Chapter 288: Red Ginseng Case (V)

From the moment Wang Minglu took the red ginseng into the palace, the strings of the entire capital immediately became tense. Under the strict protection of more than a dozen guards, a carriage rushed out from the back door of Xu Shouhui's mansion and drove towards the east gate. After the carriage was gone, several spies who were monitoring the carriage immediately divided into two groups, one of which was closely watching the carriage, while the other quickly rushed back to report.

The carriage ran all the way, and after half an hour, he drove out of Jinchuan Gate. Outside Jinchuan Gate was close to the Yangtze River. After another seven or eight miles, the outer Jinchuan Gate was outside Jinchuan Gate. There was a dock for crossing the river outside Jinchuan Gate. Five or six large ferry boats were quietly mooring by the river. Hundreds of people gathered on the dock, clamoring to cross the river, while an old man on the boat repeatedly explained to everyone with a bitter face.

"Dear fellow villagers, the wind and waves on the river last night were strong. I heard that a ship coming from the north shore had capsized and more than a hundred people died. Now there are orders on it, and no sailing is allowed."

"What are the winds and waves? The weather is so sunny and there is no wind at all. We want to cross the river!" The crowd was filled with noise and quarreling.

At this time, a large group of cavalry suddenly appeared in the distance, and the sound of horse hooves rushed towards this side like thunder. A large group of cavalry surrounded this side to the west of the dock river. The noisy crowd immediately calmed down. Everyone was panicked and wondered what had happened. The dozen guards next to the carriage suddenly changed their faces, and they fled east along the river bank.

The cavalry surrounding the two sides were obviously targeting the carriage. They were chasing them relentlessly behind them. The two teams of cavalry from Yanxing were getting closer and closer. Seeing that they were about to catch up, the faces of more than a dozen followers showed despair, and they drew their knives to prepare for the final resistance.

"Kill!" Thousands of cavalry suddenly accelerated, overtaken the carriage, and surrounded them. More than a dozen cavalrymen raised their dark rifles, bang! A gunshot, several horses pulling the carriage neighed and fell down. The carriage overturned, and they turned four wheels to the sky and the earth.

More than a dozen followers seemed to be frightened by the powerful new muskets. They threw their knives to the ground, raised their hands, and the cavalry took them away. At this time, several soldiers stepped forward to open the door of the car and dragged a man wearing a hat out of the car. He had fainted.

The head officer laughed to the sky, "The famous Master Daoyan, I never thought you would fall into my hands!"

He grabbed the military advisor of King Yan, which was a great achievement. He couldn't help but feel excited. He hurried forward, swung his sword, and picked off the man's hat. In front of him was an old man's face, his hair was gray, and there was no monk there. The officer was stunned.

In Changgan’s hometown outside Jubaomen to the south of the capital, there is a small street called Pearl Lane. There are not many residents here, surrounded by large farmland. There is a dilapidated house at the western end of Pearl Lane. I don’t know whose property it is. The gate is old and mottled by wind and rain, and it is locked all day long. It is rarely seen anyone entering and exiting this house.

But there were several horses tied to the backyard of the house. In a room close to the farmland, Yao Guangxiao was walking back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried. He was not worried about his safety, but he found that Li Weizheng seemed to be alert. He was originally planning to cross the river north early this morning, but the news from the river bank was that the river surface was blocked, and no civilian boats were allowed to cross the river. The river surface was full of military ships, and the entire river surface had been blocked.

Since the military ships can sail on the river unscrupulously, it is obvious that the high and high waves are nonsense. Yao Guangxiao immediately realized that the danger was coming, but he was not worried that Li Weizheng would catch him. In fact, after meeting Wang Minglu yesterday, he left Xu Shouhui's mansion. He knew his weight. Once Li Weizheng knew that he was in the capital, he would definitely dig three feet to find him, but he was not in a hurry to escape. It was the safest to hide in the market at this time. So he lived in this remote old house outside the city last night, and he didn't contact Xu Shouhui at all. Even Xu Shouhui and Li Jinglong and others didn't know that he lived here. This was an old house of his apprentice's family. No one had lived in for five or six years, and his apprentice's father was the village chief, so he was not worried about being found.

What Yao Guangxiao is worried about now is not that he will be caught, but whether this action will be used by Li Weizheng, which will become his opportunity to further control power.

Frankly speaking, Yao Guangxiao opposed this action. He thought that King Yan was a little taken for granted. King Yan believed that Li Weizheng would definitely take the opportunity to usurp the throne, but he did not think so. Perhaps Li Weizheng wanted to usurp the throne, but he would never take action now. He is still in control of the government affairs now. Whether it is the support of the people or the control of the Ming Dynasty, he is far from reaching the level of usurpation. With Li Weizheng's political mind, he will not put himself in a dead end at this moment.

From his investigations to Beijing these days, he firmly believed in his own point of view. Li Weizheng's methods were extremely powerful. He gradually undermined Zhu Yunwen's power on the grounds of restoring the Tang system. If the King of Yan's plan was successful, perhaps the King of Yan could take the opportunity to ascend the throne, but the biggest beneficiary was Li Weizheng. In the long run, the King of Yan would be a huge mistake in the chess.

But the King of Yan just believed Lu Siyuan's suggestion and insisted on taking this move. This was what Yao Guangxiao was most worried about. He found that since Lu Siyuan appeared beside King of Yan, the King of Yan had become different from before, and was more focused on conspiracy, and despising the righteous path and Yang Ce, gradually losing the broad spirit that an emperor should have. This is particularly obvious in his attitude towards the prince. The true emperor's mind will be considered from the long-term development of the dynasty. Even Taizu realized this. After Hongwu, he resolutely chose Jianwen to win the world immediately. How could he rule it immediately?

The King of Yan used to choose to be tolerant and kind as the prince. This is correct, but since Lu Siyuan appeared, the King of Yan has become increasingly inclined to his second son Gao Xi. He was an impulsive and stupid warrior. He had seen through this person for a long time. Although Lu Siyuan pretended to be a good person, his essence would be revealed from time to time, but the King of Yan could not see it, or turned a blind eye to it. This made Yao Guangxiao extremely worried. In the long run, could King of Yan beat Li Weizheng?

Just when Yao Guangxiao was worried, there was a burst of rapid horse hooves outside the door, and someone knocked on the door, looking very anxious. Yao Guangxiao was stunned and then his face darkened. Who is this? He was so reckless. He winked and his subordinates immediately went out. After a moment, he led one of Ji Gang's subordinates. He reported to the door: "Mr. Ji asked the military advisor to leave the capital quickly. Mr. Wuyou has been caught by the river."

Yao Guangxiao was shocked. Although he felt that Li Wei was already alert, it was just a guess after all, but now it was actually happening.

"What else is there except Mr. Wuyou being arrested?"

"Report to the military advisor, a large-scale arrest of military advisors is being carried out in the capital, and there are pictures and text reward notices posted everywhere. The whistleblower can receive a reward of 5,000 taels of silver, and soldiers are everywhere in the capital."

"Then is there any movement in Lord Xu's mansion?" Yao Guangxiao asked anxiously.

"No, very quiet, no movement."

Yao Guangxiao sat down powerlessly. He understood that in fact, their conspiracy had been discovered by Li Weizheng, but he was slow to take action. Since Mr. Wuyou had already been caught, how could Xu Shouhui escape? But why did Li Weizheng not take action? Needless to say, he was waiting for news from the palace before arresting him. In this way, the King of Yan was responsible.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly ordered the messenger to say, "Go back quickly and tell Lord Ji, ask him to inform Xu Shouhui and Li Jinglong, and order them to destroy all correspondences related to the King of Yan immediately, go quickly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a subordinate sitting at the window suddenly screamed, "Ming Jun! Ming Jun is here."

Yao Guangxiao and a few people rushed to the window together. The situation in front of them shocked them. They saw that the fields were filled with Ming soldiers, with bows and arrows, holding muskets in their hands, and holding long swords. Thousands of people formed a large circle, slowly closing down to this side.

"Military advisor!" someone else shouted outside the house, "No, there are all troops outside the gate."

Yao Guangxiao was stunned. How could they know they were hiding here?

"Military advisor, let's fight out!" A guard officer drew his sword and roared wildly.

Yao Guangxiao slowly sat down. It was over. He knew that everything was over. Li Wei was arresting him everywhere in the city and was just a show. He had actually stared at him to death. Yao Guangxiao sighed softly. If he was arrested, who would persuade the King of Yan not to abolish the prince?

"Bang!" There was a loud noise, and the door was knocked open. There were shouts of killing in the yard, fighting sounds of swords and swords colliding, and screams. Yao Guangxiao slowly walked to the door and shouted: "Stop it all!"

The yard suddenly became quiet, and his subordinates retreated one after another, guarding him. At this moment, hundreds of people had poured into the yard, all of which were powerful soldiers with high martial arts skills. The walls and roofs were covered with Ming troops. Nearly a thousand arrows were coldly aimed at more than twenty of them. With just one order, none of them could survive.

At this time, a general came out and bowed: "Master, our Grand Governor has an order not to humiliate the Master. You either treat him with courtesy or kill him on the spot. Please choose for your own choice."

Yao Guangxiao sighed long and said to the left and right: "Put down the sword and gun! There is no need to resist."

More than twenty subordinates silently placed the sword in their hands on the ground, waiting for the Ming army to deal with it. At this time, the soldiers at the door dodged to both sides and made a way. Li Wei, wearing armor, walked in surrounded by dozens of personal guards.

He nodded to Yao Guangxiao with a smile and said, "Master Yao, are you okay?"

Yao Guangxiao smiled bitterly and said, "What do you want Lord Li to call you? Governor Li or Prime Minister Li?"

"Whatever the master is called, I can do it. Today I am lucky to catch the master, and I can reach the 100,000 troops of the Yan army. This is a blessing for the court. Master Yao, please!"

Li Wei was flashing aside and making a gesture of invitation. Yao Guangxiao smiled bitterly and walked slowly out the door. When he walked to Li Weizheng, he stopped again, "Li Xiangguo, I want to ask you the truth. Will you take that step one day in the future?"

Li Weizheng smiled and shook his head and said, "Master, I don't want to answer this question directly. During your retreat, I will send someone to give you all the major newspapers in the capital every day. You can judge for yourself, will I take that step?"

"Thank you then!"

Yao Guangxiao walked out of the door. A fully enclosed carriage had already been parked outside the door. Thirty Ming soldiers with high martial arts skills were escorting them to the left and right, and there were hundreds of cavalry next to him. He walked into the carriage, the door was closed, and the iron lock was placed outside. The carriage started and drove towards Jubao Gate.

The Ming army had dispersed, and only Li Weizheng, five hundred personal guards and the carriage escorting Yao Guangxiao to the city gate. The city gate was still strictly inspected. There were large rewards for capturing Yao Guangxiao on the wall. Nearly a hundred people squeezed under the pictures and texts to watch. The carriage slowly drove past them. Only someone was chanting loudly: "Reward and capture the rebellious master of the King of Yan, Daoyan. This man is six feet tall, about fifty years old. He is a bald monk. There are more than twenty followers... Those who provide useful clues are rewarded with silver, and those who lead officers and soldiers are rewarded with silver, and those who lead the arresting officers and soldiers are rewarded with silver!"

Amidst awesome, Li Wei was riding a horse and walking past the list text with a smile.

The group had just walked to the intersection of Fudong Street when suddenly, a palace guard ran towards him like crazy. When he saw Li Weizheng, he almost rolled down from his horse, crawled in front of Li Weizheng and cried: "Prime Minister, hurry up! Your Majesty... something happened to him!"

On the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year of Jianwen, Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty suffered acute poisoning after taking red ginseng. After several imperial doctors failed to rescue him, he died late at night. All officials cried. Prime Minister Li Weizheng ordered a thorough investigation of the matter. He soon found a breakthrough from the eunuch Wang Minglu, the purchaser of the red ginseng. The red ginseng was transferred to the palace through the Yansi Pharmacy. The shopkeeper of the Yansi Pharmacy also admitted that the red ginseng was secretly purchased by Xu Shouhui, and Li Jinglong also participated.

Li Weizheng immediately ordered the arrest of Xu Shouhui and Li Jinglong, and searched his mansion in detail. He found letters about his contacts with the King of Yan in his mansion, and captured the chief aide of the King of Yan Daoyan and the drug-making doctor Jia from the secret room in his mansion.

The evidence of humans and physical evidence is conclusive. During the overnight interrogation of Dali Temple, Li Jinglong finally admitted that he and Xu Shouhui had already defected to the King of Yan. This time, the poisoning of the emperor was the order of the King of Yan, and the purpose was to get up to the throne in order to poison the emperor.

Li Weizheng then revealed all the evidence to the world and ordered the public beheading of Xu Shouhui and Li Jinglong, and used their heads to sacrifice to the emperor's spirit.

"Dear ministers, the country must not be without a king for a day. We should support the crown prince ascend the throne and comfort the emperor's heroic spirit!"

Li Weizheng's sonorous and powerful voice echoed above the Hall of Supreme Harmony. On the sixth day of the sixth month, Zhu Wenkui, the crown prince of Emperor Jianwen, who was less than two years old, ascended the throne as the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty under the firm support of the prime minister Li Weizheng. He established the dynasty name Qiyuan, posthumously named his father as Emperor Hui, and respected his mother Ma as the empress dowager. The empress dowager immediately enthroned Li Weizheng as the Grand Tutor and named "Shangfu". All major military and national affairs in the world were all subject to the Prime Minister's State Council.
Chapter completed!