scourge the qing dynasty

Chapter 111 Unexpected Ecstasy
(PS: The results of the monthly pass are getting worse and worse. Friends, can you rummage through the boxes again, and get some monthly passes for the great gods, and reward them to the pure wolves?)
There are several flowers blooming, each showing one branch. When Fatty Lu was studying knowledge in Qujing, specializing in some vicious techniques and evil weapons for how to kill and set fire faster and better, and at the same time governing the situation in a decent manner, calming the people and developing the economy, On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Qin Yong, Fatty Lu's eldest cousin, finally rushed to the capital. Following the instructions of Fatty Lu and Zhu Fangdan, he went all the way to the gate of Suo'etu Mansion near Yongxing Temple, and handed over to the concierge. I got the letter of introduction from Fatty Lu and asked Suo'etu to meet him.

Different from Fatty Lu's previous visits to Suo'etu Mansion, after he was promoted from Suo'etu to be the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Organization Department, the desolate scene in front of the Suo'er Mansion has been swept away. There are so many people in the market, officials who want to give gifts have to make an appointment in advance, and they have to pay a dozen or 20 taels of white money to the door of the Suofu, so that they can have a chance to meet our Suo Etu Suo servant—to be an official, find the third son of Suo. A well-known official saying, that is, from this year.

Qin Yong, the son of a businessman from a poor country, of course doesn't know the rules in the capital, and he doesn't have much fame. His family is a new relative of the housekeeper, and he usually doesn't have a good word for officials at the prefect level, so of course he will not let Qin Yong enter the mansion at all, and Qin Yong has Zhu Fangdan and Lu Fatty's strict orders. Strictly keep your whereabouts secret, naturally helpless in such a situation, dare not talk nonsense to reveal your identity, and dare not leave casually, can only wander back and forth in front of the Suofu gate, anxious like ants on a hot pot.

"Hey, that bumpkin from Yunnan, why don't you leave?" Even though Qin Yong was very sensible and didn't touch the wall again, he just wandered around the door and waited, but the wrapped doors in front of the Suofu gate still refused to let him go. One of the disciples arrogantly yelled at Qin Yong: "What are you still doing here? Get out! If you don't get out, I will send you to Wucheng Bingmasi to sit in prison."

"My lord, I'm really in a hurry." Qin Yong nodded and bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry to bother you to report to Mr. Lu Yifeng, the county magistrate of Qujing, and he will definitely meet his cousin. If he doesn't see you, I'll leave right away."

"Get out!" The doorman was furious, kicked Qin Yong's leg, and cursed: "What about Lu Yifeng and Lu Erfeng, a small county magistrate of seventh grade, there are more bastards in Yongding River than this kind of goods! Get out of here!" , let me say one more wordy sentence, I will take you to Shuntian Mansion immediately, and charge you with a death penalty for trespassing on the mansion of a court official."

Qin Yong was a bit naive and straightforward, he didn't know how to make money, so in desperation he had no choice but to find an inn to live in first, and then find a way to contact Suo'etu.But at this moment, a group of people and horses suddenly turned around at the entrance of the alley, led by a small sedan chair in green clothes, and came straight to the gate of Suo'etu Mansion in a show of might.With a thought in his mind, Qin Yong said that it was Suo'etu's sedan chair returning home. He quickly unwrapped the package on his back and rushed to the small sedan chair. The guards with knives who were waiting in front of and behind the sedan chair were so frightened that they all drew their knives to guard the sedan chair. They yelled together: "What are you doing?"

"May I ask you, Mr. Suo'etuso is sitting in the sedan chair?" Qin Yong asked tremblingly.

"Blind your dog's eyes!" A young guard with a knife scolded angrily: "Master Suo is sitting in a big green sedan chair, how can it be Mr. Suo sitting in this sedan chair?"

"No?" Qin Yong was disappointed.At this time, several gatekeepers in front of the Suofu gate had already rushed over to salute Qian, and the gatekeeper who scolded Qin Yong just now nodded and bowed and said: "Greetings to Guard Cao, if you dare to ask Guard Cao, it is through my family Sir, come out to meet him? Or ask the master to go in directly?"

"You don't need to pass it on, master just go in." The young man surnamed Cao snorted coldly, then pointed at Qin Yong and said, "What does this idiot do? He almost bumped into the master. Is that why you are guarding the door for Master Suo? ?”

"A slave is a death penalty, a slave is a death penalty." The doorman was terrified, and hurriedly said: "This idiot is from Qujing, Yunnan, and was sent by Lu Hefeng, the county magistrate there. He said he wanted to see our lord without thinking. He also said that there was something urgent, and he couldn’t be driven away, and he has been waiting here for more than half an hour. The servant was convicted, so the servant arrested him and sent him to Shuntian Mansion for punishment.”

"Qu Jing? Lu Yifeng?!" The young man surnamed Cao changed his expression drastically and blurted out in surprise.

"Yes, it's Lu Yifeng, Master Cao, do you know...?" The doorman was about to ask back, but before he could finish speaking, the curtain of the small sedan chair in green clothes had been lifted from the sedan chair, and a man with pockmarked face The young man poked his head out of the sedan chair and shouted sharply: "Lu Yifeng sent someone here? Where is it?"

"I, I am." Qin Yong stepped forward and replied cautiously.

"You were sent by Lu Yifeng? What's the matter? Lu Yifeng contacted Suo'etu, why didn't he go through the agreed channel? Why did he send you here directly?" the little pockmark asked.

"Lu Yifeng is my aunt's son and my only cousin." Qin Yong explained: "He asked me to find Mr. Suo because he had some things to hand over to Mr. Suo. Because these things are too important, he dare not If you entrust someone else, you sent me here, and asked me to deliver these things to Lord Suo with my own hands."

"What is so important? Where is it? Get it quickly." Xiao Mazi was curious and urged impatiently.

"No..., no, you are not Mr. Suo." Qin Yong said timidly: "My cousin said that this thing can only be handed over to Mr. Suo, and no one else can give it to anyone else. I would rather destroy it than give it to you."

"Ha, I can't see that you are quite loyal." Xiao Mazi laughed, and squinted again, and shouted: "What are you still doing? Why don't you invite Mr. Lu's cousin into the mansion? Let Mr. Suo come out in person See him? You bastard, you almost missed my big business!"

"Did you hear that? You bastard?" The young man surnamed Cao turned his face faster than the book, raised his leg and kicked the door's chest, and cursed fiercely: "Blind your dog eyes, Lu Sanhao, Master Lu and your family What kind of friendship is your lord, haven't you heard of it? I'll see how your master deals with you later!"

With Xiao Mazi's words, of course the Suofumen, who were flamboyant just now, immediately turned into pugs, nodding and bowing, and invited the dizzy Qin Yong into the gate of Suofu. Ertu rushed out to greet him like a gust of wind, and first slapped those disciples heavily, and then introduced his identity to Qin Yong, who then untied the package on his back and put the Two things and a letter in his closet were handed over to Soetu.

After receiving the two bottles of medicine and the letter from Fatty Lu, half of the Suo mansion was in a commotion that afternoon. Under Xiao Mazi's personal supervision, Suo'etu sent people to bring two death row prisoners from the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. It was heard that the imperial physician and the assistant who performed the autopsy on Wu Liuyi back then, Xiao Mazi's confidantes, Kong Sizhen and Xiong Cilu also rushed to Suofu, and accompanied Xiao Mazi to examine Wu Liuyi's body. real cause of death.

Fatty Lu's bet really paid off - in fact, even if he made a wrong bet, Fatty Lu would have no fart loss, at most he would just let his cousin make a trip to the capital for nothing.After Cao Yin smeared the blood-seeing throat seal sent by Fatty Lu on the steel needle, he then stuck the poisoned steel needle into the back of a death row prisoner's neck. As a result, the death row prisoner died before he had finished walking seven or eight steps. His breathing stopped, his blood coagulated, his heart stopped suddenly, and he died. There was a little redness and swelling all over his body, that is, where the needle was pricked on the back of his neck, and there was no wound in the rest—this was exactly the same as Wu Liuyi's autopsy results.

"Your Majesty, the imperial physician and Wu Zuo have already checked carefully." Suo Etu reported excitedly to Xiao Mazi: "Sure enough, it is exactly the same as Wu Junmen's corpse, only the back of the neck is a little red and swollen, and everything else is extremely urgent. Died of a heart attack! It is certain that Wu Junmen died under this poison in nine out of ten cases! Several imperial physicians and Wu Zuo who did the autopsy were extremely amazed, saying that it was the first time they knew that there was such a powerful poison in the world. Needles can kill!"

"They still have the face to be amazed?!" Xiao Mazi was furious, and roared: "When I asked them about the cause of Wu Liuyi's death before, it either said that the cause of death was unknown, or that he died suddenly from a sudden heart attack! Now that the truth has come out, they are all told again. Did Wu Liuyi die from poisoning? Waste, a bunch of wine bags and rice bags!"

"Your Majesty, please appease your anger." Mingzhu said respectfully: "I believe that the imperial physicians in the capital cannot be blamed for this at all. Lu Yifeng and Lord Lu made it very clear in his letter that this kind of poison that seals the throat when it sees blood is unique to Yunnan. Few people in the Central Plains know about this poison, even he, also learned about this poison from Zhu Fangdan, a famous physician. He sent his confidant cousin to the capital to bring the poison and antidote to the capital and let us test it. So it is not surprising that the imperial physician in the capital does not know about this poison."

Mingzhu's explanation is reasonable, and it is indeed the fact of the matter, so Xiao Mazi quickly accepted Mingzhu's opinion, nodded and said: "That's right, I can't completely blame the imperial physician in the capital, thanks to Lu Aiqing's carefulness After getting the story of Wu Liuyi's murder from Prince Pingxi's mansion, he didn't hang up like other dog slaves who had nothing to do with himself, but found out the truth for me with his heart, and his loyalty is commendable."

"Your Majesty, I don't suspect Lord Lu." Xiong Cilu, who had a heated fight with Kong Sizhen recently, interjected, "I'm just strange. Lord Lu is in Qujing, and Prince Pingxi's residence is in Kunming. He has very little contact with him. How did he do it?" The news of Wu Junmen's murder that I learned from the Pingxi Palace? Do you still know such details? Even if the people in the Pingxi Palace accidentally leaked it, it is not so easy for him to hear the news in Qujing, right? Could it be that he deliberately inquired about it? Or did the Pingxi Palace tell him on purpose?"

Xiong Cilu's words are also very reasonable. The process of Wu Liuyi's sudden death and the results of the autopsy were jointly blocked by Xiao Mazi and Aobai. , and it is impossible to spread it everywhere. Fatty Lu is just a seventh-rank sesame official, and he is not in the same city as the Prince of Peace Palace. Where can he go to spy on such secrets?
Thinking of this, Xiao Mazi, who was suspicious and cunning no less than anyone else, inevitably frowned slightly, and became suspicious about this. Xiong Cilu and Kong Sizhen over there looked at each other quickly, and they couldn't help but secretly rejoiced.But it's a pity that there were also Mingzhu who swore not to suffer from Fatty Lu's misfortune, and Suo'etu, who had been favored by Fatty Lu, came out and said, "Your Majesty, maybe Lu Yifeng's cousin knows about this." , anyway, he is at the servant's house, do you want the servant to ask why?"

"Your Majesty, please allow me to go with you." Xiong Cilu also stood up.Xiao Mazi also wanted to know the reason, and immediately nodded in agreement.

Both Xiong Cilu and Kong Sizhen obviously seriously underestimated the carefulness of Lu Fatty's mind. After a while, the arrogant Suo'etu and the dejected Xiong Cilu returned to Xiao Mazi together. Suo'etu explained: "Return Your Majesty, I have asked you clearly. In order to better serve the Emperor, Master Lu surrendered his status to worship Liu Xuanchu, Wu Sangui's confidant counselor, as his teacher. Nule Peak set up a military camp and transferred all the craftsmen and apprentices there, and the person who supervised Wu Sangui in Qujing was Liu Xuanchu, so it was easy for Lu Yifeng to get the news from Liu Xuanchu."

"Lu Aiqing worshiped Liu Xuanchu as his teacher? That's Wu Sangui's trustworthy think tank." Xiao Mazi was overjoyed and said, "So, if everything goes well, Lu Aiqing will definitely be able to get a lot of important news from Liu Xuanchu's mouth in the future."

"This servant thinks that's exactly the case." Mingzhu agreed, and said seriously: "If Master Lu hadn't been careful this time, we would still be kept in the dark about the case of Wu Junmen's murder. This servant thinks it's a great achievement. Your Majesty should A commendation. What's even more rare is that Master Lu not only let us know how Wu Junmen was murdered this time, but also provided us with an antidote to this poison. If this antidote is really effective, the emperor only needs an imperial decree to let us Mr. Lu paid a lot of tribute to the antidote, are we still afraid that Oboi will repeat his old tricks and use this method again?"

Mingzhu's words reminded Xiao Mazi, Xiao Mazi hurriedly ordered: "Quickly, use the remaining poison and antidote to test the prisoners. If the antidote is effective, then let Lu Aiqing secretly pay a tribute immediately. I don't want to see it again My important ministers died one after another inexplicably."

Suo'etu went down to arrange the order, and Mingzhu said darkly: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing. I don't know if you noticed it? Lord Lu emphasized that this poison and antidote are unique to Yunnan, and there are very few people in the Central Plains." Knowing how Ao Zhongtang and the others knew and how they obtained this poison, I wonder if the Emperor has thought about it?"

"How could I not notice such an important matter?" Xiao Mazi asked back with a gloomy expression, and then said darkly: "This matter must be investigated, but it cannot be investigated publicly. It can only be investigated secretly. It must be investigated. This poison Did that old Wu Sangui give it to Oboi? If so...."

"If it is, the servant thinks that it is too much to say." Mingzhu said in a low voice, "Right now, the emperor's primary enemy is Oboi, not Wu Sangui. Before defeating Oboi, you must not turn against Wu Sangui. You can only tolerate it for the time being. As for this account, we will settle it later.”

Xiao Mazi didn't answer, and nodded slowly after a while, agreeing to Mingzhu's suggestion—but naturally hated Wu Sangui to the marrow in his heart!If it wasn't for Wu Liuyi's sudden sudden death, Xiao Mazi originally planned to eradicate Oboi in the past few months, but now that his loyal running dog Wu Liuyi has died, and the military power of the Nine Sects has actually fallen into the hands of Oboi, Xiao Mazi of course He didn't dare to act rashly, and the plan to completely eradicate Oboi's party suddenly and completely was put on hold indefinitely.

Of course, if Xiao Mazi knew that Obai's determination to get rid of Wu Liuyi did not actually come from Wu Sangui's advice or assistance, but from a wonderful story told to Obai by a certain evil surnamed Lu, then Xiao Mazi Mazi will definitely strangle this scourge named Lu to death!
At this time, Suo'etu had also finished the experiment, just as Fatty Lu said in his letter full of flattery, after the prisoners were poisoned, they immediately applied red-backed bamboo straw externally and took it internally, which really resolved the blood sealing throat terrible toxicity.Xiao Mazi was overjoyed when he heard the words, and immediately ordered: "Quickly draw up an order, and secretly order Lu Aiqing to collect the antidote and send it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The more the number, the better. I will secretly give a copy to each of the important officials, so as to prevent Oboi from repeating his old tricks and attacking them." .”

"Zha." As a bachelor, Mingzhu accepted the order as a matter of course.Xiao Mazi said again: "In addition, I will send an order to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to secretly promote Lu Aiqing to a higher level. After the completion of the work, it will be announced to the public."

"Fold." Mingzhu agreed again.Just as he was about to turn around, Xiao Mazi's heart skipped a beat and he shouted, "Wait a minute, let me think about it again."

"Your Majesty, do you feel that the reward is too light?" Mingzhu is the best at guessing what she wants, and she can see at a glance that Xiao Mazi feels that she has been rewarded too lightly, so she repairs the steps for Xiao Mazi: "Yes, the servant also thinks, Mr. Lu is very loyal to the emperor. This time he sent his cousin to secretly deliver the poison and antidote to the capital to present to the emperor. This solved a big mystery for the emperor, and provided the emperor with a way to deal with the deadly poison of Oboi. The countermeasures, this kind of credit, only upgrade one level, it is indeed a little lighter."

"Ming Zhongtang, you are really kind to Mr. Lu." Kong Sizhen, who had never dared to speak, couldn't bear it, and said sourly: "The secret station of the thirteen yamen that Mr. Suo provided for him is not used, but he wants to send his cousin to Beijing. Presenting treasures, a means of sensationalizing the public, is really clever."

"Si Gege, Master Lu's refusal to use the secret station of the Thirteenth Yamen is probably related to someone?" Mingzhu and Suo'etu said in unison: "Someone took the initiative to use the Thirteenth Yamen's secret agent to avenge his personal revenge, and the person targeted is Lord Lu. , Master Lu still dare to believe in the secret station of the Thirteen Yamen?"

Kong Sizhen was speechless, with a stern face and plump chest rising and falling, while Xiong Cilu was unconvinced and said to his lover: "Ming Zhongtang, Mr. Suo, why did Mr. Lu use the secret post of the Thirteenth Yamen to deliver news? Now It's clear that there is an opportunity to invite credit, so why don't you use this channel?"

"Because the head of the Thirteenth Yamen changed a while ago." Suo'etu and Mingzhu answered very neatly—taking the opportunity to vent their strong dissatisfaction with Kong Sizhen's unscrupulous surveillance after he took over the Thirteenth Yamen.

"Okay, okay." Xiao Mazi interrupted the lackeys from biting dogs, and said, "I also think that Lu Aiqing didn't intend to ask for credit. After all, before this, he was not sure whether Wu Liuyi had been hit by this blood. Throat-closing poison. So... Kong Sizhen, please restrain me from now on, and don’t think that if I hand over the Thirteen Yamen to you, you can unscrupulously use it to punish dissidents and avenge your own personal revenge!"

"The slave is guilty." Kong Sizhen, whose buttocks were seriously dirty in this regard, knelt down obediently and kowtowed to plead guilty.

"In the future, don't worry about the affairs of Qujing Mansion, leave it to Suo'etu." Because Xiao Mazi was afraid of Kong Sizhen's narrow-mindedness and abuse of power, he made a decision that he regretted for life.In the end, Xiao Mazi made another decision that made him regret even more, and said slowly: "I have made up my mind, as a reward for Lu Aiqing, I have decided to hand over the Qujing Green Camp to Lu Aiqing."

"Wonderful." Mingzhu's eyes lit up, and she said: "The emperor is so wise. Qujing is the throat of Yunnan and Guizhou, and its position is extremely important. If there is any change in Wu Fan, Qujing will be the first place to pass by on the way north. Even if Lu Yifeng doesn't understand The military can't stop Wu Sangui's army, but it can also control the green battalion to defend Qujing City, buying us an extremely important reaction time!"

"Your Majesty, absolutely not." Kong Sizhen panicked and said quickly, "Your Majesty, although the Qujing Green Battalion only has two thousand soldiers in total, if Lu Yifeng has evil intentions, these two thousand soldiers and horses will be given away for nothing. Wu Sangui is gone."

"Your Majesty, Lu Yifeng is a civil servant, and the Qujing Green Camp is under the jurisdiction of military officers. Your Majesty, do you want Lu Yifeng to be a civil servant?" Xiong Cilu asked in surprise.

"Who said I'm going to let Lu Aiqing change from a civil official to a military post?" Xiao Mazi said with a smile: "Didn't Lu Aiqing send his cousin to deliver things this time? I just met his cousin, and although he is a bit straightforward, he is very loyal and very loyal." Obedient, he is a talent to make. The rare thing is that he is still Lu Aiqing's direct cousin, and his flesh and blood are connected. It is impossible for Wu Sangui to buy him away. It just so happens that Liu Wenjin, the original Qujing green battalion commander, has been arrested because of his involvement in the Li Shizu case. Arrest and interrogation, job vacancy, let this cousin of Lu Aiqing fill the vacancy."

"Your Majesty, Liu Wenjin is a second-rank military professional. Are you going to make Lu Yifeng's cousin a second-rank official?" This time, Mingzhu was taken aback.

"There are only 500 soldiers in the jurisdiction, but there is a second-rank general army, with a salary of more than [-] taels of silver and lumi every year. Is there so much silver and lumi that I have no place to put it? What is a redundant official? This is a redundant official!" Xiao Xiao Mazi snorted coldly, and said: "The Qujing Green Battalion will be lowered to the level of the capital, and it will still be under the direct control of the Qujing Mansion. An order has been sent to Huang Xigun (the Minister of the Ministry of War, one of the important assistants of Xiao Mazi to overthrow Oboi in history), and let him find a reason for it. Even if you fabricate credit, you can give Lu Aiqing's cousin a fourth-rank governor, make up for Liu Wenjin's vacancy, and let their brothers join hands to guard Qujing, the throat of Yunnan and Guizhou!"

"Your majesty is extremely talented, adaptable, and I admire you." Mingzhu flattered her, and said respectfully: "Master Lu, when he learned that the emperor's family, Long En, personally bestowed the title of fourth-rank governor on his cousin, in charge of a green camp. I will definitely be grateful and serve the emperor more faithfully! Even if it is a critical moment, I will definitely not let down the grace of the emperor, and win the most critical emergency time for the emperor!"

"Your Majesty!" Kong Sizhen screamed in a heart-piercing voice.

"Shut up!" Xiao Mazi shouted, and said, "I know what you want to say. If you want to question my decision, then show me evidence of Lu Yifeng's infidelity! If you can't, I will believe it." Lu Aiqing will definitely not disappoint my Long En!"

Kong Sizhen was so anxious that tears were streaming down his face, but there was nothing he could do. Seeing that Xiao Mazi's mind had been made up, Xiong Cilu quietly pulled Kong Sizhen's sleeve and said in a low voice: "Si Gege, forget it, the emperor's mind has been made up, what can I say?" It’s all useless. Also, don’t be too afraid of Si Gege. The Qujing green battalion is under the direct jurisdiction of the prefect of Qujing, and Lu Yifeng has no right to direct command. Moreover, there are two green battalions in the Qujing prefecture. We only need to control the general soldier in Luoping. , I’m not afraid that Lu Yifeng will stir up trouble.”

"Is that true?" Kong Sizhen's heart twitched continuously, even she didn't know why she was so afraid of Fatty Lu getting the army?Although I have seen that army with my own eyes more than once, the equipment is outdated, the soldiers are lazy, and the military discipline is lax. fear!

Suddenly, Kong Sizhen seemed to see such a scene again, a big fat carp suddenly jumped over the high gate of the dragon gate. Glittering, making waves, flying clouds and fog, shaking head and tail straight into the sea......

(End of this chapter)