54. The Traitorous General

Yan Chu learned martial arts since childhood, but to become an excellent general, it is not enough to have martial arts alone. He must also be quick-witted and familiar with the art of war. Therefore, when Yan Chu was still very young, his biological mother, Madam Yan San, had already begun to enlighten him in literature.

Madam Yan San was born in the Zheng family of Handan. The Zheng family was not a distinguished family, but it had a high status among the literati, especially Madam Yan San's father, Mr. Zheng, who was a master of ink and color, and it was worth a fortune.

As a daughter from such a family, Madam Yan San was also obsessed with books and paintings. After her husband died, she devoted herself to calligraphy and painting.

When Master Yan San was still alive, in order to compensate his wife who had been alone in the empty room for many years, he often searched for some rare books, or some precious paper and inkstone for her.

After Master Yan San passed away, Madam Yan San never used those things again. She would only take them out to relieve her lovesickness when she missed him occasionally.

As the only son of Mrs. Yan San, the original body became a person who could often touch those things.

The reason why Yan Chu could detect the problem in the paper was thanks to the few memories in his mind now.

There was an ink master named Qin Qiuzi in Ming Kingdom. The ink he developed was like paint, non-fading, and water-resistant. These were not the biggest features of Qiuzi ink. The most praised thing about Qiuzi ink was its fragrance.

It was similar to the fragrance of medicinal ink, but mixed with the smell of other wood spices. When written on paper, the fragrance lasted for a hundred years.

After Qin Qiuzi became famous, the inkstones he produced were very few, and it was almost hard to find them at a high price. He was a Ming countryman. If people in Zhou and Jiang wanted to use Qiuzi ink, they had to have those merchants traveling between the three countries. Usually, after several changes of hands, the price would be higher.

Therefore, even if they were dignitaries, they would treasure a piece of Qiuzi ink and would not use it easily.

Just like the Yan family, there is only one piece of Qiuzi ink, which was collected by Mr. Yan San for his wife before his death.

The reason why this memory is so clear is that when the original body was seven years old, Mrs. Yan San threw the Qiuzi ink into the water tank because she thought it smelled good. When it was finally found and fished out, only a small piece was left, and the water full of ink fragrance.

Perhaps for the person who framed him, Qiuzi ink was just something that could be used at hand. Since he was used to it, he would not think it was strange. When imitating his handwriting, he ignored this fatal problem.

First, did Yan Chu carry a piece of Qiuzi ink with him when he joined the army? Second, the royal family of Jiang State had its own special inkstone, and Qiuzi ink would not appear in the royal family of Jiang State. In this case, why did both parties in the correspondence use Qiuzi ink?

When Yan Chu asked this question, everyone in the Xuanshi Hall was stunned.

Because although the fragrance of Qiu Zimo is unique, it is light and can only be smelled carefully. Its main tone is still the fragrance of ink, and everyone is busy identifying the handwriting on it, and has never carefully explored what kind of ink the words are written with.

King Zhou quickly asked someone to bring a letter and put it under his nose to smell it carefully. Although it is light, it is indeed the smell of Qiu Zimo.

"Who knows if you like Qiu Zimo and always keep it with you, and the person who contacts you may not be from the royal family of Jiang State."

The prince said with a red face. His words made King Zhou very angry. Why does his son have a feeling that he wants to kill Yan Chu.

The prince represents the entire royal family of Da Zhou. If he is so impatient, will people think that all this is his intention, and think that he is afraid that Yan Chu's achievements will surpass his master, and he will join others to frame him?

King Zhou was alert and rang a few alarm bells.

Qiu Zimo is not extremely rare in the palace. At least King Zhou himself has two. The crown prince is the heir, and King Zhou has also given him two. In addition, the queen and the second princess Zhou Mingzhu also have one.

So, after Yan Chu raised this doubt, would the court officials doubt him as the emperor?

"Qiu Zimo only pays ten pieces every year, five pieces are tributed to the royal family of Ming, and the remaining five pieces are sold to whom and who they are transferred to. Everything can be traced."

Mrs. Yan San hurriedly stood up and knelt down: "Please Your Majesty, please don't get the villain's intention and chill the heart of the meritorious official."

She now regrets very much. After her husband died, she shouldn't have handed her son to her parents-in-law for teaching, letting him shoulder the heavy responsibility of the entire Yan family.

These days, her son was locked up in the sky prison, his life and death were uncertain, and he was scolded and insulted by the people of the whole Zhou Dynasty.

Mrs. Yan San was originally a relatively quiet person, and she was quite noble. She couldn't stand such a huge difference, and her heart suddenly became left-handed.

Her husband and son risked their lives to protect that group of people. If that's the case, why should the Yan family stick to their original promise? She hated those ungrateful people and the Zhou royal family. After escaping this time, no matter what, she would not let her son go to the battlefield again.

Those people are not worthy and not worth his protection.

"Your Majesty, there are doubts about this matter. Why not bring General Fu up and ask him how he found these letters."

Prime Minister Guo stood up. He had been cautious and protected himself before, but now that there are doubts, it is reasonable for him to help the Yan family.

Behind the screen, Zhou Mingli looked at the sister-in-law who still kept a faint smile. She lowered her eyelids and wondered what she was thinking.

Fu Cong was a tall, handsome and cheerful young man. He seemed to be training soldiers. When he was summoned, he was still wearing silver armor.

"I see the emperor, long live my emperor, long live the emperor."

Fu Cong knelt on one knee beside Yan Chu. After saluting, he looked at Yan Chu cautiously, with a hint of apology in his eyes.

"General Fu, please tell me how you found these letters. Logically speaking, if General Yan really collaborated with the enemy and treason, these letters should not be found randomly."

Prime Minister Guo asked Fu Cong.

Fu Cong looked very solemn: "On that day, General Yan led his soldiers to fight against the Ming Dynasty, and a suspicious assassin suddenly appeared in the camp, emerging from General Yan's barracks, because General Yan's barracks contained the army's confidential military aircraft documents and drawings. In order to prevent important letters from being taken away by assassins, my subordinates and several lieutenants had no choice but to check General Yan's camp accounts. These letters were found from under General Yan's mattress, because the handwriting on them was exactly the same as that of the general, and it was related to It is so serious that I have the guts to seize the general when he is unprepared when he returns and write a letter to His Majesty."

He recounted exactly what happened that day, and it was exactly the same as his previous confession.

"General Fu has a good memory. It's hard for you to remember the whole thing so clearly. If you don't know, you might think you memorized it in advance."

Mrs. Yan was very dissatisfied with the junior whom her husband had previously favored. She felt that her grandson was framed, and the other party must have had a share in it. After all, he was the biggest beneficiary now. General Yan died of illness, and Yan Chu died again. Being imprisoned, the entire Yan Family Army is now under his control. I am afraid that in a few years, it will be renamed the Fu Family Army.

"Old madam, every word of mine is true. There were many people who could testify for me that day."

Fu Cong's expression was a little helpless, but Mrs. Yan was the wife of his mentor, and he could only tolerate this old man.

Yan Chu looked at the people around him. His memory stopped at the age of sixteen. The person in front of him had never appeared before he was sixteen.

Fu Cong felt his gaze and turned his head, with no trace of guilt between his brows.

"The situation was urgent at that time. Your Majesty, there seems to be some doubts in this matter, but under the circumstances, I don't have time to think about it. I would like to ask your Majesty to investigate the matter thoroughly as the old lady said."

Fu Cong kowtowed three times: "The Yan family's army is the army of the Yan family. The general cannot shoulder this important task. The young general is loyal and courageous. Every time I think about it these days, there are still many doubts about it." Explain that once the young general's charges are cleared, his subordinates are willing to return the position of commander and continue to work for the young general. "

The Yan family army is the army of the Yan family. This sentence is not pleasant to hear. King Zhou didn't feel anything. Anyway, the petty prince was uncomfortable.

"His Majesty."

Mrs. Yan stood up tremblingly and knelt down, "General Fu also said just now that there was an assassin in the camp that day. Those letters were most likely left by the assassin. Otherwise, Qiu Zimo's problem cannot be explained. Please return my Yan family to me." A fair one.”

The king of Zhou already felt that Yan Chu was innocent. After all, the flow of every piece of Qiuzi ink could be traced. The things in Yan Chu's camp that day are still stored in the palace as evidence. There were only ordinary inkstones in them, but there were no The famous Qiu Zimo.

However, the public resentment is boiling outside now. Even if he is cleared of the crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason, the relatives of the 30,000 fallen soldiers may not forgive the man who took the initiative to provoke the war. Moreover, the ten cities that were ceded were also owned by the King of Zhou. The pain in my heart.

As for what Yan Chu said, he was originally determined to win, but now that the matter has come to this, no one knows how things would have turned out if the collaboration with the enemy and treason had not occurred.

Those who do not meet the requirements must be dismissed, but those who deserve punishment must also be punished.

"Yan Chu, you privately mobilized troops to attack the Ming Dynasty, causing the loss of ten cities in the Great Zhou Dynasty and the sacrifice of nearly 30,000 generals. I punish you by removing you from the position of commander of the Yan family army, demoting you to the fifth rank of ranger general, and paying compensation. Can you accept the offer of one hundred thousand taels of silver from the fallen soldier’s family?”

For the entire Yan family, one hundred thousand taels is more than enough, and although the fifth-grade cavalry general is not as good as Yan Chu's previous position as the second-grade hussar general and commander-in-chief of the Yan family's army, for his age It is said that in the future, if you slowly climb up based on your merits, you will be able to climb back to your original position sooner or later.

Based on his crime of deploying troops privately, King Zhou already made a decision that was very prudent.

Unfortunately--

"Your Majesty, Yan Chu's hands and feet are all broken now. I'm afraid he has failed your Majesty's love." Yan Chu raised his arms, and the loose cuffs naturally slipped down, revealing two deep wounds on his wrists, as well as deep or shallow marks of whipping on his arms.

"What!"

Mrs. Yan and Mrs. Yan almost fainted when they saw this scene.

King Zhou even stood up a little rudely. Who has the courage to dare to pick Yan Chu's hands and feet? This is because God has let Zhou lose a good general.