Empress Han

The eunuch, the head of the Sifang Bureau, has been in the palace for 30 years. He belongs to the one who made it through step by step. He also has a few godsons. As soon as he died, these little eunuchs were immediately arrested and interrogated.It will take time to get the answer, but the emperor is no longer worried about the original staff of the Si Shan Bureau.Perhaps because those people in the dark are used to hiding in the dark, once they are exposed to the sun, they will panic.

The newly appointed Ting Wei Feng Chong sent people to report that some people wanted to poison several eunuchs in the sky prison, but because the eunuchs might know the important situation, they were transferred to the newly built Ting Wei cell in advance to escape the catastrophe. It was discovered by the jailer of the sky prison, and after killing several jailers, he was taken down by Habayashi guard.

The emperor was so frightened that he almost kicked the case down, "He dared to kill people in the prison, but he did it again and again. This is contempt for the emperor. Since they did it, there must be something wrong with those eunuchs. They will not hesitate to use any means." , I just want an answer."

Someone relayed the emperor's words to Feng Chong, Feng Chong paused and asked the old jailer to interrogate those people.Feng Chong is only 34 years old this year, but he was able to hold the position of Ting Wei. It is because of his good family background, but also because he is proficient in Legalism. Of course he knows that in this prison, the person who knows everything best is not the Shangguan. It is these low-level prison guards who know what kind of prisoner needs to use what method, how much torture equipment can be used to make people talk, how to look harmless on the outside but the internal organs have been damaged, etc., so this kind of torture It is most appropriate to leave things to them.

Feng Chong sat in the lobby, looking at the case files over the years, and it was not until the afternoon that the jailer came to report that someone had been recruited.

The old jailer looked like his hair was already grey, and his face was wrinkled, but his eyes were shining brightly. Feng Chong was not a pedantic person.The wages of prison officials are meager, and they work hard just for some rewards to support their families. If they talk about the righteousness of the monarch and ministers, he may not understand it.Asked his subordinates to reward him with a few slings of money, and sure enough, the jailer's face was full of smiles, his back was even more bent, and he was slightly flattering while leading the way, "My lord, these people's bones are indeed strong enough, but after knowing that someone wants to be in the sky prison They were shaken when they wanted their lives. People are afraid of death. It’s not easy to bring it up again after being vented. The villain just used a few tricks, and they recruited.”

Feng Chong nodded, "You have done a good job. If what these little eunuchs said is helpful to the investigation, the officer will ask for credit for you and reward you with money. Maybe you will be needed to help the officer to pry open a certain case in the future." As long as you continue to make meritorious service, I can find someone to teach your youngest son how to read."

Feng Chong said lightly, but the jailer was overjoyed, and bowed his head, "Small man, the villain will try his best to help the adults, and the grace of the adults to the villains is like rebuilding." Feng Chong asked him to get up. The red light looked like he was drunk.

When they arrived at the torture room of Tingwei Prison, several young eunuchs were released. Because of the torture, there was almost nothing intact on their bodies. If they were not breathing in their chests and their eyes were still open, they would be no different from dead people.

The jailer opened the door and let Feng rush in, while covering the floating dust, "Your Excellency, you can ask whatever you want. They look miserable, but they won't die. You don't have to worry."

Feng Chong nodded, "Your master's death, what should you know, tell me what you know, and I will give you a happy time, otherwise, if the emperor is angry, you will die when you die. Your family, relatives and friends You will all be implicated, but I would like to advise you, since the people behind the scenes have already regarded you as abandoned children, why do you continue to work for them? Whoever said that there is no secret, I promise to let your family members go."

One of them said, "What your lord wants to know, we know everything, we just ask your lord to give us a good time, but what we know is very limited, I don't know if it will be useful, we have not been in the palace for too long , in this palace, eunuchs can't leave the palace except for death, so they are intertwined in this palace. Ahem, my master is also a link in the middle. We can't know who controls the apex of this link. We are just small fish. It is only after following the master that we have some foundation. My master once said that their hearts are too big, he is very afraid, but he can’t leave, so he doesn’t know when he will die. If he dies, let us go to the remote I didn’t expect us to be arrested so soon, and it’s useless. They killed my master because they were afraid that my master would confess them. Although my master didn’t say anything, he always Be careful, you won’t leave no evidence behind.”

Feng Chong shook his head, "We've checked the inside and outside of your master's room, and there's nothing there. Could it have been taken away?"

The other person laughed miserably, "Impossible, my master is the most cautious temperament, it is absolutely impossible for him to put such an important thing in his room, adults may wish to search our room, the master often comes in and out of our place, this possibility Not without."

Feng Chong called his confidant and asked him to tell the emperor what he had said so that the emperor could make a decision.It is true that he is the court lieutenant in charge of investigating the case, but even in the palace, no soldiers are allowed to come. Except for the guards and the emperor, no other real men are allowed in the palace.What's more, if there is no progress, how can the emperor feel at ease.

When the emperor heard this passage, he just wanted Chen Anji to take someone to investigate, but he remembered that Chen Anji's injuries were not healed yet, and Zheng Yan was by his side again.What's more, the residence of the servants of the Sishan Bureau is in the harem, if he orders someone to investigate, the people behind the scenes will definitely hide deeper.Suddenly he remembered that although he couldn't let people check it out, the queen could. The queen was in charge of the harem, so it was only natural for her to come.Even if the people behind the scenes knew about it, they wouldn't break all the traces.He really wanted to know how big this net was, and how he could sleep peacefully if he didn't get rid of this net.Different from the rebellion, different from the plans of the ministers, these eunuchs and maids in the whole palace are unknown, if there is a change in their hearts, how can he, the emperor, be safe?

When the ruler heard the news, he didn't care about doing it himself. If the cancerous tumors in the harem were wiped out, even if some small fish and shrimps slipped through the net, even if there were still people plotting her position, she could do it calmly. Just unplug it as soon as possible.

Since those people were all assassinating in the sky prison, it can be seen that they did not take the new emperor and empress seriously, and they also knew that the empress was investigating corruption. It should not have occurred to them that they had actually gradually surfaced.And these little eunuchs are not dead, those people are afraid that they will be shaken out all the time, they will definitely move, if they are not afraid of them moving, they are afraid that they will not move.The ruler who has lived in the harem for decades understands that no matter what, as long as there are traces, there is no fear of being caught. This is applicable to many things.

The ruler has been in the palace for so long, and he has his own manpower, and there are trustworthy people in key positions, and some of them have not been hidden from the emperor, because if a queen doesn't even have her own manpower, how can she manage the harem? To that extent, even if the ruler can hold the emperor's heart, his position is still unstable.

Except for the little eunuchs who were rummaging in several houses, because they were careful and managed their own clothing and jewelry, they were more sensitive to such things. The government asked Yuanlan to go and see if there would be any unexpected surprises.

The few rooms were not very big, and the search was completed in a short while, and a few scrolls of bamboo slips were found from two hidden compartments. However, when the government opened it, it was not the list, but a sentence from the beginning to the end.Most eunuchs are illiterate these days.If this thing is said to be written by hand, no one will believe it, but nothing can be seen in this way. The difference between getting it and not getting it is only that there is hope.Even a person with a heart like Zhengjun felt uncomfortable. If the eunuch Si Shan died, if there was no other way, wouldn't this line that was so hard to find be broken, how could she be reconciled.How could someone else be allowed to sleep soundly on the side of the couch, if she hadn't decided to purge the harem this time, she might still be dreaming that the servants in the palace would not dare to challenge the imperial power.The fact is that these eunuchs and maids have unknowingly become the masters of the palace underground.

When Zheng Jun was holding the bamboo slips and was having a headache, Yuan Lan opened the curtain and came in with something in her hand, "Ma'am, this eunuch serving food is really old and mature, and he doesn't put his eggs in one basket. Those few scrolls of bamboo slips would be useless if there were no slaves holding them."

Zhengjun took it and saw that there were no words, only rows of numbers. Zhengjun suddenly realized, opened the bamboo slips, picked out the words according to the numbers, found a piece of clean silk to write down, and put the bamboo slips down after picking out, Picking up the silk, and swipe the finger, it is a name one by one.

"Check. Who are these people? The eunuch serving food is considered a high-level internal eunuch. The person he can know is probably not a low-level eunuch. Check quietly, don't startle the snake. In addition, the court ladies Also be careful, especially those who were convicted and entered the palace as slaves, these people may not really have no complaints in their hearts." The government kept this copy, and asked Yuan Lan to copy another copy and take it away. Shu's composure is also a little bit of Hongdan's quick-wittedness, the key is that she knows that everything has its limits, and she doesn't make her own decisions, which sometimes Yunshu can't compare to.

This room has been searched, but in case there is something missing, I thought that Yuanlan's things were found at the root of the tree under the yard, so let the little eunuchs continue to search here together, and at the same time The surrounding area of ​​the eunuch's house should be searched in the same way, and the ruler went to Weiyang Palace to find the emperor.

At this time, the emperor was dealing with the backlog of government affairs and arranging Liancheng officials, but the ruler did not let anyone know.Although the affairs in the palace are dangerous and dark, they should be prioritized compared to the important affairs of the country, and it is not to catch the chief envoy, so the ruler did not let anyone know, but just stayed in the back hall, watching carefully Let's see if she can recall anything from that list. If she can recall all of them, then I'm afraid they have been hiding very deeply in her previous life. Such a person is suitable for a breakthrough.As a result, after looking at two rows, the political monarch did not find a familiar name.Laughing secretly at myself, because things went wrong in my previous life, but because of her status, she never paid attention to the servants below, and now she can only wait for the news from Yuan Lan. After the end, I have to re-examine the maids and servants to fill in the gaps.

There are too many people coming into the palace year after year, and the servants who are disabled cannot be released. Those maids must be released in batches, and it seems that there will be a rule in the future. This net can be formed. There is undeniable resentment in it, but even so, colluding with each other, death is not a pity.

After discussing the state affairs, the emperor was thinking of going to see the emperor, and by the way, to understand the situation, he did not expect that the emperor was already in the apse.

Seeing that the emperor had already entered the house, the ruler put down his handkerchief, and even though the emperor stopped him, he saluted before getting up.The emperor complained a few words, "Why should you and my husband care about these vain rituals? It's not that you don't know others. We often meet, and it's so troublesome to go back and forth."

Zhengjun thought to himself, now you don’t think it is necessary. When I was pregnant in the previous life, you had no other children, and you were like a jewel to me. As a result, Fu Yao can coax you to only go to see her with just a few words. If I don’t You don't feel anything about saluting now, but if you and I have a difference of opinion, will you not settle the old score?

However, Yan Yan was still smiling on the face, "What your majesty said is that there were still people in the palace just now. There is no need to be polite between us husband and wife, but if outsiders know about it, wouldn't there be a lot of rumors about your majesty and your concubines? Your majesty." The concubine has to think about His Majesty, but there is a little bit of etiquette, and it doesn't take much trouble, so Your Majesty should not persuade you."

The emperor was actually very satisfied with the behavior of the ruler, and the queen was respectful to the emperor. Those ministers would only say that the royal etiquette is complete, which is a matter of face.

After chattering for a while, the emperor asked the ruler why he came so suddenly, and asked someone to inform him why he was waiting in the back of the palace.

The ruler gave the silk to the emperor, "The concubine searched the inside and outside of the houses of the little eunuchs, and found several scrolls of bamboo slips in the house. There were many words on the bamboo slips, but nothing could be seen at all. Under the tree outside the courtyard, I found a roll of bamboo slips full of numbers. The concubine used the numbers to talk to each other, and the names on the silk were the same. It is bound to uproot these slaves who betrayed the master and clean up the harem."

The emperor spread out the silk and took a few glances, but he didn't recognize any names, so he called Zheng Yan, "Look, if there are any of these names in Weiyang Palace."

Zheng Yan didn't ask, but he more or less knew that there was such a dark place in the palace. He himself had been to the emperor's side early on, and he was loyal to the emperor, so no one dared to come and win him over. He knew more or less, but he thought it was just some old eunuchs who couldn't get out of the palace to get together to save some money, so he didn't pay much attention to it. It seemed that it was obviously not as simple as he imagined.

Looked at it and frowned, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the fifth in the third row is the eunuch in charge of cleaning the Weiyang Palace, the first in the fourth row is the court lady in charge of opening the curtains, and the second in the fifth row is the steward of the side hall." Maid, the rest, servants don't know either."

The emperor's anger started to build up from the first name, and reached its apex by the third name. The ruler could only persuade him, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty. If we don't check the harem, how do we know that there is such a cancer hidden in the palace? I discovered it, which means that the late emperor was protecting His Majesty. It is just a few eunuchs and maidservants who are disloyal, and they have their own rules to deal with. Your Majesty should not be angry about this."

The emperor still suppressed his anger, but asked Zheng Yan to let people monitor these people first, don't touch them first, and see what they are doing, and let the ruler, look back, find those people on the list, pick one up and make a move, Look at the actions of other people, who will be drawn out, and the relevant people, etc., must be caught.

Zheng Yan went down to make arrangements, Weiyang Palace is actually quite clean, since the emperor cleaned up the backyard, the emperor naturally found that if the place he was in was leaked into a sieve, people would know what he was doing before, and there was no privacy How terrible the words are, so we have to clean up the Weiyang Palace again and again. Even so, there are still fish that slip through the net, but most of them are people who are loyal to the emperor.

Once the conspiracy sees the sun, it will not be so scary, and once the hidden stake is exposed, there will be no threat. The emperor's anger is more like a fear that there are people with ulterior motives around him.The more it is out of his control, the more worried it will be against him. This is human nature, and no one can avoid it.

The monarch persuaded again, "Your Majesty, the concubine asked Yuan Lan to check this list, and the result must not come out for a while, and it has to be seen who will choose the chicken to make an example to the monkey. The concubine has to go back to the Jiaofang Palace first." , Your Majesty has just come down to court, you should take a good rest, don't get angry because of these things."

The emperor was a little aggrieved, and when he thought of the piles of bad things, he would have a headache, "No, I will accompany you back to the Jiaofang Palace. Anyway, this matter will not be clear for a while, and your court lady may not know it when you go back." Going back, walk with me along the way, instead of sitting on the shoulders."

It should be true for the emperor, the early spring is still cold, and the palace servants put on capes and sleeves for the emperor and the emperor.The two left Weiyang Palace with the palace servants.The distance between Weiyang Palace and Jiaofang Palace is not far, and there is no particularly good scenery. Since the emperor wants to relax, he will not take that road. The emperor is walking, not far from the Plum Garden.Plum blossoms bloom in winter, but they have already fallen by now. The scenery is a bit desolate, not as good as the imperial garden. The emperor was a little disappointed, so he simply walked back to the Jiaofang Hall, not in the mood to relax.

"It's been hard work for you these days, you have to clean up the harem, and you have to take care of Shun Ronghua and the others. It's my honor to have a wife, so I saw you at the first sight at that time. It's fate. "The closer he got to the Jiaofang Palace, the emperor suddenly felt a little emotional. During his most difficult days, it was the empress who was by his side to help him, and those concubines could not do anything except ask him for it. , Even if it was only for a moment, the emperor still felt that Zhengjun was the only woman who could stand by his side.

The ruler didn't know what the emperor was thinking, but even if he didn't know it, he would only think that if a man believed it, he would be a fool.