But I saw Qiao Shangshu pacing back and forth in the living room, with a tired look on his face. When he saw me coming in, he hurriedly came up to greet me and said, "Master Governor, something happened in the capital. Do you know?" "What happened? It caused Lord Shangshu to suffer so late at night. Come here?" I felt a little relieved.
Qiao Shangshu whispered: "The emperor is critically ill!" "What? The emperor is critically ill?" I couldn't believe it. The person I was drinking and racing with a few months ago actually got sick and couldn't afford to be sick.
Qiao Shangshu nodded and still whispered: "It seems that your Excellency really doesn't know! I have received a report from the capital, saying that the emperor is ill and asking us to strengthen the vigilance in Nanjing. And I learned privately that the emperor is ill. After returning to Beijing, I suddenly fell ill and have been lying in the Leopard Room for more than half a month. Recently, there are rumors that the dragon is not in good health. I'm afraid, I'm afraid..."
I know what Qiao Shangshu said later clearly meant that something might happen to Zhengde. I really don’t believe it in my heart. Although the boy is thin, he has always been very strong, but I think that a stable person like Qiao Shangshu will never lie to me. Moreover, Zhengde has not contacted me recently. I think something is really wrong with him. I feel dizzy. Unconsciously, he slumped down on the chair. After a while, he sighed: "This is a big deal. Hey, how could this happen?" His nose became sour and tears came out of his eyes.
After a long time, Qiao Shangshu said: "The emperor is seriously ill, and we are also like a bolt from the blue. The governor and the emperor have a deep friendship, and everyone in the world knows it, but it is not the time to be sad yet."
After hearing this, I quickly wiped away my tears and said, "Master Shangshu said that if you come here late at night, you will definitely give me some advice!"
"Master Governor, return to the capital immediately! Maybe we can see the emperor." Qiao Shangshu suddenly became serious and said firmly.
"I can't return to Beijing without permission!" Qiao Shangshu asked me to return to Beijing, which somewhat surprised me and left me with some doubts.
Qiao Shangshu smiled calmly and said: "I believe the imperial edict is on the way, but you should leave in advance, the sooner the better!" I hesitated a little and said: "It's not easy to leave your post without permission and be searched at all passes!"
Qiao Shangshu said: "My Lord Governor, who are you? Governor of Jinyiwei, have you forgotten that you have a jade plaque given to you by the emperor, and you must not be blocked at all passes. Besides, your assistance in managing Jiangnan is also the emperor's order." I was shocked. In order to make it easier to enter and leave the palace, Zhengde did reward me with a jade plaque. It can be said that I can go anywhere in the world. But I rarely use it. I only used it once outside Nanjing to help Wang Shouren meet Zhang Yong. No one else knew about this matter, so I asked unconsciously: "Is it Mr. Wang who told you about the jade plaque?"
"Yes, it is indeed what Mr. Wang said. He heard that there have been changes in the capital, and he thinks that you have been deeply favored by the emperor and have to go back. Please ask me to give you a message. The safety of the capital is closely related to you. Your heart is pure, and you will definitely work for the Ming Dynasty. , try your best.”
Wang Shouren single-handedly put down King Ning's rebellion with his own strategy. At the same time, in order to ensure peace in the south of the Yangtze River, he handed over the credit to Jiang Bin, handed over the military power himself, and hid in the mountains to practice. This man was rich in knowledge and had many disciples, and he had already become famous all over the world. Although I had many contacts with him, I always felt that I was a rough guy and had always respected him. He was the one who persuaded me to return to Beijing. I couldn't help but feel grateful and said with a smile: "I didn't expect Mr. Wang to really favor me! "
"I came here late at night because of the entrustment of Mr. Wang. He feels that if something unexpected happens to the emperor, the Ming Dynasty will be in turmoil. The Ming Dynasty has been in a state of chaos over the years. If chaos occurs again, the people of the world will suffer. The Ming Dynasty will be stable. If you return to the capital to guard the capital, with your prestige, you will surely be able to deter evil spirits."
After hearing this, my whole body became hot and I said: "Master Wang has always known things well. I am deeply touched. Since he trusts me so much, I will return to the capital immediately. But here, I still ask you to take care of you."
Qiao Shangshu chuckled and said: "We have all seen how kind the governor is to Jiangnan. Don't worry, we will leave this place to us and it will be foolproof. However, your return to Beijing needs to be done quickly. Therefore, I transferred ten captains from the Nanjing Military Department to take the My seal is to escort the Governor to Xuzhou. Firstly, the passes in South Zhili will not block him. Secondly, if they encounter the remnants of King Ning and his ilk, they can also mobilize various sergeants. In short, we must escort the Governor to Xuzhou. Beijing."
Unconsciously I was moved, and I bowed deeply and said, "Master Shangshu treats me so kindly, I am so grateful that I shed tears of gratitude!"
Qiao Shangshu quickly returned the courtesy and said: "The governor is a good official and has always benefited Jiangnan. This small thing is not important. It is just going from Shandong to the capital. You must be careful along the way." He lowered his voice again and said to me Said: "Master Wang specifically said that after you return to the capital, you must beware of two people. One is Jiang Bin. You know more or less what he wants to do. I heard that he has deployed heavy troops outside the capital; the other is the cabinet. Mr. Yang Ge." I know that Jiang Bin always wants to do some great achievements, so he always persuades Zhengde to travel outside the Great Wall. He is domineering, and his sergeants are even more tough, and they often cause trouble. He and I both have grudges and are wary of each other. The elder Yang Ge was Yang Tinghe, a bachelor of the cabinet. Zhengde was not in the capital, so he relied on him to maintain the stability of the capital and handle national affairs in an orderly manner.
When I was inspecting Prince Ning's Mansion, I found the account books of gifts given by Prince Ning to court officials. Among them was a list of gifts given to Yang Tinghe, which were valuable. At the same time, Qian Ning also confessed that the reason why Prince Ning was able to restore the guard was also What is even more frightening is that Jiangxi Yushi Sun Sui and others have already noticed that King Ning is planning to rebel, and the relevant memorials have been reported to the cabinet. With Yang Tinghe's intelligence and many years of experience, he had to be aware of King Ning's thoughts, but suppressed him. He did not report it to the emperor, so Sun Sui and others died tragically at the hands of King Ning. This inevitably makes people doubt what Yang Tinghe did.
When I was dealing with the account books, I directly had them burned, which could calm down many people. Wang Shouren was also present at the time, and he praised this very much, saying that Jiangnan was in turmoil, and if the relevant officials continued to be punished, the Ming Dynasty would never have peace.
I was surprised that Wang Shouren asked me to be wary of Yang Tinghe. Qiao Shangshu didn't say anything else, but stood up and left.
After sending Qiao Shangshu away, I said to Guo Zheng: "Such a big thing happened in the capital, and Xiaobai didn't tell me!" Guo Zheng also didn't believe it, and said: "Normally, Xiaobai doesn't know about it, but recently, the news from outside has arrived There are very few of us here. There is no news from the capital." I was very surprised and said: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Guo Zhan looked ashamed and said: "I see that you are not too happy every day, so I don't talk to you. Said, but I sent someone to investigate." I nodded and said: "When the matter is like this, there is no need to pursue the fault anymore. Hey, the emperor's dragon body is not in good condition, I have to go back early."
Seeing that there was gradually light outside, I started to pack my things and prepare to return to Beijing. Jiang Li helped me clean up, but he was worried and said: "Sir, be careful on the road. You might as well take more people with you." Then he sighed: "I heard that martial law has begun in the capital. You should think of a good plan." I He nodded and couldn't help complaining: "Such a big thing happened in the capital, and the Zhenfu Division has no news at all. They really don't take me seriously!" Jiang Li said: "The whole Zhenfu Division is all adults and brothers. , they can't be unclear about it, this is what I'm worried about too, I'm afraid that something will happen to the Zhenfu Division. It's very risky if you go back, sir." When she said this, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her whole body looked anxious. I couldn't help but pull her over. Holding up his hand, he said: "Don't worry, I have other plans. However, you and Bai Zhi must be more careful when I am not here. This return to Beijing is different from the past. If something extraordinary happens, you must take care of it." "
After hearing this, Jiang Li had tears in his eyes and said with a forced smile, "Sir, you always joke. How many times have you gone out and never come back safely? Good luck has its own destiny."
There was a dull pain in my heart, but I just held her in my arms, but I didn't know what to say.
At dawn, I led Guo Zheng, four imperial guards and ten sergeants, mounted their horses, said goodbye to Jiang Li, left Yanbo Villa, and headed for the official road.
Sure enough, as Qiao Shangshu said, the checkpoints at various checkpoints began to be under martial law, and people who passed by were interrogated, especially those going north. Although we were dressed in casual clothes and pretended to be merchants buying medicine, we still clearly felt that the inspection was tight. Fortunately, these ten captains were here. The prefectural governments in South Zhili let us go all the way. We ran for five or six days and gradually arrived at Xuzhou. After crossing the Yellow River, we reached the border of Shandong.
Xuzhou, known as Pengcheng in ancient times, borders the Huaihai Sea to the east, borders the Central Plains to the west, borders the Yangtze River and Huaihe River to the south, and strangles Qilu to the north. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. It was destroyed many times due to wars, but was destroyed and rebuilt later. During the reign of Emperor Taizu, he built a new city and set up Xuzhou Guards and Xuzhou Left Guards. Later, because Beijing was upgraded to the capital, Xuzhou was right in the middle of the two capitals and could be said to be the throat of the north and the south. Therefore, seven guards were added one after another, with as many as one garrison. More than ten thousand people. And here is the lifeline of the North-South Grand Canal. All the tributes from the Jianghuai River and the goods from the four barbarians came to the capital, all because of this, thousands of ships and boats, day and night. The folk customs here are fierce, and there are many good-spirited and brave people everywhere.
It is now the eighth day of March, and the further north we go, the colder the weather becomes. The ten captains did not wear much. After crossing the Yellow River, they reached the border of Beizhili. I rewarded them heavily and asked them to return to Nanjing for business. The six of us rode into Xuzhou City as usual. It was already noon, so we found a hotel to have dinner. As expected, there was a big hotel next to the official road. There were many people coming in and out, so I simply went here.
As soon as we entered the hotel lobby, a waiter came to greet us. Before we could say anything, he said, "But Mr. Zhu from Beijing?" I was stunned and shook my head. The waiter looked around and said suspiciously: "How could that be? Wrong? It was clearly agreed that you are here today?"
I have seen that many people are dining, but their eyes are focused on us. I know that someone is waiting for us, and I want to turn around and go out. I am afraid that it is inappropriate, so I smile slightly and say: "My surname is Zhang, and I am indeed from the capital." "Ren, can I have a seat?" The waiter seemed to have someone's tacit approval. With a smile on his face, he said yes and led us up to the second floor. It was a suite, but it was also next to the window. Guo Zheng went to check it out first, then turned around and whispered to me: "Someone is watching us outside!"
Who could it be? I thought about it, sat down calmly, and said to the waiter: "Just arrange the dishes, by the way, we don't drink, and we have to be on the road soon!" The waiter responded and turned around to go out.
Guo Zhengdao: "Sir, who could it be?" I shook my head slightly, but then nodded: "We must know each other. He has planned our trip well. Everyone must be careful."
Not long after, the waiter brought the dishes to us. We were also hungry, so we ate until we were full regardless of the situation. Guo Zheng was a little hesitant, fearing that the food would be poisoned, so I laughed and said, "You have forgotten our identities. When we are neither enemies nor friends, no one will poison us!"
Someone clapped outside the door, and then a voice said: "Master Zhang is so open-minded and trusts others so much, how can we poison him?"
Guo Zheng and others put down their jobs and gathered around me. I coughed lightly and said, "I don't know where a friend is here, why don't you show up and meet me?"
The visitor smiled, opened the door, and walked in. I took a closer look and saw that he was a middle-aged man with a fair complexion, a little beard, and a pair of triangular eyes, a bit cold. Behind him were several sturdy men, one of whom turned out to be the chief instructor under Prince Ning and a Poyang Lake water bandit. The leader is Min Shisan. This man has been in Poyang for thirty years, blocking roads and robbing passing ships. He can be said to have done all kinds of evil, killing people and stealing goods. Because of the protection of King Ning, the government was helpless. When I sneaked into Prince Ning's mansion, Min Shisan was always wary of me and said many times that I was a secret agent of the imperial court. It took me a lot of trouble to gain a foothold in Prince Ning's Mansion.
Wang Shouren defeated King Ning at Poyang Lake, and we pursued Min Shisan with all our strength. I even killed two of his thugs with my own hands, but he disappeared without a trace. Now, I met him here. Guo Zheng had already touched the dagger in the package. I was secretly surprised, but my face was as calm as water, and I just stood up to greet him politely.
"Li Cong, the humble admiral of the mighty regiment, is here to meet the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard!" The man's voice was loud and he bowed deeply to me. I hurriedly stepped forward to help him and said, "You're welcome, you're welcome. I've always heard that Mr. Li is capable of both literary and martial arts, and is erudite and talented. , I was surprised and happy to see you today!" This Li Cong and Tongzhou Commander-in-Chief Zhou Nai are Jiang Bin's confidants. They are rumored to be very cunning. I unconsciously became more vigilant, and Guo Zheng was also standing beside me. Stare at these people.
We sat down separately as guests and hosts. Li Cong glanced at everyone and motioned for Min Shisan and others to wait outside the door. He said with a smile: "People say that the Jin Yiwei is the Senluo Palace, and the Governor is the living king of hell. It is normal to see them today."
Although I didn't understand what it meant, I smiled and said: "People in the world have a lot of misunderstandings about us Jin Yiwei, and we don't bother to explain it. But I have seen the soldiers in the regiment, and they are really majestic."
Li Cong looked at me and said, "The Governor looks good. You've had a hard journey."
It seems that they all know my whereabouts very well. They glanced at Guo Zheng, sighed softly, and said: "The emperor is in poor health, and I am very concerned about him. So I walked more quickly, because I don't want you to know my itinerary very well." ."
Li Cong smiled and said: "Don't mind, Lord Governor. We have no ill intentions. You are the sworn brothers of the Emperor and manage the imperial guards of the world. We have no time to make friends with you. How dare we have other intentions? The general has always respected you, so this time, The emperor is ill and asked me to come to see you!"
I didn't know what kind of medicine he was selling in his gourd, but he still kept a calm expression on his face and said, "I am not the person who can participate in the important affairs of the imperial court! The general really thinks highly of me!"
Li Cong laughed loudly, and his laughter made me feel familiar. "Why is Mr. Li laughing?" I couldn't help but ask.
Li Cong suppressed his smile and said: "Master Governor, welcoming the new emperor is a major event for the court. This was the case for Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty in the past. Many important officials in the court were eager to go to welcome him. Don't you want to get the credit of welcoming him, Master Governor?"
I was forced to read "Zizhi Tongjian", and naturally I knew that the king of Changyi in the Han Dynasty was debauched and immoral. He was deposed by the ministers and replaced the king Liu Heng as emperor, which was Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty. During the Liu and Song Dynasties in the Southern Dynasties, ministers Xu Xianzhi, Tan Daoji and others deposed Song Shao Emperor and welcomed Liu Yilong as emperor, who became Emperor Wen of Song Dynasty. It's just that the outcome of these ministers who welcomed him was not very good. But I couldn't say this, I just pretended to be angry and said: "When today's world is just a dragon body, how can you say the words to welcome the new king? Isn't it treason?"
