The palace city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qianyang Palace.

When Xu Kun heard Emperor Jiazhao’s cold words, he couldn’t help but feel awe-inspiring.

At the same time, it is regrettable that Liu Binfang of Zhen’an Prefecture acted too quickly after receiving the complaint.

If he had gone to the Zhen family villa to check half a day later, the thirteen silver boxes from the Zhen family’s eldest house would have been delivered to Prince Beijing’s Palace.

By that time, Beijing Prince Shui Rong would not be able to clear himself even if he jumped into the Yellow River…

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xu Kun has many spies under him and is a man who has ears on all sides.

He naturally knew that the emperor had no good feelings towards Prince Beijing Shui Rong.

Many people despised and were disgusted by his ways of cultivating reputation, treating others with respect, and making friends with celebrities.

Once the thirteen silver boxes of the Zhen family were delivered to the palace, the Beijing Palace would be charged with colluding with corrupt officials, disregarding national laws, and being involved in misconduct, and it would be difficult for them to escape.

A prince of a different surname colluded with an official involved in the illegal manufacture of firearms. How much trouble will the Zhen family case cause…

As the emperor’s lackeys, the Jinyiwei naturally had to show the emperor’s will and overthrow a prince of a different surname.

As the saying goes, heroes are made by the times. As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he is bound to become famous throughout the world!

When Xu Kun thought of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bloodthirsty pleasure in his heart.

However, things were ultimately a step off…

……

When Xu Kun heard Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly ask about the person who made the complaint, he felt a little discouraged.

He said: “Your Majesty, according to Liu Binfang, the person who made the complaint is a young man of sixteen or seventeen, slightly fat, with a dark face, and looks like a hard-working person in the market.

He claimed that he lived near the Zhen family villa and saw people in the villa behaving suspiciously every morning and evening, so he reported it to the government in the hope of earning some reward.

It has always been common to see people like this in the market who make a living by selling information and earning rewards from the government, so Zhen’an Prefecture has long been accustomed to it.

It was not until Liu Binfang found out the accident at the Zhen family villa that he asked the yamen runners to summon the boy to his residence for questioning based on the name and address left by the boy.

But when we got there, we couldn’t find such a person. We asked the neighbors nearby and someone said they had seen a young man with a similar appearance hanging around the area in the past two days, but no one knew his background.

From this we can see that this person definitely does not make a living by selling information, otherwise he would not disappear after reporting the incident and would not even accept the reward from the government.

According to my speculation, this person is either being instructed by someone or has a grudge against the Jinling Zhen family, which is why he has such a strange behavior. “

Emperor Jia Zhao muttered to himself, “If this young man was instructed by someone to report this, then the person who instructed him must have known the secrets of the Zhen family long ago.

But the Zhen family’s hiding silver in Beijing was an illegal act, so they had to conceal it from the public and keep a low profile. How did he know about it?”

……

After hearing what Emperor Jiazhao said, Xu Kun was slightly shocked and felt somewhat guilty.

Because he knew in his heart that many people must have known in advance that the Zhen family was sending silver to Beijing…

Wang Zhangjiang, a captain of the Jinling Jinyiwei, was such a shrewd and capable man. How could he be completely unaware of the Zhen family’s smuggling of large amounts of gold and silver out of the city?
Based on Xu Kun’s understanding of this subordinate, this kind of thing would never happen.

Because more than ten days ago, on the eve of the imperial court’s decree to dismiss Zhen Yingjia from his post and investigate him, Xu Kun received the last secret letter from Wang Zhangjiang.

There are some nonsense words on it: The Zhen family is in danger of causing trouble, and it is suspected that they have sent people to Beijing to mediate.

Ever since he learned about what the Zhen’an Prefecture had found out during the search of the Zhen family’s villa, Xu Kun became even more certain that Wang Zhangjiang had long been aware of the Zhen family’s hiding of silver in Beijing.

The reason why Wang Zhangjiang did not state it clearly in the secret letter was perhaps because the imperial edict had not been issued that day, the Zhen family’s guilt had not been determined, and it was inconvenient to investigate thoroughly.

There is also an obscure reason, which is that Wang Zhangjiang is playing hard to get, sowing seeds to wait for results, baiting those who are willing to take the bait, and fabricating charges.

Such sinister tricks are not uncommon in the Jinyiwei Yamen.

However, because such methods are too covert and violate judicial justice, they can easily leave room for criticism and become the root cause of future convictions.

Therefore, most people act in a secretive manner, and even colleagues in the same office will not reveal the truth to each other.

As the chief officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xu Kun was naturally aware of these unspoken rules. Even if he saw through them, he would not speak them out, and everyone just kept it to themselves.

The Zhen family really went to Beijing to mediate, but they were caught by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and convicted. Xu Kun naturally contributed to this, so why wouldn’t he do it?

Therefore, even if he claimed to be loyal to the emperor, he would never be honest with Emperor Jia Zhao about such a sinister matter, otherwise his career as a commander would be over…

……

Therefore, after receiving the last secret letter from Wang Zhangjiang, he sent people to monitor the developments in the city.

On the first day that Yao Shouan and Liu Baozheng’s family entered the city, they went directly to Rongguo Mansion before they even settled down, and couldn’t wait to find Wang Xifeng to lobby.

They managed to temporarily avoid the eyes and ears of the Jinyiwei in the city, but when they checked into the Zhen family villa that night, Xu Kun got the news.

Thinking back to what Wang Zhangjiang said in the secret letter, he naturally arranged people to keep a close eye on the movements of Yao Shouan and others.

However, when these people entered the Jia family in Shenjing twice, nothing else unusual happened. Xu Kun originally wanted to wait and see what would happen, and wait for what he would get.

I really didn’t expect that at such a critical moment, someone would report it to Zhen’an Prefecture, causing the incident to break out prematurely.

Since Jinling King Zhangjiang could detect the Zhen family’s movement northward, there would naturally be other people with ulterior motives who would investigate the Zhen family’s actions.

It was only natural that this person, for unknown reasons, secretly sent someone to report to Zhen’an Prefecture.

……

Xu Kun had no good feelings towards the person who reported this evil deed and the possible mastermind behind it, but it was difficult to track them down at the moment.

“Your Majesty, the person who reported this is indeed very suspicious. I have arranged for someone to search for him, but I have no clues yet.

Regardless of the motives of the person who reported it, the Zhen family is guilty of smuggling their wealth into Beijing and hiding it to evade the laws of the country. They cannot escape responsibility and should be punished. “

Emperor Jia Zhao said: “What Lord Xu said makes sense. Yesterday, I reviewed the case of the three judicial departments and issued an edict to determine the crime and punishment for the Zhen family.

Originally, I thought that the ancestors of the Zhen family had made great contributions to the country and that the old Concubine Zhen had just passed away, so I had been quite lenient in dealing with the Zhen family.

Unexpectedly, Zhen Yingjia was once an official appointed by the court and had received many favors from the emperor. He had already committed a crime, but he did not repent and ignored the national law to do such corrupt and foolish things.

The Zhen family is a wealthy and prestigious family in Jinling, and has great prestige in the six states and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River. Their words and deeds set an example for the wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River to pay attention to.

His family was originally involved in the private manufacture of firearms, which led to a bad reputation among the people, and now they are doing something reckless again.

If everyone in the Jiangnan wealthy families follows suit, where will the customs and disciplines of the people be?
If they are not severely punished to serve as a warning to others, if this continues, there will be chaos in the south of the Yangtze River!
Guo Lin, inform the chief officials of the three judicial departments that if Zhen Yingjia commits any more acts of perverting the law, he will be tried in court again on another day.”

Xu Kun’s heart was slightly shaken, he knew that the three judicial departments had confirmed the investigation of the Jinyiwei. Yesterday, the emperor issued an edict to demote the eldest branch of the Zhen family to civilians and confiscate 70% of their property as a warning to others.

Today, Zhen Yingjia has committed new crimes, adding crime to crime. I am afraid he will not be able to escape his fate…

……

Xu Kun continued, “Your Majesty, it has been more than a month since Zhen Fangqing left Beijing and has not yet arrived in Nanjing. His whereabouts are unknown.

I have received instructions from His Majesty and have ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search along the way. We have received intelligence that someone saw the Zhen family’s convoy appear on the waterway.

But then he disappeared again, which is quite strange.”

Emperor Jia Zhao said leisurely: “I remember Zhen Yingquan, the second branch of the Zhen family. Although he did not hold an official position, he was well versed in business.

The Zhen family was able to become wealthy in Jinling thanks to this man’s business achievements. Moreover, this man was implicated in many major cases involving the Jinling Guards, and was a very resourceful person.

Fortunately, he died in a shipwreck six years ago. If he could live to this day, who knows what kind of trouble this person who is unwilling to be lonely would stir up.

Compared with his brother, Zhen Yingjia is much less corrupt, short-sighted and inferior.

Zhen Fangqing is his only daughter. She is talented and intelligent, not inferior to men. Now it seems that she has quite a bit of her father’s style.

At this time, the woman suddenly disappeared without a trace. If she had not met with an accident, it meant that she had seen the situation early and wanted to avoid disaster.

Jinyiwei, continue to search and make sure to find this person’s whereabouts. I want to know what her intentions are, so that even if the emperor asks, she can have an explanation…”

……

It is located in the south of Suzhou, far away from the bustling city. In the hot summer, you can see green grass in the fields, flying swallows and chirping cicadas, and lush green willows along the river.

Several horse-drawn carriages drove in a row along the village field road, and finally stopped in front of a tree-lined house.

A middle-aged woman got off the carriage, walked quickly to the back of the carriage, and helped a pretty woman get off.

The girl looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, which was the best time of her life. She had a slender figure, a waist as slender as a willow, and a graceful figure.

Although she is a delicate daughter, her eyes are clear and calm, her brows are heroic, and her movements do not show any weakness, but she appears graceful and elegant.

After the woman got off the bus, she turned around and helped a middle-aged woman get off the bus.

The woman looked at the unfamiliar surroundings with a look of confusion on her face.

He asked, “Fang Qing, we are living well in the city, why do we have to move out all of a sudden? That was the property your father bought back then.”

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, “I know that it is the property purchased by my father. The place is spacious and exquisite, easy to get in and out, and very comfortable to live in.

When my father purchased the property, it was not included in the public inventory, and few people knew about this house. But just because there are many gossipy people in the family doesn’t mean that no one knows about it.

Given the current situation at home, the daughter has to be extra careful. This time she brought her mother out of Jinling in order to avoid the turmoil at home and prevent her mother from being frightened.

Uncle Xian has received news from Nanjing. More than ten days ago, the imperial court issued an imperial decree, and his uncle has been dismissed from his post and investigated. The Zhen family cannot escape this disaster.

Now that the three judicial departments in Shenjing have sent personnel to review the case, it is just a formality. The situation at home has been decided and it is difficult to reverse it.

According to the time calculation, the three judicial departments have probably made a final decision on the case after their review. I am afraid that the Emperor will issue another imperial decree soon, and then the property may be confiscated and the crime may be charged.”

……

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhen’s face turned pale and she said, “If things have really gotten to this point, the eldest master has been dismissed from his post, isn’t that enough?” Zhen Fangqing said, “Mother, the third brother of the first house participated in the private manufacture of muskets, which violated the taboo of the current emperor, and the Zhen family is a prominent family in Jiangnan.

If Your Majesty does not severely punish the Zhen family, how can you intimidate the Jiangnan gentry, how can you demonstrate your imperial power, how can you set an example to others? The Zhen family cannot escape the imperial power.

Uncle Xian also heard that the eldest wife’s brother had brought more than a dozen boxes north to hide the eldest wife’s private property in the Jia family.”

Mrs. Zhen’s face turned pale and she said, “If she wanted to hide the silver, it should be the Beijing Palace, how could it be the Jia family.

What on earth is the eldest wife thinking? Isn’t this just bringing trouble to Congge’er for nothing?”

Zhen Fangqing raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, “I think they want to leave a way out. They think their daughter is involved with Yu Zhang, so the Jia family will definitely do them a favor.

However, it is easy to hide this matter from ordinary people, but it would be very difficult to hide it from Wang Zhangjiang in Nanjing.

Once this matter is exposed, the master will definitely be punished more severely, and it will probably be more than just a confiscation of property that will be the end of the matter.”

Mrs. Zhen was a little worried and said, “Yu Zhang will not be hindered by your feelings. If he really accepts the money from the eldest wife, it will be bad if others find out.”

Zhen Fangqing’s bright eyes flickered as she said, “Don’t worry, mother, Yu Zhang is not that confused.

Originally, these things were the fault of the first wife, and our second wife might be able to survive in peace. However, if the situation changes drastically, it is hard to say whether the second wife will be implicated.

Now there are only two women like us left in the second house. If something bad really happens, we will not be able to withstand it. My daughter has to be careful.

The sooner we move out of the house on Chayuan Street, the sooner we can be more secure.”

……

The mother and daughter talked as they entered this rather exquisite and tidy house.

Madam Zhen Er looked around the house and said, “It’s rare to find such a beautiful house in the countryside outside the city.

Fang Qing, where did this house come from? Can we live here safely without being discovered?”

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, “Don’t worry, mother. Yu Zhang asked Xinchunhao to buy this house. It is absolutely safe and reliable. You can live here without worry.”

Mrs. Zhen was very surprised to hear this and said with a smile, “He is in Shenjing. How can you order him around when the distance is so long?”

Zhen Fangqing said: “When I left Shenjing that day, Yuzhang saw me off and reminded me to be more cautious when I return to the south.

For the sake of safety, I originally thought that I would not go directly to Nanjing, but would stay in Gusu to observe the situation. It just so happens that Yuzhang has connections in Gusu and can take care of me. “

Mrs. Zhen Er smiled and said, “You two have a good understanding of each other. If it weren’t for the misfortune in his family, you would have definitely become husband and wife. It’s just that you lack fate.

Yuzhang is such an outstanding person. Originally, you had your whole life to look after, and I, as your mother, had also accomplished an important task. But I never expected things to turn out like this.

Now the Zhen family is on the verge of decline, their property has been confiscated, and they are no longer a prominent family in Jinling. It is difficult for the two families to be as compatible as before.

He is now a high-ranking official, but he has only reached the age of dancing elephants. I don’t know how high his career will rise in the future. I’m afraid it will be difficult for you to get married. Obviously, you two are very harmonious…”

Zhen Fangqing didn’t seem to take her mother’s words to heart when she heard them say that the two families were no longer what they used to be and that it would be difficult for the two of them to get along.

She subconsciously rubbed the tender and smooth back of her right hand, a blush appeared on her pretty face, and her bright eyes were full of movement, which was particularly moving.

Thinking back to the day when he came to see her off, they drank and talked in the car, and he was so moved that he held her hand tightly.

Because he gripped it too tightly, there were fingerprints of his fingers on the back of my hand.

It had clearly been a long time, but she felt that the fingerprints had never faded, as if they were branded in her heart…

……

Jinling, Taiping Gate.

It is extremely hot here in summer. The sun is shining brightly in the sky, but in an instant, the sunlight suddenly becomes dim and large dark clouds appear in the sky.

Soon after, it started to drizzle, and after a while, the loose soil at the city gate turned into mud.

The crowds entering and leaving the city gate were all walking in a hurry, some holding umbrellas, some covering their heads with their sleeves, each moving in the rain.

The soldiers guarding the city gate were in no mood to stand guard in the rain, so they all hid in the city gate tunnel to avoid the rain, gathered together with their guns and swords, and chatted nonsense out of boredom.

Suddenly, the sound of dense horse hooves was heard not far away. The soldiers guarding the city saw five fast horses following each other, galloping wildly in the rain, and rushing towards the city gate quickly.

The faces of several soldiers changed slightly. They stood up straight, raised their guns and knives, and wanted to stop the horses for inspection.

Unless an emergency occurs, it is strictly forbidden to ride fast at the city gate. This is the iron rule of daily city defense.

Because of the constant flow of people and galloping horses at the city gate, trampling is very likely to occur. Also, when fast horses charge into the city, other unexpected dangers are likely to occur.

Therefore, it has always been a common practice for soldiers guarding the city to stop horses and check them.

Several soldiers shouted at the rapidly approaching horse group, but the other side showed no intention of slowing down.

In just a moment, the cavalry had rushed to the city gate and still did not slow down.

All the soldiers guarding the city were horrified and involuntarily stepped aside.

The leading knight shouted at the slower soldier: “Get out of here!”

The whip in his hand was then lashed out mercilessly. The soldier avoided his head and face in panic, but the whip already hit his shoulder, causing him excruciating pain.

He cursed loudly, “Where did you come from, you bastard? Your pants pocket was not tied tightly and your penis leaked out.

They charge the city with their horses and dare to hit people. They want to rebel!”

He said to the military leader beside him: “Boss, we can’t let this grandson go. Send some brothers into the city to find him, otherwise where will our military department put its face?”

The soldier cursed, “Just shut up and open your eyes. Their clothes were wet from the rain and it was hard to identify them.

When we got closer, we saw what looked like the uniforms of the imperial guards. The guy on horseback in the lead had a bag wrapped in bright yellow brocade on his back.

You are still going into the city to cause trouble for others. If you want to die, go and get yourself killed. Those people are probably from the capital to pass on the emperor’s will.”

The soldier who was beaten rubbed his painful shoulder, his face slightly changed color, and asked: “Boss, you really saw it, it’s really the imperial guards who are carrying out the imperial decree.”

The soldier said, “I have watched the city gate for many years and never made a mistake. A dozen days ago, someone came to deliver an imperial decree, and the posture was exactly the same as this one.

Not long after they entered the city, the head of the Zhen family was dismissed from his post and investigated. I’m afraid the Zhen family will be in trouble again this time…”

……

Jinling, Mingdefang, Zhen family mansion, the main house.

The sound of rain outside the window was noisy, making Zhen Yingjia more and more irritable and uneasy, and he paced back and forth in the room.

The last time the imperial edict was issued from the capital, not only was he dismissed from his post and investigated, but the three judicial departments in the capital also each sent officials to Nanjing to review the case of Zhen Shiwen.

During the past ten days, he was summoned by officials from the three judicial departments many times and lived in dire straits every day.

In just over ten days, his hair has turned completely grey, which shows how deep his inner torment is.

Mrs. Zhen personally brought hot tea into the room and said, “Master, don’t worry too much. Now that things have come to this, you should relax a little.

Even if I cannot be an official in the future, my family can live a peaceful life without having to deal with the troubles in the officialdom, and I can feel more relaxed and comfortable. “

Moreover, not all demoted officials in the officialdom are killed with one blow and can never make a comeback. Many of them can be reinstated as officials.

Master, have you forgotten that Jia Yucun, the current prefect of Yingtian, was dismissed by the court because of his corrupt official conduct?

Later, he followed the path of the Jia family in Shenjing, and after being reinstated, he got the position of prefect of Yingtian, a higher position than before.

What kind of person is Jia Yucun? How can he compare with the master’s background? If he can be reinstated, it will surely not be difficult for the master to be successful in the future.

Wait until this incident has passed and the master will recuperate for a while. The Zhen family has many years of foundation and has many relatives and old friends in the court.

Then we can try to mediate and maybe there will be a way out.”

After listening to his wife’s words, Zhen Yingjia felt that it made a lot of sense. It was indeed a common occurrence in officialdom to be dismissed and reinstated.

If he wanted to make a comeback, he would only need to use his connections and spend money. He couldn’t help but feel lucky when he thought about it.

He said: “Now that the three judicial departments have confirmed it, I am afraid there will be some fluctuations. It is hard to say what will happen to our publicly displayed industries in the future.

If we want to accomplish anything in the future, we will have to rely on that batch of silver. Besides, if we want to get things done, we must start from Shenjing, which also adds an extra layer of convenience.

Shouan and Liu Baozheng’s family have been gone for more than half a month. I wonder how things are going?”

Madam Zhen said, “According to their itinerary, it will take them about six or seven days to reach the capital, so they must have reached an agreement with the Jia family.

The journey from Shenjing to Jinling is long. Even if a servant is sent back by express horse, it will take six or seven days. I thought there would be news in the next few days.

Don’t be anxious, sir. Just wait a few more hours and you will get the news.”

The couple chatted and felt somewhat comforted that they had prepared for a rainy day and had hidden more than 100,000 taels of silver in advance.

With such a large amount of wealth on hand, there will be enough to rely on if you want to make a comeback in the future.

Just as they were feeling somewhat relieved for having survived the disaster, they also began to have some ambitions and aspirations for the future.

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps outside the door, and the couple’s faces changed involuntarily.

After the last decree of dismissal, they were still somewhat frightened. They didn’t know if it was an illusion, but they felt that those footsteps were filled with a sense of panic…

Just as they were feeling anxious, a maid came in with a pale face.

He said in a trembling voice: “Master, Madam, things are not going well. Many Jinyiwei soldiers came from outside and surrounded the entire mansion.

Several officials from the capital have also come, saying they want to announce the imperial edict to the master. They are already waiting in Yuhe Hall, urging the master to go over and receive the edict immediately.”

After hearing this, Zhen Yingjia and his wife turned pale as paper… (End of this chapter)