Chapter 407: Party unity and fighting against dissidents, regardless of right or wrong
Chapter 407: Party unity and fighting against dissidents, regardless of right or wrong
The light of the candle enveloped Du Pingping's slightly plump body.
After a long time, Du Pingping slowly raised her head, glanced at him, and nodded slightly:
"That's right. No one knows who that woman is yet.
It is impossible to put the blame on the Beijing army. "
Hearing this, Shui Xiaochuan's eyes flashed with doubt, and he asked tentatively:
"Then why did you ask me to arrange for him to write a petition? I wonder what you mean by that?"
Then he said quickly:
"I just asked casually, please forgive me, sir."
Du Pingping waved her hand and chuckled:
"You always talk in two directions, no wonder your business is getting bigger and bigger."
Shui Xiaochuan smiled.
Du Pingping's eyes were deep, and she spoke softly:
"Xue Lan was sent by Qingyuan Pavilion, and along with him, they found six other people.
Now these people have disappeared without a trace.
I don't know whether he was silenced or killed by General Lu.
Today's move is just a test.
I wanted to have a fight with General Lu to test his abilities.
But I didn’t expect that I would be stopped at the Third Division before I could accomplish my mission.”
At this point, Du Pingping smiled, leaned back, and crossed her hands in front of her:
"Lord Mu is very caring towards his son-in-law."
Shui Xiaochuan looked puzzled, moved closer, and asked in a low voice:
"This General Lu is also involved in the Heavenly Punishment?"
Du Pingping's eyes were deep and her face was solemn:
"I speculate that the assassination of General Lu and Duke Cao was the cause of the heavenly punishment.
Even if they were unaware of this, they were still involved in the incident.
The emergence of sweet potatoes has made many people anxious.
One side is hastily stabbing, the other side is sharpening its knife,
Judging from the actions of both sides, Sweet Potato should be optimistic.
The matter of divine punishment might be the result of both parties’ anxiety.
But I still don’t understand who is behind this and how they did it.”
Du Pingping's eyes flashed with doubt and her brows slightly frowned:
"What's even more strange is that Lord Mu summoned me today.
Let us investigate the matter of the Heavenly Punishment carefully, and the Dusi will fully cooperate."
Shui Xiaochuan was shocked: "Sir, is this a warning?"
Du Pingping nodded, then shook her head:
"I don't know. The two sides have already started fighting.
Perhaps Lord Mu wants to borrow the sword from us.
Or maybe this was really not done by Lord Mu, let us really investigate it.
In short, the current situation is becoming increasingly chaotic, and we have no clue where to start."
Shui Xiaochuan understood, he moved closer and whispered:
"Then Your Excellency wants to start the investigation from General Lu?"
Du Pingping nodded:
"I always feel that General Lu is not as simple as he looks.
No, I'm not as focused on military affairs as I seem.
As for how to investigate it slowly in the future. "
As she spoke, Du Pingping handed over a document beside her:
"Look, there is another strange thing today.
Today, Dali City and Yunlong Prefecture Yongping both sent documents.
The government office and the three government offices arrested some people for unknown reasons.
He was beheaded without any trial, without any charges.
Some people in Kunming were also implicated.
Their official positions were not high, and most of them were transferred to Kunming in the past month.
It's strange that he has no foundation and cannot be promoted, but the orders come directly from Lord Feng.
Also, I've checked.
They have nothing to do with Qingyuan Pavilion or the matter of heavenly punishment.
I always feel that there is something in it that we don’t even know about.”
Shui Xiaochuan looked at the document in his hand, his brows furrowed slightly.
The document lists the officials in Yunnan Province who were arrested, investigated, or died inexplicably in the past two months.
There are as many as 700 people
Most of them were clerks, and some held mediocre official positions.
Suddenly, Shui Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed:
"Sir, these people are all in Dali Prefecture."
Du Pingping nodded, she also noticed this.
Shui Xiaochuan's expression was gloomy, and he moved closer:
"Sir, could these people be related to the leak of the news that Dali Prefecture sent troops a few days ago?"
Du Pingping shook her head: "Too many, the news is that there is a problem with our Jinyiwei,
Liu Changshi was also punished by the family law, is it necessary to kill so many people?"
Shui Xiaochuan nodded, feeling a little regretful:
"Is it strange that what your Excellency said is so inexplicably true?"
Du Pingping frowned for a moment and raised her head abruptly:
"What did you say?"
Shui Xiaochuan was stunned: "This is so inexplicable, really weird."
At this time, the dim candlelight flickered gently, illuminating Du Pingping's face.
"Yes, it's inexplicable.
People died for no apparent reason, and punishment from heaven came for no apparent reason.
It all seems inexplicable, but we can be sure that there must be someone behind it.
Think carefully about what other inexplicable things have happened recently.
Find them all and maybe you can find some commonalities.”
Shui Xiaochuan nodded vigorously, and then quickly walked to the long table nearby.
He took the paper and pen, looked thoughtful, and quickly began to write.
He wrote vigorously and quickly.
In less than half a cup of tea, a page of paper was filled.
Shui Xiaochuan stood up and quickly handed it to Du Pingping:
"My Lord, these are some inexplicable things, some trivial matters, which I did not write down."
"Write."
"Yes."
Du Pingping looked at the documents in her hand, reading through them one by one, and soon...
His eyes were fixed on a few lines of small words.
[The Yuyu tribe killed the prisoners.]
[The death of Zhuo Mulan.]
[Sweet potatoes appear.]
[The poorhouse grows sweet potatoes.]
Looking at it line by line,
Du Pingping keenly sensed an inexplicable meaning in it.
Du Pingping believed in her intuition that these things might have some hidden connections.
Not long after, Shui Xiaochuan wrote another large piece of paper and handed it over.
Seeing that the adults had already sketched a lot on the paper, all of them were related to General Lu,
This made him suspicious, and he lowered his voice:
"Sir, do you still want to find clues from General Lu?"
"Oh." Du Pingping continued sketching and glanced at him:
"Otherwise, Lord Xiping, Governor Feng, Lord Ning, Lord Zhang, and the people behind Qingyuan Pavilion,
We don't dare to provoke them, so we have to pick on the weak ones.
General Lu is still a soft persimmon now. In a few years, I am afraid that he will be unable to be squeezed even if he wants to. "
Shui Xiaochuan smiled and whispered:
"Sir, luckily we are in Yunnan, where there are not many gods above us.
If it were in the capital, it would be very difficult. "
"Haha" Du Pingping laughed, and the louder she laughed:
"That's right. If we were in the capital, the general would come knocking on our door if we investigated the soldiers."
As soon as the words fell, there was a faint knock on the door of the pawnshop at No. 18 Dingxi Street, which was originally very quiet.
"Boom boom boom——"
There were sounds from both the front door and the back door at the same time. Du Pingping's face suddenly changed.
"Who's coming?"
The Jinyiwei standing at the door of the wing room quickly started to move, and the quiet courtyard became a little noisy.
Du Pingping also walked out of the room and headed towards the lobby, with a smile on her face, shouting as she walked:
“Closed”
"Open the door."
A hoarse and slightly authoritative voice sounded from the door.
When the voice came out, Du Pingping's face froze.
The smile on his face froze instantly, and his steps became slower and slower.
The next moment, the door that was originally tightly closed suddenly made a loud noise and was suddenly slammed open, and dust filled the air.
A team of armored soldiers rushed in.
The sound of footsteps made everyone freeze in place, not daring to move.
Because the dark crossbow was instantly aimed at everyone in the room,
The sharp arrowheads on them emitted a cold light, and the soldiers' eyes were filled with determination.
Du Pingping and other Jinyiwei firmly believed that
These soldiers in front of them dared to pull the trigger, even though they were Jinyiwei.
"Da da da--"
Slightly heavy yet gentle footsteps sounded.
The cold moonlight poured down from the broken door and was soon blocked by a tall figure.
The man was over 40 years old, wearing a gilded armor and looked very imposing.
The exposed cheeks are somewhat weathered and cracked.
His beard moved slightly, his eyes were sharp, and he had an extraordinary aura.
As his eyes moved, he could sense the same contempt as always, as well as overwhelming power. Marquis of Xiping, Mu Ying!
Mu Ying put his hands behind his back and walked slowly.
Slowly he stepped over the high threshold and entered Rongyuan Pawnshop.
He looked back and forth, and finally landed on Du Pingping, who was standing there quietly with a calm expression.
The strong feeling of oppression almost made Du Pingping bend over.
The not-so-spacious lobby froze for a moment, and the atmosphere became extremely tense.
After an unknown amount of time, Du Pingping's eyes dimmed and she bowed slightly:
"I, Du Pingping, the deputy officer of the Imperial Guard, pay my respects to the Marquis of Xiping.
Xiping Hou came from afar, but I was unable to greet you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Mu Ying looked him up and down and chuckled.
She slowly moved in front of him and looked down at him:
"Du Pingping, I heard from Mao Xiang that you are a capable person."
"Thank you, Marquis Xiping. I am only doing my duty."
Du Pingping bowed slightly, thinking in his heart the real reason why Marquis Xiping came here.
The sudden change made him complain bitterly.
The Jinyiwei were despised by gods and ghosts, and were feared like tigers by officials of the imperial court.
But Du Pingping knew that in front of these hereditary nobles, the real masters of the Ming Dynasty, the Jinyiwei was nothing more than a watchdog.
If you don't have your Majesty's protection, you can kill them at will.
And only if they have the protection of His Majesty, will they dare to investigate these military officers who have made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty.
In front of me, Xiping Hou Mu Ying, the emperor's adopted son, is no different from his own son.
No matter how you look at it, His Majesty will not stand on my side.
Du Pingping felt depressed and uttered an imperceptible sigh.
I didn't expect that the Yunnan Jinyiwei would face their first real crisis in this way.
If handled carelessly, the Jinyiwei will no longer be able to do anything in Yunnan.
The atmosphere in the room became solemn again. One could hear a pin drop, with only the occasional "creaking" sound of taut bows and crossbows.
Du Pingping's forehead was also covered with cold sweat, and her waist felt a little sore when she bent down.
With a light laugh, Xiping Hou Mu Ying said calmly:
"Du Pingping, why are the Jinyiwei able to operate in Yunnan?"
"Reporting to Lord Xiping, it is coveted by the royal family."
Mu Ying's calm face showed a little more satisfaction:
"That's right, if it weren't for the letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asking me to protect you,
From the moment you enter Yunnan, you will be wiped out."
Du Pingping did not refute, but bowed slightly:
"Thank you, Marquis Xiping, for your protection."
"But what did you do?"
Mu Ying took a step forward and stood firmly in front of Du Pingping:
"They are pushing the envelope, checking this and that.
It is absurd to be afraid that the officials of the Three Departments do not know that you are Jinyiwei. "
Mu Ying showed a bit of teasing on his face:
"I am a little curious, are you Jinyiwei also so unscrupulous in your hometown of Fengyang?
Or is this only the case in Yunnan?"
Du Pingping's face suddenly changed, and she immediately showed bitterness.
Fengyang is not only in Fengyang, even in Lianghuai,
No matter how many skilled Jinyiwei were sent, they would all die inexplicably.
After all, that was where the court's military officers were stationed.
Even though they have lost their military power now, it is still easy for them to kill a few people.
Thinking of this, Du Pingping felt a little regretful.
“They are pushing the envelope”
Du Pingping swept her robe with her hands, bowed vigorously, and bent her waist a little lower:
"Please forgive me, Lord Xiping. I was too proud and forgot my roots."
Mu Ying chuckled, full of sarcasm:
"It's all done. There's no point in talking about it. Hand over the people who are going to investigate the Dali Orphanage."
"Yeah?"
Du Pingping uttered a slight sound of doubt, then suddenly raised her head and looked at Xiping Hou in surprise.
She met his teasing eyes and then quickly lowered her head.
Du Pingping found that she had made a mistake again.
Sweet potatoes are of great importance and are a top secret of the imperial court. How could they be left in an orphanage like this!
His palms were sweating, his lips were dry, and things started to quickly connect in his mind.
Finally, his pupils suddenly contracted! Waves of emotion rose in his heart.
Bait! The workhouse is bait! Bait to lure out the enemy!
Whoever goes to investigate has problems!
"Damn it! I didn't even notice such an obvious trap."
Du Pingping then thought of Gao Fusheng on the city wall that day.
Maybe he showed up on purpose to attract some people to investigate.
Why does Lu Yunyi have such a good relationship with Gao Fusheng?
Du Pingping's breathing was rapid, and some doubts in her mind became clear almost instantly.
He took a deep breath, pursed his lips, slowly stood up, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Thank you, Lord Xiping, for reminding me. I will do it right away."
He walked quickly to the side and gave a few instructions to the tense Jinyiwei.
The guard turned and ran away.
Du Pingping heaved a sigh of relief, returned to Mu Ying, and said respectfully:
"My Lord, the matter of sweet potatoes is of great importance. I have neglected it. Please forgive me, my Lord."
Mu Ying looked at him quietly, not knowing why
Du Pingping felt a tremendous pressure that made him breathless.
"Du Pingping, you are a Jinyiwei, you should know your duties."
"My orders are all to find the enemies of your majesty and the court."
"If you know this, why do you always work on yourself?"
Mu Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, which were filled with a fierce look:
"Do you know how many people thought you were an eyesore and wanted to get rid of you, but I stopped them all."
Du Pingping's lips were dry and her throat was rolling back and forth.
He now realized that while everything was going smoothly, he had actually reached a dead end.
"Thank you, my Lord. I have come to my senses. Please give me another chance."
"Don't check what you shouldn't check, check what you should check.
Find those stubborn people who are blocking the imperial decrees.
Finding out who is involved is your job.
Tomorrow the department will send you a list.
They are the gentry and dignitaries of the former dynasty entrenched in Yunnan. Find out who is colluding with them.”
Having said this, Mu Ying turned around and walked away quickly.
When he reached the door, he stopped again and looked back:
"If you want to investigate the Qingyuan Pavilion, continue investigating.
But I remind you that they are enemies, and they are not as easy to talk to as I am."
Having said that, Mu Ying quickly left Rongyuan Pawn Shop!
The moment he stepped out of the pawnshop,
The sound of crossbows shooting came from the backyard, accompanied by screams.
Du Pingping did not move, but stood there quietly, with deep eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, hurried footsteps sounded from the backyard.
Shui Xiaochuan walked out with a serious expression, came to Du Pingping's side, and said in a low voice:
"Sir, more than a dozen brothers died. They were all those who went out to explore."
"Shall we continue investigating?"
Only then did Du Pingping come to her senses and slowly raised her head.
Looking at the broken wood chips on the ground in front of him and the moonlight rushing in, his face was full of fear.
"Investigate? No need to investigate. Lord Mu is right.
We shouldn't use our efforts on our own people.
in this way
Isn't that making me an accomplice of the enemy?"
Shui Xiaochuan was a little anxious and quickly walked closer:
"Sir, we have just begun to see some signs.
If we continue to investigate, the matter of the heavenly punishment may eventually be revealed.
This is a great achievement, sir."
Du Pingping frowned slightly, glanced at him sideways, and a gloomy look flashed in her eyes:
"Even if the Three Departments and the Marquis' Mansion did this, what can we do?
Can we still catch them?
By then, before we can catch anyone, you and I will have already died."
"Mr. Mao once told me,
The court now has many enemies and few friends, and there are not many people Your Majesty can trust.
We should cherish every friend, but after I arrived in Yunnan,
It is wrong to get carried away and forget these words.
From now on, as long as I can stand on the side of the court and your majesty,
Even if they do something that angers the heavens and the people, we will not care."
At this point, Du Pingping took two steps forward in a daze, through the broken door,
Look at the moon hanging high in the sky,
And the clouds that now gather and now disperse,
His eye sockets were deep, and his face was filled with fear:
"Party members unite to fight against dissidents, and right and wrong are no longer a matter of right and wrong."
(End of this chapter)