Before hearing the report, Zhu Hejian and Huo Zhengyuan had already heard a lot of noise.
Turning around, I saw a large number of people rushing toward me from the end of the street, including the Jinyi Guards, the Nanjing garrison, and the government officials.
Obviously, all the forces in Nanjing City finally received the news that the "Chaofeng" dead soldier was ambushed by Jianji before leaving the city, so they hurried over.
We can't blame the government forces for their slow response. The main reason is that Jiang Xiao specifically asked the Nanjing government to clear out all official forces near the main road leading to various city gates from Nanjing Shantang. Therefore, the response of the government forces was naturally a bit slow.
In fact, the government forces arrived much faster than Huo Zhengyuan expected.
You know, from the time when the lowly people began to ambush the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers, to when Jiang Xiao and a handful of "Chaofeng" dead soldiers escaped by chance, although many unexpected changes and turns occurred during the period, in fact, from
It only takes less than a quarter of an hour from start to finish.
As soon as the matter came to an end, all the government forces rushed to the scene, which was considered a quick response.
After seeing the various government forces appearing one after another, Huo Zhengyuan's expression suddenly became serious. He did not bother to negotiate with Zhu Hejian for a while, but immediately turned to Guo Min, Tang Sheng, Qian Bodao and others and ordered: "Those who have been killed by us...
You guys will personally take over the custody of the bandits captured alive! Unless I give my nod, no matter whether it is the Imperial Guards or the Nanjing garrison, or whether the Nanjing government is asking for people from you, you must resolutely refuse! If they insist on asking for people,
Let them talk to me in person! ...By the way, while the government forces from all parties have not snatched people away, you should seize the time to interrogate those gangsters and collect as much information as possible!"
Huo Zhengyuan knew very well that the various government forces, out of various ideas, would definitely rob these dead soldiers who were captured alive by their own side.
Huo Zhengyuan himself does not actually control any Nanjing yamen, nor does he have the right to interrogate. Naturally, it is difficult to keep these key witnesses. But which yamen will be handed over to them in the end, and what kind of benefits and opportunities can be obtained in exchange for this?
It’s very particular.
Therefore, Huo Zhengyuan will never let him go easily.
On the other side, Guo Min, Tang Sheng, Qian Bodao and others saw that Huo Zhengyuan was so solemn, so naturally they did not dare to neglect, they nodded and accepted the order, then turned and left.
Then, Huo Zhengyuan was still acting vigorously and wanted to send people to carry away the unconscious Hu Xiao again.
Huo Zhengyuan didn't know why Hu Xiao was with Zhu Hejian, but he knew very well that Zhu Hejian and Hu Xiao, two dangerous people, must not be allowed to continue to contact each other.
In particular, Hu Xiao also had information that Zhao Junchen was secretly colluding with overseas forces.
But this time, Huo Zhengyuan's actions were blocked by Zhu Hejian.
"This righteous man is not only the close guard of Academician Huo, but also my savior! If it hadn't been for his sacrifice just now, I would have been killed by the bandit leader! Therefore, this righteous man should be
I will seek medical treatment myself! After he has recovered his health with me and I have repaid his kindness, how about I return him to the University of Huo?"
After hearing Zhu Hejian's stop, Huo Zhengyuan narrowed his eyes and increasingly believed that there must be a secret between Zhu Hejian and Hu Xiao.
Therefore, Huo Zhengyuan did not give in and secretly threatened: "Oh? Is it true that Hu Youyi sacrificed his life to save His Highness? But why... the situation observed by Xiaguan was completely different? Before that, Xiaguan had been hiding not far away
Observing the situation everywhere, I saw that the gangsters had been trying their best to protect His Highness, and they were respectful and obedient to His Highness! Hey, the official did not recognize His Highness at the time, and even mistakenly thought that His Highness was the leader of the gangsters...
…”
In fact, when Huo Zhengyuan was watching the battle, due to the chaos of the situation, even if he occasionally saw Zhu Hejian's figure, it was impossible to find out more details. At this time, he was bluffing Zhu Hejian.
Zhu Hejian also had a tough attitude, arguing with each other, and said slowly: "I am not only a hostage held by the gangsters, but also a prince. Of course they don't dare to let me get hurt. They try their best to protect me and treat me with respect.
What's the wonder? But after seeing that it was difficult to escape, the bandit leader finally took off his disguise and desperately wanted to drag me to be buried with him. If it hadn't been for the sacrifice of this righteous man to save him, Academician Huo's unauthorized actions would have definitely led to catastrophe.
Wrong! From this aspect, not only do I owe this righteous man a debt of gratitude, but Grand Scholar Huo should also be grateful to him!"
At this point, Zhu Hejian changed the topic and asked: "When it comes to Academician Huo's unauthorized actions this time, I am also puzzled... Why was Academician Huo able to recruit such a large number of low-ranking officials in a short period of time?
Ambushing here in advance? Could it be that... Academician Huo has secretly connected all kinds of unscrupulous people in Nanjing a long time ago? But what is the intention? After all, you don't want to incite civil unrest, right?"
Huo Zhengyuan was also confident and said: "Some things are still confidential for now, but since His Highness is asking about it, I will reveal a little bit about it. I hope Your Highness will strictly keep it secret! In fact, I was appointed by His Majesty's decree.
The main task of the Southeast Patrol Envoy is to form an ocean-going fleet to go to Southeast Asia to search for immortal sites!
But there are barbarians all over the Southeast Asia, and there are many bad diseases. After the ocean fleet is established, most of the crew members must have been killed or injured. I can't bear to recruit good people, so I thought of all kinds of low-ranking people. No one cares about them even if they suffer heavy casualties, so I
Officials have been in contact with them recently to understand the situation!
And tonight, the official summoned the leaders of various low-ranking officials to talk, and happened to receive the news that the gangsters wanted to flee Nanjing City. The official wanted to maintain the dignity of the court, but also wanted to take the opportunity to test the abilities of these low-ranking officials.
That’s why the ambush by the scoundrels happened... Is His Highness satisfied with this explanation?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhu Hejian is the prince of the current dynasty, and Huo Zhengyuan is the patrol envoy to the southeast. Both of them have noble status and a huge scope of power, so no matter what they do,
It is easy to find reasons to excuse yourself from everything.
Before that, Zhu Hejian and Huo Zhengyuan both discovered something suspicious about the other's actions, but they did not choose to expose and question the other directly. It was for this reason.
For a time, the two men threatened each other, but they were both invulnerable.
Zhu Hejian's attitude softened slightly and said: "Master Huo's words are serious. This junior is just confused in his heart and does not have any intention to question! However, this junior is the prince of the dynasty, and he must not act like he owes a favor but ignores his savior.
I don't care about anything, so I hope that Grand Scholar Huo will consider the reputation of my heavenly family and leave this righteous Hu to the care of the younger generation!"
As he spoke, Zhu Hejian's self-identification changed from "I" to "Junior".
Of course Huo Zhengyuan would not agree, but just when he and Zhu Hejian were about to start the next round of confrontation, all the government forces finally arrived at the scene.
Not only the chief assistant Zhou Shangjing, but also the prince and grand master Wang Baoren arrived. Even those big figures who had not appeared at the Nanjing Shantang due to various reasons before, such as Nanjing garrison eunuch Xi Cheng, Nanjing garrison Xu Shengying, and the head of the Song family.
Song Chengren and others also came with them.
Of course, behind these big names, there are also some seemingly insignificant little people, such as Yin Xie Qing of Yingtian Prefecture, Lu De, the most talented person in Jiangnan, and so on.
After these people arrived at the scene, Zhu Hejian and Huo Zhengyuan no longer bothered to continue arguing about Hu Xiao's ownership.
After all, there are some more important things to solve next.
For example, Huo Zhengyuan led the lowly men to ambush the gangsters without permission, and almost injured and killed Zhu Hejian, but in the end he successfully rescued Zhu Hejian. Is it a credit or a fault?
For another example, many "Chaofeng" dead soldiers were arrested. Which yamen should they be handed over for interrogation and disposal?
For another example, the situation in Nanjing was completely out of control tonight. Who should bear the responsibility? And how should we clean up the mess?
Zhu Hejian believed that Hu Xiao might be able to help him overcome the current difficulties, while Huo Zhengyuan regarded Hu Xiao as a variable, and both wanted to compete for Hu Xiao's ownership rights. However, compared to the above things, Hu Xiao's final ownership rights were
It seems irrelevant.
*
But he said that the big shots headed by Zhou Shangjing hurried to Huo Zhengyuan and Zhu Hejian. After seeing that although Zhu Hejian looked a little embarrassed, he was still safe and sound on the whole, everyone seemed to be relieved. It seemed that it was all because of Zhu Hejian.
Rejoice at the successful escape.
Next, Zhou Shangjing seemed to have no idea what was going on and asked Huo Zhengyuan and Zhu Hejian about the specific situation.
Naturally, Huo Zhengyuan and Zhu Hejian each chose an angle that was favorable to them, and told everyone the specific process with half-truths and half-falsities.
According to Zhu Hejian, after he became a hostage, he was treated with courtesy by the gangsters. The leader of the gangsters also repeatedly promised that as long as they successfully left Nanjing, Zhu Hejian would be released as soon as possible and Zhu Hejian would never be harmed.
, who would have thought that he would encounter an ambush by the gangsters on the way. He was also attacked by the gangsters many times and was almost accidentally injured. On the contrary, the gangsters have been trying their best to protect themselves... In the end, the gangster leader saw his side's losses.
After the tragedy, he became angry and wanted to drag Zhu Hejian to be buried with him, but in the end, "Yishi Hu" who was also a hostage sacrificed his life to save him.
At the end of the conversation, Zhu Hejian took the initiative to thank Huo Zhengyuan for his rescue in front of everyone, but the implication behind his words was that Huo Zhengyuan made trouble out of nothing and almost got himself killed.
As for Huo Zhengyuan's statement, it is still the same old story - he was appointed as the Southeast Patrol Envoy to carry out a secret decree of Emperor Deqing. The specific content is not convenient to disclose, but he has sufficient reasons and status for his own responsibilities.
They made contact with them, and he led the lowly men to ambush the gangsters entirely to maintain the dignity of the court. However, he did not expect that the ambush not only wiped out most of the gangsters, but also inadvertently saved Zhu Hejian.
When telling the story, Huo Zhengyuan focused on the boldness and cunning of the gangsters, implying that the origins of these gangsters were mysterious and untrustworthy, as well as his achievements in annihilating most of the gangsters and successfully rescuing Zhu Hejian, and even mentioned Hu
Xiao Xiao also takes credit for "rescuing" Zhu Hejian.
*
At this time, the sky was getting brighter. Although it was early summer, the cold dew in the morning was not something that these pampered big shots could bear, let alone two sick men, Zhou Shangjing and Zhu Hejian, among them.
Therefore, while Zhu Hejian and Huo Zhengyuan were talking one after another, everyone also moved to the Juying Pavilion not far away to rest temporarily to avoid the cold wind.
In the Juying Pavilion, everyone sat down separately. After listening to Zhu Hejian and Huo Zhengyuan's respective stories, they all fell into silence.
Since this night, too many major accidents have occurred in Nanjing, and too many unexpected changes have occurred. Although everyone present is a smart and intelligent person, they cannot sort out the clues in a short time and figure it out quickly.
There are various pros and cons involved in this series of accidents and variables, so they are afraid to express their opinions at will.
For a moment, a pin drop could be heard in the Juying Pavilion. Everyone's expressions changed and they remained silent.
However, this brief silence was soon broken.
I saw a military attache in Jinyi hurried into Juying Pavilion. After his eyes paused on Huo Zhengyuan for a moment, he immediately walked to Xi Cheng, the eunuch guarding Nanjing, and whispered something to Xi Cheng.
After hearing the report, Xi Cheng's expression quickly changed. He turned to glare at Huo Zhengyuan and asked sternly: "Master Huo, you summoned the lowly people to ambush the gangsters without authorization, and you almost made a big mistake and killed seven people."
Your Highness, whether this matter is right or wrong, whether it is a merit or a fault, we will not talk about it for now, but... our family just heard the report, saying that your staff led the low-ranking people to stop the Jinyiwei, and did not let the Jinyiwei at all.
What does it mean to take over the situation and not hand over the captured bandits to the Jin Yiwei? Although your southeast patrol envoy has unclear powers and responsibilities and has His Majesty's secret mission, you don't have the authority to interrogate bandits, right?
"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Huo Zhengyuan's expression did not change and he said slowly: "I commanded the lowly men to ambush the bandits tonight. Is there anything wrong with me? I was the one who saved His Highness after all.
I also wiped out most of the gangsters and barely preserved the dignity of the imperial court. Even if this matter was brought to the attention of the imperial court, I had no merit...
After all, the reason why I acted without authorization is to help you make up for your mistakes? If those ruthless bandits are allowed to take His Highness hostage and escape from Nanjing City, whether it is the Jinyi Guards, the Nanjing garrison, or the Nanjing government, they will all
You have lost all face, and the imperial court will definitely hold you accountable in the future! It is really chilling that Xi Zhenshou still wants to question my merits and demerits under such circumstances!"
Then, Huo Zhengyuan turned to look at Zhou Shangjing and Zhu Hejian, who were sitting in the first place, and said, "Zhou Shoufu, Your Highness the Seventh Prince, what do you two think?"
Zhou Shangjing naturally had to cooperate with Huo Zhengyuan at this time, and immediately nodded and said: "Master Huo did not know in advance that the Seventh Prince took the initiative to become a hostage. Although His Highness encountered some dangers, it was unintentional and cannot be miscalculated! From the results
Speaking of which, Grand Scholar Huo commanded the lowly men to eliminate most of the gangsters and successfully rescued the Seventh Prince, which is naturally a great achievement!"
On the other hand, Zhu Hejian was indeed rescued by Huo Zhengyuan. He could hint that Huo Zhengyuan almost killed him, and he could also let others question Huo Zhengyuan's merits and demerits, but he himself could not directly deny Huo Zhengyuan's kindness in rescuing him, otherwise he would
It will attract a lot of criticism and be considered ungrateful.
Therefore, Zhu Hejian also nodded and said: "This junior escaped from the hijacking of the gangsters early because of Academician Huo. Naturally, I must be grateful for Academician Huo's rescue! I will definitely ask my father for credit for Academician Huo next!"
In this way, with the statements of Zhou Shangjing and Zhu Hejian, and the support of Zhao Junchen from the central court, Huo Zhengyuan's contribution was generally confirmed.
After getting rid of his own criticism, Huo Zhengyuan smiled slightly and said: "As for the arrested gangsters, of course I do not have the authority to detain them for interrogation, and I am willing to hand them over to the relevant yamen, but before handing them over, I have a
One thing must be asked clearly, that is... There are many yamen in Nanjing. Which yamen should I hand over these arrested gangsters to? Is it Yingtianfu Yamen? Is it Jinyiwei? Is it Nanjing defenders? Or Nanjing Criminal Department?
Or the Nanjing Inspectorate? What should I do if I hand someone over at will but end up handing him over to the wrong Yamen?"
As Huo Zhengyuan raised this issue, the atmosphere in Juying Pavilion suddenly changed.
Here comes the topic!
When the situation has developed to this point, everyone can see that those gangsters have extraordinary origins and sensitive backgrounds. If these captured gangsters are handed over to different yamen, different yamen can lead the interrogation process, and ultimately they can come to completely different conclusions.
The results of the interrogation.
And these completely different interrogation results will inevitably greatly affect the future direction of the temple situation.
Thinking of this, all forces naturally refused to give in.
Zhou Shangjing said directly: "It cannot be handed over to the Nanjing Criminal Department! The yamen is currently paralyzed, and I am afraid it is unable to interrogate."
In fact, everyone understands that the central court currently wants to abolish the Six Ministries of Nanjing and take back the authority of the Six Ministries of Nanjing. Naturally, at this time, the Nanjing Punishment Department can no longer play its role, so Zhou Shangjing's proposal can be regarded as a mature plan for the country.
As it should be.
Xicheng immediately answered: "Then it should be handed over to the Jin Yiwei! These gangsters not only have mysterious backgrounds, but also committed the crime of kidnapping the prince! Except for the Jin Yiwei, no yamen is qualified to take charge of such an important task."
case!"
The next moment, Song Chengren, the head of the Song family, suddenly sneered: "Jin Yiwei? I'm afraid it's not possible, right? Tonight the Jin Yiwei clashed with various forces, causing a large number of innocent casualties! In the next few days, there will definitely be many people looking for Jin Yiwei to seek justice, so
Jin Yiwei himself has a lot of lawsuits to deal with, so how can he still have the energy to interrogate the arrested gangsters?"
Upon hearing Song Chengren's question, Xi Cheng's expression suddenly changed and he turned to glare at Song Chengren fiercely.
In the past few days, the Jin gentry forces headed by Song Chengren have been constantly opposing the Jinyiwei under Xi Cheng. Without Song Chengren's constraints and restraints, Xi Cheng had already completely controlled the situation in Nanjing, and there would not have been so many variables.
Seeing that Song Chengren was now his enemy again, Xi Cheng simply hated Song Chengren, but he couldn't refute Song Chengren's objections for a while. The Jin Yiwei had indeed made too many enemies tonight, and the Jin Yiwei in Nanjing City would eventually
The scale is too small, the quantity is too few, and it is indeed a bit overwhelming to take care of yourself.
At this moment, Wang Baoren suddenly coughed softly, attracting Xicheng's attention.
When Xicheng glanced at him, a mysterious smile appeared on Wang Baoren's old face, and he nodded slightly.
Xicheng's eyes lit up, and he suddenly thought of something.
The next moment, Xi Cheng suddenly stood up, pointed at Song Chengren and shouted an order: "Come here! Jin Yiwei listens to the order! Our family has obtained conclusive evidence to prove that Song Chengren secretly interfered with Nanjing's military power with evil intentions! Arrest Song Chengren immediately and take him to the capital.