Zheng Haizhu said "Okay" and made a request without being polite: "Please Commander Wei immediately send Tiqi to Songjiang to lock up Wang Yuesheng in my firearms factory and protect Sun Yuanhua and Li Zhizao. I am afraid that the second prince will be kidnapped by Jianwen's descendants and go to sea." . Secondly, is there the fastest postal method that can help me inform Yan Siqi who has arrived in Taiwan? His subordinate Liu Xiang should also be recruited by Jianwen's descendants.".z.
"Okay, I will send a capable general to go south today. Madam will just write two personal and secret letters. Fortunately, Songjiang has opened the customs, and the sea route is very fast. Although it will be slower to bring the letter to Taiwan, it should be within ten days. We can get here too.”
As soon as Luo Sigong finished speaking, his personal attendant whispered from outside the curtain: "Commander Wei, brother Xiaoqi who was released by the young master is back."
"Call in."
Two men in civilian clothes came in at the sound. They were the secret guards of the Jin Yiwei who had set off from Jishuitan Pier in the early morning to follow Mr. Xu.
According to the two men, Mr. Xu and the staff of General Zheng entered the Niujia Hutong near Fuchengmen and never came out again.
"Fuchengmen?" Zheng Haizhu murmured, "Is it the Meimen?"
Liu Qiao nodded: "Yes, that's where all the coal from Xishan comes in, so we in Beijing call it Coal Gate. This month, every household starts to stock up on coal."
Zheng Haizhu's eyes flashed: "If there are more coal trucks, it won't be difficult to mix gunpowder into the coal trucks."
Liu Qiao said: "Firearms are carried into the canal, and gunpowder is carried into the coal cart. Is this what Mrs. Zheng means?"
"Well," Zheng Haizhu muttered, "but to rebel, you need soldiers. The Beijing camp is extremely weak, and they are all descendants of the clan. How can someone who is enjoying wealth be framed for rebellion? Concubine Zheng and her nephew's servants are not It may be used by him. Jiannu is thousands of miles away. Zheng Yi comes here, more like transporting firearms, guarding grain, and snatching the forts in Dagu, Tianjin to defend against Japanese invaders. Therefore, this group of people can be used to control Beijing. Where are the city’s soldiers?”
Luo Yangxing said hesitantly: "Just now, I just wanted to ask about this section."
Luo Sigong glanced at his son.
Jinyiwei is relatively good at spying and interrogation, but he is not necessarily aware of the planning and scheduling of battles. It’s okay if my son can make up for some of my face.
Zheng Haizhu looked at Luo Sigong: "Commander Wei, apart from your Jin Yiwei and other personal guards, the patrol camp after Cui Wenjing took over can be counted as one in Beijing?"
As a military general, Luo Sigong did not have the bad habit of being scornful of scholars. He nodded and said: "Yes, Admiral Cui is capable. Besides, his brother was a powerful eunuch in front of Concubine Zheng. Before the death of the late emperor, when did Admiral Cui lack of salary? , you can train strong soldiers just like the frontier army trains its servants."
Zheng Haizhu did not move his eyes away from each other and said meaningfully: "Commander Wei, then Admiral Cui's backstage must be Concubine Zheng and Eunuch Cui? My subordinates have inquired and found out that Admiral Cui's first wife's wife is now He married the daughter-in-law of Hu Fang, the godson of Eunuch Cui. He also discovered that the newly recruited sergeants in the patrol camp were unusually generous. The late emperor had a great fortune and was now supervising the internal funds and sending them to Liaodong. This Admiral Cui, Could it be that he used the money that the King of Fortune came all the way to reward?"
Luo Sigong's face darkened.
Are there any other reasons?
The Jinyiwei yamen, the commanders and the governor of Beizhen Fusi all had nothing to do with Dongchang. Luo Sigong and Liu Qiao were indeed too lazy to interact with other powerful officials in the palace except Wang An and Liu Shimin on weekdays.
Luo Sigong clicked his tongue and said, "Even if a few thousand people in the patrol camp rebel and fight with the emperor's personal guards, there are defenders in Gyeonggi who can come, such as Jun Song and Ma Xianglin from Shanhaiguan."
Liu Qiao asked probingly from the side: "Commander Wei, why don't we simply take the person named Xu now? To capture the thief, capture the king first, why bother interrogating Gu Qingquan? Why don't we just torture the person named Xu?"
Luo Sigong glanced at Liu Qiao.
Zheng Haizhu realized that Liu Qiao did not understand his boss's psychology.
No matter how many clues there are at this time, it is just their speculation. Luo Sigong obviously wants to interrogate the kid first. If it is really "that" King of Hell, his surname is Zhu after all, and it may also involve Concubine Zheng, Commander Luo will immediately Enter the palace to meet the Holy Spirit and wait for the Holy Spirit's judgment.
Zheng Haizhu hurriedly continued: "Long Live Lord is sitting on the dragon throne. They will not move now. Otherwise, even if they enter the Forbidden City at any moment, it will be an act of regicide. If the position is not right, all the princes from all over the world will have reasons to enter the capital." .That
This ancient clear spring can't come out for five or six days. If you interrogate him, you won't be able to alert the snake. The man named Xu and Admiral Cui, Wei Li and my servants Li Daniu and Xu Wei continued to stare at them. "
Liu Qiao was so upright that he didn't even notice the displeasure flashing in Luo Sigong's eyes. Hearing Zheng Haizhu's words, he nodded in agreement.
Luo Sigong ordered Luo Yangxing: "Accompany your wife, take the secret passage to our tavern next to the Guanyin Hall in the west of the square, and change your clothes. The Imperial Academy has a lot of eyesight, and after the time of business, my wife should go back to the business first, so as not to arouse suspicion."
When Zheng Haizhu stepped into his shop, the shopkeeper Qin Fang was having tea with a eunuch in brocade robes.
Seeing his master return, Qin Fang quickly stood up and said, "This is Eunuch Liu."
The eunuch in brocade robes was in his early thirties, with a kind and gentle face. He smiled and said to Zheng Haizhu: "Our family is Liu Ruoyu from the internal transportation warehouse. Today, I have sent gold ingots, pearls and robes to Mrs. Zheng on the orders of Long Live Lord. Please deliver them to Mrs. Zheng." To General Qin."
After the eunuch finished speaking, he saw Zheng Haizhu looking at him in a daze. He couldn't help but feel surprised. He weighed his tone and asked, "Doesn't Madam know about this? Lord Long Live said that he had told you before to go Visit General Qin at Ma Mansion on Qipan Street."
Zheng Haizhu came back to her senses and hurriedly returned the greeting: "Yes, father-in-law, Mrs. Zheng remembered the emperor's instructions. I was just thinking that General Qin has already entered the capital?"
Eunuch Liu apologized: "Oh, our family doesn't know about this."
He cupped his hands again and said, "Our family has to go back to the library to say goodbye to Madam."
Zheng Haizhu winked at Qin Fang and walked out with the eunuch: "I would like to ask, if Eunuch Liu is called Ruoyu, does he mean "Great Wisdom and Ruoyu"?
Eunuch Liu smiled and said, "Exactly. However, it's definitely not a great wisdom. It's just a blessing to be confused."
Just as he was talking, Qin Fang hurried back, presented a brocade bag the size of a book page, and said respectfully: "This is my newly arrived Hu pen, please accept it with pleasure."
Eunuch Liu knew that there must be gold and silver gifts in the brocade bag, so he took it naturally, then opened the bag generously, took out the silver ingots inside, and returned it to Qin Fang.
At the same time, he said to Zheng Haizhu: "I was just telling you, the shopkeeper, that our family likes to write when we have free time. As for this yellow and white thing, our family is supposed to run errands for Long Live Lord. How can we still collect money outside the palace?" , just accept Madam’s wishes.”
A ten-tael silver ingot was worthy of the hard work of a messenger eunuch of this rank. Zheng Haizhu estimated that the other party was not too little.
She then expressed surprise and said, "Ah, it turns out that my father-in-law Ya is good at calligraphy. Can Eunuch Liu take the time to give Xiao Xiao a piece of calligraphy, and I will ask Lao Qin to make it into a sign and hang it up."
"Madam, you are joking," Eunuch Liu waved his hand, pursed his lips, but did not look tired of winking. He only lowered his voice and said, "Long live the Lord, he was full of praise for Madam's virtuousness. Madam turned around and asked for an imperial pen. Where is it? What a difficult thing."
"My father-in-law's advice is correct. Father-in-law, please walk slowly. Later, there will be a high-quality lake pen coming from the south. I will send Lao Qin to deliver it to my father-in-law."
"Okay, madam, stay here, we will always move around."
After Eunuch Liu's sedan disappeared at the intersection, Zheng Haizhu turned around and sat in the room, staring at the ground.
Liu Ruoyu is good at calligraphy.
Could it be that this eunuch Liu is the Liu Ruoyu who wrote "Zui Zhong Zhi" in the history books?
So who is Liu Shimin, who has been close to him for many years?
According to historical records, isn't Liu Ruoyu's original name Liu Shimin?
Could it be that these are just two father-in-laws?
"Madam," Hua Er came out of the backyard and reported, "Sanni came back this morning and drank ginger soup and fell asleep. I went to General Ma's house yesterday, but General Qin hasn't arrived yet."
"I'll ask again today."
At the turn of Xuhai, in the Imperial College in the north of the capital.
Gu Qingquan rubbed his eyes for a while, then took a long breath and lay down on the makeshift bed.
Opposite him, a clerk who also came from Jinyiwei was spreading the bedding with a stern face, complaining angrily: "I'm blinded by flipping through yellow books, and I still have such perfunctory food and accommodation. At this time of year, it's going to be frosty in the middle of the night. The quilt is so thin, how can I get typhoid fever?
manage? Will the imperial court hire an imperial physician? "
The other sneered: "You are still a doctor? Do you think you are a new scholar? Brother, please stop complaining. We are like Zhangjiawan's fiber rope. When you use it, you just pull it up and when you don't use it, you throw it aside. It's broken." It's rotten, so I'll replace it with a new rope."
Another one echoed: "That's right. Don't think that by being literate, we can stand out and be dignified. How many scholars were awarded the Ming Dynasty's fame? Those who have fame and become officials have long believed in benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and wisdom. He was thrown into a corner, and he only thought about currying favor with his superiors, bullying his subordinates, and making a profit. He said all the things about the common people of the country, the country, and the country, but in fact he was cunning and lazy, and couldn't even manage a yellow book. Now the new king is When asked, if we want to proofread and check, we will recruit strong men from various yamen, isn't it just like using us as mules like trackers and laborers?"
Gu Qingquan stared at the ceiling and said in a quiet voice: "Today I turned through the pornographic book and saw moldy rice milk on several pages. Can you guys guess why?"
The colleague who disliked the thin quilt shook his head: "I don't know."
Gu Qingquan ridiculed: "It was painted on when recording, so that the rats in the warehouse could chew it. If it is damaged, you can report it to the court immediately, saying that the paper is easily moldy and damaged, and requesting that it be replaced with silk. In this way, it will be done. Taking advantage of the purchase openly."
When the colleagues thought about it, it made sense, and they cursed indignantly.
Gu Qingquan looked at their distorted faces in the dim light like a bean, and couldn't help but secretly rejoice.
Fortunately, my true identity is completely different from these officials who are floating in the dust of the decaying empire.
While he was thinking about it, the door was pushed open, and the old man on night duty at the Imperial College narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "Several senior officials, your superiors, have sent someone to bring you quilts. Go ahead and get them. "
Half an hour later, in a shabby courtyard in the east of the city, the cloth cover on Gu Qingquan's head was taken off.
He opened his eyes and saw Liu Qiao facing him, with a warm expression on his face, as if he was greeting him as usual: "Little ancient talented man, come here, give me the words for my poem for Old Liu."
Gu Qingquan glanced sideways and recognized the people around Liu Qiao again.
Zheng Haizhu stared at him: "Gu Qingquan, I can't tell that you, a weak scholar, still have the intention to rebel."
As expected, Gu Qingquan immediately showed a confused look: "Captain, madam, this is a humble position. I don't understand this humble position."
The smile in Liu Qiao's eyes turned into violence. He stepped forward and gave me a hard slap in the face. He cursed, "How dare you pretend to be false to me? Are you Concubine Zheng's dog? Concubine Zheng's other dog is for me." Was the drug administered to blackmail me so that I would not be able to rescue you when the concubine usurps the throne? Huh?"
Blood suddenly appeared at the corner of Gu Qingquan's mouth, but in a short period of time, Zheng Haizhu clearly caught the real surprise in his eyes.
The surprise quickly dissipated, and the young prisoner lowered his head and began to tremble.
Trembling with fear is the most common way to cover up the prisoner's thoughts after he has recovered from the shock.
Gu Qingquan's mind was racing: They actually thought I was from Concubine Zheng?
Your Highness, the Holy Lord, was originally going to frame the concubine and kill the new king and the emperor's eldest son in order to cut off Prince Fu's path to inherit the throne, so now isn't it...
When Gu Qingquan raised his head again, he gritted his back teeth and said: "Prince Fu is smart and virtuous, very similar to the late emperor. The noble concubine is also far more noble than the prince's biological mother. Why can't Prince Fu be my new king of the Ming Dynasty? Governor, what you are eating is Don’t you know who the late emperor would rather be the emperor with the salary he gave him?”
Liu Qiao lowered his head: "Admit it?"
Gu Qingquan snorted.
Zheng Haizhu's cold voice sounded: "I haven't been tortured yet, but you recognize it easily. Ancient Talent, you are good at writing poems, but not good at acting."
Gu Qingquan's eyes suddenly widened: "What do you mean?"
Zheng Haizhu said: "What do I mean? I don't believe it. Governor Liu, do you believe it?"
Liu Qiao said: "I have to try it before I believe it."
He turned around and knocked on the door.
The door panel opened, and two guards in golden clothes were carrying a bucket of boiling water and a wire broom respectively.
Gu Qingquan's mouth was stuffed with cloth, and his body was tied to the bed board in the room and firmly fixed.
"Do the left leg first," Liu Qiao ordered.
With a "hiss" sound, Gu Qingquan's pants were pulled open, and almost at the same time, a ladle of boiling water was poured on his calf.
"Ugh..."
The screams that should have been brought about by the severe pain were buried in the thick silk towel, and only the strange pink skin suddenly appeared in the water, showing the cruelty.
But something even more intense is yet to come.
A guard in brocade clothes held a small wire broom and without hesitation brushed the legs that had been scalded to a point of bulging skin.
"Ugh..."
Every inch of Gu Qingquan's body was trembling with extreme pain. Fresh blood washed away large and small broken skin and gurgled down his left calf.
Liu Qiao made a stop gesture and leaned into Gu Qingquan's ear: "You hurt my son, and I will chop you up and you won't be relieved. But I receive a salary from the court, so I have to let go of my personal revenge. Today, I want to Just tell the truth and don't fool us with your fucking concubine Zheng."
