Chapter 452: The imperial edict honors merit

Jin Ling, Zhen Mansion.

Outside the second gate in the Emperor Hongxuan Hall, Zhen Zhen Fangqing, dressed in men's clothing, was flipping through the shop accounts sent by Liu Linjiang Xian.

Liu Linjiang Xian looked at Zhen Zhen Fangqing's focused expression, which often reminded him of the second master of the Zhen family back then.

And the things Zhen Zhen Fangqing had been doing intensively recently also made Liu Linjiang Xian feel surprised.

Recently, she had transferred the deposit silver and the current year's dividends of the second branch existing in the five old shops through various methods, totaling more than 600,000 taels. She used the excuse of doing business in partnership with Xinchun Hao, and obtained the consent of the Zhen Old Lady, so the first branch wife and Zhen Zhen Shiwen could do nothing about it.

The real estate and shops of the Zhen family's second branch in Jin Ling and various places in Jiangnan were also gradually cashed out by Zhen Zhen Fangqing through various methods.

Now, the accounts of the newly opened Xiuyun Pavilion had accumulated a huge amount of silver flow, and they had all been exchanged for silver notes of the Huanming Bank.

This series of actions made even Liu Linjiang Xian, who had seen the world, feel secretly shocked.

Zhen Zhen Fangqing put down the account book and asked: "Uncle Linjiang Xian, is there any news about the batch of refined iron robbed from Haiyun Pavilion recently? What has the third brother of the first branch been busy with recently?"

Liu Linjiang Xian replied: "I have asked many people about that batch of refined iron, and even walked the black market route, but I haven't found any trace of this batch of refined iron.

I heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is also looking for the whereabouts of this batch of refined iron, and so far there has been no discovery.

I heard from a friend in the Maritime Trade Office that Embroidered Uniform Guard hundred-household officer Liu Hai retrieved the documents of the third young master's private transportation of muskets from them a few days ago.

The third young master's entry and exit these days are quite normal. He goes to the shop to stroll a few times every day, and spends the rest of his time at the outer residence on Xiuchun Street."

Zhen Zhen Fangqing heard this and was slightly stunned, asking: "He has an outer residence on Xiuchun Street?"

Liu Linjiang Xian replied: "I heard that the third young master took a fancy to a singer at the Hongyu Building and spent silver to redeem her body. Now he is raising her on Xiuchun Street."

Zhen Zhen Fangqing frowned upon hearing this, her face showing a look of disdain.

Although the Zhen family is a wealthy family, it is common for brothers and elders in the family to keep concubines.

But the Zhen family's family discipline is very strict, and they do not allow disciples to privately set up outer residences, so as not to disturb the family style.

Her third brother clearly has wives and concubines in the room, yet he does such absurd things outside.

However, this kind of thing is also common in noble families. As an unmarried girl, even if she knows, she won't care.

……

Zhen Zhen Fangqing frowned, saying: "That batch of refined iron has been in the Haiyun Pavilion warehouse for a long time without any movement. Suddenly, someone took advantage of the fire to steal it. How you look at it, it's a bit strange."

She asked again: "Uncle Linjiang Xian, have you asked the head manager of Haiyun Pavilion how the fire in the warehouse happened that day?"

Liu Linjiang Xian replied: "According to the head manager, that day the second manager Wu Wu Guiqing entered the warehouse to take goods and accidentally knocked over a candle, igniting the curtains.

After the incident, the third young master took the initiative to report to the Yingtian Prefecture yamen. The Yingtian Prefecture yamen runners questioned the people in the shop and determined that it was a premeditated act by thieves."

Zhen Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickered, saying: "Isn't Wu Wu Guiqing the third brother's person? It just happened that he caused the fire, giving outsiders an opportunity!"

Liu Linjiang Xian asked: "Does the third young lady suspect that Wu Wu Guiqing deliberately caused the fire, colluded with outsiders, and robbed this batch of refined iron?"

Zhen Zhen Fangqing shook her head, saying: "This batch of refined iron was handled by the third brother and put into the warehouse, saying it was used to cast ship anchors. Wu Wu Guiqing is just a second manager who runs errands. Why would he communicate with outsiders to rob the refined iron?"

Liu Linjiang Xian's heart skipped a beat, saying: "The third young lady means that the third young master did this behind the scenes. But why would the third young master do this? That day, he was the one who took the initiative to report to the Yingtian Prefecture yamen."

Zhen Zhen Fangqing sighed: "He took the initiative to report to the Yingtian Prefecture yamen, which may also be advancing by retreating, clearing his own suspicion.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is not as easy to fool as the Yingtian Prefecture. They must have seen the flaws in it. Because there is no actual evidence, they are afraid of the Zhen family's power and foundation and dare not question the third brother at will.

Yet he had already been investigating his background behind his back; otherwise, why would he have gone to the Shipping Office to requisition the documents regarding his third brother's private transport of muskets?

I am now worried not only that the third brother is involved in this matter, but also that those who robbed the refined iron through the fire did so in such a hidden way, nothing more than not wanting people to know their identities.

Hiding and dodging like this can only show that the use of this batch of refined iron cannot see the light, and it must be used to cast musket barrels. This is already beyond doubt.

Now I can only hope that the Embroidered Uniform Guard will not find the whereabouts of this batch of refined iron, otherwise the third brother will definitely not be able to escape the relationship, and our entire Zhen family will be implicated by him.

Ever since I knew the third brother lost the muskets and stored this batch of refined iron in the warehouse, I have been unable to eat or sleep...

I have also thought about dealing with this batch of refined iron myself, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard has laid out eyes and ears in Haiyun Pavilion. If I did this, it would cause trouble for myself.

Knowing that it is a disaster, I can only watch it exist in the warehouse!"

Liu Linjiang Xian heard Zhen Zhen Fangqing's words, and his heart was also shocked. He knew that Zhen Zhen Fangqing was intelligent and strategic, with a poisonous gaze and very accurate judgment.

This analysis just now was penetrating and very reasonable. It is likely that the actual situation is roughly similar to what the third young lady thought.

If this matter finally breaks out and involves privately manufacturing muskets, it is a major crime equivalent to rebellion, and the Zhen family will really be in great disaster.

He suddenly understood why, during this period of time, Zhen Zhen Fangqing transferred the silver flow of the old shops and cashed out the idle industries of the second branch so intensively.

……

Jin Ling, Xicheng, Yinghua Gate, food shop at the foot of the city wall.

Early this morning, Liu Hai brought five or six capable subordinates into the food shop and sat down to wait.

According to the food shop owner's confession, because that Englishman was not used to the rice and grain of the Great Zhou, his follower would come to the shop every three days to buy Western food.

By time, that person should come again today.

Just past the second quarter of the Hour of the Dragon (7:30 AM), Liu Hai saw a youth of seventeen or eighteen, riding a thin horse, enter the city through Dinghuai Gate and slowly make his way to the eatery.

Before he even got off the horse, he shouted to the shop: "Shopkeeper, I'm from the western suburbs. Still the old rules, ten catties of smoked meat, five catties of Hu-bread, five catties of boiled milk, and everything must be the freshest."

The shopkeeper, while instructing his assistant to prepare things, walked to Liu Hai's side and whispered: "Officer, this kid is the servant of that white barbarian; today he is buying food for that barbarian just as usual."

Liu Hai said: "Prepare things for him as soon as possible, everything as usual, you don't have to worry about other things."

The shop owner followed Liu Hai's instructions and prepared two large bags of food as usual. The follower hung the food on the horse and left the shop leisurely, leaving the city from Dinghuai Gate.

Liu Hai exchanged glances with several subordinates and followed them one after another...

……

Jin Ling, Imperial Envoy's Post House.

Since the Court of Judicial Review completed the interrogation of the case, the three-day large-scale search in the city, although causing quite a bit of waves, passed smoothly in the end.

Up to this point, Guo Lin went down to Jin Ling to deliver the edict, and in less than five days, all matters of the Jin Ling major case had been completely concluded.

All 150 suspects were brought to justice, and the haze and poison buried in the Jin Ling officialdom by the Water Supervision Office major case were swept away.

Such a fierce, swift, and efficient momentum of handling affairs was truly dazzling, making Guo Lin feel pleasantly surprised in his heart.

Before he left the Divine Capital, Jia Cong was investigating the case in Jin Ling. Except for finding out Luo Xiong's suspicion, there was no other breakthrough.

He originally thought that this trip to Jin Ling would be a bitter errand, needing to be delayed for a long time, and he really had no bottom in his heart.

Moreover, the Emperor's attitude toward disposing of Du Du Hengxin was subtle. Even though Guo Lin had served the Emperor for many years and knew his nature well, he felt it was tricky to dispose of this matter and really had a headache.

But he didn't expect that Jia Cong had just captured Du Du Hengxin and handed him over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for less than half a day before he was assassinated halfway. So far, there was no clue to apprehend the murderer.

Although this cast a flaw on the merit of investigating the Jin Ling major case, for Guo Lin, in his private heart, it was cleaner that this person died.

If he were really escorted back to the Divine Capital and the Emperor really wanted a special case interrogation, he didn't know what disaster would be interrogated. Guo Lin knew the past events of fifteen years ago very well, and now thinking about it, he still felt a chill all over.

For him, Du Du Hengxin, this disaster, dying in Jin Ling, was called "once and for all."

Furthermore, the person lost his life in the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it had nothing to do with him, the imperial envoy delivering the edict. It was truly refreshing.

Therefore, when all matters were finished, he immediately wrote the imperial edict, detailing the beginning and end of the investigation and settlement of the Jin Ling major case, and prepared to send it to the Divine Capital as soon as possible.

In the imperial edict, Jia Cong was the unquestionable first merit.

Such as his management of the Jin Ling Central Vehicle Office, investigating the crimes of Zhou Zhou Zhengyang and Luo Xiong;

Leading troops to sneak into Su Zhou, capturing Zhou Zhou Zhengyang at night, with wisdom and strategy, withdrawing from Su Zhou city completely, and setting an ambush to capture Luo Xiong alive fifty miles outside the city;

Later, he saw through the assassination suspicion in Fengle Square and captured Du Du Hengxin alive on the river waterway.

Each of these was tortuous and strange, with strange strategies, dazzling, almost taking away all the light of the Jin Ling major case investigation.

Not to mention that during the search in the city, he used eight hundred musketeers to suppress and deter the villains, making the final search in the city a complete success.

Guo Lin could imagine that as long as this imperial edict was reported to the palace, Jia Cong's name would once again resound through the Divine Capital, and the Emperor's reward would not be light.

……

Of course, the whole thing also had a share of Guo Lin's merit. He was the imperial envoy delivering the edict and was granted the power to control the six ministries and official yamen of the auxiliary capital.

If it weren't for his delegation of power to Jia Cong, Jia Cong would not have been able to quickly control the thirteen gates of Jin Ling, urgently mobilize musketeers to enter the city, and the subsequent interrogation and arrest would not have been so smooth and powerful.

As for Yang Yang Hongbin interrogating the major criminal with degree and quickly obtaining all confessions, in Guo Lin's view, it was just making up for the crime of the Court of Judicial Review's leak leading to Zhou Zhou Zhengyang's escape, which was considered merit and demerit offsetting each other. This imperial edict also mentioned Zhang Kangnian.

This former Jin Ling Regional Military Commission Assistant Regional Commander had once made Jia Cong and Zou Min'er hold the greatest suspicion.

That day, a bloody fight occurred in front of the Zhang mansion in Fengle Square, and the twenty Five Cities Military Commission soldiers guarding the Zhang mansion, as well as five Embroidered Uniform Guards, were all slashed to death in front of the Zhang mansion.

Zhang Kangnian was rescued by assassins and had no news since then.

It wasn't until the three-day inner city search ended that the Yingtian Prefecture yamen runners accidentally discovered Zhang Kangnian's corpse in an abandoned old house in the city.

After examination by the coroner, Zhang Kangnian was killed and had been dead for many days, and the body already had corpse spots.

According to the time estimation, he should have been killed in the abandoned old house after being rescued from the Zhang mansion that day, and this place was not far from Fengle Square.

No one knew how he was killed, but Jia Cong and Yang Yang Hongbin knew the situation and could roughly infer the situation at that time.

Until Jia Cong escorted Zhou Zhou Zhengyang to Jin Ling, whether Du Du Hengxin or Zhang Kangnian was the real mastermind of the Water Supervision Office major case had not been finally confirmed.

Du Du Hengxin and Zhang Kangnian lived in Fengle Square. Before Du Du Hengxin fled abroad, he sent his confidant claws and teeth to attack the soldiers guarding the Zhang mansion and kidnapped Zhang Kangnian.

Attempting to let Zhang Kangnian attract all the attention in the city, so he could calmly escape Jin Ling. This strategy of "replacing a peach with a plum" was originally very high-level.

But he didn't expect that at this critical moment, Jia Cong suddenly received a report letter, making Du Du Hengxin's planning fail.

So, after Zhang Kangnian was kidnapped, he was soon killed to silence him and abandoned in the abandoned old house, letting him be Du Du Hengxin's scapegoat.

The dignified Vice Minister of the Ministry of War of the auxiliary capital ended up in this situation, which made people sigh.

However, according to the confessions of Zhou Zhou Zhengyang and Luo Xiong, as well as the secret account book left by Zou Zou Huaiyi.

Zhang Kangnian had served as Regional Military Commission Assistant Regional Commander for several years and had long been dragged into the water by Du Du Hengxin. He was a knower and accomplice of the Water Supervision Office major case back then, so Jia Cong's suspicion of him was not wrong.

Zhang Kangnian's cousin was the current Zhao Wang Fei. Jia Cong had a deep memory of that first imperial prince who was excellent in both civil and military affairs, and the court and the public all rumored that he was the person who would inherit the throne in the future.

Zhang Kangnian could become a Grade 3 military official, and then a Grade 3 Vice Minister of the Ministry of War of the auxiliary capital, which was a rare official career encounter of turning from military to civil.

Jia Cong didn't know clearly whether it was because he was Zhao Wang's relative that he was valued and recommended by Zhao Wang, and had such a blue sky in his official career.

If the situation was really like this, Zhang Kangnian, as an accomplice in the Water Supervision Office major case, and holding such an important military and political position in the auxiliary capital, this matter would mostly make Zhao Wang be wary of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

With Jia Cong's understanding of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's gloomy and suspicious nature, such a thing was mostly unavoidable, but this kind of thing had nothing to do with him, so he naturally wouldn't take it to heart.

……

After Guo Lin had the imperial edict written, he let Jia Cong look at it together and signed it together.

After all, this time Jia Cong went down to Jin Ling, he was on a secret edict to investigate the major case. Jia Cong was the unquestionable protagonist of the beginning and end of the Jin Ling major case.

If Guo Lin's imperial edict missed his name, the weight and persuasiveness would be greatly reduced. 【452

Guo Lin knew well that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was as meticulous as a hair and could not tolerate a single grain of sand in his eyes, and that he held Jia Cong in an exceptionally high regard; naturally, he would not omit Jia Cong's name from the imperial edict.

Jia Cong read the imperial edict once and suddenly said: "Eunuch Guo, regarding this major Jinling investigation case, the Zhongche Office's Love Shenjing branch dispatched Miss Zou Min'er to Jinling to assist me in probing the case.

Du Du Hengxin discovered that Miss Zou was the daughter of Zou Zou Huaiyi and sent assassins to force Miss Zou to reveal the whereabouts of the Water Surveillance Office's secret ledger; because he did not succeed, he murdered Miss Zou.

Before Miss Zou passed away, she told me the clue to the Water Surveillance Office's secret ledger, which allowed me to find the secret ledger based on it; otherwise, this major case would not have been solved so quickly.

I worked with Miss Zou for many days, and now that she has passed, I must leave her name behind; should we add this detail to the imperial edict?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Lin's expression turned solemn, and he said: "Inspector Jia's words are reasonable. Miss Zou was a person of the Zhongche Office; speaking of which, she was my subordinate, so we should indeed add this detail."

For Guo Lin, it was a matter of dignity that a member of his Zhongche Office had sacrificed her life for the investigation of a major case; naturally, he could not skip this touch of gilding the lily.

And the reason Jia Cong said such things was not to seek merit for Zou Min'er, but to use this imperial edict to confirm the fact that Zou Min'er was dead, allowing her to completely shed her status as a person of base caste and gain a new life.

Jia Cong and Guo Lin filled in and polished the imperial edict and had someone transcribe it again.

The imperial edict would be sent urgently to the Divine Capital via the military courier stations along the way; once the reply arrived from the Divine Capital, Jia Cong and Guo Lin would be able to return to the capital to report the completion of their mission.

The two were discussing the details of various matters when suddenly a guard reported that Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng requested an audience with the Imperial Envoy and Inspector Jia.

Guo Lin frowned upon hearing this; ever since Du Du Hengxin was assassinated while in the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Guo Lin had not given Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng a pleasant look.

Now that Du Du Hengxin was dead, it could be considered one less trouble for Guo Lin, and since the blame did not lie with him, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have to take the fall.

Therefore, Guo Lin had no interest in seeing Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng at all, but since the other party was, after all, the chief official of the Jinling Embroidered Uniform Guard, it would not look good to avoid him.

Moreover, he also noticed that the guard's message indicated the other party did not just want to see him, but also wanted to see Jia Cong, so he reluctantly had him summoned inside.

After Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng entered and saw Guo Lin and Jia Cong, his expression was agitated.

He said: "Eunuch Guo, Count Lord Weiyuan, the day before yesterday, a batch of refined iron was stolen from the Zhen family's Haiyun Pavilion in Jinling, and I ordered my subordinates in the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a strict investigation.

We discovered a workshop privately manufacturing muskets in a valley in the western suburbs; this workshop also has more than ten guards equipped with muskets. Because this matter is of great importance, I have come specifically to report it to Eunuch Guo.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already deployed men to wipe out this musket workshop, but since the other party has musket-wielding guards, in order to avoid excessive casualties, I would like to request Inspector Jia to dispatch musket soldiers to assist."

Guo Lin was greatly shocked upon hearing this; privately establishing a workshop and secretly manufacturing muskets was a crime equivalent to treason.

Jia Cong, however, heard the hidden meaning in Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng's words; Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng was saying that he discovered this privately-run musket workshop because he was searching for the refined iron stolen from the Zhen family, which clearly linked this matter to the Zhen family.

Guo Lin had just arrived in Jinling and was not clear about many things, but Jia Cong knew that the Zhen family's Haiyun Pavilion stored a batch of Ottoman refined iron, and that this type of refined iron could be used to forge musket barrels.

However, this batch of refined iron and the privately-run firearm workshop could not be completely equated; Jia Cong keenly sensed Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng's sinister intentions.

He was trying to link the Zhen family to this private firearm workshop before he had even obtained solid evidence.

This morning, Liu Hai led men to follow the servant of that Englishman from the eatery at Yinghua Gate, all the way to a remote valley entrance at the foot of Zhong Shan in the suburbs.

In this rarely visited valley, they discovered a manufacturing workshop of considerable scale, and around the workshop were more than ten guards holding muskets, patrolling and guarding every area strictly.

If Liu Hai had not been born into the Guard Army and spent several years immersed in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, seeing many risks and being a cautious person,

he would have been discovered by these musket-wielding guards the moment he sensed something unusual and hid his tracks.

This discovery left Liu Hai terrified; ever since firearms flourished in the Great Zhou, the art of firearms had become a sharp weapon for protecting the nation, and the possession and circulation of them among the common people were strictly prohibited; any violation would be severely punished without leniency.

Yet this privately-run workshop was not only located in a remote area to deceive people, but it even had more than ten musket-wielding guards.

Liu Hai was familiar with Jia Cong and had frequent dealings with him, having seen the musket-wielding guards by his side more than once.

Therefore, he was very familiar with the shape of the Firearm Office's new-style Lumie muskets, and the muskets held by the guards of this workshop were almost identical to the Firearm Office's new-style Lumie muskets.

Although they could not get close to the workshop, they could see from afar that among the several independent houses in the workshop, craftsmen were transporting molds similar to musket parts.

This was actually a workshop for manufacturing muskets, and it could even produce the Great Zhou's newest improved-model Lumie muskets.

Liu Hai knew that although Jia Cong had gone to Jinling to open a branch of the Auxiliary Capital's Firearm Office, he had not received an imperial decree to establish a firearm workshop in Jiangnan.

Therefore, this was a prohibited, privately-run firearm workshop, and it was even equipped with a large number of musket-wielding guards; this was already no different from an act of treason.

Liu Hai truly had not expected that when the refined iron was stolen from Haiyun Pavilion and he was at his wit's end, he would go to investigate the English silversmith brought into Jinling by Zhen Zhen Shiwen, only to discover such a major event by sheer coincidence! He returned to Jinling at top speed, and Embroidered Uniform Guard Battalion Commander Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng was overjoyed; the development of the matter completely matched his expectations.

Upon receiving Liu Hai's report, Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng was invigorated and wanted to immediately muster the Embroidered Uniform Guard troops and rush to the valley in the western suburbs to raid and destroy that private firearm workshop.

With this great merit, he could surely offset the crime of Du Du Hengxin being killed, and perhaps even receive the Emperor's praise and be promoted; one never knew.

But when the matter was at hand, he calmed down again.

Because this private firearm manufacturing workshop was discovered by accident when Liu Hai was investigating the English silversmith, and this English silversmith was brought into Jinling by Zhen Zhen Shiwen from overseas.

Once the private firearm manufacturing workshop was raided, if one traced the root of the matter, the Jin Ling Zhen family would inevitably be implicated; this was also the result Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng wanted to see.

But behind the Zhen family were the Imperial Consort Dowager Zhen in the palace and the Retired Emperor; such a formidable connection was something that Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng, a Grade 4 Battalion Commander, seemed unable to bear.

He did not want to end up destroying his own life and family while trying to seek merit and escape punishment, only to find that he had gone too far.

The private firearm manufacturing workshop had to be raided, but the unpredictable consequences arising from it could not be borne by him, Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng, alone; he had to find others to help carry the burden.

Guo Lin was an Imperial Envoy acting under a decree, possessing the authority to control all government offices in Jinling; reporting this matter to him and obtaining his approval was only right and proper.

Jia Cong was a noble, Count Lord Weiyuan, a young power-holder favored by the Emperor, and the pillar of the Great Zhou's firearm industry; moreover, he had eight hundred musket soldiers under his command, so he was duty-bound to assist in wiping out the private firearm manufacturing workshop.

These two, regardless of their rank or status, were truly the only candidates to help him, Ge Captain Ge Zhi Cheng, take the fall...

(End of chapter)