The princess arrives and the prosperous Tang Dynasty begins

Chapter 188 Rumors 4

The prosperous capital of the Tang Dynasty, the bustling streets and alleys, were now shrouded in a haze. Rumors were like flying snowflakes, flying everywhere. People were whispering to each other, looking terrified, and the air was filled with uneasiness and anxiety.

"Have you heard? This strange astronomical phenomenon is a sign that the Tang Dynasty is about to end!" A ragged old man said worriedly to the person next to him.

"That's right! I also heard that a disaster is about to happen. What should we do?" Another middle-aged man echoed, his face full of fear.

"What's even more terrifying is that there are rumors that Lin Xiao is a witch and she is the one who brought about this disaster!" A guy with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks lowered his voice mysteriously, but there was a strange light flashing in his eyes.

These rumors spread like a plague, spreading through the streets and even into the depths of the imperial palace.

Lin Xiao sat in the palace, holding a book in her hands, with a calm expression. The maid beside her hurriedly came to report, telling her all the rumors outside the palace. Lin Xiao heard these rumors, but she only raised her eyebrows slightly, without showing any anger. She gently closed the book in her hand, slowly stood up, and walked towards Li Yi's study with lotus steps.

At this time, Li Yi was sitting at his desk, frowning, worrying about the pile of memorials. Hearing Lin Xiao's footsteps, he looked up, with a trace of fatigue and worry in his eyes.

Lin Xiao walked into the study, bowed slightly, and said softly: "Your Majesty, I have heard the rumors outside the palace."

Li Yi stood up, walked quickly to Lin Xiao's side, held her hand, and asked with concern: "My beloved, what do you think about this?"

Lin Xiao met Li Yi's gaze with a firm look and said, "Your Majesty, if you want to break this situation, you need to investigate the root cause."

Li Yi frowned even more tightly and asked, "Does my beloved concubine have any good ideas?"

Lin Xiao nodded slightly and said, "I think the most urgent thing is to appease the people. The people are in a panic and are easily misled by rumors. We can send officials to the people to explain that the celestial phenomena are not a bad sign and that the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty will not be affected by them. At the same time, we can open the granaries to release grain and help the poor people, so that they can feel the love of your majesty and the warmth of the court."

Li Yi nodded and said, "My beloved concubine, what you said makes sense, but how do we track down the person who spread the rumor?"

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think the person who spread the rumor must have ulterior motives. We can secretly send people to the market to keep an eye on those who are most active in stirring up trouble and spreading rumors. At the same time, we should strengthen the guards at the city gates and strictly check those who enter and leave to prevent the rumors from spreading further. In addition, we should start with the palace maids and eunuchs to check if anyone has leaked the news in the palace and was used by someone with ulterior motives."

Li Yi's eyes flashed with admiration, and he said, "My beloved concubine is thoughtful. I will order the arrangements immediately."

Lin Xiao continued, "Your Majesty, I have also thought that this rumor has spread so quickly, there must be someone behind the scenes fanning the flames. Perhaps some ministers with ill intentions, or other forces, are trying to disrupt the court and shake your Majesty's rule. While we are tracking down the person who spread the rumor, we must also pay attention to the movements of the ministers in the court to see if anyone takes this opportunity to make a move."

Li Yi clenched his fists and said, "If I find out who is behind this, I will not let him off easily!"

Lin Xiao patted Li Yi's hand gently and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. We need to remain calm at this moment and not panic. I believe that as long as we work together, we will be able to dispel the rumors and bring peace back to the Tang Dynasty."

Li Yi nodded and said, "Don't worry, my beloved concubine. I have you by my side and I will definitely get through this difficult time."

Afterwards, Li Yi immediately summoned the important officials in the court to discuss how to appease the people and investigate the rumors. The officials expressed their opinions, some advocated severe punishment for those who spread the rumors, while others believed that appeasement should be the main approach. Lin Xiao listened quietly at the side, exchanging glances with Li Yi from time to time.

Finally, Li Yi decided to adopt Lin Xiao's suggestion. On the one hand, he sent officials to the countryside to appease the people and open the granaries to release grain. On the other hand, he secretly sent his confidants to track down those who spread the rumors.

Lin Xiao was not idle either. She summoned the palace maids and eunuchs to carefully inquire about their recent situation and check if there were any suspicious people. At the same time, she also read a lot of books, trying to find solutions to similar incidents in history.

Outside the palace, officials explained the reason for the celestial phenomenon to the people on the street, telling them that the Tang Dynasty was still prosperous and there was no need to panic. The people were skeptical at first, but when they saw that the court really opened the granaries to release grain and relieve the poor, their fears gradually dissipated.

However, the spread of rumors did not stop. Seeing that the court had taken measures, those with ulterior motives spread rumors even more vigorously, and even made up more bizarre statements.

After Lin Xiao learned about this, he said to Li Yi: "Your Majesty, it seems that the person behind this is determined to go against the court. We must speed up the investigation, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous."

Li Yi said: "My beloved concubine, I have already sent more people, and I believe there will be results soon."

At the same time, in a corner of the city, several dark shadows were gathering together and plotting.

"Hmph, the court is moving pretty quickly, but this is only temporary. We need to continue to spread rumors so that the people will completely lose trust in the court." said a deep voice.

"But, if the court finds out, we will..." said a timid voice.

"What are you afraid of? As long as we act secretly, the imperial court can't do anything to us. When the Tang Dynasty is in chaos, we will have the opportunity to replace it!" The deep voice was full of ambition.

In the palace, Lin Xiao and Li Yi are still working hard to dispel the rumors. Little do they know that a bigger conspiracy is quietly approaching...

A few days passed, and there was still no significant progress in investigating the rumors. Li Yi was extremely anxious, and Lin Xiao also felt a huge pressure.

"Your Majesty, I think we may have overlooked some details." Lin Xiao said.

"My dear, please tell me quickly." Li Yi asked anxiously.

Lin Xiao analyzed: "We have been tracking down the people who spread the rumors, but we have never thought about where these rumors came from in the first place. Perhaps we should start from the source and find the place where these rumors were first spread."

Li Yi suddenly realized: "My beloved concubine is right. I will send someone to investigate immediately."

After careful investigation, we finally found a clue. It turned out that the rumor was first spread in a remote tavern. It is said that a few strangers said these bizarre remarks while drinking there, and then they spread quickly.

After Li Yi and Lin Xiao got the news, they decided to go to the tavern to investigate. They changed into casual clothes and came to the tavern accompanied by their confidants.

The pub was filled with noise and smoke. Li Yi and Lin Xiao found a corner to sit down and carefully observed the people around them.

At this time, a drunk staggered over, still muttering those rumors. Li Yi winked, and his confidant immediately took the drunk aside for questioning.

After some questioning, the drunk finally told the truth. It turned out that he heard these rumors from a beggar on the street, and the beggar heard them from someone else.

The clue was interrupted again, and Li Yi and Lin Xiao fell into deep thought.

Just as they were about to leave the pub, Lin Xiao suddenly spotted a suspicious figure. The man was hiding in the corner stealthily, observing the movements around him from time to time.

Lin Xiao signaled Li Yi not to alert the enemy, and they quietly followed the man and came to a remote alley.

The man walked into a shabby house, and Li Yi and Lin Xiao eavesdropped outside the door.

"How's it going?" A voice came from the room.

"Don't worry, sir. The rumor has spread throughout the capital, and the people are in panic," said the man.

"Very good, continue to increase your efforts and make sure to plunge the court into chaos." said the voice.

Li Yi and Lin Xiao looked at each other and had the answer in their minds. They kicked the door open and captured the people in the house.

After interrogation, it was finally learned that the mastermind behind the plot was a minister in the court. He was dissatisfied with Li Yi's rule and attempted to usurp the throne by spreading rumors and causing civil unrest.

Li Yi was furious and immediately ordered the minister to be brought to justice. With the arrest of the mastermind, the rumors gradually died down, and the capital of the Tang Dynasty returned to its former tranquility.

Lin Xiao and Li Yi stood on the tower of the imperial palace, overlooking the prosperous city, their hearts filled with emotion.

"Your Majesty, after this incident, we must strengthen the governance of the court and not let such incidents happen again." Lin Xiao said.

Li Yi nodded and said, "My beloved concubine is right. I will keep it in mind."

The sun shines on them, illuminating their determined faces. The future of Datang is still full of hope and challenges...