Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 353

Chapter 353 A Big Shuffle

Before Yao’er could finish her scream, a hurried sound came from the edge of the window. Yao’er, who had a keen sense of hearing, immediately felt a chill run down her spine. Her hair stood upright. This voice clearly carried a strong hostility and murderous intent!

It was also because she was in a hurry that Yao’er knocked over the pot of chicken soup and shouted, “Ah!!”

The banging sound and Yao’er’s exclamation clearly frightened the people outside the window, and they immediately heard his fleeing voice. At this time, a male servant and two maids, who were cleaning the bathtub next door, hurriedly rushed over to ask Miss Yao’er if there was anything she wanted?

Yao’er’s face had already turned deathly pale from fear, but she could not say anything more to her servants. She only inferred that she had accidentally knocked over the chicken soup and shouted out in fear. The servants and maids were ashamed to admit their mistake and said that they shouldn’t leave Yao’er alone in the kitchen. They quickly tidied up.

At this time, Shuang’er came back and laughed happily, “Yao’er, Third Brother and Princess are back. Alright now, we can put our hearts back … Eh, what’s wrong with you? Your expression is so bad?”

“Nothing … I accidentally knocked over the chicken soup just now and was scared.” Yao’er Qiangyan smiled and said, “Where’s Third Brother? I want to see him.”

“Let’s go, I came here to call you. Third Brother is already in the front hall, greeting mother together with the princess!”

The two women went to the front hall together, and when their families gathered, they naturally celebrated. However, Yao’er was still somewhat uneasy. Seeing everyone drinking tea, she was very worried, afraid that it would be poisoned as well. Thus, he simply told the story in public.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this. Qin Mubai frowned and said, “Looks like someone wanted to harm me and sneak into the manor to poison me.” Mother, from today onwards, the manor will be on high alert. Any food utensils, including well water, must be strictly tested for poison. In addition, Gaoyang, I want the Baiji Guards to be deployed to protect my family. During this period of time, no one should go out and be left alone. Yao’er, don’t go to the Qin Immortal Pavilion for the time being. Stay at home and be safe. ”

The short moment of joy was instantly swept away, and everyone’s hearts tensed up. Princess Gao Yang nodded her head and said, “I’ll listen to you. Only by sending the guards over to protect the family can you feel at ease. But, who would want to harm us? I can’t defend against him from the sun and night like this!”

“I don’t know.” Qin Mubai knitted his brows and shook his head. “Crown Prince, everyone in Li Yuanchang’s group wants me dead. Besides, I have killed many people and offended many others in the past few years. There are not a few who want to kill me. Now at this storm, be more vigilant!”

“Alright” Everyone was speechless and could only agree.

After a while, Qin Mubai personally scanned the mansion and found a string of footprints behind the kitchen. There were also traces of men flipping through the window. Footprints lead from here to the rear mansion polo court, climbing over the wall. Judging from the footprints, it should be a man, not short and very skilled, he should be a master. There was only one set of footprints in the manor, but it was not ruled out that someone was outside to help out as an accomplice.

The family carefully inspected the well water, food, and anything that could be contaminated, but fortunately, they did not find anything else. During dinner, they carefully examined the poison with silver needles and were all worried.

After dinner, Qin Mubai rode his horse and personally went to the imperial palace. He called out the guards left behind by Princess Gao Yang in the Immortal Palace Hall. All thirty hundred cavalry were assigned to the Old Qin Clan in turn, and they were on guard day and night on three shifts.

Although Qin Mubai was very confident in Baiji, such tense vigilance day and night was like white terror. The tranquility and tranquillity of the past were gone, and everyone’s hearts were clouded with a layer of gloomy clouds. Qin Mubai was not annoyed, he secretly thought of a way to catch the mastermind hidden behind the scenes and get rid of his roots.

Mother Qin and Shuang’er both said that they should just report it to the officials. Qin Mubai laughed and said that I was an official, so what else could I report to the officials? In the ten thousand years of the capital, can the two county governments of Chang’an do more than me and Baiji?

Just like that, the Qin Family clan spent nearly half a month in fear. Fortunately, they were safe and sound. As a result, everyone gradually relaxed. The shadow of this matter gradually faded away, and the Qin Family resumed some normal lives.

During the past half month, Qin Mubai intentionally stayed at home without leaving the house, but he kept a close eye on any disturbance in the court hall.

As he had expected, the emperor was still sick. Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang turned into Zuo Fu and Youbi, assisting the young Li Zhi Jian of King Jin in managing the country and doing a series of things that could affect the entire history of China.

First, the three divisions will examine the case of Crown Prince Li Chengqian’s conspiracy to rebel. In the end, the Crown Prince came up with a motion. He admitted that he had the intention to rebel, but fortunately, he repented in time and put things in order. He did not die for his crimes and meritorious deeds. Thus, the Crown Prince was exiled to Lingnan as a commoner. No imperial summons, no entrance. Today, the Crown Prince’s family moved out of the Eastern Palace and was escorted to serve their sentence in Lingnan by a special escort from the Imperial Palace.

Secondly, during the investigation of the Crown Prince’s conspiracy to commit chaos, Changsun Wuji and the others went all out to chase after him, wipe out the Crown Prince’s accomplices and eradicate the dissidents. In the court, there were no less than fifteen Fifth Grade and above “dismount”. The lightest punishment was to demote the officials and release them. A heavier thorough investigation would be demoted to never employing commoners. The most tragic thing was the beheading of a broken family.

Two of them caught Qin Mubai’s attention. One was, of course, Fang Xuanling, who was still seriously ill. It was said that Fang Xuanling was still sleeping with the Emperor, and no one knew how his illness was. Naturally, no one dared to run in and do anything to Fang Xuanling. As a result, Fang Xuanling, who was supposed to rise and fall with the Crown Prince, was temporarily safe and sound.

The other person was Hou Junji, who had met with Qin Mubai occasionally, but was considered to be a Minister of the Ministry of Officials and one of the big shots in the military. Hou Junji followed Li Shimin before and after the founding of the Great Tang. He was definitely an expert in marching to war. Charging into the front lines, leading the way. He was a rare genius of the Middle Ages in the Great Tang. Earlier, when Qin Mubai helped his father fight against the Tibetans in Lanzhou and recovered Dafeichuan, Hou Junji had defeated the Tibetan army in Songzhou, Nishichuan, Sword South. The two military forces each won a huge victory at the same time, beating the Tibetans to ashes. And at that time, Hou Junji’s triumphant voice sounded first. Because he had followed the emperor for a long time and was exceptionally active after the emperor ascended the throne, he was even more famous than the Qin father and son in the army and court. He was now widely acknowledged as the most stubborn person in the military after Li Jing, Li Xu, and the others.

It was precisely this kind of person who had been purged in the Crown Prince’s rebellion. Actually, Hou Junji had a close relationship with Donggong, and he had always been a staunch Crown Prince Party, which was well known to everyone. Qin Mubai didn’t know if he had participated in this rebellion. But according to what Eldest Sun Wuji said, he was involved. Although he was not seen on the battlefield, he had “planned and commanded the Empress Mu” and “was responsible for training and mobilizing” his troops.

This kind of nonsense was not uncommon in the upgraded court and party struggles. Eldest Sun Wuji clearly wanted to purge Hou Junji of all future troubles. That is to say, when your Hou Junji was squatting in the toilet one day, he insulted the Emperor for being disrespectful. If he was heard by a squatter in the toilet next door, then you could only accept your fate.

Ironically, Hou Junji was not sentenced to death for such an “extremely vicious” crime. Instead, he was dramatically demoted to a place that almost no one expected-Liangzhou Sima.

Liangzhou, the front-line military town under the Lanzhou Governor-General’s Mansion. There, Governor Cishi Zhiwen was in charge of martial arts. Although Changshi Sima was a high-ranking official, he didn’t have much real power and didn’t have much to do. This level of official position was now recognized as the “old-age official” in the Tang Dynasty’s official circles.

The glorious Duke of Lu, the Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and the top commander-in-chief of the dynasty were instantly kicked out of the house. They arrived at the border of Liangzhou, where chickens did not lay eggs and birds did not shit, and became an idle official who could be dispensed with and waited for death.

Moreover, Qin Mubai was a direct subordinate of the Lanzhou Governor-General’s Mansion.

Qin Mubai seemed to have smelled something of the Emperor’s hand from this bizarre and unreasonable move. If he pressed down on Eldest Sun Wuji’s wrist, it would be reasonable not to kill the Crown Prince, but people like Fang Xuanling and Hou Junji had to be eradicated. However, Fang Xuanling did not have any now. Although Hou Junji had fallen from the sky to the ground, fortunately, he still had a life left.

Qin Mubai secretly analyzed it and felt that although Li Shimin had the intention to reestablish the Monarch, he did not want the Imperial Court to suffer too much damage to the core elites, so he had the intention to protect them. There was a deeper meaning. Perhaps, the person the emperor trusted the most was Eldest Sun Wuji, but it was impossible for him to give the government to him 100% and allow him to eliminate dissidents from the court and do whatever he wished. At that time, if he didn’t even have a subject comparable to Eldest Sun Wuji, how would he be able to control it as a human monarch?

It was Li Shimin’s usual practice to give him trust and power, and to slightly restrain himself from allowing the tiger to be raised to harm its owner.

Two days ago, Deputy Minister Baiji Cheng Huaibi came to Old Qin Mansion secretly and told Qin Mubai something. He said that according to Qin Mubai’s instructions, he had tortured Han King Li Yuanchang for more than ten days in a row. He had no choice but to beg for death, and that fellow had killed himself several times before being rescued. Later that night, Emperor Li Daozong mysteriously appeared in the Baiji camp and chatted with Li Yuanchang for an hour. No one was able to get close to him.

After that, Dao Sect Li left. At that time, the guards of Baiji looked at Li Yuanchang and saw that everything was as usual, so they did not have any doubts. However, less than an hour after Li Daozong left, the Baiji Guard discovered that Li Yuanchang’s seven holes were bleeding to death in his room.

Afterwards, the corpses of the eunuchs of the Yetian Court, who were specially wiping their butts for this kind of thing, were collected. He wrapped it in a sack and carried it away in a thin coffin.

And now, the news spread outside is that the han king li yuanchang has died in the east palace soldier chaos. Because his ancestor Wang Zong plotted against the rebellion, he was not allowed to enter the ancestral hall after his death, so he was buried at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. All of his family members have been arranged by Zongzheng Temple for a way out or ending …

Li Yuanchang, once famous for his poems and paintings and even more pernicious to Chang’an, became the talk of the people of Chang’an with such a hasty and mysterious method of death.

Imperial court, stormy waves; Chang’an, Feng Yun’s expression changed.

The Qin Mansion was exceptionally quiet.

It was already the end of the month. Yao’er said that she had to go to the Qin Immortal Pavilion to check the accounts once a month. There was no room for any mistakes in this matter. She asked Qin Mubai to allow him to go out. Qin Mubai thought, there was no need for him to be so cautious that he could not even live a normal life. Wasn’t he giving up on food because of choking? Thus, he agreed. Thinking about how boring it has been in recent days, it would be nice to take a stroll around the Qin Immortal Pavilion to relax.

For the first time, Princess Gaoyang did not bother to follow. Because of the arsenic incident, she hadn’t gone out for half a month, and her previous plan to go to Famen Temple had also been in vain. She was bored and bored, so she found a job to get rid of her curse-to learn how to cook with Shuang’er.

As a result, a rookie master and a rookie disciple often made the old Qin family’s kitchen a mess. Not to mention, they still had to use some strange things that could not be judged from their appearances, claiming to be delicious food that could poison the family’s taste buds and stomach.

Facts had proved that Shuang’er’s culinary skill had obviously improved at the speed of a turtle, and even today, the dishes she cooked were still shocking and unpleasant to eat. Princess Gaoyang, on the other hand, was not a good cook. She had become the Great Tang’s Blue Phoenix (the sect master of the Five Poisons Sect).

Princess Gaoyang finally found something new to do and decided to stay in the manor with Shuang’er to study how to bake the Great Victory Slave Grand Baked Pancakes. It saved Qin Mubai a lot of trouble, so he got into the car with Yao’er and brought a few guards to the Qin Immortal Pavilion.

It had been a long time since the two of them had been alone like this, but Yao’er was actually a little uncomfortable and blushed.

“Third Brother, when this storm is over, are you going to Lanzhou again?” Yao’er asked carefully.

“Yes.” Qin Mubai said, “If it weren’t for the delay in this matter, I would have gone long ago. The situation in Lanzhou is a little tense now. I’m worried that Lord Father won’t be able to come here alone. If there is a war, I can’t be left alone.”

Yao’er gently nodded her head and said softly, “Third brother, I have a small request …”

“Haha, why are you being so polite with your own family? If you have something to say, just say it!” Qin Mubai smiled.

Yao’er grinned sweetly and said shyly, “Well, well, I said it … I really want to go out of Chang’an and take a look outside! Although I can’t see it, it’s good to smell the air outside. I haven’t left Chang’an in years. It’s been a long time.”

“Just this little wish?” Qin Mubai chuckled. He smiled a little ashamed and said, “I should have taken you to Xiangyang last time.” Alright, I’ll see what the weather will be like tomorrow. If the weather is fine, how about we go out for a hike together? It wouldn’t take long or long for him to go up Zhongnan Mountain for a stroll, or to visit Dongguan for a while. “Spring has arrived. The ancient temple and Taoist temple on Mount Zhongnan will welcome worshippers and worshippers. The scenery in Luoshui should also be good. There will be many tourists going on a trip. It should be very lively at that time.”

“Really? Thank you, Third Brother!” Yao’er said happily, her voice filled with excitement.

Qin Mubai smiled and nodded. Thinking that Yao’er couldn’t see it, she hurriedly said, “Third Brother will definitely not lie to you.”

“Yes, I believe in Third Brother.” Yao’er smiled and said, “Actually, Yao’er has been very satisfied in this life. Only a few small wishes are left. They are all related to Third Brother …”

At this point, Yao’er was stunned, and her face turned fiery red, as if she had spilled the beans.

Qin Mubai did not laugh at her and whispered, “Yao’er, if you have any wishes, just tell me. As long as Third Brother can do it, everything will satisfy you.”

“No, nothing … Actually …” Yao’er lowered her head and said softly, “Actually, as long as I can hear Third Brother’s voice every day and smell Third Brother’s scent, I will be satisfied. This was the greatest wish of his life. “If you can accompany Third Brother to travel around the mountains and rivers, listen to the wind in the Western Regions, smell the scent of the East China Sea, and sail on rivers and mountains, Yao’er … will have no regrets in this life!”

Qin Mubai’s heart throbbed slightly. He reached out and gently patted Yao’er’s hand. “What’s so difficult about this? When Third Brother returns to the capital for a long vacation, he will bring Yao’er and his family to play with the scenery and go wherever he wants!” He said softly.

“En” Yao’er bit her lips and nodded gently. “Unfortunately, I can’t see Third Brother’s appearance with my disappointing eyes. I really want to know what Third Brother looks like when he laughs. That must be the most beautiful smile on earth …”

“Touch it!” Qin Mubai picked up her hands and put them on her face. A smile appeared on her face and she said, “How is it? Can you feel my smile?”

‘”What a silly smile, how silly, but so happy! Third Brother, the princess and the owner are very lucky, because you love them and pamper them for the rest of your life … But I am luckier than them, because at this moment, I am holding Third Brother’s smile!”

…

When they arrived at the Qin Immortal Pavilion, Yao’er went to settle accounts with the Wu brothers and the others. Qin Mubai had always ignored such matters, so he brought along a few guards to listen to Xiao Qu and drink Imperial Wine.

What a coincidence, Qin Mubai had just arrived at the wine pavilion when he met his second brother, Qin Bin. He had just entered alone. So the two brothers had company and sat in the same pavilion.

Qin Bin usually didn’t say much and his personality was relatively calm. From the looks of it today, he seemed to be very worried. Qin Mubai asked him what he was worried about. Qin Bin sighed and stared at Qin Mubai, “Third Brother, let’s move our family to Lanzhou together!”

“Why?” Qin Mubai asked with a frown.

Qin Bin drank a glass of wine and sighed again, “What kind of situation is going to change when such a big event happens in the court? Which side should we stand on at this time?”

Only then did Qin Mubai suddenly understand and whispered, “Eldest Sun Wuji wants to rope you in?”

Qin Bin vigilantly nodded and whispered, “Not only me, but also your big brother.” Actually, we all know what his intentions are. Although the two of us are the eldest sons of the Qin Family, you are already supporting the Qin Family. “Changsun Wuji is trying to get us two useless brothers to join his faction and use family ties to restrict you so that you have no choice but to join his faction.”

Qin Mubai nodded his head and said, “Second Brother is wise. I had already anticipated Eldest Sun Wuji’s move. I just didn’t expect that he wouldn’t come to me directly. Instead, he came to me through you … I’m afraid that he also felt that I’m not easy to talk to, or that I’m too sensitive, so he sidelined you guys first.”

“What do you think, Third Brother?” Qin Bin said, “Right now, the government is decided by Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang. The two of them assist King Jin, and they are already in power.” Furthermore, Chu Suiliang was clearly not something that Eldest Sun Wuji could compare to. Right now, Eldest Sun Wuji was already below one person and above ten thousand people. If your eldest brother and I surrender to him, we will definitely put you and your father in a passive position. I know that you have no intention of getting too close to Eldest Sun Wuji, let alone father. Furthermore, as the commander of His Majesty the Emperor’s personal guard, if we stand in the camp of Eldest Sun Wuji, then … the outcome can be imagined. On the other hand, if we don’t surrender to Eldest Sun Wuji, can we be enemies? Hou Junji, that kind of person has been cleaned out. What are we? ”

“Second Brother, don’t worry, let me think about this matter. You have an appointment with Big Brother these past two days. When do you have time to come home together? How about the three of us discuss it in detail? There are many eyes and ears in this restaurant, so let’s not talk about it anymore.” Qin Mubai said.

“That’s good. The day after tomorrow, I will take turns to rest with my big brother and pay my respects to my mother in the Old Qin Manor.”

“Alright.”

It was rare for the two brothers to drink together, and Qin Mubai had not relaxed for a long time, so he drank more casually today. The two brothers got drunk and fell asleep in Accord.

After Yao’er finished her work, it was already midnight. When they came to find Qin Mubai, they found that the two brothers were both drunk, so they asked the guards to gently carry the two of them into the carriage and send Qin Bin to his home to settle down. After that, Yao’er sat in the carriage and returned home with one of them.

Qin Mubai snored like a dead pig. Yao’er sat beside him with a smile on her face. Her slender fingers gently stroked his face. The smile on her face was so sweet and sweet that it made people intoxicated.

It was only two hundred steps away from Old Qin Clan when they entered the hutong of the Li Fang that they had to pass through every day. Yao’er suddenly became inexplicably flustered.

She was no stranger to this kind of mood! That day, when he found arsenic in the kitchen, it was the same feeling!