Pei Hong, who was sitting behind the desk, nodded slightly.
When he first came from Xinpingbao Huiyanghewei, he felt that his patrol yamen was isolated from the Datong officialdom.
But at that time, I just thought it was the xenophobia of the Datong officialdom and didn't think about it deeply. Now that I agree with Yang Guozhu's words, I find that it is indeed similar to what Yang Guozhu said.
"That's why I said that if you want to deal with Governor Liu, or someone in the Datong officialdom, you must deal with Liu Heng first. As long as Liu Heng is dealt with, other things will be solved easily." Deputy General Yang smiled. He looked at Pei Hong.
He knew that Pei Hong had been persuaded by him and no longer chased people away like when he first arrived.
Pei Hong looked thoughtful.
After a while, he said: "Since Liu Heng is so important, I'm afraid it's not that easy to deal with!"
"Of course it is difficult to deal with." Yang Guozhu said, "The previous governor of Datong, Xu Tong, tried every means to deal with the Tiger Flag, but in the end he came back defeated and even lost his life."
"Wait a minute." Pei Hong interrupted Yang Guozhu and said solemnly, "Are you saying that the previous governor of Datong died in the hands of the Tiger Flag?"
At this time, Pei Shun walked in carrying the brewed bowl.
"Sir, please have some tea." He handed over the tureen in his hand.
Yang Guozhu took the tureen and placed it on the table aside. He opened the lid and placed it on the edge of the cup.
After finishing these things in his hands, he said: "Xu Tong's death is so strange. Unfortunately, it has been so long and the remaining evidence has long been gone. However, I suspect that this matter was done by people from the Tiger Flag."
"I remember that the court has found out Xu Tong's death. It was just an accident." Pei Hong said with a frown.
It’s hard to believe that a Datong guerrilla murdered the governor of Datong, not to mention that at that time Liu Heng was just the proprietor of the Tiger Flag and a white-bodied businessman.
Yang Guozhu sneered and said: "Xu Tong had been dismissed at that time, and he was likely to be convicted after returning to Beijing. Does Mr. Pei think that the court would waste energy on investigating the cause of death for such a criminal? His accidental death by falling into the water just saved everyone. Got into trouble."
"If Deputy General Yang has any evidence that Xu Tong was murdered, I can present it directly to His Majesty. If not, I am afraid that His Majesty and the princes in the court will not believe it just by talking about it," Pei Hong said. .
He could see clearly that Xu Tong had been dead for so long, and no one in the court would go to such trouble to re-investigate the case over a dead man.
Yang Guozhu said: "I really have no evidence, but it is enough as long as I believe that it was the people from Tiger Flag who murdered Xu Tong."
"Okay, let's not talk about Xu Tong." Pei Hong waved his hand and said immediately, "Since Deputy General Yang said that Liu Heng is the key to breaking up Datong's officialdom, let's talk about how to deal with this Liu Heng."
He didn't care about Xu Tong's life or death. What he cared about was what Wang Wenyan told him.
Wang Wenyan is an important figure in the Donglin Party and has contacts with many big bosses in the Donglin Party. If he cannot do what Wang Wenyan has asked him to do well this time as the censor, even if he comes to Beijing to report on his duties in the future, he will end up in trouble. Not much better than Wang Xinyi.
Yang Guozhu said: "The best way to deal with Liu Heng is to cut off the Tiger Flag smuggling business. As long as their smuggling business is cut off, we don't need to take action. Those officials in Datong officialdom who have benefited from smuggling will first I will never let Liu Heng go."
"If the tiger-character flag smuggling business was so easy to stop, I'm afraid Deputy Commander Yang would have done it long ago." Pei Hong was not stupid. As Deputy Commander Yang Guozhu, he wanted to stop businessmen from smuggling into the grassland. Press is easier to solve.
He didn't think he could do what Yang Guozhu had not done as a newly appointed censor.
Yang Guozhu said: "The tiger-character flag smuggling business involves officials from all over Datong. Although I am the deputy commander-in-chief, facing so many officials from all over Datong, I am still powerless and can only live with the light."
"I've been saying it for so long, but it's the same as not saying anything." Pei Hong looked disappointed, picked up the bowl on the table, and took a sip of tea.
Yang Guozhu suddenly said: "Actually, it's not that there is nothing we can do."
"What can I do?" Pei Hong moved the tureen from his mouth and looked at Yang Guozhu curiously.
When he was in Xinpingbao, he had a very bad impression of Liu Heng. If there was a chance to deal with Liu Heng, he would not mind helping Yang Guozhu.
Yang Guozhu said: "One way is to use the court's hand to deal with Liu Heng. As long as the court is willing to take action against the Tiger Flag, it will be as easy as capturing Liu Heng."
"If Liu Heng could be dealt with so easily, I would still be sitting here listening to you talk nonsense." After saying that, Pei Hong picked up the palindrome on the table and threw it to his attendant, "Go , show this to Deputy General Yang."
Chang Sui caught the reply with both hands and placed it respectfully in front of Yang Guozhu.
Yang Guozhu took it in his hand and looked at it.
Soon, after reading it, he put it aside and said: "As I thought, the people of Datong going to the grassland alone cannot defeat Liu Heng. After all, there is Wei behind the Tiger Flag. castrated support.”
"So Liu Heng is also a member of the Tiger Flag?" Pei Hong's expression changed.
This was the first time he knew such a secret thing. Before, he only thought that Liu Heng, the guard of Xinping Fort, was from the governor, but he didn't expect that he was actually from Wei Eunuch.
Yang Guozhu said: "Liu Heng and Governor Liu are both members of Wei Eunuch. No matter which one of these two people Master Pei deals with, Wei Eunuch will protect him."
"So there's no way to deal with Liu Heng?" Pei Hong frowned.
He patrolled the imperial censor in a dignified manner and could not even deal with a Datong guerrilla general. This had a huge impact on his reputation. When word spread to the capital, the superior officials in the Metropolitan Procuratorate would think that he was incompetent. It would be difficult for him to do such a favor in the future. Chance.
Yang Guozhu shook his head and said: "Using the imperial court's help to deal with Liu Heng is just one of the ways. There are other ways to deal with Liu Heng."
"Tell me about it?" Pei Hong asked.
Yang Guozhu said: "Xu Tong also used this method before, but it was a pity that he was too selfish, so he failed. As long as Mr. Pei puts aside his selfishness, I think we can definitely cut off the Tiger Flag's smuggling business."
"Tell me what you can do first?" Pei Hong asked.
Yang Guozhu said: "Tiger Flag is a trade name of Datong, and Liu Heng also smuggled goods under the name of Tiger Flag. If we want to deal with Liu Heng, we can use other trade names to deal with Tiger Flag."
"You mean we also do smuggling?" Pei Hong frowned.
He was a dignified censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and a second-level Jinshi. He not only had to do business, but also joined forces with the Mongolians on the grassland to do smuggling business. This was difficult for him to accept and felt degrading to his gentleness.
