The winter of the fifteenth year of Wanli will be colder than all other years. When Shen Yiguan left the residence of the Deputy Prime Minister, his beard quickly froze with ice due to his breathing.
The air was filled with the smell of soot, with a simple pungency, just like the big-headed soldiers that Shen had always looked down on. They were so arrogant that they often couldn't distinguish between left and right, but they also carried a sense of threat to their lives.
Several Jin Yiwei stood on the street not far from the gate of Shen Shixing's mansion. Their red clothes had some black dark lines, which looked like dried blood from a distance. Shen Yiguiyuan frowned and was about to walk to the other side of the street. Stay away from these people.
As a result, instead of seeing the trembling expression of the civil servant, the group of people looked at him with rude eyes.
Shen always didn't want to get involved with them, so he walked quickly for a few steps. At the same time, he searched the street with his eyes, scolding his butler in his heart - why not arrange a sedan to wait outside Shen's mansion?
One of the people in red clothes on the street suddenly shouted loudly: "Shilang Shen?"
Shen Yiguan was startled at first, then reacted and turned around suddenly and ran towards the gate of Shen Mansion. In the rush, he didn't realize that the corner door that sent him out just now was closed, and the servant who usually stood outside the door was nowhere to be seen. .
The red-clothed men held their arms in their arms and watched with interest as Shen Guiyi ran to the corner door, banged the door hard with his hands, and shouted Shen Xiang, but made no attempt to stop him.
Shen Guanyi shouted several times, and the panic on his face gradually turned into despair. He cried and hammered weakly a few times, turned around and faced the few in red, with a wry smile on his face.
A man in red clothes wearing a flag-colored uniform couldn't hide the mocking look on his face: "Shilang Shen, my commanding officer has invited you, and the sedan chair has been prepared for you - shall we walk?" After that, he After waving at the entrance of the alley, Shen Guanyi saw his housekeeper and the bearers running over carrying the small sedan he usually sat in.
At the same time that Shen Guanyi was "invited" to the National Security Bureau, a manhunt had already begun in the capital. Gangster Du Liu was found when he was riding in a dung truck out of the city. He thought he would die, but he didn't expect that he was only notified to the National Security Bureau. As a witness, Yi Leyao breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the double-plug Hongbao layman was hiding in Shen Maoxue's house, he was still found out. Shen Maoxue admired his talent and planned to find Zhang Sixiu of the royal family of Zhongxing County to rescue him, but he was told that Tang Xianzu, an opera master who was in the county prince's palace, had an affair with Tu Long. Cong Shimi was arrested by Jin Yiwei together.
Suddenly, thousands of people in the capital were in silence, and the officials and the people were once again shrouded in the pressure and fear brought by the imperial power. The last arrest on such a scale was the emperor's arrest. When Zhang Wenming was assassinated, people who didn't know what happened asked what happened. An earth-shattering event.
turnip
When Shen Yiguan entered Wang Tong's signing room, he saw the man sitting in the main seat reading. This man had a fair face and a straight back. His first impression on Shen Yiguan was that he was a gentle gentleman.
But the neatly combed gray beard and hair gave this "gentleman" a kind of demonic charm, like a poisonous snake with "black substance and white stripes" entrenched there.
Although the Ministry of Punishment and the National Security Bureau often have business dealings with each other, this was the first time Shen Guanyi met the director who was still called "Commander" by his subordinates, because Wang Tong did not attend court meetings and did not communicate with courtiers on weekdays.
My own minister often saw Wang Tong in the conference room of Wuying Palace, but he never commented on his appearance when he came back. He even frowned when he heard the name.
The person at the main seat was reading quietly, and did not say anything to the person who came forward to report that "Shen Yiguan had brought him". The person licked his lips at the chair on the east side, gesturing for Shen Yiguan to sit on it, while he himself He sat down on the chair opposite.
Shen sat quietly with a pale face, as if he was wandering in the world. Wang Tong was still reading quietly, occasionally turning a page, or picking up the tea cup and taking a sip.
After a while, he suddenly read aloud: "I heard from a certain minister that I can't do something. Why? I don't know the details of something, the internal and external connections of something, and the laws of something. I can only do it with humility. "It is not difficult to make the leap from 'perceptual' to 'rational' and 'deduct' it from an honest mind to its entirety, essence, and laws."
"Master Shen, have you ever studied His Majesty's "On Practice"?"
Shen Yiguan was stunned, raised his hands, and replied: "Of course I have to read it over and over again. I don't dare or forget it."
After hearing this, Wang Tong put down the book and picked up another booklet on the table. He opened one page and read: "We swear to oppose Jiangling, bear the great hope of the world, uphold integrity, uphold the right way, and worship the saints." It means: If you delay success in exams, you will open up new avenues of speech; if you abolish the whip and encourage the gentry; if you suppress the university and follow the orthodoxy; you will establish your career through meritorious deeds and uphold the example of the sages. This oath will be learned by all the ghosts and gods of heaven and earth."
There was no color on Shen Yiguan's face, his eyes also lost focus, and he could only feel the world spinning.
Wang Tong said in a slightly mocking voice: "This subject in the second year of Longqing's reign is amazing. It has produced some 'gentlemen'."
"Zhang Wei, Zhao Zhigao, Shen Shenxiao, Tian Yijun, Xi Confucianism, and Wu Zhongxing who was in the fifth year of Longqing. I heard that you are known as the 'New Seven Sons' - where do you plan to place Principal Wang Fengzhou?"
Hearing Wang Tong talk about Wang Shizhen, Shen Yiguan's face showed some vitality, and he said timidly: "We formed a society just to harmonize poetry and prose, and have no other intention."
Wang Tong's expression turned out to be amusing, and he said in a longer voice: "Is it -?"
"yes."
"Very good. With ready-made pen and paper, I would like to ask Mr. Shen to think about where you have performed singing and harmony over the years. Is there anyone else attending the party? Is that okay?"
Shen Yiguan's face turned blue and white for a while, and he struggled and said: "I am already in the third rank and you cannot detain me unless you have an order."
When Wang Tong heard what he said, his face became solemn, he stood up and went to the table, opened a sandalwood box, and took out a scroll with both hands.
In Shen Guanguan's unbelievable look, Wang Tong said seriously: "There is a will."
Shen Yiguan and the minister sitting opposite him knelt down together and listened to Wang Tong's announcement: "Today, the Metropolitan Procuratorate has reported that Shen Yiguan, the left minister of the Criminal Department, has secretly formed a gang member and has secretly plotted a private matter. The prince's young protector Wang Tong asked him about it. This is the twenty-sixth day of the tenth month of the fifteenth year of Wanli."
After Wang Tong announced the edict, he combined the imperial decree and sneered: "Shen Yiguan, what else do you have to say?"
Shen Yiguan was sweating profusely, and said tremblingly: "I have nothing to say." Then his heart skipped a beat, and he put his hands forward, "I'm already here, please ask the young guard."
Wang Tong looked at Shen Yiguan and saw that he lowered his head and said nothing. He groaned and motioned to his subordinates: "Since Mr. Shen shows that he is not afraid of being scalded by boiling water, please invite him to the torture chamber."
Shen Yiguan once again had a look of disbelief on his face, "Wang Xizhi, you want to punish a third-grade civil servant? Do you know that the initiator will have no descendants?"
Wang Tong's face bulged with flesh and he sneered: "I'm asked by the imperial edict, what do I fear?"