Chapter 121:
This official's surname is Zhao. Before today, he was still unknown, and he was only a third-rank Beijing official.
Even the gift list for the New Year's Eve gift to the Xu family every year is ranked behind the old man.
However, this Master Zhao is very good at making tricks, and he was born to be a person. He did what he liked. He gave Xu Xiang and Xu Zongwei a few gifts, and he happened to flatter their precious child Xu Cong'an. After a long time, he also got a face in front of Xu Zongwei. There is a chance to sit in Xu Mansion and have a cup of tea.
Because of this, the official position and status of this Lord Zhao have also risen, and the errand in his hand is also a fat poor in front of the saint.
Master Zhao knows that his team is on the right side.
In addition to those idle officials with no name and name in the court, there are no more than the Jiang Xu family. Don't see that the Jiang family is also powerful, and even when Jiang Xiang is ranked as the left phase, he also serves as Taifu.
But the officials in the Jiang family are all poor scholars. Although Master Zhao, like them, is also a scholar, but Master Zhao claims that he is not as unclear as they are.
That group of people looks powerful, but in reality, who is the one who has the military power and makes money?
Of course it was the Xu family.
As expected, according to Master Zhao's philosophy of life, he has been smooth sailing for a few years, and today, he has reached a new level.
He was appointed by His Majesty and asked him to re-investigate the corruption case of Shandong prefect.
What does he know about this case? During the Chinese New Year last year, the prefect in Shandong was still a fourth-rank official in the capital. When the two of them gave gifts to the Xu family, they met at the door.
However, this man is not very lucky. After being sent to Shandong, he did such a dangerous thing for Xu Xiang, and was arrested by the King of Guangling.
What else is there to investigate? When Emperor Qingping was there, he had already figured it out. Even the correspondence between the official and the capital has left evidence.
Master Zhao knows what he wants to check.
What he wants to investigate is to select the Xu family from this case, destroy the evidence, and let them retreat.
This is an opportunity for Mr. Zhao.
This matter is very simple, as long as he is ruthless, he can do it easily.
As long as he manages this matter, he will help the Xu family a lot. Now sitting on the throne is the fourth prince who is connected to the Xu family by blood, and it is Xu Xiang who is in charge of the government and power; Chen Bing is outside, it is the direct descendant of the Xu family.
After finishing this matter, he still worries about his official career for the next few decades?
After receiving this appointment, Master Zhao was so excited that his heart was shaking.
And what excites him more is still to come.
After retreating from the dynasty, the little **** next to the fourth prince came to invite him in person, saying that the fourth prince had something to tell him.
Even if Mr. Zhao usually goes to court, he is standing in the middle and back, unable to see the holy face, only the black gauze hats of the officials in front.
How many times can he be summoned by the emperor throughout the year?
He hurriedly arranged his clothes and went to the imperial study.
The fourth prince sat on his father's dragon chair, and flattened him with a placid face, and then screened all the palace servants back.
Only the two of them left.
Master Zhao was so excited that his whole body was tense, but the fourth prince was like a spring breeze, gentle and kind, and chatted with him.
Master Zhao is shrewd and naturally knows that when the fourth prince treats him like this, it is not like seeing him at the same time, but he has something to do himself.
Looking at this situation, 80% is still the fourth prince's confidant, and he needs to do it in his name.
Sir Zhao naturally won't be afraid of such trouble.
If it can't be done, the fourth prince will also think about doing things for him and won't punish him heavily. Once it is done, taking him is to gain face in front of the future crown prince and the emperor, and the scenery in the future will naturally be more.
Master Zhao sat upright and listened to the fourth prince talking to him.
The two talked for a while, and sure enough, the fourth prince led the conversation to the main thing.
He said that when he was a prince, he suffered from the two people in the court.
The other is Jiang Xiang, who is pedantic, does not know how to change things, and likes to rely on the old and sell the old. One is Duke Yongning. He doesn't seem to have any intention of competing for power. In fact, he repeatedly flattered and bewitched the emperor in private. He also let his son and the prince in the palace secretly play songs, thinking that he had wolf ambitions.
And this time the prefect of Shandong Province was greedy for ink, and he also suspected that it was the Yongning public security guard who lived in the south of the Yangtze River.
Since he can guide the wind direction to the capital, he must also have distribution in Chang'an. But all of this is just speculation. The most important thing is to trouble Master Zhao to check it out.
Master Zhao understands.
He knows that it doesn't matter who is greedy for ink. The most important thing is that the emperor hates Duke Yongning, and wants to take advantage of Duke Yongning's absence in Chang'an to properly rectify Duke Yongning's mansion.
Master Zhao responded in a serious manner, and he agreed. After returning, you must rectify your subordinates and go to Yongning Gongfu to check.
The Fourth Prince smiled and nodded.
"You're fine," he said. "This is good."
—
The man behind Mr. Zhao was to investigate the corruption case. There were fifty or sixty personal soldiers assigned to him by the palace.
Although there are not many people, but when Hula La is in front of Yongning Gongfu, the battle is not small at all.
The door of the Duke's mansion was knocked on by Mr. Zhao.
The servant at the porter opened the door and saw that the door was full of officers and soldiers. The servant was startled for a moment and was about to close the door when the officers and soldiers raised their hands and blocked it.
The door could not be closed, and the servants watched helplessly as an adult walked to the door arrogantly.
"This official was ordered to come to investigate a case of corruption in Shandong." He said. "Now there is evidence to confirm that Lord Yongning is related to this case of embezzlement of ink, so this official has ordered to come to Duke Yongning to search for the stolen money."
The man was stunned.
Swap money? Their grandfather and grandfather are not big officials, and the government has always been frugal. How could they have stolen money? Besides, the place of corruption is in Shandong, and their fathers and grandfathers are in Jiangnan, how could they be related?
The grandfather and the eldest young master are not in the mansion, and the second young master has not been in the mansion these days. Now there are only the wife and the eldest young lady in the mansion.
How can these officers and soldiers come to raid the house?
The servant was in a hurry, and hurriedly used his body to block forward: "I also ask the official to wait for a while, the servant will go back and tell the lady, and then..."
"Ben Ming? Are you waiting to hide the stolen money for you?" Master Zhao sneered, raised his hand and waved. "Come on, check!"
These officers and soldiers were originally under the officials of the Xu family. They had already received orders and knew what to do. Immediately, the gate of the Duke's Mansion was slammed open with a bang.
The servants in the mansion came after hearing the news, and they were all held hostage by officers and soldiers in a short while.
As a civil servant, Mr. Zhao is still timid, and he didn't dare to make people do **** things to cause trouble. He only let his soldiers beat and bind those little servants and detain them together. stand up.
The maids scattered in fear, Master Zhao led a group of soldiers, smashed all the way, and went straight to the main courtyard.
A maid has already gone to the main hospital to report.
But the courtyard of the mansion has no gate. Most of the people in the house are maids and daughters, how can they stop them?
In the main house, Mrs. Jun heard the news from the maid and knew what was going on.
Although the grandfather never involved in court disputes, she knew better than anyone what his relationship was with the Xu family, and the relationship between the noble concubine in the palace and the biological mother of the fourth prince. The situation in Chang'an has changed over the past two days, and at dawn today, the fourth prince ascended the throne.
Shen shi knew that before the grandfather returned, there would be trouble in the house.
I just don't know, this mess happened so fast.
She hurriedly asked the maids to block the door of the hospital for a while, then took Ling Huan, who was painting in her room, to hide her behind the house.
Although this crowd did not dare to do anything to them, it was definitely going to cause trouble. Ling Huan was young, and it was possible that she would be hurt or scared. She must not be allowed to see such a scene.
But before she could bring Ling Huan to the back of the house, there was the scream of the maid in the courtyard.
Mrs. Jun looked out, and saw a group of soldiers broke in and threw the maids who were blocking the door to the ground mercilessly.
In just a moment, the soldiers put the entire yard under martial law.
Mrs. Jun slowly stood still, silently protecting Jun Linghuan behind her.
I saw that Master Zhao walked in arrogantly.
Mrs. Jun blocked Ling Huan and said indifferently: "My lord suddenly broke into the mansion, and my concubine really can't take care of it."
Master Zhao laughed a few times.
"Your life is yours, please forgive me," he said. "The next official came today because it was reported that the Duke of the State had something to do with the Shandong Mo corruption case, and now he needs to search the house. According to the regulations, the wife also needs to go to the Shen Punishment Division with the lower official, and when the truth comes out, the next The official will invite the lady back again."
Mrs. Jun's hand froze while holding Ling Huan's arm.
What he meant was that he was going to imprison himself.
Master Zhao laughed.
"Naturally it's your order," he said. "Oh, by the way, there is an eight-year-old lady in the mansion? There is no one in the mansion, so let's take the lady to the Department of Sanitation and Punishment to take care of her."
Mrs. Jun took a step back.
He is going to be detained together with Ling Huan. When you arrive at the Department of Shen Punishment, you will be sent to a prison. The prison is cold and damp, and if you enter it, you will be a prisoner. It is unknown what kind of torture you will suffer at that time.
Her heart was cold, and she held Jun Linghuan's arm tightly.
It's not that Jun Linghuan couldn't understand their conversation. At this time, his shoulders were shaking slightly, and his arms were hurt by his mother, but he didn't dare to make any sound.
"Since it is the emperor's order, there must be an imperial decree." She looked at Master Zhao and said.
This kind of order can indeed be given by the Fourth Prince. But firstly, he is not yet a prince or emperor, and secondly, even if he sits on the throne, he cannot give such an order to detain the family members of the official family without any reason.
Master Zhao laughed a few times.
"Ma'am, the guards at Qinmen Gate are just outside the city. I came here to inform you, not to ask for your opinion."
After he finished speaking, he raised his hand.
Suddenly, the soldiers in the courtyard swarmed up.
Several maids around her were busy protecting her, but they were violently pulled away. Immediately after, some soldiers held Mrs. Jun and pulled Jun Linghuan out of her arms.
Mrs. Jun couldn't pull it, and was pulled away.
"Mother!" Jun Linghuan was held by a soldier, and finally couldn't help crying out.
With the sound, a pair of teardrops that had been endured for a long time rolled down.
Mrs. Jun couldn't care less about her manners and struggled to go to Jun Linghuan.
But it was pulled further and further away.
"Take it away." Master Zhao glanced lightly, turned and left.
But the moment he turned around, the sound of breaking the sky began.
With the sound, a sharp arrow came from a distance, like an eagle rushing towards its prey, leaving only a phantom in the air.
Master Zhao didn't have time to see anything, and didn't have time to make a sound.
A sharp arrow pierced his throat and pinned him to the ground.
Master Zhao suddenly lost his breath.
Before the surrounding soldiers could react, a man with a bow jumped down from the opposite roof and rushed into the main house.
He put away his bow and drew out his knife. Before everyone could react, the blade smeared the throats of the two soldiers who were holding Mrs. Jun, and they fell to the ground immediately, blood stained with Jun Lady's dress.
Outside the house, the soldiers who were originally under martial law around the courtyard have been resolved by Dongchang Fanzi and Jinyiwei who came here.
The people in the room were already dumbfounded.
The soldier holding Jun Linghuan was so frightened that he pushed Jun Linghuan out.
The little girl stood unsteadily, fell forward, and was immediately caught by a figure full of blood.
Jun Linghuan sobbed.
Not quite the same as his brother's embrace, this man's body is very hard, and there is a rust smell unique to his blood.
She raised her head with tears in her eyes. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could see his sharp jaw and the blood running down his jaw.
She doesn't know yet, this boy's name is Duan Shishi.
Duan XIV looked at the soldier.
blade.
The soldier ducked back.
But the next moment, the boy stepped forward.
The tip of the knife pierced his throat, and his blood splattered the boy's face.
The soldier did not know that he had aroused a rare trace of hatred in this young man with imperfect humanity.
The soldier died under the sword of Duan Shishi with his eyes open.
He retracted the knife.
According to his usual habit, when things are done at this time, he must return to the master in front of him, and then use it to do the next thing.
But he looked around and frowned.
There are several dead bodies in the main house, looking in a mess.
Forgot.
He forgot his master's instructions not to let the blood stain the Yongning Palace. Just now, it was all subconscious behavior, but he forgot that the master would not let him kill here.
Duan XIV was a little annoyed.
At this moment, he realized later that there was a faint sweet fragrance in his arms that was very unfamiliar to him.
He lowered his head.
It's a little girl.
Just now she caught her as if she was picking up an object, but she forgot that she was a living person.
He was about to let go of Jun Linghuan when he saw the little girl raised her head.
A pair of watery almond eyes, a very mild and beautiful dark brown. At this moment, there were tears in his eyes, and when his eyes blinked, the small drops of water on his eyelashes trembled.
The little girl sobbed, obviously frightened by him.
Duan Shi Shi was accustomed to this kind of fearful look, he let go of his arm and put her back on the ground.
But the little girl spoke up.
“…Thank you brother.” She said softly.
Something seemed to hit Duan Shishi's heart.
He quietly looked at Jun Linghuan.
He paused, then put Jun Linghuan back with no expression, and turned to hold the knife to Mrs. Jun.
"The subordinates did not do well, and then they went to the master to take the blame." He said.
Failure to fulfill the master's request, so that blood was seen in the government's mansion, this is also a crime.
…It seems that the eldest lady of the government’s government is scared to cry, these two sins are also.