The people from Huguang are the most advanced in Beijing. He was immediately appointed as the secretary of the Dali Temple; With Zhang Sheng, the commander of Jinyiwei, Du Erlang, the envoy of Beizhen, and Yao Fang, the general banner of Beizhen, Gao Xianning took over Xue Yan's unfinished business.

It was not until late February that the Han Palace's official office, family members, and guards arrived at Longjiang Port in Beijing. Zhu Gaoxu appointed Wang Gui as the celebrant and eunuch, and sent people to settle his family in the West Sixth Palace for the time being, waiting for canonization.

After Zhu Gaoxu met with his family members in the Qianqing Palace, he came to the Dongnuan Pavilion and immediately summoned Miaojin and the eunuch Wang Yin......

The first person to enter the partition door was Miao Jin, who bowed to Zhu Gaoxu, who was sitting behind the imperial case, wearing a loose Taoist robe and combing her hair in a bun.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "No courtesy." He then waved his hand to Hou Xian and Wang Jinghong who were standing next to him.

The two eunuchs immediately retired and withdrew from the East Warm Pavilion. Miao Jin glanced sideways slightly, and her expression turned a little unnatural. Seeing that the left and right were all held back, she knew Gao Xue better, and Zhu Gaoxu sometimes "repaired the car" regardless of the occasion.

"Miaojin sit on the stool." Zhu Gaoxu did not mean to be frivolous.

Miao Jin glanced up at the yellow dragon robe he was wearing, and said, "Thank you." ”

"You don't have to be formal." Zhu Gaoxu looked at her for a while, and then quickly spoke again, "I think of that eunuch Wang Yin, who seems to have something to do with Wang Gou'er. Wang Gou'er is now in prison, suspected of murdering the first emperor! ”

After hearing this, the corners of his apricot eyes twitched slightly, obviously a little nervous, "Wang Yin recognized the eunuch Wang Gou'er as his godfather, but he should not be Wang Gou'er's accomplice." ”

"I know, the year before last, I was deceived into the palace by the East Palace Chaos and the Party's edict, and Wang Yin was instructed and warned by Miao Jinzhi and made a great contribution." Zhu Gaoxu said kindly. He knew that Miao Jin felt guilty about Zhang Yan's orphans.

That was almost 10 years ago. First, Jianwen's traitorous spy continued to be empty, and the identity of the monk was revealed; Another traitor, Zhang Yan, the book of the Yan Wangfu, cut himself after killing Xukong and protected Miaojin's identity. And the orphans left by Zhang Yan were also castrated and made eunuchs.

To this day, Miaojin still has the intention of protecting the eunuch Wang Yin, which is understandable.

Zhu Gaoxu paused, and then said: "In the past, I was busy raising troops to fight, so I didn't pay attention to this matter; Miaojin didn't take the initiative to tell me about it. It wasn't until recently that I thought of Wang Yin. ”

Miaojin sometimes looks solemn, sometimes her eyes flicker. She finally spoke, "I didn't mean to hide it from Gao Xu...... Holy. It's just that when I talk about those things, it will inevitably involve the matter of the first emperor's power, coercion, temptation, and wanting to make me a concubine, and I don't want to mention it again, so I have been avoiding talking about it......"

Zhu Gaoxu asked with a complicated mood: "Miaojin has never been submissive?" ”

Miao Jin suddenly got a little angry, and said with a red face: "The Holy Lord still doesn't believe it, what kind of person am I?" I was committed to you then...... How can there be a face to submit to the first emperor? Besides, if I had complied, how could I have been locked up in that prayer temple for years? ”

Zhu Gaoxu sighed when he heard this. When he went to Yunnan to take up the domain, he didn't take Miaojin away in time, which caused Miaojin to be trapped in the palace, and he had nothing to do at that time; This incident also made him a little annoyed.

Miao Jin said angrily: "I have always been clear about right and wrong, even if my life is in danger, I will never do such a thing that goes against my wishes." It's the saint's three wives and four concubines, and I never blamed you! ”

"There is a difference between men and women." Zhu Gaoxu said.

Miaojin's chest rose and fell for a while, and he was silent for a while before he lost his breath a little, and said: "Or because I have a close relationship with Empress Renxiao Xu, the first emperor trusts me more and promises to make me a concubine." These things were somehow known by 'Ma Gong'. ”

Ma Gong? Zhu Gaoxu immediately noticed the name. But he didn't rush to ask, waiting for Miaojin to finish what she knew.

Miao Jin continued: "'Ma Gong' asked Wang Yin to bring two words into the palace. The first time was a letter, in which he threatened me, promised the promise of the first emperor, and took the opportunity of serving to assassinate the first emperor! Of course, I turned a deaf ear. The second time, 'Ma Gong' saw Wang Yin again, brought a message into the palace, and urged me to do 'that thing', otherwise I will bear the consequences!

At that time, I was very worried and scared, so I melted a little jewelry in the alchemy furnace, and after being exposed by Ma Gong, I swallowed gold and committed suicide. Unexpectedly, it didn't take long for the first emperor to die! ”

When Zhu Gaoxu heard that Miaojin was preparing to commit suicide, he looked at her with a little fear and heartache; But now he was worried about things, so he didn't say much about these past events.

After Miaojin finished speaking, Zhu Gaoxu asked, "Who is 'Ma Gong'?" ”

Miao Jin said: "Judging from the handwriting of the first letter, he was originally called 'Ma Gong'; he was the person who was in charge of the central government and the traitors and spies in Beiping before the 'Battle of Jingjing', and his identity has not been made public.

After I was arranged by Emperor Jianwen and my late father to go to Beiping, I never knew the true identity of this person. It is said that Zhang Yan of the Yanwang Mansion knows who Ma Gong is, and he has a friendship with Ma Gong; But Zhang Yan and the Zhang family are dead. ”

Zhu Gaoxu nodded quietly, and said in his heart: Xue Yan's inference is very reasonable, those who do that big thing must have some power and ability, and one person can't do it; And this "Ma Gong" was in control of the spy personnel of the Jianwen Imperial Court against the Yanwang Mansion more than ten years ago, and there must still be some connections, such as Miaojin.

Miao Jin frowned for a moment, and then said: "'Ma Gong' was also the stepfather of the eunuch Wang Yin. At first, I thought that Ma Gong was a eunuch in the Jianwen Dynasty, but Wang Yin had seen Ma Gong, and according to his description, this person was indeed not a eunuch.

After Zhang Yan died that year, the orphan was sent to Jingshi; I'm still in the Yanwang Mansion, so I can't take care of this matter anymore. The orphan is the current Wang Yin, who was first adopted by Ma Gong as a righteous son; After the 'Battle of Jingjing', Ma Gong suddenly disappeared!

Wang Yin was exiled for many days before he met the eunuch Wang Gou'er. Then he was lured by Wang Gou'er and sent to the palace as a eunuch. At that time, Wang Yin recognized Wang Gou'er as his godfather and changed his surname to Wang. ”

Miaojin looked at Zhu Gaoxu with pleading eyes again, "Wang Yin is too young and just used, he must have nothing to do with the conspiracy." At the beginning, he occasionally came to pray for blessings, but he never appeared to know about the conspiracy. ”

"I know." Zhu Gaoxu nodded.

Zhu Gaoxu sat thoughtfully on the chair and did not say anything for a long time.

The suspicion of that "Ma Gong" is very big.

Because he first tried to use the line of Miaojin to threaten Miaojin and ask her to take advantage of the opportunity to assassinate and kill the emperor! Therefore, it can be inferred: Later, the tool of Miaojin was not used, and "Ma Gong" used Wang Gou'er or other people hidden in the palace to murder the first emperor with silver snake venom!

There is a problem: Wang Gou'er entered the Yan Wang's Mansion very early, and he has always been a confidant of the first emperor, and when Wang Gou'er was eunuched into the Yan Wang's Mansion, Zhu Biao, the prince of Yiwen, didn't seem to be dead! At that time, Zhu Biao, the heir to the throne of Emperor Taizu and the eldest son who must have been Taizu's favorite, had no suspense at all; Zhu Yunwen doesn't seem to be very old, so he doesn't have to be able to plant a spy in Yanwang's Mansion so early.

Wang Gou'er, a confidant of the former emperor, has already mixed well in the palace, and he is a homeless eunuch, what motive does he have to murder the first emperor?

Maybe the person who started it directly is someone else?! For example, Xue Yan's other inference, the poisonous needle was buried in the mud in advance, and Wang Gou'er just happened to dig up the mud of the poisonous needle?

In any case, now Zhu Gaoxu thinks that the first thing to do is to find "Ma Gong", and then he can continue to investigate!

Zhu Gaoxu spoke: "Miaojin will help me do one more thing, ask Wang Yin in detail and draw a portrait of 'Ma Gong'." and told Wang Yin not to talk about this matter to anyone else, so as not to startle the snake. ”

Miaojin got up and said, "Obey." ”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "The things in the palace the year before last, Wang Yin had merit; What's more, I still have to look at Miaojin's affection, and I will definitely treat Wang Yin leniently and will not treat him well. ”

Miaojin looked at Zhu Gaoxu's face with a complicated expression for a while, and she bent her knees and said, "Thank you." ”

After Miaojin said goodbye, Zhu Gaoxu sent Wang Yin in for questioning. Wang Yin's description is no different from Miaojin's words; It seems that the things he knows have already been told to Miaojin.

…… Relying on the dictation and depiction of portraits by others, the similarity between the portrait and the person is very problematic. The function of this kind of portrait is only to judge the approximate age, such as the age of men and women, tall, short, fat and thin, and so on. Thinking that a celebrity like Qi Tai was wanted back then, Qi Tai could still swagger out of Yangzhou City with Zhu Gaoxu; You can imagine how much the wanted portrait looks like me.

After Zhu Gaoxu got the portrait of "Ma Gong", he summoned Gao Xianning, the new secretary of Dali Temple, and handed over the portrait to Gao Xianning. Zhu Gaoxu told Gao Xianning what Miaojin knew in person.

Gao Xianning also agreed with Zhu Gaoxu's insight: It is best to find out who Ma Gong is first.

Because of Wang Gou'er's clue, the previous Jinyi Wei couldn't pry his mouth open by all means; Now Wang Gou'er's body is already very weak, and he is afraid that he will be killed by torture, afraid that his wound will be infected.

What's more, Wang Gou'er didn't have a motive for committing the crime, maybe it was wrong to keep an eye on Wang Gou'er, and the way was originally biased!

Zhu Gaoxu encouraged Gao Xianning and said: "If the truth of this big case can be found out." I plan to seal it in the palace first, and when my descendants have completely secured the throne, they can take it out and make it public to the world, and clear the case for my eldest brother.

At that time, Gao Siqing, as the presiding judge of this case, will definitely be able to leave a name in history and a hundred generations! Gao Siqing can also become a person like Di Renjie. ”

Gao Xianning thanked him: "Holy benevolence." ”

However, the reason why Di Renjie was able to live for centuries was not because of the strong investigation of the case, but because he persuaded Wu Zetian to pass on the throne to the Li family, and it played a role. Of course, these things don't need to be taken seriously, Gao Xianning is also very willing to do this.

Such a major secret case must be a person whom Zhu Gaoxu really trusts to get involved. Gao Xianning's ability to do this has already shown his status in the heart of the new emperor.