After reading the news, Ning pondered for a long time, and then said slowly: "In this way, something must have happened in Suzhou that we don't know." The first eight-hundred-mile expedited letter must have something other than flattery. Otherwise, it is impossible to use 800 miles to expedite the report. It's child's play. Even the flattering content is likely to be just a façade. When the imperial court received an eight-hundred-mile urgency, it must let people know what it is, right? The real information is too confidential, so it is a very clever idea to pretend to be flattering. ”

After a pause, Ning Wan said to Fan Yongdou: "What happened in Suzhou is so secretive, and it will bother Brother Fan to find out more." ”

Fan Yongdou nodded to show his understanding, but complained: "The big and small things in Suzhou are difficult to count, and among the news that has been known, according to common sense, there is absolutely nothing worth fighting." Thinking about it, since it is a secret matter, the news must be blocked, it is not easy to investigate, and it takes time, and what we are anxious about now is precisely time. In addition, I am afraid that there is another possibility. That is, we already have the news about it, but we have no way of judging its importance because of the lack of some key information. If this is the case, I am afraid that no amount of inquiry will be in vain. ”

Ning Wan naturally understood the difficulty, waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Brother Fan tried his best. I've been here since before, and in the final analysis, it's for Chongzhen, and the rest of the things are all incidental. It's best to be able to get the news, and if you can't, it won't affect our actions. ”

"Speaking of Chongzhen, we also tried our best. But there are several members of the cabinet, all of whom are old foxes. It may not be possible to do practical things, but intrigue is a good job. Our people can't get out of them at all. The palace is like an iron bucket, and the brocade guards will keep a firm watch on all the people who can come into contact with the palace. There is no chance of contact with outsiders at all. The men under my command are not dead soldiers who sacrificed their lives, so I really can't find out the news. ”

"Can't buy people in the palace? Can't talk? Wouldn't the imperial doctor and the imperial chef go home without going out of the palace? ”

"All transactions are conveyed by Jinyiwei in the middle, and there is no opportunity for direct communication between the two sides, so they can neither get in nor talk. The imperial doctors were all detained, and everything was as usual on the imperial kitchen's side, but because everything was as usual, didn't it mean that there was no news? ”

"It's really a strict guard. It seems that Chongzhen's problem is undoubted. "Now it seems that there are two possibilities. ”

Fan Yongdou looked like he was listening to Gao Zhi's arguments.

"The first possibility. The matter in Suzhou may be related to the country, and there is no danger, Chongzhen couldn't sit still, and went to Suzhou in person. ”

"How old is Chongzhen's son? He dared to leave the capital like this? ”

"Maybe his son is even more worried when he gets older, right?"

Fan Yongdou was stunned, but too. When my son is older, he will be ambitious, and of course he is even more worried.

"So, the second eight-hundred-mile expedited letter from Suzhou was not reported to Chongzhen, but sent news?"

"I don't rule it out."

"What about the second possibility?"

Naturally, Chongzhen was stimulated by the news from Suzhou and couldn't afford to get sick. And this news is more likely to be the kind of private matter related to the royal family, which the cabinet has no power to deal with. Therefore, there was no uproar in Suzhou, so we couldn't find out. So as soon as Chongzhen fell, no one replied to what to do in Suzhou, Suzhou couldn't get the news, and a second rush came. ”

"Which could be bigger?"

"It's hard to say. In my heart, I originally thought that Chongzhen was more likely to leave Beijing, after all, he was still young and strong, and it was unreasonable to fall ill without warning. But you said that Chongzhen was stimulated after receiving the news, which gave me a feeling that he was stimulated and deserved to fall ill. After all, it is said that Chongzhen has been sleeping three times all year round, and those who are beaten with iron may also be dragged down, right? If you are stimulated again, you are more likely to fall ill. ”

"Brother Ning's intelligence is really admirable to Yongdou, in such a short period of time, so much has been analyzed from it."

"Brother Fan has an overreputation, and the top priority is to explore more news to accurately judge the situation and deal with it."

"Is there a focus? Brother Ning commanded. ”

"If Chongzhen really goes to Suzhou, even if he doesn't do anything in Suzhou, it will take at least nearly a month to go back and forth. He can't work day and night, right? That way we have enough time and don't need to rush. ”

Fan Yongdou smiled: "Yes." Even if Chongzhen was willing to work non-stop, the Jinyi guard who protected him would never dare to let him do that. Which soldier who sent 800 miles to the expedited was not allowed to rest for a month after arriving? If Chongzhen dares to do this back and forth, it may be no different from the other, and it is estimated that he will have one breath left when he comes back. ”

"So the key now is how to determine or rule out whether he is in the palace or not."

Fan Yongdou's smile turned bitter: "I really can't help this." ”

Ning Wan thought for a while and asked, "You said that if Chongzhen was for personal matters, would he leave the capital?" ”

Fan Yongdou was stunned for a moment and then denied: "No." Although Chongzhen is incompetent, he is extremely rational and has few selfish desires, and will never abolish the public for personal reasons. ”

Then it means that if he leaves Beijing, it must be because of official business. In this case, with Chongzhen's incompetence, can he handle official affairs well without bringing a few ministers? ”

Fan Yongdou understood in seconds: "Brother Ning is saying to check which Beijing officials are not in the capital, if the date of disappearance coincides with Chongzhen, it basically means that Chongzhen has left Beijing?" ”

"It's not just Jingguan. Did anyone leave Beijing to take up a post at that time? Similar ones are also suspicious. ”

Fan Yongdou was a little embarrassed when he heard this: "Brother Ning doesn't know anything. This year is the period of the examination, and the three Jinshi of the new department, in addition to the three-person practice of the first class, serve in the Hanlin Academy. The rest of the candidates will be elected this month. Because of this, there are too many officials who have left Beijing to take up their posts this month. ”

Ning Wan understands the routines of Daming officialdom, and I also understand the difficulties. There are so many official positions, some have taken office, and some have left office. Every three years, in the year of the examination, the transferred officials are like carp crossing the river. As long as you leave the capital, the sky is high and the birds can fly, and it is difficult to say whether you will go to Suzhou or not. There are so many people who leave Beijing to take up their posts, and there is no difference from the practice of previous years, so it is difficult to tell whether they are actually going to work or under the guise of a post.

After thinking about it for a while, I had no choice but to say, "Then I can only compress the date as much as possible." Just look at the first one that went missing within three days of its urgent arrival. At the same time, it's not like we just came from Shanhaiguan, and we said that there was a batch of rare medicinal materials to arrive in Beijing, and asked the palace if they wanted it. If Chongzhen is seriously ill, I don't believe they will want to. Mountain ginseng is the most life-threatening. ”