Judge of the Lamp

Chapter 244

In the execution room of the yamen holding the lamp, the prince looked at Fang Shichen expressionlessly.

A pile of instruments of torture with dark red rust and blood stains was placed in front of Fang Shichen,

The prince picked up a soldering iron, played with it for a while, inserted it into the charcoal stove, and asked, "Master Fang, do you know your crime?"

Fang Shichen lowered his head and said with sweat all over his face: "I am not effective in handling affairs, and I would like to be punished by Your Highness!"

The prince turned on the charcoal fire: "Is this one sentence ineffective?"

Fang Shichen went on to say: "This subordinate is incompetent and unbearable, so he should resign."

The prince took out the fiery red soldering iron and blew on the sparks: "Is it over after resigning?"

Fang Shichen knelt down and cried: "I'm a waste, Your Highness, please spare my life! I have no other crimes."

The prince sneered, turned around and said, "Shi Qianhu, tell me, what crime does Fang Shilang have?"

Shi Xun pursed his lips, looking embarrassed.

"Your Highness, my humble minister is dull and can't speak for a while."

He is not very familiar with the business of running the lamp yamen.

The crown prince turned his head, looked at Zhong Can and said, "Commander Zhong, is there no one in the Lantern Yamen who can speak?"

Zhong Shen looked at the crowd of lantern bearers, and shouted: "Liu Dashun, tell me, let's talk after you think about it!"

Don't think about it, Liu Dashun is very familiar with this set of business: "Fang Shichen, the right servant of the Ministry of War, corrupted the law with corruption, withheld military pay, filled his own pockets, and should be executed according to the law!"

Fang Shichen almost jumped up when he heard the words, pointed at Liu Dashun and said, "How can you frame me? What crime should you be guilty of for framing Shangguan?"

Liu Dashun smiled and said: "Fang Shilang, don't worry, whether it's a frame-up or not, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can tell for himself."

This is really not a framing. In this position in the Ministry of War, he must have embezzled military pay, and corrupted the law.

clang!
The prince tapped the charcoal stove with a soldering iron: "Fang Shilang, it doesn't matter if you say you have been wronged. Do you want me to ransack the house, or do you want me to torture you? I'm not afraid that you won't find evidence, but I'm afraid that your body is not clean and your bones are dirty. Not hard enough!"

Fang Shichen kept kowtowing: "Your Highness, spare me, Your Highness, forgive me! I really don't know where Sui Shilang hid the [-] troops!"

He is indeed not stupid, he is pretending to be cowardly.

He deliberately said [-] to remind the prince that I have already told you everything I know.

The prince understood what he meant, and this time he came to him not to ask how many soldiers there were, nor where the soldiers and horses were, but to ask him to call out the soldiers.

"I heard that Sui Shilang put [-] troops in Pingzhou. I will issue an imperial edict, and you will issue a military talisman. Tell them to follow me to Yongzhou!"

"Your Highness," Fang Shichen cried, "Sui Shilang's soldiers only listen to Sui Shilang's words, and the minister's soldier talisman will not work!"

"Then whose military talisman is useful? Isn't Sui Zhi just a servant of the military department?"

"He, he is the servant of the left, ranking above the minister."

The prince laughed.

This Fang Shichen finally understood what he said.

The crown prince smiled at Fang Shichen: "Fang Shichen, if I appoint you as Zuo Shilang, can the [-] soldiers and horses be dispatched?"

Fang Shichen lowered his head and said: "I am incompetent, but if Your Highness still trusts me, I will go all out."

"It's not enough to have soldiers and horses. How long will it take for food, grass and weapons?"

"Food, grass and military equipment are the official business of this humble official. Three days is enough."

The crown prince smiled, Fang Shichen's answer satisfied him.

"The [-] army is a little less, Fang Shilang, is there any other way?"

Fang Shichen said in a low voice: "If you send troops to Yongzhou, you can go to Pingzhou and Luzhou, or you can go to Yuanzhou and Xianzhou. Although there are more detours, Yuanzhou and Xianzhou each have [-] troops. The prefecture dispatched [-] troops, adding up to [-] troops."

Yuanzhou and Xianzhou are close to the Western Regions, which are also frontiers. The prince is a little worried, fearing that Fan Xiao of the Western Regions will take advantage of the fire and rob them.

Fang Shichen said: "I feel that the Yaozu will not rush to send troops, Tunu is capricious, and the Yaozu will not join forces with them easily."

Yaozu is a contemptuous name for Fanxiao.

The prince thought for a long time and said: "If it is profitable, I am afraid that the monster race may not despise Tunu."

Fang Shichen nodded and said: "What Your Highness said is very true, it's because I'm stupid."

Does he really agree with the prince's idea?
Of course I don't agree.

The prince wants soldiers, and the places where there are soldiers are all in the frontier.

The east is too far away, and the south is even further away. The soldiers and horses in Tuan and Xun prefectures in the north dare not move. The only feasible way is to transfer troops from the Western Regions.

Fang Shichen's background was not considered prominent, and he was indeed outstanding from the position of official to the right servant of the Ministry of War. He expected that he would not send troops to Daxuan in this campaign in the Western Regions.

But Fang Shichen never argues with high-ranking people, he only makes suggestions.

The prince understood Fang Shichen's temperament and ability, so he adopted Fang Shichen's suggestion.

"Immediately issue a document to ask people to bring military talismans and go to Yuan and Xianzhou to transfer troops."

Fang Shichen said: "This humble minister is incompetent. With just one soldier talisman, he can't mobilize the soldiers and horses of these two places."

"This palace will issue another edict."

"Even with His Royal Highness's edict, I'm afraid they still won't be able to mobilize soldiers and horses. The frontier officials have really bad tempers."

The prince knew what to do.

"Fang Shilang, you go and mobilize the Pingzhou army first, and when the troops are ready to be dispatched, I will send you off!"

……

In the East Palace, the crown prince summoned Liang Jixiong, Tai Bu and Zhong Can, and made a plan.

"Three days later, Fang Shichen led an army of [-] to Yongzhou. Elder Shengwei went with the army. I went to Yuanxian and other prefectures to dispatch troops. The army met in Luzhou and tried to reach Shuangxiong Pass within ten days. A fight to the death."

Liang Jixiong squeezed his chin and sighed repeatedly.

The prince said: "Elder Shengwei thinks it's wrong?"

Liang Jixiong said: "Let Fang Shichen lead the troops to Luzhou alone, and I will dispatch troops to Yuanxian and Xianzhou. What do you think, Your Highness?"

The crown prince shook his head and said: "Fang Shichen has some talents, but his temperament is unpredictable. If there is no elder Shengwei accompanying him, I'm afraid something will happen on the way."

"Tsk!" Liang Jixiong smacked his lips again and again, still feeling inappropriate: "I will go with Fang Shichen, but His Highness does not need to go to Yuanxian and Liangzhou to dispatch troops, you can send another person there."

The prince was distressed and said, "Who is the right person to let?"

"Commander Zhong can take on this role."

Zhong Shen really wanted to give it a try: "Since I joined the Imperial City Department, I haven't been out of the capital much."

Tai Bu shook his head and said: "It's not that the old man underestimated you, the frontier officials are used to domineering, Commander Zhong is going to dispatch troops, I'm afraid the prefects of the two prefectures will not agree."

Zhong Shen sneered: "They look down on me, so can they look down on Tai Bu? Just let Tai Bu go."

Tai Bu shook his head and said with a smile: "The reputation of the old man is between you and your brothers. You can't transfer troops, and the old man doesn't have that ability."

Liang Jixiong did not agree with this: "It is not only the territory of Daxuan, but also the soldiers of Daxuan. With the imperial edict and the addition of military talismans, how can we not mobilize soldiers and horses? Let's make a magic circle. I will go to Yuan Dynasty now." Continental deployment of troops."

Tai Bu remained silent, the crown prince said: "Elder Shengwei, if you go to Yuanzhou, who will supervise Fang Shichen?"

"Let Tai Bu go, or let Commander Zhong go."

Tai Bu shook his head and said: "It's not the old man's excuses, Commander Zhong and I can't leave the capital easily, otherwise Gongsun Wen will make trouble again."

Liang Jixiong said angrily: "Gongsun Wen should have been killed a long time ago, why keep it?"

The crown prince shook his head and said, "This man cannot be killed."

"Why not kill?" Liang Jixiong was puzzled.

The prince said: "This man is alive, and he can be used to break up the Confucian scholars of the Dragon's Fu Society. If this man is dead, the Confucian scholars will share the same hatred and help them unite their hearts."

Liang Jixiong shook his head and said, "Gongsun Wen is the leader of the Dragon's Fury Society. Now that the leader of the bandits is dead, the Confucian scholars have no way to rely on them. Even if they gather together, they will be just mobs."

The prince said: "Gongsun Wen is only the leader in name, whether it is the Dragon Nu Society or the Nufu Cult, there must be another leader behind the scenes.
As long as Gongsun Wen is alive in our hands, the Confucian scholars will obey his orders, and the Confucian scholars will be under our control.

If Gongsun Wen is dead, and the person behind the envoy takes advantage of Gongsun Wen's revenge to appoint another leader, it will be difficult for us to deal with it. "

Tai Bu nodded frequently, the prince's vision and strategy made him very pleased.

Liang Jixiong had other thoughts; "Yuyang, you shouldn't have left the capital! You have supervised the country for only a few days, and the court affairs are in order, and now is a good opportunity to show your talents!"

The prince smiled and said: "The elder is too high. Although the government affairs have improved, it is the credit of the ministers. I am not too many, and I am not too many. There are some difficult things. I will come back to deal with them after I finish the battle." Not too late."

"When the battle is over, I'm afraid..." Liang Jixiong only finished his sentence.

Silly boy, after you finish the battle, if Emperor Zhaoxing wakes up, will the world still belong to you?
Zhong Shen also felt that the crown prince should not leave: "Your Highness, with all due respect, you have been to the northern border once, and you have laid down the foundation that should be saved.

It is not up to you to fight the war, His Highness will go to Yuanxian and the two prefectures to transfer the soldiers, and leave the rest to Elder Shengwei. "

Liang Jixiong nodded and said, "What the commander said is absolutely true!"

Tai Bu shook his head and said: "No, His Highness must come to the battle in person for this battle!"

Liang Jixiong said angrily: "Tai Bu, tell me some reasoning, if you can't explain it, don't blame the old man for turning his face!"

The second elder is really in a hurry, Tai Bu doesn't help to persuade the prince, but still adds to the chaos here, I really don't know what his intentions are.

Tai Budao: "Elder Shengwei, Chu Xin fought hard in a desperate situation, and was falsely accused of defecting to the enemy. Can you and I bear this grievance?

When leaving Yongzhou, His Highness had promised Chu Xin that he would personally lead the army to come. If His Highness never returns, what is the trust of the court?Why do border guards fight?

If we don't wait for the army to arrive, Yongzhou has already fallen, the territory has been lost, and the people are dying, so what is the use of my plan? "

What Tai Bu said made Liang Jixiong feel furious.

He can't say Tai Bu, but why Tai Bu doesn't understand his thoughts.

He wanted the prince to stay in the capital and sit firmly in court.

Even if Emperor Zhaoxing woke up, Liang Jixiong tried to force Emperor Zhaoxing to abdicate, let him be the Supreme Emperor, and let the crown prince officially become the Great Treasure.

If the crown prince and Liang Jixiong are not in the capital, when Emperor Zhaoxing wakes up, he will immediately regain the throne, and all efforts made will be in vain!

Tai Bu is such a smart person, doesn't he understand this ideal?
Liang Jixiong said angrily: "Shuzi is not enough and tricky!"

Tai Bu smiled, but didn't make a sound.

Of course he understood what Liang Jixiong was thinking.

It's a pity that I know your thoughts, but you don't know my intentions.

Do you want Emperor Zhaoxing to abdicate and make him the Supreme Emperor?

You underestimate Emperor Zhaoxing too.

You don't have that ability, even if the other two elders are alive, the three of you together don't have that ability.

Tai Bu looked at the prince, then closed his eyes, and the appearance of the palace appeared in front of his eyes.

In the past few days, the crown prince supervised the country, and he has won the hearts of the officials. The purpose of supervising the country has been achieved, and now it is time for him to leave.

Some things can only be done when the prince and elder Shengwei are not in the capital.

Elder Shengwei is not around, so no one is hindering him!

The prince is not here, so the suspicion can be cleared!
Only after the death of Emperor Zhaoxing can the crown prince be able to secure his position!
……

Three days later, Xu Zhiqiong found Qian Limu in Shifang Goulan.

Qian Limu's complexion was sallow and haggard. In the past few days, he had consumed a lot of energy.

Qian Limu was still watching attentively, Xu Zhiqiong didn't dare to disturb easily, when the dancer on stage changed, Xu Zhiqiong sat beside Qian Limu, and asked softly: "Brother Qian, how about Shifang Goulan?"

"Okay, good is good," Qian Limu's expression was a little numb, "but what can I do? The beauty on the stage, coming and going, is just like a human life. Gone, rare forever."

So poetic!
Xu Zhiqiong sighed in admiration: "Brother Qian, do you want to be poor?"

(End of this chapter)