In Kujing Hutong, Shen Lang asked Ding Ze to hand his invitation to the disciple, and then waited in front of this inconspicuous, even somewhat dilapidated, courtyard.
It wasn't until the sky darkened that the sound of horse hooves was heard from behind the carriage, and several horses stopped beside the carriage.
After a while, a voice that was still fresh in Xu He's memory came: "Is he the consort?"
Xu He lifted the door curtain and stepped out of the car. He raised his hands to the man on horseback and said, "Master Guo, we say goodbye to Huai'an and meet again."
It turned out that the person in front of him was Guo Zhuguo Mingda, the new commander of Fusi Capital in Beizhen.
Guo Zhu still had the same gloomy expression as the spy chief, and there was no change when meeting old friends. He just pointed at the riding crop and said: "Go in and talk!"
When the two of them sat down, Guo Zhu twitched his nose and said, "It seems that I drank a lot at Uncle Yanzhou's house at noon!"
Xu He had guessed a long time ago that the people from Jinyiwei must have spies in Uncle Yanzhou's family. Now he was not surprised to hear this, so he smiled at Guo Zhu and said: "Exactly, I haven't sobered up yet, but I came to Guo Zhu." I asked the commander to ask for a cup of sobering soup at home."
Guo Zhu suddenly laughed: "You are brave. I have been in Beijing for such a long time, and you are the first person to come to my home to ask me to sober up!"
Xu He smiled and said, "Others are afraid of you because they have evil intentions. I'm not afraid of you because I'm open-minded and we are old friends!"
"Old friend!" Guo Zhu looked at the young man in front of him and sighed in his heart, yes, he is an old friend. On the Grand Canal in Huai'an Prefecture last year, he was an ordinary scholar in the Wei Dynasty.
But it was only a short time ago, and now he is already the number one scholar, the highest-ranking prince-in-law, and a bachelor's degree lecturer at the Hanlin Academy.
Guo Zhu thought of the other party's identity, so he said with a cold face: "Why did you come to me?"
Seeing his businesslike appearance, Xu He suddenly felt bored: "I'm here to inquire about Zuo Sizhong!"
"Zuo Sizhong, the former general manager of the former military governor's office?" Guo Zhu nodded, thinking that this boy was a monkey spirit. He came directly to his door because he knew him.
"What do you want to know?"
"I want to know, what does Zuo Sizhong know?"
Guo Zhu looked at Xu He and said, "This is a case that was ordered to be investigated by the emperor. We can't talk about it!"
Xu He had already guessed that he would say this: "But His Majesty asked me to take over the Experience Department of the former Military Governor's Mansion. I want to understand the situation of my predecessor. Even Your Majesty will not refuse!"
"Well!" Guo Zhu pondered for a moment and then said to Xu He, "That Zuo Sizhong was found to have occupied a large amount of military land in Huangpi!"
"Is it Zuo Sizhong himself or someone else gave it to him!"
"He insisted that it was him!"
"How can a person from the Department of Experience invade the military garrison in Huguang?"
"I used torture, but the other party didn't speak!"
Xu He nodded: "He has something in the hands of someone behind the scenes, probably a family member!"
"Well, we're checking!"
The two of them explained the matter clearly at once, as if they were quick to answer questions.
Guo Zhu stared at Xu He's eyes and said, "Now it's my turn to ask you!"
Xu He nodded.
"After lunch, you came to wait for me before returning home. Why?"
Xu He said with a smile: "Because I was pretending to be drunk at the table and heard two names, one was Zuo Sizhong, and the other was Prime Minister Zhou!"
When Guo Zhu heard Zhou Xiang, his eyes narrowed, like a predator that had discovered its prey: "Zhou Xiang? What did they say?"
"One of them asked whether Zuo Sizhong had done anything about what he promised to Prime Minister Zhou before he was taken away!"
"Said openly?"
"Speak softly, but as soon as you say it, Yu Ji stops you and there is no more words!"
Guo Zhu fell silent, and Xu He saw his brows furrowed and his expression solemn.
Xu He couldn't help but asked curiously: "Who is this Zhou Xiang?"
"Thousand households in Yiyang!"
"Yiyang?"
Xu He thought for a moment before he remembered that Yiyang was stationed in the south of Yicheng. Yicheng was later Yicheng County and was a county under the jurisdiction of Xiangyang.
The Prime Minister of the Thousand Households in Yiyang?
Could this person be related to this case?
Guo Zhu then continued to ask: "What else did they say?"
"No more, everything else is just romantic stuff!"
Guo Zhu flicked his fingers on the table and frowned in thought.
After a while, he said to Xu He: "I suspect that Zuo Sizhong is the person in charge of Uncle Yanzhou's efforts to obtain benefits from various places in the former military governor's mansion! I have never heard of this Prime Minister. This matter you are talking about is very important. I will call him Someone go check it out!”
"You must remember not to make any big moves in the former Military Governor's Mansion, and don't do anything eye-catching in the Experience Department. When the time comes, someone will investigate the matters there!"
"Also, as long as you interact with Yu Ji and the others normally, don't be too close. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Too close?
Xu He couldn't help but think of the two carts of gifts he received last night.
He nodded and said: "Thank you, Lord Guo, for reminding me, I know it well!"
Guo Zhu nodded and said: "That's okay, I won't let you eat!"
Damn it, is it so direct?
Since the host does not accept guests, Xu He had no choice but to cup his hands and say, "Then I'll take my leave!"
Guo Zhu didn't answer, he just stood up and sent her off. Xu He's perfunctory effort could be felt on Xu He's back without even using his eyes.
……………………
Early the next morning, Xu He went to the former military governor's mansion early this time to report.
After handing in the transfer document from the Ministry of War, Xu He first went to see Uncle Yanzhou.
The two talked for a while, and then Xu He walked out and went to Tongzhi Yamen to meet the governor and Tongzhi Xue Zongkai.
When Xu He first saw Xue Zongkai, he was still a little surprised.
This person had sent him a message the day before yesterday. Before meeting him, Xu He felt that he would be as polite to him as Yanzhou Bo Yu Ji.
Unexpectedly, Xue Zongkai just briefly chatted with Xu He, briefly mentioned the relationship between Xue Yongzhi and his Shanyang Hou Mansion, and then stopped building friendship.
"Liangsheng, since you are worthy of brother Yongzhi, you are my subordinate inside this yamen, and you are my junior outside the yamen, so I won't be polite to you!"
"Do you know why the Emperor asked you to come to the former Military Governor's Mansion?"
"I know!" Xu He thought about it in his mind and said, "This is the imperial court's regulation of the Prince Consort. Come to the Governor's Mansion to learn from the seniors how to behave and do things."
Xue Zongkai finally smiled and said, "Yes, 10% of the authority of the Fifth Military Governor's Office has been reduced to 80%. It's up to you and your family to do whatever you want here. You'd better be at peace in the Hanlin Academy." The future of that place is much greater than this!"
"Well, there has been a lot of trouble in the Governor's Mansion a while ago. Your predecessor was arrested by the Jin Yiwei and is still in jail. To be honest, it's hard to achieve results in our place, but it's easy to get into trouble, so be careful!"
"yes!"
"By the way, have you been to Uncle Yanzhou?"
"went!"
"Knowing people, knowing faces, but not knowing hearts!" Xue Zongkai seemed to be saying to himself...
