manynovel Chapter 640 Closing the Net
Chapter 640 Closing the Net
"Could it be Jiang Youzhen? Did she find out about my plan and sent someone to follow me?" Wang Mintao was a little panicked. He hadn't done anything recently except his plan to eliminate Jiang Youzhen.
"Our plan has just begun. You haven't taken any action yet. How could she find out?" The cloaked man thought it was unlikely as they had just started the first step of their plan.
He guessed, "Could it be that you have offended someone, or someone is eyeing your position?"
Huang Mintao shook his head, thinking carefully about Jiang Youzhen's behavior towards him in the past few days. This boy was somewhat smooth, but he was still somewhat aloof and distant in his bones, with the arrogance of a scholar, and his relationship with his colleagues in the Zhuangyuan Hall was ordinary, not too close.
When facing him, Jiang Youzhen behaved as usual and there was nothing unusual.
"It's hard to say! Since the master said that this boy is very scheming, it is very possible." Huang Mintao walked back and forth in the study.
"But I looked at the files he compiled today, and it was just as we planned, and he didn't show any abnormalities."
"In that case, you might as well test her, or start with the people around her." said the cloaked man.
"Let me try him." Huang Mintao nodded.
“If you hadn’t directly called the Red Gate’s assassins, things wouldn’t have been so complicated.” The cloaked man snorted coldly.
The next morning, when Jiang Youzhen arrived at Hanlin Garden, Huang Mintao had already arrived.
"Lord Jiang has been visiting the Ministry of Personnel recently, so I guess he has almost finished compiling it, right?"
Jiang Youzhen was stunned when he heard this, then said, "How can it be so fast? The documents are incomplete and it is very troublesome to find them."
"But fortunately, we have the file given by Lord Huang, which means we can get half the result." Jiang Youzhen said this with a smile on his face.
Huang Mintao's heart moved, "I have been working in the Hanlin Academy for nearly seven years, and I know a little about some of the official positions outside the capital. If Lord Jiang needs my help, just ask."
Jiang Youzhen immediately looked over with some vigilance, then tightly grasped the file in his hand and said quickly: "Hasn't Lord Huang also been assigned other tasks? It's better not to do it. Thank you Lord Huang for your kindness."
Jiang Youzhen's action made Huang Mintao even more uneasy. He sat down and began to organize his files, but he was always absent-minded.
At noon, Huang Mintao looked at Jiang Youzhen's back as he left, his eyes flickering.
After Jiang Youzhen finished his meal, Qian Songyun called him over. As soon as he entered the room, he asked about the progress of the ceremony.
"It's been ten days. How's your progress?"
"Your Excellency, I am sorting out the volumes."
"Oh? But there is already a summary?" Qian Songyun didn't have much confidence at first. He knew that the official positions of Beijing officials were easy to reorganize, but those of local officials were a bit loose.
"There are still some details that need to be completed, and some minor officials have not yet been verified."
Qian Songyun looked suspicious when he heard this. So fast?
"Then when can you organize and compile the volumes? Tomorrow the emperor will come to Wenyuan Pavilion to study the classics and give a lecture. He will probably ask about the progress of the Code and the National History."
Qian Songyun said earnestly, "The emperor attaches great importance to these. Whoever is responsible will be summoned to Wenyuan Pavilion to inquire about the progress in person. You should prepare yourself, otherwise you will be summoned without any preparation."
Jiang Youzhen said quickly, "Yes! I will sort it out as soon as I get back."
"Just give a rough outline. Even if you don't know the details now, you can still find them later."
"Yes!" Jiang Youzhen responded respectfully and then returned to the Champion Hall.
Huang Mintao watched Jiang Youzhen open the lock, take out his files from the bookcase and start to organize them.
Huang Mintao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was very serious and started to compile without even raising his head.
At the same time, he was delighted. Whether it would succeed or not would depend on tomorrow. No! It would definitely succeed.
The next morning, Qian Songyun asked Jiang Youzhen to take the compiled volume to him for review. Just as Jiang Youzhen was about to go over, he heard Huang Mintao say that he had some questions and wanted to consult Qian Xueshi, so why not go together.
Jiang Youzhen readily agreed, and the two of them walked towards Qian Songyun's study with the files in their arms.
"Ouch! Lord Jiang, I suddenly feel uncomfortable in my stomach. Can you wait here for me for a moment?" Huang Mintao suddenly covered his stomach and his face turned pale.
"Master Huang, please go quickly. I will wait here for a while." Jiang Youzhen would definitely agree, so he nodded.
"I'm sorry, that's rude! Then please hold it for me, Lord Jiang. I'll be right back. Thank you for your help." Huang Mintao said as he placed his file in Jiang Youzhen's hand and then ran away.
Jiang Youzhen didn't even have time to shout. Seeing the other party running away, he could only wait there.
However, after a long while, Jiang Youzhen still didn't see Huang Mintao coming back, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
She followed and was about to look for Huang Mintao, but unexpectedly she was bumped by someone and the file in her hand fell to the ground.
"Oh! My lord, I'm so sorry. I'll pick it up for you." An unfamiliar voice sounded. Jiang Youzhen saw that it was a stranger, but judging from his official uniform, he should be an attendant or a librarian.
Just as he was about to ask, Huang Mintao finally arrived. He thanked him repeatedly, and the two of them went to Qian Songyun's yard, but they found nothing.
"You two gentlemen are a little late. The court has already been dismissed. The emperor has summoned the scholar to Wenyuan Pavilion." Huang Kongmu said hurriedly when he saw Jiang Youzhen and the others.
"Alas! It's all my fault that I wasted your time." Huang Mintao said apologetically.
"It's okay..." Jiang Youzhen had just said one sentence when a stranger suddenly came in from outside.
But he was wearing a eunuch's robe, and he was not very old, with a fair face and no beard, and an oval face, looking quite handsome.
"But Huang Kongmu? Convey the emperor's oral order and summon Jiang Youzhen and Huang Mintao, editors of the Hanlin Academy, to meet the emperor!" The eunuch held his head high and chest out, with his chin slightly raised.
Jiang Youzhen and Huang Mintao's eyes lit up at the same time, here it comes!
Wenyuan Pavilion
The emperor was sitting at the top, his eyes slightly closed, listening to the arguments of the people below.
"Your Majesty, our Dayun has always been a benevolent and righteous country. How can we be compared with those barbarians? In previous years, during every major celebration, the annual tribute from other vassal states would be exempted.
This year happens to be the 1000th birthday of the Empress Dowager, and exempting the annual tribute can just show the magnanimity of our great country." Minister of Rites Luo Chengyi said.
"Humph! The imperial treasury has finally gotten some relief and is starting to improve, but it's not full yet. Why bother pretending to be rich? There shouldn't be such a rule. Since we are a vassal state, we should have the awareness of a vassal state and pay tribute every year."
When the Minister of Revenue heard that the Ministry of Revenue was going to be cut again, he was the first to disagree.
This bitch pretends to be generous, but it is he, the Minister of Revenue, who suffers. When he ran out of money, why didn't this bitch take out money to help him out? Every time, he would just watch the joke from the sidelines, and even add insult to injury, watching him get scolded.
"Your Majesty, the two gentlemen from the Hanlin Academy, Jiang Youzhen and Huang Mintao, have arrived." At this time Zhou Zhong walked over and whispered.
"Announce!" the emperor suddenly opened his eyes and said.