Early the next morning, Yu Xin and his accompanying officials went to the Prince of Zhou's Mansion to pay homage to the King of Zhou.
This is not because Yu Xin wants to go, but according to the regulations of the imperial court, when visiting other people's territory, he needs to show face no matter what, and basic etiquette is indispensable.
What's more, Zhou Wang Zhu is the fifth son of Taizu, the uncle of the current emperor, and the head of the mainland vassal kings, so he cannot be ignored.
After some etiquette, Zhu Zhu introduced his eldest son Zhu Youdou, second son Zhu Youhuan and others to Yu Xin, and said with a smile: "It is not easy to come to Yu Pavilion. After all, the government office is a bit crude. It is better to move to the Zhou Palace for a while." If you stay here for a few days, I can show my friendship as a landlord."
Yu Xin first thanked King Zhou for his kindness, and then replied: "Your Majesty, we have been working hard to check the damage along the river. It's good to have a place to rest, so why bother Your Majesty?"
Zhu Ju also knew that Yu Xin and his party were really working hard. Not to mention Dingyuan disaster relief and Bai Lian's outsmarting, even this journey was tiring.
"Speaking of the heavy rain in July, it can be said to be extremely critical. If the embankments here were not high and solid, and Zhang Zhong's plan to divert relief, Kaifeng and Kaifeng Mansion would have suffered. Thinking about it now, I am still afraid."
Zhu Xi sighed.
Yu Xin nodded solemnly. The situation at that time was by no means optimistic. Thinking of the current situation, he couldn't help but said bitterly: "Fortunately, the heavy rain has finally subsided and there is a way to divide the river. Although the disaster is far away, we still cannot take it lightly. The dams are reinforced, repaired, and the weirs The pond is being reorganized and there are so many things to worry about, which makes people exhausted mentally and physically.”
Zhu Zhu nodded slightly, cupped his hands and said, "I can only trouble Yuge and you all with these matters."
After some exchanges, Zhu Zhu invited Yu Xin and others to the Dongshu Thatched Cottage. Looking at the countless classics, Yu Xin and others couldn't help but sigh.
"I heard that the prince has a "Pocket Prescription" in his hand, which is a rare medical book. I wonder if Yu will be lucky enough to read it?"
Yu Xin asked respectfully.
Zhu Zhu smiled and motioned to Wang Han, the chief historian, to get the book.
Wang Han walked to a bookcase, took out a book, presented it to Yu Xin with both hands, and said: "It's rare to see it, but because Mr. Ge is busy with government affairs, this book has been widely circulated among the people, saving lives and healing countless people."
"Oh? That's the case. Your Majesty's contribution cannot be ignored. After I return to the capital, I will make arrangements for you, Your Majesty Chen."
Yu Xin took the seven-inch "Pocket Prescription" and said seriously.
King Zhou Zhu was fond of medicine, which was known to everyone in the civil and military circles of the dynasty.
In the 23rd year of Hongwu's reign, Zhu Xi fled from Kaifeng to Fengyang without asking Zhu Yuanzhang for instructions.
Where is Fengyang, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the place where the dragon rises? What do you want to do there?
Zhu Yuanzhang thought something was wrong, and regardless of whether Zhu Ru was traveling or wanted to get a little bit of dragon spirit, he directly sent Zhu Ru to Yunnan.
At that time, Yunnan was not yet civilized, and there were many wild animals and plants, as well as savages. In addition, there was no tourism industry in the Ming Dynasty, so the locals lived in difficulty and there were many illnesses. There was a lack of medical treatment and medicine, and you had to carry your illness.
After all, the prince is the prince, and exile is not the desertion of one person, but the excitement of a group of people.
Zhu Ru arranged to follow his famous doctor Li Bai and others to study medicine on the spot, classify and collect medical prescriptions, and spent nearly a year to complete this "Pocket Prescription".
Sleeves mean "easy to get in and out, easy to carry", making it easy to carry around.
Zhen means "a wonderful selection of prescriptions, a treasure of medicine", and the selected prescriptions are precious.
Because the prescriptions are rigorously selected and practical, they are widely spread in the local area. Later, Zhu Zhu returned to Kaifeng after a year of exile, and this "Pocket Prescription" spread in and around Kaifeng Mansion.
"Your Majesty is devoted to medicine and is truly a model of benevolence."
Wang Han said seriously.
Yu Xin reviewed his medical skills and said to Zhu Zhu: "Chang Shi has been by the prince's side these years, and to be able to say this is enough to prove that the prince has a kind heart and has won the hearts of the people."
Zhu Ji smiled kindly and said lightly: "What I did was just to share the worries of the imperial court."
Kaifeng magistrate's office, back hall.
The old boatman moved uneasily. Although the imperial court sent people to investigate the breach of the embankment, it was hard to say whether he was with the King of Zhou. If he was bribed by the King of Zhou, it would not matter if he died, but I am afraid that there would be no chance of redressing his grievances.
There was movement outside the door.
A person from the Security Bureau walked into the room and brought some food. Without saying a word, he put down the things and walked out of the door.
The old boatman opened the door, looked at the two guards standing at the door, and gritted his teeth: "Am I a prisoner?"
"My lord has ordered that you cannot leave this room. This is also for your safety."
Guard Zhao Kai said bluntly.
No matter what the old boatman said, these two people would not let them go.
At this moment, Wang Wentao, the co-president of Kaifeng, came over and greeted: "Two guards have worked hard. Your Majesty went to the palace and asked me to entertain you well. Come on, bring wine and food."
Zhao Kai shook his head slightly and saluted: "My lord, if the Security Bureau wants to fill its stomach, it will go to the street to buy it by itself. I appreciate your kindness."
"Hey, how can the things on the street entertain you?"
As Wang Wentao spoke, several government servants came over carrying the table, followed by people serving food. The table was full of food and wine, and the aroma was fragrant.
"This will break the rules of the Security Bureau. Please remove the banquet."
Zhao Kai was a little hungry, but he still said firmly.
Wang Wentao didn't listen to this. He pulled the two of them to sit down, filled the glasses with wine, and said, "It's just a couple of drinks and some food. How can we break the rules?"
Zhao Kai was happy to have a drink, so he couldn't help but drink a glass, and couldn't help but take a bite of the food, nodding with satisfaction.
Wang Wentao is an expert at the wine table. It didn't take long to get the two of them drunk. Wang Wentao walked to Zhao Kai and asked in a low voice: "Brother Zhao, we are full of food and drink, but the people in this room are not yet drunk." Let’s eat, would you like to invite him over?”
Zhao Kai waved his hand, pushed Wang Wentao away, and said: "He is an important witness, how can he come out to eat? Go and get some wine!"
Wang Wentao's eyes lit up, and he quickly filled Zhao Kai's glass with wine and asked, "Important witnesses must be protected. If the news leaks out and others know about it, it will not be safe."
"Don't worry, the people under the care of the Security Bureau are absolutely safe."
Zhao Kai was a little impatient, so he picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. His body went limp, the wine glass fell to the ground, and he fell asleep on the table. The other guard was already drunk.
Seeing this, Wang Wentao turned to look at the room, opened the door, looked at the alert old boatman, and asked, "You shouldn't be alive, right?"
The old boatman thought his identity had been revealed. He trembled and shouted sharply: "You dog officials have killed the people of Yuanwu. Even if I die and turn into a ghost, I will not spare you!"
"Yuan Wu?!"
Wang Wentao's eyes turned cold and he looked at the old boatman in disbelief.
The flood in the 24th year of Hongwu swallowed up the entire Yuanwu, and almost all the people's homes were killed. Later, when Yuanwu was rebuilt, the population still migrated from other places.
"The Sword Comes"
Apparently, the person in front of him was Old Man Yuan Wu.
Could it be said that he knew what happened back then?
"grown ups."
Before Wang Wentao asked, a voice came from behind him. In desperation, Wang Wentao only glanced at the old boatman coldly, then turned and left.
Not long after, Xiong Wucheng came over, looked at the two drunken guards, and turned the table over...
Yu Xin returned to the government office, learned about this, summoned his entourage, and said with a gloomy face: "I have repeatedly stated that the old boatman is a key person, and no outsider is allowed to contact him without my permission! Ha, we have just entered Kaifeng. , someone approached the old boatman, Xiong Wucheng, this is the Security Bureau, this is the safety you guarantee?!"
Xiong Wucheng felt that he was completely humiliated and had never been so useless.
"big
People, we should transfer the old boatmen out, the prefect’s yamen may not be safe. When Wang Wentao finds out that the old boatman is a former warrior, he will be vigilant in case someone wants to silence him..."
Gao Wei said uneasily.
Yu Xin pondered for a while, knocked on the table, and said slowly: "Besides the government office, where can we place him? It's just a new arrival in Kaifeng. No one knows about Kaifeng. If he goes to look for a hiding place at this time, he might also fall into the trap. In the eyes of a caring person. In my opinion, it is still in this government office, but it needs to be strengthened."
Seeing Yu Xin's insistence, Gao Wei couldn't say anything else.
"What information can people who are out find out?"
Yu Xin looked at Xiong Wucheng.
Xiong Wucheng shook his head slightly and said: "The King of Zhou did not disturb the people in Kaifeng City, and the people recognized him. Although the King of Zhou's palace recruited many people and built a lot of construction projects, there was never any harsh punishment or beating of the people."
Yu Xin thought for a moment and asked, "Where is the prefect?"
Xiong Wucheng said helplessly: "The investigation did not reveal any problems. The prefect Ren Yi and the co-prefect Wang Wentao still have a good official reputation. Although they cannot be said to love the people like sons, they can be regarded as diligent and judicious. No corruption or unjust imprisonment has been found. .”
"So, the sky is clear in Kaifeng Mansion?"
Yu Xin asked coldly.
Although Xiong Wucheng didn't want to admit it, he had to say: "Judging from the current Security Bureau investigation, it is so. It's just that our time in Kaifeng was too short. If we want to conduct an in-depth investigation, it will take time."
"Then investigate and dig deeper! If a colleague dares to peek at the court witnesses, there must be a conspiracy behind it. Xiong Wucheng, you are the commanding officer of the Security Bureau, and you have the right to investigate matters in the government office and even the palace. Since the emperor has given you the power , then use it well."
Yu Xin stood up from the table and said majestically.
Xiong Wucheng solemnly agreed: "In that case, let's investigate from the palace. I always feel that the atmosphere in Prince Zhou's palace is a bit microscopic."
"Then let's start with Wang Han! He is the chief historian of Prince Zhou's palace, so he must know a lot of things."
Yu Xin arranged.
Xiong Wucheng nodded slightly, and seeing that Yu Xin had nothing else to do, he took the people out of the government office.
"In the 24th year of Hongwu's reign, the Yellow River captured the Huaihe River, resulting in countless casualties. Whether there was a man-made disaster during this natural disaster must be investigated clearly. I hope you will be diligent and conduct secret investigations to find clues."
Yu Xin said.
Jing Qing, Gao Wei, Song Li and others all agreed.
Fellow magistrate Wang Wentao found Magistrate Ren Yi, stood aside, and said with an uneasy look on his face: "The person who is under the custody of the Security Bureau is Yuan Wuren."
"oh."
Ren Yi agreed calmly and didn't care.
Seeing this, Wang Wentao added in a low voice: "A former warrior in the 24th year of Hongwu."
Ren Yi suddenly trembled, stared at Wang Wentao, and asked: "What do you want to say?"
Wang Wentao shook his head and said: "Master Fu, I don't know, but I have an intuition that this person is very likely to know what happened back then. Yu Ge came to Kaifeng with a secret decree."
Ren Yi stood up, walked a few steps uneasily, and said in a deep voice: "That flood hit Yuanwu. There were only a few dozen people alive in Yuanwu, and the people who knew about it were impossible to survive. Even if he was alone, , it’s just a solitary evidence, not much of a threat.”
"I know this, but it's just that the embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in an ant nest. This person may be a threat. If he is really a former military official and craftsman, and knows what is going on behind the scenes, the prince will be in danger."
Wang Wentao said seriously.
Ren Yi thought for a long time and asked: "Things back then were never left to the hands of the prince. No matter how big the issue was, he could not be involved."
Wang Wentao said anxiously: "Master, the prince has never participated, but it is hard to guarantee that no one has seen the long history of the prince's palace go to Yuanwu. Back then, he bought boats for the former military officials, but Wang Han came forward..."
