Zhu Qizhen muttered to himself, but he really couldn't think of anyone else important in Nanjing.
According to Jin Yiwei's investigation results, there are indeed many officials who have contact with the Japanese pirates, but who can make the Japanese pirate leader pay so much attention and respect him so respectfully?
Could it be... Wei Guogong Xu Chengzong?
The Wei Guogong lineage has been staying in Nanjing since the Yongle Dynasty moved the capital, and has been in charge of the Nanjing army. If this person has second thoughts, the matter will be serious!
Zhu Qizhen had something on his mind and didn't sleep well all night. Early the next morning, he took Fan Zhong to Beizhen Fusi.
Yesterday's letter was sent by Yuan Bin. All the information is in Beizhen Fusi. Maybe the answer can be found here.
However, after going through all the information, I still found no evil intentions on Xu Chengzong's part.
This person holds the military power in Nanjing and is a key investigation target of Jinyiwei. If he has any plot, it is impossible not to leave any clues.
It seems that the mysterious man Shi Heng mentioned is not Wei Guogong.
Zhu Qizhen's eyebrows twisted into the word "Sichuan". He really couldn't figure out who that person was?
In desperation, he called Fan Zhong and Yuan Bin and came to the Imperial Mansion outside Chaoyang Gate.
This time, it was not the old eunuch Hong Bao who came to visit, but Song Guxi.
Since her injury improved, she moved out of the palace.
After all, it is not a problem for a prostitute to live in the palace for a long time.
In fact, Zhu Qizhen didn't feel anything at all, but he increasingly noticed that something was wrong with Queen Qian's eyes, which contained a faint murderous look. If she was not allowed to move out, the consequences would be disastrous...
Along the way, Yuan Bin introduced: "I have arranged four secret posts near Miss Song's residence, and I have also found a maid, who can help take care of Miss Song's daily life."
Zhu Qizhen asked: "Have you checked this person's details?"
"Back to the emperor, this person originally lived in Huangzhuang. Her parents died of illness one after another. She was the only one left in the family. She was helpless and her life was relatively difficult. So I arranged for her to serve Miss Song."
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said: "Let your people keep a close eye. If the White Lotus Sect knows that Miss Song is not dead, they will not let it go."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the secret sentries arranged by me are all masters who can fight one against ten. If something really happens, the hundred households in the east city can arrive within a stick of incense, absolutely guaranteeing Miss Song's thoroughness!"<
/p>
"Is there any movement from the White Lotus Sect in the capital?"
"Back to the emperor, I have already investigated and found nothing. Those people seemed to have disappeared out of thin air."
"It seems that these people had a premeditated plan and withdrew before assassinating me."
Yuan Bin's face turned red from suppressing it, and he suddenly said: "Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qizhen turned around and asked, "I didn't blame you!"
Yuan Bin knelt down on one knee and said: "I thought Miss Song was the assassin at that time. Therefore, after I caught Miss Song, I relaxed my vigilance, which caused the real assassin to take advantage of the chaos and escape. There is still no news. It is because I did something wrong. Please
The emperor punishes you!"
Zhu Qizhen waved his hand and said: "Get up, I really don't blame you."
"But, sir..."
"What I have to deal with now is the entire White Lotus Sect. Why do I still care about a mere assassin? Besides, the other party had already planned this matter. In that situation, who could see through their plot at a glance?"
After hearing what the emperor said, Yuan Bin stood up, his face still looking a little guilty.
He clearly remembered that the crossbow arrow flew past the emperor's face. If it had strayed even a little further, the consequences would have been disastrous!
Now that the murderer cannot be caught, just as the emperor said, put all your energy into dealing with the White Lotus Sect.
If you can’t catch the monk, your temple will be demolished!
While talking, I had already arrived at a small courtyard.
Yuan Bin stepped forward and knocked on the door. The person who opened the door was a woman, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a pale face and yellowish hair. She looked like she had been suffering from chronic malnutrition.
When she saw it was Yuan Bin, she quickly said: "It's my benefactor who is here!"
Yuan Bin nodded and said: "Xiaohua, this is my master, let's come to visit Miss Song."
"Oh, please come in!"
The girl named Xiaohua hurriedly let the three of them in, and then hurriedly walked to the side room.
"Invite the gentlemen, and I'll make tea!"
Yuan Bin looked around cautiously, then called Xiaohua to stop and said: "My master and Miss Song have to say a few words and you won't go in."
When Xiaohua saw how these people were dressed, she knew they were definitely not ordinary people, so she nodded repeatedly and walked into the side room.
When Zhu Qizhen came to the back room, he saw Song Guxi struggling to sit up.
"Lie down and don't move!"
Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and gently pressed her shoulders.
"Your Majesty, are you here?"
Song Guxi's face became much rosier, and it seemed that her body had recovered a lot.
"I came over to see how your injury is?"
"Thanks to the emperor's concern, the slave family is much better."
Zhu Qizhen nodded and asked: "How about the maid Yuan Bin found for you? If you still need help, just ask!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It's enough to have Xiaohua by your side. I'm not a lady, and my body and bones are not that precious."
"This place is not like the palace, and the conditions are limited in all aspects. If you have any needs, especially if there is any problem with your physical condition, you must inform me as soon as possible."
Song Guxi had tears in her eyes and said softly: "Nu family... thank you for your concern, Your Majesty!"
Zhu Qizhen asked in confusion: "Why are you crying?"
"The slave family...the slave family..."
Song Guxi raised her hand to wipe her tears and said: "The emperor is so kind to the slave family..."
Zhu Qizhen smiled awkwardly and said, "You are mine, and with your loyalty, I cannot let you down."
Song Guxi then broke down in tears and smiled, and then said: "The emperor's visit this time is not just to visit the slave family, right?"
"I..." Zhu Qizhen hesitated and said, "I have something to ask you!"
"Your Majesty, please speak."
Song Guxi was very indifferent, as if she had already guessed that the other party must have something to do with her.
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Zhu Qizhen did not hide anything and asked directly: "How much do you know about the matter between the White Lotus Sect and the Japanese pirates?"
Song Guxi frowned slightly and said: "The Nu family doesn't know much about it. They just learned from Yang Xiong that this time the leader is planning to join forces with the Japanese pirates to deal with the imperial court."
"Did you know nothing before you came to the capital?"
"It has been three years since the Nu family came to the capital. Before that, I had never heard of any contact between the White Lotus Sect and Japanese pirates."
Zhu Qizhen stood up, walked back and forth a few steps, and asked again: "Your leader has been in Nanjing?"
Song Guxi nodded and said: "The leader may go to various places for inspections, but he will stay in Nanjing most of the time."
"Does he have... other identities? For example, official position or title?"
Song Guxi shook her head and said: "The leader has lived in seclusion among the people for a long time and rarely interacts with people in the government. His name... Now that I think about it, even the name may be fake."
"Then your White Lotus Sect in Nanjing, do you have any backers?"
"Backer..."
Song Guxi thought hard and then said: "It seems...I have never heard of it..."
Zhu Qizhen said in confusion: "It's impossible. Your White Lotus Sect doesn't have an eyeliner in the court?"
"But..." Song Guxi seemed to have thought of something and said, "Yang Xiong does go out a lot. I heard that he is very close to some officials, but the Nu family doesn't know who they are."
"Then did Yang Xiong tell you that this time the cooperation between Bai Lian and the Japanese pirates also involves a certain big shot in Nanjing?"
Song Guxi shook her head gently and said: "What the emperor said... the Nu family really doesn't know..."
Zhu Qizhen was also helpless. It seemed that Song Guxi had been excluded by the White Lotus Sect's senior leaders, and he didn't know many inside stories.
Seeing this, Song Guxi said pitifully: "It's useless for the slave family..."
"No problem, I'm just asking!"
Zhu Qizhen smiled and said: "You can rest in peace here and try to recover from your injuries as soon as possible. I will come back to see you after a while."
"The slave family...send to the emperor..."
Song Guxi struggled to sit up, but Zhu Qizhen pushed her back onto the bed.
"I told you, take good care of yourself and leave!"
"Your Majesty, walk slowly!"
Song Guxi lay on the bed, waiting for Zhu Qizhen to go out. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away, and the smile on her face slowly disappeared.
The door curtain was lifted, and it turned out that the maid Xiaohua came in carrying a medicine tray.
However, this time, her face was no longer nervous and restrained.
Song Guxi lifted up her clothes, revealing the wound on her abdomen.
Xiaohua took out a piece of clean cotton cloth, dipped it in some spirits, and wiped it gently.
"Hiss——"
Song Guxi felt a heartbreaking pain, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
"Be patient, you'll be fine soon!"
Xiaohua carefully wiped her wound and applied the gold wound medicine before asking: "That was the emperor just now?"
Song Guxi gasped for breath and said: "Exactly!"
"He's not wary of you at all, why don't you take the opportunity to kill him?"
"How can it be that simple?"
Song Guxi sneered: "Didn't you see that Fan Zhong never left his side?"
Xiaohua said expressionlessly: "I can hold him back!"
"It's useless!"
Song Guxi shook her head slightly and said: "Even if we kill him, the prince, and King Yin, those ministers will soon establish a new emperor. There are so many people named Zhu in the world, can you kill them all?" p>
"Then why did the adoptive father go to so much trouble and do so many things, almost risking your life, just to provoke Bai Lian to rebel?"
"You don't understand!"
Song Guxi smiled meaningfully and said slowly: "Bai Lian and the Japanese pirates teamed up to attack Nanjing. If they can succeed, the adoptive father can reap the benefits and control half of the Ming Dynasty. If he can't succeed, it will also cause a turmoil.
When the time comes, the imperial treasury will be empty and the only option is to increase taxes, and the people will naturally feel resentful. At that time, the adoptive father will rise up in the south and call on the diligent kings from all over the world to regain the throne!"
Xiaohua asked again: "By the way, what did the emperor ask you just now?"
"It's strange to say!"
Song Guxi's face became serious and she said, "He seems to have noticed the existence of his adoptive father!"
"Really?" Xiaohua also became nervous and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure?"
"He asked me, behind Bai Lian and the Japanese pirates, is there another big shot in Nanjing?"
Xiaohua thought for a while and asked: "How did you know that the big man he mentioned was his adoptive father?"
"Just now, he kept asking this question over and over again. It seemed that he realized that there was someone else behind this matter. I also felt a little strange. The adoptive father had been behind the scenes, how could he be discovered?"
Xiaohua said: "It's a very important matter, we'd better get this news out as soon as possible!"
"No!"
Song Guxi stopped him and said: "There are hidden sentries of Jin Yiwei around. If you act at this time, your identity will be exposed!"
Xiaohua said disapprovingly: "Did you forget that I know how to disguise myself?"
"That won't work either!"
Song Guxi said in a firm tone: "In addition to the royal guards, there are some mysterious people around the emperor. They are all-pervasive, so you must not be reckless!"
Xiaohua looked puzzled and asked: "Who is it that is more mysterious than Jin Yiwei?"
"More than just a mystery? Those people are like ghost shadows. You can't see them at all, but they do exist!"
"Since you can't see them, how do you know about them?"
"When it came to Fan Ji Warehouse, I obviously destroyed all the clues. The Jinyi Guards searched for a long time and found nothing, but the emperor suddenly broke the clues, which exposed my first layer of identity.
Do you know why?"
Xiaohua looked confused and said: "Why...why?"
Song Guxi recalled the situation at that time and said: "At that time, I was suspicious that there must be some mysterious people around the emperor. Their ability to gather information is more terrifying than the Jin Yiwei! As I came into contact with the emperor more, this idea became more and more serious.
I felt so strong that I took the risk and staged an assassination drama!"
Xiaohua asked nervously: "Have you discovered them?"
"No!"
Song Guxi shook her head, smiled confidently, and said, "But, I can be sure that those people were at the scene at that time!"
The more Xiaohua listened, the more puzzled she became and asked: "What's going on?"
"I am sure that no one knows about my meeting with Yang Xiong. Therefore, I am going to do an experiment to confirm my guess."
Song Guxi seemed a little tired. She paused for a moment, took a breath, and then continued: "I deliberately avoided the vital point with the arrow, and then stabbed the dagger in the lower abdomen. Judging from the scene, I was the murderer.
The assassination attempt failed, so I had to kill myself. However, if someone knew about my meeting with Yang Xiong, it would be different!"
"Sure enough, when the emperor saw me, his expression was completely wrong. He seemed to know Yang Xiong's existence. There is only one reasonable explanation for this situation, that is, someone was at the scene, and how did they tell the emperor that the murderer was someone else! ”
Xiaohua looked quite shocked and said: "You went through so much trouble, even risking your own life, just to find the mysterious person beside the emperor?"
Song Guxi nodded and said: "This clue is very important. If we ignore these mysterious people, our future actions will be very passive!"
Xiaohua asked again: "But, we still don't know where they are hiding, and we don't know how they collect and transmit information. What's the use?"
Song Guxi stared at Xiaohua closely and said solemnly: "At least we know their existence and know that our every move is under their surveillance. Remember, in the future, as long as there is someone around you, no matter who it is, even if A three-year-old child, a madman, a fool, or a blind and deaf person cannot reveal his identity!"
The little girl nodded thoughtfully and said, "I know!"