Chapter 128

Di Renjie was appointed as the ghost-catching minister. Zhao Ji followed him out of the Xianju Palace and the two had a secret conversation.

"How about it, Chengyuan, what do you think of my performance as the ghost-catching minister?" It was rare for Di Renjie to be in the mood to make a joke.

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "When you went on incognito visits before, didn't you always say that you were the God of the Land? It seems that catching ghosts is no problem for you."

Di Renjie laughed and patted Zhao Ji on the shoulder: "Oh, if Chengyuan was with me in Yongchang, things would be easier."

Zeng Tai and Li Yuanfang were so confused by the ghosts and gods that they were not only unable to help, but also made things worse. This was very troublesome.

Zhao Ji said with a hint of sarcasm: "Just now in front of the emperor, I thought you would deny the existence of ghosts and persuade His Majesty. Who knew you would directly take on the task of catching ghosts."

Di Renjie shook his head and explained, "Her Majesty is now deeply afraid of ghosts. Persuasion is nothing but a waste of words. Only when the truth is placed in front of her will she believe it."

"Are you sure you can catch the ghost?" Zhao Ji asked.

Di Renjie's face was solemn: "I already have some clues about the ghosts outside the palace, the real problem is inside the palace. Chengyuan, I heard that Jianzhi came to you?"

Zhao Ji frowned and asked, "Have you met Lord Zhang?"

Di Renjie nodded.

Zhao Ji then replied: "Mr. Zhang has come to me, but I have not promised him anything."

Di Renjie looked up at the sky, and said with some fear: "You did the right thing. Jianzhi contacted the generals of the imperial guards privately this time. If he had not been blocked by the crown prince and you, I'm afraid he would not have lived to see the death of His Majesty."

Zhao Ji was shocked when he heard this, and got goose bumps all over his body: "What? Is this what Lord Zhang is planning?"

Di Renjie continued, "Your Majesty is ill and unable to manage state affairs. He neglects government affairs and often suffers from nightmares. If he really finds the right time to give it a try, he does have a chance. But it's too risky. If it doesn't work, the prince will surely die."

Zhao Ji nodded slightly. He had participated in the coup. If it failed, he would surely die, whether actively or passively.

Di Renjie continued, "During the last trip to Huzhou, I could see that Your Majesty still has some mother-son affection for the prince. After Your Majesty's death, it is only natural for the prince to ascend the throne. There is no need to take such a risk. It is inappropriate to use a son to rebel against his mother and lead troops to force the emperor to abdicate."

The friendship between Di Renjie and Wu Zetian was indeed extraordinary because of the loyalty between the ruler and his subject.

Zhao Ji could only agree with him: "Your Excellency's words are very reasonable. How did you and Lord Zhang finally discuss it?"

"Hold your troops still and strike back."
-
Inside the Xianju Palace, Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping had another private conversation between mother and daughter.

Wu Zetian seemed like an old woman who was about to die, sighing constantly.

Princess Taiping gently stroked the back of her mother's hand and comforted her softly, "Mother, Lord Di has volunteered to catch ghosts. Just wait for his good news."

Wu Zetian sighed softly and forced a smile: "Silly girl, Di Huaiying is kind-hearted and is deliberately trying to comfort me. Do you really believe that he can catch ghosts?"

"Di Huaiying has never believed in ghosts and gods in his life. Now he can say such words to comfort me, which means that I didn't make a mistake in his decision."

Princess Taiping also forced a smile. She knew very well whether Di Renjie could catch the "ghost" or not.

"But if Lord Di can't catch the ghost, won't he be in danger? Lord Di said that the evil ghost in Yongchang County can kill people!" Princess Taiping said worriedly.

Wu Zetian frowned upon hearing this: "That's right, I shouldn't have agreed to his request. This has harmed him."

Princess Taiping said, "Mother, why don't you call back Lord Di and tell him to stop interfering in this matter, so that he can be protected from harm."

Wu Zetian thought for a moment and shook her head: "Let's not talk about joking. You don't know Di Huaiying. Although the evil spirit in Yongchang has harmed many people, he can't just avoid harm and abandon it just because he is in danger."

"The more such things happen, the more he will take the lead. The more you don't let him take care of it, the more he will take care of it. The so-called benevolent must be brave, this is what it means."

Princess Taiping was stunned when she heard this: "You are the emperor, you issued an imperial edict, how can he not obey your imperial edict?" Wu Zetian shook her head and laughed: "How should this imperial edict be issued? You can't just say that the investigation of Yongchang's ghost is forbidden, which will make people laugh. Besides, an imperial edict can't change a person's thoughts and character."

"It was your fault." Princess Taiping apologized quickly.

"You have good intentions, what crime have you committed?" Wu Zetian was still smiling.

Princess Taiping remained silent. She had intended to use ghost talk to make Wu Zetian force Di Renjie to give up the investigation, but she didn't expect that she couldn't persuade Wu Zetian.

But when one plan failed, she came up with another. She said, "Even so, we shouldn't just sit there and do nothing. We should send more guards to Lord Di. Maybe that will scare off the nameless ghost in Yongchang."

Wu Zetian rejected Princess Taiping twice, but seeing that her beloved daughter had this intention, she couldn't refuse the third request.

She pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, General Zhao Ji of the Qianniu Guards worked under Huaiying for a while before, and they get along well. I order him to lead a team of Qianniu Guards to Yongchang to protect Di Huaiying."

Princess Taiping then smiled: "Your Majesty is wise."

She thought she would have to speak up and explain it herself, but unexpectedly it went quite smoothly.
-
When Zhao Ji received Wu Zetian's order, he immediately knew that he was being transferred.

As for who did it, from the motive point of view, Princess Taiping and Wu Sansi could have done this due to their experience as the Prince's Guard and their relationship with Di Renjie. Even Zhang Jianzhi... No, Zhang Jianzhi was not that bad.

But Princess Taiping should be the only one who knew about the actions of the Princess and the ghost case, and she has been often by Wu Zetian's side recently.

Transferring myself away would not only facilitate the implementation of the plan, but also weaken the information channels of the prince's party, killing two birds with one stone.

At this point, Zhao Ji could only follow Di Renjie to solve the case as quickly as possible. Anyway, he had already been rewarded for saving the emperor, so he just had to make some good arrangements in the palace.

All the Qianniu Guards who were taken to Yongchang County were strangers. Shen Tao, Xiao Bao and several other close associates of Zhao Ji were all left in the palace. It was better than nothing.

While Zhao Ji was making arrangements, Shangguan Wan'er heard the news that Wu Zetian had gotten into trouble again. After visiting her, she came to him to inquire about the situation.

"What's the matter? Didn't you say that His Majesty has been getting better recently? How come something happened again?" Shangguan Wan'er blamed.

Zhao Ji explained: "I am not a miracle doctor, I can only rely on my feelings, which is indeed inaccurate. But Di Gong said that it is not a big deal, don't worry."

"I don't know if His Majesty can get fully well. When will this kind of life end?" Shangguan Wan'er was a little tired.

"It's almost time. Someone is going to lose their patience. They will definitely take action in the next few days."

Shangguan Wan'er asked, "What did you find?"

Zhao Ji took a deep breath and said, "I didn't find anything. It's just that Princess Taiping disliked me for hindering her actions, so she transferred me out of the palace in the name of protecting Di Gong to catch ghosts. The affairs of the palace can only be left to you."

"Catching ghosts? What's going on? How do you know it was the princess who did it?" Shangguan Wan'er was horrified.

Zhao Ji sneered and explained, "There is a ghost outside the palace, and Di Gong is investigating. His Majesty said he was afraid that the ghost would harm him, so he ordered me to bring people to protect him."

"Only Princess Taiping has the motive and ability to get me out of the way. Besides, she has been with Your Majesty recently and happens to know about the ghost case that Judge Di mentioned."

Shangguan Wan'er nodded slightly, as if thinking about something: "I understand. I will pay more attention to your majesty."

Zhao Ji nodded and said, "You should pay more attention to the so-called ghost stories. The conspiracy of those people must be based on these fabricated things. You also know Shen Tao and Xiao Bao. If something really happens, send them to deliver the news to Zhang Gelao."

Shangguan Wan'er was stunned when she heard this: "When did you become so familiar with Lord Zhang?"

Zhao Ji smiled slightly: "Of course it's all thanks to Di Gong."

(End of this chapter)