xymnovel Chapter 105 The Person Behind It
Chapter 105 The Person Behind It
Chapter 105 The Person Behind It
Inside the Chengde Hall, the incense in the burner had not yet dissipated.
The imperial edict issued earlier has been transmitted, and the people at the Ministry of Personnel are drafting the official document.
However, there was no sense of relief or relief in the palace as the situation was finally settled.
Xun stood by the table without saying a word.
Cao Cao stood below the steps without saying a word.
Both of them were waiting.
They all knew that while the matter of Liangzhou had been officially settled, it was far from a time when they could relax.
really.
When Liu Bian returned to Chengde Hall, he didn't even change his outer robe. He simply raised the cuffs half an inch. The first thing he said was neither "to draft subsequent regulations" nor "to summon the Minister of Works."
"check."
Cao Cao raised his eyes: "Whom does Your Highness wish to investigate?"
Liu Bian walked to the table and pointed to the transcribed memorial facing upwards: "Investigate this memorial."
Cao Cao's eyes flickered slightly.
Xun Huoze seemed to have expected this, and his expression was not surprised.
Liu Bian lowered his eyes and looked at the words "Use Xiliang to control Xiliang" on the paper.
"Wang, the censor, is just someone who speaks his mind."
"What I want to know now is—who first thought of these words, who first wrote this memorial, who polished the words, who first read the draft, and who sent it to the court today."
He raised his head and looked at Cao Cao: "I don't want empty words, I want concrete results."
Cao Cao immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your subject obeys."
Liu Bian added, "We'll not only investigate the people, but also the paper, the ink, the transmission route, and who touched it."
"Especially one—"
'
He lightly touched the corner of the memorial with his finger.
"The parts that have been changed here."
Cao Cao took two steps forward, spread out the copy, and looked it over, his gaze falling on several altered words.
The original text read "Dong Zhuo can be used," but it was later changed to "Dong Zhuo should be used."
The original text read "may be able to quell the chaos", but it was later changed to "sufficient to quell the chaos".
There were two other turning points that could have been glossed over, but instead, the words "but," "must," and "cannot be lightly given" were added.
Not many words were changed.
But after the revision, the entire memorial immediately took on a different feel.
It's like going from "sacrificing a general" to "establishing a strategy".
Cao Cao looked at it for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "This man does know how to write."
"I know how to get His Majesty to listen, and I also know how to prevent the court officials from forcefully opposing me."
Liu Bian nodded slightly.
Of course he knew.
The most scathing part of this memorial wasn't that it accused Dong Zhuo, but that it was accused at the perfect time.
He Jin cannot leave, the Northern Army cannot be left empty, and once names like Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun are brought up, troops must be transferred to the capital and the foundation must be dismantled; however, the urgent report from Liangzhou has been suppressed all night, and the Emperor's anger has already flared up, so there is no time to delay.
At this very moment, someone suddenly brought up Dong Zhuo, who was "familiar with the affairs of the border region".
He's capable, experienced, and nominally acceptable.
The most crucial thing is—
This person is not in the capital.
Without touching He Jin, without moving the Northern Army, without disrupting the current situation, we can immediately throw a knife towards Liangzhou.
Xun Huo then slowly spoke: "This man understands not only Liangzhou, but also His Majesty."
"I understand Your Highness better."
Liu Bian looked up at him.
Xun Yu said, "If he were simply blaming Dong Zhuo for quelling the rebellion, he could have written it much more directly."
"But he didn't."
The statements, such as "He deliberately kept the power of the imperial insignia from being lightly granted" and "The transfer of military provisions must be discussed first," left room for maneuver, allowing Cui Chang, the Minister of Ceremonies, and He Jin to respond.
"Finally, we'll force His Highness into a position where he has no choice but to continue speaking."
Xun paused, then lowered his voice: "Because as long as Your Highness continues speaking, the Inspectorate will definitely get involved."
1
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's expression finally turned serious.
This is no longer just a simple recommendation of generals.
This was a scheme to use the Liangzhou incident to bring the Crown Prince, He Jin, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Dong Zhuo all into a trap.
Liu Bian suddenly smiled.
"yes."
"That's why I need to investigate."
He looked at the memorial, a cold glint in his eyes.
"I am not afraid of anyone praising Dong Zhuo."
"What I fear is that the one being promoted has never been Dong Zhuo."
"He's lifting the next step."
When Cao Cao arrived at the Imperial Censorate, it did not cause too much of a stir.
The sign of the Inspection Office has only just been erected, but now no one dares to treat the Crown Prince's sword as mere decoration.
Especially now that the imperial edict has just been issued, everyone knows that going against the Crown Prince at this time is not worthwhile.
When Wang, the censor, was asked to come out, his expression remained relatively calm.
But the hand hidden in the sleeve was clenched rather tightly.
Cao Cao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Who showed you that memorial to us today first?"
Wang Jishizhong was taken aback, then smiled wryly: "Commander Cao is joking. That was something I wrote myself last night."
"Self-composed?"
Cao Cao placed the memorial on the table and lightly tapped a word on the character for "change" with his finger.
"You used '宜' in the first two lines, but changed it to '当' in the last two; you used '然' in the first transition, but added '须' in the second."
"The words are yours, but the tone is not."
Wang, the censor, changed his expression.
I didn't see Cao Cao's portrait.
"And this piece of paper."
He lifted the edge of the paper and glanced at the creases on the back.
"The Censorate usually uses the straight-up stroke."
"Your copy was rolled up first and then folded, as if it was sent from somewhere else and only flattened again before it reached you."
"The ink also has two layers, the first half is slightly old, and the second half is slightly new. This indicates that the draft was written once, and later someone added to and revised it according to the original meaning."
Wang, the censor, moved his lips but did not utter a word.
Cao Cao then looked at him.
"Wang, the Imperial Censor, His Highness ordered this investigation. It's not a matter of whether you dare to submit this memorial or not."
"Who did you take the place of?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the room became so quiet that only the sound of the wind rustling through the bamboo leaves could be heard outside.
After a long silence, Wang Jishizhong said in a low voice, "Your Majesty—I just think this plan is feasible."
Cao Cao nodded.
"OK."
"Then write down everyone who saw you last night."
He paused, then added, "Don't miss a single one."
Liu Bian did not go to the Ministry of Personnel at Chengde Hall.
He went to the side hall, but instead of looking at the map of Liangzhou, he looked at the list of people entering and leaving the Chenliu Prince's Mansion in recent days.
The booklet was thin and unremarkable.
They delivered charcoal, vegetables, paper and ink, and medicine.
It looks like there's no problem at all.
But that's precisely the problem.
It's too clean.
It was so clean it looked like it was deliberately written for someone to see.
Wang Ming stood aside and reported on the things he had found out that day: "A few days ago, the Prince's mansion did indeed receive several groups of people. The roster listed them as servants, deliverymen, and repairmen."
"Two of them only went in once, finished their work, and left without ever looking back."
"When we went to look for him, he was already gone."
Liu Bian didn't look up, only flipping through the booklet: "Only went in once?"
"Yes."
Which door did you enter through?
"West Side Gate".
Liu Bian paused for a moment.
The Prince of Chenliu was young, and Empress Dowager Dong kept a close watch on him, so the main gate was the most conspicuous; the west side gate was usually used by servants and laborers.
Eunuchs and offerings are the least likely to attract attention.
now it's right.
Some people weren't targeting Liu Xie.
They were merely using the Chenliu Prince's Mansion as a place to leave, deliver things, and leave traces.
Because everyone in Luoyang had a preconceived notion that—who would dare to use a young prince's residence as a transit point?
But some people just have to be brave enough to do it.
Xun Yu, standing nearby, said, "Turn the place that should never be touched into the safest place."
"That technique is quite skillful."
Liu Bian closed the booklet, his expression unchanged: "It's not a spirit."
"It's cooked."
After he finished speaking, his gaze slowly fell on the line "send paper and ink".
"If it's just a matter of using the Prince's residence to deliver something, there's no need to handle paper and ink."
"Unless—someone is trying to alter, copy, or hide things in the Prince's mansion."
Wang Ming's heart skipped a beat.
"Your Highness means—"
Liu Bian raised his head: "Go and investigate those two repairmen."
"Then investigate the person who delivered the paper and ink, which shop the goods came from, who kept the accounts, and who held the receipt."
"besides--
—"
"In the Prince of Chenliu's mansion, who has touched the desk recently?"
Wang Ming immediately responded, "Yes, sir!"
He had just turned around when Liu Bian called him back.
"Keep a low profile."
"Don't alarm the Empress Dowager, and don't alarm the Prince of Chenliu."
"This matter is not about raiding the Prince's mansion, but about capturing the person who is hiding in the Prince's mansion."
Wang Ming accepted the order and left.
The hall fell silent again.
Liu Bian stood by the window, watching the sky gradually darken in the west, and suddenly thought of Dong Zhuo many years later.
It's not the "former general Dong Zhuo" who was mentioned in court today.
But the one that came later—
Dong Zhuo was able to enter the capital, depose and install emperors, and make all the court officials dare not even breathe too loudly.
To others, today's situation is simply a case of a fire breaking out in Liangzhou, and the imperial court finding the most suitable person to put it out.
But Liu Bian knew.
Some fires only get bigger the more you try to put them out.
Some people, once they're pushed into the system, it's difficult to get them back.
So what he needs to investigate now is not a memorial at all.
The question is, who saw in advance how Dong Zhuo would use it?