Emperor Renzong of the Great Song Dynasty

In the yamen room of Yingtian Mansion, Gongsun Ce was carrying a dusty account book, and smiled at the prefect Pei Yuan: "Master Pei, this is Ying Tian Mansion's running account for the third year of Tianxi, isn't it?"

Pei Yuan glanced at the cover of the account book and nodded: "That's right."

Gongsun Ce said, "Good."

"In the third year of Tianxi, Jiazi in the first month, I got [-] pieces of silk from the inner possession of the third division;"

"Ding Mao, out of silver three thousand seven hundred and sixty-two four thousand three cents six and 710 two thousandths of two cents to transplant palace trees;"

Gongsun Ce raised his head: "Lord Pei, be meticulous."

"Yihai, pay 210 grains, one stone, six buckets, two liters, four and 20.00% to support the Xiang army;"

"Master Pei, is this 20.00% rice going to be fed to the cat?"

Pei Yuan closed his eyes and remained silent.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Gongsun Ce stopped talking to him, and continued to read the account: "Ji Mao, three thousand and one hundred and thirty two bolts of silk to buy pen and ink;"

"Bingxu..."

His speech speed gradually accelerated, and his index finger quickly scanned the account book, quickly turning to the next page. After half an hour, he finished flipping through the half-foot-thick account book.

Pei Yuandao: "This gentleman, have you ever calculated anything?"

His tone was slightly sarcasm, and Gongsun Ce's way of flipping through the account books was really a joke.

Without even taking the abacus, I went through the whole year's running accounts of a whole house in half an hour.Did he think that he could find any clues by flipping through these accounts hastily?

Gongsun Ce panted slightly, some sweat faintly seeped from his forehead, his eyes were bright, and there was some excitement from the bottom of his eyes.

"Lord Pei," he said, "During the third year of Tianxi, Ying Tianfu's surplus silver, silk, and grain were converted into gold, which was about 640 eighty-two cents and four cents. "

He laughed: "My lord, gold and silver are up to centimetres, and rice is up to closeness. Otherwise, it will not only be difficult to calculate, but the calculated amount will also be a little scary."

Pei Yuan said slowly: "It's not surprising that Yingtian is rich and has some surplus every year."

Gongsun Ce nodded: "Of course, Yingtian is the kingdom of Nanjing, so there should be some money and grain left."

Pei Yuandao: "It will be past noon, why don't Mr. Gongsun and Mr. Bao go with me to have some tea and rice?"

With his hands behind his back, he quietly wiped the cold sweat.

In the third year of Tianxi, he was not yet in the prefect of Yingtian at that time.But judging from the records left by his predecessor, the prince did take 10 taels of gold that year...

Gongsun Ce said: "It's not busy, the student's family is poor, and he only eats two meals a day. The morning meal is eaten at the post station, and the evening meal is eaten after dark."

He reached for another account book that was full of dust: "Meals have to be eaten meal by meal, accounts have to be settled year by year. Come, let's reconcile the accounts of Tianxi for four years."

Pei Yuandao: "Mr. Gongsun is not hungry, so is my house. Forgive me for not being able to accompany you."

He had to rush in and tell the prince that things had changed and the two of them couldn't stay...

Just as he was about to leave, someone grabbed his wrist tightly: "Master Pei, the state affairs are important, so stay here and check the accounts with us."

As soon as Pei Yuan turned his head, he happened to meet Bao Zheng's solemn face.

Bao Zheng frowned and tightly held Pei Yuan's wrist: "It will take some time for Mr. Gongsun to check the accounts. Mr. Pei might as well sit down and wait slowly."

Pei Yuan wanted to break free from his hand, but found that his hand was like iron tongs, so powerful that he couldn't struggle at all. He cursed in his heart: What a farmer!And because he sent away all the entourage and guards before checking the accounts, no one came in to rescue him at this moment, so Bao Zheng dragged him to the desk and sat down.

Gongsun Ce held Tianxi's four-year account book and walked to him with a smile: "In the fourth year of Tianxi, Gengxin, Wuwu of the first month, I received a reward of 150 taels from the inner court..."

Pei Yuan closed his eyes in despair.

My lord, something is wrong!

In Xiangyang Prince's Mansion, Zhao Jue leaned on the imperial concubine's couch, watched the dancers in the palace dance gracefully, took a sip of the bright red wine in the concubine's hand, tilted his head and said to Huo Fang, the transfer envoy, "Look, we are still waiting for you." Tianfu, Emperor Shangao came from far away. I heard that my brothers in Bianliang can't even eat a bite of meat now, and they can't get out of the door. Life is miserable, not to mention how miserable it is."

Huo Fang looked away from a green-clothed dancer in the hall: "The officials have reduced their regular meals, so the princes have no choice but to be aggrieved and eat a few days of fasting. Anyway, it's only ten and a half months. It's over."

Zhao Jue snorted and said, "I can't be wronged even for a day!"

He leaned back and lay in the arms of a beautiful concubine.The concubine exclaimed, then smiled coquettishly, and fed a peeled grape into Zhao Jue's mouth.

Zhao Jue swallowed the grape, and said to Huo Fang: "I was born alone to enjoy all the riches and honors in the world, and I was born to be above ten thousand people. My nephew is also very ignorant," he laughed: "Just be his emperor well. Nothing in this world belongs to him. Why bother to wrong yourself and bring relatives to suffer with him."

The green-clothed dancer stood on tiptoe, twirling her figure, taking advantage of her slender waist to grasp it tightly, holding the weak willow to support the wind.

Huo Fang said: "My lord is right."

Zhao Jue frowned, knocked on the golden bowl with jade chopsticks, and shouted to the hall: "That man in green, come up and pour wine for this king!"

The green-clothed dancer was startled, her movements froze, but she got caught by the corner of her skirt and fell to the ground.She let out a "hiss" in pain, and sat up with her left hand on the ground, forming a perfect curve between the ups and downs of her shoulders, back, waist and limbs.

Huo Fang slowly sat back in her seat and took a sip of wine.

He stood up almost instantly.

Zhao Jue sneered secretly, and shouted at the dancer: "Hurry up!"

The dancer girl didn't dare to disobey her order, she stood up quickly, straightened her dress, and approached Zhao Jue with small steps.

Zhao Jue pinched her chin: "What's your name?"

The dancer girl said softly and softly: "My slave's name is Cuiqiao."

Zhao Jue smiled: "Look at me, I let you, a beauty, stay in the mansion, but I never favored you. What a waste of money."

He suddenly pulled Cuiqiao into his arms, and whispered in her ear: "Gu tonight, I will give you this face."

Cuiqiao's cheeks were flushed, she dared not speak.

Zhao Jue pinched her waist: "You haven't thanked me yet!"

Cuiqiao said in a low voice: "I thank the lord for your kindness."

Zhao Jue smiled with satisfaction: "That's right."

Pushing her to stand up: "Go down."

Cuiqiao bowed her head and left.

Zhao Jue propped his chin, and said to Huo Fang: "Lord Huo, your soul has come back!"

Huo Fang raised his glass: "Congratulations, my lord, I'm going to be a groom again."

Xiangyang Wang Zhi smiled complacently: "What is this? Its appearance is only average, if it wasn't for..."

If you hadn't taken a fancy to her, I wouldn't be that interested in touching her.

What kind of person are you, who dare to covet this king?

Seeing how useful you are to this king's great cause, and to give you a good face, you have to make an inch of it, remembering this king's woman?

Zhao Jue said: "Let's not talk about this. Pei Yuan has already dragged Bao Zheng back, right?"

Huo Fang nodded: "It has been delayed. We have been doing the account books for ten years. If Bao Zheng wants to check, let him check it. When he finishes checking..."

Zhao Jue laughed loudly: "By the time he finishes the investigation, this king will already be the emperor!"

He drank a lot of wine, the wine was not intoxicating, but it made his blood warm up.

He is hot all over now, he should go to do something happy.

There is also a newly acquired beauty waiting for him in the room...

Zhao Jue moved his arm: "Lord Huo, I'm sorry."

Huo Fang said: "My lord, please go ahead."

Zhao Jue got up and was about to go back to his room when he suddenly remembered something and said to Huo Fang, "Have our gold been transported away?"

In the past ten years or so, he has plundered a lot of money in Yingtian Mansion, converted all of it into gold, and hid it in a hidden place, planning to recruit troops to accomplish great things.Now the emperor suddenly sent Bao Zheng to Yingtianfu to investigate the disaster relief case, and asked him to cooperate, obviously it was aimed at him.

Although Bao Zheng's imperial decree had already been stolen by someone he sent, but the Emperor Bao Buqi still has a trump card.The gold is too conspicuous, if Bao Zheng finds out, his ambition will be exposed.

No matter how arrogant Zhao Jue is, he also understands that it is difficult for the few gangsters under his command to fight against the emperor.

He could only be more careful, let Pei Yuan hold back Bao Zheng's footsteps with fake account books, and then asked Huo Fang to secretly transfer the gold out of the city.

Huo Fang nodded: "Don't worry, my lord, I will not let my ten years of hard work go to waste."

Zhao Jue said again: "The king has arranged for experts to respond outside the city. You only need to transport the gold out of the city and put it anywhere. When the time comes, someone will come to your mansion, and you tell him where the gold is, and tell him to get it." That's it."

Huo Fang said: "I understand."

Zhao Jue nodded in satisfaction, stretched his waist, and walked into the inner room.

Huo Fang continued to stay at the banquet, watched the singing and dancing for a while, ate a few mouthfuls of food, drank a pot of wine, then got up and went home in a sedan chair.

When he got home, he took a shower, lit several sticks of wax in the room, held a volume of anthology, and studied it carefully.

In the middle of the night, when the candle was about to burn out, he was tired and threw the book away, when suddenly the lights flickered, and a big man with an ordinary face appeared in front of him.

The big man asked him, "Where is the gold?"

Huo Fang smiled: "What gold?"

The big man frowned and was about to ask a question when Huo Fang shouted: "There are assassins!"

The big man was startled and turned around to leave when a thin arrow pierced through the air and pierced the side of his neck.Half of his body was numb, he knew that the arrow was poisonous, he might die soon.Thinking that the hero of half his life died here, he couldn't help being filled with grief and indignation, and stretched out his hand to grab Huo Fang.A team of guards rushed into the house, pulled him up, and killed him with a knife, simply and neatly.

The neck blood splashed three feet high, and some splashed on Huo Fang's face.

Huo Fang wiped his face, and said to the guards: "Cut off his head. This man's name is Deng Che, he is a gangster, and he has stolen the imperial decree from the imperial envoy Mr. Bao. After seeing this head, Mr. Bao must be able to treat him well." I'm opening up."

The guard cut off Deng Che's head with a knife.Huo Fang said again: "Clean up, I'm going to rest."

After the guards finished cleaning the scene and dragged Deng Che's body out, Huo Fang lay down on the bed, smelling the bloody smell left in the air, and sighed.

"I know you have been wronged," he muttered to himself, "but how can I not be wronged? I was born as a first-class Jinshi, and Xianggong Wang Dan was my teacher. I had a bright future, and I became an official at a young age." Transit envoy. But because of a moment of confusion, he collaborated with the King of Xiangyang to do such a heinous disaster. If the King of Xiangyang is really an emperor, that's all. But he is such a person, how can he achieve great things? I don't know people clearly , was bewitched by him."

When he first came to Yingtian as a transshipment envoy, he originally wanted to make a big career out of it, so that he could return to Beijing to pay homage to the prime minister in the future, and leave his name in history.

Unexpectedly, Yingtian Mansion also has a King of Xiangyang.

The King of Xiangyang has been operating in Yingtian Mansion for many years, and the whole Yingtian is the hall of the King of Xiangyang.If he, the transfer envoy, is not cast under the command of King Xiangyang, he is doomed to do nothing.

What's more, when the king of Xiangyang seduced him with a high-ranking official and rich salary after the event was completed, Huo Fang had to admit that he was moved.

Honestly making political achievements in the local area, accumulating qualifications in the capital, and climbing up step by step, how can it be as happy as reaching the sky in one step from the merits of the dragon?

Huo Fang barely struggled, so he became known as the King of Xiangyang Party, doing some shady secrets for the King of Xiangyang, secretly wooing Jiangyang robbers, greedy for public money, and preparing to recruit troops and march westward.

But the more he got along with King Xiangyang, the more Huo Fang discovered that King Xiangyang was not a qualified monarch.

Although they have forgotten the ordinary benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith in the rebellion industry, but there are rules in each industry. If you want to rebel, you have to act like a corporal and earn the hearts of the people for yourself, right?

But the king of Xiangyang did not.Not to mention the difficult operation of buying a horse with a thousand dollars, he is even stingy about sharing it with his subordinates even with a woman.

In King Xiangyang's view, he was born an emperor and nobleman, and the throne was in his pocket.Subordinates are loyal to themselves, they should be assigned, should he be a corporal?Why?

Thinking of this, Huo Fang almost sneered.

You are so honorable, why didn't you see that Emperor Taizong and Zhenzong were in your position?

To rebel is to rebel well, and the throne won by rebellion will not burn your ass.I am afraid that I am doing rebellious things, but I feel that I am orthodox in my heart, and others should praise me, and I am not even willing to pay a small price.

Huo Fang turned his head to the pool of blood on the ground and said: "After this incident, even though I have turned to the light, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my official position. You lost your life, and I lost my official position. They are both fallen people in the world. Don't blame me. If you want to blame, blame it. It's not good for me."

After speaking, he sighed again, and slept with his clothes on until dawn.

In the government office, Gongsun Ce closed the last account book, heaved a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and brushed away the hair sticking to his forehead: "Lord Pei."

Pei Yuan looked at Bao Zheng, then at Gongsun Ce: "Whatever you want to say, just say it!"

Gongsun Ce said: "The students just think that Mr. Pei is really good at running the family. From the third year of Tianxi until now, Ying Tianfu can have a balance of no less than 10 taels of gold every year. This is really not a small amount. A million gold is enough for an official. My family has opened more than [-] factories in Bianliang."

Pei Yuandao: "I have served as the magistrate of Yingtian for only three years."

Gongsun Ce said: "That's even more serious. All the prefects in the past are so good at running the house. It seems that Yingtian is worthy of being the land of dragon prosperity, and Fengshui is good."

He put his hands in front of Pei Yuan and looked at him condescendingly: "Since Yingtian Zhifu is so good at running the house and has so much money and food in the treasury, why did the flood last year cause so many people to be displaced? If it weren't for those people, they would have gone all the way. Bianliang, do you still want to hide it?"

Pei Yuan was silent.

Gongsun Ce said: "Lord Pei, don't pretend to be ignorant."

Pei Yuandao: "I don't understand anything."

Gongsun Ce straightened up, folded his arms and asked, "Lord Pei, I just want to ask you a question. Ying Tianfu has saved more than one million yuan in gold over the years, and last year the court allocated so much money and food for disaster relief. All this is enough for you Comfort the victims, and pass this year of hunger smoothly. But Yingtian Mansion failed to relieve the disaster. After all, you are an idiot, Prefect Pei, and you can't relieve the disaster with so much property. Or is there another secret, such as—"

"This million gold is not in the treasury, even the money and grain of the court have been embezzled?"

Pei Yuan said: "I'm an idiot."

Gongsun Ce was amused by him: "Master Pei is too modest."

Pei Yuandao: "This is not modesty, because I have never been smart. I was the last one in the imperial examination back then."

Gongsun Ce nodded: "The last place in the palace examination is considered a good ranking. I have been taking the boy's examination since I was 12 years old, and now I am 24 years old. I am still only a scholar, and I have not even passed the examination."

Pei Yuan said: "Everyone has his own destiny."

Gongsun Ce said: "Although I didn't pass the exam, I worked as a bookkeeper for a bank for several years. In the county town of my hometown, there is a continuous mountain range outside the city. It is extremely steep and there are many strong people haunting it. They robbed the passing merchants and obtained gold and silver property, so they had to find a place to sell the stolen goods. After going back and forth, the bank where I worked was in collusion with the bandits. I usually have nothing to do, and I often chat with the bandits who come to sell the stolen goods , I heard some strange stories."

He asked Pei Yuan: "Master Pei, do you know what is the cruelest punishment in the world?"

Pei Yuandao: "I have only heard of it, and killing people is nothing more than nodding."

Gongsun Ce shook his head: "No."

He stretched out a finger and pressed it against Pei Yuan's forehead: "Master Pei, do you know what those bandits will do to hostages who don't want to pay the ransom?"

Pei Yuan was silent.

Gongsun Ce said: "They will make a hole in the forehead of the hostage, use an awl to drill the skull to expose the brain inside, and then pour a few drops of vinegar into the hole."

Pei Yuan was shocked.

Gongsun Ce said: "Master Pei, do you know what is the most interesting thing?"

Pei Yuan's back was wet with cold sweat.

Gongsun Ce smiled and said: "The most interesting thing is that these people who have been filled with jealousy can still live for several days."

Pei Yuandao shouted: "How are you doing?"

Gongsun Ce said: "The student just wants to tell the adults that there is only one right way to go in this world, and the rest are all wrong ways. It is not too late to make up for it and rein in the precipice."

Pei Yuan sneered: "You can only use these words to intimidate me. The whole Yingtian Mansion is the prince's world, the two of you, with a few guards of three-legged cat kung fu, want to disturb this world? If that Zhan Zhao was there, he might have saved both of your lives, but Zhan Zhao left the city last night, right? The prince just didn't want to kill you for the time being, so he kept your lives. So what if you found out the prince's secret? You are just fish on the chopping board, the prince wants to kill you, it will be effortless!"

Bao Zheng said: "Then why didn't the king of Xiangyang come to kill me?"

Pei Yuandao: "My official said, the prince just doesn't want to kill you!"

"I'm afraid I can't kill him, don't dare to kill him."

Bao Zheng sneered: "According to Mr. Pei's tone, the King of Xiangyang took the millions of gold and wanted to plot wrongdoing. But since I entered Yingtian Mansion, I only saw the king of Xiangyang taking extravagant clothes and arrogating the king, but I didn't see it. The king of Xiangyang bought people's hearts and supported his troops to stand on his own. You said that Yingtian Mansion is the world of the king of Xiangyang, but what is going on in this world now? There are thousands of miles of red land outside the city, and ten rooms and nine empty spaces in the city. The so-called one who wins the hearts of the people wins the world, and governs with virtue. For example, Beichen, who lives in his place, is surrounded by stars. And what about the king of Xiangyang? What virtue does he have? Even if he is asked to hold an army of [-] and march westward to Bianliang Under the city, the [-] forbidden troops in Bianliang City will definitely do their best to defend His Majesty. What's more—"

Bao Zheng said: "What's more, if King Xiangyang really has one hundred thousand troops, when I entered Yingtian Mansion a few days ago, it shouldn't be a thief who stole my imperial decree."

If King Xiangyang really has an army in his hands, why not take him down in front of Yingtian Mansion, behead his head and sacrifice the flag, and use this as a signal to raise troops?

"It would be unwise for Prefect Pei to devote himself wholeheartedly to someone like King Xiangyang who has no virtue and incompetence."

Pei Yuan's face turned red and he was sweating profusely: "But, my lord... my lord..."

Gongsun Ce sighed: "Lord Pei, admit it, the king of Xiangyang can't do anything, why hang him on this tree?"

Although Bao Zheng said that King Xiangyang was useless, both Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce knew that compared to the two outsiders who broke into Yingtian Mansion, King Xiangyang still had a great advantage.

One is that without Zhan Zhao, the King of Xiangyang and a team of guards can take the two of them down.The second is that King Xiangyang is the emperor's uncle after all, and there is no conclusive evidence. It is difficult for them to attribute the unfavorable disaster relief of Yingtian Mansion to the fact that King Xiangyang was greedy for disaster relief money and food and the balance of the government treasury over the years.

There is no evidence, as long as the King of Xiangyang cries in the Chongzheng Hall, saying that the money and food are all corrupted by officials of the Yingtian Mansion, and he usually lives in seclusion and doesn't know about these things, then even the emperor will find it difficult to convict him.

To take thieves and get dirty, you must catch the evidence that the King of Xiangyang is greedy for money and food, in order to completely bring down this ambitious prince.

As for where the evidence comes from... Is there a better source of evidence than the prefect Pei who came to the door?

Thinking of this, Gongsun Ce smiled more cordially.

He put Pei Yuan's shoulders: "Master Pei, you have to know that the King of Xiangyang is His Majesty's uncle. I rule the world with filial piety. Even if the King of Xiangyang really intends to rebel, His Majesty will probably not kill him. Banned until death. But you are different, you are not the uncle of the official family, and you have conspired with the king of Xiangyang. Your majesty can't kill your uncle, can't you kill you? It's terrible to make a person die extremely painful It couldn't be easier."

He nodded his head and motioned Pei Yuan to think about the example he just gave.

Pei Yuan gritted his teeth tightly.

Gongsun Ce sighed: "Since Mr. Pei is unwilling to tell, then we have no choice but to visit Mr. Transit Envoy again."

Pei Yuan said: "I say!"

He quickly said: "There is a tall building in the northwest of Yingtian, where King Xiangyang hid all the gold. Go find it."