"In the past few days, I have been conducting a text investigation, and those people in the eunuch party can't take care of the affairs of your two fathers for the time being, and I want to seize power as soon as possible in the next few days and win the emperor's trust in me. If the emperor agrees to me to be the Minister of Coastal Defense of the Ministry of War, no matter how big or small, I will always have a little military power, and it will be much easier to save your father! Wei Bao knew what Yang Xue and Xiong Xin'er were worried about, so he took the initiative.

Yang Xue and Xiong Xin'er both nodded and didn't say anything.

Xiong Xin'er is a soft personality on the outside and strong on the inside, she doesn't talk much, Yang Xue is just on the outside and soft on the inside, she seems to have a good temper, but she is actually very gentle on the inside.

The two of them had only been at Wei Bao's mansion for two days, and they were already familiar with Wu Xuexia, Wang Qiuya and Princess Zhenming.

Wu Xuexia and Yang Xue's personalities are similar, a little straight on the outside, but they are very gentle on the inside, however, Wu Xuexia has been extremely favored by Wu Xiang since she was a child, and she is in the family of officials and businessmen, and she is a big gentry in the border area, and the environment of the Jiangmen family in western Liaoning has caused Wu Xuexia to be more bold and confident in trouble, and she has a more pungent personality, and she is very manly.

Wang Qiuya and Princess Zhenming are very gentle inside and out, Wang Qiuya is a little strong inside, but she is generally strong to herself and will not be outsiders.

In such an environment, especially the three girls are very good, it is easy to wear out Yang Xue's arrogance.

"Don't worry, the most important thing is to think of a way first, I believe the president will be able to." Yang Xuedao.

Wei Bao was slightly curious, this Yang Xue had just arrived, and he knew that he was going to be called the president?

Yang Xue saw why Wei Bao was strange, and said, "Xin'er and I are both striving to enter the Heaven and Earth Society, and we have already submitted an application to Miss Qiuya." ”

When Wang Qiuya heard this, she blushed and said to Wei Bao: "Miss Yang Xue and Miss Xin'er are both very smart, and they have only been here for two days, and they have figured out the functions of our presidential secretariat, so I simply told them." ”

"President, please don't blame Sister Qiuya, we heard it ourselves." Yang Xue hurriedly said.

Xiong Xin'er also looked at Wei Bao pitifully.

Wei Bao smiled and said, "You don't need to panic, since I stayed in the mansion, I didn't mean to hide it from you." Besides, our Heaven and Earth Society is just a commercial organization, not a rebellion against the Ming Dynasty, why is there no ulterior, just to reduce some trouble, only to keep it secret, I don't want to do much, I don't want outsiders to be jealous. ”

Yang Xue and Xiong Xin'er are both girls from official families, they are both very smart, and they secretly wonder, where is this still a commercial organization? The presidential secretariat of the Heaven and Earth Society is in charge of several places, with a population of several millions, and even the largest province in the Ming Dynasty does not manage so many things.

Besides, it seems that there will be tens of thousands of troops in heaven and earth!

That's the scariest part.

Although the current accounts of the president's secretariat are usually written very obscurely, they are official ladies, and they can understand the current accounts of soldiers, horses, money and grain, although they are not directly written, but they can guess.

"I still say the same thing, I don't mean to take advantage of your father who saved you both. When men and women are together, I have always believed that there must be feelings first, mutual appreciation, and mutual liking, and it is never interests. It can be between men and men for profit, but it should not be between men and women. Wei Bao said solemnly.

"I stayed in the president's mansion, and I had already thought about it, no matter whether I could be a concubine for my son in this life, I would have no regrets, if my son likes me, it will be good, if I don't like me, I am willing to be an ordinary slave." Yang Xue blushed and said softly.

Xiong Xin'er also said: "I have long meant this, no matter whether the president can rescue my father or not, I am the president's person in life, and the president's ghost in death." Like Xue'er, I don't want to be the president's concubine, and I am willing to be a slave. ”

Wei Bao was overjoyed when he heard this, and secretly thought, with the improvement of status and power, I seem to have been deprived of even the right to fall in love? Yang Xue is such an arrogant girl, so she obediently followed herself.

Wei Bao didn't know if it was a blessing or a misfortune.

"If you want to save people, you must first seize power, and I already have a rough idea of how to seize power. Wei Zhongxian, we can't afford to provoke it for the time being, but we can start with Feng Quan. Feng Quan not only lost to me 100,000 taels of gold! Lose to me as a house slave! A dignified minister, give me a slave, I have to make good use of this! Wei Bao said, telling him what he had said to the emperor today.

"If you want the emperor to agree to add the military department and coastal defense yamen and let me be the minister of military department and coastal defense, you must let the emperor see my ability, secondly, you must let the emperor know my loyalty, and thirdly, let the emperor let down his guard against me, and let the emperor absolutely I am also very well controlled, just like Wei Zhongxian! Won't turn into a warlord. Wei Bao said.

However, Wei Zhongxian is a eunuch who has lived in the palace for a long time, and the emperor can kill Wei Zhongxian at any time if he wants to. We are officials, after all. It's still not the same. It's hard to get the emperor to let his guard down, and that's the main thing, I think. "Wu Xuexia said: 'I think that the last time the president showed the force of the officers of the Imperial Court and Dali Temple, which made all parties wary, including the emperor.'"

"This is inevitable, without force, there is no power guarantee, if we act honestly and low-key, safety is safe, but we can only be a spectator forever." Wei Bao Road.

Wu Xuexia nodded and said, "That's right, what is the president going to do now?" Take Feng Quan directly? ”

"Then I'm not so powerful, at most let people go to his house to force debts. What I'm going to move is Feng Quan's hardcore ally! Li Siqi, the current governor of Caoyun, Li Siqi! Li Siqi is Feng Quan's in-laws. Li Siqi was born in the 38th year of Wanli in the third class of the Gengxu Kedian test gold list, and was born in the same jinshi. has been an official for more than ten years, and Qian Qianyi's group of people are the same scholars. The Jinshi of their department are now the main ministers of the imperial court. ”

"The Governor of Caoyun is a member of the second grade! The level is not lower than Feng Quan. Wu Xuexia said in surprise.

"There's no way, if you want the emperor to see my ability, you have to do something to this kind of person! As for how to get the emperor to let down his guard against me, let's talk about it then. Wei Bao said: "I have asked Lin Wenbiao and them to collect a lot of information about Li Siqi, and it is not difficult to do it against this kind of person." This kind of person is full of evidence of crime, the key is not to startle the snake, and there are not many people who protect him afterwards. ”

Early the next morning, Wei Bao got up early and went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to ask Feng Quan about the progress of the text clearance.

Because the inner city of the capital is under the responsibility of Feng Quan, Feng Quan will take the cabinet secretary and handle it with the cooperation of Jinyiwei.

The outer city of Jingshi was handed over to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the entire Jingshi area was the same.

This is all agreed at the beginning, if it is done smoothly in Beijing, it will be promoted to the entire North Zhili.

"Feng Quan didn't move at all, so I guess he didn't plan to do this." Guo Wenliang reported to Wei Bao.

"No, this should be a good opportunity for the eunuchs to take the opportunity to attack the Donglin people." Wei Bao frowned.

"I guess he can't be the master, and the people behind him don't agree." Guo Wenliang said softly.

Wei Bao nodded, "Yes, they don't know how to play!" Just right! I'll give them a sample. ”

"Sample?" Guo Wenliang couldn't help laughing, although it was the first time he heard this word, it was easy to understand.

"There are 100 errand officers in the Diandu Procuratorate, all of them wear civilian clothes, and the errand uniforms are hidden in their bags, and there is a task today, and when the task is carried out, they will change into errand uniforms." Wei Bao Road.

Guo Wenliang said: "Yes, my lord, I will arrange it immediately, who do it to?" ”

"You'll find out later." Wei Bao sneered.

Afraid of Wei Zhongxian is afraid of Wei Zhongxian, but Wei Bao feels that his current situation is different, after all, he has just been appreciated by the emperor, Wei Zhongxian does not dare to move himself casually, and with the intelligence network he has established now, if Wei Zhongxian wants to use force against him, it is impossible for him not to get a little rumor, whether it is in the palace or outside the palace, his current intelligence system is no longer lost to Jinyiwei and Dongchang.

The most important thing is that Wei Bao feels that Wei Zhongxian is not so ruthless, through this period of understanding of these people in the Ming Dynasty, Wei Bao feels that they are still orderly and have a certain degree of law, and they like to make a charge of self-deception in everything.

From preparation to execution, it generally takes a certain amount of time, just like the old man doing tai chi, and there are few lightning attacks and all at once.

Wei Bao worked in the yamen of the Metropolitan Procuratorate in the morning, and as soon as he dispersed at noon, he quietly took Lin Wenbiao and Guo Wenliang, as well as a hundred officers of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, quietly left the capital in several batches and rushed directly to Majuqiao Town, Tongzhou.

Maju Bridge has gone through a long stage from place name to bridge name, and from bridge name to place name, has a long history, and is an important town from Beijing to Tongzhou.

Around 618 A.D., that is, at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the northern section of the Grand Canal, that is, the Shuiji Canal, flowed through the middle section of the Liangshui River.

In order to facilitate management, stallions, stallions, and foals (foals) are divided into nutrients. The Majuqiao area is a horse farm, and the soldiers and civilians who manage the horses established a village named "Majuli", which is close to the south bank of the Liangshui River.

At that time, a simple wooden bridge was built over the river to pass from north to south, and this bridge was named "Maju Bridge" because of "Makoni".

The stars are changing, to the Ming Dynasty Yingzong years, "Pony Li" has developed into a small town where merchants gather, and and is located in the royal hunting ground of the exit Zaodong Red Gate across the river, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qi Town hunting, out of the East Red Gate to cross the Pony Bridge to Maju Li shopping and see the scenery, very pastime.

In the summer of one year, after hunting, Ming Yingzong went out to the East Red Gate to see the foal. Suddenly, dark clouds, thunder and lightning, and heavy rain poured in. The entourage reported: "The Liangshui River swelled sharply and washed away the Pony Bridge. Yingzong was very disappointed, and then thought that the horse foal was so prosperous, and a decent bridge should be built to make it easier for the people to be more convenient for themselves.

So he said to the ministers who accompanied him: "If the bridge is built in the horse, and the treasury has no money or silver to spare, I will take the lead in paying out of my pocket, and it will be regarded as doing some good deeds." ”

The emperor invested, and the ministers dared to slack off and competed to help. At that time, the famous royal civil engineering master Kuai Xiang was willing to volunteer to design. Because it was the emperor who took the lead in raising funds, coupled with Kuaixiang's design, a nine-hole stone arch bridge was built in the eighth year of Tianshun, that is, in 1465 AD.

Yingzong personally gave the "Hongren" bridge. But the common people are still accustomed to calling it "Maju Bridge", and some squires and tyrants also ambiguously call it "Hongren Maju Bridge", the bridge became famous, and Maju Li was also renamed Maju Bridge Town.

Majuqiao is a large town in the southeastern suburbs of Beijing, 40 miles northwest of the old city of Beijing. There is a big river here, named Liangshui River, which is actually the old road of Yongding River in the Wei, Jin, Northern Dynasties and Yuan and Ming dynasties.

There is a ferry crossing on the river.

The information Wei Bao obtained was that Li Siqi, the governor of Caoyun, played with a group of officials and wealthy businessmen on a flower boat here every day.

Although the Ming Dynasty is very lenient in this aspect of personal life, the officials are also restricted, no one asks what is nothing, and once someone grabs it, it is also a major crime of the Ming Law.

Officials know the law and break the law, and there are many ancient times.

A group of errand servants secretly went out of the capital and arrived at the Liangshui River to wait, at this time, they still did not change into errand uniforms, they were all waiting for Lord Wei's order.

Wei Bao sat with Lin Wenbiao and Guo Wenliang on the edge of a pavilion drinking tea, accompanied by two imperial historians, both of whom had the background of Donglin people.

Although the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Dali Temple were comprehensively reorganized by Wei Bao, almost all of the personnel were replaced, and there are very few Donglin officials left now.

But when the two yamen are combined, there are still twenty or thirty people, and these twenty or thirty people are basically the kind of people who are clear-streamed, upright, and brainless.

Wei Bao left some of them, some of them stayed in Qingliu like Donglin, and there were more than a dozen hardcore eunuchs, like Rong Keqin's son Rong Zhengyu, who was still the imperial historian in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Wei Bao did not move him.

However, those who did not obey the arrangement and did not obey the management plan of the Metropolitan Inspection Academy, Dali Temple, and the South and North Courtyards built by Wei Bao were all set aside.

"Master Wei, which one are you trying to arrest here? Can you always say it now? Guo Wenliang asked.

"Arrest Li Siqi, have you heard?" Wei Bao smiled: "Do a text check." ’

Guo Wenliang and the two imperial historians were shocked when they heard this, Li Siqi? That's the Governor of Caoyun, and your Lord Wei is just a fifth-grade official, how dare you arrest a second-grade official?

If the second-grade senior is placed in the next generation, he will be a high-ranking official at the ministerial level.

Wei Bao has a lot of power now, but the official rank is still only at the level of the mayor of a large prefecture-level city.

How can a mayor arrest a high-ranking official?

"But do we have proof? Arresting the Governor of Caoyun is not a trivial matter, and the Governor of Caoyun has Caoyun soldiers and horses under him, at least a thousand people. Guo Wenliang reminded.

"What are thousands of people afraid of? When he came, it was impossible to take thousands of people with him. Second, these thousands of people are the soldiers and horses of the imperial court, not the soldiers and horses of him Li Siqi alone, who dares to block the errand of the Imperial Procuratorate? The officers of the Imperial Court were rebellions. As for the evidence, this is a flower boat, and the court officials are prostituting in the flower boat, which is a felony in itself, what other evidence is needed? In addition, when we got on the boat, could we not find the poems written by these vassals and elegant and profligate people? Whether it is a poem or an epistle, as long as there are words left, the evidence of the crime can be caught. It's not that there is no incriminating evidence, there are too many! Wei Bao laughed.

The two imperial historians looked at each other, they were not afraid, but a little excited.

In the past, the hardcore of the Donglin Party was clear, and they moved their mouths all day long, suing this and that, in fact, they didn't sue anyone all year round, and now they are bringing soldiers and horses to arrest the second-grade officers and the Caoyun Governor with military power, not to mention that they are actually involved, it is exciting to think about it.

"My lord, will we send someone up to take a look at it later? Let's see if that Li Siqi is on the ship? Lin Wenbiao actually wanted to wait for the exact information, because there were their eyeliners on the ship, but in front of the two Donglin Imperial History, it was inconvenient to say it so bluntly.

Wei Bao understood what Lin Wenbiao meant, and said with a smile: "Yes, you can arrange it!" It's best to wait for them to dock, let's sneak in and take a look first, and don't send out the servants directly, so as not to startle the snakes, and then they will deny it. ”

"Yes, sir." Lin Wenbiao agreed in a low voice: "It's not difficult to mix up, they are very extravagant and wasteful, good wine and good food, they can be used quickly, and they have to be replenished every few hours, so let's just mix in." Adults are waiting for news on the shore. ”

"No, I'm going to see it myself." Wei Bao smiled: "Since I have already come, I won't be allowed to see it, so how much am I sorry for the panic?" ”

Guo Wenliang and the two imperial historians both laughed when they heard this, and they both felt very confident to follow Wei Bao's side.

Ordinary officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate can hide when they encounter this kind of thing, how can anyone take the initiative like Wei Bao?

It doesn't matter if you take the initiative to take your body, the most important thing is that Wei Bao still loves to be a bird, and with Wei Bao as a bird, they can't take the risk.

Something happened, as soon as it was said that Master Wei of the Metropolitan Procuratorate took the lead, there must be something to find Lord Wei, and I can't find them.

Since the last time Wei Bao led people to the gate of the Jinyi Guard, Wei Bao's prestige has been in full swing in the Duchayuan and Dali Temple!

Not only the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Dali Temple, in fact, now Wei Bao is already a well-known figure in the entire Beijing officialdom and in the entire Beizhili, and no one does not know the new science and technology detective Hua Lang Wei.

After a while, the king-size flower boat docked.

Wei Bao took Lin Wenbiao, Guo Wenliang, two imperial historians, and two personal servants, and a group of seven people walked over.

They were all dressed in civilian clothes, and they looked like six house slaves accompanied a rich boy to go out to enjoy the mountains and rivers.

"Stop."

Several people went to the side of the flower boat and wanted to go straight to the boat, but they were stopped by a person who looked like a steward.

The man was in his forties, and there were several big men standing behind him.

Although several big men did not wear official uniforms, they could be seen to be from the army.

"This is our son Lu. Our Lu Gongzi came to play from Sichuan. Lin Wenbiao said casually.

When he can't report his real name, President Wei usually reports his surname Lu, and he usually reports that he is from Sichuan, and he is not talking nonsense.

said that the surname Lu was because Wei Bao was surnamed Lu in the modern era in the previous life, and said that he came from Sichuan because in this era, people over there rarely ran to the north, and it was not easy to be broken and tell nonsense.

"Our ship has been chartered, you go play elsewhere." The steward looked unconcerned, if it weren't for Wei Bao's luxurious clothes and lofty instruments, unlike ordinary people, he wouldn't have bothered to take care of it.

"How about wrapping it? Friends when they go out. Wei Bao smiled: "Are you afraid that I will lose your silver?" Tell you, a boat like you, with the silver that your lord carries, buy ten or eight, and it will be a matter of imminent. ”

Seeing that Wei Bao's tone was so loud, the steward frowned, "I'm sorry, this boat is really being packed, and it's not an acquaintance who won't let me go!" Please go elsewhere, there are several such boats on this river. ”

"Are you pretending to be stupid? I came out to play just to meet friends with heads and faces. I still have to get on your boat. Wei Bao said, snorting at Lin Wenbiao.

Lin Wenbiao understood, took out a small gold ingot or two from his arms and threw it over.

The steward instinctively caught it, and was startled at first sight.

I thought it was silver, but I didn't expect it to be gold, so I bit it, and it was true.

With such a generous shot, it's really the first time to see you, who doesn't say anything, and comes up first to reward a tael of gold?

One tael of gold is equal to thirty taels of fine silver, and even silver-grained silver is difficult to exchange.

Because there is too much silver in the Ming Dynasty, gold is particularly in demand.

"The little official is so big, do you really want to go on the boat to have fun?" That stewardship.

"Isn't that nonsense?" Wei Bao was a little impatient.

"It's not that you can't, but I'll tell you the truth." The steward approached Wei Bao a little mysteriously, and said softly: "There are many adults on the ship, the low ones are five or six grades, and the high ones are two or three grades!" ”

Wei Bao showed a smile, "The second and third grade masters, I thought it was all hearsay, it's true, that's better, we do business, I'm afraid we won't know the big guys." If I know someone who is powerful, I will give you a reward later, how about it? ”

The steward nodded, "That little official will wait for the ship, you can't be so bullish, a little low-key." ”

"I know, I know, don't worry, I'm not impatient, what do I have nothing to do with the official master? My family is also an official, and it is not much younger than them. Wei Bao laughed.

The steward believes Wei Bao's words, otherwise, just like this son-in-law, and so rich, there must be a lot of business in the family, a lot of business in the family, how many of them are not high-ranking officials?

"Little official, then you know the rules, right?" The steward said softly.

"What rules?" Wei Bao asked curiously.

"This is it." The steward gestured to the silver again, and still wanted the silver, "After you get to know the official, don't forget to give me some referral fees, you are all big deals, don't you know how important it is to open the door, right?" ”

Wei Bao smiled: "It turned out to be for this, I understand." However, it also depends on your ability, you have to introduce me to a powerful and useful official, so I can give you a reward, right? You get some useless cats and dogs, six or seven grade officials, it's useless, do you still want my reward? ”

"Petty officials, don't worry, on our boat, the six grades have already reached the end, at least they are all fourth-grade officials and fifth-grade officials, didn't I just say, there are also second- and third-grade officials." The steward smiled.

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