How did "Wild Notes" spread in Jiangnan?
"It is not convenient for the Governor to investigate this matter, so Your Majesty ordered me to come." Wang Zuo, the governor of Beizhen, appeared in front of Zhang Zilin and handed over a file. "I have obtained all three clues."
Zhang Zilin took it in his hand solemnly: "Thank you so much for your support. Please sit down and ask for advice."
The file should be read slowly, but some words may not be convenient to put on paper.
Wang Zuo thanked him and sat on the chair.
After looking at Zhang Zilin, he first smiled and exchanged greetings: "I have returned from the inspection tour of Zhejiang and Fujian, and I look a little thinner. I have a big responsibility, so my health is important."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to relieve you of your worries as soon as possible." Zhang Zilin paused and then said thoughtfully, "After a detailed investigation of this case, it is not trivial and there are many doubts. Scholars from the south of the Yangtze River circulated the "Wild Notes", and there were many people who made false remarks about Taizong's old affairs. This is The earliest clue about the matter was at the beginning of the year. At that time, the late emperor had not yet become popular. "
Wang Zuo nodded: "At first, there were a few more manuscripts, all in the Taige style. I found out that the first person to read this manuscript was in several buildings on the Qinhuai River, saying that I don't know which princes and benefactors left it behind. Later, some booksellers heard about His Majesty’s proposal to inherit the lineage without heirs and pursue profit and published it, so it spread.”
"Since there is evidence of the suppression, it should be true." Zhang Zilin had a headache. "At the beginning of the year, the thieves began to weave their webs. The governor has verified that among the nine murder cases, two magistrates and one magistrate in Zhili, Zhejiang and Fujian were found in Nanzhili, Zhejiang and Fujian. The prefect was indeed involved in a vendetta. The Fujian inspector died because of bandits robbing a salt pond while patrolling salt. However, the remaining five people were undoubtedly deliberately assassinated. The murderers of the three vendettas have been captured, but whether there was any instigation afterward, they cannot be beaten. .”
"It has nothing to do with the overall situation. It is a fact that someone took the opportunity to add several major murders of officials in three places in a short period of time." Wang Zuo stared at him, "Besides, those mountain bandits, water bandits, and pirates all dared to kill officials, why not Taking advantage of the chaos to plunder? How could a small group of bandits dare to take action in such a major case? How could they know the exact whereabouts of those officials?"
Zhang Zilin was silent for a moment: "I have already conducted an interrogation of all the officials in the southeast. Many new cases have been revealed during the interrogation, but there is no evidence to prove their involvement. They have no reason to do such a major rebellion case. The governor has arrived. After that, everything was handled carefully and properly."
"There are too many gentry and officials. The supervisory station can't check them, and I can't check them either." Wang Zuo understood his difficulty, and then said, "Now it seems that the plot of the rebels is probably to investigate the southeast." . His Majesty has no choice but to investigate the serious case of killing an official. Nine officials in three places were assassinated within ten days, and "Wild Notes" was weaving a web at the beginning of the year. It seems that they have a thorough plan. In fact, it is not difficult. "
Zhang Zilin narrowed his eyes slightly: "How can you see it?"
After learning that there is a vendetta somewhere, wouldn't it be difficult to mobilize manpower and intelligence networks in different places to add a few more cases in a short period of time?
Wang Zuo looked at him with a half-smile but not a smile: "In the lobby of the Ministry of Justice, the supervisor also saw Mr. Yang Ge admonishing Your Majesty not to thoroughly investigate the officials involved in the Qian Ning and Jiang Bin cases. In the southeast, there are a few officials who are enough Called incorruptible? Since they had already made arrangements in the southeast, several groups of bandits took action brazenly and caught that official at random. After killing him and investigating, it became full of doubts. If His Majesty only wanted to conduct a large-scale investigation of the southeast, he would do it within his power without any reason. If you kill several officials, it will be difficult for you and me to find the real culprit."
Zhang Zilin asked in shock: "Kill...at will?"
"Three or five gangsters have been lurking in the place where they usually live. For months or even years, how can they not know which officials often go where? As soon as the letter arrives, they squat somewhere and kill them on sight. There is no reason, no defense, suddenly How difficult is it to take action? Aren't there three people who were accompanied by guards? A cold arrow killed them without warning." Wang Zuo looked at him, "Master Dutai, if there are dead soldiers who have practiced their skills for many years, it will be the same as yours. There is no grievance or enmity. If I hide in the dark and see you walking out onto the street, I will shoot you with an arrow. How can you protect yourself?"
Zhang Zilin felt a chill on his neck: "...the magistrate of Kunshan was an assassin who cut his throat at close range."
"He usually goes to Qingyun Pavilion with only the bearers. If you are a local official, and most of the people under your rule are obedient people, can you guard against thieves every day?" Wang Zuo's eyes flashed, "This group of traitors must be lurking in the area. Those places, and they are right in the market, have been there for a long time. I have arranged to go down and check if there are any acquaintances who have disappeared recently. Supervisor, you should also check in this direction!"
He stood up: "If there is a suitable reason to leave the place, there are only a few ways: studying, doing business, and socializing with the host's family. Before and after the incident, the clues are the road signs."
Zhang Zilin watched him say goodbye and leave, staring at his back for a long time.
Is this the envoy of Jinyiwei North Town?
It is still different from criminal trials. What they think about most is searching for evidence of crime. As for imprisonment and torture... that is already the worst method.
Zhang Zilin opened the file solemnly and read it carefully.
In addition to the investigation results of how "Wild Notes" began to spread, the second part is about the merchant houses and wealthy families in South Zhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian who often traveled across provinces to do business.
Before and after the incident, I have vivid memories of the caravans and ships that came in and out of the place where the incident occurred.
Zhang Zilin took a deep breath. He knew that he had to check two other aspects: which local scholars and officials took people out of the country before and after the incident to study, visit, or visit relatives.
"Gui Zishi." He called Gui E in, "You said that the people weaving the webs are outside the southeast, that's right. But the cases of killing officials in the southeast must be solved. You go to Fujian on behalf of my governor and tell them to go in this direction. check!"
…
At the end of November, winter has arrived in the southeast, and it is even colder in the northwest.
Li Long, the chief military officer of Ganzhou, came to the governor's office of Gansu Town with a cold face and a few soldiers.
After rushing all the way in, he didn't care if anyone was still present. He raised his voice and asked in a questioning tone: "Master Futai, all the commanders of the guards under my command have come to report that this month's food and salary will be halved?"
Xu Ming, the governor of Gansu, frowned and said to the others: "You go down first."
When only he, Li Long and his soldiers were left in the hall, Xu Ming said calmly: "This year's harvest is good. Rice is cheap at this time. What's the problem?"
Li Long stared at him with a stern face: "One stone of monthly grain should be worth seven coins in silver, but Master Futai only gave three coins. I would like to ask Futai, do you think it's okay?"
Xu Ming looked at him without fear: "As far as I know, there is a lot of old grain in Ganzhou, and new grain has arrived in Shaanxi. The price of rice has been halved, so the silver price should be halved. Three qian is enough to buy it. One stone of rice.”
Li Long's eyes widened angrily, and he stared at him for a while before saying: "There are so many generals in Gansu Zhangye Five Guards, Suzhou Guards, Xining Guards, and Jinzhou Guards, and the price of food has risen. If you can't buy enough food, what can you do? Can we satisfy our hunger? If we cannot satisfy our hunger, how can the soldiers guard the northwest? Mr. Futai, if something unexpected happens, can you bear it?"
Xu Ming glanced at him and sat down leisurely behind the desk: "I have allocated enough silver to buy a month of grain and rice according to the book. Now General Li has enough money and Ganzhou has enough food. If something unexpected happens, Can General Li carry it?"
Li Long looked at him with a gloomy expression.
Xu Ming leisurely raised his hands and said to the other side: "Even in front of the master of Taiwan, General Li can't win this argument. The Yuan Dynasty is about to change, Qian Ning and Jiang Bin have been conferred, I would like to advise General Li to focus on border affairs. Heavy. I know how much salary and silver can buy enough food and rice, and General Li also knows."
His tone was neither salty nor bland. Although Li Long was the top military general in the border town of Ganzhou, Xu Ming's responsibilities included building cities, managing money and food, training soldiers, casting weapons and armor, controlling vassal departments, managing trade, and supervising local areas. Hundreds of officials.
"Since Futai insists on this, I have no choice but to go to the calligraphy station first and then explain the matter to Eunuch Dong." He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Xu Ming, "Futai arbitrarily cuts the silver in half for payment. If the general rebels, I think It’s impossible to put all the blame on me! Futai can take care of himself! Let’s go!”
He turned around and waved, and several of the soldiers glanced at Xu Ming with hatred before leaving.
Xu Ming showed hatred after they left: "I don't want to serve the country, I only want to line my own pockets!"
How many people are there in the Ganzhou frontier army, which is said to have more than 40,000 soldiers?
Food and salary are paid in full.
The price of this year's harvest grain has plummeted, and he no longer knows how much he has stocked up.
If the money is still given at the past grain prices, and the prices are increased a little after the rush to buy grains, military households are also willing to take this opportunity to stock up on more grains, and Li Long will naturally make a fortune.
Now that the silver is given at half the market price, Li Long has no way to sell at a higher price and make a profit.
Although the military households could not take this opportunity to stock up on more food, they had to put an end to Li Long's method of taking empty pay and hoarding food to defraud the sergeants anyway!
Xu Ming just continued to call people back to handle official business without taking it seriously.
After Li Long left the governor's office, he went straight to Dong Wenzhong, the eunuch of Gansu Province in the main town.
"Eunuch Dong, your majesty has a long life. My father-in-law and others wanted to buy tribute gifts, so we, the guards in Gansu Province, presented more than six thousand taels. Now that the monthly silver is half, Eunuch Dong will not tell Futai about the difficulties of the soldiers?"
In front of Dong Wenzhong, Li Long spoke very frankly.
Dong Wenzhong was frightened and advised with some flattery: "General Li, the situation is different this year. Just sell your rice and grain like this! As long as Ganzhou is stabilized, we will talk about it in the future, we will talk about it in the future... "
Li Long stared at him: "My father-in-law has been in Gansu for such a long time, but he still can't suppress Xu Xiangfeng, who has just arrived? He checked the guards and found out how much my salary has been cut? Now it's half of the salary. How about I go up and down Ganzhou? Can you defend the country’s borders?”
"If he gives half of the silver or deducts military pay, I will report it. Don't worry, don't worry, he won't stay long..."
"My father-in-law said the same thing two months ago." Li Long said with a fierce look in his eyes, "The new year is approaching, and now we have to beware of bandits every day. If the soldiers are not full, something will change. Does your father-in-law really not care?"
If it were in the past, Dong Wenzhong would certainly take care of it.
But when news came from the palace, Dong Wenzhong was extremely frightened and stretched out his hand to hold him back: "General Li, you must not mess up at this time! Yang Zhitai always knew the border affairs, and Xu Xiangfeng gave half of the silver to the border troops, which is a harsh treatment for the border troops. If there is this matter, Yang Zhitai also knows that if Ganzhou is to be stable at this time, he will definitely handle the matter. Don't be anxious!"
Seeing his gesture, Li Long thought for a moment and said: "Seven days, I will only wait for seven days! If Futai does not change his words, I can definitely tell my father-in-law that something will happen!"
After that, he walked away towards the Gansu eunuch in the main town.
Dong Wenzhong was filled with hatred, but he was also frightened.
As a rule, the killer will deduct some money from his salary. After it is given to the soldiers, how can there be three coins left?
It’s bitterly cold in winter, which family won’t save some money for the New Year?
Xu Ming, that aloof and pedantic nerd, only knows how to act impartially, and it is impossible for the soldiers to buy enough food for three cents. Don't you understand this?
Li Long...Dong Wenzhong regrets it to death now.
But what should I do if I’ve already boarded his pirate ship?
His Majesty said that the Wanshou Festival should be simple, but he, Dong Wenzhong, still handed over all the money collected from Ganzhou for management. Otherwise, could he have avoided the incident where Fulun committed suicide?
It is impossible to take out more than ten thousand taels of silver from the salary and distribute it to each soldier!
Dong Wenzhong was still too anxious to do anything, but Li Long had already returned to the General Military Mansion and called several of his confidants over.
"The two armies are killing each other, and there are people in the southeast who are rebelling." Li Long felt that he had no plan left, "Bian Town must not change again! Xu Ming, that bitch, must take this opportunity to drive him away completely!"
Thinking that half of the food he had stored up would be rotten this time, Li Long gritted his teeth.
"General, what to do?"
"Tell the soldiers below that the pay must be increased! Who can eat enough for three cents?" This time he did not intend to offer a lower price. "Before paying the pay, prepare enough food for three days. What if Xu Ming is that dog?" If it doesn’t go up to seven cents, then let’s make a fuss! If anyone takes the lead and goes back, kill him!”
"...General, just in case..."
Li Long said with certainty: "There is no such thing as a chance! Either Xu Ming gives in, and Ganzhou will still listen to me in the future! Or, he will be proven guilty of deducting military rations and provoking mutiny, and drive him away! In one word, three cents for three cents , can’t survive!”
In the governor's office, Xu Ming arranged the payment of wages for this month and said calmly: "Go to the grain stores in advance to post notices. If anyone raises the price, we will strictly deal with it! Anyone who has grain but does not sell it and hoards it will be killed!"
He had no idea what his forge ahead in Ganzhou had ignited.
The fleet departing from Guangdong is continuing to travel north, and the investigation of the Southeast Official Murder Case has entered a new stage.
In Beijing, since Yang Shen went to Guangdong, Yang Tinghe felt a lot lonely.
The second son is preparing for the exam next year, while the third and fourth sons are still young.
It was only after His Majesty proposed to select a young son from the clan to be adopted as an adopted son for Emperor Daxing that not only did not one of the ministers who participated in the national policy meeting raise an opinion on the spot, but they also did not discuss the matter again after that.
But everyone knows the deep meaning and how dangerous it may be.
Yang Tinghe didn't know if this was another test by the emperor, but he knew that the suspicion that the Southeast Killing Officer might have caused between the emperor and his ministers still existed.
After all, there will be a final discussion, when the heir candidate is proposed, and when the discussion on the place to propose the vassalship really starts.
Princess Yongkang felt that Cui Yuan, besides being extremely brave in the first few days, gradually became more and more worried.
As he said, maybe the national policy meeting is really not a place for people to stay.
"Didn't you say that... you might want to go south before the end of the year?" Princess Yongkang pushed him, who was tossing and turning, "Are you still going?"
Cui Yuan thought about Guo Xun who was "suppressing bandits" in Zhending Mansion, and sighed again: "I don't know."
Funinghou also suppressed bandits on the east coast of Guangdong Haiphong. With just one order, he can "enter" Fujian.
The facts of the Southeast case have basically been confirmed to be deliberate.
Even if the current officials are not involved, some aristocratic families may just be used, but since someone does it deliberately, it means someone is treasonous.
Someone is plotting rebellion!
How could Cui Yuan, who was sitting in the imperial study room on behalf of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion, still have the interest to really attack the princess?
Wang Qiong is visiting Yuan Zonggao.
The "intensity" of national policy meetings has dropped recently, and Yuan Zonggao also fell ill after winter.
"Zhongde Gong, there are some things that only you can say." Wang Qiong sighed, "But now you are ill..."
Yuan Zonggao lay on the bed and smiled bitterly: "De Hua, your Majesty has great talents and strategies, and some words... ahem... I can't just say them casually."
Wang Qiong wanted to come and discuss it with him. After all, Yuan Zonggao "guaranteed" for him that day, and now it was reasonable to visit him when he was ill.
He just didn't expect that Yuan Zonggao was really seriously ill.
"Forget it, after the heir is chosen, we still have to discuss it again. Mr. Zhong De, please take a good rest. The climate in the capital is much better than that in Jiangxi. I have some experience. I also invited a famous doctor who is often invited to the family. .”
"...Thank you." Yuan Zonggao felt that something was wrong with his body.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been thinking too much this year, but the wind and cold are getting worse.
It is the twelfth lunar month of the 16th year of Zhengde, and after the Zhengdan Festival it is the first year of Jiajing.
After the great meeting on the first day of the lunar month, there is a holiday.
The ministers of national policy felt that although the emperor had confirmed that someone was deliberately plotting rebellion, he was now calmer.
On the second day of the twelfth lunar month, after the court meeting, the emperor did not summon the ministers who participated in the national policy meeting.
Everything looks very relaxed.
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, there is a meeting today.
The charcoal stove was burning in the imperial study, and the emperor looked very relaxed.
"His Majesty has been assigned by destiny to inherit the Great Unification. This year is a good harvest year." Yang Tinghe was thinking about what to say, but he was flattering, "Thanks to your Majesty's planning, although there are things in the southeast, the governor has plans, and the water transportation is not good. No, most of the autumn grain has been put into the warehouse now. Even the grain transferred to the border town is generally ready. With Yang Zhitai in charge, the border town will be fine. As long as Fu Rui captures the rebel leader in the southeast, there will be no big events this year. "
After saying that, he looked at the emperor: You won't bring up the matter of the late emperor's heir again, will you? Both the Zongren Mansion and the Ministry of Rites knew the importance, and they delayed the procedures and official correspondence as long as they could.
If you want to lure the snake out of its hole, just release the news, don't really implement the adoption and the establishment of a vassal king!
Before the emperor could say anything, Gao Zhong's somewhat panicked voice sounded outside the Zhongyuan Hall: "Your Majesty, Ganzhou military report, Yang Zhitai is eight hundred miles away to report urgently!"
Everyone in the Imperial Study Room changed their expressions: One of the nine sides, it was late winter, could it be the Beilu Kou side?
Zhu Houcong's expression was solemn: "Come in!"
Sixteen pairs of eyes watched Gao Zhong walking quickly to the throne with two memorials in his hands. The emperor took them in his hands and began to open them.
His expression relaxed at first, and then became obviously angry, and his face turned livid.
"...Your Majesty, what happened?"
Zhu Houcong finished reading one and then the other before taking a deep breath to calm down.
"Huang Jin, please circulate it to all the ministers." He gave the report to Huang Jin before looking at everyone, "Ganzhou mutiny, Xu Ming, the governor of Gansu Town, was burned to death on the spot."
The stone was shocking, and everyone in the royal study who was already worried suddenly felt a chill in their hearts.
Guangdong, Guangxi, Southeast, Northwest...is it really such a coincidence?
But if it wasn't a coincidence, it's really hard to imagine who in today's Ming Dynasty would have such strength and use such methods.
But this time, something happened to the border troops!
