Jingming

Chapter 141 Ganzhou Mutiny
How did "Wild Notes" spread in Jiangnan?
"It is inconvenient for the supervisor to investigate this matter, so His 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 received it awe-inspiringly: "Thank you Zhen Fu, please sit down, please advise."

The dossier should be read slowly, but some words may not be put on paper.

After Wang Zuo thanked him, he sat down on the chair.

After looking at Zhang Zilin, he first greeted with a smile, "He came back from the Taiwan Supervisory Tour in Zhejiang and Fujian, and he looks a little thinner. With a big responsibility, the body is important."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to share your worries as soon as possible." Zhang Zilin paused and then said carefully, "After a detailed investigation of this case, there are many doubts. The scholars in the south of the Yangtze River circulated "Wild Records", and there are quite a lot of people who made false comments on Taizong's old affairs. The earliest clue was at the beginning of the year. At that time, the late emperor had not yet made great progress."

Wang Zuo nodded: "At first, there were some more manuscripts, all of which were in Taige style. I found out that the first person who had to read this manuscript was in several buildings on the Qinhuai River, and said that I don't know which benefactors left behind. Later, some booksellers heard that His Majesty was discussing the succession of rites and not succession, and published it for profit, so it spread."

"Since there is proof of the township, it should be true." Zhang Zilin had a headache, "At the beginning of the year, the thieves began to weave their nets. The governor has verified that among the nine murders, there are two magistrates in Nanzhili, Zhejiang and Fujian, and one county magistrate. The magistrate was indeed a vendetta. The Fujian inspector died when the bandits robbed Yanchi while patrolling salt. However, the other five people were undoubtedly assassinated deliberately. The murderers of the three vendetta murders have been captured, but whether they were instigated or instigated afterwards, they cannot be subdued. .”

"It's irrelevant to the overall situation. It's a fact that someone took the opportunity to add several more 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 dared to kill officials. Why not?" Taking advantage of the chaos and wantonly looting? Such a big case, how can a small group of bandits dare to take the initiative, and how can we know the exact whereabouts of those officials?"

Zhang Zilin was silent for a moment: "The officials in the southeast, the governor has already checked them all. Many new cases have been found in the interrogation, but there is no evidence to prove that they are involved in the case. They have no reason to do such a major rebellion case. The governor arrived Afterwards, everything was done with trepidation and dutifully."

"There are too many gentry and officials, and the inspector can't find it, and I can't find it either." Wang Zuo understood his embarrassment, and then said, "Now it seems that the conspiracy of the rebels is probably concerned with the investigation of the southeast. His majesty has to investigate the case of killing officials. Nine officials in three places were assassinated within ten days, and "Wild Notes" was weaving a net at the beginning of the year. It seems that the generation planned it carefully. In fact, it is not difficult."

Zhang Zilin narrowed his eyes slightly: "Why do you see that?"

After learning that there is a vendetta somewhere, it is not difficult to mobilize manpower and intelligence networks in different places in a short period of time to add a few more cases?
Wang Zuo looked at him with a smile that was not a smile: "In the lobby of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, the governor also saw Mr. Yang Ge admonishing His Majesty not to thoroughly investigate the officials involved in the Qian Ning and Jiang Bin cases. In the southeast, there are a few more officials who are enough Calling it clean? Since the arrangement was made in the southeast, several gangs of bandits made a bold move to arrest the official casually. After killing and investigating, it would appear suspicious. If you only want your majesty to investigate the southeast, there will be no reason for it. If a few officials are killed inside, it will not be easy for you and me to find out the real culprit."

Zhang Zilin asked in amazement: "Will... kill?"

"Three or five gangsters have been lurking in their usual places for several months or even years. How can they not know where the officials often go? Once the letter arrives, they squat somewhere and kill when they see it. There is no reason, no defense, suddenly How difficult is it to make a move? Didn’t the three of them still have guards accompanying them? With a sniper arrow, they were killed if they couldn’t defend against it.” Wang Zuo looked at him, “Master Dutai, if there are dead soldiers who have practiced hard for many years, I will fight with you. No injustice, no enmity, hiding in the dark and seeing you walking on the street and shooting an arrow at you, how do you defend yourself?"

Zhang Zilin only felt a chill on his neck: "...the magistrate of Kunshan is an assassin who cut his throat close by."

"He used to go to Qingyun Pavilion with only bearers. If you were a local official, most of your subordinates would be obedient citizens, so would you be able to guard against thieves every day?" Wang Zuo's eyes flickered, "This group of rebels must have been lurking here Those places, and they are in the middle of the market, have been around for a long time. I have already arranged to check only if there are acquaintances who have disappeared recently. Dutai, you should also check in this direction!"

He stood up: "If there is a proper reason to leave the place, there are only a few ways: study tours, business trips, and socializing with the host's family. Before and after the incident, the guide is the clue."

Zhang Zilin watched him leave and stared at his back for a long time.

Is this the Fushi of Jinyiwei Beizhen?
It's still different from trial by criminal name.What they think about the most is to search for evidence. As for interrogation in prison... that is already the worst method.

Opening the file solemnly, Zhang Zilin read it carefully.

Excluding the investigation results of how "Wild Records" began to circulate, the second part is about the commercial houses and rich families in Nanzhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian who often traded across provinces.

Before and after the incident, the caravans and fleets that entered and exited from the place where the incident occurred can be seen vividly.

Zhang Zilin took a deep breath. He knew that he had to investigate two other aspects: Which local scholars and officials took people out of the country before and after the incident, to study abroad or to visit relatives.

"Gui Zishi." He called Gui E in, "You said that the people who weaved the net were outside the southeast, that's right. It's just that the murder of officials in the southeast must be solved. You go to Fujian on behalf of the 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 commander-in-chief of Ganzhou, came to the Governor's Yamen of Gansu Town with a cold face and a few soldiers.

After breaking in all the way, he didn't care if anyone was present, and raised his voice in a questioning tone: "Master Futai, all the commanders of my guards have come to report, and the food and salary will be halved this month?"

Governor Xu Ming of Gansu frowned, and said to the others, "Go down first."

After only himself, Li Long and his personal soldiers were left in the hall, Xu Ming said calmly: "This year's harvest is bumper, and rice is cheap at this time, what's the problem?"

Li Long stared at him with a sullen face: "The monthly grain is one stone, and there should be seven coins in silver, but Master Futai only pays three coins and three. I would like to ask Futai, do you think it's okay?"

Xu Ming looked at him without fear: "As far as I know, Ganzhou has a lot of old grain, and Shaanxi new grain has arrived. The price of rice has been halved, and silver should be halved. Three cents and three are enough to buy A stone of rice."

Li Long stared at him for a while, then said: "Gansu Zhangye Five Guards, Suzhou Guards, Xining Guards, Jinzhou Guards, so many generals and soldiers flocked to him, the price of food went up. If we can't buy enough food, how can we?" Can you feed your hunger? If you can’t, how will the soldiers guard the northwest. Lord Futai, if something goes wrong, can you take care of it?”

Xu Ming glanced at him, and then sat down leisurely behind the desk: "My governor has allocated enough money to buy one month's grain and rice according to the book, and now Li Zongbing has enough money and enough grain in Ganzhou. If something happens, Can President Li take care of it?"

Li Long looked at him with a gloomy expression.

Xu Ming cupped his hands and turned to the other side leisurely: "Even in front of the master of Taiwan, Li Zongbing can't win this reason. The change of Yuan is imminent, and Qian Ning and Jiang Bin have already given the leadership. I advise Li Zongbing to focus on side matters. Heavy. How much money can buy enough food and rice, Ben Fu knows, and Li Zongbing also knows."

His tone is so not salty. Although Li Long is the highest military general in the border town of Ganzhou, Xu Ming's powers include building cities, managing money and food, training soldiers, casting utensils and armor, supervising the vassal department, governing trade, and supervising the location. Baiguan.

"Since Futai insists on this, I have no choice but to go to Shuzhitai first, and then explain the matter to Dong Gonggong." He narrowed his eyes and looked at Xu Ming, "Futai cut half of the salary without authorization. It is impossible to push all the blame to this general! Please do it yourself! Let's go!"

He turned around and waved his hands, and the soldiers all looked 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 fill my own pocket!"

How many people are there in the Ganzhou frontier army, which claims to be more than [-]?
Food and salaries are paid in full.

This year's harvest grain prices have plummeted, and he has no idea how much he has hoarded.

If the price of grain was still paid to silver in the past, and the price was increased after the flock to buy grain, and the military households were willing to take this opportunity to hoard more grain, Li Long would naturally make a lot of money.

Right now, if the market price is halved to silver, then Li Long will not be able to increase the price and sell it at a profit.

Although the military households couldn't take advantage of this opportunity to hoard more food, but in any case, it was necessary to cut off Li Long's way of hoarding food and detaining the sergeant after eating empty pay!
Xu Ming continued to call people back to deal with official duties 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, before Your Majesty Wanshou, Eunuch and others wanted to purchase tributes, and I, the guards in Gansu, offered more than six thousand taels. Now that the monthly silver is given at half the price, Eunuch Dong will not tell Futai about the hardships of the soldiers?"

In front of Dong Wenzhong, Li Long spoke very straightforwardly.

Dong Wenzhong was terrified, and persuaded with some flattery: "Mr. Li, the situation is different this year. Let's sell your rice like this! As long as Ganzhou is stable, we will talk about it in the future, and 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 can't hold back Xu Xiangfeng who just arrived? How much has he already cut off my salary after he checked the guards? Now I still pay half of the money. I am in Ganzhou, how can I do it?" Can you defend the border for the country?"

"He gave half of the silver and deducted the military salary, I will play on my own. Don't worry, don't worry, he won't stay for long..."

"Two months ago, my father-in-law said the same thing." Li Long's eyes showed a fierce look, "The year is approaching, and now we have to beware of captives every day. If the soldiers can't eat enough, there will be changes. Does your father-in-law really care?"

If it was the past, Dong Wenzhong would of course take care of it.

But the news came from the palace, Dong Wenzhong was terrified now, and he stretched out his hand to hold him: "Mr. Li, don't mess up at this time! Yang Zhitai knows the frontier affairs, and Xu Xiangfeng gave half of the silver to treat the frontier army harshly. In case of this matter, Yang Zhitai also knows that Ganzhou must be stable at this time, and will definitely deal with it. Don't worry!"

Seeing his posture, Li Long thought for a moment and said, "Seven days, I'll only wait for seven days! If Futai doesn't change his mind, I can definitely tell Eunuch that something will happen!"

After all, he just walked away facing the Gansu eunuch in the head town.

Dong Wenzhong gritted his teeth with hatred, but he was also frightened and frightened.

As a rule, some of the salary will be deducted for this killing. After it is paid to the soldiers, how can there be three cents?

The winter is bitter and cold, which family will not save some money for the New Year?
Xu Ming, that lofty and pedantic nerd, only knows how to do things impartially. For three dollars, it is impossible for soldiers to buy enough food. Don't they understand?

Li Long...Dong Wenzhong regretted it to death now.

But he has already boarded his thief ship, what should we do?
His Majesty said that the Longevity Day should be kept simple, but Dong Wenzhong still handed over all the money Dong Wenzhong collected from Ganzhou. Otherwise, he could have avoided the storm of Fu Lun's suicide?
It is also impossible to take out more than 1 taels of silver from the salary and distribute it to each soldier!

Dong Wenzhong was still in a panic, but Li Long had already returned to the General Military Mansion and called several of his confidants over.

"The two major areas are killing and killing, and there are people in the southeast rebelling." Li Long felt that he had no plans left, "The border town must not change again! Xu Ming, that idiot, must take this opportunity to drive him away completely!"

Thinking that half of the food he had hoarded would rot this time, Li Long gritted his teeth.

"General, what to do?"

"Tell the soldiers below that the salary must go up! Three dollars and three, who can eat?" This time he didn't intend to ask for a lower price. "Before the salary is paid, three days' worth of food is prepared. If Xu Ming's dog If it doesn’t rise to seven renminbi, then there will be trouble! Whoever takes the lead to go back will be killed!”

"...General, in case..."

Li Long said with certainty: "There is no chance! Either Xu Ming backs down, and Ganzhou will still listen to Lao Tzu in the future! Or, let him be convicted of embezzlement of military rations and stir up mutiny, and drive him away! In a word, three cents three , can't live!"

In the governor's yamen, Xu Ming arranged the distribution of this month's salary and said indifferently: "Go to the grain stores in advance to post notices. If anyone raises the price, the governor will strictly deal with it! Those who have grain and don't sell it to hoard it will be killed!"

He didn't know what his forging ahead in Ganzhou had ignited.

The fleet from Guangdong is continuing to travel north, and the supervision and investigation of the murder of officials in the southeast has entered a new stage.

In Beijing, since Yang Shen went to Guangdong, Yang Tinghe felt a lot more lonely.

The second son will take the exam every year after preparing for the exam, and the third and fourth sons are still young.

It's just that after His Majesty proposed to choose a young son from the clan to be adopted by the Daxing Emperor, not only did none of the ministers who participated in the national policy meeting make any comments on the spot, nor did they discuss this matter again after that.

But everyone knows the deep meaning of it, and also understands how dangerous it may be.

Yang Tinghe didn't know if this was another temptation by the emperor, but he knew that the suspicion that the killing of officials in the southeast might cause between the monarch and his ministers still existed in fact.

After all, there will be a final negotiation, when the candidate for the heir is proposed, and when it is really necessary to start discussing the place to build the vassal.

Princess Yongkang felt that Cui Yuan, apart from being unparalleled in the first few days, gradually became more and more preoccupied.

As he said, maybe the national policy meeting is really not a place for people to stay.

"Didn't it mean... that you might 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 Road of Haiphong, Guangdong.With just one order, he can "break into" Fujian.

In the case of Dongnan, it has been basically confirmed that someone did it deliberately.

Even if the incumbent officials are not involved, some great families may just be used, but since someone did it deliberately, it means someone is plotting rebellion.

Someone conspired!

How could Cui Yuan, who was sitting in the imperial study on behalf of the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, still have the interest to really attack the princess?

Wang Qiong is visiting Yuan Zonggao.

Recently, the "intensity" of the national policy meeting has dropped, and Yuan Zonggao also fell ill after winter.

"Mr. Zhongde, there are some things that only you can say conveniently." Wang Qiong sighed, "but now you are sick again..."

Yuan Zonggao smiled wryly while lying on the bed: "Dehua, Your Majesty is so talented and mighty, there are some things... cough cough... I can't just say it casually."

Wang Qiong wanted to come to discuss with him. After all, Yuan Zonggao "guaranteeed" him that day, and now it is justified to visit him when he is ill.

He just didn't expect Yuan Zonggao to be seriously ill.

"Forget it, after the heir is elected, we still have to discuss it again. Mr. Zhongde, you should take a good rest. The weather in this capital is not as good as that of Jiangxi. I have a little experience. The famous doctor who is often invited at home, I also invited him over. .”

"...Thank you." Yuan Zonggao felt that something was wrong with his body.

I don't know if it's because of overthinking this year that the wind and cold are getting worse.

It is the twelfth lunar month of the 16th year of Zhengde, and the first year of Jiajing will be after the Zhengdan Festival.

After the Shuo Ri Dachaohui, it's a holiday.

The ministers of national policy felt that although the emperor had confirmed that someone was deliberately plotting rebellion, he was calm now.

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 relaxed.

On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, today is a meeting.

The charcoal stove was burning in the royal study, and the emperor looked very relaxed.

"Your Majesty's fate has been assigned to the successor, and this year is a bumper year." Yang Tinghe thought about how to say something, but his mouth was flattering, "Fortunately, His Majesty has planned strategies. Although there are things in the southeast, the governor has a plan, and the water transportation is not enough." No problem, now most of the autumn grain has been stored in the warehouse. Even if it is to transfer the grain from the border town, it is generally safe. With Yang Zhitai sitting in the town, the border town will be fine. Just wait for Fu Rui to capture the rebellious leader in the southeast, and nothing major will happen this year."

After finishing speaking, he looked at the emperor: You won't bring up the matter of the late emperor's heir again, will you?Both the Clan Mansion and the Ministry of Rituals know the importance, and the procedures and official correspondence can be delayed as long as they can.

If you want to lure a snake out of its hole, it is enough to release the news, don't really implement the matter of adoption and feudal king Jianfan!

Before the emperor could say anything, Gao Zhong's panicked voice sounded outside the Zhongyuan Hall: "Your Majesty, Ganzhou Military News, Yang Zhitai hastened the report!"

Everyone in the imperial study room changed their colors: one of the nine sides, it's deep winter, could it be the northern captives?

Zhu Houcong had a dignified expression: "Come in!"

Sixteen pairs of eyes watched Gao Zhong walk quickly to the throne with two copies of the report in his hand, and the emperor began to open them after he took them.

His expression was relaxed at first, and then he became obviously angry, his face was livid.

"...Your Majesty, what happened?"

After Zhu Houcong finished reading one copy and then another, he took a deep breath to calm down.

"Huang Jin, let all the ministers read it." He gave the report to Huang Jin before looking at the crowd, "Ganzhou Mutiny, Gansu Town Governor Xu Ming was burned to death on the spot."

Shi Po shocked the sky, and the hearts of everyone in the imperial study who were already preoccupied suddenly felt a chill.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Southeast, Northwest... Is it really such a coincidence?
But if it wasn't for a coincidence, it would be really hard to imagine anyone in Daming today having such strength and doing this.

But this time, something happened to the frontier army!

(End of this chapter)