Chapter 1451

Speaking of this, the smile on Yuwen Xu's face faded.

"My King's birthday ceremony is the most eventful this year. General Xue was suddenly murdered, and Qingyang's supervision of the nation suddenly launched an attack. Tianshui City is now full of wind and cranes."

He He Lingchuan asked with concern: "It won't affect the Yuwen family, right?"

"No harm, my family's business is legal, compliant, and open; I'm not afraid of Qingyang's supervision coming to check!" Yuwen Xu said with a righteous face. "However, rumors have been flying inside and outside the palace these days, and people are panicked; wherever those Between Beijia people under the supervisor pass, everyone is fearful!"

The people under Qingyang's command appear everywhere in Tianshui City, like vultures circling to find prey. Which of these officials wouldn't be afraid when they see them? Once he said this, He He Lingchuan understood. The Yuwen family probably knows what Qingyang is investigating, and also knows that it has nothing to do with the Yuwen family, which is why they have an indifferent appearance.

This is also what He He Lingchuan wanted to find out: "The people under Qingyang's supervision are also powerful, right?"

"The leader's surname is He, called He Yang, who is a confidant she brought from the Qing Palace in Lingxu City. It is said that his cultivation is extraordinary and he is ruthless. The guards of the Bu family clashed with them and several were crippled on the spot; and this He is impervious to oil and salt, rejecting all invitations and shows of favor from the outside, causing many people to lose face."

Hearing him say this, He He Lingchuan thought of Xi Yunhe. Qingyang can always train such loyal and capable subordinates; she really has the ability to recognize and use people.

He turned his cup and hesitated for a moment before saying: "Brother Yuwen, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead, I know everything."

"Before coming to Tianshui City, I didn't expect Qingyang's supervision to be so powerful, but seeing the officials and military generals she reported one by one... actually having no power to fight back!" He gave a wry smile. "To tell you the truth, my heart is uneasy. You also know that I have a grudge against Qingyang's supervision. I don't want to experience the terror of being in Lingxu City three or four years ago again."

He paused: "I plan to present my gifts in the next two days and return first. I am just a merchant; I only hope to expand my business routes in the Yao Nation, and I don't want to get caught in such a big whirlpool."

This was said very clearly. Qingyang is pointing at whoever she wants in Tianshui City, so why should he, He He Lingchuan, stay here? Waiting to be crushed by a finger? He was invited by the Yao King. If the Yao King can't even protect his own ministers and generals, can he protect a small foreign merchant like him? With Qingyang's current power, it is normal for him to have such worries. Yuwen Xu waved his hands repeatedly: "Brother He is overthinking it. No matter how powerful Qingyang's supervision is, she can't point at you. Look at my Yuwen family; have we ever been afraid?"

The Yao King wanted He He Lingchuan to attend, but the latter ran away early, and before running away, he came to visit him, Yuwen Xu? No, he must stabilize He He Lingchuan.

He He Lingchuan was still uneasy: "How do you say that?"

"The reason Qingyang's supervision can succeed in reporting is four words: 'aiming at the target'." Yuwen Xu hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell him the trick. Anyway, this is not a secret in the court, and anyone with a heart can see it at a glance. "The ones she is attacking hard are all officials related to the Garrison Commander Huang."

"Garrison Commander Huang?" He He Lingchuan looked surprised. "Huang Shen's father?"

"Exactly." Yuwen Xu said in a low voice, "The case of Garrison Commander Huang involves a wide range of people; you know about those things in the officialdom."

Garrison Commander Huang confessed and was imprisoned, and was executed five days later. There are many doubts about this process.

"Then why didn't she launch the attack sooner or later, but chose this moment?"

Yuwen Xu opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.

Finally, he said: "Isn't it because she wants to use my King's birthday ceremony to give us... a little color to see?"

The Soul-Consuming Mirror sneered: "Really? Is it that simple?"

He He Lingchuan raised his head and drank half a cup of wine. Yuwen Xu is not Gu Xuan after all, and his insincerity showed.

The biggest variables in the Yao Nation recently are the deaths of Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng. Qingyang chose to launch the attack at this time; the case is 90% related to these two people.

Judging from Qian Yu's accounts, Garrison Commander Huang had close dealings with Xue Zongwu. He He Lingchuan burned down the account room of the Shuangxi County government, and Xue Zongwu became extremely nervous—it seems that he also knew that Qingyang was investigating his handle.

The officials recently reported are also related to Garrison Commander Huang, and Qingyang has long since mastered the clues and evidence.

In the blink of an eye, He He Lingchuan understood.

Rather than saying these officials are related to Garrison Commander Huang, it is better to say—

They are related to Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng!

The position of Garrison Commander might be decisive in other places, but it was very depressing in Tianshui City, which is full of princes and nobles. How could these officials take him as the center and weave a far-reaching interest network? Garrison Commander Huang is not enough.

Xue Zongwu had monstrous power before his death, Qi Yunsheng had a deep background, and had the Yao King supporting him from behind, so he became a stumbling block in front of Qingyang. With him blocking, many clues could not be investigated further.

Now that Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng are both dead, they can't block Qingyang, so the latter can finally show her skills!

She is truly worthy of being an old oil-slick who has been immersed in the officialdom of Between Beijia for more than a hundred years; her understanding of the situation and her control of opportunities are quite accurate.

Thinking through these inside stories, He He Lingchuan remained calm: "I have no connection with Garrison Commander Huang, so Qingyang's supervision won't come to find trouble with me?"

"To say something unpleasant, Qingyang's supervision has been very busy recently, and she may not have the leisure to find trouble with Brother He." Yuwen Xu laughed. "Just put your heart back in your stomach and wait peacefully to participate in my King's birthday ceremony."

"Brother Yuwen says so, I am really much more at ease." He He Lingchuan raised his cup. "I hope Qingyang's supervision doesn't notice me first, otherwise the post house where I live will be turned into ashes again."

Yuwen Xu knew about his experience in Lingxu City and couldn't help but laugh: "Tianshui City is currently guarded every ten steps and every five steps; it is the safest place in the world, so Brother He doesn't need to worry."

Xue Zongwu was assassinated, and with the Yao King's birthday ceremony approaching, Tianshui City entered a state of high alert.

Who would dare to commit a crime at this time? The two talked for a long time, and after eating and drinking, only leftovers remained on the table. At this time, a servant reported that a distinguished guest had arrived.

He He Lingchuan stood up immediately: "Brother Yuwen, you go ahead, I have to go back too."

Yuwen Xu stood up and sent him to the door, just in time to welcome the new visitor.

He He Lingchuan strolled around the city for two hours.

With the Yao King's birthday ceremony approaching, Tianshui City was bustling with traffic, looking as lively as ever. But He He Lingchuan felt that the city was shrouded in dark clouds, and the oppressive darkness was hidden behind the bright lights.

He also found a cold drink stall by the canal, where the vendor cut up fruit to sell. It was almost June, the weather was getting hot, and there were always people coming to cool off by the water at night, eating a few bites of watermelon and talking about the Yao King's birthday ceremony and the death of Xue Zongwu—

Yes, this big news finally spread widely among the people.

In just half an hour, He He Lingchuan heard all kinds of violent theories, and many people heatedly discussed how the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds used conspiracies to harm General Xue.

But all the discussions had only one premise: Xue Zongwu was indeed killed by the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds; this is an ironclad fact.

The name of the Great Emperor of the Nine Netherworlds will from now on resound through Tianshui City and the Yao Nation.

By the time He He Lingchuan walked back to the post house, the night was already deep.

￥￥￥￥￥

It was almost June, but deep in the Yao palace, an old pear tree was stubbornly holding onto its frost-white head, refusing to wither.

There was an ice spring underground, which could be used to cool off in midsummer, but now it was filled with cold air. Covering it with a lid was useless; the surrounding stone slabs would frost over.

Every time the Yao King passed under the pear tree, he would subconsciously rub his hands. When he was young, he could jump into the ice spring and swim a lap, but now he just wanted to walk around it.

Time spares no one.

He had just sat down in the imperial study and hadn't had time to drink a cup of hot water when a palace servant came to report:

"Supervisor Qingyang has arrived!"

"Please."

When Qingyang walked into the imperial study, the Yao King half-squinted his eyes and slowly poured down a cup of warm water.

Seen in the dark room, he looked even more senile, his double eyelids drooping into triple eyelids.

But Qingyang knew that one should not take this old thing lightly.

A person's shrewdness is not directly proportional to their age, otherwise she would have been invincible in the world long ago. But this old guy was still trying hard to hold onto the Yao Nation and wanted to suppress her.

Self-righteous cleverness, the naivety of a small nation and few people, heh.

Qingyang sat down on her own and started chatting about family matters: "I just passed by that old pear tree and saw someone digging soil underneath?"

"Yes, although the pear blossoms are in full bloom, they are slightly cold, so I want to plant a new begonia there."

"Oh, then be careful, don't hurt the roots after a few shovels." The palace servant respectfully served tea, and Qingyang took a sip. "That tree is old; it won't be easy to keep it alive if you dig it up."

The Yao King looked at her. The old pear tree by the cold spring was planted the year he was born, and it is now fifty-nine years old; for a tree, it is in its prime.

Qingyang thinks it's old? She is older than the pear tree! The Yao King laughed: "How could it be so delicate? The old tree has been raised in the deep palace for many years, and the cold air can't kill it. The soil under the roots is harder than iron, and it's not easy for anyone to dig it up. Several shovels and picks were broken today."

"Is that so?" Qingyang said slowly, "I hope to see pear blossoms and begonias blooming together next year. However, I heard that many trees have been planted near the cold spring, and each one hasn't lived for more than two months."

She has only been here for half a year, and she even knows such trivial gossip in the palace? The Yao King's heart trembled slightly, but he remained calm on the surface: "If you plant enough, one will always survive. Didn't the pear tree from that year grow up?"

He smiled: "I heard that the supervisor likes fruit wine, and I have a new batch of pear blossom wine here. I will send a few jars to the supervisor later."

Qingyang nodded: "The King is thoughtful."

The imperial study was quiet; both knew that the small talk was over.

Who would speak first?

The palace servant came up to refill the tea, and both held their cups and sipped slowly.

Qingyang was not in a hurry at all.

In her previous conversations with the Yao King, both sides went straight to the point, and it was rumored that the Yao King was so angry that he smashed his cup afterward. How could it be like this time, going around in circles?

This is because the Yao King has something to ask of her.