The soldiers of the Dang Bandit Regiment walked from the city wall to the eight city gates and controlled the entire city of Suzhou from the city wall.???
The city gate was opened, the suspension bridge was lowered, and Zhong Feng led his troops into Suzhou City and began to capture the target of this trip.
The soldiers of the gangster regiment walked in groups on the streets and alleys, shouting:
"The Bohu of Xingguo will mobilize his troops to attack the criminals. He only arrests the criminals and does not disturb the people's residences. The people should not worry!"
"Restore Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai, Chen Zilong, incite the world to resist taxes, kill them!"
"Kill the evil gentry who smashed Fan's home decoration goods!"
"Kill the Suzhou magistrate who allows the scum to be beaten!"
"The rest of the people are not guilty. The people guard their homes, and I, the fierce master, will not do anything wrong!"
When the common people saw that the murderous army had occupied the whole city, they were so frightened that they closed their courtyard doors and did not dare to come out. However, there were some brave ones who saw that these soldiers did not disturb the people and even opened their doors and stood at the door to watch the fun.
Soon, the informant of the secret guard ambassador Han Jinxin found Li Laosi and reported Zhang Pu's whereabouts to Li Laosi.
"Captain Li, something is not good. Yesterday Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai and Chen Zilong were still living in the Wang Ju family in the east of the city. Today, seeing that the city was about to be breached, they moved out from the Wang family. We don't know yet.
Where did you escape to?"
Li Laosi frowned when he heard this and said, "Can we still let them run away?"
The informant was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and said: "General, the younger one is just a servant of the Wang family, and he can't keep an eye on the three of them all the time. The three of them had to escape and hid in a house, and the younger one couldn't find out what happened.
Come."
Cui Changwu took a breath and said: "Captain Li, Suzhou City is so big, it is too easy to hide three people. Once they are hidden, it will be difficult to find them out."
Li Laosi waved his hand and said: "Let the soldiers control the city gate. Only women are allowed in and out, and men are strictly prohibited from going out." After thinking about it, Li Laosi said: "Now that Suzhou Mansion is under our control, these three people cannot escape. First,
Go catch the gentry who smashed goods and the prefect of Suzhou Prefecture who indulged the gentry."
The soldiers of the gangster group found the shopkeepers whose goods had been smashed and asked them to lead the way. They quickly arrested all the gentry and servants who had smashed the goods. A company of soldiers stormed the Suzhou prefecture magistrate's office and killed the man who was about to hang himself.
The prefect took control. The head of the Wang family who had collected Zhang Pu and allowed Zhang Pu to escape privately was also arrested and charged as an important accomplice. These captured criminals were all put into cells, waiting to catch Zhang Pu and the other three.
Later, they asked and beheaded together.
Zhong Feng rode into the prefect's Yamen and used the Yamen as a temporary command post.
In the lobby of the Yamen, Cui Changwu sat down and said to Li Laosi: "Captain Li, what should we do now?"
Li Laosi thought for a while and said: "First we need to interrogate the Wang family. Zhang Pu and the other three have left the Wang family and moved to other places. The Wang family may know some clues. Secondly, we must make a public announcement that Zhang Pu and the other three are wanted throughout the city. Three
When people are fleeing in the city, someone will always see their whereabouts. We must show justice to the people and let them know the harm to the people of the world caused by the three people's incitement to resist taxes."
Cui Changwu nodded.
Li Laosi quickly published a notice and posted it in the streets and alleys of the city. However, after six days, no clues were found from the Wang family, and no one took off the notice to report the whereabouts of Zhang Pu and the others.
A group of officers led troops to patrol the city every day, but could not find any trace of Zhang Pu, and they were all a little discouraged. On this day, the battalion commanders ended their patrols during the day and sat in the prefect's Yamen to discuss.
"This Pu is the pride of Suzhou people. The people in the city are quite protective of him and are unwilling to report him."
"Captain, if someone deliberately conceals it, hides the three of them in the yard, and prevents them from going out every day, how can we catch him?"
"Is it necessary to search every room? Suzhou City is so big. How long will it take for five thousand people to search it all?"
Li Laosi took a breath and said: "The city of Suzhou is too big to be searched. We can only post more notices and increase the reward money. We should make it known to the citizens, use it for the benefit, and encourage the citizens to report."
A battalion commander said: "If three people entered someone's house in a sedan and then hid inside, I'm afraid no one would see their whereabouts. Even if there is a reward of a thousand taels of silver, no one may be able to earn it."
Li Laosi was silent, feeling a little anxious. Could it be that he finally captured Suzhou but had to be escaped by these three people?
Li Laosi tapped the table with his fingers and was thinking there when he saw a soldier running in and shouted happily: "Captain, someone posted a post to report the whereabouts of Zhang Pu and the others!"
Li Laosi and the battalion commanders looked at each other, their eyes filled with overjoyed joy. Li Laosi stood up and said: "Where are the volunteers from, please come in quickly!"
After a while, a scholar wearing a square scarf and a Japanese sword walked into the Yamen lobby and knelt down to salute Mr. Li.
"Student He Chengbiao has met the general."
Li Laosi stood up and helped the scholar up, and said: "Ms. He, have you seen Zhang Pu and the others?"
He Chengbiao said: "I didn't see the whereabouts of the three of them, but yesterday I got a scholar who entered school in the same year drunk and tricked him into knowing where the three of them are."
Li Laosi was stunned for a moment and said, "So, more than one person knows the whereabouts of the three of them."
He Chengbiao said: "There are no less than a hundred people in Suzhou city who know the whereabouts of Zhang Pu and the others. It's just that the citizens of Suzhou are proud of Zhang Tianru and protect him in every possible way, but no one comes out to expose it!"
Li Laosi pondered and said: "In that case, why did He Xianggong come forward and report Zhang Pu?"
He Chengbiao said: "It is very abominable that this Pu controls the imperial examination. According to my knowledge, I should have been admitted as a scholar when I was seventeen years old. But because I had no money to send to Fushe, I was suppressed time and time again, and I survived until last year.
He didn’t become a scholar until he was twenty-five years old. Scholars from gentry background could easily gain fame by giving money to Zhang Pu, and they all supported Zhang Pu. A scholar from a poor family like me couldn’t give money, so he lost his reputation, so naturally I wouldn’t collude with him.
.”
Li Laosi praised: "Xiangong He said it well! We should not let such dirty villains get away with it and deceive the world and steal their reputation!"
He Chengbiao said: "It's just that I went to the magistrate's office to report Zhang Pu. From now on, the gentry in Suzhou City will regard me as an enemy bandit. I can't stay in Suzhou anymore. I have always heard of Uncle Xingguo's name, and I would like to serve under Uncle Xingguo."
, looking for a job."
Li Laosi pointed at Cui Changwu and said: "This matter is simple! Cui Xianggong, the ambassador of the shogunate's copywriting department, is here. If Mr. He is willing, you can go to the shogunate to write documents. If you report meritoriously, you will start directly as a second-level clerk.
Three taels and seven cents of silver a month.”
When He Chengbiao heard this, his face was full of joy, he bowed to Cui Changwu and said: "Then my subordinate will work with Cui Xianggong from now on!"
Cui Changwu helped He Chengbiao up and asked with a smile: "Why do you need a big gift?"
He Chengbiao then stood up straight and said: "That Zhang Pu is hiding in Qian Qianyi's yard in Goose Alley in the west of Suzhou Fucheng. The general can send people to search the west of the city to catch him!"
It turned out that these three people were taken in by Qian Qianyi.
Li Laosi was overjoyed and was about to mobilize his troops to capture Zhang Pu when he saw a soldier running in with a smile on his face. He cupped his hands and said: "Captain, Zhang Pu, Zhang Cai and Chen Zilong disguised themselves as women and wanted to escape."
When he left Suzhou City, he was captured on the spot by soldiers from the east gate!" 8
