Emperor Chongzhen thought for a while, and said in a deep voice: "That Ma Xiangyang is a dignified court official, and he actually did something to steal, how can such a person be a doctor of Taixue?" Order Dali Temple to investigate thoroughly! ”

Dali Siqing came out to respond to this matter.

"As for Qiao Aiqing and Zhang Aiqing, they will each be fined for three months to show a light punishment." Emperor Chongzhen said again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qiao Shangshu and Zhang Yushi had no choice but to pinch their noses and eat this dumb loss. Qiao Shangshu stood up and said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, although the origin of the account book is inappropriate, but it is indeed the account book of Guanglu Temple, and this is also recognized by Lord Qing Xu of Guanglu Temple." As he spoke, he looked at Xu Liang.

Xu Liang nodded and said, "Not bad." It was indeed my account book of Guanglu Temple. ”

Qiao Shangshu perked up, smiled coldly, and said, "Since Lord Xu also admits that it is the account book of Guanglu Temple, and Zhou Langzhong of the household department has verified that there are many improprieties in the account book. The old minister is willing to ask His Majesty to order Lord Xu to explain the account book. ”

Emperor Chongzhen listened, pondered for a while, and said: "What Qiao Aiqing said also makes sense, so Xu Aiqing ......"

"Your Majesty, the minister has objections." Xu Liang said in a deep voice.

"Speak."

Xu Liang glanced at Qiao Shangshu with disdain, and arched his hand: "That account is true of my Guanglu Temple, but the minister strongly disagrees with the conclusion of Zhou Langzhong's verification. If you want to find out, then you must send a fair man who can be trusted by your ministers to do so. ”

"Huh?" When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he couldn't help asking: "Xu Aiqing thinks that who will verify the most fair person in the court?" ”

Xu Liang said: "Your Majesty, in terms of understanding the accounts, this Manchu Dynasty is civil and military. Who can compare to the head of the household department? Bi Shangshu is familiar with accounts and is the secretary of the household department. He is decent and fair, and he is willing to ask His Majesty to appoint Bi Shangshu to personally verify the accounts! ”

Emperor Chongzhen thought about it. Xu Liang is also very reasonable. Bi Ziyan has been a household secretary for many years and is an old minister of the three dynasties, decent, highly respected, and it is appropriate for him to verify the accounts of Guanglu Temple. So he nodded in agreement.

Bi Ziyan, who was originally a wall-watching observer, saw an errand that offended people like a duck with wings, and flew to his shoulder, and after he dispersed, his eyes at Xu Liang were very unfriendly.

Xu Liang pulled Bi Shangshu into the case, and ordered Wang Qinian to hand over all the documents of the sacrificial ceremony to Bi Ziyan, the head of the household department. He returned to the yamen of Guanglu Temple with peace of mind.

The soldiers of the criminal department at the gate still have not been evacuated, and the subordinate officials of Guanglu Temple are basically confined to the yamen every day, and they are not allowed to enter and exit at will.

Xu Liang went from room to room to visit his subordinates, and then went to talk to Shen Congliang, the young secretary of Guanglu Temple. When he walked out of the yamen, he saw Wang Qinian running in from outside with a happy face, and shouted to Xu Liang from afar: "My lord, happy event!" ”

"What's the happy event?"

Wang Qinian ran to Xu Liang and stopped, and said breathlessly: "Half an hour ago, Dali Siqing personally took someone to Guozijian to take that Taixue Doctor Ma Xiangyang Suo into the Dali Temple prison. ”

When Xu Liang heard this, he smiled and said, "This Dali Siqing is quite fast. ”

"Relief. It's so relieving! Wang Qinian clapped his hands excitedly and shouted.

"Uh-huh!" Suddenly, they heard a heavy cough, Xu Liang and Wang Qinian looked back, and saw Qiao Yunsheng, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Zhang Nianyun, the imperial historian of the capital, walking in with heavy faces.

Xu Liang smiled and said to the two adults: "Qiao Shangshu and Zhang Yushi came to investigate the case so early?" It was so hard. Be careful not to get tired! ”

Qiao Shangshu said angrily: "Xu Liang, you don't have to be arrogant, wait until Lord Bi confirms the evidence of your greed for ink." It's too late for you to cry! ”

Xu Liang said coldly: "Master Shangshu can check, the official is waiting." ”

The four parted unhappily.

Xu Liang and Wang Qinian went out of Guanglu Temple. Get in the carriage and prepare to go back to the Dongjiang Annex. Wang Qinian thought about it, and then asked inquiringly, "My lord." Our disaster this time is all because of Ma Xiangyang, now Ma Xiangyang has been imprisoned in the prison of Dali Temple, do you want to send a message to Dali Temple Qing and give Ma Xiangyang some color? ”

Xu Liang listened, waved his hand, and said meaningfully: "No need." Ma Xiangyang went in this time, but he was afraid that he would never be able to get out again. ”

"Huh?" Wang Qinian exclaimed, looking at Xu Liang's smiling face, he suddenly seemed to have an understanding.

In the prison of Dali Temple, Ma Xiangyang sat on a simple straw bed with his head down, stunned. Standing on the side was Tobe Zhou Langzhong.

Zhou Langzhong couldn't help but comfort: "Brother Ma doesn't have to be like this. We have Cao Ge Lao Bao above, you won't stay here for long. It can be as short as three days, or as late as five days, and Brother Ma will be able to get out of this prison. ”

Ma Xiangyang glanced up at him, and his tone was depressed: "Brother Zhou, when I got the account book, I said that after reading it, I would return it immediately, so as not to make Xu Liang suspicious." You have to urge me to impeach Xu Liang immediately! It's okay now, I can't do it as a doctor, and I'm in prison! ”

Zhou Langzhong smiled and said, "I'm sorry, this is also our carelessness, we fell into Xu Liang's trap!" But Brother Ma can rest assured, Xu Liang's good days are coming to an end. As long as Xu Liang falls, it won't take long for Brother Ma to be reinstated. Believe me, Xu Liang offended Cao Ge Lao, no matter how he jumped, there was only one way to die. ”

Ma Xiangyang's confidence in Zhou Langzhong was no longer so sufficient, and when he heard this, he raised his head, stared at Zhou Langzhong, and asked suspiciously: "Didn't you say that the court has already mastered the conclusive evidence of Xu Liang's greed for ink, and it is easy to take down Xu Liang?" Why did I hear that even Qiao Shangshu and Zhang Yushi were fined for three months? ”

When Zhou Langzhong heard this, his old face turned red, and he scolded angrily: "It's not that Xu Liang grabbed the account book and reported the matter to His Majesty!" ”

Zhou Langzhong comforted Ma Xiangyang for a while, and once again promised that he would fish Ma Xiangyang out as soon as possible, and then he got out of the prison of Dali Temple in Ma Xiangyang's begging eyes.

Ma Xiangyang thought in his heart that there was Cao Ge Lao Bao outside, and he would just go through the motions in the prison of Dali Temple, make a show, and go out after being locked up for three or five days. He wasn't so worried about it in prison. Dali Siqing interrogated him once, and Ma Xiangyang relied on it in his heart. confessed to the theft of the account books of Guanglu Temple, and repeatedly promised. It was entirely his own doing, and no one instructed him.

After Zhou Langzhong left, he did not appear in the prison again for five or six days. Ma Xiangyang felt that the situation was wrong.

It wasn't until Dali Siqing interrogated Ma Xiangyang for the second time that he unexpectedly asked about Ma Xiangyang's trip to Nanjing in April of the third year of Chongzhen's reign, and asked Li Se about the whereabouts of several sacrificial classics he brought back from Guanglu Temple in Nanjing. At this time, Ma Xiangyang finally panicked.

He took out those sacrificial classics from Guanglu Temple in Nanjing, personally carried them on his back along the way, and sent them to Guanglu Temple in Beijing every step of the way. He personally saved it in the library of Guanglu Temple.

If the classics are not in the library, where else can they go?

"Nonsense!" Dali Siqing shouted angrily: "A few days ago, the Imperial History of the City Patrol caught a person selling ancient books in the East Market, and he sold the sacrificial classics that your Ma Xiangyang brought back from Nanjing!" And in the library of Guanglu Temple, the books with sacrificial classics written on the label are all fake! Ma Xiangyang, how do you explain this? ”

Ma Xiangyang has been stunned! Said blankly: "The classics were indeed stored in the Guanglu Temple Book Pavilion by this official, and now the classics are lost, what does it have to do with me?" Lord Siqing should go to the responsibility of Guanglu Temple. ”

"Hmph. You're still quibbling, you really don't shed tears when you don't see the coffin! Dali Siqing sneered: "Do you know, who is the person who sells classics in the East Market?" ”

"Who is it?"

"His name is Rong Qi!" Dali Siqing said in a deep voice: "Ma Xiangyang, you shouldn't say that you don't know the person named Rong Qi, right?" ”

Ma Xiangyang felt ridiculous. Staring at Dali Siqing, he shouted, "Who is Rong Qi?" How did I know this man? ”

"I'm still hard-mouthed!" Dali Siqing was already smiling angrily, and waved his hand: "Take Rong Qi!" ”

Ma Xiangyang looked back at the lobby and saw two soldiers from Dali Temple. A man who looked like a young man in Tsing Yi walked in. Ma Xiangyang first looked at this person with disdain and looked at it for a while. It felt familiar.

When the man was escorted and approached, Ma Xiangyang finally recognized it. Lost his voice and shouted: "Ah Qi? How could it be you?! ”

Ma Xiangyang suddenly remembered that this Ah Qida was a subordinate who followed his wife, and the last time he went to Nanjing, Ma Xiangyang took this person with him. On the day he returned to the city, outside the gate of Yongding City in the capital, Xu Liang, the secretary of Guanglu Temple, whispered that Ma Xiangyang was stingy, and that little guy was Ah Qi.

It's just that the people of the Ma family have always called this person Ah Qi Ah Qi, and after a long time, even Ma Xiangyang himself has forgotten that Ah Qi also has his real name, his real name, surname Rong, name Seven, nickname Ah Qi!

Ma Xiangyang rolled his eyes and fainted.

One day later, after the Dali Temple Qing reported the theft case of Ma Xiangyang, the former Taixue doctor, in the court, he actually revealed that Ma Xiangyang had stolen the valuable classics of the Guanglu Temple Pavilion and sold them for profit when he was serving as the chief of Guanglu Temple! Emperor Chongzhen was furious, and ordered Ma Xiangyang to be beheaded at the entrance of the vegetable market to show the public, so as to serve the police!

Subsequently, the results of the examination of the account books of Guanglu Temple: After verification, although there are inevitably some small omissions in the accounts of Guanglu Temple, there is no solid evidence for Xu Liang's crime of embezzling ink.

Qiao Shangshu's eyes widened, and he hurriedly stood up and accused: "Master Bi can find out?" Do you see everything in the ledger? ”

Bi Ziyan listened, his face sank, and he looked at Qiao Shangshu coldly: "Master Qiao is saying that the official's conclusion is not credible?" ”

Seeing this, Qiao Shangshu couldn't help but be stunned, and when he came to his senses, the tone in which he spoke just now was a little angry. Then he arched his hand and said, "That's not what the official meant. I want to say that Guanglu Temple has been arranging and purchasing since the sacrifice of the Taimiao, and the way of the money is bound to be strange. ”

Bi Shangshu said coldly: "The official only explains the verification results of the account book, as for the Guanglu Temple, the official does not know. ”

"However, the results of the investigation of Zhou Langzhong of the household department do not say so......" Qiao Shangshu muttered.

"Enough!" Emperor Chongzhen, who was sitting above, glared at Qiao Shangshu, and said in a deep voice unhappily: "I have also carefully read the verification file submitted by Bi Shangshu, and every account of Guanglu Temple has been signed and approved by the manager. The transcript of the interrogation of the signatories is also basically consistent with the accounts. In my opinion, Ma Xiangyang's character is so despicable, and the impeachment of Xu Liang is purely a false accusation! This case, this is over, there is no need to investigate it further! ”

Qiao Shangshu said anxiously: "Your Majesty, in the process of interrogating the subordinate officials of Guanglu Temple, there are other major discoveries, and the minister thinks that there is another inside story in this case......

"Qiao Yunsheng!" Emperor Chongzhen's fierce eyes were fixed on Qiao Yunsheng, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and he actually called Qiao Shangshu's name, which frightened Qiao Shangshu and knelt on the ground.

"The old minister is in ......"

Emperor Chongzhen said in a deep voice, "Now that the war in the northwest and Liaodong is tense, as one of the six Shangshu, you still have to focus more on the major affairs of the court." Don't mix these slanderous and false accusations and things that corrupt the dynasty. ”

Qiao Shangshu raised his head suddenly, met Emperor Chongzhen's warning eyes, sighed in his heart, and bowed his head in response: "The old minister obeys the order." ”

Qiao Shangshu dragged his heavy steps towards the outside of the Jinluan Palace, Xu Liang chased after him, and sighed beside him: "When Ma Xiangyang was a temple master in the Guanglu Temple of the official, his family was very bad, and it is said that he rented a store on the street to do some small business...... Alas, the official also knows a little bit about these things, but it is not easy to read Ma Xiangyang, so he keeps turning a blind eye and does not interfere much. Alas, who would have thought that Ma Xiangyang, who was deeply cultivated by the court and trusted by His Majesty for many years, could not keep the bottom line of being honest and honest, and would do such a stupid thing as stealing and selling sacrificial classics! Sad, sad! ”

Qiao Shangshu paused, slowly turned his head, looked at Xu Liang, and suddenly, poof! A mouthful of blood gushed out of his mouth, and Qiao Shangshu himself, his eyes rolled and slammed, collapsed on the edge of the threshold of the Jinluan Palace.

Xu Liang jumped to his feet, dodged a mouthful of Qiao Shangshu's blood, and saw that the old man had fallen to the ground, and couldn't help but scream: "It's amazing, come on, Qiao Shangshu fainted!" ”

Seeing this, the officials of the DPRK and the Central People's Republic of China who were walking in front of and behind Qiao Shangshu hurriedly gathered around Qiao Shangshu, who was unconscious......

At the entrance of the Jinluan Palace, there was a mess.

After a busy time, seeing Qiao Shangshu waking up slowly, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this outside the crowd, Xu Liang leaned outside the temple gate and shouted at the top of his voice: "Imperial Doctor, quickly call Imperial Doctor!" If the imperial doctor doesn't come again, Qiao Shangshu will die! ”

When Qiao Shangshu heard this, he was angry and anxious, with a sweet voice in his throat, poof, he spewed blood arrows again, and fainted!

"Lord Shangshu!" The ministers exclaimed again.

Seeing this, Xu Liang muttered softly: "Okay, this time I really have to be called the Imperial Doctor!" Why is this old man so vulnerable? (To be continued.) )