Chapter 255 Rumors
After Xiao Yan had dealt with the dangerous ambush on the Huai River, the ships heading south were no longer hindered. They sailed downstream all the way south, heading straight to their destination. With the help of the east wind, their speed naturally increased, which was quite peculiar.

As for the incident of the Huai River being intercepted while sending the train back to Beijing, whether it would cause any sensation or have any impact on the mastermind behind the scenes, this was not something Xiao Yan cared about.

In fact, if the person coming from Wu State was not Zhu Jin, perhaps this trip would not have been so smooth. Similarly, if there had not been the horse trading that was laid out earlier, Zhu Jin might not have given Xiao Yan this face. Although it was not difficult to leave calmly under the threat of the six giant ships, abandoning the ship and taking the land route would more than double the distance.

However, if one says that this is God's will, Xiao Yan believes that if he makes one move in the future, it will eventually become a continuous trend.

As the saying goes, if you plant flowers intentionally, they may not bloom; but if you plant willows accidentally, they may grow into shade trees. Therefore, Xiao Yan did not mind leaving such a small "willow branch" in Jiangnan. It would be best if he could harvest a lush willow forest in the future. If not, it would not be much of a loss.

To defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River. Although Jiangnan is a safe corner, if someone wants to make trouble, someone like Zhu Jin who is determined to advance northward can still be a headache.

During the grand journey, Xiao Yan threw a stone, which fell into the waves, but it only splashed a tiny splash of water, which was completely inconspicuous.

But this handsome young man, who gradually looked into the long term, smiled with satisfaction, and his expression was clear.

------

"Marshal Xiao was attacked while heading south. Although his whereabouts are no secret, it just happened to block his chance to enter Huai River. I'm afraid the reason behind this is not very clear..."

In the Chongzhengyuan of Bian Jing, the Minister of Revenue Zhang Wenwei, who had brought some income to the national treasury by intervening in the football market, had been promoted to the position of Vice-Chancellor. Now, he was holding a teacup and looking at his old boss Jing Xiang, with a hint of meaning.

Jing Xiang heard the sigh in his words, and twirled his beard and pondered: "In the memorial that His Majesty replied, he only asked the Ministry of Rites to send someone to question the King of Wu. You and I don't understand the details here, so let's not get involved."

Zhang Wenwei laughed and shook his head. "How dare I get involved? It's just that this matter is too big. It is said that the battle on the Huai River that day was clearly seen for miles along the coast. How can we stop the news from spreading? I have a little granddaughter who is still unmarried. I don't know where she got some conspiracy theories from. She complained to Marshal Xiao all day long in the house. I am timid and had to confine her to the house..."

As he spoke, he spread his hands and smiled helplessly, "But a glimpse of the leopard can only be seen through the tube. Even my granddaughter can hear some rumors, not to mention the rumors of the market. As the saying goes, people's words are terrible, and they can't be completely banned. On the contrary, the more they are banned, the more evil they become... Isn't it a bit damaging to the dignity of the royal family to let this matter go so lightly? After all, this Marshal Xiao is really a prominent figure in the capital, and he is also the governor of a state. If these rumors continue to spread, how can it look good..."

Jing Xiang frowned, put down the brush in his hand, looked up and asked: "How can this be considered as a light touch? Is it also considered as a light touch to hold the dignified King Wu accountable?"

Zhang Wenwei hesitated to speak, and finally smiled bitterly: "But the key point is that the rumor in the market is that there are traitors in the court who colluded with the enemy, which led to General Xiao being ambushed on the road. Fortunately, although General Xiao is young, he is really strong in martial arts. He severely injured Huainan Zhu Jin alone, so the situation did not deteriorate... Prime Minister, think about it, if General Xiao really died on the Huai River, how would the rumors in the market develop into?"

Jing Xiang frowned more and more deeply, repeatedly looking at Zhang Wenwei, and his tone became a little lower: "Zhang Youhua! How can you bring the talk of the market to the table? I know that you have received some favors from the Champion Marquis, but personal feelings are personal feelings, and official matters are official matters. How can you be so unreasonable? Do you really think that I will not kick you out!"

After that, his expression became more gloomy, and he deliberately lowered his voice a little: "You'd better not think about interfering in this matter. The gossip of the people is only temporary. If this matter continues to ferment among the people after some time, you are not helping the Marquis of Guanjun, but instead putting him on the fire. Do you know..."

He didn't say the last few words, but Zhang Wenwei knew what they should be.

Zhu Wen was suspicious.

If the common people were just chatting and talking about this matter that was enough to cause public outrage, and expressing their grievances on behalf of Xiao Yan, this is understandable and can be ignored.

But if anyone tried to fan the flames and manipulate the court's decision with public opinion, that would be a waste of time and a dead end. Not only would it fail to achieve the desired result, but it would be tantamount to praising Xiao Yan to death and making Xiao Yan arouse Zhu Wen's fear.

Sometimes, a person's achievements surpass those of the emperor not only because he or she has surpassed the emperor in merit and fame, but also because as long as he or she has a little bit of popularity among the people, this alone is enough to make the emperor want to kill him or her.

Especially in this era where rebellion against superiors is the norm.

However, what if someone deliberately wants to praise Xiao Yan to death?
Jing Xiang narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Are you, Zhang Youhua, behind this?"

Zhang Wenwei was not surprised, but continued to smile bitterly and spread his hands: "Prime Minister, you really think highly of me. I am a coward, how dare I get involved in such a matter that could lead to my death. But..."

Jing Xiang was startled, and his slightly old eyes suddenly became clear, and then a little cold.

Zhang Wenwei was looking down at the teacup, so he couldn't catch the inexplicable chill. He just whispered helplessly: "Prime Minister Jing may not know... Marshal Xiao left Beijing for only half a month, and the Ghost King began to secretly recruit a group of generals to participate in Qiushizi's business. Whether it was beating or various threats, it was obvious that he wanted to take over Qiushizi's business..."

He pulled his beard and smiled bitterly, "The issuance of this ball market and the Huitong Ticket Bank were all coordinated by the Ministry of Revenue. In the past, Marshal Xiao was a reasonable man and could sit down and talk about anything. In just two months, the Ministry of Revenue has made a profit of 200,000 strings of cash. Although it is a drop in the bucket, it is also an income and has solved my urgent needs.

But if the Ghost King wants to get involved, I have no idea whether he can still be so easy to talk to and cooperate. According to Marshal Xiao's distribution, 20% of the profits from the football market belong to him, 30% to the Ministry of Revenue, 30% to the Royal Family, and the remaining 20% ​​is shared by several generals. Even so, it is already a huge profit, which makes the generals eat a lot of oil. No one wants the Ghost King to get involved... He is a tyrant and may want to take 30%, or even more than 40%. Where will the extra 10% or 20% come from?"

Hearing this, Jing Xiang understood what was said, so he interrupted in a deep voice: "So, you are the ones behind this?"

Zhang Wenwei waved his hands repeatedly, and then sighed: "Of course I dare not interfere, but the Niu family's imperial guards are..."

He said in embarrassment, "At first, those families were tied up on the boat by Marshal Xiao and were reluctant. Who knew that now, each of them has a hundred thoughts. They have been shirking responsibility in front of the Ghost King for half a month, and they have been holding back their anger. Once the news on the Huai River came back, I don’t know which family set up this trap behind the scenes, and then they all stepped forward to help. It’s really... Jing Xiang, no matter how you look at it, this is really related to the Ghost King."

"Bastard!"

Jing Xiang slammed the table, interrupting Zhang Wenwei's words, and then suppressed his anger and said: "After all, it has nothing to do with you, Zhang Youhua? Don't think that this excuse can let you get away with it! The generals of the Niu family are afraid of a loss in profit sharing, so aren't you afraid of the Ministry of Revenue? Isn't this a ridiculous excuse!"

Zhang Wenwei was stunned for a moment, raised his head and moved his lower lip, but did not refute.

Jing Xiang sneered: "Zhang Youhua, you have read so much books in your life that you have lost everything. You used to be quite alert and could distinguish right from wrong, but now you have shown your true colors in front of Dali?"

Zhang Wenwei still did not refute, but did not dare to look into Jing Xiang's eyes. After all, they had deceived Jing Xiang first, which could be said to be a case of acting without authorization.

However, he spread his hands helplessly, and then took off the black gauze hat on his head, and smiled bitterly: "Respected Prime Minister, I did not personally intervene, but it is true that I knew about it but did not report it. This is my fault. But what else can I do? Daliang's finances are high, and Your Majesty wants to implement benevolent policies and reduce taxes. The taxes collected in a year are not enough to spend, and the treasury is leaking everywhere. If I, the Minister of Revenue, don't grab this little money, where else can I go to make money?"

"Let's put it one thing at a time!" Jing Xiang's face was solemn. He did not show any mercy to Zhang Wenwei's complaints. Instead, his face became even more solemn: "The national treasury is in trouble. Why can't we find a way? Can the Daliang Dynasty be supported by the football market alone? Or do you think that this little trick can keep the 30% profit? You think you are fighting the Ghost King, but you are actually fighting the Ghost King and the Hades!"

"You are so stupid." Jing Xiang said coldly, "Don't pretend to be so righteous. You want to resign just because you are involved in trouble. It's not time yet! Send someone to inform Niu Cunjie and his men immediately. It's not too late for them to stop before things get worse! Don't be so smart that you let the hard work of the Marquis of Guanjun go to waste. Whether the Ghost King is behind the Huaihe incident or not, it is not our business. Your Majesty should be in charge."

After saying that, he put on the black gauze hat beside him and strode out: "Hurry up and do it. I will go to the palace to meet His Majesty and explain this matter in detail as soon as possible. This will still help avoid some unnecessary troubles."

Zhang Wenwei stood up hesitantly. Actually, he came to Chongzhengyuan today to bring up this topic because he was feeling uneasy. However, those involved are often confused, and only after Jingxiang made it clear could he see the truth.

After all, he had wanted to ask Jing Xiang to share the trouble before the incident, and Jing Xiang obviously saw it, but in anger, he still endured it and hurried into the palace to see Zhu Wen.

If we talk about the civil and military officials in the court who tried their best to maintain political stability, it was indeed only Jing Xiang.

It was precisely because of this that Zhang Wenwei dared to tell the truth. After all, he was different from those generals. Whether he participated in it or not, he, the Minister of Revenue, would inevitably be dragged down. This was forced by the situation. The task assigned to him by Zhu Wen was to manage the court's purse properly. If he did a good job, he would be a popular favorite, but if he did not, he would be demoted overnight.

It looks glamorous, but that's just how it looks.

Therefore, after Xiao Yan brought the Ministry of Revenue into the football market on the grounds of Huitong Piao, Zhang Wenwei naturally stood on Xiao Yan's side. As long as the profits of the football market flowed steadily into the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Wenwei would try his best to give the green light as long as it was a request made by Xiao Yan, let alone the Huitong Piao.

As for the so-called trap set for the Ghost King, that was truly unexpected.

…………

Bian Jing was the royal palace.

In a secret room somewhere, Zhu Youzhen walked back and forth, biting his nails, looking towards the door all the time, unable to hide his impatience.

After a long time, the door was pushed open and Cui Yu walked in with a slightly bent back.

"What do you mean!" Zhu Youzhen hurried forward, his eyes red, and grabbed Cui Yu's clothes.

Cui Yu's face was not looking good, and he nodded heavily: "Your Highness, Huainan has indeed betrayed you. None of our people have returned. I guess they were all killed by Zhu Jin... I really don't know whether Zhu Jin has revealed the specific inside story to Xiao Yan. As for the rumors against the Ghost King in the city, I don't know if it's a trick. I'm afraid that Xiao Yan has mastered something and intends to kill you unexpectedly."

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Zhu Youzhen was furious. He paced back and forth while shouting angrily, "How could that bastard Zhu Jin take the money and not do the job? I gave him the 50,000 guan deposit, but it was just to let this bastard vent my anger..."

Cui Yu stood beside him with his head bowed. Upon hearing this, he could not help but speak out: "Your Highness, you should discuss this matter with me..."

"Discuss?"

Zhu Youzhen's eyes were gloomy. If he had followed his usual habits, he would have stepped on Cui Yu and scolded him. However, he knew that it was not a good time to cause trouble at this juncture, so he just said with a grim face: "I just want Xiao Yan to understand that my patience is limited, and let this guy think carefully about whether to do things honestly. Who knew that Zhu Jin, this bastard, is so untrustworthy! Didn't you say that this person values ​​credit and loyalty the most?"

Cui Yu was also angry. He had told Zhu Youzhen that Zhu Jin of Huainan valued credit and loyalty, but Zhu Youzhen, this idiot, didn't even think about it. How could such a person's credit be used on Zhu Wen's son?

Although he was thinking about it, he didn't dare to show it on his face. He just whispered: "At this point, Your Highness should think about how to deal with the aftermath..."

"If I knew, what use would you be to me!?" Zhu Youzhen continued to bite his nails subconsciously, appearing extremely impatient.

A hint of coldness flashed in Cui Yu's eyes: "Your Highness, why don't you fish in troubled waters?"

"What do you mean?" Seeing that he had an idea, Zhu Youzhen immediately perked up. After all, among all the people under his command, there were many who had good brains, but the only one who had a good brain and could do dirty things was Cui Yu.

"Since the rumors in the city are all directed at the Ghost King, why don't you make this matter real and throw someone else out to take the blame? As the saying goes, big things turn into small things, and small things turn into nothing. As long as someone takes the blame and changes the direction of the rumors, the government and the public will naturally shift their attention."

"What do you mean?" Zhu Youzhen asked impatiently.

"We can send someone to spread the rumor more widely, and then push this person out to take the blame when the situation gets the most serious. By then, no matter whether it's the Ghost King at the center of the storm or the court, they will definitely put the entire blame on this scapegoat. In this way, even if Xiao Yan wants to do something else afterwards, it won't be enough."

Cui Yu continued in a calm tone, "And it would be best if this person could attract attention in terms of identity and have some appeal in terms of topics."

Zhu Youzhen bit her nails and asked, "Who is good?"

Cui Yu paused, and then spoke as calmly as possible: "Your Highness, don't you suspect that Zhong Xiaokui and Xiao Yan are secretly doing something..."

Zhu Youzhen was slightly stunned, then frowned and thought.

Cui Yu's eyes flashed coldly, and there was a subtle impatience in his words: "Zhong Xiaokui of Xuanming Sect disappeared in his early years. Few people knew that he was with Your Highness. He is the best scapegoat. If someone exposes him, he can also blame the Xuanming Sect. Everyone knows that Your Highness has basically no connection with the Xuanming Sect. In this way, isn't it a good opportunity to get away with it?

Not only that, it can completely eliminate the hidden danger of Zhong Xiaokui and Xiao Yan's connection. Even if Your Highness can't bear it later, it will be convenient to use means to replace her, which is a move that kills two birds with one stone..."

Zhu Youzhen thought slowly, walking back and forth, his face gloomy in the secret room. After a moment, he laughed softly.

"That makes sense, that makes sense!"

(End of this chapter)