Dongchang was the largest spy agency in charge of detectives and prisons in the Ming Dynasty.

If there is a big case, the first thing the emperor thinks of is to hand it over to the East Factory for processing.

The East Factory was founded in the Yongle period of Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. Chengzu Benji III recorded: "In the eighteenth year of Yongle, the East Factory was set up, and the official assassination was hit. ”

"Ming Tongjian" described in more detail: "In August of the eighteenth year of Yongle, the East Factory was placed in Beijing. At first, the emperor ordered the official assassination, the crown prince supervised the country, and secretly detected it was slightly prohibited. He was afraid that the ministers of the foreign dynasty would know the inside situation, so he set up the East Factory in the north of Dong'anmen, and the inner servants were in charge of the factory. Since then, the Dongchang forbidden army has become more and more arrogant and domineering. ”

Dongchang was directly under the command of the Emperor, and everyone except the Emperor was in its reconnaissance. It is a matter of confidentiality and a great responsibility, so the emperor attaches great importance to it, and the eunuchs sent to preside over it are all his confidants. The official defense issued was also much more grand than that of other eunuch yamen.

The East Factory is obviously specially set up for the personal needs of Cheng Zu, and its external office hall is located in the north of Dong'an Gate, along the East River, through the north gate and the east middle gate, the north of the street is the marble room, the study of medicine, the Guanglu Temple, and the south of the street is the grate head room. Further east, there is the Dong'anli Gate, commonly known as the Wall Gate. After crossing the bridge, it is Dong'an Gate. The lobby of the East Factory is located in a courtyard in the north of this Dong'an Gate.

From the establishment of Yongle in the 18th year to the fall of the Ming Dynasty, a total of more than 220 years, its detection, arrest, frame-up, unjust imprisonment and large-scale massacre, has never stopped, directly and indirectly from here to launch and execute. Dongchang was established by the emperor's holy decree, and the emperor's henchmen served the governor of the factory, directly obeyed the emperor's orders, and also acted by the emperor's orders. Therefore, no one but the emperor could meddle in the affairs of the factory, and no one was under surveillance and reconnaissance. The things that Dongchang did were actually delivered by the emperor, so it was a first-class secret of the Son of Heaven, and the responsibility was very heavy, and no one dared to ignore it.

The emperor's confidant who presided over the affairs of Dongchang was the eunuch of Dongchang's palm seal, and his full adjutant title was "Governor of Qincha Dongchang Official School Eunuch", and the people in the factory were called "Governor" or "Factory Gong".

Under the factory public, there is a member of each of the 1,000 households and the 100 households, both of which are also called "stickers", and most of them are from Jinyiwei.

The reconnaissance and investigation of the East Factory is very extensive, from the government to the people, there are traces of it.

Now the official name of Dongchang Factory is Shi Zhong, but it was still established by the emperor. Not long after the emperor boarded the plane, he wanted to re-establish the factory governor, but because Shi Zhongquan leaned towards the government and the opposition, there were many confidants, and the emperor was also afraid of three points, so he did not dare to clash with him head-on.

Shi Zhong was ambitious, not only monopolizing power in the government and the opposition, but also participating in the affairs of the rivers and lakes. He secretly colluded with the temple lord Sheng Lingren, and used his hands to manipulate other sects and participate in the affairs of the rivers and lakes. They also tried in vain to eradicate all opposing sects in order to achieve the goal of unifying the rivers and lakes. Sheng Ling people are also because of the support of the East Factory, and they are even more domineering in the rivers and lakes, and the only one they are afraid of is the Tangmen in Sichuan.

Shi Zhong himself is strong in martial arts, and looking at the rivers and lakes, he can be regarded as a first-class master. He also had five eunuchs with strong martial arts, all of whom were his confidants. These five people are Ming Hai, Si Hong, Fan Yun, Wu Kui and Shi Tai, who are collectively known as the five supervisors of the East Factory, and are the first-class masters second only to Shi Zhong in the East Factory.

The robbery of the disaster relief official bank has already alarmed the government and the opposition, and the emperor naturally handed it over to Dongchang to investigate. As for the fifth line, at most it can only be regarded as a secret agent of the court.

Shi Zhong then sent his confidant Fan Yun directly to Shunqing Mansion to start investigating the case.

Because Dongchang has great power and has the power of life and death over ministers, officials generally dare not offend. The prefect of Shunqing Mansion is named Ma Buchao, and when he learned that someone from Dongchang was coming, he naturally did not dare to slack off, and personally went out of the city to welcome him into the mansion.

As soon as he arrived at the mansion, Fan Yun asked, "What about the garrison general who lost his official silver?" ”

Ma Buchao replied: "According to Lord Liang's intentions, he has now been put on death row and is awaiting trial in prison. ”

Fan Yun asked again: "I heard that there is another living mouth?" ”

Ma Buchao said: "That's right. It's just that the thief's tone is very tight, and the house has personally tried him many times, but he refuses to say a word, and he still hasn't found anything. ”

Fan Yun said very unceremoniously: "It's been some time since the case happened, but now there is no progress, that is, your incompetence, my lord." ”

Ma Buchao was angry, but he didn't dare to show it on his face: "Yes!" Be! Be! Otherwise, the emperor would not have sent your father-in-law to preside over the case. ”

Fan Yun asked again: "At the time of the crime, wasn't there another official who was also present?" ”

Ma Buchao pointed to one of the catchers in the hall and replied: "That's right, it is the fast catcher Fan Chou of this mansion." ”

Fan Chou listened to the call and went out of class and said: "Humble Fan Chou, I have seen my father-in-law." ”

Fan Yun didn't look at him squarely, but only said, "Someone! Take it down for me. ”

When Fan Chou heard this, he immediately became anxious and shouted: "Father-in-law, you are not guilty!" ”

Ma Buchao was also inexplicable, and pleaded for Fan Chou: "Although Fan Chou failed to win the thief, he also saved General Song's life, which is really meritorious!" ”

When Fan Yun heard this, he immediately said, "Phew! He is a heinous villain, why does Lord Ma still intercede for him? ”

Ma Buchao was even more puzzled: "Where do you start with this?" ”

Fan Yun didn't answer, but asked Fan Chou: "Our family asks you, how were you present at the time of the crime?" ”

Fan Chou replied: "The little business trip back to the Ya, just passing by there, happened to bump into the robbers. ”

Fan Yun didn't believe it: "'Just passing by'? Is there such a coincidence? Isn't it premeditated? Say, are you a fellow party of the robbers, and where did the robbed official silver go? ”

Fan Chou was even more anxious: "Wronged! It is true that the lowly duty is on business, and Master Ma can testify to this. ”

Ma Buchao also said: "He is right, it is true that the government sent him out." ”

Fan Yun ignored it and asked again: "Okay, since you have encountered robbers, why don't you take them down?" ”

Fan Chou said: "There are many robbers, and all of them are strong in martial arts, and I wait for a few strong people to be alone, and they are not opponents at all!" What's more, even General Song is as strong as martial arts, but he can't deal with robbers, how can he catch them with his humble position? ”

Fan Yun didn't listen to his explanation, and only said: "Strong words, put this person in prison first, and then deal with him after our family finds out the truth." So the officials had to put Fan Chou in prison, Ma Buchao was afraid of being burned, and he didn't dare to intercede for Fan Chou.

- Note: This chapter mostly quotes the two books "Secret Files of the Ming and Qing Janissaries" and "The Politics of Ming Dynasty Spies". Chapter 33 East Factory