Chapter 266 The idea is clear
In addition to the Forbidden City, the central axis of Beijing also includes the Bell and Drum Tower, which is the northern terminus of the central axis.

The bell and drum towers were built in the Yuan Dynasty. They were not only a timekeeping system, but also a tool for the imperial court to control the entire capital. Every day at the hour of Xu, the big drum was struck, followed by the bronze bell. The bell and drum were struck 108 times, commonly known as “fast 18, slow 18, neither fast nor slow another 18”, alternating fast and slow strikes twice, a total of 108 times.

In response to the sound of bells and drums, the defenders stationed at the nine gates of the inner city of the capital began to strike the bells or cloud tablets located in the gate towers, and the nine gates of the inner city were subsequently closed.

At the hour of Yin the next day, the same procedure was followed by striking bells and drums, marking the official end of the night, the officials going to court, the market opening, and the city gates slowly opening.

For hundreds of years, the sound of bells and drums has controlled the entire city.

A thin line of white appeared in the eastern sky, and the last sound of the bronze bell echoed over the capital until it disappeared. The chimes that usually responded to the bells and drums did not ring, and the entire capital fell into an eerie silence.

The old Beijingers who had experienced great events immediately understood that the capital was under martial law.

A sleepless night.

The candles were almost burning out, and several eunuchs were changing the candles very carefully, for fear of making any noise.

After finishing all this, several young eunuchs walked up behind the chief eunuch on duty and knelt down. The brave ones took a look at the warm room, which was pitch black.

Outside the warm room door, Li Hu, Feng Tang, Prince Zhongshun and several generals from the infantry camp stood there.

The sky gradually brightened, and the hazy morning light shone in from the doors and windows.

Suddenly, Dai Quan’s panicked voice came from the warm room: “Your Majesty! What’s wrong with you?”

Dai Quan’s exclamation shocked everyone waiting outside the door.

Li Hu was the first to run in.

Feng Tang ran in right after him.

King Zhongshun hesitated for a moment and followed him in.

Li Hu ran into the warm room and stopped suddenly.

Feng Tang and Prince Zhongshun, who were following him, also suddenly stopped.

On the couch, Emperor Yongchang sat there, his eyes staring at the ground, staring at a corpse covered with a white cloth.

Dai Quan, who was standing aside, had a sad face and tears of pain and hurt in his eyes.

Li Hu, Feng Tang and Prince Zhongshun were all shocked. In just one night, the emperor had turned into a completely different person. His usually shiny black hair had turned mostly white.

Li Hu: “Your Majesty.”

Feng Tang, Prince Zhongshun: “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongchang’s eyes moved, his head slowly turned, and his gaze first looked at Li Hu.

Li Hu did not avoid the gaze of Emperor Yongchang. His face was solemn and worried.

Emperor Yongchang closed his eyes slightly, nodded lightly, and then turned his gaze to Feng Tang.

A trace of guilt flashed across Feng Tang’s eyes, and then he slowly lowered his head.

Emperor Yongchang turned his attention to Prince Zhongshun again.

Prince Zhongshun avoided Emperor Yongchang’s gaze and looked at the ground.

A cold light quickly flashed in Emperor Yongchang’s eyes, and finally his gaze fell on Dai Quan.

Dai Quan knelt down with a thud and cried, “Your Majesty.” His eyes were full of pain and self-blame.

In this situation, they had no choice but to kneel, so Li Hu and the other two followed suit.

Emperor Yongchang surprisingly smiled, and his smile was so miserable: “It’s okay, the sky won’t fall, Dai Quan.”

Dai Quan: “The old slave is here.”

Emperor Yongchang: “I want all the ministries and government offices to continue to work as usual, and for the people to lead their lives as usual. Everything should remain the same for me, and everything should remain peaceful.”

Dai Quan: “As you wish.” He climbed up and walked back out of the warm room.

Emperor Yongchang: “Slow down.”

Dai Quan knelt down again quickly.

Emperor Yongchang: “Surround the Jurchens’ residence.”

Li Hu was startled: “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Don’t worry about this matter. Although the fourth son is not very ambitious, he is still my son. He can’t just die like this!”

Li Hu understood that this was an attempt to pin the blame on the Jurchens. Was this a move that would lead to a war?
Emperor Yongchang paused and said, “Go there and ask Heshen to write down everything he knows and tell him. They will be safe until Shengjing responds.”

Li Hu: “Yes.” He answered, then stood up and walked out.

There was another brief silence in the warm room.

Emperor Yongchang turned his gaze to Prince Zhongshun and said, “Pass the order to reward the meritorious soldiers generously.” Prince Zhongshun was stunned for a moment, then secretly glanced at the emperor and met the emperor’s calm gaze.

Prince Zhongshun shuddered and fell to the ground in a hurry, with cold sweat constantly oozing out from his forehead.

Feng Tang buried his head on the brick floor, pretending he saw nothing.

“Go.” Emperor Yongchang was obviously speaking to Prince Zhongshun.

King Zhongshun: “Yes.” He got up with sweat all over his forehead and walked out.

Feng Tang secretly glanced at the place where Prince Zhongshun had just knelt, and seeing that the area was wet, he swallowed involuntarily.

Emperor Yongchang spoke: “Tell me in detail what you know.”

Feng Tang swallowed his saliva and recounted in detail what had happened from the time he left the palace to the time he returned, including the scenes he saw in the Fourth Prince’s mansion.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Yongchang spoke again: “Go down.”

Feng Tang: “Yes.”

Feng Tang’s footsteps disappeared, and Emperor Yongchang slowly stood up, then slowly walked to the corpse, bent down, and uncovered the white cloth.

Looking at his son’s body, Emperor Yongchang’s eyes turned red, and then tears couldn’t help but well up in his eyes, but his dignity as an emperor did not allow him to cry.

He reached out to touch his son’s cheek and was suddenly stunned.

Looking at the wound on the Fourth Prince’s cheek, Emperor Yongchang understood that someone else wanted to kill the Fourth Prince!

Emperor Yongchang placed his hand on the somewhat cold cheek and said word by word: “Don’t worry, father will avenge you.” As he spoke, tears finally flowed from his eyes.

There was the sound of footsteps, and then the voice of Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding came from outside: “Your Majesty.”

Emperor Yongchang came back to his senses, covered himself with the white cloth, took out a bright yellow handkerchief from his body and wiped his tears, then turned and walked to the window, and then spoke: “Come in.”

Shi Ding came in and was also surprised.

Emperor Yongchang looked out the window: “How is it?”

Shi Ding: “In reply to your Majesty, it is basically certain that the Fourth Prince did not die at the hands of the Jurchens. Someone once reminded Prince Zhongshun, but was scolded and threatened.”

“Prince Zhongshun is a suspect?”

“The person who provided this information was a general that Your Majesty transferred from the Imperial Guards.”

“Go on.”

“.After a careful search, the scouts found a crossbow arrow with unknown drugs smeared on it. I suspect that there is another group of people who want to assassinate the Fourth Prince.”

“Where’s the crossbow?”

“Sent it to the Imperial Household Department.”

Emperor Yongchang slowly turned around and looked at Shi Ding: “I will announce that the Fourth Prince died at the hands of the Jurchens. Send all your people out. Anyone who went to the Fourth Prince last night must be monitored, as well as the Third Prince and Shui Rong.”

Shi Ding: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Go ahead.”

Shi Ding hesitated for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, Jia Yucun is still kneeling outside the hall.”

Emperor Yongchang was stunned for a moment, then his face darkened again, and he said in a cold voice: “If he hadn’t instigated it, the Fourth Brother wouldn’t have done it. Humph, he has evil intentions! Let him go home and wait for the election.”

Shi Ding was secretly shocked and retreated as requested.

At this time, the eunuch on duty walked in lightly and reported to Emperor Yongchang: “Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are here.”

Emperor Yongchang: “I don’t want to see anyone now.”

The sun rose, and the scattered sunlight shone on the black oil fence outside the Jia family ancestral hall.

Jiao Da stood there quietly, his head and shoulders wet, obviously from standing here in the dew all night.

At this time, Jia Jing walked out of the ancestral hall.

Jiao Da hurriedly followed.

Jia Jing: “Prepare the sedan chair.”

Jiao Da: “You’d better take a leave. You haven’t slept all night.”

Jia Jing smiled: “No, I have never felt so refreshed and clear-minded before. Besides, I meditate and chant scriptures all night when I go up the mountain.”

Jiao Da had no choice but to answer, “Yes.”

(End of this chapter)