When Xie Qing stepped into the main hall of Zhanyuan, Nanjing garrison Xu Shengying was giving a speech, introducing the basic situation in Nanjing to the dignitaries present in detail.
"I hope you can rest assured. The current situation in Nanjing seems to be chaotic, but everything is under control. The Nanjing defenders have controlled key positions in the city, and the soldiers of each battalion are ready to attack at any time.
Any chaos! As far as I know, there are currently less than a hundred bandits of unknown origin circulating in Nanjing City, and under the killing of Jin Yiwei, most of these bandits have been killed and injured, and they are no longer enough to pose a threat..."
When talking about "gangsters of unknown origin", Xu Shengying glanced at the seventh prince Zhu Hejian from the corner of her eye for a moment, but the next moment her expression was serious, as if she had no idea what was going on.
After a pause, Xu Shengying continued: "However, the gangster leader--it is said that his name is Jiang Xiao--is extremely alert. When he saw the Jin Yiwei relentlessly suppressing and killing, he immediately led the remaining men under his command.
The gangsters turned around and fled, hiding in the Nanjing Shantang. They also took many people in the Nanjing Shantang as hostages, including more than a hundred orphans adopted in the Shantang, as well as the sponsor of the Nanjing Shantang, the imperial merchant Ge Zhenye, etc.
People! The Jin Yiwei and the Nanjing garrison have now surrounded the Nanjing Shantang. If they were not concerned about the safety of the hostages, they could rush in at any time and eliminate all the bandits."
Speaking of this, Xu Shengying frowned and said: "But what is strange is that the gangster leader named Jiang Xiao took the risk during the martial law period in Nanjing because he intended to raid the temporary residence of Huo Zhengyuan, the great scholar of Huo University.
The residence, but fortunately, Academician Huo happened to go to Dongyuan to visit Zhou Shoufu tonight, and he escaped by chance without any impact. However, Jiang Xiao was still closely pursuing the people under Academician Huo who stayed in the temporary residence.
Those close guards did not hesitate to make all kinds of noises and completely expose their traces, as if their target was the guards of Academician Huo from the beginning...
What's even more strange is that in the face of the suppression and killing of the Jin Yiwei, the bodyguards of Academician Huo immediately turned around and abandoned their previous grudges with Jiang Xiao and his gangsters, turning enemies into friends. It can be said that they cooperated with each other in a tacit understanding.
, worked together to escape the siege of the Jinyi Guards, and are now hiding in the Nanjing Shantang, joining forces with Jiang Xiao and his gangsters to resist, just like..."
After hearing what Xu Shengying said, Zhu Hejian's eyes flashed and he answered: "Xu Shoubei means that the gangsters who have caused various riots in Nanjing during this period have some kind of relationship with Academician Huo in private.
relation?"
After directly clarifying the implication of Xu Shengying's words, Zhu Hejian immediately shook his head and denied it, as if he completely trusted Huo Zhengyuan, and said loudly: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Academician Huo is a dignitary of the dynasty, ranking among the Gungun princes.
One of them, and won the trust and respect of Zhao Gechen, what is his identity? How could he make friends with these low-ranking gangsters?
Although the origins of these gangsters are mysterious, and the city of Nanjing has been under martial law for a long time, no trace of these gangsters has been found. This also proves that there must be some big shots providing shelter in secret, but I absolutely do not believe that Academician Huo is involved in this matter.
!Otherwise, a dignified academician from the imperial court secretly befriended gangsters and supported the martial arts. Once such a thing is confirmed, there will definitely be an uproar in the temple..."
As he spoke, Zhu Hejian ostensibly expressed his trust in Huo Zhengyuan, but what he meant behind his words was that it was indeed possible that Huo Zhengyuan was secretly making friends with gangsters, so special attention must be paid to it.
In fact, Zhu Hejian seemed to be as calm and calm as ever at this time, but in fact he was flustered as never before, and his heart was full of a sense of crisis.
Ever since he was unable to contact Jiang Xiao and the "Chaofeng" soldiers directly, Zhu Hejian had thought about the possibility of Jiang Xiao and the "Chaofeng" soldiers getting out of control, and had also prepared various preventive measures. The Jinyi guards would not listen to any excuses tonight
Killing and suppressing everywhere was one of Zhu Hejian's preventive measures.
But Zhu Hejian never expected that Jiang Xiao and the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers would make such a big fuss after losing control. Now they are besieged by the Jin Yiwei and the Nanjing garrison in the Nanjing Shantang. It can be said that it is
You can't escape even if you have wings.
With Jiang Xiao's usual caution, why would he suddenly do such a crazy thing? Regarding this issue, Zhu Hejian no longer cares about it. He only knows now that Jiang Xiao and the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers must not be allowed to fall into the trap.
Without the help of any force, otherwise his secret work of raising dead soldiers will be revealed, and all the crimes he has committed in private over the years will be fully exposed.
At that time, Zhu Hejian, not to mention taking over the position of crown prince, would even be imprisoned in the clan prison of Fengyang, the central capital, for the rest of his life, and would never be able to escape.
Under such circumstances, Zhu Hejian naturally wanted to spare no effort to confuse the public and further confuse the situation, so he poured dirty water on Huo Zhengyuan, implying that Huo Zhengyuan secretly associates with gangsters, supports the martial arts, and intends to subvert the imperial court.
However, although Zhu Hejian's move to throw dirty water on Huo Zhengyuan was just a temporary move, those forces who did not know the inside story were still somewhat convinced after hearing this. They only felt that there must be a connection between Huo Zhengyuan and the gangsters.
Otherwise, why would those gangsters take the risk to attack Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence and pursue and kill Huo Zhengyuan's guards even if their traces are exposed?
For a moment, everyone in the Zhanyuan main hall had serious expressions, frowning and thinking.
But unlike most people, Song Chengren knew the inside story. He knew very well that Jiang Xiao and his gangsters were all soldiers secretly raised by Zhu Hejian. He also roughly guessed the reason why Jiang Xiao took the risk to attack Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence, so naturally he did not
I will watch helplessly as Zhu Hejian confuses the public and shifts the focus.
So, Song Chengren coughed lightly and said slowly: "In any case, all the gangsters are now blocked in Nanjing Shantang, surrounded by layers of Jin Yiwei and Nanjing defenders. There is no need to worry that they will continue to disrupt the situation in Nanjing.
, these bandits will be caught sooner or later, and their true origins can naturally be investigated by then, which is not a top priority!
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! In my opinion, the most important thing at the moment is to control the situation as soon as possible and stabilize the people's hearts. This is also the main reason why I forced myself to break into Zhanyuan and ask to see His Highness the Seventh Prince! Because of Jin Yiwei
There are no taboos in suppressing the situation everywhere, and there are constant conflicts with all forces. The people are already panic-stricken, and it has also caused many innocent casualties. Even the fire in the south of the city cannot be controlled, and it is getting worse..."
Speaking of this, Song Chengren looked directly at Zhu Hejian and said firmly: "So, I kindly ask His Highness the Seventh Prince to send an order to immediately restrain the Jinyiwei's repressive actions, recall all the Jinyiwei to stand by, and hand over the situation in Nanjing to Yingtianfu Yamen, but
I wonder what His Highness the Seventh Prince thinks?"
Naturally, Zhu Hejian would never agree to Song Chengren's proposal.
Under the current situation, Nanjing garrison eunuch Xi Cheng and the Jinyiwei forces are Zhu Hejian's last insurance to control the situation in Nanjing and cover up his crimes. Although Nanjing garrison Xu Shengying also expressed support to Zhu Hejian, Xu Shengying's true allegiance is to Emperor Deqing.
, His support for Zhu Hejian was all due to Emperor Deqing's intention, so Zhu Hejian also did not trust Xu Shengying and the Nanjing defenders on certain sensitive matters, and was only willing to leave them to Xicheng and Jinyiwei.
Only by allowing the Jin Yiwei to continue to suppress in the name of martial law can we effectively control the activities of all forces and conceal the truth as much as possible. Once Zhu Hejian recalls the Jin Yiwei, all the forces will quickly resume their actions. Not only will they continue to follow the clues,
Searching for evidence and tracing the truth, even Jiang Xiao and the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers hiding in Nanjing Shantang and resisting stubbornly will fall into their hands sooner or later. This is something Zhu Hejian absolutely cannot allow.
Compared with the top priority of covering up his crime of raising dead soldiers, the panic of the people, the innocent casualties, and the fire in Nanjing were all trivial matters to Zhu Hejian.
However, seeing that Song Chengren's attitude was firm and his request was well-reasoned, Zhu Hejian did not refuse directly. Instead, he nodded and said: "Mr. Song's words are reasonable! The younger generation also believes that to control the chaos of the situation and stabilize the panic of the people,
This is the top priority right now!”
As he spoke, Zhu Hejian turned to look at Xi Cheng, the eunuch guarding Nanjing, and asked: "Chen Xi, I wonder what you think? Can you recall all the Jinyi guards immediately?"
Xicheng knew very well that Zhu Hejian wanted to appear as the villain.
In a certain sense, as a member of the inner court, it is Xi Cheng's duty and responsibility to play the villain, and Zhu Hejian calling him "Xi inner minister" at this moment is actually a hint.
Therefore, Xi Cheng, who had always followed Zhu Hejian since he arrived in Nanjing, unexpectedly changed his normal attitude and shook his head firmly with the same attitude and refused: "No! Before everything is completely settled, the situation in Nanjing will be controlled by Jin Yiwei.
Under direct control, anyone who violates martial law and may cause more riots, regardless of their identity and background, will be suppressed and attacked by the Jin Yiwei, and there is no room for negotiation on this matter!"
Seeing Xi Cheng being so domineering, Song Chengren couldn't help but laugh angrily, and said coldly: "Xi Zhenshou, you have to think carefully! The reason why the Jin Yiwei are able to run rampant and do whatever they want in Nanjing tonight is not because of how powerful the Jin Yiwei themselves are.
!In fact, there are only a few members of the Jinyiwei stationed in Nanjing City, which is simply not enough to control the situation and completely incapable of suppressing all parties. The reason why all parties have repeatedly given in is not because they are afraid of the Jinyiwei's own strength.
I just want to take the overall situation into consideration and maintain the prestige of the court!
But if the Jinyiwei still refuses to listen to the advice and goes against the grain, the prestige of the imperial court will be lost, and public opinion will quickly deflect... Once the situation develops to this point, all parties will be intolerable, and the offensive and defensive forces will be interchanged. Is it possible that the Jinyiwei can still
Can you make an enemy of the world by yourself?"
Xicheng also snorted coldly and said: "We want to see which force will dare to come forward and become the enemy of Jinyiwei next! The reasons for Jinyiwei's actions tonight are fully and legitimate, even if it is done afterwards.
Our family is not afraid at all of His Majesty's lawsuit!
What His Royal Highness the Seventh Prince just said makes sense. The city of Nanjing has been under martial law for many days just to search for that group of daring gangsters. Logically speaking, this group of gangsters should have been able to escape and be captured! But the fact is that even if the Nanjing government is under martial law,
The entire city has been digging three feet, but still no trace of this group of gangsters can be found. Even the background of this group of gangsters cannot be investigated clearly. It is obvious that there is a big shot in Nanjing who is secretly protecting them!
This also means that perhaps there is a certain force among the Nanjing government and the public who secretly colludes with the bandits and privately supports people in the Jianghu. This can be said to have evil intentions and a serious problem for the court! This kind of thing is not a trivial matter and must be investigated with all our strength! Therefore, Jin Yiwei's
The action tonight is not only to maintain the government's martial law, but also to fulfill our own responsibilities. No one can find fault with it! But under such circumstances, the old Patriarch Song wants to restrict the responsibilities of the Jin Yiwei. Is it because he is a guilty conscience?"
Having said this, Xi Cheng turned to look at Nanjing garrison Xu Shengying and sneered: "As for what the old Patriarch Song said about Jin Yiwei's upcoming enemy of the world... Hey, Xu Shou, you are the commander-in-chief of the Nanjing garrison, who are you?"
What’s your general opinion?”
Under the gaze of all forces, Xu Shengying had no choice when facing this problem. She immediately expressed her position slowly and expressionlessly: "I have been trusted by His Majesty and was appointed to guard Nanjing. I should do my best to fulfill my duty."
Duty, loyalty to His Majesty, and strict compliance with court laws and regulations!"
Such a statement may seem like saying nothing, but in fact it is already choosing a side.
The so-called "loyalty to His Majesty" actually means supporting the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, because everyone knows that Emperor Deqing is now fully supporting Zhu Hejian to take over the position of crown prince; as for "obeying the laws and disciplines of the court", it shows that Xu Shengying supports the eunuch guarding Nanjing.
What Xicheng meant was that according to imperial regulations, Xu Shengying, the Nanjing garrison, was nominally under the control of the Nanjing garrison eunuch.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Xi Cheng is worthy of being a unique figure in the inner court. Even in the face of Song Chengren's threat, he did not give in at all. Not only was his rebuttal well-founded, he even
Rake it upside down.
After seeing Xu Shengying's statement, Xi Cheng immediately nodded with satisfaction, and then turned to glance at Song Chengren with a contemptuous attitude, meaning - I, Xi Cheng, not only control the Jinyi Guards in Nanjing City, but also have the support of the Nanjing garrison.
, Under such circumstances, even if you are the enemy of the world, what can you, Song Chengren, do to me?
Song Chengren also turned to look at Xi Cheng, looking at each other without giving in, and said coldly: "Oh? Listen to what Xi Shouwei means, do you think that some of the various forces in Nanjing are secretly colluding with bandits and secretly supporting people in the world?
, have bad intentions? Well, it makes some sense, and of course it is a big deal!
Well, I am a person who has the overall situation in mind. I am willing to take all the gentry and officials in Nanjing to go to the Jinyiwei prison and accept the investigation and interrogation of Jinyiwei at any time. How about this? I and others are so cooperative, I believe Jinyiwei will soon
We can investigate the truth, right? Under such circumstances, can Jinyiwei restrain his behavior and stop disturbing the people and destabilizing the situation in Nanjing?"
After hearing this, Xi Cheng, who had always been confident, finally changed his expression slightly.
Once Song Chengren led all the gentry and officials in Nanjing to the Jinyiwei prison for detention and interrogation, the huge impact of the incident itself was not mentioned for the time being. The point is that the Jinyiwei really had no reason to directly control the situation in Nanjing under such circumstances.
After all, what Song Chengren did was nominally to take care of the overall situation, but to sacrifice himself in order for the Jin Yiwei to stop disturbing the people. It could be said to be a drain on the bottom of the cauldron, which directly made the Jin Yiwei's suppressive actions lose their justice. If the Jin Yiwei still ignores the suppression and attacks everywhere,
It caused greater chaos in the situation in Nanjing. After that, both the guarding eunuch Xi Cheng, who directly commanded the Jinyi Guards, and the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, who was in charge of the overall situation, would completely lose public opinion and morality, and would definitely be infamous.
It’s okay for Xi Cheng to have a bad reputation. As a eunuch of the inner court, his reputation was not good to begin with. But now is the critical period when Zhu Hejian is fighting for the throne. How can he completely lose public opinion and morality like Xi Cheng?
Thinking of this, Xicheng was finally speechless and didn't know how to deal with it.
Seeing that Xi Cheng was no match for Song Chengren, Zhu Hejian couldn't help but frown.
But Zhu Hejian still did not intend to fight Song Chengren in person. Instead, he turned to look at the prince and grand master Wang Baoren beside him who had been watching with cold eyes.
After noticing Zhu Hejian's gaze, Wang Baoren nodded slightly, thinking that he was standing up to support Zhu Hejian at this time. He also felt that under the current situation, he was the only one with the qualifications and ability to suppress Song Chengren, so he decided to take the initiative to argue with Song Chengren.
However, Wang Baoren had just coughed slightly to attract the attention of all parties, but before he could speak, he saw a guard in Jinyi hurried into the main hall of Zhanyuan and quickly reported to Zhu Hejian: "Your Highness, Nanjing Shantang
The situation has changed over there! Not long ago, the bandit leader loudly shouted that he wanted to negotiate face-to-face with the people in charge in Nanjing City. He also said that if the court did not accept the negotiations, he would set fire to the Nanjing Shantang and all the hostages in the Nanjing Shantang.
perish together!"
After a pause, the Jin Yiwei said another more important news: "At the same time, Zhou Shoufu, who is recuperating in the East Garden, and Grand Bachelor Huo Zhengyuan, who is visiting the East Garden, have also received the news in time.
On the way to Nanjing Shantang!"
After hearing the report, everyone's expressions changed slightly!
The gangsters used hostages as threats and wanted to negotiate with the government, which would not surprise them.
However, Zhou Shangjing, who has been cultivating himself quietly in Dongyuan for a long time... is finally going to take action?