As for the Jiedushi Yamen, which was originally his residence, he did not enter at all. After entering the camp, Huang Qiong, who had traveled all the way under stars and nights, immediately ordered Zhuo Ruxiao and Master Cai to be secretly placed under house arrest in the Xijing camp, and the news was tightly sealed. Although the two men were not interrogated, they were held separately. And to prevent leaks, guards are rotated every day.
Until three days later, they separated from him in Yaozhou and secretly returned to Yan'an Prefecture with a thousand troops and horses. Under the leadership of Gao Huaiyuan, Huang Qiongcai sent people to interrogate the two men with the eldest son of Fushi County Mansion and a group of people returning from Yan'an Mansion. But what Huang Qiong didn't expect was that, facing the irrefutable evidence of the account book, both of them remained silent.
Huang Qiong was not ordinary surprised when she got the account book brought back by Gao Huaiyuan. After Zhuo Ruxiao obtained the stone fat mine and iron ore from the Fushi County Government Mansion, Ming robbed and plundered. Not only did the quantity of the products they made go to the Northern Liao Dynasty, far exceeding that of the Fushi County Government, but 60% of them were even missing. Huang Qiong is most eager to know where these ordnance and kerosene went.
The ledger only shows that these items have been delivered. But when it was shipped there and who bought it, there was nothing on it. Even the amount sold to Beiliao was recorded, but there was no record of who the biggest buyer was. And what represents the buyer is just the word "A". As for who this person is and what his true identity is, there is not even a word in the ledger.
What makes Huang Qiong even more confused is that although this person transports a large amount of arrowheads and kerosene every year, even accounting for 60% of the output, the account books show that he has never paid a penny. And this proves that there is someone behind them. The whereabouts of a large number of ordnance were unknown, which made Huang Qiong extremely worried. He is not worried about leaving the territory. What he is more worried about is that this person is inside Da Qi Dynasty.
I bought so many pure steel arrowheads, as well as kerosene, which can play a huge role on the battlefield. If this person is really someone from the imperial court, it can only mean that this person has the intention to rebel. So who exactly is this A has become what Huang Qiong wants to know most now. However, no matter how hard and soft the interrogators were, Zhuo Ruxiao and Master Cai remained silent.
On the first day of the interrogation, there was no progress. Huang Qiong, who was eager to get a confession, did not care about anything else and directly ordered the execution. But Huang Qiong didn't expect that that night, Master Cai was under close surveillance. He actually tied his belt to the window frame and hanged himself. Master Zhuo, however, took advantage of the guard's unpreparedness and stabbed his throat with an iron nail to commit suicide.
Looking at the bodies of the two people, Huang Qiong undoubtedly became more worried about the mysterious A. Who is that mysterious person? He actually made two people willing to die rather than reveal his identity. After working hard for a long time, there was not much gain, which made Huang Qiong very angry. The only thing that can be regarded as something worthwhile is that the identities of those guarding the mine have been identified.
These people are actually the elite of the dignified Shaanxi Road Jiedu Envoys, directly under the direct control of the army and horses. Three hundred people, all serious officers and soldiers with military status. The leader among them was a fifth-grade captain. This captain was obviously not as tough as Zhuo Ruxiao, and he explained everything after a few whips. Liu Jie sent elite soldiers to pretend to protect those mines and iron fields, but he extracted 30% of the elements.
They were all following Liu Jiedu's orders. They went to Yan'an Mansion not so much for protection, but rather to guard the two mines and iron yards. Liu Jiedu handled the customs clearance of products from the iron yard and the stone grease from the stone mine. Before Liu Jiedu was transferred to Shaanxi Jiedushi, he had served as deputy envoy of Huainan Road Jiedu, Yan'an defense ambassador, and Jiangning Prefecture's military envoy.
In both the military and the capital, he has a wide network of contacts. If he comes forward to take care of things, most people will give him some face. In this way, as long as the things shipped out of the mine do not enter Beijing, there are basically no inspections along the way. As for where those things were transported, he really didn't know. Their duty is only to guard the mines and iron yards, not allowing outsiders to enter, let alone letting people inside out.
However, because they are worried that over time, these officers and soldiers may know some secrets, and on the other hand, they may become slack as time goes by. Therefore, these three hundred officers and soldiers are rotated every six months. The officers and soldiers who rotate every time are paid double pay during the period of guarding the mine. And the food is excellent, with big fish and meat every day. This was true even when the disaster was at its worst last year.
That Liu Jiedu was extremely domineering, but he always showed favoritism to his subordinates who took refuge in him. Therefore, among the Shaanxi Road Guards, this Liu Jiedu almost kept his word. Almost no one dared not listen to his words. The military envoys of the other provinces didn't matter, and their obedience to him was only in accordance with the imperial court's customization. But the two thousand guards directly under him only obeyed his orders.
Not to mention other people, even the original deputy envoy and Jiedu Tongzhi were not allowed to interfere. Therefore, three hundred people disappeared out of thin air in the military camp, and no one dared to trace them. After seizing the two mines and the iron field, Master Zhuo did not trust the guards of Yan'an Prefecture because of the checks and balances of Yansuiyu's military preparations. That's why Liu Jiedu was asked to send people to protect and guard those mines and iron yards.
Even as Liu Jie's confidant, this captain only knew this. As for whether Magistrate Zhuo had any other relationship with Mr. Liu, he didn't know. What he knew was that Magistrate Zhuo had always been fawning over Mr. Liu. Knowing that Mr. Liu likes mature women, he tried every means to collect a lot of such women every year and sent them to Liu Jiedushi's house.
After listening to the captain's confession, Huang Qiong frowned. The reason why Mr. Zhuo did not hesitate to lower his status and hold up the smelly feet of a military attache in violation of the customs of the DPRK and China was here. The Jiedu envoys in various places are very courageous. I still know this and have seen it with my own eyes. It's just that I didn't expect that such a person would appear among the local military envoys.
After getting the captain's confession, Huang Qiong did not linger with the women that night. Instead, he sat in the study and thought alone for almost the whole night. Originally, I had the intention to visit Ouyang Jie and wanted him to give me some advice. How to take down Liu Jiedu quietly. But the old gentleman's illness became increasingly serious, and now he could hardly speak.
At this juncture, Huang Qiong really couldn't bear to disturb him. After pondering for a long time, Huang Qiong finally thought of a way to lure you into the urn. Early the next morning, Huang Qiong ordered the Xijing camp to be on alert. Once there is any abnormal movement in Xijing City, all the guards will be immediately disarmed. Then he sent a handwritten edict to summon officials from the Si Yamen, Shaanxi Road Envoy, Transport Department, and Jiedushi Envoys to stay in Xijing.
In order not to disturb Liu Jiedu, Huang Qiong could only ask other officials to accompany him once. Although the officials who received Huang Qiong's instructions were at a loss. I don't know that this man has been hiding in his cabin all day since he returned to Chang'an City. It is said that the King of England, who was just having fun with the women he brought back from Lingzhou, why did he summon him so eagerly?
But that official did not dare to remain indifferent in the face of the prince who was supervising the country and was currently summoned by the ambassador of Shaanxi and Longyou. After receiving Huang Qiong's order, these officials immediately came to see him. I don't know if they got some news, but other officials who received Huang Qiong's order arrived, but the protagonist of the Hongmen Banquet, Liu Jiedu, did not come.
Regarding Huang Qiong's handwriting, Liu Jiedu claimed that he was ill and only sent his own colleagues. If the protagonist is not present, how can the play be sung? Huang Qiong was scratching his head. However, having reached this point, Huang Qiong knew that he had no way out. I'm afraid he already knows about Liu Jiedu hiding from him at this time and arresting Zhuo Ruxiao.
Now that he already knows, he has nothing to say. In order to prevent the news from being leaked, Huang Qiong sent people to arrest a group of officials who rushed to his residence. He led 3,000 Yulin troops, and with the cooperation of 1,000 elite soldiers from the Xijing camp, entered the city and went straight to the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion. When they arrived at the Jiedu Envoy's Mansion, they saw heavy security inside and outside the mansion. Huang Qiong knew that the guy was indeed prepared.
Liu Jie had two commanders directly under his Jiedushi Yamen inside and outside Chang'an City, totaling two thousand guards. These two thousand guards were responsible for guarding the perimeter of the two palaces, Daming Palace and Xingqing Palace in the city, as well as guarding royal buildings such as ancestral temples and shrines inside and outside the city, as well as guarding various government offices. They could be said to be distributed inside and outside the city. The number of troops he could muster in a short period of time was only a thousand.
Among these thousand people, 300 were captured by Gao Huaiyuan in Yan'an Mansion. In other words, Liu Jiedu currently has only 700 troops at his disposal. And the most important thing is that Huang Qiong keeps confidentiality very well. Before returning to Xijing, in addition to leaving 500 personal soldiers, Huang Qiong also left 1,500 imperial guardsmen to tightly block the passage between Yan'an Prefecture and Xijing.
These 1,500 soldiers had been baptized by the flames of war on the Ningxia battlefield. They had undergone drastic changes from inside to outside. They carried out Huang Qiong's orders without any compromise. Zhuo Ruxiao stayed in Yan'an as a best friend and sent letters many times to remind Liu Jie to be prepared in case of unexpected events. However, several couriers were sent one after another, but none of them could deliver the letter to Chang'an, so Huang Qiong's people left behind and captured him with the letter.
In the end, he took a detour to Ningzhou in Qingyang Prefecture and rode a fast horse for hundreds of miles before delivering the letter. By the time this guy found out that Zhuo Ruxiao had been arrested and taken to Chang'an by the King of England, time had passed and it happened this morning. Although he had spent many years desperately spending money to raise two thousand military horses directly under him, making these two thousand military horses only listen to himself.
But after receiving Huang Qiong's order, he knew that something was going wrong. In a hurry, he was unable to gather all the two thousand troops and horses scattered inside and outside Xijing City. He was able to gather together in a short time, only the 700 troops and horses stationed in his Jiedushi Yamen. Although he didn't have much capital at his disposal, he knew that he had done too many evil things and would not get any good results if he fell into the hands of the British king.
He knew more clearly the fate of Li Jiedu in Longyou, but he still did not want to give up and surrender honestly, but planned to fight to the end. The 700 troops and horses around him, all controlled by his own confidants, had their bows strung, their swords unsheathed, and their helmets and armor guarding his Jiedushi Mansion. Even the bed crossbow was moved over, and the huge crossbow arrows on the bed crossbow were ready to be fired.
Even if Huang Qiong, the King of England, came personally, he could not make them put down their swords. These people, especially the officers among them. They were all fed by Liu Jie with a lot of money, and they always only obeyed Liu Jie's orders. Not to mention that Huang Qiong is just a prince, even if the emperor comes, he will not listen. Looking at the 700 troops and horses in front of him, who were obviously planning to fight to the end, Huang Qiong's face turned abnormally livid.
