readx;

Suzaku returned to the chamber of the villa, and Zhu Wusheng was drinking tea with Zhu Qing in the chamber. Pen ~ fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info hurried slowly, Zhu Wusheng finally arrived before dawn.

"Stationmaster Zhu?" Suzaku was surprised and said that without the emperor's order, the stationmasters of each post station would not be able to enter Beijing.

"Stationmaster Zhu has something urgent to tell you." Zhu Qing explained, "The assassin who attacked Mr. Luo was not Nadamon. ”

"Who did that?" Suzaku was worried, because Suzaku Gate was mainly responsible for checking all the rebel forces in the capital. As soon as Damon's affairs subsided, a new threat emerged, and Suzaku had to be on guard.

Zhu Wusheng shook his head, "The body is still in Chengdong Village, and the incident is in a hurry, so I can only rush over and report the situation to the general first." ”

Suzaku put down the teacup and said thoughtfully, "But according to Stationmaster Zhu's description, I seem to have seen that person somewhere, but I can't remember it for a while, it's not a big person, but I always have some impressions these days." Zhu Qing is still trying his best to recall the people and things he has experienced these days.

"These days? In the past few days, except for Nadamon, the one who has dealt with us the most is the Chuang Army......" Before Suzaku finished speaking, Zhu Qing patted his thigh, "A mole between his eyebrows, it should be him!" ”

"Who?" Suzaku and Zhu Wusheng asked at the same time.

"Do you remember that there is a person in the army who has always been inseparable from Liu Zongmin? That person's appearance is most similar to what Stationmaster Zhu described. Zhu Qing said to Zhu Que that Zhu Wusheng was not present at the time, so he naturally didn't know about the situation of these intrusions.

When Suzaku heard this, he nodded, "I can't hang it, even the kid who went to Baihualou wanted to go to the Dark Fragrance Pavilion with Liu Zongmin, isn't it Liu Zongmin's henchman?" ”

"In that case, why not investigate in the army? As long as they can't call that person, they must be undoubted. Zhu Wusheng proposed that it was obviously impossible to transport the body to the capital now, and it would be held as soon as the morning dawned to pray for rain, and it was very unlucky to send a dead man in at this time, and Chongzhen categorically would not agree. The quickest way to do this is this elimination!

Unexpectedly, Zhu Qing shook his head, if it was in normal times, Zhu Wusheng's words would be a good proposal, but it was not suitable at this time.

"We can't startle the snake." Zhu Qing said, the corners of his mouth smiled slightly, he seemed to see that the military supervision order was beginning to work.

"By the way, I went to deliver a letter to Li Zicheng just now, and his words and deeds are very good, and he seems to be surprised by Mr. Luo's matter. And I could clearly sense that there were other people in his room. Suzaku suddenly remembered the matter of sending an invitation to Li Zi.

When Zhu Qing heard this, his eyes lit up, "Didn't you say it earlier?" Now it seems that nine times out of ten, the army is making trouble. ”

When Suzaku and Zhu Wusheng heard this, they nodded. They are all smart people, and smart people can often predict the whole situation by detecting clues.

"Do you want me to send someone to control it first?" Suzaku asked for instructions, and the result she wanted most now was foolproof.

Zhu Qing still shook his head, "Since the emperor has already sent them an invitation, it's not good for us to do it at this time, and besides, the fox's tail is just going to be exposed, otherwise we have no reason to fight!" In this way, tomorrow, you Suzaku Gate will assist the brothers of the Iron Mask Gate to pay more attention to the movement of the army, and control it for me whenever there is a situation, but remember not to see blood at the altar again! Otherwise, the emperor will be unhappy. "Zhu Qing is very thoughtful, the altar sacrifices to the sky and prays for rain, the most taboo is the most murderous thing, which is taboo for both the Son of Heaven and the people.

"My subordinates understand!" Suzaku replied.

"General, do you want to stay and help?" Zhu Wusheng asked.

Zhu Qing raised his hand to stop, "No, too many things have happened in Chengdong Village recently, Chengdong Village can't be left without an owner for a day, you go back to the village for the time being, and when the rain prayer ceremony is over, you will report to the Criminal Department and send the assassin's body over, I want to see what Li Zicheng said when I saw it?" Zhu Qing said, looking at Li Zicheng's guest room, and the corner of his mouth smiled again.

"The last will obey." Zhu Wusheng said, and went out of the city overnight and returned to Chengdong Village.

Although the time was tight, the preparations were carried out in an orderly manner, and the rain prayer activity was ready before dawn.

The capital remembered the bell and told the people attending the event to go to the altar to participate in the rain prayer ceremony.

The altar is the Temple of Heaven, the altar that was built in the Yongle period stands in the east of the Yongding Gate, the east side of the Zhengyang Gate, and is the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties "worship the sky" and "pray for the valley". For a long time, the Temple of Heaven has been the hope and spiritual sustenance of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the Ming Dynasty. The Temple of Heaven is the general name of the two altars of the mound and the valley, the "mound altar", which is specially used for the "winter solstice" day to worship the sky, and the "prayer valley altar" is used to pray for a good year in spring. Obviously, today's rain prayer ceremony is mainly performed at the altar of prayer.

As the bell rang, the people who participated in the ceremony came from all directions of the imperial city, no one dared to slack off, those ministers and nobles could deceive the lower and lower in the past, and the yang and the yin were violated, but today no one dared to snub the gods, and everyone went to the altar with a pious heart. Even Li Zicheng, who has always been against the imperial court, came over under the protection of the Iron Mask Gate and the surveillance of the Vermilion Bird Gate.

The Green Dragon Gate and the White Tiger Gate have been set up around the Temple of Heaven to receive visitors from all over the world.

Zhu Qing and several old men in brocade escorted Chongzhen and Empress Zhou to the Temple of Heaven Park, and Mr. Luo had already opened the altar on the altar.

Empress Zhou nodded and smiled at Chongzhen, and consciously walked to Qifeng Tower to wait. She naturally understands the ancestral precepts of women who don't go to the altar. So Suzaku gathered several masters of the Vermilion Bird Gate to the side of Qifeng Tower to protect Queen Zhou.

On the altar, there were only three people, Chongzhen, Mr. Luo and Zhu Qing. Under the altar stood a large area of black oppression, in addition to the Manchu civil and military officials, the emperor's relatives and relatives, as well as the common people near the imperial city, who were selected as representatives to participate in the rain prayer ceremony, from the Son of Heaven to the Li people, showing extremely pious prayers.

Mr. Luo did it in front of the incense platform, his mouth was spitting, holding a wooden sword in his hand, sometimes looking up to the sky and ringing the bell, sometimes burning money and spraying water, in Zhu Qing's opinion, it was really a bad thing, although he respected the gods, but he believed in science more, he believed that the burned straw would give them the reward of rain. So Zhu Qing's heart was focused on security at this time.

At this time, the sky is already slightly bright, and no less than 10,000 people under the altar are waiting quietly, showing people's desire for rain. The eyes of Zhu Qing and the Jinyi guards wandered among the ten thousand people, and as long as they found that something was wrong, they would immediately quietly control it.

Li Zicheng and others watched quietly among the ten thousand people. At this time, Liu Zongmin muttered in Li Zicheng's ear, "General Zuo has failed." Obviously, this is new information, but for Li Zicheng, it seems to be old news.

Li Zicheng smiled contemptuously, "That mage is doing it now, failure or success, are you a fool to me?" Li Zicheng's information about Liu Zongmin seemed ridiculous and angry.

"Qinglong did it." Liu Zongmin endured the emotion of being scolded and continued.

Li Zicheng kept a calm face and stared closely at the man on the altar who was carrying a box on his back, and in his opinion, this man was more terrifying than the man called the Son of Heaven.

"It's Qinglong again!" Li Zicheng just squeezed out four words, and then fell silent.

Because at this time, Mr. Luo handed the three sticks of incense to Chongzhen's hand on the altar, and then chanted loudly, "The Son of Heaven sacrifices to the sky!" ”

With Mr. Luo's shout, Queen Zhou walked out of Qi Feng's arms, and was the first to kneel towards the altar, and everyone under the altar also knelt one after another. Chongzhen walked up to the incense burner with incense.

"Worship the Jade Emperor," Mr. Luo shouted, and as soon as Chongzhen kowtowed, everyone followed.

"Second worship to the queen mother" Chongzhen kowtowed again, and everyone kowtowed again.

"Three hundred winds, rains, thunder and lightning" Chongzhen kowtowed three times, and everyone kowtowed three times.

But Zhu Qing couldn't kowtow, he just nodded meaningfully, his eyes couldn't leave Chongzhen and the people below!

"Incense and please God!" As soon as Mr. Luo's words fell, Chongzhen put the three sticks of incense into the incense burner, closed his eyes very reverently, and whispered something in his mouth, which was nothing more than some words of prayer.

Just when the Son of Heaven sacrifice was over, a pair of eyes in the crowd suddenly stared at Li Zicheng, but it was not Zhu Qing.

"So you're there." The man said fiercely. took advantage of the crowd to kowtow and get up, and sneaked towards Li Zicheng.

Seeing this, Zhu Qing immediately beckoned to Suzaku, Suzaku understood, and led people to rush down, but in order to prevent the crowd from rioting and affecting the rain prayer ceremony, the Jinyi Guard's action was very hidden.

"The Son of Heaven prays for rain!" Mr. Lowe announced the final procedure.

Chongzhen picked up a bowl on the desk, facing the east, and everyone turned around. Turning around made it more difficult for Zhu Qing to identify the assassin.

"Rain God, please!" Mr. Luo raised his sword and pointed it at the sky, and everyone knelt.

Chongzhen fell asleep and knelt down to worship the east in his hand, "The emperor is above, the rain god is gracious, my Ming Dynasty has been in drought for many years, and the people are not living, the disciple Zhu Youzhen sacrificed to the sky and prayed for rain today, may all the gods have mercy on my sentient beings, give the Ming to nectar, all cause and effect, the disciple is willing to bear it alone, please be sympathetic to the rain god, let it rain!" Chongzhen couldn't cry as he spoke, he didn't know how many times he said this, but it hardly worked. After Chongzhen finished speaking, he knocked on the ground and sprinkled wine towards the east.

"Pray for some rain from the rain god!" The beings under the altar sighed.

At this time, suddenly the wind is blowing! The eastern sky was covered with dark clouds, followed by lightning and thunder!

Seeing the sudden change in the wind and clouds, everyone was overjoyed, this is the weather they have not seen for a long time! Didn't you really move the heavens?!

"The spirit has appeared, the god has appeared!" Chongzhen was ecstatic, got up and worshiped again.

When the wind was blowing, a black shadow took advantage of the crowd and quickly dived towards Li Zicheng!

"Not good! Protect the King! Zhu Qing shouted, and jumped down.

"Thief, take your life!" Seeing that the man shouted, he pulled out a short dagger and stabbed Li Zicheng.

Because they participated in the rain prayer ceremony, Li Zicheng and the others did not bring weapons, and when they saw someone stabbing at them, they just instinctively retreated.

"Protect the King!" Seeing this, Liu Zongmin didn't care about his own safety, because he was closest to the assassin, so he rushed head-on.

Who knew that the assassin really had two blows, and even Liu Zongmin, who had been in a hundred battles, failed to take a move from him, and stabbed Liu Zongmin in the arm with a knife!

"Murder!" Suddenly someone shouted. The crowd suddenly stirred, separating Huzi and Li Zicheng.

Seeing that the assassin stabbed Liu Zongmin, he stabbed at Li Zicheng. Suddenly, with a "bang", Zhu Qing kicked the assassin over!

"Grab it!" Because the altar could not kill, Zhu Qing immediately ordered Suzaku and the others who had caught up to take the assassin down and take him away!

"Don't panic, everyone! The Assassins have been subdued! Zhu Qing quickly returned to the altar and shouted at the crowd, and everyone saw that it was Zhu Qing, and then they gradually quieted down!

However, at this time, the dark clouds just now gradually dispersed, and the rain that was coming came to naught in an instant!

Chongzhen was shocked and angry, afraid of desecrating the altar, and after he walked out of the altar, he finally couldn't help but shout angrily, "Don't kill it!" ”

"Qinglong, escort the emperor and Niangniang back to the palace!" Killing Feng sat in a wheelchair and yelled at Zhu Qing. He knew it was a big deal today! Chongzhen is bound not to give up easily, if it is not good, Jinyiwei's good days are coming to an end!

What was supposed to be a hopeful prayer for rain ended in an instant because of this unknown assassin. The crowd parted unhappily amid complaints.

Mr. Luo sat on the altar, looking at the east where the dark clouds had dispersed, and the old tears were rampant!

Qinglongmen escorted Chongzhen and Empress Zhou and other imperial relatives back to the palace, Baihumen escorted the Manchu Dynasty Wenwu back to the palace, Xuanwumen was responsible for evacuating the people, and Tiemian Gate escorted Li Zicheng and others back to the Bird Cat Villa, and Killing Wind also sent them the imperial doctor in the palace, anyway, Liu Zongmin was injured. Suzaku took the assassin directly to prison, and Suzaku Gate continued to be responsible for investigating potential threats.

Suzaku took the assassin to prison, and without saying a word, he was punished. Because Suzaku is very angry, because of this person, she may be considered to have come to an end today, Suzaku Gate is responsible for checking the rebel forces, but there have been accidents again and again, which makes it difficult for Zhu Qing to protect her!

"My lord, do you want to clamp the stick?" A jailer asks Suzaku for advice.

"Humph!" Suzaku sneered, "I'm going to be fried in oil, and he can still enjoy such a good treatment as a clamping stick, scrubbing!" Suzaku said and turned away.

Scrubbing is a major torture of Jinyiwei, that is, the prisoner is stripped naked and pressed on an iron bed, poured boiling water on the prisoner's body, and then used an iron brush full of iron nails to scrub the scalded part while it is hot, until the white bones are exposed, and finally until the prisoner dies.

"Yes!" As the jailer spoke, the three or two stripped the silent assassin and pressed him to the iron bed, and then poured boiling water on the prisoner. Then the prisoner screamed, "Ah! Before the jailer could use the iron brush, the Assassin was recruited.

"Slow down, slow down, I'll move, I'll move!" The assassin gasped.

When Suzaku heard this, he turned around, "Stop!" Go ahead! ”

"I ...... I can't say it here. The assassin shuddered as he looked at the red-hot iron brush in the jailer's hand.

"Go on!" Suzaku didn't talk any more nonsense.

"Yes!"

"Ahh The first brush went down, and the heart-rending shouts suddenly filled the entire prison.

"Report to the General! The emperor has an order to interrogate the assassins! Immediately escort the Assassin to the Great Hall. At this time, suddenly a person came to report.

When Suzaku heard this, he replied, "Got it." With a wave of his hand, the jailer dragged the Assassin up, redressed him, and carried the half-dead Assassin to the Golden Luang Palace.

Chongzhen, who returned to the palace, did not return to the palace to suppress the shock, and went straight to the Jinluan Palace, and the ministers did not dare to leave the emperor so angry, so they all hurried to the Jinluan Palace. Stand in turn in the order of the usual court, and after listening, Chongzhen vented.

"You have the ability to come to me! Why did you shock the gods?! This is the most promising time since praying for rain, and it has been stirred, what is Jinyiwei doing to eat? Such dangerous people are also put in! Chongzhen was furious and slapped the desk angrily.

Killing Feng and the others knelt down one after another when they heard this, although Zhu Qing was mainly responsible, but he had no intention of kneeling.

"Qinglong? Do you feel innocent? Chongzhen was obviously extremely angry, and even Zhu Qing, who usually didn't have to kneel and worship, couldn't look at it at this time.

When Liu Qingfeng and Yan Shi Niang heard this, they quickly pulled Zhu Qing's clothes and motioned for him to soften for the time being. Unexpectedly, Zhu Qing didn't kneel down, he hugged his fist forward and said, "As the commander of the Jinyi Guard, the minister failed to do a good job of security, of course the minister is guilty, but the minister can guarantee that the assassin is by no means an external invasion, but it is precisely the emperor who said earlier that the internal personnel do not need to be strictly investigated, so as not to shock the gods, and the minister thinks that the person who injured General Liu is the one who did it internally!" ”

"Hmph, full of words, see what else you have to say later!" Although Chongzhen was angry, but just now after all, it was Zhu Qing who stopped the assassin in time at the altar so that he didn't cause more trouble, and before the situation was investigated, it was not a wise move to take Zhu Qing out of anger, after all, Zhu Qing brought him an unprecedented hope, the hope of raining for the first time.

"Why hasn't the prisoner come yet?!" Chongzhen was in a hurry and shouted.

"Your Majesty, it's almost here, and you've entered the Taihe Gate." Wang Chengen responded.

And they all looked out of the temple.

"Get in!" Suddenly, Suzaku let out a roar of rage and kicked the assassin into the temple.

At this moment, he had been tossed so much that he couldn't lift his head, and he could vaguely see bloodstains on his body. When those elegant ministers saw it, their faces were full of disgust.

When Chongzhen saw it, his eyes were red, it was this person who destroyed the rain prayer ceremony, alarmed the gods, and made the sky that was about to rain change!

"Suzaku, the criminal minister, brought the prisoner!" Suzaku automatically pleaded guilty and kicked the assassin to his knees in the main hall.

Chongzhen didn't have time to pay attention to Suzaku's guilt, waved his hand to signal her to retreat, and then asked angrily, "Bold fanatic, who are you, and why did you sabotage my plan to pray for rain?!" ”

Who knew that the man was so sluggish at this time that he couldn't even lift his head.

Zhu Qing stepped forward and held up the assassin's head with his hand, and the person in front of him was taken aback when he saw it.

"This ...... Isn't this Zhou Xiang's house slave Ge Dongsheng? Wen Tiren exclaimed.

When Zhou Yanru saw and heard it, his eyes were suddenly startled, and his face was pale.

"Bold!" Chongzhen took the case.

"Your Majesty, you have been wronged, Your Majesty, the ministers really don't know their feelings, Your Majesty." The matter has come to this, Zhou Yanru is like a thunderbolt in the sky, and he fell to his knees.

The assassin Ge Dong looked at Zhou Yanru weakly, and a terrifying smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and there was no need to say anything at this time.

"Someone! Drag it down, go to jail! Chongzhen couldn't help Zhou Yanru to explain, shook his sleeves angrily, and shouted angrily!

Several Imperial Forest soldiers immediately entered the hall and dragged Zhou Yanru up.

"Your Majesty, the minister has wronged you, Your Majesty! The minister doesn't know, your majesty! Spare your life, Your Majesty! "Ask for everything you can say. But Chongzhen didn't blink his eyes, as he said, there is anything to rush at him Chongzhen, but to commit a god is to cut off Daming's back road! How could he endure it?!

Seeing that the first assistant of the first generation is about to say that it will be gone, but no one dares to say anything about the ministers who usually follow Zhou Yanru, and Jinyiwei has never been at odds with them, of course no one will intercede. Although many people know that there must be a secret in this, Chongzhen is angry, and no one dares to speak out.

When Zhou Yanru was dragged and turned around, he caught a glimpse of the casual smile on the corner of Wen Tiren's mouth, he suddenly understood everything, and then frantically rushed towards Wen Tiren, "Lao Tzu won't let you go if you're a ghost!" ”

"Your Majesty?! , this ......" Wen Tiren pretended to look at Chongzhen with pity.

"What are you doing? Why don't you put these two people in custody with me?! Chongzhen shouted angrily. Two more Imperial Forest soldiers came in and escorted Ge Dongsheng away!

"Don't hurt me! ......" Outside the main hall, Zhou Yanru's screams echoed, and they didn't go for a long time.