Jinling, Jubao Gate.

In the early morning, the sky was dim and the east was not yet bright. The city gate had just been opened, but the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians entering and leaving the city gate was already bustling.

The official road outside Jubao Gate connects to the main land route to the south, passing through major ports such as Changzhou, Huizhou, and Suzhou.

Therefore, many merchants and travelers traveling north and south would transit through Jubaomen and head to the end of their journey.

In normal times, although there were soldiers guarding the opening and closing of the thirteen city gates in Jinling, no checks were carried out on the pedestrians and vehicles entering and leaving.

But the news these days has been a little different. The atmosphere in the city is strange. Jinling’s main gates and important roads are often patrolled by the Jinyiwei.

As for the reasons behind this, there are many different opinions. Some say that the three judicial departments of Shenjing sent a large number of officials to investigate major cases in the city.

Some people also said that Zhen Yingjia, president of Jinling Tirenyuan, was recently dismissed and investigated by the current emperor, causing the morale of officials in Jinling to be in turmoil.

Ever since a major Wei army case broke out in the city last year, the city of Jinling, which had been quiet for a long time, seemed to become turbulent again.

At this time, the dozen or so soldiers from the Five Cities Army who were guarding the city gate were holding their guns and swords, standing or squatting, looking a little lazy and bored.

Among the soldiers in Jinling, the soldiers of the Five Cities Army were probably the lowest level.

They were neither as strong and elite as the Jinling Guards, nor as domineering and arrogant as the Jinyi Guards.

Most of them were civilians equipped with swords and guns and wearing military uniforms. Their daily jobs included guarding the city gates, wandering the streets, and maintaining the market.

However, the soldiers guarding the city, who had been lazy the moment before, seemed to have seen something, and the next moment they all stood up straight and adjusted their swords and guns.

Because not far away, a team of captains in bright armor were marching towards the city gate in a line.

The Jinyiwei not only held power and acted arrogantly, but also had the responsibility of enforcing military discipline. Naturally, these soldiers guarding the city had some concerns.

When the team of soldiers in brocade uniforms arrived at the city gate, the head of the guarding soldiers hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Captain Liu, you are on duty earlier today. It’s not even dawn yet.”

Liu Hai had worked his way up in the Water Conservancy Bureau and had suffered oppression and exclusion. He was a person who climbed up from the bottom, so he lacked the domineering attitude of the ordinary Jinyiwei and was more calm.

He listened to the military leader’s words, but did not put on airs. He just smiled and said, “It is my duty, so I cannot neglect it.”

……

That year, Jia Cong cracked a major case involving the Water Conservancy Bureau. Captain Zou Huaiyi of the Water Conservancy Bureau committed suicide, and more than half of the low- and middle-ranking military officers of the Water Conservancy Bureau were implicated and convicted.

Because Liu Hai had doubts about the Longtan Port bloodbath, Zou Huaiyi was wary of him, and he was squeezed out and transferred out of the Water Supervision Bureau and sent to guard the construction site of Da Ci’en Temple.

This allowed Liu Hai to avoid the controversy surrounding the Water Conservancy Commissioner’s conviction. Afterwards, he was transferred to the Jinyiwei by his elder and old friend, the former Jinling Jinyi Guard Captain Ge Zhicheng, and he had a period of glory.

But as Ge Zhicheng was dismissed by the court and Wang Zhangjiang, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, took over, it was naturally difficult for Liu Hai, the confidant of the former chief, to be liked by Wang Zhangjiang.

Fortunately, when the Jinyiwei raided the firearms workshop outside the city of Jinling, they found that Jia She of Rongguo Mansion was involved in the case from the seized shipping boxes.

Ge Zhicheng sent his confidant Liu Hai to travel thousands of miles to Beijing to report the news secretly to the Jinyiwei Command Headquarters. As a result, Liu Hai got to know He Honghui, the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei.

He Honghui was impressed by Liu Hai’s solidity and ability, and had mentioned it several times in public. Wang Zhangjiang also knew about it.

Therefore, although Wang Zhangjiang was wary of Liu Hai, his former confidant, he did not kill Liu Hai out of consideration for the feelings of his superior in Shenjing.

He was simply expelled from the core circle of the Jinling Jinyiwei, and was no longer allowed to handle important duties and official business. He was only sent to run errands and patrol the city.

Liu Hai has experienced ups and downs in officialdom. When the superior who originally promoted him fell into trouble, he knew that he would be in trouble if the new superior took over.

This was just a common practice in official circles. It was not like he had never been unlucky before. At least he could keep his official position now. Although he felt depressed, he took it calmly afterwards.

……

Ever since the imperial edict was issued from the capital, Zhen Yingjia, president of Jinling Tiren Academy, was dismissed and investigated. Officials from the three judicial departments went to Jinling to investigate Zhen Shiwen’s old case, and the situation in Jinling city was turbulent.

As per usual practice, the Jinling Jinyiwei Qianhu Division carried out important official duties in the city. In order to prevent any unexpected events, they stepped up patrols of the thirteen gates of Jinling.

A Jinyiwei captain like Liu Hai, who had lost his power, was naturally the right person to perform such errands.

These days he has been patrolling and wandering around the city gates of Jinling with his men. Although it is a bit boring, he also feels somewhat free.

Although the Jinyiwei increased patrols at the city gates, no one was worried that Zhen Yingjia would dare to abandon the city and flee after being dismissed and investigated.

Originally, he had only lost his official position. If he had really done such a stupid thing, he would have been convicted of treason, and all the members of the main branch of the Zhen family would have been killed.

So although Liu Hai inspected the city gates, it was just a routine matter and he was not worried about any problems.

……

As the sky began to brighten, the city gate became bustling with people coming in and out, and the crowds gradually increased.

Liu Hai led his men to patrol the city gate and conduct checks as usual, without any disturbance.

At this time, two carriages that were traveling together merged into the crowd leaving the city and were slowly approaching the city gate.

A lieutenant under Liu Hai waited for the carriage to approach, glanced at it unintentionally, and said, “Captain Liu, that carriage looks familiar. The man following the carriage is not Liu Xian, the steward of the Zhen family.

A few days ago, merchants went to Zhen’s shop to ask for money, and Liu Tou led us to suppress the situation and avoid any accidents. The one who came forward to deal with the merchants was Liu Xian.

The Zhen family wouldn’t want to die, would they? Do they want to escape at this time?”

Liu Hai’s eyes lit up slightly, and he said, “You just love to make a fuss. The offender is the eldest wife of the Zhen family. Although Zhen Yingjia has been dismissed and investigated, he has not been convicted yet.

Liu Xian was the manager of the second branch of the Zhen family, and the second branch of the Zhen family had not done anything wrong. There was nothing to be surprised about them entering and leaving the city gate.

If the people from the eldest branch of the Zhen family wanted to slip away, they wouldn’t be so stupid as to leave the city in broad daylight.

You guys keep an eye on the city gate, I’ll go up and take a look.”

……

Ever since the day Liu Xian’s family returned to Gusu from Nanjing, Zhen Fangqing knew that the eldest wife had been transferring gold and silver, and it seemed that another crisis was about to arise.

Moreover, calculating the time, as long as the news of Chen Rong’s arrest reaches Shenjing, the imperial edict will be issued to Nanjing within a few days, and the situation will become even more unpredictable.

She asked Liu Xian’s family to be released back to Jinling and persuaded her mother to leave Jinling as soon as possible to prevent the situation from getting out of control and affecting her widowed mother.

It took Liu Xian’s family a day to return to Jinling, and it took them two days to return to the Zhen family mansion.

After Second Mrs. Zhen read her daughter’s letter, she decided to leave Jinling temporarily and returned to Old Mrs. Zhen.

Since Second Mrs. Zhen had the custom of returning to Huizhou to visit her relatives every other year, Old Mrs. Zhen did not take it to heart and naturally agreed.

Just as the people from the second house were preparing to pack their luggage, the imperial edict from the court arrived in Jinling, one or two days earlier than Zhen Fangqing had expected.

The imperial envoy read out the imperial edict at Zhen’s residence. Zhen Yingjia was to blame for the crime committed by his own son, so he was summoned to be dismissed from his post and investigated immediately.

When the emperor’s decree was issued, the Zhen family was struck by a bolt from the blue, and the entire clan was in chaos.

If Mrs. Zhen went back to her hometown to visit her relatives at this moment, it would be against the rules and she would be suspected, so the matter would have to be delayed.

Liu Xian was worried that after the imperial edict was issued, the situation of the Zhen family would become worse and worse. If time was delayed any further, even the second branch might not be able to leave the city.

So a few days after the imperial edict was issued, when everyone in the Zhen family had calmed down a little, they persuaded Mrs. Zhen II to bring up the matter of visiting her parents again.

Therefore, I had mentioned this matter to the old lady before. It would not attract attention if I brought up the old matter again. Besides, the old lady was worried about the affairs of the first wife.

The second daughter-in-law is just a widow. Whether she is at home or not has nothing to do with the overall situation.

The house is in a mess now, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to let her go back to her parents’ home and settle down for a few days.

Mrs. Zhen Er got permission and packed her luggage and set off early this morning, which made Liu Xian breathe a sigh of relief.

Because the speed at which the imperial edict from the capital was issued had exceeded his and Zhen Fangqing’s expectations, the arrival of the next imperial edict would also be unpredictable.

Jinling has become a dangerous place. The best strategy is to let Second Mrs. Zhen escape as soon as possible before the situation of the Zhen family deteriorates completely.

……

In the past few days, the Jinyiwei have been patrolling and checking at each city gate, and Liu Xian knew about this a long time ago.

But at present, the Zhen family has not made a final judgment, and the second branch is not guilty because of Zhen Fangqing. If they secretly send her out of the city, if they fail, it will backfire.

Leaving the city under normal circumstances on the pretext of the second wife visiting her parents is the safe approach at the moment, and Zhen Fangqing has also made specific instructions for this.

Moreover, when Jia Cong temporarily set up a government office in the Ministry of Works in Jinling, Liu Xian had sent him a letter, from which we know that Liu Hai and Jia Cong were old friends…

This time he chose Jubao Gate to leave the city, and he also paid special attention to the fact that the Jinyiwei patrolling at Jubao Gate in the past few days were Liu Hai and his men.

When the carriage approached the city gate, Liu Xian saw that the Jinyiwei who came up to question him was not an ordinary lieutenant, but the centurion Liu Hai. This subtle move, with a tacit understanding beyond words, could only be understood by people who were well-versed in human nature, and Liu Xian felt slightly relieved.

Liu Hai had no smile on his face and asked calmly, “Isn’t this Manager Liu? Where are you going so early in the morning?”

Liu Xian hurriedly smiled and said, “It turned out to be Captain Liu. My second wife received a letter from Huizhou saying that the old lady at home was not in good health, so she had to rush to her parents’ home to visit her relatives.

The old lady from Huizhou is almost seventy years old. She is in poor health at this age. It is dangerous. Our second wife was very anxious, so she set out early in the morning.

Liu Hai nodded and asked, “I heard that your third daughter, with the grace of the Supreme Emperor, has been in mourning for the old concubine in the imperial mausoleum for half a year.

The time has passed since the mourning period began. The Zhen family is in trouble now. The third young lady is the leader of the Zhen family. I am afraid she will have to hurry back.”

Liu Xian smiled and said, “Captain Liu is very well-informed. The third young lady has indeed been in mourning at the imperial mausoleum for half a year. Now the period has come and she has sent a letter from home. She should be on her way back.

The third girl once mentioned in her spare time that Captain Liu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Earl Weiyuan were old friends, and they were friends of the second branch of our Zhen family, so we must not treat them with disrespect in our daily lives.

A few days ago, the Zhen family’s shop was surrounded and harassed by merchants. Thanks to Captain Liu and his brothers in the Jinyiwei for their protection, the second branch of the Zhen family is very grateful.

I have been busy these days and have been impolite. When the Third Lady returns to Jinling and finds out what happened, she will ask me to express my gratitude politely.”

Liu Hai smiled and said, “Manager Liu is too polite, I am just doing my job, it’s just a routine matter.

It’s getting late now, so I’m just asking a few questions. Manager Liu can just go about his business. As the saying goes, filial piety comes first among all virtues, so as not to delay your second wife’s trip.”

Liu Xian smiled, took out a heavy purse and calmly put it into Liu Hai’s hand.

He said: “Last time, I asked the Jinyiwei brothers to guard outside the store. They were exposed to the hot sun all day and didn’t even have a sip of water.

I have been feeling uneasy. When the third lady comes back and knows about this, she will definitely blame me for being old and confused.

These gifts are for treating Captain Liu and his brothers to tea and wine, so please don’t despise them.”

Liu Hai smiled nonchalantly and waved his hand. The captain who had just spoken came running over and asked, “Captain Liu, what do you want me to do?”

He said, “Manager Liu said that you guys worked so hard to look after the Zhen family’s shop last time, and he invited you guys to have a drink, why don’t you thank him?”

The captain was slightly stunned, and quickly said, “Thank you, Manager Liu.”

When the carriage of the second branch of the Zhen family drove out of the city gate, the captain asked, “Liu, are you letting them out of the city just like that?”

Liu Hai glanced at him and said, “You are a stubborn guy. Didn’t I tell you that the first wife of the Zhen family is guilty of the crime, and the second wife is not guilty.

The third daughter of the second house was a person favored by the emperor. Even if Zhen Yingjia was convicted, who would touch the widowed daughter of the second house?”

The captain was somewhat enlightened after hearing this and said, “Even the Emperor admires Miss Zhen San, that’s incredible, no wonder Liu Tou gave them face.”

Liu Hai asked, “Does Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong know about this?”

The captain laughed and said, “How could we not know this? He was a great hero who pacified the Jurchens. He was conferred a title when he was only a teenager. Even in operas, he is not so proud.

When we brothers chat and brag in our spare time, we all admire Earl Weiyuan very much. “

Liu Hai smiled and said, “The third daughter of the Zhen family and the Earl of Weiyuan were granted marriage by the palace. Although the marriage was put on hold due to the death of their father, the royal status is real.

This third girl is the woman that Weiyuan Bo has not married yet. Her mother wants to go back to her hometown to show her filial piety. Do you think you can stop her from going?”

The young lieutenant shook his head like a rattle and said, “That’s definitely not possible. It would be such an honor to provide convenience to the woman of Marquis Weiyuan.

Liutou must be clear about it, otherwise we would have done something stupid without knowing the truth. In Jinling City, it is always a good idea to have more connections and more options. “

A smile appeared on Liu Xian’s face. The people who followed him to patrol the city today were all his confidants for many years.

He was originally promoted to the Jinyiwei by Ge Zhicheng, who also regarded him as a person he could rely on.

He also took advantage of his high spirits at that time to bring in his trusted officers from when he was working at the Water Inspectorate into the Embroidered Uniform Guard one after another, and they are still under his command now.

Liu Hai threw the purse to the lieutenant and said, “Give this money to the brothers, and use the remaining money to prepare two tables of fine food. After the shift is over, everyone can have a good drink.

Tell the brothers to eat and drink, and watch their mouths. Don’t talk nonsense after drinking dirty wine, or you will lose the favors you have worked so hard to get.”

The lieutenant laughed and said, “Don’t worry, Liu. If you don’t have this much sense, how dare you follow me?”

When the lieutenant walked away with the money bag, Liu Hai looked at the carriage of the second son of the Zhen family going away, with a thoughtful look in his eyes…

……

Shenjing, Ningrong Street, Earl’s Mansion.

The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon, the air was scorching hot, and the streets were empty with almost no passers-by.

Even if there were a few passers-by, they would walk in the shadows of the eaves on both sides of the street to avoid the fierce summer heat.

At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves was heard at the intersection of Ningrong Street, causing two passers-by in the shadows on the street to look back.

I saw a galloping horse rushing into the intersection of Ningrong Street. The horse was sweating all over and panting, as if it was running with all its strength.

But the knight on horseback was not satisfied and waved his whip, making sharp noises one after another.

Fortunately, there were no pedestrians in the middle of the street, which did not hinder the knight from galloping. The horse rushed all the way to the east mansion of the Jia family, and the knight finally stopped the horse.

The reins of the galloping horse were suddenly tightened, and the horse neighed and stood up in an instant, alarming the servants at the corner gate.

The knight jumped off his horse and dragged his horse into the corner gate.

He said in a hoarse voice: “I am from the Zhen family of Jinling, and I came all the way from Jiangnan on the orders of Miss Zhen San.

I have an urgent letter for Lord Weiyuan, and I must hand it over to Lord Weiyuan personally. It is extremely urgent, so please inform me as soon as possible.”

Ever since Jia Cong set up his residence and settled down, his reputation has risen rapidly in the past two years. Countless people have come to visit him with various motives, and the reasons for seeking a visit are even more varied.

These servants who were guarding the gate had seen all kinds of people, and their master was a low-key person, so they would not see any strangers they did not know.

Therefore, if any stranger came to see Marquis Weiyuan, the gatekeepers would not let him succeed no matter what.

The knight in front of him was galloping down the street, looking frightening and unfamiliar. Normally, the servants would have kicked him out.

But the visitor claimed to be from the Zhen family in Jinling, and that he was delivering an urgent letter to the Third Miss Zhen. The servants had to be cautious and did not dare to chase him away without permission.

The servants in the mansion all knew that the third young lady of the Zhen family was originally going to be married to the uncle. If not for the unexpected event, this third young lady would have almost become the mistress of the house.

Although the marriage between the two families failed, after all, her relationship with the uncle was extraordinary. She wanted to send a letter to the uncle, and the gatekeeper did not dare to neglect it, and quickly asked someone to pass the message to the housekeeper.

The steward of the East Palace often traveled between the two palaces, so he knew many people.

When he saw the knight who delivered the letter, he recognized him immediately and asked, “My little brother, your face looks familiar. I think you were one of the members of the Zhen family who came to the mansion to pay tribute to the master last time.”

After hearing this, the man quickly said, “The housekeeper really has a good memory. I am Wang Hai, the errand boy of the Third Miss. Last time, I went to the Liu Xian family to pay tribute to the old man.”

When the housekeeper heard him mention Liu Xian’s family, he knew that the visitor was indeed from the Zhen family, and said, “The master is in the government office now, so you can’t see him now.”

Wang Hai said: “I have a handwritten letter from the third lady. It’s urgent and needs to be delivered to the uncle immediately.

Please ask the housekeeper to send a message to the master, asking him to come back to the mansion to see you. If I delay the important matter of the Third Miss, I will be offended. “

Seeing Wang Hai’s urgent words and expression, the housekeeper was afraid that something big might have happened, so he did not dare to be careless.

Because the firearms workshop outside the city where Jia Cong worked had always been heavily guarded, there were a large number of imperial guards guarding the periphery.

The housekeeper was worried that if he asked other people to deliver the message, it might not be successful, so he went to deliver the message himself.

Otherwise, it would delay the important matters of the uncle and the third young lady, which would be disastrous.

Before leaving, the housekeeper asked Wang Hai to wait in the side hall of the outer courtyard, but Wang Hai refused, saying that he would wait at the corner gate and they could meet when Jia Cong returned home.

Seeing that he was so anxious and stubborn, the housekeeper stopped insisting and asked the servants to put a chair in the shade for him to sit there and wait.

Wang Hai waited at the east corner gate for a long time. The sun was already setting at noon, but there was still no sign of the housekeeper and Jia Cong. He couldn’t help feeling anxious.

At this time, the sound of rumbling carriages was heard at the intersection of Ningrong Street. Four carriages were seen facing each other and coming towards this side.

Wang Hai’s heart moved, and he subconsciously hid in the shadow of the corner gate, watching the carriages pass through the East Palace and go straight to the West Palace.

Just as the carriages passed by, the curtain of one of the carriages was lifted, revealing a woman’s face.

Wang Hai’s face changed drastically when he saw the woman’s face clearly… (End of this chapter)