Chapter 370 It Turns Out to be a Gift from the Princess

The flowers are in full bloom and the garden is full of beautiful spring colors.

Not only are the peach and apricot trees that bloomed in the past once again covered in pink veils, blossoming with the beauty of a new season, but even the usually silent elm and willow trees have miraculously put on red makeup, with gorgeous red flowers clustered on their branches.

This is the scenery of Ou Mansion in the morning after the rain, with a riot of colour competing for beauty.

When Yue Lingshan woke up, it was already past midnight. Even though she had practiced martial arts since childhood, she still felt weak all over. Thinking of yesterday's experience, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, like a peach blossom blooming in the morning light, shy and beautiful.

After washing up with the help of the maid, Yue Lingshan couldn't help but ask, "Has the master gone out?"

A maid replied, "Madam, the master left at one o'clock in the morning."

Upon hearing this, Yue Lingshan nodded, looking a little disappointed.

At this time, another maid came in with a tray in her hand and said softly, "Second Madam, this is the gift that the master asked someone to prepare for you. It's ready now and I'm sending it to you specially."

Yue Lingshan's eyes lit up and she said, "Bring it here quickly so I can see what it is."

The maid obediently placed the tray in front of Yue Lingshan, which contained a long box.

When I opened the box, I saw a painting and nearly two hundred fragments of various sizes.

Yue Lingshan spread out the painting, which showed Mount Huashan on it, and next to it were instructions on how to play, asking Yue Lingshan to piece together the disrupted beauty of Mount Huashan within two hours this afternoon.

"This is another ingenious way to play the tangram puzzle! Humph, I accept the challenge!"

At the same time, Ou Zanghua came to the military camp prison and interrogated Anyuan Hou Liu Wen.

Even though he was already in prison, Liu Wen still behaved calmly, as if every step he took had been carefully calculated. He was neither overly ostentatious nor lacking in dignity.

"Sir Ou, I didn't expect that our second private meeting would be in this kind of scene." Liu Wen walked over and sat down opposite him, cupping his hands with a smile on his face.

"Lord Liu, I came to see you because I have two questions I would like you to answer." Ou Zanghua said calmly after bowing in return.

"Please speak, Lord Ou." Liu Wen nodded.

"Why do your men know Huashan Sword Technique and Kunlun Sword Technique?"

"Ha." Liu Wen laughed after hearing this, and then said, "Master Ou is indeed from a martial arts sect. He is most concerned about these things."

"Please answer me, Lord Liu." Ou Zanghua didn't care about Liu Wen's disparagement and his expression remained the same.

Liu Wen looked at Ou Zanghua and said slowly: "Sure! But I would like to ask Lord Ou to do me a favor."

Ou Zanghua shook his head with amusement and said, "Lord Liu, even if you don't tell me, I have other ways to find out. It just takes two more days."

Liu Wen frowned slightly, knowing that what Ou Zanghua said was feasible.

After a long silence, he said, "In the previous dynasty, there was a Princess Shaomin, whose Mongolian name was Minmin Temur and whose Chinese name was Zhaomin. She was the beloved daughter of Prince Ruyang."

"Princess Shaomin was ordered to suppress bandits. She once poisoned and imprisoned the masters of the six major sects in Wan'an Temple. She also arranged for her lackeys to compete with the masters of each sect, and took the opportunity to secretly learn martial arts. Later, these martial arts she secretly learned were compiled into a book and taken to the Northern Yuan Dynasty by her brother Wang Baobao."

"My ancestor, Duke Rong, once followed Emperor Taizong in the Northern Expedition. After defeating Alutai, he seized a lot of martial arts manuals compiled by Princess Shao Min, which included the martial arts of the Huashan School and the Kunlun School."

"So that's it." The mystery in Ou Zanghua's mind was solved. He had thought that the emperor had given their family the secret book. Then he asked, "The second question is, the late emperor was very kind to the Anyuan Marquis's mansion, why did Marquis Liu do this?"

"The Liu family will naturally never forget the kindness of the late emperor." Liu Wen straightened his expression and said seriously.

"Then why do you do this?"

"Why?"

Liu Wen couldn't help laughing, "Of course it's to rebuild my Liu family! Emperor Taizong favored my ancestor above all other marquises. He followed me on five expeditions to the frontier and made many contributions. Emperor Zhengtong posthumously awarded him the title of Duke of Rong, which was an honor. Now I want to restore the glory of my ancestors, is there anything wrong with that?"

"Marquis Liu is eloquent, he should come to the Ministry of Rites to take my position." After listening to this, Ou Zanghua said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Mr. Ou Ke, what do you mean by this?" Liu Wen frowned slightly and asked in a cold voice.

"It's nothing, I just look down on you."

Ou Zanghua looked at Liu Wen and said indifferently: "I participated in the palace examination in the sixth year of Zhengde, and became the youngest third-rank official in the court in the eighth year of Zhengde. In addition to the care of His Majesty, the most important thing is that I fought hard on the battlefield, which is enough for me to sit in my current position."

"Liu Liu and Liu Qi are causing trouble for the people. Your Majesty has given you opportunities."

"What was the result? None of the soldiers in the Beijing camp had the courage to fight against you. You retreated on the battlefield, but you were very good at playing politics. With such skills, Marquis Liu wanted to use it to restore the glory of the Liu family? I even think that if Duke Rong were still alive, he would be ashamed and angry to see his descendants doing this!"

Liu Wen's face suddenly changed, turning pale and blue, and he pointed his finger at Ou Zanghua with trembling hands, angrily scolding: "You! You are slandering me, you are so rude!"

"Whether it is true or not, Lord Liu knows it clearly in his heart." After Ou Zanghua finished speaking, he stood up and was too lazy to even look at these people fighting among themselves.

Just at this moment, a group of people came in, escorting a eunuch with the imperial edict in his hand.

When Ou Zanghua saw this, he realized that this was Emperor Zhengde's punishment on this group of nobles.

He then stood up and stood aside, with an upright posture and a solemn expression.

"The imperial edict has arrived!"

"Anyuan Marquis Liu Wen, Ningyang Marquis Chen Jizu, Xincheng Earl Zhao Jin, Dongning Earl Jiao Xun accept the order!"

As the eunuch's sharp voice came, everyone in the prison knelt down one after another.

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: Liu Wen, Marquis of Anyuan, Chen Jizu, Marquis of Ningyang, and others, disregarded the hard work of the soldiers in the Beijing camp and imposed excessive labor service, which resulted in the soldiers having no time to train, causing the army to lose morale and many of them to desert. You did not repent, but concealed the number of people, deceived the state treasury, and embezzled military pay. There were too many officials, and many people were filling the positions. Your crimes are obvious and you should be executed according to the law."

"Considering that your ancestors were the backbone of the imperial court and had made outstanding contributions, I have pardoned their death penalty. However, you cannot escape the punishment of living. I order your entire clan to be exiled to Zhenning Prefecture, Guizhou Province, as a warning to others. I decree this!"

"We thank the Emperor for his grace!"

Marquis of Anyuan Liu Wen, Marquis of Ningyang Chen Jizu and others accepted the imperial edict with trembling voices.

Ou Zanghua stood aside, feeling somewhat melancholy. He was somewhat surprised that his boss could remain calm despite his rage and clean up these parasites using legal means.

Knowing the state of Emperor Zhengde yesterday, Ou Zanghua had no doubt that he would directly order the Beijing Army to exterminate the four families of Liu, Chen, Zhao and Jiao.

(End of this chapter)