Survival countdown

The rain from the two rivers also seemed to be blowing to Kyoto Prefecture, and the heavy night was pierced by lightning, waking up the sleeping people.

Xie leaned on the edge of the bed, sweating profusely, clutching his colic heart and gasping for breath, got up and went to the table to drink cold water, and after feeling better, he put on his clothes, put on his cloak and hood, and picked up a cup of tea. The lantern quietly left the room.

As soon as her figure disappeared, Zhao Boyong immediately opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the door.

A while ago, Mrs. Xie suddenly mobilized the hidden guards kept in the mansion, and for some reason, the news came the next day that Madam Wu, who was next to Shiro, asked for leave and returned home.

Saying that something happened, he left in a hurry, and didn't even have time to say goodbye to Shiro.

Zhao Boyong knew it was wrong, but he believed in Xie, so he let her do things, but after that she would often wake up in panic, and left the main courtyard after waking up, and would not come back until one or two hours later.

He resisted the urge to ask questions, and wanted to wait for Mrs. Xie to speak up, but Mrs. Xie has become more and more weird recently.

She didn't care much about Dalang and Saburo, and even ignored Shiro. Even Shiro was too tired to study and suffered a minor illness. She just sent someone to ask a few words and then stopped paying attention. Her attitude was unusually indifferent.

Zhao Boyong's patience finally ran out, so he followed Mrs. Xie tonight, saw her enter the dungeon of the Zhao Mansion with his own eyes, and saw Nanny Wu with iron chains on her lute bone, and was not surprised by the traces of torture on her body.

Xie Langhuan is gentle and kind, and does not do evil to others, but it does not mean that she is a soft-hearted woman, otherwise how would she survive in the hands of a woman like Changping?

That is Zhao Boyong's pillow person, of course he knows what his nature is.

Mrs. Xie only summoned two hidden guards in the mansion and waited for orders from the side, while she sat in front of Madam Wu, put a piece of spice to disperse the smell of blood into the incense burner, lit it and stared at it ecstatically, after a long while Open the mouth: "Do you know why I always appear in front of you in the middle of the night?"

Nanny Wu said weakly: "Old slave... I really don't know what Madam is talking about... I don't know what you want to ask."

Mrs. Xie sighed, with a sad look on her face: "I'm dreaming again. I dreamed that 25 years ago, Zhao Lang was named on the gold list, won the third prize, made a sensation in Liangjiang, and became famous in Kyoto. Looking at me, envious of me getting the moon near the water, jealous of me, how can I find a good son-in-law... But they don't know that it was Zhao Boyong who stalked me to marry him, I, Xie Langhuan, Xie Shi Jiuniang, With the talent of Yongxu and the appearance of Qi Jiang, the people who want to marry me have broken through the threshold. It is not that there are no men who are better than Zhao Boyong! I, Xie Langhuan, am not worthy of Zhao Boyong!"

Madam Wu looked at her quietly: "Madam is both talented and beautiful...cough!"

Severe coughing and vomiting of blood failed to attract Xie's sympathy.

Mrs. Xie said to herself: "Zhao Lang Senior High School, the rising tide lifts all boats. Both the Zhao and Xie clans are happy. Why am I not happy? Even a bright and beautiful woman like Princess Changping came to me to swear that she is bound to win, crisis and ominous premonition I was also defeated by joy. But that joy could not be maintained, and was soon replaced by more and more heavy banquets, private affairs in the back house, isolation led by Changping, troubles from his wife, and stormy weather. If you make a wrong step, you will be punished all over the court. The government fights back and forth. I was forced to be out of breath."

The East Palace is struggling, Zhao Boyong is walking on thin ice, Princess Changping's endless deadly traps and the late emperor's pressing step by step, and the lives of the Zhao and Xie clans are tied to Zhao Boyong, the husband and wife are one body, how can the Xie family avoid fighting?

In five years, she demoted her wife to be a concubine and almost died in Huangquan. She had to guard against Princess Changping and the emperor who became more and more crazy in his later years. Every time she heard that an official in the capital was ransacked and exterminated, she would have nightmares.

That nightmare was too long.

After 25 years, she is still stuck inside and unable to get out.

And the culprit, Princess Changping, is now setting off a nightmare that may never wake up again. Xie suspects that one day she will die in this hopeless nightmare.

Mrs. Xie didn't speak any more, and seemed to be immersed in lonely thoughts. Zhao Boyong, who was listening, suddenly felt suffocated and felt a tingling pain in his heart. It seemed that for the first time he intuitively felt the pain that Mrs. Xie never got rid of the shadow.

In his impression, his wife was intelligent, gentle and generous, always taking care of the overall situation, able to control internally and give feedback externally, and externally able to calmly deal with compliments or difficulties from his wife, and also able to retreat completely from the late emperor.

She would only cry when Shiro was dying of illness, and would only show vulnerability when the nightmare woke up, and she didn't say how much she was afraid of Changping.

Zhao Boyong has never seen the Xie family like this tonight, so fragile that it seems that it will fall apart at the touch of a finger.

"If you don't tell me, I know."

Mrs. Xie muttered this sentence to herself, and there was another long silence.

When the spices to drive away the bloody smell were burnt out, Mrs. Xie, as if waking up from a dream, waved someone to take Madam Wu down, turned around and left the dungeon.

As soon as she left, Zhao Boyong appeared in front of Madam Wu, and asked condescendingly, "What did you do to provoke Madam to kill you?"

***

Desert moon night.

The Northwest Army won battles one after another, while the Daxia army on the opposite side was sluggish and defeated without a fight. The Daxia National Army sent people to discuss peace talks.Huo Jingtang dropped the terms of compensation of 300 million taels of silver, the cession of five cities and the redemption of the captives, and left them alone, leaving the rest of the details to the military advisors and uncles.

And he is busy collecting interesting little things in the northwest desert, and he specializes in learning some amusing crafts. If Cui Guogong didn't try his best to stop him, he might go to the wild horse herd to tame the horse king, and the good teacher will go to Zhao Baiyu after returning to the court show off.

Xiao Lang will definitely like it, admiring eyes will fall on him, Huo Jingtang enjoys that feeling.

The night sky was vast and boundless, Huo Jingtang was lying on the horseback drinking, thinking of the moon, letting the horse go wherever it went.

From a distance, Adjutant Cui's loud voice was heard: "General—where are you? It's time for us to go back to camp—"

Huo Jingtang clicked his tongue, grabbed a cloth and covered his face casually, pretending he was dead so he couldn't hear it.

It's a pity that he was able to cover his ears and steal the bell, but Adjutant Cui couldn't be blind, and soon found Huo Jingtang's figure running towards him, reining in his horse and urging him: "Grandpa and Dad both told you to go see Da Xia's envoy."

Huo Jingtang: "Have you agreed to my terms?"

Adjutant Cui said honestly, "We're still bargaining."

Huo Jingtang: "Let him go." Disturbing him and missing Xiao Lang deserves to be struck by lightning.

Adjutant Cui pondered for a moment, and finally suddenly realized: "General, could it be that you are in lovesickness?" Although he had a bad temper in the past, he was indifferent to answers and liked yin and yang, but he was not so irritable, and he was a little melancholy from time to time.

Huo Jingtang raised his eyes: "Have you grown your brain?"

Adjutant Cui conditioned reflex: "What are you talking about!"

The two looked at each other, Huo Jingtang's gaze was very calm, Adjutant Cui saw the contempt from it, he felt aggrieved immediately, wanted to say that he didn't study because he was lazy, not really stupid, and felt that if he said it, Huo Jingtang would be more blatant discrimination.

Adjutant Cui: "Hurry up, go back and settle the peace talks, won't you be able to leave the northwest to meet Mr. Zhao? Don't you often lament the danger of the two rivers, and are you afraid that Mr. Zhao will fall there?" Speaking of this, he stopped by to show concern Take a look: "Speaking of which, since the letter came back at the beginning of the year, has it not been passed since then?"

Afterwards, we were fighting and could not communicate.

These words touched Huo Jingtang's heart, he glanced at Adjutant Cui lightly, grabbed the reins and hurried back to the camp.

***

Princess House.

Lightning and thunder, violent wind and heavy rain, but no one called to stop, so the play had to continue, and the lyrics came faintly from the heavy rain: "Kill the murderer...even if I...kill you..."

Intermittent, indistinct, unable to understand the words at all, Changping seems to have heard it countless times, and even remembers the beat clearly. If you cut your body into ten thousand pieces, I will also punish you, this soaring injustice."

With a chuckle, Chang Ping said with great interest: "Do you know why I like the blood-splattered black yarn scene, auntie?"

Huo Zhaowen: "I would like to hear the details."

Changping: "I think it's interesting to deceive yourself and others."

Huo Zhaowen immediately understood what she meant. The fourth-rank official in the play was innocent all his life. Because of being framed by others, he killed innocent people by mistake and killed himself in front of the court. This is to uphold the justice of the law, but it only exists in operas , The fantasy that exists in the pen of a down-and-out scholar can never exist in reality.

For Yu Changping, it has a very ironic effect, so she likes this play very much, and she can laugh at it every time she watches it.

Even Huo Zhaowen couldn't refute it, and he didn't believe that anyone in the world would die to defend the justice of ordinary people.

The mournful libretto was covered by the rainstorm, and it was faintly and intermittently sung until the end.

Changping took off the jade bracelet: "It's a reward." Then he looked at Huo Zhaowen: "What do you think of my princess mansion?"

Huo Zhaowen: "Extremely luxurious."

Changping smiled, "Compared to the money I earned in Liangjiang over the years, it's just a drop in the bucket, insignificant."

Huo Zhaowen didn't move his eyebrows and eyes, but his heart moved slightly.

"Could it be that my aunt wants to bribe my nephew with the money I've saved over the years?"

"Hahahaha..." Changping laughed loudly: "Xiao Liu, even if I hand over the silver, you will still send the silver to the inner treasury, and use it as a stepping stone for you to compete for the crown prince, but—" Hua Feng Turn around, with a half-smile, "Xiao Liu, if you go around the treasury of Auntie's mansion, or dig the princess mansion three feet into the ground, you won't find a single ingot of gold or silver."

Huo Zhaowen really made people dig deep to search the princess mansion. Two hours later, the people who came back said that there were some broken silver and gold beads for rewards in the treasury, but there was no mountain of gold and silver as imagined.

Princess Changping leaned comfortably on the back of the chair, with a perceptive look on her face.

Huo Zhaowen's composure was gradually shattered by Princess Changping's confidence, he frowned, doubtful: "Did you transfer all the money?"

Changping just smiled and said nothing.

Huo Zhaowen's doubts grew bigger and bigger, and when he was about to ask questions, someone came to report that it was Jiangxi Cao Si envoy Zhao Baiyu who asked to see him.

"Call him in."

From what Chang Ping said just now, he guessed that the person who borrowed troops was Zhao Baiyu. In the blink of an eye, Huo Zhaowen also figured out why the timing of Yan Bing's appearance was always so coincidental, and why he was helping and pushing him every step of the way. After investigating the case, it turned out that the person behind the scenes was Zhao Baiyu.

This does not mean that Huo Zhaowen will be grateful to Zhao Baiyu, it will only make him feel disgusted and repelled by being fooled.

But Zhao Baiyu can use it very well. He is the only child in Changping, and his appearance and talent are also like Zhao Boyong. There is no reason why Changping would not favor him.

While thinking about it, the rain was getting heavier and heavier, as if it was going to destroy the world, and the remnant lotus in the lake was also wilted, and the lake willows not far away bent their waists almost flat with the lake.

In the hazy rain, Huo Zhaowen caught a glimpse of Zhao Baiyu's figure approaching from far and near. He turned his head to look, and couldn't help being stunned. He was dressed in green and soaked, with a few strands of black hair sticking to his cheeks and collarbone, and his complexion was as white as snow , but his lips are a little red, black, white and red colors constitute a very strong visual impact, walking from the gray junction of heaven and earth, like a monster descending from the mountain, with cold fire hidden in his eyes, staring at this world of mortals.

When Chang Ping's eyes touched Zhao Baiyu, his eyes turned cold, and he felt happy when he saw his distressed appearance.

Then she cast her eyes behind Zhao Baiyu, as if she was looking for something, but unfortunately nothing was there.

"Are you looking for Li Deshou?" Zhao Baiyu came to Changping, less than four meters away, and suddenly threw out the black cloth bag in his hand. "Here he is."

The cloth bag rolled down to Changping's feet, and the slipknots unraveled, revealing a gray and pale head that was dying.

Changping's pupils shrank sharply, his body subconsciously leaned forward, he gripped the handrails suddenly, the veins on the back of his hands were bulging, his cheeks were tense, and after a while he raised his head and stared at Zhao Baiyu: "He is the old eunuch given to me by the late emperor, to protect the lonely For 30 years, you have been loyal and courageous, and the world can learn from it. Today, you can't say a single reason to kill him. Even if it is my son, I will pay for your life!"

Huo Zhaowen frowned upon hearing this, feeling strange, but an old slave, how could he compare to his own son?

Zhao Baiyu took out a handkerchief and wiped the dirty blood on his left hand, and said calmly: "Li Deshou and Jiang Dong Shuai Hu Heyi, under the guise of bandits, murdered 310 and five people, colluded with Liangjiang officials and businessmen, privately communicated with water transport, and abducted and sold beauties. He also killed people to silence his mouth, committed all kinds of crimes, this official found out the truth, killed him in anger, and tomorrow he will hang his head on the execution ground to make his crimes known to the public... May I ask Your Highness, are you planning to favor the evil slave?"

Chang Ping word by word: "Where do you get evidence to prove that Li Deshou committed these crimes?"

Zhao Baiyu took off the lampshade, lit the handkerchief, and watched coldly that the fire was burning to his fingertips before throwing it away. He looked sideways at Changping: "I saw it with my own eyes."

Chang Ping: "How do you know that you are not seeking personal revenge?"

Zhao Baiyu: "Everyone knows that this official has settled down with you, and that mother and child love each other deeply. Killing Li Deshou probably wanted to murder this official because of his heinous crimes. This official and a thousand Jingbei soldiers witnessed it with their own eyes, and the evidence of the crime is conclusive. Irrefutable. This officer killed Li Deshou angrily. Firstly, he was too numerous to write about. Second, he killed relatives righteously and did not fear the powerful. People in the world will only praise me for being selfless, not bending the law for personal gain."

Changping glared at Zhao Baiyu's eyes, with a cold and sarcastic smile on the corner of his mouth: "Even if Li Deshou is guilty, according to the law, he should go to prison to question the case first, get the evidence, submit it to the Ministry of Punishment, and then make a decision. When will it be your turn?" Lynching?"

Zhao Baiyu: "Your Highness probably doesn't know, but His Majesty appointed me to be Jiangxi's Cao Si envoy and allowed me to do things cheaply, beheading first and playing later, the imperial power grants permission!"

"A joke!" Chang Ping scolded: "Behead first and play later, imperial envoys have always had the right to envoy. When did Cao Si envoy have this right? You said His Majesty allowed you to kill first and then play, but there is an imperial decree? If it is a verbal order, I don't recognize it!"

Zhao Baiyu took two steps forward: "Do you know the third master?"

Changping: "I've heard about it."

Zhao Baiyu: "It's not just what I heard, but I have a close relationship with you. I shared Liangjiang's water transport business equally with you, fooled Liangjiang's officialdom, bought and sold lovers... I have fought and entrapped each other, and I have also cooperated with you. It was recorded in detail in the account book that Wang Yueming sent to me, and based on these criminal evidences, I can kill you first and then act!"

ledger?

Huo Zhaowen frowned.

Zhao Baiyu: "Tracing back to the source, there will always be soft-boned officials who can provide evidence that you killed innocent people and embezzled tax money. It doesn't take much, one or two criminal evidences are enough."

Chang Ping smiled, his stiff back softened, and he slowly leaned against the back of the chair, Li Deshou's head at his feet could no longer intimidate her.

"If you are as confident in what you think in your heart as you say in your mouth, you won't waste your time standing in front of me, but cut off my head just like you beheaded Li Deshou." Changping raised his hand knife and gestured at the neck, Smile brightly. "Behead first and play later, imperial power license? It's a pity you know very well that the evidence in Wang Yueming's hand cannot kill me. The only thing that can kill me... has been burned clean, the only witness—"

She stretched out her slender index finger and pointed at Li Deshou's head: "I was killed by you."

"Let's take a gamble on whether I can kill you in front of the world." Zhao Baiyu said with a blank expression, "I summoned hundreds of officials from the four provinces and 38 prefectures one by one to torture them. Kill! Kill one to serve as an example to others! I don't believe there is no evidence that can kill you!"

Changping Zhiyi: "Xiao Liu, shouldn't the Liangjiang case be the responsibility of the imperial envoy?"

Just because Huo Zhaowen was tricked by Zhao Baiyu, it doesn't mean that he is willing to be pulled out by Changping to deal with Zhao Baiyu. If he hadn't had the conversation just now, he might have repelled Zhao Baiyu, but now he has more important questions.

"Auntie, you still tell me where the money you have saved over the years is hidden, otherwise my nephew will not be able to keep you - the quarry is owned by Li Deshou, and there are still records from the government. Five people died in 310 and they left without authorization. Hu Heyi from Jiangdong Daying is inextricably linked to you."

Changping couldn't help laughing: "Sure enough, a hero is born as a boy." Narrowing his eyes, he looked at Huo Zhaowen, as if looking through him to the distant capital. "When the emperor ascended the throne, there were internal and external troubles, natural disasters and man-made disasters, and no one in the court was available. In the second year of Yuanshou, Daxia raised troops to invade. Drought... At that time, the big scene was precarious, and walking was difficult. Wars required money and food, and disaster relief also required money and food. However, the national treasury and the internal treasury were in serious deficit, probably because the late emperor was arrogant and extravagant in his later years, and the money in the internal treasury was used up. money, and also handed over the household department in charge of the national treasury to Brother Eighth Emperor."

"Prince Jing and the emperor's brother didn't deal with it at all. It was expected that the embezzlement of tax money would be used to win over courtiers and train private soldiers. The emperor's brother borrowed money in a low voice, but in the end he owed a huge debt... The emperor who is rich in the world Owing money to your courtiers is simply a joke in the world!"

"Even if you defeat Brother Eight Emperors, you still have no money! Will natural disasters stop because there is no money in the treasury? Will the Great Xia and the Turks give up their troops to suppress the border? Zhao Baiyu, in your eyes, there is no merit in officialdom corruption and flattery , but have you ever seen the court 20 years ago where the road was dark and the sky was dark? Huo Zhaowen, how do you think you could climb to the position of general in just five years? Those of you who earned real money from the battlefield With all the achievements you have made, which battle does not require wound medicine, food, iron, horses... which one does not require money? Without these things, you would have died on the battlefield long ago, so why would you have the opportunity to sit across from me and question me?"

Huo Zhaowen's expression changed suddenly, and he vaguely guessed where the money in the princess mansion went.

Zhao Baiyu's hand hanging by his side trembled slightly, like falling into an ice cave in the sweltering summer.

Princess Changping's smile widened, gorgeous and cruel.

"Where did the money go? Huh? You said, where should the money go?"

The wind was whistling, the rain was pouring, and the stage opposite the lake sang the play of blood splashing black yarn, and the innocent people who were unjustly killed were crying bitterly at the same time, and Yang's questioning, and the death because of a quarry. The inquiries of Kuang Fuwei, whose family was exterminated, seemed to overlap and rang in Zhao Baiyu's ears.

She said: "Women, there is a grievance."

He asked: "The princess breaks the law, do you dare to kill her?"

Singing on the stage: "I disregarded human life and killed kindness by mistake. I have to bear this heinous crime..."

"The national treasury has no money, so it borrows from the inner treasury. Where does the money come from the inner treasury, which is also in serious deficit? Where does the money in the emperor's pocket come from?" Princess Changping put her index finger on her chest, stared at Zhao Baiyu and said, "I earned money from the inner treasury." Yes, I gave it to you, the 20 years of peace and stability in the world are earned by my hard work in Liangjiang and dealing with those dog officials and lowly businessmen in these 20 years!"

"I am a princess who has committed a crime and was demoted to Hongzhou. I have no power or authority. How do you think I earned the status of being a leader among Hongzhou officials and businessmen today? Hmm? Do you think that poisoning Xie and her unborn baby, Just being relegated to a rich place is not a punishment, but a pardon, a grace? Have you forgotten that Zhao Boyong's relatives and disciples are all in Liangjiang?"

"Zhao Lang really wants me to die!"

From sneering to laughing wildly, Changping pointed to the luxurious decoration of the Princess Mansion and said, "Do you know what the Princess Mansion looked like 20 years ago? It was a famous haunted house in Hongzhou Mansion. You said that I killed innocent people, exploited people, and embezzled taxes and money." , is a felony of decapitation, but how many people have been saved by the food, grass and iron utensils used in Dajing wars, the relief food and relief money after natural disasters and man-made disasters? Who will erect the longevity monument for me? Who will thank me?"

"So Zhao Baiyu, you can't kill me." Changping looked over with eyes full of strong sarcasm and malice, "Kill me, and the world will know where Liangjiang's greedy money went, and also know the king of a country. They are also the beneficiaries of human trafficking."

This is a threat that Changping has nothing to fear.

Huo Zhaowen didn't change his face, but he was already frightened and flinched. Many doubts flashed through his mind. How did Emperor Yuanshou plan to deal with Liangjiang and Changping?Why did you send him here?How should he deal with it so that he can perfectly solve Liangjiang's officialdom and get out of it?

If Emperor Xinmi is involved, even if he is a prince, he may end up in pieces.

"The things that can move my head are the trafficking of my beloved and the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, but the things that can save me are also the evidence of these crimes."

Changping's heart is full of pleasure.

With the honor of the emperor concubine, she fell into two rivers, worked for the emperor, and earned money for the treasury and the internal treasury. How could her emperor brother be praised by all generations as a wise king, but she is like a dog?

"Do you know why Wang Yueming handed over the criminal evidence to you? Because he saw it. It was he who joined forces with Liangjiang's officials and businessmen to force me to participate in the abduction and trafficking of my beloved. I know he wanted to use this to get the criminal evidence that would kill me. Do you think he appreciates you and values ​​you when he gives you all the evidence of crime? He is throwing this terrible problem to you!"

Pointing at Zhao Baiyu, Chang Ping said cheerfully: "Do you think you are so annoying? Wang Yueming will do you a favor before he dies! If you kill me, the face of the emperor and the imperial court will be torn off by you alone. At that time, the hearts of the people will be lost. The broken mountains and rivers are all your fault! If you don’t kill me, everyone will continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb to bury the dirty things in Liangjiang’s officialdom, and continue to maintain a peaceful and prosperous world. In the eyes of the people, you are still the master of Qingtian..." She said In one word, there is uncontrollable excitement in the eyes: "Closing on the skin of a clean and upright blue sky, continue to be your noble and unsullied Mr. Zhao, and become the corrupt official with a hypocritical mask that you killed before!"

Huo Zhaowen was terrified, couldn't help but move, and felt suffocated when he thought about it.

Some people live by their beliefs and are willing to die for their beliefs. For him, the struggle for imperial power and compromise in the officialdom are not the bottom line, and he can make the choice that is most beneficial to himself without much hesitation. But for Zhao Baiyu Said, that may be the belief that he can die for.

For Huo Zhaowen, he would rather die in battle than betray the court and the soldiers who were born and died, that is the bottom line in his heart.

For Zhao Baiyu, defending justice and pleading for the people are his bottom line that he will never back down.

Ceding the bottom line is no less than ceding a city, losing power and humiliating the country, and dying with regret.

He looked at Zhao Baiyu, wondering what he would do.

Dilemma, forward or backward is the ending, how will you choose?

Zhao Baiyu's lips were tightly pursed, his face was expressionless, a strand of wet black hair stuck to his porcelain white cheeks, his eyes were drooping, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and suddenly lifted up, like a butterfly fluttering its wings.

"Someone asked me, if the princess broke the law, would I dare to kill her?"

Changping sneered.

"I told him that if the law of the country should be cut, I would dare to kill him."

Changping's response was to laugh even more wildly: "I'm waiting for you to come and ruin the great peace and prosperity!"

Zhao Baiyu didn't respond anymore, turned around and left, and Changping, who stayed behind, laughed wildly and sang: "Murderer! Sacrifice the soul of the wronged person! Even if I am cut into pieces by thousands of knives—"

The voice was sharp, like a sharp knife full of hatred piercing into the skin, viciously tearing apart the so-called human life under the so-called peaceful and prosperous times, and the so-called human justice under the rule of the feudal dynasty.

"I also want to settle your soaring injustice!"

***

Zhao Baiyu seemed to be walking in the rainstorm unconsciously. Huo Zhaowen chased after him holding an umbrella to cover the wind and rain above his head, hesitant to speak.

"Although there are many officials who overturned the case in Liangjiang, there are not many serious crimes that should be beheaded. I promise you that the corrupt officials who committed the murder case, even if they are second-rank officials like Shanqian, Hu Heyi and others, will be severely punished." Severe punishment will never be soft!"

"Where is Princess Changping who just took five lives in 310?"

"I know you are dissatisfied and unfair, but is it worth it to ruin the peaceful life that people in the world have finally obtained for the justice of a few people? Yes, Changping broke the law and killed someone, but it was also Wang Yueming who ordered the dental practice to force her. She had to jump out of this trap. She also jumped into the trap for the sake of the great scene, the court and the people. If the merits and demerits can be offset, why can't she? After this major case, Liangjiang's officialdom will definitely return to the hands of the emperor, and then Changping Recalling the capital and imprisoning her will cause her more pain than killing her directly."

Zhao Baiyu nodded: "Several corrupt officials who stand out came out and beheaded to frighten other officials, and then pardoned them. They gave both kindness and power to win people's hearts. The emperor got the southern water transportation, sea transportation and an obedient Liangjiang officialdom he wanted, and got rich. You get the beautiful political achievements you want, return to the court with glory, Changping gets her long-cherished wish to return to Beijing, officials who narrowly escaped death get a chance to live... Anyone can benefit from this big Liangjiang case, Even my achievements in politics are invincible, everyone got what they wanted, and left the venue contentedly, then what?"

Huo Zhaowen couldn't speak, probably Zhao Baiyu's expression, or his eyes, revealed a disturbing and shocking calm.

"Then continue on the surface where the monarch and his ministers are in harmony, the government is clear and bright, and the undercurrent is raging, and the days are going on as usual, and the signs of prosperity are close at hand..."

Zhao Baiyu's hands hidden in his sleeves were shaking.

"But what about those who died innocently?"

"Who will avenge them?"

Huo Zhaowen opened and closed his mouth: "The world is not black and white..."

"It's not a matter of black and white." Zhao Baiyu didn't want to say more, just looked up at him, cupped his hands and said, "I invite the imperial envoy to lend me Shangfang Sword."

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The author has something to say:

Well, in fact, the previous article mentioned it vaguely.

1. At the beginning, it was said that the national treasury and the internal treasury were in serious deficit, and then the treasury had no money, so it could only borrow from the internal treasury.There is no money in the national treasury, where does the money in the internal treasury come from?

The inner treasury is where the emperor hid his private money. Where did his money come from?

2. Baiyu said before that Changping went to Liangjiang to balance the power for the emperor. Is there anything that needs to be balanced in Liangjiang?

The focus is on one word, money.

She just went to make money for the emperor.

When the Duzhi envoy used the capital's water transport to point his sword at the two rivers, the emperor's attitude explained the problem.

3. In the previous chapters, Changping said how extravagant she was when she was a princess, and even the sixth prince thought it was extravagant. It can basically be seen that the first emperor was extravagant and wasteful in his later years, so the country suffered a huge deficit.

4. Looking at the emperor's attitude towards Changping earlier, it seems that because of family affection, he tolerated her more. It's a joke. If Changping is useless, or there is no reason why she can't be killed, she has already been masturbated based on her later operations. Which emperor can tolerate you? 180 officials came to intercede?Also strength, financial resources are so strong.

5. In fact, Changping didn’t give all the money to the emperor. Seeing how extravagant her princess mansion is, she also spent a lot. The money spent by the state in these years did have her help, but the credit is not as great as she said.

6. Because Changping had a lot of careful thoughts in the later period, the emperor also wanted to take back the control of Liangjiang. Changping saw his intention, so Yingdeshi celebrated his birthday. It was a test and a demonstration (demonstration is not stupid, let others Seeing your strength, you will be jealous and give up the plan to attack, thus increasing your bargaining chip)

7. In the previous article, some students wondered why the emperor sent Baiyu to investigate Liangjiang, why didn't he give soldiers or power? This is the reason. He needed Zhao Baiyu to check and balance, but he didn't need him to really expose Liangjiang and Changping.

He even sent the six princes here with calculations, the emperor's mind is perfect.

8. There are many ways to make money, and Changping can't take human life for granted.

9. The emperor only needs to know that Liangjiang is basically stable, the internal treasury is stable and there is money to take, and Changping is obedient. He doesn't need to know anything else, this is the emperor.

Maybe I know what Changping did, but it doesn't matter. Weighing the pros and cons and developing a country are doomed to sacrifice.

10. Wang Yueming's last words before his death, the account book is given to Xiaoyu, it depends on how he chooses.

For the sake of the overall situation, under submission to the imperial power, he still speaks for the people.

PS: Wang Yueming died easily because he knew that Shen Ke was sick and his time was approaching, so he didn't have much energy to fight Zhao Baiyu.

He guessed that the emperor wanted to rectify the two rivers, and he had already seen the end, so he had an appointment with Zhao Chongjin before, and wanted to choose the sixth prince as the crown prince, but he was ill. Various reasons led him to choose to die in the end, but the nail he buried was not few.

I don't write too much about the third master, because I think it is enough, and there is no need to spend more space describing it in depth.