Go to a banquet?

Although Xie Zhihua is nominally free, she has been restricted by Xu Ting, but in fact she is under house arrest in disguise. People entering and leaving the Bishui Tower must go through the inspection by the garrison army. At this critical moment, Xie Zhihua invited the two of them. What was she trying to do?

Niu Gong's death?

Now everyone can guess that Xie Zhihua can't escape the death of Niu Gong, but he can't produce any evidence. Even if there is, Xie Zhihua can deny it openly: People were guarded by your Six Gates, but they ended up hanging themselves and dying in your yamen. If you want to discuss the crime, you must first hold your Six Gates accountable.

"I'm afraid it's not just a meal."

Fan Xiaodao said, "We haven't experienced any big winds and waves? Bishuilou is not a dragon's nest, so she is still afraid of going to have a meal? Humph, Xie Zhihua is better not to be caught by us, otherwise he will be nice to see this meal!"

night.

The clear water tower, the moon remains.

The water flows in front of the clear water building, but the flowers are still blooming, and the zithers are singing together.

There was no change at all because Xie Zhihua was under house arrest.

The two came to Bishui Tower.

Unlike before, this time, Xie Zhihua was waiting downstairs in person. He changed into a Confucian shirt and smiled, and welcomed the two to the third floor.

This is Fan and Zhao’s second time to come to Bishuilou.

Before January, it was here that Xie Zhihua invited Pan Nietai and Xie prefect was accompanying him. He found an excuse to put pressure on Fan and Zhao. The two had no initiative. Who could have expected that after January, the situation would completely reverse, and the two solved the counterfeit currency case, and Xie Zhihua became guilty.

On the table, there was only one plate of tofu, a pot of rice wine, and three wine glasses.

In the center, there is a piece of jade cabbage.

It is in sharp contrast with the feast before January.

Xie Zhihua said, "I originally wanted to make it more abundant, but now the situation is forced to treat you with simple food. Please forgive me for any inappropriate things."

Fan Xiaodao didn't sit down and said, "There is an old Luo bun outside the building, which tastes good. When we came, we each ate a basket. Lord Xie, we can stop eating, so we don't have to beat around the bush. If you have anything, just say it."

Xie Zhihua poured three glasses of wine, "You have to drink one glass of wine."

Food is not a good dish, but wine is good wine.

When I opened the jar, a strong fragrance filled the house.

Xie Zhihua brought the two cups in front of the two, "It's better to drink some things and say something."

The two of them did not refuse, and the three raised their glasses to drink together.

Fan Xiaodao said: "Have you found the adult's colorful clothes?"

Last time I came here, Xie Zhihua asked the two to help investigate the loss of Nishang and Yuyi. The two of them used complicated and cumbersome public procedures to delay the matter again and again. Until now, the case filing procedures have not been completed, let alone launching an investigation.

Xie Zhihua laughed, "I'm sorry for you. As the saying goes, guard against the situation day and night, it's hard to guard against the thief at home. It turns out that Yuyi was a subordinate in the mansion who left. Later, he took action on the black market and was found by my people and recovered it. I originally wanted to go to Liushemen to cancel the case, but after asking, I found out that Liushemen had not filed a case yet, and this matter was over."

“That’s good.”

Xie Zhihua said, "To be on guard, I ordered someone to send it to the capital a few days ago and presented it to His Majesty. After His Majesty received it, Long Yan was very happy and rewarded me with an emerald cabbage."

The two of them looked at the table.

I was still wondering just now that Bishuilou was so poor that it was left with tofu, why did it still put a jade cabbage on the table? How could it make people talk?

Unexpectedly, this jade cabbage was actually a reward from His Majesty.

Fan Xiaodao looked at the jade cabbage. Under the reflection of the lights, the light was filled with lights and shining. You could tell at a glance that it was not an ordinary product.

Fan Xiaodao sighed, "Things are good things, but they can't be eaten. Lord Xie invites us. Could it be that he wants to give this cabbage to both of us?"

Xie Zhihua said, "There are many treasures in the Bishui Building. If you have any one you like, you will take them away. Only this cabbage is a gift from Your Majesty. I am sorry that I cannot give up my love."

Zhao Xing said coldly: "Since that's the case, what's the use of calling us to say these nonsense?"

Xie Zhihua said, "While things are still within controllable range, I want to make peace with you."

"Make peace?" Fan Xiaodao snorted coldly, "Why? When you asked Tan Shixing to frame me, why didn't you make peace? When you sent a killer to chase me in Qixia Mountain, why didn't you think about making peace? Now that the matter is revealed, the matter is exposed, and it is really a big deal to make peace!"

Xie Zhihua was not angry, stood up, took out a letter from the desk next to her and handed it to the two of them.

Fan Xiaodao and Zhao Xing were shocked when they saw the fire seals on the envelope.

This is the prince's private fire seal, and the two of them are so familiar with each other.

The two of them took the letter and opened it and found that they were not calm.

The letter was written by the prince Zhu Yan, and it should be a reply. In addition to some decent words, it also mentioned that he received 100,000 taels of silver from Xie Zhihua. During this period, the prince was unable to move forward in the capital, especially when it involved party struggles in the court. If he wanted to do something, the whole country would have to deal with it, etc.

The tone was like a friend.

At the end of the letter, he gave him another reminder to pay attention to the movements in the Jiangnan officialdom.

After reading this letter, Fan Xiaodao and Zhao Xing almost didn't believe their eyes. Xie Zhihua had a connection with Prince Zhu Yan?

Xie Zhihua said, "Do you both understand?"

Fan Xiaodao shook his head mechanically, "I don't understand very much."

Xie Zhihua said, "I am also the prince's person."

Is Xie Zhihua the Crown Prince’s man?

Both of them thought they would break their heads and thought that the result would be like this.

Since he is the prince’s man, why should he kill the two of them?

Since he is the Crown Prince’s member, why should he help Princess Taiping do business?

But if it weren't for the prince's person, this letter would be real.

Xie Zhihua said, "When I was appointed as the Jiangnan Transportation Commissioner, although I was the way of Princess Taiping, in Jinling, the Prince's Highness greeted me. In the past year, the Prince's Highness talked with me many times and had a heart-to-heart talk. The Prince was a man, with a open mind and a world-renowned master, and I was very impressed by the famous master and benevolent monarch. But at that time, the entire capital knew that my official position was given by Princess Taiping, so I followed the prince's advice, hiding dormant in Jiangnan, continuing to do business for the prince, and secretly solving some of his money worries for him."

The two were stunned.

Is this the legendary double-faced spy?

"The prince is a man with great ambitions, and he is not a scholar who only knows nothing. He knows that if he wants to succeed, he must win over talents in the world, but how can he win over? Just talking about ideals and ambitions may work for you, but it is not possible for most people. If they want to serve His Highness wholeheartedly, they must see money. And I, the fortune envoy who is known as the God of Wealth in Jiangnan, is the person who provides money to His Highness."

Fan Xiaodao said, "But your money comes from the wrong way!"

Xie Zhihua showed a sarcastic look on his face, "Money is money, no matter where it comes from. The key is to see where the money is used. Last year, the Yellow River flooded hundreds of villages, and the imperial court prepared 300,000 taels of silver to provide disaster relief, but in the end, the Ministry of Revenue, controlled by Princess Taiping, was divided up by the Ministry of Works. The real ones that really came to the hands of refugees. But His Highness was running around in Jiangnan, raising 50,000 dan of grain and sent it to Henan Prefecture. For this, he was praised by the imperial court. Where do you think the 50,000 dan of grain came from?"

This is indeed the case.

It is precisely because of this incident that the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works investigated and dealt with two ministers, causing a big lawsuit. Later, it was found that Princess Taiping was the younger sister of His Majesty. She copied scriptures and refined elixirs for His Majesty every day, and was the person in front of him. Compared with this, what is the matter of 8,000 deaths in Henan Prefecture?

However, because of this, Your Majesty had other thoughts and transferred the Crown Prince Zhu Yan from Jinling to the capital.

Fan Xiaodao was silent, Zhao Xing was silent.

Xie Zhihua drank the glass of wine and said, "Today's affairs are considered secret talks, and they end up in this house. After a while, the imperial envoy will come to Jiangnan to investigate the case. I hope you two will see the situation clearly and understand how to do it. Let's go to Niu Gong for this case."

In one sentence, it sets the character of the whole case.

The two walked out of Bishui Tower and were in a very depressed mood.

They did not expect that Xie Zhihua, who had always opposed them, was also the Crown Prince's member.

When Fan Xiaodao thought of the money he received from the prince's mansion, he felt very discord and had to comfort himself that the prince was also a human being and had to spend money. There were more ways to make money in the world, and how many were clean? Either it was collusion between officials and businessmen, or it was a custody and robbery. After all, it was a job of dividing the spoils.

People like Fan Huowu who rely on skills to sell wine earn hard money, but the cleanest ones.

But hard work can get rid of poverty, but cannot get rich.

The great merchants from ancient times to the present, looking from a distance, like the Li family in Jinling, looking from a close distance, like the Dajiang Gang, their way to making a fortune is ultimately unavailable from the money-power transaction.

This experience tonight has a great impact on Fan Xiaodao's thoughts.

Fan Xiaodao always thought that he was a very ideal person. Whether he was a copycat or a constable, he should do something, be open and honest, be able to meet Zhu Yan and join his camp because he had the same ideals and ambitions, and because he felt that he could succeed together.

To do things, we need to have a like-minded person, work together and act together toward one goal.

A person like Xie Zhihua is the one that Fan Xiaodao despises the most, but he is in the same camp as him.

Although Fan Xiaodao is understandable, he cannot accept it.

Why didn’t the prince explain this to him directly when he came to Jiangnan?

Zhao Xing noticed Fan Xiaodao's emotional changes, so he went to Lao Luo's bun shop outside to buy two cages of buns and handed him a cage, "Xiaodao, what's wrong with you?"
Chapter completed!