As an aide to the governor, Du Wanyuan knew that before his family came to Datong, he was summoned by Eunuch Wei and learned that Eunuch Wei was taking care of the Tiger Character Flag. Otherwise, his family would not have just taken up the post in Datong and would not have treated the owner of the Tiger Character Flag. Liu Heng summoned him to the governor's Yamen and met him.
Due to his status as a governor, ordinary white businessmen are not qualified to meet the governor.
Governor Liu waved his hand and said, "I don't want to protect this tiger flag, but I can't protect it at all."
"The students don't quite understand." Du Wanyuan shook his head in confusion.
Governor Liu pointed at the letter on the table and said, "Since this letter can reach my hands, it can also reach the hands of others. Even if I suppress the letter, there will always be someone in Datong who will take away the contents of the letter." To expose it, rather than letting others expose it to the court, it would be better for me to do it."
"Are you worried about Wang Xun's position?" Du Wanyuan whispered.
Governor Liu nodded and said: "Originally, when I returned to Datong this time to take up the post of governor, Wang Xinyi had been thinking about how to unseat me as the governor so as to improve his reputation. Now Beilu has given such a big handle as Tiger Flag. He, if I continue to defend the Tiger-Character Flag, Wang Xinyi can use this matter to pin the label of smuggling the Tiger-Character Flag on my head. At that time, not only the people of the Tiger-Character Flag will be convicted by the court, Even I can’t escape responsibility.”
"These northern captives are really heartless. Tiger Character Banner secretly sold our Ming Dynasty's goods to them, and now they want to deal with Tiger Character Banner. They are all feeding unfamiliar wolf cubs and are ungrateful." Du Wanyuan cursed. .
The Tiger-Character Banner and grassland smuggling business involves officials from all over Datong. Even his staff can benefit from it. Once the Tiger-Character Banner smuggling route is overturned, the amount of money he will receive in the future will be much less. a lot of.
Governor Liu said: "I must not be involved in the smuggling of the tiger-character flag, so I can only sacrifice the tiger-character flag. As for Eunuch Wei, I will write a letter to explain."
"Don't worry, sir. I believe that Eunuch Wei is not an unreasonable person. Moreover, he is the governor of Datong and a local official. He is far more important than the business name of Tiger Flag." Du Wanyuan said with relief.
"I hope so!" Governor Liu said lightly.
No matter what happens in the future, he will not put himself in danger for the tiger-character flag. Even if Wei Zhongxian blames him after the incident, the worst he can do is defect to the Donglin Party. He believes that he is a dignified governor from a first-class place, and the Donglin Party will never refuse his surrender. .
On the other hand, after Zhao Yutu left the governor's office, he did not rush out of the city. Instead, he came to a street adjacent to the governor's office and walked into one of the courtyards.
Entering the courtyard, two men in ordinary clothes walked up. One of them said: "Director Zhao, these are the clothes you have prepared. Please change your clothes first."
As he spoke, another man handed over a piece of clothing.
Zhao Yutu nodded, took off his gown, took the other person's clothes and put them on.
After changing, the man said again: "Director Zhao, please come with me!"
After saying that, he walked ahead and led the way.
Zhao Yutu followed him, and several people who came to Datong with him followed him forward.
These people also changed their clothes, no longer the ones they were wearing when they came in.
A group of people walked through the yard and came to the side door of the backyard. The man leading the way said: "Behind this door is the street. We need to cross this street. Director Zhao will follow me first, and the others will follow." Let’s go again.”
The side door was opened, and the man took Zhao Yutu and walked out.
The two people walked more than a hundred steps along the street and came to a courtyard.
The man stretched out his hand and knocked on the door a few times.
The courtyard door opened, revealing an ordinary-looking face. It would be difficult for someone to remember such an appearance on the street.
Just listen to this person whisper: "Come in!"
Zhao Yutu walked into the yard and then came to the main room in front of the yard.
There were already several people in the room. After seeing Zhao Yutu, they all stood up, saluted Zhao Yutu and said, "I have met Director Zhao."
"No need to be polite, we are all our own people, sit down!" Zhao Yutu pressed his hands on these people, then walked to his seat and sat down.
A man in the room said: "Director Zhao came to our place. Is there any news that we need to send back?"
This courtyard is a safe spot for the Tiger Flag in Datong, and the people who come in and out of here are also people from the Tiger Flag's Foreign Intelligence Bureau.
Zhao Yutu said: "Prepare some pen and ink for me. You need to send the news back to Lingqiu as quickly as possible."
Someone on the side prepared pens, inks, paper and inkstones and placed them on the table in the room. The white paper was spread out and pressed down with paperweights on both sides.
"Director Zhao, please!" One of them made an inviting gesture towards the table.
Zhao Yutu stood up, picked up the brush next to the inkstone, dipped the tip of the pen into the ground inkstone, and then started writing on the white paper.
Soon, he finished writing what he wanted to write, dried the ink on it, tore off the piece of white paper on which the words were written, rolled it into a paper tube, stuffed it into a bamboo tube, and then plugged the bamboo tube with a plug.
After doing all this, he handed the bamboo tube to one of the men and said: "Send the things back to Lingqiu overnight, you must be quick."
The man took the bamboo tube, put it in his arms, turned around and left the house.
Not long after, a fast horse galloped out of the adjacent yard and headed towards the city gate.
Although the Beilu army did not appear further in the hinterland of Datong, letters from the Beilu were fired into Xinping Fort every day, and even some nearby Zhuangzi received letters from the Beilu.
News spread that the Beibei invaded the Ming Dynasty because of the Tiger Flag.
When the patrol Yamen learned the news, it was one day later than the General Military Mansion.
"Sir, it has been confirmed that Tiger Character Banner colluded with Beilu. No one can save Tiger Character Flag now." Sun Yi said to Wang Xinyi with a happy face.
Wang Xin shook his head one by one and said: "It's not enough to deal with just one Tiger Flag. The governor of Datong and the General Soldier are both involved in the Tiger Flag, and they are also involved in the Tiger Flag's affair. This time, if I can help With this opportunity to overthrow a governor and a commander-in-chief, my prestige will be unparalleled for a while. No one inside or outside the court can compare with me. The Holy Emperor will definitely pay attention to me, and I will no longer be the leader in the Donglin Party. Marginal people who have no voice.”
"Then what do you mean, Sir, don't show up yet? Are you going to lure the snake out of its hole?" Sun Yi frowned slightly.
The business of the Inspector's Yamen and the Fan family are all managed by him, the staff around the Inspector. As long as the tiger-character flag is taken down, the business left behind by the Tiger-character flag will be taken over by the Fan family. At that time, he can use the Fan family's hands to Get more benefits.
Smuggling business with the grassland is a very common thing in border towns. Even if there is no tiger-character flag, there are still white-character flags or black-character flags to do this kind of business, but only the Fan family takes over the smuggling business with the grassland, which is the most suitable. his interests.
Wang Xinyi waved his hand and said, "The tiger-character flag is just a scabies disease. For me, overthrowing the governor and the commander-in-chief is the most important thing."
