On this day, Chen Ruiwen, an important minister of Wu Guofu, was working in the government office. A eunuch came from the Wu Palace and said that Queen Mother Shen had something urgent to come to see him. Chen Ruiwen frowned slightly. Since the uncle who was the governor of Yunnan replied to her letter, the woman's ambition suddenly increased. Although he didn't seem to want to listen to politics behind the curtain, Chen Ruiwen didn't like it. Even so, he had to go. Chen Ruiwen straightened his official robe and walked away with square steps.
Arriving at Prince Wu's Mansion, the disciple shouted: "Master Chen is here! Please come quickly!"
Chen Ruiwen coughed: "What's the matter?"
"Oh, I don't know. Anyway, the Queen Mother is furious. I have never seen the Queen Mother so angry."
Just as he was talking, a maid came up to her. Chen Ruiwen recognized her. She was serving Queen Mother Shen. The maid hurriedly saluted and said: "Master Chen, the treasury was stolen and more than 80 million in silver was lost."
Chen Ruiwen's calf trembled: "How much?!"
"More than eighty million." The maid's eyes turned red, "That is the foundation left by the late prince!"
Chen Ruiwen was anxious: "What's going on!"
"Sir, follow me quickly." The maid hurriedly turned around to lead the way, and Chen Ruiwen followed.
Walking all the way to Queen Mother Shen's room, she saw a fat old eunuch kneeling on the ground. Chen Ruiwen looked at him for a moment and didn't recognize him. Queen Mother Shen's eyes were reddish and smooth, and it was obvious that she had just cried. She looked more aggressive than before. , Chen Ruiwen's heart moved when he saw this look. He stepped forward to salute. Empress Dowager Shen waved her hands hurriedly: "Master Chen, there is no need to be polite."
Chen Ruiwen followed the instructions, came closer and whispered: "Queen Mother, what happened?"
Empress Dowager Shen wiped her tears with a handkerchief, pointed to a pile of papers and booklets on the desk and said, "The Ai family had nothing to do. I was sorting out the poems written by the late prince and preparing to send them to the prince for study. Then I saw this poem." She pointed to the desk. There is a poem manuscript on it, "I heard from people around the late prince that this was a poem he wrote at the entrance of the imperial garden in the capital when he was young. So I copied it."
Chen Ruiwen thought to himself: Wasn't the treasury stolen? Why did it involve poetry? Naturally, he didn't dare to say it, so he stepped forward and picked up the poem and read it. It was a five-character quatrain, and it was really well done. He praised: "Good. Poetry. At that time, the late prince must have been young and full of ambition."
Empress Dowager Shen wiped away her tears again and said: "This poem looked familiar to me, and I thought about it for a long time before I remembered: the twenty characters in the riddle that the late prince gave me are exactly the same. Even the order is the same. .”
Chen Ruiwen's heart moved: "The late prince left a riddle for the Queen Mother?"
Queen Mother Shen nodded: "The late prince said that he hid a large house in a secluded place on the outskirts of Jinling. There are more than 80 million silver locked in the warehouse of the house." Chen Ruiwen took a sharp breath and trembled slightly. Queen Mother Shen continued, "If there is anything unusual in the country and the money is needed, let the Ai family come up with it. He said that it would be boring to tell the location of the storehouse directly. It would be more interesting to guess the location of the storehouse. So he made a charade of the address of the storehouse and wrote it to the Ai family. ." She pointed to another piece of paper, "This is the riddle that the late prince gave to the Ai family."
Chen Ruiwen picked it up and saw that it was the handwriting of the former King of Wu. What he saw was a short essay, with twenty characters circled in red pen, which was the poem written by King Wu when he was young. At the back was an address written in red pen. , is exactly the handwriting of Empress Dowager Shen. If the poem had not been circled, one would not be able to tell what address was hidden in the whole text. Now that it has been circled, it is very easy to guess the address at the bottom of the essay.
She couldn't help but nod secretly: The late prince's trick was very clever. Empress Dowager Shen would definitely not let others see this riddle that contained 80 million silver. And this poem was not written by the late prince in recent years. Unless the empress dowager Shen personally sorted out all the poems, otherwise I'm afraid she won't be able to see it. The late prince's poems are mediocre. If she has other thoughts, she will not spend time on such things. If she is thinking about the late prince, this money will be a big contribution, no matter whether the young prince or the courtiers. How could he treat her well? Then he thought of the theft and asked slightly, "Since the Queen Mother guessed the riddle, how could it be stolen?"
Empress Dowager Shen looked at the fat old eunuch on the ground floor, and pointed to another piece of paper on the desk: "He was taken away in an open and fair manner."
Chen Ruiwen hurriedly picked it up and took a look. It was still in the handwriting of the late prince, saying that the entire warehouse was handed over to his confidants, Eunuch Guo and Master Jianru. The lonely king had important matters concerning the world for them to handle. This matter must not be disclosed to anyone. The prince's seal was also stamped on the bottom. Chen Ruiwen was furious: "How dare you, the eunuch!"
Empress Dowager Shen pointed to a loose bundle on the desk: "This was found from the mezzanine of the cabinet in Eunuch Guo's room."
Chen Ruiwen saw the gold seal of King Wu at a glance. The gold seal was in the hands of the young prince and he had used it yesterday. This could only be a forgery. There was also a stack of paper with writing on it. Chen Ruiwen took it in his hand and took a look - the first one What Zhang wrote was a poem, the late prince's favorite work. The second piece was a few lines of the Analects. The third piece was an imperial edict written by the late prince himself in the early years, commending a chaste woman in Zhenjiang. He said in surprise: "Isn't this what we should do?" In Mrs. Li's own hands? How did he get it?"
Empress Dowager Shen sneered: "How could he get it? It's really still in Mrs. Li's hands."
Chen Ruiwen suddenly understood: The eunuch had been with the late prince for many years and was good at imitating his handwriting! These were all his pen skills. He forged the gold seal and the prince's handwriting, defrauded the trust of the old eunuch who guarded the treasury, and stole 80 million silver. .then slapped the case and cursed. Empress Dowager Shen shed tears silently. After scolding for a long time, Chen Ruiwen snorted: "Does he think he can run away? The shadows and figures are being hunted nationwide!"
Empress Dowager Shen said: "There is also a fat monk Jianru from Huiji Temple who is with him."
"A shadow pattern! Let the two of them have nowhere to hide!" Chen Ruiwen took a sharp breath and said after a while, "I'm afraid they will escape overseas."
Empress Dowager Shen thought: "In addition to the silver in the warehouse, there are also some antique calligraphy and paintings that the late prince brought from the capital. They have to cash these things and exchange the silver for silver notes so that they can be carried around. If I were them, I would go there The stolen goods are sold in the capital or Ping'an Prefecture. There are quite a lot of those things, and it is not easy to sell them all. Besides, we have not noticed it for more than half a year, so they will definitely become more courageous." He smiled bitterly and said, "If they really have escaped overseas, We're afraid there's nothing we can do." Chen Ruiwen pounded the desk and let out a long sigh.
The words are divided into two parts. On this day, in the suburbs of Chen State, an eunuch came from Zhuangzi, where Jianru Yang An and others lived. He was an important person around King Chen. He sent an invitation to King Chen, saying that he had a family banquet he wanted to invite. His younger brother went over to meet him in the evening. Eunuch Guo was surprised. Although King Chen and the saint were brothers from the same father, they were strangers to each other. So, why did King Chen invite the saint to the banquet? So he went back to consult Yang An to discuss.
Yang An laughed when he heard this: "My father-in-law is overthinking it. Maybe it's King Chen's son's birthday? Or maybe King Chen was happy and remembered interesting things in the palace in his early years? Aren't brothers allowed to kiss each other?"
Eunuch Guo waved his hand: "General Yang doesn't know. The Tian family brothers are not even close to each other if they are born to the same mother. What's more, they are not born to the same mother. They are so different in age. We have not been in contact with each other in these years. We have been in Chen country for many days."
I don’t see how King Chen treats the saints any differently.”
"So indifferent?" Yang An clicked his tongue, "Brothers!"
Eunuch Guo hummed: "The emperor's sons have no relatives. They are all raised by different concubines."
Yang An touched his chin: "It's really a bit weird. Otherwise, don't go. Just say that the saint is not in good shape. I'll wear night clothes and sneak into Prince Chen's Mansion to investigate."
Jianru thought for a while and said, "It's better to go as a poor monk."
Yang An didn't care: "It's okay. The master's kung fu is better than mine."
Jian Rusui disguised himself, but before he walked out of the gate of Zhuangzi, he noticed that there were many people hiding outside, and immediately withdrew. When Yang An heard about it, he jumped up on the big elm tree by the wall, looked around for a while, and ran back to Eunuch Guo's house.
Li said anxiously: "We, Zhuangzi, have been surrounded. Look, we have a lot of men, regular troops."
Eunuch Guo was shocked: "King Chen sent troops to surround Zhuangzi?"
Yang An nodded: "They all carry firearms, which are reflective under the sun. This is not easy to handle. All our muskets have been sent for replacement."
Eunuch Guo was anxious: "Why is everything so normal? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Jianru's face suddenly became murderous: "I have to go out, let's see who dares to stop me."
Yang An waved his hand: "No matter how good the master is in martial arts, he is no match for a musket. Since he said he would invite the saint to a banquet tonight, it is obvious that he wants to fish the saint out. He will not do anything before tonight." He thought for a moment, "The top priority is
It is to find out why King Chen suddenly changed his face."
Jianru stood up and said, "I need to go to Prince Chen's Mansion for a walk."
Yang An thought for a while: "The master is the best in martial arts in Zhuangzi, and he is reserved to protect the saints. I went to meet my good friends. They thought I was a businessman from out of town. The brothels are the most well-informed, and those vixens have better noses than dogs.
"
Eunuch Guo nodded: "Very true. Master, let General Yang go first."
Yang An then put on the begonia red brocade robe, swaggered out of the gate of Zhuangzi, jumped on his horse and drove away. No one stopped him, and no one followed him. He went to the city and bought two pieces of jewelry, and went to a brothel to give them to his sweetheart.
The two talked for a long time and agreed to come back tonight. Yang An rode back again.
Entering Zhuangzi with a dark face, Yang An went straight to Eunuch Guo's room. The two of them had been guessing the whole story and discussing countermeasures. When Yang An came in, they both asked: "General Yang, have you found any clues?"
Yang An glanced at the two of them for a long time, and they felt a little frightened in their hearts. Fang cupped his fists and said, "I'm sorry, general. May I ask you two, are you really sent by the former King Wu to deliver a blood letter?"
The two looked at each other. Jian Ru said: "What does General Yang mean by this?"
Yang An sneered, took out a folded piece of paper from his arms, and threw it in front of the two of them: "I took this off from Chenzhou City. I heard that it was all over the streets and alleys yesterday, but it's all gone today.
.I searched for a long time to find one that the yamen officer missed."
The two opened it and saw that it was a sea arrest document. On it were drawn the faces of two wanted criminals, none other than Eunuch Guo and Monk Jianru. The document was clearly written: Eunuch Guo imitated the handwriting of the previous King of Wu and forged the gold of the King of Wu.
Yin deceived the guards of Wu State's treasury and stole 80 million silver, many antique calligraphy and paintings, and rare treasures from the treasury. Now the stolen goods may be sold everywhere, and all countries are asked to help in the arrest. But if there are clues, Wu State will definitely reward him heavily.
Monk Jianru jumped up and said: "You are talking nonsense and spitting blood!"
Yang An's face was calm: "You two can see more clearly. This document was issued by the State of Wu. It was sent directly to the Chenzhou Yamen, and the officials posted it. King Chen didn't know about these trivial matters at first. Later, he didn't know who was on the street.
I saw it and reported it to the palace. King Chen was afraid that you two would notice it, so he ordered someone to take it off."
Eunuch Guo asked anxiously: "This money was originally left by the late emperor to the empress dowager. When did it become the king of Wu's?"
Yang An was stunned: "The Empress Dowager?"
Jian Ru hurriedly said: "Didn't you see it in the capital?" He ignored the others and pushed Eunuch Guo, "What's the address?"
Eunuch Guo said "Ah", turned around and took out a piece of paper from the pillow case and handed it to Yang An. "I found this behind the plaque of Yujing Pavilion according to the late emperor's riddle."
Yang An took a look and saw that it was indeed the thin piece of paper from that day. On it was written an address to the east of the capital city and a sentence: "The key to the warehouse is hidden under the root of the locust tree." Then he looked hesitant. Jianru sighed: "
I'm afraid the late emperor
The Emperor did not treat the Empress Dowager well, so she left some money for her. Last time when she went to Beijing, the Empress Dowager read our prince's letter and ordered the two of us to take this out and help the saint eliminate the traitors and restore the country."
Eunuch Guo said sincerely: "Although I don't know what the misunderstanding was on the other side of Wu State, General Yang was present that day. Don't you still want to see it?"
Yang An unconsciously nodded: "Yes, you were extremely poor and lived in a slum in the north of the capital."
"No!" Jianru clapped his hands, "The general understands best."
Yang An looked at his hands and then at the desk, hesitated again and again, and finally said: "You two are still trustworthy."
The two of them suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Jianru said angrily: "What on earth did Chen Ruiwen do!" Then he and Eunuch Guo started to curse together.
Yang An watched silently, thinking: These two are more loyal than capable. The king of Wu entrusted them with the matter of life and death of the country, how could they possibly succeed... He raised his right hand and said: "Master, Guo
Father-in-law, I have two ideas."
The two men immediately stopped yelling: "General, please speak."
Yang An pointed at the sea arrest document and said: "I'm thinking that there are two possibilities for this matter. One is that a certain official of the Wu State, such as Mr. Chen you just scolded, stole the Wu State's treasury and issued this document to frame him.
The second is that this document has nothing to do with the state of Wu, and was forged by King Chen in order to find a reason to destroy us."
Jian Ru said: "We are doing things for the world, why would he destroy us?"
Yang An glanced at the two of them and asked: "Which prince believed what the previous King Wu said in his letter?" The two were silent. It was obvious that neither of them believed it. Yang An chuckled and said, "No one believes it.
King Chen himself didn’t believe it. In the first few months, he pretended to help, just to see what kind of noise we could make. After waiting for so long, from summer to winter, it will be the twelfth lunar month in a few days, but we didn’t see any
What a capable person. People are not afraid anymore."
Jianru was confused: "Why is he afraid of us? Even this Zhuangzi belongs to him."
Yang An twitched his lips: "Of course Zhuangzi must be his, otherwise God knows where we would run to?" Seeing that the two of them were still confused, Yang An shook his head, "No matter whether the sea arrest document was from Wu or Chen
So, let's try to get out of here as soon as possible. Are we still waiting to kill people and steal wealth? If the saint hadn't been here with us, and if King Chen wanted to save face, he would have been blamed last night!"