Empress Zhang was silent for a moment and said: "I will no longer pursue this matter, but Marquis Shouning must be released immediately, and he can no longer be imprisoned at will."
The stick that was originally raised high fell down gently. After all, Queen Zhang still lacked confidence.
Zhu Youtang couldn't help but cheer up and said: "Liu Chengfeng, follow me to the Zhengxin Palace."
Zhu Youtang stood up and said to Queen Zhang: "I will come to see the Queen after I have dealt with the matters at hand."
Empress Zhang sent Zhu Youtang out, and Zhu Youtang got into the sedan chair. Liu Chengfeng had no choice but to walk towards the Zhengxin Hall through the snow that had not yet melted away.
The white snow was originally a beautiful thing, and in the eyes of literati, it was something rare. But Zhu Youtang seemed to have a grudge against the snow. As soon as the heavy snow stopped, he ordered people to clear it, so Liu Chengfeng could go all the way.
I saw many eunuchs sweeping away the snow, and some moved ladders up to the glazed tiles and used small brooms to remove the snow.
If Liu Chengfeng was a man of letters, he would probably feel sad when he saw this shocking and offensive thing. But Liu Chengfeng understood Zhu Youtang. The snow caused Zhu Youtang to suffer a lot. Zhu Youtang didn't like snow.
, because of my sympathy for the refugees shivering in ragged clothes at the foot of the city wall and deep in the alleys.
They arrived at the Zhengxin Hall one after another. After entering the hall, Zhu Youtang took off his velvet shawl and lit a charcoal fire. After taking a sip of hot tea, a blush flashed across his face and he asked Liu Chengfeng: "
Have you really found any clues about the Ming Cult?"
Liu Chengfeng nodded, then took out Zhu Yuanzhang's memorial from his sleeve and carefully presented it to Zhu Youtang. Zhu Youtang took it, opened it and took a look, his face suddenly changed, his eyes narrowed,
He lowered his voice and asked, "Who else has this memorial been read to?"
Of course, Liu Chengfeng did not dare to say that Secretary Wang had seen it. Of course, the fewer people knew about this kind of thing, the more at ease the emperor would be. He quickly said: "Wei Chen did not tell anyone about this after he searched it out of the main secret room of the Ming Church.
thing."
Liu Chengfeng saw that Zhu Youtang's face was not good-looking, and immediately said: "In my opinion, this memorial was probably forged by the remnants of Mingjiao. They wanted to use this memorial to slander Emperor Taizu and the imperial court.
Conspiracy to rebel."
Liu Chengfeng didn't know whether the memorial was true or not, but he insisted that it was false. At least it would give Zhu Youtang a way to deal with it. After all, this was the scandal of his ancestors, so Liu Chengfeng naturally had to cover it up for the emperor.
He acted as if I didn’t believe that Emperor Taizu was also a Mingjiao believer.
Zhu Youtang smiled faintly and said: "You are right." As he said this, he threw the memorial into the charcoal basin. When the charcoal fire met the silk object, it burned immediately, giving off a smoky smell.
Zhu Youtang burned the memorandum cleanly, and then his face became better and he said: "Come and tell me about the clues of Mingjiao."
Liu Chengfeng cheered up and gave an overview of the organization of the Ming Cult, but it was all vague. After all, even he was not very clear about it. The internal organization of the Ming Cult was so tight that it was really hard to get started. Most of Liu Chengfeng's information
I got it from Tian Xuanzi’s mouth.
Zhu Youtang frowned and couldn't help but said: "As you guessed, the Mingjiao is actually a monolithic interior. A church leader stationed in the capital actually knows nothing about its internal affairs. This Mingjiao is really scary."
After a pause, Zhu Youtang continued: "They have people behind them, they are well-organized, and their momentum is so great that they have their footprints in every province and county in the world. Only now do I know that I still underestimated them."
Liu Chengfeng said: "Wei Chen believes that Prince Ning is probably inseparable from the Ming Cult, but he is just struggling to find no evidence..."
Zhu Youtang shook his head and interrupted him: "If there is no evidence, what can we do? The remnants of the Ming Cult said that Beitong Prefecture is going to do something big. What is this big thing?"
Zhu Youtang's face darkened. Beitongzhou was one of the major centers of the imperial court. It would not be fun if something went wrong.
Liu Chengfeng thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, I think this matter should be related to the Zhenfu Secretary. A few days ago, two thousand households were killed one after another in Beitong Prefecture..."
Zhu Youtang looked at the case and said in a deep voice: "Is there such a thing? Come, call Mou Bin..."
………………………………………………………………
Outside Chaoyang Gate, there are layers of snow all over the field, and ice is hanging on the branches of the trees. Under the warm sunshine, it gradually melts, and the snow on the official road gradually melts and turns into mud. At this time, a
A fast horse carrying a knight flew past like a whirlwind, all the way into the city, and quickly headed in the direction of Beizhen Fusi.
After half a cup of tea, the knight arrived at the gate of the Beizhen Prefecture. Under the majestic pair of stone lions, he hurriedly said: "Anyone coming from Beitong Prefecture must see the commander immediately..."
When the captain guarding the door heard this, he didn't dare to neglect and quickly went in to report.
Hearing the news about Beitongzhou, Mou Bin, who had always been steady and steady, couldn't help but change his expression suddenly during the check-in.
Beitong Prefecture, Beitong Prefecture again...what news will it bring this time...
He frowned and said, "Bring him in."
Immediately, the knight had taken off his cotton-padded coat, revealing his flying fish suit, and stepped into the threshold of the Thousand Household House. The stiffness and coldness in his whole body was instantly melted by the charcoal fire in the room, and he finally regained a trace of vitality.
, the frost that was like a layer of frost also began to emit water vapor.
The captain knelt on the ground and said in a hoarse and terrifying voice: "Sir, before Zhu Chen, the new Qianhu of Beitong Prefecture, took office, he was attacked by thieves ten miles away in the northern suburbs of Beitong Prefecture. Master Zhu and dozens of others
The school captain Shushu was killed. I am one of the hundreds of households in Dongchengfang, Beitong Prefecture. I haven’t seen the master take office. I was about to send someone to the town office to verify, but who knew...who knew..."
Mou Bin was stunned...
The first Qianhu Deng Tong was killed inexplicably and his body was thrown into the wilderness. After that, the second person sent was a confidant of Mou Bin, but he was poisoned again and died in the Qianhu house. Now he is sent again
However, this time the thief was even more blatant and actually robbed and killed him on the way.
Originally, for Zhu Chen's safety, Mou Bin specially selected dozens of powerful captains to accompany him, but who knew they would actually die cleanly?
Mou Bin stood up after snapping the case, his face became ferocious and angry, and he kept walking back and forth in the room, roaring: "Who instructed these thieves to dare to attack and kill the soldiers? Who is so bold! Check,
It must be thoroughly investigated.”
Hundreds of households in Beitongzhou knelt on the ground, not daring to express their anger. It was beyond everyone's expectation that things had reached this point.
Mou Bin's anger gradually subsided and he immediately asked: "How is the situation over there in Beitongzhou?"
Baihu said: "Beitong Prefecture is in chaos. The captains are panic-stricken. There are fewer and fewer hundreds of households on duty. Even some hundred households and officials are afraid of being targeted by thieves and dare not show their faces. Every day
Of the people who are willing to go to hundreds of households to have their heads counted, not even one out of ten will survive..."
Mou Bin took a breath of cold air. In fact, the Thousand Household Office in Beitongzhou existed in name only, which was normal. After all, although the pro-army army was glamorous, they could live without worries about food and clothing for a lifetime, but once their lives were in danger, there would be
Who is willing to go on an errand? In addition, there is no leader and the people are not united. Naturally, they will lose their courage after being frightened by these successive assassinations.
Mou Bin said: "Where are the other yamen?"
Baihu said: "None of the yamen have expressed anything. Only the local prefect said that he would come to help. However, the prefect only made a verbal promise and sent more officers to the streets, so he did not dare to get involved in this matter.
"
Mou Bin sneered: "Where is Dongchang? Dongchang didn't do anything at all?"
"The East Factory seems to be a little nervous. In the eyes of outsiders, the factory guards are one, and the people in the guard were attacked and killed. The East Factory is also a bit messy. It is said that the stalls in the East Factory are also busy these days.
I didn't go to work, I stayed in the house of the guarding eunuch."
Mou Bin fell silent.
Not to mention that the wall fell down and everyone pushed it, but no one expected that such a thing would happen. He said calmly: "Is there any movement on the Bingbei Road in Beitong Prefecture?"
Baihu said: "Huang Zhen, the inspector of Bingbei Road, is actually very enthusiastic. He personally dispatched troops and horses to step up patrols at various ferries. Even the bones of the new Qianhu were collected by Mr. Huang. He prepared the coffin and waited for Mr. Qianhu.
The family members carried the coffin and sent it back to its place of origin."
Mou Bin nodded and said, "I will handle this matter. You can go down and rest."
After leaving the house, Mou Bin was pacing in the straight room with a sad face and his hands behind his back. The incident was sudden and somewhat expected by him, but it was a difficult problem for Mou Bin to deal with it at the moment. He knew it in his heart.
, Even if you send Qianhu again, it will be of no avail. The entire Beitongzhou Qianhu Office has completely collapsed. Unless you personally sit in charge, or order others to go, but as a commander, naturally
They can't get away. As for colleagues and colleagues, are they willing to go to the dragon's pond and tiger's den?
"Is there really no one who can turn the tide?" Mou Bin felt at this time that there was definitely a shocking conspiracy behind these repeated assassinations, and these thousands of households were just the victims of this conspiracy.
At this moment, a clerk came in quickly and said: "Sir, someone has come to the palace. Your Majesty asked you to enter the palace quickly without delay."
"Well..." Mou Bin nodded with a heavy face and said, "Go and prepare your horse. By the way, we will tell you later that the ministers will be summoned for discussion."
He changed his clothes and then went out. He went all the way to the Forbidden City and entered through the Meridian Gate. A young eunuch led him to the Zhengxin Hall. When Mou Bin entered, he found that Liu Chengfeng was also there. He couldn't help being slightly surprised and first asked Zhu You
Zang saluted, and then glanced at Liu Chengfeng, who bowed slightly to him, and Mou Bin nodded towards Liu Chengfeng.
Zhu Youtang asked calmly: "Mou Aiqing, I want to ask about Beitongzhou."
Beitongzhou...
Mou Bin was stunned for a moment. Beitongzhou was like a curse that always lingered on him. The calm expression he tried to maintain suddenly collapsed at this moment, and his face suddenly turned pale.