Chief Secretary of Huguang, Wuchang Prefecture.
After entering August, the weather is no longer so hot, and the matter in Huguang has also entered the final stage of determination.
Among the princes of the vassals, King Dong'an of the Chu vassal was the first to be arrested.
However, the subsequent investigation by the imperial envoy of the clues about his involvement in the case was the most difficult.
Unlike other lords who were stupid, Zhu Xianzhen did things very cleanly.
Not to mention wearing several layers of gloves inside and outside, the main thing is that he is ruthless enough.
Zhu Yingyan of the Prince of Yueyang, Zhu Yingxu of the Prince of Yong'an, and Zhu Changling, the crown prince of Jingfan, died suddenly and disappeared.
Even Zhu Yingchui, the king of Tongshan in the Chu vassal, died at the turn of summer and autumn, and I don't know how it was related to this matter.
Not only was there no direct evidence to implicate King Dong'an in Zhang Chucheng's case, but he also dismissed all other matters of supporting ore thieves and stealing mineral deposits.
It is obvious that those who do not die in old age are thieves.
But fortunately, Huangtian paid off.
As the investigation of the case progresses, the circumstances of the case gradually unfold.
And what could be called a model of cooperation between the government and the people that followed - perhaps it was due to the execution of one prince and six princes in the Ming Dynasty, and the clan was frightened by the imperial envoy's power, or perhaps the people in Huguang were unwilling to see it.
Many imperial envoys stayed to lend a helping hand.
All in all, a bunch of overt and covert physical evidence and clues were laid out one after another in the public case in the lobby of the Huguang Governor's Yamen.
After working together, King Dong'an was finally convicted.
In addition, due to the inexperience of the case handlers, they did not instruct all parties to "explain their problems properly and don't make random claims." The people involved in the case said whatever they wanted when explaining the matter, which inadvertently involved some additional things.
…
"I thought that the great case of killing the king and usurping the throne of the Chu vassal twenty-eight years ago was shocking enough, but unexpectedly, the drama of the dove occupying the magpie's nest is not inferior at all." Liang Menglong clicked his tongue and said in surprise.
Governor Liang was very busy in settling the place, but he didn't care about the investigation. Now that the imperial envoys had finished investigating the case, he had time to ask about it.
He was flipping through the files at the moment, feeling as if he were reading a storybook, and he was enjoying it.
"The King of Chu did not leave any heirs during his twenty-one-year reign. Within just six months after Jihai passed away in August of the fifth year of Longqing, five posthumous children were born one after another!"
"There was no one in Huguang to show off such a wonderful sight at that time."
At the time, Princess Liu of Jiangchuan of Min Fan also wanted to play the trick of occupying the magpie's nest and falsely claimed that her mother's children were of Zhu family blood. At that time, there was a big fuss, but it was exposed within a few days.
Now the same thing happened to Chu Fan, and it was done quietly.
All I can say is that it is worthy of being the founding sect that has been operating for two hundred years, with a big tree and deep roots.
Councilor Feng Shiyu said something fair to his colleagues in Huguang: "You can't say that. After all, most of the officials here have heard about how Emperor Xianzong dealt with it back then."
At that time, the affair of Princess Liu of Jiangchuan was exposed, and the palace officials started to fight and kill the censor who heard about the incident. As a result, Emperor Xianzong only asked her to reflect on her affairs, and also dismissed the officials who were "meddling in other people's affairs".
Since we have learned from the past, we all think that doing more is worse than doing less. What if the King of Chu really returned to the light before his death, and the quality of his essence also returned to the light?
Liang Menglong took a sip of tea and became more and more excited the more he read: "It is said that Guo Lun, the envoy of the palace, said that although Zhu Huakui, the eldest son of King Chu, was apparently the posthumous son of the palace maid Hu, he was actually the blood of King Dong'an and the princess's natal family.
.”
"The second son Zhu Huabi is the young grandson of Dowager Wu's younger brother."
"No wonder the concubine and the princess spared no effort to support King Dong'an. It turns out that they eat from the same pot!"
He didn't know much about other things, but he had heard a thing or two about Wu Jinghe being called by Chu Fan to negotiate an agreement as soon as he arrived in Huguang.
Now there were only Liang Menglong and Feng Shiyu in the hall. The latter could not pretend not to have heard Shangguan's soliloquy.
Feng Shiyu responded casually: "Oh, these clans are so disrespectful of human ethics by not learning the classics."
"The concubine is the legitimate mother of the late King of Chu, and the princess is the legitimate wife of the late King of Chu. After the death of King Chu, the two of them actually joined forces to taint their own son. Her husband's bloodline is simply unsightly!"
Although the aunt's mother is not her biological mother, as long as the Confucian classics are in her heart, she should have the awareness that the aunt's mother is closer to her biological mother.
These bad things are all caused by not studying the classics and not practicing virtue!
Liang Menglong was indifferent to Feng Shiyu's official tone. Instead, after reading the dossier, he rubbed his chin with unsatisfied thoughts: "Hua Zhi, do you think the third son Zhu Huayin and the fourth son Zhu Huashan are the descendants of the King of Chu?"
He did not mention the fifth son, because the fifth son died last month - he died of a convulsion, and he died together with the king of Tongshan, Zhu Yingchui.
Feng Shiyu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "It's hard to say."
Mainly, there is no reliable way to check. The trick of blood test is only useful in story books.
Taking a step back and saying...Isn't King Dong'an also of Chu vassal blood? It's hard not to confuse the son of King Dong'an with the son of King Chu, regardless of their appearance or blood.
Of course, there is another very important point - it is said that the King of Chu is a good man.
In this way, the origins of these sons are really difficult to say.
Liang Menglong put the file aside and said with emotion: "No one thought that Zhang Chucheng and Tang Bin were involved in this matter, so they were harmed by King Dong'an. It's really unpredictable."
How else would you say that officials, gods, and ghosts are disgusted.
Although Zhang Chucheng was ordered to investigate the mining tax case, he had the power and responsibility to report the matter.
That is to say, even if he heard any market rumors, he could report them directly to the emperor.
But this person is also a public official who still has a sense of responsibility.
Huguang is Zhang Chucheng's hometown after all, so I guess he didn't want to harm the Prince of Chu's palace without any basis and bring harm to the countryside.
Zhang Chucheng then set off for the concubine's natal home and the princess's natal home to visit and investigate.
Perhaps to scare the snake, when Zhang Chucheng finally went to Linxiang County, the hometown of the Hu family, the nominal mother of several posthumous children, was poisoned by King Dong'an.
Liang Menglong, who had been patrolling the area for many years, was quite emotional.
If it is for the sake of national affairs and we are counter-attacked, then that's it.
But if you accidentally lose your life for such a shameful thing, it's really not worth it.
Feng Shiyu looked slightly sad when Liang Menglong mentioned Zhang Chucheng.
The two were silent for a while.
Liang Menglong looked outside and said again: "The central government's order is coming this morning. Why haven't those people come to the hall to receive the order?"
The decree from the capital was heard hundreds of miles away last night, and it will surely be reached this morning.
Everyone has finished their work, and it’s just a matter of time to follow the decree and return to Beijing as soon as possible.
Why, after waiting for a long time, even after reading all the files, they were still the only ones waiting here.
Hearing this, Feng Shiyu shook his head and said, "Xu Fantai and Hai Yushi should have rushed back before it was too late."
On the first day of August, there was a huge earthquake in Jingzhou Prefecture. Many people were killed and injured. Farms, houses, dams and other places were all damaged.
Just as the investigation of the imperial envoy case was completed, Hai Rui immediately left for Jingzhou Prefecture to supervise the allocation of funds for disaster relief, take charge of rescuing people, rebuilding residential dams and other matters.
But at that time, neither the geographical aftershocks nor the aftershocks of the situation in Huguang had completely dissipated.
Everyone in Huguang was afraid that something unexpected might happen to this passerby who was about to leave, so the chief envoy Xu Xuemo followed the people's wishes and followed him along with the officials and government guards.
Although Jingzhou Mansion is not far away, there is always time to deliver the news every time you come and go. I'm afraid it will be too late to receive the order.
Liang Menglong nodded: "Of course I know about this. Let alone others, it's just that Prince Consort Wu hasn't come for a while. Do you want to call someone to urge him?"
"And Li Guizhong, what are you doing?"
That Prince Consort Wu was sleeping every day and would not wake up until daybreak.
Liang Menglong was really afraid that this man would go to bed past the hour and miss the order.
Just as Feng Shiyu was about to speak, Li Zaiting's voice came from outside the lobby: "I have gone to look for the prince-in-law. He is ill. Let him nurse himself back to health."
The two people in the hall were startled.
This... A few days ago, when Zhu Xizhong ordered the princes and princes to be punished and impeached, he first became "physically ill" and then died suddenly.
Wu Jinghe should also follow suit?
The two of them were thinking.
Li Zaiting looked at Liang Menglong and said with a smile: "Liang Butang, when I came here I heard a commotion outside the house. It seems that the imperial edict is coming soon."
"I'm afraid I have to go outside the house to greet you."
Angels, the local officials will definitely welcome them.
But Li Zaiting was also an angel, so he didn't need to go to the door to greet him. He only had to wait in the hall to hear the order.
Liang Menglong was familiar with this kind of thing. He stood up and first ordered the left and right to set up the ceremony and the incense table. Then he cupped his hands and strode out of the Yamen gate.
Feng Shiyu was about to follow.
Li Zaiting suddenly stopped him: "Hua Zhi!"
Feng Shiyu paused and looked back at Li Zaiting with a questioning look.
Li Shiran sat down in the court, then stretched out his hand to signal Feng Shiyu to sit down as well, and said casually: "We are coming back from King Dong'an."
Feng Shiyu hesitated for a moment, then sat down and asked curiously: "Ying Feng has something to teach me?"
Only then did he realize that Li Zaiting clearly wanted to talk to him alone, so he dismissed Liang Menglong.
I just don’t know what’s going on at this critical moment.
Li Zaiting seemed to be thirsty. He took a big sip of tea like a cow chewing peonies, then put down the cup and said, "It's not that I have anything to teach you. It's just that the imperial edict is coming and the coffin is sealed right in front of me. I feel a little worried in my heart."
Feng Shiyu was confused: "Worry? Why do you say this?"
Li Zaiting lowered his head, fiddled with the lid of the tea bowl, and said with a frown: "Don't Hua Zhi think that this package of things went too smoothly, and the traces of someone adding fuel to the flames are too obvious?"
Feng Shiyu thought about what Li Zaiting said, then shook his head and said: "Every time comes, heaven and earth are all working together. With His Majesty's blessing, it is only reasonable that things go smoothly."
"Furthermore, with all due respect, these clans are very incompetent, how far can they conceal themselves and resist? Ying Feng is overthinking."
Li Zaiting didn't seem to listen, and flicked the tea cup with his finger.
He said slowly: "Wu Wu Ma said that before they exerted any force, the third son of Jing Fan knelt down and surrendered inexplicably. If not for this, the situation in Huguang would not have opened up so quickly."
"Let's just leave it at that. The King of Dong'an would rather die than accept a confession because he was tortured and interrogated because he was confident that the matter was done cleanly."
"Censor Hai and I are ready to do a long and slow investigation."
"It turned out that first the Crown Prince of Wugang repeatedly provided clues, and then the Chu government envoy Guo Lun and others took turns to expose it. Even the matter of King Chu's death, members of Hu's natal family came to Wuchang to testify."
Li Zaiting looked at Feng Shiyu with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice: "Hua Zhi, tell me, have we fallen into someone's trap?"
Feng Shiyu listened quietly to Li Zaiting's words, still with a somewhat confused look on his face.
He asked in reply: "Even if the rival of King Dong'an wants to take advantage of us, it's not a bad idea, right?"
"After all, what happened to Zhang Liqing was done by King Dong'an, so we don't need to cause any further complications..."
Li Zaiting suddenly interrupted Feng Shiyu.
Without any warning, he said: "Really? Zhang Liqing was ready to return to Beijing. Why did he suddenly turn back to look for Tang Bin after arriving at Wuchang Mansion and find out about King Chu's posthumous son?"
"The rumors are telling things, the rumors are telling things, where did he get the rumors!?"
Feng Shiyu was shocked.
He followed Li Zaiting's meaning and speculated: "Ying Feng suspected that someone was against King Dong'an and deliberately revealed the matter to Zhang Liqing and asked him to make a sword!?"
Li Zaiting nodded, but didn't dwell on it.
Putting aside the topic of talents, Li Zaiting looked at Feng Shiyu with a sincere expression: "I met Zhang Liqing when I was transformed, why didn't you tell me?"
Feng Shiyu paused and looked at Li Zaiting in confusion: "Where did Ying Feng come from out of thin air?"
Li Zaiting said, "It was Zheng Yunying who said that Zhang Chucheng gave you a greeting card."
"I have nothing to do during this period. I visited various restaurants with Zhu Shitai and happened to ask about it."
Feng Shiyu was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and waved his hand: "Why should Ying Feng be suspicious and make things out of thin air?"
Seeing this, Li Zaiting shook his head with some disappointment, took out a file from his sleeve and handed it over: "Do you think I'm lying to you?"
Feng Shiyu smiled and said nothing, not reaching out to pick it up at all.
He just looked at his classmates worriedly.
Li Zaiting suddenly threw the tea lid into the tea. There was a crisp sound and the tea splashed everywhere.
He stared straight at Feng Shiyu and sighed: "Last year, there was a turmoil in the court involving the Nanzhili Township Party. Hua Zhi's party friend Hu Chui was killed, Hua Zhi's fellow villagers Shen Yiguan and others were exiled. Hua Zhi He was also demoted."
"Feng Huazhi, are you resenting His Majesty for waiting with me?"
Feng Shiyu's expression suddenly froze, and he couldn't control his smile.
The two fell into a long silence.
…
Chu Fan, Wugang Prince's Mansion.
It was lunch time. The diligent and simple Wugang King Zhu Xianhuai didn't seem to have a good appetite today, so he asked his emissary to send a bowl of tofu pudding and an ice cube to the study for lunch.
After all, with so many major events happening in the Chu vassal, King Wugang still couldn't hide for a while.
After King Dong'an was captured, with the support of the imperial envoy, the Chu vassal affairs were once again put in charge of King Wugang.
Naturally, many governments have opinions.
But King Dong'an came in, and several Chuzi fell into the trend of "civet cat for prince". King Tongshan Zhu Yingchui, who was capable of competing, happened to die.
King Wugang had no choice but to reluctantly take charge of the affairs of the Chu Mansion.
So busy that I haven't left the study all day today, and I'm really exhausted.
"Father, father!" Zhu Yingqian, the eldest son of Prince Wugang, shouted at the door, disturbing the peace.
Zhu Yingqian patted the door. If he hadn't been allowed to enter the study, he would have just pushed the door open and gone in.
"Father, the angel who announced the decree is here! Let you go to the governor's Yamen to listen to the decree!"
"I heard news from the capital that 80% of the time you are still in charge! We can do a lot!"
Don't look at the turmoil that Chu Fan is in. There are rumors every day about abolishing the country and cutting down the feudal vassal.
But the clan property is there, and someone must take care of it.
The Chu vassal has accumulated over two hundred years, tens of thousands of clan servants, and millions of assets. This position as head of the government is not just a mere name!
Furthermore...the identities of several Chu sons are now in doubt, which means that from now on, the Chu vassal property will be controlled by the Wugang Prince's Palace!
What a wonderful thing!
Just as Zhu Yingqian was thinking, the door of the study room opened in response.
King Wugang appeared at the door of the study in high spirits, capable movements, and wearing simple clothes.
He frowned and looked at his son: "Do you have my will?"
Zhu Yingqian chuckled: "Father, it is no longer possible to appoint King Dong'an. Who else can take charge of Chu Fan, or even the entire Huguang clan, except you?"
"Now that the imperial envoy is about to leave, there are some tricks that no one can cooperate with except you. If the decree is not given to you, who else can it be given to?"
King Wugang sighed: "Hey, I was preparing to live a long life, but now a lot of troubles have come to my door. King Dong'an really hurt me."
Zhu Yingqian winked: "Dad! Stop dawdling, the angel is still waiting at the governor's office!"
His father has this kind of character, and he is in no mood to ramble here.
Isn't it just for today to expose King Dong'an?
King Wugang nodded helplessly: "Forget it, you go arrange the sedan chair and wait for me outside the house. I'll pack up and come back."
Zhu Yingqian responded and left in a hurry.
King Wugang closed the door of the study room again, stood at the door for a while, then turned back to the desk to collect the documents, files, etc. he had just reviewed.
Tidying up the room naturally has the effect of relieving excitement. At the last moment, you must adjust your mentality to face it.
After a while, he finished tidying up and slowly sat back on the chair.
King Wugang took a sip of the bean curd and murmured to himself: "It's a pity that I was originally planning to become the king of Chu, but I didn't expect that the new emperor would behave like this."
The direct lineage of Chu Fan's generation and several posthumous sons are already doubtful.
The two men from the previous generation were the late King of Chu who died young, and his only brother was the mastermind behind the murder of the king and usurpation of the throne, and had been beheaded by Shizong long ago.
In other words, now the Chu vassal and no direct descendants can inherit the throne of Chu King.
And the most recent blood relationship is naturally the previous generation - King Dong'an and King Wugang!
In other words, as long as things are decided today, the position of King of Chu will definitely belong to King of Wugang!
Even if the emperor wants to cut down the vassal, he is still worthy of being in charge of the government, and he can even continue to be passed down in the lineage of King Wugang in the future!
Chu Fan's 200-year-old industry is about to be taken into his pocket, so how can he not feel the slightest fluctuation in his heart?
King Wugang was adjusting his mood.
A voice came from under the desk: "Uncle Wang, you promised to help me..."
King Wugang lowered his head and looked at the princess Wang who was kneeling under the table. He had just been disturbed by his son and almost forgot about this.
He smiled, deftly picked up an ice cube from the nearby bowl, put it into the princess's mouth, and said comfortingly: "Princess, don't worry, what King Dong'an did has nothing to do with the princess."
King Wugang leaned back comfortably, pressed the princess's head, took a deep breath, and said comfortably: "I will take charge of the Chu Mansion well in the future."
Chu Fan's fields, property, and women will all be left to him to enjoy from now on!
He pressed Princess Gong's head hard, and after he finished receiving the order, he came back and taught this junior a lesson!
This is the joy of life!
I had reflux today and I felt uncomfortable all night. I just finished writing it now. I really can’t help it.
Note 1: On the first day of August in the first year of Wanli, the earthquake in Jingzhou Prefecture, Huguang stopped at Bingyin.
Note 2: The historical case of pretending to be the king of Chu is indeed true, but it only involves the eldest son and the second son. At the beginning, the king of Chu reported the four crimes of Hua Yue, the royal family. Hua Yue went to Beijing to report to the king of Chu, Hua Kui and his younger brother Xuanhua Wang Huabi
They all have the surname of Wang, not Prince Gong. Hua Kui is the brother of Princess Gong, and Wang Ruyan's son was born in the palace several months ago. Huabi belongs to the family of the princess, and Wang Yu'er, a member of Wang Ruzuo's family, was born in the palace several years ago. All the twists and turns are due to Yi's wife.
This is from the mouth of the respected Wang family. The Wang family is like a woman and she knows it best. Both evildoers are fake kings and it is not appropriate to pretend to be a king. Please correct the law.
After reporting the report, the ministry asked the governor to go to Huguang to inspect and investigate. At the end of the day, the governor Zhao Kehuai and the inspector Ying Chaoqing, together with the officials, reviewed Wu Zuoyan in detail.
All the people actually believe it to be true. And Wang's theory is very firm. The words of Wang Yingshou's mother in Luozhen, Zhang Weixin, Wang Ruzeng, Huang Jia, and Li Zirong seem to be mutually reinforcing. Guo Lun's inscriptions and editions, and Liu Hua's
Criticizing Ms. Cui, she said that her age was consistent with Prince Gong's residence at that time, which was contradictory. Ms. Xiao said that she would not be summoned until dawn on the 16th day of February in the fifth year of Longqing Period. He Gongren only took the nurse after she gave birth, and the princess
The county leader also claimed that he did not know the truth or falsehood. If he thought it was false, he must have evidence of true knowledge to be honest. So he committed more than 70 people from various gangs and tortured them for interrogation. They would rather die than recruit. The ministers and others gathered in large numbers
After two days of interrogation by the officials, no conclusion could be reached. I would like to make a statement based on the facts, and Fu Qite ordered the officials to ask again.
Note 3: Historically, Zhu Huakui was born in February of the fifth year of Longqing, but here it is postponed to the second half of the year.
Chapter completed!