In the black-lit cemetery, several eunuchs were desecrating corpses. They came on the orders of the prince Zhu Youxiao, and the purpose was to examine the corpses.

As soon as Huang Qi arrived in Shangyu, it started with his minions suspected of raping and killing Chen Shengyuan's wife and daughter, which greatly aroused public anger, and then logically the people rebelled and were besieged...... He will be impeached in the future. Not only was Huang Qi impeached, but the entire Zhejiang tax envoy was condemned by the Manchu Dynasty and even the national public opinion.

Zhu Youxiao suspected that this was a well-designed game, so he wanted to find out from the very beginning of the matter whether it was a game or not.

And Zhang Wen, who was hiding in the dry grass, also guessed that Zhu Youxiao's people would start with the cause of death of Chen Shengyuan's wife and daughter, but Zhang Wen didn't dare to determine who saw through the mystery, in short, someone in their gang could see through it. Zhang Wen came here to see them digging graves, just to confirm his guess, and wanted to know as much as possible the reason why Zhu Youxiao came to Shangyu, whether the emperor sent him to understand the situation in Jiangnan. The emperor has always been very unhappy with Donglin's words, and he must want to grasp as much information as possible and understand the mysteries of this great empire.

I only heard Wei Zhongxian's voice say: "It's not good, someone is coming, shovel a few shovels of soil, and leave quickly!" ”

Zhang Wen remembered that the cemetery was surrounded by rice fields, there was water in it, and there were only a few ridge paths to pass. Walking from the rice field, walking with your legs and feet stuck in the soft mud, it's no wonder if you don't get caught.

The group of people who came to arrest people with torches were not instructed by the Shen family, who else? Only the Shen family can know from Zhang Ying's mouth that the prince and the people in the palace have come to Shangyu, and only the Shen family can guess the mystery in the middle and think of the cemetery of Chen Shengyuan's family in Shangchengxiang!

Zhang Wen's vest was suddenly wet, and he had calculated everything, how could he leak the Shen family? It's good this time, I was blocked by someone and caught with the eunuchs!

The cold air in the cemetery made Zhang Wen shiver. Will the Shen family suspect that they are colluding with the eunuchs? This is of course the most likely, even if there are 10,000 mouths, the facts are here, what are you doing in the cemetery with nothing to do? Even if it is explained that if you come to inquire about the eunuchs, you have to ask people to believe it. Even if the Shen family thinks that there is such a possibility, but Zhang Wen can understand the mystery in this, it also proves that Zhang Wen is an extremely dangerous person, pretending to be stupid before contacting, his city government will definitely make the Shen family shudder, if the Li family knows, does Zhang Wen still have a way to live?

After all, one person's power is limited, and what good end can he do if he goes against a large group of people with vested interests empty-handed. Even the emperor represents the mandate of heaven, isn't it helpless for decades? As long as any policy is inconsistent with the position of those with vested interests, who will implement it?

Despair shrouded in Zhang Wen's heart, thinking about his hard work, enduring it for so long, doing so many things, and spending so much effort, and now it will be ruined! His heart was cold.

Cao An said in a low voice: "Young Master, who is it?" ”

Zhang Wen was stunned, a cold light flashed in his eyes, he couldn't sit still like this, even if there was no hope, he had to desperately resist. Zhang Wen saw Wei Zhongxian and the other eunuchs walking eastward, so he took Cao An to the west along the road.

The fire was getting brighter and brighter, and the people around were getting closer and closer. Zhang Wen's heart was in turmoil, so he could only take one step at a time, and at this time, unless he had wings, what else could he do. Soon the torch bearers spotted Zhang Wen and Cao An, and one of them shouted, "Stop!" What for? ”

Zhang asked, "I'm in a hurry, the city gate is closed, and I'm looking for a place to stay." ”

"Catch it first!" They don't care what your reason is, and they won't be so brainbroken as to let the people around them go with a few excuses.

"What are you doing?" Zhang Wen shouted, but no one paid attention to him, and a group of people tied him and Cao An with ropes, and then escorted them to the village, while the others continued to surround him, trying to catch them all.

Zhang Wen and Cao An were locked up in a room in Chenjiazhuang, and the door was guarded. Zhang Wen was thinking inside, if Wei Zhongxian and the others were sent in after a while, they would look at each other and recognize themselves, and there would be one more person who would be worried about him, and that would be the people in the palace.

Zhang Wen felt that this time it was really a thorough planting, just a small omission, and it was a mess. The situation is at stake, there is no way forward, the dead end is in sight, and it is almost like piercing a piece of window paper.

He thought about it, the person who arrested him was instructed by the Shen family, there must be people from the Shen family in it, and it was absolutely impossible to get past the Shen family, but if Wei Zhongxian didn't know, there was still a way at this time.

Zhang asked after thinking about it and said to the person at the door: "Brother Tai outside the door, can you help call your steward to come here?" ”

The guard's impatience said, "Wait, what's the hurry?" ”

Zhang Wen remembered that he had ingots of silver on his body, so he said: "I can't run away, I just want to find someone to ask about things, I have ten taels of silver ingots on me, if you do a small favor, you have the right to give tea money to my brother." ”

"We are also from Shangyu County, the mountains do not turn around, the villagers in the township, we won't run away, can Brother Tai do a little favor?"

The two people glanced at each other, Zhang asked that he was right, they were both fellow villagers, why bother doing it, and one of them said, "Wait." Third brother, you look at him first. ”

After a while, someone spoke outside the door, and it was the two gatekeepers who were greeting each other, probably the person in charge of the business.

The man in charge did not enter the house, but raised his voice through the door: "Offended, this is a misunderstanding." Then he said to the gatekeeper, "Open the door and loosen it, and let the people inside." ”

After a while, the two people guarding the door opened the door, came in to untie Zhang Wen and Cao An, and said warmly: "Don't take it to heart, you two, we are also doing errands for others, and the two brothers will accompany the two of you." ”

Zhang Wen looked out the door, the person in charge had already left, and there were villagers shouting outside the door. Since the people of the Shen family knew that Zhang Wen was here, they didn't need to keep Zhang Wen closed, but they did it happily and let it go directly. However, Shen Yunshan or Shen Biyao will definitely know about this matter soon.

Zhang Wen returned to the county office, feeling that the end was near, and there was no escape, so he had to arrange the aftermath first. At this time, Zhang asked himself very strangely, why he was not afraid at all. Maybe that heart has long been numb, and there are only unwillingness. When he entered the house, he removed the bed and went to retrieve the silver ticket that he had hidden. Wu happened to arrive at the door at this time, and Zhang Wen handed her the silver ticket. "You keep this money, and in the future, you may have to count on this silver."

Wu looked at the silver ticket in his hand and panicked: "What happened?" Or did I do something? If you hear what outsiders say, it's not true. ”

"It's okay with those!" Zhang Wen's roar spit out a lot of things in his heart, "You are my only relative in this world, whether I live or die, I will let you live well." ”

Tears welled up in Wu's eyes.

"That being said, if I die, I won't be able to take care of anything, you take the money first, don't wait until I can't take care of anything, you will panic."

"It's enough for you to have this heart. I was born as a member of the Zhang family, and I died as a ghost of the Zhang family, no matter what happens to you, I will never leave this family. ”

I don't know why, Wu's words sounded more tragic and heroic than the countless unjust sacrifices he had conceived in his heart in the power struggle. Zhang Wen couldn't remember what his biological mother looked like when she was dying, but he remembered that Wu was standing far away, seeing him secretly shedding tears, silently handing over the embroidered handkerchief, and then accompanying him without saying a word. "I'm not saying I'm going to die today. Keep the money, I'm not here, you're in charge, don't panic. Zhang Wen muttered, "The villagers in Shangchengxiang will send people to the yali soon, and I have to deal with the matter." After saying that, he went to change his official robe.

Zhang Wen walked to the signing room, and did not go up to the lobby, but waited for the villagers to send the eunuch and beat the villagers. Wei Zhongxian and others had already been beaten half-dead, and they didn't know Soap Li, so they were directly thrown into prison.

Dian Shi Gong Wen reported the list of detainees, and Zhang Wen said directly: "Find Lang Zhong to show these people their injuries, and then let them go." ”

Gong Wen was puzzled and reminded: "Tangzun, the villagers said that those people are serious crimes of digging graves, do you want to try ......?"

Zhang Wen picked up the teacup and didn't drink, nor did he speak. Gong Wen hurriedly bowed down and said, "Yes, since the hall is sealed, the lower officials will release them immediately." ”

Zhang Wen has no right or wrong in his heart, and there is no good or bad, it has come to this time, he is not happy with those businessmen, so he wants to do the opposite. Didn't the merchants want to borrow this matter again, the words of multiple eunuchs, I didn't buy it, and let it go, what evidence is there that the eunuchs did it? If you want to investigate my dereliction of duty, the Year of the Monkey is gone!

Several eunuchs quietly returned to the inn, all in a state of embarrassment. Wei Zhongxian was furious, if he followed his temperament, he would like to burn down that bullshit village and bury all the people in the village alive. But when they reached the door of the room where Zhu Youxiao lived, Wei Zhongxian had forgotten all about the idea of revenge, and he was now more afraid.

A strolling person at the door saw that several of them had blue noses and swollen faces, and said coldly: "The master has been waiting for a long time, and he still hasn't gone in?" ”

Wei Zhongxian and the others bowed to the door, and as soon as they entered, they heard a cough in the warm pavilion, which frightened the eunuchs' legs and fell to the ground.

"Bang bang...... Wei Zhongxian slapped his face hard, "The slave should die, the slave should die......"

And Wang Hegui kowtowed vigorously, until his head broke and bleed. Blood flowed from his forehead to the corners of his eyes, and Wang Hegui could only squint, his eyelids trembling. The palms of his hands were pressed on the ground, and he didn't even dare to wipe the blood.

Although Zhu Youxiao probably didn't look outside at all.

A voice inside said, "Get up, it's not your fault in this matter, it's my miscalculation." ”

Wei Zhongxian hurriedly said: "It's the slaves and maids who deserve to die, if you go earlier, you can get out, alas, it's all because the slaves and maids are cowardly...... In that cemetery, in the wilderness and forest, even in broad daylight, no one goes......"

Zhu Youxiao coughed twice and asked, "Shangyu Zhixian is named Zhang Wen?" ”

"Yes, yes, back to His Royal Highness, Zhang Wen is a Jinshi in the year of Bingchen."

"It's not easy for you to come out like this, it's not easy to ......"