That night, three people were sent from Shanhaiguan and rushed to Kaiping outside the city overnight, and they entered the city in hanging baskets.

At this time, Hou Hai, who was guarding the North Office of the Imperial Division, was not on duty, and he was still interrogating the criminals under the order, and when he heard the news, he immediately met the visitor!

The three men, two of whom were accomplices of the traitors under the king's subordinates, saw that the situation was not right, and fled against the water to report it; The other is the Ming army, who fled to Shanhaiguan after the attack on the envoys of the Xian Kingdom.

In the face of the traitors who appeared inside and the exposure of his identity, one of the criminals named Yang Pu was finally willing to confess!

"Name?" Hou Hai lifted the brush and quickly dipped it in the inkstone a few times.

The man who was chained and sat on a stool across from the table: "Young." ”

Hou Hai asked again: "Why do you have the audacity to commit such a heinous crime?" ”

Yang Pu pondered for a while and sighed: "This matter has nothing to do with the prince (acting king Zhu Gui), it is all because of our many persuasions. Yang had no fame, but fortunately he was appreciated and treated favorably by the prince, so he went to the palace to be a strategist. If you want to kill, you have to listen to the respect, but the prince was indeed harmed by me! I'm sorry for the prince! ”

Hou Hai sneered: "You are quite loyal." ”

Yang Pu said: "But people's hearts are not ancient, there are too many people who are duplicitous, greedy for life and afraid of death!"

All of us have sworn by the sky and made an alliance with blood, but I didn't expect that when something happened, there would always be someone who ate inside and out! The most ridiculous thing is that the people we chose are all guards and soldiers who have always supported the prince for a long time. When they were talking in the palace, they were more anxious to do great things than anyone else; Unexpectedly, when I really started to do something, I was immediately scared and urinated, hum! ”

Hou Hai couldn't help but say more: "You guys are doing big things, I'm afraid it's not for the sake of death?" The Holy One won't believe that! Go on, don't just sigh for a long time. ”

Yang Pu still sighed again and said: "During the battle of crime, I and some generals of the guard army persuaded the acting king more than once: take advantage of the fact that the court can't look north, and seize the opportunity to plot big things!" The king of Randai never let go.

Or because the palace of the original dynasty was not in danger. The acting king was cut by the imperial court at the beginning of Jianwen, and the vassal state was restored during Yongle; During the 'Battle of Crime', the Hongxi court issued many decrees to comfort the kings. The Acting King has no dissenting ......"

"You're farting!" Hou Hai scolded.

Hou Haizheng wanted to say that during the "Battle of Crime", the secret reports of several major feudal kings in the north who wanted to form an alliance and raise troops were all in the palace! Later, I didn't do it, but a few princes had disagreements, and they didn't talk about it together. Otherwise, why was the valley king of Changsha arrested by Zhang Fu and entered the Beijing Division?

However, Hou Hai thought of what Zhu Gaoxu said, and he couldn't expand the matter for the time being. Hou Hai held back and didn't say what was in his heart.

Yang Pu was stunned for a moment and said, "That's what other vassal kings want to instigate!" After the end of the battle of Huguang, the king's secret envoy persuaded the acting king, and the acting king once said: It only took half an hour for the Shengshang to defeat the 700,000 army of the official army, and the chances of winning the army are not great. ”

Hou Hai hurriedly said: "Don't bite indiscriminately, let's tell the truth and evidence." The key criminals locked up here are not anyone's people, they are all the king's people! ”

Yang Pu was silent for a moment and said: "Because we have conspired many times to persuade the king to raise troops, as early as when the king of Gu was arrested, we understood that sooner or later we would be cleared by the imperial court!" The acting king may be able to preserve the wealth, but those of us will be in danger.

Then he ascended the throne today, and the first major event was the northern expedition to Mongolia and the transfer of the guards from the northern kings' palaces; The signs that the imperial court will continue to cut the feudal domain are very obvious! The situation is becoming more and more unfavorable. And the death of the abolished prince and his family makes people feel that the saint is resolute and ruthless......"

Hou Hai couldn't help but interrupt him and said, "I told you, don't bite indiscriminately!" The matter of abolishing the prince has nothing to do with the saint. ”

Yang Pu lowered his head and frowned: "In short, all kinds of signs have made our people panic. The imperial court set up a political envoy in Beiping and gathered hundreds of thousands of troops! Northern expedition to Tatar, must go through the pass pass (Zhangjiakou); When the army leaves the Yongguan, it can rush to the city of Datong Mansion overnight! In such a situation, does the Holy Lord want to conquer Mongolia in the north or cut down the vassal king?

And the acting king has been impeached and secretly accused by officials many times, and it is easy for the court to add crimes. Now that the imperial army is here, the situation is becoming more and more obvious, and the Daiwang Mansion is probably the first vassal state to bear the brunt and be cut down soon! ”

Hou Haidao: "This official is by the side of the saint and participates in the planning of the Northern Expedition. I have never heard that the Holy One is preparing to attack the vassal king by force; It's all your guessing. ”

Yang Pu didn't seem to believe it, and he continued: "Once the Acting Palace's Mansion is cut, our people will be exterminated!" I also have selfish intentions, so I persuaded the king many times to know the pros and cons. The Acting King finally recognized my insight, and felt that disaster was imminent! However, the acting king knew that the saint could fight well, and it was difficult to have an opponent in the world, so he was still very jealous.

At that time, Huang Yan of Zhao Wangfu sent a secret envoy to inform the beauty sent by the Xian State of the Dynasty that he would go to Beiping to set up a political envoy in the near future; There happens to be a slave in my house who is a Chaoxian person, who can disguise himself as an envoy of the Chaoxian State, and can also teach my adopted daughter to speak some Chaoxian words. I took the opportunity to offer my plan to the king!

It is planned to intercept and kill the envoys of the Xian State of the DPRK halfway, seize their letters and clothes, and replace the envoys of the Xian Kingdom with our people. Then I disguised myself as a beautiful woman of the Xian Kingdom with my adopted daughter, and was able to get close to the Holy Envoy in Beiping. The saint loves beauty and sex, and his reputation is outside, and this time he can meet the beauties of the Chaoxian Kingdom passing by, and he should be able to recruit a waiter......"

Hou Haidao: "The idea is very bold, it's just bold!" ”

Yang Pu said: "We are also forced to be helpless.

At that time, the officers and soldiers who guarded the envoys should be some unknown people, and no one knew the envoys and beauties of the Xian Kingdom. Only the imperial history Li Qi cannot appear; So I perfected the plan again and asked Li Qi to write a chapter to report his illness.

It's a bold plan, but I think it's watertight! As long as you assassinate and kill the saint, you can eliminate the jealousy of the acting king. The civil and military forces of the imperial court will also try to return to Beijing first and re-establish the emperor; The general situation is turbulent, and the chances of the king raising troops have increased greatly!

The king was very hesitant at first. And I advised the king, that if he did not resist at this time, he would surely die; Instead of sitting back and waiting, let's fight! The acting king finally nodded in a secret conversation and reluctantly agreed to this plan. ”

Hou Hai raised his head and said, "Since there is no leakage, why is there leakage everywhere?" You were mixed in the army of the acting king and entered the political envoy of Beiping, and you had just left the army, and before you could make a move, you were detected by the deputy general of the Northern Expedition Zuo.

Then, as soon as you intercepted and killed the envoy and his party, two traitors from your own people went to tell the informant; He also let the officers and soldiers who were guarding the envoys escape...... Even if nothing went wrong beforehand, can you people really deceive the Holy One when you arrive in Kaiping City? Yangpu, do you know why this is the case? ”

Yang Pu was speechless and silent. Hou Hai glanced at him and continued to write hard.

"Rustle......rustle" In the quiet room, the sound of the pen on the paper can be heard.

After a long time, Hou Hai picked up the recorded confession and stepped forward for Yang Pu to inspect and sign it.

After Hou Hai finished this, he walked out of the room, estimating that it should be early in the morning. He planned to take a nap and wait for the morning to go to the saint.

…… Early in the morning, before dawn, trumpets sounded inside and outside the city. At this time, Kaiping City was much more noisy than usual.

Hou Hai entered the "palace", he was taken to a dining room, and saw that Zhu Gaoxu was still eating breakfast. Hou Hai saluted and placed a stack of papers on the round table. Zhu Gaoxu asked him if he had eaten, and he nodded and said, "The minister has already eaten." ”

Zhu Gaoxu held the chopsticks in his right hand, and looked through the files with his left hand for a while. He pulled out an envelope from under the file and asked, "What is this?" ”

Hou Hai hugged his fists and said: "Back to the saint, Li Qi was arrested by a traitor and wrote a piece of music under duress. ”

The envelope was unopened, and it was still painted. Zhu Gaoxu was not very convenient now, so he said: "Take it apart and read it to me." ”

"Obey." Hou Hai bowed, bowed down and picked up something.

Hou Hai took out the recital inside and read it accordingly. The general content of the recital is similar to what Yang Pu confessed. Li Qi said that he was not accustomed to the water and soil, so he had to return to the country for medical treatment, and returned to the country as soon as possible after recovering from his illness.

After Zhu Gaoxu listened, he suddenly smiled while chewing something in his mouth. He swallowed the food and said, "This Li Qi is a bit of a hurry. You tell him to prepare, don't go back to Beijing for the time being, and recently follow me and drive north with me. ”

"Command!" Hou Haidao.

Hou Hai felt a little strange, and hurriedly read the piece again. Only then did he realize that Li Qi had written a detail in the article: Before the Holy Lord ascended the throne, the minister had never known the Holy Lord; Now, he is deeply trusted by the Holy God and entrusted with important responsibilities......

Hou Hai suddenly realized that Li Qi had been to Yunnan a few years ago! At that time, on the eve of the Ming army's battle to conquer Annan, Li Qi passed by Yunnan and was ordered to ask the "King of Han" about his views on the affairs of Annan.

"Li Yushi is a little afraid of death." Hou Hai said.

Zhu Gaoxu glanced at Hou Hai: "It's already very good." Hou Zuo and other former officials of the Han Dynasty are loyal and selfless, but after all, there are few people. ”

Hou Haixi said: "The minister's loyalty to the saint is unrelenting!" ”

Zhu Gaoxu nodded expressionlessly. There are too many people who show their loyalty to the emperor, and it is normal for the saint to disagree.

After a while, Zhu Gaoxu had breakfast. Only then did he pick up the confession file and read it.

"Huang Yan is also involved?" Zhu Gaoxu suddenly raised his head and asked.

Hou Hai hurriedly clenched his fists and said: "The minister reminded Yang Pu not to bite indiscriminately, and he did not use torture, this is Yang Pu's personal confession!" ”

Zhu Gaoxu stood up and paced around the room.

Hou Hai said in a deep voice: "Chen Jinyan, without further ado, the army will send to Beiping City first!" ”

"Rest easy." Zhu Gaoxu raised his hand, frowned and made a gesture.