Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 152 The final prologue before the big show
"What nonsense!" Shen sneered, "Do you think anyone here can control the Jinyiwei?"

"The key is the emperor's attitude." Shi Jixie, who was sitting diagonally with Xu Guangqi, asked, "I remember that you were summoned to the study yesterday, right?" The letter ordering the foreigners to enter the palace was sent from his hands.

"Yes." Xu Guangqi nodded. "But I'm just a guide."

"Oh, lead the way? I think it's like letting a wolf into the house." Shen grabbed Xu Guangqi's words and diverted the topic in another direction.

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you now." But Xu Guangqi ignored him.

"." Shen wanted to speak more, but was interrupted by the Minister of Revenue Li Ruhua.

"Is the noon court still going to be held?" Li Ruhua looked at Shen deeply and said, "If the noon court remains the same and officials go to the Qianqing Palace as usual, I'm afraid bigger trouble will happen. The mess from the 11th has not been cleaned up yet." Shen, whose thoughts were seen through, looked back and met the clarity in Li Ruhua's turbid old eyes.

"Lord Fang," Zhou Jiamo stood up and waved his hand, inviting all the ministers present to the meeting. "We're still waiting for your decision."

"This isn't a solution. Let's do this for now," Ye Xianggao suggested. "Lord Liu, Lord Han, and the other ministers will go to the Meridian Gate to appease the officials. We can't just keep wasting time like this. The various government offices still have to carry out their business as usual. The Prime Minister and I will go to the study to ask for an audience with the Emperor and bring back Zou Erzhan's body. Is this a good idea?"

Knock! Knock! Knock! Just as Fang Congzhe was about to nod in reply, there was a knock on the duty room door.

"Come in." Fang Congzhe swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

The young eunuch pushed the door open and was immediately shocked by the red clothes all over the room. Thirteen of the fourteen ministers came, this was quite a scene.

"Is there anything wrong?" Han Yu was the cabinet member closest to the door.

"Pi Pi Hong." The young eunuch tremblingly placed the thing in his arms next to Xu Guangqi.

"Just one?" Han Yu asked.

"Yes." The young eunuch nodded, then closed the door and retreated as if escaping.

"This was sent directly from the study." Xu Guangqi stood up and walked towards Fang Congzhe with the only memorial.

"How do you know?" Huang Kezan tilted his head and looked up at Xu Guangqi beside him.

"I've seen him. It was yesterday when I brought the foreign scholar into the palace." Although Zhu Changluo ordered the area to be cleared, a few young eunuchs stayed behind because they were serving tea and snacks in the side hall.

As soon as Fang Congzhe saw the cover, he recognized it as a joint memorial submitted by the cabinet to the study. A cabinet memorial was like a large draft, so it didn't include the usual small notes of opinion. Fang Congzhe flipped directly to the end of the document, looked at the approval written in red ink, and muttered, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the cabinet's memorial is rejected."

"What petition?" Zhou Jiamo asked.

"This document is written by the Emperor himself." Fang Congzhe recognized the Emperor's handwriting. "It states that Zou Erzhan's remains have been properly buried by the Western Factory and will not be returned to his family until the case is concluded."

"How could this happen!" Zhang Wenda held his forehead with his hand, his face full of anguish. "I can't report this to the authorities."

------

Jinyiwei, Dongsifang Prison.

In order to keep an eye on Sun Ruyou, the big fish, and avoid any complications, Lu Jianxing directly set up two beds in the cell where Sun Ruyou was imprisoned: one was his, and the other was for the person with a lighter sentence.

"Sir Lu, you have locked me up for a whole night. When will you let me go back? I haven't broken any law. This is unacceptable." Xing Kuan put down the empty bowl and chopsticks in his hands and asked.

"How can this be called closed? There is wine and meat, which is much better than the food at home." Lu Jianxing poured himself a glass of wine.

"I promise not to say anything after I get out. I know how to keep my mouth shut." Xing Kuan pleaded.

"Once the matter is settled, we'll naturally let you go. Just stay quiet for a few days and we'll give you some money. Just think of it as a long errand." Lu Jianxing poured Xing Kuan another glass of wine. "Come on, drink, drink as much as you can. Get drunk and take a nap, and that'll kill the time."

"I'm afraid my family will be worried if I don't come back for a long time." Xing Kuan drank like medicine.

Lu Jianxing ignored him.

"Sir!" Shen Lian shouted anxiously as soon as he entered the East Prison.

"Here!" Lu Jianxing's voice came from the depths.

Shen Lian ran over following the sound and asked, "Brother? Where's the captain?"

"What's the matter?" Since there was nothing to do, Lu Jianxing simply drank heavily all night and was still confused.

"Lord Zou is dead. The Northern Pacification Office has gone crazy!" Shen Lian said concisely.

"What!" Lu Jianxing became alert in an instant.

"Lord Zou committed suicide in the imperial prison." Shen Lian explained, "The entire Northern Pacification Office is out in full force, raiding the city!"

"Master Zou is dead? This is too big!" Lu Jianxing's lips curled up slightly. If it weren't for Sun Ruyou's presence, he would have cheered excitedly. "Master is home. You should know the way. Go tell him the news! We're going to make a fortune this time!"

Half an hour later, Shen Lian came back with Lu Wenzhao.

"Is everything okay?" Even though he was blown by the wind and snow all the way, Lu Wenzhao's face was still full of joy.

"Very good!" Lu Jianxing stood at the door of the East Prison with his sleeves rolled up. Although there was still a smell of alcohol on his body, his face was no longer drunk.

"Sir, the Northern Pacification Office has gone all out, sending in soldiers from the Thousand Households Office to raid homes everywhere. Now the whole city is in turmoil." Shen Lian was also very excited. He spoke as he walked, "They certainly haven't been able to pry anything useful out of Lord Zou. If we can get Minister Sun to speak, we will definitely achieve great success this time."

"This is not the place to talk." Lu Jianxing waved his hand to stop Shen Lian, then said to Lu Wenzhao, "Captain, the assistant magistrate asked you to go find him immediately after arriving at the yamen."

"Does the clerk know about this?" Lu Wenzhao asked with a frown.

"I don't know. The deputy commissioner didn't come to the cell. He just sent someone to order a temporary suspension of interrogation and told you to go to the main court immediately upon arrival at the yamen." Lu Jianxing said with lingering fear, "Old Man Xing was also very honest and didn't say much."

"Very good. Keep an eye on them." Lu Wenzhao nodded and turned to leave.

"Brother, why do you want to postpone the interrogation? Do you want us to return the person to the Northern Pacification Office?" Shen Lian's joy froze on his face.

"It shouldn't be that serious. Our East Office and the North Pacification Office have never gotten along well. If Lord Hai does this, we brothers will not accept it." Lu Jianxing shook his head.

When Lu Wenzhao arrived at the main hall and saw other people around, he simply clasped his fists and called out, "Captain Lu Wenzhao, I pay my respects to the Minister."

"You're here." Hai Zhentao waved at Lu Wenzhao, motioning him to come over.

"What are your orders, sir?" Lu Wenzhao asked, approaching the case. "This is your case." Hai Zhentao stood up, pulled Lu Wenzhao to a secluded corner, and whispered, "How's the trial going?"

"There's no result yet." Lu Wenzhao lied.

"I knew it." Hai Zhentao and the other high-ranking Jinyiwei hadn't considered Sun Ruyou would confess without trial. They assumed he was the same type as Zou Yuanbiao. "Be careful. The Chief Guard has sent word that we should suspend the interrogation. Even the Northern Pacification Office has stopped now."

"Stopped? Didn't they mobilize the soldiers from the Qianhu Suo to search and search houses everywhere?" Lu Wenzhao asked.

"They didn't dare to conduct another trial, so they sent people to confiscate the property." Hai Zhentao speculated, "I guess the higher-ups put a lot of pressure on the head guard."

"We want results without more deaths?" Lu Wenzhao reacted immediately.

"Just keep it to yourself. There's no need to tell it." Hai Zhentao looked around and saw no one approaching before continuing, "I suspect the government office has been targeted by the Western Factory. You must be careful with what you say and do in the future!"

"A needle fell?" Lu Wenzhao became alert. "Who do you think it was?"

"I don't know, I just suspect it." Hai Zhentao replied: "The details of the Northern Pacification Office are
Have you heard?

"I only know that the Northern Pacification Division mobilized an entire Thousand Households Division to search the homes of those convicted officials for evidence," Lu Wenzhao said. "Most likely they were from the former Thousand Households Division."

"It's the Zhongqianhu Suo." Hai Zhentao's sources of information are much broader and more accurate than Lu Wenzhao's.

"Tongzhi Tian is choosing a distant destination over a nearby one. Besides, Captain Gao and Tongzhi Tian have never had much in common." Lu Wenzhao felt a little strange.

"That's not what I'm talking about." Hai Zhentao stopped Lu Wenzhao's wandering thoughts and changed the subject. "If a third-rank official died in prison, the Northern Pacification Office would have certainly suppressed the news, but the Western Depot knew about it that very day, and the factory director even led a team there personally. So I believe the Northern Pacification Office, and indeed the entire Imperial Uniform Guard, was under the control of the Western Depot."

"I see." After hearing Hai Zhentao's words, Lu Wenzhao suddenly felt that someone was staring at him.

Hai Zhentao asked again, "Did you call Xing Kuan over?"

"Yes, our East Office doesn't even have a judge right now, so we can only hire someone from outside," Lu Wenzhao explained.

"Let him go back. These Donglin Party members are very stubborn. If Lord Sun can't bear it and commits suicide, I can't protect you." Hai Zhentao instructed.

Lu Wenzhao was worried, but he could only nod obediently. "Okay, I understand."

"Go."

After returning to the East Office Prison, Lu Wenzhao immediately called out Lu Jianxing and Shen Lian.

"Release his sentence and let him go back." Lu Wenzhao said straight to the point.

"Captain, have you reported the matter?" Shen Lian had already heard Lu Jianxing's confession.

"No. It was the assistant judge who refused to allow the trial. He asked us to send Xing Kuan back." Lu Wenzhao replied.

"Why didn't you report it?" Lu Jianxing felt like he'd been doused in a bucket of cold water. "We've uncovered something the Northern Pacification Office couldn't, and that's a huge accomplishment!"

"Of course I know, but now is not the time," said Lu Wenzhao.

"Isn't it the right time?" Lu Jianxing still didn't understand.

"The goods are rare and valuable, but no one knows about it, so the initiative is completely in our hands. We can sell them out whenever we want. There is no need to rush in so hastily." Lu Wenzhao thought all the way as he walked.

"A tree that stands out in the forest will inevitably be destroyed by the wind. It's inappropriate for us to use our weapons to slap them in the face just after the Northern Pacification Office killed someone. Even if Tian Tongzhi was forced to step down by the civil servants, the Northern Pacification Office is not something we can afford to offend. Besides, there is a lot of disharmony at the top, and I'm afraid of stepping on the wrong foot. Let's wait until we understand the situation before taking action."

"Is there any discord up there?" Shen Lian asked.

Lu Wenzhao replied, "I just found out that it wasn't Tian Tongzhi who transferred the Qianhu Division to assist in the investigation, but Luo Zhangwei who transferred the Qianhu Division to assist Tian Tongzhi in the investigation."

"Is there any difference?" Because of Lu Wenzhao's instructions, Lu Jianxing did not tell Shen Lian about the things "above".

Lu Wenzhao didn't want to explain too much now, so he just said, "Tian Tongzhi no longer has the trust of Luo Zhangwei."

Shen Lian wanted to ask more. But Lu Wenzhao waved his hand and said, "Don't ask, I have my own ideas. If you don't take what God gives you, you will suffer the consequences. Don't worry, I won't miss this God-given opportunity."

Lu Wenzhao had already made up his mind. He wanted to find a good opportunity to secretly inform the palace of the news.

"Okay." Lu Jianxing didn't think about it any further. "Sir, if we let that old man Xing Kuan go back, who knows if he'll spread rumors?"

"He's a smart man, he won't say much." Lu Wenzhao looked at Shen Lian. "Go back with Xing Kuan later and stay at his house for a few days. If he dares to say more, you know what to do."

"I understand." Shen Lian asked again. "But what about the Zhang family? I'm worried about Yin Li being alone."

But Lu Wenzhao wasn't worried. "I've read the letter Zhang Shirui sent to Zhang Tianshi. She wouldn't dare run away. Unless her family plans to defect to Jianzhou."

"Then..." Although the emperor said that Ding Baiying could come and go freely, the Imperial Household Department did not send anyone to notify him.

"If Ding Baiying wanted to run, she wouldn't have followed us," Lu Wenzhao said. "That's it. Lu Jianxing will stay here and keep an eye on our lucky star, treating him well and treating him like an ancestor. Make sure nothing happens to him. Shen Lian will go back with Xing Kuan. As for Yin Li, he's got a bad mouth, so let him have some fun at the Zhang Mansion."

"Yes, sir!" Lu Jianxing and Lu Wenzhao clasped their fists at the same time.

The three of them returned to the prison where Sun Ruyou was imprisoned.

"Whip, you can go back now." Lu Wenzhao gripped the hilt of the sword and shook it lightly a few times, causing the scabbard to make a crisp sound when it hit the wooden prison door.

"Thank you, Captain Lu!" Xing Kuan listened to Lu Jianxing's advice and drank quite a bit, so he was walking with a groggy look. "Don't worry, I promise to keep this a secret."

"Here." Lu Wenzhao took out a twenty-liang silver note and stuffed it into Xing Kuan's hand. "My brother wants to stay at your house for a few days. This will be used as board and lodging expenses."

"Captain Lu, you don't trust me that much?" Xing Kuan was drunk and actually said something that should have been kept secret.

"This concerns our wealth and prosperity, so we must be careful. If we get promoted, there will be additional rewards." Lu Wenzhao simply stopped trying to hide his feelings and stared at Xing Kuan with a murderous look. "For now, I can only ask you to be patient and bear it for a while. Don't worry, once this is over, you can yell at the top of your lungs."

"Okay. Captain Lu has said so much, what else can I say." Xing Kuan shook out the banknote and saw that it was twenty taels. A greedy light immediately flashed in his turbid old eyes.

clang!
A melodious bell rang from afar. Sun Ruyou, who was immersed in sorrow, opened his eyes. He murmured to himself, as if sensing something:
"Noon court is about to begin."

(End of this chapter)