In the morning, the Yamen of the East Factory.

In the study, Zhou An was reading the documents sent by the Zhenfu Division, and the small pavilion was accompanying him.

Yesterday, a total of six people were arrested, and they were all taken directly to the inner prison of the Zhenfu Division, and interrogated overnight, in fact, this is just for show, these six crimes of bullying the king can be condemned to death. It has not been a day or two since Dongchang investigated this matter, and the first batch of people who were arrested for pretending to be sick have irrefutable and irrefutable evidence.

However, whether those evidence is used or not is not certain, and the sentencing scope for the crime of bullying the monarch is very broad, so whether the six people were finally killed, dismissed, or released after being beaten to death is still undecided, it depends on Wu Xukuan's reaction.

The purpose of arresting them was to put pressure on Wu Xukuan, and there was no other meaning.

In fact, Qian Wanshan should not have been killed directly.

Zhou An killed him, it is indeed a deliberate factor that is causing trouble, but it also has something to do with Qian Wanshan's own brainlessness, in fact, Qian Wanshan's ability is the most difficult to convict, he is on sick leave, but he can occasionally go to the Governor's Mansion to work, to argue with people, and to go to banquets and drinks, including concubines, these can be explained.

If Qian Wanshan knows what Zhou An is going to do first, Qian Wanshan can quibble, for example, if he takes a concubine, it can be said that he is for Chongxi, because he is sick, so he takes a concubine Chongxi, and goes to the office and disputes, he can also be said to go to the office with illness, and he can also talk about it from the perspective of emotion, talk about his relationship with Su Tong and so on.

But Qian Wanshan just has no brains, it can also be said to be unscrupulous, he actually admitted that his body and bones are good, and he didn't react until the end, but he made all the moves first!

Therefore, his crime of deception can be convicted on the spot!

It's not that Zhou An didn't give him a chance, but that he didn't leave a chance for himself.

According to the authority given by the empress to the Zhenfu Division, Jinyiwei has the right to kill first and then play, and Dongchang can nominally assist in arresting and killing people, and it is no problem to kill his whole family.

So he died, and his whole family died!

Anyway, he is going to die, and there is not much difference between taking him back to pronounce the sentence and killing him on the spot, at least for Zhou An.

It's like knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger!

Of course, this is also an extremely dangerous temptation! Qian Wanshan was directly wiped out, which was likely to cause Wu Xukuan's fierce reaction, which had broken the bottom limit of what he could tolerate.

However, Zhou An also believes that Wu Xukuan will never rebel directly by force because of this.

He has no reason at all, just because of a thousand mountains of money, and directly destroy the current "good situation", he wants to wait for Kang Longji to die, Kang Longji does not die, and his armed rebellion will not have too good results.

Moreover, Zhou An has released an extremely obvious signal on behalf of the empress.

The empress is trying to force them to go to court!

The reason why those people were killed and arrested was that they pretended to be sick and did not go to court and committed the crime of bullying the king, Wu Xukuan could not understand the meaning, just to force them to go to the court! So as long as Wu Xukuan controls his emotions and is rational, he should know what to do.

In fact, this incident seems to be the empress forcing Wu Xukuan, but in fact, it can be said that it is Wu Xukuan who is forcing the empress to do this.

Eight or nine out of ten important ministers of the Manchu Dynasty were driven by Wu Xukuan, or coerced and lured, so they did not go to court with him.

That's why the empress did it.

And if they continue not to go to court, then they will continue to arrest people and continue to kill people!

Now even the second product has been moved, and then it may be moved from the second product, from the first product, or even from the first product!

Once things get to that point, Wu Xukuan will have to do the opposite.

But if it does come to this point, who is it that has caused the situation to deteriorate to such an irreversible point? This has to be seen from different angles, and different results will be obtained, or rather, this is the result of neither side giving in!

Rebelling by force now is a good strategy for Wu Xukuan, not a last resort, and he doesn't want to take this step.

The empress also didn't want to force Wu Xukuan to rebel by force.

Therefore, someone has to give in!

……

"Factory Father." Suddenly, a respectful voice came from outside the door.

"Come in." Zhou An, who looked at the paperwork, said without raising his head.

Tang Hongfei pushed the door into the study, strode to the table and bowed his head to Zhou An.

"What's the matter?" Zhou An asked.

"I just got the news that Cao Li, the magistrate of the Governor's Mansion of Soldiers and Horses, hanged himself at home early this morning, and he strangled his wife and two concubines with his own hands before he died......," Tang Hongfei said respectfully.

"Cao Li?" Zhou An raised his head and frowned at Tang Hongfei, he had no impression of Cao Li.

But he knew that the judge of the Governor's Mansion was from the fourth grade!

"Cao Li had a banquet at Qian Wanshan's house last night......" Tang Hongfei said.

Zhou An was in a trance for a moment, and after a little thought, he looked at Tang Hongfei and blinked, then looked down at the paperwork again, and said, "Well, our family knows...... You take someone to Cao Li's house to check, and our family estimates that he should hang himself in fear of sin......"

"Yes, Factory." Tang Hongfei received the order and walked out.

"Hongfei, ......" As soon as Tang Hongfei walked to the door, he heard Zhou An call him again.

"Factory Father." Tang Hongfei turned around and bowed his head.

"Last night, those people in Qian Wanshan's house, if you have time, you can take someone to visit...... Zhou An said lightly.

Tang Hongfei glanced up at Zhou An, and immediately lowered his head again: "I understand." ”

"Go ahead."

"Yes!"

Tang Hongfei left.

Zhou An looked up at the reclosed door again, then closed the Chinese book in his hand, threw it on the table, leaned back in the chair, and showed a thoughtful expression.

It was quiet for a while.

"Little pavilion, you said that Cao Li...... Didn't you commit suicide scared by our family? Zhou An asked.

"Factory father, then Cao Li must be afraid of your prestige, plus there is a ghost in his heart, so he doesn't dare to survive...... Xiao Tingzi bowed.

"Hmm......" Zhou An responded to a nasal voice and didn't speak again.

It's the scared suicide!

Zhou An thinks so, and if that's the case, Zhou An doesn't mind further enhancing his "murderous reputation", he wants to become a terrifying figure, and Dongchang also needs a "murderous reputation", so he asked Tang Hongfei to take the time to "visit" a few other officials who also participated in the Qianfu banquet last night.

******

In the next few days, Wu Xukuan did not react.

The door of Wu Wenhou's mansion was closed, Wu Xukuan closed the door, and he didn't know if he was holding back some big move! In the past few days, the whole court has been shrouded in a tense atmosphere, although Dongchang Jinyiwei has not acted again, but about the six people who were arrested, news about them came out from the Zhenfu Division every day.

One has died in prison, one has been beaten and released, and four have been detained.

In a blink of an eye, it was the tenth day of the lunar month.

In the early days of the dynasty, Wu Xukuan and the others still did not go to court.

Zhou An has already embarked on the next move.

In the morning, he used to work in the Yamen of Dongchang, and before noon, he received a message from the palace, and the empress urgently summoned him back to the palace!

……

Qianwu Palace, Qianyuan Palace.

When Zhou An came in a hurry, Kang Longji was behind the empress, and Gao Hong, Su Chengguo, Yuan Shengshi and other empress confidants and generals had also arrived.

Seeing that almost all of them were coming, the empress didn't talk nonsense, and directly took out a letter and said: "I just received a secret report from King Rong, Wu Xukuan had already contacted Prince Ning a month ago, and now Prince Ning has secretly left Xining Prefecture and is on his way to Beijing......

As soon as the empress said this, the faces of everyone present changed greatly!

Prince Ning is a first-class noble prince, he is not a real seal, but he does not live in Qianjing City, but was driven to Xining Prefecture, a state in the northwest border by the original Empress of Shendu, and was ordered never to return to Qianjing.

This is a noble prince of the first class who has no rights and can be said to be under house arrest in Xining Prefecture!

But his status is extremely special!

He is the eldest half-brother of the empress, the eldest son of Emperor Xuanzong, and the former crown prince who was deposed before the empress of Shendu ascended the throne, Wu Yunsheng!