Fenghou

"It's not a big problem now, but what about the future? Do you still want to have a future?"

Xu Yun stared at Chen Qing solemnly, "As long as you are convicted of a crime, even if there is nothing you can do about it now, you will never have a good future in the future. Once it involves promotion, you will definitely be rejected by the officials. I don’t want to be a Zhongwei Lang after 20 years!”

Chen Qing clasped his fists and saluted, "Senior taught you the right thing, and this junior is willing to listen to you!"

Xu Yun nodded, "Let me tell you first why Wang Huan came to Muzhou!"

……

Xu Yun left, and Chen Qing paced back and forth in the big tent. Although it sounded like the imperial court sent the supervisory censor to Muzhou to investigate him because of some rumors and misunderstandings, Chen Qing was still keenly aware that someone was messing around here. Things are targeting myself.

Although he was only a martial arts student, Xu Yun was right, once he was convicted of killing innocent people indiscriminately, it would cast a shadow over his official career.

In the final analysis, the Song Dynasty was dominated by civil officials. Civil officials would only define good and evil according to their own Confucian ideas, and they were even pedantic.

At this time, Hu Yantong walked in, he was silent for a moment and said: "I have something to tell you!"

"What's the matter?" Chen Qing looked back at him.

"Wang Huan once looked for me."

Chen Qing frowned slightly, "When did it happen?"

"It was at noon today, when we just came back, he found me. He invited me to have dinner at Tianxianglou, and I didn't refuse."

Chen Qing nodded, he could understand that Hu Yantong was the son of an official after all, and he didn't want to offend the supervisory censor.

"What did he do for you?"

"He asked me how many rewards I got?"

Chen Qing was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

"That is, we distributed the captured spoils, including money, to the soldiers. He asked me how much I got?"

"what do you say?"

"I told him that we distribute according to the military merits. I set it as the first-class military exploits and get 240 guan. Ordinary soldiers can get at least [-] guan."

"Did he ask me?" Chen Qing asked with a sneer.

"I asked, and I told him that you didn't take any money, but he obviously didn't believe me and said I was too naive."

Hu Yantong sighed and said again: "I don't think this Wang Huan is a normal supervisory censor, he has selfish intentions."

"How did you see it?"

"He preconceived many things. He found you guilty, and then found all kinds of evidence to prove the crime. Commander, you have to be careful, obviously someone is behind your back."

Chen Qing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, and suddenly asked, "Is this Wang Huan related to Wang Bo?"

"I'm not sure about this, but you can check it out. Do you mean that Wang Bo is behind your back?"

Chen Qing looked out of the tent with his hands behind his back and said, "I can't think of anyone else? I've thought about it for a long time, and the only person I've offended now is Wang Bo. He wants to take the leader of martial arts, but I block his way."

"It's very possible that if you get the rank of martial arts leader, you can be promoted to three levels, while ordinary students can only be promoted to one level at most. There is a big gap."

Hu Yantong was really worried, "What does the commander plan to do?"

Chen Qing said indifferently: "What else can I do? Soldiers come to cover the water and soil, but there are two things I want to ask you to help."

"Say it! As long as I can do it, I will do my best."

"One thing is to ask you to help me investigate Wang Bo. I want to know his family background, and at the same time, what is his relationship with Wang Huan? Second, I still have 500 taels of silver here, and I am going to give it to him who died in battle. For the additional compensation for the soldiers’ families, I will give you the money and the name list, and you can do it for me!”

Hu Yantong nodded, "No problem, I will take care of both things for you!"

Chapter 69 Triumph

Chen Qing did not change his principles. He executed 240 five prisoners of war who committed crimes, and handed over the rest of the prisoners to the governor He Jian. Three days later, Chen Qing led [-] soldiers to leave Muzhou and return to Lin'an.

Prior to this, Hu Yantong had led more than 200 soldiers to escort the bandit leader Li Shizong to take the first step, and at the same time sent the remains of the fallen soldiers back to Lin'an.

Lin'an City West Bridge, here is the bustling commercial area of ​​Lin'an City, with dense shops, restaurants, and various brothels and teaching workshops can be seen everywhere.

In an elegant room on the third floor of Luoshen Restaurant, the sound of silk and bamboo is melodious, and a singing girl is playing a pipa and singing lightly. .”

Wang Huan waved his hands and said with a smile: "It's not hard work, it's just a matter of duty. Besides, Muzhou is very close, so it's a big deal for me to go to Guangzhou and Leizhou!"

Wang Bo asked cautiously again: "I wonder what will be gained from this trip to Muzhou?"

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you!"

Wang Bo's heart sank, "Is there nothing wrong with him?"

"Not at all, no one has problems, even if he eats and drinks water, I can find fault with him, but his problems are ambiguous, for example, he privately divides the spoils, you say he has serious problems, everyone does it like this Yes, you said his problem was not serious, but he did violate the court’s regulations and killed prisoners of war. Whether he succeeded in suppressing the bandits, and failed in suppressing the bandits, these are big questions, and if he succeeds in suppressing the bandits, it is meaningless to pursue these issues."

Wang Bo was really disappointed, "Brother, do you mean that this investigation is hopeless?"

"Not necessarily, it depends on whether Fan Xianggong can tolerate it. If Fan Xianggong can't tolerate his brutality, can't tolerate him disregarding the court, and secretly sharing the spoils, then even if he succeeds in suppressing the bandits, his merit will be worthwhile, and his fault will be a fault. If it is commended, it will be commended, and if it is changed to punishment, it will be punished."

"Brother is saying that the key lies with Fan Zongyin?"

Wang Huan nodded, "He originally proposed this case. After I finished the investigation report, I handed it over to him, and then he will decide whether to impeach it?"

"What do you think the possibility of impeachment is?"

"I don't know. It depends on how Fan Xianggong evaluates Zhang Jun's work report. If he approves of Zhang Jun's work report, then he will be fine. This trip to Muzhou will be considered a waste of time for me. On the contrary, if he If he doesn't approve of Zhang Jun's work report, then he will definitely make a fuss about Chen Qing's affairs and beat Zhang Jun from the side."

Wang Bo opened his mouth wide, "It's so complicated?"

"What do you think?"

Wang Huan sneered, "Power struggles and factional struggles in the imperial court have never been so simple. If Chen Qing is just a martial arts student, if he is not Zhang Jun's confidant, do you think Fan Xianggong will be interested in him? Which one of the things that make them pay attention is not related to their interests?"

"I understand, Fan Zongyin is not targeting Chen Qing, but Zhang Jun."

Wang Huan drank the wine in his glass, and said with a faint smile, "Fan Zongyin is a well-known peacemaker. At the beginning, he strongly opposed Li Gang and was demoted. In order to balance Lu Xianggong's power, the officials promoted him again. For Fuping's defeat, Fan Xianggong tried his best to punish Zhang Jun, but the officials did not accept it, so I guess there is still something to be done about Chen Qing, so don't be too disappointed, just wait and see."

Wang Bo was overjoyed, he waved to the singing girl in the distance, and the singing girl and musician got up and went out quickly.

"Then should I ask my aunt for help?" Wang Bo lowered his voice.

"better not!"

Wang Huan is much smarter than Wang Bo. He knows all kinds of balance in the officialdom. If Qin Hui makes a move again, it will become two princes fighting against one Zhang Jun. How could the officials allow it?

Originally, Fan Zongyin and Qin Hui had a close relationship, which was already criticized. If they deal with Zhang Jun at the same time, it will cause trouble instead.

Wang Huan knew it in his heart, but he didn't mention it. He just smiled and said, "It's been less than a year since Mr. Qin returned to the court. I think it's better to keep a low profile. Brother, don't make things difficult for uncle."

"I know, I won't go to my aunt."

"It's two different things. I often go to see my aunt. Isn't it good to keep in touch with each other? You don't have to ask her for errands to go."

……

Chen Qing led his army back to Lin'an in triumph, and he had already handed over Hu Yantong to the Privy Council before the official bandit suppression report.

The soldiers returned to the barracks to rest first, and Chen Qing saw that it was still early, so he simply came to the Privy Council for business.

Contrary to Chen Qing's expectations, the official who met him was actually Li Hui, a member of the Privy Council, who was the top leader of the Privy Council with the title of Zhizheng.

"Student Chen Qing, meet Li Xianggong!"

Li Hui is about 50 years old, with a medium build and a gentle appearance. He always has a smile on his face, giving people a sense of intimacy.

He had read Chen Qing's official bandit suppression report two days ago, and was waiting for Chen Qing's return.

"You martial arts student is unusual! You actually solved the court's confidant's troubles. You are indeed Zhang Gong's most valued young general. You really did not disappoint everyone!"

"Reporting to Li Xianggong, the students' personal abilities are limited, and the key is to use their lives. Without their sacrifices, it would be impossible to wipe out the bandits. Zhang Kui and his [-] confidants are indeed quite brave."

Li Hui was very satisfied with Chen Qing's modesty, and he sighed slightly, "There was a mistake in the deployment of troops this time. The officials of the Privy Council made a mistake, and actually assigned the Xichengxiang Army to you to suppress the bandits. I only found out later, to be honest, I I have always been worried in my heart, I was afraid that I would hear the news of the destruction of the whole army, then I would really not be able to explain to the emperor, I never thought that you would lead this weak brigade to wipe out the bandits, it was beyond my expectation!"

Chen Qing said with a smile: "That's why the students spent a month to suppress the bandits. In fact, it only took three days to suppress the bandits. The rest of the time was spent on training the soldiers. They are very good now, with high morale and good training. Su is an army capable of fighting."

Li Hui said with a smile: "Then don't disband for the time being. After a while, the Privy Council will organize a military training competition. There will be seven teams from your martial arts, as well as recruits from other armies. You can lead them to participate. What kind of armor and equipment do you need? Just come and find me!"

Li Hui is indeed very happy. Although the task of sending troops to destroy Zhang Kui this time was given to Wu Xue, it is at the head of the Privy Council. Chen Qing's success in suppressing the bandits is also his merit. Before the Privy Council gave Chen Qing equipment, it was a bit indebted. Now Li Hui wanted to make amends.

Chen Qing quickly saluted and said: "Thank you, Mr. Li, for your concern. If there is a martial arts competition, the student team really needs to add some armor."

Li Huishuo nodded, "Go back and have a good rest first. I will report your achievements to the emperor. The rewards that should be given to you will definitely not be treated badly, but you just need to wait patiently for a few days."

"Now the army has no title, even if it is the Xiang army or other troops, the station is also temporary, and there are still many formalities, what should students do?"

"Don't worry! All your worries have been arranged for you. An official will contact you tomorrow morning."

……

As soon as Chen Qing came out of the Privy Council, he saw Hu Yantong standing outside the gate of the Privy Council. Chen Qing greeted him with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Hu Yantong smiled bitterly and said: "I heard that you are back, I ran to the barracks to look for you, and Lao Zheng said that you were in the Privy Council, so I rushed over."

"Did you... find out what news?"

Hu Yantong nodded, "This is not a place to eat, let's go! I'll buy you a drink."

……

Hu Yantong took Chen Qing to the Hukou restaurant and sat down by the window on the second floor. Chen Qing found that the bartender and shopkeeper were very enthusiastic about Huyantong. As if he had realized something, he asked with a smile, "Is this your restaurant?"

Hu Yantong nodded with a smile, "This is our family's restaurant. It was opened during Renzong's reign. Last year, when the land price was relatively low, we bought this land and reopened it in Lin'an."

"Then why is it called Hukou Restaurant?"

"To be honest, I don't know either."

The two laughed, Hu Yantong filled a glass of wine for Chen Qing, and then said slowly: "Sure enough, you guessed it right."

"Guess what?"

"The relationship between Wang Huan and Wang Bo, they are clan brothers."

"Is it that simple?"

Chen Qing picked up his wine glass and asked with a smile: "Wang Bo is dissatisfied with me, so Wang Huan came to check on me?"

"Of course not. Your case is related to Xiangguo Fan Zongyin. To be precise, Fan Zongyin is dissatisfied with you. It's just that when the censor was appointed, the Wang family did something wrong, so Wang Huan came to investigate you."

Chen Qing drank the wine in the glass and said with a smile: "Sake wine is indeed better than turbid wine!"

Chapter 70 Rewards and Punishments

There are two memorials on the imperial case of the emperor Zhao Gou. One memorial is in the Privy Council. Chen Qing, a martial arts student, led an army to destroy the bandit Zhang Kui. All the generals under his command were promoted to a higher level, and they were invited to commend and reward them.

The other memorial is that Yushitai impeached Chen Qing, a martial arts student, accusing him of brutality and innocence, killing surrendered soldiers, and dividing up the spoils without the consent of the court.

Both memorials were for the same person, and both had instructions from important ministers. In the memorial of the Privy Council, Li Hui, a member of the Privy Council, praised him very much, pointing out that Chen Qing led a mob trip to suppress the rebellion and achieved brilliant results. Winning is not easy.

On the contrary, Fan Zongyin, Zhizheng Shi, also commented on Yushitai’s impeachment memorial, severely criticizing this kind of immorality, massacring soldiers, and accusing this kind of killing of prisoners is no different from the cruelty of the Jurchens, and asked the court to make an example. , this behavior can no longer be allowed.

It stands to reason that such trivial matters about low-level military officers should not appear in the imperial case of the emperor, and were directly approved and dealt with by the prime minister. Now they are actually reported to the imperial study, which shows that there is a big difference between the two memorials.

Zhao Gou pondered for a long time without saying a word. Coincidentally, Zhang Jun's work report had a big disagreement between the court and the court. The debate was fierce and there is still no result. Is there any connection between the two?

At this time, an eunuch whispered at the door: "Officials, they are here!"

Zhao Gou came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "Announce them to come in!"

Not long after, two officials walked in from the outside. The doctor Xue Liang, who was admonished by Zuo, was walking in front, and the person who followed him was Zuo Shiyi Xu Yun.

The two walked into the imperial study room, bowed and saluted, "See Your Majesty!"

Zhao Gou smiled and waved his hands, "The two lovers are flat, and I give you a seat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The two officials sat down on the soft couch, Zhao Gou glanced at Xu Yun and said with a smile: "I have read Xu Aiqing's report carefully, and my position is very fair, and I am very pleased, but I still have a few more Doubtful, I want to confirm again.”

Xu Yun hurriedly bowed, "Please speak, Your Majesty!"

"Regarding the matter of killing the prisoners, Xu Aiqing's report is consistent with He Zhizhou's report. I think there should be no problem. But Chen Qing's motive for killing the prisoners, I want to discuss with Xu Aiqing again."

……

Chen Qing did not move back to Taixue. In fact, their dormitory was still there and was not taken away by Taixue. However, Chen Qing's army was not disbanded, so he should continue to live with the army.

Early the next morning, two officials from the Privy Council came to the barracks to handle various procedures for them. The first was to extend the time limit for secondment, the second was to formally approve their use of the barracks, and the third was to provide supplies.

These things are very cumbersome, Chen Qing asked Zheng Ping to deal with them, he had more important things, Zhang Jun, the governor of Sichuan and Shanxi Province, came to inspect his barracks.

The school field was steaming, some soldiers were practicing marksmanship, some soldiers were practicing bow and crossbow, and hundreds of soldiers were practicing squatting, and there were [-] soldiers running in a circle around them.