Wanli Ming Emperor

Chapter 201: Slaughterhouse of cattle and sheep, desperate dogs jump over the wall

Gloomy clouds gathered over thousands of miles, and the stench of evil filled the sky.

……

It had only been two days since the Holy Mother Empress Dowager's birthday, and the capital should have been filled with joy. However, unexpected storms occurred, and dark clouds covered the sky without any warning.

Snow was falling and the wind was cold, the sky was dark, and the weather in the capital city was unceremoniously creating a tense atmosphere.

The weather was fine, but all the people and things seemed to be deliberately contributing to the tense atmosphere.

Rumors were spreading in the streets, official documents from various government offices were posted continuously, and the guards around the capital were frequently transferred.

In Shuntian Prefecture, checkpoints suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The Jinyiwei and Hongkuiwei, who were watching with eager eyes, kept searching and interrogating people, causing panic among the people.

People from the Ministry of War, the Five Military Governor's Office, the Five Cities Military Command, and the Twenty-four Departments and Bureaus of the Inner Court were either killed or arrested one after another, and officials were unable to make a living.

One after another, envoys with solemn expressions rode out of the capital, raising trails of snow and dust on the outskirts of the capital.

Within one day.

Following the custom of approaching the New Year, after Chen Jingbang took over the Ministry of War, he sent letters to the nine border governors overnight, urging them to perform their duties.

The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court reprimanded the princes in various places for the royal family's indulgence in lawlessness and ordered them to stay at home for a month and cultivate their moral character.

Also, because Li Xiang, a native of Xiangfu, Henan, was the first to initiate the White Lotus Sect, inciting people near and far, creating a demonic book, and arbitrarily gathering people to seize the Central Plains, the cabinet's Shen Shixing was rarely furious. He signed a document with the Ministry of Personnel, sternly ordering the three government offices in all provinces to learn from the incident, prevent the problem from happening again, and not relax.

Even so, the situation still shows no signs of calming down.

I saw another trail of dust galloping across the long street and out of the city.

"I'm afraid today's messengers won't stop. Is this the sixth one?"

"The cabinet and the various ministries are as anxious as ants on a hot pot. They have to do something. Reprimanding all the officials may be a way to calm people's hearts."

Two middle-aged men in noble clothes and official-looking faces stood side by side on the city wall of the capital, looking down at the direction where the messenger rode away, chatting with sad faces.

"But judging from the format of the document the envoy is carrying, it seems to be an imperial decree?"

"Yes, it is a handwritten edict from the emperor to Chen Dong, the governor of Xuanda. I don't know the specific content, and I didn't ask the military department to copy it."

"Hiss, this isn't just the Ministry of War that's suspected, they're even on guard against the Military Department... The Military Department doesn't have much to do with Minister Shi, why is it this serious?"

"Alas, the Minister of War is plotting a rebellion, how can the Military Department stay out of it? They are accusing me of negligence, and Chief Jia has no confidence to retort."

Speaking of Shi Maohua, both of them looked gloomy.

Two days ago, that is, the Yiyou day of November in the seventh year of Wanli.

That day was the birthday of Empress Dowager Cisi, and at the same time, something happened that no one expected.

After the emperor and his mother received the congratulatory message, when they were hosting a banquet for soldiers and civilians at Longzong Gate, a thorny foreign monk named Bu Mang hid a poisonous blade on his body. He suddenly jumped up during the banquet and stabbed the emperor to death!
If the emperor had not been agile and dodged in time, a disaster would have occurred!
Simply appalling!
Although it was certainly done by the barbarians, it is obviously not that simple.

The question of who allowed such a barbarian with evil intentions to meet the emperor is a huge one.

Not to mention how he was able to carry a sharp knife to avoid the body search, and how his seat gave him the opportunity to get close to the emperor, etc., which are even more obscure.

as predicted.

Before the court officials had time to doubt for long, news broke that the Minister of War Shi Maohua had conspired to rebellion and then fled for fear of punishment. It was earth-shattering!
No one could react in time. A doctor and a principal of the Ministry of War, as well as a secretary of the Military Department, were directly suspended from their posts by the Cabinet and were not allowed to enter the ministry to handle affairs until the case was closed.

Although they were implicated innocently, no one dared to take it lightly.

Therefore, the doctors and officials in the Ministry of War could only gather information and build relationships everywhere, so as to avoid becoming deaf and blind.

"It's a good thing that you're willing to take precautions. I heard that Shao Sima has not returned since he was taken away by Chief Censor Wen Chun last night. I'm afraid he's in danger."

Shao Sima refers to the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War. The person the two people were referring to was naturally not the newly appointed Chen Jingbang, but the Left Assistant Minister Luo Fengxiang.

"Shi Maohua... Luo Fengxiang... I don't know if it's true or the emperor is just using this as an excuse."

The assassination was carried out by the barbarians, but it is not certain who did it. How could such a huge case lead to the arrest of a Minister of War overnight?

No matter what others think, at least he strongly suspects that the emperor is taking advantage of the situation and deliberately making trouble for Shi Maohua - even if it is later found out that it is someone else, it will not prevent them from being dealt with as well.

"Huh? Is that Shen Li?"

One of them lowered his head and looked towards the inspection area of ​​the city gate below.

"It seems to be true. Wasn't he at home in mourning? Why did he come to Beijing?"

The person who spoke looked down, puzzled.

"Brother Renjia didn't know? Last year, when his three-year mourning for his father ended, the emperor appointed him as the vice minister of the Ministry of War and governor of the local area. Just as the documents were sent out, Shen Li's mother passed away. Now, after a hundred days, the emperor took the opportunity to execute him."

"Tsk, another attempt to take advantage of a loophole. The emperor has violated the rites and laws. Will he have no descendants?"

"Ahem... Brother Renjia's words are biased. Whether it is the war or the halving of the mourning period in the Imperial Observatory, these are the laws passed down by our ancestors. Brother Renjia might as well take this time off from work to review his math and take a part-time job as a doctor in the Imperial Observatory."

There is a reason for the word "also". Last time, the emperor asked the third-rank yamen officials to study further, and the military department had low rank but great power, so two quotas were also allocated to them. Naturally, the logic of this statement changed.

"Forget it. I don't want to argue with you. According to you, Shen Li is coming back to Beijing to take over Luo Fengxiang's post as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War?"

Shen Li’s qualifications are definitely sufficient.

It is not a good thing to have this person as your immediate boss. He is worse than Chen Jingbang.

"No, according to the imperial edict copied by the six departments, it says that he was appointed as the Chief Censor and the Governor of the Land Survey. As for the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Luo Fengxiang may not have really been dismissed. It is too early to say that he will take over."

"This is deceiving oneself and others. The emperor and the cabinet are deliberately involved. If Luo Fengxiang doesn't fall from power, he will probably fall into the water."

"Alas, in the final analysis, it's still Shen Shixing who is just sitting there doing nothing. The matter should have been left to the barbarians. How could the emperor implicate the Minister of War and make everyone suffer?"

"Who says it's not true? And there's that guy Wang Xijue from the Ministry of Personnel, who's been jumping around like crazy, more active than the eunuchs. He must have gone mad because of his daughter's death. How can such a person be worthy of being a Heavenly Official?"

"Humph, Wang Chonggu can't run away. If he doesn't nod, Shen Shixing can't hold the pen to draft the bill. Wang Chonggu doesn't even protect his own fellow villagers. Who will dare to get close to him in the future?"

"Who are the people attending the court meeting in Wenhua Palace now?"

Rebellions were very common in the Ming Dynasty. Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao recruited 100,000 soldiers, proclaimed himself emperor, established the system, and changed the reign title to Shunde, which was exactly sixty years ago; there was the Renyin Palace Coup, in which Emperor Shizong was strangled, but it lasted only thirty-seven years; more recently, Shi Shangzhao raised the flag of rebellion, gathered more than 70,000 soldiers, captured cities and territories, but it lasted only twenty-six years; the most recent was in the second year of Longqing, when 2,000 soldiers from Xuanfu rebelled for reward, which lasted only eleven years. The feudal dynasty was such that no matter which emperor, he would be rebelled against more or less during his reign.

However, although rebellions were frequent, they mostly occurred among the immoral royal family members, the misled people, temporary workers who acted on their own, and the angry soldiers.

If civil servants rebelled, that would be too sensational!
How many years has it been since we heard of civil servants rebelling? Even if there were indeed such cases, they would not use this term. They would list the ten major crimes, and the eight major crimes would be punished by beheading at best.

If we have to count successful examples, I'm afraid we have to rank Hu Weiyong - if the coup d'état is not counted.

What was the Hu Weiyong case like? It involved tens of thousands of people, with countless casualties, more than half of whom were scholars!
How could the emperor and the cabinet bear to let this happen again! ?
If Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue had any conscience, they should have stopped the matter with the barbarians and kept it under wraps. As for Shi Maohua's matter, they could have just listed the ten major crimes to vent the emperor's anger. Why did they have to make such a fuss now? Aren't they afraid that the people would be surprised?

Emperor Sejong narrowly escaped death many times, but no one ever accused his civil officials of rebellion.

All I can say is that the butts of those court officials in Wenhua Palace are getting crookeder day by day!
While we were talking.

A cloud of dust came from afar, heading towards the capital.

The two of them looked over subconsciously, but in just a glance, without even having time to pause and talk about what was happening below the city wall, they saw a group of horses rushing past. It was the arrogant and domineering guards who led the way and rode their leaders into the city.

The two men frowned at the same time, looking at the group of people who had just entered the city with disgust.

"These generals have relied on the emperor's favor and have become rampant in recent years. They are truly afraid of power but not virtue!"

Riding a horse into the city is really arrogant!
The morals have become increasingly corrupt in recent years.

When a military officer goes to the Ministry of War to report on his work, even if he doesn't have to perform the formalities of three bows and nine kowtows, he should at least perform the basic etiquette of kneeling on the ground and bowing, right?

As a result, in recent years, those governors and generals, who held the emperor's order that officials above the third rank were not allowed to kneel in public, actually dared to stand openly in the Ministry of War!

And there's that guy Gu Huan, a mere nobleman, who always stands in the Wenhua Palace court meetings all day long, trying to please the military officers. He's really an eyesore and no one knows when he'll die.

"Looking at the sign held by the guards leading the way, it seems to be Qi Jiguang, right? No wonder he is so arrogant. He brought 3,000 southern soldiers with him when he came to Beijing this time. If anyone displeases him, the city guards may not be enough for him to fight."

One of them kept sneering, and his tone was full of contempt and sarcasm.

Although we understand that most of these foreign ministers who came to the capital had lost their composure after hearing about the assassination of the prince and were eager to see the emperor, no matter what the reason, they were still domineering.

Besides, the emperor’s safety is not something these generals should worry about.

"Yu Dayou was so arrogant and domineering in Fujian, killing people and destroying families at will. He even kept his tail between his legs when he returned to Beijing to report on his work, and only brought two followers with him. Qi Jiguang, on the other hand, brought three thousand southern soldiers... Humph, he is not afraid that he can't hold up such a big arrogance."

"Who made the emperor rely on him? On the night when Shi Maohua got into trouble, I heard that there were unusual movements in the Beijing Camp and the Five Military Commandery. Plus, Gu Huan was dying, so the emperor probably wanted to hand the Beijing Camp over to Qi Jiguang."

"I've heard about the unusual movements of the guards in the past two days. It seems to be mostly rumors."

Mobilizing the camp and guards is not such a simple matter.

Needless to say, the emperor and the cabinet have to go through the process. The chief eunuch of the Imperial Stables has to send the imperial edict and other tokens of honor to the Ministry of War, and then it will be handed over to the Five Military Commandery.

Even Shi Maohua couldn't complete this long list of processes.

"I don't know, but I heard rumors in the military department that someone forged a fire card."

"Forging a fire card? How can someone be so cruel? "

"Oh, it's not a rare thing. Didn't the Duke of Qian who was tortured to death six years ago do the same thing? It's a pity that you and I are suspended from work now, and the news we heard is all shrouded in mystery. It's really hard to tell the truth, and I don't know how much is true or false."

"It must be fake, how can there be such a big scene?"

"It's hard to say. The emperor was on tour this time, the Minister of the Imperial Court fell to his death, and Wang Chonggu had a big quarrel with Shi Maohua. In my opinion, there may be a connection."

"Oh, forget it. I don't know whether this is true or not. I only know that the emperor wants to take this opportunity to completely seize the Beijing Camp."

The speaker's eyes were quite complicated, especially fearful.

"As for rebellion, how can it be called rebellion if both sides are not opposing each other? It is hard to say who is rebelling against whom."

As soon as the words came out, they both sighed at the same time.

After looking at each other, they began to worry about the bleak future of the Ministry of War and the Military Science Department.

……

"Sun Hai, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department? Is the inner court also involved? "

Shen Shixing took the case file handed over by Chief Censor Wen Chun with a serious expression and exclaimed in surprise.

Wen Chun nodded and said bluntly: "In the case of Daxing County's occupation of the imperial farm, the eunuch Yao Zhong who holds the seal of Xixinsi is behind it."

"Because he heard that the emperor would continue to investigate after killing Yao Zhong, he became afraid of the emperor's majesty, and Shi Maohua took advantage of the situation. Before the barbarian came to see the emperor, he secretly relaxed the body search."

At this point, he paused and continued, "Now it's just speculation made by the Censorate based on the confessions of several criminals. There is no solid evidence, but he seems to have smelled the wind. I'm afraid that the night will be long and dreams will arise. Should I arrest him or not?"

Whether it is in accordance with the rules or not is another matter.

The two of them had worked together when they were both the left and right vice ministers of the Ministry of Personnel. They had close contacts and a good personal relationship. In addition, one of them was now in charge of the cabinet and the other was in charge of the Censorate, so they were naturally on equal footing. It was a convention in the imperial court that when a southerner was appointed as the Prime Minister, a northerner would be in charge of the Censorate to serve as a check and balance. This showed their status.

Therefore, when the two of them talked to each other, they had few reservations.

Shen Shixing supported himself on a chair and slowly stood up, pacing back and forth in the cabinet duty room. It was obvious that the matter involved the inner court and there was some trouble.

Only after he had squeezed the case file in his hand until it was deformed, Shen Shixing gritted his teeth and said, "Catch him! No matter who it is! Catch him once you find him!"

"Take my note and arrest the person first. Don't let him get away like Shi Maohua. I'll come back with the draft and His Majesty's approval!"

Wen Chun nodded and was about to turn around and leave the cabinet.

"and many more."

Wen Chun turned around and saw Shen Shixing looking up and calling him.

"Zhao Yongxian, the right staff officer of the Beijing camp, was also arrested!" Shen Shixing said this out of the blue.

Wen Chun frowned.

He was puzzled and asked, "Is Zhao Yongxian also involved?"

After hearing this, Shen Shixing's face became gloomy.

After a while, he turned his head away awkwardly, facing Wen Chun with his side face, unable to read her expression: "Maybe."

Even if not, it has come to this point, and we should put the overall situation first and consider the emperor's feelings.

When Zhang Juzheng was trying to seize his lover, Zhao Yongxian agreed with him openly but secretly colluded with him, which can be said to be a case of pretending to obey while secretly disobeying.

The emperor had originally planned to send him to Zhejiang to be used as a waste in the fight against the Japanese pirates after the New Year, but now that this has happened and there are signs of unusual movements in the camp and guards, he can only go ahead and put him in prison.

This is certainly not glorious, but after Shen Shixing entered the cabinet, he had too many times to put the overall situation first, so this one time would not make a difference, even if it was just a little bit of willfulness due to his small power.

Wen Chun obviously also read some complex trade-offs from Shen Shixing's reaction.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

Seeing that Wen Chun was reluctant to accept the request, Shen Shixing had no choice but to pull the corners of his mouth with difficulty, revealing a rather awkward smile, and comforted him: "Jingwen, you and I have worked together for many years, and you know me well. I am dedicated to the public."

The so-called "maybe there is", also known as "perhaps there is", or "groundless", this name is not good to say after all.

Even if someone's starting point is different, it is always a moral stain.

Wen Chun looked up and glanced at Shen Shixing, and seeing that he was holding his hands in an awkward position, he put his hands behind his back without leaving a trace.

He looked at the embarrassed Shen Shixing and said directly: "Rumo, you don't need to explain, I understand. You are afraid of the incident with Emperor Shizong, so you are willing to dirty your hands for the sake of the overall situation. I am not Chen Wude, so how can I talk without any pain in my waist?"

After hearing this, Shen Shixing's embarrassed expression changed several times, and finally turned into fatigue and emotion.

Who wouldn’t be afraid of the story of Sejong?

They had never seen what Emperor Jiajing looked like when he first ascended the throne, but they had heard about things like measuring land, surveying imperial estates, opening up the seas, and suppressing the Japanese pirates. In Hai Rui's eyes, he was a wise and brave man, and could not be considered a foolish ruler.

However, after a coup in the Renyin Palace, he never attended court again. He became an immortal, but lost his human appearance.

What Shen Shixing feared most now was not that the Shangshu would rebel, nor that someone in the Five Military Commandery would forge the fire talisman. Instead, he was particularly worried that the emperor might be provoked and suddenly bow his head in deep sorrow.

After Emperor Sejong escaped from the fire, the imperial physician who cured him died suddenly. The officials involved were vaguely promoted and Emperor Sejong had been suspicious of him for a long time.

The current emperor is no less suspicious than Emperor Sejong, and his suspicion has grown as he has grown older.

At this time, if the cabinet did not take a thorough attitude, make its position clear to the emperor and appease him, how could Shen Shixing feel at ease?
He sighed and said, "Alas, your majesty has only been away on tour for a month, and I have watched this happen right under my nose. This is truly a heinous crime that cannot be pardoned."

"Now that it's time to dirty our hands, how can we be stingy with our feathers?"

Wen Chun couldn't help but shook his head when he heard this.

He thought for a moment and consoled her, "No one could have expected Shi Maohua to be so crazy. Rumo doesn't need to blame himself like this."

Shi Maohua was saying that he would be forever healthy and was waiting to die of old age. Who would have thought that he had other plans?

Shen Shixing pursed his lips, and after a moment of silence, he still blamed himself and said, "When His Majesty sent back the oral order and Lord Wang informed me that he wanted to thoroughly investigate the matter of the military horse farm, I should have prevented it from happening and watched out for someone who was desperate and jumped over the wall."

Wen Chun didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The two looked at each other in silence. After a moment, Wen Chun simply bowed and said goodbye.

This time Shen Shixing did not stay any longer.

After Wen Chun left, the cabinet duty room fell silent again.

Shen Shixing sat back in his armchair and continued to draft the memorial meticulously.

...In sharp contrast to Shen Shixing's stretched cabinet was the deserted yet bustling Ministry of War.

The office was deserted because a number of doctors and officials were suspended pending investigation, and half of the people were suddenly missing from the office.

The reason why it was so lively was that as the center of the vortex of Shi Maohua's treason case, it naturally attracted too many people and attention.

Just like Wang Chonggu at this moment, and Chen Jingbang, the only remaining official of the Ministry of War, were fighting in full swing in the lobby of the government office.

"In the fourth year of Wanli, 36,200 taels of silver were sent from the Imperial Household Department to Ningxia for expenditure; 20,000 taels of silver were given to Liao Town as rewards for beheading people; 12,000 taels of silver were given to Datong Town as a reserve for next year's market capital; 9,600 taels of silver were sent to Miyun to buy carts and mules; 88,620 taels of silver were sent to the military gate of Xuanda..."

"The fifth year of Wanli..."

Wang Chonggu recited them one by one with clear eyes.

Chen Jingbang looked through the official documents one by one.

Wang Chonggu did not stop until he had finished counting the seventh year of the Wanli reign. Chen Jingbang, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, put down the case file and sighed: "They have occupied pastures and swallowed up the silver for horse prices. From the first year of the Wanli reign to now, millions of taels of silver have been eaten up by these people. They are really the biggest scourges of the country!"

Wang Chonggu heard this but did not respond.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

He had heard some rumors about this when he was the governor of Xuanda - although he, Wang Chonggu, had other legal sources of income, most of his colleagues did not.

For example, Shi Maohua, Luo Fengxiang and others who were all from the Jin Dynasty.

In the past, he could have avoided asking and pretended not to have heard the rumors, but now that the emperor forced him to make a choice, he could only choose the good one.

Things have come to this point, and there is certainly no room for stopping. However, Wang Chonggu still couldn't help feeling complicated and was unwilling to comment too much.

He ignored Chen Jingbang's words and continued, "There are many people involved in the case, and only a part of them have been found out so far, including the Minister of War Shi Maohua, the Vice Minister of War Luo Fengxiang, the Minister of the Imperial Horse Temple Wu Shangxian, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Gao Shi, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Miao Bolan, the Deputy Minister of the Military Deployment Tang Yao, the Lieutenant General of the Liaodong Central Army Zhang Wei..."

Not many people were involved in the case - of course, this is relatively speaking, at least not as serious as the salt administration incident at the time.

But as soon as he heard the beginning, Chen Jingbang had some insights.

He murmured and repeated, "Shi Maohua...I'm afraid he has already realized that he is being investigated?"

Otherwise, he would not have escaped so quickly.

He even did something ruthless before leaving.

Wang Chonggu did not comment: "Maybe."

Seeing that the minister was unwilling to talk more, Chen Jingbang stopped asking and continued to talk about business: "What about the horses? They were not purchased at all?"

Wang Chonggu shook his head slowly: "Of course not. If we hadn't purchased horses, we wouldn't have concealed it from the local governors, the border patrol officers, the censors, and the imperial guards for so many years."

“It’s still bought, but it’s sold right after it’s sold.”

Chen Jingbang was stunned: "Who did you sell it to?"

Wang Chonggu looked at Chen Jingbang with a blank expression: "Who else could it be? The Mongols, the Jurchens, and in recent years, the White Lotus Sect."

Mr. Wang is knowledgeable and experienced, so he speaks lightly.

When Chen Jingbang heard this, his face suddenly turned red.

He slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide open, a look of disbelief on his face, and said in a trembling voice: "Aiding the enemy and treason! This is treason!"

Ma Zheng's original intention was to weaken the enemy, who would have thought that such a thing as a repurchase would happen now!

As for the price, there is no need to say more. After all, they are selling stolen goods, so they will definitely buy them back from the barbarians at a price lower than the market price.

Isn't this the court officials and the barbarians dividing the money from the national treasury? ?

Outrageous!

How could the Minister of War collaborate with the enemy and commit treason?
The Gengxu Rebellion, the Shizhou Incident and the Jizhou Rebellion resulted in the deaths and injuries of more than 100,000 civilians, which was a huge loss of life. Don't these people have any distinction between Chinese and barbarians?

Is it because he is so willing to lead the barbarians that he misses the adulterous wives and sons of the Shangjin people, or is it because he wants to shave his head and change his clothes? ?

Wang Chonggu's expression was somewhat complicated, with some regret, some disappointment, and more of melancholy.

He sighed, "Not everyone can distinguish between friends and enemies as clearly as you and I."

After a long time.

Chen Jingbang finally calmed down.

He sat back slowly: "No wonder, no wonder Shi Maohua, the Minister of War, dared to do such a thing, so that's it."

"Oh, when your majesty returns to the capital, the first thing he will do is to kill these people."

During this tour of Shuntian, the emperor killed many people, which really scared many people.

No wonder Shi Maohua acted so desperately in panic.

Just then.

There was a noise coming from outside the yamen, which was particularly obvious in the deserted Ministry of War yamen.

They both looked up.

I saw a man walking with the wind and thunder, he walked straight into the lobby of the government office from the gate of the Ministry of War.

"I, Qi Jiguang, have been ordered to return the imperial seal and go to the capital to meet the emperor and pay my respects to Lord Wang and the young military commander."

Chen Jingbang and Wang Chonggu looked at each other.

The latter responded with a smile and extended his hand to support him.

The former nodded reluctantly, feeling a little unhappy.

It is said that Qi Jiguang is very polite and he always kowtows and bows deeply whenever he comes to the Ministry of War. How come he doesn't know the rules when he meets Chen Jingbang today?

But now that something big has happened and the Ministry of War is overwhelmed, he has no time to bother with these military officers, so he waved his hand perfunctorily: "General Qi has come from a long way to the capital, and he is exhausted. Take a good rest today, and the day after tomorrow he will go to the court to see the emperor together with the Left General Yu Dayou."

After saying that, he called the person in charge in the hall and took Qi Jiguang away to handle the official business - this is the current ecology of civil and military affairs. Not to mention returning the gift, they are too lazy to even look at each other.

Wang Chonggu heard a hint of displeasure in the tone, looked up at Chen Jingbang, but said nothing. After all, Chen Jingbang was the real official in the Ministry of War.

Qi Jiguang was unwilling to wait until the next day after hearing this, and hurriedly said, "Young Sima, I want to go to the palace to see the emperor right now!"

Only then did Chen Jingbang look up and look at Qi Jiguang seriously.

He naturally understood the mentality of these foreign officials. They were simply anxious because the emperor had been assassinated.

There was nothing to blame, of course, but the attitude made him a little dissatisfied.

Chen Jingbang frowned slightly and scolded: "There are some things that you military officers cannot interfere with. You just need to know that His Majesty is fine."

Qi Jiguang's face turned red after being scolded.

In the past, he would have retreated, but now he had no choice but to step forward and plead, "Young Sima, I am..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Jingbang showed an impatient look.

He waved his hand and said, "His Majesty went to the residence of Lord Gao today and is not in the palace. You cannot see him even if you ask for an audience."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Jiguang's face suddenly changed, and he blurted out: "Your Majesty, you just encountered an assassination attempt on your majesty, why are you leaving the palace?!"

After saying this, he got up and left without even saying hello, apparently preparing to go to Gao Yi's mansion to pay homage to the emperor.

Chen Jingbang looked at Qi Jiguang's back and snorted coldly without hiding his feelings: "You don't know etiquette!"

Wang Chonggu was standing by and casually said in defense: "Only a loyal person can take over the Beijing camp. Gongwang doesn't need to be too harsh on me."

Chen Jingbang reluctantly bowed to Wang Chonggu, as a way of giving the latter some face.

Qi Jiguang, who turned around and left, naturally ignored the advice and strode out of the Ministry of War. He didn't even bother to say hello to his guards. He mounted his horse and rode straight to Gao Yi's mansion.

……

At the same time, at the residence of Cabinet Minister Gao Yi.

Unlike what outsiders expected, the emperor, who should have been furious and shouting for war, or was frightened and treading on thin ice, was now accompanying his teacher Gao Yi, setting up tables and chairs for chess in the courtyard and chatting leisurely.

"Didn't I ask Yuan Fu to tell me that I would leave the palace to visit Lü Gong and the teacher after I finished my inspection tour?"

Zhu Yijun stretched out his hand and pushed the pawn forward a step.

The accompanying secretary put the daily notes aside, picked up a piece of writing paper, and wrote something on it.

If you look closely, you can see that the person is recording the chess game - saying, "The emperor respects his teacher and respects the way of learning. Please let Nanyu Gaogong play red." Nanyu Gaogong's cannon moves 8 to 7, the emperor's horse moves 9 to 8, in a flash; Nanyu Gaogong's horse moves 3 to 1, the emperor's chariot moves 2 to 3, without hesitation; Nanyu Gaogong's soldier moves to , the emperor's pawn moves to , evenly matched; Nanyu Gaogong's elephant moves to , the emperor's horse moves to , with flashes of swords.

Zhu Yijun also allowed the Secretary of the Central Secretariat to write unofficial history. After all, he couldn't hold a chessboard, so he was not afraid of being remembered.

After Gao Yi suffered a stroke, his lower limbs could not walk and he could only play chess with the emperor in a wheelchair.

He had recovered his consciousness and was relatively clear, but his words were somewhat unclear: "Your Majesty doesn't look like you can take a break in the current situation. You should return to the palace as soon as possible."

"One car equals two."

When Gao Yi was assisting the government, there were many emperors in the court and the country who pretended to be sympathetic and took advantage of Gao Yi's voice.

What about now? Gao Yi was just a cripple, but the emperor still treated him with the same favor and honor. What else could be better than this proof?

Perhaps the most commendable thing in his life was that he taught such a student.

Precisely because the emperor was a good emperor, he couldn't bear to see the emperor waste his energy on him.

Zhu Yijun shook his head: "It's okay. I just returned to the capital and was caught off guard. Now everything has been arranged. It's nothing serious."

"By the way, it is a very cold winter, so I brought two palace maids to take care of you for a month until spring."

"Elephant 3 to 5."

His teacher had no wives or children, only two old servants. In the winter after he suffered a stroke, someone from the palace always came to take care of him.

Gao Yi did not refuse after hearing this. After all, he had already refused many times in the first two years.

He just looked at the emperor with a serious face: "Don't be careless. This time, the Ministry of War sent foreigners to the banquet to assassinate the king, the Ministry of Ceremonies had someone to cover it up, and the Five Military Commanders' Office even forged an imperial edict to dispatch the camps and guards and wait for an opportunity to act. Everything does not seem to be a spur-of-the-moment plan."

As he spoke, he casually moved the chess piece, the knight from eight to nine.

Zhu Yijun seemed unaware: "Cannon 8 to 4."

"Don't worry, students. This is the backlash from the Southern Suburbs Heavenly Sacrifice and the Land and Household Reclamation. It's just a combination of people. As for who they are... I will find them one by one."

Of course he knew the situation was serious.

But as an emperor, who hasn’t encountered rebellion while in office?
Just get used to it, no need to be overly shocked.

Gao Yi paused holding the chess piece and reminded, "Others are fine, but the person who forged the imperial edict in the Five Military Commandery should be killed by mistake rather than let go."

No one dared to take the fabricated fire card lightly, especially when the person who delivered the order was an officer from the Five Military Commandery. Who could tell the difference?
The magnitude of the harm is self-evident.

In addition, the organization level of forcing middle-level officers to commit suicide after passing on orders is simply appalling.

Zhu Yijun nodded slightly: "It depends on which noble family he is from. Shi Maohua was most likely sent out by that person. I am afraid that this will be the beginning of the first three-family extermination during my tenure."

Grohe seemed to be thinking about something.

The servant beside him skillfully reached out a towel and wiped the corners of his old master's mouth.

The former finally reacted and forced himself to straighten his expression: "Your Majesty, do you have any guesses?"

While he was talking, he casually hit eight and seven.

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "I left the palace today just to verify it. After visiting the teacher, I will go to ask him in person."

"Rook 1 level 2."

There are many fools among the nobles, but there are not many who have the courage to forge a fire card.

In addition, now that I am working in the Five Military Commandery, I can have a general idea of ​​the situation after a little investigation.

Gao Yi couldn't help but sigh when he heard this.

The daily routine is full of things to do, and this is not just talk. When you go out of the palace, there are usually three or five things to do at the same time.

This is just after the assassination of the king. If this is not a wise ruler, then what else can be called a wise ruler?
Thinking of this, Gao Yi suddenly reminded: "Your Majesty will be eighteen next year, you can have sex more frequently."

Although this was just a false alarm, it did scare a lot of people.

The emperor has no children yet!
As the emperor's teacher, I have to give advice if necessary, even if I am about to be buried.

The Secretary of the Central Secretariat standing by took note that Duke Gao of Nanyu’s troops advanced seven steps forward.

Zhu Yijun looked calm and nodded in response: "Teacher, you are right. I don't need to bother you. We just had sex last night."

"Horse 3 leads to 4."

There is nothing to be secretive about; it should be said out loud to reassure the ministers - after the emperor was assassinated, the ministers should express their opinions, and the emperor should naturally express his opinions.

Gao Yi felt relieved after hearing this.

He thought about it and reminded: "Your Majesty, now is the time to measure the land. It is not good to involve Shi Maohua too much. You still need to let Shen Shixing be careful."

As he spoke, Gao Yi casually moved his soldiers one step forward from seven to one.

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun's dark eyes revealed a hint of intrigue, and he replied softly: "Teacher, don't worry, I will stop when I get the point."

As for who the move would end at, he did not explain. He just moved the piece naturally, from knight 4 to 5.

Gao Yi was about to make a response when he was suddenly stunned.

After a while of deduction, Gao Yi finally saw the situation clearly. He looked up at the emperor helplessly and said, "Your Majesty really knows when to stop. I surrender and admit defeat."

Wang Yingxuan, the secretary of the imperial court, also understood the chess game and reacted in surprise, saying, "Your Majesty won in nine moves. This is truly a brilliant plan!"

Zhu Yijun smiled but said nothing.

At this moment.

Suddenly, the sound of fighting rang out without warning.

The shouts and cries of killing were growing louder and louder outside the palace, accompanied by the chanting of "Mother of No Birth, Hometown of True Emptiness".

Jiang Keqian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, hurried in, and the scene of fighting outside the mansion flashed by.

Gao Yi's expression suddenly changed, and he almost stood up with the wheelchair: "Quick! Escort His Majesty out through the back door!"

Wang Yingxuan, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, realized later that something was wrong. He disregarded etiquette, grabbed the emperor's arm and tried to drag him away.

Unexpectedly, the emperor just frowned, shook off Wang Yingxuan, stood up and walked towards Jiang Keqian, mocking him, "Who is desperate?"

Jiang Keqian's face was not panicked. He bowed and said, "I can't see clearly, but it should be Liu Shiyan."

Zhu Yijun sneered, "Liu Shiyan, the Earl of Chengyi, it's really him... He's well-informed. It seems he knew I was coming to visit."

　This game is from the 2016 Feishen Cup between Wang Tianyi and Wang Yang.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)