Lei Yue Longmen

At night when the lamp was turned on, Li Jingxi crawled under Li Jingchen's quilt, stretched his cool hands into her armpits, and pressed his feet against hers to keep warm.Li Jingchen was frozen for a while, and whispered: "Lie down."

"Oh." The second princess agreed, her elbows still resting on her waist, smiling "hee hee".Li Jingchen had no choice but to pinch her nose, and covered her with the quilt behind her.

"Sister, I feel like you have changed after you came back. You don't ask me any questions anymore. Will you stop loving me one day?"

"How could it be?" Li Jingchen rubbed her hair: "No matter when, you are my most beloved little sister, and this will never change."

"really?"

"Well, when did my sister lie to you?"

"I knew my sister was the best to me." Li Jingxi was so happy that she snuggled into her arms, hugged her tightly and said a little wronged, "You don't even know how much I miss you in the past six months. I'm holding back." I want to tell you a lot, but... Sister, don’t you go out to patrol the river in the future, okay? I always feel uneasy when I don’t see you. I’m so worried that you will fall into the river. For a while, I always I had a nightmare, dreamed that something happened to you, and I begged my father to send soldiers to rescue you. You don't even know how stingy your father is. I begged him for so long, and he agreed to let my aunt come to pick you up when she was looking for some butcher. , It really makes me angry just thinking about it!"

Li Jingchen rubbed her hair, his heart was filled with emotion, and said: "Fool, if you care about me so much, how could something happen to me? Don't go messing around in front of the emperor again. Although you really helped me by messing around this time." A big favor, but no exception."

"Really? Sister? Did I really help you?"

"Well, really." Li Jingxuan kissed her on the forehead, and seeing how excited she was for helping him, he briefly told her about Gu Rentu, only omitting Cen Zhuo.Li Jingxi was startled and terrified when he heard that, "It's really dangerous. Fortunately, my aunt and the others arrived in time, otherwise it would be too bad for Gu Rentu to recognize you. Sister, you are so brave, you dare to take the risk of going back alone. Beijing."

Li Jingchen forcefully squeezed a smile, remembering that Li Jingxuan couldn't see, he let out a "hmm" again.She is extremely conflicted in her heart now, and she doesn't want to make Dai Jing sad, let alone make her sad. Before she thinks of a perfect solution, this kind of tacit lie seems to be her only relief.

After lying head to head for a while, Li Jingxi suddenly said sullenly: "Sister, what should I do, the emperor said that he would choose a son-in-law for me, but I don't want to marry."

"If you don't want to marry, don't marry. My sister will always take care of you and protect you."

"But, but," she twitched her nose and said with a sob: "I actually want to marry in my heart. But my father said no, that person is already married. I thought my father was lying to me, but, hmph..."

Li Jing's nose was sore, he hugged her and didn't know how to comfort her.It turned out that she knew all about it, no wonder that person's name was not mentioned in the letter.

She twitched her shoulders, "I'm so sad, sister, it would be great if, if I was born a few years earlier, at my sister's age, I wouldn't be preempted by others, why wasn't I born earlier. It's all my fault Father, why didn't you give birth to me a few years earlier? Hmph, woo woo woo..."

"Hey, don't cry, don't cry, you still have a sister!"

Gu Qing was sent back in the middle of the night.After Yun Zhong disguised himself, even Cen Zhu almost didn't recognize him.He put the man down and left with a very ugly expression on his face.Cen Zhu knew that he was flirting for Li Jingzhu, and felt a little uneasy.However, she was very happy to see Gu Qing again.

Welcoming Gu Qing into the mansion, she wanted to tell Cen Zhu what happened after returning to Beijing, Cen Zhu saw that she was a little tired, so he held her hand: "Okay, rest first, look at your heavy eyelids, it's a big deal , It’s not too late to talk about it tomorrow.” She smiled slightly, revealing two pear-shaped dimples, and nodded.Cen Zhu sent her back to the room: "We just moved in, and we haven't got everything in order yet. Let Lao Chen accompany you to go shopping on West Street tomorrow to see if there is anything that needs to be prepared, so we should do it quickly. Stay here for just one night, and I will arrange a better place for you tomorrow. My room is diagonally opposite, so come and knock on my door if you have anything to do. Huh?"

Gesture: "Well. Good night."

Before dawn the next day, Cen Zhu went to the yamen of the Ministry of Household Affairs to report. After completing all the formalities and receiving his entry badge, he followed the rules for officials from other places to enter Beijing, led by senior officials into the palace to face the saint.The person who led him into the palace was Cui Moxian, the right servant of the household department. He happened to report to the cabinet on something, so he went with him.

They entered through the Donghua Gate, followed the palace road to the north, passed through three low palaces, and arrived at the Gongming Pavilion where the cabinet was located.The palace man in charge said that all the elders of the pavilion had been summoned to the imperial study room to discuss matters, and they could not come back for a while, so they arranged for them to wait in the hall.Cui Moxian still had something to do in the yamen, so he submitted the memorial to Wang Shangshu's case? After saying goodbye to Cen Zhu, he left the palace.Cen Zhu stood alone in Gongming Pavilion and waited.From time to time, people from the palace would come in and put the memorials sent by various ministries on each elder's case. When they went out, they would inevitably take a look at this "idleman" with a straight waist.Seeing her wearing a square-topped black gauze right-angled head, wearing a blue official uniform with a fifth-grade collar, a black horn belt around her waist, and soapy boots on her feet, her appearance is like Pansong, and she has an extraordinary bearing.

The person in charge of the palace is the Chief Eunuch Chief of Gongming Pavilion, the official rank is fourth rank, and he usually looks down upon some green-robed officials. Now he is smiling so warmly that someone moved a round stool for her, Cen Zhu Looking at the fourth-grade python suit on his body, do you know that his official rank is higher than yours? He couldn't refuse, so he bowed to thank: "Thank you, Chief." Nodding his head to let him go.

Cen Zhu only sat for a while, when he heard footsteps coming from outside the pavilion.The manager personally went to greet him outside the hall, and Cen Zhu followed closely behind.Seeing eight cabinet elders in purple robes and jade belts walk in, the two leaders have white beards and hair, and are over sixty years old. Cen Zhu recognized the short man with a goatee on the right as the Grand Tutor Tan Xuanjing, the hale and majestic person on the left is Pan Suiyong, the chief examiner of her imperial examination, the Minister of Rites, and the others behind are all around 50 years old. They should be the other six ministers. Wang Zhongxu, Minister of the Ministry, was also among them.The last one was a little younger, about 40 years old, probably the legendary academician Ji Wenkui who was able to make good decisions.He was a Jinshi in the first year of Qinghe. He was only 16 years old when he was the number one scholar.

Eight of Yurui's top civil servants came towards them, and they all noticed Cen Zhu who was bowing in front of the hall.Pan Suiyong, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, came up to her? For some reason, he let out a "hum" and flung his sleeves away, making her very panicked.Tan Xuanjing, on the other hand, had a kind look on his face, "Smiling?" He glanced at her, and then stepped into the pavilion.The other ministers passed by one by one, some with playful faces, some with no expression on their faces, only Wang Zhongxu, the minister of household affairs, stayed behind and called the innocent-looking Cen Zhu aside.With an uncertain face, he said, "Don't even think about going to the Holy Spirit for a few days, go back and wait for the suspension investigation."

Cen Zhu looked puzzled, "This...?" Thinking of his teacher's face, he quickly bowed and said, "My lord, please give me some pointers."

Wang Zhongxu had a heart for Cen Zhuo, so he asked, "Did you buy that house on the east bank of Yanhu Lake?"

"Yes."

"Spent 10 taels of silver?"

"Ah."

"Where did the money come from?"

"Mine."

Wang Zhongxu stroked his beard playfully, and said, "The censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is at the court today? He joined you and said that you used officials for personal gain, were corrupt and dereliction of duty."

As if cold water had been poured on his face, Cen Zhu regained his composure and said, "I know about it. Please believe me, my lord, I am innocent."

"Okay, I believe you are useless. You can go back. During the investigation, you are not allowed to leave the capital."

When Cen Zhu went back, he thought it was ridiculous. Did they run into each other while going out? Where is the plague god?He was suspended on the first day of joining the company, so it might become a laughingstock if the news spread.

Xiao Zhuang was the first to be unconvinced. He had learned a little about Cen Zhu's family background from Lao Chen these days, and thought it was as reasonable for her to buy a house with 10 taels of silver as it was to buy buns with three copper coins.

"Are the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate full and free to support themselves? There are so many corrupt officials who don't expose them, but come to trouble the adults. Our Longmen County used to be so poor. If the adults were corrupt officials, how could it be getting worse? What about getting richer? What's more, the adults have plenty of money in their family, so is it necessary to covet the few taels of silver from Longmen County? It's so unfair!"

"Don't say that, the censors can follow the rumors, no matter what they say, as long as we have a clear conscience, we don't have to be afraid of them, let them investigate."

"What is gossip?"

"Gossip is a privilege of censors, that is to say, they can advise the emperor and impeach certain officials based on some rumors and gossip in the market, without having to verify the authenticity of the matter, and without taking responsibility .”

"Huh? Then, isn't everyone able to frame others for corruption and breaking the law?"

"So, this requires the judgment of His Majesty the Emperor and the investigation and evidence collection of the supervisory department. Although some honest officials will be treated unfairly because of this, it cannot be ruled out that many corrupt officials were exposed through gossip."

"Oh, that's how it is. If only I had this privilege, then I can tell His Majesty the Emperor who is a corrupt official and let him chop off their heads."

Cen Zhuo smiled? Laughed?, noncommittal.

Sure enough, as soon as they returned to the mansion, officials from the Metropolitan Procuratorate came by order and sent her to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for questioning.Cen Zhu changed into his normal clothes and got into the carriage of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Before leaving, he told Xiao Zhuang and others not to panic, and came as soon as they went.

At this time, Donggong also heard the news that Cen Zhu was suspended.

Several staff members had a lively discussion in the front hall, "Have you heard that? That Zhuangyuan Cen was suspended on the first day of his employment. It is said that he was invited back on the way to face the saint. Ouch, this is the first day of our court. Example!"

"Huh? Didn't you say that Cen Zhuangyuan is highly valued by the present? How could he be suspended?"

"Hey, so what if you are respected by the court today? When the Metropolitan Procuratorate impeached someone, it doesn't matter whether you are respected or not? Some time ago, Lord Cao was even more respected by the court. Wouldn't he be exposed by the censor as usual? , Did you call back to your place of origin?"

"Then why on earth was he suspended?"

"It is said that he bought a house on the east bank of Yanhu Lake."

"Buy a house on the east bank of Yanhu Lake? As a fifth-rank official, can he afford it? I heard that an ordinary house there costs more than 2 taels? With our salary, even if we don't eat or drink for a lifetime, we can't buy it." Get up!"

"This Cen Zhuangyuan made a big move. I heard that her house cost a total of 10 taels."

"10 taels?" A person opened his mouth wide in surprise, "Do you know what 10 taels is? Our treasury's annual income is only a few million taels."

"I don't know yet? The land in Yanhu is directly under the control of our household department. In order to increase the revenue of the national treasury, we called on all the wealthy businessmen in the city to buy houses there, and the price was inflated. The ordinary market price is worth at most 5 taels of silver."

"It's doubled?"

"So, Cen Zhuangyuan is equivalent to surrendering 5 taels of silver to the treasury."

"Where did she get so much money?"

"I have to ask her herself. I heard that she has been sent to the Metropolitan Procuratorate for questioning. It seems that there is more than good luck."