King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 437 Clean up from top to bottom
Of course Deng An would not do nothing. He ordered someone to stop Chen Chong's mouth on the grounds that he was arrogant and crazy.

As for direct killing, Deng An is really not that bold. After all, the current serious situation is not normal.

After arranging this matter, Deng An stood guard outside Yin'an Palace, waiting for Zhu Jinghong to come back and immediately accuse him.

As for Zhu Jinghong, after standing there for more than an hour, the banquet was finally over.

His two brothers accompanied the emperor back to the palace, and he himself was assigned the task of asking the Jurchens what they were thinking.

"The old man's thoughts are really hard to fathom...Does he think I'm very capable? Can I get this thing done?"

"Then should I do it?"

These are two very important issues, and they influence each other.

"Actually, I have some ability, but it's just not enough, so this time... I'd better not handle it properly!" Zhu Jinghong thought to himself.

"Yu Hai!"

"The slave is here!"

"Immediately send someone to find the people of Ye He's tribe and tell them that I appreciate their loyalty and want to entertain them at the palace!"

"Your Majesty, is it today...or when?" Yu Hai asked.

"Just tomorrow...it's not too early today!"

"Yes!"

After giving these instructions, Zhu Jinghong rode towards the mansion. Before he arrived at the mansion, Ye Hemingen received the news.

"You mean... Prince Xiang of the imperial court wants to see me?" Ye Hemingen was extremely surprised.

"Exactly. I say that I appreciate the young master's loyalty. Please come over tomorrow morning!"

"What do you think?" Ye Hemingen frowned.

The person he asked was the deputy envoy of Ye He, and he replied: "This Prince Xiang is deeply trusted by the emperor, and we cannot refuse his invitation!"

This is an objective and insightful answer. They have no right to refuse Zhu Jinghong's invitation unless they don't want to get it done.

"Okay...I'll go see him tomorrow!"

Speaking of this, Ye Hemingen said with a smile: "I heard that this King Xiang is brave and invincible... I want to go and see it!"

Here, Ye Hemingen was thinking about the meeting, while Zhu Jinghong on the other side also returned to the house.

After getting off the sedan chair, he passed through several palace gates and arrived outside Yin'an Palace.

Entering Yin'an Gate, he saw someone kneeling in the snow. It was Deng An who was planning to accuse him.

"I asked you to go out on patrol and kneel here when you come back. What's going on?" Zhu Jinghong asked in a deep voice.

Although it hasn't snowed yet, the weather is still very cold. "Reporting to the prince, this servant is guilty of being lax in his duties. I beg the prince to punish me severely!"

"If you have something to say, go in and say it!"

Zhu Jinghong's reaction was indifferent, as if he didn't need to care, but his cold expression alarmed Deng An.

Entering the hall, Zhu Jinghong first changed his clothes. When he came out, he found Deng An kneeling in the hall again.

After walking to the main seat and sitting down, Zhu Jinghong asked: "Tell me...what's going on!"

"My lord trusted me so much that I asked my servant to take charge of the Dianbu, Dianshan and other places. I appointed Chen Chong..."

Deng An stated the facts very objectively, while Zhu Jinghong listened while drinking tea. He admired Baochai's vigorous and decisive methods.

"Chen Chong is guilty, and so are the servants. I beg you, Your Majesty, to punish him severely!" Deng An kowtowed again.

"Do you remember when was the first time you taught me not to be greedy for money?"

"Replying to the prince, it is... in Jinling Yingtian Mansion!" Deng An didn't know what was going on, but he still replied honestly.

Putting down the tea cup, Zhu Jinghong then asked: "It's been almost two years!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Jinghong then asked: "Is money really that important? More important than your own life?"

The person who is greedy for money is obviously Chen Chong, but the prince asked me like this, what do you mean?Deng An's mind was spinning rapidly.

At this moment, someone outside reported: "Prince Qi, Zhang Pingan has arrived and is waiting for summons outside the palace!"

When Zhu Jinghong was changing clothes, he ordered Zhang Ping'an to come over. Deng An didn't know and was even more surprised now.

"Let him in!"

"Yes!"

A few breaths later, Zhang Pingan knelt in front of Zhu Jinghong. At this moment, he felt particularly puzzled and didn't understand why he was called.

Could it be that Deng Anpan bit me?Zhang Pingan thought.

This is the truest psychological process of eunuchs. Apart from being somewhat loyal to their master, they basically have no trust in each other.

For example, the relationship between Chen Chong and Deng An would break up immediately once their interests were damaged, which was also a normal relationship between eunuchs.

"Are you not going to answer my question?" Zhu Jinghong still stared at Deng An.

At this moment, Deng An finally understood that no matter whether he was directly greedy for money or indirect greed, it could not be hidden from Zhu Jinghong's discernment.

Those whims and whims of his were really as ridiculous as a fool. At this moment, Zhu Jinghong took off the disguise and exposed his ugly nature.

"This slave is greedy for money and deserves death!" Deng An no longer defended himself, because it was indeed meaningless.

"Zhang Pingan..."

"The slave is here!" Zhang Ping'an was a little frightened.

"What did Chen Chong and those people do with the money they received? Are they greedy? Do you really know nothing about these things?"

Zhang Ping'an didn't know how to reply to this question. He didn't dare to lie and he didn't dare to tell the truth.

"Slave..."

"You're not blind or deaf, so I guess you know... Since you know, why don't you come and report?"

Walking around behind Zhang Pingan, Zhu Jinghong then asked: "Are you worried about Deng An's grudge, or do you have other plans?"

If you want to take something first, you must give it first. In fact, Zhang Pingan turned a blind eye in order to let Chen Chong make bigger mistakes and use his affairs to make Deng An look bad or even move him down.

But Zhang Pingan dared to admit these thoughts.

But so what if he doesn't admit it, his thoughts have been guessed, and Zhang Ping'an is panicking to the extreme.

"A slave is punished by death!" Zhang Ping'an didn't dare to defend himself, so he could only keep his attitude as low as possible.

Among the three great eunuchs of the palace, Yu Hai An Ran was just standing there. At this moment, he was neither happy nor sad, because he was not a utilitarian person in the first place.

Seeing Deng An and the others come to this point, to be honest, Yu Hai felt very sorry for them.

"You two think you are smart and you think you are powerful by my side, so you are proud of my favor...arrogant and arrogant!"

"You are so brave to treat me like a blind man!"

These words were already too much for Deng An and Deng An to bear. At this moment, the two of them were kowtowing, hoping to be forgiven by Zhu Jinghong.

"Okay, if you want to kowtow, go out and kowtow... don't dirty my land!"

If you just go out like this, everything will be over. Even if you can save your life, life will be worse than death... Both Deng An and Zhang Pingan understand this.

"Your Majesty, being a slave is a capital crime, but please punish me severely!"

"Please punish me severely!" Zhang Ping'an also cried.

To be honest, these two people are really effective in doing things. Except for the trivial matter of making money, Zhu Jinghong is still very satisfied with other aspects.

The internal and external arrangements for the servants at the top and bottom satisfied Zhu Jinghong and allowed him to enjoy a lot of conveniences.

"Your Majesty, this servant has something to say..."

At this time, Yu Hai suddenly knelt down, which surprised Zhu Jinghong and Deng An even more.

"They have made mistakes and deserve punishment, but they have served the prince these years, and they have worked hard without any merit. I beg the prince to give them a lighter punishment!"

Good guy, Yu Hai actually came to plead for mercy, which made Deng An and Deng An very embarrassed. After all, they usually treat people as idiots.

"I didn't see that you were so loyal!" Zhu Jinghong sneered.

Yu Hai replied: "Slaves are not loyal. Punishing them is a trivial matter. I'm afraid the prince will be very angry!"

It can be said that there is no logic in what he said, and his purpose is to change the topic.

Ignoring Yu Hai's excuse, Zhu Jinghong said to himself: "You know, there is a price to pay for loyalty!"

"This slave is willing to accept the punishment!" Yu Hai kowtowed again.In fact, among the many eunuchs in the mansion, the one whom Zhu Jinghong trusted the most was Yu Hai, an honest man.

"Okay...go to the school grounds and ask the guards to receive twenty lashes!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yu Hai replied.

"I'll give you twenty lashes and you still want to thank me?"

"Your Majesty is willing to treat them both lightly, how can I not thank you!"

Zhu Jinghong didn't know what to say for a moment. He sighed, looked at Deng An and Deng An, and said coldly: "Did you hear that? These are good slaves. You usually think of yourself as smart, but you have even forgotten your own responsibilities!"

I have to say that Yu Hai's impassioned speech really moved Deng An and Deng An, and they must remember this friendship.

Of course, what concerned them more now was that Zhu Jinghong changed his tone, which meant that the difficulty for them had passed.

"This slave is really stupid and has betrayed the prince's trust. Please punish me severely!"

"Please, Your Majesty, punish me severely!"

After hearing what Deng An said, Zhu Jinghong felt that it was almost the same.

"You have finally worked hard in the past few years. Since Yu Hai has begged you, I will let you go for the time being..."

"Go down and receive thirty lashes each, and sort out all these messy things for me as soon as possible. If the princess is still angry...you can commit suicide and apologize!"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Deng An and his wife paid homage again. At this moment, they really had the urge to cry with joy.

"Remember, this is the last time. If something like this happens again, you will wipe your necks!"

"Your Majesty's teachings, please remember them!"

"Go down and receive your punishment!"

"Yes!"

Although thirty lashes would result in a severe beating, it was still better than losing one's life, so Deng and An were content with it.

After saluting again, the three of them all retreated out together, and then when they reached the door, Deng An turned back, causing Zhang Ping'an and Zhang Ping'an to stop and watch.

"Your Majesty, these are the results of today's inspection, please take a look!"

After taking the envelope from Deng An, Zhu Jinghong motioned for him to go out.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Ping'an immediately slapped his head. He also went out for inspection today and also had something to report.

After receiving the report from the two men, Zhu Jinghong motioned for them to go out.

When I opened the letter, I saw that it was clearly listed and the situation of the farm was clear at a glance.

Therefore, people like Deng An and Zhang Pingan are reluctant to abandon Zhu Jinghong. At least for now, the advantages of using them outweigh the disadvantages, so their mistakes can be forgiven.

In fact, Zhu Jinghong knew the tricks of Deng An and his gang from the beginning to the end, and it was the result of his laissez-faire development until now.

Why didn't he take the initiative to restrain?In addition to the fact that these people's faults are still within control, what's more important is that he needs these people to toss around, so that he can maintain his "mediocre" personality.

Baochai is already smart, so she can naturally take the initiative to ask about this matter.

Today he forgives these eunuchs, which just proves his "mediocrity" again, and can somewhat neutralize his talent in military training.

Here Zhu Jinghong carefully read the report, and Baochai in Tongxin Hall had learned that all three of Deng An had been punished.

"The one who was beaten... his clothes are all torn, he looks miserable!"

"So many people have seen it, and the three eunuchs have lost all their dignity!"

"But they do deserve punishment. They actually let the people below do whatever they want..."

Listening to Wen Xing's words with beaming eyebrows, Baochai put down the book and said, "Go to Yin'an Palace and invite the prince to come over for dinner tonight!"

Wen Xing immediately shut up and replied, "Yes!"

However, when Wen Xing left, Keqing happened to come to Yin'an Palace, and Zhu Jinghong was rubbing her ears and temples.

"Ah..." Wen Xing covered her eyes and hurriedly retreated.

Her exclamation frightened Ke Qing, so she immediately stood up and wanted to escape, but was forced into Zhu Jinghong's arms again.

"Ouch..." Keqing called out softly, but was struck by something.

"Your Majesty... there is someone outside!" Ke Qing was still struggling.

Zhu Jinghong ignored him. While in close contact with her, he shouted outside: "Who is it? Come out!"

Wen Xing had no choice but to show up and pay homage to Zhu Jinghong respectfully.

When she saw that it was the princess, Keqing became even more nervous. She was afraid that Wen Xing would talk nonsense when she went back and make the princess's impression of her worse.

Now she is just a concubine. If she wants to become a "chosen concubine", she must be recommended by the princess to the queen.

In other words, Baochai firmly controls Keqing's "promotion" path, and is someone she must not offend.

But no matter how hard she struggled, it was useless, so she could only try to maintain her "form", but Zhu Jinghong's erratic hands could break her defense at any time.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Jinghong looked at Wen Xing.

"Your Majesty, the princess invites you to come over for dinner!" Wen Xing replied carefully.

"I know, just tell me I'll come back later!"

"Yes!"

Wen Xing stepped back, and Zhu Jinghong picked up Ke Qing and walked to the bedroom.

At this moment, in the Yin'an Palace bedroom, Yinglian had made the bed, stripped naked and lay in it, looking forward to the beauty that would follow.

When she heard the footsteps outside, her heart pounded like a deer, but when she saw Zhu Jinghong coming in with Ke Qing in his arms, the smile on her face froze instantly.

"Your Majesty, why do you still have sister Keqing?" Yinglian asked unconsciously.

"Your dear sister, you are afraid that you will be lonely!" Zhu Jinghong made up a random reason.

"That's not true!" Ke Qing quickly defended.

"I said yes!"

"what……"

There were exclamations and screams, and after half an hour, everything calmed down.

Zhu Jinghong was neatly dressed and covered Ke Qing and Ke Qing with quilts very considerately before walking to Tongxin Hall.

Before entering the palace, Baochai came out to greet him after learning the news. After he saluted, the couple entered the palace.

"Your Highness is really busy... Please come over for dinner. It's taken you so long!" Baochai said with a smile.

Zhu Jinghong replied casually: "I'm quite busy. There are a lot of things happening inside and outside the house!"

After guiding Zhu Jinghong to sit down, Baochai took the tea and handed it to him, and then asked: "Does the prince know everything that happened in the mansion?"

"Well... the princess has dealt with it very well. Those who deceive others must be severely punished!" Zhu Jinghong replied solemnly.

"In the past two days... the princess must do a thorough investigation and find all the moths in the palace, and drive them out if they deserve punishment!"

In addition to Chen Chong's group, there must be other moths. Now that they have taken action, they must get to the bottom of it. That's why Zhu Jinghong told Baochai what he said.

To be honest, his current energy is involved in the military and the construction of the navy, so he really has no time to care about the affairs of the inner house.

"Yes!" Baochai agreed, this was her job.

"The position of Dianbu is very important. That Chen Chong is going to be replaced!" Baochai said slowly.

Zhu Jinghong put down the tea cup and said with a smile: "It is a sign of kindness that the princess can keep him alive!"

Baochai said modestly: "How can I be as kind-hearted as the prince!"

"What do you mean by this?" Zhu Jinghong was a little confused.

"Deng An's crime is just a few whippings. That will really give them an advantage!"

Picking up the small ornaments on the side, Zhu Jinghong said calmly: "Spare their lives this time. If they continue to fight, I will deal with them!"

Although Baochai said that Zhu Jinghong was kind-hearted, she actually knew very well how cold and heartless the husband in front of her was.

"By the way, Ningguo Mansion...should we send someone to express condolences?" Baochai suddenly mentioned this matter.

No matter what grievances there were, the Jia family had a special relationship with the prince after all, and they were extremely respectful to Prince Xiang's Mansion. The Prince's Mansion should send someone to pay homage to him both emotionally and rationally.

But this matter is not very important, so Baochai didn't mention it before, but only remembered it now after the Lantern Festival.

"He died on New Year's Eve, and it's been half a month...and he hasn't been carried out and buried yet?" Zhu Jinghong was slightly surprised.

(End of this chapter)