Chapter 134

They were both clean people, and after being naked and intimate for so long, both of them were soaked in sweat and felt sticky.

Pei Yuqing sat up, untied the layers of curtains, and called the servants waiting outside to bring hot water to the clean room next door.

After everyone left, he wanted to carry her to the bed again, but Xie Wan Ning hurriedly refused, put on some clothes, and went to the bathroom.

She really couldn't do something as intimate as taking a bath together.

The warm water flowed over her body and she simply washed herself. Her eyelids were drooping from exhaustion, and she returned to the couch and fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow.

When Pei Yuqing came back, he saw the girl sleeping soundly, curled up in the quilt with only her little face showing.

With a smile on his lips, he lifted the quilt and got on the bed, then pulled the person into his arms, holding her tightly.

The two of them were pressed tightly together, their bodies fitting so perfectly.

The next day, when Xie Wan Ning woke up, the place next to her was already cold.

Although it is the end of the year and officials are about to take their annual leave, they still have to ring the last day of the bell.

Pei Yuqing apparently held an official position in the Ministry of Justice, which was of a high rank, so he still had to go to the court to pay homage.

She also made an appointment with Xie Ruyu today to go to Puyin Temple outside the city to burn incense and pray for everything to go well for the family in the coming year.

After a good night's sleep, my waist doesn't feel sore anymore.

Er Qing brought in two little maids, Yuanzhu and Yuanyue. Seeing her daughter's rosy face, she bowed with a smile.

"Madam, you were exhausted last night. Do you still want to go out today? Otherwise, I will go back to the second young lady."

She wasn't a newlywed, but Xie Wan Ning couldn't help blushing when she was teased like this. She rubbed her face with her hands and said, "I have to go out."

The two of them had made an appointment a long time ago, but they just broke it. Given Xie Ruyu's personality, she would definitely ask her why she broke the appointment the next time they meet.

How should she answer then?

…………

the other side.

In the Golden Palace, civil and military officials lined up on both sides, and the last court meeting of the year began.

Not long after the emperor took his seat and all the ministers greeted him, Qi Yan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped out and knelt down with a thud.

"I have something to report."

The emperor sat up straight and said solemnly, "My dear Qi, what do you want to say? Please tell me."

Qi Yan said: "I want to report Chen Ge Lao for corruption, abuse of power, buying and selling official titles, occupying good farmland, and bullying the people."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a drop of water splashing out of a boiling oil pan.

All officials were shocked.

The accused, Chen Ge Lao, was stunned for a moment, then stepped out and bowed deeply: "In front of His Majesty, please be careful with your words, and don't make random accusations."

Anyone who can hold the position of cabinet minister must be a senior official of the dynasty and have many students and relatives.

Not to mention that the girl from the Chen family will become the eldest prince's consort after the New Year, and there are many officials in the court who stand on the eldest prince's side.

Soon someone reacted and offered help.

The discussion in the palace was heated. The emperor sat high up in the temple and asked, "Lord Qi, do you have any evidence?"

Qi Yan was not in a hurry even though he was pointed at by the men. He took out a thick memorial from his sleeve, raised his hands high, and said respectfully: "At the beginning of the year, there was an earthquake in Qingzhou, and victims were everywhere. The government's relief money was embezzled by local officials. The mastermind behind this was Lord Chen."

"Qingzhou Governor Chen Wen is a student of Elder Chen. The correspondence between the two, the account books, and the personnel lists are all listed there. They cannot be faked. This is just physical evidence. There is also a witness who is in the capital right now. Your Majesty, please take a look."

The emperor raised his hand, and the eunuch Yuan Shu behind him quickly walked down the steps, personally took the memorial from Qi Yan's hand and presented it to him.

Everyone's eyes were on the memorial in Yuan Shu's hand.

"This is just the evidence of Qingzhou's crimes, and it is so numerous that it is hard to list them all. Lord Chen has all the power in the government. I wonder how miserable the people in other states and counties of our Khan must be."

As he spoke, Qi Yan burst into tears: "I know that I am of low rank and have little to say, but I still have a heart that loves the people. Now that I know the truth, I cannot hide it. Today, I am reporting to the cabinet ministers. If I have said even a single word that is false, I am willing to die as an apology."

The noisy hall fell completely silent.

Smart people already understand everything.

In the Qingzhou case, everyone knew who investigated it.

He was Lu Ziyan, the imperial envoy sent by His Majesty himself.

Given how much Your Majesty values ​​him, you must have already reviewed the evidence, and what's happening now is just a formality.

Of course, Lord Chen is also a smart man.

The eldest prince stood in the front row. His usually gentle face was stern, and his eyes like a knife swept towards Lu Ziyan. However, the other party was neither anxious nor slow, and smiled mockingly at him, making him so angry that his lips trembled.

The Emperor on the dragon throne looked at the memorial presented to him with a colder and colder look in his eyes. Finally, he stood up suddenly and said in a stern voice: "Investigate! Investigate strictly!"

"This case will be handed over to the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Justice for a joint trial. The three beloved ministers Lu, Pei, and Ji will assist in the trial. The Supervisory Office will supervise the entire process and report the progress to me at any time."

The emperor ordered a strict investigation, and the person under investigation, Chen Ge Lao Chen Shizhong, would of course be taken to the Ministry of Justice's prison.

The cabinet minister, who was over 60 years old, took off his official hat himself without saying a word to defend himself. He bowed to the emperor on the dragon throne and said, "I am an old minister in the prison, waiting for justice from Your Majesty."

His calmness in the face of honor and disgrace is quite typical of a civil official.

Seeing this, some civil and military officials in the court were moved, some sighed, and some shook their heads slightly.

Only Lu Ziyan sneered, and the contempt in his voice was very obvious in the empty hall, causing a lot of sighs.

I've never seen anyone so arrogant.

Some people were even puzzled. Although Lu Ziyan was arrogant, he was not stupid.

Lord Chen is a civil official, and one of the leading figures among them. How could there be any conflict of interest between him and a military general like you? Why do you have to dethrone him?

After all, cooperation leads to win-win results.

Soon, these puzzles were answered.

After Chen Ge Lao was taken away, the emperor lost his serious expression and said with a faint smile: "I have a happy event to share with you my dear ministers today."

This change made Pei Yuqing, who had been silent, become more reserved.

The ministers were even more confused, whispering and discussing among themselves.

I haven't heard that any lady in the palace is pregnant, so how can there be any happy event?

Yuan Shu, the chief eunuch, took the imperial edict in his hand, read it out on the spot, and informed all the officials.

When Empress Yuan passed away, she left behind the premature and weak Fifth Prince, who nearly died with Empress Yuan several times. The high monks of Zhenguo Temple said that the prince should be fostered outside the palace, preferably in the home of a minister with a strong murderous aura, to ward off external evil, so that he could grow up safely. After discussion among several ministers, the Fifth Prince was fostered in the Lu family of Wuyuan Marquis's mansion, and has been there for eighteen years.

Now that the prince has reached adulthood, he should return to the royal family and restore his status as a legitimate prince.

After the imperial edict was read, all the officials were as if listening to a divine book. Before they could come back to their senses, the Grand Tutor Li Yuan, the Minister of Justice Liu He, and the Minister of the Central Secretariat Zhao Ming stepped out and congratulated in unison: "Your officials respectfully welcome the Fifth Prince back to the clan."

In front of all the civil and military officials in the court, Lu Ziyan took the imperial edict with both hands.

"I have wronged my son over the years." The emperor said lovingly, "My son has made great military achievements before he even reached adulthood. He is both brave and resourceful. Now that you have returned, I will make you the King of Zhenbei, and you will be in charge of the three major military regions in the northwest, and you will intimidate the enemy."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand again, and the eunuch chief Yuan Shu took out another imperial edict that he had prepared long ago to confer the title of king.

This imperial edict is no less important than the previous news about the addition of a prince.

There were only four princes before the emperor, including the eldest prince, and they only held positions in the court, and none of them was made a king.

As soon as Lu Ziyan regained his status as a prince, he was directly named King of Zhenbei and was also in charge of the military power in the north.

The three major military regions in the northwest have a total of 300,000 troops, and they are elite soldiers who have been fighting for many years.

In the previous dispute over the crown prince in the court, only the eldest prince and the second prince were fighting openly and secretly, neither of them would give in. But after today, it is time for the two major camps to reshuffle.

It is easy to imagine how chaotic the situation would be if a legitimate prince, the Prince of Zhenbei who holds an army of 300,000, suddenly intervened.

Many officials who stood on the side of the eldest prince and the second prince began to back off.

Although Lu Ziyan is the fifth prince, he is the legitimate son of Empress Yuan and the eldest son.

It is better to appoint a legitimate prince with outstanding achievements, otherwise even if he is given the military command, it will be difficult to convince the people.

...No wonder His Majesty has treated him like his own son over the years.

He had been close to the palace since he was young, studying with the princes, and had been personally taught by the old Marquis of the Lu family when he was training in martial arts...

Give trust, official positions, opportunities for experience, and cultivate them with great care and effort.

He joined the army at the age of fourteen and was in charge of troops. At the age of sixteen, he was given a task to prove himself. Even when the military supervisor he sent was beheaded, he was not angry at all.

At that time, some people thought that this might be a trick by the emperor to praise him but kill him.

As a result, he was indulged and pampered like this, and even when Lu Ziyan asked to go to fight in the Northern Frontier several times, he was not allowed to go.

Now that he was eighteen years old, he could not wait to restore his status, be granted the title of king and be given military power...

If you think about it carefully, you will be shocked by how much the emperor values ​​his son.

It really makes one wonder, the position of the crown prince has been vacant all this time, isn't it reserved for this legitimate prince who is raised outside the palace?
Could it be that the previous eldest prince and second prince were both targets?
The target - the eldest prince pursed his lips into a straight line and clenched his hands in his sleeves. He had known Lu Ziyan's true identity for a long time, but he was still caught off guard today.

The future father-in-law was imprisoned, and the prince had always regarded him as a thorn in his side, his "brother". When he regained his status and returned to the court openly, the eldest prince felt hatred and jealousy towards the emperor's partiality, and he became twisted into what he is now.

However, he had to put on an expression of shock and joy, and act like a brotherly friend in front of the emperor and all the officials.

He followed the three ministers and congratulated Lu Ziyan.

But Lu Ziyan really looked down on this 'brother' who had the hatred of killing his wife and who had trampled on him in his previous life. At this moment, he had no intention of pretending to be nice. He didn't even look at him straight in the eye. He just hummed softly, as if he heard it himself.

This time, the eldest prince, who was an excellent qi-cultivation expert, could no longer hold it in, and his face turned slightly green.

Even the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne couldn't help but hold his forehead with his hand, let alone the other ministers.

The court meeting was so exciting that many ministers were still in shock after it ended.

When Lu Ziyan walked out of the Golden Palace, he happened to meet his uncle from his previous life.

The moment their eyes met, the atmosphere became a little stagnant, and many people around them then remembered...the girl from the Xie family seemed to be this ex-fiancée?

At that time, the Xie family was determined to cancel the engagement, and this killer's repeated requests for peace were rejected. Now the eldest daughter of the Xie family has married into a wealthy family.

...This is a typical case of a marriage that failed but ended up causing enmity.

I don’t know if the Xie family is now regretting that they were too ruthless back then. What they gave up might be the future position of queen.

In the strange atmosphere, Xie Yanyu looked away, nodded lightly to his colleagues, and left first.

Lu Ziyan glanced at his receding back, his stern expression unchanged, as if he didn't take the previous disagreement to heart.

Several ministers who were ordered to supervise the case of Lord Chen stayed in the back hall to discuss the matter.

In addition to several veteran officials from the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate, Pei Yuqing, Ji Chengfeng, and Lu Ziyan, who were singled out by the emperor to assist in the investigation, are all from the younger generation.

At this moment, the three of them were walking side by side. Although they were wearing thick cloaks, their straight backs could still be seen. They all had elegant manners and handsome looks.

Walking on the majestic snow-capped palace road, it seems even more cool and outstanding, and each one is more eye-catching than the other.

When the old emperor saw the three people coming in, his eyes lit up slightly, and he stroked his beard and praised: "The Khan's country has successors."

As the old ministers he promoted in his youth retired one by one, the younger generation of ministers has gradually come to power.

These will be the talents he leaves for the next emperor.

The emperor looked at his only legitimate son, but saw that he was staring at him absentmindedly...

He followed his gaze.

Over there, Pei Yuqing was taking off his cloak and handing it to the eunuch. He was wearing a green official robe underneath, with a dark jade belt tightly around his waist. He had a slender figure, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and he looked like an immortal.

...But no matter how handsome he is, he is still a man. There is no need to stare at him so intently.

Lu Ziyan was more than in a trance, even his pupils were trembling slightly, his face was frighteningly ugly, and his expression was out of control. He no longer had the arrogant and domineering look he had in the Golden Palace.

Ji Chengfeng, who was standing by, noticed something was wrong and looked in the direction he was looking. He was closer and could see the neat tooth mark on the side of Pei Yuqing's neck by tilting his head. He was also stunned for a moment.

After figuring out what it was, he blushed slightly and turned away uncomfortably.

Pei Yuqing, as the person involved, was looked at like this by them, frowned and put his hand on the side of his neck.

Finally I remembered that the little girl seemed to have taken a bite here last night...

His hands froze for a moment, and he lowered his head, looking a little embarrassed.

It was not easy to tease Ji Chengfeng, a man who had not yet married, but the other old ministers were not so polite.

The Minister of Justice was an old official in his fifties. After seeing the eyebrow-raising lawsuit here, he shook his head and smiled, "It still has to be young people."

The other two old ministers also smiled and echoed.

"..." Pei Yuqing was silent for a moment and did not respond. Instead, he lifted his collar helplessly to barely cover the teeth marks.

After a few words of casual chatting, the emperor offered them seats, a eunuch came in to serve tea, and everyone began to discuss business.

Lu Ziyan, the newly crowned prince, the dignified King of Zhenbei, was absent-minded the whole time. He didn't utter a word, didn't drink a single drink, and didn't even move.