"Mr. Zhang Ge, there is a letter from Beijing."
The deputy envoy of Jinyiwei went to the imperial envoy's headquarters to meet Zhang Cong and said this after the meeting.
This place is a merchant manor in Jinan. There is a green bamboo forest planted in the garden, which is a bit cool in summer.
"Letter from Beijing?" Zhang Cong stood up, but he didn't know it at all.
"Jin Yiwei is here."
"oh."
Zhang Cong is the elder of the pavilion, but Ma Bin is the deputy envoy of Jinyiwei after all. Jinyiwei is not subordinate to the civil service hierarchy, and because he is highly trusted by the emperor, his rank is not as good as that, but his status is definitely not low.
"What's the matter?"
After Ma Bin sat down, he talked about the recent events in the capital. When he talked about the possibility of being related to Shandong, he said: "The Holy Spirit meant that these officials with ulterior motives and unscrupulous means were left useless. Moreover, they secretly obstructed the Qingtian Order. This is an unpardonable sin.”
Zhang Cong frowned and finished reading, "There are evil people as bold as a common man!"
"There is a lot of commotion in the capital. After getting the letter, the official has already sent people to arrest the man."
Many people have already been recruited in Jinyiwei's prison, and the process of how local officials recruited and bewitched him, and finally sent him to the capital was described vividly and vividly.
Zhang Cong affirmed: "You are right. Now that the news has been revealed, we must act quickly."
After saying that, they set off immediately. This way they were going to the Chief Envoy's Yamen. The new Shandong Chief Envoy's surname was Tian Mingjin. He was an ordinary official under Liu Jian and had no taint. However, this time the incident happened in his Yamen. of political participation.
Zhang Cong also borrowed the troops and horses from the governor's Yamen here, and led a mighty attack on the Chief Envoy's Yamen with his troops in royal robes.
Tian Jin did not dare to neglect and came out of the inner hall to greet him, "I have met Mr. Zhang Ge and Deputy Ambassador Ma."
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the evil acquaintance holding a knife behind them, and his heart tightened, "I wonder what happened?"
Ma Bin asked: "Is there a person named Tong Xin who participates in politics in your house?! Call him out!"
"This person does exist, he does exist. I wonder what he committed?"
While he was talking, Ma Bin's nose moved slightly and he smelled a strange smell, and then chirped twice, "Is it on fire?"
Then a wisp of white smoke actually rose from the backyard of the inner hall.
Ma Bin was experienced and knew something was wrong immediately, "Something is burning! Go and have a look!"
The transmission speed of the news is almost the same, even Ma Bin is slower. After all, arresting people, interrogating and then transmitting the news from the capital requires a process.
But the person who actually committed the crime will be reported to him as soon as he is arrested in the capital.
A group of people rushed to the backyard and saw a middle-aged man flapping beside the stove. They were frightened by such a group of people.
"What are you doing?" the chief envoy asked first.
This person is none other than Tong Xin. He has fair skin and a slender figure. He looks like a knowledgeable and talented man. However, he is a little more embarrassed at this time, and his expression is flustered. He has lost a bit of his calmness. What are you doing? The official is putting out the fire, yes, putting out the fire."
Ma Bin quickly stepped forward and squatted down next to the stove. The last flame inside disappeared as it swayed, and some of the remaining papers also turned into ashes, leaving only the last flicker of light.
"What did you burn?"
"I-I'm not burning anything, I'm putting out the fire."
Ma Bin sneered, "When you get to my place, you will speak."
"Sir, spare your life!" Tong Xin plopped down on the ground, "I don't know, I don't know what crime this official committed? Mr. Tian, this official, this official didn't do anything!"
Tian Jin also felt that it was a bit sudden, and he raised his hand to Zhang Cong, "Mr. Zhang Ge, please make it clear that this person who participates in politics in Xiaguanmen usually behaves in a low-key manner and is not easy to quarrel with others, but I don't know what he did this time?"
"There must be a reason for questioning someone. I understand this." Zhang Cong took out the letter from his sleeve, "This is from Beijing, Tong Xin, your people have already recruited you, you Do you still want to quibble?"
Under the threat of death, of course he struggled hard, "Xiaoguan doesn't understand what Zhang Ge always means, who is this person?!"
"The pretended Taoist priest you sent to the capital."
Tong Xin shook his head repeatedly, "What an injustice, Mr. Ge! I have never sent anyone to the capital, let alone any Taoist priests!"
Tian Jin also spoke up, "Mr. Ge, Tong Xin does not interact with Taoist priests on weekdays. And it is really hasty to arrest and imprison court officials just based on the Taoist priest's words that I don't know where they came from. At least there should be conclusive evidence." Okay!"
"Are you going to vouch for him?"
"The official is just telling the truth."
Liu Jian has been upright throughout his life, and the people under his command are equally upright. They will not be so frightened that they dare not speak just because they are young officials.
Zhang Cong and Ma Bin looked at each other. They were a step too late. Apart from this letter, they really had no hard evidence.
But Ma Bin didn't have so many worries. His purpose was to complete the tasks assigned to him by Mao Yuwen. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Mr. Ge, since this letter can be delivered from Beijing, it must have been read to the emperor." Guan Qingtian ordered me to ask you to think twice."
Zhang Cong's mind suddenly changed. The emperor wanted to use the incident in Beijing as an opportunity to shock the officialdom and promote the Qingtian incident. He understood this idea.
Don't be confused about important matters.
"You can tell the truth. I have to do my job according to the order. The people in the prison did not identify you or me, so why did they identify this Tong Xin? He is only involved in politics, and he is not a great talent known all over the world. , How does a Taoist priest who has nothing to do with you know that there is a political activist named Tong Xin in the Shandong Governor's Office? In this case, you are still suspicious!"
Tong Xin continued to deny it, "Mr. Zhang Ge, how do outsiders know about this official? How can this official know about it? Maybe even the enemies can't tell!"
"No need to say more! Deputy Ambassador Ma, let's arrest them. Let the Jinyi Guards find out what the truth is!"
Tian Jin was very anxious, but had no choice.
Having a strong character is one thing, but it is also very helpless for someone to speak lightly. He had no choice but to go find Liu Jian after this chaos.
The old man was old and was awakened by him while he was taking a nap.
"Zhongcheng, Zhang Cong behaves arrogantly. He doesn't take the court's laws into consideration at all. Everything he does depends on his likes and dislikes. Anyone who offends him will immediately be charged with obstructing national policy. If this continues, Shandong will be in chaos. Got it!"
Liu Jian stared at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense. How could Shandong be in chaos?"
"Zhongcheng!"
"You sit down first, don't rush." Liu Jian emphasized slightly.
"Will Zhongcheng just let him do whatever he wants?"
"Hey." Liu Jian let out a long breath, "I told you not to be anxious. Just sit here and I will tell you some old stories. All the changes in Shandong now are nothing more than the five words of the Qingtian Order in the world, and this Where did the order to clear the land under heaven come from?”
The result was self-evident and there was nothing to say, but Tian Jin was so angry that he didn't say anything.
"You know in your heart that this comes from the Emperor. The Emperor has been planning for many years to survey the world's fields. What is his purpose?"
Tian Jin still didn't speak.
Liu Jian smiled, "Look, I was impatient just now, but now I don't say even half a word. Why? Because you know this is the holy will and there is nothing to say."
"I don't believe that the Holy Spirit ordered Mr. Zhang Ge to arrest so many people in Shandong!"
"... In the past, like you, I felt that His Majesty was too reckless and bold in doing things. Although the purpose was good, the method was so shocking that it was inevitable that he might do bad things with good intentions. But later, facts proved that Your Majesty was right. Several times later, I then understood that what Your Majesty did may not make sense at the moment, but after it is done, it will either benefit the country and the people, or it will have other unexpected effects.
Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, land annexation has been a serious problem. According to the Han Dynasty, the rich have vast fields, while the poor have no place to stand. There are many such cases. Landless people become refugees. If they are not corrected, the whole world will become refugees. Therefore, the Qingtian Order is a great good governance. Your Majesty's holy will is to find a way out for thousands of people. You are also very clear about this. "
Tian Jin was speechless and couldn't say a word, "But what does this have to do with Mr. Zhang Ge's random arrests of people?"
"If we don't arrest some people, how can we continue to do such a thing?" Liu Jian seemed to mutter to himself. The old man looked in the direction of the capital and said: "Tian Jin, you are still young and still have a chance. Your Majesty is a generation of saints. Lord, I hope you can also make some achievements, serve as an official, and benefit the country. People's livelihood is difficult. Since we have this opportunity, let's do something practical that will benefit the people."
Tian Jin was slightly shocked. This was his boss, and he actually spoke to him in this tone, "I understand, I will go back and keep an eye on the progress of Qingtian in person. I will live up to Zhongcheng's expectations and do it well for His Majesty." This matter."
Liu Jian nodded with satisfaction.
Daming is still making progress. He wants to live longer now, and it is best to see that day.
