Chapter 124 Opponent
The drum of complaint in front of Chang'an Gate has not been sounded for many years.

The sound of drums resounded through the sky, alarming the people in the palace.

Emperor Hong Xiao was playing chess with Lipin in the garden. Lipin was the oldest concubine in his harem, even older than Emperor Hong Xiao, but also the most favored one. Compared with those young girls who had just entered the palace, who were either spoiled and willful or virtuous, she was more charming and interesting.

What's more, her appearance has not aged, she is still young and beautiful, and besides that, she has the charm that other young girls cannot reach.

Therefore, whenever Emperor Hong Xiao had some free time, he didn't like to go to the Queen's place, nor to other concubines' place, but only to sit with Concubine Li. It seemed that if he could talk to Concubine Li for a few more words, the tiredness and discomfort in the court would be swept away.

It's the same today.

Hong Xiaodi's black pieces had been devoured by Lipin's white pieces. This was the difference between Lipin and other women in the palace. Those women were either really bad at chess, or they could have beaten Hong Xiaodi by instinct, but they pretended to be inferior to the emperor and lost to him.

Only Concubine Li would never give in to him. She was a rare person with true character in the palace.

"I lost again." Emperor Hong Xiao smiled and shook his head.

"It's because I'm lucky," Lipin said with a smile, "The Emperor lost to me."

"Don't come on, I've never been as good as you at chess. Never mind," he joked, "If you were a man, I would definitely take you as my own."

"I can only play chess, but I dare not interfere in the affairs of the world." Lipin picked up the teacup and took a sip. "The big things that men have to do are too tiring. I wish I could play chess in the garden every day to avoid being lazy. I don't have the heart to do these things."

Unconsciously, Emperor Hong Xiao was elevated a little higher.

Emperor Hong Xiao smiled more sincerely. Eunuch Su, who was standing aside and serving, sighed in his heart, saying that the eldest daughter of the Ji family was amazing and could coax the emperor into submission. Now the emperor's heart knot is nothing more than the power of King Cheng. The little emperor watched without saying anything, but in his heart he had to beware of the people around him fighting for power. No matter what, Concubine Li at least showed that she had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the court, so the emperor trusted her more.

No emperor would be wary of such a little woman.

Just as he was thinking about it, a few faint drum sounds came from the sky outside the palace in the distance.

At first the drum beat was not very clear, but later it became clearer and clearer, as if the drummer had changed to a stronger one, hitting the drum very hard and making a very loud sound. Although it was not so loud that it echoed in my ears, I could hear it very clearly.

Emperor Hong Xiao was startled and asked, "What's going on outside?"

Eunuch Su said, "Your Majesty, I will go and find out right away." He waved his hand and summoned a young eunuch. He gave the eunuch a few instructions, and the eunuch left for a while. Not long after, he came back and bowed in front of Emperor Hong Xiao and the other two, saying, "Your Majesty, outside the palace, in front of the Chang'an Gate, someone is beating the stone lions and beating the drums of injustice."

"Beat the stone lion and beat the drum of injustice?" Emperor Hong Xiao was stunned.

"It's the second young lady of the Prime Minister's residence," the little eunuch said carefully, "She brought the villagers from Tongxiang, Xiangyang, and has arrived at Chang'an Gate. I heard that she came back this afternoon and came straight here."

Emperor Hong Xiao looked at Lipin and said, "Oh? She is your sister's stepdaughter."

Lipin smiled slightly, "Yes." Then she said in surprise, "I have heard some rumors about the outside world before. I just thought it was just a rumor, spread by others. After all, I have seen that girl before. She is gentle and kind, not like someone who would cause trouble. I never thought that the rumors outside were true, and she really brought people to the capital."

"Making trouble?" Emperor Hong Xiao said, "It may not be a trouble. I know that if you beat the drum to complain, the person who beats the drum will be flogged fifty times. It is really a trouble. It is not worth paying such a price." He stood up and said, "What is going on? I'd better go outside and listen to what they want to say. Eunuch Su, come with me."

Eunuch Su hurried to follow.

Lipin also quickly turned aside and bowed to see Emperor Hong Xiao off. She did not follow him. Having followed Emperor Hong Xiao for so long, she also knew the emperor's temper. When it came to serious matters, it was better for her to avoid him. What the young emperor hated most was the harem interfering in politics. Back then, the mother of King Cheng, Concubine Liu, relied on the favor of the previous emperor and the power of her family to almost make King Cheng the emperor. If it weren't for the current Queen Mother's mediation, he would not have had this position long ago.

Emperor Hong Xiao liked her. What he liked was her calmness and indifference. He never interfered in state affairs. He felt most relaxed with her.

But... Lipin thought uncertainly. Regarding the case of Jiang Li and the Xue family, she couldn't tell what Emperor Hong Xiao's reaction would be. If he was angry, he didn't look angry. If he was supportive, it wasn't necessarily the case. The emperor was becoming less and less emotional every year. Many times, she couldn't tell what Emperor Hong Xiao was thinking.

As the daughter of the Ji family, she knew about the troubles Ji Shuran had encountered in the Jiang Mansion because of Jiang Li. Lipin certainly did not want Jiang Li to have any luck. She even hoped, just as Ji Shuran had hoped, to use this incident to get rid of Jiang Li without bloodshed.

But although she is favored by the emperor in the palace, she has to be more cautious and not act rashly. She can only take one step at a time.

Emperor Hong Xiao came to the imperial study and sat down.

Eunuchs kept coming in and reporting the situation at Chang'an Gate to him in detail. When he heard what Jiang Li said, "There was more than one person who beat the drum to complain, and there were more than a hundred people who were flogged fifty times, but only one person was flogged with half a stick," his tense face could not help but laugh, and he laughed and scolded, "Jiang Yuanbai, this old fox, gave birth to a daughter who is just as cunning!"

Eunuch Su was watching from the side. Although Emperor Hong Xiao said this, his expression did not show any anger. He came to his senses. At least, Jiang Li brought the villagers to Beijing to appeal for justice. This was a big event that did not make Emperor Hong Xiao angry. In his heart, Emperor Hong Xiao did not intend to blame Jiang Li.

"Your Majesty, no one has complained in front of the emperor in the past ten years..." Eunuch Su said, "Second Miss Jiang has become a big event in Yanjing City this time. Many eyes are watching her."

"Eunuch Su, how do you think she did in this matter?" asked Emperor Hong Xiao.

"This... I dare not make a blind guess." Eunuch Su said, "I just don't know if Lord Jiang knows that the second Miss Jiang acted like this."

"Of course I don't know." Emperor Hong Xiao smiled. "This Miss Jiang didn't even go back to the Jiang Mansion, but hurried to Chang'an Gate to complain. If she was in such a hurry, she would have time to go back. If it was Jiang Yuanbai, he would never let her travel so hurriedly. It is obvious that Miss Jiang was afraid of unexpected changes and being obstructed by Jiang Yuanbai, so she decided to act first and report later."

Eunuch Su looked at Emperor Hong Xiao and said with a smile, "The second young lady of the Jiang family is a clever person. The emperor rewarded her last time, but she is too bold. Who would dare to do such a thing as a young lady from an aristocratic family? And she even mixed with the common people."

"What's wrong with mixing with the common people?" Emperor Hong Xiao said, "The world is originally made up of common people. Without the common people, there would be no country. Miss Jiang's manor was presented to me by Ye Shijie, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I have seen it! I didn't know until I saw it that there are such rampant bandits under the feet of my country, the emperor!"

At this point, his voice suddenly turned cold. Eunuch Su did not dare to continue the conversation, but he was very confused. When did Ye Shijie, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Revenue, present a memorial to the emperor?

Since Ye Shijie has shown the emperor the memorial about the Xue family case, and the emperor has such an attitude, the current situation can be understood a lot. At least in this Xue family case, Miss Jiang should be able to make a profit and nothing will go wrong.

Emperor Hong Xiao looked at the petition in front of him. It was the complaint submitted by Ye Shijie. It was filled with the charges against Feng Yutang, the county magistrate, and the injustice of Xue Huaiyuan. To be fair, just seeing it was enough to make him, the emperor, furious. But relying on this, he could make a complaint, but it would be too much to go to the emperor. Jiang Li brought so many people from Tongxiang to Beijing, and the people of Yanjing City watched helplessly. If this case was not handled well, he, the emperor, would lose the support of the people. So Jiang Li was causing trouble for him.

Weighing the pros and cons, Emperor Hong Xiao should not pay too much attention to this case, and should even remind Jiang Yuanbo to discipline his daughter. After all, what does the matter of Tongxiang County Magistrate have to do with her? Her surname is not Xue.

But in the complaint submitted by Ye Shijie, there was also a vague mention of something that was of great importance. It mentioned that the master behind Feng Yutang was Princess Yongning of Yanjing City. It was also Princess Yongning's order that Xue Huaiyuan was imprisoned.

Princess Yongning is the biological sister of King Cheng. Emperor Hong Xiao had to wonder if Princess Yongning's purpose in doing this was King Cheng's idea to target the Xue family. It seemed that Princess Yongning had no connection with the Xue family. Why would she harm Xue Huaiyuan for no reason? Xue Huaiyuan was in Tongxiang, and Yongning lived in Yanjing. It was impossible for Xue Huaiyuan to offend Yongning.

Firstly, it was strange, and secondly, even if nothing was found, as long as this matter was confirmed, Yongning's reputation would be damaged, which might not be a good thing for King Cheng. If King Cheng was still intent on evil, he would have to protect his reputation. His sister was so cruel and ruthless, and she did all kinds of evil things. I'm afraid his reputation would be ruined.

Therefore, this case must be tried. Not only must it be tried, but it must also be known to the world and supervised by him personally to achieve the best goal.

At this moment, Emperor Hong Xiao looked at Ye Shijie and Jiang Li, the cousins, and was indescribably pleasing to the eye. If this case had not involved Princess Yongning, it would have been an ordinary case. If it had involved her, it would have been an excellent sword for Hong Xiao.

If someone handed this sword to him, he would never push it away. On the contrary, he would hold it tightly and stab his opponent, so that the sword would not be wasted.

"Pass the order down. The Ministry of Justice will bring him back for trial in three days. I will personally supervise it," he said.

Eunuch Su withdrew.

……

In front of the Chang'an Gate, the drums of redress were beating so loudly that it shook the earth.

Jiang Li had already let go of the drumstick, and the people of Tongxiang rushed forward one after another, as if to release all the anger, pain, and repression they had been holding for a long time, and each one beat louder than the other. Ping An covered his ears and squatted beside Dai Yun, giggling.

On everyone's face, there was no determination to die together, but a relaxed and hopeful smile.

This smile also infected the people of Yanjing who were watching the excitement around. For some reason, they also felt a glimmer of hope, hoping that the people of Tongxiang County could win the lawsuit and get the justice they had always dreamed of.

Feng Yutang and his companions in the prison car had already looked ashen. At this point, they no longer prayed for any miracle. Feng Yutang knew that Princess Yongning would not come to save him, and would even send someone to kill him. Perhaps the person sent to kill him was already on the way. The princess even dared to kill Jiang Li, so what was he? He was worse than a blade of grass. He would die anyway, so Feng Yutang simply stopped thinking about it.

Soon, people from the Ministry of Justice rushed over after hearing the news. Jiang Li handed over the complaint, and they took Feng Yutang and his party away, saying that they would be brought back for trial in three days, and Emperor Hong Xiao would personally supervise the matter.

After hearing the words "Emperor Hong Xiao personally supervised the case", Jiang Li finally felt relieved. Although Emperor Hong Xiao might be a good official, he did not attach so much importance to the Tongxiang case. The reason why he attached so much importance to it was simply because Princess Yongning was also involved.

It was unfair from the beginning for an emperor who wanted to deal with Yongning to supervise this case, and this was the greatest fairness. Her ally was the most noble person in the world, at least on the surface, so she might not have any resistance in this case.

It's so good.

The people of Tongxiang were settled by Ye Mingyu, and the government also sent people to protect these witnesses to prevent them from being killed. Jiang Li specifically said that she wanted people from the Ministry of Justice. Jingzhao Yin was Princess Yongning's man. Xue Zhao had found Jingzhao Yin at the beginning, but Jingzhao Yin informed Yongning, which was why he lost his life in vain. Jiang Li would not make the same mistake a second time. In addition, she also arranged for Ye Mingyu's people to keep an eye on it.

As for Ye Mingyu and Xue Huaiyuan, they followed Jiang Li back to Jiang's house.

Xue Huaiyuan was not confident in leaving Jiang Li to others, and he was only slightly close to Jiang Li. When other people approached him, Xue Huaiyuan would suddenly get scared. Ye Mingyu was afraid that Jiang Yuanbo would punish Jiang Li, and with his uncle in charge, Jiang Yuanbo would be more restrained and dare not openly beat or scold Jiang Li. So after everything was settled, Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu returned to the Jiang family.

The gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion is closed today.

Normally, there are two gatekeepers guarding the gate, but today there is no gatekeeper, so naturally no one came forward to greet them. Ye Mingyu put the knife on his shoulder and said, "Ali, it seems that your father is blaming you and won't even let you in."

Bai Xue and Tong Er were both very worried. When Jiang Li returned to Beijing, she did not go back to her residence, but went to Chang'an Gate to complain, which disrupted Jiang Yuanbai's plans. Now that the matter was done and the Ministry of Justice had summoned him for trial, Jiang Yuanbai could not suppress the matter, so he naturally took his anger out on Jiang Li.

"Don't be afraid." Jiang Li said frankly: "I have done more than just one wrong thing. I even killed my mother and brother, but it's okay now, right?" As she spoke, she walked to the door and knocked gently.

Ye Mingyu also choked, as if Jiang Li thought her bad reputation was quite glorious, not only did she not avoid mentioning it, but she also took the initiative to talk about it. However, Ye Mingyu also felt that there was something wrong with that matter. Jiang Li was her niece. During these days of getting along with her, although she was sometimes fierce, she was still very kind, and sometimes even had a bit of the demeanor of a chivalrous hero who hated evil. How could such a good girl do something to harm others? I'm afraid there is some story behind it.

But now is not the time to talk about this. I will find out later.

The concierge did not come to open the door immediately, but the people passing by outside saw Jiang Li and the others waiting, and thought it was fun to watch, so they also watched from the side. Ye Mingyu was thick-skinned by nature, and he didn't think it was a big deal. When someone looked at him, he just smiled. But Jiang Li was also calm and patient. After waiting for a while, I don't know if the people inside couldn't hold back, but someone finally came to open the door.

The servant who opened the door saw Jiang Li and said, "Second Miss." He glanced at Ye Mingyu who was holding a knife and Xue Huaiyuan who was supported by Tong'er, opened the door with a complicated expression, and said, "The old lady is waiting for you in Wanfeng Hall."

Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu entered the Jiang Mansion.

Jiang Li said to Tong'er and Bai Xue, "You guys help Master Xue to my yard and take care of him first. My uncle and I will go to Wanfeng Hall."

After Tong'er and Bai Xue took Xue Huaiyuan away, Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu went to Wanfeng Hall.

As soon as I entered Wanfeng Hall, Jiang Yuanbai's roar came: "Evil girl, kneel down!"

Jiang Li raised her eyes and saw Jiang Yuanbo's angry eyes.

Sometimes she even wondered why Jiang Yuanbo, as a chief academician with a wealth of knowledge, always said "kneel down, evil girl" every time he punished her, as if she would feel comfortable only after saying this sentence. But then she thought again, this sentence was only for her, at least Jiang Li had never seen Jiang Yuanbo say this to Jiang Youyao.

Maybe it was because Jiang Youyao was not as likely to cause trouble as himself, or maybe it was because Jiang Youyao had been with him since she was a child, and he was reluctant to let Jiang Youyao kneel, but it didn't matter.

Kneel down if you want. Jiang Li didn't think that she would be safe and sound when she returned to the Jiang Mansion this time. Jiang Yuanbo only asked her to kneel down and didn't whip her, so that she could avoid the pain of the flesh. She should feel lucky.

She was about to kneel down, but Ye Mingyu beside her was quick to grab her and yelled back at Jiang Yuanbai, "Why are you kneeling? Why are you kneeling? Ah Li, listen carefully, I won't kneel!"

Jiang Yuanbai was furious: "I'm her father!"

"I'm still her uncle! Oh, just because I'm her father, I can make her kneel. Ah Li has half of my Ye family's blood in her body, so shouldn't she listen to the Ye family? I won't let her kneel. Besides, it's said that nephews look like their uncles. To be honest, Ah Li doesn't look like you at all. She looks more like me. Of course, she should listen to me!"

When a scholar meets a soldier, he really can't explain himself. Jiang Yuanbo is indeed the chief academician, but when he meets a scoundrel like Ye Mingyu, he really doesn't know what to say.

Ji Shuran looked at Jiang Li and said, "Li'er, he is your father after all. Others can't control you, but your father can at least control you. But your last name is Jiang, not Ye."

Ye Mingyu heard this and turned to look at Ji Shuran. Ji Shuran felt uneasy when he stared at her, so she took a step back and hid behind Jiang Yuanbo.

Jiang Li stood up and said, "Dad, I was wrong. I shouldn't have participated in the Xue family case without telling you. After returning to Beijing, I didn't go back to the mansion first, but went to Chang'an Gate to beat the drum to complain. I was even more wrong when I was in Xiangyang, and I borrowed your reputation to ask the weaving room commander to investigate the Ye family's ancient fragrant satin incident."

She had made a mistake since she was a child and she did this to Xue Huaiyuan, admitting her mistake fluently and sincerely. Jiang Yuanbai couldn't continue to scold her.

Plus, there is also Ye Mingyu who is watching closely from the side.

Madam Jiang sat on the couch and said in a deep voice, "Second girl, we'll talk about admitting your mistakes later. Let me ask you, you have no relationship with the county magistrate of the Xue family, so how could you be involved in such a case? And you brought so many villagers with you. I heard that you even brought the mad criminal back to your house. Are you crazy? You did such a thing."

Jiang Li pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, this matter is related to Cousin Ye."

Ye Shijie? Not only the Jiang family, but also Ye Mingyu looked at her.

"I can only tell my father about this matter." Jiang Li said apologetically: "Can I talk to my father alone?"

Ji Shuran smiled and said, "There is something we cannot hear... Li'er, you..."

"This matter is of great importance. I think it would be better for mother not to interfere." Jiang Li interrupted her.

Ji Shuran's smile froze.

Jiang Li became even more fearless when she returned home this time. Now she dared to treat her like this in front of the old lady and Jiang Yuanbai. Ji Shuran gritted her teeth.

Jiang Li looked at Jiang Yuanbai with a firm gaze. Jiang Yuanbai paused and suddenly said, "Come with me."

Jiang Li smiled: "Okay, father."

She and Jiang Yuanbai came to Jiang Yuanbai's study.

Jiang Yuanbai's study room was not open to others. This was Jiang Li's second visit. As soon as she entered, Jiang Yuanbai closed the door and asked someone to guard outside. He asked, "What are you planning? Why did you do such an outrageous thing? What does this have to do with Ye Shijie?"

"Father, in the case of the ancient fragrant satin of the Ye family in Xiangyang, Lord Tang, the weaving room leader from Yanjing, discovered that someone had framed the Ye family. I think you also knew about this from the letter. The suspected drugstore was wiped out overnight, and the clues were cut off. Despite this, we still found some clues. Father, the people who framed the Ye family are most likely the Right Prime Minister Li family."

"Li family?" Jiang Yuanbai frowned: "Li Zhongnan?"

"That's right." Jiang Li said, "Not only that, the Xue family case in Tongxiang may also involve Li Zhongnan. Cousin Ye is just a new member of the Ministry of Revenue, and he hasn't even established a foothold in the court, but the Li family has begun to target the Ye family. There is no doubt that this is targeting cousin Ye. As a prime minister, why would you spend so much time on a small member of the Ministry of Revenue? Father, the right prime minister is not targeting the Ye family, but the Jiang family."

Jiang Yuanbai said coldly: "Do you know what you are talking about?"

"The Li family and our Jiang family have always been at odds. Ever since the Li family and King Cheng gradually got closer, our Jiang family has gradually become less than before. My father and second uncle, who were officials in the early court, should know this best. We can still hold on for a while now, but after a long time, our Jiang family will not be able to hold on. Now the Right Prime Minister and his men can no longer hold back and are ready to make a move. Can we just ignore it?"

Jiang Yuanbai looked at his daughter Jiang Li as if he was meeting her for the first time. He knew that Jiang Li was smart, but her intelligence in being talented in examinations, her intelligence in being sharp-eyed and sharp-eared in the struggles in the harem, and her intelligence in discussing the current political situation could not be compared.

This requires not only intelligence, but also vision.

"Cousin Ye has also found out about this matter. He asked me to rescue County Magistrate Xue from prison in Tongxiang. I am your daughter, and it is more convenient to do things under the name of the Jiang family. Since the Right Prime Minister has already taken action against us, hiding blindly is not a solution. We might as well fight back. You know, the Xue family case is the best weapon for counterattack. If we use the Xue family case to pull out the Right Prime Minister and involve him, wouldn't that be a counterattack on them?"

She spoke calmly, not thinking that this was a case that could affect the interests of hundreds or even thousands of people. Jiang Yuanbo shook his head: "You make it sound simple. Since ancient times, there have been countless unjust, false and wrong cases, and only a few have been overturned. How do you think you can overturn the case?"

"Father, you don't know that Feng Yutang bullied men and women in Tongxiang and did all kinds of evil. The people hate him deeply. There are more than a hundred people who came to Beijing this time. The files are full of loopholes and the evidence is irrefutable. The most important thing is that Feng Yutang actually mined gold in Tongxiang privately, which is a serious crime! If there was no one supporting him behind the scenes, how could he have such courage?"

"You are too reckless. The Li family is not so easy to be defeated. This time you can only dampen the Li family's spirit, but you can make them hate you. Once they find an opportunity, they will take crazy revenge on the Jiang family..."

"If we don't fight back, won't the Li family attack our family?" Jiang Li interrupted him. "For example, now we haven't done anything, but the Li family is using the Ye family to attack us. And father forgot, when I protested at Chang'an Gate, what was the result? The result was that the Ministry of Justice brought the case to trial three days later, and the emperor personally supervised it. The emperor has already noticed this matter."

Jiang Li said calmly: "Over the years, the Right Prime Minister and King Cheng have been getting closer and closer. Didn't the emperor see it? The emperor is also wary. The Xue family case involves the Right Prime Minister, so the emperor also pays attention to it and asks to supervise it personally. This time, the emperor is on our side. Father, if the Jiang family and His Majesty had not given birth to a slender, you should be on the side of the emperor now, right?"

"Shut up!" Jiang Yuanbo interrupted her urgently: "You are tired of living, how dare you say such things!"

Jiang Li looked at him quietly.

Jiang Yuanbo waved his hands irritably: "Forget it, you go out first, I know everything you said, I need to think about this matter again."

Jiang Li nodded.

She deliberately wanted to link the Xue family case to the Li family. Knowing that the right prime minister was the knot that Jiang Yuanbai feared the most, she mixed up the objects to confuse Jiang Yuanbai and confuse her true purpose.

Because if Jiang Yuanbo knew that this matter involved King Cheng and Yongning, he would definitely stop it.

But when his opponent became the Right Prime Minister Li Zhongnan, his attitude was uncertain.

　Have you all finished your college entrance exams today? Congratulations! You can now enjoy your summer vacation to your heart's content!

　　Envy〒▽〒

　　
　
(End of this chapter)