King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 547: First Arrival at Yanshan
Leaving the capital, Zhu Jinghong went all the way east, crossing the Yellow River to Kaifeng Prefecture and heading north, passing through Weihui Prefecture and Zhangde Prefecture into Hebei, passing through Shunde, Zhending, and Baoding before entering Yanshan.

On April 20, the 13th year of Zhengtong, fifty miles southwest of Daxing County, Beiping Prefecture, Zhu Jinghong's team arrived here.

"Your Majesty, the Marco Polo Bridge is in front of you!" A military attache in golden robes beside Zhu Jinghong said flatteringly.

This person is Ning Wanfu, a Qianhu household in Yanshan, Fusi, Beizhen. He traveled two hundred miles from Beiping Prefecture to Zhuozhou to meet him. He had been traveling with Zhu Jinghong for three days.

Jinyiwei was a royal servant, so it was normal for Ning Wanfu to greet him with flattery. In addition, he would be useful in the future, so Zhu Jinghong did not drive him away.

As for Yanshan's civil and military officials, according to the system, they only had to go out of the city thirty miles to greet him.

After leaving the capital, Zhu Jinghong took a car at first, but later he rode a horse most of the time.

Firstly, he can travel faster this way, and secondly, it makes it easier for him to observe the customs of the world.

He achieved the first goal, but the second one was useless. He didn't even see a few people along the way.

His itinerary is basically under the control of the local officials. He will definitely be cleared out on the road he passes. Even if there are people, they will basically be impersonated by the police.

At this moment, Zhu Jinghong asked not to follow him. Of course these people and Ning Wanfu did not dare to disobey.

The generals in charge of security reached a consensus, and the next step was to make arrangements directly.

"Ning Qianhu, something happened?" Zhang Lin asked.

Zhang Lin had the best relationship with Zhu Jinghong, so it was up to him to report the news.

This person is the Deputy Qianhu of Yanshan Qianhu Office. Judging from the solemn look on his face, you can tell that something big has happened.

At present, no one in this team can restrain him, so his orders are quickly implemented.

"Everyone has been arrested?"

Checking again will definitely delay time, which means Zhu Jinghong will have to wait here.

Along the way, Zhen Qin wanted to accept Enze, but because of her poor physical condition, Nuo Min accompanied Zhu Jinghong most of the time, which made her more and more angry.

When he came to Ning Wanfu, this Qianhu whispered a few words, and Ning Wanfu instantly felt like he was facing a formidable enemy.

Seeing this famous bridge, Zhu Jinghong thought a lot for a moment and said, "Let's go... get closer and have a look!"

"That makes sense!"

"Lugou Bridge... I just have a rest here. I'll go for a walk on the bridge!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly.

"I took them all, but there are no survivors!"

So they chatted about some things in the capital, and the atmosphere was harmonious and relaxed.

As a result, both ends of the bridge were directly blocked, with hundreds of Beijing military guards on each side, and there were hundreds of guards along the bridge.

But even so, the hundreds of soldiers surrounding him basically blocked his sight.

First of all, the local government responsible for clearing the site is responsible, and the Jinyiwei responsible for inspections are jointly and severally responsible.

Fortunately, the Jinyiwei people found the culprits, and their crimes can be ignored.

After these people left, Zhu Jinghong was followed by another person, Nuo Min, who was riding with him.

Of course she wanted to get off the car and follow Zhu Jinghong to have a look together, but she was so tired from traveling these days that she didn't want to move at all now.

The two of them walked onto the bridge side by side, and Zhen Qin in the carriage felt uncomfortable when she saw them.

After the Qianhu left, Zhang Lin and others looked at Ning Wanfu with doubts in their eyes.

With fear in his heart, Ning Wanfu continued: "I'm just afraid that there are thieves on the road. I think we need to screen them again!"

These people were led by Zhang Lin, a hundred households of the Long Imperial Guard, He Wu, a deputy of the Qianhu Guards, and Zhang Baodong, a general of the Beijing Camp.

Seeing Zhu Jinghong walking slowly, they all looked at ease, and their subordinates thoughtfully brought refreshments.

"That's how it should be!"

Just as Zhen Qin was sulking, Ning Wanfu and others had already crossed the Marco Polo Bridge, and several generals were waiting at the bridge.

"This bridge is so well built!" Nuo Min admired sincerely. She couldn't help but want to go up to the bridge to see the carvings.

This time, Zhu Jinghong was escorted by fifty Dragon Guards sergeants, three hundred Flag Bearer Guards sergeants, and a thousand soldiers from the Beijing camp.

During Zhu Jinghong's trip, the area of ​​30 feet on both sides of the official road would have been cleared early in the morning, but now it was discovered that artillery was hidden on one side of the road. This was a big problem.

Ning Wanfu replied: "Twenty miles along the official road, I found a tunnel... There are thieves hidden in it, and there is also an artillery!"

When they arrived at the bridge, Zhu Jinghong got off his horse and looked around and said, "There are already enough people on the bridge. You don't have to follow me. Go across the bridge and wait for me!"

Zhu Jinghong was helpless and could only enjoy the scenery along the way.

"Hurry up and investigate this case yourself!" Ning Wanfu solemnly requested.

"I arrived at Beiping Mansion today. Let me rest for two days before I argue with her again!"

"This... is still being investigated!"

At this moment, a deputy Qianhu in Jinyi passed through many checkpoints and finally came to Ning Wanfu's side.

"Who are they?" Ning Wanfu asked.

"Yes!"

Ning Wanfu has been in the place for a long time, and although he is well-informed about Jinyiwei, his understanding of the current situation in the capital is not as good as that of Zhang Lin and others.

At this time, on the bridge, Zhu Jinghong looked at the calm water and listened to Zhang Lin's report.

He couldn't help but wonder who wanted to harm him!
The White Lotus Rebellion? Sixth child? Or will he be inspected by Yanshan Dusi?
He is suspicious of anyone in an instant, or does not trust anyone, which shows that Zhu Jinghong already possesses the basic qualities of a qualified emperor.

In the past two years, troubles have continued to happen in the two divisions of Yanshan and Liaodong, and there are many shady activities behind the scenes.

Now that Zhu Jinghong is on inspection, he dares to touch many areas that others dare not touch. It is normal to force some people to jump over the wall.

Thinking that even the artillery was produced, Zhu Jinghong became even more suspicious of the Yanshan Dusi generals.

Assassinating the prince and conspiring to treason are major crimes against the Nine Clans. Normally, these people should not be so unwise.

After all, even if someone is investigated for corruption and bribery, they will only be dismissed from office, confiscated and exiled, or at most be beheaded. It is not worth risking the lives of the entire clan.

But Zhu Jinghong then thought about it, there were so many generals in Yanshan Dusi, it was not surprising that there would be one or two stupid people.

"Is it the people from Yanshan Qianhu Office who are investigating?"

"Exactly!" Zhang Lin replied.

"Where is the hiding place for the artillery? Let me go and see!"

"Your Majesty, this..."

Zhang Lin was about to persuade him, but when Zhu Jinghong turned around and saw his stern eyes, he swallowed his words again.

"Yes!"

Going to see it with his own eyes was certainly not a whim of Zhu Jinghong's, but he didn't quite trust the people from Yanshan Qianhusuo.

The cases of high-ranking officials who have been punished within Jinyiwei in the past two years are also shocking, and now it is really hard for Zhu Jinghong to believe them.

With Zhu Jinghong's strong push, the team was soon ready to set off and headed towards the location of the accident ahead.

This time, Zhu Jinghong sat back in the carriage obediently, and the large group of people drove on as fast as possible.

The news that he was going to stop at the place of the accident was also carried forward by fast horses, with the purpose of preparing the sergeants and guards everywhere.

An hour later, Zhu Jinghong got off the carriage and came to a forest on the roadside surrounded by a large number of soldiers.

Around the forest, other sergeants formed a tight defense circle to prevent any attacks.

Further out, the cavalry from the Beijing Camp were already on the move, patrolling a larger area around them.

"Your Majesty, this is the tunnel!" Ning Wanfu pointed to a tree. It's said to be a tunnel, but it's actually a big pit that can accommodate artillery and supporting tools.

"Where are the criminal and the murder weapon?" Zhu Jinghong asked in a deep voice.

"According to the prince's instructions, I don't dare to move it without authorization. The things are stored over there!"

In fact, Ning Wanfu only needs to lead the way here. He explains so much in order to avoid responsibility as much as possible.

His mind was sharp and he could roughly guess that Zhu Jinghong was suspicious, so he was already taking precautions.

There were many people as smart as Ning Wanfu, so when Zhu Jinghong was checking the corpses and artillery, senior Yanshan officials who learned the news also rushed over.

Yang Yunguang, the chief envoy, Ying Zhuocheng, the inspection envoy, Liu Yande, the censor of the patrol and inspection area, and Cai Chuansheng, the commander-in-chief of the capital...

These officials are all human beings. Of course, having an assassin is a serious matter. He also understood what it meant for Zhu Jinghong to check in person.

"Your Majesty, the Yanshan magistrate is here!" Yu Hai appeared next to Zhu Jinghong to report.

This time out of Beijing, the chief manager of the palace was still responsible for Zhu Jinghong's food and daily life.

"Let them all come over!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly.

"Yes!"

After a few breaths, almost seven or eight officials arrived, all of whom were deeply affected by the incident.

The crowd was headed by the chief envoy Yang Yunguang. This man looked to be in his fifties, and he looked like a good man with an elegant temperament.

In fact, the temperaments of the scholar-bureaucrats who entered the imperial examination were generally similar, and those who were independent were only a minority.

Everyone came to the core circle, and under the gaze of the surrounding soldiers, it was easy to see Zhu Jinghong wearing a red regimental dragon robe.

At this moment, Zhu Jinghong was sitting on a chair with a coffee table next to him.

"I will pay my respects to Your Highness!
"Everyone... I just entered Yanshan and received such a greeting gift. It's really surprising!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly.

If it were three years ago, everyone would just think that he was making simple yin and yang statements, thinking that he could be fooled by a little explanation.

But now, no one dares to underestimate Zhu Jinghong, so no one dares to prevaricate casually.

After all, the incident was caused by poor public security. Inspector Ying Zhuocheng was the first person responsible, so he could only say: "Reporting to Your Highness, I failed to eliminate the bandits. This is a dereliction of duty. Please punish me severely!"

At this moment, everyone was still kneeling, so Zhu Jinghong leaned forward slightly, and then said with a smile: "Don't worry about taking the blame. The matter will eventually be found out, and it is not certain who is guilty!"

When everyone heard this, their scalps went numb, and they couldn't feel at ease until the matter was settled.

After a few moments of silence, the Chief Envoy Yang Yunguang spoke up and said: "What His Highness said is absolutely true, Your Excellency... This case is of great importance. You, according to the Inspector General, must personally supervise the handling. The Beiping Prefectural Government and Daxing County Government Office will jointly investigate this case. We must investigate this case." Let’s get to the bottom of this and give His Highness an explanation!”

Inspector Ying Zhuocheng nodded, then looked at Zhu Jinghong and said, "Your Highness, I will personally supervise this case and arrest all those involved!"

Regardless of whether you can do it or not, setting a clear attitude is the first priority.

Zhu Jinghong was noncommittal about this, and his eyes swept over everyone, wanting to see if there was any ghost among these people.

But people's hearts are unpredictable, not to mention that these people in front of him are all human beings. How could Zhu Jinghong see that?

"Everyone get up!"

After hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and immediately stood up.

"The commander-in-chief..."

The official named by Zhu Jinghong immediately left his duty, approached and bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Commander Cai Chuansheng of Yanshan Dusidu, pays homage to the prince!"

"You are from the army, go and see the captured cannon!" Zhu Jinghong pointed not far away and said.

"Yes!"

Although he didn't understand why, Cai Chuansheng still walked over.

Cai Chuansheng was indeed an expert. With just one glance, he realized that the thing in front of him was a standard artillery piece in the military.

So he began to look carefully and wanted to see the inscriptions on the cannon body. Military artillery craftsmen would engrave inscriptions to record and record information such as the casting craftsmen and supervising officials.

Through these contents, we can trace the origin of the item to which army it was sent to and who managed it after it left the warehouse.

He looked around the cannon body and finally found the location of the inscription under the barrel. Unfortunately, the words above had been erased.

On the side of the artillery, Jin Yiwei Qianhu Ning Wanfu said: "General Cai, it's the mark of the file!"

"Ok!"

At this time, Cai Chuansheng was not in the mood to pay attention to Ning Wanfu, but was wondering what Zhu Jinghong meant by letting him come to see him.

"Standard artillery, could it be..." Thinking of that possibility, Cai Chuansheng broke into a cold sweat.

"General Cai, what did you see?"

Hearing Zhu Jinghong's inquiry, Cai Chuansheng quickly gathered his thoughts, turned around and replied: "Your Highness Qi... this... this is artillery in the army. I don't know how it escaped!"

At this time, Cai Chuansheng didn't dare to pretend to be confused, so he simply said it bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Chief Secretary Yang Yunguang was also frightened, and then he was also thinking about Zhu Jinghong's purpose.

In fact, Zhu Jinghong's purpose is very simple, which is to use this to knock the mountain and shake the tiger. The purpose is to inspect the Yanshan Dusi.

Of course, if it was really the Yanshandusi who were responsible for the assassination, we could also deal with them while we were at it.

"The artillery in the army fell into the hands of thieves. If this matter spreads out, I am afraid that everyone in the world will laugh at it!"

"Before I came, the Holy One said that the military preparedness of the Yanshan Dusi was lax, but I didn't expect it to be so bad!"

"It seems that Yanshan's military equipment is indeed very lax!"

In fact, Cai Chuansheng can defend himself here. After all, even the artillery in the army does not necessarily flow from Yanshan Dusi.

Liaodong Dusi's side is even worse. They have been investigated over and over again in the past few years, and reselling ordnance is nothing new.

Who is Zhu Jinghong? He is one of the two great princes of the Ming Dynasty, the famous God of War of the Ming Dynasty, and an imperial envoy who was ordered to inspect the Yanshan Dusi.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong made use of the topic, but Cai Chuansheng dared to contradict him at this time, so he could only listen to the lesson.

At first, Ying Zhuocheng was under great pressure, but now that Zhu Jinghong is attacking Cai Chuansheng, he feels much more relaxed.

Being accused in front of so many people, sweat broke out on Cai Chuansheng's forehead.

After calming down, Cai Chuansheng said with great respect: "Your Majesty, I... I will investigate it strictly!"

Standing up slowly, Zhu Jinghong walked towards Cai Chuansheng.

As he got closer, the latter bent even more.

When Zhu Jinghong came closer, Cai Chuansheng was already bowing, but no one present dared to laugh at him.

Because of the change of location, they may be even more unbearable than Cai Chuansheng.

It seems that King Xiang used the topic to scare Yanshan Dusi... Almost everyone thinks so.

Patting Cai Chuansheng on the shoulder, Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "When we go back, let all the guards be ready. Even if you want to lie to me... you have to be more careful and don't fall into a trap!"

This is called murder and killing the heart. After Zhu Jinghong said this, Cai Chuansheng knew that if Yanshan Dusi was not extra careful, it would be very difficult for him to face the next level.

"I don't dare to deceive the prince. I will definitely organize all the guards this time. I will make the army dignified and orderly, and the morale will be high..."

Cai Chuansheng made his attitude clear, and Zhu Jinghong was no longer reluctant.

After experiencing the initial anger, he has now calmed down a lot, and his suspicion of Yanshan Dusi has weakened a lot.

Looking back at the people behind him, Zhu Jinghong said: "Whoever should investigate the case will investigate it. I'm waiting for your results!"

(End of this chapter)