West City Underground Palace.

All the irrelevant people have been cleared out.

Only Pei Shaoqing, Qiu Shenji, Qingxuan and Cui Erlang were left in the huge underground palace.

"General Qiu, what kind of guard's logo is this?" Pei Shaoqing said, pointing to the logo engraved on Fuyuan's crossbow.

When Qingxuan heard this, the corners of his mouth twitched. The two Fuyuan crossbows were clearly engraved with the golden sword logo of the Jinwu Guard. But this greedy man pretended not to recognize him?

Qiu Shenji understood it in his heart.

He looked at it pretended to be a while and said, "I have never seen this logo before."

"No matter what, Fu Yuan Bird is the imperial guardianship of the imperial court." Pei Shaoqing said, "General Qiu will handle it on his behalf."

"Pei Sicheng, don't worry, I will handle it properly." Qiu Shenji patted his chest and said, "Fuyuan Crossbow is of great importance, so I will say goodbye today and let's look back and reminisce about the past."

"Send the general." Pei Shaoqing saluted with his hands crossed.

Qiu Shenji also crossed his hands and bowed, turning around and raising his head.

It was not until Qiu Shenji went far that Qing Xuan said, "Why not keep the Fuyuan Crossbow? As long as you keep this handle, you can grasp Qiu Shenji and let his Jinwu Guard be used for your use."

"You are wrong." Pei Shaoqing waved his hand and said, "Qiu Shenji is not that easy to grasp."

"Instead of taking risks to grasp Qiu Shenji, it is better to sell one and return Fu Yuan Crossbow to him."

From Zizhi Tongjian, we can know that Qiu Shenji is a ruthless man, and even he dares to kill Prince Li Xian.

Pei Shaoqing may not be afraid of him, but it is better not to offend such a ruthless person.

"What about these things?" Qingxuan stretched out his hand and pointed to the secret letters piled up in front of him, "These are all written promises left by the people who came to Mole for help. There are many officials from the sixth, seventh, or even fourth and fifth graders. Do you want to stay and ask them to fulfill their promises when they have the opportunity?"

While he was talking, Cui Jiu entered and said, "Dalang, many officials came outside and clamored to see you."

"These people are very well-informed. They have already received the news and reacted so quickly." Pei Shaoqing smiled and then asked, "Uncle Jiu, who are there?"

Cui Jiu replied: "Shi Yu Censor Liu Sili, Wei Chengqing, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Justice, and Pei Feishu, the supervisor of the Shaofu."

"All of them are my friends." Pei Shaoqing smiled and said to Qingxuan again, "Do you think I should keep these secret letters? Or use them as a favor?"

Qingxuan said, "How could I know this?"

Pei Shaoqing turned his head and said to Cui Jiu: "Uncle Jiu, you bring people to carry these secret letters to Xishi Square and burn them in public. You must be in front of everyone, and don't leave a single letter."

"Speak to Liu Yu and others again,"

"Just say I'm having a lot of things today and I'll invite them to drink somewhere else."

"Here!" Cui Jiu responded with his hands, and called two guards to carry away the secret letter.

As soon as Cui Jiu left, the dragon came in: "Si Cheng, the villain remembered another thing."

"Mole actually didn't want to attack Si Cheng so quickly, but someone came to him to beg him."

"Oh, there's something else?" Pei Shaoqing grinned and said, "Who are there people who ask Mole to deal with me?"

Wang Dalong replied respectfully: "Liu Mian, the eldest grandson of Liu Rengui, Xue Guan's third son Xue Shao, Cui Zhiwen's second son Cui Yanzhi, Cui Zhiwen's nephew Cui Youzhi, Pei Yan's nephew Pei Youzhi, Xue Shiqiniang, Oh, and Li Hanjin."

"I guess it's them." Pei Shaoqing sneered, "a bunch of useless second-generation ancestors."

...

West City Office, in the square.

Liu Sili, Wei Chengqing and Pei Feishu were standing at the entrance of the cave.

The three of them were a little confused, afraid that Pei Shaoqing would refuse, which would make them embarrassed and it would be difficult for them to be in front of their colleagues in the future.

Actually, they probably know what's going on.

It was nothing more than someone who asked to go to the Mole Gate and left the beginning and end.

Now these ends fall into the hands of the guard and capture department again, so they begged to make a move.

Liu Sili and the others didn't want to come at first, but after all, they were colleagues, or colleagues of colleagues. It seemed a bit unreasonable for everyone to look up and refuse directly.

I still hope that Pei Sicheng can save face.

Just as we were worried about gains and losses, we saw Cui Jiu walking out of the cave.

Behind Cui Jiu, two guards and catching men, carrying a basket.

The basket contained a series of secret letters. When they saw these secret letters, the officials or their slaves hid in the crowd around them immediately became nervous.

These secret letters are their "handle".

Cui Jiu glanced around and said loudly: "My Si Cheng said that the thief Mole has been entrenched in Chang'an for many years and has been a gangster. The officials and people in Chang'an have suffered a lot."

"Many of them were forced to leave a handle by them."

"But my Sicheng knows that everyone is forced by Mole, not out of voluntary."

"So, my Si Cheng decided to burn all these secret letters. Please tell each other that Mole's affairs have passed, so you don't have to worry anymore."

After saying that, Cui Jiu threw the torch into the basket.

The secret letters in the basket immediately burned.

Seeing this, cheers rang out around.

"Pei Sicheng is righteous!"

"Thank you Pei Sicheng!"

"Thank you Si Cheng!"

...

The Political Affairs Hall is quarreling.

The first assistant Liu Rengui didn't say anything, but the second assistant Xue Yuanchao looked excited.

"Queen Tian, ​​the national treasury is out of money." Xue Yuanchao clapped his hands and said, "Last month, the crown prince's enthronement ceremony was spent in total. In order to prepare food, grass and weapons for the northern army, more than one million treasurys were spent. The remaining money from the national treasury could not even pay the salary of the Beijing official this month! Queen!"

"Is that so? The treasury really has no money?"

Wu Zetian's eyes turned to Wei Hongmin, the Minister of Taifu.

"Report to the Queen of Heaven." Wei Hongmin saluted with his hands, "The national treasury is indeed no longer rich."

"Then find a way to raise money." Wu Zetian said, "A daughter like Taiping, her princess canonization ceremony must be compared with the regulations of the prince's canonization ceremony, and no penny is allowed to be short!"

Wei Hongmin said: "What the queen means is to increase taxes?"

Wu Zetian said: "Is there no other way except to increase taxes?"

"The Queen of Heaven, there is really no other way." Wei Hongmin said, "I have thought about the way I can think of, and I have tried it, it is not useful."

"If it's more than 100,000 guan, you can also sell horse manure from the Forbidden Garden."

"Even if you have more than 100,000 yuan, you can also borrow it from all over the world."

"But more than one million chunks, this gap is really too big."

"Even if the queen sells her, she can't fill this hole."

"I won't talk about this matter for now." Wu Zetian frowned and said, "Let's talk about the Taiping fief. I mean to choose 10,000 households from the best harvested area in Wannian County to serve as Taiping's fief."

"People, please think twice." Xue Yuanchao argued with Wu Zetian, and then jumped out and stopped him loudly.

"The taxes in Guanzhong are not enough to be used at present. If the 10,000 households with the best harvest in Wannian County are granted the fief of Princess Taiping, the taxes in Guanzhong will only be even more difficult to be used."

Wu Zetian's face darkened and said, "What does it mean to Mr. Xue?"

Xue Yuanchao bowed his hand and said, "As the past practice, it is better to enfeoff 5,000 households. As for the fief, the mountain people south of Qipan Mountain in Lantian County can be granted the princess."

"The mountain people south of Qipan Mountain?"

Wu Zetian's face completely collapsed.

"Master Xue Ge, are you asking Taiping fief or to provide disaster relief?"

"Why did the queen say this?" Xue Yuanchao did not retreat at all and said head-on, "In normal years, the harvest in the mountainous areas south of Qipan Mountain is actually pretty good. However, last year, it suffered a drought and locust plague, so the harvest was worse. When the scenery is better next year, the harvest will improve."

"Besides, Princess Taiping's fiefs have as many as 5,000 households."

"Even if the harvest is bad, it is enough to have enough food and clothing."

After saying this, he said, "I hope the queen of heaven should not think that the old minister is not incompatible. This is also for the sake of the prosperity of my Tang Dynasty. I hope the queen of heaven will understand it."

"Ge Lao Xue is really loyal to the country."

Wu Zetian was almost so angry that she vomited blood by Xue Yuanchao.

But no matter how angry you are, you still cannot have an attack.

Because Xue Yuanchao occupied the righteousness of serving the country and the people.

If it were just this, Wu Zetian would not mind forcibly suppressing or even exiling Xue Yuanchao.

But the most difficult thing is that because of the matter of opening the Sino-French, the five prime ministers had formed an alliance. If they wanted to move Xue Yuanchao, they would move the entire prime minister group, so Wu Zetian was a little afraid of being a mouse.

It's not time to turn against the Prime Minister.
To be continued...