Chapter 315: The New King's Wrath
"It's just a small matter? I agree." Zhao Xing said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Minglan happily turned sideways and looked up at Zhao Xing with joy.
"By the way, has it been decided?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Not yet. I want grandma to find a good family for Xiaotao." Minglan said.
"How about I arrange a marriage for her?" Zhao Xing said with a smile.
It’s a good thing that Xiaotao married Shitou.
Zhao Xing had no interest in Xiao Tao anyway, so he was happy to go with the flow and do something that would make both parties happy.
"Then I would like to thank Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of Xiaotao!" Minglan said with a smile.
If Zhao Xing agrees to the marriage, Xiao Tao will be treated as a spoiled child in her husband's family.
"Since you brought Xiaotao to thank me, you can't just talk." Zhao Xing smiled and whispered into Minglan's ear.
In the darkness, Zhao Xing couldn't see Minglan's expression, but Minglan was silent for a while and then slipped into the quilt.
…………
"Your Majesty, according to my investigation, the Liao envoys visited the dignitaries in Bianjing, seemingly to test whether the Song Dynasty intended to send troops."
In the Longtu Pavilion, Yin Hanzhang reported to Zhao Xing what he had investigated.
"That's pretty much what I thought." Zhao Xing nodded slightly and said, "Select a few families from those who have met the Liao envoys. It's been a while since I ascended the throne, and it's time to let the court officials see my wrath. As for how to select, you don't need me to teach you, right?"
"I know what to do!" Yin Hanzhang replied.
Zhao Xing nodded in satisfaction and said, "By the way, how is the progress of Mr. Yu and Scholar Hai's land inventory?"
"Your Majesty, Mr. Yu's progress in the north is relatively smooth, but Mr. Hai's progress in the south of the Yangtze River is still not smooth." Yin Hanzhang said.
"Is he still as indecisive as before?" Zhao Xing frowned.
"That didn't happen this time. It's just that those officials didn't make things difficult openly. They just made trouble secretly, and Master Hai couldn't find any excuse." Yin Hanzhang said.
"These people have learned to be smart." Zhao Xing sneered, "But why are they still seeking death?"
Yin Hanzhang lowered his head and said nothing. In the past, the Imperial City Division was not taken seriously, and he felt a little frustrated.
He was very happy that Zhao Xing valued him, but as time went by, he felt heavier in his heart.
He knows too many secrets, how can he have a good ending?
Yin Hanzhang is now walking on thin ice, whatever Zhao Xing asks him to do, he will try his best to do it, but he never dares to ask too many questions.
I just hope Zhao Xing can take action against him later.
"No matter where Hai Wenyou finds out, send someone to hand over the evidence of officials' crimes that you have already obtained to Chief Censor Luo Hui. I would like to see if these officials are really so stubborn." Zhao Xing said indifferently.
"Yes!"
Yin Hanzhang felt a chill in his heart when he heard this. Over the years, Zhao Xing had been asking him to collect evidence of officials' crimes, not only those in Bianliang, but also local officials.
It’s not that there are no good officials in the world, but most of them are not clean.
Especially local officials, in order to make money, collusion with local gentry, landlords and wealthy businessmen is common.
This kind of thing is actually not a secret at all in the local area, and you can find out by asking.
The only difficulty is whether we can find evidence.
In recent years, Yin Hanzhang has planted and recruited many spies in various places. The main job of these people is to collect evidence of illegal activities of those officials. Zhao Xing asked him to hand over the evidence to the Chief Censor, which obviously meant to take action against these people.
He could already imagine how big a commotion this would cause.
"Go!" Zhao Xing waved his hand.
…………
Morning the next day
After all the officials paid their respects, Zhao Xing did not wait for the eunuch to call for an early report. He looked at the Privy Council and said, "I heard that the Liao envoy brought a heavy gift to visit Li Aiqing yesterday. Is this true?"
"Your Majesty, it is true. But I did not see it." Li Jin bowed.
"Why don't you meet me, Lord Li?" Zhao Xing asked with a smile.
"Although Song and Liao have an alliance, as a minister of the Song Dynasty, it is inappropriate for me to meet with foreign officials in private!" said Li Jin.
"What a mistake!" Zhao Xing clapped his hands and said, "Lord Li is truly a loyal minister. It would be great if everyone in the world knew that this was wrong."
Zhao Xing looked at the man in the front row of the crowd and said, "Do you think what I said is right, Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"
"Your Majesty is right." Peng Qingzhong stepped out and said, "I have something to report."
"Oh?" Zhao Xing said calmly, "What do you want to report, Mr. Peng?"
"Yesterday, the Liao envoy also visited my home. I didn't want to see him at first, but I wanted to know the purpose of the Liao envoy, so I met him. I sealed up all the gifts sent by the Liao envoy and did not touch them." Peng Qingzhong said.
"You are truly as honest and loyal as your name suggests." Zhao Xing sarcastically asked, "Then tell me, my dear, what is the purpose of the Liao envoys?"
"Your Majesty, the Liao envoy is trying to test whether the Song Dynasty intends to send troops," said Peng Qingzhong.
Zhao Xing looked at Peng Qingzhong, who had a calm expression, and said, "Why didn't you report this to me yesterday? Don't say the palace gates are closed. As far as I know, the Liao envoys arrived at your residence around noon, and they left after noon."
"Your Majesty, I am worried that the Liao envoys will send people to monitor me, so I dare not enter the palace rashly. I plan to report to Your Majesty during the morning court today!" said Peng Qingzhong.
"Your Excellency is really thoughtful!" Zhao Xing sneered, "But as far as I know, in recent years, when the Liao envoys went to the Song Dynasty, they all visited your residence, and I have never heard you report it before."
"Your Majesty, those were just normal exchanges before. Every time Liao envoys came to the Song Dynasty, they would visit some officials, and I was not the only one who met them. The Song Dynasty would also visit some Liao envoys when sending envoys to the Liao Dynasty." Peng Qingzhong said.
"Then do you know why the envoys sent by the Song Dynasty visited those Liao officials? It was to obtain some useful information!" Zhao Xing sneered.
"I have never disclosed any information about the Song Dynasty to the Liao envoys!"
"Is it!"
Zhao Xing took the letter from Sanshui and threw it to him: "You have more than 20,000 mu of fertile land and dozens of shops in your ancestral home of Jiangling. You also have thousands of mu of fertile land and more than ten shops in Bianjing. The total value of these is at least hundreds of thousands of taels. As far as I know, your family was not very wealthy. With your salary, even if you don't eat or drink, you don't have so much property. Tell me, where did all this property come from?"
Peng Qingzhong's expression finally changed at this time, but he still pretended to be calm and said: "Your Majesty, I have been an official in many places and have not returned to my hometown for more than ten years. How could I have so many acres of land and shops in my hometown?"
"You're not going to give up until you reach the Yellow River!" Zhao Xing sneered, "All these fields and shops are under your brother's name. Tell me, how did your brother earn such a huge fortune? You probably don't know that your brother relied on you, the Minister of Personnel, to be so successful in Jiangling. He managed all those fields and shops for you, and almost everyone in Jiangling knows about it."
"And do you think that since I have said all this, I have no evidence? Do you want me to tell you how you got all this money?"
Peng Qingzhong couldn't hold it in any longer, cold sweat broke out on his head, and he looked at Hu Zhongyan unconsciously.
Hu Zhongyan lowered his eyes and didn't even look at him.
"My dear Lord Yan!"
"Chen is here!"
Yan Kuan stepped out and bowed.
"This case is under your full authority. You must get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible to see if Peng Qingzhong has any secret communication with the Liao Kingdom!" Zhao Xing said indifferently.
"I obey your order!" Yan Kuan replied.
(End of this chapter)