The first day of the first lunar month.
It was still dark, and more leaking ticking sounds came from the palace with the wind, a long string of unhurried sounds. Situ Jin shuttled through the piles of eunuchs coming and going with difficulty. In another hour, the emperor would receive the congratulations from civil and military officials, princes and lords from various regions, and envoys from overseas countries at Fengtianmen. Like a spinning top, some are holding the tea cups newly replaced by the imperial front, and some are holding the incense burners that will be burned in the Jinshen Hall for a while. . Seeing Situ Jin, he didn't even have time to pay a courtesy, so he hurriedly said "big stall head" and passed by.
Shen Jue should have woken up. He is the Dana of the Supervisor of Literacy, and every official congratulates him. He must have a mana robe and a luan belt, and stand by the emperor's side, looking down at the ministers in the thick dust, kowtowing to the mountain and shouting long live. He never procrastinated, and always stepped out of the bedroom according to the time, and brought a mighty group of eunuchs to greet the little emperor and end his long bedtime.
Situ Jin walked to the upper room, and there was a group of people waiting outside the door, some holding towel sticks in their hands, some holding pancreas, and some gargling tea cups, waiting for Shen Jue inside to change into court clothes, then went in wait.
Situ Jin knocked on the door and said in a low voice, "Master, I have something to ask you to see."
"Come in." Shen Jue's voice sounded.
The little eunuchs pushed open the door and filed in, Situ Jin inserted in the center and walked in. Shen Jue sat on the high chair, his python robe was neatly tucked, and the sash around his waist was meticulously tied. Only his hair was not combed, and it looked like a black waterfall. scattered over the shoulders. A little eunuch stood behind him with an ivory comb to tie his hair, another held a mirror to show him, and a teacup handed tooth sticks and tooth powder. Shen Jue rinsed his mouth while listening to Situ Jin's reply.
"Last night, I received a secret report that the spies we installed in the Xingqing Gang of Yingtianfu lost contact. On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, the contact person met with him once. After that, there was no news. The East Factory searched Nanjing City and couldn't find it. ."
The Xingqing Gang is the largest water gang in Yingtianfu. They travel between Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing and Tianjin all year round. When the weather is warm in spring and summer and the river is not frozen, they can go north to Shuobei to do business. At the beginning of last year, Shen Jue placed three spies in the Xingqing Gang, and one of them took the position of the head of the gang. It was only from November that the three of them lost news one after another. According to past experience, either his identity was exposed, he was done by underworld people, or he betrayed. But the three people seemed to have evaporated, and even the shadows disappeared, as if this person had never existed.
Shen Jue frowned, wiped his face with a towel, stood up from the high chair, and stepped out of the door, "What do the other spies in Tianfu say? The Xingqing Gang and the Laifu Gang trade very closely. Any news?"
Situ Jin followed behind Shen Jue and said, "The spies from the Laifu Gang are gone. The other day I received an official document from the Lingzhou Guard, and the spies from the Yanghe Cao Gang also lost news. Lord, we are in the various Cao Gangs. The spies who were planted... are all gone."
Shen Jue paused, and the people behind him also hurriedly stopped. Shen Jue turned to look at Situ Jin, and said with a slight anger, "Why did you report it now?"
Situ Jin bowed his head and lowered his eyebrows, and said, "The original agreement was to meet at the beginning of each month, and these spies showed up in November at the latest. In December, the contact people from all over the country did not connect, and the news was reported, and the official document was planned to be sent. When I went to the capital, the divisions of the East Factory at all levels to review, I found that the spies from all over the world had lost contact, and if they noticed something was wrong, it was the fastest speed to spread it to the lower post, and I didn’t dare to delay.”
"Is there any abnormality in the news of their last appearance?"
"No. I have seen it all, and what I said is all about the internal struggle of the Cao Gang. There is nothing wrong with it." Situ Jin frowned, "It's just that the humble office noticed one thing. In the ninth day of October, the East Factory seized Xingqing. Helping a transport ship bound for Beijing and Tianjin, the ship suddenly caught fire during the inspection, and the cargo was completely burned. According to the confession of the Xingqing Gang, what they smuggled in the ship was Yanghe Daqu. Now it seems that there is something tricky in the inside. "
Shen Jue fell silent. It was not unusual for the spy to disappear. Undercover gangsters were originally extremely dangerous. The Cao Gang had always killed people without blinking an eye. Only he and Situ Jin had the list of spies, and there was absolutely no chance of it being leaked. But it's not very likely to be a mutiny. Their family members are under Shen Jue's eyes, so they don't need their own lives, don't they even care about their family members
Is it...
Shen Jue frowned and walked forward, walking up the street, the white snow creaking under her feet. Shen Wenxing suddenly ran over from the opposite side with small steps, and said with a sullen face: "Godfather, Your Majesty refuses to get up, ask if this morning's pilgrimage can be avoided?"
Shen Jue had a splitting headache, and said bitterly, "He's just whimsical. Worshiping in the first month is the ancestral ritual, how can he avoid it? If he can't get up, he has to get up. If I see him still lying on the bed when I get there, believe it or not, I'll tell you Smash him in the face!",
Shen Wenxing was sweating profusely after hearing this, Shen Jue himself was also a arrogant and arrogant character, the little emperor bumped into his gun muzzle when he saw the sky, Shen Wenxing really believed that he could put Yufu on the emperor's face. Shen Wenxing accompanied him with a smile and said, "Godfather calm down, calm down! Son is thinking of a way to get His Majesty to get up!"
Saying that, he turned around and was about to leave, but Shen Jue suddenly said, "Hold on! There is still an hour before the ceremony, so I will call the gang of dog officials in the cabinet into the palace, and say that His Majesty doesn't want to come out, and let them think about it. Hmph, I can't live in peace, and they don't want to sleep well!"
Shen Wenxing smiled happily and said, "It's still my godfather!" Then he turned around and hurried away.
Shen Jue paused and said to Situ Jin: "Let's go, tie the boss of the Xingqing Gang to Beijing and send him to the imperial prison. There are so many punishments in the imperial prison, I am not afraid that he will not speak. Our family should take a look. What kind of treasure is it, I would rather destroy it than let Dongchang know."
However, Situ Jin hesitated and pondered: "If the Caohu riots are caused, I am afraid that the Yanguan will make a big fuss about it. The Governor is now cautious in his words and deeds..."
Shen Jue sneered, "Our family invites him to drink tea, neither money nor life. If these Xiao Xiao dare to riot, they will be punished according to the party chaos! The order goes on and serves the boss of the Xingqing Gang, be sure to use a method that does not hurt the flesh but only the inside. , to see if he is tough enough, or our family's stick is tough enough!"
Situ Jin answered yes, and said again: "The first officer dispatched to the Jialan Mountain Temple has returned, and all the documents left by Xiahou Rin's burning have been put into the treasury. We haven't found Luo's suicide note, but we have seen a lot of books that were bitten by mice, so I'm afraid the suicide note has already been bitten."
"That's all. You have all the documents. I have time to look at them. Xia Houlin is still asleep. You can call him later and let him come and take a look." Shen Jue took two steps, thinking of last night. Xia Houlin was always unprepared when he was by his side, sleeping like a dead pig, and he would not wake up no matter how much he fiddled with. He quietly hugged the person into his arms, secretly passed a few addictions, and thinking about it now makes people bloody.
He wanted to get up early in the morning, afraid of waking Xia Houlin, so Yinzheng changed his room in three quarters. Now that it will take some time for the cabinet to coax the little emperor, he is not in such a hurry. He gradually became itchy, thinking about whether to go back and see Xia Houlin again. After weighing it for a while, he gave up, so as not to get tired of missing the hour.
Situ Jin went away, and Shen Jue slowly walked towards the Qianqing Palace. The sky is getting brighter, and the green tiles and flying rods show a clear outline in the morning light. Underneath is the white snow, against the red walls, reflecting a clear and bright world. His heart suddenly brightened up. On the first day of the new year, everything started anew, as if everything had hope. It didn't matter, he thought, as long as Xia Houlin was by his side, whether it was a courtier or Jialan, he would have a way to deal with it.
After walking for a short distance, I suddenly saw a little girl sitting on the door in front of me. She was wearing a big red jacket, a plain white horse-faced skirt, a fox fur around her neck, and a big tiger kite with hanging eyes and white forehead in her hand. She has big black eyes, too dark, against the white face like a witch doll.
Shen Jue frowned. He recognized this girl. She was the Marquis of Linbei from Liaodong, Shuobei. Strange to say, a twelve-year-old girl actually became a prince of the party. Although there were also female marquis in the history of Daqi, it was the first time that a female doll who had not yet reached the pinnacle of his life became a marquis. This girl's life experience is also miserable. A few years ago, there was smallpox in Shuobei, and her parents and brothers went to the west with illnesses one by one. She was left alone, and the title of Linbeihou fell on her head.
She arrived in Beijing at the end of last year. The Marquis of Linbei sounds like a marquis, but he is actually a little better than ordinary people. There is no power, it is a false title, anyone in the capital can press her head, and the people below look at the plate and eat, so she will naturally be left out in the cold.
Marquis Linbei had a mansion in the capital, but it had been abandoned for a long time. She was staying at the post house, but she was squeezed into the lower room by the officials who came to Beijing to live. After Shen Jue heard it, he declared the emperor and brought her into the palace, so he didn't wait any longer.
It's just that Shen Jue hasn't spoken to her face to face yet, so she doesn't know what kind of temperament this girl has. Because of the little emperor, he had a headache when he saw the child, and he didn't like to pay attention to her. But after all, people are in front of you, so it's not good to pretend that you haven't seen them. With a polite smile, Shen Jue stepped forward and bowed, "It's so early in the morning, why is the little prince here alone?"
Bailiyuan raised her head, looked at Shen Jue with her big black and white eyes, and said, "I came out to fly a kite, and then I got lost."
Children are annoying, so what kites do you fly early in the morning? Shen Jue was disgusted in his heart, but his face did not show it, he bowed and said, "I will send you back?"
"Okay." The girl stood up with the kite in hand. The snow was thick on the ground. She was struggling to walk, so she naturally took Shen Jue's hand, "I'm afraid of falling, and the factory minister will lead me."
Shen Jue usually doesn't like other people touching him, but this girl has already been brought up, and he can't shake it off, so he has no choice but to hold her. Xu was staying in the windy field for a long time, and the girl's hands were cold, like ice cubes. His hands are also cold, two icy hands are held together, and neither can feel the temperature of each other.
She came out to fly a kite alone, and there was no palace maid and eunuch to follow. Shen Jue looked down at her, she dragged the big kite and walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, her head lowered and silent, but she was a quiet girl, better than the little emperor. Shen Jue undid the cloak on her body, put it on her, and asked someone to help her carry the kite.
She hesitated for a while before handing out the kite. Shen Jue asked her, "Is this kite important?"
Bailiyuan nodded and said in a soft voice, "My brother gave me a play."
Her short-lived brother died of smallpox a few years ago, and it was really pitiful to bring the kite from Shuobei to the capital. Shen Jue asked again, "Are the people in the palace serving you well? If there is anything that your Highness disagrees with, let the ministers tell you."
She didn't speak anymore, probably because she was afraid of offending people, and she didn't dare to say that she was not well served. Then change a group of people to serve, but it's just a change of people, and for Shen Jue, it's just a matter of talking.
Shen Jue took her by the hand and entered Jingyangmen. The palace maid and eunuch saw Shen Jue and Bailiyuan, and they all gathered around, kneeling in the snow and trembling. They were not optimistic about Bailiyuan, probably because they were afraid of Shen Jue's punishment, they were shaking like sifting chaff, and even their faces were pale. Shen Jue frowned and looked at it for a while, then said, "Things that don't take long, when the ceremony is over, they will all go down to lead the staff!"
The palace maids and eunuchs Nuonuo said yes, still trembling. Shen Jue bowed to Bailiyuan and said, "I have retired, Your Highness is ready to clean up, don't miss the time."
Bailiyuan said yes, raised her hand to take the kite from the eunuch's hand, the eunuch accidentally hooked the kite's bamboo strips on his sleeve and pulled a hole.
The eunuch hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, forgive your sins!"
Bailiyuan tilted her head and looked at him: "You broke the kite my brother gave me."
Shen Jue said, "Don't panic, Your Highness, I have the maids of the embroidery workshop come and take a look. It's not a big problem, and it should be able to be repaired."
"Chen Chen, will you kill him?" Bailiyuan looked up at Shen Jue, her dark eyes were as clear as water.
Has his notoriety reached this level? Shen Jue reassured her: "Of course not, it's just a small punishment."
"So, I thought Chang Chen was a bad guy, but I didn't expect Chang Chen to be a good person." Bai Liyuan lowered her head and said. Shen Jue didn't react for a while. He had seen many people, but it was the first time he had met someone who couldn't speak.
He suddenly felt impatient and was about to leave when Bailiyuan suddenly pulled a hairpin from her bun and inserted it into the little eunuch's eye socket. Immediately blood flowed, the little eunuch wailed and lay on the ground, covering his eyes and screaming.
Bailiyuan frowned and watched him roll around on the ground, "Hey, why isn't he dead yet?"
Everyone was shocked, and even Shen Jue was taken aback. He suddenly knew why the Jingyang Palace group trembled. They were not afraid of him, but of the girl. Bai Liyuan had to stab her again, but Shen Jue had someone stop her, and then ordered the eunuch to be carried down. Blood flowed all the way along the snow, red against white, and it was dazzling.
Bailiyuan's snow-white face was splashed with a few drops of blood, she wiped it with her sleeve, raised her face and asked Shen Jue, "I hurt someone from Chang Chen, will Chang Chen punish me?"
She was as white as an ice sculpture. She looked beautiful, but she was a little less popular, and she looked uncomfortable. Shen Jue suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and said, "Originally, it was he who broke the monarch's kite first, so it doesn't matter if the monarch killed him. It's just that today is a good day for great auspiciousness. The decree, the palace is not allowed to see blood. Anyway, after all, the lord has also been wronged, and today the minister concealed this matter for the lord, and it will be the ceremony in a while, and the lord should go back to pack up earlier."
"Changchen really has an iron mouth, and after speaking, it's actually my fault." Bailiyuan looked indifferent, threw the hairpin in the snow, and walked behind her back, "I heard that Changchen recently Helping the cabinet to carry out reforms, slashing redundant officials, and even letting go of his own East Factory. Once the New Year is over, the issue of cutting the vassal will also be put on the agenda. Common people, I don’t know that Hou Ke, a different surname of mine, is among them?”
"The title of Junhou was handed down from the ancestors who followed the Great Ancestor to fight the world. Junhou is also the direct descendant of Baili's family, and of course it is not among the cutoffs."
"That's it." Bailiyuan paused, rubbing her toes on the snow with her head down, "Where is the factory minister going now?"
"I have to go and wake up Your Majesty."
"Why do you want to go? Is it bad to let him fall asleep?" Bailiyuan said, "When he falls asleep, all the authority of the world is in your hands."
Shen Jue narrowed his eyes slightly.
He suddenly couldn't hold this girl doll who looked only twelve years old. She seems to be a weak girl who has been bullied, and she seems to be a wealthy lady who takes her own life. She seems to be afraid that he will cut the fan, but she doesn't seem to be afraid. What exactly does she want
This feeling of not being able to grasp the opponent is very bad. Shen Jue touched the tourmaline bead on his wrist and said, "Although the prince is still young, he should speak carefully. The minister still has something to do, so I won't accompany him."
"I thought Chang Chen was an evil ghost, but I didn't expect it to be a Bodhisattva." Bai Liyuan said again, "Da Zhong is like a traitor, and it is impossible to escape destruction, Chang Chen."
"Don't do your business, Junhou should take good care of yourself." Shen Jue said in a low voice, and walked onto the sidewalk with his hands folded.
Bailiyuan looked at the back of Shen Jue who was walking away, the corners of her pink lips slightly raised, and a sinister smile appeared. That smile was so hideous that it made her look like a ghost doll.
She whispered: "Then, I wish the factory master to sing through the ages and live forever."