14

Capital.

The back hall of the criminal department.

"This is the performance of Xu Zhiming, the governor of Yunnan who was transferred from Chengde Rehe," Prince Gong said to Zhou Zupei, "After the emperor sees it, let me bring it to you and let you see what you have to say." As he spoke, he handed the fold to Zhou Zupei.

Zhou Zupei didn't look at it, and when he saw it, he was shocked into a cold sweat.

Xu Zhiming's recital said: "...... Last night, the prefect Tang Jian, who stayed up all night on official business, and more than a dozen of his subordinates died unexpectedly. Even Yuan Tong, who had been recuperating at home for several months, was killed at the same time. After the on-site investigation of the pestle, Tang Jian and others either died of a ruptured skull or a broken heart and lungs, according to which it is inferred that it should have been done by someone with extremely high martial arts. Eyewitnesses at the scene confirmed that before Tang Jian and others were killed, there were four people, claiming to be officials appointed by the Criminal Department to investigate the case, and entered the government to see Tang Jian and others, but after the incident, these four people were nowhere to be found, and later the minister's subordinates spared no effort to find out that these four people had fled to Guizhou. The minister suspected that these four people pretended to be the tolerance of the Criminal Department, had ill intentions, and must have bad intentions. The minister's subordinates lost the investigation for a while, so that the traitor succeeded, so there was such a disaster, and the minister could not escape the blame, and he was willing to be punished by my emperor. From now on, the minister will do his best to track down the real culprit and live up to the emperor's trust......"

After reading the recital, Zhou Zupei immediately got up, bowed to Yi Yi and said: "Please ask the prince to tell the emperor, and the minister will guarantee the head of Xiang and the whole family: Shen Tianpeng and the others will never do such a great evil thing! It must be that Xu Zhiming killed people and blamed others, and hoped that the saint would be Mingjian!"

Yi Yi also got up and comforted: "Lord Zhou doesn't need to panic, the emperor also feels the same way. For Xu Zhiming, the emperor has long lost patience with such traitorous ministers and evil officials, but he has been an official for many years, hard work, and has many connections in the court, and even the two governors of Yunnan and Guizhou are afraid to take office. The queen mother of the two palaces is also worried: if you continue to tolerate and accommodate it, let it go as it is, and let it become bigger and stronger, it will eventually harm one party, and Wu Sangui is a lesson from the past. Therefore, Lord Zhou does not need to worry, he should only urge Shen Tianpeng and others to do a good job of this imperial mission, and there must be no mistakes!"

"Thank the emperor for his trust! Thank you for your good words! I also ask the prince to give a message to the emperor on behalf of the emperor, comfort the queen mother of the two palaces, and share the king's worries, and will definitely live up to the emperor's trust!"

......