When Yinzhen arrived at the Criminal Department with the holy oracle, it was already sunday, and it happened that the internal government came out. () The rules of the public party in Beijing, all to the sound of the drum as a routine system, the evening shift and the morning shift, the drum is the same, every day from the time of the Shen to pass the head of the seven times, meaning "for the king is difficult to be a minister", the interval of half an hour to pass two five times, meaning "the minister is loyal", at this time the scribe will be distributed everywhere the official document number book is withdrawn, all sent to the signature room, the officials check the documents after the completion of the office, can go out of the office, to be on the door control at night, more drum duty is clear, no one is allowed to enter and exit at will.

Yinzhen turned over and dismounted, listened carefully, and knocked three times, knowing that this was the third Bang that meant "clear, cautious, and diligent", and it was time for the Yamen of the Criminal Department to disperse. Yinzhen hurried out of the palace in front of the key under the Xihua Gate, and only brought Baozhu by his side, and there was no guard of honor, so he went straight to the criminal department with two people and two horses. The soldiers outside saw it from a distance, and said which ministry was the herald, and when he looked closer, he was a serious prince wearing a stone blue five-clawed four-regiment golden dragon, and he was stunned at the moment, and immediately pierced a thousand, and said "Wang Ye Jin'an", and when Yinzhen said "um", he rushed in to pass the report.

Yinzhen threw the whip reins to the treasure pillar, pulled up the horseshoe arrow sleeve, and went straight into the inner office without stopping. Zhang Pengxi was still sitting in the signing room, smelling the letter, he immediately put down the file in hand and rushed over, just about to attend the ceremony, but was blocked by Yinzhen raised his hand, Zhang Pengxi had to bow to Yinzhen for a long time, "I have seen the prince", and saw that Yinzhen was in a hurry, and there was no honor behind him, so he hurriedly asked: "The fourth master is here for a purpose?" Yinzhen nodded slightly, and said solemnly: "The messenger I just received, but not for Yunqing, lead me to the prison of the Criminal Department first, let's talk while walking." Zhang Pengxi calmly responded, turned sideways, and led a walk beside Yinzhen.

Yinzhen was full of thoughts about how to deal with Ma Qi for a while, and he took the order, Yinzhen also speculated about Kangxi's thoughts on this matter on the spot, so he took the opportunity to say something for Ma Qi, but he just played the trick of Yinzhen and Yinyu, which made Kangxi angry, but he didn't dare to say too much, but looking at Kangxi's meaning to Ma Qi, although he eased his mind a little, he didn't let go, and this matter is inconvenient to be too traffic criminal department, after all, at this festival, it reached Kangxi's ears, and he was afraid that if he violated the taboo, he would not be able to turn around.

After walking for a while, until he passed through the second hall, Yinzhen opened his mouth and asked: "These days, does the emperor have a will to give Ma Qi?" If you really bear it with the emperor, blame it, and Yinzhen will never implicate you. ”

Hearing this, Zhang Pengxi's heart churned, and he hurriedly said, "The fourth master is serious. This has never happened, although there have been orders sent to the criminal department for several days, but there has been no involvement in Maqi. On the third day of the first month of this month, all the kings and ministers were ordered to gather to make a decision, and Prince Houkang repeated it, and the penal department has not yet received the holy will. Zhang Pengxi hesitated as he spoke, not at all as he was in the past, "The fourth master today, if he didn't come to pass on the emperor's disposition will, he would only interrogate the reason for the ......" The two of them were originally walking together, but at the end of these words, Zhang Pengxi actually stood down and looked at Yinzhen deeply, "Here, I implore the fourth master to relieve his cheeks in front of the emperor." ”

Yin Zhen also stopped and turned around: "I heard that in the past, before the appointment of this autumn official, Yunqing and Ma Qi had a gap?" The minister and Ma Qi are not in agreement, the political views are different, and the temperament is also really ugly to see, when he was in the river office, the minister's conceited and exceited temperament, and Ma Qi is really resentful, although there is a matter of criticism in front of the emperor, but it will not wipe out Ma Qi's ability. What's more, now that Ma Qi is a family is guilty and awaiting execution, in addition to Ma Sika, who has been pardoned, there are also Ma Wu and dozens of his heirs, which is really over the hands of the ministers, and I can't bear it in my heart. ”

Seeing that Yinzhen didn't speak, just put his hands behind his back, and his face sank a little, Zhang Pengxi couldn't help but feel anxious, and said in a sincere tone: "The minister said a sincere word to the fourth master - the minister is a Han official, and he knows more about the severity of this matter, and he knows his identity, there is no room for such easy talk, but the minister is not afraid that he will shrink because of his involvement, and he will push the matter of hitting the wooden bell to the fourth master, only the minister is in the legal department, and this case is in the criminal department, how can he still say a word in front of the emperor?"

Helped Zhang Pengxi up, and was silent for a while, Yinzhen was the first to be right. Although Zhang Pengxi's words were not said thoroughly, they could no longer be taken seriously, and Yinzhen respected his conduct, but he could not help but feel that his heavy object hurt his heart. Only Yinzhen was inconvenient to say anything to Zhang Pengxi, and when he saw that he was deeply arched again, he just gave up his hand: "Let's go." ”

After leaving the south gate of the Criminal Department, you will arrive at the Criminal Department Prison where the prisoners are detained. From the prison of the Criminal Department to the north and south, it is the avenue leading to the Yamen of the Dali Temple and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and at this moment, there is no noise to be heard like a clean street. The walls around the prison are high, planted with thorns, and there are guards outside who are straight and pestle in the local area, and the gate is very strict. At the head of the prison door, a green-faced tiger head and fangs of the fierce stone carving stood impressively, and the end was dignified and slaughtered. Passing through the temple of the prison god, the last wisp of golden crow in the sky also gradually dimmed, and the stars pressed on the tile edge of a row of slab houses on the south side of the prison center, and the window edges supported by only a few strips of wood were particularly dilapidated.

With a "long time", the jailer carefully opened the door of the prison number, added an oil lamp to the wall bracket, and called a thousand at the prince, and retreated respectfully. His face was respectful, but looking at the headquarters of Shangxian waiting outside, the taste of excitement in his heart was even tighter, since he knew who was locked inside, he did not brag to the brothers about the gold of this poor envoy, and he was strange today, and did not ask people to go to the lobby to pour it, but it was still a prince to come to this kind of place, thinking about it, he couldn't help but touch his mouth.

"Fourth master?" Ma Qi was lying in a gray coat, with inches of flower hair growing on his forehead, and his cheekbones were also highlighted by the thinning of his face, and he was imprisoned by two heavy chains, and his complexion was very bad. Seeing that the person who came was Yinzhen, Ma Qi was somewhat surprised, and then returned to normal, holding on to the wall and struggling to get up. Yin Zhen raised his hand to block it, signaled Ma Qi not to give him a salute, and glanced at this square inch slightly, the room was still clean, except for a thick straw mat in the corner of the wall, and half a wooden strip on the wall that was used as a table case, there was nothing, February and March were early spring outside, but it was very cold inside.

Yin Zhen knew that this was already the favor of the Criminal Department, so he sighed secretly and said solemnly: "There is a will, ask Ma Qi." ”

Ma Qi's body was shocked, he knelt on his knees, looked up at Yinzhen, trembled his lips, and muttered for a while, after all, he didn't say anything, just kowtowed, "Sinner...... Listen to the hadith. ”