"The Guangjuxuan Restaurant on Guyuan Street in Yiju City is my property. His Majesty sent someone to bring my handwritten letter and personal tokens to the shopkeeper. He knows what to do!"
As Mao Wenlong spoke, he took out a letter and a piece of iron from his sleeve and presented them.
The Fang family who was a personal guard immediately handed over the two things to Chongzhen. After taking them, Chongzhen looked at the armor plates first, which looked like breastplates on armor.
But it was broken and had several knife marks on it.
Just by looking at the piece of armor, I knew there was a story between it, Mao Wenlong, and the shopkeeper of the restaurant he mentioned.
But now was not the time for him to be curious.
Chongzhen put the armor plate on the table and took out the contents of the envelope. It was a letter with only the word "pick up" on it, and below it was Mao Wenlong's general military seal.
The other piece of paper was more complicated. There was a line of words on it with multiple seals of different colors, but they were all cut into two halves, much like the stubs of banknotes seen in later generations.
A piece of armor, a letter, and a stub, the first two are easy to imitate with a master.
But the stub thing, if you don’t know what the words in this line are split into, naturally you can’t fake it.
Moreover, the color of this seal is a little different from the usual ones, and it is difficult to adjust it, because the final color is also different due to different writing times.
Maybe Mao Wenlong had soaked it with potions or something.
Anyway, as long as one of the three of them is not compatible, they will definitely not get Prince Zhaoxian. From this aspect alone, we can see Mao Wenlong's defense.
What's even more treacherous is that Prince Zhaoxian was actually hidden in Yizhou City by him.
Where is Uiju Castle? The first city on the Yalu River, the place occupied by the slave-building coalition.
It just proves the saying that the most dangerous place is the safest place.
After putting away the token, Chongzhen looked at Mao Wenlong: "Aren't you afraid that I will regret it after I find Prince Zhaoxian? Or will I secretly find an opportunity to kill you in the future?"
"I'm afraid, but if I can live one more day, I'll live one more day!"
"Okay, go ahead. I don't want any trouble in North Korea, nor do I want any rumors."
"I understand!"
After listening to the emperor's words, Mao Wenlong's eyes flashed with joy, and then he saluted, stood up and left.
Looking at Mao Wenlong leaving, Chongzhen looked at Li Ruolian, who was sweating profusely, and whispered: "Li Ruolian, you should go there personally. The less you know about it, the better, and the speed must be fast!"
"I obey the decree!"
Li Ruolian immediately exited the lobby.
Chongzhen sighed softly. He now completely understood the strange things that were discussed on the Internet in later generations and had solid evidence.
In some places, not only did the high-level officials fail to deal with the situation seriously, they actually covered it up and tried to fool the world with some innocuous treatment.
They must have been caught like him.
As for killing Mao Wenlong afterwards, this is even more unfeasible.
Mao Wenlong was able to hide Prince Zhaoxian in advance and create such a confidential extraction process. Who knows if someone might expose the matter after his death?
As if sensing the emperor's confusion, Yuan Keli whispered: "Your Majesty, governing a country is a game between multiple parties. It's just a matter of who takes the initiative.
I think the handling of Mao Wenlong and the Dongjiang generals has met expectations. "
"I know!"
Chongzhen nodded, and then said: "Mao Wenlong and the Dongjiang generals have taken care of it, but the Liaoxi generals are a troublesome problem!"
This time, even Yuan Keli was silent, his face full of solemnity.
There are three major warlords in the entire Liaodong area, the Li family, the Zu family, and the Mao family.
The Li family is Li Chengliang. In the 45th year of Jiajing's reign, he came to serve as a member of the army and was appointed as the general of the Dangerous Mountains.
From the forty-fifth year of Jiajing to the eleventh year of Wanli, Li Chengliang experienced dozens of battles in Liaodong. He defeated the Mongolian, Jurchen and other tribes and retreated, and even suppressed Jianzhou.
In recognition of his contribution, he was awarded the honor of building a stone square in Guangning, which can be said to be unparalleled and the pillar stone of Northeast Town.
Unfortunately, as his power increased, he began to degenerate. He was extravagant and took all the benefits of the military and civilians of Liaodong into his own name.
He has nine sons, the worst of whom is the deputy commander-in-chief, and several of his servants have become military chiefs of the city. He can be said to be the king of the Northeast in name only.
The Tiger General of Liaodong, the most powerful bandit in Liaodong, the King of Northeast China, etc. are widely known among the people.
However, with the rise of Jiannu, the invasion of Mongolian tribes, and the deliberate leadership of Emperor Wanli, the Li family eventually declined rapidly.
Then there is Mao Wenlong's Mao family. There are not many direct relatives, and they are all adopted sons and grandchildren.
They are all tied together by power and profit. This binding method can be said to be the most important and the least reliable.
If it really comes to a critical moment, they will probably fly away when the disaster is imminent.
Historically, after Mao Wenlong died, Pidao fell apart in an instant, and no one could avenge him.
Compared with these two warlords, the Zu family is currently the most troublesome person.
As the saying goes, in fighting tigers, brothers are brothers, and father and son are soldiers in the battle. This saying is vividly displayed in the ancestral family.
Zu Dashou's grandfather and father were both general soldiers of the Ming Dynasty and came from a general family.
Although today's ancestral family does not have the rank of chief soldier, and even Zu Dashou, who is only the deputy chief soldier at the highest level, it cannot withstand the large number of children of the ancestral family.
Zu Dashou had three brothers, more cousins, five sons, and dozens of nephews, all of whom were senior generals in the army.
Why was Yuan Chonghuan able to gain a foothold in western Liaoning? Is it really because of his ability and the support of the court?
There certainly is, but only on one side.
On the other hand, it is the support of the ancestral family, or the transaction between power and strength, with the ancestral family controlling western Liaoning.
In addition to the power in the military, the relationship between the ancestral family and the merchant families, officials and gentry in western Liaoning was complicated, and it really affected the whole body.
Chongzhen, who came from later generations, naturally knew the choices of the ancestral generals after Yuan Chonghuan's death.
There are five ancestral families on the list in "The Biography of Erchen", and there is also one in "The Biography of Nichen".
As the saying goes: a generation of famous generals, who guarded the outside of the pass and closed the pass, can be said to be loyal and loyal; the ministers of the two dynasties rebelled against the former master and betrayed the latter, and they were really no human beings inside and outside.
If it was just a betrayal, Chongzhen wouldn't bother to deal with it, and he wouldn't be afraid of them making trouble.
But the problem is that Zu Dashou also has a nephew named Wu Sangui.
This guy opened the Shanhaiguan Pass and put Jiannu into the pass.
History talks about being angry for a beauty, personal political considerations, etc., but as a courtier of the Ming Dynasty, these reasons are untenable.
Although Wu Sangui was only in his teens now and was nothing, when he thought of opening Shanhaiguan, Chongzhen wanted to kill him!
How to liquidate now, when to liquidate, and to what extent it will be liquidated, these all need to be considered.
Especially now that Liaodong has rejoined the Ming Dynasty and people's livelihood is urgently needed to be restored, we must be even more careful.
After thinking about it, Yuan Keli whispered: "Your Majesty, I think we have two choices for our ancestors!"
