Chapter 542: The Heart of Tao is Subtle, the Heart of Man is Dangerous
Chapter 542: The Heart of Tao is Subtle, the Heart of Man is Dangerous
As evening approaches and the sun sets,
The lazy sunshine poured down, taking away much of the heat from Yingtian City.
On the streets, pedestrians walked hurriedly and vendors were busy packing up their stalls.
The workers who got off work brought the food they bought and looked forward to going home to reunite with their families.
At this moment, the entire Yingtian City suddenly became busy.
Zhuque Street is more lively here than in the morning and afternoon.
Some carriages that were originally parked in various courtyards started up, ready to leave this extremely luxurious place.
As the most luxurious place on Zhuque Street, Miaoyinfang is naturally very busy.
One by one, the noble ladies boarded the carriage and slowly left.
On Luoye Street, adjacent to Zhuque Street, there is an arrow platform belonging to the Governor's Office.
Two figures stood side by side, holding a magnifying glass, carefully looking at Suzaku Street not far away.
"You mean, Feng Tiemu and Hua Jieyu both came to Miaoyinfang today?"
A clear and low voice rang out from the arrow tower.
Soon, another slightly solemn voice responded:
"Feng Tiemu came here at 2:15 in the morning, and Hua Jieyu came at 1:15 in the afternoon, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
Moreover, their movements were surprisingly consistent, and the places they went to were all businesses and shops.
In addition to Miaoyin Pavilion, there are four other similar shops.
Judging from the time, they stayed in there for a very short time, probably no more than a cup of tea.
And they stayed in Miaoyinfang for at least half an hour."
"Do you suspect that Miaoyinfang is a base of the Jinyiwei?" a very young and cold voice asked doubtfully.
“It should be an extremely important stronghold.
The importance of Feng Tiemu, who was able to lurk in the Marquis of Ji'an Mansion for more than ten years, is self-evident.
Hua Jieyu may not be that important in Yuezhou, but she is crucial now.”
After the voice fell, the arrow tower fell into silence.
As for why it became important, both of them present knew it very well.
The breeze blows gently,
Because the arrow tower is high enough, the wind here is stronger, and the corners of their clothes flutter in the wind.
Lu Yunyi held the telescope in his hand, with his hands behind his back.
He looked quietly at Zhuque Street, his face thoughtful, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.
The person standing aside was naturally Liu Heiying!
At this moment, his face was dark, his murderous look was not concealed at all, and his momentum was terrifying, as if he wanted to kill someone.
After a long while, Lu Yunyi slowly spoke:
“It’s easy for us to guess Marquis Ji’an’s intentions. He wants to either win you over or divide you and me.
Today I received accurate information from the Governor's Office.
It was the military officers who proposed to have the Beijing troops compete with the local soldiers, with the purpose of making you show yourself.
Giving you that knife is like showing off my talent in advance."
Liu Heiying nodded solemnly:
“News spreads extremely fast today.
I sent my army comrades to Beijing to buy and gather information.
I found that even some unrelated people were discussing what happened yesterday.
In the afternoon, it was even more exaggerated, with people saying ridiculous things like beauty is a perfect match for a hero.
Furthermore, storytellers in some taverns and teahouses also talked about this matter extensively without any reservation.
There must be someone behind this, and the means are more covert than those in the past few days.
What Yu Qilun did pales in comparison."
Lu Yunyi looked surprised and looked at him sideways:
"Have you started investigating?"
“It’s just a preliminary understanding, I didn’t dare to explore it in depth.
But from inquiries at 21 locations in Yingtian City, we learned that
The news seemed to break out uniformly in the morning, with no obvious path for transmission.”
"Don't check it. We have some suspicions, so this is the truth."
Lu Yunyi's eyes were fixed on the departing carriages, his eyes were deep, and he said calmly,
"In contrast, what is the purpose of the Royal Guards? This is more worthy of our exploration."
"After Deng Ming left Jinyiwei, the people of Jinyiwei seemed to have no grudge against us."
A trace of doubt flashed across Liu Heiying's eyes.
He was also somewhat confused about the Jinyiwei's intentions.
If the Miaoyinfang in front of us is the base of the Jinyiwei,
It's not surprising that the two of them are here.
Maybe they are here to report the achievements of the past period, or maybe they are here to listen to the next tasks.
But they came here one after the other.
Moreover, it was at a critical juncture when the Marquis of Ji'an's mansion had just made a move and Hua Jieyu came to his side again.
There must be something fishy in it!
Lu Yunyi on the side slowly shook his head:
"No, no. Judging from our experiences during this period, Deng Ming is the one who has no grudge against us.
Otherwise, why would he give me the list and information through Deng Lingyun?
Judging from his current attitude, it seems that he really intends to entrust Deng Lingyun to us.
In this case, he should be the person who least wants anything to happen to us.
The one who has a grudge against us should be Mao Xiang.
This is not a personal vendetta, it's just a difference of stance.
As military generals and court officials, we are naturally opposed to the Jinyiwei.
Especially the incident of Jiang Li and the divine punishment happened.
These two things were written on the first note Deng Lingyun gave me. Perhaps this was Deng Ming’s reminder.
Since Deng Ming noticed it, Mao Xiang couldn't just turn a blind eye and might be investigating it too."
Liu Heiying folded his arms across his chest and opened his legs slightly.
The whole person stood upright like a knife blade, and his sharp aura soared into the sky.
There was a dangerous light in his eyes, and he nodded slightly:
“Brother Yun’er, you are right, the one who has a grudge against us is not Deng Ming, but the Jinyiwei.
In this case, if these two people meet here, they have to think of the worst.
Perhaps he wants to use the Marquis of Jian's solicitation to test our positions?"
Lu Yunyi raised his eyebrows, and his sharp features softened instantly.
The corner of his mouth curled up a smile and nodded gently:
“It’s possible.
The way of being a minister is to be loyal first. If the minister is loyal, the king will be at peace.
To the imperial court, if loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyalty.
If you and I are swayed by Marquis Ji'an's enticement,
When the time comes for reckoning, I'm afraid we'll both suffer together."
For some reason, Liu Heiying suddenly laughed when he heard this, his face full of helplessness:
“It’s really boring to keep trying.
Confucius once said, "The human heart is more dangerous than mountains and rivers, and more difficult to understand than the sky!"
How can the human heart be tested?
Lu Yunyi showed some helplessness on his face:
"That's what Zhuangzi said."
"Oh, it's all the same. If we allow Mao Xiang to test us repeatedly like this, will there be any good people left in the court?
Your Majesty is really not caring about it."
Liu Heiying also showed helplessness on his face, thinking that the Jinyiwei were going too far.
It was not until this moment that Lu Yunyi realized more deeply that
Why did Usar Khan say "The Emperor Ming is old".
Lu Yunyi believed that if the emperor in the palace was twenty years younger, he would employ all ministers, whether loyal or treacherous.
After the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, those officials entered the court to serve as officials.
Not only the imperial court, but the entire world was filled with rebels, but the palace was never afraid.
Now the emperor is old, and when people get old they become afraid of things.
Because he had a long-term vision and always wanted to eliminate hidden dangers in the present moment, this gave Mao Xiang an opportunity.
Lu Yunyi put away his thoughts, his voice was somewhat hollow:
"It has already happened. There is no point in talking about it. We can only face it. What are you going to do?"
The anger on Liu Heiying's face instantly dissipated, and he became calm instead. His eyes narrowed into slits, revealing a cold chill:
"Brother Yun'er, how about we take advantage of their trick?"
"tell me the story."
"Whether it's the Ji'an Marquisate who wants to win me over,
If you want to alienate our relationship, you have to give some benefits or pay some price.
You can't expect me to work for him without any evidence.
I guess Feng Temu might mention this matter the next time he comes to the palace.
How about we just pretend to be friendly but be at odds with each other?"
"The Imperial Guards are still watching us. How can we clear up the misunderstandings in the palace?"
"That's easy. Just tell the general or the prince directly." Liu Heiying waved his hand and said nonchalantly. Lu Yunyi frowned slightly and weighed the options carefully in his mind.
After a while, he shook his head violently:
"No. A gentleman judges by deeds, not by heart. What you say is not important; what matters is what you do.
If you want to pretend to be nice and appear to be in agreement but actually be different, you must take action.
At that time, it may happen that the speaker is unintentional but the listener is intentional.
People are complicated. If something big happens in the future,
If we are involved again, it will be dangerous."
Liu Heiying was stunned, his face showing a gloomy expression.
He came closer and whispered:
“Brother Yun’er’s northern expedition is about to begin, and those who hold military power will go to the grassland.
After a few days, many nobles in the capital will also go to various places to train troops.
By then, the entire Yingtian will be under the firm control of the palace.
What else could happen? Will there be random killings in the palace?"
"When do you think the storm will break out?" Lu Yunyi did not answer, but asked back.
"At the beginning of next year, the imperial court and these rebels will surely face off!" Liu Heiying said firmly.
But then he reached out and scratched his head.
“But I always feel that this matter has no impact on us at all.
Brother Yun'er, are you worrying too much?"
Lu Yunyi was a little confused about this question and didn't know how to answer it.
You can't tell him that next year's case will be just a minor one.
Lu Yunyi's face was solemn, and he said softly:
"When I left Beijing last year, I took some medical and agricultural books with me.
I've seen it on the way there and back.
After meeting His Majesty, I found that His Majesty has large and thick earlobes, long and drooping eyebrows, and rosy lips, which are typical signs of longevity.
Everyone thinks he’s old, but he may live longer than we think.”
"Ah? Isn't this a good thing?" Liu Heiying was stunned.
Lu Yunyi sighed: "We are officials now, not ordinary people.
If we were still in Gyeongju, being a minor official or an ordinary citizen would naturally be a good thing.
But now we are in the capital, we are high-ranking officials of the Beijing Xingdusi, and we are members of the prince's party.
Once there is a storm, we will be the first to be affected.
Historically, the longer the emperor reigns, the longer his policies can be carried out, and the more prosperous the country will be.
But this is only for the common people.
But for officials, it was a disaster.
Emperor Wu of Han was involved in the witchcraft scandal, Emperor Wen of Sui executed his ministers, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang returned to Chang'an, Emperor Shengzong of Liao promoted sinicization, and Emperor Shizu of Yuan established the provincial system.
Everyone here has killed a lot of people.
Do you think that His Majesty in the palace is worse than them?"
Liu Heiying suddenly felt his throat itchy and his lips dry.
He knew in his heart that His Majesty was definitely not bad.
Moreover, they have already done this many times, killing people to the point that everyone is in danger.
The Hu Weiyong case, the Kongyin case, and the Guo Huan case are all examples.
Especially in the case of the empty seal, at least 70,000 to 80,000 officials and their families were killed.
This matter is still rumored in Beijing.
"Brother Yun'er, please stop talking. I'm a little scared."
“There’s no point being afraid, you’ll have to face it eventually.
No matter what happens in the future, prepare for the worst.
So you must never do things that you shouldn’t do.
Especially the superfluous things like pretending to be friendly and being at odds with each other. "
"Then why not just refuse directly?" Liu Heiying asked tentatively.
"Wait a few more days, after all, this just happened.
We must also take this opportunity to see what Jinyiwei is trying to do."
As he spoke, Lu Yunyi raised his eyebrows towards Liu Heiying.
"And see what your confidante is planning."
Liu Heiying scratched his head, his face looked a little strange:
"She said she wanted to give birth to my child."
"Do you think this is true or false?" Lu Yunyi was also a little surprised.
"It should be true"
“Well, that’s it, just investigate secretly and don’t take the initiative to investigate further.
The few controllable opposition groups we have will continue to provide us with intelligence, so we can’t waste it.”
“I understand, Brother Yun’er.
Then let's go back first. Hua Jieyu just arrived in Beijing today.
I went to the Jinyiwei base again, maybe I got some mission.
I'll go back and look carefully to see if I can find any clues."
"Well, be careful, the situation is clear now.
The root of everything is that we know there are Jinyiwei around us and we know who they are.
If we don't know Hua Jieyu's identity,
Everything today is as it should be, and we can't find any clues.
So cherish this advantage.”
"I understand, Brother Yun'er, I'll go back first."
"Let's go back. By the way, the good farmland is already on the market.
Maybe Xinchen Commercial Bank will go to the palace for renovation in the next two days, so send someone to keep an eye on it to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Liu Heiying was stunned, then nodded and responded again:
"I see."
Then he turned over and walked down the arrow tower, his footsteps pattering on the wooden stairs.
It made a thumping sound and moved at a very fast speed.
Lu Yunyi did not leave, but stood on the arrow tower with his hands behind his back, looking at the towering imperial city in the distance.
His hair danced in the wind, and he exuded an elegant and refined temperament.
Soon, Feng Yunfang hurried upstairs and said softly:
"Sir, the brothers have come to report that Lord Deng has gone to where Miss Deng lives."
"Ok?"
Lu Yunyi's eyes narrowed instantly.
A sense of absurdity surged in my heart for no reason, and I muttered to myself:
"What a coincidence?"
He turned his head to look at Miaoyinfang in the distance, then looked in the direction of Main Street, his face showing a thoughtful look.
"Go and have a look."
Liu Mansion, No. 4 Zhangde Street, Dagongfang,
Hua Jieyu, who had returned early, was cleaning the house with a group of maids.
Clean up some dust after renovation.
Although her legs and feet were weak, she was still busy moving back and forth with a feather duster, her movements very neatly.
The maids around were also very capable and cleaned very quickly.
Some furnishings were also rearranged to make the mansion look neater and more orderly.
At this moment, Hua Jieyu was holding a feather duster.
She swept back and forth on a Buddha statue, and the dust that was raised made her squint her eyes.
At this time, the guard on duty at the door came running over and said in a hurried voice:
"Boss, the steward of the Marquis of Ji'an Mansion has come and said he wants to send something to the general.
Look, there are several large trucks, and they said they had agreed on it the day before yesterday."
"Marquis' Mansion?" Hua Jieyu turned around, a look of surprise on her face.
Although she was considered wealthy and powerful in Yuezhou, she was still far behind many military officers in the capital.
Now the Marquis's Mansion actually came to send something, which made Hua Jieyu realize that
What a big "treasure" I picked up!
She turned around and ordered:
"Don't accept the gift yet, wait until the general comes back before making a decision.
Please invite the steward in again, and I will explain it to him, so as to avoid any misunderstanding."
"Yes!"
(End of this chapter)