Thousands of Mountains

Chapter 51

The journey back to Beijing was without any surprises or dangers. Chen Ji and Yin Cen shared a carriage along the way. Yin Cen spent most of the time closing his eyes and resting his mind, or meditating to adjust his breath. Spirit.

Chen Ji couldn't help, so he could only keep urging the driver to speed up.

When they arrived in the capital, Chen Ji took everyone to Yin Cen's mansion in Pai'er Hutong. It seems that he hadn't lived in this house for a few days since he bought it. However, when he was away, Chen Ji sent the servants of the Prince's Mansion to clean it every day. , when Chen Ji supported Yin Cen and pushed the door open, it turned out to be a neater house than before he left.

Before leaving, Chen Ji quietly ordered people to move a lot of good things from the Prince's Mansion, as if wishing he could bring his family here, Yin Cen looked at the extra things in the yard and the room, and quietly reminded He, "Will it be too exaggerated... If it reaches your father's ears, are you acting like a thief?"

Chen Ji scratched his head, he hadn't thought about this issue at all, he had already tacitly agreed that what belonged to him was Yin Cen's, whether it was a piece of precious jade or a brick, it was all Pingshan's.

Yin Cen patted the back of his head with a smile, and Chen Ji went to arrange for Qin Nianqin and Luo Qingshan to stay.

Although the house is small, at least three rooms were cleared up, one for Yin Cen and Chen Ji, one for Qin Nianqian and Wu Ye'er, and Luo Qingshan to live in the small utility room temporarily, but soon he He is about to transform into the behind-the-scenes boss of the largest chain store in the capital. At that time, besides the palace, the most luxurious house in the city will be his. Before reaching the pinnacle of prosperity and wealth, he is willing to suffer.

The five of them were discussing what to eat for the evening, when Eunuch Gao Ren, the supervisor of ceremonies, had already entered the door, and the emperor Chen Ze could not wait until the next day to go to court, so at this moment Xuan Yin Cen and Chen Ji entered the palace immediately.

Chen Ji looked at Yin Cen, and said to Gao Ren, "Your Excellency Yin was injured by a traitor on the road, can you talk to your father in detail tomorrow after resting tonight?"

Gao Ren smiled at Chen Ji with a good temper, "Your Highness, you should go quickly. I will report Lord Yin's physical injury to the emperor in advance when he arrives in the palace. Lord Yin has made great achievements this time, and the emperor will definitely not embarrass him. .”

Yin Cen also said to Gao Ren, "It doesn't matter, we'll go right away." The two hurriedly changed into their official uniforms and went out. On the way, Yin Cen asked, "Gao Gonggong, Ren Tonghuan from the Yunnan Tea and Salt Department has arrived in the capital?"

Gao Ren looked back at Yin Cen, and replied with a smile, "I was detained ten days ago, and now I'm locked up in a prison. The emperor said that I will decide after Master Yin returns."

Yin Cen cupped his hands towards Gao Ren, "I'm sorry, Eunuch Gao, to worry about it."

Gao Ren smiled again.

Yin Cen thought, at this moment, all Gao Ren, the empress, and the emperor knew were the two memorials he submitted before he left Yunnan for the tea-horse mutual viewing. Once, the official tea was made into rough tea and taken as his own corruption, and the other was written with Ren Tonghuan's confession. Most of the officials in Sichuan, South, and Kansai who participated in the distribution of the spoils were nothing more. This fire has not yet reached the cabinet and the harem , Judging from Gao Ren's current attitude, he has no hostility towards Yin Cen.

This is a good thing, Yin Cen doesn't want to startle the snake before he is ready.

Gao Ren led them directly to the Guangming Hall. This is where Yin Centou returned to Chen Ze's bedroom, and it was also the place where he and the Taoist Fang Shoujing practiced alchemy. Not to mention Yin Cen, Chen Ji had never entered it a few times since he was a child. , Chen Ze believes that the treatment of Taoism should be sacred and clean, and all those who have different intentions and are not clean are not allowed to enter.

This is also Yin Cen's first time facing Chen Ze at such a close distance. The person in front of him is reclining on a high bed, with a wide robe and big sleeves, his complexion is pale but strangely flushed, his cheekbones are high and his cheeks are sunken The man who is here is the king of a country in Daning and the father of his beloved.

Compared with the distant glimpse at the engagement ceremony between Yunye and Princess Zhegui, Chen Ze at this time is like a piece of porcelain that shatters at the touch of a touch. Yincen knows that he has been taking Nianxiang powder and various pills all year round. , I had an ominous thought in my mind, the emperor was probably chronically poisoned by heavy metals in nine out of ten cases.

In this era, there is almost no cure for such a disease caused by self-inflicted crimes. Yin Cen estimated that Chen Ze would not have many days to live. Thinking of this level, he suddenly didn't know whether it was worry or joy, so he sneaked a glance at Chen Ji , in the near future, he will be the emperor. At that time, how should he deal with himself? Could it be...to become a princess?

The random thoughts were interrupted by Chen Ze's questioning. Gao Ren mentioned that Yin Cen was injured, so Chen Ji ordered Gao Ren to move a round stool to give him a seat, and asked, "Is Ye Mingzhi really dead?"

Yin Cen was stunned for a moment, and realized in an instant that Chen Ze was referring to what was written in his memorial that Ye Mingzhi died when He Manlou jumped off the cliff, so he replied affirmatively, "Back to the emperor, Ye Mingzhi is indeed dead. I saw him fall into the cliff with his own eyes that day." , His Royal Highness is also at the side, you can testify."

Chen Ji followed, "That day, the whole building was burned to ashes in a sea of ​​flames. After Ye Mingzhi jumped off the cliff, Mr. Yin was almost brought into the cliff because of the collapse of the building."

Chen Ze's face was unclear, and he asked again, "Before he died, did he get all the account books from Yanchafang?"

Yin Cen raised his head, pretending to glance at Gao Ren unintentionally, and saw that he was as calm as usual, and replied, "I have already got it, but," he looked at Chen Ze, "ten years There are quite a lot of account books, there are three full boxes, and tomorrow the minister will order someone to send them to the cabinet."

Only then did Chen Ze nod, and continued, "The results of your review of these account books are those written in the memorial?"

Yin Cen said, "Yes, I have checked with an accountant for a long time, and there is no mistake. A total of 6405 million taels of silver has been embezzled over the years."

Chen Ze slapped the couch furiously, and then coughed violently. Chen Ji got up again and again, "Father..."

However, Chen Ze waved his hand at him, Gao Ren quickly brought the water and passed it over, softly persuaded, "Your Majesty don't need to be angry with these treacherous people, your body is important."

Seeing this, Yin Cen followed suit and said, "Eunuch Gao is right. It's not worth getting angry about this person. He is just a pawn of the Tea and Salt Division. Without Ren Tonghuan's instruction and accomplice, Ye Mingzhi alone would never There can be such bold ambitions."

Chen Ze calmed down and said in a cold voice, "More than 2000 million taels of silver, do you know how much my army pays for a year? In the south to fight against Japanese pirates, in the north to fight against Shule, the soldiers in Funan Camp and Zhenbei Camp all cut down on food and clothing. Going to war hungry, and Ye Mingzhi, a mere mere man, can greedy for such a large sum of money!"

Following Chen Ze, he turned to Gao Ren, "And you! As the eunuch in charge of seals, the Tea and Salt Division is directly under your jurisdiction, and you sent out a Ren Tonghuan, who was so bold that he pierced the sky."

Gao Ren hurriedly knelt down, Yin Cen finally saw Eunuch Gao trembling, and said incoherently, "Your Majesty, the old slave sent him because he saw that Xiao Huanzi was clever, talkative, and easy-going. When I went to Yunnan, I thought that ordinary people would be easily bullied when they went to that kind of place... Who would have thought that he would dare to join forces with profiteers..."

Chen Ze couldn't listen anymore, "Enough!" He looked at the eunuch who had served him for nearly 30 years and grew up with him and said, "I only ask you one thing today, and you can only answer yes or no. Not much else to say."

"Yes, yes..." Gao Ren nodded tremblingly.

"Ren Tonghuan called you godfather, do you know what he did in Yunnan?" Chen Ze asked sharply.

Yin Cen and Chen Ji raised their hearts at the same time, if Gao Ren couldn't hold back and confessed everything, then the "insider information" they had grasped would lose their value.

However, they still underestimated Gao Ren's ability to endure. Gao Ren replied firmly, "I don't know, Your Majesty!"

Chen Ze was still full of anger, his chest was heaving up and down, "Okay, let me ask you again, you don't know what he did, and you have never cared about it, so has he honored you with the money he greedy? Didn't receive this unknown silver, but never asked?!"

Gao Ren began to kowtow violently, and the ground thumped, "Raise your head and answer me!" Chen Ze shouted.

Gao Ren raised his head, with blood dripping from his forehead all over his face, "Old slave...has never received filial piety from Xiao Huanzi, Your Majesty, since...he went to Yunnan, he never came back, what business is there? , also followed the rules, and handed it over to He Jin and Eunuch He first, the old slave really...has never had any private dealings with him..."

At this moment, Yin Cen really looked at this Eunuch Gao with admiration. It really wasn't unreasonable to be able to be popular by the emperor's side for 30 years.

Chen Ze closed his eyes slightly, and it took him a while to calm down. Gao Ren's self-harming loyalty finally gave him a little satisfaction, and he finally asked, "Ren Tonghuan is your supervisor of ceremonies, tell me, he How to deal with it?"

With blood on his face, Gao Ren replied ferociously, "This person has committed a heinous crime, and the evidence is solid. According to the law, he can be executed without going through the three divisions."

Chen Ze opened his eyes and glared at Gao Ren, "Tomorrow, the cabinet will issue a memorial to approve it. If there is another Li Tonghuan and Zhang Tonghuan, I will not cut off their heads, but yours!"

Gao Ren kowtowed again and again, "Thank you, Your Majesty, Long En! This old slave... accepts the decree."

Only then did Chen Ze turn to Yin Cen and Chen Ji, his tone softened, and he continued to ask, "Since Ye Mingzhi and Ren Tonghuan have been greedy for so much money, how much money can be seized when they raid the Tea House and the Tea and Salt Department?"

Yin Cen replied respectfully, "After Ye Mingzhi's death, I don't know who did it, and then set a big fire in the tea research house. When His Royal Highness and I arrived, the whole tea house was almost completely burnt down. Six boxes of silver and four boxes of gold were found under Ye Mingzhi's private house in the tea house, and they have all been escorted back."

Yin Cen thought that Chen Ze was about to get angry again, but unexpectedly he laughed, desolate and weird, "I really want to thank them, I didn't spend all the money I was greedy for, and left so much for me, now my The national treasury can't even make up what they corrupted in a year, what is the wealth that rivals the country, this is it!"

Yin Cen and Chen Ji sat respectfully, not knowing how to respond, so they simply didn't say a word.

After a while, Chen Ze gradually calmed down, and started to ask another question, "Will the tea and horse trade in Kansai be affected this year?"

Regarding this question, Yin Cen and Chen Ji had already agreed on how to deal with it on the way back. At this moment, Yin Cen calmly replied, "Because of the fire in the research tea house, the amount of official tea this year is insufficient, and because the other party has been trading with Ye Mingzhi before, now There was a sudden change of people, and the Shule people who came to the exchange market were quite dissatisfied, but His Royal Highness and I ventured to the military camp of King Shule, and negotiated the terms of the future exchange market with Tak Hulun. I think the annual exchange market will be smooth in the future many."

Chen Ji took the opportunity to mention, "Father, Lord Yin's body was injured this time because of traitors in the Shule barracks. Fortunately, General Lin Moyan was there to meet him in Liangzhou, and finally there was no danger."

Hearing this moment, Chen Ze finally eased his complexion, "Aiqing has had a hard time on this trip."

Turning to Chen Ji again, "The emperor's trip has been quite tempered. Although the matter of going deep into the Shule barracks is for my Daning, I have thought that as a prince, I will risk my life regardless of the consequences. Capture, what a loss to me in Daning?"

As soon as this remark came out, Yin Cen and Chen Ji both knelt down, and Yin Cen said, "It's my negligence. You should never let His Royal Highness be in danger with me. You should be punished."

Chen Ji also said, "Father asked Rong Erchen to explain in detail that this time I went to the other side's military camp. I was disguised as the bodyguard of Lord Censor, and the other side didn't know that I was the prince."

Chen Ze sighed, "You still don't understand."

Just as Chen Ji was about to defend himself again, suddenly He Jin's announcement came from outside the hall, "Your Majesty, the Empress has learned that His Highness the Prince has returned to the palace safely, so she is here to visit."

Yin Cen and Chen Ji slightly turned their heads and looked at each other, with surprise and apprehension written on each other's faces.

She is the enemy, but not yet the time.