Chapter 119: Langtaosha (IV)
Meng Yunxian, Huang Zongyu and others waited outside the Qinghe Hall until dark. The imperial concubine wanted to enter the hall to serve the emperor, but was stopped by Huang Zongyu and a group of officials. The imperial concubine was extremely angry. Liang Shenfu was serving the emperor in the hall and did not come out either. She had no choice but to return to the palace first.
Huang Zongyu was several years older than Meng Yunxian, and his hair was almost all white. After standing in the snow for so long, he could no longer walk and was coughing badly. Many officials hurriedly sent him back to the government office.
Meng Yunxian's legs were so stiff and cold that he could hardly walk. Pei Zhiyuan sent him back to the Meng Mansion, where he was kept by Meng Yunxian's wife Jiang Shao to eat stewed mutton.
"Early this morning, someone sent something here, saying it was for you."
Jiang Shao brought a blue cloth package.
"Who?"
Meng Yunxian took it and asked.
"No."
Jiang Shao shook her head and went to prepare dinner.
Pei Zhiyuan sat in front of the charcoal brazier, warming himself by the fire, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, and watched Meng Yunxian open the package. There was nothing else inside except a book and a letter.
Meng Yunxian flipped through the book casually, his face changed slightly, "Minxing, take a look."
Pei Zhiyuan put down the tea bowl and reached out to take the book. After flipping through a few pages, he looked up in astonishment, "Mr. Meng, this is the secret account of Manyu Bank!"
Meng Yunxian opened the envelope, took out the letter inside and unfolded it. He read the words line by line, "This is from Jiang Xianming. He said that this is the secret account of the Manyu Bank in Yunjing."
"No wonder the Night Watchman didn't find it before . It turned out that it fell into his hands..." Pei Zhiyuan looked through it carefully and found that Jiang Xianming had made many annotations on the pages. "He has been checking this account. Besides Wu Dai, who else is there?"
Pei Zhiyuan felt complicated.
They also had this account book because Cao Dong was in their hands. They found out from Cao Dong more easily than Jiang Xianming that, in addition to Wu Dai, Pan Youfang and the father and son of the King of Nankang were also supported by the Daizhou officials.
"He said in the letter that all of Liu Tingzhi's family members were detained except for his young son."
"No wonder Jiang Xianming didn't find out much when he interrogated him. It must be his youngest son who was captured." It is not difficult to guess who captured Liu Tingzhi's youngest son.
Who else could it be besides Pan Youfang?
"Why didn't he hand over the account book today..." Pei Zhiyuan said, and then suddenly stopped talking. Sparks flew in the charcoal basin. After a while, "Mr. Meng, he really wants to die."
Even though he knew that Tan Guangwen's confession would most likely push him into an irretrievable situation, Jiang Xianming still only presented the confession and handed the account book to Meng Yunxian.
He presented Tan Guangwen's confession to the government in order to make himself aware of the government's attitude towards this old case from sixteen years ago.
He still had some hope for the government.
However, he left some room for maneuver and refused to hand over the account books rashly.
Jiang Xianming was determined to pay for the life of General Yujie Xu Hexue.
The mutton was bubbling in the pot, steaming hot, but neither Meng Yunxian nor Pei Zhiyuan could eat it.
He only took a few bites and then stopped eating.
"Mr. Meng, Minxing knows that you are upset," Pei Zhiyuan said, holding a bowl of hot wine in his hand, "Minxing will drink with you."
Meng Yunxian didn't say anything. He picked up the wine bowl and sat next to the charcoal fire under the pot with him, warming his legs under his robes. He took a sip of the hot wine, but felt the heat slide down his throat, into his chest and stomach, and then turned cold.
"Minxing, Liu Tingzhi is doomed. We can't pry open his mouth, and it's useless even if we do. Pan Youfang is not that greedy. The reason why he got involved in the affairs of Manyu Bank was not only to please the Nankang King and his son, but also, I guess, to take revenge on Wu Dai."
Meng Yunxian still remembered that rainy night. When Pan Youfang talked about Wu Dai, the hatred in his eyes could hardly be concealed. "I have already found out that the money that the officials in Daizhou gave to Pan Youfang was actually used by him to make up for the deficit of the government-owned Xiudao Palace."
Pan Youfang really values his life too much. Associating with Prince Nankang and his son, he cannot help but be greedy. But he is also afraid that one day the affairs of Manyu Bank will be exposed. By then, the Duke of Lu will be a member of the royal family, and the government will not punish him severely. However, he and Wu Dai will not have a good ending.
He used all the money he had embezzled from the officials in Daizhou through Manyu Bank to make up for the government's deficit. In this way, even if the matter was inevitably exposed one day, the government would definitely spare his life and that of his entire family.
This person is really good at dealing with people and has a deep mind.
Pei Zhiyuan felt so upset after hearing this that he simply gulped down a bowl of wine.
The wine soaked Pei Zhiyuan's stubble. He put down the bowl, and the hot smoke of the mutton soup hit his face. "I don't believe that he can really stay out of trouble."
"Of course not."
Meng Yunxian looked at the mutton soup boiling in the pot. "He is not a clean person. How can he do things perfectly? In the case of Princess Wenduan's mansion, not only Dong Yao's biological father Lu Heng died, but also Dou Yingzhang."
"Dou Yingzhang..."
Pei Zhiyuan had no impression of this name.
"When Pan Youfang was the military supervisor at Juhan Pass, Dou Yingzhang was the commander of his personal soldiers. This man followed him back to Yunjing. When the emperor ordered an inventory of the property of Princess Wenduan's mansion, Dou Yingzhang was the one who led the imperial guards to guard the princess's mansion. The reason why Lu Heng was charged with stealing the property of the princess's mansion was because of this Dou Yingzhang."
"Later, Dou Yingzhang died suddenly, but his family did not come to Beijing to carry the coffin," Meng Yunxian stood up. "The people I sent to Dou Yingzhang's hometown came back and said that one or two months before Dou Yingzhang passed away, he sent a letter home, and the next day, the neighbors had not seen his wife and children again."
Pei Zhiyuan heard this and said, "It seems that Dou Yingzhang's death must be related to Pan Youfang."
It was late at night and the fire in the stove simmering the mutton soup had burned out.
Pei Zhiyuan stood up to say goodbye, but when he reached the door, he turned around and saw Meng Yunxian sitting in the dim candlelight, slumped in a chair, without any of his usual energy and spirit.
His throat was dry. "Mr. Meng, as long as we find Dou Yingzhang's wife and children, we will be able to put Pan Youfang to death in the case of Princess Wenduan's mansion. Let's put aside General Yujie's case for now."
"Now we have let Lord Ge replace Liu Tingzhi as the deputy privy councilor, and General Miao has already known the real cause of death of his brother Miao Tianning. Didn't you say so? His Royal Highness Prince Jia is very different now. We are all together, and there will be such a day. Don't worry."
"How long will that take, Minxing?"
Perhaps because he had drunk too much, the recent events one after another weighed on Meng Yunxian's heart and lungs, "I can wait, you can wait, but Jiang Xianming and the more than 60 people imprisoned in the Night Police Station can't wait..."
"And He Tong."
Meng Yunxian had trouble breathing. "He beat up the person who interrogated him in the Censorate. He didn't allow himself to say bad things about his teacher, nor did he allow others to insult his teacher. A good Hanlin scholar has now been imprisoned in the Censorate."
"That's Chongzhi's student."
"You have to wait,"
Pei Zhiyuan's eyes were filled with sourness, "Minxing will also wait with you."
Meng Yunxian pulled his lips and said, "Minxing, use your old tricks. You have to protect yourself in front of the emperor and don't stand too close to me."
"Mr. Meng!"
Pei Zhiyuan held the door frame with one hand, his chest heaving, his surging emotions being suppressed again and again, "I acted like that before in order to wait for you to come back. Now that you are back, I will stand with you even if I have to sacrifice my official position."
"Mr. Meng, let's live well, for them and for the new policy. Suan Minxing begs you."
It snowed heavily at night.
After Pei Zhiyuan left, Meng Yunxian went to the study and sat alone. There was no light in the room, and he didn't ask Neizhi to light it. He just sat in the darkness.
The wind and snow were howling against the window.
Suddenly,
There were light footsteps outside, and a thin layer of warm yellow light spread across the lattice window. Meng Yunxian realized it belatedly and looked up.
What's strange is that there are only lights outside the window, but no human figures.
"……who?"
Meng Yunxian looked towards the window, and the light did not move.
He felt strange and was about to get up, but he heard a creaking sound and the door was blown open by a gust of wind. The warm yellow light that followed illuminated a field of goose-feather snowflakes that were blown into the door by the wind.
There was a person standing outside the door.
The light blue hem of his clothes and the neat white collar; the silk ribbon around his waist swayed in the cold wind. His figure was like a pine or cypress growing in the severe cold , tall and straight.
A light cold mist lingered.
Meng Yunxian opened his eyes wide and stared at the face.
Pale and neat.
"Mr. Meng."
Xu Hexue looked at him. Sixteen years in the human world had made this Prime Minister Meng, who had once served as vice prime minister at the age of over 40, look much older.
This sound almost made Meng Yunxian tremble all over.
He recognized the man.
Even after sixteen years.
Even so, this person left Beijing at the age of fourteen, and they have never met again since then.
That year, on the banks of the Yong'an River, in Xie Chun Pavilion, he saw this young man for the last time.
He still recognized his appearance.
Still a teenager.
He is taller than when he was fourteen and has lost his childishness. He stands tall and straight, without a sword in his hand, like a gentle scholar.
"Zi Ling..."
Meng Yunxian's lips trembled, his teeth touched, and his voice was shaking.
He stood up suddenly, and before he could walk around the desk, he saw Xu Hexue walk in. The wind blowing in from outside the door seemed even colder.
Xu Hexue held a glass lamp in his hand, and just like when he was a teenager, he stood in front of Meng Yunxian, leaned over, bowed, and respected the elder with the thorough courtesy of a human being.
"Really, is it Ziling?"
Meng Yunxian leaned his hands on the desk, he felt like he must be in a dream.
"yes."
Xu Hexue stood up straight, "I haven't thanked you for persuading my teacher to let me leave Beijing."
Meng Yunxian clenched his knuckles while leaning on the table, and he kept shaking his head, "No, Ziling, I regretted it countless times. I shouldn't have persuaded Chongzhi, I shouldn't have let him let you go to the border..."
"Please don't feel sad for me."
Xu Hexue returned to the world of the living and was reluctant to see his old friends. In addition to the laws of the Netherworld, he was also afraid that he would make people who were almost over the incident sixteen years ago sad again because of him. "I don't regret my original decision."
"Just like you and your teacher, you have never regretted pushing for new policies together."
"I came to see you today to give you a confession from someone."
Xu Hexue took a few steps forward and put the things in his sleeve on the desk. Meng Yunxian found that his figure was a little faint, as faint as fog, as if it would be blown away by a gust of wind from outside.
Meng Yunxian finally moved his eyes to the desk, "...Ding Jin?"
It was Ding Jin's confession? !
"He is Pan Youfang's man. He deliberately inserted himself among Dong Yao and his group. The reason why the teacher's collection of essays spread so widely in a short period of time is also because of him."
The sharp roots of the Youdu Yinmu branch attached to his wrist had pierced into his bones, but thanks to it, Xu Hexue was able to temporarily stop relying on Ni Su, the necromancer, and was not affected by the restriction. At this time, his clothes were clean and none of the wounds on his body were bleeding.
But the price he paid was the loss of his soul.
"You can use this person to put the blame for overturning my case on him."
If someone came to interrogate Ding Jin, he might not tell the truth. Moreover, people like Meng Yunxian who were officials in the court could not interrogate Ding Jin, a colleague, without evidence. But as a ghost, Xu Hexue could accurately grasp his fear and use extraordinary methods to make him surrender.
"What's the meaning……"
Meng Yunxian trembled, "How do you know this? What else do you know? Do you know that your teacher..."
"I know."
He said.
Meng Yunxian was shocked.
He almost couldn't stand, "I couldn't protect you, and I couldn't protect your teacher... But now, do you want me to insult you again with this book of guilt?"
"Among the people detained in the Night Bureau, there is a man named Chen Xing. Deputy Envoy Zhou should have told you that he is Ding Jin's man," Xu Hexue continued, "The reason why he is willing to die for Ding Jin and for this matter is because Ding Jin has captured his family, but Ding Jin has already killed them. You can use this to pry open Chen Xing's mouth and let him know that his family has died at the hands of Ding Jin. In this way, he will be a witness, and you can use this to save the more than 60 people in the Night Bureau."
"As long as Ding Jin is still alive, he can deny this confession at any time," Meng Yunxian said. He suddenly stared at Xu Hexue, "Could it be that you..."
"Mr. Meng, I don't want you to protect me."
Xu Hexue looked at him calmly, "My reputation after death is not important, but I really want to seek a good reputation for my Jing'an Army soldiers after death. I don't want their relatives to be treated coldly by this world. They are the ones who have been accused of treason because of following me, but I no longer have time to fight for a clean reputation for them after death."
He took a few steps back and bowed his head, "Mr. Meng, I can only place my hope in you."
"No matter what you do, you are not insulting me,"
The candlelight shone through the glass lampshade and fell on Xu Hexue's sleeves. "It's winter now, and spring has not come, but Ziling believes in you and respects you. Please take care of yourself first, and wait until spring comes, and then clear the snow for the Jing'an Army."
If the severe winter continues, the Jing'an Army will never be able to clear its name.
The biggest obstacle Meng Yunxian faced in his efforts to redress the injustice of the Jing'an Army was not Pan Youfang or the Duke of Lu.
Today in Tai'an Palace, Meng Yunxian saw this point very clearly.
His throat choked up, "It's us who are still alive... I'm sorry for you."
"Zi Ling has something else I want to entrust to you."
Xu Hexue raised his eyes.
"What?"
"Please take care of Ni Su for me from now on."
When Meng Yunxian first heard the name "Ni Su", he was stunned for a moment, "She..."
Xu Hexue said: "In life and after death, I have done everything with a clear conscience, except for my wife."
"you……"
Meng Yunxian could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes, "She is your wife, then who are you?"
"Xu Hexue," his mind buzzed, his voice trembling, "Are you...Xu Jingan?"
Jing'an, Jing'an.
…
Ni Su sat blankly under the eaves for a long time. The snow kept falling, splashing all over her shoulders, until Qingqiong fainted in the corridor with a "bang".
She hurriedly helped Qingqiong back to the room, picked up charcoal and lit a fire. She wrung the handkerchief in hot water and wiped away the frost on Qingqiong's face.
"Miss Ni."
Qingqiong opened his eyes.
He still held the hatchet tightly in his arms. He looked at her frozen white face and said with a sob, "If I could use soul fire like my mother, I would definitely burn those people to death."
"But I'm useless."
"Everyone has their own use," Ni Su sat on the edge of the bed, "If you listen to Xu Ziling and live well, you will know your own use."
Qingqiong caught a cold and soon fell asleep.
Ni Su warmed up his room before tiptoeing out and returning to the room opposite. The bamboo couch she had used to wash Xu Hexue's hair during the day was still in the room.
There was no charcoal fire in the room, and she felt cold all over. She felt that the lights in the room were not bright enough, so she took out some candles and lit them one by one.
The candlelight is as bright as day.
She stood in the room, her mind was blank, and she didn't know what to do.
His eyes moved inch by inch.
On the plain gauze screen was still pasted the red "囍" character that Qingqiong had cut out, and on the wooden screen was the dress that she had personally changed for Xu Hexue today.
The books neatly arranged on the desk are the ones he often reads.
She didn't need to open the closet to remember how many of his clothes were in it.
She discovered that he had very few belongings.
On the other side of the desk was the kite he had made for her, but which she had never had the time to fly.
There was a book on top of the kite.
Ni Su moved and walked to the desk.
The clean blue cover has sharp and elegant handwriting on it - "A Xi's Food List".
She reached out and picked it up.
"What are you writing?"
"You'll know when I finish writing it."
The scene in the early morning flashed through Ni Su's mind. She lifted the curtain and stood up, and saw him sitting there, holding a pen in his hand, with his eyes lowered, looking serious and cautious.
With trembling fingers, she opened the book.
The whiteness of the attached page made the ink marks on it appear thick:
Youth Tour
The curtains are drawn back and the dawn light shines into Pei'a, the rain washes the inkstone with a rustling sound.
Xingchuan drinks horses, Hujia blows again, chases captives and breaks the cloud cliff.
There is no place to find my hometown, I am lucky to encounter spring.
When we were young, with golden wind and jade dew, we held hands and cut the red candles.
Instantly, tears fell from her eyes and soaked the attached pages. Ni Su hugged her tightly in her arms, squatted down, and burst into tears.
