Chapter 93 It's just a coincidence (thanks to 'Zhao Sanhua' for becoming the leader of this book)
Cui Yuan is going crazy.
After being woken up in the middle of the night and learning that there was a fire in his house, Cui Yuan didn't care as he watched the fire gradually die down.
When he learned that the fire was in the study and that everything was burned to ashes, Cui Yuan became furious.
There were many treasures he collected, as well as letters exchanged with many people.
"idiot!"
Cui Yuan ordered the night patrol guards to be punished, and the housekeeper came to report, "Nothing unusual was found."
Everyone was thinking again, the prince consort stayed in the study until late last night, could it be that he forgot to blow out the candle when he left?
Cui Yuan also thought of this. He is old and often forgets things.
But it is impossible to admit one's mistakes.
Cui Yuan said: "Those guards will be punished severely and driven out later."
"Yes." The housekeeper responded, and said, "Last night, some soldiers from the military department approached our house, and ran away when they saw the fire."
"If you see a fire, you run away. If you see the enemy on the battlefield, won't you run for your life?" Cui Yuan said coldly: "Now I know why Jiang Qingzhi suggested to purge the guards. How can such officers and soldiers protect the capital!"
A hint of paleness appeared on the horizon.
Falling asleep at dawn was the most comfortable thing for Emperor Jiajing.
As soon as I lay down, someone came to report.
"What's the matter?"
Emperor Jiajing asked angrily.
Huang Jin said, "Your Majesty, it's someone from the Military Affairs Department. He said he has something important to report. I will go and ask him."
Emperor Jiajing leaned against the head of the bed and soon fell into a half-asleep state.
"His Majesty."
"Hmm?" Emperor Jiajing opened his eyes.
Huang Jin lowered his head, looking somewhat shocked, "The soldiers from the Military Affairs Division discovered during their patrol last night... a huge beam of light descended from the sky."
Emperor Jiajing worshipped Taoism and was very interested in this strange phenomenon. His sleepiness disappeared and the first thing he asked was, "Whose family is this?"
"Prince Cui's family."
How could Cui Yuan have such a predestined relationship with the Tao? Emperor Jiajing was startled, "Maybe, I am dazzled?"
"Your Majesty, the soldiers saw it all." Huang Jin dared not hide it, "and then Prince Consort Cui's house caught fire."
"Hmm?" The Emperor Jiajing, who was originally half-believing and half-doubting, lost his sleepiness. "What was burned? Let the Jinyiwei investigate."
The Jinyiwei had secret agents in the homes of the powerful in the capital. After receiving the order, Lu Bing sent someone to Cui Yuan's home to contact the secret agent.
"It's the study."
When the news was sent to the palace, Emperor Jiajing sneered, "The light column falling from the sky seems to be true. Otherwise, why would Cui Yuan burn down his own study? What was in the study that made him so afraid?"
Prince Consort Cui, you really deserve to die!
Huang Jin said: "Maybe, the candle just happened to be knocked over."
"I never believe in coincidence!"
There was more coldness in the eyes of Emperor Jiajing, "Go ask that prince consort, he knocked over the candle last night!"
Huang Jin went to the Prince Consort's Mansion in person.
This was the first time Huang Jin came to the Prince Consort's Mansion. Cui Yuan did not dare to be negligent and hurried out to greet him.
Huang Jin stood in front with his hands behind his back, looking at the furnishings in the room. Several of the calligraphy and paintings had extraordinary origins, and the latest one was a work by a master from the early Song Dynasty.
"Eunuch Huang!"
Cui Yuan came in with a happy face.
"You are a rare visitor."
Huang Jin turned around and looked at him, "We are here to interrogate you on orders."
Cui Yuan thought, could it be that His Majesty remembered the reliability of me, the old prince consort, and wanted to reward me with something?
Or... promotion?
Isn’t fame and fortune what most people pursue and work hard for throughout their lives?
Cui Yuan's heart was burning with anger, and he stood with his hands behind his back.
Huang Jin coughed dryly: "I heard that there was a fire in the Prince Consort's Mansion last night?"
"Yes." Cui Yuan thought that this matter was not worth Emperor Jiajing's concern, right?
"It's still the study."
"Yes." Cui Yuan was startled, "It was a servant who accidentally knocked over the candle."
Huang Jin smiled and said, "It's late at night, and the Prince Consort's study is very lively!"
Without waiting for Cui Yuan to react, Huang Jin asked coldly, "Your Majesty, did the fire in the Prince Consort's Mansion fall through last night?"
Your Majesty knows all your excuses.
Cui Yuan's expression changed drastically, "Yes."
He didn't dare to go back on his word, otherwise, based on his understanding of Emperor Jiajing, the matter would be over.
But Cui Yuan was also a little confused. Why would a fire in the study room of the prince consort's mansion cause the emperor to take issue with it?
This person is still pretending to be stupid... Huang Jin couldn't help feeling annoyed when he saw Cui Yuan looked confused and didn't take the initiative to talk about the pillar of light falling from the sky last night.
"Prince Consort Cui, take care of yourself!"
Huang Jin walked away in a huff.
"Hey! Eunuch Huang, Eunuch Huang..."
The butler, who had already prepared gifts, chased after him, but the two eunuchs behind Huang Jin turned around and sneered at him. The butler shuddered and dared not take another step forward.
Watching Huang Jin and the others go away, the housekeeper smiled bitterly, "Prince Consort, how come this... seems like an unexpected disaster!"
Cui Yuan sneered, "Someone must have spread rumors to Your Majesty."
The housekeeper said, "Whose family hasn't had a water accident? The Prince Consort's residence is under surveillance by the palace. Prince Consort, that person must have said that there is something taboo in the Prince Consort's study."
"Whose study doesn't have something taboo?" Cui Yuan was no longer worried. "When someone from the Dai Wang family was plotting a rebellion, there were so many people in the capital city whose study rooms were filled with smoke!"
At that time, there was a general in the Dai Wang faction who colluded with the Mongols and the White Lotus Sect to rebel because his rice salary could not be paid on time. When this matter reached the capital, Emperor Jiajing was furious and ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate whether there was anyone in the capital who was colluding with the Dai Wang faction.
Soon, in the study rooms of many families in the capital, the thick smoke from the burning of letters and account books made people's eyes tear up.
Cui Yuan felt relieved and said, "Prepare breakfast. After breakfast, I will go to the palace to see His Majesty."
……
Diagonally opposite the Prince Consort's Mansion, more than a dozen idle men gathered together to talk about things.
"...Last night I saw a divine light descending from the sky. Oh, God! I was stunned and knelt on the ground and kowtowed."
"Divine light? What does it look like?"
"It's just... at least as big as the Prince Consort's Mansion."
"That's too bad."
"Yeah! That divine light is so scary!"
More than a dozen men gathered on the right side and whispered.
Cui Yuan, who had just entered the door, said, "Where is the divine light? You are so ignorant!"
He had been favored by Emperor Jiajing for many years and had also learned some common sense about Taoism. I didn't think there was anything magical about Taoism, but he pretended to worship Taoism just to flatter Emperor Jiajing.
"Which family is covered by the divine light?" someone asked.
Cui Yuan ordered, "Go find Lu Bing in person later and tell him about this. Lu Bing is a smart man and will speak for me to His Majesty."
"It's the Prince Consort's Mansion!" the man raised his voice a little.
"Yes..." The housekeeper just agreed, but his body froze. Cui Yuan had one foot in the door, and one foot was still outside.
The whole person seemed like a statue, frozen there.
"Are you sure it's the Prince Consort's Mansion?"
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"Prince Consort Cui is a favorite of His Majesty. Aren't you afraid of being punished for spreading rumors and causing trouble like this?" someone sneered and questioned.
The man raised his hand and swore, "Oh right, last night a team of soldiers from the Military Affairs Department also arrived outside the gate of the Prince Consort's Mansion. Just when the divine light dissipated, the Prince Consort's Mansion was flooded. That team of soldiers... you know, that team of soldiers did not go to put out the fire, but... ran away."
"Tsk! This means we have discovered the divine light. Let's report it immediately."
"Yes."
Cui Yuan is old, and it is difficult for him to maintain such a difficult posture.
Thinking of the soldiers from the Bingmasi who had come to the gate of the Prince Consort's Mansion last night, Cui Yuan knew the purpose of Huang Jin's visit.
——Divine light descended from the sky to the Prince Consort’s Mansion.
Prince Consort Cui, what are you doing?
……
"Your Majesty, Prince Consort Cui requests to see you."
Emperor Jiajing was not sleepy.
When he saw Cui Yuan, he put down the Taoist book and looked at him coldly.
"His Majesty!"
Cui Yuan fell to his knees with a thud.
This way of kneeling requires great skill: you must kneel down with your whole body relaxed and let the entire weight of your body fall on your knees to make this kind of movement.
Only in this way can the panic of the kneeling person and his loyalty to the emperor be shown.
"I really don't know what the divine light is." Cui Yuan was willing to swear, "If there really was a divine light last night, I am willing to die in disgrace!"
Emperor Jiajing shook his whisk and said, "The study is a good place."
The mysterious emperor is back again.
You have to guess what he meant by the few words he said.
Even if you guess correctly, you may not win a prize.
If you guess wrong, there must be thunder.
There was the divine light and a fire in the study... There were so many things going on in your Prince Consort's mansion last night.
Cui Yuan stood there in a daze.
He didn't know how to explain it.
You said there was no divine light. Okay, then, how could it be such a coincidence that the study room caught fire?
Could there really be a divine light... Cui Yuan thought about it carefully and felt that he had not made any magical discoveries recently!
"Why?" Emperor Jiajing said calmly, "It's just a coincidence, isn't it?"
Cui Yuan's lips trembled and he slowly lowered his head.
"I am a dying man, and I have absolutely no other intentions. Your Majesty, please understand!"
……
Early in the morning, Dou Jialan grabbed Sun Chonglou and asked, "Where did you go last night?"
Sun Chonglou glanced at the young master who was practicing with the sword.
Fu Cheng coughed dryly, "Don't ask if you shouldn't ask."
Dou Jialan nodded and started practicing.
Sun Chonglou glanced at his master and said, "Master, don't ask."
"When did I ask?"
Fucheng said unhappily.
For Jiang Qingzhi, the only person he could fully trust in this world at this moment was Sun Chonglou.
After the original body was caught for murder, only Sun Chonglou was willing to follow.
If Sun Chonglou had not been there along the way, his original body, who was handsome but extremely weak, would have long become a forbidden delicacy for those exiled prisoners.
Therefore, Jiang Qingzhi, who wanted to use a flashlight last night, did not think twice and just took Sun Chonglou to attack the Prince Consort's Mansion at night.
After the training, Fu Cheng pulled Sun Chonglou aside and said, "It's a good thing that the master trusts you. Remember, from now on, when the master takes you on an expedition alone, you must not tell anyone no matter who asks. Not even me."
"I won't even tell Duoduo." Sun Chonglou said firmly. Seeing Fucheng glaring, he scratched his head, "How about I tie my mouth with a cloth strip when I sleep from now on?"
"Meow!"
Duoduo came out from nowhere and climbed onto Jiang Qingzhi's shoulders.
"time to eat."
There was a shout from the kitchen, and Sun Chonglou ran over excitedly, "Dinner is ready! Dinner is ready!"
"Foodie!"
Jiang Qingzhi smiled.
When Fu Cheng learned what happened in the Prince Consort's Mansion last night, he and Dou Jialan looked at each other in surprise.
"The divine light descends to the world?"
Dou Jialan's beautiful eyebrows were tightly knitted, "How did you do it, Master?"
Fucheng shook his head.
There was more awe in the eyes of the two men as they looked at their master.
"Don't treat me like a god."
Jiang Qingzhi knew very well what they were in fear of.
The two agreed, but Fucheng went into his bedroom next.
The people in the palace are the group that believes in gods the most.
Fu Cheng enshrined the idol in his bedroom.
He knelt down and said devoutly: "I don't ask for anything, as long as my family is safe..."
Dou Jialan, who followed Jiang Qingzhi out of the Lord's House, stopped and looked in the direction of the Jinyiwei, thinking of the experience of being discriminated against in the Jinyiwei.
She had a strange feeling that Lu Bing would regret falling out with Jiang Qingzhi in the future.
Jiang Qingzhi on horseback turned around and asked, "Jia Lan, what are you looking at?"
"Uncle, it's nothing, I just saw a mouse."
Dou Jialan smiled.
"Where's the mouse?"
"When he saw the uncle, he went into the gutter."
……
Fourth update, finished today. To be continued tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
