But it was said that Lin Hai left office and returned to Beijing. He rested for a few days, visited various old friends, and took Su Zheng's family to show off how filial his disciples were. Su Zheng naturally did not show weakness when he read at midnight, and showed off for half a day how his children had treated him in the past three years.
With a long face, he also took out Jia Cong Xiaojing's woolen knee pads and lambskin gloves with half fingers, and said proudly: "Writing in winter is very cheap and warm."
Lin Hai felt unhappy. After leaving the Su family's door, he ordered a boy to go to the Rongguo Mansion and asked Jia Cong to make two half-cut gloves for him immediately. Jia Cong couldn't laugh or cry, and said: "It's getting hotter and hotter now.
What are you doing with gloves? As winter approaches, I will naturally prepare some for you and send them to you." Lin Hai gave up after hearing this.
Then he went to Prince Xian's Mansion again.
Situ Pan was practicing calligraphy in the room. When he saw him coming in, he put down his pen and said with a smile, "You think of me."
Lin Hai sat down and calmed down for a moment and asked: "What happened? On the day I came back, I went into the palace to meet the saint, but I didn't see the prince, so I felt a little surprised. After that, I talked to the saint for a long time..."
Situ Pan smiled bitterly and said: "I don't know whose method it is. I searched for a long time and couldn't find it out. In the end, Dai Quan said half a sentence, saying that it was fortunate that the wise king was loyal, and if he had any objections, he could do it at any time."
Lin Hai was shocked: "This...this..." Xu Jiufang shook his head and sighed, "Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger."
Situ Pan also shook his head: "I had no intention of going to court, but now my brothers are becoming more and more united and have used many methods to provoke him, but they are counterproductive... Mr. Liu is also old."
Lin Hai was silent for a while again and said: "I still have an important matter in Jiangnan. Because I had some hesitation in my heart, I didn't inform the emperor first and came to discuss it with the prince."
Situ Pan asked what was going on.
Lin Hai said in a low voice: "I only know about the salt class and other matters, and I don't investigate other matters. Your Majesty, please check if Xu Hong, the commander-in-chief of Jiangxi Province, has been greedy for money or emptied his salary in recent years."
Situ Pan sneered: "What are you investigating? In what year has he not been greedy for ink? He is the biggest among those who are greedy for ink in the south of the Yangtze River, and he is also the most powerful in terms of salary. If it is done according to the law, he will be beheaded ten times without stopping. In the early years, he was also investigated
He was really upset after the investigation, so he simply stopped investigating and waited until the old man left."
Lin Hai asked again: "Is there any way to deal with it?"
Situ Pan sighed: "What if we can deal with this? He is a capable man, and he only obeys the old man's orders. Now we are still being strangled by the old man. Besides, he has many soldiers, and he knows
He won over people's hearts and never kept the benefits for himself. All the military attachés in Jiangxi were kept fat by him. The governor of Jiangxi had to flatter and please every ordinary general under him. Even if the old man wanted to deal with him, he still had to weigh his head.
Those people.”
Lin Hai sighed: "How can such a person not rebel?"
Situ Pan was shocked: "Does he have any intention to rebel? No way, when he was captured in southern Xinjiang, he would rather die than rebel."
Lin Hai sneered and said: "In what year was it? When did he have so many property and children? When did he have these subordinates? Moreover, he is only over fifty years old, and it is obvious that he can survive the old saint. The prince also said just now,
We just wait until the old saint is gone. How could he not know it himself?" He paused and said, "Xu Hongbao is already recruiting private soldiers."
Situ Pan took a breath of air. After a while, he said, "Do you have any solid evidence?"
Lin Hai shook his head: "No, it's just a guess. Four years ago, a private salt dealer died in a blacksmith shop. The Yangzhou prefect investigated that the blacksmith was secretly involved in selling private salt, and because of uneven distribution of the spoils, he beat the dealer to death and escaped. That case
Although it was small, there was something strange about it. I wanted to go back from Beijing and investigate again, but it turned out that the father of the most important witness that day was a money bag of the old saint, and he was involved with two or three princes. Later.
The Holy Father ordered me not to interfere with the old saint's affairs anymore, so I gave up. After a long time, I accidentally discovered that the witness was actually a fake! Unfortunately, things have changed, and it has been too long, and further investigations can no longer find anything." said
Then he took out a booklet from his arms and said, "This thing was obtained from the private salt dealer, which is very vague. The fake witness that day deceived me and said that this thing recorded private salt."
Situ Pan took it and looked at it. It was a small account book. It seemed to record the purchase of firewood and charcoal, and how much firewood and charcoal was purchased for how much copper money.
Lin Haidao: "It's just that the price of firewood and charcoal near Yangzhou is not that high. If I want to turn it into private salt, I have tried many methods. From the perspective of a big salt lord, it is barely possible. However, that private salt dealer is definitely not a big salt lord. If there is any
That big salt lord Lin doesn't know, so he spent so many years in the salt class in the south in vain?"
Situ Pan asked: "In your opinion, what is recorded in this account book?"
Lin Haidao: "The missing blacksmith is a very famous skillful hand of the Huaiyang generation. His surname is Wang, and he is known as the Kitchen Knife King. Since he is entangled with him, the most likely thing is the weapon."
Situ Pan's expression changed.
"Based on the price of a good bayonet, the price of 'firewood' in his account is reasonable if converted from copper coins to silver. The price of carbon converted to silver is equivalent to the price of a complete set of military armor."
Making an account book in the name of another thing is a common way to make false accounts. Situ Pan turned over the book, and his face became uglier as he turned over it. Finally, he smashed it on the table. It took him a long time before he asked.
: "How do you know it was Xu Hong?"
Lin Haidao: "The private salt dealer is from Yuzhang, so I first suspected Xu Hong. Naturally, I couldn't guarantee that it was someone else."
Situ Pan silently considered the southern generals from beginning to end in his mind, and finally said: "He is the only one."
Lin Hai nodded and said: "This matter is too big, and it is all speculation. I dare not take the liberty to report it, so I came to discuss it with the prince first."
Situ Pan sighed: "Ruhai, you are becoming more and more cautious. You lead the salt class alone, and you really don't know many things. Since we have doubts, if we had reported to Beijing earlier, we would have started to investigate earlier.
go."
Lin Hai lowered his eyes and said, "It's true that I didn't think well and allowed him to do nothing for about two years."
Situ Pan picked up the account book and looked at it carefully, and said: "According to this number, Xu Hong has a big appetite; plus the number of private soldiers assigned to him as free pay, it becomes even more impressive. I don't know what Jiangxi will do now."
What has become of his son? Even if he fell out with the imperial court immediately, it is possible that the mercenaries could not protect him. Three feet of ice is not a day's cold, and it doesn't matter if you have indulged him in the past two years. Since he was aware of it, if he had bitten him to death at that time
If we continue to investigate, I'm afraid that if things get tighter and tighter, it may not be easy to investigate; if we force him to go against him, it will become even more troublesome."
Lin Hai cupped his hands and said, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
Situ Pan smiled and said: "I am telling the truth, and I am not trying to excuse you. I just came to Third Brother and said that it was strange that you got this account book back then, but you never understood why. I brought it to me today. My second brother
It took me half a day of analysis to deduce the above, and I was so shocked that I went to the palace to meet the saint."
Lin Hai hurriedly bowed and saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for covering up for me."
Situ Pan waved his hand and said: "You and I have been friends for many years, how come these false courtesy? If you are not awkward, I am awkward."
Lin Hai smiled softly and stood up to leave. Situ Pan walked him to the door of the study and stopped. Then he returned to the case and picked up the account book. Lin Hai came back again.
He smiled bitterly and cupped his hands and said, "I just forgot something, please help me."
Situ Pan smiled and asked what was going on.
Lin Hai shook his head and sighed: "It's ridiculous! I really don't know how to say it. As an official of the imperial court, I feel so embarrassed." Then he told the story before and after Yang Heng was wronged. Although he knew that the person who robbed the prison was someone from the Rongguo Mansion, he only said that
This person is "Yang Heng's friend in Green Forest in his early years." He finally said, "I'm afraid that the Wucheng Army and Horses Division couldn't find out who the real culprit was, and was forced by the Zhenguo government, so they randomly found someone to take the blame.
The culprit was rescued again."
Situ Pan was stunned for a long time after hearing this, and smiled bitterly: "Although it's ridiculous, it's not surprising."
Lin Haidao: "Yang Heng has corrected his evil ways over the years, which is really rare. I have just arrived in Beijing, and it is inconvenient to spend a lot of time and money with Mr. Zhao. Unexpectedly, the Zhenguo government is also involved. Besides, it is illegal for his friend to rescue him. If you have the intention, let's leave it like that.
Well, if Mr. Zhao does this, his household registration will probably be cancelled."
Situ Pan said: "One more thing is worse than one less thing. Anyway, Zhao Cheng knows what's going on in his heart. Even if he meets Yang Heng on the road, he won't say anything. Household registration is easy to handle, so I'll just tell someone."
Lin Hai hurriedly thanked him and resigned again. Situ Pan ordered someone to bring some clothes and bring them to the palace.
The saint had just come back from paying his respects to the Queen Mother, and was full of depression. When he heard what he said about Xu Hong's incident, he was shocked and said: "What a courageous dog!"
Situ Pan said: "It's just speculation between myself and Mr. Lin, I don't know if it is true or not."
The saint picked up the account book, flipped through it, and asked, "Have you two compared the prices of sabers and armor?"
Situ Pan said: "Yes. Because the suspect is a blacksmith, Mr. Lin suddenly guessed whether it was a weapon. I immediately ordered someone to go to the workshop to find out. If our guess is true, the cost of his is higher than that of the workshop.
But they are very similar. If someone were to privately make armor in the south of the Yangtze River, many of the raw materials would be hard to come by, so they would naturally be more expensive, but that makes sense."
When the saint heard what he said, he believed it and nodded: "I'm afraid it will be eight or nine years apart."
Situ Pan said: "There is no solid evidence, so there is nothing we can do about it. The most important thing now is to get someone to verify it."
The saint sneered and said: "What's the use of having solid evidence? There was not much solid evidence in the past? What can be done to him?"
Situ Pan said: "The old man doesn't take these charges seriously. How can it be the same as rebellion? He will never protect Xu Hong again."
The saint picked up the book and said with a sinister sneer: "This thing is real evidence. Just check it. If you can't find it, use it as evidence and make some circumstantial evidence. It's useless to be able to bring down Xu Hong."
Give the old man a hand."
Situ Pan said: "If it is true as Mr. Lin guessed, Xu Hong will not be willing to plead guilty. I am afraid that the troops in his hands will be difficult to deal with."
The saint frowned and said, "Let's check it out first. I'm sorry for bothering my ninth brother."
Situ Pan thought for a while and said: "It's just that I just took over Zhou Yan's job not long ago. This person is really not qualified for this business. There are many incompetent people under his command. I'm afraid I have to recruit suitable people from scratch. If Xu Hong is determined to rebel
, I must be on guard. I am afraid that the rubbish I have on hand cannot be verified. Third brother, can you transfer two capable people from Eunuch Liu to me."
The sage said: "This is easy, just ask him for it."
Situ Pan took the order and left. He immediately found the old eunuch Liu Dengxi and asked Feng Ziying and Qin Sangu to leave. Although Liu Dengxi was reluctant to leave, he heard that he was investigating the major case of Xu Hong's rebellion and knew how important Xu Hong was.
I had to bear the pain and give up my love.
Soon, Jia Cong heard that Feng Ziying was going to the south with Situ Pan to do business and would leave after the Mid-Autumn Festival. He also heard that Qin Sangu also wanted to go south to check the accounts in person, and that she would leave after the Mid-Autumn Festival. He rolled his eyes and sighed falsely.
Said: "Then I have seen through everything."
Because Qin Sangu accidentally heard him mention that Yang Heng was from the Yang family in Yuzhang, she said: "The Yang family in Yuzhang is very famous in Green Forest. I am going to Jiangxi when I go south this time. I haven't been there for a long time. I don't know where it is."
What does it look like? Cong'er, how about I introduce this friend of yours to me and I can find out more about him?"
Jia Cong hated Xu Hong and assassinated Lin Hai several times. He was worried that he could not help them, so he naturally agreed. He then smiled and said: "Uncle Lin's bodyguard, Brother Yang, is his brother, and he is also from the Yang family in Yuzhang. You guys
We know each other." So he took Yang Song and Yang Heng together with Qin Sangu to have a nice banquet at Taibai Residence, the most famous place in Beijing. Jia Cong treated him and Qin Sangu paid for it.
Qin Sangu and Yang Song had worked together to protect Lin Hai when he went south in the early years. They hadn't seen each other for a long time. They reminisced about old times at the table. Then she asked the Yang brothers about the situation in Jiangxi Mansion. They both knew that everyone there was controlled by the president.
Bing Xu Hong was in charge alone, and even the governor was just a decoration. He hurriedly asked carefully. Yang Heng shook his head and said many unreasonable things, and finally said: "What can ordinary people do? They will be bullied for nothing. That's why I
He left his hometown and came to Beijing to make a living."
Jia Cong said angrily: "Such a corrupt official in the imperial court just stares at him and thinks he is as high as the sky and the emperor is far away?"
Qin Sangu sighed: "I'm afraid the imperial court won't be able to control it."
Jia Cong hummed: "Whatever it can't control, that's the court! As long as it doesn't want to control it, there's nothing it can't control."
Yang Song said: "What do you, a child, know? These generals with military power don't listen to civilian officials at all, or even the court. They can't just send troops to encircle and suppress them. How many soldiers will die in vain?"
Qin Sangu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, how can the lives of soldiers be wasted in vain like this?"
Jia Cong made a "cut" sound: "He has almost become a warlord. How is it different from a rebellion? Wouldn't it be over with a direct beheading operation?"
Qin Sangu hurriedly asked what the beheading operation was.
Jia Cong said: "The ancients said that to capture thieves, capture the king first. There is no need to capture Xu Hong, a rebellious minister and traitor. It is only said that there is an urgent matter in the court and he is transferred to the capital and killed in a pavilion ten miles outside the city."
Qin Sangu snorted: "Do you think he is a fool? If he is transferred to the capital for no reason, he will definitely refuse to come. If he is not protected, he will be forced to rebel, and the people will suffer again."
Jia Cong said: "Let's think of a way. There are so many high officials in the court, can't they even think of a reliable way? It's okay if you can't get a gold medal. The purpose of recruiting Yue Fei with twelve gold medals is to kill Zhongliang, and the gold medal
He is innocent, but it is the old thief Qin Hui who should be scolded. The gold medal can kill loyal people, and it can also punish corrupt officials. As the saying goes, a black cat and a white cat are good cats if they catch mice."
Qin Sangu smiled and said, "That's all, you are the smartest." Then she changed the topic.
Jia Cong knew that she must have an idea in her mind and stopped talking nonsense.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, after many years, Lin Hai and his daughter celebrated the Reunion Festival. The father and daughter recited poems to the moon and had a great time.
Jia Cong on the other side was not very happy. Taking advantage of the fact that the children were happy during the festival, Jia She told him that the old lady of the Gao family had sent a letter, asking for a match for Gao Mang to welcome the Spring Festival. Jia Cong naturally liked Gao Mang;
It's just that he has always been a sister-controller, and he was extremely unhappy when this man wanted to marry his sister, and his face immediately turned dark.
Jia She then asked, "If you don't like it, go find someone you can trust."
Jia Cong argued: "How old is my sister? How could she get engaged so early?"
Jia She stretched out his hand and gestured: "Fifteen! How can fifteen come earlier? How many girls from other families have gotten married at this age. Your sister is still a concubine, and Gao Mang is the eldest son's legitimate son. Your sister is much higher up."
Jia Cong jumped up and said, "My dad! My sister, Jia Cong, is nothing but a concubine! I only have one sister, okay? Just wait two years, two years is enough. Believe it or not, more than half of the whole capital has
A wealthy family member wants to marry her?"
Jia She snorted: "I know your kid's abilities. Talking about high-ranking families, even the prince is willing to marry your sister as his concubine. Do you dare to let your sister marry you?"