Chapter 285 Several meanings
"Even if my father is a disciple of the eldest princess, so what? What does this matter have to do with the eldest princess?"
Guo Baokun asked immediately.
Mei Chengan asked back curiously.
"What did your uncle tell you about Zhuang Mohan's plan to ruin Fan Xian's reputation at the banquet? Did he not mention the princess?"
Guo Baokun thought about it and shook his head.
"No, my father only told me that something would happen, and he didn't say anything else. Mei Shao, you mean, it's the eldest princess..."
Mei Chengan nodded.
"That's right. The whole thing was planned by the princess. Uncle is just a participant. Have you seen the flyers scattered all over the city this morning?"
Guo Baokun was stunned for a moment and then nodded.
"Whether Zhuang Mohan and the princess have a private affair or not is not the point for now, but it is true that they have had secret meetings, and more than once.
I have some other information channels, and I know clearly that Zhuang Mohan mysteriously disappeared on the day he first arrived in Beijing.
Shortly after that, news came from Northern Qi that Yan Bingyun had been arrested, causing our Honglu Temple's negotiations to come to a standstill.
Comparing it with the information on the flyer, everything seemed to fit in. Zhuang Mohan's disappearance that time should have been because he went to meet the eldest princess in secret.
If I'm not mistaken, the role played by Shibo in this was to be the middleman who secretly sent Zhuang Mohan into the palace.
Don't ask in a hurry, just listen to me patiently. The flyer incident has caused a lot of controversy, and the content on it is horrifying.
So His Majesty will definitely order the Censorate to verify the truth of this matter. Do you understand this? Very good, then I will continue.
Well, since we want to verify this matter, we must investigate the connection between the eldest princess and Zhuang Mohan, and check whether they have had any contact.
I don't know how they checked specifically, but the general idea is not difficult to guess. It was nothing more than checking who Zhuang Mohan had seen before he disappeared.
The reason why Shibo was arrested was actually because he acted as a middleman and the Supervisory Commission found traces of him. "
Guo Baokun couldn't help it.
"Even if it's true that the princess betrayed the country, why did they arrest my father? It was the princess who sold it, what does it have to do with my father?"
"My father was just a middleman who sent people to the palace. He was not involved in the betrayal of the country. Why did he come to this?"
"You, you mean to say that my father was also involved in the betrayal of the country?"
Mei Chengan shook his head.
"If my uncle was really involved, they wouldn't just arrest him. Collaborating with the enemy and treason is a crime that will lead to the extermination of the entire family!"
"That…"
Guo Baokun was about to say something when he was interrupted by Mei Chengan, who stretched out his hand and pressed it down.
"Mr. Guo, please be patient. I will explain it to you later. My throat is a little dry. Please let me have some tea first."
After saying that, Mei Cheng'an glanced at Wang Qinian and knocked on the table in front of the teacup to signal him to pour tea.
Guo Baokun was anxious to hear what was happening, so he snatched the teapot from Wang Qinian's hand and poured tea for Mei Cheng'an.
"I'll come, I'll come."
Mei Cheng'an smiled and said nothing when he saw this. After he finished pouring the tea, he picked up the cup and took a sip to moisten his throat before speaking.
"If he was just a middleman, he wouldn't have committed such a crime. But when he was a middleman, he exposed that my uncle was the eldest princess' man."
Guo Baokun didn't understand.
"She is... the eldest princess, so what?"
Mei Chengan shook his head helplessly.
"Who is the Princess? She is from the harem! According to the iron law of Qing Kingdom, the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs!"
"She is a woman in the harem, but she actually accepted a second-rank official as her disciple. What is this called? This is called forming a clique for personal gain!"
"This is the real reason why the uncle was arrested! He and the princess violated His Majesty's taboo! Do you understand?"
Guo Baokun opened his mouth wide, speechless.
He could never have imagined that his father's arrest had nothing to do with Fan Xian or treason, but was due to such a reason.
The key is that he can't refute this reason! He can find a way to save anyone who has offended him, but offending His Majesty...
Thinking of this, Guo Baokun felt a sense of powerlessness. The feeling of powerlessness spread throughout his body, causing him to become depressed.
"This, this is what to do!"
Mei Chengan spoke to comfort her.
"Don't worry, things haven't reached the end of their rope yet."
Guo Baokun immediately became excited when he heard this.
"Master Mei, do you have a way to save my father?"
Mei Chengan paused and shook his head.
"No! At this juncture, I have the will but not the strength. Don't be disappointed. Listen to me."
"What you must understand right now is that the main person His Majesty wants to hold accountable is not Uncle, but the Princess. Uncle is just a bystander, which leaves Uncle with a lot of room for maneuver!"
"Given your status and position, it will take time to judge and interrogate your crimes. As for torturing them, they would not dare to do so. So for the time being, you don't have to worry about your safety."
"The only thing you have to do now is to not act rashly before the princess's matter is settled. Jumping up and down and asking for help everywhere, avoid this period of limelight first, you know what I mean."
Guo Baokun nodded, not quite understanding.
Mei Cheng'an saw that he didn't understand, so he could only break it down and explain it to him.
"You see, His Majesty's attention is now on the Princess, so he has no time to deal with the matter of Uncle. He has only been stripped of his position and imprisoned, but has not issued an order for severe punishment.
But if you jump around too much and make too much noise, forcibly attracting His Majesty's attention, making him annoyed and disgusted, and ordering him to be punished, then he will be really finished.
It is even possible that even if it has nothing to do with you, they may remove you from your position and throw you into jail in a fit of rage.
So the more you dance now, the worse the situation will be for you and your uncle. Do you understand now?"
This time Guo Baokun really understood and nodded solemnly.
"I understand, Mr. Mei!"
Mei Cheng'an hummed, took a sip of tea, thought for a while, and asked.
"Did your uncle tell you anything before he left?"
Guo Baokun recalled for a moment, remembering his father's good intentions when he parted with him, and he whispered with red eyes.
"My father said he wanted to sever the father-son relationship with me and asked me to write memorials to attack him and insult him, saying that only in this way could I be protected from being implicated." Mei Cheng'an asked.
"Do you want to do that?"
Guo Baokun said without even thinking.
"Of course not! How could I be so disloyal and unfilial just to protect myself?"
Mei Chengan nodded and put down the teacup.
"If you don't want to, then don't do it. It's useless. I told you just now that you'd better keep a low profile during this period of time."
"Don't worry about saving Uncle Shishi. Don't worry, I won't abandon you. I will work with you to find a solution when the time comes."
Guo Baokun showed gratitude in his eyes and nodded heavily.
Only when you see the fickleness of human nature can you understand the warmth and coldness of human nature. His father had just been arrested, and everyone was avoiding him at this time.
Only Mei Chengan was willing to come to his house at this critical juncture, to comfort him in various ways, to answer his questions and help him sort out his thoughts.
This really moved him deeply, and he even felt that the haze that had been hanging over his head had been mostly dispelled.
The more he thought about it, the more grateful he felt. He stood up, took a step back, and bowed solemnly to Mei Cheng'an.
"Thank you, Mr. Mei!"
Mei Cheng'an quickly stood up and went forward to help him up and said seriously.
"We are friends. Remember, the last thing friends need to say is thank you. Could it be that Mr. Guo doesn't consider me a friend?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Baokun waved his hands hurriedly.
"No, no, of course not, I just..."
Mei Chengan smiled and patted his arm.
"No need to explain, I understand. I must remember it in the future."
Guo Baokun nodded repeatedly.
"Remember, remember."
After the two of them sat down again, Mei Cheng'an glanced around the study room unintentionally and suddenly thought of a question.
"By the way, Mr. Guo, is this courtyard of yours an official residence bestowed by His Majesty or is it your own private property? Do you have a title deed?"
Guo Baokun was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and subconsciously looked around before speaking.
"I really don't know about this. Anyway, I have lived here since I can remember. Why did Master Mei suddenly ask this?"
Mei Chengan waved his hand.
"Nothing, just curious, just asking casually."
Guo Baokun said "oh" and didn't think much about it.
Mei Cheng'an sat for a while and then stood up to say goodbye. Guo Baokun saw him off all the way to the gate.
"Okay, just send it here, Mr. Guo."
Guo Baokun stopped and looked at him.
"I'll take you to the carriage."
"No need to be so polite, you are not a stranger."
After hearing this, Guo Baokun no longer insisted.
Before going down the stairs, Mei Cheng'an thought for a moment and reminded him again.
"Mr. Guo, something unexpected has happened in the mansion, and people are worried. You have to find a way to calm them down and avoid chaos."
It's not that he likes to talk too much, it's just that this little brother is a little naive, which really makes him a little worried, so he can't help but want to give him a few more words of advice.
Guo Baokun had never thought about this before, and nodded when he heard it.
"I understand. Don't worry, Master Mei. My father is not here, so I will definitely protect the house. If anyone dares to jump, I will break his legs!"
The words he said have a bit of the temperament of the evil young man from before.
Mei Chengan laughed out loud and gave him a thumbs up.
"Domineering! Okay, you go back, I'm leaving."
After saying that, he turned and walked down the stairs.
Of course Guo Baokun did not leave. He watched Mei Chengan get on the carriage and then waved at him through the window.
"Mr. Mei, take care."
Mei Cheng'an smiled and waved at him, then knocked on the wall behind him.
"Let's go, Lao Wang."
"drive!"
Guo Baokun watched the carriage disappear from his sight before turning around and returning home.
"Butler! Gather everyone in the house. I have something to say!"
"Yes!"
……
As soon as Mei Cheng'an returned to his own courtyard, he found Fan Xian already sitting on the porch with his legs crossed, waiting for him.
"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Seeing that he didn't stand up, Fan Xian opened his mouth to ask.
Mei Cheng'an ignored him and walked forward with Wang Qinian, looking down at the tea, snacks and other refreshments on the tea table beside him.
"Sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes?"
Mei Chengan shouted inside a few times.
Fan Xian spoke out.
"Don't shout. He's not here right now. He just left to hang out the clothes. Didn't you hear me asking you a question? What does it mean to ignore me?"
……
Serious writer's block, the second chapter will be later
(End of this chapter)
