The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 213

"I obey the decree!" Jia Cong bowed down, feeling a little happy. But it was the emperor in front of him, so Jia Cong could only suppress the joy and think about how to handle this job well.

Azig was able to escape from prison.

And he escaped from the imperial edict!

At this time, Jia Cong began to think about this problem seriously. In the past time and space, during the more than 200 years of the Ming Dynasty, no one escaped from the imperial prison. But now, there are actually enemy troops escaping from the imperial prison, and there is no rescue. , if there is no internal response, Jia Cong really doesn't believe it.

Therefore, Emperor Taiqi was furious.

Someone from the Hanlin Academy drafted an edict. At this time, Xu Chang asked the emperor who was Jinghaiwei without fear of death. Emperor Taiqi looked at him coldly and said, "Datong was robbed again, Jingping, Ying, and Shuo. What will happen to your general?" ?”

Xu Chang glanced at Jia Cong from the corner of his eye and said, "Your Majesty, the prisoners of Kou Datong this time are Ji Nang and Anda. They invaded Ningxia in the past. The land in Hetao was plundered by Ning Guohou. This time I came here to avenge the Marquis of Ning Guo for plundering his tribe in the past, and I thought that I should punish the Marquis of Ning Guo for the crime of provocation on the border, so as to appease the tribes of Anda and Ji Nang."

Jia Cong was surprised. He had been a bit strange since he was rarely in the court. He did not expect that a high-ranking cabinet minister and Minister of War could say such shameless words.

If he hadn't respected his age and the emperor was in front of him, Jia Cong would have slapped him in the face and asked him, "Do you know what crime you committed when I slapped you?"

Jia Cong sneered and said, “Mr.

"Marquis Ning Guo, please be careful. Although I hold a high position, my family has no assets. You are not allowed to arbitrarily frame me in front of the Holy Emperor!" Xu Chang raised his eyebrows and his face turned purple with anger.

"Mr. Xu Ge, I'm just making an analogy! Mr. Xu Ge believes that Anda and Ji Nang invaded Datong because I taught them a lesson in Ningxia and they came for revenge. Could it be said that before that? , the northern barbarians have never invaded my Dashun? If not, why would I lead my troops northward? "

Jia Cong finished talking to Xu Chang, then turned to salute the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, the young Tatar prince is Aza, the second son of Dayan Khan in the past. He has two sons, Ji Nang, An Da, An Da. The power is strong. Although the little prince is called the king, he does not control the whole. Ji Nang divides the land of Hetao and is in Guanzhong. The local area is fertile. I have conquered it before, so Ji Nang does not dare to invade Ningxia again.

I answer that when we were separated from Yuan and Shangdu, we were the poorest, so we liked to be bandits the most, and because of the plundering we became increasingly powerful; and I answer that these people are cunning and good at using soldiers, so we must guard against them! "

At the moment, Emperor Taiqi was not trying to deal with side affairs, but was using this matter to irritate Xu Chang. Now that his purpose was achieved, he ordered everyone to retreat in dismay, leaving only Jia Cong and King Zhongshun talking.

"How does Yuanze think this matter should be handled?" Emperor Taiqi asked.

Jia Cong thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, as the prince said, we must first recover Azig. This man is the 12th son of Nurhaci. He is good at fighting and is deeply loved by Nurhaci. When he fought with me, I chopped off my right arm and was thrown into prison. Not much time left. His injuries must still be very serious and he cannot escape smoothly. He must still be in the capital at this time."

King Zhongshun said from the side, "Your Majesty, why not order the nine gates to be closed and conduct a search in the city?"

This was a relatively common approach, but Emperor Tai Qi slowly shook his head, "This is inappropriate. It should make people panic."

Jia Cong said, "You can ask the military and horse departments of the five cities to post notices everywhere, asking the people to monitor and report. Once discovered, the reports will be rewarded. I will also order the Jinyi guards to set up checkpoints at the nine gates, and the people and vehicles will be strictly investigated. , so as not to disturb the people."

"Good!" Emperor Tai Qi had a slight smile on his face.

When he came out of the palace, Jia Cong stood on the square in front of the Linjing Hall. He turned around and glanced at the main hall behind him. He couldn't help but look to the east, the tall, majestic and magnificent Daming Palace. He was thinking about this. A sense of sadness arose in the dynasty.

In the past, the desire to make contributions to this dynasty was no longer so eager.

Jinyi Mansion is located behind the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion. Go out from Linjing Gate and turn into Xijiangmi Lane.

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, Jinyi Mansion was named "Gongwei Si" and later renamed "Qinjun Duwei Mansion". It governed Yiluan Si and was in charge of the emperor's guard of honor and bodyguards.

In the 15th year of Hongxing's reign, the pro-military Duwei Mansion and Yiluan Division were abolished and replaced by Jinyi Mansion. Its main functions were to "directly control the bodyguards and patrol and arrest". It had jurisdiction over the Experience Division, the North and South Town Fu Division, the Pro-Army Office, and the Elephant Taming Division. There are a total of seventeen thousand-household stations and farm stations.

After Sejong, it was divided into Jinyi Mansion and Jinling Jinyi Mansion.

Jinyi Mansion has one or two people who are in charge of the guards. Most of them are the left and right governors, the governors are the same as the magistrates, and they are all commanding officials and other first- and second-grade honorable ministers.There are actually many commanders, including the nominal commander of the Jinyi Guards. Many descendants of honorable ministers are awarded this title, but they are not actually in charge.

There are two commanders and commanders in total, assisting in charge of the guards. However, currently, one of the two commanders and commanders of Jinyi Mansion is in prison, and the other has been transferred. Together with the original commander Jiang Xian, he is busy working for the emperor's ocean caravan.

Jia Cong dismounted in front of the gate of Jinyi Mansion. At the gate, led by Zhu Chen, the commander-in-chief, the governors of the North and South Town Fu, some Qianhu, experience, Lingshi, Dianshi, Cangchandian and others lined up and knelt down at the gate to greet him. As far as his eyes could see, he could only see Jia Cong's foundation soap boots and python robe flying past his eyes, and his cold voice came, "Everyone, get up and let's talk in the lobby!"

After thanking Jia Cong, everyone stood up and followed him through the courtyard and back to the lobby. Jia Cong took a seat at the main seat, while the others stood and bowed their heads in utmost respect.

Jia Cong looked around. At present, the two commanders and colleagues who were qualified to rely on their seniority in front of him were no longer there. The mere fourth-grade commander was naturally unable to challenge him, the chief guard appointed by the emperor. Next, north and south, The envoy of Zhenfu will not seek death. The matter of Jinyi Mansion is not difficult for Jia Cong.

The most difficult thing now is how to figure out how Azig's master and servant escaped from prison.

"Zhu Qianshi, the following five cities' military and horse departments ordered them to post notices in the city. Anyone who provides effective clues, information, and whereabouts about the Jurchen Prince will be rewarded! The notices must be posted in every alley, and a special person must be arranged to read them. Announcement, until every common person knows it!”

Zhu Chen originally thought that when Marquis Ning Guo came, he would have some greetings with each other. The next step was to investigate the escape of the Jurchens. Who knew that when he came, he would arrange things to do. He breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly took orders. Go.

The admiralship of the Wucheng Military and Horse Division was originally under the control of the Ministry of War. Later, it was transferred from the Ministry of War to the Jinyi Mansion, and the commanding officer was the admiral. Therefore, Jia Cong ordered Zhu Chen to handle this matter.

An experienced manager from the Experience Department followed Zhu Chen to do some work.

"Shi Wenyi, the envoy of Nanzhen Fusi, is responsible for the investigation of the entry and exit of the Nine Gates. I will send someone to assist. All people, carriages, horses and sedans coming in and out must be carefully inspected inside and out. If there are coffins coming in and out, arrangements must be made. More than five people should follow and see the coffin being buried with their own eyes. They can only return from the cemetery after burning incense. All utensils must be opened and inspected. If in the future it is known that Azige and others escaped under your nose, it will be a death penalty! "

"Yes!" Shi Wenyi said solemnly, and after accepting the order, he left with his entourage.

Jia Cong ordered someone to inform Wang Lang and arrange for someone to assist Shi Wenyi. If there was insufficient manpower, he would be dispatched from the Feixiong Guard. It had to be said that he did not quite trust the people in Jinyi Mansion at the moment. After all, Azig escaped from the imperial edict, and Although the people of Jinyi Mansion had complaints about Jia Cong's move, they did not dare to speak out and had to deal with it.

Only Liu Qiao was still on the ground. This man was the Fu Secretary of Beizhen. Seeing that Jia Cong still had no orders on his head, he couldn't help but tremble. He took two steps forward and said with a smile, "Master Marquis, I don't know what my subordinates can do." What?"

"You go to the imperial prison with me. Firstly, to see if there are any loopholes in the imperial prison. How can two living people get out? Secondly, I want to greet Zhao Tongzhi."

"Yes!" Liu Qiao couldn't help but feel frightened. After noon yesterday, he was sent by Zhao Quan to discuss the robbery of Datong. He was worried that the emperor would inquire about the details of Jinyi Mansion. When he arrived at Xiaya, he did not come back. Early this morning , when he went to the Yamen, he heard that the imperial prison was opened and Azig escaped. At that time, he did not believe it.

The gate of the Imperial Prison was hidden deep in the Jinyi Mansion. Along the way deep into the ground, there were green stone walls on the left and right. The burning pine oil lamps on the walls gave off bursts of pine scent, filling the dungeon with water. The smell of decay was slightly concealed, but once you entered the dungeon, even the Lancôme perfumes of later generations had no effect here.

Liu Qiao couldn't help but glanced at Jia Cong worriedly, and saw that although he frowned slightly, his expression remained calm, and he didn't seem to be irritable because of the unpleasant smell. He hurriedly took two steps forward and walked in front of him, twisting and turning. Next, Jia Cong was brought to an ordinary prison, where Zhao Quan, the former commander of Jinyi Mansion, was imprisoned.

The chains on his head, wrists and feet are almost as thick as an arm. One end is connected to the person's body, and the other end is firmly fixed on the stone wall. Its length is about five or six feet, which is enough for a person to walk in front of the cell door and stretch out. He took action but couldn't reach the cell door.

"Is Azig also imprisoned in this way?" Jia Cong asked.

Liu Qiao bowed his hands and said in salute, "Returning to the Marquis, Azig is being held in Dizihao. At present, all the jailers responsible for guarding Tianjian have been imprisoned and will be taken away by the Ministry of Punishment for interrogation."

Dizihao has always only imprisoned important officials of the country, and it is heavily guarded.

Jia Cong nodded. Ordinary people are not qualified to enter the imperial prison. Zhao Quan stayed here because of the emperor's special order.

Zhao Quan heard the noise at this time. He slowly raised his head. The iron rope was wrapped around his neck, making it very difficult for him to move. His tortured face was stained with blood and his hair was messy, making it difficult for Jia Cong to see his true face. , only a pair of cloudy eyes, after calming down, revealed a little sparkle.

"Is it Marquis Ning Guo?"

At the moment, the only noble man in Dashun who is so young and holds power is Ning Guohou.

Jia Cong and Zhao Quan looked at each other and ordered the jailer beside him, "Open the cell door, remove the chains on Zhao Tongzhi, and prepare wine and food. I will have three drinks with Zhao Tongzhi!"

Suddenly, not only the jailer and Liu Qiao, but also Zhao were all confused. They didn't understand what the young Marquis meant.You know, Zhao Quan is a traitor appointed by the emperor to be imprisoned. How can he not take serious care of him?
Liu Qiao was worried that something would happen to Jia Cong, so he hurriedly stopped him and said, "Master Hou, why don't we set up a table inside and a table outside. It's the same with Master Hou and Zhao Quan drinking across the cell door."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said stubbornly, "Do as I tell you!"

"Yes!" Faced with his boss who said so clearly, Liu Qiao was worried in vain. He waved his hand and let the people below him go to work.

The cell door was opened, and all the chains on Zhao Quan's body were gone. He moved his neck and loosened his wrists. A surge of sadness surged into his heart, forcing the man in front of him to burst into tears.

Two chairs and a table were placed in the cramped cell. Zhao Quan sat against the wall, watching the young and noble Ning Guohou sit opposite him, looking at him with a pair of sharp eyes. Zhao Quan still didn't dare. believe.

"I wonder what Marquis Ning Guo wants to say to you?" Zhao Quan turned away, "No matter what the Marquis wants to ask, I don't know anything about it!"

Jia Cong waved his hand and asked everyone behind him to leave, leaving only Kong An to follow. 100 meters away, at the end of the cell corridor were Daniu and Shiluo, and no one was allowed to get close.

Jia Cong waited quietly. Not long after, Kong An came in with a food box, placed a pot of wine and four dishes on the table, took out two pairs of cups and chopsticks, placed them in front of the two of them, and raised the wine The pot filled the two wine glasses and Fang withdrew.

On the table, there is a braised Yellow River carp, a portion of Buddha Jumping over the Wall, a portion of red fermented fish, a portion of lychee meat, and a large bowl of Zhangzhou Braised Noodles in the middle.

Looking at the dishes in front of him, Zhao Quan was stunned. He looked at Jia Cong in disbelief and asked, "What does the Marquis mean?"

On this table, except for one Yellow River carp, the rest are all Fujian dishes.

Jia Cong picked up his chopsticks, picked out a chopstick of red fish, put it into his mouth and chewed it carefully for a while. After swallowing, he put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhao Quandao, "I heard that Zhao Tongzhi has always been obsessed with the dishes from his hometown. Come here." For so many years in Shenjing, it has been said that only a Yellow River carp can be swallowed."

When Zhao Quan saw Jia Cong raising his glass and looking at him, he had no choice but to pick up the glass and drink it all in one gulp.

"Zhao Tongzhi is so generous!"

"Master Hou, I am no longer a colleague. Don't call me like that. If you have anything to say, please say it clearly!" After saying that, Zhao Quan closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears fell down again.

"Brother Zhao, your wife died young. Isn't it hard for you to raise your only son all these years by yourself?" Jia Cong said, "I remember that Brother Zhao's son is only ten years old this year, right? Brother Zhao invited the best teacher to teach him. Is he studying in the hope that he can take the imperial examination route in the future?"

After Zhao Quan heard this, he stood up, but his legs could no longer support the weight of his body. He put his hands on the table and sat down again, "Master Hou, this matter has nothing to do with Quanzi. Please show mercy to Mr. Hou!" "

"You and I, my colleagues in the army, were officials in the same dynasty in the past. Although our ways are different now, we will not attack our family members. I just want to ask if I have someone to take care of your son. If not, I can help take care of him. Until he grows up."

Zhao Quan was shocked. He and Jia Cong had never met before, and they met for the first time today. How could he be entrusted to his wife? But he believed that Jia Cong was a man, and since he said this, he would definitely live up to his promise. .

"Three years ago, when my late mother passed away, I was devastated, but now I thought that she would not want me to become an unfilial son." Zhao Quan shed tears, wiped his face, and picked up the wine glass on the table. , drank it all in one gulp again, and poured himself a glass.

Jia Cong said nothing, picked up the wine glass and took a sip, as a gesture of companionship.

"Although Quanzi is only ten years old, the Marquis lost his mother when he was eight years old, so he came here alone? There are one or two loyal servants at home, who should be able to take good care of him."

"A tiger father has no son!" Jia Cong said, "Brother Zhao can take on today's affairs by himself. I think those in the court should be able to understand Brother Zhao and take care of your son in the future. The premise is that they I believe that Brother Zhao didn’t leave any evidence behind.”

Jia Cong glanced outside and said casually, "But today, I am hosting a banquet for Brother Zhao here. The news will spread soon. People outside will probably guess what I have said to Brother Zhao, or what Brother Zhao has done." Did you have any backup plan when taking this big blame? If so, the only person that Brother Zhao cares about right now is your son. Does Brother Zhao think that your son will have peace from now on?"

Zhao Quan suddenly woke up. He glared at Jia Cong and resisted the urge to throw the wine in his glass at Jia Cong. His legs went weak and he slid off the chair.

Jia Cong stood up and pulled him, "Brother Zhao, sit down and talk!"

Like a puppet, Zhao Quan was lifted onto the chair by Jia Cong. He held his face in his hands, tears overflowing from his fingers, and his whole body was immersed in sadness.

In the past, Jia Cong only heard people say that there is great terror between life and death, but he never paid attention to it. At this time, he was full of admiration for Zhao Quan. Throughout the ages, how many people can look at death calmly?
"From the moment Azig was sent to prison, I had already sent the dog away. To be honest with the Marquis, I planned to send him to his hometown, but right now, I don't know where he is."

Jia Cong was not surprised and asked, "So, you really let Master Azig and his servants go?"

"Exactly!" Zhao Quan said, "As for who asked me to let him go, I can only tell the Marquis that I let him go. I falsely passed on the imperial edict and punished the nine tribes according to law, but I was raised by my late mother since I was a child. , fled from Mindi. Three years ago, my mother was seriously ill and wanted to return to my hometown, so I followed my mother's orders and bought a property in my hometown. I thought I could give my dog ​​something to rely on, but now, I can only hope."

Zhao Quan lowered his head as he spoke. It was obvious that he was worried about his son.

"The Holy Lord is benevolent and has no intention of involvement. I will arrange for people to track down the whereabouts of your son. If there is any news, I will inform Brother Zhao!"

Jia Cong watched Zhao Quan finish the wine, carry the pot with his own hands, pour him another glass, then stood up, called the jailer and said, "Take good care of him, no abuse, take care of him three times a day, no need to chain him!"

"Yes!" The jailer did not dare to disobey the order.

Zhao Quan walked to the cell door and watched Jia Cong leave from the passage. He held the cell door with both hands, and a feeling of sadness and anger rose in his heart.

When Liu Qiao saw Jia Cong coming out, he hurriedly took two steps back. When he came over, he hurriedly bowed and saluted. Hearing Jia Cong say, "Take me to see the local trade name!"

"Yes!"

After saying that, Liu Qiao walked in front and walked in zigzags for about half a cup of tea before he came to an independent cell door deep in the prison. He saw that this cell was different from ordinary cells. The cell was built with walls on three sides, the cell door was made of fine iron, and the chains became thicker and thicker. It was not easy to even get to the prison gate from here, not to mention breaking the iron chains and escaping.

What's more, Azig was seriously injured, so it was hard to say how much combat effectiveness he would have.

"Which room is his guard in?" Jia Cong asked.

Liu Qiao shook his head. At this time, a jailer came over, pointed to the cell opposite the address, and said, "If you go back to the Marquis, it's in this cell!"

It’s also a cell of a local size!
Although Jia Cong did not doubt that Azig was let go by Zhao Quan, but after seeing it now, he felt that Zhao Quan could not do it alone.

He pretended to preach the imperial edict. Whose imperial edict was he pretending to preach?The Emperor's, or the Emperor Taiqi's?

Jia Cong came out of the dungeon and let the scorching sun outside shine on him, dispelling all the bad luck. He couldn't help but look up at the blue sky. In the originally calm world, a gust of wind came from a distance.

Liu Qiao accompanied him and heard Jia Cong ask, "Liu Qianshi, tell me, it's all right. Why did Zhao Tongzhi let the Jurchen prince go?"

Liu Qiao lowered his head, not daring to say a word, and then heard Jia Cong's order again, "Compile the detailed files of all the officials who have dealt with the Jurchens that the Jinyiwei has mastered over the years, and bring this case to the The files so far have been sorted out and presented to me for review!”

Although the weather was hot, Liu Qiao was covered in cold sweats. As if he was shaking, he responded, "Yes!"

In just a short time, the largest duty room in Jinyi Mansion had been packed out for Jia Cong to use. When he arrived, the files and files he requested had been sorted out and placed on the table.

Wang Lang was waiting in the room. When he saw Jia Cong coming in, he hurriedly saluted.

Jia Cong took off the official hat on his head and put it aside. He took the wet handkerchief from Kong An's hand, wiped his face and hands, and said to Wang Lang, "Sit down!"

After Kong An went out, he cut two plates of cold melons and brought them to him. After he immersed them in the well for a long time, the cold air came out, and all the seeds inside were picked out. The flesh was bright red and juicy. Jia Cong took a piece and ate it. Wang Lang said, "Eat!"

After Kong An went out, he closed the door.

Jia Cong asked, "What's wrong? You didn't leave the city, right?"

"No trace was found, and my subordinates also secretly investigated. There was no abnormality in the nine gates last night and this morning. I thought that those two people should still be in the city."

This also coincided with Jia Cong's guess. He nodded and said, "Have all our people been sent to the Nine Gates?"

"We have sent them, both covertly and covertly. We are keeping an eye on him!" Wang Lang was very puzzled and asked, "Master Marquis, how can someone escape from this prison? It's really unheard of."

"The storm is about to come! Now that you have investigated this matter for now, go out of the capital first and try your best to find Zhao Quan's only son and bring him back to the capital."

(End of this chapter)