Wang Zeng saw that Cui Youde on the ground was already in a semi-comatose state, and instructed the miscellaneous officials on the side: "Go and give water to the prisoner to drink, and wait until he has the strength to ask questions." Pen %Fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info"

The miscellaneous officials went, and Wang Zengcai said to Lu Yijian: "Interrogating people and criminals is still the person from Yushitai." After a while, Han Zhongcheng interrogated, what did Lu Xianggong think? ”

"So much the best!" Of course, Lu Yijian has no objections, and he can't let the two prime ministers ask about the case.

At this time, it was almost midnight, and a small crescent moon finally crept out of the eastern sky, shrinking its head on the jewel-like canopy, as if it did not dare to climb to the middle of the sky.

The miscellaneous servant fed Cui Youde water, and when he saw him open his eyes, he stepped aside.

Han Yi took the paper of Cui Youde brought by Xu Ping earlier and began to interrogate Cui Youde.

After asking all the way, there is no difference from the content on the pleading, and even the details are not different.

The ministers listened and nodded secretly, if the paper was made up casually, there was no reason to remember it so clearly. The fact that the confession and the pleadings can be matched shows that Cui Youde's statement is basically credible.

Until the end, Han Yi asked: "Since you said that Taishi Liu is the mastermind, where can you arrest him?" ”

Cui Youde hesitated slightly, looked at Xu Ping, who was sitting not far away, and said: "There is a Qiliuzhuang not far from the south of the city, and there are seven big willow trees planted side by side by a small river in front of the village, which is very easy to recognize." When we saw Taishi Liu, we were all in that Zhuangzi, and the officials usually had something to discuss, and they were all there. If you want to arrest Liu Taishi, I only know there, even if Liu Taishi is not there, there are many of his cronies in the village, and they will ask someone for a confession. ”

Xu Ping was drowsy because he had read the content of the question before, but when he heard Cui Youde's last words, he almost jumped up. This is not on the paper, and I originally took it for granted that the restaurant where Xu Chang said that he saw Taishi Liu was their lair, and it would definitely not be wrong to arrest people there. Where did I think that it was a trick for the little officials to hide their eyes, and they also had a real nest. If you go to the restaurant to get people, nine times out of ten, you will be startled, and the real mastermind will get the news and run away.

I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, if I was greedy for merit and didn't stabilize the matter and report it layer by layer, but directly took people to the restaurant to arrest people, I was afraid that this time I would be beaten with chickens and eggs. At that time, the credit could not be earned, and it would cause trouble.

In the officialdom, it is still necessary to stabilize the word, fight for long-term strength, and take risks. Originally, Zheng Jian wanted to arrest people directly, but he was stopped by Xu Ping, and Zheng Jian was dissatisfied with Xu Ping in his heart. Now it seems that thanks to stopping Zheng Jian.

Where are there so many conspiracies and tricks in the world, these little officials rely not on treachery and insidiousness, but on their own incomparable familiarity with the rules of the operation of the entire government. Their precautions are aimed at the reactions that officials can expect, and as long as you do things according to routine, every step falls into their calculations.

This time, from Cui Youde's accident, to Xu Ping's entry at night, to the overnight interrogation and arrest, everything went beyond the routine of officialdom, but there was an unexpected gain.

After Han Yi asked, Cui Youde lay on the ground and kowtowed: "Ladies and gentlemen, the villain has already said everything he knows." I hope that after the little one goes, the father-in-law will be able to keep my wife and daughter safe! Great kindness and great virtue will inevitably be repaid in the next life! ”

Han Yi looked at Lu Yijian and Wang Zeng, and said to Cui Youde: "Previously, the Marquis of Yongning had promised to protect your wife and daughter, and now the Holy Lord has personally agreed. Rest assured, they will be safe last year! ”

Cui Youde thanked him again and again on the ground, but he didn't dare to look at Xu Ping again.

At this time, it was already midnight, and the gates of the inner and outer cities were closed, and the arrest could only wait until tomorrow.

Lu Yijian and Wang Zeng discussed and agreed, and ordered Li Yonghe to mobilize manpower, mainly the forbidden army of the Imperial City Division, plus some relatives and followers, to gather at the city gate tonight. As soon as the city gate opens tomorrow, I will go to Qiliuzhuang to arrest people first. As for the other officials, because there are too many people, it is not hindered by the overall situation that a few people escape, but there is no need to spend a lot of time.

Because there are officials living outside the city, in order to facilitate their court, the city gate of Kaifeng City has always been opened much earlier than other states and counties, and the city gate of the inner city is opened after the third watch, and the city gate of the outer city is not opened before the fourth watch.

At this time, it was the beginning of the month, and in the middle of the night, a crescent moon hung in the sky. The stars were all gone, and only this crescent moon hung alone in the dark night sky, a little lonely, a little bleak.

Inside the Chenzhou Gate, hundreds of soldiers stood quietly under the faint moonlight under the leadership of Li Yonghe, silently. Not far away, Xu Ping and Liu Xin, Sima Chi and Wu Zunlu were also riding horses, their faces serious.

Nanxun Gate, the main gate of the southern city, because of the excessive flow of people early in the morning, and most of the goods trafficked from outside the city to the city are sold there, in order to prevent accidents, the team to arrest people is concentrated here in Chenzhou Gate.

Everyone stared at the closed gates, and even the gatekeepers with the keys to the gates were so nervous that their palms were sweating. After looking at the city gate for so many years, it is the first time I have seen such a scene.

The melodious sound of bells drifted from the imperial city, and the sound was exceptionally crisp in the quiet night.

"Open the gates—"

As the bell rang, the warden raised his throat and announced the arrival of a new day like a rooster announcing the dawn.

The lock was opened, and the soldiers watching the city gate exerted force, and the thick city gate slowly opened.

After the gates were opened, the gatekeeper and the soldiers walked out of the city quickly, first watching the people who were about to enter the city, and clearing the road. Only then did he report loudly and let Li Yonghe take people out of the city.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves shattered the silence of the night, and hundreds of soldiers stepped on the morning dew and left the Chenzhou Gate one after another.

The guide walked in front, while reporting the route and approximate distance, and led everyone to rush to Qiliuzhuang not far away.

Qiliuzhuang is no different from the other industries outside the general city, it is said to be a village, but in fact, there is not much arable land, and the main body is a large garden. These other businesses are cultivated by the rich people in the city, and there is no output in the village, not only does there be no income every year, but the owner also invests a lot of money to maintain it. Of course, the outsiders don't care, they don't lack this money at all.

At this time, just after midnight, Qiliuzhuang was quiet and peaceful, like a paradise outside Kaifeng City.

A few stops were in an instant, and countless dog barks suddenly sounded outside Zhuangzi, endlessly.

Someone in the village woke up from the dream, got up and sat on the bed suddenly, looked around blankly, and said, "What's the matter?" This Zhuangzi has always been very quiet, and suddenly something provoked so many dogs to bark? ”

The charming woman next to her lazily stretched out her arm and gently grabbed the man, and said in a sweet voice: "What do you do with so much?" It is not uncommon to hear people say that wild wolves hurt people when they leave the city, and it is not uncommon for a dog to run somewhere that frightened the gatekeeper. The good night is short, you don't do the right thing, worry about what those dogs that no one cares about! ”

The man shook his head, lay down again, and took the woman in his arms.

Li Yonghe took people to the front of the village, and just as the gatekeeper in the village came out to watch with his sleepy eyes, he was kicked down by the forbidden army in front of him, and his hands were tied.

Riding on a horse, Li Yonghe shouted to the officers around him: "Keep watch over the four gates, not a single fly is allowed to fly out of the village!" The rest of the people went into the village to search, regardless of men, women, old and children, as long as they were panting, they all looked like they were waiting to fall! ”

The officers promised that, according to the previous orders, some of them took people to guard the gate, and some of them brought soldiers into the village to search and arrest.

In an instant, countless torches lit up, reflecting half of the sky.

Wu Zunlu licked his lips and said to Xu Ping next to him: "Deputy envoy, should we also go to the village to have a look?" ”

Xu Ping shook his head: "We won't go in, just wait for the Imperial City Division to arrest people." When the person is arrested, he will take the official in to collect all kinds of official evidence, so as not to have an accident and be difficult to speak. ”

The forbidden army of the Imperial City Division is good to say, in the end, it is a regular army, those relatives and military officials are not public officials, and soldiers are not soldiers.

The imperial city guards were in the capital to investigate affairs, relying on the royal prestige, sometimes even officials dared to frame them, and the foreign court fought countless lawsuits with them. Although the emperor has reined in a lot after taking office, the accumulated habits are difficult to change.

Just in the blink of an eye, the quiet Qiliuzhuang was full of chickens and dogs, accompanied by the shouts and scolding of men and the cries of women. In a short time, several places lit up with fires.

Xu Ping frowned, although it was to arrest the criminals, but it was like a bandit entering the village, and he still couldn't see it.

Those who shine the fire, don't even need to ask, there must be soldiers who take advantage of the chaos to loot property. This has simply become a routine, and when people are arrested, it is also when these pawns make a fortune, which is difficult to prevent.

Li Yonghe opened his eyes on the horse, took off his waist knife and handed it to the officer next to him, and said sharply: "You take people in to inspect, take advantage of the chaos to plunder property, **** women, cut it off!" ”

The officer promised, ordered a few soldiers from his cronies, and urged the horse into Zhuangzi.

Li Yonghe, as the uncle of the country, manages the Imperial City Division, so he naturally dares to do it more than others. Because he violated the military order and killed several people, no official dared to trouble him.

There was chaos, and I don't know how much time passed, the village was in a mess, and from time to time people in the village were escorted out by the soldiers and tied up to the people who guarded outside.

The sky gradually brightened, and the small crescent moon in mid-air was quietly hidden and disappeared.

An officer galloped out of the village on horseback, and saluted with his hands in front of Li Yonghe: "Report, I searched all over the village, and there was no Taishi Liu, not even the old man over fifty years old!" ”

Hearing this, Xu Ping's heart tightened, didn't Taishi Liu rest here tonight, or did he not realize it, and he didn't know where the news leaked? (To be continued.) )