Emperor Renzong of the Great Song Dynasty

Huo Fang looked at Bao Zheng fixedly, and suddenly smiled.

"Master Bao really lives up to his reputation. He is so upright that there is no room for a grain of sand in his eyes."

He held up the box containing Deng Che's head: "Since that's the case, I might as well tell Master Bao directly. How can a person not bow his head under the eaves? As an official in Yingtian Mansion, under the rule of King Xiangyang, if you want to say that you are It is pure and clear, it comes out of the mud without being stained, this word, the lower officials are really embarrassed to say it."

Bao Zheng shook his head: "You acted as a minion for the tiger and helped the King of Xiangyang do a lot of evil things."

Huo Fang sighed: "That's right. In the past two years, every time I dreamed about it at midnight, I regretted it."

"Master Bao knows what the King of Xiangyang has spent so much money on in Yingtian Mansion?"

Bao Zheng said: "I don't know."

Huo Fang said: "Part of it is for self-enjoyment at home—Master Bao has never been to Xiangyang Palace, right? The palace is really paved with gold bricks and white jade halls. There are more than ten thousand children and servants, singing and dancing non-stop. My lord said that the prince's behavior is overstepping." Renjun, it is not wronged him. Today's sons are fond of simplicity, and I am afraid that the expenses of ten emperors cannot afford to support a prince of Xiangyang."

"The other part is used to win over heroes in the world."

Bao Zheng gestured with his eyes: "Is he such a hero?"

Huo Fang turned the box around: "That's right. Regardless of black or white, as long as you are willing to serve the King of Xiangyang, the prince will not refuse to come. There is also a place for thieves."

Gongsun Ce smiled: "It seems that the King of Xiangyang is quite like an ancient Mingjun."

Huo Fang smiled: "The last part is used to build the skyscraper."

"The Skyscraper Tower contains the culmination of ancient and modern mechanisms and numbers. It has infinite changes and is unpredictable. To build such a high-rise building, even with the skeleton made by Mr. Ding before, it will take a lot of manpower and material resources."

Gongsun Ce said: "Could it be that Mr. Huo wants to say that the King of Xiangyang spent all of this million taels of gold, and there is nothing left?"

Huo Fang shook his head: "Although he missed, it's not far away. Before last summer, there was probably one or two million taels left. I'm not an accountant, so I don't know much about it. I only know that King Xiangyang sighed day and night at that time, saying With little gold and silver, how can we recruit soldiers and buy horses to achieve great things.”

Bao Zheng asked: "Before last summer?"

Huo Fang said: "That's right, before last summer."

Last summer, there were floods all over the country, and Yingtianfu was even more affected.

The money for water conservancy construction in the past ten years has been embezzled by the King of Xiangyang in every possible way, and the river embankments in Yingtianfu can't resist such a powerful flood at all.The river flooded and washed away the farmland along its banks.It even spread to the edge of the city, destroying some city walls and dwellings.

"It's a big mess, and it's not going to end. It costs a lot of money to appease the victims, rebuild the city wall, and repair the river embankment. Ying Tianfu's tax for a year has not been paid, and the money and food allocated by the imperial court have also disappeared. It was only enough to calm down the situation. So the King of Xiangyang simply did not do anything, took the disaster relief money and food as his own, and ignored the disaster situation. He sold the food allocated by the court at a high price and replaced it with a lot The gold is hidden in the skyscrapers."

Bao Zheng closed his eyes and sighed: "Absurd!"

Hundreds of thousands of people have to bear such a fate just for the selfish desire of King Xiangyang.

Huo Fang said: "I can't just sit idly by and ignore such an outrageous matter. It's just that the king of Xiangyang is powerful, and he is the emperor's uncle, with a noble status. He has no power, so he can only sigh."

Bao Zheng said: "Master Huo has said so much, what is the relationship between you and you inciting me to set fire to the tower?"

Huo Fang straightened her body, straightened her clothes, and said loudly: "Since Huo Fang is a disciple of the emperor and a parent of a county, he must plead for the people. The king of Xiangyang embezzled the relief money and food, and the fish and meat people. Since the imperial envoy has arrived, I will help you The imperial envoy will do his best to clear up the charges against King Xiangyang."

"Master Bao was asked to set fire to the Sky Tower earlier, but the lower officials were impatient and panicked. Lord Bao didn't know that the King of Xiangyang was so treacherous and cunning that he would never sit still. Master Bao," he looked at Bao Zheng eagerly, "Although Lord Bao I don't believe it, but the official has indeed turned his back on the dark and turned to the bright. The wrong things done by assisting the King of Xiangyang in the past few years, I dare not shirk in the next one. Since Mr. Bao doesn't believe in the official, then the official will stay in the Yamen of Yingtian Mansion together with Mr. Bao Waiting for the decree."

He put Deng Che's head on the table and sat on a chair beside him: "Until the imperial decree arrives, the subordinate officials will not leave this hall for a single step, and the soldiers and horses under the subordinate officials will also guard outside the government office. Wait until noon As soon as the imperial decree arrived, the subordinate officials would accompany Mr. Bao to enter the Xiangyang Palace and arrest the King of Xiangyang! If Mr. Bao wants to settle the crimes of the subordinate officials, the subordinate officials will also be convinced."

Bao Zheng and Gongsun Ce looked at each other, and they both saw some doubts in each other's eyes.

Huo Fang is the confidant of King Xiangyang.I came to the government office this morning, saying that I want to abandon the dark and turn to the bright, and help them burn the skyscrapers.Now that the burning of the building fails, they have to wait for the imperial decree with them, and when the imperial decree arrives, they will enter the mansion to arrest King Xiangyang.

On the contrary, he was quite open and aboveboard, and he didn't seem to have done anything wrong.

But Bao Zheng was always a little uneasy.

He said slowly: "That's fine, Mr. Huo is here to wait for the imperial decree with this official."

In any case, Zhan Zhao will be able to return to Yingtian with the imperial decree at noon today.With the holy decree in hand, it is expected that the King of Xiangyang would not dare to do it again.

After taking down the King of Xiangyang, if he is willing to open the Skyscraper Tower, there will naturally be a reason to convict him.If he refuses to open it, then burn the building down. Although it is a bad idea, it can convince the world.

Huo Fang smiled: "Master Bao, please sit down."

Bao Zheng sat opposite him.

There is still some time before noon, all they have to do is wait patiently.

Xiangyang Palace, inner room.

Sunlight fell on Zhao Jue's eyelids through layers of light gauze curtains.

His eyelids were itchy slightly from the sunlight, Zhao Jue yawned, without opening his eyes, he chuckled softly, "Beauty?"

A soft female voice sounded: "My lord, do you want to get up?"

Zhao Jue closed his eyes and embraced the body of nephrite jade and fragrance in his arms: "A spring night is worth a thousand gold, why rush to get up?"

The woman struggled weakly twice, then let him go.

After the matter was over, Zhao Jue lay lazily on the side, finally opened his eyes, and looked at the reddish woman beside him: "My lord sees that you are a bit strange."

The woman bowed her head: "Slave is the person that Wang Ye took into the room last night."

Zhao Jue nodded slightly: "Yes, I remember now. Your name is Lu..."

Last night Huo Fang took a few glances at his dancer, he was a little displeased, so he took the dancer into the room.

The woman said: "My slave's name is Cuiqiao."

Zhao Jue smiled: "Yes, Cuiqiao, look at this king's memory."

He lightly squeezed Cuiqiao's chin, and looked around: "Look at you, you are also a beauty. Why did this king neglect you for so long before?"

Didn't take you into the room early, but asked you to perform a dance for Huo Fang, so that the apprentice could watch it in vain?

Thinking of Huo Fang's staring eyes last night, Zhao Jue felt sick.

What is it, people who are staring at the king desperately!

I don't even look at what kind of thing I am, a servant, I still think of the lord's woman!

If it wasn't for his failure to accomplish his great career and keep this person useful, he would have chopped him into seven or eight pieces and fed them to the dogs!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little heavier in his hands.

Cuiqiao's chin turned red from being pinched, but she didn't cry out for pain, she just said in a low voice: "Nu Pu Liu's posture, the prince is surrounded by countless beauties, how could he like Nu."

If Huo Fang hadn't looked at her twice last night, no matter how long she stayed in Xiangyang Palace, it would be rare for Zhao Jue to look favorably on her.

Zhao Jue touched her face: "Your name is Cuiqiao, and the name is somewhat ancient."

Touching Cuiqiao's scattered green clothes: "You like to wear green clothes, you really look like a beauty in ancient times."

Cuiqiao said softly: "I am from a lowly background, so I dare not compare myself to the ancients."

Zhao Jue clicked his tongue: "Of course you are cheap, but the ancients were not noble. It was just a concubine of Shi Chong in ancient times, named Lvzhu. She was quite fond of Shi Chong. Later, Shi Chong actually For her family's destruction."

He snorted: "It's really unwise. For a woman, she became a laughingstock for thousands of years. But that Luzhu was also loyal, and died because of Shi Chong's falling from the building."

Cuiqiao leaned into his arms: "That Luzhu is a strong woman. I am willing to be the prince's Luzhu."

Zhao Jue smiled: "You cursed me to death?"

Cuiqiao leaned closer to him: "I wish to live and die with the prince."

"What are you, you deserve to die with this king."

Zhao Jue leaned over: "When I become the emperor, I will also reward you for your talents."

Cuiqiao said: "Thank you, my lord."

The two played for a while, and it was already daylight in a blink of an eye.

Zhao Jue was exhausted, lying on the bed with weak limbs.Cuiqiao put on her clothes and stood up: "Your Majesty, I am a slave and ask someone to serve you."

"go."

Cuiqiao lifted the curtain and walked to the window.

It was sunny and not raining.

The window was facing the northwest. She pushed the window open, and saw that everything was normal in the northwest direction. She did not see the flames soaring into the sky, nor did she see thick smoke billowing.

It seems that it is time to use her.

She closed the window again and walked back to the bed.

Zhao Jue was lying on the bed to catch his breath, when he heard her come back, he said lazily, "Why, did you call someone?"

Cuiqiao said: "My lord spends the spring night with my slaves, how can outsiders disturb us? Isn't it a sight to behold?"

Zhao Jue opened his eyes a little, and sneered: "Why, again..."

His eyes suddenly widened: "You..."

Cuiqiao held a shining silver hairpin in her hand and rushed towards King Xiangyang, strangled his throat with one hand, and stabbed the silver hairpin hard into her temple with the other!

Zhao Juefang wanted to struggle, but because of the frolicking just now, his hands lost strength, so Cuiqiao managed to hit him with one blow.

He hissed twice, his body thrashed wildly on the bed twice, and gradually became motionless.

Cuiqiao tightly covered his mouth and nose, not to let his voice spread out and attract others.

As for the thumping on the bed, even if someone heard it, no one would care.

After all, the lord only took in a new beauty yesterday, and he has already been wondering about it all morning, and it is normal for him to be rare for a while.

After a cup of tea, Cuiqiao let go of Zhao Jue sweating profusely.

At this time, Zhao Jue was already a corpse with bulging eyes and a death that could not rest in peace.

Cuiqiao covered Zhao Jue's body with a quilt, pretending that the prince hadn't gotten up yet.

He took a piece of clothing and put it on his body, brushed his hair, went out with his head down, and walked back to the usual resting place of the dancers along the corridor.

Along the way, I also met some servants and servants, all pointing and laughing at her.

Cuiqiao buried her head on her chest and walked away even faster, causing bursts of laughter.

Someone even shouted at her: "Little lady, did you become a princess last night?"

Cuiqiao ignored her and went back to her room.

The dancers live in the same courtyard. Cuiqiao, who is both beautiful and good at dancing, has her own separate room.

She took out a package from under the bed, took out a man's clothes to change into, put the clothes on her back under the bed, and went out through the back door with the package.

This time was different from just now, she deliberately avoided people and was not seen by anyone.

Arriving at a place with a relatively low wall in the backyard of the Wangfu, she jumped lightly, and she was already outside the Wangfu.

When she left the palace, she held her head high and her chest high, her aura was completely different, as if she was a short man instead of the slender and delicate dancer girl before.

She weighed the burden on her back, and the sound of gold and silver colliding was particularly pleasant.

Cuiqiao smiled with satisfaction.

If there is no fire in the northwest around Sishi, the King of Xiangyang will be killed.If there is fire, stand still.

This 100 taels of gold is truly easy to earn.

In Yingtian Mansion Yamen, Huo Fang took a sip of tea: "Master Pei, what time is it?"

Pei Yuan motioned to the servant at the side, and the servant said: "It's been three quarters since I returned to Mr. Huo."

Huo Fang frowned, feeling a little restless: "Lord Bao, when will the imperial decree arrive?"

Bao Zheng said: "Don't worry, I will definitely arrive before noon."

Huo Fang sighed: "It's not that I don't believe Master Bao, but if the king of Xiangyang knows that I brought people to Master Bao, he will definitely have doubts. He also has a few capable people from the world under his command. If he is determined to die , I'm afraid the situation is not good for us."

Gongsun Ce smiled and said, "Lord Huo, don't panic. It's already three o'clock, you might as well wait a little longer. Maybe the imperial decree will arrive in the next moment."

Huo Fang squeezed her palm: "This... alright. Well, I have to wait."

It's three o'clock... That woman should have gotten her hands.

As long as the King of Xiangyang dies, the Chongxiao Tower cannot be entered, and no one will know...

When the limelight passes, he will still be the second-best Huo Fang with a bright future.

He murmured: "Imperial decree... hurry up."