Chapter 243: No Greed or Corruption, Something Must Be Wrong

Chapter 243: No Greed or Corruption, Something Must Be Wrong

Chapter 243: No Greed or Corruption, Something Must Be Wrong

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and it was noon.
Yangliu Street gradually became lively, with rows of shops starting to open for business and vendors setting up their stalls one after another.

Most of their eyes stayed on the Huajianji in the middle of Yangliu Street.
They had always known that Hua Jian Ji had a strong background.
It has been standing firm in Yuezhou all these years, occupying the best location on Yangliu Street, leaving them helpless.

But now, they have been waiting for a long time, but instead of waiting for the decline of Huajianji,

Instead, he got a glimpse of the power behind Huajianji.
Just that little corner was enough to scare them into silence, and they dared not even think about making a move on Huajianji.

A young general of the fourth rank, who is less than 20 years old, is also a leader in the entire Ming Dynasty.
They must have either outstanding abilities or a strong family background, but they can't afford to offend either one.

Moreover, they also saw a copy of calligraphy located high up in the main hall.

It was brief and powerful, especially the seal and the name, which made them even more afraid: Duke Cao of the Ming Dynasty.

This made it almost impossible for the shop owners on Yangliu Street to breathe.
When the governor of the village came to inspect, they dared not breathe.

But in front of Magistrate Zhuang, just like they were in front of Magistrate Zhuang, if they didn’t lower their heads, they wouldn’t be able to even look at him.

After the calligraphy and painting was hung up in the morning,

Yuezhou government office soon sent people to move the resting place of the government officials from the end of the street to the side of Huajianji.
This move is self-evident and makes things easier.

In Huajianji, it was a long time after Liu Heiying left that the shopkeeper Hua Jieyu came out of the room.

Although there is makeup on her face, you can still see a hint of red hidden under her cheeks.

This made many women in Huajianji open their eyes wide and look ambiguous.

Hua Jieyu came to the lobby, looked up at the calligraphy that she could see as soon as she entered the door, and a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes.

Duke Cao was assassinated yesterday. It must have taken a lot of effort to get such a calligraphy.
Whenever Hua Jieyu thought of this, her heart would beat fast.
She hadn't been so moved in many years.

She pursed her lips, a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, and she sighed softly.

He left Huajianji, got on a carriage, and staggered away.

Soon, she arrived at an antique house in Yuezhou Prefecture.
The vermilion gate is inlaid with bright copper nails, majestic stone lions stand on both sides, and the black plaque is splashed with gold paint, with two large characters written in vigorous and graceful strokes.

"Lin Mansion."

Hua Jieyu raised her head, pursed her lips and looked at the plaque, a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes.

This was the house of her late husband's teacher, who also guided her into the Jinyiwei.
Hua Jieyu put away the hesitation on her face, and seemed to recall the various things about the Jinyiwei.
All the noisy temperament associated with a prostitute faded away, her face was filled with coldness and her expression was chilly.

She walked slowly into the Lin Mansion, and her walking posture was no longer as swaying as before, but became dignified and heavy.

The Lin Mansion is very large, and the Ming Dynasty treated officials from the previous dynasty very favorably, let alone these officials who joined the Jinyiwei.

She walked through the intricate courtyards and rockery, crossed the pond, and finally came to the main hall.
I met the short, thin old man with a kind smile.

When the old man saw her coming, he noticed the woman's bun on Hua Jieyu's hair and started laughing.

"Our Xiaoyu, has she found a lover?"

The old man trembled as he stepped forward, looked Hua Jieyu up and down, and nodded:

"Not bad. I haven't seen you for a while. You haven't lost weight. I'm relieved, old man.
The world is in turmoil right now, and you are in the midst of prostitution, so don't be fooled by those bad men."

The coldness on Hua Jieyu's face instantly disappeared, replaced by a smile:
"I am willing to be deceived. It only happens once in a lifetime."

"Hahahahahaha" the old man laughed heartily and nodded frequently:
"That's right, life is all about having fun.
Look at me now. When I was young, I was very cautious and studied hard.
After becoming an official, he was trembling with fear, and when he was old, he took on such a job. He has never rested in his life, and has never enjoyed happiness. "

The old man turned around and walked towards the main hall while muttering.

Hua Jieyu followed him and entered the main hall, then closed the door.

The dim sunlight came in through the window gaps, making the atmosphere here a little weird.

Mr. Lin was already sitting at the head of the table. His face was heavy and he did not have the kindness he had before. He spoke coldly:
"Did you leak the news that Duke Cao was assassinated?"

Hua Jieyu stood there quietly, her face calm, and shook her head slowly:
"No."

"Only three people on the entire troop transport ship knew about the trip to Junshan Island.
It wasn't until the day before yesterday when I went to Huajianji that you found out about it, and then the assassination happened. Is there such a coincidence in the world?"

Hua Jieyu said in a deep voice: "We didn't leave that night. Although we knew we were going to Junshan Island the next day, we didn't know there was an ambush on Junshan Island to assassinate us."

Hua Jieyu did not make any excuses, but just told what she knew.
This is the code of conduct for Jinyiwei secret agents. When stating facts, no subjective assumptions are made and everything is decided by the superiors.

The old man sitting at the head nodded slightly, and then asked:
"Have you read the letter that Duke Cao gave you?"

"No, there are seals and arrangements on it that I have never seen before. I am not authorized to view it."

"Well, I will report your words and deeds to Lord Mao. As for your punishment, just wait."

Hua Jieyu pursed her lips and nodded gently: "Yes."

"I can see that you have become tired of the life of the Jinyiwei over the years, and you have become less attentive to your work.
So I decided to give you one last mission, which is also your last mission in this life.
I accepted this mission so that I would no longer have a superior-subordinate relationship with you.
You can discuss ordinary matters with me, but you don’t need to report to me about missions.”

Hua Jieyu raised her head abruptly, her pupils shaking violently, and she spoke in a calm voice:
"what?"

"Is that boy named Black Hawk infatuated with you?"

The sudden question made Hua Jieyu stunned, and then she answered:

"No, he is young, but very sensible."

Mr. Lin suddenly laughed: "As it should be. How much do you know about him?"

"He is a general beside Duke Cao."

"No, he is Lu Yunyi's deputy general, responsible for many military affairs.

The brain of the front army scout unit is Lu Yunyi, and the limbs are Liu Heiying.
They are all newly rising generals in the court, and have attracted the attention of many people. They are also on the list of young generals to be investigated by the court.

As for how to conduct the investigation, the court has given this task to us.

Your mission is also very simple, marry Liu Hei Ying, observe his every word and action with Lu Yun Yi, record more, and find clues. "

Hua Jieyu couldn't believe it. This was actually her mission.

There was no joy in her heart, but instead an endless silence.
When a hobby becomes a job, that's when the hobby begins to die.

She longs for a peaceful and ordinary life, not pretending to be peaceful and ordinary and supervising her husband's
Seeing her expression changing back and forth, the old man at the head smiled gently:
"I know you want to leave the Royal Guards, but I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible.
We know too much. The day we leave Jinyiwei is the day we die.
Otherwise, why would an old man like me, over seventy years old, do these things?
How about it, do you agree or not?

If you don't agree, there is a dagger next to the cabinet behind the door on your side.
You can be freed here and save yourself from suffering. I will collect your body."

Hua Jieyu showed no emotion at all in response to this. She just thought for a moment and then nodded:
"I see."

The solemn and gloomy look on the face of the elder at the head disappeared in an instant, replaced by a warm and gentle expression.
He took out two thick books from a drawer nearby, placed them on the table and patted them gently:
"Come on, Xiaoyu, take a look at the records of our Ming generals.
There are many more in the house, but most of them are insignificant.

But I think you'd better take a look at it, the truth is often hidden in the details.

The two of them, apart from fighting, never bullied men or women, and never accepted bribes. They were as clean as a blank sheet of paper.
The superiors felt something was wrong, so they sent the task down."

Hearing these words, Hua Jieyu was stunned, with a hint of surprise in her eyes:
"Isn't this a good thing?"

"There is no one in the Ming Dynasty who is not greedy or corrupt. Even if there is one, the people will not believe it if I tell them about it."

The old man surnamed Lin laughed dryly again:

"We have seen too many dark things, so even when we look at the sun, we would wonder if the back of it is black.

Only if you have doubts in your heart can you be a good Jinyiwei, so investigate it carefully."

"The results of the investigation are not clear yet. I shouldn't read these." Hua Jieyu said coldly.

The old man surnamed Lin patted his head and laughed:
"Oh, look at my head. I forgot to tell you,

Yesterday, Yueyang Guards had already found many of the rebels who had fled.
After interrogating them overnight, we got some confessions from them.
They were indeed instructed by someone to be stationed at various scenic spots in Dongting Lake, with varying numbers of people, ready to attack and kill at any time.

The assassination on Junshan Island was just an accident, just an accidental assassination, not an accidental assassination. "

Hua Jieyu was not excited at all after her suspicion was lifted. Instead, she spoke in a cold voice:
"To assassinate the Duke of the current dynasty, these traitors are so bold."

"Don't jump to conclusions before the truth is revealed. I think their purpose is not to assassinate Duke Cao, but to intimidate the imperial court."

Hua Jieyu's face was filled with shock and her eyes were full of confusion.

The old man surnamed Lin continued:
"The instructions they received were to kill a young man in white or black, about 18 or 19 years old, taller than you.

Xu Zengshou, Guo Quan, Lu Yunyi and Liu Heiying are all on this list.

But our Duke Cao never wears black and white robes, but always wears eye-catching colorful robes. "

Hua Jieyu pursed her lips: "Why go to so much trouble?"

"I don't know. This involves the struggle between the bigwigs in the court.

It has nothing to do with us, so don't get involved. Just focus on doing your own thing and you can save your life.

Okay, I won't say any more. Just watch first. I'm going to water the flowers.
By the way, destroy the files as soon as you finish reading them. The brazier is under the table."

After saying this, the old man surnamed Lin walked down from the upper seat, with his hands behind his back.
Hua Jieyu walked over and sat down, took the file and began to look through it carefully.
"Liu Heiying was born in the third year of Hongwu. His father, Liu Huaipu, was a border resident of Qingzhou. His family was engaged in the fruit business.

The family owned six businesses, a carriage and horse shop, and a hundred houses in the capital.

Liu Hei Ying personally runs a brothel called Manchunlou. "

Seeing this, Hua Jieyu smiled, "He really is running a brothel."

"Having an affair with Madam Li, he is suspected of liking mature women."

But the next sentence made Hua Jieyu's face freeze.
She was not angry, but put her hand on her face.

Then I thought about my makeup and appearance yesterday, as well as Liu Heiying's strange behavior.

Suddenly he was startled, and then a look of joy appeared in his eyes, and he murmured to himself:

"So you like mature women, just right."

Just after noon, Duke Deng Zhen of Shen and Commander Xu Sima, who had not returned home all night, returned to the troop transport ship. They both looked solemn.
As soon as he returned to the troop transport ship, he summoned Li Jinglong and Lu Yunyi.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the huge cabin was somewhat depressing.
Duke Deng Zhen of Shen looked solemn. He looked around, glanced at Lu Yunyi, and then at Li Jing:
"Some conclusions have been drawn about yesterday's assassination. It was not a coincidence, but a long-planned one."

As soon as these words were spoken, the huge rock hanging in Li Jinglong's heart fell heavily to the ground. He clenched his fist tightly at one side, and there was no more doubt in his heart!
"Where is the real murderer? Who did it?"

Deng Zhen, the Duke of Shen, remained silent for a long time before he spoke slowly:
“This matter is complicated, involving the Yuezhou navy, smuggling, and even some people from Yingtian, so there is no conclusion yet.

The Imperial Guards were still investigating, and the troops from the Commandery had already arrived overnight.

The naval commander Fang Anwen, who was seen yesterday, was dismissed and investigated. The commander of Yuezhou Guard has been arrested.

The captain you saw the day before yesterday was also dismissed and investigated.

The people in Yuezhou Prefecture were also locked up. As for the others, we have to wait for the people from the Provincial Administration Office to come and conduct a thorough investigation.
After all, that is the territory of the civil servants. If we overstep our boundaries, we will be in trouble in the future."

The atmosphere in the cabin was depressing. Li Jinglong pursed his lips, a dangerous light flashed in his eyes, and he felt a little unwilling.

At this time, Sima Xu, who was standing aside and wearing armor, spoke in a deep voice:
"Jiujiang, don't worry for now. Those assassins are not trying to kill you."

The dangerous light in Li Jinglong's eyes gradually dissipated, and he raised his head in a daze.

Deng Zhen, Duke of Shen, nodded:
"Those traitors and bandits make a lot of money from smuggling every year.

Now the imperial court is making a big fuss and investigating cases everywhere. Obviously, someone is dissatisfied, so this kind of thing happened. "

Li Jinglong became even more angry after hearing this, and said viciously: "All traitors should be killed!"

Deng Zhen asked calmly:
"When the Hezhou smuggling incident happened, we were nearby, so we suffered an unexpected disaster."

He turned to look at Li Jinglong and asked with a warm smile:

"Jinglong, do you know anything about the smuggling in Hezhou?"

Li Jinglong's pupils shrank slightly, his face was still solemn and angry, and he shook his head.

"Smuggling is smuggling. You made a mistake and still want to take revenge on the court. How dare you!!"

A trace of helplessness flashed across Sima Xu's eyes, and he spoke slowly:
"Jiujiang, calm down. The messenger going to the capital will arrive within three days.

His Majesty and the Crown Prince will make the decision for you. You should stay on the boat and recover from your injuries.

Don't think about other things that will only cause you trouble."

Li Jinglong nodded helplessly: "I understand."

After discussing some details of the case and the people involved, the group parted unhappily.

Soon, Li Jinglong came to the cabin where Lu Yunyi was and knocked on the door gently.

Lu Yunyi opened the door, looking surprised:
"Duke Cao, what's the matter?"

Li Jinglong's face turned dark: "I'll cut some bean sprouts."

Lu Yunyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly opened the door: "Come in quickly!"

After entering the room, Li Jinglong did not go to see Douya, but sat depressedly at the table.

"Yun Yi, now I finally understand what you mean by 'it's better to rely on yourself than to ask for help from others'."

Lu Yunyi smiled after hearing this, picked up the spray bottle and sprayed it back and forth on the bean sprouts, and said softly:
"Jinglong, don't worry. Duke Shen's family still has many old subordinates in Huguang. They will definitely be able to find out something. His Majesty will make the decision for you when the time comes."

Li Jinglong was stunned, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

The late Ninghe King Deng Yu was the first commander-in-chief of Huguang and had great influence in this area.

"Yes! Yun Yi, you are still smart."

Li Jinglong then thought of something, walked a little closer, and lowered his voice:

"What did Brother Deng mean when he asked me just now if I knew the inside story of Hezhou's smuggling? Has the matter been exposed?"

Lu Yunyi smiled, his eyes calm:
"I don't know. Maybe it's just some suspicion. After all, we are by their side."

Li Jinglong thought about it, then nodded in realization: "Yes, that should be the case."

Three hours later, the sky gradually darkened.

The troop transport ship, which had been docked in Yuezhou Port for three days, slowly started moving, and its sails made a whimpering sound in the breeze.

Dongting Lake looked pale under the moonlight, and it seemed as if a new bright moon was slowly rising in the lake.

On the deck, Lu Yunyi, Duke Cao and others stood there quietly.
Looking at the many officials on the shore, they remained silent.

With such a major event happening, almost all officials in Yuezhou came to see him off.

Although these people looked reluctant, everyone present knew that
The officials of Yuezhou Prefecture wished that they would leave as soon as possible, go as far away as possible, and never come back.

In the distance, many merchants and people from Yuezhou Port gathered there, watching the ship leave.

At the very front, several beautiful figures were particularly prominent, a group of women led by Hua Jieyu.

Liu Heiying was standing on the edge of the deck and waving his hands vigorously. Xu Zengshou beside him did the same, and his face was even full of sadness.

Li Jinglong sneered when he saw this scene and slowly shook his head:

"They are all seeds of infatuation."

Lu Yunyi pursed his lips and smiled, looking at the wide river in front of him, his eyes became deeper and deeper, and no one knew what he was thinking.

　Oh my god, I finally finished writing 20,000 words!!!
　　Thank you all for your support, bang bang bang, I kowtow.

　　We’re almost at Luchuan, keep up the good work and come on!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)