The Red Mansions

Chapter 173 Everything has nothing to do with the prince!

Chapter 173 Nothing to do with the prince!

Jingzhao Yamen

The two were talking, when suddenly the door came to report that Yu De, the right officer of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and his party had arrived outside the Yamen. Jia Heng and Xu Lu looked at each other, and then they left the official hall and went to Yimen.

Not long after, a middle-aged official with a slightly short stature, dressed in a fourth-grade scarlet color and embroidered with a Xiezhi Buzi official robe, surrounded by several scribes, stepped into the courtyard, and saw Jia Heng and Xu Lu just stepped forward with a smile, cupped his hands in salute and said, "Master Xu, Master Jia, the official is late."

In fact, it was only a little past ten o'clock in the morning, and Yu De summoned a few clerks from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and then rushed here.

Xu Lu said, "My lord Yu came just in time. Just now, my lord Jia has found out the clues of Fan Yi's case. The two of us are discussing this matter. Your lord Yu can go to the official hall to talk."

When Yu De heard the words, he was surprised, looked at Jia Heng, and said, "Master Jia has found out the truth?"

In fact, looking at this young man in the flying fish suit at this moment, Yu De also felt a little emotional. He heard his incompetent son mention this man some time ago, saying that Han Hui, the son of Prime Minister Han, valued him very much.

From what he thought, it was just a side branch of Ningguo's lineage, let alone a side branch, even the direct lineage, it is not worth getting too close, just in case the Holy Majesty is suspicious, I don't want to be dazzled in just ten months, and the young man in front of me is no longer heard. A famous Bai Ding became the famous General Yunhui in the country and the official rank three.

It is really vain to see what he has done.

On this side, Jia Heng didn't know Yu De's mind, heard the interrogation, nodded at him, and said solemnly: "There is something hidden in this matter."

In fact, he was hesitating whether to disclose the matter of King Qi to this Yu De, after all, this person belonged to Han Huang.

With Han Huang's temperament, will he take the opportunity to start a political tide again?

It can be seen from the previous departure of the Minister of Rites, Hege Lao, that this great scholar is thinking about the position of chief assistant.

"However, if Han Huang can attack King Qi, he can also arouse the hatred of King Raqi for me. It may not be a bad thing, I'm afraid this old fox will not let it go." Jia Heng thought of this point, telling Yu De what happened. .

But after Yu De listened, his eyes turned away, and only a moment later, he said solemnly: "Now that the Holy Majesty has dealt with the king of Qi and lowered him to be punished, the difficulty of investigating this case will be greatly reduced. All the officials involved in the case will be dealt with by the procuratorate with all their strength." Cooperate."

Seeing this non-stick pan scene, Jia Heng had expected it, but still felt a little displeased.

This is too slippery for Yu De to be an official. To be honest, this kind of sophisticated old bureaucrat is really not flattering, especially against the talented Xu Lu, who is even more dwarfed by comparison. It can only be said that politicians are politicians after all, not statesmen.

Xu Lu said: "The most urgent task is to bring Liu You and other important criminals here for interrogation, interrogate their words, carefully examine their appearance, and then search for old people involved in the Sanhe Gang from Jingzhao and Wucheng Bingmasi. For the old case, interrogate the sufferer involved in the case, and detain the members of the Sanhe Gang!"

Jia Heng nodded, and said: "Master Xu is right, I'm going to escort the criminals from the Wucheng soldiers and horses."

Because the imperial decree stipulates that there will be three people to interrogate, it is customary to escort them to Jingzhao Yamen for interrogation.

Xu Lu agreed.

After that, Jia Heng left the Jingzhao Yamen.

Originally, he could come and go as a petty official, but he felt that it would be more prudent to go there in person.

First, he went back to Ningrong Street, the old house in Liutiaoer Hutong, found Cai Quan, Fan Yi and others who had just woken up, and ordered them to escort the criminal to Jingzhao Yamen, while he rode to Wucheng Bingma Division.

At the gate of the official yamen of the five city soldiers and horses, Jia Heng got off his horse, threw the reins in his hand to the soldiers in front of the door, and entered the official hall amidst the sound of greetings.

After hearing the news, Shen Yan, the deputy commander of Zhongcheng, hurried forward and said, "Lord Jia."

Jia Heng frowned and asked, "Did Wei Wu make any moves?"

Shen Yan said: "I said something, but I still don't want to recruit. I have already used torture, but this person's mouth is strict and ruthless."

Jia Heng sneered, and said, "Stubborn, how about the other confessions? By the way, there is Qiu Liang, how is the situation now? Do you want to say anything?"

"Qiu Zhi...Qiu Liang is guarded by a few brothers from Jingying, and his subordinates don't know very well." Shen Yan said.

Su Zhao nodded, and said: "Wait a while, take Wei Wu and other criminals to Jingzhao Yamen, and the case will be presided over by Xu Fuyin."

Shen Yan clasped his fists in his promise, and then called a hundred households under his command to prepare the trucks needed to transfer the criminals.

Jia Heng asked again: "Isn't today the day when the soldiers and horses of the five cities should be in charge of the other cities? Why don't you see the soldiers and horses in the other cities?"

Shen Yan's face was not very good-looking, and he said: "My lord, Huo Jun, the military commander of the East City, is sick, and the commanders of the South City, North City, and West City have sent someone to say that they are on the way, and come here immediately."

"Are you sick? Interesting!" Jia Heng sneered, not to mention that he now has the Sword of Heaven in his hand. As usual, officials below the fifth rank have the right to kill first and then play. , the right to custody and interrogation.

As far as the mention in his imperial decree is concerned, he already has the right to reprimand him.

"First urge the commanders of the other cities to discuss matters in the official hall. It's almost noon now, let me wait to give them a banquet?" Jia Heng gave a deep drink and ordered.

Hearing the words, Shen Yan obeyed the order and left the official hall, calling for someone to remind him.

But Jia Heng was sitting in the official office, but he was thinking about how to deal with Huo Jun. After a second thought, he had an idea.

Yesterday, Cai Quan said that Xie Zaiyi, a hundred households in the Beijing camp, is worthy of use. If his power is used to replace Yi Dongcheng's command, it is undoubtedly quite suitable, just use his bravery.

Originally, I wanted to visit in person to show my solemnity, but in fact, with his current official rank, he wrote a handwritten letter, as long as he praised his bravery, he would definitely come to do it.

With this in mind, I just took a letter, pondered for a while, and wrote a paragraph without adding any points.

"Brother Zaiyi, my dear friend, I heard that brother always has the heart of tranquility, has the ambition of being a bandit, has the talent of courage, and is good at riding and shooting, but he is a city guard. Regrettably, today the gang forces in the east city of Shenjing are raging, harassing the people of one side, and they are extremely evil! My brother is not talented, and he is in charge of the military and horse commanders of the five cities. He thinks about the strategy of Xian'an inside and outside Shenjing. Arrested, but looking around, there are no men with eagles and halberds to think of as arms, now I ask my dear brother to help me, I don't know what brother Jun's intention is?"

After finishing the book, just put it in an envelope with the name and surname on it, seal it with beeswax, call Shen Yan who is on the side, and quickly say: "You are a soldier, take this letter from this officer, go to find Dong Qian, send the letter Give it to him, he will know it at a glance."

Shen Yan took the order and called a soldier to go.

After a while, the hundred households entered the official hall, clasped their fists and said: "My lord, the criminals have been imprisoned in the prison car, should we leave now?"

Jia Heng said: "Send more people to accompany me to Jingzhao Yamen."

As for the commanders of Wucheng Bingma Division, they haven't come yet, so let's not wait for them.

How can there be any reason for a superior to wait for a subordinate?

Shen Yan was about to get up, but he heard the young dignitary sneer, and said: "I almost forgot, Shen Yan, divided into two teams, the first wave found scarecrows, put them in prison uniforms and put them in the prison car, beware of the Sanhe gang killing people again." The strategy of extermination!"

With the audacity of the members of the Three Rivers Gang, it might be that they won't repeat the old tricks again, and this time, they probably thought he would be careless, but he just guarded against this move.

"Isn't that what Jia Xu in the Three Kingdoms did to Zhang Xiu?"

Of course, even if this policy is not adopted, it is always no problem to be cautious and defensive.

If it weren't for the two civil servants who didn't want to be interrogated in this military department, he wouldn't have to transfer criminals back and forth.

Shen Yan's face was shocked when he heard the words, he was stunned for a moment, then he clasped his fists and said, "Yes, my lord!"

A group of more than a hundred soldiers and horses escorted the prison cart to the Jingzhao Yamen.

……

……

Rewinding the time a little bit, King Qi left the palace city in a sedan chair, and headed towards the palace at Yongyefang. Once he entered the palace, he entered the study with a gloomy face, and summoned the counselors in the secret room.

The space of the secret room is also spacious, with windows on the top, and coffee tables, seats and other furniture inside.

King Qi hid his obese and huge body on a huanghuali wooden grand master's chair. His fat face was ashen, his eyes were cold, and he almost wanted to choose and devour.

On the wall, on several bronze candlesticks, the oil lamps gave off a hazy yellow glow, reflecting three figures of different sizes, fat and thin, and different heights opposite King Qi on the wall.

An old man in a black official uniform, a middle-aged scholar in a blue brocade robe, and a tutuo in a yellow monk's robe sat on the three chairs.

The old man in brocade robe is the long history of Qi Wangfu, named Dou Rong, a man of upright family background, he has tried and failed many times, because of his ability to manage affairs and plan, he is highly valued by Qi Wangfu, and he is regarded as the number one think tank of Qi Wangfu.

The name of the middle-aged scholar is Xu Shaozhen. He was originally a fortune teller who walked the streets of Shenjing. According to him, he is the contemporary descendant of the god of Mai Yi, but King Qi thinks that this person is more like a charlatan, but he is eloquent. Yes, he is also quick-witted, and he is also entrusted with the role of Dian Ke in the government.

As for Toutuo, he is the Huitong monk in the temple of King Qi. He also has a cake face, hanging eyebrows, and triangular eyes. String of musk beads.

According to his own claim, he was originally from Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province. He was ordained as a monk because he killed someone. He hid in a temple for five years, and was taken in by King Qi who was on a mission in Henan.

"Why is the prince's face so ugly?" Xu Shaozhen was good at observing words and expressions, his eyes flickered, and he asked.

Earlier, when several internal eunuchs came to Qi Wang's mansion to spread oral instructions to let Qi Wang enter the palace, he had a faint feeling that something was wrong.

Calling people into the palace early in the morning is definitely not a good thing!

Sure enough, after King Qi returned to the mansion, his face was clouded.

The king of Qi said angrily: "Gu has been demoted! I have been demoted to the county king!"

As he spoke, he patted the tea table beside him, causing the tea cup to bounce up and down.

Everyone was shocked when they heard the words.

Chang Shi Dou Rong settled down, frowned and said: "My lord, could it be because of the Dongcheng incident?"

"I can't hide it from you sir, that Jia Heng, who belongs to the hunting dog, pried open the mouth of Liu You's dog servant in just one night, and sent the confession of Huang Laosan's subordinates of the Sanhe gang to the emperor. No matter how hard Ren Gu tried to defend himself, the royal father just refused to listen and insisted on surrendering Gu's title!"

The more King Qi spoke, the more indignant he became, his chubby face was filled with anger.

As for before Miyagi, he was cut off by Jia Heng with the Son of Heaven sword to scare off the servant's ear, which frightened Nene and dared not say anything, so there is no need to say it.

Dou Rong's face was solemn, his eyes flickered under his broken eyebrows, and he twisted a strand of beard under his jaw, thinking about how to deal with it.

King Qi cast his eyes on several counselors, and finally fell on Toutuo, saying: "Master Huitong, the strategy of killing people to silence the mouth is no longer possible, and we need to think of a new way."

Killing and silence is the strategy proposed by Huitong.

Huitong's thick lips moved, his voice was hoarse and rough, and he said, "My lord, did you just say that something happened to Jia Ziyu?"

Seeing Huitong's fierce gaze and unfriendly expression, King Qi quickly waved his hands and said with a wry smile: "Master Huitong, don't think about Hua now, this Jia Heng is not Liu You, he is the one who is in the limelight in Shenjing City now, besides, It’s okay if you kill him all at once, but if you can’t kill him..."

If he couldn't kill him, thinking of those cold and fierce eyes in front of the palace gate, he was a little afraid of King Qi's unscrupulous temperament.

Dou Rong frowned and said: "My lord, you must not touch this Jia Heng! It's not that you can't do anything, but your lord... I'm afraid that the Holy One has a heart to depose the lord, just because the Supreme Emperor is still suppressing..."

"Huh?" King Qi's complexion changed wildly when he heard the words, but because of the shocking words, he said angrily: "What mistake did this king make, my father wants to have such a heart..."

As he said that, he also lacked confidence, his face was gloomy, and he snorted coldly.

Dou Rong said: "The lord is under the eyes of the Holy One, supporting the Sanhe Gang and others to do things, but the Holy One has not heard anything about it. This is a big mistake in the eyes of the Holy One!"

King Qi felt a little displeased when he heard the words, but he suppressed it and sighed: "Isn't this what Mr. said before? Winning the heir is not a day's work, it takes water to wear through a stone, and the holy family in a day is prosperous. In addition, it is almost the same as nothing, the only thing that matters is cultivating one's own power. The master's words are still in my ears, and Gu also obeys, but now... the Sacred Heart is almost disgusted, and the wings are about to be cut off, alas..."

Xu Shaozhen at the side heard the words, Gu Lulu rolled his eyes and said: "My lord, don't be too anxious, if this matter is well planned, it might not be possible to turn bad luck into good luck, and make good fortune out of disaster."

King Qi frowned, his heart moved, and he asked, "Sir, what can you teach me?"

Xu Shaozhen glanced at Dou Rong, who had a gloomy face, and said, "Chang Dou has always been a wise man, do you have a good plan?"

King Qi: "..."

Dou Rong pondered for a moment, then said: "My lord needs to cut off with the Sanhe gang, at least on the surface. From now on, study behind closed doors and don't ask about things outside the house. And the Sanhe gang is in charge of unloading grain, they are facing extinction How can we not jump over the wall in a hurry and fight to the death, and when Jia Ziyu and others are unable to control it, at that time, there will be officials to impeach, and the prince will take advantage of the trend to appease the Sanhe gang. At that time, the whole court will only think that the prince If you are proficient in government affairs, you will not be shocked by honor or disgrace, and the mind of the Holy One will definitely change accordingly."

Xu Shaozhen's eyes lit up when he heard the words, and he agreed: "Your Majesty, what Dou Changshi said is a good policy. Aren't Jia Heng and Jingzhao Yamen going to do something? If they can't do something, then it's useless to say more! They will only think that they are incompetent, and at that time, when the prince cleans up the mess, the so-called collusion with gang forces in the past will become the prince's humiliation and tolerance for the country."

King Qi was overjoyed when he heard the words, but after thinking about it, he frowned again and said worriedly: "I'm not afraid of [-], just in case, what if they make it?"

Before Xu Shaozhen could say anything, Dou Rong showed a coldness on his old face, and said: "The Sanhe Gang is not a day or two, and tens of thousands of workers need food and clothing, who can do it! Besides, as long as the Sanhe Gang is united and sincere , unite as one, no one can touch them!"

"My lord, the poor monk just thought of a plan to wash away his bad name and prepare for his comeback in the future." At this moment, Toutuo Huitong suddenly spoke.

King Qi was taken aback when he heard the words, and asked anxiously, "What good strategy does Master have?"

Huitong glanced at Dou Rong who was frowning and silent, and said coldly: "This strategy is inspired by the talented Mr. Dou just now. The prince can hint at the members of the Sanhe gang, and then kill Liu You and others to silence them." It is absolutely impossible to implicate him on the prince's head by slandering him."

"Master, this... Father will definitely suspect that he did it alone. Isn't this adding fuel to the flames?" King Qi heard the words, the fat on his fat face jumped, and said anxiously: "Don't say father No doubt! It's all lice on the bald man's head, it's obvious."

King Qi was used to being rude, and he realized that it was rude to say that the bald man was in front of the monk, but he didn't care.

Dou Rong frowned, and said: "Let Chunxiang hint to Sanhe to help them, they will do their own thing, nothing to do with the prince!"

"Mr. Dou also supports this matter?" King Qi asked in surprise.

Dou Rong's face showed bitter thought, his eyes flickered, and he said hesitantly: "The Holy Majesty knows that the prince is involved in the case, so whether the Sanhe Gang bandits and Liu You are silenced, the Holy Majesty may not be concerned, and may even acquiesce in this matter."

The freshness of these words almost attracted all the eyes in the secret room.

Dou Rong pondered and said: "Just now, the old man said that the sage has already had a thought of deposing the prince, but because of the Supreme Emperor and the current situation in the court, he did not make it, but once Liu You and others are sent to Xu Deqing, it will implicate the prince. Come on, have you ever thought about it, my lord? The courtiers may have a tendency to impeach him. Although the Holy Majesty has dealt with the lord in advance and has a talk in advance, the lord will still be notorious. At that time... Once the reputation is bad, do you still want to enter the East Palace? ?”

King Qi's face was gloomy when he heard the words, and he said, "What Mr. said makes sense."

Dou Rong said again: "Although the lord has a mediocre reputation among scholars, he should at least be regarded as a competent and capable person in government affairs! Although the lord did not learn from the king of Chu in the first place to pursue false fame and gain nothing, but he can't really do it. Notorious, at least one has a mixed reputation, the connection with the Sanhe gang, so we have to cut it off for a while, but we can't tolerate Liu You's involvement with the prince."

Dou Rong's strategy is to eliminate hidden dangers, to stand on the sidelines, and secretly spoil the matter between Jia Heng and Xu Lu.

Once it fails, counterattack again.

But we can't just sit back and watch King Qi become notorious, we need to make some repairs.

"It's just another plan to kill people to silence the public. Is the father really not angry?" King Qi frowned, still hesitating.

Dou Rong smiled lightly, and said: "Does the lord still need to kill people to silence his words? His Majesty already knows, but he still uses murder to silence his mouth? It's all because of the Sanhe gang who jumped the wall in a hurry and made their own decisions! The lord is now in the mansion. Just say that you can send subordinate officials to assist Jia Ziyu and others in handling the case."

"Wonderful." Xu Shaozhen on the side praised.

Obviously, he admired this kind of method of trying to figure out the emperor's mind, the pinnacle of the pinnacle.

Hui Tong also nodded when he heard the words, and said: "And Jia Heng just set up an ambush to trap the members of the Three Rivers Gang, and now he would never think that we will come again."

King Qi's eyes also brightened, but he corrected him: "It's not us, it's the Sanhe gang who jumped the wall in a hurry and made their own decisions. I don't know about this, and I study at home behind closed doors, cultivating my morals. By the way, I am studying Jia Ziyu's The Three Kingdoms. Ha ha."

(End of this chapter)