Chapter Three Hundred and Fortieth: The End of Shen Que
In the prison, Zhang Rang left, and Shen Que was lying alone on the straw mat that smelled sour. Although his whole body smelled of alcohol, his eyes were open and clear, and there was no hint of being drunk.
He stood up from the straw mat, sat on the edge of the bed, looked up at the jailer guarding the door of the prison, and frowned slightly.
"Lin Feng, it's you," Shen Que said.
The jailer who was originally standing guard was stunned, and his body stiffened for a moment, but it seemed as if he didn't hear anything, and he just straightened his back more and more.
"No need to deny, I recognize your figure. Your left leg is naturally shorter than your right leg. Even if you have achieved a near-perfect disguise and even used internal force to stretch your bones, your innate walking habits cannot be changed. of."
"Sun Feng asked you to come, right?"
Shen Que spoke again, but after finishing these words, he couldn't help but sigh.
Outside the prison, the jailer known as Lin Feng was trembling. He looked back at Shen Que and fell to his knees with a plop.
"Lin Feng, an official from Zhongdu, pays homage to your lord!"
Shen Que nodded silently, his eyes full of helplessness, but there was also a bit of relief on his face.
The officials and disciples of Zhongdu who he had single-handedly promoted and trained did not give up on him in the end.
This is enough!
"Sun Feng asked you to come, right?"
"Among the officials and disciples of Zhongdu who stayed in Luoyang, you are the best at the art of disguise. You knocked down the jailer, Li Daitao was frozen, and sneaked into the prison, hoping to rob the prison."
"If I'm not wrong, at least half of all the officials and disciples in Luoyang are gathered outside the Tianlao, right?"
Shen Que looked at Lin Feng and said.
Lin Feng shook his head, with a somewhat bitter smile on his face: "My lord is wrong, not half, but all of them!"
"All the brothers came after learning what happened to you! Even the brothers from Guangzong who went there with you have escaped. Now they are all gathering outside the prison, just waiting for your order. Next, they can rush in and rescue you!"
"This is my humble duty, please give me your order!"
Lin Feng kowtowed to the ground, and a muffled "thunk" sound was heard on the ground.
Shen Que's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up from the bed. His breathing became rapid, his fists were clenched, and he stared at Lin Feng, but there was anger flashing in his eyes.
At this moment he...
anger!
"Lin Feng, do you know what you are doing here? You are asking all the brothers in the department to bury me with me!"
"As officials and disciples of Zhongdu, you don't know what Tianlao means!"
“There’s no way out!”
Shen Que almost roared and shouted at Lin Feng.
He may not care about his own life or death, but he has to think about the brothers under him.
In order to save themselves, they can give up their lives.
But this is definitely not what Shen Que wants to see!
"I know, but this is the choice of the brothers! It is the adults who gave us the opportunity to start a new life, allowing us to go from being a poor family with nothing to today, becoming the official disciples of Zhongdu who are feared by the officials!"
"From that time on, we no longer have to look at officials. Even children from poor families have a way to go and a promising future!"
"These are all brought to us by you, sir."
"Because of adults, we people can see the future. We rise because of adults, and we are willing to end because of adults!"
"I would like to live and die together with you, sir!"
Lin Feng's voice became louder and louder, and tears fell silently from the corners of his eyes. His knees on the ground slowly moved forward, leaning against the cell door, and kowtowed to Shen Que again.
At that moment, Shen Que's breathing became rapid, and a look of struggle flashed across his face.
Lin Feng's words made his long-dead heart come alive again, and even the blood flowing in his body was surging and rushing at this moment.
Even at this moment, he almost subconsciously wanted to speak out in response to Lin Feng's words.
However, just when he made these preparations, just when the words came to his throat, he still swallowed them silently.
With his mouth slightly open, he looked at Lin Feng, silently speaking.
After a long time, Shen Que squeezed out a series of sounds from his mouth, turned his head, and looked at Lin Feng without a face. He just lay on the straw mat, looked up at the stone slab above his head, and was speechless for a long time.
"You go away and let the brothers retreat as well."
"If you are really willing to recognize me as an adult, just step back."
Hearing this, Lin Feng's expression changed drastically. He raised his head to look at Shen Que and exclaimed: "Sir..."
"Walk!"
"If not, Shen will bite his tongue and commit suicide in front of you!"
Lin Feng had no choice but to bow his hands and bow, but instead of forcing him, he bowed and left.
After Lin Feng left, the entire prison returned to its previous silence.
In this quiet and secluded space, you can even hear the chirping of insects from the corner.
The cool breeze drifted in from the high window, which made Shen Que feel calmer.
He was lying on the straw mat, resting his head on his hands. What was echoing in his mind were all things from his childhood.
He was just a scholar who came from a poor family. Although his family was poor, he still had the world in mind, and he was full of ambitions and had nowhere to put them to use.
In order to find a way out, he had to leave his hometown and wander all the way to the capital, hoping to find a job.
That year, there was a strong wind and snow, and the snow on the road was up to his knees. Shen Que, penniless, hungry and cold, fell on the snow.
Fortunately, he was rescued by a wealthy family.
There is a young master from a wealthy family who is in the process of enlightenment and needs a good teacher to teach him.
However, the young master has a naughty personality, and all the gentlemen around him were scared away and did not dare to come again. For a while, he could not find a suitable candidate.
It was at this time that Shen Que appeared.
In order to be grateful, Shen Que chose to stay in the mansion and teach the young master.
Although the young master was naughty and teased Shen Que many times, he was also stubborn and taught the young master how to read and write despite the pressure and resentment.
At the same time, I met the young master’s sister.
The young lady is kind-hearted. Whenever Shen Que is teased, she will always come forward to scold the young master and comfort Shen Que at the same time.
Shen Que knew in his heart that the reason why the young lady did this was because she was afraid that she, the teacher, would run away again.
But even so, he never complained at all.
Because, from the first moment he saw the young lady, Shen Que realized that he had fallen in love!
As time passed, the relationship between the two quickly heated up, and it spread to the master's ears.
Fortunately, the master is an open-minded man and knows that although Shen Que is down and out, he is a capable person and is willing to marry his daughter to Shen Que.
In this way, it should have been a good story about a talented man and a beautiful woman.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Although the two had set a wedding date, the news that the rich man had a beautiful daughter spread out at some point and happened to reach the ears of a local county magistrate.
The county magistrate was also a lustful man, and he had nineteen concubines in his family.
Hearing about the young lady's reputation, they wanted to send people to rob her. However, the master's family was unwilling, so he sent people to slaughter a family of more than thirty people.
Shen Que and his lady escaped disaster because they went up the mountain to burn incense.
After coming back, the lady heard the news and was heartbroken.
Shen Que was angry in his heart. Although he was a scholar, he also had the murderous intention of Shura.
After settling the young lady, he lurked in the brothel frequented by the county magistrate with a long knife. When night fell, he broke into her room through the side window, raised the knife and chopped off the head of the dog official with one blow. .
When the man was beheaded, the guards outside the door heard the sound and immediately rushed in and captured Shen Que.
For the following offenses, attacking and killing an official of the imperial court is a capital crime.
He was sent to death row that night. How similar was the scenery that night to the night tonight?
Perhaps, the only difference was that he was fished out of prison by a man who was desperate, and as a dead soldier, he attacked and killed the then general Dou Wu. After the incident was completed, their lives could be spared.
Seeing the hope of life, Shen Que naturally fought bravely to kill the enemy. In the end, thirty-eight people died, but he was the only one who survived and was spared the death penalty.
It was also from that time that he came into Liu Hong's sight, was appointed by Liu Hong, and gradually climbed to the level of Sili Xiaowei.
If it weren't for Your Majesty, I might have died long ago.
It was Your Majesty who allowed me to survive for more than ten years.
Being able to watch Hongchang grow up is enough for Shen.
If Shen's death can be exchanged for a glimmer of hope for the Han people...
Shen, die without regrets!
It's dawn...
Your Majesty, I will take the first step...
"Master Shen, it's time to hit the road."
…
On this day, at three quarters of noon, at the Luoyang execution ground, Shen Que, the commander of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was beheaded.
One day, the post of Sili Lieutenant was vacant, and the officials and subordinates in Zhongdu were suppressed. All the civil and military officials who were afraid of being picked on in the past were laughing and celebrating the departure of the evil star.
From now on, you no longer have to worry about being stared at, and you can act more boldly in Kyoto!
While the officials of the aristocratic family were laughing and laughing, there was still a dead silence in the palace.
Liu Hong was leaning on the bedside. Although his face looked pale, there was still some sparkle in his eyes.
Outside the palace, there was a rush of footsteps, but it was Zhang Rang who came in to report the news.
Liu Hong's eyes fell on Zhang Rang, and without waiting for him to report, he said to himself: "My father is here, I guess he wants to tell Gu Chenque about his death?"
Zhang Rang nodded and said immediately: "Your Majesty, Shen Que, your majesty, has proven his integrity and was beheaded on the execution ground."
"Is there any news about the imperial seal?" Liu Hong nodded calmly and asked again.
When asked about the imperial seal, Zhang Rang was obviously stunned for a moment. He quietly raised his head and looked at Liu Hong, trying to see Liu Hong's expression clearly.
However, as soon as he raised his head, he heard a soft cough coming from Liu Hong's mouth.
"What are you hesitating about? Has Yafu already got the news about the imperial seal? Or is it that Shen Que is very strict and didn't reveal it until his death?"
"I was entrusted by the late emperor and was ordered to take over the country of Han Dynasty just now. The jade seal passed down to the country is the foundation of a country. If I can't find it back, I will be the sinner of the entire Han Dynasty. How can I have the dignity to enter the ancestral temple and see you all?" Ancestor?"
"Yafu, you need some snacks!"
"Now, the only person Gu can trust is Yafu."
A series of words came out of Liu Hong's mouth, but Zhang Rang trembled all over. He looked up at Liu Hong, his lips trembled, but he couldn't say a word for a long time.
After a long time, he took a step back, bowed deeply to Liu Hong, and said: "Slave, I will never disappoint Your Majesty!"
Liu Hong nodded, waved his hand, and asked him to leave.
Zhang Rang stood there, hesitated for a moment, and finally turned around and left without saying anything.
He came this time not simply to report a message.
In other words, reporting the news is just one of his purposes. As for the other purpose, naturally he wants to hold the leaderless officials and disciples of Zhongdu in his hands.
Sili Xiaowei, also known as Crouching Tiger, is the organization in charge of supervision in Gyeonggi.
Since its inception, it has been responsible only to the emperor, collecting information from all civil and military officials.
If someone commits an offense and violates the law, he will be handed over to the emperor, who will decide whether to kill or punish him.
Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, although power has declined and the role of Sili Xiaowei has become smaller and smaller, it is still an effective means of restricting civil and military officials.
Now that Shen Que is dead, the position of Captain Sili is now vacant.
Since this position is vacant, why can't I fight for it, place my own people in this position, investigate civil and military officials, and get hold of these people, so that I can further control the court and confront He Jin.
By then, even if Liu Hong is really going to die, he will still have enough confidence to compete with He Jin!
It's a pity that although his calculation was good, Liu Hong led the topic to other places before he could say it.
After a conversation, Liu Hong took the dominant position, and he didn't even have a chance to express his thoughts.
Not to mention asking for the position of Sili Xiaowei.
However, Zhang Rang was not in a hurry.
After all, he is the sub-father of the Son of Heaven, and no one can understand the temperament of the Son of Heaven better than he, the sub-father.
Some things cannot be rushed, so we have to take it step by step slowly. Anyway, our family is not in a hurry.
…
Outside the imperial city, a hundred meters away, you can see an unusually grand mansion.
This place is the residence of the current General He Jin!
The gate of the mansion was very lively. Soldiers in armor could be seen going back and forth delivering letters. These were battle reports from all over China. Now they were all gathered in the hands of the general, who would then decide and deliver them to Liu Hong.
However, Liu Hong basically didn't care about these things, so these things eventually fell on Zhang Rang and the others.
At this moment, deep inside the general's residence, He Jin was sitting in casual clothes fishing in the pond in the backyard, with a figure crawling on the ground behind him.
If Shen Que had a spirit in the sky and could see it, he would be able to recognize that the voice standing behind He Jin was none other than Lin Feng, who had threatened to sacrifice his life to save him last night.
"General, what happened last night was roughly like this. I have a saying about humble duty, but I don't know whether I should say it or not?"
The voice was long and lingering, echoing in the empty backyard. He Jin was not in a hurry to answer, but was concentrating on staring at the fish bladder in his water.
Seeing the fish's swim bladder sinking, he suddenly lifted the rod and caught a golden carp.
"Yes, it's almost a pound." He Jin laughed loudly, took off the golden carp and threw it to the servant aside. Then he turned to look at Lin Feng. The smile on his face suddenly faded and turned cold.
After looking at Lin Feng for a few seconds, he looked away and asked aloud: "What do you want to say?"
"It is not difficult to see from Shen Que's reaction that the Imperial Seal should not be in his hands, and when Zhang Rang asked him, he named two names, Li Song and Dong Zhuo."
"These two names seem to be mentioned to Zhang Rang, but in my humble opinion, Shen Que should be mentioned to the villain, so that he can leave a clue to his brothers after his death."
"If the general wants to find the jade seal of the state, he can try to start with Dong Zhuo. All he needs is an order from the general. How can a mere cavalry general not go to Beijing to present the jade seal of the state?"
"As for Li Song, the general doesn't have to worry. The villain has slightly changed Shen Que's last words and informed the remaining officials and disciples of Zhongdu. I think they will send Li Song, Zhang Rang and others Stare to death."
"If the general needs it, I can also ask the Zhongdu officials and disciples in Xiliang to keep an eye on Dong Zhuo."
After saying that, Lin Feng put his forehead against the ground, but did not dare to lift it up at all.
Hearing this, He Jin fell into silence, saying nothing but giving Lin Feng a meaningful look.
"You did a good job on this matter. Now, your identity should not be exposed, right?" He Jin asked again.
"Back to General, I haven't been exposed yet. I am very cautious and have already cleaned up all traces." Lin Feng bowed.
"That's good. As long as you find the Imperial Seal and deliver it to me, the general, I will promise you the post of Sili Xiaowei, and of course I will be indispensable!"
"Okay, there's nothing wrong, just go down." He Jin waved his hand and asked Lin Feng to step back.
Lin Feng naturally did not dare to neglect, and immediately bowed his hands and left.
However, just when he had such a plan in his mind, he froze in place. After thinking about it, he couldn't help but ask:
"General, there is a hussar general in Xiliang now. Does he also need to pay attention to it?"
Cavalry General?
Half a journey into the world of mortals?
That boy who dared to confront the emperor in the court?
His recent achievements are not small, he jumped directly from General Fenwei to General Hussars.
I'm afraid I'll have to jump on this general in a few days, right?
snort!
"Keep an eye on it! Find out this kid's background. If there's something wrong in the back of his head, find an opportunity to chop him into pieces!"
"If he and Dong Zhuo are at odds with each other, ask your subordinates to help him."
"I don't want to see two people with military power and collusion appear in the bitter cold land of Xiliang!"
Lin Feng trembled, how could he not understand what He Jin meant, and immediately assured him: "General, don't worry, I understand."