The weather in the capital was getting colder day by day, and the emperor always decided to stay in the study or bedroom on the impromptu basis, so the eunuchs prepared charcoal basins in both rooms to keep them warm as spring. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

In the study, Meng E studied the ink and took a step back, she is now a palace maid, and she can no longer stand quietly in the corner.

Han Ruzi picked up the pen, but he didn't write for a long time after dipping it in ink, and after a while, he put down the pen, turned his head and asked, "Does Yishi Island also have grievances in the rivers and lakes?" ”

Han Ruzi originally planned to reply to Yang Feng, but he didn't know what to write.

Yang Feng is electing the leader of the Jianghu Alliance in Yunmengze, it is in full swing, there are really many people involved, and even many heroes in the capital are also tempted, and they have gone to show their faces, even if they can't be the leader of the alliance, they have to make a contribution and make friends.

"Of course there is, there are more sects on the sea than Yun Mengze, and a small war in half a year or a big war in three years is definitely inevitable."

Han Ruzi suddenly laughed, "It's really a strange thing, why do I always forget that you are a person from the sea?" I'm looking for a pirate general everywhere, and you're actually the best fit. ”

Meng E glanced down at the palace clothes on her body, "I can't be a general, don't talk about Da Chu, there were no female generals in the previous dynasty, right?" ”

Han Ruzi was just joking, but he did ignore the value of Meng E before, so he put down the matter of writing the letter first and asked, "How many 'sects' are there on the sea?" ”

The so-called sects are all groups of pirates, and Han Ruzi followed Meng E's words without specifying.

"Hmm...... It is said that there are seventy-two island lords and thirty-six cave masters, a total of one hundred and eight. ”

Han Ruzi pointed to a stack of official documents on the table, "The official document sent by the coastal general also said so, and also said that with the respect of the seven islands and three caves, the strength and status are higher than those of other families, and there is Yishi Island among them, but the strongest one is...... It's a fairy mountain. ”

"Penglai Island." Meng E sneered, "It's all nonsense, various sects fight each other, every few months, there are always a few families that are destroyed, and at the same time, there will be so many gangs, and it is even more common for each other to swallow each other and become kings after becoming strong." When there are many sects on the sea, there are hundreds, when there are twenty or thirty, and there is no fixed one hundred and eight at all, and the most important reason for the high status of Yishi Island is that it has existed for a long time. However, when everyone gathers, there are always one hundred and eight chairs, and there are so many big and small leaders anyway that they can sit on them to make up the number. ”

"Is Penglai Island real or fake?"

"There are truths and falsehoods. Saying that it is true, there are always people who claim to have been to Penglai Island, and there are even people who claim to be in charge of all the sects on the sea under the orders of Penglai Island, and those who do not obey will be what will happen. Call it false - those who claim to be dead or flee, but never see the fleet on Pompon Island come out to take revenge. ”

Han Ruzi laughed.

"The strange thing is that even so, many people still firmly believe that there is a powerful Penglai Island hiding in the open sea, and they will not show up when the time comes, and we have sent people out to look for it on Yishi Island, and no one has come back alive so far, I don't know if they died at sea, or they were left behind by Penglai Island."

Han Ruzi shook his head with a smile, and suddenly put away his smile, "It's a bit similar to Chun Yuxiao, the Qi Seeker, everyone says that they have seen him and learned the art of sophistry and lobbying from him, and some people claim to be him, but after they are caught, they are not." ”

Yang Bong stubbornly believed that Chun Yuxiao really existed, and Han Ruzi found it difficult to understand.

He sighed and asked, "If you were a general, how would you exterminate the various factions on the sea?" ”

"I will give a tip-off, so that they can flee if they can, hide if they can, and don't confront the officers and soldiers."

Han Ruzi was stunned for a moment, and then smiled again, remembering why she hadn't asked Meng E about the situation in the East China Sea, she was a descendant of Chen Qi of Yishi Island, and she had no allegiance to Da Chu.

There was a knock on the door outside, Meng E went to open the door, and the person who came was a eunuch, who did not enter the house, and bowed down to hand a letter to Meng E.

The letter was written by Jing Yao, who was on his way back to Beijing, and sent someone to deliver the letter to the capital in advance, with an extremely simple content and only one name: Huang Pugong.

Ordinary people couldn't understand the meaning of this letter, but Han Ruzi immediately understood, although this was the first time he had seen this name.

"Yan Pengshi really took the credit of others." Han Ruzi put down the letter, although he was expecting, he was disappointed, "It's really strange, why does this Huang Pugong refuse to write to explain the truth?" ”

More details will not be known until Jing Yao comes back, Han Ruzi sighed again, and said to Meng E: "For the emperor, the most difficult thing is to choose people, with the size of the world, the emperor can see very few people, and among these people, there are many falsehoods, and it is not easy to take a fancy to two or three people, but they may not be willing to serve the imperial court." ”

Meng E thought about it and did not answer.

Han Ruzi asked again: "Some people do everything possible to increase the rank of official, but some people abandon the official title as a disadvantage, I am really a little confused, why are some people unwilling to do things for the court?" ”

A hundred people will have a hundred answers, Meng E's answer may not be the most accurate, but the most direct, "Because some people also want to be emperors, if this is a troubled time, they are all enemies of His Majesty, but unfortunately Da Chu is not chaotic to that point, they have no chance to compete for the world, they would rather retire than be subservient." ”

"'The whole world is not the king's land, and the shore of the land is not the king', after all, it is just a dream."

Someone knocked on the door again, the voice was relatively soft, and he seemed a little hesitant, unsure whether his behavior was appropriate.

"Jin Chunzhong, let him in." Han Ruzi was him when he heard it.

Sure enough, Jin Chunzhong walked in lightly, he was the son of the Marquis of Guiyi, but he had been bullied since he was a child in the noble circle, and he was not so arrogant, and after returning from the Huns, he was more cautious and careful, and he cared more about his words and deeds than many eunuchs.

Although it was not officially summoned, Jin Chunzhong still knelt down and kowtowed, and only got up after receiving permission.

Han Ruzi always maintained the majesty of the emperor when facing him, not casual because he was a close minister, sat upright, and nodded his head, indicating that he could speak.

"Weichen has found some clues these days, the person named 'Yunxiong' definitely did not leave the capital, it is likely to be hidden in a noble mansion, and it is a place where Jingzhao Yin's mansion cannot enter."

Jing Zhaoyin is in charge of the capital, which is equivalent to a county guard, and his grade is a little higher, and he can't do anything about the high-ranking officials of the imperial court.

"Keep investigating, no matter who the harborer is, find out."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Jin Chunzhong continued: "Many clues show that Yun Xiong is not the only assassin who is mixed in with the merchants, and Lian Danchen, the judicial officer of Jingzhao Yin Mansion, has already locked up seven people, but he has not caught the snake, and he will wait for more of the assassin's accomplices to show up, and then catch them all." ”

Han Ruzi nodded in agreement, although the king of the East China Sea had made a meritorious service, but he arrested people too early, the assassin named Ma Mu knew very little, and he couldn't provide much useful information, Jin Chunzhong and Lian Danchen would not make similar mistakes again.

Jin Chunzhong wanted to speak again and again, and finally said: "In the process of investigation, Weichen also found some other things. ”

"Say."

"It is rumored that the imperial court is going to issue a decree to cut the debts of the Shaofu and repay only three to fifty percent, and the merchants gathered in the capital have been bewitched by this recently, and they have sold their IOUs to others at low prices."

Han Ruzi thought for a while, and slapped it on the table, "Hey, sure enough, it is no business or treachery, it must be done by Luoyang merchants, they heard that I have their handle in my hands, so they want to make a trick and hold all the IOUs in the hands of a few people, if I don't pay it back at that time, I will lose my trust in the world, and if I pay it back, I can't distinguish the turbidity." ”

Jin Chunzhong was silent, he was only responsible for providing clues and not giving the emperor any other ideas.

Han Ruzi thought for a while, "What else?" ”

"Wechen also found a rumor, but it's not very credible."

"But it doesn't hurt to say it."

"It is said that Yun Mengze invited a rare master in the rivers and lakes, who can enter the thousands of armies to assassinate the general, and he has never missed a shot within a hundred steps. Yun Mengze pinned his hopes on this person, and everything he did was to send this person to His Majesty's 'within a hundred steps'. ”

Han Ruzi couldn't help but laugh, "If there is really such a master in the world, he can directly become the emperor, why just threaten the emperor?" ”

"The martial arts are definitely exaggerated, but please be careful not to summon strangers in the near future."

Han Ruzi hummed noncommittally, he couldn't make a guarantee, he hadn't finished seeing the generals sent from all over the country, and his uncle's family would soon arrive in the capital...... These were all strangers he had to meet.

Jin Chunzhong was about to retire, but Han Ruzi happened to see the letter sent by Jing Yao on the desk, so he stopped Jin Chunzhong, "Wait a minute, have you heard of the name Huang Pugong?" ”

Jin Chunzhong raised his head, with obvious surprise on his face, and nodded: "I have heard that this person is an entourage beside Yan Pengshi, and he once came to the Tired Hou Mansion with him, how could His Majesty know about him?" ”

After all, the assassin Ma Mu was brought into the capital by Yan Pengshi, and after Jin Chunzhong was named the envoy of Xuanyi, the first person to investigate was all the people around Yan Pengshi, even the groom and the cook, including this Huang Pugong.

"What kind of person is he?" Han Ruzi did not disclose the source of the letter.

Jin Chunzhong thought for a while, "Forty-two years old, a person from the East China Sea, born as a fisherman, sold himself as a servant at the age of seventeen, tossed and turned, entered the Yan Mansion at the age of thirty, served the master so far, is honest, it doesn't seem like there is any problem." Does Your Majesty want me to investigate again? ”

"No, he shouldn't have anything to do with the Assassins."

Jin Chunzhong retreated, Han Ruzi was confused, and said to Meng E: "An ordinary servant can help his master command a naval battle?" ”

"Resumes can be faked."

"Kim Chun-chung was deceived? His method of questioning is very skillful, so that he will not listen to one side of the story, and there must be proof. ”

"It may not be Jin Chunzhong who was deceived, but the Yan family, in order to cover up the fact that the military feats were taken, the Yan family needs a statement that will not be suspected."

"Hey, Yan family." Han Ruzi originally had a good impression of Yan Pengshi, and once had very high expectations, but after discovering many problems, he was even more disappointed.

Assassins, merchants, and uncles...... With so many trivial matters gathered together, Han Ruzi couldn't concentrate on looking for the general, so he picked up Jing Yao's letter and threw it in a nearby charcoal basin, watching it burn to ashes.

"Deal with the merchant first, this matter can't be delayed any longer." (To be continued.) )