Chapter 1304 A false alarm
Although the Guangdong and Guangxi regions are still nominally under the rule of the Ming Central Dynasty, the actual local situation is obviously not that simple. Haihan's influence in the coastal areas is getting stronger and stronger, and even the local garrisons of the Ming Dynasty are gradually being controlled by it. In time, with an order from the Haihan Executive Committee, it will probably be a matter of course for these coastal state capitals to change their flags. Something happened.
Before coming to Hainan Island, Liu Shang would not have believed that such a situation was possible in the Ming Dynasty. After all, the peasant army in the Central Plains had made such a big show, and he had not heard of any state or county that was not responsible for it. Surrendered in battle. However, in the coastal areas southeast of the Ming Dynasty, the influence of the Haihan people has made it possible for the local officials to change their sides, but the Ming court, thousands of miles away, could not come up with any effective response plan. Liu Shang believed that if allowed to develop, these places would only know Haihan but not the imperial court sooner or later.
After several visits to Hainan Island this time, Liu Shang could feel that the people here had no obvious intention to resist Haihan's rule, but on the contrary had obvious support. With strong financial resources and armed forces, coupled with the support of the people, it is extremely difficult to overthrow Haihan's rule in this area. Liu Shang sighed secretly, he could only turn his grief and anger into appetite first, and eat a hearty meal before talking.
After drinking for three rounds, Zhang Xin stood up and tapped the edge of his bowl with his chopsticks a few times. When the guests saw this, they knew he had something to say, and the tables on the third floor immediately fell silent. Liu Shang was also a man who knew the rules. He quickly put down his chopsticks, wiped the grease on his mouth with a napkin, and sat upright, waiting for Zhang Xin to speak. Generally speaking, on such occasions, the senior officials present would make a few speeches, which was a long-established custom at the Haihan Banquet.
I heard Zhang Xin say: "Danzhou has two major events recently. One is to assist the Ministry of National Defense in organizing the 1635 military exercise and subsequent arms exhibitions, and the other is to welcome the inspection team from Sanya to inspect and preach locally. Currently, these two things Everything went smoothly, which is also the result of everyone here working day and night. Mr. Zhang is here to toast you all!”
Everyone quickly raised their glasses and drank with Zhang Xin. Zhang Xin put down his wine glass and continued: "In addition to these two things, there is another thing I want to mention in particular. As we all know, Danzhou had a big loophole in security issues a few years ago. At that time, relying on the Ministry of Security and the military to fully investigate and control Danzhou, so that Danzhou can overcome the difficulties and catch all the rebels. However, several years have passed since the incident, and local officials in Danzhou have also been replaced one after another. Some people may have begun to forget the sensation at that time. The whole Haihan case is huge!”
Zhang Xin's eyes swept across the faces of everyone present, as if looking for the kind of officials he said had a bad memory. Although Liu Shang had also heard about the general story of the Danzhou assassination four years ago, the outside world knew very little about the real details of the case. The information he obtained was also unknown. It was hard to say how much information he received. Real ingredients. But one thing he had confirmed was that among the officials from the Haihan Security Department who were responsible for investigating the case at that time, Zhang Qianzhi, who was just starting out, was among them.
However, when Zhang Xin suddenly mentioned this matter, it was obviously not a random move, but rather meant something for those present. Liu Shang's eyes slowly wandered over everyone's faces, trying to see if anyone's expressions changed after hearing Zhang Xin's words. But just as he glanced at a few people, his eyes suddenly met with Zhang Qianzhi sitting at another table. Liu Shang felt a chill in his heart, feeling as if his heart had been frozen, but when he saw Zhang Qianzhi showing him an incomprehensible smile, he took the initiative to turn his eyes elsewhere. Liu Shang breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking that this was too damn scary. Fortunately, his eyes did not escape, otherwise it might arouse Zhang Qianzhi's suspicion.
Then I heard Zhang Xin continue: "Everyone has gone through induction training before taking up the job, and you should also know that our country's confidentiality requirements for officials are very strict. I think some people may be living too comfortably in peace, and they don't think about what they should do. I forgot all about what I should do!”
Liu Shang heard Zhang Xin speak in an extremely stern tone, and it no longer seemed like he was joking. Moreover, everyone present was silent, and no one answered at this time. Even Yu Xiaobao had a solemn look on his face, and the atmosphere was already very solemn. . Liu Shang couldn't help but secretly wonder, is Zhang Xin planning to publicly investigate and deal with the subordinates who violated disciplines at this time? Then this courage is really a bit strong.
"It is nothing new for other countries to send spies into our country to lurk and collect various intelligence. For example, there are such people in the Nanhai Restaurant where we are now! But after entering this restaurant, don't even think about it. Leaving easily!”
What Zhang Xin said next made Liu Shang's heartbeat suddenly accelerate again. At this moment, Liu Shang couldn't help but secretly wonder, has his identity been exposed? If the Haihan people want to arrest me, should they just surrender or struggle to escape? Now on the third floor of the restaurant, we can't just jump over the railing and jump down. What should we do?
Liu Shang secretly glanced at the nearby fence, only to see that Haihan soldiers had appeared there silently at some unknown time. Even if you have the courage to jump off the building and escape, you still have to break through this obstacle first.
Of course, even if he jumped, he would not be able to escape. When he came here just now, he noticed that the street outside had been controlled by the Haihan Army in the name of security. There were at least a hundred or so people guarding the outside of the restaurant. It could be said that It's hard to fly with wings.
"Colluding with foreign countries and selling state secrets, Haihan will definitely not tolerate such people. If they are discovered, they will be investigated and dealt with. We will never tolerate them!" Zhang Xin's voice was not loud, but everyone sitting on the third floor was excited. Hear it clearly.
"The person who committed the crime can now take the initiative to stand up and plead guilty, and he can also seek a chance for leniency. If you want to fight to the end, then don't blame me, Zhang Xin, for being rude!"
Liu Shang's knees softened when he heard this, and he almost slid from the chair to the floor. Before coming to Danzhou, he had already been to the Shilu Mine where severe prisoners were imprisoned in Haihan. He had witnessed the conditions there with his own eyes. He knew that if his body and bones were thrown into that place, he would only be killed by two people. If you can't hold it out for a month, you will die inside. If I stand up and plead guilty at this time, I don’t know if I can really get a lighter sentence? But as a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, and shouldering a special mission, wouldn't it be disrespectful to the country and profession to which he is loyal to for being so cowardly?
While Liu Shang was still having an ideological struggle in his heart, someone at the table next to him had already knelt on the floor with a thump. Liu Shang glanced over with his peripheral vision and saw that this person looked familiar. He had seen him before when he visited the academy and gave a speech. He should be one of Zhang Xin's attachés.
Before Liu Shang could remember this person's name, someone at another table fell to his knees, shaking like chaff. It turned out that there was more than one person who had committed the crime. Liu Shang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that these two people were both Danzhou officials, thinking that they were not here for me.
Before Liu Shang could calm down, he saw Zhang Qianzhi sitting at another table and Wang Baisuo, the head of Danzhou's local security department, both stood up at the same time and walked towards the table where he was sitting. Suddenly his heart beat like thunder, and a wave of The cold air slowly climbed up from the tailbone to the back, and the hairs all over the body stood up. Liu Shangxin said that Zhang Qianzhi paid great attention to him along the way. It seemed that it was not without reason, but he didn't know where he had exposed himself and his identity was discovered by him.
Zhang Qianzhi and Wang Baisuo walked to their table and stood there, then heard Zhang Qianzhi say: "The chief has just given you the opportunity to surrender. Since you don't cherish it, there is nothing you can do about it. What's the matter, you still have to wait for us to catch you. You?" Liu Shang didn't dare to raise his head to look into Zhang Qianzhi's eyes. At this time, his mouth felt dry and his throat was about to convulse. He felt like he couldn't make a sound even if he wanted to shout "I'm wronged". The calmness that you usually have when telling stories or delivering lectures. His two fists were clenched tightly under the table, and he was still wondering whether he should surrender or fight to the death. The stairs leading downstairs were only five or six feet away from where he was. If he got up and jumped over, Zhang Qianzhi and Wang Baisuo might not be able to stop him. Of course, whether you can get out of the Nanhai Restaurant is another matter.
Before Liu Shang, who was in a mess in his heart, could make a decision, the man sitting next to him had already slipped to the floor, kowtowed to Zhang and Wang, and begged for mercy: "I was confused for a moment, and I didn't do anything." You have not done anything to disgrace the country, please be careful!”
Liu Shang took a look and found that this person was actually the clerk who lived in the same cabin with him along the way. His surname was Tan, and he was said to be from the Ministry of Commerce. He usually doesn't say much, and rarely participates in speeches during meetings. He seems to be an honest man, but he actually has the courage to betray state secrets secretly? This is really not what people look like!
Zhang Qianzhi sneered and said: "Really? Before you set off on this trip, why did you receive a thousand yuan in favors from a commercial bank in Sanya? Do you know why you didn't arrest him sooner or later? He had to wait until you arrived in Danzhou Are we going to take care of you later? We are just waiting for your contact to show up. Do you want to go to the second floor and say hello?”
After listening to what Zhang Qianzhi said, the man named Tan lowered his body even lower, turned his head and kowtowed to Yu Xiaobao: "Director Yu, although this villain is confused, he has not betrayed the information to you yet. Outsiders, please ask Director Yu to run all the way and say a few good words for the villain!”
Yu Xiaobao sighed and said: "If you have already betrayed state secrets, how could the Ministry of Security give you a chance to surrender? It's because you were lucky and missed the opportunity! I can't help you with this matter, so just admit it. Come on! ”
When the man surnamed Tan saw that Yu Xiaobao was unwilling to speak for him, he immediately went to the doctor in a hurry. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Liu Shang's calf and said: "Brother Liu, you have been living in the same cabin with me all the way. You should also know that I am not Bad guy, please speak to me!”
Liu Shang almost kicked him in the face, thinking about such a fatal thing, you still want to drag me into the water? Immediately, I quickly pushed him away with my hands and refused repeatedly: "I'm not familiar with you, and I don't know where to start. You'd better let go!"
Although this man begged for mercy in every possible way, he was quickly taken away by the Ministry of Security, and the other two officials who took the initiative to expose were also immediately taken away from the scene. Even if their crime does not lead to death, their career will definitely end here.
When Liu Shang saw Zhang Qianzhi and Wang Baisuo turning away, he was convinced that his identity had not been exposed. He let out a sigh of relief and leaned back on the chair, only to realize that his back was completely soaked.
"Mr. Liu, you are sweating profusely, are you scared?" Yu Xiaobao unexpectedly saw his limp appearance and asked with concern.
Liu Shang quickly sat up straight and responded: "This is the first time I have encountered such a situation in my humble position. I am indeed a little scared, which made Director Yu laugh!"
Yu Xiaobao said: "You haven't committed any crime, so don't be nervous. The security department will not arrest the wrong person. Is it because your body has not recovered yet that you are sweating so much?"
Seeing that there was a ladder to go down, Liu Shang immediately followed it and responded: "Yes, I just drank two glasses and felt cold sweat all over my body. Maybe it's because the condition has not been completely relieved."
"In that case, then go back and rest first!" Yu Xiaobao didn't wait for Liu Shang to express his position this time, so he ordered his entourage to send Liu Shang back to the guest house to rest and take the medicine he cooked in the morning again. .
Although Liu Shang was a little reluctant to leave, he also knew that the current situation was too dangerous. If he continued to stay, he might lose his composure, so it would be safer to leave earlier.
After leaving the restaurant, Liu Shang saw a row of prisoners being escorted by soldiers kneeling outside. In addition to the three people arrested on the third floor, there were also several people dressed as businessmen who were also kneeling on the street dejectedly. . From the way they were dressed, Liu Shang seemed to know the truth. He didn't know whether these people had any selfish motives or were sent here by the government. However, since the ship had capsized, he had no choice but to accept his fate.
Liu Shang carefully looked at the appearance of these people and silently remembered them in his heart. After returning to Sanya, if I have the chance, I will ask Liao Yuan if these people have had contact with him. Of course, if he is really on the same line with Liao Yuan, then it is possible that the person who was arrested would have directly confessed Liao Yuan before he returned to Sanya. By then, Liao Yuan might have already confessed him as well. Out.
However, Liu Shang was not so afraid at this time. When Zhang Qianzhi stood in front of him in the restaurant just now, he had fully experienced the panic of his identity being revealed. Even if the Haihan people really discovered their identity in the future, it would be too much to think about. Anyway, there is nowhere to escape now, so it is better to continue to follow the inspection team to complete this errand.
(End of chapter)