The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 12 Fire merger
A gust of cold wind blew, and Li Hu tightened his official uniform and sighed in his heart. Although Dai Quan did not say it explicitly, his meaning was that the Ministry of Internal Affairs should not be involved.

Since the Ministry of Internal Affairs cannot be involved, the original plan is no longer feasible. Either they have to arrest them halfway or storm the hideout, which would make it impossible to guarantee the safety of the children.

Thinking of this, Li Hu sighed.

Zhang Cheng: "Sir."

Li Hu: "According to previous rules, these ships will return to Jiangnan in seven days. Get ready."

Just as he finished speaking, there was another burst of hurried horse hoof sounds.

A cavalryman from the Southern Camp in civilian clothes galloped over here, pulled the reins hard in front of the gate, jumped off his horse, and knelt down in front of Li Hu: "Sir, General Zhang Qian's spy was captured by the Jinyiwei while he was stalking."

Li Hu was startled and asked anxiously, "What's going on?"

The man said, "I don't know. When I was staking out at the horse market, two people suddenly appeared and dragged me into the alley. One of them I happened to have seen before. He was from the Northern Pacification Division."

Zhang Cheng: "Where are the people?"

That person: "He was sent to the Northern Pacification Division."

Zhang Cheng was anxious: "Sir!"

Li Hu: "How much does that person know?"

Zhang Cheng hesitated for a moment and replied, "Except for Ni Er, everyone else only knows the target they are following."

Li Hu felt relieved when he heard that. After thinking for a while, he said, "Take my note to the Northern Pacification Office immediately and tell them directly that I am a spy from the Southern Camp. Ask them not to torture me. I will go to the palace to see Chief Steward Dai now." After that, he took the whip from the Southern Camp cavalry, mounted his horse, squeezed his legs together, and rode towards the inner city.

The Jinyiwei was divided into the Southern Zhenfu Division and the Northern Zhenfu Division. The Northern Zhenfu Division was responsible for secretly spying on civil and military officials, and was also responsible for spying on other countries' intelligence, counter-espionage and other tasks.

The Northern Pacification Office had its own imperial prison and could arrest, interrogate, sentence and execute people on its own without going through the general judicial system.

There were countless places where "civil officials dismounted from their sedan chairs and military officials dismounted from their horses" under the emperor's feet, and ordinary people had to take detours. But even the civil and military officials avoided the imperial prison of the Northern Pacification Office, not wanting to see the deep blue brick wall that was about a mile long and two feet high, and even less to see the two black lacquer doors.

Therefore, this road is very quiet all year round, especially after dusk, when not only is there no one walking, but no birds even fly by.

Looking at the tightly closed lacquer door, Zhang Cheng kept clenching his hands and walked back and forth in front of the door impatiently, stopping from time to time to look at the end of the alley.

Zhang Cheng never expected that the Northern Pacification Office would be so disrespectful and not give him any way out.

He could only hope that Li Hu would come quickly with the emperor's handwritten edict.

At this moment, the small door on the right side of the big door opened, and a captain from the Northern Pacification Division came out with a number of Jinyiwei.

The captain of the Northern Pacification Division first glanced at Zhang Cheng and others, then led a group of people towards the East City.

Zhang Cheng was startled at first, then his face suddenly changed, and he hurriedly said to his trusted confidant behind him: "I'll go to Ni Er to drag him, you go back quickly to call people and bring weapons!"

The confidant nodded and ran out like the wind.

Zhang Cheng sighed deeply. He still underestimated the means of the Northern Pacification Division. They got the confession so quickly. If Ni Er fell into the hands of the Northern Pacification Division, they could only close the net in advance, so that the big fish would slip through the net and there would be endless troubles!
No matter what, Ni Er must not fall into the hands of the Northern Pacification Office, even if a conflict breaks out between the two sides.

Zhang Cheng said to another confidant: "You go to Di'anmen Street and wait for the adults." After that, he led a few soldiers and chased after them at the speed of lightning.

The guards are tight and it is not easy to enter the palace.

Except for cabinet ministers and officials from the six ministries who were allowed to walk in the palace, other ordinary officials had to hand in a sign to the Imperial Household Department and obtain permission before they could meet the emperor.

Of course there are exceptions. Perhaps because of his love for the prince, Emperor Yongchang gave Li Hu a palace entry badge, allowing him to visit Yuqing Palace at any time to visit the prince and ask about his health.

Li Hu went to Yuqing Palace first. He had always remembered Dai Quan's advice, but the emperor had to deal with various memorials, requests and government documents every day, formulate policies and decrees, and did not have so much time to read his reports. Father and son are one body, so he told the prince about the matter. When the prince knew about it, Emperor Yongchang also knew about it.

This is also the reason why Dai Quan was so happy to send him the information.

Under the guidance of Zhao Tong, the eunuch in charge of Yuqing Palace, Li Hu came directly to the outside of the study.

The door of the hall was closed tightly, and two eunuchs on duty were guarding it, one on the left and one on the right.

Zhao Tong: "General Li, please wait a moment." He climbed the stone steps of the hall.

The two eunuchs on duty saluted him silently.

Zhao Tong lowered his voice: "Who's here?"

A senior eunuch on duty half covered his mouth with his hand and whispered in Zhao Tong's ear, "The Prime Minister is here."

Zhao Tong: "Do you know what happened?"

The eunuch on duty said, "I have a 600-li express mail, which seems to be a report of victory from Shanhaiguan." Zhao Tong was slightly stunned, turned around and walked down the stone steps, and said to Li Hu, "There is another victory outside the pass, and they will definitely not be able to come out for a while."

Li Hu: “I can’t wait any longer!”

Zhao Tong thought for a moment and said, "Okay then." He then took out the prince's handwritten letter from his arms and said, "For you, the prince has violated the rules."

Li Hu took the imperial edict with both hands and ran out like the wind.

The imperial city is nearly five miles wide from east to west. Li Hu had to first exit the palace from Donghua Gate, then exit the imperial city from Dong'an Gate, and finally pass the stone tablet that reads "Civil officials get off sedan chairs and military officials get off horses" before he could ride a horse. He also had to go around half a circle of the imperial city before he could reach Di'anmen Street.

It took nearly an incense stick of time for Li Hu to reach Di'anmen Street.

As soon as they saw Li Hu, Zhang Cheng's confidant immediately went over and told Li Hu what had happened.

Before Li Hu could say anything, a cavalryman from the South Camp rode up to him, pulled the reins, and said, "Sir, the Jinyiwei of the Northern Pacification Office has sent a signal for help."

Li Hu's face suddenly changed: "Oh no! Something is going to happen." He whipped the horse hard and rushed forward like an arrow.

Before Li Hu arrived, the East Market was already in chaos.
The intersections and walls of the East Market were filled with people watching the fun, and countless pairs of eyes were looking at the entrance of the gambling house not far away with excitement.

It is a rare thing for soldiers to arrest other soldiers!
Deathly silence! Dozens of pairs of eyes flashing with ferocious light were staring at each other, and dozens of cold and gleaming swords were tightly grasped in everyone's hands!

In the middle, the captain of the Northern Pacification Division stared at Zhang Cheng.

Although Zhang Cheng on the opposite side also had his eyes narrowed, there was a smile on his face.

The captain of the Northern Pacification Division spoke up: "Hand the man over to me and get out of the way. I can pretend that nothing happened."

Zhang Cheng shook his head.

Behind him was a burly man with a face full of flesh and a beard. He was Ni Er.

A scoundrel with a reputation for chivalry, nicknamed Drunken King Kong.

Suddenly, there was a sound of hurried footsteps, and then a large number of Jinyiwei from the Southern Pacification Division appeared at the same time from both ends of the street, some holding swords and some holding muskets, and ran over.

"Hurry up! Those soldiers from the South Camp, surround them and don't let them run away!" A captain from the Southern Pacification Division, carrying a knife, shouted loudly.

The Jinyiwei surrounded them from both sides, and some musketeers raised their muskets!
The soldiers in the South Camp all changed their expressions.

The captain of the Northern Pacification Division shouted, "Drop your weapons and squat down!"

Ni Er swallowed his saliva and said, "Or, I'll go with them."

At this moment, the ground shook slightly, and Wang Daniu came with more than a hundred soldiers from the South Camp and formed a semicircle behind the Jinyiwei of the Southern Pacification Division!
A captain of the Southern Pacification Division shouted, "Fire guns!"

All the muskets were aimed at them.

Wang Daniu was furious and pulled out his knife.

With a swish, the soldiers from the South Camp behind him drew their swords together!

Wang Daniu: "Drop your weapons and squat down!"

The captain of the Southern Pacification Division turned pale, and said to the knife-wielding Jinyiwei beside him: "This is the leader, arrest him."

Several Jinyiwei from the Southern Pacification Division rushed forward.

A group of people also rushed out from behind Wang Daniu and stopped them.

Wang Daniu then shouted loudly: "All Jinyiwei, drop your weapons and retreat!"

The Southern Pacification Division's captain was furious and shouted, "Go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a "bang" and a musket went off!
It turned out that a Jinyiwei from the Southern Pacification Division was so flustered that he did not hear the order clearly and pulled the trigger of the musket.

Everyone was stunned and Wang Daniu fell down.

The crowd was immediately shocked!
Someone yelled, "Kill!"

Countless soldiers from the South Camp rushed over with swords brandished!

The Jinyiwei of the Southern Pacification Division were fine with confiscating houses, but at this time they panicked and began to flee in all directions in chaos.

There were also Jinyiwei from the Southern Pacification Division who came forward with knives, but they were quickly chopped to the ground.
(End of this chapter)