time. He was steady in his actions and knew when to relax. It was rare for him to be this unsteady.
Seeing Li Guanwen like this, Li Qitian knew that something must have happened.
Li Guanwen knelt down and bowed deeply, "The County King of Yan and Gu Shixiong who were imprisoned in the imperial prison have both disappeared! In just one night, the two of them have disappeared! The lock was not touched and everything else is in good condition. It's as if the two of them have suddenly disappeared and never existed! "
Li Qitian's mind immediately buzzed.
Tian Jizi gave him a hint.
Then, the antiques of the Yan dynasty appeared at the city gates.
Then, the original Emperor of the Yan dynasty and his old officials disappeared from the imperial prison where they were imprisoned!
Putting all these together, it was obvious that Li Qitian was aware that there was a huge conspiracy going on. Someone was playing chess behind the scenes and playing chess with him!
Regardless of how angry Li Qitian was.
At this time, Pang Xiao and Qin Huaiyuan were discussing the current situation with Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi in the study of the outer courtyard.
Qin Huaiyuan sipped his tea and said slowly, "We don't know the reason for this at the moment. But we can see that the city is going to be in chaos. With Your Majesty's temperament, he'll definitely have people search every inch of the city for him. He'll probably be accused of being a bandit or a bandit. This way, it's hard to guarantee that the people's finances won't be damaged. It's not a good sign for the capital to be in chaos. "
Xu Weizhi and Xie Yue looked at each other and then treated Qin Huaiyuan with even more respect. He was a capable official who had been removed from his position for no reason. Even though he was idle at home, he never forgot his duty to help the people. Now that something had happened, they weren't worried about him being the subject of the Yan dynasty's wrath. Instead, they were worried about whether the people in the capital would suffer.
In terms of magnanimity, whether compared to Wang Ye or Qin Huaiyuan, he paled in comparison.
Pang Xiao said, "Even if we're worried about these things, we can't interfere. If Your Majesty can't find the whereabouts of the treasure, he'll have to ask the County King of Yan and the others. If the County King of Yan can't give a satisfactory answer, Your Majesty will definitely suspect Father-in-law. I think it's more important for us to find a way to solve this problem. "
Qin Huaiyuan waved his hand and smiled. "Your Majesty will definitely suspect me. But I think Your Majesty suspects not only the Northern Ji and the Yan dynasty's surrendered officials, but also the various officials in the court. Your Majesty doesn't have complete control over any of them, including the nobles, the ancestors, and the old officials. Your Majesty will be the first to suspect me, but at the same time, he'll suspect all the officials who have power in his hands. "
At this point, Qin Huaiyuan smiled faintly and said, "I think, with Your Majesty's temperament, he'll definitely put the people he's worried about right under his nose. Only then will he feel at ease, just like how the in-laws would often visit the palace as guests when you were away on campaign."
Pang Xiao heard this and smiled bitterly and nodded. "Father-in-law is right. If that's the case, then whatever we think of now will be in vain. "
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