Chapter 693
: The mystery of Jin Temple alarmed all parties, Gongshu Qi was taken away by Jinyiwei
The next morning, before the first ray of sunlight had completely dispelled the morning mist in Jinsi Town, the town's inspection office witnessed an unusual event.
The usually deserted Inspection Office was broken by a series of hurried knocks on the door.
A yamen runner yawned and slowly opened the door.
I saw a short man wearing a bamboo hat standing at the door. He handed a letter to the yamen runner without saying a word.
Then he turned and hurried away, his figure quickly disappearing in the dense morning mist.
The bailiff was quite surprised. He took the letter back into the house and informed the inspector of the matter.
The inspector frowned and took the letter.
The letter paper was made of ordinary material, but it exuded a faint scent of ink.
Unfolding the letter, I saw an exquisite caisson pattern of the Notre Dame Temple painted on it with delicate brushstrokes.
The complexity and magnificence of the caisson are displayed vividly, as if the exquisite caisson is right in front of you.
However, what is even more eye-catching is that in the center of the lotus, seven directions are dotted with bright cinnabar.
The cinnabar was dazzling red, and under the morning light, it seemed to exude a mysterious aura.
The inspector stared at the seven red dots, wondering who had sent this letter.
What do the orientations of the drawn patterns and marks mean?
Is it some kind of hint or the prelude to a conspiracy?
He knew very well that Jin Temple was an important place and this matter must not be taken lightly.
After thinking for a moment, the inspector decided to send the letter to the governor of Yingtian immediately, hoping to solve the mystery.
The inspector holding the letter suddenly remembered that his drunken friend in Xinghua Village said: "There is a Western merchant wearing a felt hat who is asking about the underground canal at the source of the Jin River."
At the same moment when the Jinci Town Inspection Office received the anonymous letter, there was silence in the Prince of Jin's Mansion.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the study of Prince Jin's Mansion was particularly solemn.
Zhang Changshi was dressed in a dark brocade robe and had a serious expression. He was having a secret meeting with two men in gray.
The two gray-clad men were hiding in the slightly dim corner of the study.
The face was hidden by the hood, revealing only a pair of eyes that were shrewd and mysterious.
Although their sitting posture was upright, they exuded an indescribable sense of tension.
On the desk in the study, there is half a piece of Western colored glass.
Under the morning light, this colored glass reflects a strange colorful halo.
It was like a mysterious whirlpool, making the atmosphere of the entire study even more mysterious.
The colored glaze is transparent, and the intricate patterns carved on it are exquisite.
It appears and disappears in the changing light and shadow, as if telling a mysterious story from the distant Western Regions.
Zhang Changshi's gaze swept towards the half piece of glass from time to time, and a trace of worry and thought flashed in his eyes.
He talked with the two gray-clad men in a low voice, his voice very low, as if he was afraid of being noticed by the slightest disturbance from the outside world.
What they talked about was like being shrouded in the colorful halo of the morning light, full of unknowns and mysteries.
"Three days from now, at the time of Si, there will be a 'Water Dragon Playing with Pearls' at Nanlao Spring."
The gray-clad guest in the lead said in stiff official language, "It's time for His Royal Highness Prince Jin's gift to appear."
At the same time, in the slightly noisy streets of Xicheng District, Shangyuan County, a blacksmith shop is particularly eye-catching.
Although the shop is not big, it is filled with a warm atmosphere.
The blazing fire roared, illuminating the surrounding walls red.
At this time, Chen San was concentrating in a corner of the shop, holding a clean soft cloth in his hand, carefully wiping the newly cast "Thunder Gun".
This "Thunder Gun" has a unique shape, with a shiny black body and a cold metallic luster.
The gun barrel was slender and straight, with exquisite craftsmanship. There were some subtle lines engraved on it, which seemed to be some unique mark.
Chen San's eyes were full of concentration and cherishment, as if he was looking at a treasure he had carefully carved.
His hand gently brushed across the gun body, not leaving out any tiny corner, as if he wanted to wipe this "Thunder Gun" clean enough.
The sound of "clang, clang, clang" from the surrounding blacksmith shops was endless, but Chen San turned a deaf ear to it.
From time to time, he stopped what he was doing and blew away any dust that might have attached to the "Thunder Gun".
Sometimes, he would rub it repeatedly with a soft cloth, trying to make the gun body more shiny.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Chen San was immersed in his own world with the "Thunder Gun".
It seemed as if this newly-forged firearm carried his expectations for the future situation and also shouldered a special mission.
On the inside of the gun barrel, Chen San secretly carved a line of small characters: "Made in the North Kiln of Jinci Temple in the spring of the fifteenth year of Hongwu."
This firearm, which should have been handed over, is about to become the key to solving the "Jin Temple Mystery".
At this moment, the imperial city in the central area of Shangyuan County was filled with solemnity.
The golden glazed tiles sparkle in the sunlight.
The towering red walls demonstrate the majesty and dignity of the Ming Dynasty royal family.
In this magnificent palace complex, Zhu Gang's face was filled with anxiety and displeasure, and he was striding towards the imperial study where Zhu Yuanzhang was.
After entering the imperial study, Zhu Gang immediately saw Zhu Yuanzhang sitting on the dragon throne.
He did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly stepped forward to bow and said, "Father, I came here today because of Gongshu Qi who was taken away by the Jinyiwei last night."
Zhu Gang's voice was a little hurried, which showed that this matter was extremely important to him.
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and raised his eyes from the memorial in his hand.
Then he fell on Zhu Gang, with a look of majesty without even being angry.
Then he spoke slowly, his voice low but with unquestionable authority.
“The Jinyiwei’s actions must have reasons.
Besides, since Gongshuqi is so important to you, you should keep him under strict discipline.
Instead of waiting until he gets into big trouble and then comes to us to beg for mercy!"
Zhu Gang's heart tightened, but he still mustered up the courage to say, "Father, Gongshu Qi is a talent that I have worked so hard to obtain.
He has many sophisticated mechanisms and unique skills in his mind, which are of great significance to me.
I don't know why the Jinyiwei took him away, I hope your Majesty will look into it and return Gongshuqi to me."
As Zhu Gang spoke, he secretly observed Zhu Yuanzhang's expression and prayed in his heart that his father would agree to his request.
The palace fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional bird song outside breaking the silence.
Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought. He knew very well that the Jinyiwei would never do anything without reason.
But Zhu Gang's anxious look made him feel a little doubtful.
What kind of unknown secrets are hidden behind this Gongshu Qi?
Was it Zhu Gang’s personal selfishness, or was it related to a more complicated situation?
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhu Gang's anxious and slightly nervous expression, thinking secretly in his heart.
After a brief silence, he raised his hand and picked up the secret report that Lu Feng had submitted to him from the table beside him.
The tightly folded paper turned slightly yellow, and the dense handwriting on it seemed to carry countless hidden clues.
Zhu Yuanzhang gently unfolded the secret letter and quickly scanned the contents again, as if making a final confirmation.
Then he handed the secret memorial to Zhu Gang with a solemn look, and said in a steady but meaningful tone: "Take a look, this is the secret memorial submitted by Lu Feng concerning the Jin Temple.
The contents inside prove that the Jinyiwei’s taking Gongshuqi away last night was not without reason. ” (End of this chapter)