Li Chengwei is fighting to the death, and he is grasping the lifeline.

The strip of cloth in the jailer's hand on the side had already reached his mouth again, and he was about to stuff it inside, but when he heard this, he didn't need to be ordered, he had already stopped on his own, and looked back at the officials on the seat with hesitation.

——Twelve years ago, when the northern barbarians went south, Yanzhou was slaughtered, hundreds of thousands of people were bloodied, hundreds of thousands of families were destroyed, and from Xiazhou to Yanzhou, there was not a single county or village that was not devastated.

But how did the barbarians get in, and how did they manage to make tens of thousands of people pass through the official road without revealing a trace of news?

When Yanzhou was defending to the end, who opened the West Gate?

To this day, no conclusion has been reached on this matter.

"The barbarians entered the pass from Shunkou and entered along the southeast, with a total of more than 8,700 people and more than 15,000 horses." Li Chengwei tilted his head back vigorously, in order to avoid the cloth group in front of him, so as not to make him unable to speak clearly, but his mouth did not stop, "They are holding official certificates, pretending to be caravans to enter the officials, making people think that they are escorting copper and iron in the smelter prison!" ”

Everyone in the room held their breath, and no one dared to make a sound, just stared at him and waited for him to continue.

However, Li Chengwei stopped, turned to look at Gu Yanzhang with puffed eyes, and shouted: "Deputy Envoy Gu, I heard that you are from Yanzhou, and your parents and brothers died at the hands of the Northern Barbarians, so there is no surplus for you!" Don't you want to know who the enemy is, and what the ins and outs of this matter are?! ”

shouted at Zhang Yong again: "Zhang Sizhi! Such a big thing, such a great achievement, don't you even have it?! Aren't you afraid that the 100,000 yin spirits in Yanzhou City will fall into a dream in the middle of the night and eat your heart and eat your brain?! ”

He screamed heartbreakingly, his voice was as sharp as a slender needle, piercing straight into people's ears, and a pair of eyes were bulging so much that they were almost popping out, looking around, staring at the people in the room one after another, as if he was no longer a human being, and was being taken on by the powerful ghosts in Yanzhou City.

"King Zhao has been proficient in riding and archery since he was a child, obviously he is just hunting, and he is not in any dangerous place, how could he suddenly fall off the horse? ! Last time, there was a Hanlin Jin, and the reprimand was done by His Royal Highness the King of Wei, but the minister knew the inside story and had evidence! ”

Hearing this, Zhang Yong couldn't wait to cover his ears, just as if he had never appeared here.

Although he didn't follow him from beginning to end, Li Chengwei's previous case also knew a lot about it, and he didn't know who he could be related to.

It's just an order to carry out the execution, and I don't want to be so unlucky!

If I knew that I was going to commit Tai Sui today, I should have told me to be sick and pretended to be dead at home!

No matter what it is, once the heavenly family is stirred in, where can the errand man have good fruit to eat?

Zhang Yong was still grinding his teeth, not knowing whether to pretend to be sick or not, and Li Chengwei on the other side was already shouting again: "The villain has something to say!" The villain wants to meet the Queen Mother! ”

"Shut up! You are a prisoner of the ranks, wearing a sinful body, and you dare to have such delusions! ”

Zhang Yong finally couldn't help but snort, turned his head to Gu Yanzhang and said: "Deputy Envoy Gu, this Li Chengwei is already crazy, since he has obtained the order, the outsiders think that he has arrived, and the order is complete, so he will be executed!" ”

He saw that Gu Yanzhang didn't speak, only stared at Li Chengwei, and was secretly afraid that the other party was bent on the affairs of Yangzhou, so he hurriedly said: "This person is just delaying time, don't be deceived by him, the deceased has passed away, but you and I can't be delayed because ......of this."

Before he finished speaking, Li Chengwei on the other side was already panting and shouted: "Zhang Sizhi, you really want to know whether what the old man said is true or false, and you don't have to do anything else, as long as you kill me at this time, tomorrow at this time, you can listen to what others say on the street, and you will know whether it is true or false!" ”

As he spoke, a rather hideous smile appeared on his face, and he said, "I have been working for many years, if I don't have this bit of success, how can I earn such a family business?" Although I am not a dignitary, I also know a few righteous people, and they all know where I have stored evidence, and everyone leads me Li Chengwei thin noodles, even if they sacrifice their lives! Zhang Sizhi, if you have the guts, come and kill me now, and you will know the end tomorrow! It's not a pity that the old man died, but it is enough to ask everyone here to accompany him with his future! ”

Zhang Yong was about to reprimand angrily, but his mouth was already open, but he had to follow with his eyes wide, his mouth open, and he froze in that place.

Seeing that he had finally frightened people, Li Chengwei slowly let go of his clenched hands.

He gently pushed away the hand of the jailer who was blocking in front of him, straightened the clothes on his body, and adjusted his sitting posture again, then he gasped for the turbid breath in his chest, raised his head and said, "The old man wants to meet the Queen Mother." ”

***

In Ciming Palace, Zhang Hu was sitting upright on a chair.

He held a bowl in his left hand and a spoon in his right hand, and put a thin layer of soup in his hand, which he held in his hand and did not put it in his mouth for half a day.

Empress Dowager Zhang couldn't see him like this, and said loudly: "I know that you don't like sweets, this is the cassia soup they made." ”

Zhang Hu said: "Let the Queen Mother worry." ”

I ate the tablespoon of soup.

He took a bite and put the bowl back on the table beside him, as if he had done his job.

Empress Dowager Zhang looked funny.

When she saw her own family, she was not as good as she usually looked in front of her courtiers, sons and daughters-in-law, and even her complexion softened a little.

Zhang Hu put down the bowl, pondered for a long time in his heart, and was about to speak, but he heard the Empress Dowager Zhang on the other side suddenly ask: "It was late yesterday, so I didn't ask in detail, you went to Ganzhou with your father, do you have anything to do with the original general judgment?" ”

Zhang Hu was slightly stunned.

This is a word, the Empress Dowager Zhang had already asked yesterday, he had already returned, why did he come to ask again today.

He saw Gu Yanzhang in the palace just now, and heard that he had received the mandate of heaven and was supervising Li Chengwei's case.

The so-called Mandate of Heaven, there is no Son of Heaven in the DPRK at the moment, and Zhongshu has no time to take care of any trials, so it is naturally something that Empress Dowager Zhang made.

What is she going to do?

Zhang Hu couldn't guess it, but he didn't take it very seriously, so he just said casually: "I knew each other when I was in Yanzhou, and I often sent him things over, but the second brother likes to go to his house, and later came to Ganzhou, and met the two phases, and more or less contacted for a while." ”

Empress Dowager Zhang always remembered this, so she said: "Is it that the monkey was lost and his wife rescued it?" I heard Cui Yongchen say it at the beginning, and I wanted to ask her to be idle to help take care of it......"

She shook her head, put the matter aside, and asked again: "Yesterday you said that although Gu Yanzhang has a few talents, he is young and young, and his character is undecided, what is the statement?" ”

Zhang Hu frowned.

It's really hard to explain such a problem.

He replied to that yesterday for a reason.

What is the character, after all, he has not seen any cases to prove - although the two families have a lot of contacts, at most they send each other something, that Ji Niangzi saved her younger brother, but if you judge character by saving people, it seems a little hasty.

Saving people should be a natural thing, if the lady didn't save her at the beginning, it can be said that her character is not good, but if she is saved, it does not mean that she has a good character.

Besides, what Mrs. does can't be moved to her husband no matter what, whether her character is good or bad, she is only surnamed Ji, and it has nothing to do with Gu Yanzhang.

As for talent......

I haven't seen how he personally led the army to fight, either defending the city, or winning a small victory, it sounds very powerful, but what kind of person this person is in it, it is not yet known.

After all, when he was in Ganzhou, the city praised him very much, as if there was nothing in the sky and nothing on the ground, but in his own opinion, although he was not a mediocre talent, he was quite far from the word "powerful".

To put it simply, it is the white ash industry, after he followed his father to Ganzhou, in just two years, he increased the production many times, and continued to supplement the Fushou Canal, and did many other big things, but the people in front of him, all of them only said that "Gu Tongju" was good, as if he did not pay attention to what his father and son did.

Foolish people are dull, so naturally they don't know how to distinguish between them, but the officials who test their merits know how to do it, and if they take a look at the merits on both sides, they will know who is superior and who is inferior.

That Gu Yanzhang is just a "first" word.

Ganzhou is fashionable and so, so what are the achievements of the pioneers in Yanzhou, you can imagine.

I heard that he is very respected by Yang Kui and Chen Hao, and he wants to promote his henchmen and put his merits on newcomers, and there are also some people.

Zhang Hu has been trained in the army and has also been in battle, not the children of the clan who don't know anything and can only drink and have fun, whether it is in the army or in the officialdom, he understands it, and he feels that things may be able to deceive others, but he must not be able to deceive himself.

After thinking about it carefully, he only felt that in front of his cousin, there was nothing to hide, so Zhang Hu briefly said his opinion, and finally said: "...... Because of his excellent eloquence, it is not unusual to think that he has won the weight of the emperor according to this. ”

When Empress Dowager Zhang heard this, she only nodded, holding the stove in her hand with a thoughtful look.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Hu didn't feel that as a subordinate, he should avoid suspicion, so he opened his mouth and asked, "I don't know if the saint asked questions twice in a row, but what is the reason?" ”

It's not a big deal, Empress Dowager Zhang replied casually: "Last year, the water in Beijing was very flooded, although the second brother asked someone to repair it when he was there, but I asked someone to see it last time, but when I came back, I said that the repair was not very good." There is also Qin Tianjian playing, and I am afraid that this year will encounter another rainy year, so I want to make preparations in advance. ”

He also said: "Because I remember that the second brother told me back then, that Gu Yanzhang is good at managing things, and he is not weaker than a few capable ministers in the court in terms of overall planning, and it just so happens that there is no idler at hand at the moment, so I originally planned to ask him to treat the Gyeonggi flood, not to mention, at least repair the ditch well, take precautions, and prevent trouble." ”

At this, she frowned.

The second brother said it was good, but the younger brother said it was not good.

One is skilled with his hands, and the other is someone who has personally seen him work, who should he believe?

People are the same as my brother said, he is very eloquent, he looks capable, and his skills are also superior, but he has not been in office for a long time, and he doesn't know if it is a showmanship, or if he is really so powerful.

In her selfish heart, Empress Dowager Zhang looked down on Zhao Rui and was reluctant to believe him, but after all, Gu Yanzhang was famous, and she didn't want to put people aside just because of Zhang Hu's few words.

After all, there are not many people in their hands at the moment, and it is an eventful time, and there is a shortage of people.

Zhang Hu never thought that he would hear such words again.

He endured it for a while, and saw that the cousin opposite was noncommittal, and he didn't want to wait any longer, so he said: "What the Queen Mother said yesterday, after the minister went back, he had thought about it carefully, although he was a relative, he had no choice of fat and thin, since the minister entered the official, he went to three places and four states together with Zhang Sheren, and he gained more in Yanzhou and Ganzhou, and did a lot of things. ”

"This matter is about millions of people's lives, although it is hard work, but I can do my best!"

The more he talked, the more excited he became, he couldn't sit still anymore, stood up, took two steps forward and said to the Empress Dowager Zhang: "The Empress Dowager, and leave this matter to me, I will not disappoint you!" ”

***

Until they waited outside the side hall of Wende Hall, Zhang Yong still couldn't come back to his senses.

He sighed heavily, and asked again, "We shouldn't do that." ”

Gu Yanzhang turned his head and glanced at him.

Zhang Yong couldn't help but repeat: "Then whether Li Chengwei is dead or alive, how can people outside know?" You and I have already received the edict, as long as we kill people and treat them as if we never heard those words, will the Queen Mother blame them? ”

"I really don't believe it, then Li Chengwei is dead today, and someone outside will know about it tomorrow, I can't say that this is just a lie, you and I actually listened to it, so that the saint knows, and there will be dissatisfaction......"

He also said: "Many years have passed since the Yanzhou incident, you and I should not listen to his nonsense......"

He chattered endlessly, one sentence after another, and it was obvious that his mind was completely confused.

Gu Yanzhang didn't bother to listen to what he was rambling here, so he only turned his head back and reminded: "Duty, this is the forbidden palace, you need to be cautious." ”

Zhang Yong immediately closed his mouth as if he had just eaten some worm.

After a while, he couldn't help but say again: "Even if we don't kill that Li Chengwei, as long as we torture to extract a confession, can't we force him to confess those individuals?" At that time, it will be all in one go, how can you really make trouble in front of the saints? ”

Gu Yanzhang didn't speak, only touched his arm with his hand.

Zhang Yong was not dizzy in the end, and quickly stood up straight.

The door of the hall was wide open, and with the official of the ceremonial gate, there was another young man in a brocade robe.

From a distance, Gu Yanzhang and Zhang Yong were standing around the corner, and the young man only raised his eyes for a moment, then turned around and went to the inner court.

"Who's that?"

Zhang Yong couldn't help but ask.

That's a good answer.

Gu Yanzhang replied: "The eldest son of the Zhang Zhizhou family in Ganzhou is called Zhang Hu. ”

After a while, Zhang Yong reacted and suddenly said, "It turned out to be from Zhang She's family." ”

"The same surname is Zhang ......" This time, he didn't need to be reminded by Gu Yanzhang, he stopped by himself after only half of speaking, his face was full of envy, but his tone was quite regretful.

The official of the Yimen sent Zhang Hu away, and only then did he turn around and talk to the two: "Two officials, please go back." ”

didn't even give a reason, so they sent the two out of the palace like this.

Gu Yanzhang had already prepared, and he was not surprised, as soon as he left the palace gate, he said that there were still important matters in the yamen, and he didn't say much about Zhang Yong, so he left and left.