Chapter 115: Jinyi goes on patrol! "Little King of Hell" commands the whole hall with one word
In the main hall, Zhao Duan held the letter in his hand, looking thoughtful.
Unlike Feng Ju and the other two, they were worried and fearful, doubting whether he would help them.
The moment he saw the letter, Zhao Duan decided to lend a helping hand.
The question is, how?
Directly "assemble the troops", use Feng Ju as a witness, and arrest Marquis Xia Jiang?
This option is the most convenient and enjoyable, but its feasibility is too low.
In previous films, TV dramas and novels, organizations like the "East and West Factories" and the "Jinyiwei" would often use the pretext of "imperial authorization to execute first and report later" to make arbitrary arrests and act lawless.
But after Zhao Duan looked through the historical materials, he discovered that there was some artistic processing involved.
Can the imperial court bypass the three judicial departments and arrest people directly? Yes.
But the prerequisite is "the emperor's order", that is, if the empress now issues an edict to Ma Yan, asking him to arrest someone or investigate a major case.
The power of the officials in the imperial yamen will immediately expand, and they will show the style of a violent machine.
Illegal torture, wanton killings, fabricated charges, labeling, and collective punishment... every dirty trick imaginable is used to the extreme.
It is equivalent to applying a time-limited "rage" buff.
However, if there is no imperial order, in the normal course of investigation, if you want to arrest someone, you must follow a set of procedures according to the ancestral system:
The chief officer must first issue a "jiaotie", which is similar to an arrest warrant, and then submit the jiaotie to the Jieshizhong Yamen of the Ministry of Justice for "approval".
If the Jieshizhong rejects it, it cannot be executed.
Going to other places to handle cases and arrest people is even more troublesome, as one also needs to obtain the seal of the Imperial Household Department.
Multiple government offices approve the documents at the same time, and there are verification passes when entering the city gate.
These measures are aimed at restricting this violent machine and preventing it from getting out of control.
During the 600-year reign of the Dayu Dynasty, a mature model for restricting the imperial edicts had already been developed.
After the empress ascended the throne, in order to cope with the complex situation, she relaxed the imperial court to a certain extent.
So when Zhao Duan arrested 58 officials last time, he only needed to issue an "arrest warrant" himself, but he could not touch anyone above the fifth rank.
The Marquis was also a member of the upper class among the nobles, and he agreed to arrest Suma Yan.
What's more, with Xia Jianghou's military power at the "Shen Zhang" level, it would not be safe to capture him rashly. At least the cooperation of other halls would be required.
…
"Given my cheap senior brother's character, he would never allow me to arrest a hereditary marquis without any actual evidence and based only on Feng Ju's one-sided statement." Zhao Duan had a clear judgment on this.
It was clearly written in Feng Ju's letter.
Marquis Xiajiang only sent a servant to convey this meaning intentionally or unintentionally.
But the entire process was not written down on paper, and there was no third party to listen.
Things like this can only be understood intuitively, and it is impossible to leave any evidence.
Just like when Zhao Duan and Feng Ju conspired on the black-covered boat, both sides also riddled each other during that conversation.
So, Feng Ju said that Xia Jianghou was kidnapped?
How to prove it?
"Without evidence, there's no way to bring Ma Yan, who has always followed the rules and never shown favoritism, to justice."
Zhao Duan shook his head:
"Then go directly to the palace and report to the Empress? Ask Zhenbao for help?"
Zhao Duan was confident that as long as he spoke to the empress, she would definitely order the matter to be resolved.
Not only can it help Feng Ju escape from the predicament, the empress will definitely take action to punish Marquis Xia Jiang and even Princess Yunyang.
The two were forbidden to cause trouble to him again.
“It seems to be the simplest and will solve all problems once and for all, but it has two drawbacks!”
First, asking the empress to solve the problem would probably delay time. Xu Zhenguan would not be able to leave the palace to handle such matters personally, so he would definitely delegate it to someone else.
You may also get into a fight with that "aunt".
But Feng Ju's daughter was kidnapped, and what he lacked most was time!
Not to mention that every second of delay would increase the danger. The people under Xia Jianghou might not abide by the rules.
Just talking about women of this era, they attach the most importance to reputation.
If you are missing for more than one night, even if you are rescued in the end, how will the people around you view it?
Zhao Duan thought to himself that he was not a "good person".
But he couldn't do such a thing as implicating an innocent woman and ruining her reputation because of his deeds.
This doesn't even take into account the possibility that, in extreme cases, Xia Jianghou might silence someone in order to cover up his crime.
Even if there is only a slight possibility, it would be a devastating blow to the Feng family.
“Furthermore, if I report this to the Empress at this time, considering the incident is not serious yet, the other party will not have the chance to harm me.
As well as the relationship with her as an 'aunt', we also have to consider the reaction of the nobles, so the final punishment may not be too severe!"
This is also something Zhao Duan is unwilling to accept.
"How can we guard against thieves for a thousand days? If we don't inflict pain and fear on the enemy in one go, even if they fear the Empress and temporarily stop their attacks, they might still pop up one day and secretly trip me up."
Zhao Duan thought about it.
I still think that the best solution is to do it yourself.
First find a way to rescue the people.
Then they would detain the pawns who were ordered to kidnap and pry open their mouths, so that they would have satisfactory evidence.
Only by proving the crime of "Marquis Xia Jiang kidnapping the family of an imperial official" and then taking action can we seize the initiative.
"But how do we rescue them? Find the kidnappers?"
Zhao Duan frowned.
The capital is so big, and since Marquis Xia Jiang dared to do such a taboo, his method must be very covert.
It is not easy to rescue someone before they can react.
While Zhao Duan was thinking, he suddenly felt that there seemed to be something else in the envelope.
He poured it out and looked at it, then was stunned.
There are two pieces of paper inside.
One document clearly stated the time and place of Feng Lianlian's disappearance, the clothes she was wearing, and her appearance, age and other related descriptions.
The other one is more simply a portrait.
The painter's brushwork is exquisite, and the young woman's charm and appearance are vividly portrayed on the paper.
"Old Feng is quite thoughtful..."
Zhao Duan was surprised, but suddenly an idea came to his mind:
"I have a portrait and a name, but I wonder if the magic weapon will work."
He reached into his bosom, took out a small silver mirror half the size of his palm, and turned over the four words "Feng Yue Bao Jian" on the back.
Silently in my mind, I sketched Feng Lianlian's appearance and recited her name.
Gradually, ripples appeared on the mirror surface.
It was blurry at first, but when Zhao Duan almost gave up, a picture finally emerged slowly.
It was a dark house that looked like a woodshed.
Tied to the ground with hemp rope was a woman whose clothes and appearance were very similar to the portrait.
“It actually works…”
Zhao Duan's mind moved, and he tried to use his mind to move the image in the mirror away from him.
I could vaguely see that it was a residential house.
There seemed to be several people guarding the courtyard. At the gate, there was a half-portrait of a "door god", and a red flower was painted on the door.
"Buzz——" The image in the mirror shattered, as if the magic power was exhausted.
Zhao Duan immediately fetched a pen and paper, copied down the landmarks he had seen near the house, and called Qian Kerou over:
"Can you tell where this is?"
The secretary watched his mysterious operation eagerly, feeling extremely curious.
He stretched his neck to look and said:
"It seems to be heading east of the city. I see the Drum Tower... Hey, this is the mark of the Red Flower Society. It must be one of its branches."
The Red Flower Society... the largest gang in the capital's underground world... and behind it is Marquis Xia Jiang... Zhao Duan's eyes lit up when he thought of the description.
Everything fits together.
"Very good," he said without hesitation, picking up his pen and quickly writing another letter, handing it to her:
"Tell the officer to pass this on to Feng Ju. Remember to be discreet and be careful not to be noticed."
"Yes." Qian Kerou nodded obediently.
Zhao Duan then handed her the copied drawing paper with Feng Lianlian's portrait superimposed on it:
"Make a few copies of the previous painting, call Hou Renmeng and the others, bring our people, and go check it out immediately!
We must find this place before dark today!
How many branches could the Red Flower Society have in the capital? Even if I have to use the most foolish method, I have to investigate them one by one and find them!
Control the people inside and bring them back safely."
The woman in her early twenties, with a rather handsome appearance and clear, foolish eyes, was stunned for a moment and said:
"However, with such a vague range, I'm afraid that the manpower in our hall is not enough."
The key is that there is not enough time, and it is only two hours before dark.
Zhao Duan said coldly:
"Then send the portrait to the other sects and tell them that I need to borrow their people. If they refuse, I will go to their homes to negotiate."
"Well……"
Qian Kerou was stunned. Seeing the coldness in Zhao Duan's eyes, she couldn't help but shiver despite the scorching heat.
"Yes! I'll do it immediately!"
Since I rushed out in a hurry, I was confused:
Which unlucky guy has offended his own little devil?
…
…
In a private room of a teahouse in the capital.
The slightly plump scholar paced back and forth in the room without stopping for a moment.
Beside the tea table, the middle-aged man wearing a futou also looked distressed:
"Brother Zigu, please don't leave. You're making me dizzy."
The slightly plump scholar sighed:
"Changfeng, you said Old Feng has been gone for quite a while, why hasn't he come back yet? I'm afraid he's been detained by that Zhao guy? Otherwise, why don't you go and take a look?"
The middle-aged man with a bun head shook his head and said:
"If he is really detained, his servants left outside will report it. If the two of us go there rashly, it will alert Marquis Xia Jiang's spies and cause trouble."
"well."
The slightly plump scholar was about to speak when suddenly the door of the box was opened.
The two were suddenly startled, only to see Feng Ju walking in in a daze.
"What happened? Have you seen the man named Zhao? What did he say?" The two men hurriedly stood up and asked.
Feng Ju hesitated to speak and handed a piece of paper in his hand to the two of them.
There were only three words written on the letter:
"knew."
Got it? What does that mean?
The slightly overweight scholar: "He didn't say anything else? Just these three words?"
Feng Ju nodded, sat down dejectedly, his face full of disappointment.
The ambiguous reply made him feel unsure whether to help or not.
The middle-aged man with a bun hat pondered for a moment and said:
"Since he didn't arrest you, it means he has no intention of silencing you. I think he must have taken some action. It's useless to overthink it. Since you've already asked him, you've already given up on agreeing to Marquis Xia Jiang. You can only wait patiently, maybe there will be a turnaround."
Feng Ju nodded silently. For now, his only option was to wait.
The two friends looked at each other and sighed silently.
I no longer have confidence that Zhao Duan will save people.
…
Narcissus Hall.
"What? You want to borrow someone from us? To help Zhao Duan with his work?"
Haitang, who had a high ponytail, looked heroic and had a bag full of throwing knives hanging around her waist, was stunned for a moment.
The subordinate in front of him nodded:
"This is the portrait the other party handed over. You weren't here just now, and he seemed very anxious. He left after saying something, as if he wanted to go to each hall one by one."
All the gangs with the surname Zhao need to borrow people... Haitang raised her eyebrows.
He thought that although many people in the yamen had privately given him the nickname "Little King of Hell" in the past two days.
He is secretly regarded as the most difficult person to deal with after the Governor.
But that doesn't mean that he, Zhao, really has the authority to give them orders.
We are all at the same level, so who is in charge?
"Did the other party say anything else?" Haitang asked.
The subordinate hesitated and said, "Zhao Jisi said that if you don't help, he will come to talk to you in person later."
What an attitude!
Haitang was so angry that her eyebrows raised, her chest heaved, and she looked unhappy.
"Sir, then we are..." the subordinate asked weakly.
Haitang cursed:
"Lend it! Lend it to him! Just think of it as me being scared of him this time, okay!"
The subordinate quietly left and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the sound of Haitang throwing things in the hall.
If possible, the Jinyis of Narcissus Hall did not want to provoke that "Little King of Hell".
I'm just borrowing someone's help, there's no need to become hostile.
…
Peony Hall.
"Borrow someone?"
Zhang Han, with a expressionless face and pale skin, stared at the new girl in the hall and asked in confusion.
Qian Kerou was a little intimidated facing the number one person under the governor alone, but thinking that she was representing the reputation of Lihuatang, she straightened her back and said with a stern face:
"Yes. My master said that if you..."
"Okay." Zhang Han put away the scroll, stood up and walked to the door, called over a dozen captains, and began to deploy troops.
“…” Qian Kerou was stunned. She didn’t expect it to be so smooth.
Is even Zhang Han so afraid of his own little King of Hell?
"Anything else?" After Zhang Han finished arranging the staff, he turned his head and looked at her in confusion.
"No..." Qian Kerou turned to leave, but Zhang Han suddenly remembered something and called her:
"By the way, go back and tell Zhao Duan that the gate of my courtyard was broken by the Hou people. Your Lihua Hall is responsible for paying to repair the gate."
"……oh."
So, that afternoon, a strange scene occurred in the imperial court.
Qian Kerou walked around the eight halls.
Afterwards, the nine halls successively sent out groups of people, each holding a hastily copied map, and rushed to various directions of the capital.
Target:
All those who resembled the portrait were scattered across the capital's halls by the Red Flower Society.
In an instant, countless men in brocade robes came out, their horses' hooves thundering, startling the people along the way and making them look sideways.
I wondered which high-ranking official in the court was going to fall?
How could it cause such a big commotion?
What no one expected was...
Zhao Duan issued an order, and all the gangs of the Red Flower Society were broken into and searched by a group of ferocious officials in the afternoon near dusk.
…
East of the city.
In a remote house with a closed gate.
About five or six gang members sat around a square table in the yard, eating meat and drinking.
In the sunlight, the red flower marks painted on the courtyard gate and the blurred portraits of the door gods reflected a blood-like light.
The leader, a burly man with red flowers embroidered on his collar, took a sip of wine from his bowl, looked towards the tightly closed wooden door, and sneered:
"That little bitch is really energetic. She's been tied up for so long and still struggles."
…
Typos should be corrected first and then replaced
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
