son-in-law

Chapter 1072 Chapter [-] Clown ([-])

In April of the first year of Jin Tianjuan, Yunzhong Mansion.

The summer in the south has arrived, and the ice and snow in the north have just begun to melt.Near the city of Jurchen Xijing, the number of people walking in the fields began to increase.

Near the city gate in the east, the spacious streets are almost under martial law, and the caravans are coming in from the outside, guarded by the guards. In the snow that has not cleared far and near, pedestrians and traders look at the flying flags and whisper to each other.

"Another prince..."

"Come here in half a month, who is the number one..."

"This is amazing, King Lu is too lazy..."

"It's really going to be a hard fight now..."

"Why don't you panic, Tu Shanwei is not a vegetarian, let these people come..."

The nobles of the Kingdom of Jin do not need to kneel down to avoid them when they go out. Most of them have a certain status and family business. At this time, talking about these princes driving into the city, there is no joy on their faces. Some people are worried, but others have anger in their eyes, waiting for Tu Shanwei to pick them up Give these guys a good look when they come down.

This round of wrestling between the eastern and western prefectures of the Kingdom of Jin started in mid-March.

Zong Hanxi and Yin set off from Beijing for the Spring Festival and returned to Yunzhong, which was in late February.And Zong Bi's departure was not too late. He arrived in Yunzhong on the tenth day of March, and along with him, besides the two princes of the Kingdom of Jin, there were also a large number of substitute officials with noble status and official documents. Before the contest, they began to try to take over some important positions near Yunzhong, so the two sides started the first round of conflict.

In the past, Zong Han took Yunzhong as the center and was in charge of the land thousands of miles west of the Kingdom of Jin, including the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun.This de facto "Western Court" is naturally impossible to be established in name. The appointment of countless officials in the west is still based on orders from Shangjing. Although Zonghan held real power in the past, it was Wu begging to buy Facts caused by cooperation.

Regarding the matter of the new emperor's ascension, Zong Hanxi Yin used too much scheming, and at this time he was hated by both Zong Qian and Zong Pan, so a round of suppression against him was inevitable.Although Zong Bi promised to see the real chapter in the martial arts competition, he actually started to snatch it one step ahead of time. As long as it is a slightly weaker official, after the official power is handed over, even if Tu Shanwei wins the martial arts competition, it may be difficult to win in the future. return.

Faced with such a state of affairs, the atmosphere in the cloud has been tragic since March.Many of these things come from the operation of Xi Yin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian and others. On the one hand, everyone exaggerates the tragedy of the Southwest War, and on the other hand, publicizes that Zong Han, Xi Yin, and even the first emperor Wu Qimai and others are in this power alternation. painstaking efforts.

In order to cope with the future troubles in the south, the Marshal and Gu Shen have decided to give up a lot of power, only concentrate on running the West Mansion, and reserve force for war. The threat of the black flag has also been recognized by the upper-level leaders of the Jin Kingdom.At this time, Zong Bi and the others still want to provoke a struggle, so let them see the sharpness of Tu Shanwei!
The expeditionary army who came back from the southwest suffered a lot of losses. After returning to the cloud, the atmosphere was already sad. Many people's fathers, brothers, and husbands died in this war, and some survived.And after such a situation, the ones from the east will come over aggressively. This kind of behavior is actually despising these sacrificed heroes-it's really deceiving!
Although the bravery of the army in the Kingdom of Jin has declined every year, before the Southwest War, the Western Court Army led by Zong Han was still the most capable army in the entire Kingdom of Jin.Although they have experienced a defeat now, whether it is the survivors or the families of the victims, the tone in their hearts is still there. Although they were defeated in the southwest, it does not mean that the Eastern Route Army can step on the people here. Come on.

In this way, starting from mid-March, following Zong Bi's first arrival, several princes from other big clans also led the team over one after another. One of them was to supervise and witness the fairness of the subsequent contest, and the two naturally pointed to Get some benefits from the original site of Xifu.In Yunzhong City, Zong Han and Xi Yin held a large-scale sacrificial activity. On the one hand, they relied on their deep foundation to issue sufficient pensions, and on the other hand, they incited the momentum of the people in the territory, making everyone hold their breath in their hearts. , Waiting for Tu Shanwei's ferocious performance in the martial arts competition in April and May.

On the eighth day of April, veterans like Ta Lan (Wan Yanchang), who can be called the pillars of the country, arrived in Yunzhong, which raised the serious atmosphere of confrontation in the city.

The convoy passed through the city streets where the snow had been cleared, and headed to Zong Han's palace. After the passers-by along the way knew the identity of the visitor, their eyes were on the road.Of course, some of these people will also be happy. They are either officials who came with Zong Bi, or people from the East Mansion who have already been arranged here, and there are also many related merchants or nobles. If there is a change in the bureau, there will always be a chance to gain power or profit from time to time. They are also passing on the news in private, waiting with full expectation for the arrival of this serious but not harmful conflict.

At the same time, in a prison at the southern end of the city, Mandu Dalu was watching in the torture room, watching his subordinates torment the hoarse and bloody prisoner in various ways.After one prisoner was tortured enough, another prisoner was brought in.He who has become the patrol inspector of Yunzhong Mansion did not end, but frowned, quietly watching and listening to the prisoner's confession.

Halfway through the torture, the patrol under his command came to report that a black flag agent who was originally in prison could no longer hold on.Mandu Dalu got up and went to the cell, glanced at a corpse, turned it over and did some inspections.

The original torture had already gone too far, and the information had been drained, so it was inevitable that he couldn't hold on.Mandu Dalu's inspection was just that he didn't want the other party to find a way to escape the shell with a dead golden cicada. After the inspection, he ordered the jailer to dispose of the corpse at will and leave the cell.

The prison is gloomy and chilling, and you can't see any flowers or plants while walking.After leading a group of followers out, the scene of pedestrians can only be seen on the nearby streets.Mandu Dalu and his companions sat down at a stall selling boiled food at the corner of the street, and ordered food. He looked at the scene of the nearby market, and his eyebrows relaxed a little.

Although he is a Jurchen, Mandu Dalu's background is not good. His father was a deserter on the battlefield. Because of this stain, although he fought bravely later, he didn't have many opportunities for promotion, so he retired and became a soldier in the cloud. Patrol, and later promoted to chief arrest, is the ceiling of ordinary officials. He also knows that it is difficult to really cross that invisible hurdle and become an official.

However, Xi Yinhui knew people well, and promoted him to the inspector of Yunzhong Mansion at the end of February, and maybe he might be promoted one or two levels later. The three and four months were the most proud period of his life.The old comrade-in-arms with whom he had a good relationship in the past, he made a promotion, and suddenly more people in the family cared and fawned on him. This feeling is really intoxicating.

Of course, in the officialdom, it is impossible for everything to go smoothly.For example, Gao Puhu, a Bohai native among the four chief arresters of the Yunzhong Mansion, was placed by the East Mansion, and he was at odds with Mandu Dalu. They don't show face, and even secretly proclaim: "I don't know who will be inspected after May..." Such small frictions are unavoidable things in Vanity Fair.

In terms of rank, Mandu Daru is already higher than the opponent by the most critical level, but in Yunzhong Mansion, the chief arrester has a high degree of freedom, and Mandu Daru does not want to directly engage in power struggles after he takes office, so he follows According to Xi Yin's order, concentrate on hunting down the spies of the Huaxia Army who may commit crimes next.Of course, the situation is not optimistic at the moment.

In late February, Zong Hanxi Yin returned to Yunzhong. Under Xi Yin's auspices, the Marshal's Mansion issued an order to treat Han slaves kindly.But in fact, when the winter is coming to an end, it is also a time when supplies are bottoming out. Although the Marshal's Mansion has issued "good governance", the poor Han people hovering on the edge of life and death will not decrease much.Mandu Dalu took advantage of this wave of orders and exchanged the relief rice for a lot of information that was difficult to obtain on weekdays.

Throughout March, he cast a net among the Han slaves, sorted out all kinds of news, and then arrested dozens of suspected black flag spies.However, after being tortured and filtered by a single name, only two people can be identified in the end, and the status of these two people is not high. From their mouths, Mandu Dalu didn't get too much key information, but the other party said The news that the black flag has been dormant since the second half of last year made him a little depressed.

As a newly appointed inspector of the capital, he naturally hoped to capture some of the big bosses of the Black Flag spies as soon as possible, so that he could truly stand out among the rest of the arrests.It is difficult to confirm the dormant message. It is impossible for him to report to Gushen like this, but if it is true, it means that the chances of him catching an important figure in the Black Banner Army during this contest will become very small, even Gu Shen will also be disappointed with his ability.

Of course, he is not completely helpless.

It is a way to catch suspicious people by seeking information from Han slaves and casting a wide net; for the next possible martial arts competition, it is a way to find a few key figures in Tushanwei to make bait and wait for the enemy to take the bait.In addition to these two methods, Mandu Daru also has a third way, which is slowly being rolled out.

As for the "clown" identified in the black flag, his whereabouts have become more and more secretive in the past two years, and it is difficult to capture, but a few years ago, he carried out a lot of activities in Yunzhong Mansion, during which time he had contacts with many underworld figures or collusion.There was not enough investigation in this area back then, and many people died one after another in the past few years, but if you go back, you can always find a few survivors who have more or less seen this character.

Mandu Dalu is now inspecting the capital, and this time he was ordered by the god of the valley to track down the black flag. In March and April, some underworld forces that he was unwilling to touch in the past have now come to his door to interrogate one Over and over, many people died at his hands.Up to now, the pictures and graphics about this "clown" have finally been roughly outlined.There is a relatively reliable cognition about his height, general appearance, and behavior.

"Is there anything going on in town today?"

"I heard that King Lu has entered the city."

"The people in the east really don't want to give us a way out."

"Look at Tu Shanwei."

People were eating and talking on the side of the road.

It was afternoon, the sun was shining brightly from the sky, most of the snowdrifts on the side of the road had melted, and the road was either muddy or wet. In the small square at the corner, pedestrians came and went, and the sound of tinkling in the blacksmith could be heard from time to time With such and such yelling.When Mandu Dalu and others beside the road talked about Tu Shanwei, they also had a ferocious look on their faces, eager to go into battle and kill the enemy.

Wan Yanchang's car drove into Zong Han's mansion, and came out after a while, Zong Bi and others were already beside him, laughing.In the current Yunzhong Mansion, there are more than ten people who are princes alone. This evening, they will gather again at the banquet for Wan Yanchang. Zong Han, Xi Yin, Gao Qingyi, Han Qixian, Zong Bi, Wan Yanchang Yan Chang and the others will engage in such-and-such rhetoric again, waiting for the moment when they will see the real chapter next.

Wanyan Dezhong, Wanyan Youyi and others are also active in this atmosphere. They either visit and visit the soldiers of Tushanwei, or participate in various banquets to cheer everyone up. Sometimes, the young Xun There will also be fights between nobles because of emotional disputes.Sometimes when they walk in the street market, they will also find that the trees in the city have already had new leaves, and in addition to the black, white and white colors in the city, there is also the breath of spring buds blooming and ready to go.

For everyone in Yunzhong Mansion, the most desperate moment was when they learned of the defeat in the Southwest War. The nobles in the city had even prepared themselves for the worst loss.Who knew that the commander-in-chief and Gu Shen's decisive northward journey, even though they were already in a weak position, still settled Zongqian Zongpan and others in the turbulent Shangjing City, and helped the young new emperor take the throne, while the arrogant Zongbi thought that Xifu has lost its vigor and wants to start a contest with Tu Shanwei.

What can be more wonderful than the dark willows and bright flowers after the mountains and rivers are exhausted?

Looking back from the back to the front, in those days in the first ten days of April, everyone in the Yunzhong Mansion was full of such energy in their hearts. Although the challenge had come, they all believed that the most difficult time had passed, and there was a commander-in-chief. Strategizing with Gu Shen, there will be no major problems in the future.And within the scope of the entire Jin Kingdom, although they realized that small-scale frictions would inevitably arise, many people have already breathed a sigh of relief. All parties put aside the idea of ​​​​struggling, and both veterans and backbones can start to do things for the country. , Jin Guo was able to avoid the worst situation, it was great.

Outside Yunzhong City, a large number of soldiers have gathered. They practice every day, waiting for the arrival of the "competition".Not too far from them, there is a village where the Han slaves live. It still looks lifeless. The slaves who starved to death in winter have not been transported out yet, but the survivors seem to be better off than in winter?

Passing through the field, the ice on the river bend will make a thunderous roar from time to time.That was the sound of ice cracking.

It seems to be a city full of vitality that is waiting to be done...

Tang Minjie stood on the street, watching all this...

Mandu Dalu is looking for clues in the city, forming a huge net, trying to catch him...

*************
The ninth day of April is an ordinary sunny day, and Mandu Daru will think of it many years later.

Not many things that surprised him happened that day. On this morning, according to other people's clues, he caught a bandit who had been on the run for many years, and inquired from him about one or two incidents related to the "clown". Through the related events, he has enriched his test and writing of this high-level Chinese military officer.

The torture of the gangster lasted until the afternoon. Not long after he left the yamen, Gao Puhu, the chief arrester of the North Gate who had always had a rift with him, hurried out of the yamen with his men.Something happened in the area under his jurisdiction: Wanyan Linqi, the son of a Hou Ye family who followed Zong Bi to Yunzhong from the east, was kidnapped by bandits strangely while wandering around an antique shop.

The purpose of these honorable children who came to the west was to fight for power, but being tied up in the Yunzhong territory was indeed a big deal.Of course, Mandu Dalu is not in a hurry, after all, it is Gao Puhu's jurisdiction, he even hopes that the matter will be resolved as slowly as possible, but in private, Mandu Daru has arranged some men to make them secretly Investigate this crime.If Gao Puhu was powerless and his superiors condemned him, and he solved the case on his own side, the slap on Gao Puhu's face would be solid.

The sun slanted to the west on this day, and then the street lights were lit up, and there were carriages, horses and pedestrians passing by on the street, and all kinds of small and small sounds gathered in the world. Until late at night, nothing more happened.

Years later, he would think of the day he spent so carelessly again and again.What was sung on this day was the dirge of Xifu.

Before the net was formed, a member of the Huaxia Army named Tang Minjie dropped a painful chess piece...

(End of this chapter)