A fierce tiger rushed over and bit a man's neck, blood spurting out.
Click.
Guo Dian stepped on a branch and looked at the man-eating tiger not far away, baring its teeth, roaring low, and immediately pounced on it.
"ah--"
Guo Dian sat up suddenly, breathing heavily.
Ms. Sun stood up, revealing her shoulders in her small skirt, stretched out her soft hands, and asked caringly: "Master, I had another nightmare. I'm going to get a bowl of soothing soup."
Guo Dian looked at Sun who was about to get up, and raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead: "No need, you rest first, I'll get up and take a walk."
Sun got out of bed, took off the clothes from the screen with her bare feet, and dressed Guo Dian.
Guo Dian opened the door, and Guo Xin, the second housekeeper on night duty, heard the noise and came over from the pavilion not far away.
"How many days has it been?"
Guo Dian looked at the night.
Guo Xin took the crutches, leaned over and handed them over: "Master, it's the third watch."
Guo Dian took the crutch and walked towards the Moon Gate: "It's the third watch. Why didn't you notify the county government when the people came back?"
Guo Xin said quickly: "The people from the county government haven't come back yet, they seem to be staying in Kongqingshan."
"Not back yet?"
Guo Dian shuddered and his expression became serious.
Guo Xin explained: "It took Guzhi County three days to go to Wucheng Mountain. I guess I won't leave the mountain too early this time. There is no need for me to worry."
Guo Dian felt relieved. When he arrived at the pavilion, servants had brought him a soothing soup.
The wind blows through the night, bringing coolness.
The starry sky is lonely and the heaven and earth are silent.
Suddenly, a pigeon flew over, circled high up a few times, swooped down, and landed in the west courtyard.
Guo Dian stood up and walked to the west courtyard, feeling a little uneasy.
What just flew in was a carrier pigeon, and the third watch was not the agreed time to send the message at all, unless there was an accident in the Dazhuoshan Copper Mine, and Lao San had to send the message in advance!
In the west courtyard, the lights were lit.
As soon as Guo Dian arrived at the gate of the west courtyard, a figure almost bumped into him. Guo Shan was holding a lantern and looking at the person with a horrified expression. When he saw it was Guo Dian, he said eagerly: "Brother, it's not good, run away!"
Guo Dian looked at his younger brother. He had been calm for decades. No matter how many ups and downs, how many transactions and negotiations, no matter who he faced or how many difficulties he faced, he had never been so panicked.
But now, he was at a loss, like a lamb that fell into a pack of wailing wolves.
"What happened?"
Guo Dian felt heavy in his heart.
Guo Shan handed the note in his hand to Guo Dian, his hand trembling slightly: "Gu Zhengchen raided the Dazhuoshan Copper Mine. I'm afraid Lao San and the others have been arrested..."
"How can this be!"
Guo Dian didn't believe it, so he quickly took the note and read it, only to see a simple sentence written on it:
Someone Gu is visiting me tonight.
Guo Dian was shocked and stunned on the spot.
Guo Shan said painfully: "This is the homing pigeon that the third child brought to the Dazhuoshan mine. Now it has fallen into the hands of Gu Zhengchen. I am afraid that the business of privately minting copper coins will be completely exposed. We are finished, completely finished."
"How is this possible? Gu Zhengchen didn't go to Kongqing Mountain to look for lime mines. Why did he go to Dazhuo Mountain?!"
Guo Dian couldn't believe it, his hands were shaking, and the small piece of paper fell down.
Blowing in the wind like dead autumn leaves.
Guo Shan stamped his foot: "Brother, there is no point in guessing how Gu Zhengchen will get to Dazhuo Mountain. We should run away for our lives now. Run away now. If it is too late, it will be too late!"
"Escape? Haha, where can we escape to?"
Guo Dianqi then took a step back.
It's over.
Completely finished.
Years of management and hard work, so much wealth and industry, all turned into pierced bubbles on this night.
Damn Gu Zhengchen!
hateful!
Why do you want to come to Jurong, why do you want to come here!
Without you, there would be so many things!
"Now that things have happened, we have no way out. Let's go and spread the word. Call the fifth, seventh, and eighth children here and tell them so that we can be prepared."
Guo Dian lost his mind and looked at Guo Xin: "Since Magistrate Gu is going to be a guest, let's prepare a sumptuous banquet for him."
Guo Xin didn't understand Guo Dian's intention, so he turned around and made arrangements.
Guo Shan looked at his eldest brother who was swaying and started to really use crutches. He raised his hand and beat his chest twice to stop his panic. He turned back to the room in the west courtyard, woke up his wife and children, and warned: "Our family is going to be in trouble, you guys." Life or death is unpredictable..."
Wang Liang stood on a high place and saw the lights of Guo's house lighting up in the distance. He expected that Gu Zhengchen had gained something, so he panicked here.
Four sergeants and four officials blocked the road outside Guo's home.
The servants of the Guo family who went out to report the news were arrested.
An hour later, the sound of horse hooves passed through the street and arrived outside the gate of Guo's house.
Gu Zhengchen got off the carriage, Zhao Hailou, Zhang Pei and others got off their horses. Wang Liang came over, whispered a few words to Gu Zhengchen and waved, and the servants of the Guo family who reported the news were taken into custody. come over.
"Inform Master Guo Wu, Guo Qi, and Guo Ba?"
Gu Zhengchen smiled lightly, walked to the back of the team, and looked at the dying Guo Qu, Guo Jun and others: "Are these three people also involved in the business of privately minting copper coins?"
Guo Qu looked pale and speechless.
It is understandable that he was hung on a horse, bumped for dozens of miles, and vomited three or five times along the way. The old man's vitality was considered to be alive by being able to survive.
"He nodded, come on, invite these three people over."
Gu Zhengchen saw Guo Qu nodded and immediately gave the order.
Guo Qu's eyes widened, I didn't say anything, I just burped...
Not long after, Guo Yue, Guo Yuan, and Guo Cha were all brought over. They were shocked when they saw Guo Qu and others being arrested.
Gu Zhengchen looked at the people coldly and ordered someone to knock on the door. After the door opened, he walked in. Zhao Hailou, Wang Liang and other sergeants led Guo Yue, Guo Yuan, Guo Cha and Guo Qu into the Guo family. hospital.
The Guo family is a bit big and has a lot of rooms.
Entering the second courtyard, Guo Dian, Guo Shan, and Guo Sheng already had their hands hanging in front of them.
Such as mourning an heir.
A round table was placed in the courtyard, with food and wine on the table.
Gu Zhengchen stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "It's troublesome for you to bother me late at night. To show your sincerity, I've sent you a gift. Come on."
Zhao Hailou pushed Guo Qu forward.
Guo Dian, Guo Shan and others looked at Guo Qu, and their last hope was shattered.
Guo Qu's light was full of despair.
"Why, you don't even recognize your brothers anymore?"
Gu Zhengchen picked up a piece of paper, put it on the table, and said coldly: "Not long ago, someone sent him a message."
Guo Dian didn't expect that Gu Zhengchen didn't even get the note sent to Guo Qu!
Gu Zhengchen pulled out his chair and sat directly on the south side. He raised his hand and said, "You are the master, please sit down and talk."
Guo Dian and Guo Shan sighed and sat down one after another.
Gu Zhengchen picked up a pot of wine on the table, filled a glass, and handed it to Guo Dian: "Master Guo spilled a glass of wine on Minghe Mountain during the Double Ninth Festival. Now I will make up for it."
Guo Dian saw Gu Zhengchen being complacent with a glass of wine. He picked up the glass and drank it all in one gulp. He looked bitterly at Gu Zhengchen who was turning the glass: "Gu Zhixian is so clever. How did you come to Dazhuoshan?"
Gu Zhengchen saw that Guo Dian didn't feel any discomfort after drinking. He picked up the wine glass and said softly: "When I saw Song coins circulating in the hands of Jurong people and there were lime spots, I guessed that someone was making coins privately. And coins are being minted privately. A large amount of copper is needed, and the safest, most hidden, and most likely place is the copper mine under government control."
"Previously, the people said that the county government acted as a guarantor for you and designated Wucheng Mountain as the ancestral tomb of the Guo Liang family to protect the mountain. They also arranged for guards to prevent people from entering the mountain. Later, when you saw the official investigating, you removed the guards. Since you can let the county government use Wucheng Mountain as a mountain to protect the ancestral graves, you can naturally take away the copper mine in Dazhuo Mountain from the county government. The person who provides you with copper mine cover is probably Chen Zhong."
Guo Dian sighed: "Yes, it's Dian Shi Chen Zhong."
Gu Zhengchen did not drink and put the glass down: "That's why you sent people to force him to hang himself. This is the real cause of Chen Zhong's death."
Guo Dian nodded slightly: "You are right, what Chen Zhong did about the Yin Yang Files is not enough for the Guo family to get rid of him, but knowing about the copper mine, he has to die!"
"Where did prison chief Zhou Hong go?"
"Ran."
Gu Zhengchen poured another glass of wine for Guo Dian: "I looked at the account books. In the past three years, you have minted a huge amount of copper coins, reaching 260,000. It is impossible for such a large amount of copper coins to be circulated only in Sentence. Rong, where did you send the copper coins?"
The people in Jurong were poor and could not afford such a large amount of Song money.
Guo Dian did not beat around the bush and said bluntly: "It was given to Ban Xiu, the official of Yingtian Mansion. He is responsible for getting rid of these copper coins."
"A promotion official in Yingtian Mansion is not enough to do such a big thing, right?"
Gu Zhengchen stared.
Guo Dian shrugged: "Ban Xiu has an uncle named Ban Yongji."
"Ban Yongji?"
Gu Zhengchen stood up.
Guo Dian raised his eyebrows: "You actually know this person?"
Gu Zhengchen sat down, feeling a little horrified.
Ban Yongji was the Minister of Punishment in the third and fourth years of Hongwu.
In March of the fourth year, Ban Yongji was demoted to the deputy envoy of the Jiangxi Provincial Government due to personal affairs. However, this person was also a figure, and it took only three months for him to be promoted to participate in the political affairs of Jiangxi Province.
In the sixth year of Hongwu, when the Ming Dynasty did not have three departments (Chief Envoys' Department, Inspector's Envoys' Department, and Capital Commander's Envoys' Department), those who participated in provincial affairs could be regarded as feudal officials, holding great power!
Although Gu Zhengchen did not hang out in the court, the big shots in the court still knew something about him.
I didn't expect that a case would involve such a high-ranking official.
"Ban Yongji was involved in this?"
Gu Zhengchen's face looked a little ugly.
The more the situation expands and the more officials are involved, the harder it is to control the outcome.
Guo Dian was noncommittal: "I don't know, I need to ask Ban Xiu."
Gu Zhengchen was silent for a while and asked, "Now that things have happened, do you have anything else to say?"
Guo Dian was silent for a moment, then stood up and bowed deeply: "We are guilty and must die. I only ask the county magistrate to have mercy on our young children and not to let them get involved in trouble."
Gu Zhengchen picked up the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, threw the glass to the ground, and looked at Guo Dian and others coldly: "My children are young and involved in trouble? Oh, Guo Dian, how many words have you taken away from me?" The father of his children, the husband of his wife, the son of his elderly parents! Now let me pity the children of the Guo family, why don't you pity those poor people?!"
