Chapter 059 Water Dragon Song (IV)
Ni Su's heart moved and she looked at him.
She was about to speak when she heard the rumbling sound of a carriage approaching. She turned her head almost at the same time as Xu Hexue, and it turned out to be Jiang Xianming's carriage returning.
Jiang Xianming lifted the curtain and looked at the young couple, "Qian Weiyin ran away!"
"What?"
Ni Su was stunned. She walked closer and saw through the veil that Jiang Xianming was indeed the only one in the car.
"What's going on?"
Xu Hexue stared at him.
"He knew you were good at fighting, so he pretended to agree to go with me. He actually wanted to wait for me to separate from you so that he could take the opportunity to escape!" Jiang Xianming's face was solemn. "Sir, he told me that after he abandoned his post and ran away, he returned to Daizhou and hid under the noses of those people. He originally wanted to persuade his former colleague Ren Jun to go to the capital with him, but he found out that someone had just found out about his colleague."
Is there anyone still investigating this matter?
Xu Hexue was startled, then asked, "Who?"
"From what he said, it was a young man named Dong, a student of the Imperial College. He didn't know much else. Ren Jun died suddenly while in office a few months ago. I'm afraid that young man Dong had Ren Jun's confession and evidence on him."
Jiang Xianming recalled what Qian Weiyin had said to him in the car just now: "How dare a student of the Imperial Academy wade into the muddy waters of Daizhou? Jingnian, guess who ordered him? I am not afraid to tell you that I followed him on the way here, but I trust you more than the people above him, so when we were about to reach Yunjing, I found a chance to avoid him and went to Beijing to find you before him. But Jingnian, I don't think you dare."
"I guess he might go back to look for the student named Dong." Jiang Xianming came back to his senses and said to Xu Hexue.
"Do you have the Imperial College list?" Xu Hexue asked.
"I know Judge Tian. Come up and we'll go to his place!" Jiang Xianming waved at them.
There were several hundred students in the Imperial College, among whom there were twenty-one with the surname Dong. Jiang Xianming took Xu Hexue and Ni Su to look at the list at Tian Panjian's home, but they had not yet found out who the specific person was.
Qian Weiyin gave too few reminders.
Judge Tian was yawning and accompanying Jiang Xianming and the young couple in confusion. When he saw Jiang Xianming grinding ink at the desk, he asked, "Jingnian, what are you going to write?"
"Memorial."
Jiang Xianming held the pen and looked at him, "Old Tian, I borrowed your ink and paper and took up your space. Later, I will return them to you."
"Come on, why do you need to pay it back? Everyone knows that you have always lived in poverty, but you are willing to spend money on expensive paper, pens, inkstones and ink. I can't compare to yours," Judge Tian waved his hand, "but what memorial do you, Censor Jiang, want to submit next?"
Jiang Xianming dipped the ink in the paper and looked at it for a while before he said, "I want to open an old case."
The student surnamed Dong could not be found, and it was hard to say whether Qian Weiyin had gone to look for him. Jiang Xianming was also not sure whether the student had brought the so-called evidence back to Yunjing. If he had brought it back safely, would his superiors dare to bring up the matter again after knowing the truth about the Daizhou grain draft?
Du Cong's crime has not yet been determined due to his disappearance. Over the past decade, officials involved in this grain bill have either been promoted or executed.
Their promotion was achieved with the blood and sweat of the people. Jiang Xianming thought about it over and over again, and his mind was filled with Qian Weiyin's words "You dare not" before he ran away.
If the student surnamed Dong doesn't dare, the people above him don't dare, and Jiang Xianming doesn't dare either, should he just let those termites continue to gnaw at the pillars of the Great Qi?
When Ni Su heard Jiang Xianming's words, she couldn't help but turn around and saw Jiang Xianming raising his hand to write.
The person next to her had stopped turning pages for a long time. Ni Su couldn't see what his expression was under the veil, but her eyes fell and stopped at a line of ink at the edge of his fingers.
Dong Yao.
Ni Su took a quick look and saw that his father, Dong Chengda, was a county magistrate.
"Judge Tian, do you have any impression of Dong Yao?" Xu Hexue suddenly spoke.
Tian Pan listened to the voice and turned back. There were hundreds of students in the Imperial College, how could he remember them all? But this Dong Yao, he thought carefully, "Ah, he is well educated, especially in mathematics. He should have been appointed last year, but the higher-ups found out that his biological father was a military officer who had committed a crime. Dong Chengda was actually his uncle. Before he changed his surname to Dong, his original surname was Lu. Because of this, his official appointment was put on hold until this year, when Prime Minister Zhang allowed him to join the Political Affairs Hall as a waiting official."
Dong Yao, whose original surname was Lu.
Without Tian Panjian saying it explicitly, Xu Hexue had already remembered his father's name - Lu Heng.
The captain of Princess Wenduan’s mansion.
Xu Hexue had met Lu Heng more than once, and knew that he had a brother-in-law who was obsessed with mathematics. If he had not seen "Dong Chengda" following the name Dong Yao, Xu Hexue would not have remembered Lu Heng's brother-in-law.
The three words "Mr. Zhang" that followed Judge Tian's sentence almost immediately made Xu Hexue stand up by holding onto the corner of the table. "Censor Jiang, Qian Weiyin and Dong Yao are all weak scholars. How come they have not encountered any pursuit along the way? Has everything been so peaceful?"
Jiang Xianming was stunned for a moment, then he carefully thought about every word Qian Weiyin had said, and he immediately understood, "Sir, is there something fishy about Ren Jun?"
Ren Jun died suddenly while in office, but Dong Yao was intact. Even if these two were more cautious and knew how to hide, it would be impossible for them to have such a peaceful journey.
Unless... someone deliberately let Dong Yao go.
But what was his purpose in letting Dong Yao go? Was he trying to use this opportunity to find out who was behind Dong Yao and then catch them all in one fell swoop?
Jiang Xianming was terribly frightened for a moment.
Ni Su saw Xu Ziling's hand on the table tremble, and then he staggered out with the lantern in his hand. She hurriedly followed him out. It was getting light and a cold wind was blowing on her face.
The copper bells on the eaves swayed gently, making crisp sounds.
The person who had just walked out of here before her has disappeared.
Ni Su lowered her head and found that there was no mist clinging to the edge of her sleeves. She was extremely panicked and, ignoring Jiang Xianming's call from behind, she lifted her skirt and ran out the door.
When it was just getting light, Hanlin scholar He Tong came to pick up his teacher into the palace as usual. He was welcomed into the courtyard by the old eunuch, and saw Zhang Jing wearing a neat purple official uniform. He immediately stepped forward and put on the long-winged hat for his teacher.
"What happened to the old man?"
He Tong turned around and saw that Liu Jiarong, an old eunuch who had followed Zhang Jing for many years, had red eyes, and he became a little confused.
"He stayed up all night with me yesterday. Look at him, his eyes are red from staying up all night."
Zhang Jing glanced at the old eunuch and spoke in a flat tone.
The old man's Adam's apple moved and he lowered his head. "Yes, I'm old and useless."
He Tong didn't think much about it. Just as he was about to ask the teacher to go ahead, he saw a figure kneeling in the darkness at the end of the corridor. He was startled, "Teacher, he..."
"Don't kneel there, stand up." Zhang Jing said to the man without any hesitation.
He Tong saw the man stand up and walk out of the shadows. He was a middle-aged man, but he could not recognize him.
"This is Qian Weiyin. I have to take him with me to the palace today."
Zhang Jing straightened his sleeves and said.
"But Mr. Zhang, I don't know where Dong Yao is..."
Qian Weiyin looked worried.
Zhang Jing heard the voice and looked at him. "It doesn't really matter whether he comes or not. Your coming is my surprise."
"Teacher, why did you bring him into the palace?"
He Tong had no idea what they were talking about.
Zhang Jing said nothing. He just looked at the student beside him. He was wearing a cinnabar red official uniform and a long-winged hat that was worn neatly. "I have some poems. Come tomorrow and help me sort them out."
“Students have taken note.”
He Tong nodded.
On the way from Zhang's house to the imperial city, He Tong had become accustomed to his teacher's silence, but he would always glance at Qian Weiyin who was sitting opposite him.
He recognized the clothes the man was wearing; they clearly belonged to his teacher.
He couldn't figure out why his teacher wanted to bring this person into the palace. He Tong felt uneasy for some reason, especially when the carriage stopped at the palace gate. He saw Qian Weiyin get off the carriage, lift up his clothes and kneel down, shouting, "The guilty minister Qian Weiyin confesses his crime and asks to see the emperor!"
He had probably never screamed so hard before, and the veins in his neck were bulging.
"Teacher, what is he doing..."
He Tong turned around and saw Zhang Jing with a calm expression. He just said, "Don't worry about it. You and I will go to the palace."
He Tong would never disobey his teacher. He helped Zhang Jing down and walked around Qian Weiyin. When they were about to enter the imperial city, he heard some noise behind him. Turning back, he saw that Qian Weiyin had been restrained by several imperial guards and was being escorted towards the palace gate.
"Teacher, aren't you going to the Political Affairs Hall ?"
There was no need for early morning court today, so Zhang Jing should have gone to the Council Hall when he entered the palace. However, He Tong saw that he had no intention of going there.
Zhang Jing shook his head. "I have to go see Prince Jia first. You don't have to come with me. Go to the Political Affairs Hall first. I'll be back soon."
He Tong stopped, his anxiety growing stronger, but he was also very confused, not knowing why he was so flustered. Seeing Zhang Jing staggering forward with crutches, he couldn't help but call out, "Teacher..."
Zhang Jing stopped and looked back at him.
Inside the imperial city, the sky seemed to be brighter. The morning mist was thin, lingering around the green tiles and red walls. Zhang Jing leaned on his crutches with both hands. "He Tong, you must do a good job of the poem I asked you to organize. Do you understand?"
"I know."
He Tong responded, "I have been waiting to do these things for the teacher again for fifteen years."
This sentence actually made Zhang Jing's eyes hot. He nodded, and a smile appeared on his usually stern and serious face. "You have always been a good student of mine, but I want to ask you, do you hate someone in your heart?"
He Tong was startled, then bowed his head, "Teacher, if he hadn't committed treason and implicated you, you wouldn't have suffered exile, and my wife and brother wouldn't have..."
He choked.
"I knew you hated him. I read the article you wrote denouncing him. It was the only thing about him that was allowed to circulate by the government."
Zhang Jing walked back to him. The very faint sunlight fell on the edge of the green tiles, causing Zhang Jing to squint his eyes slightly.
"Teacher...why did you mention him?"
He Tong felt more and more uneasy.
"Okay, go ahead."
Zhang Jing spoke lightly, the morning breeze blowing his sleeves. He no longer looked at He Tong, turned around, leaned on his crutches, and walked forward step by step.
In Chongming Palace, Prince Jia and his wife were packing their luggage. Emperor Zhengyuan was very angry. Yesterday, when he heard that Prince Jia wanted to leave the palace again and return to Tongzhou, he refused to see Prince Jia and only ordered Liang Shenfu, the chief eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to convey the message for approval.
"Xizhen, there's nothing to take here, let's just go back." Prince Jia was eager to return home and paced back and forth in the palace.
"Your Highness doesn't have it, but I do."
Princess Jia Li Xizhen packed her clothes and jewelry herself, taking her time.
"Since spring has arrived, it's time to buy you new clothes." Prince Jia was probably in the best spirits since returning to the capital. He walked to Li Xizhen and muttered, "When we get back, I will..."
Li Xizhen paused while adjusting her clothes, raised her head and looked at him. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a eunuch outside the palace door say, "Your Highness, Mr. Zhang wants to see you."
As soon as the three words "Mr. Zhang" were uttered, surprise appeared in Prince Jia's eyes. Without even thinking, he quickly walked to the palace door and pushed it open himself.
The morning light spread out, and the old man outside had a gray face and white hair. Although he was using a crutch, he was dressed neatly in a purple official uniform. He was as solemn and proud as Prince Jia remembered.
But, it is much older than it was a decade ago.
Prince Jia's eyes suddenly turned red, tears welled up in his eyes, and he trembled: "Teacher..."
