Chapter 666: The Emperor is Wise
Du Hanping glanced at everyone, looking for the new counselor.
Gu Mengzhen informed.
"Don't look for Lord Du, he has asked for leave for something and is not in the palace."
Feeling that something was fishy, Du Hanping was skeptical.
"May I ask your Majesty, who is this new counselor?"
There was a hint of pride in Gu Mengzhen's dragon eyes.
"He was originally under the command of King Li, but because he did not get along with him, he surrendered to me."
Du Hanping was shocked and quickly spoke up to remind him.
"Your Highness Prince Li is very cunning. Your Majesty, beware. This man is pretending to surrender."
Gu Mengzhen was confident, as if he was holding a contract.
"If there had not been any misunderstanding last year, given his family background, he should have followed me and devoted himself to Prince Li. I had no choice."
"Lord Du, there is no need to doubt him."
Du Hanping responded reluctantly.
"The minister obeys the order."
She kept on giving advice.
"Your Majesty is planning great things, so the more people with strategies, the better."
"Your Majesty, please think twice about what I have advised you to do regarding Lord Su's matter."
Seeing her persistence, Gu Mengzhen was slightly shaken.
"Lord Du, what you said makes sense."
"Since Lord Su has followed me for many years and has never given up, I will give him a chance to defend himself."
"Someone, come and see Su Ding."
The rest of the ministers submitted their reports one after another, expressing their own opinions.
During this period, Su Ding was summoned.
After the ceremony, he took his seat and listened attentively to the emperor's questions, answering them meticulously.
"Reporting to the emperor, I have always held the same opinion. Feng Zhengtai made a mistake. The imperial physician, Master Lin, was in control of the situation and he will definitely not be able to get rid of the suspicion."
Gu Mengzhen's words are concise and to the point.
"I have already made my promise and am willing to trust you."
Su Ding did not get entangled in the matter. Since he could not defeat Lin Mu, he changed his thinking and saved himself.
"There is no rush to deal with Lord Xiaolin. I will not give you much advice. Your Majesty just needs to be on guard a little."
"I have reported to the emperor some time ago that mutual favoritism is rampant in the Tongshitai. The failure of Qianyan Snow Mountain's plan and the support of the two masters An and Xu are very suspicious."
"In Fengzhengtai's plan, the positions of Tongshitai were kept out of the matter, and we pushed the people of Mishutai to charge into battle, making full use of them, and then took the opportunity to accuse them of crimes."
"The reason why I am in trouble today must be because the two Lords An and Xu obeyed the orders of Emperor Yue and used the strategy of Feng Zhengtai to help the enemy, eliminate dissidents and win over good ministers."
"If Your Majesty allows us to do what we want, we will surely lose. Please make a wise decision."
Du Hanping cooperated well and signaled all subordinates with her eyes.
Everyone agreed.
"I only ask the Holy One to make a clear judgment."
Upon hearing that the criticism was directed at Tongshitai, An Pengyi hurriedly refuted it.
"Your Majesty, I do not agree with what Lord Su said."
"As everyone knows, the Sixth Princess openly changed her name to follow King Di Jin; Qianyan Snow Mountain was also the Sixth Princess's delaying tactic to let King Di Jin go."
"The Sixth Princess, works at the Secret Service, and is the granddaughter of Lord Su."
"Both of these are closely related to the Secret Service."
"Your Majesty, please take a look. We, the people of the Tongshitai, have been wronged."
The other high-ranking officials on the Tongshitai said in unison.
"Your Majesty, please observe."
After forty years of conspiracy and cooperation and the relationship between Yi and his subjects, Gu Mengzhen realized after a little probing that Su Ding was not as good as Yi Zhi.
The doubt in Long's eyes gradually dissipated, and he spoke calmly with a peaceful expression.
"Please be patient, everyone."
"The enemy has not yet started to attack, but our friends have started to quarrel first. This is really not advisable."
The ministers responded.
"Wei Chen is guilty."
Gu Mengzhen was calm and did not show his emotions.
"When I spoke, I was thinking."
"What Lord Du said is not without reason. Lord Su is sincere and has no second thoughts."
"What Lord Su said is reasonable. Those who charge into battle are good ministers, and flatterers must be kept out."
"Your Highness An's words are well-founded. There is no doubt that both of these incidents are closely related to Gu Yihe."
"Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that Feng Zhengtai has failed, and the plot to remove Emperor Yue was the work of Gu Yihe, who was trying to undermine our power."
"My lords, please don't fall for her tricks."
Su Ding remained silent, and the others responded.
"The Emperor's Holy Might."
At this time, Xu Mingqian arrived, reported his visit, walked into the main hall, and took his seat after the ceremony.
Gu Mengzhen instructed An Pengyi to relay their discussion to Xu Mingqian.
Xu Mingqian listened attentively and finally came to the same conclusion.
"The Emperor's Holy Might."
Gu Mengzhen smiled back, then turned his gaze to Su Ding.
"Did Lord Su find out whether Gu Yihe really changed his mind or was just lying in wait?"
Su Ding answered respectfully.
"Your Majesty, I was summoned to the palace before I could investigate."
"But please be at ease, Your Majesty. I will leave the palace later. I will find out his intentions as soon as possible and report to the emperor."
Gu Mengzhen nodded slightly, acted magnanimous, and gave instructions in a soft voice.
"If he really has ulterior motives, Lord Su, please do not be hasty in scolding him. Instead, you should patiently advise him first."
"I feel compassion for her, not because I cherish her talent, nor because I care about the father-daughter relationship, but because I care about the feelings of Su Aiqing and his family."
"Do you understand?"
Since he was so reasonable, Su Ding couldn't say anything to Lin Mu anymore. He could only take a step back and obey and thank him.
"I understand. Thank you very much, Your Majesty, for your grace."
At dusk, the sky is filled with rosy clouds, leaving a hint of golden afterglow.
Lan Tong returned to Bingqing Garden, went to a room in the back hall, and knocked on the door three times.
"Sister Zhi?"
Tong Zhenzhi walked quickly to the door, opened it happily, and welcomed her in to sit down.
"Sister Tong, why are you here?"
"I heard from my second brother that you were summoned by Princess Yuexi, and then taken away by Lord Ning. Prince Dijin sent someone to deliver the silver required for the breach of the contract, so you will live in Ning Mansion from now on, and you probably won't come back."
"Is this true?"
Lan Tong nodded shyly.
"Yes, it is true."
"Wang Lang and I fell in love at first sight."
Tong Zhenzhi raised his eyebrows and repeated jokingly.
"Wang Lang..."
The blue pupils flicked the silk, with a hint of anger.
"I heard that you were returning to Beijing to take part in the imperial examination, so I came back to see you, but you teased and mocked me."
"Hmph, when you get married, be careful that I will tease you too."
Tong Zhenzhi was very proud.
"When I get married, Sister Tong, don't dare to joke with me. Have you forgotten that I told you that I would marry King Di Jin?"
The introduction went smoothly and Lan Tong used his trick without leaving any trace.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten it."
"By the way, you said you were going to plot against King Dijin and alienate him from Princess Yuexi. How's that going? Was it successful?"
Tong Zhenzhi's expression was lonely and distressed.
"How can it be so fast? The action hasn't even started yet."
Lan Tong pretended to be confused.
"Why are you taking so long?"
Tong Zhenzhi believed it and did not hide it.
"Prince Dijin is a blockhead. In his eyes and heart, he only cares about Princess Yuexi. I asked to see her several times, but was always turned away."
"Today, just after his birthday, he agreed to recommend me for the imperial examination, so I was able to get close to him. Now I am looking for an opportunity to use something to arouse my feelings."
"However, the prince is proficient in medicine. I am helpless and don't know how to start."
"It just so happens that you are here."
"Sister Tong, you are undoubtedly the smartest person in our garden. Please help me come up with a clever plan and help me succeed."
Lan Tong smiled indulgently and gently hooked the tip of her nose.
"You are so sweet."
"I am just a commoner, how dare I plot against King Di Jin? You are not allowed to harm me."
Tong Zhenzhi is acting coquettishly and naughtily.
"Good sister, I beg you."
"If you don't help me, I will leave without thinking, and Princess Yuexi will see through me and blame me completely. Then, you will lose your best friend and regret it forever."