Bright Spring

After understanding the various joints, Jin Zhong's movements immediately became quick!While calling his entourage into the house, he told his entourage to prepare to leave for the capital; at the same time, he began to take out a pen and paper to write the secret performance.

Jin Zhong leaned over his desk and wrote vigorously. He first described what the spy reported on the paper, and then wrote his speculation: It is not impossible for Zhang Fu to betray the king in secret!

When he finished writing the memorial and rereading it, he felt that it was not appropriate to write his own speculation; the mind of the Holy Majesty today is not easy, and there are so many ministers in the court, Jin Zhong does not need to express his own opinion.Helping the court speculate is just superfluous.

So he crossed out the following text and copied it again.

The messenger had already walked into the study room of the library, and was waiting below.

After Jin Zhong deleted and revised it, he sealed the secret performance; he then signed another urgent official document from the Minister of War, and handed it to the messenger together.Jin Zhong warned: "Take the official document and walk the post road, and hurry up for four hundred miles! And this secret memorial will not be sent to the Secretary of the General Administration, but directly handed over to the Commander of Jinyiwei; it has my seal on it, and you will definitely see it." Go to Jinyiwei Commander Tan Qing."

The messenger clasped his fists and said, "Little one obeys!"

Jin Zhong glanced at the sky outside, and said: "The city gate is not closed yet, let's go immediately!"

The urgent delivery of official documents from Wuchang City to the capital took four hundred miles to rush, and it was estimated that it would take three days and three nights to barely arrive.

Because if the transmission speed of official documents exceeds four hundred miles, the posthorse will run to death; therefore, there must be a major event, such as an urgent matter such as a local rebellion, before the government will use that method of transmission regardless of the cost.

So Jin Zhong chose the urgent official document of four hundred miles.After all, the fastest [-]-mile rush will take about two days to reach the capital!

... the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Jin Zhong received an official document sent from Changsha City; the official document was signed by General Pinghan and British Duke Zhang Fu, and the content was probably the combat strategy of the Huguang army.

Because the officers and soldiers received multiple definite news, the rebels would prepare a pontoon bridge in the south of Hengzhou city and forcibly cross the Xiangjiang River; therefore, Zhang Fu and others decided on a new strategy, and immediately transferred the land and water armies to the south, intending to stop the attack in the south of Hengzhou The rebels cross the river!

Zhang Fu's official document informed Jin Zhong: Ask Jin Zhong to prepare more military rations and store them in the wharf warehouses along the river.

The whole matter seemed to be fine on the surface, and Zhang Fu even took the initiative to inform Jin Zhong when he decided to deploy his troops!

However, Jin Zhong already knew about Zhang Fu's strange behavior from the spies, so he had a different opinion at this time: even if Zhang Fu really had a different intention, he couldn't hide such a major event as the deployment of troops; Can confuse colleagues.

Jin Zhong thought about connecting the two things before and after, and felt more and more wrong!

To be on the safe side, Jin Zhong hastily wrote another memorial!This time he did not play the secret memorial, because the content was only the strategy of the Huguang officials and soldiers.

However, Jin Zhong chose the urgent delivery method of eight hundred miles, and marked the words "eight hundred miles" on the memorial.He ordered the courier: Regardless of all costs, send the memorial to the capital as quickly as possible!

A memorial that only reported the front-line combat strategy, but it was expedited by eight hundred miles; this in itself can explain the problem!Therefore, Jin Zhong did not express any suspicion in the memorial.He believed in the emperor and ministers of the court, and someone must be able to discover the reason!

Jin Zhong walked out of the room, watching the messenger's hurried back under the cloudy sky.

He withdrew his gaze, and turned his head to look at the southern sky; he subconsciously made a posture of listening attentively, but of course it was impossible to hear any movement.

So Jin Zhong became a little restless, he paced messily, doing some meaningless trivial movements, then he looked up at the gray sky.The clouds in the sky have been there for a few days, but it can't always rain down happily, and occasionally only a little raindrops are enough.

But somehow, Jin Zhong felt that the day of heavy rain was gradually approaching!

Chapter 557 The Second Snow

The seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The capital began to snow again.The snow this time was slightly heavier than that at the beginning of the month, and thin snow gradually accumulated on the glazed tiles and corners of the palace walls in the palace of the imperial city; for a while, the palace seemed to be enveloped by a layer of pure white veil.

Emperor Zhu Gaochi still didn't go to court, nor did he convene ministers to discuss matters; but he hadn't indulged | indulgence | pleasure for almost half a month.

It's not that he "suddenly wakes up", but that he gets a little tired after playing too much.Especially after finishing things like that every day, his interest in the beauties in the palace is greatly reduced.

This kind of indulgence is not the first time he has done it; as early as Zhu Gaochi had just ascended the throne, he had already done it.Although the state affairs were not peaceful at that time, he had been aggrieved for too long when he was the crown prince and crown prince, and suddenly he became very wanton when he became the throne.

Both times, after a period of time, he himself felt that it was not very interesting; no one could restrain him.

However, Zhu Gaochi still does not go to court, and would rather sit in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and watch and listen to music every day...

Zhu Gaochi knew about the most important events in the court.He just didn't want to deal with the memorial; but he didn't make an order to prevent the eunuchs, the commander of Jin Yiwei, and other confidants from meeting.

Yesterday, Jin Yiwei's commander, Tan Qing, came to the Qianqing Palace and presented the secret performance of Jin Zhong, Shangshu of the Ministry of War!But Zhu Gaochi ignored it, and directly asked Tan Qing to send him to the outer court for disposal.

At this moment, the eunuch Haitao, the supervisor of ceremonies, came to Qianqing Palace again.Hai Tao came over with a bow, and said cautiously: "My lord, the second memorial of Jinbutang has arrived again."

Zhu Gaochi didn't put down the book in his hand, maintaining a comfortable posture on the cushion of the chair, he asked without turning his head, "What did Jin Zhong say this time?"

Haitao said: "Jin Butang wrote that the British justly mobilized almost all land and water troops in Huguang Province to go south to stop the rebels on the west bank of the Xiangjiang River..."

After hearing this, Zhu Gaochi made a meaningless voice and continued to read his book.

Upon seeing this, Haitao said: "Several ministers in the court said that the most important part of this memorial is not what Jin Butang reported, but the words 'Eight Hundred Miles Urgent' on the envelope."

"Oh?" Zhu Gaochi finally became interested, and looked away from the book.Haitao hastily raised the envelope with both hands and pointed it out to him.

Hai Tao said cautiously again: "The ministers all want to discuss matters in person and wait for the emperor to make up his mind."

Zhu Gaochi didn't respond, but he didn't look at the book in his hand either.His eyes didn't focus on anything, he seemed to be thinking about something.It stayed like this for a while.

Haitao hesitated to speak, and finally leaned over and said quietly: "The servant also met the empress. The empress said that the Duke of England only has a crippled son, and he doesn't necessarily care about his younger brothers; such a high-ranking military official, The heart is made of iron and stone, cruel and cold..."

Zhu Gaochi glanced at Haitao.He knew before that this eunuch had already been wooed by the queen, Zhu Gaochi just didn't want to care about it.Because once it is calculated, the following things will be very troublesome.

Zhu Gaochi still didn't say a word; Haitao only said that sentence, and stood beside him silently and knowingly.

After a long time, Zhu Gaochi said: "I believe that Jin Zhong will not lie to me, but the secret agent of the Ministry of War will definitely not deceive Jin Zhong? This matter is only speculation from the beginning to the end, and there is no evidence at all."

Hai Tao didn't dare to contradict the emperor, he hurriedly said: "The emperor is wise."

Zhu Gaochi said: "Let the ministers find their own way."

Haitao said: "Your servant obeys the order!"

... So Haitao went to the cabinet study of the Imperial Academy, where several ministers happened to be discussing matters.

"Ahem!" Haitao cleared his throat and sang, "Imperial decree!"

Several officials hurriedly saluted.Haitao walked to the north, held his head high and said, "The emperor issued an order to let the ministers find their own way. I respect this." Haitao likes to pass orders very much, even though he knows that people are afraid of the imperial power, not him as an eunuch. , but he still feels good whenever this happens.

"The ministers and others take the decree to thank you!" The ministers bowed.

Everyone stood up one after another, including Yuan Gong, Ru Yuan, Guo Zi and others.Some of them are old ministers of the former dynasty, and some are the emperor's confidantes, but they are all ministers who the emperor relies heavily on.

Discussions quickly started in the study room, and it became a bit noisy.

At this time, Ru Yu's voice said: "I'm just a minister of the Ministry of War, so I can say a few words impartially..."

As soon as this remark came out, the others consciously shut up and looked sideways.Perhaps it was because what Ru Yu said was very reasonable, he was a surrendered minister after the "Battle of Jingnan", and he didn't even have the right to favor anyone!So of course it is more likely out of public interest.

Ru Yu said: "I have been working as a minister of the Ministry of War since the Hongwu period, and I will say something from my heart: In the current situation, Huguang no longer needs to set up the post of 'Ping Han General'. The officers and troops in Huguang were defeated in the battle. Who can the rest of the troops beat?"

All the people present were from the center of the imperial court, so there was no need to hide anything; when Ru Xun asked the truth, no one was able to answer immediately.