Chen Qing immediately divided his troops into three groups and ordered Yang Zaixing, Liu Cui and Gao Ding to each lead 20,000 troops to capture Suzhou, Guazhou and Shazhou, wiping out the Hexi Corridor in one fell swoop.
The main force of the Xizhou Army was in Zhangye and had been completely wiped out. The remaining sporadic troops were unable to withstand the Song Army's cavalry.
The matter of cleaning up Hexi was left to Yang Zaixing, while Chen Qing led 10,000 troops back to Jingzhao City.
Chengdu Shuixian Bridge is very close to the government office and is the only way for the government office to enter the bustling area of the city.
In the afternoon, a Baixi Opera Troupe was performing under the Narcissus Bridge. Baixi Opera Troupe was an acrobatic magic troupe of the Song Dynasty. It was very popular among the lower class people of the Song Dynasty. Soon it was surrounded by people on three floors inside and three outside, and people kept cheering loudly.
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At this time, an official sedan, escorted by more than a dozen horse-riding entourages, came slowly from across the Narcissus Bridge.
Sitting in the official sedan was Li Yi, the prefect of Chengdu. Li Yi was Lu Wei's father-in-law. He had been an official in Chengdu for five years. He belonged to the relatively staunch Lu party and was recognized as Chen Qing's spokesperson in Sichuan official circles. He had served the court several times.
He wanted to transfer Li Yi away, but Chen Qing stopped him.
But in fact, Li Yi would also consider the interests of the imperial court, and had been carefully safeguarding the Sichuan Agreement signed by Chen Qing and the imperial court, which not only guaranteed Chen Qing's tax interests, but also maintained the dignity of the imperial court, and kept Sichuan in a balance for several years.
state.
Li Yinian is about fifty years old. He is very thin and very capable. He is planning to go to Jingzhao in the next two days to discuss the salt tax issue with Chen Qing. Sichuan is already rich in well salt, and the price of salt is per catty.
Forty coins, but private salt is only twenty coins per catty, or even lower. This has led to the proliferation of private salt in the Bashu area in the past two years, with repeated bans.
Li Yi considered that if the price of salt was reduced to thirty cents per catty, which would benefit the people, and at the same time crack down on illegal salt sales, so that the gains outweighed the losses by salt dealers, there would be less and less illegal salt.
This morning, Li Yi received news that the salt lord Wang Jian, who was publicly executed two days ago, was actually the nephew of Guozhou Shi Cao Wang Dongyuan. This made Li Yi suddenly realize that the issue of private salt may not be that simple.
The official sedan passed by the crowd of performers. There were too many people and it was very crowded. The attendants kept urging the people to make way.
At this time, a man passed by the sedan. He suddenly drew a military crossbow, pointed it at Li Yi in the sedan, and shot an arrow. The arrow hit Li Yi's chest. Li Yi screamed and fell down in the sedan.
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"There's an assassin!"
The crowd suddenly went into chaos, stumbling around in fear, and running away in all directions. Baixi and the assassin also disappeared into the crowd.
"Fu Jun! Fu Jun!"
The follower shouted in grief and anger, but the tip of the arrow was poisonous. The poison entered his heart and he was unable to turn back. Li Yi had stopped breathing.
A quarter of an hour later, Zheng Ping led thousands of soldiers to the scene of the crime and surrounded the Shuixian Bridge area.
Zheng Ping's face was really ugly. Li Yi was the king's anchor in Sichuan. If he died, he would not be able to explain to the king!
"But we have found a clue. Who did it?" Zheng Ping roared.
The county magistrate Yang Wenhui said to Zheng Ping: "I have just investigated. There was a Baixi Opera here just now, which attracted a large number of people to watch, making the roads very crowded, which gave the assassins an opportunity. I think this Baixi Troupe created conditions for the assassins, and there is a lot of opportunity."
Big suspicion."
Zheng Ping gritted his teeth and said: "Arrest the Bai Opera Troupe immediately and mobilize all the snakes and rats in Chengdu to search for the Bai Opera Troupe. Anyone with clues will be rewarded heavily!"
Snakes and rats are beggars, gangsters, scoundrels, and idlers. They spend their days looking for food on the streets of Chengdu. Once the government offers a reward to find someone, they are more active than anyone else.
Soon, an insider reported that this troupe came from Chongqing Prefecture, arrived in Chengdu three days ago, and had now sailed south.
Zheng Ping immediately sent two cavalry to chase and set up jams along the way to intercept the fleet.
The next morning, news came from Meizhou that they had discovered the ship, but all seven members of the Baixi Troupe were killed, and their bodies were fished out of the water.
Zheng Ping calmed down at this time, and he suddenly realized that there was a large gang behind Li Yi's assassination.
He had to write a letter to report to Chen Qing immediately. As soon as Zheng Ping started writing, someone in the hall reported, "Inform the envoy of the town that a team of about thirty or fifty people is coming from outside. The leader is said to be the Jingzhao Internal Guard."
The inner guards came, how could it be such a coincidence? He immediately said: "Invite them in!"
After a while, two people came in, the leader was the commander Han Zhengfu, followed by Zhong Huan.
"For your humble job, please see General Zheng!"
Zheng Ping was overjoyed, "It turns out that Old Han is here, long time no see!"
The inner guard was originally the reconnaissance battalion under Zheng Ping. Wang Hao was also Zheng Ping's personal guard. Basically all the high-ranking officials were once under Zheng Ping.
Zheng Ping happily invited Han Zhengfu in, looked at Zhong Huan and asked with a smile: "Who is this young hero?"
Han Zhengfu introduced: "This is our inner guard judge. He was born as a Jinshi the year before last. He is very good at judging cases. He is called Zhong Huan."
Zhong Huan hurriedly saluted and said, "Return to the envoy of Zhenzhen, my father Zhong Hong."
Zhong Hong took up the post of Chengdu Cancao and was very familiar with Zheng Ping. Zheng Ping laughed and said, "Old Zhong has been bragging all day long that his son has passed the Jinshi examination. It turns out it's you!"
"Juniors don't dare to take this position!"
"You are not an outsider, come and sit down."
The two sat down, and Zheng Ping asked someone to serve tea again. Han Zhengfu asked cautiously: "When I entered the city, did I hear that something happened?"
"Why!"
Zheng Ping let out a long sigh, "I didn't know that the dog-killing gang assassinated Magistrate Li yesterday afternoon, and Magistrate Li unfortunately passed away."
Han Zhengfu and Zhong Huan looked at each other with shock on their faces. It went so far as to assassinate the prefect of Chengdu. Needless to say, it must be related to the Hezhou incident.
"Zhen Fu, we came to Chengdu to investigate a case. Something big happened, and it's just starting to show signs of it."
Han Zhengfu then told the story of the secret visit to Zhao Ding by the governors of Hezhou and Changzhou.
Zheng Ping slapped his thigh and cursed: "They must be the ones who are stupid. Baixi Troupe comes from Chongqing Prefecture, and Hezhou and Changzhou are close to Chongqing Prefecture."
Zhong Huan pondered for a moment and asked, "Did Magistrate Li discover something that made them take action?"
"It's possible, because Magistrate Li is preparing to leave for Jingzhao in the past two days, and I am arranging escorts for him. Unexpectedly, something happened yesterday."
Han Zhengfu thought for a while and said: "Why don't we divide our troops into two groups? I will go to Hezhou to investigate their gathering of troops, and Judge Xiao Zhong will stay in Chengdu to investigate the assassination of Magistrate Li. The two must be closely related."
Zhong Huan nodded silently. He wanted to ask his father what happened to the officialdom in Chengdu?
………
Zhong Huan's father is called Zhong Hong. He is about forty years old. He is appointed as Cangcao of Chengdu Prefecture and is in charge of the logistics supplies of Chengdu Prefecture. He is Zhong Shidao's nephew. Because all Zhong Shidao's descendants died for the country, the imperial court
He was ordered to inherit the teachings of Zhongshi, the descendant of Yanhuo.
After Jingkang, Zhong Hong took his whole family and fled to Chengdu.
In the study room, after listening to his son's question, Zhong Hong smoothed his beard and said calmly: "Actually, we all know who killed Li Yi."
"Father, who is it?"
Zhong Hong put away his smile and said with a serious face: "To be precise, it is a big force, the royalist faction of Bashu."
"Loyalist?"
"This is a name they gave themselves. To put it simply, it is some wealthy gentry who are hostile to Chen Qing and demand the return of Bashu to the imperial court."
"Like Huang Linjiang?"
Huang Linjiang is the general magistrate of Bazhou, a famous family in Bazhong, and a famous royalist in Shu. He has a marriage contract with the Zhong family. His youngest daughter will marry Zhong Huan, but Zhong Huan already has a Xixia princess by his side.
I just want to annul this marriage.
Huang Linjiang was fine all the time. When he mentioned Huang Linjiang, Zhong Hong became furious. He picked up the book and hit him hard on the head, "What's the matter with you? Why do you want to break off the engagement?"
Zhong Huan covered his head and explained: "Father, unlike Huang Jiadao, I don't want to conspire with him. He only recognizes the emperor and firmly opposes the prince. I can't agree to go with them!"
"Fart, is this your reason? Don't try to fool me, who is that woman next to you?"
Zhong Huan rolled his eyes, it turned out that his father already knew.