King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 446 Chen Yuntai’s Choice
Besides, after Zhu Jinghong left Muniyuan, he took Hou Jing and his party to continue playing.

Finally, they entered Shanglin Garden, where the eunuchs from the imperial kitchen were already waiting, preparing food and drink for them.

Everyone toasted and drank together, chatting about some interesting things from the past, which made the atmosphere more harmonious.

After the meal, everyone dispersed, and Zhu Jinghong also returned to the palace at this time.

As soon as he got off his horse, a eunuch reported to him that there was a royal guard from hundreds of households who wanted to see him, and he was waiting in the ear room.

Only then did Zhu Jinghong remember that he had called Chen Yuntai over to give instructions.

After taking off the sword from his waist and handing it to the eunuch, Zhu Jinghong ordered another eunuch: "Let him come to see me!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Jinghong came to the Cunxin Hall and sat down. After a while, Chen Yuntai walked in and saluted Zhu Jinghong extremely respectfully.

At this time, he was still dressed as a commoner. It was obvious that he came to the palace to wait for him as soon as possible. Two or three hours had passed by now.

"Have you had lunch?" Zhu Jinghong asked proactively.

"Go back to the prince, I have already used it in the palace, the food sent by the father-in-law in the palace!"

After signaling the eunuchs in the palace to leave, Zhu Jinghong asked, "What's going on over there in Muni Courtyard?"

He knew Zhu Jinghong was going to ask, so Chen Yuntai introduced it in detail.

Among the thousands of households in Nancheng, the White Lotus Sect has the deepest "achievement". They have mastered many clues. By chance, a line that Chen Yuntai dug deeply intersected with Miaoyu's line.

So the moment master and apprentice Miaoyu arrived in Beijing to meet, the two of them were actually exposed.

"So her master is really dead?"

"He died of illness. The night before the body was cremated, I personally went to check it out!" Chen Yuntai said firmly.

"Do you still remember what I said this morning?"

"Remember, the prince said that you should put a long line to catch big fish!" Chen Yuntai replied.

"So you don't have to report this matter to the police!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly.

"Yes!"

Chen Yuntai replied calmly. He was not surprised by this result. At this moment, he was struggling with another matter.

"Thank you for your hard work. I went to the house to pay 200 taels of silver and then went back to buy wine for my subordinates!"

Although this was a courtesy, it also told Chen Yuntai that it was time to leave.

However, Chen Yuntai was not willing to leave directly. Objectively speaking, it was not easy to meet Zhu Jinghong. For him, this was an opportunity.

It might be possible to get promoted for meritorious service, but it would be too slow for Chen Yuntai, and it is very possible that he might not even get promoted for meritorious service.

If you want to walk fast and steadily, the best way is to hug your thighs, and Zhu Jinghong undoubtedly has very thick thighs.

Zhang Qian, who is currently one of the commanders of the Northern Division, has been promoted to his current position quickly because of his relationship with Prince Rui. Chen Yuntai can definitely become the next Zhang Qian.

Thinking of this, Chen Yuntai made a decision in his heart.

When Zhu Jinghong was about to stand up and prepare to leave, he heard Chen Yuntai say: "Your Majesty, there are still some situations...I don't know whether I should say it or not!"

"Just say whatever you have!" Zhu Jinghong replied calmly.

"Those nuns in the Monastery are now in contact with the Jia family, and they seem to want to cling to them!"

Although Zhu Jinghong was not familiar with Red Mansion, he also knew that Miaoyu had entered the Grand View Garden. It was not surprising that she now came into contact with the Jia family.

What puzzled him was Miaoyu's purpose in contacting the Jia family!
However, the next moment, Chen Yuntai continued: "And I suddenly remembered that the people from the Qianhu Office in Xicheng have also targeted the nun named Miaoyu!"

"Didn't you say that no one found out except you?" Zhu Jinghong looked sullen.

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong wanted to question him, Chen Yuntai immediately knelt down and said, "I came out of Muni Yuan today and met a few people on the road. I didn't take it seriously at the time!"

"After I came back, I thought about it and found that their behavior was abnormal. After thinking about it carefully, I remembered that those were people from Qianhu Office in Xicheng!"

What Chen Yuntai said was that he had just discovered this situation, and it was not easy for Zhu Jinghong to ask too many questions.

When he was thinking about how to deal with the Thousand Households in Xicheng, he heard Chen Yuntai continue to say: "Looking at their whereabouts, I am afraid they will find this place earlier than I and others!"

"In the past two years, the Thousand Households in Xicheng have gained very little. It stands to reason that when encountering the White Lotus Sect, we should arrest them immediately, but they did not take action!"

After hearing this, Zhu Jinghong finally understood that Chen Yuntai was not simply stating the facts, but wanted to say something.

"So this is abnormal!" Zhu Jinghong replied. At this moment, he was not impatient and waited for Chen Yuntai to continue.

"Exactly... and the person who is leading the team today, I remember, is Zhang Wanan, a [-]-household household in Xicheng. As far as I know, he is the commander and a close confidant of Zhang Qian!"

Zhu Jinghong also knew that Zhang Qian was a confidant of his good brother.

The people of Lao Liu found out that the White Lotus Sect had not caught him and were suspected of allowing him to contact the Jia family, and the Jia family was the prince's in-law family, so things were very serious here.

The White Lotus Sect is the number one rebel, and is the target of more than a dozen emperors of this dynasty to eliminate them. If it is rumored that the prince colludes with the rebels, the prince's reputation will be really bad.

For Zhu Jinghong, there is indeed an opportunity here that can be exploited. Perhaps it is not impossible to take the opportunity to bring down the two brothers.

Of course, in order to take advantage of this matter, the first thing he had to deal with was the person in front of him.

With calm eyes, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "So...what do you think we should do about this matter?"

In Chen Yuntai's opinion, there are two ways to deal with this matter, either to help the prince point out that Muni Yuan is a rebel, or to help King Rui take the opportunity to frame the prince.

And no matter which one, you will gain favors, which will be beneficial to Zhu Jinghong.

Chen Yuntai himself prefers the latter, because the prince is already the prince, so helping him is actually the icing on the cake.

And helping Prince Rui become the crown prince or even the emperor is tantamount to giving someone timely help, and the benefits are huge.

"I think... we might wait and see what happens and make a decision based on the actual situation!" Chen Yuntai replied extremely cautiously.

The so-called waiting and watching changes is actually letting the sixth man design the prince, and it will be too late to make a decision by then.

Zhu Jinghong did not comment on this, but stared coldly at Chen Yuntai who was kneeling in front of the case.

Chen Yuntai was originally complacent, but Zhu Jinghong's cold gaze made his whole body run cold, and he immediately kowtowed.

He suddenly realized that the Thirteenth Master and Prince Rui were brothers, so how could he let the two brothers fight to the death?

This bad idea he came up with was not to alienate the blood relatives of the Tian family, which was a serious crime against the clan.

Chen Yuntai, Chen Yuntai, you claim to be prudent, are you seeking your own death today...

"You should report this matter to Nan Qianhu Office and Beizhen Fusi. It is up to your superiors to decide how to deal with it. Why should I make the decision?"

Yes, why?You can't say that you're just trying to flatter yourself, right?At this moment, Chen Yuntai tried hard to think of reasons for himself.

Now that he has decided to join the Thirteenth Master, it is better to go all the way to the dark side. Anyway, there is no way out now... Chen Yuntai made up his mind again.

And at this moment, Chen Yuntai also realized that this might be Zhu Jinghong testing himself.

After all, if this person really loved his brother and had killed him with a knife because of his temper, why would he ask these irrelevant questions?

After thinking about this, Chen Yuntai raised his head and said solemnly: "Your Majesty is very kind to me. From Jinling to the capital, I have been promoted by your Majesty many times. I am grateful to you for your kindness!"

"This matter is serious, and the prince is involved in it. In order to let the prince escape unscathed, I must report it to the prince first!"

What Chen Yuntai said actually makes sense.

Zhu Jinghong entered the Muni Courtyard and obstructed the Jinyi Guards from investigating the case. This situation would soon reach the ears of King Rui, so he was indeed involved.

After Chen Yuntai's explanation, he has fully expressed his intention. Next, it depends on how Zhu Jinghong handles it.

"Can I trust you?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

"I am an ant that the prince can destroy with just a raise of his hand. How dare I deceive the prince!"

Any kindness is false, so Chen Yuntai pointed out the key situations, so that Zhu Jinghong can really feel at ease.As he said, he is just an insignificant person, and Zhu Jinghong can kill him with just one word, so he cannot and dare not betray.

"Then just follow your wishes and wait and see what happens!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly.

"Yes!"

"Muniyuan, you should send someone to watch, and at the same time keep an eye on those people at the Qianhu Office in Xicheng, and only report all the situations to me!"

After hearing this, Chen Yuntai could finally be sure that he was already a member of King Xiang.

At the same time, he had to lament that the brotherhood of the Tian family was indeed fake. In order to maximize his own interests, the Thirteenth Master chose to let King Rui frame the prince.

For Chen Yuntai, this was also a choice to maximize his interests. He would also have a share of the credit when Prince Rui became emperor in the future.

When Chen Yuntai felt at ease, he never thought that Zhu Jinghong was not helping the sixth son to harm the prince at all, but wanted to take the opportunity to bring down both of them.

Whether the prince colluded with the rebels, or Prince Rui used the rebels to frame the prince, it was enough to make these two people irrecoverable.

"So how do you explain to your subordinates that I interfered with your investigation? You have to understand... I didn't know these people were traitors!"

Chen Yuntai may be able to be trusted temporarily, but there are so many Jin Yiwei involved today, and there must be an explanation if the investigation continues.

"This...I don't dare to say nonsense!" In fact, Chen Yuntai already had an idea.

"If you have anything to say, just say it. Since I believe in you, you should also believe in me!"

"The woman named Miaoyu in Muniyuan is beautiful. The prince only interfered because he saw her... beauty. He didn't know anything about the rest!" Chen Yuntai said with fear.

Zhu Jinghong nodded and said, "Anyway, you go down and make the arrangements. Don't let anyone else know about our affairs..."

"I understand!"

"I remember, you are still a hundred households, right?"

Hearing this question, Chen Yuntai immediately became excited, so he replied: "It was the [-] households that the prince mentioned last spring!"

Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "I think depending on your ability, you can be a member of Qianhu or even direct the general affairs. Baihu is really too incompetent!"

"Your Majesty really praises me. It is already difficult for me to be a householder of [-] households with my humble abilities. Now I just hope that I will not miss the important things of your Majesty, so I feel that I am very lucky!"

"Hahaha...well said!"

"We'll stop here today. I'll go to the palace later to collect 500 taels of silver. Just say it's the tea money I gave you and ask them to take care of it!"

"I understand, I'm leaving!" Chen Yuntai saluted again and then left the hall.

Watching Chen Yuntai leave, Zhu Jinghong was already thinking about how to counterattack if Chen Yuntai betrayed him.

But he laughed as soon as he thought about it, because it was indeed too easy.

For a person of his level, as long as he doesn't lose the emperor's trust, and unless someone of the same level takes action, no one can bring him down.

If Chen Yuntai betrays him, it may cause him trouble, but Zhu Jinghong can easily kill him.

"I hope you don't seek death!" Zhu Jinghong murmured in a low voice.

As for Chen Yuntai, he received 500 taels of silver before leaving the palace, and when he got home, he gathered the people who participated in the operation today.

There were 23 people in total. The ordinary captain got 20 taels, the two small flag officers got 30 taels each, and the chief flag officer got [-] taels.

"Everyone, although that woman is a traitor to the White Lotus Sect, she is attracted by the prince after all, and he will raise his hand to her in the future..."

"Now that we have received the prince's money, if we take the person without knowing why, I am afraid that we have done something in vain. If you think about it, you all understand!"

With both inducement and coercion, everyone will no longer dwell on this matter. After all, the reward for one more female rebel is not as large as the reward given by His Highness Prince Xiang at once.

Seeing that everyone understood the truth, Chen Yuntai invited them to a restaurant for a meal before letting them go home with their money.

There are two more important things for Chen Yuntai when it comes to cooking. One is to send people to continue to keep an eye on Miaoyu, and the other is to keep an eye on the people at Qianhu Station in Xicheng.

The first thing is easy to say, but the second thing has to be done by someone you can trust. How to arrange Chen Yuntai must be carefully considered.

Of course, this matter is not urgent, and he can plan it slowly.

In the afternoon, King Rui Zhu Jingyuan returned to his mansion. He seemed to be in a good mood.

In the courtyard of the Tongxin Hall of the Royal Palace, Chen Zhi, who was holding a cat and sunbathing in the sun, saw him and couldn't help but said: "It's rare to see you so happy!"

"It's natural. Four of the six people I recommended to take up positions in Jinling have agreed to take actual positions!"

"You said... you're lucky if you can arrange just one or two, why are there four?"

Sitting opposite Chen Zhi, Zhu Jingyuan said: "It seems that the old man still can't trust Zhao Yushan, so he allowed us to mix some sand in!"

"We?" Chen Zhi grasped the key point.

Zhu Jingyuan replied: "The fourth man also arranged for two people, one of whom is still responsible for the investigation!"

"Isn't the governor of Jinling all his people, and now he is asked to put people in?" Chen Zhi was very puzzled.

"Liang Qian will resign within this month and return to the Inspectorate to be his deputy capital envoy!"

According to the current system, officials such as governors are not permanent. Directors are only temporarily appointed when necessary, and then they are dismissed and returned to their original posts.

"I think Zhao Yushan's intention is to have Zheng Xianlin be given the title of Minister-General, and then be the Chief Envoy and also the Governor!"

"If we really want to accomplish this in Jinling, we still need to establish a governor!" Zhu Jingyuan said with emotion.

"It seems that Mr. Zhao Ge has great trust in the chief envoy!" Chen Zhi said with a smile.

Picking up the tea cup, Zhu Jingyuan took a sip and said, "It's not about trust, it's about Zheng Xianlin, He Gujin, who offended everyone last year, and now they can only follow Zhao Yushan!"

"So that's it. I remember that these two people offended you, but I didn't expect that their officialdom got bigger and bigger!" Chen Zhi suddenly remembered what happened two years ago.

"The waves in Jinling are surging, I can no longer take action at will!"

The two of them chatted for a while, and soon a eunuch came to report that Qiu had something to report.

So Zhu Jingyuan went to Cunxin Hall and listened to Ying Qiu's account of what happened outside the west gate today.

"Old Thirteen entered Muni Courtyard and drove away the people from Nanqianhu Station?" Zhu Jingyuan was very surprised.

Just as Chen Yuntai discovered the people from Qianhu Station in Xicheng, they also discovered Chen Yuntai when he showed up.

"What's he doing getting involved?"

"The Thirteenth Master took people on an outing and went in when they met Muni Yuan. It must be an accident!" Ying Qiu replied.

However, the next move was the key to Zhu Jingyuan's defeat of the prince, so he had no choice but to be careless.

So he ordered: "Find out what happened, whether you went there randomly or deliberately, and then check the reaction of Nancheng Qianhu Office, don't let them ruin the plan!"

"The Thirteenth Master has already taken care of the Qianhu Office in Nancheng. I guess they won't investigate further!"

"You didn't mean that he went there inadvertently, so why did he obstruct the investigation of Nancheng Qianhu?" Zhu Jingyuan asked.

"We asked in the West City secretly. It is said that the Thirteenth Master has fallen in love with a female nun from the Muni Yuan, so the people from the Qianhu Office in Nancheng don't have to investigate anymore!"

Zhu Jingyuan nodded, and then asked: "Have Zhang Wanan and those people not been discovered by Qianhu in Nancheng?"

Ying Qiu replied: "Probably not. There is very little contact between Nancheng and Xicheng, and Zhang Wanan only returned to Beijing recently!"

Zhu Jingyuan finally felt at ease, and after asking Ying Qiu a few more questions, he waved him off.

Although Zhu Jinghong was involved because of lust, he was colluding with the rebels anyway. Taking the opportunity for the prince to fight with him was a good thing for Zhu Jingyuan.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jingyuan felt better.

(PS: Some readers are not sure about the personnel composition of Prince Xiang’s Mansion. The easter egg chapter at the end of this chapter lists it with pictures. You can take a look!)

(End of this chapter)