At the end of November of the fifth year of Wanli, the investigation of Zhang Wenming's assassination finally came to an end. A total of 3,660 people were dealt with to varying degrees.
Because Dong Jianxiong was sold into the Dong family when he was a child, his relatives could not be traced. The Dong family, which had already been broken up and was living in Shoudao, Songjiang, was accused of "leading assassins and plotting evil", and the three clans were wiped out.
Shen Jing, the famous dramatist who wrote a letter of introduction to Dong Jianxiong, was only twenty-four years old at this time, but he was elegant and refined, and he studied music carefully, which is quite typical of everyone. Because he was implicated in this case, he was sentenced to death and his entire family fled to the Northeast.
Dozens of families, including the Gu family in Yingtianfu, the Deng family in Jiangxi, and the Yao family in Nanzhili, had held literary conferences to recommend Dong Jianxiong, and some had spoken out loudly against the New Deal on different occasions. The heads of the families were all sentenced to death, and members of the three families were exiled. Northeast, or flow to Yunnan, Hainan, from the home of Zhongmingdingdingshi was crushed into dust.
The miserable situation of these families being ruined cannot be fully described. The destinies of the pampered young man, the charming young lady in the boudoir, and even the infant child were completely and ruthlessly changed. They lost their warm and comfortable homes and were thrown into the ice and snow or the scourge-ridden wilderness, using hard work to "atone" for sins that had nothing to do with them.
The assassination of Zhang Wenming is one of the major political events in the history of this time and space. Although the murderer of Zhang Wenming was arrested, the background and instigators have become a real historical mystery. Many film and television works of later generations have been produced since then, and many rivers and lakes stories mixed with love and hatred have been written, but the truth of the matter can never be reproduced.
At that time, the blood and tears of these unjust victims, together with the miserable cries of thousands of people, left only a short sentence in the "Records of the Holy Sect": "Due to the assassination of Zhang Wenming, the emperor was furious and destroyed dozens of families in the south of the Yangtze River. Nanjing Imperial College offered wine to Yao Hongmo and hanged him."
...
In Nanjing in December, the wind was blowing fiercely. This golden land fell into silence in broad daylight due to the sleet and snow brought by the sudden cold snap.
On the stone road in Nanjing Sanyuan Alley, there was first the sound of rapid horse hooves. Later, Feng Bangning, who was stuck at home in the cold weather and was lazy, heard a banging knock on the door from the front yard in the middle hall.
Immediately the housekeeper came to report that someone from the capital was coming. He did not want to reveal his identity, but asked to see Feng Bao. Feng Bangning knew that only a few people in the world knew that Feng Bao lived in Sanyuan Lane, Nanjing, so he did not dare to neglect and went out to greet him personally.
Surrounded by several soldiers in brocade clothes was a fair-faced eunuch. When Feng Bangning came out to greet him, he was taking off his cloak and slapping the snow off it. Although the visitor was dressed in a sixth-grade uniform, his face was solemn, and the two looked at each other. Feng Bangning knew that he was a first-level figure in the palace.
When the eunuch saw him trotting all the way to the camp, he put his cloak into the arms of the person next to him, raised his hand and saluted: "But in front of Feng Dong's family? A certain person is the deputy general manager of Qianqing Palace, surnamed Wei. I have something to see Feng... Eunuch Feng."
Feng Bangning was surprised when he heard that the emperor's most favored eunuch arrived. He didn't show any expression on his face, so he quickly showed up with a big gift. Wei Chao's waist was slightly bent and he stepped aside, not daring to accept his full salute.
Then I heard Wei Chao say: "Take me to see Eunuch Feng. Don't delay if anything happens."
Feng Bangning said with a smile: "Yes, yes. My uncle happened to be at home today, and Eunuch Wei came to invite me." Wei Chao nodded, and the two guards in royal robes beside him followed him and walked towards the inner courtyard with Feng Bangning.
Feng Bangning led them through the moon gate next to the nave, walked into the aisle, turned right and opened a door, and then entered a sparse and bright courtyard. Wei Chao thought about it in his mind and knew that this yard was a reconstruction of the back garden of the house next to Feng Bangning's house.
This courtyard has been transformed into the layout of a northern courtyard, without the flowers and plants rockery found in Jiangnan houses. The floor is paved with square bricks, and a section of the corridor paved with gravel in the middle looks empty.
The courtyard gate faces a house facing east and west. There are three steps in front of the door and there are no carved beams or paintings. There are two railings under the eaves in front of the north and south side rooms enclosing the verandah. Several powerful men are sitting there, looking at the visitors boredly.
Wei Chao felt awkward at first when he saw that the main room did not face south. He also saw those men holding swords, and some even carried walking bows that were not allowed to be held by civilians. He was beating a drum in his heart and couldn't help but look at the two Jinyi guards who followed him in.
One of the Jinyi guards saw him looking at him and nodded to him with a smile. Wei Chao calmed down and followed Feng Bangning to the main house. He cursed in his heart: "You are a pheasant that has lost all its feathers. You are so arrogant. You haven't come out to welcome our family yet!"
Feng Bangning was also a little embarrassed. He walked to the main room with Xiao, knocked twice, and then pushed the door open. There is a large case facing the door in the room, and a wooden screen behind the large case. Feng Bao, who was wearing a cotton robe, lowered his head and placed a stack of manuscripts in his hand on the right side of the case.
Feng Bangning bent down and said: "Uncle, Eunuch Wei from Qianqing Palace has arrived." After the big case, Feng Bao said "hmm", without raising his head, he pointed to the chair on the south side in front of the big case and said, "Sit down first, and you can go pour it." ——" He looked up and said, "Here comes a bowl of tea."
At this time, the Wei Dynasty saw Feng Bao, the former internal minister of the empire, and saw that his hair was gray and his face was covered with wrinkles as if carved by a knife. I murmured in my heart: "How come he has aged so badly?" Thinking back to the time when I could only glance at this powerful "ancestor" from a distance, I felt mixed emotions and secret fear.
Although Feng Bao raised his head and saw Wei Chao, he did not speak and continued to sort out the manuscript slowly. Wei Chao felt angry and stood quietly, determined to compete with Feng Bao in endurance.
Feng Bao didn't hear the sound of people sitting down. He raised his head and glanced at him, with a slight smile on his face. He tilted his head and said, "Sit down. What are you doing standing there?"
Wei Chao was full of anger, but he didn't dare to show up. A smile appeared on his face, and he said to Feng Bao: "Don't sit down on the ground for now. Let's finish the emperor's business." Then he said to Feng Bangning and the Jinyi guards beside him: "You guys go out first."
Then he pointed at one of the Jin Yiwei and said, "Give me that baggage." The Jin Yiwei handed him a small baggage that he had been carrying.
Feng Bao frowned, and the smile on his face became wider. He said: "But it's a secret thing? Isn't it convenient for them to hear?" During the conversation between the two, Wei Chao did not salute, and Feng Bao went straight. Feng Bangning, who was standing aside, was confused.
Wei Chao nodded and said: "Yes, the Emperor has ordered that only you and I can be present." After hearing this, Feng Bangning quickly stepped back and went out, and the two Jin Yiwei followed him out.
Wei Chao saw no outsiders, and when he was about to speak, Feng Bao stopped him with his raised palm. Wei Chao was just wondering when Feng Bao struck each other with his palms. With a snap, two men in black clothes came out from behind the screen, startling Wei Chao.
Feng Bao gave another high-five, and another one jumped down from the rafter. He obviously had some skills on his body, and there was only a low "pop" sound when he landed. Wei Chaozheng was stunned when he heard Feng Bao say: "This is Eunuch Wei from Qianqing Palace. You have heard what he just said."
The three people were speechless and bowed out of the room. Wei Chao's heart was pounding with fear, and his mouth went dry for a while. He finally calmed down and said, "Feng, the place where Eunuch Feng is located is so dangerous, does he need such strict protection?"
Feng Bao smiled slightly and did not answer his question. He just said to Wei Chao: "You can say it now, there are only two of us now."
Wei Chao looked around the house suspiciously, and then at the beams. Feng Bao didn't stop him and waited quietly.
When Wei Chao saw that there was nothing unusual in the room, he took out a sealed letter from his arms and handed it to Feng Bao. Feng Bao was stunned for a moment and asked in a low voice: "The emperor just asked you to deliver a message?"
Wei Chaodao: "Yes. The emperor asked you to see this first."
Feng Bao walked out from behind the big case, washed his hands in the copper basin on the wooden stand next to him, and picked up the white cloth on the stand to dry them. When he walked to Wei Chao, he asked in a low voice: "Is this an edict?" As he asked, his knees bent down.
Wei Chao shook his head and said, "The emperor's original words were: 'Give this letter to Feng Bao.' So this is a letter." After hearing this, Feng Bao smiled again and straightened his body.
Wei Chao was very close to him, and when he saw the expression on his face, he felt that the meaning was difficult to understand. He felt as if he was feeling the pressure of Mount Tai, and his smile was almost bitter.
He didn't know why, so he handed over the letter in his hand. Feng Bao took the envelope and returned to the big desk. When he put the letter on the desk, he suddenly knelt down and kowtowed at the letter five times and three times.
Wei Chao was startled again by his neurotic behavior, and his heart went crazy. He didn't know what kind of illness Feng Bao had.
After Feng Bao stood up, he picked up the paper knife on the desk and neatly cut the envelope. After taking out the letter and scanning it, his expression changed drastically. Immediately his body began to shake, and large beads of sweat appeared on his face. Wei Chao felt that something was wrong with today's situation, so he involuntarily took a few steps back, getting closer to the door.
Feng Bao turned his back to the door and put down the letter. He said hoarsely: "Your Majesty also asked you to bring my silver medal secret box. Where is it?"
Wei Chao stammered: "In...in...in this baggage, here...for you."
Feng Bao turned around, with an expression on his face that seemed to be crying or smiling. Wei Chao overcame the fear in his heart and took two more steps to hand over the small bundle. He still stuttered: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has finished the work you asked me to do. I... I..."
Feng Bao whispered: "You can't leave." Wei Chao was completely frightened and exclaimed: "Why?"
Feng Baodao: "Your Majesty asked you to stay here." After hearing this, Wei Chao lost half of his three souls and seven souls. His voice was no longer his own, and he was speechless. Feng Bao then said: "Just wait for me for two quarters of an hour, and then you can leave."
Wei Chao let out a long breath and felt that Feng Bao was evil in every aspect today. He initially thought that the emperor's letter to Feng Bao told him to stay in Nanjing and never return to the palace, so he was almost frightened. At this time, he heard that Feng Bao was only keeping him for a while, so he breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest.
After Feng Bao returned to the big case, he picked up the emperor's letter and read it again. Then he took out a pen and paper and wrote quickly - Wei Chao guessed that he was writing a reply. In less than a quarter of an hour, Feng Bao wrote three pages. After he stopped writing, he put the paper full of words aside to dry.
Under the gaze of Wei Chao, Feng Bao took out a strange-shaped key from his arms, opened the baggage, and took out the silver medal secret box inside. Wei Chao clearly saw that his hand was trembling when he wrote the letter.
Feng Bao finally inserted the key into the small lock and opened the box. What was taken out was not the memorial that the emperor had approved in the secret memorial, but a small paper bag. He gently opened the paper package and said to Wei Chao, "Do you know what this is?"
Wei Chao glanced at the white powder in the paper bag, his heart seemed to jump out of his chest, and he said hoarsely: "This, is this arsenic?"
Tears finally rolled down Feng Bao's face and he whispered: "Yes, this is arsenic. Your Majesty asked you to watch here, and asked me to eat this bag of arsenic in front of you."
