Zhang Ji staggered out from the group of guards. His clothes were crumpled, and his hair was messed up from being pushed around. His face was flushed red, as if he had suffered a great humiliation. As soon as he entered, he knelt down and kowtowed heavily to the Emperor several times. "Your Majesty, this old subject has been wronged!"
Zhang Ji had been an official in the court for many years and could be considered to have some weight. It was rare for him to be in such a sorry state. Even the Emperor could not easily scold or beat him, otherwise, it would chill the hearts of the court officials. He said, "My beloved subject, please rise."
Zhang Ji raised his head but was not in a hurry to stand. He only raised his head with an angry gaze, as if he would faint in the next second. After a pause, he said, "This old subject has never done anything shameful in his life. Now, someone insists on splashing dirty water on this old subject and tarnishing this old subject's reputation. This person's intentions are extremely sinister. Your Majesty, please give this old subject justice!"
The Emperor let out a long sigh and his gaze suddenly turned to Xuan Hua. Xuan Hua's mouth was slightly open, as if he had not recovered from this sudden turn of events. Suddenly aware of the Emperor's gaze, he raised his head and was instantly chilled by the coldness in the Emperor's eyes. He stood where he was as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, not daring to move.
Zhang Ji had been proven to be innocent. That batch of military provisions had not been reduced at all. Naturally, someone wanted to frame Zhang Ji. Zhang Ji had been an official his entire life and had a considerable amount of weight in the court. Anyone with a bit of brain would not target him. Then, it was time to target the people behind Zhang Ji. If Zhang Ji was framed, the first person to be implicated would be Xuan Li. Currently, the person in court who saw Xuan Li as a thorn in his side the most was naturally the Fifth Prince, Xuan Hua.
The court officials who had just been adding insult to injury did not dare to say a word. The people of Xuan Hua's faction were as silent as cicadas in winter. No one understood what had happened. The news they had received was that Zhang Ji would be investigated for stealing military provisions today. But now, Zhang Ji was safe and sound. That news must have been wrong. How could they still dare to run into the blade?
The courtiers of Xuan Li's faction, on the other hand, all put on airs of watching a good show, unable to conceal the arrogance in their eyes.
Xuan Li sighed and comforted him gently, "Lord Zhang, you don't have to be sad. You've been an official for so many years and your character is fair. Father will definitely help you."
Zhang Ji angrily said, "If it's just insulting this old official, then it's fine. But this commotion is clearly delaying the advance of the supply train troops. Every day that the army's provisions are not delivered to the frontier, the officers and soldiers will have to endure another day of bitter cold. This … It's clear that they have bad intentions and want to make things difficult for our Great Jin Dynasty's soldiers at the border! "
As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. Even the Emperor, who was sitting on the nine-layered Dragon Throne, had a cold look in his eyes.
Xuan Hua cried out in his heart. This was supposed to be a turbulent undercurrent between the princes, but with a single sentence from this old man, he brought up the matter of the border war. Everyone knew that the current war between the Great Jin Dynasty and the Tian Jin Kingdom was the last thing to talk about. Although on the surface, the Great Jin Dynasty seemed to be reporting victory after victory because of the arrival of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, but the dangers within were not known to outsiders. This was a knife hanging over the flowery palace of the Great Jin Dynasty, and no one was allowed to touch it. But now, Zhang Ji had clearly placed this knife in front of everyone, and had even drawn out the bloodstains on it. Since ancient times, Emperors had always been suspicious. What would the Emperor think? He would most likely think that he had the intention to bring disaster to the country. If one were to speculate further, there was even the possibility that he had colluded with the enemy!
Without sufficient evidence, there was no way to convict him. That news had spread so mysteriously that even Xuan Hua could not determine the source of the news. The Emperor could not find the messenger, so he would certainly be even more bewildered. He would think that Xuan Hua's ability was so great that even he could not control it. To the Emperor, this was not a good sign.
"My beloved subject, there is indeed something fishy about this matter. Don't worry, we will definitely give you an explanation." The Emperor said heavily, the chill in his words causing everyone present to be shocked. No matter how bright the Emperor looked on ordinary days, his natural majesty could not be violated. Today, the person behind him had played him like a monkey. If he was really found out, how could he have a good ending? He looked at Zhang Ji, who was kneeling on the ground in tears, and comforted him. "We still need you, and the soldiers of the Great Jin Dynasty also need you. Today, we have made this trip in vain. We will definitely make that person pay the price. It is just that the situation at the border is tight. My beloved subject will have to make a trip to deal with the future matters. Now that it is late, we will depart tomorrow. My beloved subject, return to your residence today and rest well. We will draft an edict in a while. "
This was to appease Zhang Ji and seriously investigate this matter. The more Xuan Hua listened, the worse he felt. But at this moment, if he spoke, it would only add fuel to the fire. He could only silently swallow his resentment, but his expression was unusually unsightly, as if he was about to fling his sleeves and leave.
Since the Emperor had already put down his arrogance, Zhang Ji had no reason to be pretentious. After repeatedly thanking the Emperor for his kindness, the mighty storm over the army's pay slowly subsided. When Zhang Ji returned to his residence, he would naturally receive compensation from the Palace. An old official being slandered was indeed a very unpleasant matter. On the surface, it looked like Zhang Ji had been wronged, but in reality, it did not hurt or itch. Instead, it made the Emperor trust him even more. In the end, the one who had lost was only Xuan Hua.
At present, the Emperor did not blame Xuan Hua, but his every move today had fallen into the Emperor's eyes. He would also think and have his own thoughts. Sometimes, to achieve a certain goal did not require sufficient evidence and certainty. As long as a seed of suspicion was quietly buried in the other person's heart, waiting for it to break through the soil and sprout, there would come a day when this seed would burst forth with incomparably great power. Today's matter was a seed buried in the Emperor's heart. The Emperor had grown suspicious of Xuan Hua. From now on, whatever Xuan Hua did, the Emperor might not necessarily have no ulterior motives. From the very beginning, he had lost the initiative.
Today's loser was Xuan Hua, but the biggest winner was Xuan Li. He did not do anything at all. He did not even appear, but he easily won the Emperor's sympathy and trust. It also paved the way for the next step of his plan. When he slowly passed by Xuan Hua, he smiled slightly. The gloomy gaze he looked at Xuan Hua seemed to contain a trace of hidden contempt. Xuan Hua clenched his fists tightly and controlled himself from punching.
Behind Xuan Li, there was a smiling gaze looking at him. This gaze came from the crowd of officials and did not attract much attention. It was a young man wearing a purple official robe. He had a small mustache and a meaningful gaze. When he retracted his gaze, he was surprised to find that there was also a person standing not far from him quietly watching Xuan Li. That person had not yet grown up and was only a young child. He was born beautiful and delicate. His eyes were as bright as the best glazed stone. However, his gaze was cold and heavy. It was actually somewhat familiar.
The child seemed to feel his gaze. He turned his head and stared at him coldly. When he turned around, the young eunuch on the side hurriedly greeted him. "Thirteenth Highness, please walk slowly …"
Qi Feng was slightly stunned. He turned his head and followed the child.
…
Zhang Ji returned to the fu. As expected, the Emperor's imperial edict arrived. He was rewarded with some gold and silver as a consolation. After comforting everyone in the fu, it was already late at night. Zhang Ji returned to the study and lit an oil lamp. He took out a box from under the study table and handed it to the person standing opposite him.
That person had obviously been waiting in the study for a long time. Seeing Zhang Ji's actions, he smiled with satisfaction. "Official Zhang is really agile. I will go and report to His Highness. In the future, when His Highness's great undertaking succeeds, Official Zhang will definitely be remembered as the first class merit. "
Zhang Ji smiled. "Young Master Jiang is too kind. This old man is already half a foot in the ground. How can there be any glory, splendor, or wealth? On the other hand, Young Master Jiang is a young hero. In the future, you will soar and become a legendary figure of the Great Jin dynasty. "
The person in the study was none other than Jiang Chao. At this moment, he and Zhang Ji had reached a consensus by flattering each other. However, this alliance had come together because of interests. Sincerity and hypocrisy could be distinguished. Zhang Ji secretly cursed the fellow opposite him for being so vicious. He was even willing to be Xuan Li's dog, shamelessly begging for food from Xuan Li's hands. Jiang Chao also secretly despised Zhang Ji's nonchalant attitude. Wasn't it all for the sake of power?
But no matter what he felt, he always wore a smile on his face. Zhang Ji looked at the small box in Jiang Chao's hands and said with a smile, "This is the key to the warehouse where the army's provisions are kept. There are a total of eight hundred carriages. Young Master Jiang must do things cleanly to avoid leaving behind any evidence."
"Naturally," Jiang Chao also smiled. "This is an important part of His Highness's great undertaking. How can anything go wrong? Thank you, Lord Zhang, for giving me the key today. I wish Lord Zhang a safe journey tomorrow. "
Zhang Ji returned his smile. "Thank you, Young Master."
After the two had spoken, Jiang Chao left through the back door of the Zhang fu. It was currently the third watch of the night. The capital was dark and there was not a single star in the sky. Perhaps it was going to rain soon. Even the moon could not be seen. Dark clouds hung heavily in the sky. It was a night where one could not even see their own fingers in front of them.
Jiang Chao rode his horse, hurrying all the way until he arrived at the back of a huge warehouse in the eastern part of the city. He saw that the warehouse was built so high that it was impossible to climb. It was at least half the height of the city wall. All the provisions that the army needed to transport were stored inside. The people outside had all arrived. Jiang Chao threw the key to the person standing at the very front. That person took the key and opened the door of the warehouse. As if they had received an order in unison, the people who had been silently waiting around moved in unison. They unloaded the goods from the other side's carriages. One side transported the goods from the warehouse, and the other side transported the goods from the warehouse.
This was the act of stealing the beam and replacing the pillar. Jiang Chao looked on complacently until a person walked to his side and said, "Is everything ready?"
Jiang Chao turned his head to look. Xia Jun was standing in the deep night, holding only a small torch. His eyes were reflected by the light of the fire, making him look somewhat strange. His expression froze. "Everything is ready. Even the people in the surroundings who were in the way have been killed."
Xia Jun nodded. He looked at the people going in and out of the huge warehouse, but his face did not reveal much joy. Jiang Chao noticed his expression and asked curiously, "Biaodi, what are you still worried about?"
Xia Jun shook his head. A strange look appeared in his eyes, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling of unease …" Everything had happened too smoothly. Whether it was the play that Zhang Ji had directed and acted on himself in the throne room, or the current act of stealing the beam and replacing the pillar in the warehouse, everything had happened too naturally and too smoothly. Suddenly, a pair of coquettish eyes appeared in his mind. That eyebrow slightly curved. It looked like a smile, but there was a deep sense of ridicule in his eyes. Xia Jun was startled. He felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. He immediately sucked in a breath of cold air.
After a while, he asked Jiang Chao, "Did Jiang Ruan make any unusual movements?"
"She stays in Jinying Wang fu all day and has never entered the palace," Jiang Chao smiled coldly, "Biaodi, you don't have to worry too much. She has never left the fu. How could she know our plans? Could it be that she can predict the future?"
Xia Jun's eyes flickered, "Yes, it is impossible for her to predict the future." As a person who lived in a wang fu, news traveled slower than others. All the sources of information had to be obtained from outside. It was impossible for Jiang Ruan to know what they wanted to do first. Early the next morning, this troop's provisions would be transported along with the military supply troops to the distant border. Moreover, this troop's provisions were not the usual troop's provisions. Everything was done in secret. By the time Jiang Ruan discovered that something was wrong, it would already be too late.
For example, how would Jiang Ruan know that they were stealing the beam and replacing the pillar? How could she stop them? It was impossible for her to know of their plans. Unless she was not human, she could predict the future.
Xia Jun slowly calmed down and said, "Let's continue, while the sky is not bright …" While the sky was not bright, let everything be submerged in the night. And Jiang Ruan was destined to lose in this confrontation. Winner takes all and loser takes all. This was an unchanging principle since ancient times.
…
That night, in Jinying Wang fu, the light in Xiao Shao's study was not extinguished. From the outside, it looked like a cluster of bright and warm fireworks in the pitch-black night. It was as if one could open the door and see a cold and reserved youth dressed in black sitting in front of the desk. At this moment, there was indeed a person sitting in front of the desk, but it was a graceful and graceful young girl who had just matured.
The fragrance of tea curled up in spirals and the rising mist separated the desk. Under the illumination of the lamp, a small beautiful flower bloomed. What was even more beautiful than the misty flower was the young girl's appearance. She was clearly wearing a moon-white long skirt with a dark purple cloak draped over her head. This made her face look as if it was carved out of fine white jade. Every stroke of her facial features seemed to have been carefully carved by the heavens. Every place was just right and beautiful. She exuded a kind of peerless charm from her bones. Every movement of this beauty was amorous, but her pair of charming eyes were cold and elegant, forcefully suppressing that kind of vulgar charm. She was like a mandala that bloomed under the moonlight, cold and enchanting.
Jiang Ruan looked at the young man in purple in front of her. Even though Qi Feng had been obsessed with the politics of the court all his life, he could not help but be slightly absent-minded by this peerless beauty.
There were beauties in the world, and it was rare for them to be beautiful and intelligent. If one's appearance was said to be a bag of skin, then this young girl's wisdom was to inject a vivid soul into this beautiful bag of skin, making it lively and fragrant.
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "Today in the palace hall, it was all thanks to Young Master Qi." Xuan Li and Zhang Ji had joined forces to sing this play, and from beginning to end, she had never thought of stopping them. Since Qi Feng was playing with the politics of the court, he naturally had another identity in the court. This identity looked unremarkable, neither too high nor too low, but it was the most subtle existence. If he wanted to do something in the court, it was the easiest way to hide his identity and not be detected. And Qi Feng also acted according to Jiang Ruan's instructions. In Zhang Ji's play, he pushed the boat with the current and made this play more smoothly.
It was just that … in addition to his secret arrangements, it seemed that there was also another part of the power involved. So today, Zhang Ji's play was perfect. In fact, there was another person who contributed, but it was unknown what that person's purpose was and who did it. Suddenly, the face of the beautiful child in the palace hall flashed in Qi Feng's mind. His eyes slightly darkened, and he said, "They have already made their move." He raised the letter in his hand, and his gaze was profound, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that Xuan Li would take such a risk."
Jiang Ruan unhurriedly picked up the cup of white tea in front of her and took a small sip. She then said in an indifferent voice, "Tonight, they cheated by replacing the beams with the pillars. That warehouse full of soldiers' pay was completely replaced with moldy rice grains and other supplies. Except for the outermost ones, the ones inside were all made up of straw. And with Zhang Ji's good play in the court today, there will be no more accidents tomorrow. Once the military provisions are safely transported out of the capital, the mountains will be high and the rivers will be long. And after the supply troops leave, the soldiers at the border will inevitably suffer. Without military provisions and provisions, sooner or later, they will run out of ammunition and food. When the whole army is wiped out, who will hold Zhang Ji accountable? Even if there are fish that escape the net, they can find ways to kill them one by one. It is indeed a good deal. "
Qi Feng took a deep breath and said, "Xuan Li is a prince of the Great Jin dynasty, but for his own selfishness, he disregarded the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers at the border and regarded the territory of the Great Jin dynasty as a child's play. It is really insane."
Jiang Ruan looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, "Oh? Do you really think so? "
When Qi Feng was looked at by those eyes, he immediately felt that his thoughts could not be hidden. He had always been clever, but he did not know why he often felt a sense of defeat in front of this young girl who was not even older than him. He scratched his head awkwardly and said with a smile, "Third Sister-in-law, I have something to ask you. What did you let Jin Er take the Jinyi Guards to do?"
Before Xiao Shao left, he had handed over all the Jinyi Guards in the capital to Jin One and Jin Er. Jin One and Jin Er were all under Jiang Ruan's command, which was equivalent to Xiao Shao handing over all the Jinyi Guards in the capital to Jiang Ruan. For Qi Feng, this was a very inconceivable thing. First, although the Jinyi Guards were secret guards, each and every one of them was an elite and virtuous person. However, outstanding people were always proud and arrogant. For them to willingly submit to Jiang Ruan, it was not easy for Jin One and Jin Er to be the heads of the Jinyi Guards. But when they heard Jiang Ruan's order, they went out without saying anything. This was enough to show Jiang Ruan's position in their hearts. Secondly, Xiao Shao was not a person who easily trusted others. In his early years, he was even more accustomed to being a loner. Yet, he had handed over his hidden strength to Jiang Ruan. It was clear that Jiang Ruan held a special place in his heart.
Jiang Ruan suddenly smiled, "Master Qi, you are smart and farsighted. Why do you still need to speak in riddles in front of me? You clearly know why Xuan Li wanted to exchange the army's provisions in the warehouse. "
Qi Feng was startled and looked at Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan looked at him quietly. In the light of the fire, her smile was gentle and quiet, but her gaze was distant and deep, as if she was looking at the long years of the future through the fire. There was a clear understanding of the world in her gaze, as if she was a spectator who had watched the whole play and was watching it from the beginning again. She was just an outsider who was watching with cold eyes. No matter how the actors struggled and floated, she was always outside the world of mortals, clear-headed and cruel as she watched everything happen.
He slowly shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Third Sister-in-law, you are so smart that it is scary. Yes, I know why. I have known for a long time that Xuan Li and Tian Jin colluded. The intelligence of the Jinyi Guards is the best in the world. There is nothing that we do not know. "Except for your secret, he added in his heart.
"Yes, since Tian Jin and Xuan Li have colluded, Xuan Li should at least show something. In other words, in this war, he must ensure that Tian Jin will win. Such a large amount of military provisions will only be a hot potato in his hands. Xuan Li cannot leave these things in the capital. He can only think of a way to transport them out. And there is only one way to use this batch of provisions to the greatest extent and safely. "Jiang Ruan said lightly.
"Send it to Tian Jin as the Tian Jin army's provisions." Qi Feng continued her words.
It was so easy to talk to a smart person. Jiang Ruan smiled, "Yes, but Xuan Li's method may not be good in my eyes."
"This method looks simple on the surface, but in fact, it requires a great price. It is because it is too dangerous that no one thought of it. Xuan Li did the opposite and can be considered an ambitious and ruthless person. Moreover, to think of a way to transport it out, there must be a foolproof plan. I don't understand why you say it may not be good? "Qi Feng said. He did not believe that Jiang Ruan, an unmarried woman, could compete with Xuan Li, who was born as a schemer. Even if she could guess people's minds, the matters of the imperial court could not be achieved by scheming and winning people's hearts.
"No matter what you do, you can't leave behind any evidence." Jiang Ruan's eyes were slightly cold, "Xuan Li left behind this batch of provisions. It is precisely because of this that I have the opportunity to break out of this situation. If I were in his position, I would never leave behind this batch of provisions. Once the things are exchanged, I will immediately burn them, leaving no trace. "
Qi Feng looked at her dumbfounded. "You burned it?" He could not see the ridicule in Jiang Ruan's eyes. What she said was the truth. Today, if she and Xuan Li exchanged positions, she would really burn the entire batch of provisions. God, how could she have such courage? What did she eat growing up?
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly, "Didn't you ask me what Jin Er and the others went to do? I will tell you now, they went to set the fire. Everything about Xuan Li's play is good, but it is a little lacking. But this is not up to him to decide. "
Qi Feng felt a chill in his heart and asked, "Set what fire?"
"Do you still not understand?" Jiang Ruan smiled gently, "This time, I want them to beat their teeth out and swallow their blood. They will suffer a great loss, but they will not be able to say a word."
…
Under the arrangements, the provisions in the warehouse had all been transferred to the place where they should be transferred. At this moment, in the warehouse of the eastern courtyard, someone closed the warehouse door and handed the key to Jiang Chao.
The warehouse door was restored to its original appearance, as if it had never been opened. These things were restored to an excellent position, and everything looked no different from the day.
Xia Jun stood beside Jiang Chao. He did not know why, but the uneasiness in his heart resurfaced, as if some subtle emotion was about to break through the soil. Jiang Chao looked at the scene in front of him with satisfaction and smiled, "Now that everything has been settled, when I return and report to His Highness, I will certainly have made a great contribution." Once this matter was completed, Xuan Li's great cause would be half successful. In this world, some of the rivers and mountains would be his meritorious service. In the future, he would certainly have a meteoric rise and his future prospects would be immeasurable. It was not in vain that he had spent so much effort on this.
"Daren, now that the matter has been settled, should we go back first?" the guard asked.
"Go back — —" The two words had not yet left his mouth when a 'dong' sound was heard. Something fell from the sky and suddenly hit the roof of the warehouse. It rolled down the slanted roof and rolled in front of everyone. The guards were all startled and protected Jiang Chao as they retreated a few steps. Seeing that there was no reaction from the thing, they picked up their torches and boldly went forward to investigate. With one look, the guard was so frightened that he suddenly sat on the ground and dropped his torch. His lips trembled as he said, "Daren … daren …"
Jiang Chao saw that the guard's appearance was strange and went forward to take a look. With one look, he was also shocked. The person on the ground was not someone else but the leader of the military supply team, Zhang Ji. At this moment, his entire body was stiff and there was a line of blood on his throat. His eyes were wide open and it was obvious that he was already dead.
Jiang Chao had only been separated from him for four hours and did not think that when they met again, Zhang Ji would already be a corpse. He could not help but turn pale with fright. Before he could react, he heard several whooshing sounds and several black shadows flashed across the sky. No one saw how the warehouse door opened and no one saw how the sparks were drawn in. They only saw the sparks coming into contact with the hay and shooting high up into the sky. There was no need to incite them and they quickly rose up like a line of fire. In a flash, the entire warehouse was enveloped in a sea of fire.
The rumbling flames almost lit up the entire street, making it as bright as day. The flames were the color of blood and faintly contained a layer of ominous aura. No one had expected that there would be such an unforeseen event. Jiang Chao and Xia Jun were both stunned on the spot. Those black clothed men came and went without a trace and immediately disappeared. Xia Jun's heart moved and was about to give the order to retreat when he heard someone shout, "There's a fire, not good, the warehouse is on fire!"
Immediately after, the sound of hooves could be heard coming from the far end of the street, accompanied by the light of the torches. A loud voice shouted, "Audacious madman, you dare to set fire to the army's provisions. Arrest him for this official!"
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