"Your Majesty, Tu Hai is a traitor! Now it has been found out that the culprit who yelled outside the Imperial Pharmacy that day, causing Obai to escape, was Tu Hai!"
In the South Study Room of Qianqing Palace, Kangxi had just dismissed all the eunuchs and maids serving him when his good brother Fuquan reported to him the big news as expected - Tu Hai was indeed a traitor!
Kangxi had actually suspected Tuhai for a long time!
Ao Bai was so kind to Tu Hai, both recruiting people and giving credit to him. He lifted Tu Hai from the bad luck of having his house confiscated, dismissed from office, and exiled to Ning Guta, to the position where he is now a very popular minister. How could this Tu Hai not be Ao? The henchman you worship?
In order to make money from the sea, Obai even fabricated the "last words" of the monk emperor. This was no longer a gift of acquaintance, but simply a fateful friendship.
Compared with Tuhai, Bambulshan, who had just been beheaded at Caishikou two days ago, did not get much benefit from Obai!
That Bamboulshan was just promoted from an idle clan to a minister of bodyguards and a bachelor of the Secretariat. He became Oboi's best friend. Tuhai got more benefits, so why couldn't he be from Obai?
Moreover, in the "list of suspected traitors" sent by the Guards Office, the Third Inner Hospital, the Imperial Medicine Hospital, and the Jingshi Room, Tuhai was also the one with the greatest suspicion. Because before Obai arrived, Duolong, Xiaoguizi and Mingzhu had already tried their best to get rid of all the people who might be Obai's party members. Only Tu Hai, because his official position is too big and he is the only bachelor in the Longzong Gate of the Third Inner Courtyard, Mingzhu is still his subordinate. It is not okay for a subordinate to command his superiors!
Therefore, this Tuhai became the "number one suspect of the traitor." If it were not for the two witnesses Mingzhu and Zhou Chang, Kangxi would have sent Tuhai to Shangfangyuan (the predecessor of the Shenxing Department) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for review .
Thinking of this, Kangxi turned his attention to Mingzhu, who came with Fuquan, and asked calmly: "Mingzhu, didn't you prove before that Tu Hai has been staying in Long Zongmen's duty room?"
"Your Majesty, forgive me," Mingzhu said with a guilty look, "I was deceived by Tu Hai before. Tu Hai saw Mu Zhan and Xiao Guizi entering the Qianqing Gate talking and laughing, and saw Duo Long follow Wang Zhongxiao. Qianqingmen noticed something strange. So he discussed with his confidant Zhou Chang, and Zhou Chang asked the slave about drafting the imperial edict, which diverted the slave's attention. Tuhai took the opportunity to sneak out of Longzongmen to guard the room.
But the slave's mind was all about capturing Oboi, and he didn't even care that there was someone missing from the Long Zongmen duty room. "
Kangxi said in his heart: There is nothing wrong with this. After all, Mingzhu is a scholar who has never seen the bloody storm. He had a life-threatening matter in his heart that day. All his thoughts were probably on Ao Bai. Who would care about whether Tu Hai was in the Longzong clan? In the room?
"Where is that Zhou Chang?" Kangxi asked.
Fuquan replied: "Just outside the South Study Room, led by Wang Datou."
Kangxi nodded, "Then tell them to come in, and I want to question them face to face!"
As soon as the eunuch guarding the door of the south study heard this, he immediately opened his throat and shouted: "Xuan Wang Zhongxiao, Zhou Chang has an audience!"
When Wang Zhongxiao heard the eunuch's cry, he turned to look at Zhou Chang and whispered: "Pei Gong, don't panic, just tell me everything you know."
Zhou Chang nodded, took a deep breath, and followed Wang Zhongxiao into the south study room. Then they knelt down together to Emperor Kangxi who was sitting behind a desk. Before he and Wang Zhongxiao could say hello, Emperor Kangxi suddenly He shouted loudly: "Bold Zhou Chang, how dare you deceive the emperor!"
This voice startled Wang Zhongxiao, and he thought to himself: This kid is trying to scare people!
He quickly turned his head and glanced at Zhou Chang, and found that this great counselor who dared to go into the tiger's den to deceive Wang Fuchen in history (perhaps in the TV series) was frightened by Kangxi and fell to the ground, and he started crying: "Your Majesty, spare your life. I don’t dare to do it anymore, it’s all Tuhai who forced me. I have an 80-year-old mother and a three-year-old baby, so I can’t die!”
It seems that Zhou Peigong is quite capable! Top-notch acting!
Wang Zhongxiao was relieved now, so he scolded him with a straight face: "You treacherous sycophant, are you afraid now? What have you been doing?"
"Spare your life, spare your life" Zhou Chang looked like he was broken down and looked very honest.
Kangxi nodded lightly, feeling that Zhou Chang would not lie to him anymore, so he said warmly: "Zhou Chang, I am not unreasonable. You, a sesame mung bean official, were forced by a bachelor like Tu Hai to give false testimony. It is also a case of love." It's excusable. Now as long as you tell the truth, I'll forget about it and I can even give you a promotion!"
"Your Majesty is truly a benevolent king, and I must be an honest minister." Zhou Chang immediately burst into tears of gratitude.
Kangxi asked again: "Zhou Chang, tell me honestly, is Tuhai a member of Obai's party?"
Zhou Chang replied: "Yes and no."
"What's the meaning?"
Zhou Chang replied: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Tuhai is not an ordinary party member to Obai, but his successor."
"Successor?" Kangxi was stunned, "What does this mean?"
Zhou Chang said: "That's right. Obai wants Tuhai to take over from him in the future, lead the ministers to assist the emperor, and be the chief assistant of the Qing Dynasty. With Tuhai in charge of the court, Obai can retire and retire with peace of mind. "
Hearing what Zhou Chang said, Kangxi's pockmarked face suddenly softened, "Does Ping Tuhai also want to be the chief minister of the Qing Dynasty?"
"Think about it!" Zhou Chang said, "The chief minister of the cabinet is a very popular minister, how could he not want to?"
Kangxi snorted: "He really dares to think!"
Zhou Chang shivered when Kangxi hummed - of course he was pretending, and then he lay there without even daring to fart.
Mingzhu and Wang Zhongxiao, the two great ministers who framed the traitor, were secretly happy in their hearts because they both knew that Tuhai was completely cool this time.
For Tu Hai, the "crime of rebellion" is still a bit far-fetched. Tuhai was a slave, and he was also a "literary slave." It was too difficult for him to rebel.
But it would be very appropriate to add "wanting to be the chief auxiliary crime"!
In fact, the struggle between Kangxi and Obai was, to some extent, a struggle over monarchy and prime ministerial power (parliamentary power). Kangxi did not necessarily think that Aobai wanted to rebel, but he must have felt that Aobai wanted to control the government by controlling the meeting of kings and ministers to discuss government affairs, and use the power of the prime minister and the power to discuss government affairs to evade the monarchy.
And the idea of Tu Hai being the chief minister of the Qing Dynasty, to round it off, isn't it just an attempt to use the power of the prime minister to eclipse the power of the monarch?
Moreover, it is unrealistic for Tuhai to rebel, but it seems very realistic for him to want to be the chief minister. But for Kangxi, who was dictatorial with the Sacred Heart, this was an unforgivable death penalty. His imperial power cannot be shared by others!
Tuhai is dead!
"Fuquan, Mingzhu, Wang Zhongxiao!" Emperor Kangxi's face turned pale as he named the three people.
"The slave is here!"
The three of them knelt down to Kangxi together.
"I ask you and others to go to the Third Inner Hospital to arrest Tu Hai and take him to Shangfang Yuan for good custody first!" Kangxi said calmly, "Then the three of you will immediately take Zhou Chang to Tu Hai's home to search for evidence of guilt!"
(End of chapter)
