Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 122 Borrowing a Knife
The nights at Puji Temple are always rainy.

Wen Jia hugged his daughter and curled up on the bed in the Zen room and fell asleep early.

The eaves of the Zen temple swayed in the night wind, making crisp tinkling sounds, and also brought in Fan Bing's roar outside the door.

"I want to see the princess! Who do you think you are? Get out of here!"

"Go away——"

"I am the princess's consort, the current consort Fan Bing! You bald ass, are you tired of living?"

"Looking for death?"

Before daybreak today, Fan Bing came to Pujili to harass him.

He knelt down and begged for forgiveness at the ringing of the morning bell, crying his eyes out.

She said that she and Pingle had absolutely no private relationship, and that what happened in Prince Duan's mansion that day was a frame-up...

In the eyes of others, Prince Consort Fan was extremely humble in front of the princess.

He knelt from early morning to noon, until the sun was high in the sky. Seeing that Wen Jia remained unmoved, his patience was exhausted. He could not kneel any longer, said some sarcastic words, and went down the mountain in shame.

Just as night fell, the young monk of Puji Temple was about to close the temple door, but he swaggered in carrying a jar of wine.

At this time, the pilgrims had already left, and the monks in the temple were all practitioners who would not easily take action. Fan Bing, who was a little drunk, became furious and started cursing and throwing a tantrum.

He cries, makes a fuss and then hangs himself. He is even worse than a shrew.

Wen Jia covered his daughter's ears, gently placed an amulet embroidered with a seven-treasure necklace in his daughter's tightly clenched hands, and then slowly sat up.

boom--

Fan Bing kicked open the Zen room.

Wen Jia's eyes froze instantly at the loud noise.

"Don't disturb our daughter." She said softly, straightened her plain white skirt, tucked in the corners of the quilt for her daughter, then walked over and bowed slightly to the two bewildered monks outside the door.

"Excuse me, little master. You guys go and rest first. I'll talk to him for a few words."

Even an honest judge would find it difficult to settle family affairs, let alone the dispute between a princess and her husband?

The two young monks clasped their hands together in greeting, glanced at Fan Bing, and then retreated.

"If the donor has anything to do, please call us."

Fan Bing's face was filled with anger. He shook off the rain from his shoulders, threw the wine jar to the ground with a clang, and was about to step into the house.

"Can't we just let Niuniu get some sleep? Fan Bing, this is an important Buddhist place!"

Wen Jia blocked the door.

The candlelight illuminated her thin face.

The half-copied Lotus Sutra on the desk looked pale in the light.

Five-year-old Niu Niu curled up on the cattail bed in the Zen room like a frightened deer.

Her little hands tightly grasped the corner of the quilt, together with the amulet given by her mother, in her palms. Her back trembled uncontrollably, but she never opened her eyes.

She is awake.

Under the shadow of his father's violence, this prematurely sensible child learned to protect himself by pretending to be asleep.

"Let's talk outside." Wen Jia said softly.

Fan Bing snorted, staggered closer, reached out and pinched her face, sneered, turned around and walked out.

Wen Jia looked at his crooked back, then turned back to look at his daughter's open eyes, exchanged a glance, smiled comfortingly, then stepped out of the threshold and slowly closed the door.

"You know best how much wealth I have." Wen Jia walked to the corridor, his voice as calm as a Zen temple on a rainy night.

"Over the years, you have squandered all my dowry. You asked for 110,000 taels right away. Where can I get so much money for you?"

Fan Bing sat in the porch, his back against a wooden pillar, his eyes red and full of drunkenness.

"You are a princess! Can't you go to the palace and beg the emperor? Is this all a princess can do? If I had known you were so cowardly, I would not have married you!"

Wen Jia smiled, "Not every princess is like Ping Le. Don't you know how you married me in the first place?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Bing felt as if someone had stabbed his lungs.

He saw Wen Jia's contempt and disdain.

That was the natural nobility of a princess of the current dynasty, a dignity that was high and mighty that he could never achieve in his entire life.

"Bitch! Don't talk nonsense to me, give me money--"

Fan Bing reached out, grabbed the corner of Wen Jia's clothes and pulled hard. He looked so crazy, as if he wanted to eat her alive and tear her into pieces to fill the gap of his inferiority complex.

Wen Jia's body began to tremble involuntarily.

The fear that has been developed over the years has already penetrated deep into the bone marrow.

She shed tears, and her voice was vague and almost desperate.

"You took the key to my vault a long time ago. What do I have left? I have nothing. Why are you forcing me?"

"You're lying!" Fan Bing grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the pillar.

"You must have hidden some private money! How can a princess be so poor? No one would believe it if I told them! Hand it over to me now!"

Wen Jia cried out in pain, "I really have nothing left! Even if I go to ask my father for help, he won't give me so much money..."

Seeing that Fan Bing didn't believe her, she sobbed and said, "Originally, I had a jade leaf and golden cicada hairpin given to me by my mother, which was worth a lot of silver, but Pingle took a fancy to it during the New Year and took it away..."

Fan Bing snorted, "Don't use Princess Pingle to pressure me! To tell you the truth, if you don't pay me today, I will not live, and I will drag you down with me!!"

His eyes were wide open, his face was ferocious, he was committing violence almost like a madman, and insults like the roar of an animal burst out of his throat.

The dense rain threads formed a silver curtain, shrouding the ancient temple in a desolate atmosphere.

A line of blood slid down along his forehead, and Wen Jia suddenly laughed softly.

"Kill me if you dare! If you kill me, you will have nothing."

She suddenly struggled hard, pushing Fan Bing back.

She slowly approached Fan Bing, and gently placed her soft hand on the back of his hand with bulging veins. Before he could react, she slapped him hard in the face with a "slap".

A hard slap.

"You spend your days drinking and partying, you are idle, you only know how to bully women and children, what kind of hero are you? Aren't you short of money? Pingle once boasted to me that she built a secret room with flowing springs and waterfalls in her villa in the West Mountain. Not to mention the countless gold and silver, there are also piles of jewels. Whatever she wants, she has it. If you have the guts, go get it!"

The rain wet the corners of her scarlet eyes.

She tilted her head and looked towards the rain.

On the Bodhi tree, a sharp blade flashed in the night rain - it was Yaoguang's secret guard lying in ambush.

"Dare to lie to me, I won't forgive you!"

Fan Bing spat, wiped the corner of his mouth, and walked away cursing.

Wen Jia waited until his figure disappeared in the rain before rushing into the rain, bowing to the sky, then clasped his hands together, slowly knelt down in the direction of the Buddhist temple, and bowed his head to the ground three times in a row.

"Auntie..."

At some point, little Niu Niu came over.

The little girl didn't have an umbrella, her hair was wet, and her face was covered with tear marks.

"mother……"

That childish call tore apart Wen Jia's last bit of strength.

She got up and hugged her daughter tightly in her arms.

The rain washed away the blood on her face, and she cried and laughed.

"We'll be free soon, Niuniu, we'll be through this soon."

She carried her daughter under the eaves and gently turned over the amulet in Niu Niu's hand, revealing the verse written on the lining.

"Only when all sentient beings are saved can Bodhi be attained."

This was the enlightenment from Master Jingkong, and also the token given to her by Miss Xue Liu.

"Niuniu, we will be free. Someone will save me."
-
On the second day, as soon as the morning court was over, several of the emperor's close ministers gathered in the imperial study to discuss the military preparations in the western border and the changes in the Xize Kingdom, as well as the court situation since Prince Duan reformed the criminal law and cracked down on corruption, and expressed their opinions.

Emperor Chongzhao half-leaned on the couch, looking tired, and rubbing his eyebrows from time to time.

"The military pay for the Western Territory has already consumed 30% of the national treasury. If a war really breaks out, the subsequent demand for supplies will only increase day by day. Even if I spend all the financial resources in the world and squeeze all the people's blood, I can't fill this bottomless pit. In my opinion, the case of the Ministry of Finance should not only be investigated, but also investigated strictly and thoroughly, and investigated to death..."

His eyes scanned everyone and finally fell on Li Huan.

"Not only the Ministry of Revenue should be investigated, but also the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, the Honglu Temple, the Imperial Household Department and other government offices! These parasites in the court, no matter how high or low their official positions or how much power they have, must spit out what they have eaten!"

Li Huan accepted the order and said, "Yes, I will obey your order."

Several ministers looked at each other with serious expressions.

Emperor Chongzhao looked at them and placed the teacup heavily on the dragon-patterned table. "Let's do it this way. My dear ministers, please pay more attention to the affairs of the court. I have some private matters to deal with today, so please leave first."

Prince Consort Lu had been waiting outside the Zichen Palace for two hours.

Many people saw it.

The emperor was reluctant to summon the princess, obviously because he was venting his anger on her behalf.

Everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts.

It was a pity for such a talented person. The top scholar who rode a horse through the streets at the Qionglin Banquet, once became the royal consort, not only his official career was cut short, but he also fell into the dilemma of marital discord.

Today, Li Zhao is also in the imperial study.

He is the crown prince and has not yet governed the country, but he can learn how to govern.

However, he seldom showed up in public in the past, but today he stood respectfully aside and listened from beginning to end.

After all the ministers left, he and Li Huan paid their respects to Emperor Chongzhao, and after receiving a few more instructions from the emperor, they left.

Li Huan was about to say goodbye to him, but Li Zhao approached first.

"Brother Royal."

He greeted me with a smile, and the dragon embroidery on his cuffs sparkled in the sunlight.

The visitor is not good.

Li Huan bowed politely, "Your Highness."

Li Zhao made a "please" gesture and walked side by side with him.

Li Huan did not dare to overstep his authority. He took a step back unnoticed, keeping a distance of one body length, and showed his humility and respectfulness just right.

"I wonder what is the matter with you, Prince, that you have condescended to come here?"

"My royal brother, you are so formal. It seems strange."

After drinking together in Prince Duan's villa that day, the two of them seemed to be much more intimate.

At least in front of others, they appear to be in harmony with each other.

Li Zhao was very open and straightforward, "Have you found anything about the Xizi jade pendant found in the villa?"

He always brings up things that are not relevant to the topic, just like Li Zhao.

Li Huan breathed a sigh of relief, still with a warm smile on his face.

"To be honest with you, Your Highness, we have all been deceived. The jade pendant is fake."

"Oh? It's fake?" Li Zhao raised his eyebrows. "What does the King of Wei say? What does Madam Gu say?" He smiled. "Even if the jade pendant is a fake, it should have a mother who gave birth to it, right?"

Li Huan said, "The King of Wei denied it flatly, and Madam Gu insisted that she was innocent. One is a prince, and the other is a woman in the harem. How could they have the motive and courage to collude with Xizi? In my humble opinion, these two were framed. Adultery is true, but collusion with the enemy is false."

Li Zhao nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.

Li Huan lowered his voice again, "The mastermind behind this is very clever, stirring up conflicts among all parties and profiting from it. He is really vicious."

Li Zhao curled his eyes and looked at him thoughtfully with a smile in his eyes.

"I just heard from the official that Xizi had secret dealings with Jiuling Marsh. It just so happens that the left guard of my brother is investigating this matter. In my opinion, this game is probably aimed at my brother. You must be careful."

Li Huan thanked him verbally, but he was shocked in his heart.

The mysterious appearance and disappearance of the "Old Ling Swamp Envoy" did make him suspicious.

He suspected that there was a series of traps or a huge conspiracy here.

Otherwise, how could an imperial envoy who came to the capital and showed off in a restaurant suddenly disappear?

The two men each had their own agenda, and they talked and laughed as they walked.

Lu Youan stood quietly aside, and when he saw them coming, he saluted respectfully.

Li Zhao raised his eyebrows, returned the salute, and said nothing.

Li Huan said in a friendly manner, "Your Highness has been waiting for a long time."

After that, he added earnestly, "Father loves Pingle the most. Father is also worried about the discord between you two. You should be more considerate of her. You should give in to her temper and don't hold back when she complains. Don't spoil her too much."

Lu Youan nodded his head and said yes without saying anything else. Wang Chengxi came out and summoned him.

"Please, Prince Consort, His Majesty invites you to come in and talk."

Lu Youan bowed slightly: "Yes."

He first nodded to the two princes, then turned and entered the imperial study.

"Your humble servant Lu Youan greets your majesty."

Emperor Chongzhao was half leaning on the couch, his back against a cushion, his face full of fatigue. He coughed a few times, and Wang Chengxi quickly handed him a handkerchief.

"Prince consort." Emperor Chongzhao raised his hand and gently wiped the corner of his mouth, and said indifferently: "You came to the palace today, is it because of Pingle's matter?"

Lu Youan bowed his head and saluted, "That's right."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at him with a complicated expression, sighed, and softened his tone a little.

"Pingle has been spoiled by me and her mother since she was young, and she has done many inappropriate things, but her feelings for you are unquestionable. You also have a pair of children who are well-behaved and sensible. If there are conflicts between husband and wife, just tolerate each other."

"Your Majesty." Lu Youan suddenly lifted up the corner of his robe and knelt down upright. "I am here to ask for your permission to divorce. Please grant me your permission."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at him in disbelief. "What did you say? You want to divorce the princess?"

Lu Youan straightened his back and said in a resounding voice: "Your Majesty, please allow me to divorce the princess. I am willing to go to the western border, build fortifications and guard the border, consolidate the border and pacify the land, serve the court with my lifelong loyalty, and never set foot in Shangjing again."

"How outrageous!" Emperor Chongzhao slammed the imperial desk and shouted loudly, then started coughing.

This angry shout made Li Zhao and Li Huan, who had just walked a short distance, stop.

The sound of the teacup breaking startled the skylarks under the eaves and made them fly up.

The two looked at each other. Although they didn't know what happened in the room, from the noise, it seemed that the emperor was really angry, and it was because of Pingle.

Li Zhao glanced at Li Huan and said with a half-smile, "What a pity."

Li Huan frowned, stepped back half a step and stood with his hands hanging down, his eyes fixed on Li Zhao's newly replaced rhinoceros horn belt.

"The prince consort has always been a non-confrontational person. Even if the emperor is angry with him, he would only reprimand him a few times... But your Highness, don't mind me for being too nosy. The people under my command have also acted too flamboyantly, especially the left and right guards, who have been arbitrarily checking people in the capital, disturbing the people and causing criticism from both the government and the public. If the emperor investigates one day, I will not be able to cover up for you..."

"Thank you for your advice, brother."

Li Zhao thanked him with a smile and bowed to him in farewell.

All the way back to the East Palace, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness.

"Tell that High Priest Xizi that his daughter died at Pingle's hands."

The person standing in the dark room is Night Owl.

Every time the Night Owl appears, something big will happen in the East Palace.

Guan Ya, Yuan Cang and other guards were standing guard outside.

After Ye Xiao received the order and left, Mei Ruhui came in as ordered.

"Your Highness, the Xizi people are making frequent moves, and I'm afraid they will stir up a storm in the court. Why would you bring trouble upon yourself at this critical moment?"

Li Zhao smiled gently, with a strange light in his eyes.

At this moment, a white shadow suddenly passed by outside the window.

Li Zhao walked over quickly and pushed open the window.

A beautiful white dove swooped in and landed lightly on his arm.

Li Zhao raised the corner of his lips slightly and stroked its feathers, "You are quite well behaved."

The white dove lowered its head and pecked at him, and Li Zhao took the letter box from its claws.

The letter paper bears the mark of the old mausoleum.

A small skull with a knife on its back was originally a symbol of death, but when Li Zhao looked at it for a moment, he inexplicably felt that it looked particularly cute.

"The fish are biting the bait."

He smiled and turned around to answer Mei Ruhui's question.

"She put on a good show, it would be a shame if I didn't watch it."

Mei Ruhui has a headache.

It is obvious who this "she" is.

But that her, and the him in front of her, two crazy people together, are they going to cause trouble, right?
Two chapters combined into one.

There have been various colds recently, sisters, please take care of your health and use masks...

Erjindao has a sore throat and feels dizzy. I hope Miss Xue Liu can come and treat me. If that doesn't work, I can ask Senior Brother to treat me.