Shameful things were usually done at midnight. For example, a private party secret meeting.
When I was young, I was in the secret room of Liu Jin's outer house.
Chang Feng, Liu Jin, Jiao Fang, and Zhang Cai sat opposite each other.
Chang Feng took a sip of tea: "Jiao Butang, Brother Zhang, you have hidden yourself deeply enough. After so many years, I have never discovered that you are Eunuch Liu's people."
Jiao Fang and Zhang Cai remained silent.
Liu Jin smoothed things over: "They are my most secret allies buried beside Liu and Xie. Naturally, they have to act in secret."
In front of Jiao Fang and Zhang Cai, Liu Jin had to give them three points of noodles. He didn't directly say that they were pawns, only that they were allies.
Jiao Fang said: "I have offended Mr. Chang Shuai a lot in the past. It was to paralyze Liu and Xie. Please forgive Mr. Chang Shuai."
Zhang Caidao: "Brother Chang, please don't hold grudges. Our identities are related to the success or failure of the struggle for imperial power and ministerial power, so naturally we must keep it secret."
Chang Feng smiled and said: "I don't bear any grudge against you. I just think that you have hidden it deeply enough and are qualified as hidden targets. The secrecy of your actions is comparable to that of our Jin Yiwei."
Liu Jin personally refilled Chang Feng's cup of tea: "Okay, let's talk about business."
Chang Feng asked: "How much do you know about the Tiger Sin Box?"
Jiao Fang replied: "In the past six months, Liu and Xie, through the Supervisory Department of the Ministry of Punishment, have been secretly collecting the secrets of the eight father-in-laws in the palace. They compiled the secrets into a book. I heard from Liu Jian that a total of six boxes of secrets were compiled. They are planning to reveal the secret to the world in ten days, and then they will kneel down and remonstrate with the palace, forcing the emperor to abandon the eight father-in-laws."
Chang Feng asked: "What are these hidden things?"
Jiao Fang smiled awkwardly: "This."
Liu Jin said: "We are all family members, there is no need to avoid any taboos. Whatever Master Chang asks you, just tell the truth."
Jiao Fang had no choice but to tell the truth: "There is corruption and taking bribes, there is nepotism, there is selling official positions, seizing people's land, forcibly marrying women from good families for food, framing and excluding dissidents, and using power to deceive the emperor." There are things like feeding and raising soldiers to death, and there are things like hiding armor and weapons privately. In the words of Liu and Xie, these are the Eight Tigers and Nine Deadly Sins."
Liu Jin was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig her feet into the courtyard.
The Eight Tigers have done all the things that the decadent civil service clique has done.
Chang Feng glanced at Liu Jin. Liu Jin quickly said: "These are all framed by civil officials."
Chang Feng asked Jiao Fang: "Where is the tiger crime box hidden? Didn't Liu and Xie tell you a word about it?"
Jiao Fang shook his head: "Liu and Xie only said that the six large boxes of evidence were stored in the six safest places in the world. They did not specify where."
Chang Feng said: "The six safest places in the world? The world is so big, looking for six tiger crime boxes is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Zhang Cai interjected: "There is someone who should know where the six wooden boxes are hidden."
Chang Feng and Zhang Cai looked at each other: "Are you talking about Yan Xiaoqi, the Supervisor of the Criminal Department?"
Over the years, the Inspector General has been a small factory guard in the hands of civilian officials. Designed to run secret errands for civil servants.
The previous Inspector General was Yan Xiaoliu. A few years ago, Yan Xiaoliu "died of a sudden illness" and died in a daze. Yan Xiaoliu has a younger brother named Yan Xiaoqi. This person only has the status of being a magistrate and serves as the county magistrate in the local area.
Liu and Xie, two cabinet ministers, and eight ministers jointly supported the promotion of Yan Xiaoqi to Beijing as the Superintendent of the Division.
From the eighth-rank county magistrate to the fifth-rank doctor, Yan Xiaoqi was promoted six levels in a row. There has been no precedent for people with a good family background to be promoted in such a important manner since the official system of the Yongle Dynasty was stabilized.
Yan Xiaoqi must be responsible for collecting "tiger crimes".
Liu Jin said from the side: "You can use coercion and inducement to deal with others. It is useless to deal with Yan Xiaoqi. He has a grudge against us for killing our brother."
"Threats are useless. Yan Xiaoqi has Liu, Xie and a bunch of ministers as his backers. Moreover, his brother died of a sudden illness, so he is very careful. Even if he sleeps with his concubine, there will be twenty people outside the room. A good guard of the Inspector General."
Chang Feng asked: "When Yan Xiaoliu died of a sudden illness, was it your eight father-in-laws who instigated it?"
Liu Jin smiled awkwardly: "Gu Dayong made it."
Chang Feng nodded slightly: "Yes, I understand. If it were normal times, I would not touch Yan Xiaoqi. Because Yan Xiaoqi is to the civil servants just like I am to the eight father-in-laws."
"To touch him is to break up with the civil servants."
"But when it comes to the critical moment when the two sides face each other and the life and death of both sides are at stake, everyone has already lost their skin, and there is nothing to take care of."
Liu Jin said: "You mean to use force on Yan Xiaoqi to force him to tell the whereabouts of the tiger crime box?"
Chang Feng did not answer directly, but changed the topic: "Eunuch Liu, if you and the other fair officials are as honest and self-restrained as Zhang Yong, with a clear conscience, how can you be caught by the civil servants?"
After saying that, Chang Feng stood up and said, "I don't know whether it is right or wrong to help you in this situation."
Liu Jin quickly said: "If you help us, you are helping the emperor. It is right to help the emperor."
"Besides, Liu and Xie wish I could kill you. Helping us is equivalent to helping yourself."
Chang Feng didn't answer and left Liu Jin's outer house silently.
Noon the next day. Chang Feng did not go to Jinyiwei, but sent someone to call Qian Ning, Wang Miaoxin, Shi Wenyi, Zhang Cai, Basha and Fatty Xu into the mansion to discuss matters.
The Eight Tigers can bury hidden stakes next to civil servants, and civil servants can also bury hidden stakes in Jin Yiwei.
At this time of life and death, Chang Feng had to be more cautious and put the meeting place in his own mansion.
Chang Feng said: "Dong Guo. I have entrusted you with an important errand."
Fatty Xu smiled and said: "For more than twenty years, we brothers have been two little grasshoppers on the same rope. For any important errands, just ask me to do it."
Chang Feng said: "I will give you two hundred Han generals. You take them south and secretly pick up Miss Xia and go to Beijing in advance."
Fatty Xu asked: "You want Miss Xia to come to Beijing in advance?"
Chang Feng nodded slightly: "Miss Xia comes to Beijing in advance so that the emperor can get married in advance. If the emperor gets married in advance, he can take charge of the government in advance."
Fatty Xu said: "I understand."
Chang Feng handed his belt to Fatty Xu: "Two hundred Han generals have gathered at Beizang Station on the outskirts of Beijing. You take my belt and go to Beizang Station immediately."
"Next, I have to discuss another matter with my brothers. This matter is too dirty. We can just take out the shit ourselves. You are a noble Duke, so you should not get involved in this dirty matter."
Fatty Xu weighed his waistband in his hand: "What could be dirtier than me jumping into a cesspool with you twenty years ago to find stolen money? That's all, you don't want me to know, and I won't force you. First. Take a step."
After Fatty Xu left, Chang Feng said to his five confidants: "I plan to kidnap Yan Xiaoqi's ticket from the arresting officer."
Qian Ning blurted out: "Is it time to break up with the civil servants?"
Chang Feng nodded: "That's right. Things have reached a point where we can see clearly. This time, the Eight Tigers, Factory Guards and Civil Service Group will decide the outcome, as well as life and death."
Shi Wenyi was a little excited: "Hey! After suffering from the cowardice of civil servants for so many years, I can finally feel proud."
Chang Feng said, "Only when we defeat them can we feel proud. If we defeat the Eight Tigers, everyone here will be in an unexpected situation."
"Okay, let's get down to business. The key to success or failure is to find the tiger crime box. The key to finding the tiger crime box is to tie up Yan Xiaoqi."
"Jinyiwei is the dagger in the sleeve of the emperor. Yan Xiaoqi is the dagger in the sleeve of the civil servants. He must know the whereabouts of the tiger crime box."
Qian Ning said: "It's not easy to handle. As far as I know, Yan Xiaoqi's mansion is guarded by 300 good guards from the Superintendent's Department. He comes in and out very carefully, and he is also protected by good guards."
Basha agreed: "The commander is right. This Yan Xiaoqi knows that the factory guards want to get rid of him and hurry up. And he has learned from his brother's mistakes. The guards around him are as strict as a porcupine with barbs."
Chang Feng said: "I have learned from working in Jinyiwei for more than 20 years. The more difficult things look, the simpler they become."
Qian Ning asked: "Have you thought of a solution?"
Chang Feng said: "We need someone to help."
Qian Ning asked: "Who?"
Chang Feng did not say clearly who that person was. He just warned everyone: "Everyone must be at your best for this fight."
"If the Eight Tigers are expelled from the court, the court will be overrun by civil servants. The emperor will probably become Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty."
Chang Feng had already made up his mind. After finding the Tiger Sin Box, he will not destroy it. Instead, it will be kept privately and used as a tool to check and balance the Eight Tigers in the future.
Neither the civil servants nor the Eight Tigers can dominate the country. It is not a good thing for the emperor, the court, and the people of the world if any force dominates the country.
In the afternoon, Chang Feng entered the palace and met Emperor Zhengde.
You, Yan Xiaoqi, can take a bunch of good guards from the Superintendent's Department with you wherever you go, but there is only one place where you can't go. That's the palace.
The person on duty in front of Emperor Zhengde today is Wei Bin.
Inside the Leopard Room.
Emperor Zhengde was making a sand table with Jiang Bin and a dozen "leopard slaves".
The sand table is not a modern product. "Book of the Later Han: Biography of Ma Yuan" records that Emperor Guangwu appointed Ma Yuan to conquer Gongsun Shu. Ma Yuan used rice to make a model of the terrain in Longxi and reported the enemy's situation to Emperor Guangwu. This is the earliest sand table.
Emperor Zhengde held a small shovel in his hand, knelt on the ground, and worked on the sand table.
Jiang Bin pointed at the side: "Your Majesty, you are wrong! Woniu Mountain in Xuanfu is higher in the east and lower in the west."
The leopard slaves nodded in agreement.
These so-called "leopard slaves" are actually frontier army warriors. In the near future, they will become the commanders of each regiment and battalion.
Chang Feng knelt down beside the sand table: "Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhengde raised his head: "Hey, uncle is here? Take a look at the Xuanda sand table I made. How about it? It's not inferior to the sand table made by the Ministry of War, right?"
Chang Feng said: "Your Majesty, I have important confidential matters to report."
Emperor Zhengde threw the shovel aside and stood up: "You all stand down."
Jiang Bin and the leopard slaves left.
Wei Bin didn't know what to do and stood beside Emperor Zhengde with his hands lowered.
Wei Bin considers himself a member of the Eight Tigers. Mr. Chang Shuai is having a secret conversation with the emperor, why should we, Wei Huhu, avoid it?
Emperor Zhengde glared at him: "Didn't you hear? Back off!"
Wei Bin quickly said: "Yes." and left angrily.
Chang Feng reported the matter of the tiger crime box, Yan Xiaoqi and Pan to Emperor Zhengde.
Chang Feng knew very well that Emperor Zhengde was his master and his biggest backer. He did not need to hide anything from Emperor Zhengde.
Emperor Zhengde ordered: "Find the tiger crime box and bring it to the palace. I want to see what good things Liu Jin and the others did behind my back."
Chang Feng said: "Your Majesty. I need your will to find the tiger crime box."
Emperor Zhengde asked: "What is your will?"
Chang Feng replied: "Summon Yan Xiaoqi, the Superintendent of the Punishment Department, into the palace to face the Holy Spirit's decree."
You, Yan Xiaoqi, can bring a group of capable guards with you to protect you wherever you go. The only exception is entering the palace.
When you enter the palace, you bring guards with swords and armor. Could it be that you are planning to rebel?
If the struggle for power is an online game of later generations. Then Emperor Zhengde is the GM of online games.
Two unions, A and B, are going to engage in a national war. GM privately sided with Union A, and Union B was doomed to fail.
Emperor Zhengde was such a smart man: "You want to arrest and interrogate Yan Xiaoqi in the palace?"
Chang Feng replied: "Exactly."
Emperor Zhengde smiled slyly: "Okay. I have decreed. In fact, when ministers are fighting, I should not take sides."
"But for my uncle's sake, I'll just do it."
Emperor Zhengde is farting tastelessly! Your uncle did not hesitate to bear the reputation of being a "eunuch" and helped the Eight Tigers deal with civil servants. Who was it for?
Isn't it for you, the emperor, to sit firmly on the throne and truly become the Ninth Five-Year Planner who commands the world?
Chang Feng said again: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for making my own decisions. I ordered Duke Xu Guangzuo to secretly travel south and pick up Miss Xia to Beijing in advance."
Emperor Zhengde frowned: "Oh? Why did you take her to Beijing in advance?"
Chang Feng said: "Only if you get married in advance, can you take charge of the government in advance. At the critical moment of great changes in the court, only if you take charge of the government can you better control the situation."
Emperor Zhengde nodded: "Yes. That makes sense."
The lobby of the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Min Gui is giving instructions to Yan Xiaoqi, the chief inspector of the arrest department.
Yan Xiaoqi was quite disdainful of Min Gui's instructions: Don't think I am your subordinate. But I am the confidant of Liu Shoufu and Mr. Xie Ge. Liu Shoufu and Mr. Xie Ge bypassed you and directly ordered me to handle many things.
What kind of onion are you, Min Gui? Acting like a senior in front of me? Sooner or later, the position of Minister of Punishment will be mine!
At this time, Wang Yue, the chief ceremonial officer Bingbi, happily came to the lobby of the Ministry of Justice to deliver the order.
Wang Yue is the thorn that the civil service clique has blatantly planted in the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
Wang Yue said with a smile: "Min Butang, Mr. Yan, are so happy!"
Min Gui asked: "Oh? Where does joy come from?"
Wang Yue said: "The emperor intends to promote Langzhong Yan to be the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. He is summoned to the palace to deal with the matter of punishment!"
"In our Ming Dynasty's official system, the rank of doctor is the fifth rank, which is four ranks lower than the rank of minister. There is no precedent for the rank of doctor to be directly promoted to minister."
"Yan Langzhong is also a member of the Juren family. If he is promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment by the emperor as he wishes, it will become a story about the emperor appointing virtuous ministers in an unusual way!"
Min Gui thought to himself: The emperor is always a sixteen-year-old boy. Treat court personnel as child's play. But it’s okay, Yan Xiaoqi is ours. His promotion is an exceptional one, which is only good for us and has no harm.
Yan Xiaoqi looked calm and unfazed. But my heart was filled with joy: it seemed that Liu Shoufu and Xie Gelao had spoken in front of the emperor. Only then did the emperor give me an unusual promotion! Oh, okay, I have worked hard for Liu and Xie for so many years. I also took great credit for collecting evidence of the Eight Tigers' crimes. This time it’s time for me to become a minister!
Wang Yue said: "Mr. Yan, shall we enter the palace now? When we leave the palace, maybe I should respectfully call you 'Yanbu Tang'!"
Yan Xiaoqi cupped his hands and said, "Then please help me, Prince Wang, to take me into the palace."
Wang Yue made a "please" gesture.
Yan Xiaoqi remembered something. He actually took off his official robe in the lobby and took off a piece of soft gold silk armor underneath. Then he took out a dagger from his boot that was as sharp as iron. Finally, he took off a small sleeve arrow box from the tight wrist strap.
These are Yan Xiaoqi's self-defense tools. This shows how cautious the leader of "Little Jinyiwei" is usually.
If you bring these things into the palace, you will be suspected of assassinating the king.
Yan Xiaoqi followed Wang Yue into the palace and came to the Xiyuan Leopard Room.
Wei Bin walked out and saluted his boss Wang Yue respectfully: "My lord."
Wang Yue glanced at Wei Bin: "This is Mr. Yan from the Supervisory Department. The emperor just summoned him."
Wei Bin smiled and said: "The emperor asked me to take Yan Langzhong to the south hall of the Leopard Room."
Wang Yue nodded: "Well, go ahead."
Wei Bin asked: "Oh, by the way. The rules for entering the palace to meet the saint are that the Han general must search you first."
Wang Yue was a little impatient: "We have already searched at the palace gate."
Wei Bin said: "Then please invite Mr. Yan to come with me."
The two of them arrived at the south hall of the Leopard Room.
The south wing was empty. Yan Xiaoqi asked: "Eunuch Wei, where is the emperor?"
Wei Bin replied: "The Emperor will be here soon. Mr. Yan, wait a moment!"
Yan Xiaoqi waited in the south hall for two moments. But he had no doubt at all: Where is the Leopard Room? The emperor's place of pleasure! It is said that there are hundreds of stunning beauties hidden there. The emperor has so many things to do every day that he can't spare any time for a while. Isn't it normal?
A moment later, what Yan Xiaoqi was waiting for was not Emperor Zhengde, but Chang Feng, Jiang Bin and a dozen Leopard slaves!
Yan Xiaoqi frowned: "Master Chang?"
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Mr. Yan. Congratulations to you. You are about to be promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment. This is a great grace!"
"But before meeting you, the emperor wants to test your fists and kicks. The emperor said that only those with superb kung fu are worthy of being his right-hand man."
Emperor Zhengde has always been absurd in the eyes of his ministers, and he is an emperor who never slips away.
Isn't it reasonable for the young emperor to order his ministers to compete with his leopard slaves?
Yan Xiaoqi asked: "Master Chang, how does the emperor plan to inspect my fists and feet?"
Chang Feng pointed at the dozen or so leopard slaves around him: "It's simple. If you fight with them, if you win, you will be a first-class fighter. The emperor will personally summon you and grant you the official seal and commission of the right minister of the Ministry of Punishment."
Yan Xiaoqi saw a dozen Leopard slaves, all of them tall and thick, with bulging temples and taut cheeks. He secretly complained in his heart: These people are all practicing disciples at a glance.
But for the sake of being the right minister of the Ministry of Justice, he still pretended to be calm and asked: "Who comes first?"
Jiang Bin sneered from the side: "Let's not tell you in order. Come together! Ladies and gentlemen, come on!"
More than a dozen leopard slaves swarmed forward.
As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands, let alone more than twenty hands?
Some of the leopard slaves choked Yan Xiaoqi. Some hugged Yan Xiaoqi's legs. Some grabbed Yan Xiaoqi's arm.
In the blink of an eye, Yan Xiaoqi was unable to move.
Yan Xiaoqi shouted loudly: "I lost! But fighting one against ten people does not mean that I am not good at boxing or kicking!"
Chang Feng said: "Yes, yes. Yan Langzhong is very skilled in martial arts and is simply a top master."
Yan Xiaoqi said: "Then let me go! I can't go to see the emperor with my hands and feet tied up."
Chang Feng sighed: "Oh, the emperor will not see you. Come on, tie him up!"
Qian Ning and Basha, the Jin Yiwei guards, walked into the south wing, carrying the iron chains used to bind imperial prisoners in the imperial edict. Soon Yan Xiaoqi was tied into a rice dumpling.
Yan Xiaoqi shouted loudly: "Chang Feng, you dare to kidnap the criminal department officer summoned by the emperor in the palace, are you going to rebel?"
Changfeng said nothing and ordered Basha: "Put on the three-flowered cow cage."
The Sanhua Cow Cage is an exquisite knot. It can be put on a person's mouth. The trapped person can neither speak nor bite his tongue.
Jiang Bin held up his hand and said, "Master Chang, the matter is done. The south wing will be handed over to your royal guards. Let's go first."
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Youlao Jiang Zhenshuai."
Jiang Bin and a dozen leopard slaves left the south wing.
A man walked into the south wing. The person who came was the executioner of the Jinyi Guard, who was nicknamed "Old King of Hell" in the guard. His torture methods are not only powerful, they are simply powerful.
Chang Feng said: "Mr. Yan, we are colleagues. You should know that there is an old saying in our Ming Dynasty, which is that those who understand the current affairs are heroes. I think these torture tools now are enough to pry open your mouth."
Yan Xiaoqi was restrained by the Sanhua Cow Cage and could only make a "ouch" sound.
Chang Feng said again: "It's useless to struggle, and it's useless to scream. Even if you scream until your throat is broken, Liu Jian and Xie Qian won't be able to hear you, and they won't be able to save you."
"Let me tell you Ming. Today I just want to know where the Tiger Crime Box is. If I tell you, you can continue to be your doctor of the Criminal Department. If you don't tell me, you should know the severity of Jin Yiwei's various tortures."
"Oh, the Tiger Crime Box is a name I made up blindly. It's the six big boxes of Eight Tigers crime evidence that you collected for Liu and Xie."
Yan Xiaoqi glared at Chang Feng, as if his eyes could spit out fire.
Chang Feng said: "Mr. Yan is loyal to Liu and Xie, the two pavilion elders, and he is a civil servant with integrity. I just threatened you with a few words, but you will not betray Liu and Xie."
"Then I won't untie the three-flower cow cage for you now. I'll give you a few punishments first. Old King of Hell, take good care of Mr. Yan."
"He is a colleague of ours, and sentencing him is equivalent to a competition between colleagues."
Yan Xiaoqi burst into tears. After all the calculations and precautions, how could he have thought that the current emperor would actually deceive him? Will the majestic palace become the execution hall of the Jin Yiwei?
At this moment, a voice shouted outside the door: "Wait a minute!"
Emperor Zhengde entered the south wing with ease.
When Yan Xiaoqi saw Emperor Zhengde, it was like seeing a savior. He shouted "woo woo" towards Emperor Zhengde.
Who would have thought that Emperor Zhengde would actually say: "I am very interested in the torture of your Jin Yiwei. I want to observe the punishment."
After hearing this, Yan Xiaoqi's eyes were as wide as bells!
What kind of emperor is this!
Chang Feng said: "Mr. Yan, it's not me who wants to know where the tiger crime box is. It's the emperor who wants to know. As a minister, I should have no reservations about the emperor. You'd better say it. Oh? You won't say it, right? Then that's it. Don’t blame Jin Yiwei for being ruthless in his torture!”
"Old King of Hell, I'll be punished!"
Yan Xiaoqi was so angry that his veins popped out: Even if I want to say it, can I say it if you bring me a Sanhua cow cage? If you want to torture me, just say so!
(End of chapter)
