Not everyone among the senior officials in Liaodong Town is as sharp-eyed as Ximen Sheng, but they are not fools either.
Like Ximen Sheng, they also believe that the missing farmers in Hujiazhuang are just chess pieces that have been deceived and deceived by others. They have little value at all. The key is the mysterious figure who calls himself Xu Sheng!
If it weren't for this person's repeated instigation, no matter how resentful Niu Zhuang and other farmers were, the most they could do was shout a few slogans and have no courage or ability to take practical actions to retaliate against Liaodong Town, let alone kidnap He.
Yu this kind of thing.
Therefore, only by finding out the true identity of Xu Sheng can we truly deduce who was behind the kidnapping of He Yu.
Now, as Hu Qiao and Yao He finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in Liaodong Town changed drastically!
When Xu Sheng was talking to his people in private, what he said was Jurchen. This obviously directly showed that this person's identity was related to Jianzhou Jurchen!
Could it be that... it was really the Jianzhou Jurchens who planned the conspiracy to kidnap He Yu?
There is no reason! Logically speaking, the Jianzhou Jurchens had just paid tribute to the imperial court and declared themselves vassals. They had no motive and no ability to do such a thing!
Shocked, several senior officials of Liaodong Town could no longer remain silent and asked for details, such as the specific content of the Jurchen story spoken by Mr. Xu, the appearance, features, words and deeds of Mr. Xu, etc.
Facing the questioning from the senior officials of Liaodong Town, Hu Qiao and Yao He became increasingly flustered, but they still stumbled and answered the questions one by one.
According to these two people, the Jurchen words spoken by Xu Sheng at that time can be translated as - "We must fully implement Lord Qian Tong's orders."
After hearing the name "Qian Tong", the senior officials of Liaodong Town were stunned again, and then they all fell into silence and thinking.
All the senior officials in Liaodong Town are very familiar with Qian Tong, and they are most aware of the feud between this person and Liaodong Town!
At that time, Qian Tong was appointed as the magistrate of North Town in Liaodong area by Emperor Deqing. At that time, he still had some ambitions of loyalty to the emperor and the country, but he couldn't stand the domineering style of Liaodong Town and acted against the will. Not only did he repeatedly submit to Emperor Deqing
The memorial impeached Liaodong Town, and he often relied on his power and responsibilities to oppose Liaodong Town, so he was naturally regarded as a thorn in Liaodong Town's side.
To deal with this kind of thorn, Liaodong Town was also very familiar with it. Taking advantage of an opportunity to fight against the Jianzhou Jurchens, they deliberately left a gap in the defense line and led the Jianzhou Jurchen army to march straight in. They "accidentally" encountered the Jianzhou Jurchens who were fighting at that time.
When Qian Tong goes out on patrol, he will naturally "sacrifice his country" and die tragically at the hands of the Jianzhou Jurchens. No one can find fault with him.
But no one expected that Qian Tong, who had always had some integrity, not only did not die generously after being captured alive by the Jianzhou Jurchen army, but he quickly betrayed the Ming Dynasty and directly defected to the Jianzhou Jurchens, and even gradually gained the Jianzhou Jurchen army
The Great Khan Xuan Ye relied heavily on him and became one of the most important figures among the Han officials of the Jianzhou Jurchens. He was fully responsible for all matters involving the Jianzhou Jurchens' infiltration into the Ming Dynasty's territory.
Not long ago, this Qian Tong was appointed as the plenipotentiary envoy of the Jianzhou Jurchens, and went to the capital on behalf of the Jianzhou Jurchens to congratulate Emperor Deqing on his birthday, which is enough to prove his high status within the Jianzhou Jurchens.
When the Jianzhou Jurchens secretly penetrated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, the Liaodong region had always been a top priority, and Qian Tong naturally acted frequently. However, He Yu, the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, had always been a person who could not tolerate disdain in his eyes, and regarded the Liaodong region as a
Although he was willing to secretly cooperate with Jianzhou Jurchens in smuggling to make money, he absolutely could not tolerate Jianzhou Jurchens infiltrating his sphere of influence, so he took strict precautions and repeatedly destroyed Qian Tong's infiltration plans.
In this way, Qian Tong was first captured and imprisoned by the Jianzhou Jurchens because of He Yu's plan, and almost "martyrdom" for his country. Later, He Yu repeatedly sabotaged the infiltration plan, causing him to lose face several times in front of Xuan Ye...
The grievances between the two sides are so deep that it goes without saying.
Therefore, if Qian Tong is hiding behind the scenes and planning He Yu's kidnapping... it's really possible!
Thinking about this, the expressions of everyone in Liaodong Town became more and more serious, and they soon thought of a deeper level!
If He Yu's kidnapping was indeed planned by Qian Tong, then with Qian Tong's wisdom and methods, he would definitely deduce the current chaos in Liaodong Town, and considering Qian Tong's status and relationship within Jianzhou Jurchen
With great influence, they will definitely take the opportunity to admonish the Xuan Ye Khan and encourage the Jurchens of Jianzhou to send a large army to take advantage of the situation!
Therefore, the current situation may be just like the previous speculations of Fang Zhenshan and Wu Shilin. The Jianzhou Jurchen army is very likely to have already arrived at Liaoyang City!
However, seeing the changes in the expressions of everyone in Liaodong Town, Fang Zhenshan soon sneered and said something even more shocking.
"Do you think the situation is serious and the truth is shocking? But I can tell you that there are even more serious and shocking things!
That is... According to the governor's subsequent investigation, when Ximen Sheng sent people to secretly investigate Hujiazhuang, although the two key witnesses Hu Qiao and Yao He were not found, he also found a lot of relevant evidence, all of which could prove
There is a close relationship between Xu Sheng and Jianzhou Jurchen, but if the governor guessed correctly, Ximen Sheng must have concealed this from his colleagues in Liaodong Town, right?
Hey, with Liaodong Town's always domineering style, once it was discovered that the farmers in Hujiazhuang were related to the kidnapping of Mr. He, it stands to reason that they should have sent out a large army to arrest all the people in Hujiazhuang and torture them for interrogation.
, but what is strange is that Liaodong Town has obviously discovered relevant clues, but has not made any further moves. It has always stood still...
If the governor is still right, the reason why Liaodong Town is holding back is all because of Ximen Sheng's suggestion, right? His superficial reasons are nothing more than to prevent alerting the enemy, avoid irritating the kidnappers, and want to wait and see.
,But in fact……
General Ximen Ginseng, you are just worried that after Liaodong Town tortures and interrogates all the people in Hujiazhuang, the other senior officials of Liaodong Town will find clues about the Jianzhou Jurchen, right?"
Having said this, Fang Zhenshan stared at Ximen Sheng with a serious expression and said coldly: "So, General Ximen, don't blame me and Mr. Wu for suspecting that you have become a Jurchen spy in Jianzhou, or even a spy with Jianzhou Jurchen."
The Jurchens secretly conspired to kidnap Mr. He!
Because what you did was obviously to protect the Jianzhou Jurchens and conceal the truth! Apart from this, I can't think of any other reasons that could explain your various actions!"
As Fang Zhenshan finished speaking, everyone in Liaodong Town was shaken, then turned their heads and looked at Ximen Sheng in disbelief.
Prior to this, although people kept coming forward to accuse Ximen Sheng, and there were endless rumors, the senior officials in Liaodong Town actually did not believe that Ximen Sheng would do such a thing.
Not only He Bandit, but also He Rensheng and others have been unwilling to believe this kind of thing. Even Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, and Xu He have been repeatedly using relevant rumors to frame Ximen Sheng, but they don't believe it at all.
However, if what Fang Zhenshan said is true and Ximen Sheng deliberately concealed all the important evidence related to the Jianzhou Jurchens, then it would be impossible for the senior officials of Liaodong Town not to doubt Ximen Sheng even if they wanted to!
Ximen Sheng took a deep breath when he saw the changes in the expressions and questioning looks of the senior officials of Liaodong Town.
The thing he was most worried about, the worst premonition in his heart, actually happened.
Ximen Sheng knew very well that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to him, but he still wanted to struggle at this time.
So, under the spotlight of everyone, Ximen Sheng said slowly: "After I sent people to investigate Hujiazhuang, I found many clues, indicating that Xu Sheng is most likely related to Jianzhou Jurchen!
There were too many flaws left by Xu Sheng. The horse he rode was the most common Sanhe horse in Jianzhou Jurchen territory. He also accidentally revealed that he owned a large amount of silver coins minted by Jianzhou Jurchens.
, not only Hu Qiao and Yao He in front of him, he also said Jurchen truth in front of many people...
But you are all familiar with the art of war, don’t you think... this approach is too deliberate? If this Xu Sheng is really a secret agent of the Jianzhou Jurchen, how could he leave so many flaws? It’s as if he is afraid of others
Don’t you know that you are related to Jianzhou Jurchen?
Obviously, these clues were all deliberately left by him! He did all these things to mislead the judgment of Liaodong Town, so that everyone would mistakenly believe that the kidnapping of Lord General Bing was related to the Jianzhou Jurchens, and then...
Deflect conflicts, cover up the truth, and force Liaodong Town to submit!
This general firmly believes that these evidences are all false. Revealing them will only make Liaodong Town fall into the trap of the enemy. In the end, it can only be driven and used by the real mastermind behind the scenes, so he deliberately concealed the relevant clues.
, all this is out of public interest, not because the general wants to protect the Jurchens in Jianzhou and hide the truth!
As for the claim that I secretly conspired with the Jianzhou Jurchens to plan the kidnapping of the Commander-in-Chief, it is even more nonsense. It is all a deliberate frame-up by the real mastermind behind the scenes!"
Speaking of this, Ximen Sheng even drew out his saber - this action immediately startled everyone, including Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, and Xu He, who could not help but draw out their sabers on guard - but Ximen Sheng did not
Ignoring the fuss of others, he directly cut his palm with a knife, then raised his bloody palm and swore: "I swear to God, if there is any falsehood in my explanation, it will definitely be like thunder from the sky."
If you chop it, the whole family, old and young, will die a good death!"
*
Ximen Sheng's thoughts and judgments can be said to be completely correct as always.
In fact, Ximen Sheng's judgment has basically been correct since the beginning of this crisis.
But Ximen Sheng's correct judgment still couldn't help him reverse the situation.
The so-called "Xu Sheng" is naturally the disguised identity Xu Qingyan used when he first contacted and bewitched Niu Zhuang and others!
After Zhao Junchen made the decision to direct and stage a kidnapping drama, he made a secret plan to put the blame on the Jianzhou Jurchens.
Therefore, when Xu Qingyan came into contact with the villagers of Hujiazhuang, there were many "loopholes" and deliberately left some "clues".
These "flaws" and "clues" seemed like nothing to the villagers of Hujiazhuang with little knowledge, but in the eyes of the senior officials of Liaodong Town, they could quickly guess that he was related to Jianzhou Jurchen.
In order to increase his persuasion, Zhao Junchen also asked Xu Qingyan to mention the name "Qian Tong" many times, because Zhao Junchen had been focusing on Qian Tong and collected a lot of relevant information about Qian Tong. Naturally, he knew Qian Tong.
The grudge relationship with He Yu.
Then, after Zhao Junchen "got out of trouble" and returned to the Liaodong Army, he took the initiative to mention the suspicion of Jianzhou Jurchens, and then used the conflicts between Ximen Sheng and Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, and Xu He to evaluate the merits of the entire army's officers and soldiers.
The task of passing rewards and punishments was given to Li Zehe and others, and the task of investigating Jurchen suspicions in Jianzhou was given to Ximen Sheng. This approach was not only to isolate Ximen Sheng, but also to guide the situation to where it is today!
When Ximen Sheng sent people to investigate and found various evidences that could indeed show that Jianzhou Jurchen was the mastermind behind the kidnapping of He Yu, Ximen Sheng was left with only two options at this time.
Ximen Sheng may believe these "evidences" and decide to disclose them. Then Liaodong Town's attention and hatred will be completely transferred to Jianzhou Jurchens, and Zhao Junchen will not only be able to completely cover up his suspicions, but also
It is naturally best to use the external contradiction of Jianzhou Jurchen to gradually control Liaodong Town;
But if Ximen Sheng sees through Zhao Junchen's tricks and does not believe these "evidences" at all, then in order to prevent Liaodong Town from being used by Zhao Junchen, he can only choose to actively conceal these "evidences", but this situation does not matter, because
Fang Zhenshan's performance at this time is Zhao Junchen's backup!
If Ximen Sheng was not so smart and did not detect any truth, and finally chose the former approach, it would actually be a good thing for him. Although Liaodong Town would inevitably be driven and used by Zhao Junchen, he himself could
This saves a lot of trouble; but if Ximen Sheng is smart enough and is keenly aware of Zhao Junchen's conspiracy, it will be a bad thing for him, because he is destined to set himself on fire.
No matter what, whether it is Ximen Sheng or Liaodong Town, they can only be led by Zhao Junchen!
*
Everything was as Zhao Junchen expected.
Ximen Sheng's explanation is indeed very reasonable, and Ximen Sheng's oath is also very serious.
However, the situation has developed to this point, and these few explanations and oaths alone can no longer convince anyone.
No matter it was He Bandit, He Rensheng, Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, or Xu He, the eyes looking at Ximen Sheng at this time were still full of doubts.
No matter how Ximen Sheng explained or swore, he had concealed key evidence after all. This performance can indeed be interpreted as that he had completely surrendered to the Jianzhou Jurchens, betrayed Liaodong Town, and even secretly conspired with the Jianzhou Jurchens to kidnap He.
Yu.
Coupled with the various rumors and rumors during this period, as well as the continuous accusations made by Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, Xu He, Fang Zhenshan, Wu Shilin and others, He Bandit finally made up his mind.
"General Ximen, I hope I can trust you!" He Biao squinted his eyes and said slowly: "However, the matter is very important. For the safety of the General, I am unwilling to take any risks, and I am not willing to miss anything.
Hidden danger... So, from now on, please take off your armor and stay with me all the time. You can't have any contact with anyone without the approval of me!"
Such a statement is obviously more serious than the ordinary seizure of power under house arrest. It directly restricts Ximen Sheng's freedom of movement. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is imprisoned.
Hearing what He Bandit said, Ximen Sheng was stunned for a moment, as if he couldn't believe it, and he seemed to have expected it.
In the end, Ximen Sheng silently threw away the sword in his hand and stopped talking.
Powerless and disheartened.
Ever since He Yu was controlled, Ximen Sheng has always been the biggest threat in Zhao Junchen's eyes. His prestige, his acumen, and his determination have always made Zhao Junchen deeply afraid, so he has never dared to do anything big.
action.
But now, this threat has finally been completely controlled.
However, the matter is still not over, and Fang Zhenshan is still unwilling to give up.
"You are the bandit He Qianhu of the Liaodong Iron Cavalry, right? I heard that you have integrated all the reinforcements in Liaodong Town and have tens of thousands of troops under your command. You can be said to be the strongest force in Liaodong..." Fang Zhenshan looked at it carefully.
He Bandit glanced at him and asked, "So, you are in charge of Liaodong Town now?"
Before this, Fang Zhenshan had never been able to confirm who the leader of Liaodong Town was because several high-level officials from Liaodong Town appeared together.
It was only then, after seeing He Bandi's statement, that He Bandit's current status was finally determined.
Hearing what Fang Zhenshan said, He Gao nodded expressionlessly, and also looked at Fang Zhenshan seriously.
Bandit He did not think that Fang Zhenshan's various behaviors were just to help Liaodong Town eliminate spies. He must now stop Fang Zhenshan from taking advantage of the situation.
Fang Zhenshan still had a serious expression and said slowly: "It is indeed a good thing that He Qianhu can control Ximen Sheng immediately! But in the eyes of the governor, there are still shortcomings!
The governor believes that if the kidnapping of General He and Zhao Gechen was caused by the masterminds behind the Jianzhou Jurchens, then the Jianzhou Jurchens’ conspiracy plans must be interlocking, and the farmers in Hujiazhuang who were deceived were all just trying to hide their eyes from others.
, the chess piece that can be given up at any time, that Xu Sheng and the people around him are the ones who specifically carried out the kidnapping. Of course... maybe there is also the secret cooperation of Ximen Sheng!
At the same time, after Mr. He and Zhao Gechen were kidnapped, Liaodong Town will inevitably seal off the entire Hujiazhuang. At this time... Zhang Zhengqing, an old thief, needs to use his connections to inform the Jianzhou Jurchens of the latest news."
After speaking, Fang Zhenshan waved his riding whip and pointed it at Zhang Zhengqing behind his mount again.
Unlike Hu Qiao and Yao He, Zhang Zhengqing was not only tied up but also gagged. At this time, he could only moan anxiously but could not defend himself.
After hearing Fang Zhenshan's reminder, everyone present finally remembered Zhang Zhengqing, who had been completely forgotten by them.
Fang Zhenshan continued: "So, Zhang Zhengqing is also an indispensable part of the Jurchen conspiracy in Jianzhou. Under such circumstances... I also suspect that General Li Zehe and Li Shenqing, who have been vigorously defending Zhang Zhengqing just now,
, General Gan Cheng and Gan Shen, General Xu He and Xu Shen, may also be suspected of seeking refuge with the Jianzhou Jurchens!
If it weren't for such suspicion, the governor and Wu Zongbing would not have wanted to meet with the Liaodong Town soldiers just now because they had a disagreement, because if the senior officials of Liaodong Town had been infiltrated by the Jianzhou Jurchens, they would naturally also