Ming Dynasty Road

Chapter 40 Rumors Spread
Xicheng commercial street is full of traffic during the day, and it is very lively. Most of the merchants from all over the capital gather here, and most of the most popular things in the capital are also here. Cars and horses stop at the entrance of the commercial street. Then there were richly dressed businessmen or rich children, under the pretense of the servants, striding into the bustling commercial street.

If he hadn't been on the scene, Zhao Yi would never have imagined that the business of the Ming Dynasty would be so developed. In Zhao Yi's mind, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the lives of the common people were miserable, and there were very few merchants. Unexpectedly, there are such good resources under the jurisdiction of the West City Guard.

Zhao Yi stood at the intersection of the commercial street and observed for a while, then pulled Niu Yong beside him, and said, "Let's go, go back."

Niu Yong was stunned, and said, "My lord, we are not."

"It's nothing, don't talk nonsense, let's go." Before Niu Yong finished speaking, Zhao Yi stopped the second half of Niu Yong's words, followed by Zhao Yi's words of trial: "You boy is getting more and more serious now. The more you talk, the more you dare to talk to Xiaomei about anything, right?"

When Niu Yong heard Zhao Yi's words, his face turned red, and Niu Yong's face, which was not pale at first, turned the color of an eggplant, and he said in a low voice: "My lord, I...I, the matter about the flying fish suit last time, I just I just chatted with Xiaomei casually." Looking at Niu Yong's face, Zhao Yi thought it was very funny, seeing the crowd coming and going, Zhao Yi was afraid that Niu Yong would say more, so he stopped talking.

Zhao Yi took Niu Yong to go around the jurisdiction of Xicheng, went back to Qianhu's office, and ordered all the captains to go home.

For several days in a row, Zhao Yi took Niu Yong out for inspections every day. Every evening, he returned to the Qianhu Office to deal with official business and then went home. The weather in the capital was getting colder and colder. The lieutenants wore thin clothes every day when they went out, and they were cold and full of resentment every day.

And I don't know when, news began to appear in the capital that there were Tazi spies lurking in the commercial street. In the well-informed place in the capital, it was spread in less than a few days, and the news was spread with certainty. In this way, for a while, all the gossip in the capital focused on the commercial street in the west city.

"Yo, Master Wang, have you heard? It is said that spies from the Qing Tartars have infiltrated the Xicheng Commercial Street, saying that they want to avenge our troubles in Shengjing. I also heard that they are from Dongchang Those who responded, what do you call this, the Tartars and us have a deep blood feud."

"Master Li, you can't talk nonsense about this. If the fans in Dongchang hear this, they will have to torture you."

"Oh, I forgot about this, thank you, Mr. Wang, see you later, I have to go now."

At the beginning, these news were only chatted by the common people in secret, and gradually began to be discussed in the street in broad daylight. Suddenly, rumors spread in the commercial street of Xicheng in the middle of the capital, and the momentum reached the extreme.

"My lord Qianhu, when I was patrolling the streets recently, I found many abnormalities. People everywhere in our west city are talking about rumors that there are Tazi spies in the commercial street. Some daring ordinary people said that they would go to the commercial street to catch the Tartars..."

In the main hall of Qianhu Institute, Zhao Yi was sitting in front of the table, holding a book and reading it meticulously, while listening to the report of the school captain under the hall.

After listening to the captain's report, Zhao Yi just nodded slightly, then put the book he was looking at on the table, then raised his head, and said lightly: "I see, let's go down."

"Master Qianhu, it's a rumor..."

"Okay." Zhao Yi said with a gentle voice, smiling like a spring breeze: "Our Daming is free of speech, don't make people panic because of some rumors, we are not the gang of Dongchang, don't worry about things you don't care about, don't cause trouble Does the upper body know? Go down."

The lieutenant resigned and left with a vague understanding.

Zhao Yi picked up the book on the table and looked at it seriously. After a while, he smiled involuntarily, and said to himself: "It depends on you."

*****
The layout of the Dongji Office Yamen near Donghua Gate is much more luxurious than Jinyiwei's Qianhusuo, and the guards at the gate are much stricter than Jinyiwei.

Right here in the lobby of Dongjishi Factory, a high-quality cloisonné porcelain fell to the ground with a bang, and the broken pieces scattered in all directions. Several people kneeling nearby were immediately hit by the pieces. , The bright red blood flowed down immediately.

Several people in the lobby knelt on the ground, not daring to move, not daring to breathe out, even though their heads were full of blood, they didn't even dare to hum.

"Tell me why there are rumors everywhere in the capital. They all say that there are Tazi spies in the commercial street, and that our Dongchang fanzi are taking care of them. Do you know that the people all over the city are talking about this matter now? , Some people even said that they were planning to go to the commercial street to catch tartars, you all know the benefits of the commercial street, if there is any mistake in the commercial street, you all wait for me to die."

It was Zhao Yi's old acquaintance, Eunuch Zeng Zhicheng who was speaking. At this time, Eunuch Zeng's face was ferocious, and he was full of anger. Although his voice like a drake was ridiculous, Eunuch Zeng was imposing, like an angry lion. He was the one who threw the cloisonné porcelain bottle on the ground just now. This porcelain bottle was originally Zeng Gonggong's favorite thing, but at other times, others would not even dare to touch it.

After he vented his anger, he turned and returned to the chair, his dark eyes fell on the Dongchang fanzi who were kneeling on the ground.

"Eunuch Zeng" a military officer sitting in the lobby smiled slightly, put the teacup in his hand on the table, and said slowly: "The old man who is nine thousand years old said that this matter is not so simple, there must be someone What a joke, this matter still needs to be discussed in the long run."

This military officer is Wei Zhongxian's confidant, Cui Chengxiu, the leader of the five tigers. Today, because Wei Zhongxian has to deal with the affairs of the palace, he sent his confidant Cui Chengxiu to the East Factory to convey the news. He is a confidant who is [-] years old, so even if Eunuch Zeng sees him, he has to smile with him and dare not take it too seriously.

Seeing Cui Chengxiu's words, Eunuch Zeng showed a hint of flattery on his gloomy face, and said with a smile, "Our family doesn't know what to do. I don't know what Nine Thousand Years means?"

Cui Chengxiu tasted Kouxiang tea. In terms of various abilities, he is much better than Zeng Gonggong. Cui Chengxiu smiled slightly and said: "Now we need to find out where the source of this incident comes from. Jiu Qiansui suspects that someone deliberately spread it. According to rumors, Nine Thousand Years thinks that Zhao Yi took the risk for the benefit of the commercial street, maybe this is what Zhao Yi has planned for a long time."

Eunuch Zeng took a deep breath, pondered for a while, and then said: "Then Master Cui means..."

Cui Chengxiu smiled contemptuously. Compared with these eunuchs who only talk about sissies, Cui Chengxiu's thoughts are much more meticulous. Cui Chengxiu said slowly: "Spread out all the fanboys in the East Factory, I want the commercial street." There are no dead ends here, and Nine Thousand Years doesn’t want to hear any bad news from the commercial street, understand?”

Hearing the words nine thousand years old, Eunuch Zeng's face twitched unnaturally, and he quickly said: "Understood, I understand, please go back and tell Jiu Qiansui, Mr. Cui, the humble job will never let the commercial street make any mistakes."

Cui Chengxiu immediately smiled, and said: "Very well, I will go back then, you can do it yourself, Jiu Qiansui handed over the East Factory to you to take care of, because I trust you, don't let Jiu Qiansui down." After Cui Chengxiu finished speaking, he shook Sleeve away.

*****
On Xicheng Commercial Street, a group of people spontaneously organized. More and more people gathered at the intersection of the commercial street, and the closer they were to the commercial street, the more excited the crowd was. At this time, Dongchang Fanzi, who was sitting on the commercial street, came back to his senses.

It was only today that the superiors passed the word that if something happens in the commercial street, it must be reported as soon as possible. Right now, these people are about to rush into the commercial street. If these people really make a fuss, I will definitely lose my head.

Thinking of this, Dongchang Fanzi's face became ferocious, and Fanzi jumped up suddenly, and shouted towards the commercial street: "Brothers, why are you still standing there, quickly, block the street entrance." He shouted With a cry, he drew out his waist knife without hesitation, and quickly rushed to the intersection of the commercial street. Standing at the intersection with the horizontal knife, he shouted: "Dongchang fans are here, are you planning to rebel?" ? They all go back."

Fanzi's waist knife shone with a frightening coldness, but this fanzi knew that he could not deter these people with his own sword, but the rest of Fanzi hadn't rushed over yet, if he didn't stop them, let them If they rushed into the commercial street, he would definitely die, but the factory had issued a death order, and the commercial street must not be allowed to make mistakes.

The Dongchang fans who were sitting in other commercial streets heard his shouts, and they all rushed out one after another, each of them drew their waist knives, and shouted loudly: "Dongchang fans are here, step down, whoever is here?" If you take a step forward, it will cost your dog's life."

The people began to see a Dongchang fan came out to block their way into the commercial street, and they were stunned when they saw hundreds of Dongchang fans pouring in from the commercial street. Dongchang had long been notorious, and the common people In the beginning, they rushed over with the team relying on the heat of their heads. At this time, seeing the gleaming waist knives of the Daodongchang fans, they all retreated slowly. At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted "So what about the Dongchang fanzi? You colluded with the Manchu Tartars. You are traitors. Don't be afraid, just rush in."

The people who were already thinking of retreating, heard this shout, and the people regained their spirits, rolled up their sleeves one after another, and rushed towards the Dongchang fans at the street like a tide.

All of a sudden, the crowds in the commercial street surged, and the Dongchang fanzi did not dare to do anything to the people without receiving orders. They could only pull up a human wall to block the people's progress. In the chaos, someone made a cry Howled like a pig: "It's not good, Dongchang Fanzi killed someone, run away." I saw bright red blood splashed all over the ground, and in panic, I didn't care to see who was injured. When they heard the shout and looked at the blood on the ground, they all scattered and fled in fright, shouting the news that Dongchang Fanzi had killed people and scattered in all directions.

(End of this chapter)