Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Fu Yuanheng went to preside over the trial of the military generals of Xuanzhou, while Zou Qing went with the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner to try the officials of Xuanzhou.

If both civil and military officials are involved, then they should conduct a joint trial.

Chapter 3897 Terrified

The entire major case was broken down into many smaller cases, and each smaller case was investigated in detail.

If the investigation isn't conducted in such detail, and if there isn't sufficient witness testimony and physical evidence, the case is likely to be sent back for re-examination when submitted to the central government for review.

At the same time, Zhao Ding dispatched a deputy provincial inspector, accompanied by his subordinates, to Shaanxi by horseback.

We request the Shaanxi Provincial Judicial Commissioner's assistance in handling the case, helping to arrest the merchants involved, jointly interrogating them, and tracing the whereabouts of the stolen goods.

As for Yang Yuan, he was to be escorted to Luoyang as soon as possible under the protection of two hundred cavalrymen.

Fearing something might happen along the way, Zhao Ding specifically assigned a general who was not involved to take charge—Xiao Heda, a former official of the Liao Dynasty and a traitorous general of the Western Xia.

Xiao Heda made great contributions in the war to destroy Xia, and he also gave away all his family wealth and land when he rebelled against Xia.

This case had to be set as an example, so he was directly granted the title of Earl and temporarily stationed in Ningxia to lead troops.

Escorting Yang Yuan with trepidation, Xiao Heda even ate and slept with him.

He was completely stunned when he received the assignment.

I am just a newcomer who has just joined the Ming Dynasty. Why am I suddenly being asked to escort a criminal official who has reported the Minister of Revenue?

If this person commits suicide, how am I supposed to bear the consequences?

Lanzhou.

Xiao Heda personally escorted Yang Yuan to the post station, and two hundred cavalrymen thoroughly searched the entire post station inside and out.

Even the officials temporarily staying at the post station were asked to leave by Xiao Heda, including a high-ranking official.

Xiao Heda bowed to the crowd and said, "I apologize for offending you all. The criminal I am escorting is too important to be mistaken for, otherwise you will all lose your official positions."

The officials and their entourage looked at each other, feeling both dissatisfaction and immense curiosity.

The official asked, "Whom is the general escorting? And what serious crime has he committed?"

Xiao Heda shook his head: "I can't ask, it's a case that reaches the heavens."

As soon as the word "Tongtian" was uttered, no one asked any more questions and they all obediently went to find other places to stay.

The door was tightly shut at night.

Yang Yuan was sleeping with his hands and feet tied and a rag stuffed in his mouth.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, and he trembled all over, unable to sleep.

What kind of scoundrel is this? Just tell us what he did in history and you'll know.

Qin Hui sneezed at the banquet, creating an awkward situation.

Yang Yuan immediately burst into laughter, attracting the attention of everyone present.

He then successfully diverted everyone's attention by telling jokes, making the guests forget about Qin Hui sneezing.

Qin Hui and Wan Qixie were fighting like dogs, so Yang Yuan attacked Wan Qixie.

Even Zhao Gou's intervention couldn't save him; Yang Yuan impeached him time and again, finally getting Wan Qixie dismissed from office.

As Yang Yuan rose in rank, he became increasingly arrogant and boasted about his achievements, which greatly displeased Qin Hui.

Therefore, Qin Hui sent Yang Yuan to be a prefect, far away from the capital so that he wouldn't have to see him.

It so happened that Lu You's cousin, Wang Yan (not Lu You's superior Wang Yan), was passing through Yang Yuan's post. After getting drunk, Wang Yan boasted of his achievements, saying...

"Do you remember when you wrote a letter to Prime Minister Lü (Lü Yihao) saying bad things about Qin Hui?"

"Fortunately, I was working as a clerk in Prime Minister Lü's residence, and I managed to secretly intercept that letter."

Yang Yuan was so terrified that he forcibly kept his cousin Wang Yan under house arrest for two years!

Taking advantage of Yang Yuan's banquet and the laxity of the guards, Wang Yan escaped overnight.

In fact, Wang Yan did not go to Qin Hui to complain, but Yang Yuan became more and more afraid and scared himself to death.

Chapter 3898 He died just like that?

At this moment, Yang Yuan was scaring himself.

Qin Hui was the emperor's close friend from the same year, and he held a high position and was deeply trusted by the emperor.

Is it possible that my actions in reporting Qin Hui might displease the emperor?

Is it possible that upon arriving in Luoyang, I would be secretly murdered by someone sent by the emperor to silence me?

Or perhaps the emperor never had time to know that Qin Hui held a high position of power in Luoyang and might bribe the jailers to kill him.

The more I think about it, the more likely it is!

Yang Yuan began to become mentally confused, and was awakened by nightmares every night.

Xiao Heda initially thought he was faking illness, but gradually realized something was wrong.

When they arrived in Chang'an, Yang Yuan was already emaciated and listless due to severe lack of sleep.

Xiao Heda quickly found a doctor.

After the diagnosis, Xiao Heda pulled the doctor outside: "What illness does this person have?"

The doctor said, "It's a psychological issue. Has he not slept in a long time?"

Xiao Heda nodded: "He has nightmares every night. When I tear the rag out of his mouth, he shouts in his dreams, 'Have mercy!' 'Don't kill me!'"

"I can't fall back asleep after being woken up by a nightmare. I toss and turn all night, making it impossible for me to get any sleep."

The doctor said, "I can only prescribe some medication to help you sleep."

The doctor wrote out a prescription and left. Xiao Heda watched as the soldiers prepared the medicine, and then personally served it to Yang Yuan.

Xiao Heda tore off the rag that was stuffing into his mouth and said, "The doctor said your illness is psychological, and you will be mostly cured by taking medicine."

Yang Yuan looked at the dark medicine soup and suddenly his face showed a look of horror. He cried and begged, "General, spare my life! General, spare my life! Everything I said before was a lie."

Xiao Heda was extremely frustrated: "Why should I spare your life? I'll just escort you to Luoyang."

Yang Yuan, however, was convinced that what was in front of him was poison, so he turned his face away, clenched his teeth, and remained silent.

Xiao Heda shouted, "Men, pry open his teeth and force the medicine down his throat!"

As several soldiers entered the room, Yang Yuan was terrified and began to struggle and try to escape.

But he was still held down tightly, and his mouth was forcibly pried open. Xiao Heda personally poured the medicine into his mouth.

As he was drinking, Xiao Heda suddenly stopped and asked in confusion, "Why isn't this person moving?"

But Yang Yuan lay on the bed with his mouth wide open and his eyes wide open, showing no reaction.

A soldier reached out a finger to check Yang Yuan's breath, his voice trembling as he said, "He's...he's not breathing."

Xiao Heda was dumbfounded.

who am I?

Where am i?

What am I going to do?

After a long silence, Xiao Heda suddenly shouted, "Quickly bring back that doctor to testify, and don't touch anything in this house!"

Immediately, Xiao Heda ran quickly to the stables and rode straight to the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission and the Provincial Surveillance Commission.

That evening, officials from the three departments of Shaanxi Province arrived, along with coroners from the provincial, municipal, and county levels, to conduct a joint autopsy.

Based on the autopsy results and the information provided by Xiao Heda and the doctor, the coroners unanimously concluded that Yang Yuan died of fright.

The crowd looked at each other, some even finding it both funny and exasperating.

At Xiao Heda's earnest pleading, the chief officials of the three departments in Shaanxi, as well as the coroners at the provincial, prefectural, and county levels, all wrote a truthful report.

They already knew the inside story, and as they watched Xiao Heda carry the body away, they all looked at him with sympathy.

This person is so unlucky!

Chapter 3899 Prepared in Advance

Xiao Heda arrived in Luoyang in a daze, went straight to the Censorate to explain the situation, and then requested to enter the palace to meet the Emperor.

The palace reacted quickly, and Xiao Heda was taken away by eunuchs that same day.

"Your Majesty, that scoundrel Yang Yuan was truly scared to death!"

Upon meeting him, Xiao Heda immediately knelt down and kowtowed to explain.

Zhao Yuan was also somewhat speechless: "Stand up. What kind of behavior is this, crying and sobbing? Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Xiao Heda sat down cautiously and then recounted the events of his journey in detail, claiming that officials from the three provincial departments in Shaanxi could testify on his behalf.

“This is not General Xiao’s fault,” Zhao Yuan said. “The remnants of Western Xia have been suppressed, and General Xiao has just returned to the capital, so let him stay and serve in the Privy Council.”

“You’re over fifty now, it’s time for you to enjoy your retirement in a bustling city.”

Xiao Heda didn't care about being stripped of his military power, nor did he expect to be able to continue commanding the army.

For a Liao dynasty loyalist who rebelled against Western Xia to be able to attain the rank of earl in the Ming dynasty and hold a sinecure in the Privy Council is already a very perfect ending.

Xiao Heda expressed his gratitude once again.

Zhao Yuan offered some more encouragement, and the conversation was almost over. Xiao Heda quickly bowed and took his leave.

He walked out of the palace, feeling instantly refreshed and free from the worries of the past few days.

The Holy Emperor is truly benevolent and magnanimous; he did not hold himself accountable and even bestowed upon him a residence in the capital for an official position.

Inside the Chuigong Hall, Zhao Yuan remained silent.

How could a crucial whistleblower be scared to death?

"Bai Sheng," Zhao Yuan called out.

"Yes!" Bai Sheng strode into the hall.

Zhao Yuan said, "You personally lead the Imperial Guards to surround Qin Hui's residence, and no one shall be allowed to enter or leave at will."

"Especially the small house he secretly purchased, search it carefully for evidence of corruption!"

Little did Qin Hui know that he had always been favored by the emperor, and that someone had been keeping a close eye on him for the past few years.

Even when he was in Kaifeng, the emperor knew that he was secretly keeping a mistress without his wife's knowledge.

They just need a pretext to investigate him.

After all, Qin Hui was a high-ranking official, so it was inconvenient for the emperor to send people to search his private residence, especially since it was a small courtyard that had been secretly purchased.

If this gets out, it will have a bad influence, making all the important officials in the court feel insecure, and even giving rise to a sense of shared fate.

The emperor knew about Qin Hui's secret private residence, so was he being monitored by someone sent by the emperor?

Secret service politics can only be carried out under special circumstances; it is not a long-term, healthy means of governance.

……

The official residences and dormitories of Luoyang were concentrated in the north-central part of the southwestern city.

It was close to the capital, the land was relatively cheap, and there weren't many residents.

Further south, there were even cemeteries within the city, which have now been demolished and converted into residential buildings.

The official residences of high-ranking cabinet ministers are all located in that area.

Their size is neither too large nor too small; they use architectural decoration to highlight their status, while avoiding excessive luxury that might cause retired officials to linger.

Bai Chongyan had been promoted to Minister of Personnel, and his house was next to Qin Hui's official residence.

At 6 PM (酉正), the office closes for the day.

Bai Chongyan chatted and laughed with the officials from the Ministry of Personnel as they walked to the roadside.