Cai Quan galloped up his horse and led a few soldiers from the Beijing camp, "The clatter of horse hooves shattered the cold autumn moon and frost, and headed towards the West City.
Jia Heng was also in Liutiao Hutong, holding a teapot and pouring himself a cup of fragrant tea. He looked at Liu You and chuckled: "
I didn’t expect Chief Liu to be a family man?”
Again, it’s just a fool’s dream to expect such a villain to be loyal and unswerving.
"In fact, there are only a few loyal people, and loyalty is only because there are not enough chips for betrayal."
Jia Heng took a sip of tea and said: "Master Liu, can you tell me first, what exactly are you supporting the Sanhe Gang?"
Liu You sneered and said, "Master Jia, even if you beat Liu to death before you see that Liu's family is safe, Liu won't say anything."
"I don't believe it! Do you think that if my people were late and your family members had been kidnapped or even slaughtered, would you resent the people behind it more, or would you resent me more?" Jia Heng said lightly.
What he is not afraid of the most is threats. Moreover, there are some things that Liu You knows that others may not know. For example, Qu Lang and other old Jinyi may not know which powerful family is behind the Sanhe Gang.
It's just that the witness Liu You is more important. If he has his testimony, it will be very important if he reports it to the emperor.
But even so, he was not threatened by anyone.
When Liu You heard this, his face suddenly changed, his eyes flickered, and he sneered: "Master Jia, does he know that you have offended that person? Even if you are in the limelight now, he still has many ways to manipulate you!"
Jia Heng looked calm and said: "Then Chief Liu, can you tell me who...he is?"
Liu You said coldly, but kept silent.
As soon as the confession came out, he knew that he was going to die, and saying anything else was meaningless.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Jia Heng didn't say much nonsense. He glanced at Fan Yi and said, "Mr. Fan, please prepare a pen and paper later to write down..."
Fan Yi nodded and prepared pen and paper.
But Cai Quan rode a fast horse to Xicheng. On the way, he met soldiers from the Wucheng Military and Horse Division who were on night watch. They showed the waist badges given by Jia Heng before leaving, but they all avoided passing. By the time Liu You said the address, he had already arrived.
A close friend of Zi Chou.
People kept banging on the door, but no one came to open it for a while.
Just when Cai Quan was thinking about climbing over the wall, the door creaked open. It was an old servant who had just put on clothes. He came out with a lantern to take a look. He opened the door and stuck his head out and said, "Is this the master?"
Because Liu You was taken away so suddenly, and because Jia Heng tried his best to block the news, the Liu family who lived far away in Xicheng didn't know yet.
However, at this moment, I saw several officers and soldiers dismounting from their horses. The leader smiled and said, "Old man, I have been ordered by Director Liu to speak to my wife about something urgent."
When the old servant heard this, he was shocked and let a few people into the house.
Then I went to call Mrs. Liu You.
Cai Quan turned around and looked at the soldiers behind him, and asked: "Which brother, whose family or relatives live in Xicheng, please settle this family first."
At this time, someone opened his mouth to respond.
Cai Quan nodded, and then he saw Mrs. Liu You, wearing a plain plum blossom woven skirt, coming out of the room. The woman in her early thirties looked at Cai Quan and asked tentatively: "This general yes"
Cai Quan made a sad face and threatened: "Sister-in-law, something happened to Brother Liu, and now he is taken away. Brother Liu said that he should take you to a safe place first, otherwise someone will do harm to you."
The woman was startled when she heard this and said, "How could my husband do this? Doesn't he often go to the palace?"
As the woman spoke, she suddenly woke up and hurriedly said vaguely: "What do you call this brother? He is a bit unfamiliar, but there is a letter from my husband-in-law."
Cai Quan said with a bitter look on his face: "Sister-in-law, Brother Liu has been taken away. How can there be any letters circulated inside and outside? But this is Brother Liu's purse. You must leave with me now. It will be broken tomorrow."
When the woman saw the purse, she no longer believed it. Of course it was Cai Quanji who was dressed in official and military uniforms and came on horseback at night. If he was a bandit, he would have been captured by the people from the Wucheng Army and Horse Division.
"Sister-in-law, take the children with you. There are still a few changes of clothes ready. They are all at the place I have arranged." Cai Quan said.
The woman responded and took two children, a girl and a boy, who were rubbing their sleepy eyes. Then, under the service of the old servant, they prepared a carriage, and were sent off by Cai Quan and the soldiers from the Beijing camp. Disappeared into the dim night.
Jia Heng didn't feel too sleepy until Yinshi. In his previous life, when he was on border defense, he had done this kind of interrogation all night long.
It is said that when a certain Justice Minister was in office, prison guards were required to be on duty and would be dismissed if they did not remove their beds.
Jia Heng even asked Fan Yi to sleep for a while when he saw that Fan Yi was sleepy. As for Liu You, he was anxious and had no sleep at all.
It wasn't until Yinzheng time that I heard the clatter of horse hooves coming from outside.
Jia Heng's heart moved and he said in a deep voice: "The man is back."
Fan Yi was also awakened, stood up and looked outside the room.
Not long after, Cai Quan led several soldiers into the house. Facing the expectant looks of Jia Heng and Fan Yi, he said, "Sir, the Liu family is okay for the time being. I asked them to hide in the house of one of my brothers. Yes, this is a letter from my sister-in-law."
Jia Heng looked at the letter and couldn't help but take another look at Cai Quan. He thought to himself that although Cai Quan was a little smoother, he was still very thoughtful. Before leaving, in order to win people's trust, he seemed to have taken the purse tied around Liu You's waist. , when I came back, I also picked up a letter.
There is no need to explain this, everyone knows this.
Jia Heng took the letter and opened it first. He saw that there was nothing inappropriate in it, and then he brought it closer to Liu You to read.
Liu You finished reading and saw the familiar handwriting. He obviously believed that his family was safe. He took a deep breath, looked up at Jia Heng and said, "Sir."
"Master Liu, can we talk now?" Jia Heng motioned to Fan Yi beside him to write down.
Then Liu You was heard saying: "It's the King of Qi. Behind the Sanhe Gang is the King of Qi. They want to profit 60% of their properties.
Share the profits with His Highness the King of Qi."
Hearing this, Jia Heng narrowed his eyes and said, "Keep talking."
In fact, I had some vague guesses in my mind, most likely he was the vassal king and a distinguished person.
Because this is all a process of elimination, first of all, the reaction of the civil servant group during the day did not seem to be able to be involved.
As for the internal prison, if Dai Quan had the filial piety of the Sanhe Gang, and the emperor's servants beat and maimed the scholars, even a few heads would not be enough to chop off.
Only nobles or feudal lords.
In addition to the four princes and eight princes, there are twelve princes. This range is relatively large and difficult to determine. The same is true for the vassal kings.
So instead of making random guesses, it’s better to verify it first.
"His Royal Highness the King of Qi, he is currently supervising the administration of the Ministry of Household Affairs. He needs this group of people to help unload the grain shipped from Huguang, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The Sanhe Gang is a group of people he has recruited." Liu You opened his bamboo tube and poured beans.
generally.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said: "Then what happened to you? Why did you become the King of Qi's servant in the Wucheng Army and Horse Division?"
Liu You said: "Some people in the Sanhe Gang have violated the law. If it weren't for the secret protection of the people from the Wucheng Army and Horses Division, they might not even have gone in. This gang has done a lot of evil things."
Jia Heng's eyes flickered, and he thought in his mind. He always felt that it would not be so simple for King Qi to deploy people in the Wucheng Army and Horse Division. After all, the Wucheng Army and Horse Division also had thousands of soldiers and horses, large and small.
Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Liu You, how much money can these families bring to the King of Qi in a year?"
"How do I know this? But I guess I can bring five to six hundred thousand taels of silver to King Qi every year." Liu You guessed.
"How much property does the Sanhe Gang have in Dongcheng? The city tax they pay to the Wucheng Military and Horse Division is probably very small." Jia Heng said in a deep voice.
Needless to say, these industries in the east and west cities with the background of the Sanhe Gang do not pay much in taxes, and in addition, they are all side businesses.
"With money, you can recruit talents, win over courtiers, and support dead soldiers." Jia Heng's eyes were deep, and he felt that all aspects involved in this need to be cautious.
"The question is, does the emperor know these things? This point is very important. You need to bring a confession to the emperor tomorrow. Since this matter involves the King of Qi, the key still depends on the will of the emperor." Jia Heng felt for a moment that this matter
It's indeed very tricky.
After questioning Liu You and seeing that he had signed the confession, it was already Yinzheng time. Jia Heng also slept for a while. When Chen time came, he had breakfast and went to see the emperor without stopping, taking the confession with him.
The next day, Kunning Palace in Miyagi City was extremely quiet, with a few thrushes and magpies calling, making it look even more peaceful.
Emperor Chongping, accompanied by Empress Song, had breakfast in the Nuan Pavilion, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs holding towels, whisks, washbasins, and spittoons to serve him.
Emperor Chongping wore a bright yellow silk robe with a round collar embroidered with dragons. He picked up a spoon in his hand and gently spread the rice porridge in a porcelain bowl decorated with auspicious cloud patterns to lower the temperature.
The Empress of the Song Dynasty, who was sitting next to her, was wearing a floral skirt with a light yellow background and a white lining. She had a cloud-like bun in her hair, and the hairpin was decorated with the same color palace makeup as thousand-leaf gold peony jewelry, making her face look more elegant and gorgeous.
Her face was as white as a pear pistil, and her slender catkins with jade bracelets were like mutton-fat white jade. She was also gently stirring the rock sugar and snow pear porridge, and said with a sweet smile: "Your Majesty, I opened the mansion after the New Year. Your Majesty feels that
Where is the best place to send him?”
Emperor Chongping pondered for a moment and said, "You are sent to the Six Ministries to observe government affairs. What is he interested in?"
It was a rule passed down by Taizu of the Chen Han Dynasty to send six adult princes to observe the government, in order to prevent the clan from being weak and unable to block the vassal imperial family.
But there are side effects...
Empress Song's beautiful face showed a trace of thought, and said: "I see that Ran'er is very good at martial arts. Recently, he went hunting after school. Your Majesty, please let him go.
In the army, how about taking care of His Majesty's side affairs?"
"I don't know if he is interested in martial arts or just indulging in hunting?" Emperor Chongping said with a frown, scooped out a spoonful of rice porridge, and said nothing to Empress Song.
There was something strange about Queen Song's dignified and beautiful face. This beauty in palace clothes, known as the Snow Beauty in the palace, chuckled and said: "Your Majesty, I have seen Ran'er's homework. Hanlin
Academician Xu from the academy said that Ran'er had a good sense of justice and could pass the imperial examination even if he took part in the imperial examination. However, Ran'er likes to read military books, which gave me a headache. Recently, he seemed to be reading the Three Kingdoms novel written by Jia Ziyu.
Ben, holding on to the scroll, even said that he would lead troops to defeat the bandits for Your Majesty. Your Majesty said that this child is only a little older and does not know the dangers of war."
The son is valued by the mother, and the mother is valued by the son. The two sons of Queen Song, seeing that the eldest son showed no sign of being established as the prince, became increasingly unable to figure out the intentions of the person next to him.
As for the question, when he was in Qin's residence, His Royal Highness the King of Qin did not allow his concubine to interfere in political affairs, while the Empress of Song also abided by her duties and did not dare to say anything.
When Emperor Chongping heard this, his face became slightly brighter, and he said: "The important affairs of the country are the sacrifice and the military. Since he likes to read these, it is okay to let him read some, but don't indulge in it. As for the book Three Kingdoms, let him read it carefully.
, I will write an article in two days on why the Han Dynasty lost control and why the world was divided into three parts. I want to read it and tell him that he is not allowed to look for others to take advantage of him. He must be clear about justice and principles, and he must know that words must be honest and actions must be loyal and upright."
Queen Song: “…”
Emperor Chongping thought for a while and said in a deep voice: "Since he is good at martial arts, when the government opens next year, he will first go to the Wucheng Military and Horse Division to practice. There will be major adjustments in the Beijing camp after the year.
, with what he can do, going... will also cause chaos."
When Prince Tengchabian returns, he will make arrangements in advance and concentrate on adjusting the troops in the capital camp after the new year. By then, the struggle will be fierce.
As for the Five Cities Military and Horse Division, Jia Ziyu had always been obsessed with organizing and training the new army. He sent a vassal king there in advance to show his concern.
Empress Song seemed to notice Emperor Chongping's affection for licking the calf under the cold and stern face. A warm current surged through her heart and she said with a smile: "I will tell Ran'er later. Wei'er said just yesterday, Ran'er
When I met Jia Ziyu at the palace gate, I looked up to him with respect.
By the way, that kid Chanyue wants to eat the peach blossom cakes made by my concubine, and even begs for them."
Emperor Chongping nodded, with some smile lines on his face, and said: "When he arrives at the Wucheng Army and Horses Division in a year, he can ask Jia Heng for more help."
When Queen Song heard this, her jade face, which was as crystal clear as snow, paused for a moment, and she felt a little surprised.
In fact, yesterday she was a little displeased when she heard that the box of peach blossom cakes she had worked so hard to make was given to the young man who had heard the news. But thinking about it, she also felt that this was His Majesty's intention to win over his ministers.
Your Majesty, it has been more than ten years since you used such methods to win over people's hearts, and it was only when you were hiding in your residence...
"This Jia Heng needs to be allowed to get closer to Ran'er." Empress Song concealed her ups and downs in her eyes, picked up the spoon, and
Scoop a spoonful of rice porridge and place it on the glossy lips, which are as plump as peach blossoms. The cherry sandalwood mouth reveals the cherry teeth like plaited shells and the clove uvula.
This beauty who has given birth to two children is actually only thirty-five or sixty-six years old, which is the best age for a woman.
And the years have been gentle to her, leaving no traces of time on her body. She has a plump and graceful figure, a beautiful neck with skin as white as a pear, a smooth and white face, no wrinkles on the temples, a mature woman with a graceful and graceful look.
The charm flows silently in every frown and smile.
But at this moment, I heard the voice of the inner prisoner coming from outside the palace, saying: "Your Majesty, Yunhui General Jia Heng has handed over a sign asking for an audience."
When Emperor Chongping heard this, his face was startled. He chuckled and said, "Jia Heng, what is he doing in the palace so early in the morning? Let him wait for you in the Daming Palace. I will go there in a moment."
Seeing Emperor Chongping's expression, Empress Song stopped stirring the spoon with her jade hands. She raised her eyes and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you might as well finish this bowl of porridge first."
Emperor Chongping responded and said: "No need for a spoon."
As he said that, he picked up the bowl and drank the rice porridge at a suitable temperature along the edge of the bowl.
Seeing this scene, Queen Song said softly: "Your Majesty, please slow down, chew a few times, and be careful not to hurt the spleen and stomach."
Emperor Chongping took the handkerchief handed over by the eunuch, wiped his mouth, rinsed his mouth, and faced Empress Song's gentle eyes, he said in a warm tone: "Don't worry, Zi Tong, I have been here like this all these years.
No problem."
Empress Song smiled, stood up, took the crown and hat from the hand of a palace maid and handed it to Emperor Chongping.
Emperor Chongping didn't say much else. Surrounded by a group of internal eunuchs, he moved to the Daming Palace.
After Emperor Chongping left, a touch of melancholy gradually appeared on Empress Song's beautiful and gorgeous face.
This is her husband. Since he succeeded to the throne, he has stayed up late at night and eaten in public affairs, as if he wants to prove it to anyone. However, in family affairs, he has... just like this, who makes her the lord of the sixth palace of the mother's world?
?
It is impossible for her to be like her sister, who is always elegant and beautiful, does not worry about everything, and spends her days accompanying her with music and dance, planting flowers and grass,