Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 19 Bullying

After eating breakfast, Xue Bai took Du Wulang and Jiao Nu to Pingkangfang Youxiangfu again.

He picked a rather docile horse to ride in Du's house, walking neither fast nor slow.

Passing by Qinrenfang, I suddenly heard crying at the gate of the workshop. It was a group of men, women and children who were escorted out by officials. Among them, the oldest was over [-] years old, and the youngest girl was only five or six years old. If she walked slowly, she was escorted by officials He whipped and scolded, and cried miserably.

A few days ago, Du's family also encountered this situation. Du Wulang couldn't help empathizing when he saw it, and got off his horse to ask people what happened.

A small official from the East Municipal Bureau sighed: "It's still related to the big case a few days ago. Most of the people whose homes were ransacked recently received heavy bribes from the prince's brother-in-law Liu Ji."

A wine shop owner came over and said in a low voice: "This is Cao Junjun Wang Xiuji, who led the warehouse of Zuo Siyu, how could he accept heavy bribes? But he often drinks with Liu Ji."

Du Wulang felt very uncomfortable when he heard this, and asked, "But isn't this case already closed?"

"Tch, some people are relatives of the royal family and can get away with it, but innocent people are still being implicated."

"Killing people, drinking a few meals, the whole family will suffer, and half-grown female dolls will be assigned as official prostitutes."

When the family turned the long street weeping and weeping, everyone sighed for a while.

"Let's go."

"Ah."

Thinking of going to Youxiang's Mansion again, Du Wulang felt even more uncomfortable.

He deliberately scolded Li Linfu and his lackeys, but because of Jiaonu's presence, he didn't dare to speak, so he was very depressed.

When they arrived at Pingkangfang, the three of them tied up their horses, informed the porter, and were quickly brought in.

After going through the courtyard twice, I saw Ji Wen coming out of the middle hall.

"Meet the girl."

Seeing Jiao Nu, Ji Wen smiled and crossed his hands.

Jiaonu hated his bad breath and waved his hands away.In her eyes, this is just a running dog of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion.

But in the eyes of Du Wulang, Ji Wen is a vicious and cruel official.Seeing this cruel official's cold gaze, his heart tightened, and he shrank his neck subconsciously.

Then he felt that he couldn't bow his head in front of this cruel official, so he raised his head.

Ji Wen didn't notice Du Wulang's actions at all, and looked at Xue Bai, and said with a slight sarcasm: "I really didn't expect that you would be favored by the right minister."

"The world is unpredictable." Xue Bai replied with a smile: "But it is my honor to be able to serve as the right minister with Ji Facao."

Ji Wen stroked his beard and smiled, but his eyes were rather sinister, and he said earnestly: "I hope you and I can work for a long time."

"must."

"Hehehehe."

After encouraging Xue Bai a few more words, Ji Wenfang left.

Du Wulang turned his head to look at his back, and whispered to Xue Bai, "It was his son who killed Duan Yan."

Xue Bai nodded and replied, "No rush."

~~
Today, I still talk to Li Linfu through the screen.

A smelly boot was passed behind a screen.

Li Linfu was silent for a while, and said: "Li Heng did it so directly?"

Xue Bai responded: "We all thought he would not attack directly. He did the opposite, and his methods are quite impressive."

A beautiful maid came out, threw the broken boots in front of Jiaonu, went to the incense burner, and fanned it gently with a small round fan.

Behind the screen, Li Linfu said: "The truth is that the prince's slain is what he wants, not these broken boots."

"Your servant is incompetent." Jiao Nu quickly bowed down.

"Right minister, don't worry." Xue Bai said: "Since Li Heng has shown his feet, his ulterior motives will definitely be revealed."

"What are you going to do?"

"Trial."

Xue Bai only uttered one word, which was neat, concise and powerful.

Li Linfu said: "The truth is not qualified to interrogate the prince."

"It is enough to interrogate Li Jingzhong."

"Just a few days ago, Ji Wen and Yang Zhao searched the prince's other courtyard, but found nothing."

Xue Bai did his part and said, "If Ji Wen can't make it through the trial, I am confident that I can."

Behind the screen, Li Linfu remained silent.

Xue Bai stretched out his hand to push Du Wulang, pushed him two steps forward, and said: "Du Erniang was divorced, but the Du family didn't wait for her to return home, and a living person disappeared; the East Palace sent murderers to break into Du's house at night. , wanting to kill someone, the evidence is conclusive. Everything is illegal in the East Palace, and Wu Lang is here to report to the officials today."

Du Wulang was slightly flustered, and subconsciously looked at the small window on the side wall.

Xue Bai continued: "I heard that the right minister revised the law and drafted ten volumes of "Kaiyuan Xinge" to emphasize justice in the world, so I persuaded Wulang to come to the prime minister's mansion to sue Li Jingzhong for detaining the second wife of the Du family and sending people to Du's house to assassinate her. , please the right minister to enforce the law."

"Yes." Du Wulang remembered now and said, "I'm here to sue, I'm the sufferer."

He took out the paper from his sleeve and held it up with both hands.

"The truth is that I have to accept the case myself." Li Linfu said, "Call Yang Zhao, and then go and find out where Li Heng went."

"Here."

The two maidservants took orders and retreated.

Xue Bai said: "My lord, I still have something to say."

"Say."

"As I said yesterday, weakening Li Heng's power every time without hurting his roots will only make his crown prince more stable. But on the way here today, I saw someone arrest Wang Xiuji. It will only make the sage feel that the power of the prince has been weakened, and he is more satisfied with him."

"That's enough, can't you treat the truth as a kind person? Dare to intercede in front of the truth every day."

"It's not about intercession. Some incompetent people under the right minister's family like to steal their homes and get rich with this, regardless of whether they are causing trouble for the right minister. I am different. I have a big grudge against Li Heng, and I only think about how to really abolish Li Heng. Heng, thank you Prime Minister for your kindness. The more they are pressing now, the more cautious Li Heng is, don't you hear Zheng Boke's allusion?"

Li Linfu remained silent.

A maidservant behind the screen explained in a low voice: "It's 'Zheng Boke Duan Yuyan', from the Spring and Autumn Annals. It tells about Zheng Zhuanggong condoning his brother and uncle Duan, and waiting for his rebellion before attacking him."

From this point of view, this right-hand minister does not seem to have much culture.

"I know the truth!" Li Linfu said proudly: "Back then, I used this method to help Concubine Wu Hui dethrone the crown prince. It's a pity that Li Heng is too cowardly."

Listening to his tone, he is not taboo, but rather proud of it.

At this time, a guest came to the hall and said: "Your Prime Minister, the prince went to Xingqing Palace to plead guilty today, and he is still kneeling outside the Zhuolong Gate."

"Where's Li Jingzhong?"

"Not accompanying."

"Your Prime Minister, this is a good opportunity to interrogate Li Jingzhong."

Li Linfu said: "You can go and interrogate, but you can't pass."

"Don't worry, Prime Minister Right." Xue Bai said, "I'm different from those incompetent people, and I will definitely give Prime Minister Right a result."

He could feel that Li Linfu didn't like him begging for mercy, but deliberately allowed him to fight with Ji Wen, so he simply stomped on Ji Wen.

After talking a little more, when the porter came to report Yang Zhao's arrival, Xue Bai left and followed Yang Zhao to the Ten Kings' House.

As soon as they left here, someone came out from behind the small window in the middle hall.

"Grandpa."

"Ah."

This man is Li Linfu's son, Li Xiu.

Li Xiu saluted, and said: "My child thinks what Xue Bai said is reasonable. Grandpa has been in the position for a long time, so why bother to make enemies on all sides, so that the front of the trifoliate thorns is full, and if disaster happens, the whole court will attack it. Then what can I do for it?" ah?"

"To shut up."

"Grandfather, do you know how they scold him behind his back? First, he is violent, often like a 'fighting cock'. Then he is jealous of the virtuous and capable, with honey in his mouth and sword in his belly, and he is called 'meat' Waist knife'."

"Enough!" Li Linfu yelled angrily when he heard the words: "The truth is all over the world. After killing all these people, no one will dare to slander them secretly!"

"Grandpa!" Li Xiu lifted his robe, fell to the ground, and wept, "Grandpa has power over the world, and the world is nothing more than ants. Grandpa just needs to lift his foot to make thousands of good fortunes. My child begs you!" Lord, don't make unnecessary enemies any more!"

Li Linfu stepped forward, kicked Li Xiu to the ground, and cursed: "Idiot, don't know that people are good at being bullied, and Ma Shan is being ridden by others."

Li Xiu couldn't help crying.

Seeing his son like this, Li Linfu's anger gradually subsided, and finally heaved a long sigh.

"Okay, why don't you know the truth as a father? It's a pity that riding a tiger is hard to get off, and besides, being a father will destroy people all over the house... I can't help it."

~~
Pingkangfang is close to Dongshi and the imperial city, and it has the joy of silk and bamboo. It is one of the most prosperous places in Chang'an, and the road to Yongxingfang is full of pedestrians.

Although it is cold winter, there are still women in full makeup who go out with their necks straight. Yang Zhao rides a tall horse, and every time he rides forward, he looks down at the scenery under their belts, and is very proud of it.

Xue Bai just started learning how to ride a horse today, so he managed to keep pace with him.

"Your brother's poem is ready? How about you and I go to Guangzhaifang to meet Xu Hezi in a few days?"

"Thinking of two poems, they are still written by a certain poet friend in my memory."

"Hey, Xu Hezi has never heard of it." Yang Zhao swallowed, in a good mood.

Xue Bai cooperated with him and smiled a little, and asked, "Uncle Guo hasn't seen the imperial concubine recently?"

"Is the noble concubine so easy to see?" Yang Zhao sighed slightly, and pondered: "I have been taking care of it for a long time, but I have a good relationship with the three ladies. The New Year is approaching, but I don't know what gift to give them."

Xue Bai was very interested in this, and asked, "I wonder what the three ladies like?"

Yang Zhao couldn't help but smiled, and asked back, "Do you want to please them too?"

Xue Bai said frankly: "I want to make progress, and I also want to give advice to my uncle."

"Motivated?" Yang Zhao chewed the word, nodded, and said, "You use this word well, and it's not out of the ordinary. It also expresses your ambition, which is very close to my heart, good, good."

He turned his head to look at Xue Bai, and saw that this young man was neither humble nor overbearing, even if he explicitly asked for merit, he did not appear vulgar, and he was elegant and lofty.

"Speaking of which, you can have the gift that Mrs. Guo Guo wants." Yang Zhao couldn't help but smile mysteriously, and said so.

"Oh?" Xue Bai said, "I would like to hear the details."

"Don't worry, I'll take you to pay a visit to Madam Guo Guo's mansion some other day."

While talking, a group of people have already arrived at the other courtyard of the prince of the ten kings' residence.

Now even Yang Zhao looked down on the prince who had divorced his wife twice, and he didn't get off his horse. With a wave of his hand, his own guards came forward and knocked on the door.

A little eunuch opened the door, looked with his head, subconsciously shouted: "Again!"

"You Xiaowei takes people, get out of the way!"

The soldier pushed open the door and entered, Yang Zhao, Xue Bai and others got off their horses and rushed straight into the prince's courtyard.

In this situation, even the guards at the door did not dare to stop him.

Now that the prince's prestige has fallen to the bottom, many people think that the sage intends to abolish the prince, and there are many fewer people who are willing to work for the prince and offend the right minister.

Boots rustled on the gravel.

The eunuchs rushed over from the other end of the corridor, exclaiming: "Who is presumptuous? Do you know where this is? It is the residence of the prince of the Tang Dynasty!"

"The search is for Chu Jun's residence!" Yang Zhao shouted, "Take it!"

Li Jingzhong heard the movement, rushed out in a panic, raised his hand, and was about to scold Yang Zhao.The next moment, You Xiaowei rushed forward like a wolf like a tiger and knocked him to the ground.

Seeing the dirty boots stepping on the spotless promenade, leaving behind a lot of sand and melted snow, he couldn't help but feel sad, thinking how a prince of a country can be insulted to such a degree, what face does the Tian family have?
Xue Bai and Du Wulang stepped in, and they couldn't help but think of the day when officials came to Du's house to take someone...

(End of this chapter)