Guan Ya said, "Father told me that the Empress Dowager was unwilling to send the Divine Sharp Army north because she was worried that Wu Xin's merits were too high and would overshadow the master, and that the Divine Sharp Army would grow and threaten imperial power!"
"But there is a more important reason. The two dynasties have been at war for many years, the cultivated land is barren, the population has plummeted, and the national treasury is empty. The Southern Dynasty's imperial Ironclad Battalion needs to recuperate and can no longer support the national war!"
"Wu Xin is like a god in using troops, but he is a greenhorn in politics. He can't understand the court's hints, and he has repeatedly reprimanded the court and scolded the Empress Dowager's interference in politics as a disaster for the country and the people in public."
"That year, Wu Xin returned to Beijing under orders and was placed under house arrest before he even saw the Empress Dowager. He died in the post house two days later. The court claimed to the outside world that he died of illness! Subsequently, the subordinates who followed Wu Xin back to Beijing gathered to make trouble and were forcibly suppressed!"
Zhang Yuanqing interrupted at this point, "I remember Hong Ji Ge said that some were killed, some were imprisoned, and most were dismissed."
Guan Ya sneered, "Dismissal? How could the court dismiss them with its style? They escaped. Dismissal is the court's face-saving statement. Of course, these people are not important. What I have reviewed and analyzed is that the person who is really worth investigating is Zhao Kai!"
"Zhao Kai?" Zhang Yuanqing was puzzled!
"After the news of Wu Xin's death in the post house spread, the Divine Sharp Army generals who followed him back to Beijing began to make trouble. The court seemed to have expected it and quickly surrounded and annihilated those generals. The one in charge of leading the team was Zhao Kai!" Guan Ya spoke eloquently.
"Zhao Kai was born into the royal family. In terms of seniority, he is your cousin! At that time, he was the commander of the Ironclad Battalion in the city defense army. The year after Wu Xin's death, he was promoted to the Ministry of War by the Empress Dowager. Within three years, he was promoted three levels in a row and became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War!"
"After the Empress Dowager's death, Zheng Wenhan took control of the government and began to suppress the royal family. Zhao Kai was dismissed and became a idle prince in the capital!"
"Zhao Kai's father was a prince, the younger brother of the late emperor. Zhao Kai, as not the eldest son, could not inherit the title of prince and was granted the next level of prince, with the title of Yongyan!"
Zhang Yuanqing fell into deep thought after listening, summarizing all the information: "Wan Meiren told me that Zheng Wenhan killed Wu Xin. This was not the Empress Dowager's original intention. The Empress Dowager was coerced by Zheng Wenhan who acted first and reported later."
"After discovering that her younger brother had taken the liberty of killing Wu Xin, this Empress Dowager, who had been in charge of the government for many years, knew that there was no turning back, so she informed the royal family's Zhao Kai and ordered him to eliminate Wu Xin's subordinates!"
"After that, in order to prevent the Divine Sharp Army thousands of miles away from rebelling, she could only collude with the Northern Dynasty to destroy this invincible army!" Guan Ya thought for a while and added, "Colluding with the Northern Dynasty to destroy the Divine Sharp Army is a major taboo. Who do you think the Empress Dowager would entrust to handle this?"
Zhang Yuanqing said, "Zheng Wenhan!"
This answer did not require thinking. After all, Zheng Wenhan killed Wu Xin. It was safest to entrust this matter to Zheng Wenhan!
"So Zheng Wenhan had been colluding with the Northern Dynasty military more than ten years ago, so he could smoothly reach an agreement with Wanyan Rentu privately!" he added!
Guan Ya nodded and commented, "Zheng Wenhan should have sensed Wu Xin's threat when he killed Wu Xin that year. A meritorious general who overshadowed the master, he couldn't suppress him! If he is not eliminated as soon as possible, he will definitely become an obstacle to his exclusive control of power!"
"So he used family ties to kidnap the Empress Dowager and acted first and reported later, leaving the Empress Dowager with no way out but to abandon the Divine Sharp Army! Zheng Wenhan is the biggest beneficiary of this incident! Um~ and Zhao Kai!" Guan Ya brought the topic back and said, "Go and investigate Zhao Kai. He was a participant and should know the most about Wu Xin's death! The Empress Dowager ordered him to handle this matter back then."
"It shows that she extremely trusts this old royal prince."
"Where is Zhao Kai's manor?" Zhang Yuanqing asked directly!
"Yongyan Prince Manor, Anle Street!" Guan Ya said!
"Go find Sun Miaomiao and have her prepare to sneak into the Prince Manor!" Zhang Yuanqing said, "I have something to go out for!"
Although Sun Miaomiao is in the opposing camp, her main mission and side missions do not conflict with the Tyrant camp, so Zhang Yuanqing is not in a hurry to change her camp!
In the National Preceptor's view, Sun Miaomiao, this disciple, has already died in the assassination in the Yang Manor. Sun Miaomiao is a chess piece outside the enemy's vision.
Zhang Yuanqing felt that maintaining a "covert" state was more beneficial than being public!
"I'll see you off!" Guan Ya got up!
Zhang Yuanqing put the small horn into his arms and followed Guan Ya out of the spacious bedroom, got into the carriage Guan Ya had prepared for him, and left the Yang Manor!
The wheels rumbled, and the carriage drove on the street. A quarter of an hour later, Zhang Yuanqing took out the small horn and instructed the coachman, "Go to the outer city!"
Under his guidance, the carriage turned around and stopped outside a two-courtyard mansion in the outer city, with a plaque that read "Xu Manor."
"Wait for me here!" Zhang Yuanqing jumped out of the carriage and knocked on the door of the mansion!
The one who opened the door was a simple and honest young man. He looked at Zhang Yuanqing and saw that he was "pale", his hair was withered, and his body exuded a chill, and he was immediately shocked.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Is Chief Duan in the manor?" Zhang Yuanqing asked!
"Who are you?" A Niu did not answer, repeating the previous question!
"Please tell Chief Duan that I have done what I promised, is he willing to help me, this prodigal son of a declining family?" Zhang Yuanqing finished speaking and added, "I am Wang Beiwang's friend!"
As soon as A Niu heard this, his vigilance disappeared a lot and said, "Wait here for a while!" After saying that, he closed the door and hurried into the house!
About a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Yuanqing heard hurried footsteps again, and then the door opened and A Niu respectfully made a gesture of invitation: "The Chief wants to see you!"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, stepped over the threshold and entered the mansion!
Behind the threshold was a large front yard with a stone-paved road extending to the main hall twenty meters away!
"Chief Duan is in the hall, please!" A Niu bowed after entering the gatehouse!