Peng Xuanwei treated guests well, but unfortunately he didn't seem to have any skills and the progress was very slow. Wu Yong suggested privately: "If nothing is found, you can put the responsibility on Peng when you go back and ask his people to join the army."
The cult obstructed the handling of the case.”
Zhang Ning almost reached out to cover his mouth and glared: "Don't even look at where this place is. Ruining a person's future is like killing his parents. If someone hears about it, do you want to go back alive? Besides...even if he doesn't do things well,
Let’s look at the banquet just now, so we have to put the words in a good light.”
"Yes, the official was confused for a moment." Wu Yong said hurriedly. He didn't know whether this guy did it on purpose. Mr. Wu used to be an interviewer in Nanzhili, and Zhang Ning thought he was a very measured person.
In short, not to mention Peng Dingnan, even the companions around him are not completely trustworthy. They all have their own positions, but usually they are on their own. For example, they would be worried when Zhang Ning disappeared in the ancient temple. This kind of relationship is really normal. People
It is not necessary to choose someone who is completely trustworthy, as long as there is no conflict of interest, they can be together; otherwise, even the emperor will have no one to use, and there are a few people who speak more beautifully than sing in the temple and speak well, and they will do everything for Zhu.
The interests of the emperor were taken into consideration? During the Jianwen Dynasty, the civil and military officials must have surrendered more than the victims. Many of the victims wanted to surrender but were still exterminated. There were only a few Fang Xiaoru in the past five thousand years.
Peng's men have arrested several so-called believers one after another. They are all low-level people who are just trying to make ends meet. They don't know anything about it, and killing them is useless. In this case, Zhang Ning is not in a hurry, but the others are a little anxious.
.
Three days later, Peng Dingnan happily came to Zhang Ning and others, saying that there was significant progress. When they arrived at the place where the prisoners were detained, they found out that the Xuan comfort envoy had set up an ambush on a road and intercepted a secret letter. The secret letter
The letter was stamped with the seal of the anti-evil cult and apologetics, and also used some code words. The content probably meant that the higher-ups had hidden the treasure trove, and might want to escape with the money, and asked the recipient to gather people to block the higher-ups in the main office.
Altar, and try to find ways to get the property out and share it equally with everyone.
Zhang Ning was a little shocked at first, but soon realized that this was a fake letter. Regardless of the "higher-ups", that is, the leader could not be greedy for money and it was impossible to run away. As for the anti-evil sect itself, it actually belonged to the Jianwen Dynasty.
The organization controlled by the old man, the high-level connections and Jianwen's party members were all closely connected. They would never dare to rebel against the leader who was the concubine of Emperor Jianwen without permission, otherwise there would be no place for these people.
The world is big, but people are actually very small. It is not easy to have a standing position. It is not easy to get ahead and become a high-ranking person in a circle. Those few powerful apologists will never give up the position they have worked hard to survive for many years. It is also difficult.
They unite with one heart and one mind to do risky things. These people definitely don’t have any clean and legitimate family backgrounds. Without the evil cult and being a woman, it will be very difficult to survive... just like Zhao Erniang was kicked out of her family and could only work as a low-level person.
A prostitute, she picks up twenty or thirty clients a day; and Zhang Ning herself has a good background. If Zhang Ning hadn't studied hard for more than ten years, endured loneliness and poverty, where would he be today?
Zhang Ning saw something fishy and thought that Yao Ji had deliberately leaked this letter to the officers and soldiers in order to help Zhang Ning find a reason. Since the people in the anti-evil cult are fighting for property, it cannot be a religious cult controlled by certain people.
The reason is just as Zhang Ning thought... and the credibility of this fake letter in the court is relatively high. Who would think that Zhang Ning has colluded with the anti-evil sect? How could it be such a coincidence if there was no collusion? A sect that pretends to be a god and a ghost.
Can he know the movements of the government well? Even if his life experience is doubtful, no one would think that he has been in contact with Jianwen's party members, otherwise he would not be so effective as an interviewer during the Yongle Dynasty.
However, Yan Ruofei also raised doubts in private, believing that the Peng family's large group of troops might be the anti-evil sect that got wind of the news and deliberately misled people. It is completely understandable for him to say so. After all, Yan Ruofei is Hu Ying's confidant and has a different stance. , and what he said is reasonable.
Wu Yong also said: "Peng's procrastination in doing some serious things, I don't think they can find such an important clue."
Zhang Ning said: "In any case, this secret letter can be used as physical evidence of the transaction. It is better than going back with nothing. Otherwise, tell me, how can we investigate now?"
Wu Yong sighed: "Master Yan is right. This matter really needs to be directly stationed with an interviewer and slowly penetrated to make progress. Relying on the Yongshun Propaganda and Comfort Envoy is simply unreliable."
Zhang Ning said: "It makes sense, but who will appoint the interview envoy now? The late emperor (Hong Xi) issued an order to abolish it, and there is no order to restore it. Moreover, even if the interview envoy is stationed, it will not be accomplished overnight. We can spend a year here Half a year? I have to think of a way to report back first, and I have to write a memorial."
Yan Ruofei was silent for a long time and said, "Why don't Master Zhang and Master Wu return to Beijing first, and I will follow them later."
Zhang Ning shook his head and sighed: "After all, you are from the Hu family, and my words have no effect in front of you."
"This is absolutely not what I mean..." Yan Ruofei said hurriedly, "This investigation is all under the leadership of Mr. Zhang, and I always obey your orders. If Mr. Zhang insists on hastily returning to Beijing with me, I have no reason to disobey. .”
Old Biao Yan seemed to be polite in what he said, but there was a hint of thorn in his words. He was determined to follow Hu Ying's orders, and he was not afraid that Zhang Ning, the so-called boss who was in charge of the overall situation, would put his foot in the sand. This guy was acting like a faction. He is a man of the world, but he actually understands the officialdom very well. There is no one above him so he doesn't dare to push him hard.
Speaking of this, Zhang Ning had no choice but to say: "Okay, you may want to go check out the ancient temple yourself. There are many side roads inside. Don't get lost. We won't come back to find you."
Yan Laobiao clasped his fists and said, "I will bear in mind what Mr. Zhang said."
After discussing it, Zhang Ning asked for a secret letter from Peng Dingnan, praised him for his help and said goodbye.
Peng Dingnan sent a guard of honor to escort the detachment several miles away, and when the brigade returned, he left a team of soldiers and horses to "escort" it out of the country, saying that he was afraid that if something happened to the officials of the imperial court at the boundary of Yongshun Division, he would not be able to take on the responsibility. This was a hardship for Yan Ruofei, quite a bit. Yu was driven out of the country by troops, and then he could return privately.
Zhang Ning is not very optimistic about the matter that he insists on investigating. His entourage does not have his loyalty and may not be willing to go to the ancient temple on his behalf to risk his life. He has to go alone. The Anti-evil Sect has long been on guard. He is alone. If you go in, you may really die inside... This is no wonder Zhang Ning, Zhang Ning has kindly warned him of the danger.
... After walking through the road back, it went faster because there was no need to inquire about things anymore. When Zhang Ning was resting in the post house, he took some time to write a draft of the memorial every day, and it was expected that it would be ready by the time he arrived in Beijing.
A memorial is eloquent and has several thousand words. Zhang Ning did not deliberately elaborate on it. He tried to use concise words to describe the whole story, but the description was more detailed. The main contents are nothing more than two: first, the incense ash is not poisonous, and second, the evil cult and Jianwen It doesn't matter if you are a partisan.
The incense ash is non-toxic, there are physical evidence taken from the hands of low-level believers, and a large number of physical objects were obtained from an ancient temple that people dare not enter, all of which are non-toxic; then I selected some information obtained from Governor Du Fang He testified that he described the two functions of the incense to ward off evil spirits, which was to exorcise ghosts and prevent local blood-sucking insects.
The biggest piece of physical evidence that has nothing to do with Jianwen's gang members is the secret letter seized by the Yongshun Division's Xuanwei Envoy. Combined with the origin and activities of the anti-evil sect, it explains their essence of deceiving people and making money, which is similar to mountain bandits.
After more than half a month on the road, Zhang Ning had revised and polished his words to make them smooth. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he went home and was busy copying. Then he changed into his official uniform and went to the Ministry of Rites to meet Hu Ying to say hello, and then went directly to the Meridian Gate to deliver the memorial. .This kind of memorial cannot be made known to the whole court through the general affairs envoy. It is allowed to be submitted directly to the emperor, and it does not break the rules.
The tall imperial city has red walls and yellow tiles, with a motionless sergeant standing at the door, and officers and soldiers patrolling the city. Zhang Ning also stood on the stone slab, trying to maintain a rigorous posture to show his respect for the imperial power.
In the weather of late autumn and early winter, Zhang Ning actually broke into a thin sweat after standing for a long time, at least for more than an hour. Being a civil servant is sometimes a physical job...occasionally you have to resist beatings, and it is not uncommon for people to be slapped with imperial sticks. Emperor No one from the city guards paid him any attention. Perhaps they had seen many scenes of officials succumbing to imperial power, so everyone was relatively calm.
It's like a tall palace tower. It's hard to knock it down, and it's hard to hold it up if it falls. Everyone is struggling inside.
I don't know how long I stood there, but finally I saw a eunuch coming out with a fly whisk. The eunuch walked straight to Zhang Ning from the corridor and said, "Oral instructions." Zhang Ning had to kneel down in front of the eunuch, unable to remember the time when Lian Zhu Even Zhan Ji knelt down.
The eunuch said sharply: "I heard that there is another person who has not returned. I will wait for a day and ask Hu Ying and Zhang Ning to come to Chengtianmen to see me tomorrow afternoon."
Zhang Ning said hurriedly: "I obey the order."
The eunuch then relaxed his upright body, came up to help Zhang Ning and said kindly: "Master Zhang is tired from the journey, so go back and rest first. We have to go to the Ministry of Rites to deliver the same oral instructions to Minister Hu. I'm sorry." .”
When Zhang Ning was helping him, he stuffed a golden bead into the eunuch's hand. He picked it from the "local products" given by Lao Peng when Yongshun Si left. The eunuch was stunned. The previous eunuchs probably didn't have much power. It was rare for a civil servant to throw away his debt, but the eunuch still smiled knowingly and did not refuse, which was really a very subtle way.
Suddenly, Zhang Ning felt that he had changed a lot after returning from Beijing.
He then walked slowly with numb and stiff legs, thinking in his mind: How did Zhu Zhanji know that Yan Ruofei had not come back? He knew that there were many factory guards in Beijing, but how did he let the emperor know about it? It's hard to guess.
Just as he was thinking about this, a carriage suddenly stopped beside Zhang Ning's horse, and the curtains opened to reveal an ugly face with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks. Who could it be if it wasn't Wang Zhen? Zhang Ning was a little worried for a moment, probably to confirm that he He felt even more guilty after he discovered his identity. It may be that the details in the oral speech just now affected his emotions.
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