Chapter 234 The Zhen family comes to Beijing
The lights in the Hall of Mental Cultivation were also brightly lit.

The imperial desk was piled with memorials, and Emperor Yongchang was reviewing them with his hands.

Dai Quan walked in from outside, approached the imperial desk, opened the tea bowl and took a look, then turned around and walked to the compartment, picked up the copper kettle, and brewed tea in front of the imperial desk.

Emperor Yongchang: “Hasn’t found it yet?”

Dai Quan was silent for a moment, then replied, “Qianmen Street is a thoroughfare, a busy street with many people coming and going. Maybe it was picked up by ordinary people leaving the city and taken out of the city.”

Emperor Yongchang: “If you can’t find it, forget it.”

Dai Quan nodded. The letter was forged by the retired emperor and was given to the Fourth Prince by the retired emperor’s men. Even if the letter was taken out by someone, it would be the business of the retired emperor and the Fourth Prince and had nothing to do with the Emperor.

Emperor Yongchang picked up the tea bowl and asked, “Have you written down all the names?”

“I’ve written it down.” Dai Quan took out a list from his sleeve and presented it to him.

Emperor Yongchang put down his tea bowl, took the list and looked at it, then handed it back to Dai Quan: “Give it to Kong Xiaosi, and ask him to investigate it thoroughly. Don’t let any corrupt officials go, and don’t wrongly accuse anyone.”

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang placed the approved memorial on the pile of approved memorials on the imperial desk, and picked up another memorial. As he unfolded it, he said, “Keep an eye on the Fourth Master. All officials who have dealings with him must be recorded.”

Dai Quan: “Yes. There is one more thing. Kong Qingxiang is very dissatisfied with the performance of his subordinates. He wants to ask for permission to transfer some good soldiers from the army to help.”

Emperor Yongchang raised his head: “Oh?”

Dai Quan: “Beijing Camp.”

Emperor Yongchang replied calmly, “Okay.” He lowered his head and read the memorial.

Dai Quan was secretly shocked. The emperor was still on guard against Li Hu and didn’t want to see him reach out to the Southern Pacification Office. At the same time, he was calculating in his mind how much this news should be sold for.

“Your Majesty, the Empress, the Virtuous Consort, the Shuo Consort, the Imperial Consort, and the Virtuous Consort have sent someone to deliver supper again.” The voice of the eunuch on duty came from outside the door.

After hearing this, Dai Quan couldn’t help but glance at Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang still had no expression on his face, except that the veins on his forehead twitched slightly.

The Daming Palace was dark and empty, with only a faint light coming from the emperor’s bedroom.

The emperor sat silently on the couch, his expression as calm as usual.

There was a piece of letter on the table in front of him. Upon closer inspection, it was the handwritten letter from Duke Yansheng.

Xia Shouzhong came in with a basin of hot water, walked to the couch, knelt down on one leg, put down the hot water, and then took off the shoes and socks of the emperor.

Xia Shouzhong picked up the retired emperor’s feet and put them into a basin, then began to rub his feet according to the acupoints.

The emperor came back to his senses and looked at Xia Shouzhong: “What did you want to say just now?”

Xia Shouzhong paused in the hot water, then rubbed his hands skillfully again: “It’s nothing, I just feel a little uneasy. After all, no one knows what is written in the letter.”

The emperor suddenly laughed.

Xia Shouzhong was stunned and looked at the emperor.

After laughing, the emperor said: “To tell you the truth, I have never thought about those twists and turns. Forging this letter is just to pull down the Duke of Yansheng from that transcendent position. To destroy the Duke of Yansheng’s mansion, we have to do it step by step. The first thing is to kill the old man, the Duke of Yansheng. Without him, the Duke of Yansheng’s mansion will really be in chaos.”

Xia Shouzhong’s eyes widened. Kill the Duke of Yansheng?!
The Emperor: “Why don’t you rub it anymore?”

Xia Shouzhong came back to his senses, found the acupuncture points and started rubbing them again.

The Emperor then said, “According to the time, the letter from the Qingliu people inviting him to the capital will arrive in one or two days. That old man will definitely come to the capital. Let someone wait for him halfway, and make him commit suicide out of fear of crime at the post station, and leave a confession letter not only to pass the title to the second wife, but also to expose the crimes of the first wife in the confession letter.”

Xia Shouzhong nodded. The eldest son of Duke Yansheng was not a good person either. In addition to alcoholism, he had committed many crimes in Qufu in his early years. His reputation had spread to the capital. At that time, several upright young officials jointly impeached the eldest son of Duke Yansheng, but they were criticized by the upright officials and he was dismissed from office.

The Supreme Emperor: “Only in this way can Kong Qingxiang willingly and wholeheartedly work for the royal family and become a knife for the royal family to destroy the Yanshenggong Mansion!” Having said this, he smiled. He had one more word to say. He wanted to use this incident to set a trap for the emperor.

Xia Shouzhong also laughed. The emperor finally considered the country and people of his ancestors. This was a good thing!
“The Zhen family is going to Beijing, right?” the emperor suddenly asked.

Xia Shouzhong: “The Zhen family changed to a horse carriage shortly after entering Shandong, and they will arrive in one or two days.”

The emperor nodded and said, “It’s just right that the snow has stopped. You can go to welcome them in person.” Li Hu was right. It was another sunny day with a clear blue sky.

The corruption in the court did not affect the lives of ordinary people, and Qianmen Street was still bustling with activity.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried horse hooves was heard on the street, scaring the pedestrians into moving aside and making way. Then, a team of imperial cavalrymen were seen escorting a large sedan chair and running towards Yongding Gate, accompanied by more than a dozen guards from the Imperial Household Department.

Such a scene frightened the officers and soldiers guarding the gate.

The sentry officer said: “Quick! Stop the people who are trying to enter the city over there, and tell them to go through other gates!”

A group of officers and soldiers shouted and ran out in formation.

The sedan stopped inside the drawbridge outside the city gate. The pole of the sedan tilted, and immediately a guard from the Imperial Household Department opened the curtain. Another guard brought a chair and placed it between the gate and the drawbridge. It was Xia Shouzhong who came out. He walked to the chair with his hands behind his back and sat down, looking at the official road ahead.

The common people who were blocked were curious, so they didn’t leave, but gathered there from a distance, talking and waiting to watch.

Suddenly, Xia Shouzhong slowly stood up, walked onto the suspension bridge with the guards from the Imperial Household Department, and looked at the post road ahead.

A group of horsemen appeared on the post road in the distance, raising a trail of snow dust. Behind them was a team of horses and carriages that stretched as far as the eye could see, rolling towards Yongdingmen!

The horse team was getting closer and closer. Galloping in the front was the dusty Zhen Fu, followed closely by Zhen Yingjia and a group of guards.

Xia Shouzhong went to meet him.

Zhen Yingjia had already seen Xia Shouzhong, who was dressed in a bright red dragon robe, so he quickly pulled the reins to stop, dismounted, and went to meet him.

Zhen Fu and the guards pulled the reins to a stop and dismounted from their horses.

“Lord Zhen!” Xia Shouzhong cupped his hands.

Zhen Yingjia quickly bowed in return: “The Prime Minister is well!”

Xia Shouzhong: “I’ve finally got you here! Where’s the Madam? I’ll go and pay my respects to her.” As he said that, he walked towards the convoy behind.

Zhen Yingjia smiled bitterly and could only follow.

The convoy stopped.

Zhen Yingjia led Xia Shouzhong to a carriage and said softly, “Mother, the internal minister of Daming Palace is here.”

A corner of the car curtain was lifted, revealing the white-haired face of Old Mrs. Zhen.

“Madam!” Xia Shouzhong half-bowed.

Old Madam Zhen smiled modestly and said, “The Minister of Internal Affairs has killed me.”

Xia Shouzhong smiled widely, “Madam, you are too kind. I am here to welcome you to the capital on the orders of the Retired Emperor. Has Master Bao grown so big?”

In the carriage, a young man who looked extremely similar to Jia Baoyu rolled his eyes, turned over and lay on the couch, ignoring Xia Shouzhong.

The smile on Xia Shouzhong’s face froze and he stood there in a daze.

Zhen Yingjia’s face changed: “Damn little beast, get off me!”

Zhen Baoyu was so frightened that he trembled all over. He hurriedly hid in the arms of Old Lady Zhen, and kept shouting, “Old Lady, save me! Save me!”

Old Madam Zhen glared at Zhen Yingjia, then said to Xia Shouzhong, “Excuse me, Minister. Baoyu is still young and doesn’t know the rules.” She then shouted at Zhen Fu, who was standing behind Zhen Yingjia, “Why don’t you make amends to the Minister on behalf of your brother!”

Zhen Fu gritted his teeth secretly, walked up to Xia Shouzhong and was about to kneel down.

Xia Shouzhong supported him with both hands: “We are all family, there is no need to do this.” He then said to Zhen Fu: “The emperor has heard about your affairs and praised you for winning face for the old concubine. The emperor has told His Majesty that he will arrange a position for you to lead troops. Work hard and win face for the old concubine and the emperor!”

Zhen Fu was overjoyed.

Zhen Yingjia opened his mouth and sighed silently.

Xia Shouzhong: “This is not the place to talk, let’s go into the city. The old concubine said that we don’t need to go to the palace today, so take a good rest.”

(End of this chapter)