My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 129 Is Your Loyalty Not Absolute?!
In the drama of "Tongzhi Gao mistakenly enters Tongwen Hall", Ma Sanxian was lured into the hall by a temporary worker in the bureau, and was immediately suppressed, captured and kept inside.

At that time, Gao Bi Jin felt that something was not right, but he did not care. When he quickly walked into the Tongwen Bureau, Director Li's arrangement was quickly put into action.

The attendant Ma San was subjected to a surprise interrogation before Gao Tongzhi.

This servant had no administrative rank, so he did not receive any special treatment, and Director Li did not need to personally step in. With the help of the experienced temporary workers in the bureau, he quickly decided to cooperate with the work.

This person explained Mr. Gao's schedule for the night - in order to care for cultural and creative industries, Mr. Gao will go to the front line to personally guide literary and artistic workers in their lower body skills and the four basic skills of praising and pushing the mill.

Another attendant of Tongzhi Gao, Yu Er, went to invite the famous actor Xiao Yuexing. After the attendant brought the person here, he could not wait for Master Gao to favor him. If he became suspicious and reported to the authorities, it would disrupt Director Li's deployment.

It might even expose the Tongwen Bureau's intentions tonight in advance.

Therefore, this variable needs to be controlled immediately.

Sending a team of people directly to Gao Tongzhi's private residence to control the person involved is a very bad idea.

After all, it would be difficult to deal with being stopped and questioned by patrol officers while walking towards a wealthy area in the middle of the night. If he revealed his identity as the Tongwen Bureau, it would certainly arouse vigilance. After all, the officialdom in Huazhou is united and has common interests, and everyone is hostile to Li Bailong.

Moreover, even if he arrived at the private residence and broke in through the door, it might set off the alarm of the Lingyu Sect or Xuanyuan Sect's security system, which would make things even worse.

So Director Li made the following arrangements.

——Send someone to Gao Tongzhi's home to report to his wife secretly that the Tongzhi master was visiting a whorehouse with an opera singer in the outer house in Si Hutong tonight.

It is no secret that Gao Tongzhi respected his wife very much. After all, he married the daughter of a powerful official in Beijing. His future is also supported by his wife's family. There are also many stories of old cats scratching faces in the officialdom. Such a wife may tolerate her husband's concubines, but she cannot tolerate her husband playing with actors outside the house.

So in the middle of the night, Madam Gao came with her maids and servants.

When Yu Er saw his wife coming, he was so frightened that he tried his best to stop her and beg for mercy.

If something like this happened, even if Tongzhi Gao didn't show up the whole night, he would think that the master had heard the news in advance and hid away from the limelight.

Madam Gao, as the legal wife of the Tongzhi, couldn't find her master after he made a scene in the outer house. She just thought that the old man was guilty and went into hiding, and she would never think of anything else.

As a result, the Gao family, who should have been the most aware of the disappearance of Gao Tongzhi, did not react the entire night.

Even if it was a sudden impulse or some mysterious feeling that I heard the master's miserable cry for help, I would think it must be an illusion.

Until the dawn broke, the ancient city woke up from its slumber. No one knew that the city's actual chief executive had been detained for a full night and had written countless materials.

Early in the morning, the runner in charge of clerical work pushed open the gate of the government office and was startled when he looked up.

But on the street in front of the mansion, not far away, there was a dark crowd. A group of people in black were guarding a young official in a scarlet robe, and they were walking towards this side with a large crowd of people following them.

The constable who opened the door was well-informed and was both surprised and delighted to see this scene.

——Is it possible that the prefect is going to be captured by the imperial envoy?
wrong.

When people came closer, he could see clearly that these people seemed to be from the Tongwen Bureau!
In other words, this high-ranking official is... Li Bailong?

This man has been making jokes in the officialdom these past few days and has become a laughing stock on the streets of Huazhou. He is also despised and ridiculed by the officials. Why did he gather a crowd here early this morning?
The doorman stepped forward and said, "Sir, the officials in the government office have not yet called in. If you have anything to say..."

"Step aside!"

Director Li didn't need to say anything, the lackey next to him pushed him away roughly.

Li Bailong didn't even look at him, led the crowd up the stairs and walked into the gate of the government office!
"Sir! The government office is a restricted area and you are not allowed to trespass in large numbers!"

The gatekeeper was horrified and blew his whistle immediately. A group of officials rushed out from the third squad of detectives' room at the first entrance of the government office. When they saw Li Bailong leading the crowd in proudly, they were stunned for a moment!
Everyone in the Tongwen Bureau did not stop at all. They escorted the governor to kick open the ceremonial door and walked into the main hall.

Officials and constables rushed out from the official residence on the left and the patrol office on the right. They were all surprised to see this scene, and some of them secretly ran out to report the news.

The captain on duty stepped forward and said, "Master Li, what brings you here?"

Li Bailong looked around and saw more and more officials, including many familiar faces.

He smiled coldly, walked towards the Mingtang, turned around on the stage, looked at everyone, and said, "The prefect is away, the co-prefect has been convicted, Huazhou cannot be without a parent official for a day, I am here to take over the power and preside over the daily work."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was in an uproar.

The officials present knew the truth about the power struggle in the officialdom in recent days. They were privately mocking and teasing Governor Li and betting on when he would come to apologize. They didn’t expect this to happen today!
They were all dumbfounded, with only one thought in their minds.

——Li Bailong is crazy!

Even a desperate dog would not do this!

Judging from what he implied, he also detained the Tongzhi?
Bringing dozens of people, he broke into the government office and seized power?
This is tantamount to rebellion!
Huazhou is an important town in the north of the Yangtze River, with troops stationed there. Twenty miles away is the Yunjiang Navy, and warships will arrive in half an hour at most... Is Li Bailong trying to kill himself by doing this?

At that moment, an official stepped out from the crowd and shouted, "Where is Mr. Gao?"

Someone else shouted, "What the governor did is against the rules!"

Some people even threatened: "Attack the government office, but it is an act of rebellion, stop it immediately!"

Some even fanned the flames: "Where are the bailiffs and constables? Hurry up and maintain the dignity of the government office!"

Ready to make a move, in the midst of chaos, Li Bailong slowly held up a sign.

The golden light flickers, reflecting the morning light.

"I am King Zhao Zhengjun."

The chaos in the room turned silent in an instant. This name represents too many things.

Many officials immediately changed their expressions - was Li Bailong recruited by King Zhao to manage the Tongwen Bureau?

Why didn't he say it earlier!?
Under the gazes of many people, Li Bailong told the second story.

"Gao Bijin disregarded the emperor's grace and committed heinous crimes, causing the people to complain. I already know all his crimes, and I don't know how many of his followers are left! In an emergency, I have to take the initiative. I have received the emperor's grace and stepped forward to restore order! Left and right, guard the gates of the government office! Three shifts of yamen runners! Go and invite the heads of the various yamen, I want to discuss matters with them!"

In his capacity as the governor of the Tongwen Bureau, he went to the government office to show off his power, which made all the officials in the hall feel dissatisfied.

But if King Zhao was brought out, things would be different... Besides, he only ordered the heads of various government offices to be invited, and everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, temporarily stopping the commotion and waiting to see what would happen next.

Immediately, a bailiff went out to deliver the message.

This morning's events unfolded like a flood.

About half an hour later, the Tongpan in charge of the state's military affairs came with a team of soldiers. The chief officials such as Huazhou Tuiguan also brought their men to block the gate of the government office. Several senior officials of the state gathered together for a small meeting.

"We sent someone to inquire, and Lao Gao didn't go home all night." The prosecutor gritted his teeth and said, "It's very likely that he really got caught."

The martial arts instructor stared in astonishment and said, "Detaining the governor privately is a serious crime. Is he really crazy?"

The prosecutor was in charge of the criminal justice system. He was sinister and decisive. He lowered his voice and said sinisterly, "He led his men straight into the government office. This is a big taboo. I think we should just take advantage of their tricks and lead our troops to break in! We can take this opportunity to solve this trouble in one fell swoop. After all, he was the one who was looking for death first. We can defeat him with force. We have a legitimate reason to do so and we can have something to say when our superiors come to question us!"

The Tongpan was in charge of military affairs. If he gave the order to take action, he would be held directly responsible for the leadership, so he was unwilling to take the risk.

He pondered and said, "That's true, but he held up the Zhao Wang gold medal in public and called himself Zheng Jun. This matter has its own explanation. Brothers, it's not easy to rise and fall in the officialdom. There's no need to take such a risk, right?"

While they were discussing, a man in black came out of the government gate and called out, "Have you all arrived? The governor invites you, the judge, to come to the second hall to discuss important matters of the state."

The judge thought for a moment and said, "I don't think he dares to detain me, so let's see what medicine he sells."

He gave some instructions to his archers and cavalry, and walked proudly into the lobby of the government office without any entourage. He entered the ceremonial gate and passed through the lobby. Li Bailong had already occupied the place where the prefectural government worked and was waiting for him.

This was their first meeting, and the judge secretly sighed that the other party was young, and since he was a fourth-rank official higher than him, he had to salute first. After the two sides met, Li Bailong waved and said, "Come here, I'll show you a treasure."

The magistrate's surname was Zhang. He was over 40 years old. As a senior official, he was somewhat dissatisfied with the frivolous behavior of Governor Li. He coughed, and before he could say anything, he saw the other party unfold a bound confession scroll in front of him.

The judge took a closer look and was shocked.

It’s Gao Bijin’s handwriting!
——This fellow is so bold that he actually detained the co-magistrate and tried the officials without authorization!
But after reading the content carefully, Judge Zhang was even more shocked.

——Gao Bijin actually honestly wrote down in detail the cause and effect of following Fenglin’s orders and scheming against Li Bailong!

The judge had been in the officialdom for a long time and was very experienced. He knew after a few glances that this was Gao Bijin's confession and it was definitely not forged by others. Because the content was too detailed, the names of the people in every link, the contact person who communicated with him and even the detailed procedures of some operations were all described clearly and clearly!
If this confession was in the hands of someone else, Gao Bijin could also argue that it was "confession under torture and fabrication under duress", but Li Bailong was holding King Zhao's gold medal and had the support of the Lingyu faction behind him. Under the more advanced political rules of the temple, only hard evidence that can withstand investigation is the most useful!
The judge read on and was horrified and panicked.

——It was written in such great detail, how many beatings did Gao Bijin receive?
Confused! Can you tell me about what Fenglin Huoshan instigated you to do... Wait, Fenglin Huoshan?

He read the entire text and extracted the main idea of ​​the text. Between the lines, it all revealed the meaning of "Feng Lin Huoshan instructed me to do this." Gao Bi Jin explained the mastermind behind the scenes clearly.

The judge finally reacted and thought something was wrong.

He immediately retracted his gaze and said hastily, "This seems to be the confession of the Tongzhi. I am a low-ranking official, so how can I be qualified to read such a big confession? Or..."

Li Bailong gathered up his words and said faintly, "You saw it, right?"

Judge Zhang argued: "No, I only read the beginning..."

"If you read it, you will know about it." Li Bailong said in a deep voice, "If you know about it, you must report it."

The judge realized that he had been tricked. He was furious, but he did not dare to lose his temper. He changed his mind and tried to delay: "This matter is serious. I have to discuss it with the governor..."

"Why do you have to discuss this with the Lord of the House? Are you my superior, Baonan? You are such a high official, can't you make your own decisions? Besides, what did I ask you to do? I just want an attitude!"

Li Bailong said aggressively, "Let me ask you, Gao Bijin claimed that he was instructed by Fenglin Huoshan to murder his superiors and exclude his colleagues. The evidence is irrefutable. He is simply dereliction of duty and disregards the emperor's grace! And if you know about this kind of injustice and evil trend in the officialdom, shouldn't you immediately write a letter to the court and report it?"

Judge Zhang took a step back in fear.

Li Bailong took another step forward and pressed on: "Let me ask you again, Gao Bijin is a Jinshi selected by the late emperor, and he is also an official of the imperial way. He eats the emperor's food, but listens to Feng Lin. As an official of His Majesty, aren't you angry? Why aren't you angry? Are you disloyal?"

——I choose!
Another big hat was put on him. This was a matter of principle. The judge immediately said, "Angry! Of course I'm angry!"

Li Bailong said, "If that's the case, then you must write a joint letter with me to report this matter."

——Fuck!
I don't want that kind of thing!
The fight between Ling Yu and Feng Lin is a national war, and the aftermath can shock the provincial governors to death. He is just a provincial governor and has never benefited from anyone, so why should he take the initiative to get involved!
——The so-called joint letter reporting this matter is tantamount to loudly reporting the matter in the officialdom, "Come and see, Fenglin Huoshan was clearly mediated by the emperor's uncle, but he went back on his word and continued to make trouble. Come and see everyone." Once this matter spreads, it will be used by the Lingyu faction to make a big fuss and attack Fenglin again. The emperor's uncle will also be dissatisfied, and the court will fight again, which will inevitably cause shocking waves.

After all, there are some things that are better off not being weighed, but if you do, you can't even weigh a thousand pounds.

——But who told you to put it on the scale?!

According to the rules of officialdom, submitting a petition to the emperor is a political statement, and Judge Zhang was just trying to make some money in Huazhou and maintain his dignity after retirement. How did he become the one who started the group?

He was extremely resistant in his heart, but Li Bailong in front of him was pressing him step by step, with a questioning look in his eyes.

"You have seen that Gao Bijin disregarded the emperor's grace, bullied his colleagues, and was willing to be a lackey of a large faction. When you discovered this, you did not sign a petition with me. Are you his accomplice? Do you understand and agree with his disloyal behavior? Judge Zhang, is your loyalty not absolute?"

——Stop it, stop it, damn it!

Judge Zhang was so angry that he was shaking with anger.

In his opinion, Li Bailong, as a new official, went to the Tongwen Bureau and was beaten by the Huazhou officials for several days. He couldn't make a sound at all. It can be seen that he is a complete weakling.

Why does it hurt so much when I bite it now?!

Damn it, should I sign this list with you?

You have the care of Lingyu Sect and King Zhao, and you have already offended Fenglin. It is a small matter to expose my shortcomings, but I am innocent! Fenglin Huoshan will definitely take it out on me!

Bafengtai doesn’t care whether I was forced here or not. He will only pay attention to my name and will definitely think - if I can’t deal with Li Bailong, can’t I deal with you?

The Tongpan felt extremely annoyed and gnashed his teeth. What did Gao Bijin do? This kind of thing could not be explained even if he was beaten to death. Why did he describe it in such detail?
He was still struggling: "This... this is just Gao Bijin's opinion, I still have to check it out first..."

Li Bailong said sternly: "The Tongzhi is a senior official of the state, on the same level as us. What qualifications do we have to investigate him? Tongpan, you are confused! If something like this happens, it must be reported to the court and the censor must be selected to investigate!"

——You've set up your own torture chamber and dug up this much information! Now you're telling me the rules of the officialdom?

The judge felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He had been bitten to the bone by this silent little dog so early in the morning. He could only say, "This... still needs to be discussed with the Lord of the Palace!"

Li Bailong let out a disappointed sound.

"If you won't sign your name, I'll write the letter myself."

He said aggrievedly: "I had no choice but to write in the memorial that although Zhang Tongpan was persuaded by me, he still refused to sign his name to report the matter. This shows that he has great confidence in Gao Bijin. Maybe Gao Tongzhi is really wronged."

"..."

You dog! Stop biting me! Stop biting me!

Judge Zhang just wanted to put this matter off for now, so he waved his sleeves and said, "It's too big a matter, I dare not take charge of it. Anyway, wait for the governor to come back. If you want to report it, we can sign it together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Bailong handed over the confession in his hand: "Then you can show this confession to other officers first."

Judge Zhang was in a state of confusion and reached out to take it, but Li Bailong's hand slipped and he let go in advance, causing the judge to fail to catch it, and the confession in his hand fell to the ground.

"Oops. Sorry."

Governor Li reached out to grab it, but another paper roll flew out from his sleeve.

The two documents, one in front and one behind, both fell at the feet of the Tongpan.

The judge didn't take it seriously. Just as he was about to bend down to pick it up, he glanced at it casually and his eyes suddenly widened.

The other piece of paper was also a confession.

The content was also spoken in Gao Bikou's tone, but the handwriting was different.

And the content is also... very different.

This confession said that Gao Bijin was not sent by the Fenglin faction to embarrass Li Bailong.

Instead, he accepted money from the people of Ningguo, intending to murder Li Bailong and re-ignite the national war.

Fenglin Volcano turned out to be an innocent victim.

It's all Gao Bijin and Beining's fault.

Judge Zhang's eyes changed and he looked up subconsciously.

In front of him, Governor Li stood with his hands behind his back, looking calm.

"Oops, they got mixed up. I reviewed it overnight, but I can't remember it clearly."

He looked down at the two confessions on the ground and said calmly, "Honest judge, please answer me, which one of Gao Bijin's true confessions you just missed was this one or that one?"

Morning! Long! Hard!

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(End of this chapter)