Chapter 94: Stormy weather, ghosts crying and gods howling

Huguang Huicheng, Huguang Chengxuanzhengsi.

Heavy rain poured down and thunder roared in the sky over the entire Wuchang Prefecture.

Unfortunately, the heavy rain could not extinguish the impact of the fire, but only intensified the irritability of everyone involved.

The Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, one of the three offices in Huguang and also the highest administrative body, was filled with irritability at this time.

The Governor Chen Rui was originally sitting in the court giving orders, but at this moment he could not help but stand up.

He shouted angrily, almost at the top of his lungs: "Where is the person I asked you to bring?!"

"Are you trying to tell me that the magistrate of Linxiang County also committed suicide out of fear of punishment?!"

Feng Shiyu, the Right Councillor of Huguang who had just taken office for two months, could not contain his emotions when faced with the reprimand.

He seemed to want to vent all the frustration he had been feeling for the past few days, and angrily said, "What's the point of you looking for me! Are you a minister or am I a minister?!"

"In the entire Huguang region, our Provincial Administration Office was the last to receive the news!"

"Now the whole of Huguang is trying to save itself. When we send people there, they won't even be able to eat hot shit!"

"Not to mention the Linxiang County Magistrate, anyone who even managed to breathe in the entire Linxiang County Office was taken away by the Jinyiwei Thousand Households that day!"

"The Jinyiwei Qianhu Division clearly distrusts outsiders. Now they won't let anyone get close. Zhao Xian was even kicked out when he went there himself. What am I?"

The councilor is an official of the fourth rank, and his superior-subordinate relationship with the governor is not so absolute.

Besides, they were all local officials, so quarrels were common.

Chen Rui couldn't suppress the panic in his heart, so he stood up and walked around the court.

He didn't care at all when he was greeted with a stern face, and only asked, "Where are those two beasts, Qiu Qiao, the garrison commander of Dongting Lake, and Chen Xiao, the river patrol commander?"

Apart from anything else, these two people are the first to bear the brunt of the attack.

That’s thousands of miners!
How could they parade through the streets and attack the county government office without even knowing it?

Not only the central government, but even the rough guy selling sesame cakes outside the government office doesn't believe this statement!
Feng Shiyu blew his nose and glared, but he didn't delay the business. He just answered anxiously: "The patrol commander Chen Xiao is under the control of the governor Zhao Xian, and the Dongting garrison commander Qiu Qiao is in the hands of the general Anyuan Hou Liu Zhen."

"Don't even think about it. They don't trust us."

"Let alone taking him away, I even asked them to interrogate him, and they all treated him as a formidable enemy."

"As for the affairs of Linxiang County, only our governor was completely in the dark!"

After something happened, it can be said that everyone was in danger.

From the governor and the general, to the Jinyiwei Qianhusuo, the provincial government, the provincial prosecution department, and even the commander-in-chief, all the high-ranking officials in charge could stay out of it.

It is true that the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office is the highest administrative body, but the Censorate in charge of criminal justice and the Military Commandery in charge of military affairs are not to be mentioned.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard directly represented the imperial power, and the Governor's Office was an imperial envoy's office above the Three Departments.

At the same time, all these people had the power and suspicion, and the various government offices drew clear boundaries, scrambled to protect witnesses and evidence, and conducted their own investigations.

Other government offices all have soldiers and guards and are well-informed, but now they have left the Governor's Office behind and their own people know nothing about it.

The more Chen Rui listened, the more annoyed he became.

He suddenly picked up the gavel at hand and smashed it on the table!
Snapped!
Snapped!
Snapped!
He cursed non-stop: "A bunch of insects! Not worth conspiring with, not worth conspiring with! Even at this time, you are still harming your neighbors!"

"Why don't you wait for the imperial envoy to come and investigate the matter thoroughly? Instead, you have to wait for the central government to send someone and then become the scapegoat!"

It is certain that someone from the central government is coming.

Such a big thing happened, even the governor died, it has already been exposed to the sky!
If we don't investigate thoroughly now, when the imperial envoy arrives, all these tall people will be dragged out as scapegoats to establish authority and vent anger!

Feng Shiyu also echoed in hatred: "They are all idiots!"

"If this wasn't done by the local tyrants, could it be done by us, the rogue officials!?"

"I have only been in office for two months, and you are still suspecting me. You must have been kicked in the head by a donkey!"

Having said that, this is just a passive and impotent rage.

If the Chief Secretary takes the lead in protecting the witnesses and evidence, he must also be on guard against outsiders.

There's no way, this is crazy!

Burn the imperial envoy!

If the central government gets angry and causes irrelevant consequences in this kind of situation, I don’t know how many people will die!

Only if you have enough evidence to investigate before the imperial envoy arrives, will you have a hope of clearing yourself.

Chen Rui was venting his anger when he suddenly stopped.

Turning to look at Feng Shiyu, he asked anxiously, "What are the mines mentioned in the manuscripts of Tang Butang and Zhang Jieshizhong's residence that were privately developed?"

Although the governor failed to obtain any witnesses, the manuscripts left by Linshuiloutai, Tang Bin and Zhang Chucheng, as well as the remains of previous investigations, could not be lost.

Feng Shiyu recalled for only a moment and blurted out, "There are many, but the ones in Wuchang Prefecture include Baizhi Mountain and Weilu Mountain."

Chen Rui glanced at the heavy rain outside the hall.

He turned around and told the man standing beside him, "Go, prepare the carriage and the raincoat! Let's go to Dazhi County and follow the road!"

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the inner hall to change his clothes.

Feng Shiyu immediately understood and wanted to prepare as well.

Suddenly remembering something, he raised his head, stopped the guard who was about to leave, and ordered: "Remember to call all the soldiers, the reward will not be less!"

Having made the same mistake before, we cannot be careless.

……

Boom!

A flash of lightning split the sky.

In addition to the muffled thunder, it also illuminated the lobby of the governor's office, and made the expression of Governor Zhao Xian look pale.

Zhao Xian was stunned. He didn't care about being rude and said in shock, "Marquis Anyuan is saying that the order was issued from the governor's office!"

"But I never..."

Marquis Anyuan was the general of Huguang and the actual commander of all the armies in Huguang.

Especially Liu Zhen, who is of super rank and has the seal of a general, is on equal footing with the governor.

Liu Zhen raised his hand to stop Zhao Xian from speaking, and said in a deep voice: "I don't care about anything else, this order was issued by your governor's office!"

After saying that, he took out a governor's warrant with a seal from his bosom.

He only showed it briefly in front of Zhao Xian and then immediately put it back in his arms.

Zhao Xian stood up suddenly: "It's not me, An Yuan Hou, don't make random accusations!"

Anyuan Marquis Liu Zhen remained calm and said solemnly: "Of course I trust Zhao Butang, but this man must be given to me!"

After all, Liu Zhen is a nobleman and a super-class person. If he really relies on his status, he will not be at a disadvantage.

Now that such a big thing has happened, of course everyone has to show their talents and distance themselves from it.

It is hard to say whether the current governors and provincial governors can serve for a full month.

Etiquette and courtesy are not so important at this time.

Zhao Xian regained his composure and said coldly, "I won't give anyone to An Yuanhou. It's hard to say who will be involved in this matter. I don't trust anyone now."

Tang Bin and Zhang Chucheng brought nearly 200 guards from the Yamen and Wuchang Guards with them on this provincial tour.

With two hundred elite soldiers protecting them, let alone a thousand bandits, even if they were facing a thousand elite soldiers, they would most likely be able to break out in a street fight. There is no way they would be blocked in the county government office and unable to leave.

But that's where the coincidence lies.

The day before the incident, the Niujiaojian bandits robbed passenger ships, kidnapped civilians, and killed countless people.

They then sent sailors to encircle and suppress the enemy, but they were outnumbered and suffered nearly a hundred casualties.

At this time, Tang Bin happened to pass by and saw Ji Ruzhi, the deputy military commander who was encircling and suppressing the pirates, so he pulled out most of Tang Bin's guards.

What does one thing after another mean?
This is one thing after another! It is so ingenious that it is impossible to believe that it was an accident!

This is why everyone is in danger now.

As for how Ji Ruzhi, a mere assistant military officer, could have such courage and ability to make the governor Tang Bin obediently withdraw personnel? Previously, Zhao Xian was very confused and thought that Tang Bin was a civil official and did not understand the dangers of the world.

Now Anyuan Hou Liu Zhen has found out the truth and came to inform him—he actually said that it was a warrant issued by the Governor’s Office!
But God has mercy on me!
He certainly hadn't issued such a warrant!
Liu Zhen did not argue, but stood up and said goodbye, expressionless: "I have been here today anyway, it doesn't matter if Governor Zhao doesn't let me stop you. I will hand over the witnesses and evidence to the imperial envoy at that time."

After saying that, he turned around, stepped into the puddle on the road, and walked into the rain.

Only Zhao Xian was left in the court, his face gloomy and uncertain.

Only after Liu Zhen walked away did Zhao Xian yell towards the side hall, "Go! Bring Ji Ruzhi to me!"

After yelling, he overturned the table, making a mess on the floor.

He muttered to himself in a cold tone: "Whoever dares to touch my seal, I will kill you."

……

The rain in Huguang is getting heavier and heavier.

White raindrops as big as beans hit the ground, splashed everywhere, and hit the trouser legs of pedestrians.

A pair of wet trouser legs swept past quickly, occasionally accidentally stepping on a puddle, causing mud to splash.

It was visible to the naked eye that the legs below the knees were covered in mud.

But Shu Ao, the imperial inspector who usually led a refined life, had no time to care about it at this moment.

He stood in front of the gate of Yuezhou government office and said meaningfully: "This is the last place where Tang Butang and Zhang Jieshizhong stayed before the Linxiang case happened."

Tang Bin and Zhang Chucheng went on a tour of the province and went all the way to Guiyang before turning back.

Shu Ao also followed the two of them and surveyed the place where they had stayed, all the way here.

At that time, the two stayed in Yuezhou Prefecture until noon of the next day before rushing to Linxiang County.

The accompanying staff frowned: "There are too many suspicious people along the way."

"The Qianhusuo in Guiyang who was stopped from opening a mine privately, the several noble families in Hengzhou who privately minted copper coins, and the prince in Changsha who had a conflict with Tangbutang..."

"Now everyone in the province is suspicious of each other, and even if there are clues, it is impossible to investigate them."

Shu Ao shook his head: "Whatever we find is enough. I am also an imperial envoy. I am different from those officials. There is no need to rush for success."

The Inspector-General was an imperial censor who was sent to inspect local areas. He had no department in charge and no specific duties.

In short, there is no team at the local level, only a group of imperial guards, and they have little connection with the local area.

This immediately eliminated his suspicion.

At the same time, there is no major leadership responsibility to be taken.

Being debt-free brings relief, so of course there is no need to rush to clear yourself like those high-ranking officials.

Shu Ao turned his head and looked towards the Yuezhou government office, and said to the clerk beside him, "Go, ask the prefect and his right and left hands to come out to see me."

It would be a lie to say that we are not afraid of this kind of treason case.

Along the way, he didn't dare to walk into the gates of these government offices easily.

It is just in case something goes wrong that you can just ride your horse and break out to avoid following in the footsteps of others.

The staff continued to analyze, "It's probably not someone from Yuezhou Prefecture. When Tang Butang passed through Changsha, Ji Ruzhi asked for his guards to go. If he wanted to take action, he could have done it before Yuezhou Prefecture. There's no need to add suspicion to himself."

Linxiang County is located in the territory of Yuezhou Prefecture, and there is no way to escape if something happens.

Shu Ao sneered: "They have done such a brainless thing, how can you expect them to be smart?"

After that, he ordered the captain, "Go, ask the commander of Yuezhou Guard to come see me as well."

Although the Inspector-General was only a seventh-rank official, he "toured the country on behalf of the emperor, reported major matters to the emperor, and made immediate decisions on minor matters." His power could not be explained by his rank alone.

The imperial court repeatedly ordered the inspectors not to demand that the local governors kneel down or to humiliate or beat the local officials, and there was a reason for this.

A third-rank commander could only breathe louder in front of the Inspector-General.

The staff member's expression changed, and he whispered, "Do you think Yuezhou Guards are involved?"

This is no small matter. Although the censor has great power, if the Jieshizhong and the provincial governor are all killed, it doesn't matter if there is still one censor.

After all, there are thousands of people in the First Guard!
Shu Ao said meaningfully: "I don't quite believe that an exiled miner could gather thousands of bandits in less than half a year after making a comeback."

"Besides...it's unclear whose food the Yuezhou Guards are eating."

Boom!

Thunder sounded again.

Shu Ao stopped talking and didn't explain any more. He just glanced at the mansion in the distance vaguely.

Just at this moment, another flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the door plaque of the mansion, and the four words "Yueyang Palace" could be vaguely seen.

……

The torrential rain in Huguang could not affect the capital city, which was 3,000 miles away.

The entire northern Zhili area began to become hot after noon.

In the Shuntian government office, someone was feeling as hot as an ant on a hot pot. He paced back and forth, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Finally, after a long while, the butler who had given instructions came trotting in.

Panting, he said, "Master, I have sent away the concubine sent by Huguang."

He glanced at his master's expression again and said comfortingly, "Master, please rest assured. We haven't had time to deal with the matter yet. The concubine has also dealt with it, and outsiders will not know about it."

Sun Yizheng at least breathed a sigh of relief.

He sat down and gulped down water.

After he recovered, he said unhappily, "I told you long ago! You can't accept money from Huguang!"

"Last year, the mining tax case was exposed, and we should have cut off contact with them earlier. But your sister accepted everything. Isn't she afraid of being fed to death?"

"Now that such a big thing has happened, what should I do if I am found to be responsible?"

The housekeeper and brother-in-law couldn't help but curl his lips when he heard this.

They took the money, but they couldn't get rid of the concubine, so they didn't know why.

Now he seems to blame everyone else.

But he just thought about it in his heart, and the housekeeper hurriedly comforted him: "I think there is no need to worry about it."

"Although we did help with some things in Huguang, how long has it been? Now we have only taken a little money at most and helped to smooth over a small matter. It is not a big crime. There is no reason to be implicated to this extent."

Sun Yizheng snorted coldly and scolded: "You have never been to school, what do you know!"

"You are still worried about the sky. Do you know that Qiren has experienced falling stars twice, which is why he is so cautious?"

After a lecture, he felt better and let his brother-in-law go.

Finally, he did not forget to instruct: "From now on, we will only take the money from the gentry and merchants in Shuntian Prefecture. We will not take a penny from those local nobles!"

"A gentleman loves money, but he gets it in a proper way. Do you understand?"

The butler bowed and nodded repeatedly to indicate that he had listened.

Just now.

There was a sudden commotion outside.

Sun Yizhen's heart skipped a beat and he stretched his neck to look outside in surprise and suspicion.

As far as the eye could see, two eunuchs were leading the way, crossing the front yard and walking inside.

Behind the two eunuchs were people from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.

He looked aggressive and rude, and it was obvious that he was up to no good!
Sun Yizhen took a deep breath and was about to stand up when he felt his body shaking.

The housekeeper didn't understand what was going on and quickly supported him.

Before Sun Yizhen could give another order, he saw that the Jinyiwei had surrounded him.

A man who looked like a great eunuch smiled and looked at him: "Mr. Sun, His Majesty has requested that you come to the palace to see him."

(End of this chapter)