The Great Seminary

Chapter 299: Alarming the Snake
They are clearly the same person.

When they are calm and composed, they exude an extraordinary air of confidence and ease.

But when panic sets in, they suddenly become like frightened birds or stray dogs, completely different from their usual selves.

Zhang Gui looked around at the powerful members of the Zhang family of Pingyang who surrounded him, whom he had thought were like omnipotent bodhisattvas in a temple when he was young, and secretly found it amusing.

His expression, however, was solemn and calm, and he said in a deep voice:
"How am I supposed to answer these seemingly random questions from my elders?"

Let's go into the study, let me calm down, and explain things carefully."

After speaking, he bowed to Zhang Liuduo and Zhang Liulong, who were standing not far away and who, although they did not surround him, still appeared to be in a bad mood.

He then walked into the study on his own and sat down in the first armchair on the right side of the hall.

Zhang Liuduo and Zhang Liulong ignored everyone else and returned to their study to sit down.

Zhang Liuduo coughed lightly and said:

“Brother Gui, you disappeared after ‘that’ happened today.”

I had a feeling they must have sneaked away and cleared the way, and now it seems I was right.

“When something bad happens suddenly, the worst thing is when the whole family is caught off guard and completely ‘suppressed’ by one person.”

Even if you had extraordinary abilities, you wouldn't be able to use them and would be at the mercy of others, so I left quickly.

"Master, I noticed that Brother Jiuqing wasn't outside just now; he must have gone to gather information, right?"

After Zhang Gui explained his whereabouts, Zhang Liuduo was still somewhat skeptical, but outwardly nodded with satisfaction.

"exactly.

Jiuqing also returned to the provincial censorate to network and gather information.

However, their "Three Judicial Offices" were no longer in charge of arrests.

The imperial court and the inner court were at odds.

"It's unlikely we'll hear anything from the Eastern Depot anytime soon, so the connections you cultivate privately are far more useful."

"It's not fair to say whether official authority or personal connections are more useful at this critical juncture."

All I can do is give it my all.

Zhang Gui seemed to nod in agreement, but then added a humble remark.

Then he stated bluntly:
"Today I went to see the chief eunuch of the 'Longmen Port Bureau,' who is also the head of the Yang County branch of the Eastern Depot of the Inner Court, and the chief of the Chu Tuan Tuan."

Originally, all matters concerning the secret arrests, urgent interrogations, imprisonment, and imperial prisons within our Siyang County were under his direct jurisdiction.

But he hasn't heard a word about what happened to the Zhang family in Pingyang today.

To be honest, when I first heard Yang's answer, I was really disappointed.

I thought that the Grand Eunuch Yang Sanchun, the Inner Minister, had come to demolish the Zhang family's "nest" in Pingyang on the orders of the "Emperor".

Such examples were commonplace more than a hundred years ago when the Eastern Depot wreaked havoc on the country.

The whole family is easily wiped out.

Fortunately, Chief Chu was an insider at the "factory," so things didn't come to this.

Or rather, if things get to that point, I simply won't be able to 'slip' out.

I felt a little relieved.

Please ask him to help you find your friends in the inner court and the Eastern Depot in the capital to find out what happened.

If it were anyone else acting so rashly and without thinking, he would probably have refused.

But we formed our friendship when we were both struggling, and I have helped him out a few times.

He didn't refuse.

I used the 'Water Feature' spell table to find a bunch of friends.

Finally, we found a clue.

At this point, he glanced at the room full of listeners and fell silent.

Zhang Liuduo was incredibly clever. He immediately got up and chased everyone away. He then opened a hidden passage in the study and entered the underground chamber.

After activating the magic array, he said, "Brother Gui, this place is top secret. Speak freely." "This year, no, it should be said last year."

Last summer, Emperor Zhenghe held two selections of imperial concubines from among the common people.

He took a fancy to a woman surnamed Xu who came from a butcher family, and he slept with her every night.

Not only did he take the 'red pills' prepared by the imperial physicians, but he also secretly used potent drugs to enhance his pleasure.

He suffered a stroke and, despite being saved, continued to indulge in debauchery during the day.

He grew increasingly thin and nearly went mad.

Those in the know say that he was unwilling to be the ruler of a fallen kingdom and planned to commit suicide.

Now that the current emperor has passed away, the King of Kui will inevitably ascend the throne.

His other brothers were either too young to pose a threat, or they were kept in a circle and had no chance to rise again.

Oh, and there was also a Prince Huai who joined the ancient sect, but he has now gone to the 'underground realm' and is practically dead.

The only variable is Prince Zhen, who is destined to die but always survives overseas and enjoys widespread popularity among the people.

So it's unclear whether it was a secret instruction from the King of Kui, or whether some official from the Eastern Depot of the Inner Court figured it out on their own and acted on their own initiative.

They dispatched a team directly from the capital to Pingyang Town, hoping to find something to hold against Prince Zhen.

After all, Patriarch, you are now the only Grand Military Advisor still in the Eastern Continent under the command of Prince Zhen.

The most ruthless and ruthless struggle in politics is the struggle for succession.

Even if the King of Kui is the legitimate eldest son of the Emperor, the crown prince who has brought glory to the world.

It's understandable that he'd be worried about his younger brother, who leads troops in the field and has a strong reputation among the people.

After all, more than three hundred years ago, at the beginning of the "Prince of Yan's Northern Expedition", the entire Ming and Song dynasties felt that he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The final result was that the world was settled by issuing a proclamation.

Past experience guide for the future.

Zhang Liuduo understood this principle, and his face turned deathly pale.

"This, this, this, now so many reports say that Prince Zhen is trapped on Xianrong Island, in dire straits, and on the verge of death."

If Yuanshan Kingdom hadn't been so slow to send reinforcements, they would have already...

“Master, everyone knows what you’re saying.”

The problem is that as long as Prince Zhen lives, the rumors will remain just rumors and will never become facts.

However, arresting and convicting you would damage Prince Zhen's reputation and diminish his prestige among the people.

Whether they die or not is of no consequence.

In fact, if it weren't for the Grand Eunuch Yang, who was in charge of the inner court, still holding the reins of power...

Although Uncle Qiling's position as "Military Assistant of the Northern Frontier" in the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Evaluation Department has lost power, within our own clan.

However, he was, after all, the brother-in-law of Yang Wenbo, the young master of the "Fire-Splashed Yang Family," one of the three great martial arts families of the Ming and Song dynasties.

Brother Jiuqing also enjoys the reputation of being a 'true unicorn' among the younger generation of the imperial court.

As for myself, my grandfather and I also wielded some power in the local area.

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

Something truly 'unspeakable' may have already happened.

Therefore, patriarch, you'd better not make any more of a show of force at sea recently, lest you give others a handle to use against you.

It should be known that the people of the Eastern Depot love to fabricate crimes from the youngest to the oldest, from today to the past.

Ask them once a day, ask them again tomorrow, stir things up a few times, then take them down in one fell swoop.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liuduo's face turned ashen, and he fell silent.

Zhang Gui also fell silent, seemingly having nothing to say.

In the end, they could only disperse in silence.

(End of this chapter)