National color raw owl

When Chu Huan returned to the Hubu Yamen, the sky was still bright. As soon as he entered the Hubu compound, he felt that the atmosphere in the whole courtyard was not right. He was very busy, but this time the whole courtyard became extremely deserted. When he got to the main courtyard, he saw dozens of officials, big and small, gathered in small groups, whispering something.

Chu Huan frowned, and when the officials saw Chu Huan coming back, many of them fell silent immediately, and Wuxu, the minister of the household department, had already come up to him, his face turning pale.

Chu Huan couldn't help but wondered: "My lord servant, what happened?"

Lang Wuxu shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I just got the news that Lord Butang has gone!"

"Go?" Chu Huan was taken aback.

Lang Wuxu said softly: "Today, none of the ministers came to the yamen, there are many official affairs waiting for him to deal with, so I sent someone to look for him in his mansion, but...!" There was a trace of panic in the depths of the room: "But the Lord Butang has committed suicide!"

"Huh?" Chu Huan was really surprised.

Lang Wuxu said in a low voice: "I heard from the people in the Shangshu Mansion that this morning the master locked himself in the study and never opened the door. At noon, someone delivered food, but no one answered when he knocked on the door. The family felt that something was wrong. It's weird, when I opened the door, I saw...!" Shaking his head, he sighed, "I saw Master Butang committing suicide by taking poison!"

Chu Huan really didn't expect that Hu Bufan's reaction was so fast.

He usually didn't think that Hu Bufan was a person who would treat death as home. He didn't expect that something really happened, but he died so generously. It can be seen that the red silver book is indeed a big weakness of the Hanwang Party in the household department.

Seeing the unconcealable panic in Lang Wuxu's eyes, Chu Huan knew that this guy must be extremely nervous now, and the next storm was inevitable, and it was himself and Lang Wuxu who started this storm.

He didn't know whether Hu Bufan knew that Lang Wuxu had betrayed him when he was dying, or maybe Hu Bufan didn't know until his death that it was the closest person around him who sent him to the road to hell.

Although An Guogong is the biggest controller behind the Red Silver Book, but An Guogong is cunning and cunning, relying on the Red Silver Book will not have any blow to An Guogong himself.

On the bright side, the mastermind of the Red Silver Book was Hu Bufan, but the mastermind Hu Bufan committed suicide immediately. As a result, it will be much more difficult to investigate the Red Silver Book afterwards.

Chu Huan's heart was turning like lightning at this time. He still didn't know whether Hu Bufan took the initiative to die or had other secrets behind him.

An Guogong used Hu Bufan to control the household department. If Hu Bufan didn't die, the Taizi Dang might use Hu Bufan to bite An Guogong a few times, but now that Hu Bufan is dead, Anguogong is in a relatively safe situation.

Lang Wuxu seemed to be full of thoughts, took Chu Huan's arm, went straight through the yard, and went to his own yard, ordered the gate to be guarded, entered the house, closed the door, without saying a word, turned around and knelt down on the ground, Chu Huan hurriedly said, "Master Minister, what are you doing?"

Lang Wuxu said: "Lord Chu, you can see now that I sincerely seek refuge with His Royal Highness King Qi, there is absolutely no falsehood."

Chu Huan helped Lang Wuxu up, and said: "Master Lang has already expressed his heart by this, and I will tell you that I went to the palace to see His Highness today, and His Highness is full of praise for you. I have already said that you, Mr. Lang You are a loyal minister, His Highness will definitely not treat you badly." After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, "Does your lord mean the Minister of the Ministry of Finance...!"

Lang Wuxu hurriedly said: "Master Chu, don't get me wrong. In fact, I have been thinking about it for a long time today, and I feel that this matter still needs to be discussed!"

"What does your lord mean?" Chu Huan asked puzzled.

Lang Wuxu said: "Hu Bufan is about to die. If I ascend to the position of Minister of the Household Department, Duke An and the others will definitely doubt me. I have stabilized Duke Ang, and I must not show any flaws." After a pause, he said in a low voice : "What I mean is, I don't have to take the position of Minister of the Ministry of Households. Even if the Hanwang Party suffers heavy losses this time, it will not really die out. It will definitely retain its strength. I want to endure the humiliation and continue to follow it on the bright side Hanwang party, but secretly helping His Royal Highness King Qi." With a look of emotion, he said softly: "Guan Guanyun always had a heart in Cao Ying and was in Han, and Lang wanted to imitate the sages. King Qi!"

Chu Huan held Lang Wuxu's arm, and said in surprise: "Master Lang, how... how can this be possible? To tell you the truth, the King of Qi has already promised that if he finds an opportunity, he will recommend you to the Holy Majesty as Minister of the Household Department. You... !"

Lang Wuxu didn't want to be on the throne of Shangshu.

He secretly leaned on Xiang Yingren, in the final analysis, because this person really has some eyesight. From the current situation in the court, it can be seen that His Majesty the Emperor is very likely to be dissatisfied with the Hanwang Party.

He is an important member of the Hanwang Party. Once the Hanwang Party falls, he will definitely not be able to escape.

With the foundation of King Qi, King Khan will really fall in the future, and he has the backing of King Qi, so he can keep himself safe.

The position of Shangshu is naturally attractive, but Lang Wuxu also thought about it carefully, An Guogong almost became suspicious of himself, if he was recommended by King Qi at this time to be the Minister of the Household Department, then the secret of the red silver book will be revealed, and the Hanwang Party He will inevitably doubt himself, so the position of Shangshu must not be recommended by King Qi.

He thought he had deceived An Guogong, but he didn't know that An Guogong had already seen the flaw.

He verbally said that he was in Cao Ying and his heart was in Han, but he couldn't really think that way in his heart. Leaking the secret of the red and silver book was to leave a retreat for himself with King Qi, and the Hanwang Party is still very powerful now. , he is naturally still willing to stay with the King of Han. Although the King of Han may fall, the political situation is unpredictable. A person with a natural future is boundless.

Although the secret of the red silver book was leaked, Lang Wuxu did not leave any other clues to Chu Huan. He had also thought about it, even if Chu Huan and King Qi leaked what he did, and revealed that the theft of the red silver book was related to him. , he will not admit it, he will never admit it.

He thought about his own future, swaying from side to side, thinking of being both right and left, but if one fails, this will become a dilemma. However, the infiltration of his mind is all vain and submissive, and used for other purposes.

"Lord Chu, the Hanwang Party is not that easy to deal with." Lang Wuxu said with a serious expression, "It is absolutely impossible to completely destroy the Hanwang Party with a single red and silver book. Officials of the Hanwang Party are all over the court and the public. The strength is strong, and this red and silver book can certainly hurt the Hanwang party, but it will not pose a threat to the Hanwang itself... I will stay with the Hanwang, and I will be able to help the Qiwang even more in the future .”

Chu Huan sighed softly: "Master Shi Lang has worked so hard, I will definitely report it to His Royal Highness King Qi. But in this way, I have wronged Mr. Minister...!"

Lang Wuxu smiled and said: "If you want to serve the Lord, no matter how big the grievance is, I can bear it!"

"Master Minister, will that red and silver book... implicate you?" Chu Huan asked in a low voice.

Lang Wuxu shook his head and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the red and silver books are all calculated by me, I will naturally keep an eye out and won't implicate them."

"That's good, that's good!" Chu Huan looked relieved, "His Royal Highness Qi Wang must be very happy to have the help of the servant."

……

……

In the luxurious and majestic Guangming Hall, the blue smoke from the copper crane's beak curled up. His Majesty the Emperor sat cross-legged on the jade platform, calm and relaxed. Under the jade platform, many important ministers gathered today.

An Guogong has not been in good health for the past six months, and has been recuperating at home, but today he was also reported to the palace. The old and frail An Guogong sat cross-legged on the upper left, occasionally coughing a few times, and looked like he was about to die .

After a while of silence in the Guangming Hall, the emperor broke the silence first, with a low and majestic voice: "Shen Aiqing, I heard that Hu Bufan committed suicide because of an account book?"

Shen Keqiu, the right imperial envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, had already got up, presented the red and silver book with both hands, and said respectfully: "My lord, this is the account book, and the records in it are shocking!"

A eunuch had long since come to take the red and silver book and handed it over to the emperor. After taking it, the emperor flipped through a few pages and said calmly, "Is the record on it true or false?"

Shen Keqiu said: "Reporting to the Holy Majesty, Hu Bufan is the Minister of the Household Department. This account book has his fingerprints on it. Many accounts on the account can be verified. There should be no mistakes. And if this account book is fake, It is also impossible for Hu Bufan to commit suicide in fear of crime, and he committed suicide in fear of crime, which can further prove the authenticity of this account book!"

The emperor looked at An Guogong, and asked: "An Guogong, in your opinion, is this account book real or fake?" Passing the account book to An Guogong, An Guogong took the account book without changing his face, and looked through it. After a few pages, Chan got up slightly, knelt under the jade platform, and said respectfully: "I implore the Holy Majesty to punish the crime!"

"What is the old Duke's crime?"

"Hu Bufan was recommended by an old minister to the Holy One!" An Guogong sighed: "But the old minister never thought that Hu Bufan would dare to do such a disobedient thing. The old minister's crime is unforgivable!"

Shen Keqiu glanced at An Guogong, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth.

The emperor shook his head and said: "The old duke recommended Hu Bufan at the beginning, but I was the one who made the decision in the end. If the old duke was wrong, then wouldn't I be wrong?" Sighed: "I think the old duke took care of the household department , that is well organized, it seems that the household department is still inseparable from the old Duke after all."

"The old minister dare not!" An Guogong said immediately.

Shen Keqiu cupped his hands and said: "My lord, the account book involves many officials from the government and the public, filling their private pockets, corruption, and the huge amount of silver involved. It is really sensational. In recent years, the Ministry of Households has repeatedly asked for tax increases. I thought it was too much expenditure. Looking at it now, it's not that the state treasury is spending too much, but that many officials headed by Hu Bufan eat the king's salary, but are not loyal to the king, which brings disaster to the country and the people, and harms the world. I ask the emperor to issue an order to thoroughly investigate this case and never tolerate it! "

The emperor pondered for a moment, and asked An Guogong, "What does the old Duke mean?"

"Shen Yushi's words are very true." An Guogong said solemnly: "This matter is related to the country, we must investigate it, once found out, we will deal with it severely, and we must not tolerate it!"