King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 495 Clues appear

At this time, the emperor was also thinking about the purpose of the emperor's words from now on.

"Could it be that the old man has an old heart and plans to support Lao Shisan and then use him to drive me away?"

Although this idea is outrageous, objectively it makes sense.

But from the beginning to the end, Zhu Xianming never doubted Zhu Jinghong, and he never thought from the bottom of his heart that that naughty and arrogant boy could hide things.

Looking at the old man in his dying years, Zhu Xianming felt that he had been too much. As an emperor with great achievements, he was confident that he could control the overall situation.

It is taboo to change generals on the spot, not to mention that Zhu Jinghong has won consecutive battles, so Zhu Xianming is even more reluctant to replace him.

"What the Supreme Emperor said is absolutely true!" Zhu Xianming responded.

Some people in the network were completely given up, so they turned their thoughts to other places, such as some rumors in the capital.

Just when everyone had different thoughts, a eunuch came in from outside.

The visitor was known to everyone present. He was Dai Quan, the Superintendent of Ceremonies, who was ordered to supervise the Dongchang.

"Your Majesty, a great victory... a great victory in the northwest!"

Normally, a small matter such as delivering a report to the emperor would not be done personally by a high eunuch like Dai Quan.

But today he happened to encounter it, and it was an incredible victory in the northwest, so Dai Quan wanted to present it to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, great victory in the northwest!"

Across the crowd, Dai Quan knelt down on the emperor's case, as if holding up the sky, and handed the good news to Zhu Xianming.

Of course Zhu Xianming wanted to read the memorial, but in front of so many princes, nobles and courtiers, he had to show his calmness and calmness.

When Cheng Ying took the good news and carefully handed it to Zhu Xianming, he only said calmly: "Read it!"

"Yes!"

After Cheng Ying responded, he opened the memorial and read: "The Military Report of the Northwest Governor's Administration..."

"The virtue of the Holy One shines brightly in the sun and moon, so..."

"It's important to pick it up!" Zhu Xianming frowned.

In fact, other people present at the scene also wanted to know the content of the good news.

Twenty days have passed, and although there are still good news coming, there is no such thing as a big victory, and everyone is looking forward to it.

"On the third day of September in the twelfth year of Zhengtong, the enemy used a plan to attack the east and attack the west, and pretended to attack our Qinghai Xingdu Division and the Jurchen tribes and various tribes..."

"However, its main force will penetrate directly into the two guards of our army's Beijing camp. Our army is also prepared for this, so we are waiting for work..."

Although the battle report showed that the situation was tense, the development of the situation was under control, which also illustrates Zhu Jinghong's talent in commanding operations.

Now Zhu Xianming is also eager to know what the outcome of this battle will be. As for the process, he no longer cares much.

Facing Zhu Xianming's gaze, Cheng Ying suddenly understood and hurriedly said: "In this battle, the enemy's three main forces, Wanhu, were defeated, and more than 17,000 elite enemy cavalry were wiped out. The young master of Junggar No. 0 was also captured alive!"

"One hundred and seventy-eight people from our Zhenwei Central Guards died, 459 people from Qinghai Xingdu Division died, and the Jurchen tribes..."

Adding up all the troops, including the Ming army's infantry and cavalry, more than 2,400 people died in the battle. The exchange ratio was about 1 to 7. This can definitely be regarded as a rare victory.

"After this battle, the enemy's cavalry has little strength to fight again. Our army has grasped the opportunity to attack and is not far from the day when we will defeat the enemy and triumph!"

I thought that the good news would be over here, but Cheng Ying continued to read: "From now on, the main force of our army will continue to advance northward, and the Jurchen and Tibetan cavalry will go to the northeast to assist the Anxi capital to pacify Zhasak and other three countries!"

He was too courageous to divide his troops just after the victory... Zhu Xianming was astonished.

But if things go smoothly and the three kingdoms of Zhasak can be pacified first, the rear of Junggar can be attacked stably, and the frontline operations will be more stable.

"Little Thirteen is really like a god with his troops. He is winning battle after battle. I think it won't be long before he can really sing and triumph!" Zhu Xinkan said with a smile.

He had always liked this little grandson, and now that the child had achieved such great results, Zhu Xinkan couldn't help but praise him.

Of course, Zhu Xinkan did not forget his own son, and immediately praised: "Fourth...you gave birth to a good son!"

Even the Supreme Emperor praised him, but all the princes and princes present were ignorant, so they all took advantage of the opportunity to praise Zhu Jinghong and touted the great achievements of the emperor in teaching his son to govern the country.

But when it comes to the level of flattery, everyone in the clan is the younger brother, and the civil servants present immediately taught them a lesson.

Many of these officials had participated in the impeachment of Zhu Jinghong, and they would not blush to praise him at this moment.

There were many voices singing praises at the scene, but Zhu Xianming always had a calm expression, but the curvature of the corners of his mouth proved his happiness.

I have to tell the queen this good news... This is Zhu Xianming's most urgent thought.

In this world, the only person left worthy of sharing his joy is the Queen.

At this moment, Cheng Ying continued to say: "Your Majesty, there is also... a letter from Master Thirteen attached!"

"Oh?"

After a brief doubt, Zhu Xianming stretched out his hand, and Cheng Ying handed over the letter in time.

On the envelope were written the words "Father and Emperor", which made Zhu Xianming quite dumbfounded.

Normally, the general in charge of the army would have to report the situation privately to the emperor in the form of a memorial. The method of writing a letter was absolutely unprecedented.

Of course, Zhu Xianming didn't pay much attention. He opened the envelope immediately, took out the letter and read it carefully.

It started with a very disgusting piece of flattery, so Zhu Xianming casually skipped it and turned directly to the work at the end.

The content was very simple. Zhu Jinghong emphasized that the northward march was unimpeded and promised to capture the city of Hami as soon as possible as a gift to the Supreme Emperor on his birthday.

"After we capture the city of Hami, we should hurry back to Beijing and try to arrive before the Holy Birthday Festival!"

It was less than a month before the Holy Shou Festival. To capture the city of Hami in such a short time was definitely a boast.

Even though Zhu Jinghong has proven his ability, Zhu Xianming is still skeptical, so he will not make the content of this letter public.

If Zhu Jinghong cannot do it by then, this arrangement will not damage his face.

This is in line with the old saying, if parents love their children, they will have far-reaching plans!

Putting the letter away, Zhu Xianming said slowly: "The good news was sent back on the fourth day of September. Today is already the fifteenth day of September. Even if they rest for two days, if there is no accident, they should approach Hami City!"

Zhu Xianming kept the maps of Ming Dynasty and surrounding areas in his heart. By roughly estimating the marching speed, he came to the conclusion that Zhu Jinghong had arrived in Hami.

It is impossible to rush back to the capital from Hami like the eight-hundred-mile express. After all, the postmen have to change people and horses, and relay messages can only survive.

So it would take at least twenty days to get back to the capital.

This also means that Zhu Jinghong must take Hami City in one go within nine months. For him, the time is only eleven or two days.

"This boy...maybe he can really accomplish this!" At this moment, Zhu Xianming no longer doubted easily.

As the saying goes, facts speak louder than words. He, Zhu Xianming, would never be able to play better than Zhu Jinghong if he stayed in Zhu Jinghong's position.

the student surpasses the master……

At this moment, Zhu Xianming felt that he was rarely satisfied and complacent with the fact that his son was better than himself.

Of course, these are all digressions. Zhu Xianming has no intention of staying here now, just because he wants to see his first wife and tell him about the boy from the northwest.

"The Emperor is also tired. That's it for today!" Zhu Xianming stood up and said.

…………

The battle report in the northwest took less than two days to spread throughout the capital.

Heroes are naturally eye-catching, and everyone is talking about Zhu Jinghong's heroic deeds, but with the help of interested people, there are even more gossips about Princess Xiang. Ni Er was really busy these two days. He just contacted local snakes to get information. He even sneaked into a house himself at night.

Of course, it was thanks to the help of his friends that the people living here were suspicious, so he found these places.

Although his friends were reckless, they were also very shrewd and did not want to get too involved in this matter, so Ni Er had to come in person.

Although he is in his thirties, he goes through wind and rain every day. His physical fitness is extremely handsome, and he can climb walls and stairs with ease.

This Sanjin Mansion looks very ordinary from the outside, but it is extraordinarily extraordinary inside. It's not that the decoration is luxurious, but that there are too many nursing homes.

The third family that entered the courtyard asked three or five nursing staff to support the sky, but Ni Er roughly calculated that there were more than twenty people here.

Such an abnormal situation means that this seemingly ordinary courtyard must have a deep hidden secret.

If I were discovered, I wouldn't be beaten to death. I would really be risking my life... Ni Er thought to himself.

Trying to hide his whereabouts as much as possible, Ni Er went around the wall and first went to the outer hall. He only saw people eating and drinking inside, but didn't find anything special.

So he went around to the back room and climbed to the ridge of the roof again.

Ni Er was extremely careful during the entire process. The distance between the front and back was only twenty feet, but it actually took him a full two-quarters of an hour.

After standing still on the ridge of the roof, Ni Er calmed down and listened carefully.

There wasn't much movement inside, but you could hear people eating and chatting with each other.

He carefully removed a piece of tile, and when he looked down, he found something. Just because a few people in the room were better dressed, they were the people in charge here.

Ni Er was not in a hurry, just lying on the roof, waiting very quietly.

The two people below were chatting, mostly talking about things in their hometown, which made Ni Er know that they were not locals.

In fact, judging only from his accent, he could also come to this result.

After about ten minutes, he finally heard the key word "Uncle Yongtai's Mansion".

Ni Er is well-informed and has naturally heard of Yongtai Bo Mansion. After all, this is the natal family of the current queen.

Sure enough, the royal family's affairs are very involved, and these big shots have been involved since then, so how can I meddle in it at will?

Previously, Ni Er thought that if he was caught by these people, he would inevitably be beaten severely.

Now he knows that if he really falls into the hands of these people, he is afraid that not only will his life be saved, but even the rest of his family will be wiped out as well.

For the first time, Ni Er had an intuitive feeling about the danger of the matter...

Of course he was afraid, but he quickly suppressed his fear because he knew that high risks lead to high rewards.

After listening for a while, Ni Er finally figured out what was going on. It turned out that the two people in the room were both members of the Yongtai Bofu's common branch. They secretly came to Beijing to spread rumors in order to help Prince Xiang's concubine rise to power.

This matter is also related to Prince Rui's Mansion...

Hearing this updated news, Ni Er couldn't restrain his body from trembling. After all, the background of Prince Rui's Mansion was even bigger.

Just lying on the roof, Ni Er waited until everyone fell asleep before he quietly climbed down from the upstairs and melted into the night.

September 18th was the second day of Ni Er's night visit.

When rumors arose in the capital, the first memorial to impeach Princess Xiang for being "unfilial", "jealous" and "domineering" was jointly submitted to the imperial court by more than a dozen students from the Imperial College.

Seeing the memorials of these students, Zhu Xianming was so angry that his beard became crooked.

"These students are ignorant of the classics and meanings. They should have spent their lives studying and cultivating their moral character. But now they follow the crowd and follow what others say. They have failed the court's grace..."

"In passing the decree, all those who jointly submitted the report will be punished with twenty sticks, expelled from the Imperial College, and their fame will be reduced and they will never be used again!" Zhu Xianming said coldly.

The emperor's furious look frightened Cheng Ying almost to death. He rarely saw his master like this.

"Yes!"

"Call Dai Quan again!" Zhu Xianming frowned.

"Yes!"

Soon Dai Quan rushed to the Qianqing Palace and knelt down in front of the emperor. He had learned about the situation from Cheng Ying.

"Kowtow to Your Majesty!"

Throwing the students' memorials in front of Dai Quan, Zhu Xianming said coldly: "There are rumors about Prince Xiang's Mansion in the capital. Now they are making a big fuss. Why don't you report them to me!"

In fact, Zhu Xianming had heard the rumors in the capital from Cheng Ying before, but he didn't pay attention at all at that time.

At this time, Dai Quan was trembling with fear and replied in great panic: "Back to... Your Majesty, these rumors are baseless. I have already ordered someone to investigate!"

Seeing Dai Quan evading the question, Zhu Xianming asked in an increasingly cold tone: "I ask you why you didn't report to me!"

Having followed the emperor for decades, Dai Quan knew very well how dangerous he was at this moment. If he failed, he would be killed and his family would be destroyed.

"How dare I report such nonsense, which is insulting to the Holy Spirit? Even if I report it... I still need to catch the people behind the scenes before I can report it to His Majesty!"

There are many things that the emperor needs to know every day. Rumors and rumors are indeed trivial matters. It makes sense that Dai Quan did not report them randomly out of consideration for the emperor.

What's more, he has always emphasized that he is not indifferent to this, but has sent people to investigate the matter strictly, so it is not that he has taken no action.

"is it?"

Dai Quan was about to explain, but he heard Zhu Xianming continue to ask: "Could it be that someone suggested it and deliberately concealed it?"

In Zhu Xianming's view, both the prince and Prince Rui may have intervened in this matter, and they may even be the masterminds behind the scenes.

Lao Shisan is now successful, and Zhu Xianming thinks that it is extremely normal for the two brothers to be jealous.

Dai Quan raised his head at this time and replied with tears in his eyes: "This slave is only loyal to Your Majesty and will never do anything for anyone. If Your Majesty doesn't believe it... I am willing to die to prove my will!"

After saying this, Dai Quan knelt on the ground and knocked his forehead directly on the ground, as if he accepted the punishment.

Although Dai Quan is the admiral of Dongchang, he is by no means a single-handed man in Dongchang, so Zhu Xianming is not afraid of his having second thoughts.

In Dongchang alone, there were several people eyeing Dai Quan's position, which forced him to be loyal to the emperor, otherwise there was only death waiting for him.

So today, Dai Quan suffered a complete disaster, but he has actually gotten used to it after so many years.

After a few moments of silence in the hall, Zhu Xianming asked: "Since you sent people to investigate, can you find anything now?"

Hearing this question, Dai Quan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the most difficult stage was over.

"This...maybe someone is causing trouble secretly. I'm currently checking the truth!"

Dongchang has many targets to monitor, and Jin Yiwei is also in the same situation. Therefore, the manpower that can be sent to investigate this matter is limited, and it is normal for the investigation to be slow.

Zhu Xianming then asked: "In your opinion, who is the mastermind behind this?"

Dai Quan dared to answer such a question, so he stammered: "I think it's... someone who has a grudge against the Thirteenth Master, or maybe... it's someone from the White Lotus Sect who is causing trouble!"

Knowing that this slave did not dare to express his position casually, Zhu Xianming did not want to talk nonsense with him at this time, and immediately said: "Go down and investigate carefully, and find out the truth as soon as possible!"

"Yes!" Dai Quan replied.

Zhu Xianming emphasized; "No matter who it is, let me find out!"

　Yesterday, everyone refused to ask for leave. How could the author be so ungrateful? I heard that donkeys in the production team also have leisure time, but the author is not as good as a donkey? I treat you like first love, but who would have thought that you treat me like a business? Sigh!

　　

　

(End of this chapter)