mtlumby2d Chapter 460 Transaction?
Chapter 460 Transaction?
"Or, hand over the people from Qianlong Village, the handwritten letter, and the salt tax account books and letters that Tang Ting had hidden privately."
"Otherwise, I will immediately execute the two of you for the crime of murdering the Empress Dowager!"
"I entered the palace alone, which was equivalent to putting my life in jeopardy, which shows my sincerity."
"King Yan, please think about it carefully."
The empress dowager's well-maintained face showed a fearless look, which was really impressive.
"So, this is why the Queen Mother insisted on dying in my hands?"
"I am very curious about how you knew that I already had this evidence in my hands."
There was no sign of nervousness on Chen Ji's face. He just didn't understand how the matter of Yan Kui and his son was leaked.
Perhaps, the Empress Dowager guessed that the Tang court had given him the salt tax account books and letters because he was in charge of the Tang family case.
But what about suppressing bandits?
The only people who knew about this, besides him, Xiao Ran, Du Kongqing and Sun Qingyuan, were the personal guards.
He believed all of these people, and the news was not leaked from within, so there was only one possibility -
Yan Kui and his son were indeed sent to him on purpose by someone, and then this person passed the news to the Empress Dowager.
"Prince Yan is extremely smart, he must have guessed most of it by now."
There was a cold light in the Queen Mother's eyes. Thinking of what the Grand Empress Dowager had said, she was still filled with resentment.
"It was Jiang Bin who sent the old people from Qianlong Village to you."
"He then leaked the news to the Empress Dowager's spies, hoping that we would both suffer losses, so that he could reap the benefits with the Jiang family!"
Hearing the name "Jiang Bin", Luo Xiaoran was more excited than Chen Ji.
After all, by comparing the words of the Empress Dowager and Huineng before their death, the identities of several time travelers are still in doubt, but Jiang Bin is the time traveler recognized by both of them.
Among time travelers, there are not many who want to live in seclusion from the beginning like her.
Many are like Jiang Bin, who want to stir up some trouble in the dynasty they traveled to.
The Queen Mother exposed Jiang Bin simply because she wanted Chen Ji to accept the deal she proposed and not let Jiang Bin take all the advantages.
But... Luo Xiaoran looked quietly at the person beside her.
Chen Ji has been waiting for this opportunity for so many years. Will he easily give up on getting rid of the Lin family?
"I also have some accounts to settle with Jiang Bin, so I'll find another time."
"The account with your Lin family has been delayed for too long. This prince can't wait any longer!"
Sure enough, Chen Ji looked coldly at the empress dowager who was pretending to be calm, his face full of frost, and he had no intention of reaching a deal with her at all.
"The coroner performed an autopsy and found out that the Empress Dowager was stabbed after death. The blood also splashed on Madam Ke. Madam Ke also committed suicide. The prince and the princess are innocent!"
"As for the group of people you brought with you?"
"The Imperial Guard Division was disbanded with the death of Lin Yuanxuan, and the Palace Guard Division is under the control of Huo Qingyun. If the Queen Mother wants to mobilize guards in the harem, I'm afraid the only ones she can use are the Queen's Kunning Palace guards."
"As far as I know, there are only 20 people. What if I kill them?"
"Even if the Prince of Yan escapes and asks a coroner to prove his innocence," the Queen Mother's voice suddenly became high-pitched, and then quickly lowered, "How do we know that the Emperor won't kill him in the end?"
"Under your leadership, the Northern Border Army is getting stronger day by day. In the eyes of the emperor, what is the difference between the Lin family and the Northern Border Army?"
"The two, one inside and one outside, restrain each other, in accordance with the principle of checks and balances. Only then can the emperor sitting on the dragon throne feel at ease."
"If the Lin family falls, how can you, as the commander of the Northern Army, not be feared?"
A trace of worry flashed across Luo Xiaoran's eyes, and she had to admit that what the Queen Mother said was true.
Since ancient times, the way to be a king is to balance the forces of all parties, stand above them, distinguish right from wrong, make use of multiple parties, and not allow one party to dominate alone.
Chen Ji had reasons both publicly and privately for dealing with the Lin family.
Emperor Tianqi also wanted to destroy the Lin family and supported Chen Ji's approach, but what happened next?
After the Lin family disappears, Emperor Tianqi's biggest concern will shift from the Lin family to Chen Ji.
Although Chen Ji did not replace the important positions in the court with his own people after the fall of the Tang family, but let Emperor Tianqi make his own arrangements, this move already showed Chen Ji's support for Emperor Tianqi.
But the emperor's mind is hard to predict. The more unruly Emperor Tianqi appears to be, the more thoughts he has behind the scenes. At least that's how Luo Xiaoran sees the emperor.
If he was ruthless enough and cold-blooded enough, it would not be impossible for him to directly eliminate Chen Ji, who was alone in Beijing.
By then, the Northern Border Army might be in chaos due to lack of a leader, but after all, it is far away in the northern border. It is not impossible for Emperor Tianqi to use the military power he has seized from the Lin family to suppress the Northern Border Army?
From then on, all the troops of Daliang were under the control of Emperor Tianqi alone. Only then could he be considered the true ruler of the world.
Thinking of this, Luo Xiaoran became anxious.
It was all her fault for not thinking long enough. She was only thinking about bringing down the Lin family first. As for what would happen later, she didn't think too much about it and was a little short-sighted.
At this moment, she felt something strange in her palm. Luo Xiaoran looked at Chen Ji and was met with his resolute gaze, which seemed to say to her: "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of everything."
"Thank you for your reminder, Queen Mother. Please don't worry about my affairs. You will be busy next!"
"For example, to hold a funeral for the Empress Dowager. Another example is to hold a funeral for the entire Lin family!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of weapons clashing outside the palace. Not long after, a military officer with an unfamiliar face walked in. After saluting the Queen Mother and Chen Ji, he said in a deep voice:
"I was ordered by the Emperor to capture the thieves who besieged Changning Palace. Now that my mission is completed, I will take my leave."
The man who came was none other than the commander of the cavalry guard appointed by Emperor Tianqi to replace the Imperial Guard, whose name was Meng Yong.
"Commander Meng has arrived just in time. The Empress Dowager has passed away. Please inform the Emperor and ask for His Majesty's condolences."
"The Queen Mother was shocked by the death of the Grand Empress Dowager and became insane. She needs to rest in Shoukang Palace. I will report this to the Emperor."
"you dare!"
When the Queen Mother heard that Chen Ji wanted to put her under house arrest, her eyes widened, her face full of disbelief and anger.
Her well-maintained face flushed slightly due to her excitement, and her originally graceful and elegant demeanor was gone at this moment.
She pointed at Chen Ji, trembling all over, and shouted angrily:
"How dare you, Prince Yan! I am the Empress of Emperor Huizong and the legitimate mother of Emperor Tianqi. How can you treat me as you please?"
The Queen Mother's roar like a lion out of nowhere was really in stark contrast to her previous noble and elegant image.
The sound was so loud that the other three people in the palace couldn't help but frown.
"Commander Meng, thank you for your help."
Luo Xiaoran put on a professional fake smile, stepped forward and held the Queen Mother hostage, and let Meng Yong lead the way.
It was indeed inappropriate to let the guards of the cavalry guard escort the empress dowager back to Shoukang Palace.
Looking around, she was the only woman here, so she had no choice but to go ahead.