To The Land of Nevernight

At the end of July, three inspectors left Shengjing one after another.

Youzhou is the front line of the war between Song and Liao, but since the signing of the peace agreement 18 years ago, the two countries have never had a formal battle, only some small frictions in Youzhou.Wang Qin was going to Youzhou, which was more dangerous than Su Wenyun and Song Xun were going to, but when Tang Shen sent him away, he didn't say anything, but said with a smile: "When you send you thousands of miles away, you have to say goodbye. Brother, don’t send it away.”

The carriage rattled out of the city gate, and the figures of Wang Qin, officials and soldiers with him gradually disappeared into the sky.

Life went on day by day.

Seeing that August and a half is approaching, the Mid-Autumn Festival, when family members get together, the three inspectors will soon return to Beijing.This afternoon it was Tang Shen's turn to be on duty, and Zhao Fu was sitting in the side hall of the Chui Gong Hall meditating while listening to Li Xiaoren, the chief inspector of the Qin Tianjian, giving lectures.Suddenly, a young eunuch quickly entered the hall, whispered a few words in the ear of the big eunuch Ji Fu.

Ji Fu's expression changed suddenly.

When Zhao Fu was cultivating immortality, outsiders were absolutely not allowed to disturb him, but this kind of ordinary teaching, the rules are not so strict, Zhao Fu will still get angry if he just interrupts.

But Ji Fu didn't care about that much at this time, he stepped forward to give a blessing slowly, saluted and said: "Officials, Gao Wei, a doctor from the Yu Department of the Ministry of Industry, is asking to see you."

Zhao Fu slowly opened his eyes, and glanced at Ji Fu coldly.Ji Fu shivered and looked down at the ground.

Zhao Fu: "Xuan."

Ji Fu immediately shouted: "Gao Wei, the doctor of the Xuanyu Department, has an audience!"

After a while, a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a red official robe, came in from outside the hall.

Zhao Fu sat back in the main hall of the Chuigong Hall, Tang Shen and another living roomer sat on both sides, ready to record the daily life.

A doctor is a fifth-rank official, and Tang Shen's classmate Wang Xiao is a doctor of Yubu, just like this Mr. Gao.But there are more than ten such doctors in the Ministry of Industry, and Tang Shen only met this Mr. Gao once when he was on business in Qinzheng Palace, and never had any other interaction with him.

At this moment, Gao Wei's face was pale, sweat was on his forehead, and when he saw Zhao Fu, he suddenly knelt down.

Da Song almost abolished the kneeling ceremony, and when Gao Wei knelt, Tang Shen's heart skipped a beat, and Zhao Fu also squinted his eyes.Gao Wei tried to stabilize his voice as much as possible, but he was still trembling slightly, and his voice was also trembling.And what he said was like a thunderbolt, and it hit the gold bricks of the Chuigong Hall with a bang: "I pay homage to the Holy Majesty. I came from Cizhou and led the order to go to Cizhou half a year ago to build official roads. After summer, the north Continuous torrential rain, the heavy rain poured down yesterday afternoon, and a bridge along the official road...was washed away."

Tang Shen was taking notes, when he heard this, he raised his head and looked at Gao Wei in astonishment.

After a long time, Zhao Fu said slowly, "A bridge?"

Gao Wei lowered his head firmly: "Returning to His Majesty, it is a bridge across the Jing River."

Zhao Fu: "Are there any casualties?"

Gao Wei was silent for a moment, then his voice gradually lowered: "The number of casualties has not yet been counted..."

"Bastard!"

"boom--"

Zhao Fu picked up a booklet directly from the table and slammed it down, onto Gao Wei's forehead.Immediately, blood flowed horizontally, and a bloody hole was cut on Gao Wei's forehead.But he didn't dare to complain of pain, instead he knelt down and said: "I am guilty!"

On the ninth day of August in the 28th year of Kaiping, the Jinghe River was under heavy rain and the bridge under construction was washed away. Nearly [-] people were killed and injured, and the government and the public were shocked.

There are few rivers in the north. The Jing River is the longest river in the north of the Song Dynasty. It starts from Xuzhou and crosses Cizhou and Jingzhou. It is the largest water source in the three northern states.If you want to build a road from Shengjing to Cizhou, you must pass through the Jinghe River.In Tang Shen's opinion, the Jing River is far inferior to the Yangtze River. In future generations, it would not be difficult to build a bridge across the Jing River.But in this era, it is a big project.

The reason why the official road leading to Cizhou is more difficult than Ningzhou is that it is difficult to build a bridge across the Jinghe River.

However, no one expected that the bridge was only half built, and it collapsed!

Both the government and the public were shocked, and the emperor was furious.

In the wrath of the emperor, millions of dead bodies were laid down and blood flowed for thousands of miles.

On the morning of the second day, Zhao Fu changed his previous style of restraint and forbearance, and cursed the officials.

"The imperial court feeds barley and polished rice, so it feeds you trash! The day before yesterday, I also received news from Cizhou that the situation is very good and everything is in order. Today, I told me that the bridge collapsed and something happened. What you did was Such a thing, such a road was built for me!"

The government and the public were silent, and no one spoke.

In fact, the officials present also felt wronged.The Ministry of Industry is mainly responsible for the repair of official roads. Whether it is the Ministry of Officials, other departments of the Ministry of War, or local officials, all they do are assisting work.If the bridge collapses, the main responsibility must be on the head of the Ministry of Industry.It is because the officials of the Ministry of Industry did not design the bridge well to take into account the rainy summer this year.Even if the bridge does not collapse this year, it will certainly collapse in the future.It's just that everyone was so unlucky that the bridge collapsed during the construction of the bridge, killing dozens of people directly and drowning.If it collapses in the future, maybe one or two people will die, or even no one will die, Zhao Fu will not be so angry.

But in fact, what Zhao Fu was angry with was not the nearly [-] craftsmen and several officials who died. The powerful officials standing in the Zichen Palace looked at their noses and their hearts, and looked down at the ground. They knew in their hearts that Zhao Fu felt that He lost face because he felt that his officials did not do a good job for him.

This is what he really cares about.

After Zhao Fu lost his temper, Zhongshu Zuocheng Chen Linghai and Chen Xianggong took a step forward and said, "The matter of Jinghe cannot be delayed. I propose that His Majesty should send supervisors to investigate again."

Zhao Fu asked, "Is there anyone for Chen Qing?"

Chen Linghai said: "I think Master Ji Zhiji of Yushitai is worthy of this job."

In the early morning, several ministers from Zhongshu Province drew up a list, and set off for Cizhou the next day.Tang Shen was not on duty in the palace that day, he had seen Zhao Fu angry in the Chui Gong Palace yesterday, he was not surprised to hear that Zhao Fu got angry again when he went to court.However, in the afternoon, an eunuch came to Zhongshu Yamen and called Tang Shen into the palace, saying that Zhao Fu had summoned him.

Tang Shen was surprised, and immediately followed the eunuch into the palace.

Usually at this time, Zhao Fu was handling official business in the Chui Gong Palace, but today the eunuch brought Tang Shen to Dengxiantai.The eunuch couldn't go in, Tang Shen waited outside for a while, Ji Fu came out and took him in.

Dengxiantai is the place Zhao Fu specially cultivated for himself to cultivate immortals. It is the only three-story palace in the imperial palace.In the past, Zhao Fu was cultivating immortals in the main hall on the first floor, but today Ji Fu brought Tang Shen to the third floor.I saw Zhao Fu standing beside the railing of the building, looking out from the railing, the entire palace was in full view.

Tang Shen: "My minister Tang Shen sees Your Majesty."

Zhao Fu did not turn around, but looked at the palaces and pavilions, pointed to a place in the distance and said: "You can tell from the scene, what is that place."

Tang Shen looked in the direction of his finger.It was a palace with a yellow roof and glazed tiles. It looked the same as other palaces. Tang Shen had limited places to walk in the palace, so he didn't even know where it was.

He honestly replied: "I don't know."

"That's the White Deer Palace, the name I personally inscribed, and the place where the white deer was raised."

Tang Shen looked down at the ground, but didn't speak.He has been a living roomer and a living man for a year, and he dare not say that he has fully figured out the holy hearing, but he knows that Zhao Fu does not need him to answer at this time.

Sure enough, Zhao Fu went on to say: "Auspiciousness descended from the sky, bless the Great Song Dynasty, this is what these bastards said two months ago. Now, they have shown me such a great auspiciousness! Jing Ze, can you I would like to go to Cizhou for me."

Tang Shen was startled, and he was full of thoughts for a moment, completely unaware of what Zhao Fu meant.But on the surface, he just saluted, and said respectfully: "I am terrified. As a householder, I am responsible for recording your majesty's daily life."

"Jing is unwilling?"

Tang Shen's fingers trembled, thousands of thoughts flashed through his mind, and a hundred answers also flashed in his heart one by one.Then, he raised his head and looked at Zhao Fu with frightened and worried eyes, but his tone was very firm: "I am willing to share your worries for Your Majesty!"

Zhao Fu looked at Tang Shen with tolerant and gentle eyes, and said with a smile: "Then Jing, let's go with Ji Zhi and others tomorrow."

Tang Shen squeezed his fingers tightly and said, "I take orders."

Tang Shen left Dengxiantai in a hurry, with an uncertain expression.And after he left, Zhao Fu stood on the third floor of the pavilion, looking at the scene of the palace, with an indifferent expression, the kind smile when he talked to Tang Shen just now disappeared at this moment.

Tang Shen returned to the yamen, thinking about it, but still couldn't figure out what Zhao Fu was thinking.

Officials such as Ji Zhi were the inspectors who had been appointed by several ministers of the Zhongshu Province to go to the assassination state.As for Zhao Fu, he was now asked to join it and become a member of the supervisory envoys, and he was also required to write a secret report back to Beijing every three days, describing the affairs of the assassination state.

"...He wants me to be his eyes and ears." Tang Shen concluded.

Tang Shen didn't know why Zhao Fu would place this responsibility on him.

If he wanted to find someone to send back a secret report from Cizhou, Zhao Fu should choose a confidant he trusted.Coincidentally, Su Wenyun, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, went to Cizhou as an inspector last month, but he has not returned yet, so he is the best candidate.But Zhao Fu went to find Tang Shen again, without mentioning a word about Su Wenyun.

Zhao Fu and Su Wenyun's monarch and ministers are divorced?

Zhao Fu doesn't trust Su Wenyun?

Zhao Fu asked him to go to the assassination state this time, in order to investigate the Jinghe incident, or to investigate Su Wenyun?

A city covered in mist stood in front of Tang Shen, he couldn't retreat, but Zhao Fu pushed him into it.

After a long time, Tang Shen let out a foul breath.

"Mo Wen, don't ask... Wang Zifeng, could it be that you had foreseen today's situation at that time?" After thinking about it, Tang Shen felt that it was impossible, and he smiled self-deprecatingly.No matter how ingenious Wang Zifeng is, it is impossible to calculate that a heavy rain will wash away the bridge of Jinghe River half a month later.

Wang Qin was still in Youzhou and did not return to Beijing.Even if Tang Shen wanted to ask him for an answer, there was nothing he could do.

But Wang Qin said: don't hear, don't ask.

"There is no way out for going to Cizhou. It's not my choice. But after I go... Mo Wen, Mo Wen."

On the second day, the supervisory censor Ji Zhi led a group of officials to leave Beijing and go north to Cizhou.

Along the way, they didn't pass by the Jinghe bridge that was washed away. They spared the road and went directly to Cizhou.When they arrived at the city gate of Cizhou, the Governor of Cizhou, the same judge and officials at all levels, as well as officials from the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Officials, and the Ministry of War who were on duty to build official roads in Cizhou, were all waiting at the gate of the city.

In front of the officials are Xie Cheng, the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, and Xu Linghou, the left servant of the Ministry of Households.Beside them, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple and Su Wenyun, the Inspector of the Governorate, were standing with them in crimson official robes.Su Wenyun raised his eyes and scanned the entire team of supervisors.Suddenly he saw Tang Shen in the crowd, a gleam flashed in his bright eyes, and he quickly looked away.

Under the city of Cizhou, Xie Cheng and Xu Linghou took a step forward and said: "Xie Cheng/Xu Linghou, I have seen the supervisor."