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Volume 13 Reviving the Ming Dynasty Chapter 640 Taking advantage of the situation (3)

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    Although the prison of the Ministry of Punishment is not as gloomy as the imperial prison that makes people laugh, it is not simple either.  The cold environment, dim lights, and a few painful groans from time to time all made Duke Yue feel a little nervous when he came here for the first time.

    After getting Tang Feng's permission, he was able to enter the prison and see the imprisoned clan members.  He knew very well that Tang Feng allowed him to meet these people in order to persuade them to agree to his conditions, but Duke Yue still had other plans and would only elaborate after meeting these people.  []

    The jailer leading the way finally stopped, opened the doors of several cells and said: "My lord, please!"

    Duke Yue used the dim lights to look carefully into those small spaces, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. There were actually seven or eight people locked up in this small cell. It could even be described as crowded.  .  And those young clan members who used to be well-dressed and arrogant, all of them looked sallow, looked tired, and lost all their previous arrogance.

    Feeling that someone had stopped in front of his cell, those people hurriedly raised their eyes and looked over, their eyes full of expectation.  After they were imprisoned here, they had no contact with anyone except the jailer who regularly brought them brown rice and water.  But it is obviously not time to eat yet, which makes many people have expectations.

    When they saw the Duke of Yue standing outside the door, these clan members immediately shouted: "Duke Yue, please save us" Although they shouted with all their strength, their voices were not loud.  In two days, the clan members had been tortured beyond recognition.

    "You should step back first. My Duke wants to talk to them about something." Duke Yue said to the jailer.

    "This" The jailer did not agree, but looked at Duke Yue with a hint of greed in his eyes.

    The Duke of Yue was secretly angry. He was so bold that he, the Duke of Yue, and a small jailer like him dared to extort money.  But he knew that there was no way to spread the fire. This was also the rule in the prison. How could he be able to understand a little jailer like him?  After calming down for a while, Duke Yue took out a fifty-tael silver note from his sleeve and handed it over: "Remember, you must treat these gentlemen well."

    "Okay, don't worry, Duke. You see, there's no place to sit here. How about I get you a chair?" After accepting a small sum of money, the jailer's face suddenly changed.  The joy blossomed, and the words became more respectful.

    "No need, my Duke will leave soon." After frowning, the Duke of Yue pouted at him.

    The jailer then walked away obediently, and only Duke Yue and some prisoners were left here.  After he sighed, he said: "How about it, you haven't suffered much here, have you?" When he asked this, he also felt that it was a bit redundant. There were no traces of torture on these people. It can be said that their identities were locked up.  This sin has been severely punished here.

    Sure enough, after hearing this, those people immediately complained about their sufferings, and some sober ones kept begging Duke Yue to find a way to rescue them.  Listening to them pleading for help, the Duke of Yue couldn't get a word in for a while. After a long while, he said loudly: "Okay, you all listen to me!"

    After all, it was because he was so confident that those people immediately became quiet after hearing what he said, and they all looked at him.  Duke Yue then said: "We have also thought of many ways to save you in the past two days. Unfortunately, Tang Feng is now covering the sky with one hand. Even the Queen Mother is controlled by him. There is nothing we can do."

    When everyone heard this, they felt even more anxious, and some rude ones had already begun to curse.  After they calmed down, Duke Yue continued: "Now it seems that all this is under his control, and we can't change it at all."

    "Gong Yue, actually I have always had a question. It seems that the people who set fire to the clan mansion that day were not our people, but some other guys. After lighting the fire, these people left quickly, and then the soldiers from the five cities  Masi's people are here" A shrewd person suddenly spoke.  In the past two days, he had been doubting this matter in his heart. After Yue Guogong said this, he became more sure.

    Everyone, including Duke Yue, was stunned, and then many people nodded in agreement and said that they had also seen this, but they just didn't pay attention because the incident happened suddenly and they were imprisoned later.  At this time, everyone knew that they had fallen into someone's trap, and this someone must be Tang Feng. Everyone began to curse Tang Feng again.

    The Duke of Yue was stunned when he first heard this, wondering if this was an opportunity for negotiation.  But then they rejected this idea. Now that Tang Feng has control of everything, even if they have evidence, it will be useless.  So he quickly silenced everyone and said, "It's meaningless to talk about this now. What we have to do now is to go out."

    "Lord Yue, is there anything you can do?  "Everyone looked at him hopefully.

    "Now the whole city of Beijing is under the control of a man named Tang. If you want to get out, you have to rely on him. I went to see him yesterday and he stated his conditions. As long as you are willing, he will let you go."

    "What conditions? As long as we can get out, we will agree to any conditions." Everyone said quickly.  But after Yue Guogong explained Tang Feng's specific conditions, the clan members suddenly stopped talking.  This Tang Feng was too ruthless, not only cutting down on his own expenses, but also taking his own money. Five hundred thousand taels of silver was not a small amount, and even they could not take it out casually.

    "He is clearly blackmailing us. We" Although they were very dissatisfied, as soon as the words came out, these people thought of their own situation. If they refused to agree, their lives would be in danger.

    The Duke of Yue also said: "At this moment, we have to agree with him first and then find a way. This man named Tang is so arrogant based on his past achievements, we must not let him off easily."

    "Does the Duke of Yue have any ideas?" Everyone had already recognized it at this time, and the hatred for Tang Feng in their hearts deepened. They immediately asked after hearing what he said.

    "We are no match for him in Beijing, but it will be different down below. As long as we raise troops in the name of Qing Junxin when we go back, I think a large number of people will join us. When the time comes, hum!" Duke Yue sneered.  .  He could see that although the officials in the capital listened to Tang Feng's wishes, they were actually not convinced. Tang Feng actually wanted to cover the sky with one hand, so as long as he grasped the opportunity, he might not be able to get rid of him.

    Everyone was silent for a while, and then nodded one after another and said, "Okay, let's do what Duke Yue wants. We still have many people in our respective fiefdoms, and the local officials also have good friendships with us.  We will definitely be able to pull out a team of people when the time comes. We must eliminate this scourge of having no king and no father for the Ming Dynasty!"

    The opinions were quickly reached, and these clans immediately took out their tokens and asked Duke Yue to take them to their respective homes to get money to rescue them.  After comforting everyone and reassuring them, Duke Yue left the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, which made people feel depressed and uncomfortable. The clan members in the prison were in much better spirits because they had hope, and everyone began to whisper.  They were talking about how to take revenge this time.

    These people did not notice that after Duke Yue left, the door of a cell not far from them also opened, and then a man wearing a flying fish suit walked out.

    "It's just as I thought, these people still refuse to give up and actually want to rebel!" After hearing Bai Liangfeng's report, Tang Feng snorted coldly.  After he approved Duke Yue's request, he kept an eye on it and ordered the Jinyi Guards to go into the prison first and eavesdrop. As expected, he got such a piece of news.

    "What does the Duke plan to do with these people?" Bai Liangfeng asked, with a hint of embarrassment on his brows. He was afraid that Tang Feng would let him execute these people secretly, which would be too hot.  Although these people do not have much power, after all, their identities are there and they cannot be easily removed.

    Tang Feng took a sip of tea and said, "According to the original intention, let him go after receiving the money."

    "Huh?" Bai Liangfeng looked at Tang Feng in surprise, unable to believe that he would make such a decision.  Indeed, although Tang Feng has a lot of troops, if these people really make trouble, it will be a blow to the Ming Dynasty. How can he sit back and watch it develop?  But when he saw Tang Feng's confident look, he knew he had a countermeasure.

    Tang Feng still had a sarcastic smile: "It turns out that I planned to do it step by step, first beating them for a while, and then getting rid of these national beetles bit by bit. Now I have been given a chance to get rid of them once and for all."

    Seeing that Bai Liangfeng still didn't understand, Tang Feng added: "In addition to taking a lot of money from our treasury, these clans are also the biggest disaster to our Ming Dynasty in annexing land. These people rely on their clans  Not only did they steal the land of some farmers, so that the farmers who lost their land could only work for them, but they also did not pay taxes. This is why the taxes of our Ming Dynasty are getting worse year by year, and the taxes that farmers have to pay  But there are more and more reasons every year. If this continues, it won¡¯t take many years before more Li Zicheng and Gao Yingxiang will appear.

    "It turns out that I planned to find another excuse to attack their land after this time, but now they have given the opportunity to me. Rebellion, huh, do they really think that rebellion and rebellion are so easy to do?  ?Now that we know more about their conspiracy, how do you think these people can succeed?

    "As long as we capture them before they attack, not only will there be no harm to our Ming Dynasty, but we will also have sufficientThere is a reason to dispose of everything they have.  Do you think this is a great gift from themselves?  "

    When Bai Liangfeng heard this, he nodded in agreement, and at the same time felt a little chilly in his heart.  It is said that Jin Yiwei's people are cruel and vicious, but they pale in comparison to An Guogong.  Rebellion is a serious crime that can punish the nine clans. By then, not only the fields and property, but also the lives of the clans and people related to them may not be saved.  That added up to nearly a thousand or even more lives. Tang Feng determined the outcome with just one sentence.  This made him look at Tang Feng with more awe.

    Tang Feng was not aware of what the other party was thinking, and just smiled and said: "The most important thing in this matter is intelligence work. We must take action before they take action. Only in this way will there be no real chaos. This point  , but we have to rely a lot on your Jinyiwei people. Those places where the clans are located must have people guarding them twelve hours a day, and any disturbance will not be missed. "

    Bai Liangfeng quickly nodded in agreement. He knew that if this matter really came to pass, he would definitely have made a great contribution. Will he be able to get less rewards by then?  Now that Jin Yiwei's power has further expanded, this small matter can still be easily handled.

    A few days later, millions of taels of silver were delivered by the family members of the clan. Tang Feng also followed the professionalism of a kidnapper and released everyone after collecting the money.  Those clan members who had suffered a lot did not dare to cause trouble in the capital anymore. As soon as they got out of the prison, they took carriages and horses back to their fiefdoms.

    The national treasury was suddenly full. Although some officials privately had strong objections to Tang Feng's approach, it was ultimately beneficial to the country, and no one made irresponsible remarks on the official side.  The common people felt that the court's attitude this time was outstanding. The common people had never had a good impression of these bullying clans.

    The orders of the Jin Yiwei were passed down long before they were released. There were already hidden sentries near the houses in the states and counties where these clans were located. As long as they took action, officers and soldiers would come to suppress them.  Everything is ready, the net has been set, just waiting for the prey to take the bait.  Tang Feng no longer paid attention to this matter, because the people from Gansu Xianjie had already arrived.

    " This major defeat of the rebel army and the capture of all the enemies was a big event for the Ming Dynasty, so it was natural to make the scene even grander.  It just so happened that the treasury had another silver coin, so the scene became even more grand.

    Nearly ten thousand Liaodong troops escorted more than a thousand rebel soldiers led by Li Zicheng into Beijing, winning a warm welcome from the people in the city.  Tang Feng and his officials watched all this, and couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. History was indeed written by later generations, and it was not so real at all.

    In history books, Li Zicheng is always described as a great hero. Wherever he went, the people actively supported him, even after he broke into Beijing and committed many evil deeds.  But now it seems that it is obvious that this was made up by the later Manchus in order to discredit the Ming Dynasty and rectify their own names.

    The people were very respectful to these soldiers who defended their homes and country, but they had a bad look on the rebels who had their heads lowered. Some even picked up vegetables and rotten eggs to greet them.  .  If the officers, soldiers and government servants on the left and right hadn't constantly blocked it, the situation would have been even worse.

    After wandering the streets, a group of a hundred or so most important rebels were selected and taken to the Golden Palace to face the Holy Spirit for trial, while the others were escorted by Liaodong soldiers and stayed outside the city, waiting for the court to decide how to deal with them.  and then deal with it.

    Emperor Zhengyuan, who was only two or three years old, was carried and sat on the dragon throne. He didn't understand anything. He just looked at the ministers below with his big innocent eyes and said something.  In fact, these adults knew very well that they were speaking to Tang Feng.  They knew that Tang Feng valued military merit, and being able to defeat the rebels this time was indeed a great achievement for the Ming Dynasty. These officials were happy to do favors and gave these soldiers generous rewards.

    Man Gui was granted the title of Marquis, Wu Sangui was promoted two ranks and became the commander-in-chief, and other fighting officers also received rewards.  This time, not only did he give the soldiers the silver that had been advanced by Tang Feng, but he also added hundreds of thousands more. Now that the treasury was full and some were spent, no one objected anymore.

    After the glory and glory, it¡¯s time to decide on the rebels.  In fact, it is understandable that these people rebelled, but the country's laws are so strict that it is impossible not to punish them.  And Tang Feng didn't want to keep Li Zicheng as a scourge. Although he knew that Li Zicheng was nothing and the key was for the Ming Dynasty to be upright, he still ordered that he and some other generals be killed at the entrance of the vegetable market.

    After doing this, Tang Feng held another banquet and invited old friends from Liaodong to meet and talk.  After saying the congratulations, Man Gui expressed his position on behalf of the Liaodong soldiers: "My lord, you can consider the soldiers, and we will all remember it in our hearts. From now on, as long as you say a word, we will not be in trouble in water or fire.  Half a point of refusal!"

      Tang Feng was overjoyed when he heard this and drank several glasses of wine with the soldiers.  He knew that after this incident, these people must be more loyal to him. With the most elite Liaodong Army as the backing, his current position will be more solid, which will prepare the best help for dealing with those clans in the future.  .

    After thirty years of drinking, Wu Sangui said regretfully: "My lord, actually we still made some omissions."

    "How do you say this? I know that some rebels have escaped, but they are no longer relevant, so why should I take it to heart?" Tang Feng asked puzzledly.

    ¡°The last general once asked those rebel generals and learned from their mouths that an important person had escaped.¡±

    "Oh, but who is he?"

    "This person is called Li Yan, and he is the military advisor of the rebel army. It is because of his planning behind the scenes that the rebel force has gradually increased to what it is today. And this uprising is also because of his plan.  He can be said to be the number two figure in the rebel army.¡±

    "It's him" Tang Feng was startled. He didn't say much about this official history, but the unofficial history mentioned Mr. Li often, and he also had memories of it.  Unexpectedly, this person actually existed and escaped. This is indeed a problem.

    "Why, does the Duke know this person?" Wu Sangui asked.

    "Oh, I heard someone from Jinyiwei said so." Tang Feng casually found a reason to excuse himself.  Then he added: "Since this man is their military advisor and everyone sees him often, let's have his portrait drawn and make an official document for sea arrests."

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of this too, the portrait has been there for a long time.¡± Wu Sangui took out the portrait from his arms as he said that. Apparently he had wanted to ask Tang Feng to help with this.

    After opening the portrait and looking at it carefully, Tang Feng was stunned: "It's him!" He had already recognized Li Yan's true identity
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