Chapter 563 562 Stealing the Dragon Vein

If at the beginning, Wei Guangde still wanted to please Prince Yu by convicting Yan Shifan, when the incident happened to this point, he had the idea of ​​hiding as far away as possible.

A gentleman should not stand under a dangerous wall, this is his only thought now.

This is also the reason why he pushed Xu Jie to the front, and the old fox still has to be confronted by the old fox.

Maybe Xu Jie is not as smart as Yan Shifan, but after all, he is an old man in the world, and he is very familiar with both Emperor Jiajing and Yan Shifan.

Only people like him can steadily, accurately and ruthlessly grasp Yan Shifan's sore spot, knock him down, and then step on him, so that he will never be able to turn over.

Wei Guangde does not admit it, and he may not be Yan Shifan's opponent, especially in terms of understanding the emperor.

Perhaps, Yan Shifan's inadvertent small action can be concealed from him, but it will provoke a great reaction from Emperor Jiajing.

But now, before it is determined whether Gao Gong's action is clean and neat, it is better not to get too close to this bold guy.

Wei Guangde, who returned home, locked a person in the study and prohibited others from entering. He thought about it carefully.

If he thought at first that Gao Gong was selected by Emperor Jiajing to be a teacher for Prince Yu in Prince Yu's mansion, from the perspective of the literati of this era, it is important to be faithful to one person.

Naturally, Gao Gong's loyalty to Prince Yu afterwards is a sign of noble moral character.

But today, Wei Guangde has doubts about this. Gao Gong's actions are too fast, and he has to consider the conspiracy.

Knowing that Prince Yu has many problems, Gao Gong is still full of confidence in Prince Yu. Why?

Gao Gong is not stupid. Naturally, he knows that there is only one person who can compete with Prince Yu for the throne, and that is Prince Jing.

If, from that time on, Gao Gong had deployed people around Prince Jing to kill him in the future and completely solve the hidden dangers, then Gao Gong was a man who had a far-reaching plan and was ruthless.

The news that Yan Shifan was arrested in his hometown of Yuanzhou Prefecture, Jiangxi Province, began to spread rapidly in the capital. Although the news that King Jing was seriously ill was spread, it was not as topical as Yan Shifan.

Although King Jing was the son of the current Emperor Jiajing, Yan Shifan still topped the list of popular topics. Even though he had been away from Beijing for two years, the stories about his extravagant and licentious life in the market were still the topic of conversation after dinner.

The interest of ordinary people in gossip has never changed from ancient times to the present.

Yan Shifan's life, whether envy or yearning, aroused people's interest in talking about it.

Wei Guangde had been in the capital for many years and had already completed his own information acquisition channels.

The news about the market and business was collected by the servants led by Zhang Ji, but most of this news was useless and seemed to be more acceptable for entertainment.

The wind direction changes in the court were mostly caused by his peers and colleagues in various government offices in the capital, and then there was the intelligence collection from Prince Yu's Mansion and the news from the palace. It can be said that it basically covered the entire capital inside and outside.

Wei Guangde also knew these situations in the folk and official circles in the next few days.

However, at this time, he chose to keep a low profile and went to the Proofreading Office to copy the "Great Code" honestly every day, urging the transcribers to seize the time and copy carefully.

In fact, Wei Guangde had received the news from Chen Ju that Emperor Jiajing was very concerned about copying the "Yongle Encyclopedia", but he did not ask the Ministry of Rites, but asked the people of the East Factory to keep a secret eye on the progress of the copying.

Wei Guangde certainly knew that Emperor Jiajing loved the "Yongle Encyclopedia". When this love became a little extreme, it would naturally make him have other ideas.

Perhaps, the majesty also knew that he was about to die and could not bear it.

It's just that he wanted to focus on the proofreading ceremony, but Prince Yu would not let him do so. From time to time, eunuchs would come to find him and ask him to go to Prince Yu's mansion.

As the team escorting Yan Shifan got closer and closer to the capital, the atmosphere in Prince Yu's mansion gradually became tense. Prince Yu would talk to Wei Guangde every now and then, repeatedly reminding him to pay attention to Yan Shifan's confession and avoid any possible trouble.

Capital, Ministry of Works lobby.

"Li Langzhong, as the chief officer of the Dushui Qingli Division, I am sending you to Jiujiang to supervise the construction of the grain transport boats. This is a matter of great importance.

Wang Langzhong, you also have a great responsibility. This time, His Majesty has ordered Yunnan and Nanjing to cast copper coins for Beijing. As the chief officer of the Yuheng Qingli Division, smelting and casting coins are within your authority. You must not be careless. If there is a mistake in the copper coins sent to the capital, I dare not protect you."

Two Langzhongs, three Yuanwailangs, and several principals from the four Qingli Divisions of the Ministry of Works are here at this time. The Shangshu and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works assign them tasks, so naturally they leave Beijing and go to the local areas for official business.

"Lord Lei, I..."

Wang Chengzhang, Langzhong of the Yuheng Qingli Division, was about to speak when he was interrupted by Lei Li.

"Chengzhang, this time you are going on a business trip, which is something that the cabinet and we have discussed for a long time. We should have set off after the New Year, but after all, it is a serious matter. The cabinet has instructed us to send someone as soon as possible."

Wang Chengzhang wanted to say something, but the two ministers looked at him with a very stern look, and the chill in their eyes made him shudder.

After everyone left, Lei Li looked at his two deputies and said, "Keep a close eye on them. If anyone causes trouble, hand them over to the Ministry of Personnel for handling."

"Yes, sir."

The two ministers bowed and accepted the order.

In the past two days, similar conversations continued to occur in major yamen in the capital. Groups of officials were assigned to inspect work in various places, and their schedules were arranged without delay.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue are either sent to various provinces to check taxes and levies, or they go to important towns in Jiubian to verify military salary expenditures. The Ministry of Works is naturally responsible for inspecting projects in various places, and the Ministry of Criminal Affairs goes to various provinces to review the case files concluded this year. This has not happened for many years. The purpose of this big move is naturally to keep the administration of officials clean and clear.

Even the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate began to be dispatched on a large scale to conduct overt and covert inspections of the people's conditions under the rule of officials in various places.

Not many people know that just two days ago, Xu Jie secretly summoned officials from six departments and five temples to hold a secret meeting. After reaching an agreement, it gradually expanded to include ministers and young ministers from various yamen. meeting.

Now in the imperial court, the officials of the Yan family have been eliminated from the ranks of court officials, and the adults who now have the right to speak do not like the Yan family, because they have been suppressed by the Yan family in the past.

For example, Lei Li, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, with the title of Minister can only travel around to guide and inspect projects, and the position of the official of the Ministry of Industry is firmly controlled by Wu Peng, Ouyang Bijin and other people from the Yan family, because everyone knows bright.

After finally driving away Yan Dang and his family, no one still hopes that Yan Shifan can return to the capital. Even if there is only a slight possibility, they will be completely strangled in the cradle.

Prince Yu's Mansion was also well aware of the changes in the imperial court and was very supportive of Xu Jie's arrangements.

In December of the forty-third year of Jiajing, as the Chinese New Year was approaching, the convoy escorting Yan Shifan finally arrived in the capital after a long journey overland.

Outside the city, officials from the Ministry of Punishment took notes from the Cabinet and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, verified Lin Run's identity, and took Yan Shifan away. A special cell had been prepared for him and his party member Luo Longwen in the Prison of the Ministry of Punishment.

At this time, Yan Shifan, Luo Longwen and others still had no idea about the situation in the capital.

How could Lin Run give him a chance to contact people outside and understand the situation outside.

He was personally supervised by his own servants, and no unrelated persons were allowed to approach the prison car where Yan Shifan was being held. The servants also prepared food and drinks along the way, for fear that someone might do something secretly.

The delegation from Yuanzhou Mansion gave Lin Run and the servants a deeper understanding of the power of the Yan family.

Thousands of long-term workers, this is what they are doing.

There are also the luxurious manors that stretch for miles, and the interior can be called a kind of small town. It is no wonder that the Yan family does not live in the city. With such a scale, even Yuanzhou Fucheng can only be included in the Yan Mansion.

You wouldn't know if you didn't check. Lin Run really didn't expect there to be such a wealthy family in the world.

According to Li Guojianchen, the Secretary of the Yuanzhou Prefecture, the Yan family has more than thirty manors in Jiangxi, and there are more than ten outside Jiangxi. This shows the extent of the Yan family's corruption during Yan Song's reign.

Although those houses are not as good as the old house here, they can all be called a mansion.

Lin Run was actually thinking about how to turn Yan Shifan's case into a solid case along the way. He didn't want to use tricks such as frame-up, but seeing the power of the Yan family, he had to deal with it carefully.

Finally, on the way, he thought of another impeachable charge.

Speaking of which, if he didn't know that the Yan family had so many mansions and built them on precious land selected by Feng Shui Taoist priests, he wouldn't have thought of this evidence of crime.

Regardless of whether this accusation can be proven or not, the censor has heard about it. With so many properties in the Yan family, it is impossible not to find someone to check the feng shui.

According to Feng Shui, whether it is to gather wealth or energy, or to have dragon veins, it is just a matter of those people opening their mouths. Lin Run is not worried at all about being falsely accused.

Are there many ministers framed by Yan Shifan?

A few days ago, he had received news from his friends in the capital. Most of the officials in the capital who might be related to the Yan family had been sent out on foreign missions. As long as Yan Shifan entered the capital, he would probably fall into isolation in the short term. It’s a helpless situation, so there’s no need to worry.

After handing Yan Shifan to the officials of the Ministry of Punishment, Lin Run did not find a place to rest, but went directly to the General Affairs Department.

The current General Affairs Department is no longer the place where Luo Longwen was in power. As the influence of the General Affairs Department has gradually weakened, no one is interested in it. It has become a retirement home for the elderly who lost their chance of promotion due to severe party persecution in the past few years. land.

When Lin Run stepped into the General Affairs Department and submitted his latest memorial to impeach Yan Shifan, the interior of the General Affairs Department became lively again.

"Censor Lin said that Yan Shifan was in Jiangxi and sent a large number of people who were good at Feng Shui to choose the treasure land with dragon energy to buy houses."

"The Yan family is really brave."

"The Yan family really has such courage, I'm afraid that may not be the case."

"How could it not be possible? In the last impeachment, it was said that Yan Shifan kept dead soldiers in his hometown and also supported more than 4,000 gangsters."

The news about the general affairs envoy's office spread like the wind to all the major government offices and noble mansions in the capital.

"A person who is good at Feng Shui, a Taoist priest looking for dragon veins, Lord Lin Runlin's impeachment letter is quite harsh."

Wei Guangde took a deep breath when he heard Lu Bu running in and whispering the news.

Throughout the ages, the most intolerable thing for emperors is actually the disloyalty of some of their subordinates who intend to get involved in the imperial power.

Lin Run's impeachment can be said to have pushed the Yan family to the edge of the cliff. If it is confirmed, the entire Yan family may be buried with it.

"I should have received my letter at home, but I don't know if I have found the Taoist priest."

Wei Guangde sat on a chair, subconsciously rubbing his chin with his left hand.

Isn't the friend of his teacher a Taoist priest who is good at Feng Shui?

Closing his eyes slightly, Wei Guangde began to deduce whether Yan Shifan would be hit and lose confidence if he knew that something happened to King Jing.

It would be best if he collapsed directly because of this, and confessed to whatever crime he was told, so that everyone would be relieved.

But if it doesn't make everyone relieved, then we have to find some evidence, at least to give an explanation to the emperor.

If there is another person like Master Lin to corroborate this memorial of Lin Run, it is unknown whether Yan Shifan's theft of the dragon vein will be confirmed.

Even if there is no Master Lin, then find someone else. Anyway, whether it is true or not, this is a crime that is enough to make Emperor Jiajing want to kill.

Although Wei Guangde was still young at that time, his thoughts were not those of a ten-year-old child after all. It should be said that he barely had the consciousness of an adult, so he was still very clear about what happened that year.

The person who had contact with the Wei family from beginning to end was Master Lin, so if the Wei family wanted to take back or even seize the fields near Jiujiang, it would be difficult if they couldn't find Master Lin.

Judging from the situation at that time, this Master Lin was probably the manager of the Yan family in Jiujiang Prefecture. As for the benefits he could get, most of them were the support of the Yan family for the Taoist temple in Mount Lu.

Emperor Jiajing believed in Taoism and allocated a lot of inner treasury silver to Taoist temples in various places every year. In order to get closer to the palace, many Taoist temples maintained close relations with the inner court.

Not only did they copy various Taoist secrets into the palace, but they also recommended Taoist masters, etc.

In these activities, Taoists naturally came into contact with the emperor's close ministers, so Wei Guangde was not surprised at all that there were Taoists who had made peace with the Yan family.

Wei Guangde made up his mind to send someone to send a letter to his hometown overnight when he returned home to confirm the news of Master Lin, as a trump card prepared by Wei Guangde for Yan Shifan.

At that time, whether he pleaded guilty or not, he would be charged with the crime of stealing the dragon vein with the intention of rebellion.

Soon, Lu Buyou came into the room and reported: "Sir, the eunuchs in the palace have sent news. Please go to the palace to talk when you have time."

"Because Yan Shifan was taken to the prison of the Ministry of Justice?"

Wei Guangde asked casually.

"Yes."

Lu Bu replied in a low voice.

"I know, you go and inform my coachman to prepare the carriage, and I will go out in a while."

He pointed to the books on the desk and said: "After I go out, the old rules are still followed. You put them away separately."

"Yes, sir."

Lu Bu agreed and left the room.

Looking at his back as he left, thinking of the scene when they first met, Wei Guangde couldn't help but sigh in a low voice: "No wonder they use their own family members to do these things. Who would have thought that you, a small character who is in danger every day, are also a member of the Jinyiwei."