The world of film and television starts from the flow of money

It was the beginning of the morning hour, the sky was still dark, and the capital city had not yet fully awakened from its slumber.

"Whoosh~"

The north wind swirled and hurriedly passed the Zhengyang Gate Arrow Tower, bringing with it the bone-chilling cold outside Juyong Pass and rushing straight towards the palace city without any scruples.

The surface of the moat was already frozen with a three-inch thick layer of ice, which glowed coldly in the dim light.

Ice-cutters lined up neatly along the river bank, their iron rods rising and falling rhythmically, striking the ice. The "ding-dong-dong" sound was particularly clear in the quiet morning. These ice-cutters wore coarse linen clothes, with their sleeves and trouser legs tied tightly with hemp ropes to resist the severe cold. Their faces were covered with frost, and with every strong strike, they exhaled a thick white breath that blended into the cold air.

On the official road outside Donghua Gate, a mule cart carrying firewood and charcoal moved slowly forward. The mule snorted loudly, sprayed white mist, and its hooves stepped on the bluestone slabs, making a dull "clacking" sound. The wheels rolled over, leaving two wet ice tracks on the slabs. The driver was wrapped in a tattered cotton jacket, wearing a felt hat, holding a long whip in his hand, and shouting from time to time, urging the mule to go faster. They knew that these firewood and charcoal were the key to keeping the palace warm in winter, and they could not delay even a moment.

The Forbidden City, shrouded in morning mist, is like a giant beast lying dormant. A thin layer of snow covers the yellow glazed tiles, which exude a hint of chill in the dim morning light. The towering palace walls isolate the world inside from the outside world, exuding mystery and majesty. Occasionally, patrolling guards pass by, and their footsteps echo in the silence, adding a bit of solemnity.

The copper bells on the eaves of the Five Phoenix Tower rang in unison when the wind blew. The sudden sound startled the jackdaws perched on the ridge of the tall building. They croaked, flapped their wings, circled a few times over the Forbidden City, and then flew away.

108 imperial guards dressed in heavy armor and holding golden axes, filed out from the Duanmen Gate, their scarlet cloaks fluttering in the north wind like surging blood waves. They stepped on the frost marks on the Jinshui Bridge, and their spiked boots collided with the white marble steps, making crisp sounds, again and again, awakening the sleeping imperial city.

Fengtian Hall, a nine-bay double-eaved building, stands tall and majestic, as if to pierce through the mist. 62 golden pillars with coiled dragons, thick and solid, firmly support this hall that symbolizes the highest power of the empire.

The steps in front of the palace were carved with nine sea-going dragons, each of which was lifelike, with ice crystals on its whiskers, flickering in the dim light. The wave patterns under its claws were polished to a shine by years of court boots.

The golden brick floor in the hall was chilly. Even with three layers of Persian carpets, one could still feel the chill that the earth dragon fire could not dispel.

Although Emperor Wanli had not attended the morning court for many years, the eunuchs on duty in the palace still held long poles and carefully lifted open the three layers of brocade curtains.

The gold paint on the Panlong throne is already mottled. This was the third coat of paint applied during Zhang Juzheng's reform, and it can no longer withstand the erosion of time.

The smoke from the ambergris in the incense burner rose up, swirling along the caisson, slowly spreading under the plaque "Jian Ji Sui You" and forming a thin layer of mist. The secret room behind the twelve nanmu screens contained the memorials that Emperor Wanli had not accumulated over the years, and the documents were piled up like a mountain.

The wing on the west side of Qianqing Gate Square is the duty room of the Imperial Horse Administration. 12 eunuchs take turns to be on duty here, and the candles are kept lit at night. Inside the room, the charcoal brazier is burning brightly, but the expressions on the eunuchs' faces reveal tension and anxiety.

Zhang Cheng sat on the armchair, playing with a string of Buddhist beads in his hand, frowning. Looking at Qiu Chengyun's arm that was tangled like a dumpling, the cotton cloth was soaked with blood, and he snorted unhappily: "The assassin was not caught?"

Qiu Chengyun knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and said with a bit of guilt: "It's all because of my uselessness. The assassin set an ambush and caught me off guard. Several brothers were unfortunately killed..."

Zhang Cheng threw the Buddhist beads on the table, stood up, and paced back and forth in the room: "Humph, someone actually dared to assassinate me in this imperial city. If this gets out, it will be disgraceful! If the emperor blames us, we will all be in trouble."

"Yes! The child knows his sin!"

Qiu Chengyun leaned forward, his head lowered, almost touching the ground: "Yes! I admit my guilt!"

"Are you guilty?"

Zhang Cheng glanced at Qiu Chengyun with a disdainful tone: "What's the point of admitting guilt? Has the assassin been caught? Has the mastermind behind the scenes been found out?"

Qiu Chengyun lowered his head and replied:

"Reporting to godfather, it's all my fault for being incompetent. But I have arranged for people to guard all the gates and important roads in the capital tightly, and I am also searching everywhere in the city. He can't escape even if he has wings, and we will definitely catch him!"

Zhang Cheng's expression eased a little. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's not enough to just search inside the city. We can't let go of anyone outside the city. If the assassin escapes from the city and hides in the mountains and forests, it will be difficult to catch him. Send someone to notify the garrison outside the city immediately and ask them to assist in the search."

"Yes, I'll do it right away!"

Qiu Chengyun responded quickly and prepared to stand up.

"Wait! If you're injured, just take a rest!"

Zhang Cheng called him again, turned around and ordered: "Xiao Baozi, you go, this matter is of great importance, you go and watch it in person. Remember, I want to see the person alive or dead! If you can't catch the assassin, don't come back to see me!"

"Yes, godfather! I'll do it right away!"

Xiao Baozi responded, glanced at Qiu Chengyun, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he turned and left in a hurry.

"Get up and talk!"

Zhang Cheng half leaned on a carved nanmu chair, looking a little tired, and waved his hand casually.

Taking a sip from the teacup and touching his smooth chin, Zhang Cheng frowned slightly, a sharp look flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"Who is this assassin and where does he come from?"

"Godfather,"

Qiu Chengyun stood up respectfully, first raised his hand to straighten the corner of his clothes, then lowered his head slightly, thought for a moment and said: "I think the assassin may be related to the Minister of Personnel Zhao Nanxing."

As he spoke, he secretly looked up to observe Zhang Cheng's expression, and saw a hint of surprise flash across Zhang Cheng's eyes.

"Hmm? Impossible..."

Zhang Cheng was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then shook his head without hesitation. He slowly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and began to pace around the room, saying in a deep voice: "He only knows how to complain and ridicule the government. He would never do something like assassinating me. Besides, Zhao Nanxing is weak and doesn't know martial arts at all!"

Zhang Cheng paced back and forth, analyzing things as if talking to himself, with a determined look on his face.

"Godfather doesn't know."

Seeing this, Qiu Chengyun hurriedly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully: "Although Zhao Nanxing himself does not know martial arts, he is proficient in martial arts in the world. Many young people follow him, and there must be martial arts masters among them." "Oh? This Zhao Nanxing has such skills?"

Zhang Cheng stopped, his brows knitted together instantly, he turned around, looked at Qiu Chengyun with a sharp gaze, looked him up and down, and then sighed heavily: "Over the years, all of my men have claimed to be masters of the palace, but they can't even take down an assassin. They are all good-for-nothings!"

After saying that, he raised his hand and slammed the table beside him hard, causing the teacup on the table to jump up.

Seeing this, Qiu Chengyun immediately lowered his head, his face full of panic: "Godfather, calm down, it's all my fault for being useless."

He secretly glanced at Zhang Cheng and saw that Zhang Cheng's expression had eased a little. Then he paused and bowed slightly to Zhang Cheng: "Godfather, there is news from the spies in Wuxi. It is said that after the former seal verification officer of the Ministry of Personnel, Gu Xiancheng, was dismissed, he has rebuilt the Donglin Academy in Wuxi. On the eighth day of every month, he lectures on the Four Books and on the twenty-third day of every month, he discusses current affairs. He has an average of more than 2000 people gathering every year. He claims to point out current problems, judge people, and is keen on innovation. He has attracted admiration from the court and the public. Officials and scholars all regard Donglin as a model. There is also a saying that 'Donglin is the first place for scholars who speak righteousness in the world.' The spies also found that Gu Xiancheng had close correspondence with Gao Panlong, Zhao Nanxing and others. He called himself a 'Donglin man' and it was obvious that he intended to form a clique for personal gain."

Qiu Chengyun paused here and observed Zhang Cheng's reaction again. Zhang Cheng's face gradually became gloomy, and he sat back in his chair, tapping the armrests with his fingers rhythmically, making a "da da" sound.

After a moment, Zhang Cheng waved his hand indifferently, his expression regained some calmness: "It's just a few literati complaining, what's so strange about that? They are all people who seek fame and reputation."

As he spoke, he picked up the teacup on the table, gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface, and took a sip.

"Godfather, this Donglin Party is not simple."

Qiu Chengyun bowed and took two steps forward, standing closer to Zhang Cheng, his expression becoming more solemn: "Since I received the secret report, I began to pay attention to these people. I found that among the Jinshi after the 487th year of Wanli, a small half had a master-disciple relationship with Donglin. Donglin Academy also controls % of the academies in Nanzhili, and is supported by the Qian family of Wuxi, the Tang family of Changzhou and other aristocratic families. Last year, a total of officials signed the "Petition to Abolish Mining Tax". It was these few who were secretly making trouble. Their purpose is to deal with us!"

"Is there anything else going on?"

Zhang Cheng paused with the teacup in his hand, and a few drops of tea splashed on the back of his hand, but he was unaware of it. He just stared at Qiu Chengyun closely, his eyes revealing a complex emotion, with surprise, anger, and more vigilance. He slowly put down the teacup.

"Humph, a bunch of people who overestimate their own abilities. Do you think you can stir up any waves with a few articles and a few rallies?"

"but,"

Zhang Cheng changed the subject and his eyes became cold: "Since they are so bold, we can't just sit back and watch. Cheng Yun, you go and make arrangements immediately. Find out the details of these people and don't let any of them go!"

"Yes, godfather!"

Qiu Chengyun responded quickly, straightened his body, clasped his hands together, and looked like he was ready to go to war: "I promise I won't let my godfather down!"

"Wait, this matter is of great importance, and we must not take it lightly. Remember, do not alert the enemy, and act in secret."

As he spoke, Zhang Cheng suddenly snorted coldly, with a hint of disdain on his lips: "There are 40,000 imperial guards, but after so many years of observation, I don't think there are many who are loyal and talented! They show off their power on weekdays, but they fall short at the critical moment. They can't even deal with an assassin. They are really useless!"

Qiu Chengyun looked up at Zhang Cheng and said, "Godfather, this year's martial arts exam is about to be held. This is a critical time to select talents, so why don't you take charge in person? With your prestige and vision, you will definitely be able to select real talents for us to use and strengthen our forces. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

"The emperor means... to let Zhao Nanxing preside over the martial arts examination."

Zhang Cheng had a blank expression on his face. Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. His face did not show much emotion, but his clenched fists revealed his inner dissatisfaction: "It turns out that the emperor has long known that Zhao Nanxing has such ability, but he has been hiding it from me and gave him such an important task."

Zhang Cheng slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his emotions.

"Oh my god, godfather!"

When Qiu Chengyun heard this, he took two quick steps forward and said, "This Zhao Nanxing is the leader of Donglin. If he is allowed to preside over the military examination, all candidates in the world will be his disciples, which will become a big problem in the future. He has always had close correspondence with Gu Xiancheng and others, forming a clique for personal gain. Now he holds the power of the military examination. Once all those candidates become his disciples, his power will be at its peak. By then, we will be restricted in every way and it will be difficult to compete with him!"

Zhang Cheng stopped walking, his brows twisted into a knot. After thinking for a long time, he finally spoke in a sharp voice: "This matter is indeed difficult. Since the emperor has made a decision, our rash opposition will only arouse his suspicion. The emperor's mind is unpredictable, and if we are not careful, we will be doomed. But we can't just watch Zhao Nanxing take this opportunity to expand the power of the Donglin Party. But according to what you said, once the Donglin Party controls these new military talents, the situation we have worked hard to build for many years will be completely broken."

Qiu Chengyun stood aside, head lowered, quietly waiting for Zhang Cheng's next words.

Zhang Cheng paced slowly in the room again, then suddenly stopped, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, go down. I have my own idea for this matter!"

Just as Qiu Chengyun was about to turn around and leave, he took his foot back, as if he suddenly remembered something extremely important, and said with a cupped hand, "Godfather, there is one more thing... I heard that Yunyan Pavilion will be escorting one million taels of silver to Beijing in the near future."

"Oh? One million taels of silver?"

Zhang Cheng's eyes suddenly became sharp, and his originally tired expression was swept away: "Yunyan Pavilion? Why are they transporting so much silver to Beijing?"

Zhang Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly, and began to calculate quickly in his mind. In recent years, Yunyan Pavilion has become famous, running a huge business, and has inextricable ties with the court. The escort of such a huge amount of silver to Beijing this time must be very complicated.

Qiu Chengyun took a step forward and bowed slightly: "I haven't figured out their intentions yet. I only know that this batch of silver is huge in quantity and is escorted by the Fuwei Escort Agency. It is said that there are many experts escorting along the way, and the security is extremely strict."

As he spoke, he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Zhang Cheng: "This is some preliminary information I have collected about the escort route and time, but it is not exhaustive."

Zhang Cheng reached out to take the note, slowly unfolded it, and scanned the contents on it.

"There's something strange about this,"

Zhang Cheng whispered to himself, "One million taels of silver is not a small amount. If it falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, it can play a significant role."

After a pause, Zhang Cheng folded the note again, put it in his arms, and looked at Qiu Chengyun: "You should immediately arrange for people to closely monitor Yunyan Pavilion's every move. Be sure to find out the real purpose of their transporting the silver before they enter Beijing, and whether there are other people behind the scenes manipulating it. ... Send more people."

"Yes, godfather!"

Qiu Chengyun quickly responded, "I'll do it right away."

(End of this chapter)