Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 345 Opportunists

Pei Yuan was not too surprised that Chen Toutie came back after being out for a long time.

It was the Ming Dynasty court’s custom that the bigger the event, the slower the reaction would be.

This time, Liang Ciwu was exiled to Xingzhou Zuotunwei, and the route along the way passed through Dingbianwei, Shenwuzhongwei, Yingzhou Houtunwei, and Xingzhou Houtunwei. Around Sanhe where he was ambushed, there were also Yingzhou Youtunwei and Zhenshuowei.

You should know that the Xingzhou Zuotunwei where Liang Ciwu was going to be exiled did not even leave Shuntian Prefecture!
This is equivalent to the Maitreya Sect causing chaos in Shanxi, rushing thousands of miles, launching precise strikes, and then rushing directly to Sanhe Posthouse in the dark, and launching a surprise attack on Liang Ci'an and his party while being surrounded by various guards.

Who the hell believes it?
This is almost as outrageous as the time when tens of thousands of Tatars, who knew nothing about the Ming Dynasty, crossed the Great Wall and the heavily garrisoned Xuanda defense line, and rushed all the way, as if they had GPS, and hit Emperor Yingzong of Ming, who was swaying and changing his route because of Wang Zhen's dictatorship.

According to historical records of the Ming Dynasty, on the way back, Wang Zhen said that he wanted to go back to his hometown to check on the soldiers, and then said that he was afraid of stepping on his own food. As a result, the army had to change routes repeatedly, wasting a lot of time.

In the eyes of later generations, Wang Zhen, the old eunuch, was vain and stingy, which was really ridiculous.

And what's behind this ridiculousness?
Regardless of whether Wang Zhen's motive was intentional or unintentional.

This all led to one result.

The movements of this army, swaying from side to side and moving in a serpentine manner, were as unpredictable as Qian Xuesen's trajectory.

However, even so, he was still hit accurately by the mysterious power from the grassland.

From this we can see that it is true that military satellites can be picked up on the prairie.

The more confusing the Sanheyi Incident was, the clearer it became for people to see that it was not something they could interfere with, so they should just play dead.

However, while others pretended to be dead, Liang Chu could not.

Because his son was really dead!

Liang Chu is so old, but for the sake of Liang Ci's life, he is even willing to give up all his reputation and fight against the whole world for him.

As a result, his own son, whom he saved with his life, was killed in the post station in Shuntian Prefecture.

According to Chen Toutie's vivid description, when Liang Chu learned the news, he was meeting Zhu Houzhao. After hearing the news, he fainted on the spot.

Zhu Houzhao was also very shocked when he heard the result.

He could already imagine how the conspirators would take advantage of this.

He immediately had someone wake Liang Chu up quickly, and when Liang Chu woke up, he cursed with a red face, "Investigate! Investigate this matter thoroughly!"

"No matter who dares to do this, I will show no mercy!"

After hearing this, Liang Chu also recovered from the pain of losing his son. At this time, he had only one thought in his mind: revenge!

Liang Chu immediately left the table, hugged Zhu Houzhao's legs, and said with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty."

In a court where the struggle was so fierce, Liang Chu was not a simple character to be able to enter the cabinet and become the person at the top of the food chain of the Ming Dynasty.
While he was hugging Zhu Houzhao and crying, he had already made a list of revenge plans in his mind.

The first one is Yang Tinghe!

The second one is Zhu Houzhao!

then……

Before Liang Chu's anger could continue to spread, Gu Dayong, the best opportunist in the Ming Dynasty, had already fallen to his knees and said with deep regret, "Your Majesty, I am also guilty of this matter!"

When Zhu Houzhao and Liang Chu's attention was attracted, Gu Dayong cried bitterly, "These evil thieves of Maitreya Sect were originally under the supervision of the Western Factory, but I have been focusing on suppressing the horse thieves in Bazhou for the past two years and have no ability to manage the affairs of the Western Factory. This is why the Maitreya thieves have become so powerful."

"If it weren't for my fault, how could such a horrific thing happen in the capital."

Zhu Houzhao and Liang Chu were both slightly stunned by what Gu Dayong said.

Is the notorious Western Factory responsible for supervising these evil cults and evildoers to cause chaos?

Indeed.

The Western Factory was originally established because the evil man Li Zilong entered and left the palace at will, and colluded with concubines and eunuchs. This angered the emperor, who established the Western Factory.

So can Gu Dayong be blamed for this Maitreya incident?
Not surprising.

For more than a year, Gu Dayong had been chasing the rebels in Bazhou. Before he returned to the capital, the cabinet took advantage of the absence of the factory supervisor and forced the emperor to disband the Western Factory.

However, Gu Dayong's words gave the two people great inspiration.

West Factory!

Didn’t Zhu Houzhao want to investigate these evil people who were causing chaos? The Western Factory is just the right place for that. Isn’t this the best opportunity to restore the Western Factory?
The Western Factory is the emperor's favorite dog. If Zhu Houzhao had the chance to get it back openly, why wouldn't he do it?
Moreover, the reconstruction of the Western Factory is to track down the real murderer and avenge Liang Chu's son. Liang Chu and the forces behind him will certainly support it strongly.

If any other force dares to jump out and sing a different tune at this time, wouldn't it directly draw all the hatred of Liang Chu for the pain of losing his son to them?

As for Liang Chu, he was thinking about something else.

Anyone who is not blind can see clearly that this could not have been done by the evil people of the Maitreya Sect.

The biggest possibility is that the enemy is in Wenyuan Pavilion.

In this situation, how could the Ministry of Justice or the Dali Temple dare to find out the truth of the matter?
In the end, it was nothing more than a perfunctory response, and finally the matter was passed on to Maitreya.

But what about the Western Factory?
Although the Western Factory was established to investigate and punish evildoers, their famous battle was the investigation and punishment of the great-grandson of Yang Rong, one of the "Three Yangs" who was famous at that time.

This mad dog of Xichang has no fear of the Grand Secretary.

And now that he is on the same side as the emperor, the restoration of the Western Factory will be of great benefit to him!

Zhu Houzhao was just thinking about it, and Liang Chu immediately took the initiative to support him, saying, "I think that since the civil unrest in Bazhou, evil spirits have been rising all over the world. First, the White Lotus Sect rebelled in Henan, and then the Maitreya Sect poisoned Shanxi..."

At this point, Liang Chu recalled the memorial he had suppressed a few days ago about the growing power of the Luojiao in Shandong, and added, "The Luojiao is still the dominant force in Shandong and on both sides of the canal. If it cannot be curbed, I am afraid it will cause unrest in the country and unrest among the people."

With a sad face, Gu Dayong, who was prostrating on the ground, quietly moved his buttocks. Although his kneeling legs did not move, his head tilted slightly towards Liang Chu.

Liang Chu received a signal from the former Western Factory Supervisor, and immediately said, "I think we should re-establish the Western Factory and wipe out the evil spirit."

Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed, but said calmly, "It is up to you to decide whether to abolish the Western Factory or to re-establish it. Although I trust you, it is too much of a joke to be so fickle in this matter."

Liang Chu immediately replied, "It is because we are short-sighted that we know today that Emperor Xianzong has been thinking for a long time and that the Western Factory should be restored."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao was afraid that the night would be long and he immediately issued an order to reinstate the Western Factory.

Thus, the first winner after the Sanhe Station Incident emerged.

The Western Factory was re-established, and Gu Dayong, who was present, got the position of Director of the Western Factory for free.

After listening to the information that Chen Toutie had obtained, Pei Yuan felt that even he, the mastermind behind the scenes, could no longer control the development of the situation.

Apart from anything else, the fact that the West Factory, which was supposed to have completely withdrawn from the historical stage, reappeared in the political landscape of the Ming Dynasty has greatly changed history. The West Factory was withdrawn and re-established, and basically had to start from scratch, so it could not participate in the investigation of the Sanheyi Incident for a while.

The Jinyiwei, the Ministry of Justice, and the Dali Temple were still the ones who were urgently dispatched to investigate, and the Censorate also sent a censor to supervise the case.

The ranks of those who went there were not high. The Jinyiwei was a hundred households, and the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Censorate were all seventh rank.

The "Three Law Departments" of the Ming Dynasty were composed of the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Censorate.

Originally, the Dali Temple originated from the Tingwei and was the earliest criminal law institution among the three. Later, with the division of power between the Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Dali Temple became the weakest department.

At this moment, the Ministry of Justice is mainly responsible for trial, the Censorate is responsible for supervision, and the Dali Temple is responsible for shouting "666".

After arriving there, everyone took a quick look at the scene and said that the facts of the whole incident were clear, the evidence was conclusive, and the characterization was very accurate, and everything was subject to the judgment of the Sanhe County Magistrate.

The Sanhe County Magistrate had only put forward an opinion as a procedural matter, and someone else would naturally take over the specific investigation later.

Unexpectedly, his conclusion was supported by so many major institutions. The pressure was so great that he panicked.

Captain Pei thought that since this matter involved a cult, it was reasonable for him to take action as well.

Just when he was wondering whether to ask Chen Toutie or Cen Meng to investigate, he heard an official from the Ministry of Justice coming to question him.

Pei Yuan then consciously remembered that he was also one of the major suspects in this case.

After all, he had beaten Liang Ciwu twice in front of the Da Ci'en Temple, and had also rushed into the Liang family and dragged Liang Ciwu out of the Liang family.

Moreover, judging from the confrontation at Da Ci'en Temple, Pei Yuan is also someone who can mobilize considerable military force.

The person who came to question Pei Yuan was a doctor from the Ministry of Justice named Liu Zhishu.

He met Pei Yuan very politely, and then asked about Pei Yuan's celebration with the Liang family.

Pei Yuan replied, "Because I was angry at Liang Ci's killing of civilians and causing trouble outside the Da Ci'en Temple, I taught him a lesson. Later, when the Grand Secretary Liang Chu deceived the emperor, I went to find Liang Ci and let the emperor know the truth."

Liu Zhishu was helpless.

There is no way to ask that.

The fact that Liang Chu and Zhang Rong had colluded to deceive the emperor was suppressed by everyone tacitly.

How could he, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Justice, get involved in such matters?

Liu Zhishu could only skip these doubts and continue to ask, "Do you know about the murder of Liang Ci'e at Sanhe Posthouse?"

Pei Yuan said as a matter of course, "Of course I know. I am the deputy commander of the Evil Suppression Commandery, responsible for the affairs north of the Huai River. I am about to send someone to investigate this matter."

Liu Zhishu was speechless. I came here to investigate you, and yet you go investigating others.

He could only bite the bullet and continue to ask, "I wonder where Captain Pei was when the murder happened, and whether his soldiers had left the city?"

Pei Yuan replied, "I have been handling official business in various places these days. I went out twice occasionally. One time I went to the Da Ci'en Temple to check the affairs of the temple. The other time I went to the residence of the Left Commander Xiao Yan."

Pei Yuan also explained, "The last time Liang Chu deceived the emperor, it was Xiao Yan who revealed it to me, so I was able to catch Liang Ci'an in time. Later, when the emperor asked about it, I spoke frankly and told him about it."

"Although Governor Xiao understood the greater good and did not care about this matter, and he also admitted his mistake to the emperor, he still felt resentful."

"So I went to admit my mistake to Governor Xiao. There are many people who can testify to this matter, and Governor Xiao did not deny it."

"As for the soldiers under my command, they have not moved in their respective defense areas. Many Zhenji Taoists are also stationed in various temples. These can be verified."

Liu Zhishu asked Pei Yuan about the date and the two time points that someone could testify to, which basically ruled out Pei Yuan as a suspect.

It is impossible for Pei Yuan to finish the investigation at Da Ci'en Temple during the day, then hunt down Liang Ci'an at night, and then rush back to the city without sleep. I don't know what progress has been made in this case now. "

Pei Yuan has been cleared of suspicion, so Liu Zhishu naturally has nothing to hide.

Then he said, "We are currently investigating those who have grudges against Liang Ci's forces, as well as the surrounding guard posts."

Pei Yuan's eyes moved slightly, and he asked with a smile, "I wonder if there are any results?"

Liu Zhishu shook his head. "Most of those who have grudges against Liang Ci are scholars. As for the surrounding garrisons..."

Liu Zhishu lowered his voice and said, "Our private consensus is that it is unlikely."

"There were 200 to 300 people at Sanhe Post, including hundreds of soldiers, but in the end not a single one escaped alive. Unless a large-scale deployment is made, those idiots in the guard post will not be able to do such a good job."

Pei Yuan nodded repeatedly and asked sincerely, "What should we do?"

Liu Zhishu's personality was obviously also that of an eccentric one, so he and Pei Yuan had some private keyboard battles between middle-level officials.

"If we really want to say the most likely places, it should be Xuanfu and Yanqing. There are elite soldiers in both places, so it won't be difficult to accomplish this."

Pei Yuanmo calculated the distance between the two places and said, "I'm afraid it won't be enough time to mobilize troops from these two places."

Liu Zhishu was about to say something but stopped herself, and finally endured it.

Pei Yuan pretended to be eager to try, and quickly took out some silver from his sleeve and stuffed it into the pocket of Liu Zhishu.

But his movements were clumsy, and Liu Zhishu's response was a bit stiff.

Liu Zhishu wanted to refuse, but couldn't resist Baiyin's cuteness. She stuffed the silver into her sleeve in a panic, and didn't know how to continue with what she had just said. The scene was a little awkward for a while.

Pei Yuan had the impression that this head of the Ministry of Justice would soon become the prefect of Hangzhou, so he naturally tried to make friends with him.

He immediately took the initiative to say, "Pei is a rough man with little knowledge, so just treat it as inviting brothers to drink."

Liu Zhishu thought to himself, that’s nearly half a year’s salary for me.

He immediately stopped hiding his secrets and whispered, "What if the troops from Xuanfu or Yanqing move first, and then Liang Ci'an is sent as a conscript?"

"Hmm?" Pei Yuan didn't quite understand the train of thought of these investigators, and asked sincerely, "I hope Brother Liu can explain it in detail."

Liu Zhishu had started talking, and the silver aroused her interest in talking again, so she said, "Taste it, taste it carefully."

Pei Yuan thought about it for a while and asked tentatively, "Is it a collusion between insiders and outsiders?"

Liu Zhishu repeated it again with a stronger tone, "Inside and outside, collusion."

Internally, it is the cabinet. Externally, it is the border troops.

"I see!" Pei Yuan touched his chin, nodded, and adjusted his plan.

(End of this chapter)