Chapter 41： investigation

The lieutenant colonel, who will be the supervisor, took an official document and was thinking of leaving the Ministry of Industry. He did not expect to meet someone from the Ministry of Punishment at the door.

When the lieutenant commander saw him, he wrinkled his face instantly, and said bitterly: "Xie Shilang, why are you... about the cruise ship..."

"Okay." Xie Zhi interrupted him, "I didn't come to ask you about the case today. Where is your master Shi?"

"Looking for Mr. Shi?" The lieutenant commander was stunned for a moment, "Oh, he should be in the front yard, I'll go find him right away."

After the lieutenant colonel's order was finished, he ran back in a flash.

After a while, Master Shi came out, and today he was going to the Yamen. He was wearing his light green official uniform, which was embroidered with egrets about to fly.

"Xie Shilang looking for me?" Mr. Shi bowed and asked suspiciously, his demeanor was measured, and he was completely different from the drunk man who drank at the wine table yesterday.

Xie Zhi: "It's not me who is looking for you today, but this one." As she spoke, she raised her hand sideways, revealing Yang Dejin behind her.

Master Shi is an official of the sixth rank, and cannot go to the court with Shang Shu and his servants, so he has never met Prince Yu.

"Who is this?"

Xie Zhi: "This is Dasheng's Prince Yu."

"Yu...!"

Master Shi didn't know why this nobleman wanted to see such a small master like himself, he was shocked but also a little frightened, but fortunately this prince's temperament was as gentle as jade, and he didn't seem to be looking for trouble.

Yang Dejin: "Master Shi, how about taking a step to speak?"

Master Shi looked at the two of them, then looked into the public office, and replied respectfully: "Okay."

The three of them found a tea stall nearby, Yang Dejin didn't pay much attention to these, so the other two had to sit down with her. After the herbal tea was served, the boss didn't know where to go to take a break. The place was empty and there were no other tea customers, so he was not afraid of being overheard.

"So, what does the prince want to do with my humble servant?"

Yang Dejin put on a distressed look, and said straight to the point: "I have a problem on my mind recently, I can't figure it out, and I want to get advice from an expert. I also heard that Mr. Shi was lucky enough to meet one. I wonder if I can recommend it to me. a bit?"

Director Shi didn't seem to realize who she was talking about, and repeated dully: "A master?"

Xie Zhi seemed to add casually: "It seems to be some kind of divine envoy from Dacheng Sect?"

After Xie Zhi mentioned this, Master Shi suddenly realized: "Your Highness is talking about the High Priest of Dacheng Sect?"

Yang Dejin: "That's right. Does Mr. Shi know where he is?"

Now it's difficult to change the stone master: "This... the prince forgives the sin. The high priest appears and disappears, and it is difficult for ordinary people to find his trace. I just saw it once by chance, and I haven't seen it again since."

Yang Dejin: "Isn't Master Shi a believer of Dacheng Sect?"

Master Shi said: "Those who can get the protection of the holy religion are high-ranking officials and dignitaries. I am a small official of the Ministry of Industry, how can I have the opportunity to be among them?"

Xie Zhi: "Apart from that high priest, have you ever had contact with other believers?"

Master Shi shook his head: "No."

Yang Dejin looked a little regretful.

This broken-mouthed person has never had much contact with the church at all, and dares to talk nonsense outside.

Xie Zhi: "Where did you meet the high priest?"

Mr. Shi thought for a while: "Well... it's the Jingzhao government office at the beginning of the month."

Yang Dejin: "In Jingzhao Mansion?"

"Yes, a while ago, Jingzhao Mansion's prison was being repaired, and I was ordered to supervise the work. There I met Mr. Fu Yin talking with the high priest."

Xie Zhi read thoughtfully, "Cheng Duo?"

Cheng Duo is the governor of Linjing today.

Yang Dejin was overjoyed, and she continued to ask, "What did he talk to the high priest about?"

Master Shi shook his head: "I don't know about that, I exchanged a few words with them and left."

Yang Dejin and Xie Zhi understood, glanced at each other, and didn't ask any more questions for a while.

Master Shi saw that both of them fell silent, suddenly he felt uncomfortable, he asked timidly: "My lord, may I ask what is on your mind that bothers you so much?"

Hearing this, Yang Dejin looked up at him and smiled: "Of course it's... a matter of the world."

The last three words also lowered the voice pretending to be mysterious.

After speaking, he got up and left with his hands behind his back.

Master Shi's eyes widened in astonishment, as if he knew something important.

This Prince Yu... Could it be... a rebellion? !

He inexplicably felt a emptiness in his neck, Xie Zhi knew that Yang Dejin had bluffed him when he saw the erratic look in his eyes.

Then she also stood up and slapped the tea money on the table.

"A word of advice to Mr. Shi: Don't ask if you shouldn't. And..." Xie Zhi's tone gradually became dangerous, and his eyes became sharper, "It's better for Mr. Shi to say less about unwarranted things."

After she finished speaking, she also left, leaving Master Shi alone on the chair anxiously.

//

"Cheng Duo is a well-known good official in Linjing, he doesn't seem like someone who would collude with crooked ways." Xie Zhi explained.

Of course, Yang Dejin had also heard of this person's reputation: "Is it possible that he went to the doctor in a hurry?"

Xie Zhi was puzzled: "What do you mean Your Highness?"

"It's just a guess," Yang Dejin said uncertainly, "I heard a month ago that Mr. Cheng's wife had a difficult labor. Mr. Cheng broke the curfew and went out to seek medical treatment after the door was closed and the drums rang. "

Yang Dejin went out to wander around every corner of the capital when she had nothing to do, and she did not miss the anecdotes in the streets and alleys. The incident of Yin's imprisonment in Jingzhao Mansion a while ago was very famous in Zhaoguofang.

"Your Highness is saying that among the people Mr. Cheng is looking for are followers of Dacheng Sect?" Xie Zhi frowned.

This is too much of a coincidence.

She had also heard about Cheng Duo's violation of the ban. What Mr. Cheng did at the time was normal, and because of his good reputation, everyone turned a blind eye to him from the top up to Yousi to the bottom down to Lizheng. It was not passed on to the Empress.

Could it be that Cheng Duo was able to find the high priest of Dacheng Sect just by wandering around the capital?

Why didn't she find the murderer so easily when she handled the case?

Yang Dejin actually didn't know what to do, she just felt that the time was just right.

"...I told you it was guesswork." Yang Dejin twitched her lips, "Just go to Cheng Duo's house and you'll know, let's go!"

//

In the forbidden area, the middle hall of Tai Chi Palace.

Li Zichou stood on the huge sand table and looked around.

Located in the center of Liangyi Hall, the sand table is rectangular, 30 steps long and 30 steps long, and mountains, rivers and cities are built on it, forming a prosperous eight prefectures and thirteen prefectures.

Standing in the middle of the simulated landform, Li Zichou felt more shocked than looking at a map.

In the whole world, is it the land of the king?

"Master Zhou called you here in the afternoon, don't take offense." Li Zifu said while watching.

Zhou Huaijin, who was standing beside the steps, said, "How dare you, I am a subject of His Majesty, and I am willing to do my best for His Majesty."

Li Zichou sighed: "Zhou Huaijin, speak normally."

"Your Majesty, you are the first to see." Zhou Huaijin muttered without hesitation, "The new residence has been completed, and in two days, I will leave the palace to live."

Li Zishou had time to glance at him: "You are thoughtful."

Zhou Huaijin: "When you go to the court to discuss matters, you are His Majesty's ministers. The courtiers live in the harem, which is inconsistent with the etiquette. The ministers are thinking of His Majesty, so as not to hinder the empress's eyes."

Li Zichou was surprised: "Queen, what happened to her?"

Isn't Bai Qingyang Zhou Huaijin's idol?

Zhou Huaijin remained expressionless for a while.

The main reason is that Bai Qingyang looked at him a little...

Zhou Huaijin really didn't know how he should work with Bai Qingyang, who was his lord's nominal wife.

On the one hand, I really appreciate her talent and regard her as a senior; on the other hand, I doubted her identity and worried that she would stab the empress back.

Although there is no evidence to prove that she has a different heart.

At the same time, Zhou Huaijin also knew that the harem could not do without her, and the empress could not do without her.

Zhou Huaijin thought, okay, then let him go, you two can live on your own.

Zhou Huaijin lightly touched on this topic: "After the minister moves out, I need to ask Mr. Li to do all the affairs in the palace."

Li Zichou nodded: "You found Li Xunchang, I don't worry."

Li Zichou not only rejected the performance of accepting male favors, but also sent all the eunuchs of Tianshu Palace to other palaces on the grounds of "changing his past mistakes and not being close to men's sex".

In addition to fulfilling the post of serving as a student, Li Xunchao said that he wanted to find something to do, so Li Zichou entrusted her with some internal affairs. The tasks were many and complicated, but at least he could direct the people under him to do them.

The original **** in charge was emptied out. Although his title was still on, he felt a little uncomfortable, but he could only hold back. After all, the two surnamed Li were not easy to mess with.

It's not that Li Zishou discriminates against eunuchs, it's that she doesn't like the sympathetic look of these fathers-in-law, and always feels panicked.

And in history, there are often examples of eunuchs monopolizing power, leading to political darkness and turmoil. Out of precaution, Li Zishou also deceived the right battalion of the forbidden army in the hands of eunuchs, and truly regained the jurisdiction of the palace...

…

Well, she admitted that she discriminated against eunuchs.

After Zhou Huaijin leaves the palace, Li Zichou's daily life will not change much.

Every day after going to court, I went to the shooting range for training, and after dinner, I went to the Ganlu Hall for evening classes. After the class, I lit the lamps and wrote memorials in the Imperial Study Room or Xuan Room.

It is often at the end of the Hai Dynasty that the children turn off the lights and go to sleep.

Except when she was critiquing the papers, she wrote some content that was not eye-catching, which made her furious, and she lived a full and satisfying life the rest of the time.

Thanks to the hard work in the past two months, Li Zichou felt that his body had become stronger, and the muscle lines on his waist, abdomen and arms were becoming clearer.

If only the Emperor's work had always been this uneventful...

Li Zishou knew that was impossible. If you look far away, there will be wars and disasters next year, and if you look closer, all nations will come to Korea in the summer. It will only get busier as it goes on, and at that time, there will be no way to take time off.

Thinking of this, Li Zichou was worried for a while.

In terms of war, military academies are running and armaments are being reformed.

In terms of disasters, the water conservancy work in the Yellow River area has already started.

But all nations come to court...

Yang Dejin told her that the Shuobei envoy came to the DPRK mainly to discuss marriage matters with Dasheng.

In the end, of course, they broke up, otherwise it would not have turned into a military encounter in the coming year.

Is it a marriage, or a war?

Of course it would be best if the quarrel between the two countries could be resolved peacefully, although she knew that making peace was not a good idea.

Shuobei poses a great threat to Dasheng, and the situation of check and balance is only temporary, and it is only a matter of time before they will go south.

With peace, start war later; if there is discord, start war early.

If it was Bai Qingyang, what would she do?

Li Zichou looked at the three northern states on the sand table, and the green part bordering them was the grassland where the Shuobei Khanate was located.

"Your Majesty?" Seeing that Li Zichou had been silent for a long time, Zhou Huaijin called out to her.

"En." Li Zichou paused, and then said, "I'm going to Yuheng Palace."

The author has something to say:

Bai Qingyang (staring intently): ...

Zhou Huaijin (scared): …

Li Zishou: If you continue like this, I will feel that I have been cheated on.