Tibet

Several officials left, taking away a box of Li Ye's daggers as evidence.

Li Ye sat in the courtyard and pondered in silence. He had no intention of listening to the lecture. Although he was going to play for Gao Lishi tomorrow morning, the fact that he was framed was like a poisonous thorn in his heart, and this The way he framed me this time was very similar to the way he framed his father last year. If he didn't give them any color, he really thought he was easy to bully!

Li Ye rode to the Anranju Restaurant in Pingkangfang. The restaurant was already open for business. The murder in Pingkangfang caused a sensation in Chang'an. However, everyone focused on Sun Jiliang. The death of the singer Shi Lian in Anranju Restaurant was ignored. .

Of course, this is not surprising. Hu Ji's status is already very low. If Hu Ji dies in Chang'an, almost no one will pay attention.

Anranju Restaurant was lucky enough to escape without being affected, but Shanshui Restaurant suffered an unexpected disaster. Sun Jiliang died next to his house. Shanshui Restaurant has not yet opened.

Li Ye rode to the restaurant and got off his horse. A bartender quickly came forward to help him lead the horse.

"Is shopkeeper Cheng here?"

“Right in the store!”

Li Ye handed the horse over to the restaurant and walked into the store. The restaurant had not yet opened for business. Shopkeeper Cheng was arranging the bartenders to clean the restaurant. When he turned around and saw Li Ye, shopkeeper Cheng hurriedly came forward to greet him.

"Sir, are you okay?"

Li Ye smiled and nodded, "Don't worry! I'll be fine. I'll ask some questions."

"Master, please come this way!"

Li Ye followed shopkeeper Cheng to the shopkeeper's room and sat down. Shopkeeper Cheng poured him a bowl of sour plum soup.

Li Ye took a sip of sour plum soup and asked, "What do you think of Shilian's case?"

"The case has been closed. The county government determined it was suicide."

Shopkeeper Cheng lowered his voice and said, "I heard from Captain Feng that this is what the higher-ups meant!"

It must be his grandfather's intention. How could there be a murder in the Li family restaurant? Let's talk about a barbarian singer. The county government did not want to spend too much energy on her, so it was in the interests of all parties to rule it as suicide.

Li Ye asked again: "Did she receive guests? I mean, she was taken out to spend the night by a man."

Shopkeeper Cheng nodded and sighed: "I just found out that she was taken out by the drinker half a year ago. This Sun Jiliang alone took her out twice, both of which were arranged by her sister Shiliu."

As expected, this Shi Lian was bribed by someone, deliberately seeking help from herself, framed herself, and took care of her in vain.

Li Ye gritted his teeth in hatred and asked again: "Is the pomegranate still there?"

"Here I am!"

"Bring her to me!"

There is a small courtyard in the backyard of the restaurant with four or five rooms. The twenty or so orchids in the restaurant live here.

Not long after, Shiliu timidly came to Li Ye's room. It could be seen that her sister's death had a huge impact on her. She looked very haggard, her eyes were red, and she had probably been crying for two days.

"Master, are you looking for me?" Pomegranate whispered.

"Sit down, I have something to ask you."

Pomegranate sat sideways on a bench.

Li Ye was too lazy to ask her about pimping his sister. He felt that Shi Lian was young, but these Hu Ji didn't think that they came to the Tang Dynasty just to make money. Sooner or later, they would have to sell their bodies. Of course, the sooner they would sell themselves, the sooner they would make money. .

"How did Sun Jiliang find your sister?"

"This is his third time here. He asks for my sister by name every time. He has this habit!"

"Is it also him the first time?"

Pomegranate nodded, "He paid twenty taels of silver to buy my sister's first night."

Li Ye thought for a moment and then said: "Did he come here as a temporary decision or by appointment?"

"I made an appointment. I said I would come two days ago. Normally, private rooms require an appointment."

Li Ye's heart skipped a beat. He began to doubt Zhang Yan. Zhang Yan invited him here and arranged the time so that he could meet Sun Jiliang.

As for the meeting on the stairs, it was probably just a coincidence, but even if he didn't meet on the stairs, Shi Lian would ask for help from him elsewhere.

"You arranged all your sister's pickups?" Li Ye continued to ask.

Pomegranate hesitated and said, "Supposedly it was all arranged by me, but I felt a little strange the night before yesterday."

"What's so strange?"

"I packed Alian's box and found that there was an extra twenty taels of silver in her box."

"Is it unusual for her to have a little money?"

"impossible!"

Shiliu shook her head and said: "I help her keep her money. It's always been like this. When the restaurant pays the bills, she gives me her money and won't give it to her. You said the dozens of coins may have been borrowed, but... Ten taels of silver! Her first time was only twenty taels."

"Is it an ingot of silver, or scattered pieces of silver?"

"It's a piece of silver, twenty taels!"

Li Ye nodded. It must have been these twenty taels of silver that bribed Shi Lian and asked her to seek help from him, which provoked a conflict between Sun Jiliang and himself.

"Do you know who gave her this ingot of silver?"

"I have no idea!"

Pomegranate covered her face and cried, "If I knew, I wouldn't let her accept these twenty taels of silver."

She also guessed that her sister died on these twenty taels of silver.

Li Ye looked at Shiliu and said coldly: "If you know, you'd better tell me, and I will find a way to protect your safety. If you know and don't tell, then you will be silenced by them like your sister."

Shiliu shook her head desperately, "I really don't know, Alian didn't tell me at all!"

"Then who do you think it could be? Who does she have a close relationship with recently?"

Li Ye guessed that she must have a close relationship with Shiliu before she would agree. Otherwise, if a stranger gave her twenty taels of silver and asked her to pretend to ask for help, she would not dare to agree easily and would tell her sister Shiliu.

Pomegranate thought for a while and said, "She has been very close to her godmother recently. At noon on the day of the incident, she went to see her godmother and asked her why she wanted to see her?"

"Who is her godmother?"

"The wine head of the Shanshui Restaurant is called Shi Ah Shui. She is also from our Shi country. She is in her thirties. She has a bunch of wine girls she brought from the Shi country and Bahan. Her daughter is the same as A Lian. Years old, they often played together, so they accepted this Aunt Shi as their godmother."

Li Ye asked again: "Has this godmother been here since Alian died?"

Pomegranate shook her head, "No, I asked someone to tell her, but she didn't come, and neither did her daughter!"

"I understand, you go ahead! But I remind you, if you want to live a few more days, don't tell anyone about my conversation with you today!"

"I know, I won't talk nonsense!"

Pomegranate bowed and left. Li Ye immediately asked the shopkeeper Cheng, "Who runs the Shanshui Restaurant?"

Shopkeeper Cheng smiled bitterly and said: "Everyone in Chang'an knows that Shanshui Restaurant is the property of Yang Hao, the Minister of Household Affairs!"

Li Ye couldn't help but sneer in his heart, it was indeed the Yang family.

In the Imperial Study Room, Li Linfu submitted an application to resign as Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs to Emperor Li Longji.

Li Linfu had many part-time jobs, and the Minister of Civil Affairs was one of the more important ones. Li Linfu handing over the Minister of Civil Affairs was actually a compromise with the emperor Li Longji, and he would not interfere with Yang Guozhong's transfer to the imperial court.

This is politics, starting in a small place, but playing a big game.

His grandson Li Ye was suddenly framed. Of course Li Linfu knew it well. When it came to appointing the Minister of Civil Affairs, he recommended Wei Jiansu, and he accurately secured the position and won the support of most of the officials. The emperor had no choice but to approve it. .

But Yang Guozhong also lost his most ideal official position.

Obviously, the emperor was using his grandson Li Ye's case to retaliate and beat himself up.

Of course, the Sun Jiliang case was not planned by the emperor himself, but it must have been hinted by the emperor for this case to happen.

"Your Majesty, I am old, my energy is limited, and I have too many concurrent jobs. I am beyond my capabilities and not good for the court. I sincerely ask for your permission!"

Li Longji narrowed his eyes and said nothing while looking at the memorial. He also knew very well that his grandson Li Ye was Li Linfu's sore leg. Sun Jiliang's case accurately hit Li Linfu's seven inches, so he had to take the initiative to give up the official minister.

Although the official position is more of a nominal position, and the actual power of the official position is more in the hands of the official minister, the official minister generally has to serve as the prime minister. This is the key.

Li Longji nodded, "Li Xiangguo is already old, and he has to devote himself to handling court affairs for me every day. I am also very sorry. After careful consideration, I decided to restore the multi-ministerial system of the political affairs hall to reduce Li Xiangguo's burden.

Li Xiangguo is the secretary, Chen Xiangguo is the subordinate, and there are ministers on the left and right, and a military representative is considered, a total of three deputy prime ministers. What do Li Xiangguo think of my consideration? "

Li Linfu sighed slightly in his heart. The emperor still wanted Yang Guozhong to replace him, but instead of the one-step approach he had worried about before, he would instead adopt a step-by-step approach and set up multiple ministers. He would first let Yang Guozhong enter the Political Affairs Hall as deputy prime minister, and then in a few years he could let him After he retired from office, Yang Guozhong took over as a matter of course.

Isn't this the result that Li Linfu expected?

Li Linfu bowed and said: "Your Majesty's plan for the political affairs hall is fully supported by me."

Li Longji smiled slightly and said: "Prime Minister, let's draft a specific plan! As for the additional candidates for the three deputy prime ministers, I will consider them properly. If the prime minister has suitable candidates, I can also recommend them!"

"Wei Chen, please retire!" Li Linfu bowed and retreated.

Li Longji took the indictment written by Sun Mian and requested that a case be opened against Li Ye, the Duke of Jinshan County. The opinion of the Ministry of Punishment is attached below, which concluded that the evidence submitted by the Sun family was inconsistent with the facts and that the flying knife was not Li Ye's property.

Li Longji immediately wrote a reply, ‘I agree with the Ministry of Punishment’s opinion! ’