You can tell from the title of Marquis Yongyi that this is a family that relies on military merit to become marquises. The first generation of Marquis Yongyi was the founding hero of the Song Dynasty.
It’s just that since the death of the old Marquis, the Yongyi Marquis Mansion has become more and more depressed. Now it is sad to have to engage in such a lowly business as a brothel to maintain it.
Although the brothel industry was extremely developed in the Song Dynasty, some brothels mostly had nobles as their backers, but any nobles who were related to the brothels would be looked down upon, let alone those who were engaged in business themselves.
"Has the identity of the mysterious man been confirmed?" Qin Hao asked.
The guard said, "I'm sure, he's a boy from Yuehua Building, and he's probably also a peripheral member. We've sent people to keep an eye on him at Yuehua Building for twelve hours."
Qin Hao nodded, "Okay, you go down first."
After the guards left, Qin Hao stood up and said to Cui Zhi, "Let's go, let's go and meet the Yong Yihou."
Outside the Yongyi Hou Mansion, the middle door opened wide, and the contemporary Yongyi Hou Xu Yuanji said to Qin Hao with a smile on his face.
"Oh, it turns out that it was Marquis Jinghai who was in front of me. I failed to welcome him from afar. Please atone for my sins."
Qin Hao bowed his hand politely on the surface, "What did Marquis Yongyi say?" , I have taken the liberty to come here today, I should ask Marquis Yongyi to atone for my sins.”
In fact, I couldn’t help but shake my head secretly. This Marquis Yongyi has the title of a marquis, but he acts like a businessman, as everyone does. Even if Qin Hao has more power, there is no need for the Marquis to be so flattering. I really wonder if the previous Yongyi Marquis would be so angry that he would cheat if he knew about the virtues of his descendants.
Yongyihou didn’t know Qin Hao’s thoughts, so he continued to flatter me, “Wherever, Jinghaihou is able to show his favor, it really makes me shine.”
As he said Then he invited Qin Hao to enter Yongyi Hou Mansion.
As soon as Qin Hao walked in, he noticed something was wrong. There was no trace of the style of a family of military commanders here. It was completely the revelry of a Jinling merchant family. The maids along the way were all graceful and pretty.
No wonder Xu Yuanji looked like he was overindulging in sexual activities. This guy is very lucky.
Xu Yuanji couldn't help but feel a little proud when he saw Qin Hao looking around at the Hou Mansion. He thought Qin Hao was fascinated by the wealthy town of Jinling, and kept talking to Qin Hao about the doorways in the building along the way.
Qin Hao could only sigh, no wonder the previous generation Yong Yihou did not let this prodigal son pursue an official career. With his understanding, he had to be tricked to death many times in the officialdom.
When they came to the front hall, Mrs. Zhuang, Madam of Marquis Yongyi, had arranged a banquet. What made Qin Hao dumbfounded was that there was a little girl of fifteen or sixteen years old, with a shy and bright appearance. He was looking at Qin Hao curiously.
Madam Zhuang introduced, "Qinhou, this is my seventh girl, Youwei. Youwei has not met Qinhou yet."
The little girl greeted the ceremony shyly. .
Qin Haodan returned the gift and couldn't help but secretly complain. This Xu Yuanji really subverted his understanding of nobles. It's no wonder that the old lady of the Sheng family cut off contact with the Yongyi Hou Mansion.
After three rounds of drinks and five delicious dishes, Qin Hao proposed to sit in Xu Yuanji’s study. Xu Yuanji didn’t notice anything wrong. He thought it was because Qin Hao had a good impression of him and was so arrogant. Take Qin Hao to the study room.
After withdrawing the servants, Qin Hao's expression suddenly became sharp and he shouted in a low voice, "Xu Yuanji, you are so brave"
Xu Yuanji was frightened. Shivering, with a confused look on his face, he cautiously asked, "Marquis Qin, what do you mean?"
Qin Hao stared at Xu Yuanji and sneered for a while, making him feel scared, and then said, "This month Hualou is your property."
Xu Yuanji's face changed, and he lowered his head and muttered, "The court didn't say that Xungui would not be allowed to run the brothel."
Qin. Hao was almost speechless. The fact that this guy can survive to this day must be due to the good deeds of his ancestors. He slammed the table and shouted.
"Do you really think that I am here to argue with you when I have nothing to do? Did you know that His Highness King Huan was assassinated outside Jinling City, and the other party also used an eight-oxen crossbow, and this group of desperadoes, Then he hid in Yuehua Tower. Do you really think that the Alchemy Book Iron Ticket of Yongyi Hou Mansion can win your family?"
Xu Yuanji sat down on the ground, trembling all over. Assassinating the prince was a crime of treason. Except for the Chai family, anyone else's alchemy book and iron coupons were useless. He still knew this.
"The Marquis of Qin saved me, I was wronged."
Qin Hao said coldly, "Whether I am wronged or not is up to you. Once King Huan knows about this matter, you will Even nine heads are not enough to chop off."
Big beads of sweat kept falling from Xu Yuanji's forehead, and he quickly begged Qin Hao for mercy, "Qin Hou, I really don't know about this matter. Ah, although the Yuehua Tower pays a large amount of money to the mansion every month, the person in charge of the Yuehua Tower is not from the Hou Mansion."
Qin Hao thought, "Please make it clearer."
p>Xu Yuanji wiped cold sweat, "This matter started from fifteen years ago. At that time, my father did not allow me to pursue an official career. I could not do anything in literature and martial arts, so I could only pass the time in love and romance. Soon, my family "My savings were almost spent."
"Just when I was desperate, someone suddenly came to me and said that I would cooperate with the Yongyi Hou Mansion to open a brothel. We don't need to come forward, and I will be given 30% a month. "Profit."
"I refused at first, but later I was forced to pay, so I agreed. This person was indeed trustworthy and sent a large amount of gold and silver every month. Marquis of Qin, I really don’t know anything about Yuehua Tower.”
“I would like to ask Marquis of Qin to say something kind in front of His Highness Prince Huan. The Yongyi Marquis Mansion will always be grateful for the great kindness and will express my gratitude.”
Seeing Xu Yuanji's appearance, Qin Hao also knew that this guy was unlikely to know the inside story, so he didn't dare to participate despite his courage.
"His Royal Highness King Huan was assassinated, don't you think that you can write it off with just one sentence from me?" Qin Hao looked at Xu Yuanji with a sneer.
Xu Yuanji asked cautiously, "What orders does His Highness King Huan have? Please give it to Marquis Qin."
Qin Hao nodded, "It's not too stupid, so I'll just follow you." I made it clear, right?"His Royal Highness, King Huan, asked you to plead guilty and perform meritorious service. Who was the person who came to find you back then? Only by catching him and finding out the mastermind behind the scenes can you have a chance to survive. Otherwise"
"This, this person has been coming and going without success." The property given to Yongyihou Mansion in these years was also sent from Yuehua Tower, and he has never shown his face. "Xu Yuanji said hesitantly.
Qin Hao thought for a moment, "Then tell the manager of Yuehua Building that you want to increase the monthly share of Yuehua Building to 60%."
"Liu Cheng" Xu Yuanji was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that only by raising the price to the point where the steward of Yuehualou could not make the decision would the person behind it show up.
Qin. When Hao left Yongyihou's Mansion, he said to Cui Zhi, "Keep an eye on everyone who comes in and out of Yongyihou's Mansion, even those who pour Yexiang. Yongyihou's Mansion must have their spies."
" "No"
Snake the snake in the grass. The snake is most deadly when it is hidden in the grass.
That night, Cui Zhi brought back the information. There were several servants in the Yongyi Hou Mansion. They secretly conveyed the message to the mysterious person. They seemed to be unaware of each other's existence. There was also a single line of communication between the upline and the downline.
"Where did the people who contacted them end up?" Qin Hao asked.
"Yuehua Building" Cui Zhi bowed and answered
Qin Hao looked out the window, with a sneer on his lips. "It seems that Yuehua Building is still here." It’s really a den of thieves.”
The ancient brothel was indeed an unobtrusive place where three religions and nine streams gathered. Regardless of food and sex, the more complicated the people who came in and out, the more information they could find out.
p>Obviously, the organizational structure of Manichaeism has deviated from the original church form. They are better at hiding and harder to detect.
Qin Hao vaguely remembered that Fang La relied on him during the Huizong period. Manichaeans swept across the entire Jiangnan region and cut off the economic lifeline of the Song Dynasty.
After Zhao Yingce learned of the situation, he was furious, "These rats are so brave, they must be completely wiped out. "Leave no future troubles"
Qin Hao said sternly, "I'm afraid this matter will not be easy. Manichaeism flourished in the Tang Dynasty and was later classified as a cult. Since then, it has begun to develop underground. There are many ways to hide itself. Experience shows that Jinling alone has such a strict organizational structure. We have no idea how many believers or weapons they have in other areas. "
Zhao Yingce gradually calmed down after hearing this. "What do you think of Zihan?"
"Your Majesty needs to be informed about this matter. It is best for your Majesty to send people from the Imperial City Department to investigate." "Qin Hao has always believed that professional matters should be left to professional people.
The Imperial City Division is equivalent to the Jinyiwei of the Song Dynasty. Although its power is limited to Bianjing City, it is not as local as the Jinyiwei. The right to arrest officials at every turn, but the ability is not much different.
Zhao Yingce thought about it and hesitated. He actually hoped that he could solve the Manichaeism.
" Okay, then let the officials decide as Zihan said. ”
Eight hundred miles expeditedWhen it was sent to Bianjing, Zhao Zongquan was shocked when he saw the memorial.
No one knows better than him what Jiangnan Road means to the Song Dynasty. Once the supply of food from Jiangnan is lost, the entire Bianjing will be in chaos.
Manichaeism is also notorious in history. It has been classified as a cult since the late Tang Dynasty, and almost all political powers want to get rid of it.
Originally, Zhao Zongquan thought that Manichaeism had disappeared in the Song Dynasty, but he never thought that it was hidden so deeply.
What made Zhao Zongquan even more chilly was the eight-niu crossbows that were seized one after another. He knew the power of these weapons very well. Once the Manichaeans started to attack, if they had these weapons, they could attack the city all the way and get twice the result with half the effort. It is difficult for those local armies to resist even the suppression of bandits.
Thinking of this, Zhao Zongquan no longer even cares about the results of the salt tax reform. The cancer of Manichaeism must be completely eliminated.
"Xuan Liu Jinzhong pays homage to His Majesty."
Not long after, a middle-aged man wearing a red robe came to the main hall and said, "The humble minister Liu Jinzhong pays homage to Your Majesty."
Zhao Zongquan directly threw the memorial jointly signed by Qin Hao and Zhao Yingce at Liu Jinzhong's feet, "See for yourself."
Liu Jinzhong picked it up and took a look, and suddenly he broke out in cold sweat and fell to his knees, "Wei Chen is guilty. "
Zhao Zongquan pointed at Liu Jinzhong and cursed, "Of course you are guilty. Manichaeism has been developing privately for so many years, and you haven't heard anything about it. Are you deaf or blind, or have you been ignored by your subordinates? "
"Wei Chen was frightened." Liu Jinzhong did not dare to argue.
After Zhao Zongquan finished venting, he gritted his teeth and said, "If Qin Aiqing hadn't discovered the clue, I'm afraid I would still be kept in the dark. No matter what method you use now, I must eradicate Manichaeism completely. Otherwise, you don’t have to come back to see me.”
“The humble minister accepts the order.” Liu Jinzhong knew that this was his only chance to make meritorious deeds.
Liu Jinzhong took a boat all the way to Jinling overnight.
At the same time, Qin Hao also gained something in Jinling. After Xu Yuanji informed the Yuehua Building manager of his request to increase the share ratio, the Yuehua Building manager went to see a local Scholar.
It is hard for people to believe that a poor scholar who lives from a poor family and makes a living by teaching is actually the actual controller behind Yuehua Tower.
Under the instruction of the poor scholar, the steward of Yuehua Building rejected Xu Yuanji’s request and used some of Xu Yuanji’s excuses to threaten him. If he dared to disobey, he would be asked to wait for a reduction in rank. .
After confirming the identity of the poor scholar, Qin Hao ordered the arrests and asked Cui Zhi to arrest everyone from Yuehua Tower to the bottom overnight. They were all detained in the water prison of the Jinling Navy. The guards They were all replaced by soldiers of the Mingzhou Navy.
After nightfall, Qin Hao interrogated the poor scholar.
In the water prison, the poor scholar still cursed and cursed, looking like a poor man who didn't know how to adapt.
Two soldiers lifted him up directly between them and carried him to an interrogation room., What surprised the poor scholar was that there were no torture instruments in this interrogation room, which made him a little confused.
Suddenly, the iron door of the interrogation room was pushed open.
"Master Hou."
The soldiers saluted one after another.
Qin Hao waved his hand with a cheerful face, motioning for them to go down, and then sat down opposite the poor scholar, looking at the poor scholar curiously.
The poor scholar recognized Qin Hao's identity at a glance. "Master Hou, why do you treat a scholar like this?"
Qin Hao smiled nonchalantly, "You know it?" "I"
"No one knows about Marquis Jinghai, who is famous all over the world," the poor scholar said calmly.
Qin Hao shook his head gently, "You are not an ordinary scholar. Tell me about the organization behind you and who your superiors are."
"I don't know if Mr. Hou is here." What are you talking about?" The poor scholar's expression shrank significantly.
Qin Hao winked at Cui Zhi beside him. Cui Zhi pushed the door open and went out. Almost five minutes later, a bloody middle-aged man was dragged in.
The poor scholar's hands were trembling slightly. Qin Hao smiled playfully and said, "Lu Xiucai seems to recognize this person."
"I don't know him." Lu Xiucai said calmly.
Qin Hao winked at Cui Zhi again. Cui Zhi waved his hand, and the two soldiers threw the man to the ground. The man groaned in pain, but he didn't even have the strength to turn over.
"I give you one last chance. I might as well tell you the truth. The people from the Imperial City Division are already on the way. You should be very clear about their methods. Once they fall into their hands, it will be a skinning." Even if you break the bones, they will definitely ask you to tell the truth. Instead of doing this, it is better to confess as soon as possible to avoid any physical pain." Qin Hao advised.
The middle-aged man spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground, but his eyes were not as firm as his actions.
Qin Hao sighed softly and waved his hand at Cui Zhi, "Drag him down, greet him well, tell the doctor, don't let him die easily, hey, why do you think some people always think that their bones are better than torture tools?" How dare you force me, a scholar, to do such a cruel thing?"
Lu Xiucai gritted his teeth and said, "You are worthy of being called a scholar."
Qin Haodan smiled at him. You, a scholar, dare to call yourself a scholar. I won three yuan in a row and topped the gold medal list. Why don't you deserve it? I chose you to be the top scholar"
Before Lu Xiucai finished speaking, Qin Hao interrupted, "That's better than you, a poor scholar who can't even pass the examination."
In fact, people like Lu Xiucai were also very common in ancient times. They had low IQ, thought they had worked very hard, but always failed the exam, so they became cynical and went to extremes. This kind of people are also the most susceptible to cults. Absorb and utilize.
"You" Lu Xiucai was so angry that his eyes were red.
Qin Hao continued to stimulate him, "You know that there is no hope in the scientific examination, soSo he became a disciple of Manichaeism, dreaming that one day he could overthrow the Song Dynasty, become a founding official, and have a wife and a cute son. ”
“But have you ever thought about how many innocent people will be displaced and how many families will be destroyed once Manichaeism launches its so-called uprising?”
“Zuo Zhuan Xianggong said: The first is to establish virtue, the second is to perform meritorious service, and the second is to establish words. Even if it lasts for a long time, this is called immortality. If you can be admitted as a scholar, you have already surpassed many ordinary people. Even if you can't pass the examination, you can become a teacher. , you can also teach and educate people. In the future, there may be children you enlighten, and they will be in the future, which can be regarded as a blessing to one party. ”
“But you are trying to stir up chaos in the world with your own selfish desires, disregarding the wealth and lives of the people, and you dare to say that you are a scholar. If Master Kong Sheng knew that there was a disciple like you, I’m afraid he would be ashamed to die from his grave. Jump out and die again"
Lu Xiucai almost couldn't breathe, his whole psychological defense completely collapsed, he roared "Shut up, stop talking"
Qin Hao felt a little thirsty as he spoke, so he picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea.
"Tell me how you came into contact with Manichaeism"
Lu. The scholar's originally ferocious face turned calm instantly, and he said in a low voice, "I don't know what you are talking about.
Qin Hao smiled and shook his head, "I really don't cry until I see the coffin. Do you think it's your own bones that are stronger, or the one just now that has stronger bones? Since you are a scholar, I have already given it to you." You deserve the treatment you deserve. If you don't know how to promote yourself, I will have to teach you to the Imperial City Division. I think they will be very interested in your body structure. "
"I heard that an adult man has a total of 206 bones in his body. I don't know if it is true or not. Maybe I can find the answer from you. ”
“Of course, you can also try biting your tongue to commit suicide, but I personally think this method is not very reliable. Apart from shortening your tongue, it will not kill you. It's just a form of torture. "
Lu Xiucai's teeth chattered and he stared at Qin Hao with fear, "You evil ghost"
Qin Hao showed an indifferent smile, "Perhaps, from your point of view ,Yes. ”
“Okay, one last chance, tell me everything you know about Manichaeism. "
After Lu Xiucai hesitated for a moment, Qin Hao waved to the soldiers. Lu Xiucai quickly said, "Give me a cup of tea. "
Qin Hao said to Cui Zhi.
"Go and invite His Highness King Huan. "Please remember to bookmark, the latest and fastest website without anti-theft and free reading