Prince of Song Dynasty

Chapter 580
"You are a good butcher!" The young man may have a naturally loud voice, and his words sounded like thunder, "Not only do you take bribes and pocket money, but even your servants and officials are all greedy and rich. .People say 'the prime minister's slaves are the seventh-rank officials', these slaves in your family are bigger than the seventh-rank officials. Those who resell wood, sell wood, and extort extortion, it's really "one person wins the Tao, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"!"

This yelling and shouting attracted all the civil and military ministers of the previous court, and their eyes widened, not knowing what happened.

Zhao Pu made a fool of himself in public, this was the first time in his life, he immediately flew into a rage, and shouted sharply: "Where did this savage come from? Talking nonsense, let me take it down!"

Two guards in front of the hall rushed out like tigers and wolves, and tied up the young man tightly like a landlubber.The man refused to bow his head, and screamed like a pig with his neck raised.

Zhao Kuangyin always went to court very early, and he heard the conversation outside the palace very clearly.I didn't want to come in and embarrass Zhao Pu, but hearing the yelling was too shameful, so I had to walk out of the hall and shouted with a livid face: "What's the matter? Such a buzz!"

When everyone saw it, Sheng Jia was alarmed, and they all knelt on the ground, no one dared to say anything.

But the bound young official said: "Your Majesty, long live my lord, I want to sue Prime Minister Zhao Pu!"

Zhao Kuangyin frowned, and said to the two guards: "Let him go, and wait in the apse, and we will talk about it after I leave the court."

After speaking, he flicked his robe sleeves, turned around angrily and entered the hall.

All the ministers quickly got up and followed.

There were not many agenda items in the early court today, only a few ministers from the Third Division and the Ministry of Industry published their reports, and they were all urgent matters, and Zhao Kuangyin agreed to them one by one.He wanted to ask the chancellor what else was going on, but seeing that Zhao Pu was in a state of uncertainty, he seemed to have not recovered, so he stopped talking, the eunuch on duty was about to announce the dismissal of the court.Zhao Pu suddenly remembered something, and said, "Your Majesty! I have something to announce."

Zhao Kuangyin said, "What else is there for Zhao Aiqing?"

Zhao Pu said: "I boldly ask Your Majesty to let me persuade the Southern Tang envoy Han Xizai to surrender to our Song Dynasty, so that when he returns to Jinling, with his power in the Southern Tang court, he should be able to escape from the city of Jinling." Open the gates of the city and let my army enter the city, so as to break through Jinling without bloodshed, so that my army will suffer few losses."

Hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but feel moved, thinking that if Zhao Pu could do this, it would be a great thing.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Yushi Zhongcheng Wang Yuefeng suddenly said loudly: "Your Majesty, I just got the news this morning that Han Xizai secretly went to the Prime Minister's Mansion last night and had a private conversation with the Prime Minister for an hour, and I have a cable report. After Han Xizai met His Majesty yesterday , he already intended to surrender his allegiance to His Majesty, and he went to the Prime Minister just to express his intention, but unexpectedly, the Prime Minister deliberately made things difficult, not only blackmailing Han Xizai 5 taels of silver, but also deceiving His Majesty just now, trying to make things happen It has become your own merit. As the censor Zhongcheng, impeaching the prime minister for the crime of deceiving the emperor, your majesty should depose Zhao Pu and put him in the prison."

Zhao Pu's face was pale, his chest was bulging with anger, and he shouted loudly: "Wang Yuefeng, how dare you spit blood on someone."

At this time, Lu Duoxun also stood up and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Wang and Mr. Prime Minister each have their own words. It is better to call Han Xizai into the palace. Your Majesty only needs to ask him two questions to make this matter clear. The first , asked him if he wanted to surrender to His Majesty, if he already wanted to surrender to His Majesty, then the Prime Minister said that he would persuade Han Xizai just now was a lie. Second, asked him if he had given Zhao Pu 5 taels of silver. If so If this is the case, then what Lord Wang said is true, and the Prime Minister has really committed the crime of deceiving the emperor."

Zhao Kuangyin felt that Lu Duoxun's words were reasonable, so he nodded, but instead of summoning Han Xizai to testify, he looked at Li Junhao who stood out of place among the civil servants like a stand out from the crowd.

Ever since Ye Chen was dying of poisoning, His Majesty the Emperor ordered Li Junhao to temporarily take charge of the affairs of the Huaxia Weifu as the deputy envoy of the Huaxia Weifu, and let him attend the court meeting.But since Li Junhao made a speech at the military meeting before sending troops to the Southern Tang Dynasty more than a month ago, Li Junhao has hardly said a word. At most, he answered whatever the emperor asked, which made his body dirty. Take a breath.Li Junhao has always been in charge of the Supervision Department of the Huaxia Weifu. He is equivalent to a high-ranking official in the next century. A single sentence from him in the court can ruin the bright future of any official below the third rank.Therefore, in the Song Dynasty, for ordinary officials, the most feared person is not Zhao Pu, nor Zhao Guangyi, and naturally it is not the most famous Ye Chen and the emperor, but Li Junhao.

At this moment, the emperor looked at Li Junhao, and everyone in the palace naturally looked at Li Junhao, and Zhao Pu was even more terrified. He secretly regretted that he was obsessed with money at night, and committed his old problem again, so he took the 5 taels of silver.

"Li Aiqing, does the Huaxia Weifu monitor the Southern Tang mission?" Zhao Kuangyin asked with a gentle tone and a solemn expression.

Li Junhao's expression remained as calm as ever, and he bowed to the emperor when he left the class, and said, "Your Majesty, the Southern Tang Mission has been under the surveillance of the Huaxia Weifu Intelligence Department since it left Jinling City."

When Zhao Kuangyin heard the words, a smile appeared on his face, and his satisfaction was beyond words.But among the hundred officials, many people cursed secretly, and began to wonder whether their whereabouts had been under the surveillance of the Huaxia Weifu.But Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi were shocked, and they both blamed themselves, because Ye Chen was dying, and they subconsciously ignored Huaxia Weifu these days.Zhao Pu thought that Zhang Dawei should be called over last night to explain.And Zhao Guangyi suddenly thought of the heavyweight man he had bought in the Huaxia Weifu, and he must wait for Li Junhao to continue.

Zhao Kuangyin said: "What did the Huaxia Weifu Intelligence Department discover last night?"

Li Junhao said: "At the hour of Hai last night, the Southern Tang Dynasty ordered Han Xizai to leave the Courtyard and go to the Prime Minister's Mansion. He waited in the Prime Minister's Mansion for about half an hour. However, Han Xizai entered the Prime Minister's Mansion alone without any heavy objects or box, so it is impossible to bring 5 taels of silver."

Zhao Pu and Zhao Pu's officials immediately relaxed when they heard the words, but what Li Junhao said next made their expressions change again.

Li Junhao paused for a moment, then continued: "However, there is news from the Nanfu of China's Weifu that Han Xizai brought a bank note of 5 taels of silver from the Wuyue Bank when he left Jinling. Whether it was given to someone else, the intelligence department is currently investigating middle."

Zhao Kuangyin's face was livid, and he looked at Zhao Pu. Zhao Pu's expression was already very ugly, but Li Junhao's last words made him slightly relieved. The Huaxia Weifu Intelligence Department could not confirm the matter of the 5 taels of silver, and with Han Xizai's sophistication, When asked about it later, he would never admit it.Based on his understanding of the emperor, as long as the matter of the 5 taels of silver was not exposed, it would not be considered a major event.

With many thoughts in his mind, under Zhao Kuangyin's gaze, Zhao Pu knelt on the ground with a thud, and said, "Your Majesty, Han Xizai did come to visit the minister last night, and he wanted to persuade the minister to help them persuade His Majesty to retreat. Naturally, the minister will not agree. Instead, I took the opportunity to make sense of it, and let Han Xizai move his heart to surrender to the Song Dynasty. That's why I asked His Majesty for an order today. If I persuade Han Xizai again, I will be able to completely make him surrender. As for the 5 taels of silver or the 5 taels of silver bills, The minister has never seen it."

Zhao Kuangyin felt that Zhao Pu's words could make sense, so his expression softened a little, and he said, "It is said that Han Xizai of the Southern Tang Dynasty is going to have an audience with him."

After receiving the summon from the palace, Han Xizai in the Concierge Court was overjoyed and secretly wondered if the matter of asking Zhao Pu had already begun. The Emperor Song summoned him, probably to have a secret talk with him, and then he would break the law of Jinling Come out and make great contributions.

Unexpectedly, just as Han Xizai had changed his clothes and was about to leave, Xu Xuan came to his room suddenly.

Han Xizai was in a hurry to enter the palace, so he said impatiently: "Master Xu, what is there to do until the old man comes back from the palace?"

Xu Xuan sneered, and said, "I'm afraid that after the prime minister enters the palace of the Song Dynasty, he will never come back."

Han Xizai's expression changed, and he said, "Xu Xuan, what do you mean?"

Xu Xuan said: "Master Prime Minister went to see Zhao Pu last night."

Han Xizai's face showed anger, and he shouted, "Xu Xuan, you dare to spy on me."

Xu Xuan shook his head and said, "It's not that the lower officials are monitoring the Prime Minister, but that you and I are under the surveillance of the Huaxia Weifu Intelligence Department."

Han Xizai's expression turned ugly immediately, but then he thought again, so what if the Huaxia Weifu knew about it.But without waiting for him to say anything, Xu Xuan said again: "It seems that the prime minister is not very clear about the recent situation in the court of Song Dynasty. The matter of the 5 taels of silver was known by the Intelligence Department of the Huaxia Weifu, and there are people from King Jin in the intelligence department, so King Jin also knew about it. The official just went to pay a visit to King Jin last night, and he has already asked His Highness Jin Wang Surrendered, that's why I knew that at the court meeting this morning, Yushi Zhongcheng Wang Yuefeng would report to Emperor Song that the prime minister had secretly met with Zhao Pu last night. This matter was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Zhao Pu's dismissal was a certainty. Song Emperor already knew the whole process of the matter, summoned the prime minister and would definitely ask about what happened to the prime minister last night. If the subordinate officials did not come to remind the prime minister, the prime minister would definitely conceal something, thus hating Emperor Song. I don’t need to say much about the consequences.”

Han Xizai's expression changed a lot. Xu Xuan even knew about the fact that he gave Zhao Pu a silver note of 5 taels. This already showed that most of what Xu Xuan said was true. Why remind the old man?"

(End of this chapter)