Chu Qing stayed up all night, studying the information on the generals in the Ministry of War.
Fu San, who was yawning profusely, had a worried look on his face: "Master, go and get some sleep. You haven't slept a wink all night."
Chu Qing shook his head, still looking at the bamboo slips piled up like a hill.
These bamboo slips record the lives of the generals of the Ministry of War.
Chu Qing couldn't sleep peacefully.
He had never been so afraid.
Even when I was imprisoned in the sky prison, I was never afraid.
Previously in the court, Wei Changfeng wanted to argue for Chu Qing, but Qiu Wanshan stopped the old Wei and said some very thought-provoking words, how can a young eagle soar into the sky without being beaten.
This is a kind of expectation, expectation for Chu Qing, and expectation for Chu Qing to grow.
In fact, Chu Qing did grow up.
So he learned to be afraid.
This fear does not come from one's own life and death, but something deeper.
The most powerful enemy of the Chang Dynasty was the Liang Rong in the north, and the frontier army was the last and only line of defense.
Chu Qing could not imagine that once the border troops were in chaos or rebelled, it would be the last straw to overwhelm the Chang Dynasty. No, not straw, but Mount Tai.
Once this situation occurs, all his efforts will be in vain, the mountains and rivers will be shattered, the country will be in danger, everything he has done, and everything everyone has worked hard for will be in vain.
There is still no clue. Chu Qing has read all the bamboo slips three times and still has no clue.
Although the imperial court is extremely corrupt, the emperor is not stupid, the emperor is not stupid, and the prime minister and several ministers are not stupid either. The general who controls the army is the most important, how can he hold office at will.
The Ministry of War has real power, and there are as many as 24 generals who have connections with the border. However, Chu Qing can't see anything fishy in the information of these 24 people.
No one had the motive to rebel, no one had the motive to collaborate with the enemy, and no one had the motive to help the British Duke or the King of Wu rebel without any reason.
Hitting his forehead hard, Chu Qing stood up and moved his stiff body.
Jiang Yuesheng, who also looked tired, pushed open the door and walked in, covered with wind and snow.
Chu Qing did not ask where Jiang Yuesheng went.
He only knew that Ergou went to the palace last night to report the situation and did not return all night. He probably went to various camps again.
There are generals in the army who may rebel. Jiang Yuesheng must first determine whether there is anything abnormal in the Eighth Battalion.
"The emperor said, check and find out the authenticity."
Glancing at Chu Qing, Jiang Yuesheng conveyed the emperor's second oral instruction: "If it is true, kill him, even if he is a relative of the emperor, without causing any further trouble."
Imperial relatives do not necessarily refer to the Heavenly Family, but also include nobles, for example, the British Duke Feng Luo.
Without evidence, even if there is evidence, to kill a prince, and the British Duke Feng Luo who is well-known in the military, the consequences can be imagined, but Huang Laosi still said such words, which is enough to show that
Many things.
The emperor is also afraid.
Chu Qing nodded: "You sit in the office, I'll go out for a while."
"Sir, are you going?"
"The Duke's Mansion."
Chu Qing grabbed the fox fur and walked out of the class room quickly.
Jiang Yuesheng wanted to say something, but in the end he kept his mouth shut and called a dozen good people from the government office to follow Chu Qing for personal protection.
I got on the carriage and went straight to Tai'anfang, arriving at the gate of the Duke's Mansion.
This is Chu Qing's first time here, because the Duke's Mansion is at the innermost side of Tai'an Square, and he usually passes by it.
Looking at the gleaming golden plaque of the Duke's Mansion, Chu Qing's expression was extremely baffling.
The plaque is very bright and dazzling. The three characters "Guogongfu" are shining brightly.
However, the gate of the mansion is old, the courtyard wall is mottled, and weeds are overgrown outside the wall.
This Duke's mansion is like a young man with fair skin and extremely handsome appearance, wearing a jet-black old clothes full of patches and holes, which is extremely awkward.
Just as Chu Qing was about to walk up the steps and knock on the door, the side door slowly opened from the inside.
The old man was wearing a somewhat shabby gown and a slightly bloated round-neck robe. His face was covered with wrinkles. The zigzag and uneven wrinkles were like mottled marks on the wall, covering his face and leaving behind the traces of time.
traces of.
He is dark and thin, with high cheekbones, white temples, and wrinkles that make his skin as rough as tree bark.
The old man is none other than the British Duke Feng Luo, who is in his seventies.
When many people saw Feng Luo for the first time, it was hard to imagine that such an old man had been in charge of the frontier army for thirty years, nor could they imagine that such an old man had personally participated in no less than fifty battles, large and small.
He climbed up from the bottom and became a commander step by step. It is even more difficult to imagine that the proud soldiers at the border were in awe of this humble old man like a god.
Feng Luo showed a slightly ugly smile, with the corners of his dry mouth raised slightly. His wrinkled face looked very strange, and his cloudy eyes narrowed into a slit, but this obviously ugly and weird smile made him feel strange.
It's a feeling that no one can put into words, a feeling of... being harmless to humans and animals, even a little kind.
"Short knife, advance and retreat well-established, carry a rope at your waist."
Feng Luo spoke, his voice was very soft, and he glanced at the detective horses behind Chu Qing: "Qianqiying, a good man from Qianqiying, a good man who used to be the victorious army of our border."
Chu Qing had never met Feng Luo, but he knew who the person in front of him was.
Bend down and salute.
"Young man Chu Qing, I have met the British Duke."
Fu San and the fifteen detective horses all moved in unison and knelt down on one knee.
"I've met Feng Shuai."
"Okay, okay." Feng Luo was like an uncle next door, constantly raising his arms and smiling happily: "The ground is cold, get up, get up quickly."
From the beginning to the end, Chu Qing's sharp gaze never left Feng Luo, not missing any slight change in his expression.
"You baby, you must be Chu Qing, the commander of Qianqi Camp."
Feng Luo walked down and nodded with a smile: "My body is a little weak, but I know that in Beijing, what counts is not the sword, but the brain."
Chu Qing laughed sarcastically.
"I have to go to Nanshi every day to take a walk with me."
Chu Qing knew that Feng Luo had this habit. Every day at midnight, that is, at two o'clock in the afternoon, he would go for a walk in Nanshi or Beishi. No matter whether it was windy or rainy, he would return to the mansion before Shen Shi.
And every time, he never brought servants. In fact, the British government only had two old servants. One was missing an arm, and the other had half of his face ruined. The two old servants were also two veterans of the frontier army.
It’s hard to imagine that the majestic Duke of the country could be so shabby.
This is not because the Supreme Emperor or the current emperor treated Feng Luo poorly. On the contrary, during festivals, no matter how poor the emperor was, he would find ways to get Sun An to send some rewards, money, tributes, etc.
Feng Luo would keep it with peace of mind. After getting the money, he would drag the escort or caravan to the border. After getting the tribute, he would go to Nanshi to sell it, exchange it for money, and then let the escort or caravan send it to the border.
Chu Qing didn't know if Feng Luo was trying to win people's hearts. He only knew that outsiders, except Qianqiying Tanma, didn't know about this.
Feng Luo walked very slowly, either laboriously or slowly, a very steady slowness, as if every foot had to be firmly planted in the snow before taking the next step.
Chu Qing was half a step behind, and Feng Luo said with a smile: "Walking side by side, I don't like people from the capital walking behind me."
One sentence made Chu Qing smile bitterly.
"The boy has no knife in his hand."
"It's you people who don't have knives that I'm afraid of."
Chu Qing waved his hand, and the detective horses following him dispersed to both sides, and no one was behind Feng Luo.