Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 37

Fu Lun laughed loudly: "What's wrong with you? These Beijing officials have never worked in the lower levels. When they get to the place, their eyes are smeared! They will believe what the lower levels say; Drill in! What's more, my Shandong school is very good, why are you afraid of him?"

Kong Shangda was silent for a moment, and said: "Yong Shu has an ominous omen, that female assassin today will miss your lord's business!"

Fu Lun asked: "What are you afraid of? She came to assassinate Chen Tingjing, not me!"

Kong Shangda said: "Yongshu thinks about it, I really don't know whether the assassin wants to kill Mr. Chen or Mr. Governor! If she wants to kill Mr. Chen, it will be even more puzzling! Think about it, if she is Chen Tingjing The enemy should have followed from the capital, and there were opportunities to attack along the way, why did they only attack when they arrived in Jinan?"

After hearing this, Fu Lun also felt a little strange: "Do you suspect that the woman is from Shandong?"

Kong Shangda frowned and said, "It would be even more unbelievable if she was from Shandong. How could Chen Tingjing have enemies in Shandong?"

Fu Lun asked: "You mean she might be my enemy? Then why didn't she attack me earlier? When the imperial envoy arrives?"

Kong Shangda looked at Fu Lun and said, "Yong Shu can't figure it out either. Let me tell you, just kill that female assassin, and you don't have to worry about anything!"

Fu Lun thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, this person's assassination of an imperial envoy is a capital offense anyway. Go ahead and do it!"

When Chen Tingjing returned to Xingyuan, he couldn't understand it.A little girl followed him from Dezhou to Jinan, and actually assassinated him!There are many opportunities to strike along the way, why did she rush to Jinan?Chen Tingjing was pacing and thinking hard, when suddenly he heard a commotion outside, and he didn't know what happened.Not long after, Dashun ran in to answer, it turned out that the little girl snatched the yamen servant's knife and was about to commit suicide, but was rescued.

Chen Tingjing felt even more strange: "Huh? She is going to commit suicide? Are you hurt?"

Da Shun said, "That's not true."

Chen Tingjing asked: "Did she say anything?"

Dashun said: "From the moment she was caught, she didn't say a word, she refused to eat food, and she refused to take a sip of water."

Chen Tingjing pondered: "It's really weird. Bring her in."

Dashun walked to the door and explained a few words, and the yamen servant came in with the little girl after a while.The little girl was very stubborn and refused to kneel down no matter what.The two yamen servants pressed down hard, and she knelt down.

Chen Tingjing spoke calmly and said, "Girl, you really confuse me. A young girl wants to assassinate an imperial envoy for no reason. If the assassination fails, she will commit suicide. Tell me, what's going on?"

The woman bowed her head in silence.

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "No one in the world will kill people when they have nothing to do. Tell me, why do you want to assassinate me?"

The little girl gave Chen Tingjing a cold look, lowered her eyes, and refused to speak.Dashun couldn't help shouting, "Did you hear the imperial envoy's question? Are you deaf or dumb?"

Chen Tingjing shook his hand towards Dashun, and said to the little girl: "I'm new here, I have no enemies in Shandong, where did you come from? I don't think you are an ordinary girl, but a lady from a great family. "

The little girl remained silent.

Dashun said: "Master, it seems that there is no need for torture, she will not open her mouth."

Chen Tingjing shook his head and said, "I believe she is justified in wanting to assassinate me. I just want to hear her reasoning, why use torture?"

After asking for a long time, the little girl didn't speak a word.

Chen Tingjing was very patient, and said: "You should know that you must pay for your life if you kill someone, let alone assassinate an imperial envoy? If you want to punish your crime, you can be killed without interrogation. But I don't want you to be wronged. I must investigate The truth came out."

At this time, Ma Ming suddenly opened the door and came in, and Chen Tingjing asked someone to take the little girl down and come back for interrogation later.Dashun offered water, but Ma Ming didn't bother to drink it, so he said what he had heard in Texas.

Chen Tingjing thought for a while, and wrote a letter: "Ma Ming, thank you for your hard work, go to Hengtai Ji immediately, and ask them to take care of the fellow villagers, and then secretly respond."

Ma Ming took Chen Tingjing's letter and hurried out.Da Shun asked: "Master, bring that female assassin again?"

Chen Tingjing shook his head and said, "Not busy, call Xiang Dalong and Wednesday first."

Dashun brought Xiang Dalong and Wednesday in. Chen Tingjing stared at them with stern eyes. After a long time, he finally uttered two words: "Speak!"

Both of them turned pale and looked at each other.Xiang Dalong had the courage to ask: "Master Imperial Envoy, you... what do you want us to say?"

Chen Tingjing said coldly: "You understand in your own hearts."

Xiang Dalong whispered: "Master Imperial Envoy, you are the imperial envoy that our people love! Our people love good officials, is this wrong?"

Chen Tingjing said: "You two have been with me for several days, seeing that I didn't ask you half a word, you think you have met the biggest fool in the world, don't you?"

Xiang Dalong still looked confused: "Master Imperial Envoy, I really don't know what you want us to say!"

Chen Tingjing said angrily: "Stop acting! You already know that I am an imperial envoy, and if you try to deceive me, aren't you afraid of losing your head?"

The two plopped down on their knees, calling everything.It turned out that the two were really government servants in the Dezhou government, and the scene on the road was arranged by Kong Shangda, the staff member of the governor's government office.Famines have plagued Dezhou for years, but Fu Lun is not allowed to report the disaster to the imperial court, wanting a peaceful face.The people in Dezhou fled everywhere and caused banditry.Knowing that Zhang Qian and Chen Tingjing were relatives, Fu Lun invited him to Jinan first.

After Chen Tingjing heard this, he was very angry, and cursed: "Huh, I knew you were from the Yamen! Think about it, what did you do? You spent money to buy things, hired people to make fakes, What will the common people say about you behind your back? I don't want to expose you in front of the common people. I am looking out for your face, the face of the court, and my own face! You are shameless, what else do I want!"

After the interrogation of Xiang and Tuesday, Chen Tingjing asked Zhu Qi, who was delivering food and beating drums, to be brought in again.That Zhu Qi hadn't seen anything before, and after a few words of scaring, he made all the moves like soybeans.It turns out that the food in the Yicang comes from both the government and Zhu Ren's family.That Zhu Rentong and the second governor, Kong Shangda, put his brothers in charge of everything in the governor's yamen.

After everything was cleared up, Chen Tingjing warned: "Listen, Zhu Qi. It is a serious crime for you to be instigated by someone to deceive the imperial envoy. If there is any trouble again, you will have to be beheaded. You stay here well, and if you run out Report the news, and you will know the consequences yourself!"

Zhu Qi kowtowed like pounding garlic: "I'm convicted! That's going to be beheaded!"

Dashun threateningly said: "If you are not honest, watch out for the imperial envoy's Shangfang sword!"

Zhu Qi was taken away, and Da Shun refilled Chen Tingjing's tea, saying: "Master, it's the first time I've seen you try a case, you are really amazing! How do you know they are people in disguise?"

Chen Tingjing laughed and said, "What the hell is wrong with me? You can tell by their demeanor and appearance that there is fraud! It wasn't someone instigated, how could so many people come to meet the officials by themselves? How could there be people beating gongs and drums to deliver food? Only the people below This kind of thing happens when the superiors are fools, and the superiors are willing to be fools! There is also a book that says that the upright officials are transferred away, and the common people send them off in the alleys. They must give the upright officials and the people umbrellas. It's fake!"

Dashun wondered: "Then I've been listening to stories since I was a child, and the common people gave Wanmin umbrellas to upright officials. The emperor knew about it and made more use of this upright official. Is that all fake?"

Chen Tingjing said: "In all dynasties, there have been emperors who believed in this kind of fake trick."

Da Shun asked: "Master, do you think those emperors are really stupid, or are they pretending to be stupid?"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Dashun, the emperor is so smart! I can't say this anymore. By the way, Dashun, don't keep saying that I have the emperor's Shangfang sword, have you seen it? That's all sung in the play !"

Da Shun smiled, made the bed for the master, and went down.

Chen Tingjing was about to go to bed when he suddenly heard shouts outside to arrest the assassin.Chen Tingjing hurriedly put on his coat, grabbed the sword beside him, and went straight to the door, but was stopped by Dashun.It was pitch black outside, and I couldn't see anything clearly, only the sounds of fighting and shouting could be heard in disorder.

Not long after, the voices of the people faded away, and Ma Ming ran in to reply: "Master, I just came back from outside, and I happened to bump into someone going there in the dark, as if they were going to kill that girl."

It turned out that Ma Ming had made an agreement with Hengtaiji and had just returned to Xingyuan.Chen Tingjing asked: "Have you caught anyone?"

Ma Ming said: "There were four or five of them. It was dark and they ran away."

Chen Tingjing put on his clothes and said, "Go and see that girl."

Dashun moved a stool, Chen Tingjing sat down, and asked, "Girl, do you know who is going to kill you?"

The girl looked at Chen Tingjing coldly, but didn't speak.

Chen Tingjing said: "Girl, I'm worried for you! If you don't tell the truth, we saved you once, and if we can't keep it, we can save you a second time!"

The girl was like a rock, Dashun couldn't help but said angrily: "You girl, you really don't know what to do! The imperial envoy didn't ask you why you assassinated, but he was worried about your life, and you still haven't said anything!"

The girl smiled coldly, and finally said: "So, this lord is a good official? A joke!"

Dashun said: "Our imperial envoy is the master Qingtian!"

The girl said: "Could it be Master Qingtian who mixed up with Fu Lun and his like?"

Chen Tingjing nodded and said: "Oh, it turns out that the girl is a chivalrous woman who acts on behalf of the heavens!"

The girl glared at Chen Tingjing: "Don't mock me! So what if I'm a chivalrous woman?"

Chen Tingjing said: "Then the girl is assassinating a corrupt official."

The girl said: "You are not only a corrupt official, but also a stupid and mediocre official!"

Dashun shouted: "Stop being rude! Our imperial envoy is very upright, what are you doing with your sleeves?"

Ma Ming smiled and said, "Sleeves are cool!"

Chen Tingjing shook his hands at Dashun and Ma Ming, and said to the girl, "Tell me, where is Chen fainted, and where is Yong?"

The girl said: "When you entered Shandong, it was obvious that the people were hired by the government, but you were so happy that you thanked the folks, what a fool!"

Chen Tingjing laughed: "That's right, the girl is right, Chen really looked like a fool at that time. What else?"

The girl said again: "The people really have food to send, just push the cart to send it. What kind of gongs and drums are you playing? It's not a big show! What about you? What a good people!"

Chen Tingjing nodded again: "Yes, this is also like a fool! I am even more stupid to praise the grain in the warehouse!"

The girl said: "The most stupid thing about you is that you are still very moved when you see Fu Lun kneeling with the common people! You were so ashamed at that time, right? You thought you shouldn't doubt a good official?"

Chen Tingjing said: "I have indeed heard from the people in Shandong that Mr. Fu Lun is a good and honest official."

The girl became angry: "Hmph, you are not only greedy, stupid, and mediocre, but also blind!"

Chen Tingjing asked again: "The girl said that I am faint, stupid, and blind, and I admit it now. But I am greedy, where do I start? Do you see that I took gold or silver?"

The girl said, "If Fu Lun hadn't bought you off, would you be willing to be a fool?"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Okay, according to the girl's reasoning, I will admit to being greedy!"

The girl gave Chen Tingjing a white look, and said, "You have such a thick skin!"

Chen Tingjing was not angry, but said: "Girl, I admire your chivalry and courage. But I don't understand, you are a young girl, how can you have such courage? You are a knight-errant alone, and your family doesn't worry about you? "

Unexpectedly, as soon as Chen Tingjing said this, the girl's eyes turned red and she began to cry.

Chen Tingjing asked: "Is there something sad about the girl?"

When Chen Tingjing asked such a question, the girl wiped away her tears instead, trying not to cry anymore.

Ma Ming said: "Girl, you misunderstood. Our master is here to investigate the voluntary food donations of Shandong people!"

The girl said coldly: "I know, the imperial envoy has already visited. He saw the people beating gongs and drums to donate food voluntarily, and he was very happy to see the grain piled up in the righteous warehouse! I said you can go back and report to the emperor. If you stay in Jinan for one more day, you will eat three more meals. The money for the meal is still paid for by the common people!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Girl, I, Chen Tingjing, don't blame you. I forgive you for your innocence! But you have to stay here first. After tomorrow, I will give you an explanation!"

Da Shun was dissatisfied when he heard this, and hurriedly said: "Master, how can you talk to her like that? What are you going to tell her?"

The girl sneered again: "My lord, stop praising me, go back and explain to the emperor!"

Chen Tingjing was serious and said: "No, the girl is a commoner, and I am an official appointed by the court. Whatever an official does, he has to explain to the commoners!"

The girl snorted and said, "Impressive-sounding! This is what you officials say!"

Chen Tingjing didn't say any more, got up and left.The girl was still taken back to the hut, and there were people outside the door to watch.Not long after, the faint sound of the piano came from outside, it was Chen Tingjing playing the piano.The girl listened to the piano for a long time, then suddenly got up and went to knock on the door.The door opened, and the girl asked the guard outside the door: "Brother, is your imperial envoy really a clean official?"

The guard said: "Nonsense! Our imperial envoy, the emperor sent him to visit Shandong, just to see that he is an upright official!"

The girl said, "But why do I think he is confused?"

The guard said, "You mean, you only saw him talking and laughing with the governor, but you didn't see him investigate the case?"

The girl said: "Apart from staying in Xingyuan, he just let Fu Lun accompany him to eat and drink, or just wander around. What kind of case is he investigating?"

The guard laughed: "Silly girl, if the imperial commissioner investigates the case and you see it, won't everyone in the world see it?"

The girl bowed her head for a moment, then suddenly said, "Brother, I want to see the Imperial Envoy!"

The guard said: "It's almost dawn, our master hasn't slept soundly for the past few days."

The girl begged bitterly, but the guard heard that Chen Tingjing was still playing the piano, so he agreed.In the past, I reported to Chen Tingjing and took the girl there.Unexpectedly, when the girl came to Chen Tingjing, she knelt down and cried, "Master Imperial Envoy, please save my father!"

Chen Tingjing was very surprised: "Girl, get up, talk about it! What's wrong with your father?"

The girl still knelt down and explained the reason in detail.It turned out that the girl's surname was Yang, her nickname was Zhen'er, and she was from Yangjiazhuang, Ling County, Dezhou. Her family was a well-known big family in the local area.In the past few years, Ling County has been hit by catastrophes, and most people have no food to eat, but the county government has to collect food donations on a per capita basis.Zhen'er's father is willing to do good, and opened a porridge factory to help the villagers, but he refused to hand in the donated food.Master Qian Liang from the county government led several people to Yangjiazhuang, forcing Zhen'er's family to hand over grain.Zhen'er's father only said that he would pay the donation with relief, but he refused to hand it over.Master didn't have anything to say, so he wanted to take someone aggressively.All the people in the village had received kindness from the Yang family. With a whoosh, hundreds of people surrounded him and beat the master.This made a hole in the sky. When the master returned to the county government, he only said that there was a bandit disaster in Yangjiazhuang.On the second day, the master led more than a hundred people into Yangjiazhuang with swords and guns.

Zhen'er cried: "The people in the yamen ransacked my house and took my father away. They said they were going to be executed as a bandit leader. A few days ago, I heard that the imperial court sent an imperial envoy. They disguised themselves as men and wanted to block the sedan chair." File a complaint. But I was discouraged when I saw that you were willing to be fooled by the people below. I followed my lord all the time, wanting to see what happened. The more I watched, the more angry I became, thinking that even the imperial envoys sent by the emperor were like this. What is the way out? The little girl has become reckless now. Your Excellency, please punish me!"

"It's really lawless!" Chen Tingjing was very angry.Zhen'er was startled, and looked up at Chen Tingjing.

Da Shun hurriedly said: "Miss, the master is not angry with you."

Chen Tingjing knew that the girl had heard wrongly, so he said, "Miss Zhen'er, I don't blame you, I mean those people in the yamen. Don't worry, I will save your father. By the way, you know who is going to kill him You?"

Zhen'er said, "I don't know either."

Chen Tingjing also felt confused: "This is weird. Does anyone in the yamen know you?"

"It's impossible for them to know me," Jane said.

Chen Tingjing said: "No matter what, you have to be careful. You have to be with our people all the time until the matter is over."

Zhen'er kowtowed and thanked her.Chen Tingjing asked someone to take Zhen'er down so that she could take care of her, and then he would discuss it with Dashun and Ma Ming carefully.

(End of this chapter)