The edict of Fusi in Beizhen made the entire Ming Dynasty civil and military officials extremely frightened.

It seems to be cloudy and windy all year round.

Where there is no sunlight, there always seems to be the sound of rodents, gnawing on something.

From time to time, there was the sound of iron hitting the ground in the distance, bang, bang, bang, like a talisman from the netherworld.

Xiong Tingbi has been locked up here for half a year, looking up at the palm-sized vent above his head, from time to time there is a black shadow passing by, when he first came, Xiong Tingbi was not very adaptable, and now half a year has passed, for anything that happened in this prison, he has become accustomed to it, and he is not alarmed.

Crunch

The iron door was opened, and the footsteps of three or five people were heard, and then they got closer and closer.

Click, the footsteps stopped at the door of his cell.

It's been a long time since anyone has come to see him.

Is it the time of death?

Or is there something going on in Liaodong, and your turning point has arrived?

Squinting slightly, Xiong Tingbi looked at the figures at the door.

"Lord Xiong, our family has come to see you." Wang Tiqian covered his mouth and nose with a brocade handkerchief, unable to bear the foul smell that permeated the dungeon.

"Princess," said a hoarse voice, like the sound of nails rubbing against rusty iron, giving goosebumps all over one's body: "What is it for you to come here to find me in person?" ”

"Xiong" Wang Tiqian was dazed by the filthy smell, pointed at Xiong Tingbi with his finger, and said to a few brocade guards beside him: "Wash up, change your clothes, and be respectful!" ”

Well?

Hearing this, Xiong Tingbi, who was sitting in the corner, shrank his eyes slightly, and his head was already spinning rapidly-his chance to escape had come!

————

By the time Wang Tiqian saw Xiong Tingbi for the second time, the former Liaodong Jingluo who was in prison had already freshened up, put on a long plush blanket, and leaned close to the fire.

Randomly picked a chair that was a little closer to Xiong Tingbi and sat down, and Wang Tiqian intimately poured a cup of tea for him: "Drink some tea and warm up, Lord Xiong." ”

"I can't say it, a certain guilty body, the official body has already been taken away, the prince can call a certain name directly," took the cup, and then regardless of whether it was hot or not, Xiong Tingbi directly raised his head and drank it all.

Scold!

Xiong Tingbi raised his head and breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he was about to exhale all the resentment and depression of half a prison sentence.

When the hot tea passes, the throat is hot, and even the stomach and intestines seem to be dripping with a fire - extremely refreshing!

"Lord Xiong, our family came to you today, not on the orders of the saint, and it has nothing to do with Lord Qi Guogong, there is something that needs to be informed by Lord Xiong!"

As he spoke, Wang Tiqian got up and continued to pour tea into Xiong Tingbi's cup.

Hearing Wang Tiqian's words, Xiong Tingbi didn't ask anything, but continued to drink the tea in the cup!

The hot tea poured into his throat, making Xiong Tingbi's face both hideous and comfortable.

"Lord Xiong has been away from the court for half a year, and he may not know that the court has undergone earth-shattering changes," Wang Tiqian casually fiddled with the clumsy white porcelain on the table, as if he was appreciating.

"A sea change?" Xiong Tingbi lowered his head, holding a teacup in his hand, and muttered: "It's nothing more than the authority of the Duke of Qi, Ye Xianggao, Sun Chengzong and others want to be attached, they all advocate for it, the saint trusts, the princess marries, and the Donglin party is all deposed, Haiqing Heyan, singing and dancing are leveled." ”

"Hehe," Wang Tiqian shook his head, as if he was not very satisfied with the white porcelain in front of him, and smacked his lips and said: "Haiqing Heyan, singing and dancing is right, but the previous sentence, the adult is wrong." ”

Raising his eyes, he looked at Wang Tiqian for the first time, Xiong Tingbi's eyes were faint: "You are saying, Qi Guogong"

"A few days ago, I went to Zhucheng in Shandong to visit the Duke of Qi and agreed on the time for Princess Ningde to get married," Wang Tiqian nodded, as if agreeing with Xiong Tingbi's guess.

"What?" Xiong Tingbi suddenly got up and said in disbelief: "Ten thousand times the country is destroyed, and the Duke of Qi has not entered the capital?" ”

Clear!

Got it!!

Xiong Tingbi suddenly understood in a trance: such a meritorious figure, a military god with almost invincible influence in the army, a twenty-year-old prince, let me ask, which emperor might let him stay in Beijing City?

I'm afraid I'll sweat when I dream at night, right?

Who hopes that one day when he opens his eyes in his sleep, it is the palace chaos, the fire is in all directions, and in a trance, someone stands in front of the couch with a blood axe: Your Majesty, someone is here to send you on the road!

What is it called?

Yi Yin and Huo Guang are not counted, Sima Shi Zhu Wen is the demon of the emperor in the past.

At that time, the four Donglin court officials died unexpectedly, and the Duke of Qi who had just pacified Liaodong was forced to return to Beijing, and in order to prove that he went south, he cut off the heads of the Donglin thieves in Xuzhou Mansion to deter Xiaoxiao, and then went north by boat, and declared that he would recuperate in Zhucheng for a period of time. It's been more than a month now. ”

"If I guess correctly, Princess Ningde's marriage to the Duke of Qi is conditional on the emperor's exchange for Liaodong's military power, right?" Xiong Tingbi is an old man who is well versed in the laws of officialdom, and a few words is the key to breaking through.

"Yes, Lord Xiong is really transparent, hehe," Wang Tiqian laughed dryly and said, "That's right." ”

"Well, but this matter, what does it have to do with Xiong?" Xiong Tingbi was a little puzzled, whether it was the emperor or the Duke of Qi, it was not something that he could influence as a small former Liaodong Jingluo.

"These are just the background, I came to you today, mainly because something happened in Wenyuan Pavilion yesterday," Wang Tiqian also poured himself a cup of tea, and said quietly.

Wrapping the blanket on his body again, Xiong Tingbi stood up and did it next to Wang Tiqian.

"Wang Huazhen was in Wenyuan Pavilion yesterday, and used an inkstone to smash to death the little eunuch of the Inner Palace," Wang Tiqian's tone was extremely peaceful, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

"The Duke wants to take this opportunity to sweep out all the elders in the court one by one! Not a single one to stay! ”

Squeak squeak.

Wang Tiqian said, put two fingers on the tea cup, and pushed the overflowing cup in front of Xiong Tingbi: "Stand on the side of the governor, the governor will ensure that you re-enter the important minister train!" ”

Looking at the slightly rippling tea, the reflection inside was already very old.

But who is willing to quit?

"This matter has nothing to do with Qi Guogong?" Xiong Tingbi still wants to confirm.

"The Duke of Qi is also unwilling to provoke the Duke of Qi, you can rest assured of this," Wang Tiqian shrugged his shoulders, the meaning was obvious, who could afford to provoke the Duke of Qi?

"I want to meet Yuan Yuan first," Xiong Tingbi thought for a long time, and finally spoke.

He didn't believe the others, but Yuan Chonghuan and Xiong Tingbi asked themselves some friendships.

"Lord Yuan has already gone to Henan to set up a political yamen, and he will be appointed to supervise grain and participate in politics, I'm afraid I won't be able to see him," Wang Tiqian shook his head: "And recently, the imperial court is preparing to use troops against Puzhou, Shanxi, Lord Yuan is in Kaifeng Mansion, and he will also go north to Tongguan, I'm afraid there is no time to return to Beijing." ”

(End of chapter)