My wife has a secret

Chapter 79 Trial by the Three Divisions
Xiao Wu was still somewhat reluctant. In his opinion, those noble children who lived in luxury were all the same kind of people.

No one's life can be compared to Uncle Li who has gone through life and death.

"But Uncle Li, you..."

Uncle Li grabbed Xiao Wu's arm and saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"Huangling Pass has been isolated in the northern border for more than 30 years, and he is the only one who has offered a helping hand. You are young and don't know what this means. Report this to General Yang. With the general's intelligence, he will definitely find a way to save the soldiers and civilians at the border."

"I can!"

Xiao Wu saw that Uncle Li had made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and thought for a moment, then turned around and climbed onto the horse.

After taking one last look back at Uncle Li, Xiao Wu squeezed his legs together and galloped away on his horse.

"drive!"

Xiao Wu went straight into the crevice of the mountain and went straight out.

At the end of the dots of light, he suddenly caught a glimpse of several knights stationed at the mountain pass.

The way these people are dressed does not look like that of ordinary cavalrymen.

Especially the few family generals on the left and right were smaller in stature, and their skirts fluttered in the mountain breeze, revealing their female identities at a glance.

The person being protected in the middle had a dark green skirt armor and the toes of his boots were shaped like a tiger's face with bared teeth and glaring eyes, looking very majestic.

The phoenix-wing helmet on her head sparkled brightly under the sunlight, reflecting a lustrous luster.

Xiao Wu hurriedly pulled the reins and stopped the horse under him.

"Who is coming?"

A family general rode forward two steps on his horse. The long spear she held behind her shoulder was enough to prove her identity to Xiao Wu.

The shape of the gun head is obviously made of fine steel. In Xiao Wu's memory four years ago, he was very familiar with the appearance and name of this gun.

The spear is the king of all weapons. In the three thousand miles of northern border, the most skilled in using spears are only the Yang Family Army in Huangling.

"Seventh Banner of the Huangling Army, Soldiers Squad."

The female rider looked him up and down, sneered, and responded: "The Huangling Army prohibits the elderly, the weak, and the disabled. You are only five feet tall, how can you be a soldier from the North?"

Xiao Wu opened his mouth and looked down.

Only then did he realize that the shoes on his feet and the clothes on his body were all cotton-padded clothes and shoes he brought from Suzhou.

"Xiao Wu is really a soldier of the Seventh Banner. This set of clothes was given to us by the Xu family of Suzhou... By the way, I led General Yang four years ago and annihilated three hundred Hu soldiers in one battle!"

The female knight waiting beside the man in the middle spoke slowly, confirming that what Xiao Wu said was true.

"Second Miss, four years ago when the Jin invaded, the general did lead troops in the northwest. The Seventh Banner of Huangling Pass also suffered heavy losses and was ordered to go south three months ago. He followed the general's order to go to Suzhou to ask for money and food."

After learning that the soldiers in front of them were indeed from Huangling Pass, the female general who was surrounded in the middle slowly walked to the front of them and said in a calm voice: "Thank you for your hard work. Why did you come back alone?"

When Xiao Wu heard the person address her as the Second Young Lady, he understood the identity of the female general in front of him, and hurriedly dismounted and knelt, saying, "General! Fortunately, the Seventh Banner has fulfilled its mission and brought back three thousand dan of grain and two carts of military equipment made in Suzhou."

"what?"

Xiao Wu's answer caused several people to look surprised.

As a member of the Yang family, the female general knew very well what these three thousand stones of grain meant.

Although it is not enough for the soldiers and civilians in the north to survive the winter, if it is cooked into porridge, it can greatly alleviate the famine crisis.

Not to mention the stingy imperial court, which also brought two carts of military equipment.

Although it was insignificant compared to an army of 40,000, it was still a good start.

"The other brothers of the Seventh Banner are on the way to escort the weapons. The food has also been taken over by the three major escort companies in Jiangnan. They will arrive at Huangling in ten days."

Upon hearing this, the female knight smiled happily and whispered, "Second Miss, this is really good news... Let's settle him down and return to the city to report to the general, shall we?"

"Wait a moment!"

After Xiao Wu reported the gains of the trip, he hurriedly talked about what Uncle Li was worried about.

"This time we went south because Master Xu of Xu Clan in Suzhou helped us against all odds."

"Master Xu?"

The female general was unfamiliar with this title, but the family general standing beside her recognized Mr. Xu's background and reminded her in a low voice: "Second Miss, the Xu family of Suzhou is the Queen Mother's family. This Mr. Xu is most likely your nominal brother-in-law, Xu Qing."

"It's him?"

The female general frowned when she heard this, and her face looked a little uncomfortable.

She always felt that her sister was an excellent person and shouldn't marry these uneducated wimps who had never been to the battlefield.

So when her sister insisted on marrying into the Xu family, she objected.

But who could have imagined that when Huangling Pass was isolated and helpless and no one could help them, it was this despised son of a powerful family who gave them the help they had always dreamed of.

"As we were walking along the way, we heard people say that... Mr. Xu was taken to the capital overnight and locked up in the Ministry of Justice prison."

The female general hesitated for a moment and asked, "He is the nephew of the Queen Mother. Will he get into trouble?"

Xiao Wu said: "When we left Suzhou, we encountered the Yinshan Tiger and Leopard Cavalry."

The female general murmured, "Tiger and Leopard Cavalry."

As a colleague in the army, she naturally knew that the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were the personal army of the Li Qi royal family, who only obeyed the imperial seal and were the last trump card of the young emperor.

Sending out the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry meant that the royal family had decided to break with the Xu family.

"I have to report this to my sister before I make a decision."

……

Mingzhu led the way in front, holding a dim lantern, and Shen Shuangxu followed behind with a cold face.

It was still dark in the morning and the entire corridor was pitch black. Apart from a little light under my feet, I couldn't see anything clearly.

Walking to the end of the courtyard in the mansion, the cold wind blew, causing Shen Shuangxu's skirt to flutter.

In the main courtyard of the Shen family, a calm and composed middle-aged man was changing into his official robes.

There was a calm and deep light in his eyes, and his face was indifferent, and his facial features were somewhat similar to Shen Shuangxu's.

"Frost Sequence."

Two maids were busy in front of him, helping him tie his hat and belt and put on his official boots.

After everything was packed up, the middle-aged man waved away the maid beside him and smiled friendly to Shen Shuangxu who had come over.

"What did you gain from your trip to Suzhou?"

Shen Shuangxu's pretty face was solemn. She did not answer her father's question, but asked instead: "The New Year has just arrived. According to the etiquette of Da Qi, the palace should rest for three days... Looking at the way father is dressed, are you preparing to go to court again?"

"Things in the palace are beyond our control."

Shen Nianyan knew that he couldn't deceive his daughter by pretending to be stupid, so he could only smile bitterly, shook his head and sighed, "You are more informed about the news in the capital than I am. Today, all the officials are making remonstrations, and the Prince of Dongwan is leading the way. As the head of all officials, the prime minister naturally has to do something in the court."

Shen Shuangxu frowned slightly and said calmly: "Chengxuanfang is no longer under the control of my daughter."

Chengxuanfang is the most secretive intelligence agency of Da Qi, supervising all officials and having a lofty status.

How could such an important organization lose control at this critical juncture?
Shen Nianyan raised his eyes slightly and said seriously: "Since Chengxuanfang is no longer under your control, it must have returned to the hands of the Queen Mother..." When Shen Nianyan said this, he finally realized the real meaning of his daughter's mention of this matter.

That is, the Queen Mother's side has not yet lost power, so I have to act with caution.

……

Xu Qing woke up from the darkness, and the surrounding environment was still the same as before, damp and gloomy.

The only thing that made him feel the change was that the pot of sake next to him was drunk up.

"Drink my wine, say a few words?"

The white-haired middle-aged man did not reply, but curled up in the corner, motionless.

There was no sound coming from the cell next door, but Xu Qing could hear the faint breathing sound, it seemed that the guy was sleeping soundly.

After about an incense stick of time, the thick iron door was opened by the jailers.

Two jailers held torches, put down the food, and opened the cell door.

Xu Qing was slightly stunned and found it a little unbelievable.

Given Shen Shuangxu's personality, he wouldn't let himself be released from jail after just one day.

"Prisoner Xu Qing, come with us after you finish this meal."

"Where are you going?"

"Three judges will hold a joint trial."

The Sansi Joint Trial is a joint trial conducted by the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate and the Dali Temple.

Only extremely serious cases will attract the joint efforts of the prison, supervisory and judicial authorities to conduct strict interrogations of the criminals.

In Xu Qing's impression, although copying books involved the crime of treason, there was no substantial evidence.

"Since it's a joint trial between three judges, let's go there early."

Seeing that Xu Qing had no intention of eating, the jailer made a gesture to invite him in outside the door.

After the three of them quickly left the prison, Chunsheng, who had been hiding in the corner, opened his eyes and stared at the place where Xu Qing left.

After a while, rustling sounds were heard from next door.

"Old man, judging from the expressions and actions of the jailers, the three-court trial is true... It's really strange, why would the son of the Xu family be locked up in the prison of the Ministry of Justice?"

Chunsheng looked indifferent and did not respond.

But after being silent for a while, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hey, old man, what are you laughing at? Are you crazy..."

Chunsheng laughed wildly, as sharp and piercing as a night owl, as if it had the power to pierce through clouds and split rocks, which made people feel afraid.

The Fa Qiu disciple next door became more and more frightened the more he listened. He could hardly imagine that such a sound could come from a prisoner who was half buried in the earth.

"The world has two colors of yin and yang, and the freedom of all things is within me. The three thousand worlds are full of life, and the spirit returns to the white lotus heart."

After Chunsheng finished laughing loudly, he uttered some obscure verses.

He lowered his head slightly and said in a voice that only he could hear: "I have waited for seventeen years and finally waited for the man of destiny mentioned in the oracle."

……

As soon as Xu Qing stepped into the interrogation hall of the Ministry of Justice, he saw a fat, round-faced official sitting on the main seat with two other officials sitting beside him.

Judging from the rank of his clothing, this man should be the first-rank Minister of Justice, Liao Yue.

The two people next to them were wearing the official uniforms of the third and fourth ranks, and they were obviously the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple and the Chief Censor of this dynasty.

Behind Liao Yue is a picture of a red sun in the blue sky, and above his head hangs a plaque with a bright mirror hanging high, which makes him look very majestic and as if it were real.

But what puzzled Xu Qing was that there was a person wearing a dragon robe sitting in the second row in the hall.

No matter how you look at it, this guy doesn't look like the assistant minister or the head of the Ministry of Justice.

After Xu Qing was pinned to the ground by the yamen runners, Liao Yue, the Minister of Justice on the stage, said slowly, "Prisoner Xu Qing, do you know that you have committed multiple crimes, and any one of them is enough to sentence you to death?"

Xu Qing was stunned for a moment, and asked back: "May I ask, sir, what crime did I commit?"

The Dali Temple official picked up the complaint on the table and read it word by word: "He disrupted government affairs, formed a clique for personal gain, bullied men and women, and committed many evil deeds and brought disaster upon himself..."

After the other party finished reading out the long list of charges, Xu Qing replied, "I don't admit it."

The Dali Temple official threw down the gavel in his hand and shouted angrily, "You still dare to talk back? The evidence is all in front of us...Call Jingdong Marquis Feng Tuo!"

After a while, Feng Tuo, who was waiting outside the door, walked into the hall and bowed to the three officials.

"My lords."

When the Dali Temple Minister saw Feng Tuo, his expression softened slightly and he said, "Marquis Jingdong is a hereditary title and has a noble status. Your Majesty does not have to kneel down and speak like an ordinary commoner."

"Thank you, Dali Temple Minister."

When Feng Tuo saw Xu Qing, who had previously written a famous poem and gained great fame, kneeling on the ground, he felt a great sense of superiority.

No matter how arrogant Xu Qing was in the past, didn't he end up in the situation he is in today?

"Marquis Jingdong just needs to tell us what he heard with his own ears."

"it is good!"

Feng Tuo gathered his thoughts and repeated the words that Prince Kang had taught him earlier.

"That day, Xu Qing was drinking in Zuiyuan Pavilion. In order to meet the most popular Chun Shisanniang in the pavilion, he wrote a seven-character quatrain."

Minister of Justice Liao Yue interrupted calmly, "We have also heard about this matter... But the case submitted by Suzhou said that this poem was written by Lu, the third branch of the Xu family, and it was not his work."

"No! He wrote it!"

When Feng Tuo heard that the Shangshu was directing his criticism at his beloved, he quickly spoke to defend him.

Xu Qing didn't want to drag this matter onto Lu Wanhe and let him bear the false accusation for him, so he said, "These poems were written by me. They have nothing to do with my third branch."

Seeing Xu Qing admit it himself, Feng Tuo pointed at him and said with a smile: "See! I told you that all these poems were written by him!"

The Minister of Justice glanced at Xu Qing, then raised the gavel and slammed the table, shocking Feng Tuo who was chattering non-stop.

The latter was frightened by the sound, stopped what he was doing, and stayed where he was, not daring to move.

"The court will decide what is right and wrong. Just give your testimony clearly without missing a word."

"Xu Qing... not only did he write a poem, he also met an old man at the Puyuan Poetry Festival I hosted. He was traveling with the former Grand Tutor Xiao Zhong, and they both came from the capital."

Feng Tuo's eyes were a little evasive and his words were a little hurried.

Xu Qing was also puzzled by his statement. Why did Feng Tuo claim that he had met an old man?
Liao Yue, the Minister of Justice, frowned and said, "Xiao Zhong resigned from his post two years ago and has not been involved in the affairs of the court. He has been traveling around the beautiful mountains and rivers... There seems to be nothing wrong with getting to know him."

The middle-aged man in a dragon robe sitting on the side seat smiled and poured himself a cup of tea.

When several judges were puzzled, he spoke leisurely and slowly: "Sir Shangshu, as far as I know, the old man's identity does not seem to be that simple."

(End of this chapter)