The mountains and rivers are quiet and broad

Chen Ke met Guan Hongfeng for the first time. At the scene of King Jin's case, Guan Hongfeng picked him up and ran away.

—Who are you and where are you going?

——Caomin Guan Hongfeng, entrusted by Master Huixin, this is a letter that Master has delivered to you on my behalf.Now, we go back to the palace.

——How do you know that this palace is in Prince Jin's Mansion?

——Back to the second prince, I have been to the palace first.

At that time, Chen Ke was 16 years old, still a teenager. Guan Hongfeng was five years older than him, and he was already a well-known knight in the world.

This heroic man described to Chen Ke the dream of walking across the world with a sword, and the friendship between young people was easily established in this way.

Seeing the contents in the register, Eunuch Quan couldn't help gasping, which aroused Cai Xi's curiosity.

Chen Ke was very calm. When they met for the first time, Guan Hongfeng said bluntly - "I went to the palace first." Chen Ke only went to King Jin's Mansion when Guan Hongfeng went to Taiheng Palace to find him. Thinking about it, Guan Hongfeng didn't go to the Taiheng Palace, but went to the treasury.

"My lord..." Eunuch Quan's voice trembled a little, Zuo Ming was undercover first, could it be that Guan Hongfeng is also a dissident?

Chen Ke signaled to Grandpa Quan not to be impatient, and Chen Ke still trusted Guan Hongfeng.

Chen Ke's calmness made Quan Gonggong calm down and helped check every entry and exit record.

The sixteen volumes seem to be a lot, but they are all similar records with minor differences. If you take away the custom orders that should be made every year, and then take away the officials who regularly go in and out of the treasury, there are not many left.

The earliest one was that King Jin entered and exited the treasury in the eighth year of Yuanwu, followed by Guan Hongfeng, and there was no difference until Yan Keqing began to count the treasury, and there were some different names on the register.

"Master Yan every time." Eunuch Quan whispered.But it is reasonable for Yan Keqing to go in and out of the treasury, and Chen Ke didn't say anything.

Cai Xi had been eavesdropping with his ears pricked up, and he couldn't help raising his head when he heard the words. Unexpectedly, he was facing Chen Ke's probing gaze, and lowered his head in a panic, not daring to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Lord Cai, let's take these away first."

"Hey?"

"Is it okay?"

"Hey, yes, yes, it's okay." Cai Xi agreed, and sent Chen Ke away in person.

"Lord Cai?" Seeing King Ren's sedan chair going away, the little official who had been curious ran over to inquire curiously, what King Ren had said to Lord Cai, and what he had taken away.This Mr. Cai has just arrived, and he looks chubby and friendly. Could it be that he has a good background?

"A few words of business." Cai Xi responded casually, turned and entered the room, only wanting to go back and write a letter to his teacher Zeng Jia to inform him of today's affairs.

The little official curled his lips, a little disdainful.Cai Xi took back the steps he had taken, "Whoever comes later will say I'm not here."

"Who will come?"

Cai Xi ignored him and went into the house.

Not long after, Wang Jin from the household department came. Because of the inventory of the treasury, Wang Jin came here a lot, and he was also acquainted with the treasury secretary.The little official stood up to meet him, greeted him familiarly, and took the notebook to register with Wang Jin.

"Huh? Why is it a new book today?"

"I don't know, Mr. Cai brought it suddenly."

Naturally, Wang Jin was also very familiar with this set of procedures. He started to sign the pen, stamped it with the seal of the Ministry of Households, and asked casually, "Where is Mr. Cai?"

On weekdays, Wang Jin went through the process and signed. The two of Cai Xi did not meet each other when he took office. Asking about Cai Xi today made the little official feel a little strange.

The little official put away the notebook, raised his hand, and was about to say that he was working in the back room, but then remembered Cai Xi's order not long ago, and retracted his hand feeling uncomfortable, don't open your eyes: "Lord Cai is not here."

"Not here?" Wang Jin was a little surprised.

"Yes, yes..." The little official thought quickly, "Lord Cai is feeling unwell."

Wang Jin nodded in understanding, exchanged greetings with the little official with a smile, and left.Watching Wang Jin leave, the little official hurried into the back room.

After leaving the treasury, Chen Ke did not return to Taiheng Palace, but went out of the palace and returned to King Ren's Mansion.

Guan Hongfeng was already in the study.

"See the prince for humble positions." Guan Hongfeng looked as usual.

"Yeah." Chen Ke also habitually sat behind the desk, resting his chin with one hand, "Let's talk..."

Guan Hongfeng hesitated for a while, not knowing whether to report on his daily work first or explain his role in King Jin's case.

This hesitant gesture changed in the eyes of Eunuch Quan, "Guan Guard, you have to explain it carefully! The prince treats you well!"

Seeing Grandpa Quan's angry face, Chen was still calm, but his eyes were colder than usual, Guan Hongfeng hurriedly clasped his fists, and knelt down again: "My lord, I have no intention of hiding it, it's just..."

"You and elder brother knew each other before?" Even at this moment, Chen Ke did not doubt Guan Hongfeng. Guan Hongfeng's loyalty had been witnessed before his rebirth.

When they first met, Guan Hongfeng said that he would confess at the right time, and Chen Ke probably guessed that Guan Hongfeng was not only recommended by Huixin, but also acquainted with King Jin.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have entered the treasury on the day King Jin was assassinated, and so coincidentally appeared in King Jin's mansion to rescue Chen Ke.

"Yes." Guan Hongfeng chose his words carefully: "But it's not..."

The case of collusion with foreign races eight years ago, like today's situation, involved a wide range of people from the court to the rivers and lakes.

Huixin, who cares about the common people in the world, trusted Emperor Xuanwu closely, but Emperor Xuanwu didn't take it seriously. At that time, there were endless disputes in the court about the establishment of the crown prince and the establishment of the king. Emperor Xuanwu was very upset about housework and government affairs, so he handed over the case to Chen. Be cautious.

Chen Shen is also a man with responsibilities, ambitions and responsibilities, he is very serious about everything, and even has a persistent persistence until the end.

It is not a matter of a day or two for foreigners to spy on the Central Plains. The fluctuations in the rivers and lakes affect the common people, and from the traces and money exchanges of those strange aliens, Chen Shen smells some people.

Following the clues, Chen Shen got hold of a list, which led to his death.

And Guan Hongfeng, who was walking in the rivers and lakes, got advice from Shilu, and You Huixin wrote a letter of recommendation and put it under the name of King Ren.

"Didn't you join the elder brother's family?" Chen Ke was slightly surprised.

"No..." Guan Hongfeng gritted his teeth, "My lord law-bearer is based on a dream, and he respects the king's life. He only lets the humble servants serve under the benevolent king's family, and protect the benevolent king thoroughly." Guan Hongfeng confessed all this at the beginning, without a single lie.

"Before King Jin was assassinated, he wrote a letter to Master Huixin, bluntly saying that he felt that danger was looming, so he hid the list in the treasury, and only let the humble officials get it."

Chen Ke sat up straight: "Have you got it?"

Guan Hongfeng shook his head silently.

"Why didn't you say it!" Eunuch Quan jumped anxiously, if he had said it at that time, he might have found some clues.

Guan Hongfeng didn't speak, and looked at Chen Ke silently. Eunuch Quan wanted to speak, but suddenly realized——

The other party was not sure whether King Ren was involved in the investigation of the case of collusion with foreigners, so he did not kill Chen Ke. The naked frame was actually just a warning. If Chen Ke had mastered the list at this time, he would have ended up with King Jin.

Silence surrounded the study room, and after a while Chen Ke said, "It's also the master of the law who told you to hide it so far?"

"Yes. Master Jilu is truly a man of God, and he expected that there would be another disturbance today."

"Master Yan...are you looking for a list?" Eunuch Quan boldly made a guess.

Chen Ke shook his head slowly.For eight years, the people in the court came and went, like flowing water, changing rapidly under the calm appearance, and the meaning of getting that list now is uncertain.

"The list." Chen Ke leaned back in his chair, "Put this matter aside for now, and tell me what I found out in the past few days."

Guan Hongfeng reported: "I would like to report to the lord, according to the lord's order, I first got in touch with Guan Hanzhong, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, followed the investigation of the case of Liu Zhi County in Linjiang Town, and reconnected with the previous Xizhou case."

"They're all of the same nature?"

"Yes." Guan Hongfeng submitted a list, "This is the result of Mr. Guan's current investigation. It is the list of people who have colluded with Lin Suxin, the chief criminal in the Xizhou case. Those circled in red have already been implemented."

Chen Ke unfolded the list, and dozens of names were listed on the list, ranging from important officials of the imperial court to small local officials.

But there are not many names circled, only twelve, half of them are local officials, not many in the capital, but two are from the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Chen Ke carefully looked at the ones that were not circled, but Wang Jin, the Minister of the Ministry of Households who had been suspected before, was on the list. Unexpectedly, Li Kecheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was on the list.

Looking further down, many officials are very familiar.

"Does the emperor know?" Chen Ke put down the list, took a sip of the tea served by Eunuch Quan.

"Master Guan has already sent a secret letter to the emperor."

"What's going on this morning?"

"No difference."

The calm at this time may be the calm before the storm.With this list in hand, it is impossible for Chen Mao to do nothing.

In the last two years of Emperor Xuanwu's reign, he was unable to do what he wanted. Many decayed teeth grew in places that the court could not see. Chen Mao was determined to remove them. Now it is time to start cleaning them up bit by bit.

Get rid of dissidents and scum, and plant your own power. The emperor's blood must run in the internal organs of the court, otherwise the country will be unstable and people's hearts will be easily lost.

After putting down the tea, Chen Ke stood up, walked slowly to the window sill, and pushed open the closed window, but there was no bright afternoon sun as expected.

Overcast clouds avoided the sun, and there was no wind, and there was a heavy sense of stagnation in the air.The white porcelain vase against the window became dim, and the bare branches in the vase looked lonely.

"Today is very boring."

"It's going to rain." Quan Gong said, it was really boring today, even though he had changed into a thin eunuch uniform, his back was still covered with sweat.It would be even more uncomfortable if there were no ice to reduce the heat in the study.

"Is this...the first rain this summer?"

"It was sunny and rainy before, and it wasn't that big." Grandpa Quan replied politely, and couldn't help but look at the sky outside.

Chen Ke looked up and saw that the clouds were gathered together, thick and wide, and the color became darker after a while, and the continuous dark clouds shrouded the capital city in darkness.

——The rainstorm is coming.Chen Ke closed the window, took the porcelain bottle and put it on the desk.

In the evening, the wind started to blow, and the trees, flowers and plants were shaking in the wind. When the wind was low, they trembled, and when the wind was strong, they almost bent their backs, and then it began to rain sparsely.

At first it was raindrops, and then raindrops fell down like big beans. Those who couldn't escape ran with their heads in their arms, and within a few steps they became drowned chickens.

A torrential rain fell.