Love Lock

Chapter 151 It's heartbreaking to even think about it.

Emperor Jing's heart tightened, and he immediately waved his hand: "Quickly, quickly, bring it here!"

The eunuchs hurriedly handed over two reports. Emperor Jing practically snatched them, grabbing them and quickly unfolding them to read.

As his gaze swept across the report, his face first showed joy, then gradually turned ashen, his brows furrowed as if water could be squeezed out of them.

"That's unreasonable!"

Emperor Jing slammed his hand on the armrest of his dragon throne, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

Upon seeing this, the courtiers all lowered their heads, not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

Cao Ge stood in the queue, feeling vaguely uneasy, his eyes darting around uncertainly.

Emperor Jing, panting heavily, coldly surveyed his ministers, his voice as cold as ice.

"Jingzhou general Su Qi and Xuzhou general Song Yuanqing accused Cao Xiong, the marshal of the garrison at Beiguan, of providing false military intelligence, causing the imperial court to dispatch troops to support them and wasting countless provisions! Do you know that there is no battle at Beiguan at all!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the court.

Minister of War Cao Ge's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down, and loudly defended himself.

“Your Majesty! Your brother Cao Xiong is loyal to the country and would never lie about military intelligence! The situation at the northern pass is constantly changing, and the Turkic army comes and goes without a trace. Cao Xiong may have simply misjudged the enemy's situation, and he certainly did not intend to deceive the court!”

Emperor Jing looked at Cao Ge coldly, his voice tinged with sarcasm.

"Misjudgment? Su Qi and Song Yuanqing led their troops to Beiguan and found that the Turkic army in Yong'an City had already been driven back by Zhao Zun's vanguard battalion, and there was no fighting in Ling'an City! Could this also be a misjudgment?"

The crime of falsely reporting military intelligence is no small matter! Cold sweat instantly broke out on Cao Ge's forehead, but he still insisted on his brother's plea for leniency.

"Your Majesty, the situation on the border is complex, and the enemy's movements are unpredictable. As the Marshal of the Northern Pass, Cao Xiong bears a heavy responsibility, and must be cautious in dealing with any disturbance. Although there is no battle this time, Cao Xiong is also thinking of the safety of the Great Jing Dynasty!"

Emperor Jing remained silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on Cao Ge for a long time, as if weighing the pros and cons.

With 200,000 Turkic troops pressing in, and the Ala and Meng Kingdoms forming an alliance, Cao Xiong's request for aid from the imperial court was understandable given the insufficient troop strength at the border.

Regardless of the reason for the retreat of the enemy forces from these three kingdoms, at least the immediate crisis has been resolved, and the Great Jing Dynasty is now at peace.

Compared to the safety of the Great Jing, what is that little bit of grain? These two generals are really something, it's just a little bit of grain, why did they have to join forces to impeach Cao Xiong?

Thinking this through, Emperor Jing slowly spoke: "What Minister Cao said makes some sense. Matters at the border are indeed unpredictable."

Cao Ge felt relieved and quickly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Emperor Jing paused, then changed the subject, his voice suddenly becoming stern.

"However, Generals Su Qi and Song Yuanqing led troops thousands of miles to provide support, consuming the imperial court's provisions, only to return empty-handed. Their accusations against the imperial officials in their report are utterly an overreaction!"

Those who falsely reported military intelligence were not investigated, while those who reported the truth were reprimanded by Emperor Jing, leaving the entire court looking at each other in bewilderment.

Champion Hou Su Ce was also standing in the queue. Upon hearing this, his expression changed, and he hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down.

Su Ce cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Su Qi did not intend to criticize Marshal Cao. However, this troop deployment was indeed extremely costly. If the reason is not investigated, I fear that if a similar situation occurs in the future, the court will be unable to cope."

Prime Minister Wei echoed, "Your Majesty, this old minister also believes that General Su and General Song are only thinking of the court and have no other intentions."

Emperor Jing snorted coldly and waved his hand impatiently.

"Enough! As long as there is no war on the border, I am at ease. As for the loss of food supplies, it is a minor matter. None of you need to dwell on it anymore."

The civil and military officials exchanged glances discreetly, all knowing that His Majesty meant no further investigation into Cao Xiong's false reporting of military intelligence.

The civil and military officials below were all shrewd and calculating. Since His Majesty wasn't going to pursue the matter, they naturally preferred to avoid trouble.

They all bowed their heads and replied, "Your subjects obey the decree."

Seeing this, Cao Ge was secretly delighted and quickly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Emperor Jing's gaze swept over the assembled officials once more. He waved his hand, his voice tinged with weariness.

That's all for today, court is adjourned.

The officials bowed and slowly withdrew from the hall.

As Prime Minister Wei walked at the back and was about to step out of the palace gate, he heard Emperor Jing's voice behind him.

"Prime Minister, wait a moment."

Prime Minister Wei paused, turned back, and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, is there anything else you require?"

Emperor Jing smiled slightly, looking at him with deep eyes: "I have heard that the Prime Minister's son, Wei Chengchao, has opened two shops in the capital, and the business is quite prosperous. He must have made a lot of money, right?"

Prime Minister Wei felt a pang of anxiety, but his face remained impassive.

He replied humbly, "Your Majesty flatters me. My son is merely dabbling in small businesses; how could he dare to claim any prosperity?"

Emperor Jing nodded slightly, seemingly unconcerned by Prime Minister Wei's humble words.

Emperor Jing continued, "I have also heard that Wei Chengchao is currently preparing to open a clothing store, in the largest shop that the Wei family bought a few years ago. Is this true?"

Prime Minister Wei's heart sank, and he felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he were standing naked in front of Emperor Jing, with no privacy whatsoever.

What does "heard" mean? Does it mean "received" or "rumored"?
That was all just information gathered by the suspicious Emperor Jing, who sent his secret guards to monitor every corner of the capital.

As expected, His Majesty doesn't trust anyone! Including him, the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Wei was extremely uncomfortable, but he remained respectful on the surface.

"Your Majesty is well-informed. My son does indeed have this plan, but no specific date has been set yet; it is only a preliminary plan."

Emperor Jing smiled slightly, his tone carrying a profound meaning.

"Minister Wei, there's no need to be nervous. I was just asking casually. Now that the world is at peace and there's no war to disturb us, I feel much more at ease. How about we go together when your son's new shop opens, so we can present him with a congratulatory gift? What do you say?"

Prime Minister Wei felt a chill run down his spine. He felt no joy at Emperor Jing's concern; instead, he felt a chilling sense of being watched.

He dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly bowed, replying, "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated. On behalf of my son, I express my gratitude. However, my humble shop is but a small business; how could I possibly trouble Your Majesty to come in person?"

Emperor Jing waved his hand, his tone relaxed: "It's alright. I just wanted to see the bustling scene of the capital and relax a bit. Minister Wei, there's no need to refuse. It's settled then."

Prime Minister Wei could only nod in agreement, but his heart felt as heavy as if a boulder were pressing down on it.

Although Emperor Jing spoke lightly, he could feel that Emperor Jing's gaze was like a knife, as if he wanted to see through his entire family.

He sighed inwardly, "Alas! Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. It seems I must be more cautious in my actions from now on and avoid making the slightest mistake."

Seeing that Prime Minister Wei's expression was respectful and seemed to be normal, Emperor Jing waved his hand and said, "Alright, if Minister Wei has nothing else to say, you may leave."

Prime Minister Wei bowed again and said, "Your subject takes his leave." With that, he slowly withdrew from the main hall.

Stepping out of the palace gates, the warm sunlight shone on Prime Minister Wei, but his heart remained ice-cold.

As Prime Minister Wei walked, he pondered Emperor Jing's true intentions in showing concern for him. Little did he know that half a month earlier, his nephew, Wei Dabao, had sent him a letter via carrier pigeon... At this moment, Wei Dabao was pacing back and forth in his house in Qingshui County.

He frowned, his hands behind his back, and every now and then he looked up at the sky outside the window, as if he was expecting something.

After being pampered with rich food at home for more than ten days, he had regained all his fat. His footsteps were heavy and hurried, making the attic floorboards creak.

His wife, holding the lazy cat, sat in the rocking chair next to him, gently swaying, but gave him a cold glance.

"Can you please stop walking around like that? You're making me dizzy."

The lady finally couldn't help but speak, her tone tinged with impatience.

Wei Dabao stopped and turned around, his face somewhat gloomy.

"What do you know? I'm so anxious, I can't sit still!"

The letter to my uncle was sent to the capital in mid-April. Even if it were delivered by horseback, it would have arrived long ago, let alone by carrier pigeon.

But to this day, that bastard Luo Hai is still firmly sitting in the position of county magistrate, and the "Great Treasure" can only watch helplessly as that bastard digs around every day.

Those are all treasures!

Every day we dig, there's less to go around!

Wei Dabao felt heartbroken just thinking about it.

The lady gave a soft snort, stroked the cat in her arms, and said indifferently, "What's the use of being anxious? There's no news from your uncle, so jumping up and down won't help."

Wei Dabao scratched his head impatiently: "It's been half a month, why is there still no news from Uncle? If we wait any longer, Magistrate Luo will dig up all the treasure."

The lady ignored him, lowering her head to play with the cat, as if the matter at hand had nothing to do with her.

Seeing this, Wei Dabao became even more agitated. He slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup on the table clang loudly.

"Zhang San! Li Si!" he shouted, his voice filled with anxiety and ruthlessness.

A moment later, Zhang San and Li Si rushed in. With obsequious smiles on their faces, they bowed and scraped, asking, "Master, what are your orders?"

Wei Dabao's eyes were cold as he glanced at them and lowered his voice, saying, "We can't wait any longer. You two, tomorrow morning, gather all the guards, bring your weapons, and come with me to seize that 'great treasure'!"

Zhang San and Li Si exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation on their faces.

Zhang San asked cautiously, "Master, regarding this matter... should we wait for news from the Prime Minister? Just in case..."

"What are you waiting for!" Wei Dabao interrupted him abruptly, his voice filled with anger. "If we wait any longer, the opportunity will be lost! Magistrate Luo's side is digging every day. If we don't act now, we won't even get a drop of soup!"

Li Si quickly chimed in, "Master is right! We can't wait any longer! Tomorrow morning, we'll lead our men over and catch them off guard!"

Wei Dabao nodded, his expression softening slightly.

"Remember, be quick and ruthless! Don't hold back if anyone tries to stop us!"

Zhang San and Li Si nodded in agreement, a hint of ruthlessness appearing on their faces.

Zhang San rubbed his hands together and said with a fawning smile, "Don't worry, sir, the brothers have been itching to get this back for a long time. Tomorrow, we'll definitely bring back the 'treasure' for you!"

Wei Dabao waved his hand, signaling them to step back.

The two quickly left, and the room returned to silence, with only Wei Dabao's heavy breathing and the creaking of the lady's rocking chair remaining.

The lady looked up at him and said calmly, "Aren't you afraid of causing a huge mess by doing this?"

Wei Dabao sneered, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

"Trouble? Hmph, as long as I get those treasures, I'm not afraid of any trouble! Besides, with my uncle backing me up in the capital, who dares to touch me?"

The lady pursed her lips, said nothing more, only sighed softly, and continued to play with the cat in her arms.

Wei Dabao stood by the window, gazing at the distant scenery, his eyes filled with greed and determination.

The families of Dajing are all large and powerful.

The family had countless guards, ranging from dozens to hundreds.

As a branch of the Wei family, Wei Dabao lived a life of luxury and had many businesses under his control, so he naturally had a lot of guards.

The guards under his command were all strong and powerful, wielding clubs, swords, and knives, and they were quite imposing.

The next day, after breakfast, Wei Dabao had Zhang San and Li Si gather all the guards, and a large group of them headed straight for the wasteland project outside the city.

He had already planned it all out: as long as he could seize that "treasure trove," his wealth would multiply several times over.

Wei Dabao walked at the front, followed by Zhang San and Li Si, and then dozens of guards.

The guards, each armed, looked menacing. Passersby on the street quickly gave way, fearing to provoke these fierce-looking men.

When they arrived at the entrance of the wasteland project, their large group was stopped by the big-character team at the gate from a distance.

The guards from the Big Character Squad were no pushovers either; they held stun batons and looked serious.

The head of the freshman team stepped forward and asked loudly, "What are you doing here? Unauthorized personnel are not allowed! Leave immediately."

Wei Dabao would never take these people seriously.
He now only has eyes for the "great treasure" and is already impatient.

Wei Dabao sneered, waved his hand, and shouted to the guards behind him, "Charge in! Anyone who dares to stop me from seizing the treasure will be killed!"

Upon seeing this, the guards immediately turned on the stun guns, which emitted a buzzing sound.

Wei Dabao had a large and powerful force, and they rushed into the gate in a swarm, wielding sticks, swords, and knives with great force.

"No one is allowed to go in, no one is allowed to go in."

As the guards shouted, they rushed forward, wielding their black electric batons and striking anyone they saw, knocking them down instantly.

Although the guards' stun batons were powerful, they were no match for so many people.

The stun guns crackled and popped, and the guards fell one after another, but the guards behind them still tried to rush in through any gaps.

"Master, look! They can't hold on any longer!"

Li Si shouted excitedly, pointing to the somewhat chaotic guard team ahead.

Wei Dabao laughed loudly, his obese body trembling with each laugh: "Good! Charge! Anyone who dares to block our way, beat them to death!"

Although the dozen or so guards fought back with all their might, they were ultimately outnumbered.

As the electric batons flashed, the guards fell one after another, but Wei Dabao, Zhang San, Li Si, and a few other guards still rushed through the gate.

Wei Dabao's face was full of smugness, and his eyes gleamed with greed, as if he could already see the mountain of treasure.