Chapter 1002
Zuo Ling escapes
Chapter 1002 Zuo Ling escapes
With Dai Quan's singing,
In the Qianqing Palace,
The ministers bowed their heads and left the court. Just as the officials were leaving, a eunuch came hurriedly, handed notes to the ministers, and then hurriedly left.
The ministers didn't know what was going on. They slightly turned sideways, covered the note with their sleeves, and read it carefully. Suddenly, they were all surprised. Then they quickly put the note away and hid it in their arms. Then they looked at each other and said goodbye.
Only Li Chonghou walked at the end. When they reached the outside of the palace, the eldest son Li Chaosheng came over to support his father and asked;
"Father, how is the court meeting going?"
"Well, everyone has their own thoughts. What else can we do? Let's go back."
"Yes, father, I would like to ask why the elders were in such a hurry and walked out of the hall without saying a word. Is there any change?"
Li Chaosheng was unwilling to accept this. This time, only a few cabinet ministers and the heads of the six ministries participated in the Qianqing Palace meeting. Ordinary officials like him could only listen to the noise outside the palace and were not allowed to enter.
"Hmph, what else could have happened? It's naturally still about the south. The court's victory is a good thing, but Luo Yunhou fought too fast and many people died. The good thing turned into a bad thing. What do you think?"
Prime Minister Li held his son's arm tremblingly and stepped over the threshold of the Qianqing Palace. He then walked down the jade steps. The backs of the court officials who had left earlier could no longer be seen.
Young Master Li supported his father by his side, pondering what his father said. The war was won, but the things his father said, since they won, were not good for the court, it meant that too many people died, and the court was short of money, so this meeting was for money. So, is there any way to deal with it?
"Father, the court is short of money. I remember that after the New Year, all the ministries and the Ministry of Revenue of the court were collecting the arrears. Now that the collection has been almost completed, the Ministry of Revenue should not be short of money. Why do we need to discuss this?"
He slowly supported his father down the jade steps and prepared to go back through the side courtyard path and Chongwenmen. Li Shoufu hummed twice, as if mocking him.
"Hmph, then do you know when the court has not been short of money? Or, in other words, when has the court ever had enough money? This time, Marquis Luo Yun issued a military order to massacre the city of Linshan County in the south of Beijing. Your Majesty and the cabinet all agreed. I knew that the court wanted to get rid of the mess in the south of Beijing, and could only stop the killing by killing. The Ministry of Revenue has money, but what if the money of the Ministry of Revenue runs out? So, before leaving, the inner court gave this to me."
Prime Minister Li raised his left hand slightly and handed the note in his hand over. Li Chaosheng was startled and immediately looked around. Finding nothing unusual, he took the note from his father. It said that the Capital Chamber of Commerce should be thoroughly investigated and the commercial tax in the Capital should be changed to 10% and 5%, and the Jiangnan weaving factory should change the fields into mulberry trees.
Li Chaosheng was suddenly shocked by this. He looked at his father's calm face and held the note tightly in his hand. The matter of Jiangnan weaving and changing fields to mulberry trees is also a commonplace. Jiangnan is in a mess because of it. However, the revision of the commercial tax by the Beijing Chamber of Commerce is the biggest problem. It was originally 10% tax, 20% tax, and now it has been changed to 50% tax. I don't know who gave the emperor this plan.
"Dad, the person who came up with this plan has a vicious mind. Business is already difficult. The business tax in Dawu has always been 10%. If the capital suddenly raises the business tax, will other places follow suit? In this way, businessmen are repeatedly exploited. How can they continue to trade? Finally, thoroughly investigate the chambers of commerce. The chambers of commerce that can remain in the capital are all kept by the various prefectures and supported by themselves. Do they also need to be taxed?"
"You, why are you so anxious? Remember the last time when the Imperial Household Department, Yang Chi, the seal holder of the Department of Construction, led the imperial guards to confiscate property? That time, the expenses for the imperial guards to set out and the food and wages were enough. The emperor was very pleased with the situation and saw how wealthy those people were. Therefore, since the court has no money, it is fine to target the merchants. As for the situation in the various prefectures you mentioned, what can be done?"
Li Shoufu smiled. He was just a businessman, a dog-like thing. What kind of waves could he make?
"Father, although you said that, you also know that the expenses of each mansion are very high, so those who are interested will inevitably raise some caravans. The annual income is not small. Even our mansion has raised a few. Now we have taken the trade route outside the pass with Luo Yunhou Mansion and made a lot of profit. If they really investigate,"
Li Chaosheng looked a little embarrassed. The situations of various families and prefectures were generally the same. The caravans or chambers of commerce they supported had never paid any taxes, so they were not worth checking.
"Then go to the Ministry of Revenue and pay the tax silver. Don't hesitate. We will deal with a few people eventually. Even if the emperor hesitates, Gu Yichen from the Ministry of Revenue will not hesitate. You know, Marquis Luo Yun has won many victories, but they were all paid with lives. The court will definitely issue these pension silvers. If anyone obstructs, what do you think the court will do?"
"This, Dad, I understand."
The words were very clear. With the inexplicable words of Li Shoufu, Li Chaosheng suddenly realized that the south was in chaos now, and the soldiers' lives were actually related to the life and death of the court. Luo Yunhou's victory still depended on the soldiers of the Beijing camp. If it was Wang Ziteng who led the army south at the beginning, would there be a chance of winning? These thoughts disappeared in an instant.
Arriving at Chongwen Gate,
Seeing that the carriage was not far away, he helped his father get on the carriage carefully, followed by his father, and told the driver:
"Return home,"
"Yes, eldest son."
As the driver raised his hand and whipped his horse, the carriage slowly moved towards the North City and arrived at the edge of Qing Lake.
suddenly,
Li Shoufu suddenly spoke up.
"Chao Sheng, the things in the capital are all trivial matters. Even if many people are dissatisfied, they will not take the lead. But it is different in Jiangnan. I always feel uneasy. Although it seems that Prince Zhongshun, Gu Yichen, and Lu Wenshan are vying for credit, it is not necessarily that Prince Dong is stirring up trouble. If the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau cannot produce so much silk, the court will have a hard time this year."
With a deep sigh, Li Shoufu suddenly felt tired. Jiangnan is the best land in the world. The silk and brocade produced in Suzhou account for 40% of Dawu's production. Clothing is the most important thing for food, clothing, housing and transportation. Clothing is the money bag of the court. However, if it is not used properly, the money will be lost, and the gap will be huge.
Hearing his father's worried words, Li Chaosheng opened his mouth. There were some things he could say, but also some things he couldn't say. He and Luo Yunhou had begun to conspire on this matter outside the pass. Someone from the Marquis's Mansion had told him that they had already started planting mulberry trees south of Pingyao City. The temperature near Luoyue Pass was suitable, so they could raise silkworms, so there shouldn't be any worries about producing raw silk. But he couldn't go into detail about these.
"Dad, don't worry about it. With so many people watching over the weaving bureau, there won't be any major problems. It's not a big deal to us, but it's a matter of life and death for them, so they have to do it."
"Haha, I hope so. By the way, Qin Sheng, the former head of Suzhou Weaving Bureau, should have been taken to the Ministry of Justice. I'll ask him how the Weaving Bureau operates when I have a chance. I also need to investigate where the silk and brocade output and revenue go every year."
Li Shoufu narrowed his eyes and explained in detail that since Jiangnan could not intervene for the time being, he had to know the general situation so that he could have a countermeasure. The Qin leader came at the right time.
Seeing his father's look, Li Chaosheng's heart moved. Qin Sheng, the head of the Suzhou Weaving Bureau in Jiangnan, seemed to have asked someone to intercede for him. Wasn't it this person? It seemed that he had a big secret, but he had neglected it.
"Yes, Dad, I know what to do."
Jingnan,
The backyard of the County Magistrate's Mansion in Linshan County,
now,
Behind the rocks in the bamboo forest on the back mountain,
It was the entrance to a tunnel, and outside it was surrounded by armored soldiers who were guarding it closely.
Zhang Jinyu's face was full of curiosity and solemnity. Several hours had passed since the people sent down the tunnel had come, but now there was no news. In the pavilion, Zhang Jinyu accompanied King Jin for dinner and drank several pots of tea, but no one came to report.
So I just brought someone here to have a look.
Ji Yunhui was seen standing guard at the entrance of the cave with a sullen face. From time to time, someone passed messages underground, but unfortunately, there was still no movement.
Prince Jin followed behind him, looking ahead with curiosity on his face.
"My Lord, what's going on? Did something go wrong?" Zhang Jinyu looked up and saw pine forests to the east, bamboo forests to the west, a dirt hill to the south, and a pond to the north. Without careful searching, it would not be found at all. It was very well hidden.
"Your Highness, please do not disturb us. The Imperial City Bureau is good at investigation, so there shouldn't be any major problems. If my guess is correct, the underground passage should be very long, or there may be some traps."
After all, I had read a lot of ghost and tomb-robbing novels in my previous life, so I was a little surprised to see the secret room at the entrance of the cave. It was possible that a tunnel could be built here, so there must be some unspeakable secrets. There might be more than one exit.
"Please forgive me, my Lord. I am your humble servant."
While he was thinking, Ji Yunhui hurried over from the front, his face flushed, and hesitantly said not to speak. Zhang Jinyu raised his hand to stop him from speaking and asked;
"Where does this tunnel lead to? Can we check it out?"
"My Lord, I have led people down three times. The corridor goes west and has forks. One of the roads is in the south, and the exit is in a house in the south city. Another is in the north, in a manor outside the north city gate. The last one goes west and has not been explored yet."
Ji Yunhui clasped his fists and his face straightened. These were all investigated by the Imperial City Bureau's experts who went down personally. Unfortunately, although the tunnel had been dug for a long time, it was not carefully built. It was obvious that it was dug in a hurry and no one knew who did it.
"You mean the west side, that is, out of the west gate."
Zhang Jinyu muttered something, and then thought about it. To the west was his camp. Beyond the camp was a small river. After crossing the river, that was it. Zhang Jinyu's face tightened, and he looked at the person in front of him, pointing to the west.
"Outside the west gate is the Anyang Mountains. If the rebel army really went into the Anyang Mountains, even gods and immortals would not be able to catch them. What a good plan. I didn't expect that the old thief Yu really joined the Taiping Sect."
Zhang Jinyu was already 80% sure of this guess. This level of secret passage would never be used unless something extremely serious happened. So, if it was really dug by that old thief Yu Shiyuan and allowed the Taiping Cult to escape, even those who didn't believe it would have to believe it.
"Immediately send an order to have Hu Shoucheng lead 20,000 troops to go out of the west city gate and search the Anyang Mountains. Also, continue to send people to dig tunnels. Leave people at each cutoff point to pass on the message that there must be an exit and they should be back before sunset."
"Yes, Lord, I will obey your orders."
Ji Yunhui clasped his fists in agreement and immediately went to pass on the order. After a while, he dispatched troops and started to go down the cave again.
The King of Jin was confused and asked;
"My Lord, how do you know that the thieves went to the Anyang Mountains? Isn't that a long way away?"
"Yes, I don't believe it either, but think about it, Your Highness. To the west of here, out of the city, is our army camp. After crossing the river, is the entrance to the Anyang Mountains. Only by entering there can we escape. Even if a god comes, he may not be able to find us. There is only one thing, this old thief Yu really gave away all his wealth."
Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but laugh at the last sentence. As the saying goes, you can survive if it's God's will, but you can't if it's your own fault. It seems that Yu Shiyuan has already put life and death aside. Does the court still have accomplices? He is a veteran of two dynasties and the prince's imperial tutor. If no one supports him, even dogs won't believe him.
These conjectures were not only thought about by Zhang Jinyu, but even the King of Jin was a little dazed. He was not a fool. The cave here was extremely hidden. If it were not for the footprints in the bamboo forest, who would have found it? He knew that there were secret passages in the palace, but he only knew the one in the harem, which was in his mother's bedroom. His mother had told him specifically. Since there were all in the harem, there should be many in the imperial palace.
Only a very small number of people knew this. Since the Taiping Cult knew this, it confirmed the possibility that Yu Shiyuan had surrendered to the enemy. The King of Jin was silent for a while, then asked,
"My Lord, since that old thief Yu has surrendered to the enemy, I don't know how to report this to the court."
If a single move affects the entire body, the court will inevitably be in turmoil if this matter is really thoroughly investigated, especially if it involves the remaining wings of the former crown prince. Basically, those who can move have already died, and those who cannot move may not move at the moment. Those people are like chicken ribs, tasteless to eat and a pity to throw away.
Zhang Jinyu's eyes moved, and he clasped his fists and said;
"Your Highness, I am only responsible for leading the troops to fight. I don't have the energy to care about the rest. Since Your Highness is the military supervisor, these matters are decided by Your Highness. I will not get involved. Now, it's getting late. How about we go back to the main hall and continue to have some tea and snacks?"
Zhang Jinyu stretched out his hand and made a gesture of invitation. Since these things were not easy to ask, then he would not ask. As the military supervisor, His Highness should report everything in detail. As for the group of old foxes in the court, they should figure out a solution themselves.
"This is fine. Please, my Lord."
The King of Jin hesitated, but what the Marquis said made sense. It would be best for him to say these words himself. In this case, when the news came from the west, he would write the memorial himself. The two of them gave way to each other and returned to the main hall of the government office.
coincidentally,
Xiao Songzi had already arranged for the kitchen staff to light a fire and cook, and had made some cakes and placed them here.
After they sat down, they began to eat with a little concern.
At the western end of the corridor,
Located at the foot of a gentle slope in the Anyang Mountains, the dust flew up as a stone door at the bottom of the slope turned.
After a while, the stone door opened.
I saw a beam of light shining in. In front, Captain Qian, who was wearing heavy armor, walked out of the corridor himself and looked around. He saw overlapping mountains not far away and a cliff standing behind him. It seemed that they had arrived.
He turned around and shouted to the people in the cave,
"Come out, we're at the bottom of the cliff,"
Then,
The Taiping Sect Guards came out one after another, and finally, several helmsmen and the left protector and others came out. Looking at the towering mountains, everyone seemed to have a feeling of escaping death.
"Left Protector, now that we are inside the mountains, it will be difficult to get out. Fortunately, the brothers brought a lot of dry food and water. I don't know where we are going, but I don't think this secret passage will be hidden for long."
Captain Xiao still had some hesitation on his face, but he had to say what was hidden in his heart. When everyone heard it, they immediately tensed up from their originally relaxed mood and looked into the cave entrance vigilantly, as if it was a cave that could eat people.
The left protector sat on the stone platform while his personal soldiers changed the wound medicine. Fortunately, the wound was not serious and the bleeding had stopped and scabbed.
"Don't worry. Even if the soldiers find us, they will be very careful when chasing us. This mountain range is west of Pingshan. Go south along this valley, and there is a valley entrance. After we come out from there, we will go straight to Luoye Valley, and then to Linyuefu City."
Staring at the map in his hand, there was already a pre-drawn route on the map. A dotted line was drawn on it. Going south along the valley bottom, there was a narrow exit.
When everyone heard this, they were all overjoyed. Although the captains did not show much, their tense bodies relaxed a lot. Chang Hao nodded and then said,
"Protector, since this is the case, we cannot delay and leave now. Luo Yunhou is not a pushover. He has such means, and no one in the world can match him. Since we have been defeated, we need to consider a way out."
"Yes, Left Protector, the army of Linshan County was defeated, and the last remaining elite troops were killed in one day. In the entire southern part of Beijing, only the Chu Sect Leader still has a few remnants of troops. There is no power to stop the imperial army. Even if that noble invites us, as long as Luo Yunhou is here, we have no chance of winning."
Perhaps it was because he was frightened by the attack, but Captain He Anhe turned pale. Thinking of the attack on the north gate, the soldiers of the imperial camp advanced and retreated in a measured manner, causing great casualties to his own troops. If it were not for the advantage of the city wall, they might have been unable to hold on.
Zuo Ling had already changed the medicine for his wounds. He held the hilt of the knife and sighed. The time was not right for the Taiping Sect.
"What you all said makes sense. Since Jingnan is no longer useful, we should plunder it and retreat to Lingdong County to lie dormant for a while. I believe that Master Chu will do the same. The only ones left are the White Lotus Sect. It's strange. When we were defending the city, the White Lotus Sect's reinforcements should have arrived long ago. Why didn't they show up until we retreated?"
Zuo Ling felt a little uneasy. Maybe the White Lotus Sect was just watching the fight from the sidelines, or maybe they had other intentions. If so, Jingnan might not have any chance at all. The other people were not mediocre either. They immediately thought of the meaning of Zuo Hufa's words.
"Left Protector, maybe the White Lotus Sect is not a monolithic group, I heard..."
(End of this chapter)