Everyone went down to the court one after another, Yan Shu stayed until the end, until everyone dispersed, then slowly out of the Daqing Palace, was about to turn around and go down the steps from the hall to the north, suddenly heard a person shouting: "Lord Yan stays!" ”

Yan Shu looked back, but saw a person standing in front of a clump of verdant evergreen people in the side door of the roadside and beckoning to him, it was Ouyang Xiu in the imperial history, Yan Shu hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Why didn't Lord Ouyang go back, do you enjoy the flowers and plants of the palace here?" ”

Ouyang Xiu laughed and said: "Xiaguan is waiting for Lord Sansi, at this time, who is still in the mood to appreciate the flowers and trees." ”

Yan Shu was stunned and said, "How do you know that I want to go through this side door?" ”

Ouyang Xiu blinked mysteriously and said, "Didn't Lord Sansi go to see the emperor?" There are many people in the main hall, and many words are afraid that they can't be opened, and I judge that the three divisions will pass by and enter the inner palace to see the emperor. ”

Yan Shu was shocked, this Ouyang Xiu didn't seem to be simple, his sense of smell was smarter than a dog's nose, and he actually calculated that he was going to see the emperor, but he didn't know what his intentions were.

"Lord Ouyang is really worthy of being born in the Imperial Historical Observatory, figuring out the psychology, investigating the details is really first-class, yes, the old man is going to the inner palace to see the emperor, and wants to report to the emperor about the recent progress of grain affairs and the shortcomings that have occurred, and ask the emperor for guidance and countermeasures."

"By the way, tell the emperor about Su Jin, the special envoy for food affairs, right?" Ouyang Xiu interjected, with a smile on his face.

Yan Shu smiled and said: "Lord Ouyang is too worried, since the emperor has delegated this matter to the lord with full authority, how can the old man not know each other and insert a lever from it, although Su Jin is the person recommended by the old man, but whether he is guilty or not, the old man really dare not guarantee it, just now in the court, the old man just wants to have conclusive evidence, not to excuse him." ”

Ouyang Xiu nodded and smiled: "Lord Sansi is high-spirited and bright, and never favors private individuals, I know this, but I now regret that I volunteered to take over the investigation of Su Jinjiao's case this time, after the next dynasty, the more I think about it, the more I feel inappropriate, how do you say I should investigate?" ”

Yan Shu said quietly: "Lord Ouyang has a hundred times more means to investigate the officials of the Imperial Historical Observatory than the old man, how can he come to ask the old man how to investigate, and the old man doesn't dare to make up his mind for you." ”

Ouyang Xiu looked left and right, and suddenly said in a low voice: "Lord Sansi means that I want to handle it impartially?" first went to mention the witness and took the confession, and then asked Su Jin, and finally the two sides made a decision on the three sessions of the trial, right? ”

Yan Shu said lightly: "It's your business to do it, the old man really can't give you any ideas on this matter, Su Jin is a person from my third division, and it stands to reason that you need to avoid suspicion, why should Lord Ouyang ask me." ”

Ouyang Xiu frowned and said: "To be honest, I don't know what to do, what was actually said in the letter from Lu Xiang in the hall just now is very clear, according to what was said in that letter, I am afraid that Su Jin's matter will not be false, how can he fabricate evidence to frame others, isn't this self-destructive future?" And Lu Xiang is such a delicate person, he can openly read the letter in the court, it must be verified and judged, so the case is actually very clear. ”

Yan Shu smiled: "Have you Yushitai always handled cases by figuring out people's minds?" Based on your speculation and observation, it seems that Su Jin's case does not need to be investigated, and it can be convicted directly. ”

Ouyang Xiu was stunned for a moment, and said with a smile: "Look at it, Lord Sansi doesn't scold people without dirty words, how can there be such a face-to-face arrangement, aren't I analyzing it for you?" ”

Yan Shu put away his smile and said: "Lord Ouyang, the old man is anxious to see the emperor, if you have anything to say, it doesn't hurt to say it directly, if you just want to chat with the old man, you can go to my Sansi Yamen in the evening, I will ask you to prepare some thin wine, you and I will chat while eating, and you will not be happy to stand here and blow the cold wind?" ”

Ouyang Xiu also put away his smile and said: "Lord Sansi's proposal is good, but I don't have that time to spare, because this official is also going to see the emperor, how about you and I go together?" ”

Yan Shu said: "You also want to see the emperor?" ”

Ouyang Xiu said: "Of course, I want to ask the emperor to show me, how to investigate the matter of Su Jinjiao's edict?" How to check? Lord Yan didn't give me an answer, so I had to ask the emperor. ”

Yan Shu frowned and said, "You and I go together, won't it make the emperor mistakenly think that the old man is colluding with you?" ”

Ouyang Xiu said: "Then there is no way, who told Lord Sansi not to give me a clear indication?" Although I am an official of the Imperial History Observatory, I am not ignorant of human feelings, to be honest, I am also very entangled in this matter, if I try my best to investigate, even if he is a saint, I will find out the evidence of the crime, no matter how big or small the evidence is, it will not escape my eyes, so no matter whether Su Jin is overbearing or not, I want to check him can always find evidence that is enough to make him lose his official position and go to prison. ”

Yan Shu knew that Ouyang Xiu was telling the truth, Yu Shitai was investigating someone, unless they didn't want to kill you, otherwise whoever you are, there will always be a tail for them to grab, who doesn't have anything yellow and white behind their butts now? Who dares to pat their chests and say that they are as innocent as water? Of course, Yushitai will not be stupid enough to bite people indiscriminately, but a new official like Su Jin, who has no foundation, is simply holding a snail in three hands, and one is accurate.

Ouyang Xiu continued: "But on the other hand, I know that the current grain affairs are the overriding top priority of the imperial court, and Su Jin is a middle-hand player. It is a trivial matter to take Su Jin alone, but it is a major matter to spoil the food affairs of the imperial court; On the one hand, it is the responsibility, and on the other hand, it is related to the overall situation, and it is really difficult to choose between teaching myself, so I came to ask the opinion of the three divisions, but the three divisions did not give me advice, so I had to go to see the emperor. ”

Yan Shu looked at Ouyang Xiu's eyes, trying to find a trace of clues, this person's reputation is not good, since he entered the Imperial History Tower, he has been at odds with many officials in the court, and his temper is weird, Lu Yijian, Du Yan, Pang De, Xia Zhu and others He doesn't want to see them, let alone himself, the third envoy, and he has no respect when he sees himself on weekdays, and even Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi and others who are far away in the northwest are often accused by him in the court, this person is really a character who doesn't love his uncle and doesn't love him.

However, the emperor is not bad about this person, and this person's poetry and literary attainments are also quite profound, although everyone doesn't like him, but when it comes to the poetry of this Lord Ouyang, there are few people who don't pick a thumbs up; For such a person, how dare Yan Shu have a heart-to-heart with him, if he is not careful, he will fall into him and be bitten by him, although it will not fall, but it is really uncomfortable.

Yan Shu looked at Ouyang Xiu's eyes, and there was sincerity in those slender eyes, without any hint of cunning banter or conspiracy.

Yan Shu sighed and said: "Lord Ouyang, it's not that I don't give you advice, your analysis of the situation is extremely accurate, whether Su Jin is guilty or not, whether he overstepped his authority to recruit security, whether he refused to send reinforcements from the state government and the officers and soldiers were killed and wounded, the old man also wants to know the truth; But there is a principle that the matter of grain affairs related to the stability of the society must not have twists and turns in this matter, Su Jin is a talent, without him, the old man is indeed not sure to carry this matter forward. ”

After a pause, Yan Shu continued: "The current situation, the old man may wish to make it clear to you, it has been more than ten days since the date of the deadline stipulated by the imperial court, and now it has entered the lunar month, and there has not been a grain of grain purchased in the official warehouses in various places for more than ten days, and the grain on the market is getting less and less, and it is about to run out; The grain of the autumn harvest and the grain bought by the previous officials have been difficult to support for too long, and if this continues, in less than a month, when Yu Qing is still alive in the New Year, I am afraid that even the grain in Bianliang City will be cut off, not to mention that the northwest war is about to break out, if there is no military food to supply the soldiers, the consequences do not need to be said by the old man, you will definitely be able to guess. The old man is in the position of the three divisions, others can not care, the old man can not shake his hand, the emperor knows the importance of it, so today in the court to hand over this matter to you, he is also very difficult, on the one hand is the law of the country, on the other hand is the society, if you ask the emperor, how can the pope reply to you? ”

Ouyang Xiu frowned and pondered, his face full of gain.

"We wait for the king's fortune, favored by the emperor, at a critical time to know how to share worries for the king, everything must be said by the emperor, this is irresponsible shirk, but all ancient and modern ministers, not only the monarch and the minister, but also what is more commendable is that they dare to take responsibility, for the people, for the community, for the emperor, some things you ask the emperor, it is better to ask your own heart, the answer is in the hearts of the people."

Although Yan Shu's tone was indifferent, but the meaning of his words was not simple, Ouyang Xiu was silent for a moment, and arched his hand: "I have been taught, I know what to do, before I leave for Yangzhou, I want to ask Lord Sansi to hand over the bandit chief Shen Yaozu to me, in fact, there is no need to go to Yangzhou to investigate, after Shen Yaozu is escorted into Beijing, you can get from him whether Su Jin is overbearing, guilt or innocence is only a matter of a few days, if you let the Privy Council leave, I am afraid it will be ......."

Yan Shu was shocked, how could he forget this, he was really confused, the guards Ma Jun and his party had just arrived in Beijing, and he had just said this in front of everyone this morning, the forbidden army was a member of the Privy Council, if Du Yan took people away to ask for confessions after the next dynasty, then the matter would be troublesome.

Yan Shu hurriedly said: "Please Lord Ouyang follow me to pick up people, the emperor here will come to see you later, the prisoner is in the prison of Kaifeng Mansion, and the guards Sima and the military are all leading people to guard." ”

Ouyang Xiu changed color and said: "Hurry, hurry up, the Guards Division is under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council, Lord Sansi, you are so confused." ”

Yan Shu had no time to care about his rudeness, and hurriedly took Ouyang Xiu out of the palace in a hurry.