Baima Town is the gateway to Pujiang County and where the Pujiang Inspection Department is located. Now it has become a military city. Twenty thousand Chinese troops from Zhejiang Dusi have filled the town to the brim, and the streets are full of heavily armed people.
The officers and soldiers, the carts transporting baggage, and the smell of excrement from the animals pulling the carts... But generally speaking, military discipline is pretty good. After all, the Zhejiang army has been fighting Japanese pirates all year round, and military discipline has not slackened.
The inspection department's yamen has been turned into the palace of the Dusi, and the guards of the Dusi have set up a new gate. Guards in bright armor are on strict guard, and no one is allowed to rush into the palace.
Entering the camp, there is a post every three steps, and a sentry every five steps. The security is tight all the way to the front of the main hall.
A topographic map of Pujiang County and the surrounding mountains and rivers is hung in the main hall, and a sand table is also placed. The original desk has been removed and replaced by Uncle Tang's huge rosewood table. The four treasures of the study, pen holder, paperweight, and
Documents and files, as well as the big seal wrapped by Huang Ling
Zhejiang Dusi, Xinchang Botang Yun, wore a mighty python robe, stood with his hands behind his hands in front of the Pujiang County topographic sand table carefully crafted by expert craftsmen, his eyes fixed on Zhengzhai Town, which was one step away from Baima Town, and his brows were furrowed.
Wait until the guard outside announces: "Commander, Zhou Zhitai is here."
"Please." Tang Yun turned around, and after a while, Zhou Xin, dressed in a crimson official robe, came in. His face was as cold as three-winter iron, and he saluted Tang Yun and said, "Thank you for your hard work, uncle."
"It's not hard work, it's hard work, brother Zhou." Tang Yun stretched out his hand and asked him to sit down, and the guards served him tea. Tang Yun himself also sat down on the throne with a sword and a golden horse, and said: "Everyone is so thin after running in the mountains these days.
It’s been a circle.” He paused, then laughed and said, “The harvest must be quite big, right?”
"It's not bad." Zhou Xin could naturally tell that he was teasing him, and said calmly: "Twenty-one traitors were hunted and killed, and their bodies were identified. Three of them were eunuchs. It can be basically determined that they are the people we are looking for.
.”
"What about the rightful owner?" Tang Yun asked, stroking his beard.
"That man has also been forced out of the forest and fled into the town." Zhou Xin said solemnly: "I believe that with my uncle's copper and iron walls, he can hardly fly."
"Of course..." Tang Yunpi said with a smile: "Brother, my army has been deployed. I will listen to my orders."
"Don't dare." Zhou Xin knew that this was the consequence of his sending a message to Tang Yun, asking him to rush his troops into Pujiang River, so he had to explain: "How dare you, a lower official, to override your uncle? It's just an emergency and it concerns the country.
If there is anything offensive, please forgive me."
"Who do you think I am?" The strange look on Tang Yun's face faded, and he said with a smile: "Besides, the emperor said, let me listen to you, just do what you do, don't worry about it."
"Don't dare." Zhou Xin said: "In my uncle's opinion, what should we do now?"
"I told you, I'll listen to you." Tang Yun seemed rough and arrogant, but the hero who came to Jingnan had been immersed in power for ten years, and he had long been cunning. He knew that what happened this time was actually the number one in the world.
If something goes wrong in a major event, he may face the thunderous wrath of the Holy Emperor. Thinking of Emperor Yongle's cold eyes, the proud Uncle Tang couldn't help but tremble. This is the reason why he can obey the will and obey the orders of a civil servant.
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"As soon as the incident happened, we rushed to report it to the imperial court eight hundred miles away. But with this snow, it will take three days at the earliest to get the decree." Zhou Xin said slowly: "The capital is thousands of miles away.
We cannot pass all the responsibilities to His Majesty, we still have to make our own decisions."
"Yeah." Tang Yun nodded and said, "When will Hu Tong arrive?"
"He is in Jiangxi now, and it will take almost three days to arrive." Zhou Xin said.
"It seems that only my brother has made the decision." Tang Yun said with some gloating.
"Then let me tell you boldly." Zhou Xin said solemnly: "Although the Mingjiao has occupied the county seat and the situation seems to be critical, you and I both know that this is insignificant compared to our real mission."
Tang Yun nodded and listened to him continue: "So we have only one goal, which is to find him. There are two possibilities now, one is that he is in the hands of the Mingjiao, the other is that he is under the protection of the Zheng family. In the case of the former,
When there is no hope of escape, his destination must be the county seat. If the latter is the case, he should hide in Zhengzhai Town."
"The Zheng family and Mingjiao didn't wear any pants?" Tang Yun asked in a deep voice.
"At present, there are no signs of convergence." Zhou Xindao: "Otherwise, the situation would never be like this."
Tang Yun thought about it and nodded: "That's right." It is impossible for the Zheng family and the Mingjiao to confront the imperial court alone. Their only way is to join forces and defend Pujiang City together. Only then can they persevere.
Until the reinforcements arrive... let's assume that they have reinforcements. "Then what are you waiting for? Immediately surround Zhengzhai Town and kill the Zheng family first to prevent them from joining together."
"The Zheng family..." Zhou Xin said with a wry smile: "Are they so easy to destroy?"
"What's the difficulty?" Tang Yun sneered: "I have sent out all my elite troops this time, so why are I still afraid of his two thousand soldiers?"
"Uncle, I misunderstood." Zhou Xin shook his head and said, "Xiaoguan means that the Zheng family is the first family in the south of the Yangtze River that Taizu personally granted, and is a model of filial piety in the world. How can we explain it to the world if we eliminate it?"
"Uh..." Tang Yun thought about it. The Zheng family had a good reason to die - they dared to harbor the deposed emperor, which was enough to destroy the nine clans. However, the emperor had already announced that Jianwen was dead, so this reason naturally could not be used. "Collude with the Ming Cult."
, intending to rebel?"
"Then how can Taizu's face be saved?" Zhou Xin shook his head and said: "And there is another point. When Taizu established the "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions", it was based on the K family's family motto. This is known to the world.
"The implication is that if the Zheng family intends to rebel, their family motto is naturally not enough as a motto. Where should the "Ancestor Instructions of the Emperor Ming" be placed?
This is very important, because when Zhu Di rebelled, he was fighting Jianwen under the guise of listening to traitors and demons and changing the laws of his ancestors, so he wanted to "fengtian Jingnan Qingjun". When he became emperor, he would naturally implement Emperor Jianwen's reform measures.
They were all abolished. In order to demonstrate the legitimacy of his throne, he even flaunted himself as the most loyal successor of Emperor Taizu. It was impossible to deny the "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions".
"You can't do this, you can't do that, what do you think we should do?" Tang Yun didn't expect that dealing with the Zheng family would be like a dog biting a hedgehog - there was nowhere to start.
Zhou Xin was waiting for his words. Hearing this, he took a sip of tea and said, "This is a real tribute to Longjing. I treat my subordinates well."
"Haha, it's good to know." The corner of Tang Yun's mouth twitched. He remembered that the other party was a provincial official. If he participated in the tribute for his own personal use, he would definitely be scolded by the emperor, so his attitude became more polite...
"The fate of the Zheng family is not something we can decide." Zhou Xin put down the tea cup and said.
"Yes, it should be decided by the emperor." Tang Yun nodded and said with a grimace: "But how can a minister push the difficult problem to the emperor?" Being able to say this shows that Zhu Di is by no means nepotistic.
"Uncle is right," Zhou Xin said without surprise, nodding: "So for Zhengzhai Town, we should besiege it in the name of protection but not attack it, and then step up efforts to recover the county town while forcing the Zheng family to surrender. Waiting for attack
Go down to the county seat, and if you are sure that the man is not in the hands of the Mingjiao..." After a pause, he said word by word: "I can't say it, even if I dig up three feet of the ground in Zhengzhai Town, I have to dig him out."
"My brother is still thinking carefully." Tang Yun stroked his beard like a steel needle and said: "Well, let's divide the troops into two groups. I will lead people to attack the city, and you will lead people to surround Zhengzhai Town. How about it?"
"We have to blockade the county, we have to attack the city, and we have to blockade Zhengzhai Town." Zhou Xin asked with some worry: "Will the troops be too spread out?"
"Haha, you are an amateur at this." Tang Yun said with a proud smile: "In a small area like Pujiang, an army of 50,000 is not too few but too many. If it were not for the sake of safety, there would be no need for so many people."
"I am an outsider in military matters." Zhou Xin rarely pretended to understand like a civil servant, which is why Tang Yun gave him more face: "Just listen to your uncle."
"Yes." Tang Yun nodded, stood up and said, "I know what you are thinking about why Hu Tong hasn't arrived yet..." Seeing that Zhou Xin remained calm, he thought to himself: "What do you think?
It proves that when it comes to investigating and apprehending the emperor, the Criminal Investigation Department is also competent, and can do a better job than Jin Yiwei."
"I really don't want to be jealous." Zhou Xin shook his head.
"In other words, I want the emperor to know that Jin Yiwei can be replaced." Tang Yun said quietly: "Do you still want to deny it?"
Zhou Xin was silent. This old man had a pig-like face and a bright heart. He really understood everything.
"Don't be nervous." Tang Yun smiled and said, "If I hadn't been on your side, I would have informed Jin Yiwei a long time ago." He said with a sinister look on his face: "Don't worry, brother, brother, I support you and get rid of Ji Gang as soon as possible."
Kick that bastard down so that the brothers can chop him into pieces and feed him to the dogs."
Zhou Xin was stunned for a moment, then realized that Tang Yun's hatred for Ji Gang was probably not fake. Although they were both ministers of Jingnan, Ji Gang was born in Zhusheng, and he could never urinate in a pot with the military generals. Later he became a Jin Yiwei.
The commander, in the name of the emperor, could often ride out and arrest people and kill people, but all officials and generals remained silent in front of him, for fear of suffering disaster.
Ji Gang was domineering and domineering. The emperor was first and second in the world. Even those with higher official positions and higher status than him would be brutally retaliated against if they offended him... The commander of the capital who was at the same level as Ji Gang was mute.
He didn't give way to him on the road, which Ji Gang thought was intentional disrespect and kept it in mind. Later, Ji Gang actually falsely accused him of cheating on rewards and beat the mute Tie to death with a big stick. There was also Xue Lu, the Marquis of Yangwu, who
The governor, regardless of official position, was higher than Ji Gang. The two were jealous over a Taoist nun. Once they met in the palace, Ji Gang grabbed the iron melon in the guard's hand and hit him on the head, cracking Marquis Xue's head.
Yes, almost died
Xue Lu and Hu Shi Tie were both Tang Yun's old comrades-in-arms and brothers. Although Uncle Tang did not dare to directly provoke the fierce god, if anyone wanted to challenge Ji Gang's power, he was very willing to provide help.