"Let's go! Hurry up! It's all because of the second minister that we are still dragging our feet!"
Just as a group of ministers were studying how to "mining", the sound of the cell door being opened suddenly came from a distance.
You don't need to see it with your eyes, you can only understand it by listening with your ears, because it is a very special sound.
It may symbolize hope or death, but it can always make the prisoners feel uneasy.
But when they heard the jailer urging, everyone immediately pricked up their ears because they heard a very familiar word - Erchen!
There are actually two ministers!
Apart from Chief Qian and the four people locked up with Peng Bin and Chen Mingxia, who else would be regarded as a traitor by the Book of Heaven?
"All of them"!
The appearance of this word shows that the number of second ministers is definitely not one or two!
Oh my god~!
How could this be?
Peng Bin and Chen Mingxia looked at each other in confusion, Ruan Dacheng's face was uncertain, and Wei Xuelian and Gong Dingzi felt extremely surprised.
Hou Fangyu was speechless because his biological father was next door, but he was a little surprised when he heard the jailer's words.
"Go faster!"
Obviously, these people made the jailers very impatient and they kept urging them.
The shackles under my feet started to rattle due to the bumpy walking.
Almost all the prisoners were holding on to the bars and looking out with their faces pressed against them.
"Huh? This isn't..."
"Incredible!"
The first person who caught everyone's attention was Cai Yichen, the young minister of Taichang Temple!
But now it seems that the word "former" should be added before the title of Taichang Temple Shaoqing.
If he is caught by the Jin Yiwei, he will definitely not be able to continue to give orders in his original position.
The official uniform had been stripped off, and in order to protect him from the cold, he had changed into a cotton-filled robe.
Naturally, the black gauze hat is gone, and there is only a very abrupt bun, with a few strands of black hair still floating freely.
"Yunxian! You..."
Hou Xun, like everyone else, was watching the excitement with a fixed posture. Unexpectedly, the first person he saw was his colleague.
"Alas~!"
Cai Yichen raised his eyes and looked at Hou Xun and Qian Qianyi beside him, and sighed dejectedly.
"Open the cell door, unlock his shackles, and get in quickly!"
The cell leader first looked at the situation inside and felt relieved when he saw that the two key targets were still alive.
"Jesus! You..."
Wang Duo, the former right minister of the Ministry of Rites, Jijiu of the Imperial Academy, Shao Zhanshi, and attendant of the East Palace, known as the master of calligraphy and painting, followed closely behind Cai Yichen.
"Alas~!"
Wang Duo and Cai Yichen had exactly the same reaction. What else could they say? What a disaster!
He had just finished burying his second daughter and was about to return to the capital, but he was told by the prince that he had to accompany him to Nandu.
After arriving in Nandu, Emperor Chongzhen thought of his past achievements and rewarded him with a fourth-grade Imperial College sacrificial wine.
It was a good job, and Wang Duo was basically satisfied with it. He never expected to encounter such a weird thing.
When he was on duty in the Imperial College, the factory guards rushed in and arrested him. The crime turned out to be that he was a traitor in the Book of Heaven!
Throughout the ages, this is an unheard-of crime!
Not even the traitor Qin Hui dared to act so recklessly...
After Wang Duo, there are two imperial censors, Tang Shiji and Li Zhan!
"Bah~! Ignorant and ignorant king!"
"You are no longer worthy of my help!"
These two men were obviously unconvinced by their arrest, but they were limited to verbal counterattacks because they could not defeat Jin Yiwei.
The feudal lord who escorted them here would not rush to teach them a lesson. On the one hand, the superiority had orders, but on the other hand, there was no need.
I heard that he would be arraigned soon, and it would be a matter of life or death. The feudal lord could not afford to take action now.
After that, there are Li Qiao, Qi Fengji, Liang Yungou, Zhang Weiji and others. Together, they are not as famous as Wang Duo.
But without exception, he did not curse Chongzhen and the factory guards as a loyal person.
To arrest everyone on charges such as Erchen, there is no doubt that Chongzhen has already lost his wits.
It was clearly the contemporary Xia Jie, Shang Zhou, Qin II, and Sui Yang who killed Zhongliang like this!
Eight people rushed in at once, and now Hou Xun's cell became lively, and it no longer felt deserted.
Compared with the six ministers next door who were wandering around the market, the ten people here had all worked in the imperial court before.
"Chief! Dazhen (characterized by Hou Xun)!"
"Everyone, take a seat!"
This cell was different from the past. It was cleaned very clean. There were benches and straw mats on the floor. You could still get through it if you endured it.
"Chief! You are a role model for our generation, a role model for everyone, and the hope of all future generations of scholars. How can you be imprisoned?"
Cai Yichen had only heard that Qian Qianyi was dismissed from office by Emperor Chongzhen, but he didn't expect that he was imprisoned and could meet him here.
"Good fortune plays tricks on people! Things in the world are unpredictable!"
Qian Qianyi expressed his feelings based on the principle of caution.
The situation is not yet clear, and Emperor Chongzhen has not made the final judgment on people like himself.
Therefore, we cannot jump to conclusions. Think about how long the Yuan Chonghuan case was tried.
"Chief! Chongzhen treats you like this, but you don't want to argue?"
Li Zhan was very unwilling to be caught as a traitor. Is this a bullshit reason?
"Argument? How to argue?"
Qian Qianyi looked at the other party with great indifference, thinking, "Do you think I don't want to?"
But is it useful?
The junior fellow student next door said it well before, Chongzhen wanted you to die, would he really use such poor excuses as Erchen?
"We are all innocent, how could we be charged with the crime of two ministers? This is the most extraordinary injustice of all time!"
Being called a traitor and being imprisoned, is there any more ridiculous excuse than this?
"How can you prove that you are not a traitor?"
Qian Qianyi raised a seemingly simple question with ease, waiting for the other party to give an answer he thought was reasonable.
"This...of course not! Donglu hasn't...did the leader think..."
Li Zhan felt that Qian Qianyi was too cowardly, but when he was halfway through his words, he suddenly felt something was wrong.
"Ji Zhi, did you hear our conversation?"
Qian Qianyi did not answer directly. Instead, he called Ruan Dacheng next door. This guy thought he was farther than the average person.
"I heard!"
Ruan Dacheng was silent here in order to hear clearly what was being discussed next door so that he could collect as much useful information as possible.
"Can you answer Li Zhan's questions?"
Qian Qianyi plans to find someone to be his lobbyist, and this person is obviously very suitable.
"I am powerless, and I am even more afraid of being scolded!"
Although he has a bad reputation, his ability to survive to this day shows that Ruan Dacheng is neither stupid nor lucky.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The scholars in several nearby cells couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing this. The old man learned the lesson well.
"Ji Zhi, what are your next steps?"
Qian Qianyi ignored Li Zhan and everyone in the same cell, but asked them to listen to the thoughts of the "white-eyed wolf" next door.
"If others ask, I will definitely have nothing to say. You and I have been friends for many years, and have been enemies and friends, so I don't want to hide it. Since there is no hope of sophistry, I can only plead guilty and try to be a new person after I get out!"
Anyway, many people have heard of his plan before, so there is no need for Ruan Dacheng to deliberately hide anything from these people who just came in.
"Ah? Ruan Dacheng! You bastard! How can you surrender to the Dog Emperor? How can we have a scum like you among our generation!"
Li Zhan did not expect that Ruan Dacheng would not even give up his face and reputation, and planned to plead guilty and surrender.
"Because my surname is Ruan! If you obey me, you will obey me! Hum!"
Ruan Dacheng's intelligence and talents were all used in intrigues. Otherwise, there were so many people who took refuge in Wei Zhongxian, how could he use a useless person? It's not like you're just fooling around with others?
"Ha ha ha ha……"
A group of listeners around him also laughed. This old man was a bit clever and could play some tricks with homophones.
"Don't use trivial tricks to try to be clever! We, the people with lofty ideals, will definitely disdain this!"
Li Zhan, who had suffered a loss, knew Ruan Dacheng's virtue, so he didn't expect him to come up with any good ideas.
"Okay, okay! If you can escape unscathed, how about I worship you as my teacher in public?"
As a result, Ruan Dacheng, who came to live here, turned his army around.
"Fart! How can I accept you, a scholarly traitor?"
Ruan Dacheng was quarrelsome and unforgiving, but Li Zhan, as the censor, was looking for opportunities to bite people, so he was naturally not a kind person.
"If you don't have the ability, just say it. Why bother? If I go out, don't imitate me!"
It's not good to show off your sharpness as soon as you come in. Ruan Dacheng already knows this guy's style and has some concerns in his heart.
"Daydreaming! I will never join in with you!"
Li Zhan no longer planned to talk nonsense to this "wall grass" anymore. It was really disappointing. As soon as he came in, he heard Ruan Dacheng barking.
"I'll lend you some good words!"
Ruan Dacheng has already thought of a countermeasure, and he will not be as anxious as those who call themselves Zhongliang.
"Okay, Li Zhan is straightforward. Don't get angry! Why don't you tell us how you think the situation will develop in the future?"
The bickering was almost done, and Qian Qianyi knew how to choose the right time to become the peacemaker.
"I don't dare to speak nonsense. I'm just guessing. If you guys next door don't plead guilty, it will be difficult for you to get out of the prison!"
Thinking of the friendship in the past, Ruan Dacheng gave everyone a piece of advice. As for whether the other party listened to it or not, he had no control over it.
"Brother Ruan! This is Wang Duo. I wonder why Brother Ruan said this?"
Wang Duo waved his hands hurriedly until Li Zhan, the idiot, spoke again. Bickering was of no use except wasting time.
In terms of real talent and learning, Ruan Dacheng may not be able to do it.
But compared with his words, this guy is no worse than any other censor.
"Oh~! It turns out to be Brother Wang! Nice to meet you! Nice to meet you!"
That is to say, people like Ruan Dacheng can naturally say that it is a pleasure to meet him in Jinyiwei's prison.
"I don't want to meet Brother Ruan here. It might be more appropriate to choose a private room in a restaurant to exchange glasses of wine!"
Wang Duo just wanted to get out of this hellish place as soon as possible. He didn't want to die in the imperial prison. Over time, he would be beaten to a semi-crimped state.
"Haha, what Brother Wang said is absolutely true! If Brother Wang doesn't have extraordinary abilities, for example, if he can be favored by His Majesty or His Highness, and enjoy special pardons, otherwise I'm afraid he won't be able to get out if he doesn't plead guilty."
Ruan Dacheng is five years older than Wang Duo. However, he is more capable and excels in calligraphy and painting. I cannot compare with him, so I can only call him an honorific.
"Does Brother Ruan think that His Majesty will inflict crimes on us?"
Wang Duo also wanted to test it out to see how much inside information this man knew. Since Qian Qianyi recommended him to talk, it must be reasonable.
"It's not that I think it is, but that you have blocked the imperial court's financial path and made it difficult for Taicang, the household department, to continue. I wonder if Brother Wang has ever heard of such a sentence?"
"Oh? Which sentence? You might as well say it and listen!"
"You cut off my money! I'll cut off your life!"
"...Haha! It's quite interesting! Brother Ruan described it exactly! It's really amazing!"
Wang Duo already understood what Ruan Dacheng was going to say. He should never have ventured into this muddy water. It was a good thing now that he almost drowned.
At first, I thought that no one had reached the ankles, but when I looked again, no one had reached the neck. If I went up any higher, my whole body would be filled with water, and I would be drowned.
"Where! Where! It's just my humble opinion, it doesn't count! If Brother Wang can go out, he has to treat me to a big meal for three days to repay the favor!"
The scholars around him were all dumbfounded. Before, everyone had only heard how shameless this old man was, but today their eyes were completely opened. He actually took the initiative to ask for benefits, and no one else.
"Okay, okay! Just follow what Brother Ruan said! I will definitely not go back on my word!"
Wang Duo agreed wholeheartedly. As long as he had a way out, what's the harm in spending some money to entertain this guy?
"Rong, thank you in advance!"
Ruan Dacheng knew that Wang Duo was out of favor, and since everyone had heard about it, he was determined not to go back on his word. What's more, he didn't lack this little money. To say the least, if he sold the painting, he would have money to treat the guests.
"you are welcome!"
Wang Duo thought it was a very good deal to exchange a few meals for a life-saving method, but Ruan Dacheng was an innocent child.
"Brother Wang, what's the explanation?"
Zhang Weiji looked a little confused. Seeing that everyone else was thinking about it, he asked him directly.
"May I ask if Zifa (Zhang Weiji) is a merchant?"
"……no!"
"If not, then money is more important to you? Or is life more important to you?"
"Of course..."
"Understandable?"
"..."
Zhang Weiji could only nod instinctively. Wang Duo's meaning was very clear, that is, save his life with money first.
Otherwise, if my life is gone, can I still keep my money?
Given the choice between exchanging money for life or losing life without money, everyone will choose the former!
"Brother Wang, Ruan Dacheng suggested that we plead guilty!"
Cai Yichen wanted to give Wang Duo a warning, lest he really fell into Ruan Dacheng's trap. That guy was not a good guy.
"Brother Ruan, there is someone here who is still unclear. Brother Ruan, can you answer our questions again? I am willing to give you my humble work!"
Wang Duo thought it would be better to let Ruan Dacheng explain some things in person.
"Well...I'm not unwilling, but I'm afraid of being insulted. I have a condition. I wonder if I can agree? If I agree, I can tell you!"
"We are all reasonable people, Brother Ruan, there is no need to worry!"
"Okay! The condition is that if you plead guilty in exchange for being released from prison and not being punished additionally, how about you owe me a favor?"
"Ah You……"
Li Zhan immediately became unhappy. This guy had just taken advantage of him, and then he turned around and wanted to take advantage of him again. So what?
However, before Li Zhan could continue to scold Ruan Dacheng, Wang Duo signaled to him not to do so, so as not to spoil the matter. At the moment, the overall situation must be put first and forbearance is the priority.
"Brother Ruan, what do you agree to in the next generation?"
"It's not that I don't want to give Brother Wang face, it's just that I don't do secret things. I don't want to deliberately embarrass others. If you don't want to, you can just say it!"
The scholar who was listening to the excitement next to him was almost angry. Isn't this considered deliberately embarrassing?
How shameless is this Ruan Dacheng?
It’s a once-in-a-century event!
"Your Majesty, Wang Duo, would like to promise to owe Brother Ruan a favor!"
"Okay! Who else wants to do this?"
"My dear, Qian Qianyi, would like to agree to a favor!"
"good!"
With Qian Qianyi taking the lead and Ruan Dacheng openly "fishing" over there, the rest of the people in the prison could only hold their noses and admit defeat.
If I want you to look good later, I will dislocate your jaw first and let you have a "good time"!
He said he owed favors, but in fact he took the initiative to offend these people. Except for Qian Qianyi and Wang Duo, Ruan Dacheng did not expect to recover the cost from others at all.
What's more, I am a white wolf with nothing, so how can I cost anything?
How can there be any profit?
The money is not made by these people!
After these people took the initiative to plead guilty, all the credit would go to Ruan Dacheng, and then they would claim credit from Emperor Chongzhen and ask for greater leniency...
Shameless?
Very shameless!
But it’s very profitable for Ruan Dacheng!
