Chapter 38 Mr. Ge

In Feiyun Garden, Concubine Yun picked up the teacup and slowly stirred the floating tea leaves with the lid. She said calmly, "Today, many people are waiting for you to come and contact them, but there is no one to be seen. If you don't have an explanation for this matter today, you don't have to leave the palace."

Chen Ji thought quickly: Liu Shiyu of the Liu family had a close relationship with Concubine Jing, so why didn't he choose to contact Concubine Jing, but instead contacted Concubine Yun?
Why didn't Concubine Jing know her identity as a spy of the Jing Dynasty?
and many more.

Chen Ji suddenly thought of the lead-barium glass cup that caused Concubine Jing to have a miscarriage, as if there was a clue guiding him to find the truth.

"Why don't you answer?" Concubine Yun asked in a deep voice. The dignified princess sat on the armchair, the python pattern on her body seemed to be staring at Chen Ji, with a majestic aura without anger.

Chen Ji whispered, "Something big happened to the Liu family, and the Secret Service agents Jiaotu and Yunyang almost found out something, so to be on the safe side, we temporarily suspended our plan."

In fact, he went to Zhou Chengyi's house that night to tell Zhou Chengyi the delivery date, but was killed by Yunyang and Jiaotu.

Chen Ji, who had come back to life from the dead, had no idea that such a thing existed.

Concubine Yun said calmly, "The Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department arbitrarily abolished what the two sides had agreed upon. This explanation alone is not enough. Have you thought about how to answer? Or just go to my back garden and be fertilizer?"

Chen Ji suddenly said, "The Secret Service Department in Luo City is a threat to both of us. Madam, since you are willing to show your sincerity, our Military Intelligence Department must also show our strength. Yun Yang and Jiao Tu were imprisoned today because of the plan of our Military Intelligence Department. I wonder if Madam is satisfied?"

Concubine Yun's eyes lit up: "It turns out that the person who sent the letter is from your Military Intelligence Department. Who is that Si Cao? Not only did he plant spies in the Secret Intelligence Department, but he also has the ability to sneak into the Liu family quietly!"

Chen Ji was shocked. Concubine Yun knew everything that happened in the morning in the afternoon, which meant that the Liu family maintained close contact with her.

He lowered his eyes and said, "Lord Si Cao is naturally the best in my Military Intelligence Department. The Chief sent him here to ensure smooth cooperation between the two sides."

Concubine Yun's demeanor was no longer dignified, but much gentler. "When I met you earlier, I saw that your Military Intelligence Department sent a young man to contact me, and he was a little indifferent to you. However, in Wanxing Garden, you have proved that you are not a good-for-nothing. Very good, since the spies of the Military Intelligence Department in Luocheng are all elite, I am relieved."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied, "Now that Yun Yang and Jiao Tu are in prison, we can ensure that our transaction is foolproof while the new head of the Secret Service has not yet arrived in Luocheng. Madam, please re-plan the date and location of the transaction."

Yun Fei looked at him twice more and said, "Then let's do it tomorrow night, at the same place we agreed on last time."

Chen Ji didn't know where the last agreement was, and how to tell Si Cao, so he immediately said, "It's not appropriate. Our Military Intelligence Department never makes two transactions in the same place... Please ask Yun Fei to give me a new address."

"You are quite cautious," Concubine Yun thought for a moment, "This time we will go to the 'Golden Square' in Hongyi Lane in the East Market. Find the madam and tell her the name 'Luo Tian'. She will take you to where the goods are hidden."

At this time, Chen Ji considered again and again, and after weighing the pros and cons, he still asked his confusion: "Madam, there is something I have been puzzled about in the Military Intelligence Department."

Without a full picture of the situation, he will never be able to take the initiative.

Concubine Yun picked up the teacup and took a sip: "Please speak."

"We have learned that Liu Shiyu is Concubine Jing's favorite nephew and the only son of her biological sister. The reason why we did not believe that he would pass on your message was that we were a little confused. Why didn't he contact Concubine Jing?"

Concubine Yun sneered and said, "My good sister, the Liu family can't control her, how dare we hand over the great cause to her? Now that the Liu family and I have common interests, you don't have to worry too much."

Chen Ji stood up: "Then I will..."

"Wait," said Yun Fei.

Chen Ji was puzzled: "What else does Madam want?"

Concubine Yun smiled and invited: "The prince is hosting a literary gathering tonight, and your two brothers will also attend. Why don't I send a few invitations to the clinic, and you brothers can go together."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "No, my identity is sensitive now, and I don't want to implicate them. I still need to arrange the delivery of the goods today, so I'll take my leave first."

When Chen Ji left Feiyun Garden, he looked back at the persimmon tree before turning around and leaving.

……

……

On the official road of Luocheng, a carriage was coming from the north.

The car was plain, with only two attendants following on horseback, very low-key.

At this time, on the official road opposite the carriage, hundreds of people were coming to meet them.

When they came closer, they saw that the officials of Yuzhou got off their sedan chairs and horses, hurriedly came to the carriage and knelt down to pay their respects: "Welcome to Yuzhou, your Excellency. We are sorry for not welcoming you from afar. Please forgive us."

The Liu family has been managing this state for hundreds of years, and now controls more than half of the farmland and tenants in Yuzhou.

No matter who comes to Yuzhou to be an official, if they want to collect taxes, impose corvee labor, and achieve political achievements smoothly, they have to look at the Liu family's face.

Therefore, except for a few aristocratic families who came to gild themselves, all officials knelt to welcome him. Only if you kneel, the officialdom of Yuzhou will tolerate you. If you don't kneel, you will not be able to move forward.

Liu Ge Lao lifted the curtain and glanced at the officials kneeling on the ground indifferently: "My father has passed away. I really don't feel like reminiscing with you. Let's go." After that, the carriage slowly started again. An official came close to the carriage, trotted to catch up with it, and whispered to Liu Ge Lao behind the curtain: "Lord, the eldest and second masters are waiting for you at home."

But then I heard Elder Liu order: "I will go to the ancestral tomb and ask Liu Mingxian to come and see me."

The carriage went all the way to the Beimang Mountain. Liu Ge Lao stood in front of the broken mausoleum and watched dozens of strong men carrying new stones and building a new mausoleum.

I don't know how long he stood in front of the mausoleum.

But Liu Mingxian looked hurried, ran to the front of Elder Liu and knelt down: "Father!"

He said nothing and let his son kneel.

It was not until Liu Mingxian's knees ached and he could not help but move his body that he asked slowly, "After I die, will my coffin also be opened for an autopsy?"

Liu Mingxian quickly lowered his head: "Father, absolutely not!"

Elder Liu dismissed everyone and went down the mountain. He lifted up his robe and sat on a rock, saying slowly, "Liu Mingxian, today you killed your grandfather for the great cause you mentioned. Who knows if you won't kill me for the great cause tomorrow?"

The mountain was quiet and deserted. Liu Mingxian fell to the ground, silent.

Liu Ge Lao shouted angrily: "Speak!"

Liu Mingxian hurriedly explained, "Father, that was not my original intention. I originally used Grandpa's death as a pretext to force the Secret Service to retreat. Yunyang and Jiaotu were only good at killing people but had no brains. They would retreat if they were scared. Who would have thought that they actually found evidence of Liu Shiyu's crime?"

"Then why did you kill your grandfather?"

"We received intelligence that the Secret Service was on their way to open the coffin for an autopsy. If they found no one in the coffin, my Liu family would be guilty of deceiving the emperor! So I found the 'Datura Flower' to feed Grandpa, so that he could pretend to be dead in the coffin for a while. Who would have thought that Grandpa was too old and could not withstand the effects of the datura and passed away."

Elder Liu was furious: "Why don't you tell the truth? It's obvious that your grandfather doesn't approve of your collusion with Jing Dynasty, so you took this opportunity to kill him! Liu Mingxian, you are too unscrupulous. I didn't expect that I would raise a man-eating wolf for the Liu family!"

Liu Mingxian suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of ferociousness: "Father, His Majesty has been deliberately trying to get rid of our Liu family since he ascended the throne. First, he used the hands of the Donglin Party to impeach us with the censors, and now he is instigating the eunuch party to frame and slander us. He will not stop until he gets rid of us!"

"Father, twenty years ago, the whole government was full of people from my Liu family. Now, we can't even keep our official positions in Yuzhou. You know, the Chen family sent Chen Liqin to serve as the co-magistrate of Luocheng, and that old man Xu Gong sent his son-in-law Zhang Zhuo to serve as the prefect of Luocheng. These two are in collusion and vowed to investigate my Liu family's land and tenants."

"Father, I am just giving it a try. If we just sit there and wait for death, the Liu family's hundreds of years of foundation will be gone, father!"

The wind from the mountains brought a thin mist. Sitting in the mist, Liu Ge Lao felt a little desolate: "None of you are willing to listen to me, so why do you still call me father?"

"I told your aunt that your Majesty is very intelligent and has mastered the mind of an emperor since he was young. He cannot be restrained. But your aunt refused to listen. Since your Majesty ascended the throne at the age of eleven, she has been in control of the court and prevented your Majesty from ruling the country. Your Majesty endured it for six years and suffered a lot. How could he not hate our Liu family?"

"It is precisely because he hates us that we have no way to survive. If we really fight, we may be defeated! This world does not belong to the Zhu family alone!" Liu Mingxian said harshly.

Elder Liu suddenly became depressed: "Forget it, forget it. I just want to ask you one more question. When you gave your sister that glass, did you know that it would cause her to lose her child?"

Liu Mingxian shook his head and denied it: "I don't know, that cup is exquisite, I just gave it to my sister because I thought she would like it."

"Still lying!" Elder Liu kicked him to the ground.

Liu Mingxian stopped kneeling on the ground and stood up to brush off the dust on his body, straightening his blue official robe: "Father, after she married into the palace, she only had Prince Jing in her heart, not my Liu family? Every day, all she thought about was giving birth to a child for Prince Jing. I asked her to work for the Liu family, but she refused, so I stopped her from thinking about it!"

"You are so vicious!"

"Father, am I as vicious as the eunuchs? If I'm not vicious, how can I fight him?"

"You..." The words were on the tip of Liu Ge's tongue, but he didn't know how to say them.

He sat on the stone, silent for who knows how long, and finally sighed: "Today, Yunyang and Jiaotu were thrown into prison. Who tipped you off?"

Liu Mingxian's face lit up when he saw his father's tone soften. He knew that the other party was in a high position and would naturally not act on emotion.

He said respectfully, "Son, I don't know. I'm still investigating and I'm not sure of the other party's intentions."

Elder Liu's face was solemn. "Whether they are enemies or friends, I can't sleep with people like this around me. Find them out immediately. I will assign people from Yanshi to you. It's not easy to use these people well. Put away your arrogance."

"clear."

Elder Liu waved his hand and said, "Go ahead. I'm tired."

Liu Mingxian turned around and went down the mountain, leaving Liu Ge Lao alone on the mountain.

The old man, like a candle in the wind, slowly stood up and supported the coffin in front of the mausoleum: "Father, it has been a long time since you left the Liu family compound to see the world."

(End of this chapter)