Chapter 596: Conquering Gu Qianfan and meeting Zhang Haohao for the first time

"It's you, my humble servant." Lin Zhi replied with a smile.

"I didn't expect you to be from the Imperial City Division!" Gu Qianfan sighed, and then asked curiously:

"By the way, which department of the Imperial City Bureau are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?"

Lin Zhi said calmly: "I am the commander of the Imperial City Investigation Department!"

"Investigation Department?" Gu Qianfan fell silent afterwards, because he had already guessed that the guy in front of him had replaced his position.

Gu Qianfan was about to ask something, but before he could open his mouth, Lin Zhi extended his hand and said:
"Master Gu, the Marquis is still waiting for you!"

Gu Ganfan thought about it and didn't say anything. Instead, he followed Lin Zhi into the Imperial City Division and waited to meet Marquis Jing'an before asking what the situation was.

To be honest, Gu Qianfan originally had a good impression of Marquis Jing'an. On the one hand, he was his savior, but even if he was his savior, he kicked him out of the Imperial City Bureau for no reason.

It still made him feel unhappy.

You know, Gu Qianfan was a second-class Jinshi, but in order to complete the task assigned to him by Qi Zhongcheng, he gave up his bright future and entered the Imperial City Division.

Because of this, he was misunderstood by his family and friends. After so many years of hard work, he finally climbed to the position of commander-in-chief of the Investigation Department.

As a result, when Lin Hao arrived, he kicked him out of the Imperial City Division without saying a word. How could Gu Qianfan be willing to accept this?

Soon, the two came in front of Lin Hao.

"My lord, Gu Qianfan is here. I will take my leave first!" After seeing Lin Hao, Lin Zhi knew that they had something to talk about, so he left tactfully.

"Your humble servant Gu Qianfan greets Marquis Jing'an!" Gu Qianfan bowed and saluted.

After taking a look at Gu Qianfan, Lin Hao went straight to the point:

"You must be wondering why I kicked you out of the Imperial City Division!"

Gu Qianfan was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect Lin Hao to be so straightforward and directly asked the question in his mind. Then he said:

"I think I have been sincere and honest over the years, and I have solved many major cases for the Imperial City Bureau over the years, but I am confused in my heart."

"Please understand, my Lord!"

"I know!" Lin Hao glanced at Gu Qianfan, then said calmly: "It's not that you did a bad job, but it's inappropriate!"

"Inappropriate?" Gu Qianfan was confused and still didn't understand what Lin Hao meant.

Seeing that Gu Qianfan hadn’t figured it out yet, Lin Hao reminded him:

"You have already come to Beijing with your father. Do you know why your father came to Beijing?"

Gu Qianfan blurted out upon hearing this:
"The government has invited him to the capital to serve as prime minister~!"

As soon as the words came out, Gu Qianfan immediately reacted. His father was the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, and he, as his son, worked in the Imperial City Bureau~!

How could the government tolerate such a thing to happen? Others didn't care whether he had any conflicts with his father or whether he would provide information to his father.

People, including the emperor, would only think that the prime minister had obtained the right to supervise all officials in disguise through him, which was something no emperor would tolerate.

To put it bluntly, if something like this really happened, the government would drag the father and son out and chop them into pieces, which would be the lightest punishment. They might even confiscate their property and exterminate their entire family.

Thinking of this, Gu Qianfan felt mixed emotions. No matter how unwilling he was, he could only clasp his fists and say in gratitude:
"Thank you for your advice, Lord!" Gu Qianfan hesitated for a moment and asked:
"But not many people know that Xiao Qinyan is my father~!"

Lin Hao smiled indifferently, then pointed at himself and said:

"I knew this before I entered the Imperial City Department. How many of the top nobles in the capital do you think don't know this?"

Gu Qianfan's breathing stagnated when he heard this. Lin Hao's words that many people didn't know about it proved that this matter was not a secret.

Seeing that Gu Qianfan still looked unwilling, Lin Hao shook his head and continued:

"I know you want to succeed with your own talents instead of relying on your father's power and connections, but you can't change your identity as Xiao Qinyan's eldest son!"

"Unless your father gives up his position as prime minister, or you enter the civil service system, you will never be able to make a name for yourself, whether you are in the Imperial City Department or in the army!"

Looking at Gu Qianfan who was losing interest, Lin Hao smiled and reminded him:
"But you don't have to be discouraged. Your father is already very old. How long can he serve as prime minister? Why are you so anxious?"

Gu Qianfan was a little depressed at this time, and still asked unwillingly:

"Is there really no other way?"

Lin Hao pondered for a while, and finally said:
"Actually, it's not impossible!"

"What method?" Gu Qianfan's eyes lit up when he heard that.

"It's not that I won't give you a chance!" Lin Hao tapped the table lightly with his fingers and said:
"If you are willing, you still have to serve as the chief military officer of the Fenwu Camp, but you can work for the Imperial City Department in secret, and there will be an excuse to transfer you back to the Imperial City Department in the future!"

In fact, Lin Hao couldn’t understand why Gu Qianfan was so obsessed with the Imperial City Bureau. He could easily enter the civil service system, and his future would surely be bright.

But he was obsessed with doing something on his own and wanted to prove that even without relying on Xiao Qinyan, he could still make a name for himself with his own abilities.

It seems that Gu Qianfan has gone a little crazy in his attempt to get rid of his father's influence!

However, Lin Hao felt that perhaps it was because of his poor character and lack of noble sentiments like Gu Qianfan that he was unable to understand Gu Qianfan's train of thought.

"Really?" Gu Qianfan asked doubtfully.

Lin Hao shook his head and said:

"Instead of asking me whether I'm telling the truth, you might as well ask yourself whether you can accept such an arrangement. Anyway, I think the gain is not worth the loss, and you may not be willing to accept secretly working for the Imperial City Bureau!"

"I'm willing to accept it!" Gu Qianfan said firmly.

"Are you sure?" However, Lin Hao agreed directly and said jokingly:

"If I arrange for you to investigate Qi Zhongcheng, find out how much assets his family has, where these assets came from, and whether there has been any behavior of oppressing the people and encroaching on their land!"

"Will you still agree?" Lin Hao said indifferently, lying on the chair.

"My lord, Prime Minister Qi is a clean official~!" Gu Qianfan subconsciously spoke up for Qi Mu.

But before he could finish his words, Lin Hao interrupted him:

"I don't care if he is a clean official or not. I just want to know if he has done anything illegal!"

Then Lin Hao said with a smile:

"And Commander Gu, don't forget what the Imperial City Division accused you of."

Gu Qianfan was speechless. Supervising all officials was the duty of the Imperial City Administration.

However, Qi Mu is Gu Qianfan's idol and also his mentor.

How can I investigate my mentor?

At the same time, Gu Qianfan thought of a possibility: what should he do if Qi Zhongcheng really did something illegal?
Should I report it or not? This made Gu Qianfan extremely conflicted.

Lin Hao naturally saw Gu Qianfan's hesitation and said again:
"I don't know if you have noticed that your mentor has always been saying that your father Xiao Qinyan is a traitor in the name of maintaining justice, right?"

"Then have you ever thought about why he said that about your father?"

As Lin Hao looked at the bewildered Gu Qianfan, he continued:

"I've already said it before, the relationship between you and your father is not a secret among the top leaders of the Song Dynasty, it's just that you think it's a secret!"

"I know you are father and son, but I still encourage you to deal with your father. You think you are upholding justice and being loyal to the government and the Song Dynasty, right?"

Gu Qianfan was stunned by Lin Hao's words, and at this time Lin Hao said:
"Also, when you left the capital, he and Mr. Ke secretly told you that the queen had been a singer and had been deceiving the emperor all along. Before the queen married the emperor, she was not only not a perfect singer, but she had also been married before, right?"

"And they also said that the queen was trying to seize the imperial power and repeat the events of the Wu Zhou Dynasty, right?"

"And you also think that getting the Night Banquet Map to deal with the Queen is also a way to repay the Emperor, right?"

Gu Qianfan was so shocked by what Lin Hao said that he was speechless.

Because all of this has happened, and only the three parties involved should know about it, so why does Lin Hao also know about it?
At this time Lin Hao suddenly smiled, and took out a secret decree and said:
"This is the secret order given to me by the emperor, asking me to go back to Qiantang and burn the painting of the night banquet. You think the queen deceived the emperor, but the queen has never concealed anything from the emperor." "And the emperor knew from the beginning that he just loved the queen and wanted to keep a low profile at this time!"

Gu Qianfan looked at the secret decree in disbelief and found that it was indeed a secret decree written by the emperor himself, and there was also a golden token.

The collapse of faith took only a moment. After reading the official's secret decree, Gu Qianfan immediately recalled how Prime Minister Ke and Minister Qi had slandered his father over the years.

But Gu Qianfan still had doubts in his heart, so he asked:

"But, Prime Minister Ke and Minister Qi want to find the Night Banquet Map, it seems to be for the stability of the Song Dynasty. Ignorance is not a crime~!"

"The scholars and officials of the Song Dynasty tried to rule the world together with the Song Dynasty, instead of ruling the world together with the people!" Lin Hao said helplessly:

"It seems that you are really not suitable for the Imperial City Division. If you don't understand this sentence, you should just go to the army and be a Du Yuhou!"

Think about it, are you loyal to His Majesty? Or are you loyal to the Song Dynasty? Or are you loyal to these civil officials?
"Wait!" Gu Qianfan, who was still chewing on Lin Hao's words, also understood what Lin Hao meant. He was asking him to choose a side, so he gritted his teeth and said:

"I'll take this mission. I want to see if Qi Zhongcheng and other upright people are as unbearable as the Marquis said!"

In fact, Gu Qianfan had not thought clearly about how to answer Lin Hao's question. Maybe he didn't know whose side to stand on, but he would definitely not stand on the side that would harm himself.

Hearing this, Lin Hao smiled and said:

"Well, I will give you one month. If you complete the task well, when the time is right, I will not only let you re-enter the Imperial City Department, but I will even promote you to be the Deputy Envoy of the Imperial City Department."

"I will definitely live up to your trust!" Gu Qianfan said, clasping his fists and bowing.

Lin Hao looked at Gu Qianfan, thought for a moment and said:
"People say that even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. You should know how your father treats you. Don't let your personal preferences affect your judgment!"

After saying this, Lin Hao said:
"Okay, let's go!"

Gu Qianfan lowered his head when he heard this, but still saluted to Lin Hao and said:
"Thank you, my Lord, for your advice!" Shuohe left the Imperial City Division with a lot on his mind.

Looking at Gu Qianfan's departing back, Lin Hao showed a smile. It's not that he couldn't deal with people like Qi Mu, he was just too lazy to do it.

If he had that much time, he might as well leave these matters to Gu Qianfan, while he himself would go and train Gao Hui, tease Song Yinzhang, and deepen his relationship with Zhao Paner.

······
On the way back to the Marquis' Mansion, I suddenly heard a piece of pipa music by the bridge, followed by a burst of melodious singing!

Reflections of dew flowers.

Smoke and weeds dip into green,

The waves of the spiritual pond are warm,

The golden willow trees sway in the wind~~!

Lin Hao stood on the bridge and looked towards the pavilion on the shore. It was Song Yinzhang who was playing the pipa, and next to her stood a beautiful figure, singing "Pozhen Music·Dew Flower Reflections".

Then Lin Hao thought, this was the first time Song Yinzhang and Haohao met and collaborated on the song "Pozhen Music·Dew Flower Reflections". This clear and pleasant voice was truly intoxicating.

I had been thinking about finding a chance to meet Zhang Haohao, but I didn't expect that I was too obsessed with it recently. Bah, I was too busy and almost forgot about Zhang Haohao.

Thinking about the future when Song Yinzhang plays the pipa, Zhang Haohao sings for me, Zhao Pan'er dances for me, and then I eat a bite of Sanniang's fruit, the picture is so beautiful.

Then Lin Hao went to the pavilion, but did not disturb the two people's performance. Instead, he listened quietly to the beautiful singing.

After a long time, the singing stopped and the sound of the pipa also came to an abrupt end.

"Good!" Lin Hao walked up to the pavilion and laughed heartily, "This song should only exist in heaven, how many times can it be heard in the world!"

"The sound is as melodious, clear and pleasant as a lark, and as refreshing and sweet as a spring."

"As expected, she is the best singer in the capital, praised by even the emperor. She is beautiful and has a sweet voice, and her reputation is well-deserved!"

After Zhang Haohao finished singing the song, Lin Hao couldn't help but praise him.

"My Lord~!" Song Yinzhang originally wanted to run into Lin Hao's arms, but he was in public at this time, so he bowed slightly.

At this time, Zhang Haohao heard Song Yinzhang call Lin Hao "Lord Marquis" and immediately knew that this was the Marquis Jing'an who redeemed Song Yinzhang.

Thinking about how Lin Hao redeemed Song Yinzhang but refused to accept him because the lady had not yet entered the family, you can tell what kind of person Lin Hao is.

What's more, she had just gotten a lot of information out of Song Yinzhang and learned that Song Yinzhang had a good sister who was valued by the marquis.

Judging from what Song Yinzhang said, Zhao Pan'er was once a musician. It seems that Marquis Jing'an intends to marry Zhao Pan'er as the mistress of the family.

Thinking of this, Zhang Haohao's beautiful eyes looked at Lin Hao even more passionately!
These women who came from the music industry were never short of money, but due to legal regulations, they could not redeem themselves, and it was not easy to get out of the industry.

Choosing a good woman as a concubine was already a blessing, not to mention that she was a marquis who would actually take a good woman as his wife.

For example, Chi Yanei's biological mother was a commoner who was transferred from a musician family. She married Chi Yanei's father as a concubine and gave birth to Chi Yanei. Only then did she gain a foothold in the Chi family. This is a normal phenomenon.

Thinking of this, Zhang Haohao's heart moved, and then he bowed and said:

"Marquis Jing'an is fine. My Lord, you are too kind. I am afraid that my voice has polluted your ears. Please forgive me!"

"Haha!" Lin Hao laughed loudly upon hearing this, and then said proudly:
"Girl, there is no need to be modest. Your voice is so sweet and melodious. If this is considered polluting, then there is no other voice worth hearing in this world!"

"In my opinion, a good girl's voice should be the sound of nature!"

"Please take a seat, Lord Marquis!" Zhang Haohao looked at Lin Hao again.

Afterwards, several people started chatting in the pavilion, and Zhang Haohao was shocked by Lin Hao's extensive knowledge.

She had seen many talented scholars in the Song Dynasty, even a few top scorers, but she had never seen anyone as knowledgeable as Marquis Jing'an.

Not only is he knowledgeable and knowledgeable, but when it comes to national affairs and state governance, he always has surprising words, but when you think about it carefully, they are very insightful.

When it comes to border wars, he knows them all like the back of his hand, and his various fantastic ideas make people dizzy when they listen!

And when it comes to the daily necessities of ordinary people, he can also speak clearly and with solid reasons!

With his knowledge, he is more than qualified to be a prime minister. Of course, he can only think about this in his mind.

Seeing that Lin Hao was so outstanding, and with Zhang Haohao's deliberate flattery, the pavilion was filled with laughter for a while.

It was not until it was getting dark that Lin Hao took Song Yinzhang and said goodbye.

Looking at the imposing Lin Hao, they thought that the Marquis of Jing'an was not only handsome and thoughtful, but also, from his words and deeds, it was clear that he had no prejudice against women of lowly origin like them!

Thinking of this, Zhang Haohao's heart was burning with excitement. It would have been fine if she had not met a strange man like Lin Hao before, but now that she had met him, how could she give up easily?

However, although she has a proud personality, she knows her identity and does not expect to become Lin Hao's legal wife. She would be satisfied as long as she can be a concubine!
······
at the same time.

After Gu Qianfan left the Imperial City Bureau, his mood was up and down. After hesitating for a long time, he finally returned to Xiao Qinyan's house.

He was actually skeptical about Lin Hao's words. He was not sure whether the Night Banquet Picture was real or not, but whether Qi Zhongcheng was sincere or just trying to use him. He really couldn't figure it out.

In fact, he still tended to agree with Lin Hao's statement, otherwise he would not have returned to Xiao Qinyan's house and told Xiao Qinyan the whole story.

After Xiao Qinyan learned about these circumstances, he felt extremely grateful to Lin Hao, and then analyzed the current situation with Gu Qianfan.

Late at night, when Gu Qianfan left Xiao's house, there was no hesitation or uneasiness in his eyes.
Thinking of his father's analysis, he decided to go to Qi Mu's house under the cover of night and secretly investigate Qi Mu's every move.

He originally thought that he would not gain anything, as he had some illusions about his idol Qi Mu. However, the results of the investigation surprised him.

Not to mention anything else, the Qi family alone, through the relationship with Qi Mu, colluded with local government officials and secretly annexed tens of thousands of acres of land from the people.

Just think about how many people will be displaced as a result of this?
Of course, if that were the case, Gu Shoufan could still deceive himself and others by explaining that these illegal activities were done by Qi Mu's relatives and Qi Mu was not aware of it.

But what he didn't expect was that the reason why Zheng Qingtian could disregard the law and do whatever he wanted was because he had Qi Mu as his umbrella.

Even the recent serious hat monster case was actually planned by Qi Zhongcheng, who wanted to put the blame on Duke Anguo.

At this time, in the room below Gu Qianfan, Qi Mu was conspiring with a commander from the Palace Front Department.

Gu Qianfan listened to the conspiracy of the two with gritted teeth, and hated his mentor Qi Mu, Qi Zhongcheng, in his heart!

(End of this chapter)