One hundred and seventy-four: Twelve hours in Shenjing
In the early morning, the city of Shenjing is still sleeping peacefully and groggy. The autumn dew hangs on the leaves, gathering together like a river, and finally drips to the ground. When people walk outside, their eyebrows are covered with a layer of mist. Everything outside is fog.
It's so hazy that I can't see clearly.
The little princess Li Miaojin fell asleep in the sedan chair. The rickety sedan chair did not affect her enjoyment of sleeping at all. She propped up her little head and fell asleep in a daze. Although the royal women were not as miserable as the princes, they were not as miserable as the princes.
It's not particularly relaxing, so Li Miaojin has to come to school very early every day. She doesn't get enough sleep every day, so Li Miaojin always takes a nap whenever she can.
She was drowsily asleep when the sedan suddenly stopped suddenly. Li Miaojin knocked her head on the armrest next to the sedan without stopping. Li Miaojin suddenly woke up, took a breath and touched her forehead, "Ah! It's so big."
A bag! It hurts!
Li Miaojin was so aggrieved that she almost cried, but she heard the little eunuchs carrying the sedan outside shouting anxiously and angrily: "What do you do?" Li Miaojin held back the tears in her big eyes, listening to the answers outside, and was about to say
I had nothing to do but let them go, but the person opposite said in a deep voice: "According to His Majesty's decree! The palace is under martial law! No one is allowed to move around at will! Who is inside?"
The little eunuch outside said angrily: "Inside is our Princess Yangcheng! She is the most favored by Her Majesty the Queen Mother on weekdays! Do you dare to rush into our princess's sedan chair?" The people outside seemed to be gathering together to discuss, and the little eunuch hurriedly came over and whispered.
He said: "Princess, are you okay?"
Li Miaojin rubbed the big bump on his head and said with pain: "It's nothing, let's leave quickly." The little eunuch took the order and then said to the soldiers: "Why are you still here? Why don't you get out of here?" A soldier's cheek
He twitched and was about to step forward, but the soldier in front of him stretched out his hand to stop him. Seeing the look on the leader's face, the soldier held back.
The leader smiled and said: "I'm sorry! Our brothers also obeyed the emperor's order. It's not disrespectful to the princess. Please come in!" The little eunuch snorted and waved casually: "Let's go! Move forward and show your highlights.
!" The soldiers nodded and bowed in agreement. When Li Miaojin walked away, the soldier said: "Sir, you!"
The leader gave him a slap in the face and said: "If you miss the important thing, young master, I will kill your dog!" The soldier still said angrily: "That dog eunuch made rude remarks..." The leader shouted: "No matter how hard he barks,
, after today, you can do whatever you want with him! Even that bullshit Princess Yangcheng just wants to play when she wants! Now you have to hold back for me! If you can't bear it, you will mess up the big plan! Do you understand?
!”
The soldier's chin moved and said: "I know..." The leader snorted and said: "Go! Take the people to sort out the city gate again. When the city gate will change, we will directly go to the front.
Come on, your hands and feet should be more agile, do you understand?" All the soldiers lowered their heads and responded.
Li Miaojin's mind was confused. She was a little irritated when she was bumped for no reason. She supported her little head with one hand but did not dare to go near the armrest anymore. There seemed to be something blocked in her heart. She always had a strange feeling.
It felt like it was about to catch something, but then it flicked its tail and disappeared.
Li Miaojin bit her nails. What was wrong? Strange! What did I overlook? Li Miaojin thought about it and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. That's not right! How many times has he been in and out of the palace? Who doesn't?
Do they recognize their own sedan? Even if they don't recognize who they are when the little eunuch says who they are, they should still be afraid! Why are they so calm?
Li Miaojin's almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, looking strange...
…
Gao Xi quickly followed Dai Zuwei into the Shandong Chief Envoy's Office with a gloomy face. Dai Zuwei said solemnly: "Look at An Xing!" Gao Xi glanced at him and then took a large stack of letters from him, one by one.
Looking at the development, Dai Zuwei said solemnly: "Since I took charge of Shandong, I have personally urged officials to implement the New Deal. Therefore, every January I ask all prefecture and county officials to write letters describing the implementation of the New Deal in their local areas."
Dai Zuwei pointed at the pile of letters and said: "This is the letter that just arrived this month. The officials in each prefecture and county explained their respective situations clearly and clearly. If there is a situation like what you said, An Xing, I will immediately
You can find out! If nothing else, at least you have seen it in Jinan Prefecture! It makes no sense that there are refugees in Shenjing City, but not a single refugee can be seen in Jinan Prefecture!"
Gao Xi also realized something was wrong at this time. He murmured: "Although I was swimming down the river, how could I not see any victims along the way?" Dai Zuwei glanced at him and suddenly said: "That's right!
If you still don’t believe it, I just happened to bring back a few officials this time, all of whom are lazy and negligent in their administration. I brought them back from Xiafu County this time, so you can call them up and ask them!”
Dai Zuwei said to the officials around him: "Go and call all the officials from Yanggu County, Qiu County, Yucheng County, and Leling County!" After a while, several officials with uneasy faces left.
When Dai Zuwei got started, there was actually an official sitting there, and several people couldn't help but look even more gloomy.
Dai Zuwei said in a deep voice: "I have something to ask you, and you must tell me everything you know! If anyone conceals anything, we will not forgive you!" Several officials quickly agreed, and Dai Zuwei said in a deep voice: "You guys
Do you know or have heard of any disasters in the prefectures and counties around you?"
Several officials looked at each other, and they were all a little confused. Apparently they didn't expect that such a sentence was waiting for him. Dai Zuwei said in a deep voice: "Say!" Several officials looked at each other, and they all shook their heads in embarrassment.
He said, "Sir, I really haven't heard of any disaster."
Dai Zuwei spread his hands to Gao Xi and said: "Look! How about I accompany you to visit various prefectures and counties in person? Huh!" Gao Xi said helplessly: "You said there was no disaster here, but over there in Shenjing City
Where did the victims come from?" Dai Zuwei said: "How do I know? I'm still confused! What did Lord Gonggun in the court say before he recommended me to come to Shandong? Didn't he say that he would support me and trust me from the bottom of his heart?
It’s only been a few years now! Do you think that I, Dai Zuwei, am the kind of villain who works like a fly and a dog?"
Gao Xi sighed and said: "Don't be angry, I understand your mood, but you also have to understand the court. Do you know how angry His Majesty was when he saw nearly 10,000 victims? Even we thought there was a change in Shandong!" Dai Zuwei snorted.
He said: "That's really a ghost! Could it be that these nearly 10,000 refugees came out of thin air?"
Both of them looked at each other in silence, but the Yanggu County magistrate seemed to have thought of something. He hesitated and opened his mouth and said: "The humble official may know some clues, but I don't know if it has anything to do with these things..." Gao Xihe
Dai Zuwei looked at each other and said, "What's the matter? Just say it."
The magistrate of Yanggu County nodded and said hurriedly: "Sir, this is something Bei Zhi has just noticed recently. Because of the New Deal, Bei Zhi often goes to remote villages near Yanggu County to survey, measure and clarify the land and population, but in
A lot of strange things have been discovered in the past few days." Gao Xi asked anxiously: "What strange things?"
The magistrate of Yanggu County said: "I found out that there were many villages that the government officials clearly remembered, but when we arrived, most of them were deserted villages, some directly became wastelands, and some looked like they had caused bandit disasters.
One or two is okay, but this is almost always the case after visiting dozens of villages for investigation. Even if a whole village is relocated, it should be reported to the government, so I keep it in mind. It’s just that I have been busy measuring the land these days, so
We haven’t started investigating this matter yet…”
Gao Xi and Dai Zuwei looked at each other, and Dai Zuwei said doubtfully: "It is really strange that dozens of villages have disappeared for no reason. If those refugees are the victims of the disaster, then why would they choose to leave their hometown and go all the way to Shenjing?
?" Gao Xi pondered for a moment, and the two suddenly raised their heads and looked at each other in shock, unless they did not do it voluntarily!
Then this thing is terrifying! They organized nearly 10,000 refugees to sweep into Shenjing City. Not to mention what a terrifying force this is, what is their purpose? They can’t just drag these nearly 10,000 people to go sightseeing in Shenjing City! Gao Xiyue
The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became, so I stood up and said, "Prepare a fast horse for me!"
Dai Zuwei was shocked and caught up and said: "An Xing, you are crazy! You have just arrived today. If you want to ride back to Beijing, let's not talk about whether you can catch up. Can your body and bones hold up?" Gao Xi said in a deep voice: "
This matter is by no means as simple as something strange, there must be a lot of stories in it! If things go wrong because of you and me, then we will really be doomed!"
Dai Zuwei stopped him and said in a deep voice: "Are you still a child? You will be dead by the time we get to Shenjing City!" Gao Xi said impatiently: "You don't know what the scene in Jingzhong is like, if you and I were one step later! It's true.
He is a sinner for the ages!" At this time, the Jinyiwei Baihu who came with Gao Xi said in a deep voice: "Sir, just don't worry, we Jinyiwei naturally have our own ways of delivering the news, so you don't have to worry."
After hearing this, Gao Xi relaxed slightly and said: "Then you go first and deliver this news to the capital as soon as possible. You must present it to Your Majesty in person! I will be there soon!" The Baihu official clasped his fists and strode off.
, Gao Xi walked around the house impatiently, Dai Zuwei said: "You have to rest for a day anyway, what's the use of being so anxious?"
Gao Xi pointed at Dai Zuwei, but he also knew that these things were not to blame on Dai Zuwei. Such trivial things were not even noticed by the county magistrate. How could he, a high-ranking official in charge of Shandong Province, pay attention?
Arrival? But...it's too late after all! Gao Xi looked at the rising sun outside the window and murmured: "I'm afraid something big is going to happen in Beijing..."
…
"What did you say?"
Li Miaojin was sitting in a daze on the chair, but the little eunuch suddenly broke in and said something that made Li Miaojin wake up instantly. Li Miaojin stood up and said to the little eunuch in the surprised eyes of all the princesses: "Return
Princess, I don’t know what’s going on. According to the soldiers at the city gate, they didn’t get the news to blockade the palace city, and they didn’t hear that any Beijing battalion was going to take over from them.”
Li Miaojin felt a little weird in her heart. She felt more and more creepy when she thought about the weird feeling these days. Li Miaojin asked anxiously: "They didn't tell where the people we met on the road came from?" The little eunuch said aggrievedly: "I didn't know that at first.
I want to ask, but those city gatekeepers were put down, and then replaced by another wave of people, and those people didn't say a word no matter what we said..."
Li Miaojin's heart sank more and more. She was in a daze for a while, and then she ran out with her palace skirt amidst the shouts of the female officials. She didn't need the support of the eunuchs Gong E, and ran all the way to the Queen Mother's palace.
The Queen Mother had just finished breakfast and looked very happy to see Li Miaojin.
The Queen Mother handed the tea cup to Yuan Chun and said with a smile: "Ming'er? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in school at this time?" Li Miaojin panted and looked around and said: "Empress Dowager, Uncle Huang didn't come today.
See you?" The Queen Mother was obviously stunned for a moment and said: "What do you mean? You still don't understand your uncle? How can he find the time to visit me so often? Why do you ask about your uncle?
"
Li Miaojin shook her head, and then said: "There was no strange person in the Queen Mother's Palace just now?" The Queen Mother became more and more confused and said doubtfully: "No... Ming'er, what happened to you? How did you run away like this?" Li Miaojin shook his head.
Then he said: "The Queen Mother quickly sent someone to ask Uncle Huang, has he sent someone to replace the palace defense and send someone to patrol the palace?"
The Queen Mother didn't know what Li Miaojin wanted to do, so she said helplessly: "Ming'er, you are the princess, do you have to take care of things like the palace's defense?" Li Miaojin shook his head and didn't know how to explain, so he could only say anxiously: "It's a matter of concern.
It's important. I'm not fooling around. The Queen Mother...ancestor!" The Queen Mother nodded helplessly as she listened to her coquettishness and said to a nun: "Send someone to ask the Emperor why he, who is in good health, wants to change the defense of the palace."
It was a secret that the Emperor was seriously ill. The only external news was that the Emperor was ill. In recent years, the Queen Mother had only been able to see the Emperor a few times during the New Year and holidays, so she did not care much about the Emperor's safety. As a result, there were only a few people in the palace at this time.
People knew that the Supreme Emperor was seriously ill.
The Queen Mother sent a nun to her side, and then Li Miaojin started to circle around in a hurry. The Queen Mother pressed her temples and said, "Ming'er, what are you doing? I'm getting a headache from turning around!" Li Miaojin said anxiously, "The Queen Mother doesn't know, what's going on here?"
Things... Oops! I can’t explain a word or two!” The Queen Mother blinked her eyes and said, “What on earth is going on? I’m so confused!”
Li Miaojin was about to speak when he saw the nanny coming back in a panic. Li Miaojin immediately felt anxious when he saw this. Sure enough, the nanny said: "Your Majesty has not left the palace for some reason today, and the people at the door of the palace have also not left.
They’ve all been replaced, and they won’t let the slaves in…”