After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

Chapter 106: All for One, One for All

"Sir, I've said it before, this memorial was withheld by the old man. You see Liang Jingtian has ulterior motives, this must have been planned by him." Xie Ping said angrily.

Hu Gongye had already sat back in his tiger-skin chair and said, "They were careless. There were so many things going on. No one expected that such a thing would happen to a poem written by an insignificant student."

"Well, what is this student's name?"

Xie Ping said, "What's her name? She's a student of Mr. Zichun." At this point he angrily said, "I knew she was related to him."

"The surname is Ying. This surname is not very common."

"Your Excellency is saying..."

"Well, pay more attention." Hu Gongye gave the order, not knowing what he was thinking of.

"Yes."

Hu Gongye ignored him and said, "If Liao Chengyi knew that he was convicted because of a poem, would he be so angry that he would die?"

Xie Ping frowned and said, "I think so."

"Ah."

Xie Ping didn't know whether Liao Cheng was angry to death or not, but he himself was almost angry to death.

Hu Gongye said, "Your Majesty, we must not disobey you. The court has passed the resolution."

Xie Ping sighed and said, "Now it's bad. What if the Queen Mother finds out..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a voice rang out from outside: "Master, Master!"

A eunuch came in from outside the door. He was Eunuch Chen, the chief eunuch who often followed the Empress Dowager.

Xie Ping asked enthusiastically, "Eunuch Chen, what brings you here?"

A white-faced, beardless eunuch was standing in the yard. When he saw Xie Ping coming out, he asked, "Master Xie, is Lord Hu here?"

Hu Gongye already knew roughly why Eunuch Chen came, but he still had to ask one more question: "What is it?"

Eunuch Chen said more respectfully, "Sir Hu, the Queen Mother invites you."

The Empress Dowager Liang Wanying still lives in the palace where she lived when she was a noble concubine, to show her respect for the late emperor and the late empress. Now that the young emperor has ascended the throne, she no longer has to attend to government affairs, so she found something to do and became obsessed with growing and raising flowers. When Lord Hu came, she was tending to the flowers and pruning the branches.

Although she is the empress dowager now, she is only 35 years old. Sitting in a gorgeous flower garden, her color is no less beautiful than others. On the contrary, after living a life of luxury, she looks more delicate than flowers.

This was the scene Hu Gongye saw when he arrived.

"Cousin, you are here. Why did you accuse Liao Cheng of a crime?" Hu Gongye bowed and said, "Because he did something wrong."

Liang crushed the cut flowers and threw them away, saying, "He was doing things for me. If you say he was wrong, does that mean I was wrong too?"

Hu Gongye said, "How can a servant compare with the queen?"

Liang said, "I don't care. Lu Gongqing is gone. If Liao Chengyi is gone too, who will do things for me in the future? The ministers in the court are all bullying me. My cousin doesn't plan to take care of me now?"

Hu Gongye laughed and said, "Why don't I care? My queen, please don't make a fuss."

Liang said, "Cousin, you let them take Liao Chengyi, and you also condone those people to disturb the people. Not to mention whether they will follow suit, who will take over what Lu Gongqing did in the future? I don't have anyone I can trust."

Hu Gongye said, "If that's the case, then let's not do it."

Liang said, "That crazy woman is still alive. How can that be possible? Cousin, you also know that person is still alive. Don't you want to eliminate the root of the problem?"

Hu Gongye looked at the bright red flowers in front of him and said, "When you said you wanted to do this, I didn't agree with it, but seeing you and Xie Ping, if I didn't say anything, as long as you could feel at ease, I wouldn't bother to care at that time."

Liang took a step forward and stepped on the broken flowers on the ground and said, "Cousin, that person will definitely show up. Are we just going to ignore it? She is the princess. Once she shows up..."

Hu Gongye interrupted her and said, "Yes, she will appear sooner or later, so just wait for her. Why do you have to go out of your way to look for her?"

Liang was stunned.

"As the princess, she should be the one who is anxious to return to the throne and stay awake all night, not us, so there is no need to look for her."

Liang said, "But what if she really shows up at that time?"

Hu Gongye said nonchalantly, "What else can we do? Just kill him."

"That seems to be the truth, but I'm worried that he might reveal what happened back then..."

"I have done what I did before. Am I afraid of what others will say about me? I have always been like this. It is better to be the one who is talked about than to be the one who talks about others."

"Cousin, I don't understand."

Hu Gongye said, "The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. As long as I can stay in this position for one more day, if she comes, she will only die."

Liang said, "After all, she is of the emperor's bloodline, and her destiny is bestowed by the emperor. Otherwise, she might have been able to save her life in that situation. It's just that..."

"Cousin, did you meet the Four Masters before?"

"I did see him last time, but he ran away the next day and I haven't seen him since."

Liang said anxiously, "Cousin, it's just right that he ran away. Let the emperor stay there. He doesn't have to get along with the four masters and can let outsiders see that he is recognized by the imperial temple."

Hu Gongye laughed and said, "It's useless to guard anywhere. Huangsi refers to people, not things. Wherever people are, Huangsi is there. Wherever the four masters are, Huangsi is there. I will find him. Queen Mother, don't worry."

"You still say that? How strange." She took another step forward and said, "Cousin, how about this, let the prince spend some time with the Yellow Temple? Anyway, the Fourth Master himself won't show up."

Hu Gongye said, "That won't work. Without the approval of the Imperial Temple, Your Majesty won't be able to obtain the imperial edict of the previous emperor when he comes of age, and it will be even more difficult for him to rule the country. Those ministers who look after His Majesty will definitely make trouble at that time."

The Imperial Temple has been recognized by heaven since ancient times. It is entrusted with the important task of teaching people martial arts, military tactics and the ability to govern the world. To be recognized by the Imperial Temple is like being recognized by heaven.

This is how the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty obtained his title. After he ascended the throne, he appointed Huang Si as the imperial teacher and announced to the world that every prince of the Great Zhou must be approved by Huang Si before they could become true emperors. Therefore, every emperor left a handwritten letter, and only after being approved by Huang Si could they obtain the title.

However, although this is what they said, no imperial temple would deliberately make things difficult for the emperor, and even very few of them would participate in royal affairs.

For example, the current emperor is already five years old, and several ministers of state have already begun to prepare for the fourth master to be the emperor's teacher. However, the fourth master has always refused completely on the grounds of old age and frailty, and even promised that the handwritten letter would be sent to the emperor after he came of age. However, Hu Gongye still hoped that the fourth master would teach the emperor.

Liang felt a little uneasy and said, "Cousin probably believes in destiny, so he is so stubborn.

Hu Gongye smiled but said nothing. The housekeeper came to report that the emperor had arrived. After another round of greetings and obeisances, the emperor snuggled in the nanny's arms, called out "mother" softly, then "uncle" timidly before being taken away.

Master Hu said, "Your Majesty, it's time for you to study. I'm about to go over there, so let's go together."

Liang wanted the eunuch to carry His Majesty, but Hu Gongye stopped her and said, "Let His Majesty walk by himself."

The eunuch did not dare to disobey and had to wait aside. The little emperor stood on the ground. Hu Gongye stretched out his hand with a smile. The little emperor hesitated for a moment but finally took it. The two, one big and one small, gradually walked away.

Xie Ping was not in a very good mood as he walked in the palace. His robe fluttered and his feet were off the ground.

The official who was following him asked, "Sir, are you going to convict Mr. Liao just like that?"

Xie Ping said unhappily, "What else? Do you want me to go and invite him back in person? What has this rubbish done now?"

The officials who followed him immediately shut up.

Another official stepped forward and asked, "Are we going to bring back the murderer Nian Shilan as well?"

Xie Ping paused for a moment, then said after a pause, "Bring him back. I want to meet this strong-willed Nian family member."

The officer said, "Then the other suspects are..."

Xie Ping said impatiently, "The other suspects will be interrogated right here in Mo City. If they are murderers, they will be killed. If they are not, they will be released. As for that woman, she is really unlucky and we don't want her anymore. We don't want her anymore."

The officials said yes in unison, and then saw Xie Ping getting into a black carriage. The surroundings were heavily guarded, with weapons such as swords and spears, which made people want to stay away.

The streets of Shangjing were bustling, with many pavilions and towers taller than the imperial city. Sitting in one of them one could overlook the entire Shangjing. At this time, a particularly conspicuous black carriage had appeared and attracted everyone's attention.

"Master Xie's pomp and circumstance is getting bigger and bigger."

"This carriage is becoming more and more like a dung beetle..."

A low laugh sounded from the room, but was suppressed by the voice of the singer and the zither player.

At this moment, an old man selling tea and a girl carrying a flower basket both stretched out their gleaming weapons.

There was a clanging sound of fighting in the street, weapons colliding, blood splattering, and hot corpses.

All this happened in a moment, and people were unable to react.

A melee broke out in the street. Some people escaped, while others rushed towards the carriage like moths. In the end, people's hands and limbs were separated.

The black carriage still stood steadily in the middle of the street, as if everything was already familiar. In broad daylight, someone actually attacked the officials of the court, which stunned those who came to the capital for the first time.

The old man and the old woman obviously did not have any profound martial arts skills. The winner and loser of the fight were obvious. Everything returned to calm. Xie Ping flicked off the non-existent dust on his body and said calmly, "Let's go back home."

The driver whipped the horse, and the carriage shook. People around the street were talking about "Has Master Xie been stabbed again?"

"Are there any survivors?"

"Don't worry, sir. We are here to catch the murderer."

"There are 365 days in a year, and the assassinations we encounter every day are different. It must have become commonplace." said someone from the Bingmasi.

"How many enemies have you made?"

The girl playing the piano on the high platform of the restaurant paused for a moment, and only came back to her senses when someone called out, "Qin Niang, Qin Niang, come here, come, keep playing the piano, don't stop."

The hall was filled with laughter again. Lady Guqin lowered her head and played the qin from "Ten Sides of Ambush" to "Suicide at Wujiang River". The sound of the qin was full of tragedy and solemnity.

The luxurious brothel private room was full of people of all kinds. Suddenly, the door of the room was opened from the outside and someone said, "Come, come, there is a good poem freshly written."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and recite it, recite it."

"..When will the bright moon appear...I ask the sky with my wine...I wonder what year it is in the palace in heaven now..."

"Whose new work is this?"

"No, no, it was done by a student from Mocheng, his name is Yingge."

"English song."

Hearing the shout, Yingge looked up and saw that the people coming were Fu Zijing and Ye Muyang.

Fu Zijing asked, "Does Yingge have any new works?"

Su Qingyu asked, "You want to write a poem right after you come out?"

"Don't you see what time it is?"

Yingge smiled and shook her head and said no.

Fu Zijing sat down and looked at the books placed in front of her. Compared with other students in the hall, Yingge studied quite seriously.

“No one is being arrested outside anymore.”

"Although we can still hear noises from time to time here, no one has been arrested."

Ye Muyang said, "Maybe there's no more room here. After all, we've already caught a lot."

As they were talking, a burst of noise interrupted their conversation. They were all children from wealthy families, but now they were locked up here for many days without being able to take a bath. They had many inconveniences in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. This was already something that ordinary people could not endure. Being locked up for a long time made it difficult for people to meditate and they became restless and irritable. That was how the verbal conflict came about.

"What is learning?"

A steady voice broke the argument in front, and the students all looked over. Everyone was a little embarrassed after being locked up for so long, but Mr. Zichun still had the spirit of a Confucian scholar.

"Learning means knowledge."

"Through learning, you will understand the principles of all things in the world." He looked around as if he was in a large class.

"Many of you students have said that studying is to establish your mind for the world, to establish your life for the people, to inherit the lost knowledge of the past sages, and to bring peace to the world. Now, do you know how to establish your mind, establish your life, inherit the knowledge of the sages, and bring peace to the world?"

"Learning is a never-ending process..."

"Your knowledge must be used to assist the king and keep the people safe, so that you can carry on the cause of peace. No matter when, where or under what circumstances, you should have no fear and no regrets."

Mr. Zichun's words were still echoing in the hall, and the originally somewhat tense atmosphere was swept away. The students all sat quietly or listened.

Yingge sighed and lowered her head.

Fu Zijing said, "Don't you think it's a good idea to bring Mr. Zichun in?"

Yingge laughed and said, "You seem to be too disrespectful to the teacher when you say that." Then she said solemnly, "Mr. Zichun is indeed Mr. Zichun. He came out to defend and warn the students as soon as they were arrested. He is obviously not afraid of power."

"But if the teacher loves his students so much, then why would Zijing be willing to be arrested?"

The question she asked is something that many people want to know. When they heard Yingge ask this, they also wanted to listen to it.

"Well, probably because it's fun. After all, I've never been caught and sent to prison in my life. Now you guys are here to keep me company, right? It's just a pity that this isn't a real prison."

"Yingge!"

Yingge had been awakened by the visitor. She looked at the students and teachers sleeping in the hall in the night, and a broken torch was burning in the distance.

The door of the hall was pushed open, and an old man tiptoed in. Well, no kung fu, no threat, Yingge continued to pretend to sleep until the man stood in front of her and pushed her.

Yingge opened his eyes immediately. The old man waved his finger to him and walked to the pillar and sat down first.

Yingge stood up and followed. She looked at Mr. Zichun who was sleeping not far away, Fu Zijing who was lying on his side, and Ye Muyang who was lying steadily. She carefully stepped over a few sleeping students and walked to the side of the pillar.

The two of them leaned against the pillar, and even if someone saw them, they would just think they were sleeping.

"I am the old man of the Chen family, the grandfather of Chen Junhe."

The first sentence at the beginning was so surprising that it made people drop their jaws. It turned out to be Chen Junhe's grandfather.

Old Master Chen said, "Don't be surprised. This Yi Garden is my home after all. There must be some tricks, right?"

"There's a saying you must have heard before."

"A tiger in dire straits is bullied by dogs." Yingge said.

Even though Liao Cheng is very powerful, he is still in someone else's territory, so...

"Bah, you're still cursing at me, what's on your mind? I was just trying to say that wealthy families always have secret rooms."

Isn't this actually the same meaning?

"Yingge hasn't thanked the old man for his help yet."

"Let me ask you, did you know from the beginning that this day would come?"

"You think too highly of me, old man. Of course not. In fact, I just wanted to rescue my classmate Zhu Nian at the beginning."

"Who knew that things would get out of control, so we changed our strategy afterwards."

"Things have developed to the point where it is no longer something I can solve alone, so, then..."

"So, you just incited everyone to join in?"

Yingge said, "This evil thing started out as a classmate, but later Liao Chengyi turned it against everyone in Mocheng. This is just an opportunity for me. Of course, everyone has a choice. I just guided them a little. After all, everyone is independent and they are doing what they think is right. We can't control them. I always believe in the saying, 'all for one, one for all.'"