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Chapter 89 Chapter 86 Breaking Mystery, Jade Cage, Flying Colored Phoenix, Preventing Future Trouble

Ms. Zhou got Meizhen drunk on purpose, so that she could not leave the palace and had to sleep in her bedroom.This was Zhou Jinfeng's idea for her.It is said that since Meizhen has colluded with the Democratic Party, she must have some secret letter with her. After you are intoxicated, you can search as much as you can.If you find out the evidence, you can use it to make a business trip before President Xiang Da drives, and you will finally live up to his entrustment.As for what to do with her, we can ignore it.Ms. Zhou thought her suggestion was right, so three of them poured one of them, and after working hard for half a day, they got her completely intoxicated.The goal of the first step was finally achieved, and when she was carried back to her bedroom with a shoulder car, Meizhen still said that she wanted to leave and refused to live in the mansion, but it was already difficult for her to walk an inch.Ms. Zhou drove the two maids out of the door, and undressed Meizhen by herself, so that she could sleep peacefully. In fact, she was checking whether there were any secret letters or prohibited items on her body.Unexpectedly, as soon as she unbuttoned her underwear, a very hard object rolled off the bed.Ms. Zhou's scare was no small matter, and she quickly picked it up to look, but it was a very small box gun, shining brightly under the electric light.Ms. Zhou secretly said she was ashamed. Fortunately, she found out. If time passes by and she really does something unexpected, what kind of face should I use to see the president.Thinking to myself, I quickly put the box gun in my closet and locked it with a lock.Then I checked carefully what telegrams and letters she had, and found a telegram, but it was coded and had not been dug out.Ms. Zhou took the code book and checked it for a long time, but she couldn't find a word right, so she had to lock this telegram in the drawer of the desk.He fumbled in her pocket again and took out a roll of banknotes, all of which were one hundred and fifty yuan each, forty or fifty in total.There is also a receipt from the Sino-French Industrial Bank.Ms. Zhou didn't touch her money at all, it was still in her pocket.Seeing her sleeping soundly on her back lying on the bed, looking under the electric light, her beautiful face was slightly flushed by the force of alcohol, her nose vortexed her temples, and there was a little bit of fragrant sweat, as if among the peach blossoms after the rain, she had a unique beauty. A heroic attitude.Ms. Zhou looked at it again and again, feeling deeply regretful in her admiration, and said to herself: Such a promising woman is really rare in our China. Why did she choose to join the Revolutionary Party?You slept so peacefully in my bed tonight, and tomorrow morning the incident will break out, and I will have to report it to the President no matter what.In a fit of rage, the light ones will have to send you into the prison to taste the taste of being behind bars; the severe ones will be pushed out immediately, and your beautiful head will inevitably not be the target of the iron bullets.Thinking of this, I felt extremely sad in my heart.Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly saw Meizhen turn over and shouted, "I'm thirsty! Water... water, I drink water." Ms. Zhou hurriedly jumped out of bed and poured a cup of thick water from the thermos. Tea, hands to Meizhen's lips.She raised her head and drank it all in one gulp.After drinking, he fell on the pillow and fell asleep.

Ms. Zhou put down her teacup, and she also lay down with her clothes on, beside Meizhen, she seemed to be asleep.As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw many maids of honor, carrying Jiufeng Luanyu, put them in front of my eyes, knelt down and said: "Please be a thousand-year-old mother." Ms. Zhou said in surprise: "I am just a poor girl from a clean family. , why do you call me your empress! Besides, this Jiufeng Luanyu is taken by the empress, and it has something to do with the state system, how dare I take it without authorization?" Seeing her refusal like this, all the maids would not agree.Everyone stood up and stretched out their fists and sleeves to try to pull her onto Luanyu. Ms. Zhou was so frightened that she had nowhere to hide.When she was in trouble, suddenly a beautiful woman jumped out from behind and said loudly: "Sir, don't be afraid, my disciple is here to protect you as the empress in the palace." Ms. Zhou looked with her eyes, and it was none other than Chen Meizhen.Seeing that she was more and more in front of the crowd, she stretched out her hand and hugged herself, put her in the Jiufeng Luanyu, and said: "Your Majesty is upright." Suddenly, on the side, he threw himself to the ground, unknowingly breaking out in a cold sweat.Looking up, the electric light in front of the bed was shining brightly, and Meizhen on the bed was still sleeping soundly.It turned out to be a dream of Nankeyi.I quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes, thinking, this dream is really strange!Could it be that I still have hope of becoming a queen.But in the Republic of China, where did the queen come from!Since there is no queen, in the whole country, what qualifications should be considered as the first lady, maybe the wife of the president!But with my identity, it is not a dream to be the wife of the president!But out of nowhere, Chen Meizhen came out again, and she hugged me to Luanyu, or maybe there will be something to rely on her in the future, maybe.From this point of view, I still try to preserve her as a person!Thinking of this, Meizhen's heart of exposing Meizhen has already been half ashamed.But then I thought about it again, whether it is good or not, how solemn the president entrusted me that day; what Zhou Jinfeng said yesterday is so relevant.Moreover, the facts have been fully exposed. If I want to let her go without knowing it, if this rumor is leaked in the future and the president finds out, wouldn’t it be suspected that I am in collusion with the Democratic Party!How can such a crime be borne?Looks like it's still up for grabs.However, I have been with her for more than a month, and we have a very good relationship with each other, and she is respectful and treats me as a teacher.In terms of personal communication, it seems that I can't bear to report her.

Ms. Zhou thought about it, and the more she studied this problem, the harder it was to solve it. She hesitated for two hours, but she still couldn't adopt a fixed policy.Looking at the glass on the window, it was already fishy white, and the rooster was sounding in the distance, and the morning clock in the mansion was striking five o'clock, and Dongfang was about to wake up.Ms. Zhou suddenly had an idea, and said to her heart: I don't need to think about it. Meizhen woke up when she was young, and it's not too late to see what she does and what she says, and then I look at things and do things.Thinking of this, he lay down with his clothes on for the second time, closed his eyes and pretended to fall asleep.In fact, she couldn't sleep, she was calm, her eyes seemed to be open and half open, and she focused on observing Meizhen's movements.After another half an hour, it was already broad daylight.Suddenly, Meizhen rolled over and sat up, her eyes widened, she looked around, she said "Oh, am I really drunk, why am I sleeping in this place?" After saying that, she raised her head again After thinking about it, he immediately showed a look of panic, turned back his slender hands, and fumbled on himself.After touching it, disappointment, fear, panic, all kinds of colors are all expressed.He got out of bed again and looked around the room.After looking around for a long time, she didn't find her target, and she became even more anxious.But amidst the panic, he still maintained a calm attitude.Reaching out his hand in the past, he first closed the door, and then moved the built-in lock.Ms. Zhou peeked at it, but she felt a little uneasy in her heart, and said to herself: What does she mean by this?Do you want to fight me hard?While thinking wildly, Meizhen had already folded to the bed, pushed Ms. Zhou lightly, and called out in a low voice: "Mr. Zhou! Wake up." Ms. Zhou was too embarrassed to pretend to be asleep at this time, "huh" He let out a sound, then sat up with his eyes open, and seeing Meizhen standing silently beside the bed with a smile all over her face, he said perfunctorily to her: "Did you just wake up? Yesterday's magnanimity really admired us. But it's a pity that you, the beautiful Cui Zongzhi, are almost blown down by the strong wind." Meizhen felt half calm when she saw Ms. Zhou teasing her like this, knowing that she had absolutely no ill intentions towards her, so she replied with a smile: " He Jia Liu Ling, lucky to be rescued by Mr., and saved from the pain of burying himself, in this life, I should never forget it." Ms. Zhou listened to her answers, witty puns, alluding to the things in front of her through the wine, She is really sensitive and talented, she deserves to be a female revolutionary.She admired her so much that her thoughts of provoking her were thrown into the clouds.But he still pretended to be confused, and said: "You are too serious, I think you are so drunk, it is pitiful, but let you sleep here for a night, so as not to suffer from the wind and have to drink again, how can you say that?" What about rescue?" Hearing what she said, Meizhen knew that she was absolutely unwilling to reveal her face, so she had to use the straight-to-the-point method to meet her sincerely.Immediately suppressed her smile and said to Ms. Zhou with a serious expression: "Mr. Zhou, the late student has a few heartfelt words, and I want to ask him for advice, but I don't know if I can accept it?" Ms. Zhou said to her Being so solemn, he changed his face and replied with a very sincere attitude: "If you have something to say, you can speak it boldly. We have been together for many days and know each other well. I am very happy to listen. But it’s okay to listen, and as for Na’s words, I should follow the trend, I’m really ashamed.” Meizhen listened to her words, she was really careful, and she secretly admired Ms. Zhou, she really deserved to be a scholar.Then he said: "Wansheng told my husband straightforwardly that I have a sealed letter and a box gun with me. These are things related to my personal life. I was drunk yesterday, and now I am looking for them. They have been lost. If these things are in the hands of my husband, Wansheng can feel at ease right away, because Mr. Moral knowledge will never put Wansheng in a desperate situation. If Mr. has not seen these two things, of course they have fallen into the hands of others. They must use this as evidence and ask the president After being rewarded for his meritorious deeds, it would be inconvenient for Wansheng to be arrested, so he surrendered himself immediately, so as not to implicate Mr. Zhou, and let outsiders say that Chen Meizhen was arrested from Mr. Zhou's office in Liuhuashanfang. Why don't you be arrested? This is what Wansheng said so heartbreakingly. Before I respect Mr. Chen Yu, I really hope that Mr. Chen will understand and answer me." She said, Ms. Zhou nodded, and said in her heart: What a powerful word front , although I decided not to report you, I can't show weakness to you after all.After listening, he smiled slightly and said: "What you said is indeed reasonable, but this matter is another matter. Your lost property falls into the hands of others, and you may not be allowed to go to the president to file a complaint. If it falls into my hands, you may not If you don't know it, you must keep it a secret. But the first thing you need to know is who your telegram and gun are prepared for. Please answer me clearly on this level, so that we can discuss it." As soon as Jane heard this, she knew in her heart that this thing had fallen into her hands.However, the level she asked was really a little difficult to answer.If it's whitewashing, even Sanchi Boy can't hide it; if it's to deal with Xiangzicheng, it's clear that it's a trap.If Ms. Zhou turned around and said that you were under the influence of the president and murdered the president instead, if I didn’t report you, it would be a collusion in the future. At that time, I would have to be at her mercy without any leeway.Then I thought about it, I don't need to go around the corner, it's better to hit it straight.Then he replied generously: "Sir, are you asking who I am dealing with? I don't have to cover up, but to tell you the truth, I am dealing with the current President Xiang Zicheng." Ms. Zhou pretended to be surprised and said: "You It's a strange story. The President treats you as a councilor in name, and you get hundreds of dollars a month in benefits. As a woman who is known by the President like this, there is nothing wrong with you. You have to deal with him. What does this mean? Meizhen sneered for a while, and said, "Sir, what you said is unreasonable! However, private affairs cannot be dismissed as public affairs. What Mr. said is personal affection, what Wansheng did is justice. President Xiang Da From the looks of it, we can’t say that he is bad. But in reality he is an ambitious man who pretends to be civil rights and implements dictatorship. He killed the Democratic Party, wishing to catch them all in one go, so that he could become emperor in the future. He was born under the leadership of the leader of his own party. The secret order, on the face of it, is to go to the government to serve as a servant, but in the bottom of it, it is waiting for the opportunity to assassinate Xiangzi City, to eliminate a great harm for the Republic of China, and to make my 400 million compatriots escape from the tyranny at the same time Under. When you are born late, even if your body is ashes and your bones are ashes, you can be happy without any regrets. Mr. Xiang has been a Bindong with President Xiang for several years, and he treats him with courtesy. As the saying goes, "a scholar is a confidant." Use', at this level, Wansheng can also be extremely understanding. Now that the two pieces of evidence are in Mr.'s hands, Mr. can do whatever he wants. Wansheng can neither plead with Mr. not to report, but also cannot admit that Mr. must do so. The right to prosecute or not to prosecute is entirely up to you, sir, and you can only wait for your life in late life."

After she finished speaking, she simply sat on the sofa calmly and remained motionless.At this time, Ms. Zhou unexpectedly aroused a feeling of admiration, which turned into a feeling of sympathy, as if someone was pushing her from behind, jumped off the bed, went to Meizhen and held her hand, smiling Said: "Meizhen, why do you think of me as a snobbish person who doesn't distinguish between innocence and filth? I don't need to hide it. However, the scope of my repayment can only be Concentrating on teaching his sons and daughters so that they can increase their knowledge, I can claim that I am not ashamed of myself. As for his personal political scope, I am neither his lackey nor his private relative, so why should I help the tyrant? What! Besides, I can't see his ambition! But what I hold is the tenet of 'not being in the position, not seeking political power'. It doesn't matter. The two of us have been together for more than a month. In terms of personal friendship, although we don't have the same personal relationship with Xiang's family, if you want me to report you, buy Xiangzicheng's favor and kill your life, you will kill me first. I would not do it either." Meizhen stood up abruptly after hearing this, bowed deeply to Ms. Zhou three times, and said, "Mr. Wan, thank you for your virtue. Although Mr. is not a member of the Democratic Party, But this kind of general knowledge is really worthy of being a hero among women. Just one action, all the people who benefit the Democratic Party will benefit a lot." Ms. Zhou pulled her again, and the two sat down side by side, and asked her in a low voice: "What are you going to do in the future?" How about it?" Meizhen said: "My secret has been revealed, even if the husband keeps silent, I can no longer gain a foothold in Beijing. The admiral is about to launch it. If I stay in Beijing for another week, I will inevitably be killed. Now I am telling my husband that I followed you to the inner house yesterday. I was going to see Xiangzicheng. At that time, I took out my pistol. I fought desperately with him, but I didn't expect that he didn't come out to receive congratulations. This was a big disappointment to me, so I drank my sorrows and got drunk like that. If Xiang Zicheng came out at that time, I'm afraid even Mr. I've been implicated." Ms. Zhou was heartbroken when she heard her words, but when she thought about it, she felt a little scared.However, I had to pretend to be calm, and I said to her heartbrokenly: "Meizhen, you said these words just now, and it is true that there is no whitewashing. I admire you for your courage and willingness to speak to others with your heart. I disclosed it, which shows that you value me very much. Of course, I can’t hide it from you. To tell you the truth, after you were appointed as a councilor this time, the president has already seen that you are not suitable, and specially sent me to monitor you. Otherwise, I Why go to the Senate Hall to look for you, and why give up my office to you to enjoy yourself!" Meizhen also smiled, and said: "I can't complain! So the master was ordered to check on me." Ms. Zhou said : "Don't get me wrong, I searched your stuff yesterday, it was driven by the order of the president. To tell you the truth, there is another reason for this, and this reason is very related to you, you seem to have to prevent Woolen cloth."

Meizhen heard that there was something in her words, and hurriedly asked: "Sir, you saved people, what is the important reason that concerns me, please tell me, so as not to be surprised, and to be plotted by others." Ms. Zhou then called Zhou Jinfeng Learned to say what she said.He also said: "Since your party is preparing to raise an incident, why don't you keep it secret and let outsiders know first?" Meizhen had just gone through such a big twists and turns, and she never showed any signs of fear.Now hearing Ms. Zhou's explanation of this part of the reason, Tao Hua immediately turned pale with fright, and said in a trembling voice, "Sir, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave. Zhou Ziqi knows that he must report to President Xiang. Old Xiang I know, I must catch them all. Sir, please think, how can I escape?" Ms. Zhou felt very sorry for her when she saw her frustrated appearance, she lowered her head and thought for a while, then said: "What are you worrying about? , of course there is this level, but according to my opinion, it may not be so fast. Because Zhou Ziqi is an old bureaucrat, he is very cautious in his words and actions on weekdays. According to only one side of the outsider, he is absolutely unwilling to be so presumptuous. But you have already It seems that it is not suitable to live in Beijing for a long time if someone sees a flaw. The sooner the better, leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, as long as you can reach the Tianjin Concession, you will be safe and sound." Meizhen's expression eased a little, and said "Thank you for your advice, sir. But I stayed in the mansion last night, and I left the mansion to return to my apartment early this morning. It is also very eye-catching. Can you think of a magic method for me, so that I can get out of this cage safely, which is to save people Save Che, I will never be more grateful." Ms. Zhou told her so and so, whispering in her ear.Meizhen said happily: "This plan is very clever. But Wansheng still has an insatiable desire, and the box of gun and the secret telegram are still in Mr.'s hand. The gun is a dangerous thing, and Wansheng dare not ask for it. As for the telegram , the relationship is very important, and if it exists in the hands of the husband, it will always be dangerous in the end. Whether it can be returned to the late students, I try to eliminate it, so as not to accidentally fall into the hands of others in the future, and the husband will also be implicated." Ms. Zhou Nodding, he unlocked the drawer, took out the original telegram, and said, "Don't you want to destroy it? Let me do it for you." Then he struck a match and burned the telegram to ashes.Meizhen saw it with her own eyes, she was very grateful, and said to Ms. Zhou: "Sir, we will have a date later. If Meizhen does not die for the revolution, there will be a day of retribution in the future. I will only follow the words of my husband at this time, and pretend to be sick first." Ms. Zhou said: "It's not too late. Look at the window, there is almost a shadow of the sun. When I was young, two maids came to knock on the door. I have never locked the door in normal days. If I lock the door rashly now, don't you want to arouse their suspicions?" I'll open the door, you go to bed and pretend to be sick." As expected, Meizhen was obedient, she ran to the bed and lay down under the quilt.

Here, Ms. Zhou gently opened the lock, which really made her guess. As soon as the lock was opened, someone twisted the door and came in. It turned out that Sujuan and Ziyan had already finished washing, and Tete came to Ms. Zhou's room to serve her. everything.As soon as I entered the door, I saw Ms. Zhou sitting on the sofa with a sad face.Seeing the two maids come in, he spoke first: "You came just in time, and I couldn't sleep all night. Look at Miss Chen, I thought she was drunk, she stayed with me overnight, and won't she get back to her original state tomorrow morning? Unexpectedly, she brought up a heart-wrenching illness, groaning and groaning, and kept making trouble all night. I deliberately went to call you, and then thought, you have worked hard all day, why bother you, and you can't even sleep well. I give She rubbed her belly and her heart, and it took a lot of effort to get better. She didn't fall asleep until dawn, and I couldn't even close my eyes. You can check if she is awake, and if she wakes up, say hello A carriage will come and take her home." When Ms. Zhou said this, the two maids were taken aback, especially Sujuan, who usually had the best relationship with Meizhen.Now that I heard that she was so ill, I felt distressed and anxious, and my eyes had already shed tears. I didn't care about answering Ms. Zhou's words, so I went all the way to the bed, gently opened the quilt, and saw Meizhen's face It was red, as if there was a burst of heat, rushing straight to his own eyebrows.Sujuan said in her heart: It really is really sick.Unexpectedly, in hot weather, covering the face with a quilt, so that there is no air to breathe, of course, it must be fumigated by heat, so that the face becomes red and short of breath. This is a way to deceive children.Sujuan is a fifteen or sixteen-year-old maid who has never left her boudoir, so of course she must be considered to be really ill.So she couldn't help wiping her tears with one hand, and gently shook Meizhen with the other, calling in a low voice: "Miss Chen, wake up, what disease are you suffering from? How could it be so serious overnight?" Jane said "Ouch", opened her eyes slightly, and said to Sujuan weakly, "I can hardly see you." Although this sentence is a lie, if I want to see Sujuan again from now on, I'm afraid it will be impossible. It's still difficult, so when Meizhen said this sentence, two lines of painful tears burst out of her eyes.When Sujuan heard this, she almost let out a cry of grief. She barely held back her sobs, and couldn't answer a word.Ziyan held a cup of freshly brewed white sugar yuan broth in her hand, and asked Ms. Chen if she might have a sip?Meizhen nodded, meaning she wanted to sit up, but couldn't help but struggle a little.Sujuan helped her up vigorously, took two more pillows, and asked her to sit down.Then Ziyan came over and put the cup in her hand to her lips, she took a sip slowly, then shook her head and stopped drinking.At this time, Ms. Zhou also came over and asked her how she felt after sleeping.Meizhen said: "Mr. was disturbed very much this night, and I feel a little sober in my heart at this time." Ms. Zhou said: "In this case, I will ask Ziyan to inform the official medical office in the mansion, and immediately call a doctor. , to diagnose your pulse. But I don’t know whether you are taking traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, please consider this, and you have to declare it in advance.” Meizhen knew that she was saying this to the two maids on purpose, so she must know I will never take medicine here, and I can walk quickly by taking advantage of this step, so I quickly replied: "Sir, don't worry, any medicine for my disease will not be effective. There is only a secret recipe handed down from my family, and I have to prepare it myself." I have to go back to my apartment right now, so I would like to ask my husband to call me a carriage from the mansion and take me home. Also, please ask me to take a two-week leave in front of the presidential stage, or I will recover from my illness. Hurry up, I may come early to sell the errand." Ms. Zhou said: "Can you take the car?" Meizhen said: "My heartache is only at two o'clock in the afternoon. I don't feel anything at this time, and I just take the car Go home." Ms. Zhou said: "Okay! Then my name is Ziyan, and I will call you a carriage." Then she turned around and told Ziyan: "Hurry up to the place where the female guests know what to do, tell them to write a note, and immediately send a carriage Come, take Miss Chen back to her apartment." Zi Yan responded.Here, Sujuan wiped her tears and said to Meizhen: "Miss Chen, why did you take so many days off? I can't see you every day, and I feel sick in my heart. Why can't I not see you for more than ten days? Why don't you take me away?" Do you want to die!" Ms. Zhou and Meizhen all laughed, and said: "Silly girl, you are really good at talking nonsense, more than ten days have passed in a blink of an eye, and the days of our reunion have been long! Why fight for this moment? Ms. Zhou took advantage of the situation to tease her again, saying: "You and Ms. Chen are so good. When Ms. Chen leaves the cabinet in the future, I will give you to her as a dowry maid. Do you think it is okay?" A few words made Sujuan laugh too. He said, "Master Zhou, you never tell jokes, why are you making fun of us today? I really can't bear to miss Miss Chen. She tells us overseas stories every day, which is more interesting than listening to them." Meizhen said: "You hope that I will be well soon, so I will come early and tell you stories." The three of them were talking, Ziyan had already returned, and she replied to Ms. Zhou: "The carriage has already driven outside, Chen Miss can leave at any time." Meizhen struggled to get out of bed and said, "I'm leaving now, I'm afraid I'll get sick again if it's too late." Sujuan supported her, and Ziyan tied up her skirt and buttoned it up The button tabs of the coat.Then the two of them, one on each side, carried her out of the bedroom.Before leaving, she bowed deeply to Ms. Zhou to express her gratitude, and shook Ms. Zhou's hand tightly, saying: "Please leave everything to me, sir. I wish you a bright future. We have a long time together!" He told her: "Take care of your illness, it's okay to take a few more days off here." He sent her all the way to the door of the room on the first floor.The carriage stopped right in front of the door, and the coachman bowed and stood beside him, waiting for the young lady to get on the carriage.Sujuan and Ziyan, one on each side, helped her into the carriage.Sujuan also took her own brocade quilt and covered her body, fearing that it would be cold in the morning and catch the wind along the way.He said again: "Miss Chen is well, she will sell her vacation early, don't make us look forward to it for a long time." Meizhen cupped her hands to everyone and said, "I will definitely be back soon, so I don't want you to look forward to it." Ms. Zhou took Sujuan and Ziyan went back to their room.

The coachman whipped his whip, and with a clatter of hooves, he drove out from the side door of the mansion.Go out of the Shunzhi Gate and walk towards the Prime Minister's Alley on Luomashi Street.Because Meizhen's private apartment is in this alley.She lived in her aunt's house, and later she found it inconvenient, so she rented a house next door to her aunt's house.She brought a maid from the south with her, named Brother Ying.After arriving in Beijing, she called her wet nurse when she was a child.Her wet nurse, Mama Xiang, was from Beijing Banner. She had been hired to breastfeed her since she was born, and she has been nursing her for five years.Later, she stopped breastfeeding and still served Meizhen in her house.When Meizhen's father passed away, when her family returned to the south, they wanted to take her with them, but she didn't want to part with her daughter, so she gave up.Now that Meizhen came to Beijing, she went to visit her wet nurse first.Xiang's mother saw that she was tall and handsome, and she was dressed in a suit, turning into a foreign lady.It was not her own name, she couldn't recognize it, she rubbed her old eyes, she liked her so much that she didn't know what to do, took her hand, called out: "Miss!" and called again: "Daughter! You want to scare me!" It's gone." The old eyes couldn't stop the tears from falling down.Meizhen also called out: "Mother, you are still so healthy." Xiang's mother laughed again, and said: "Silly boy, we people with little fortune, if we are not tough, we should starve to death." Yes. Your elder brother works as a policeman, and you only get seven or eight dollars a month. Your sister-in-law and I can also wash, sew, and mend. We help them every month to live this poor life. If I think about eating well, drinking well, and wearing good clothes when the master is here, I'm afraid I won't be able to dream of it in this life." Meizhen heard her say so pitifully, so she counted twenty yuan bills and said: " This is for the godmother to buy some snacks, please accept it." Xiang's mother took it, thanked her a thousand times, and said, "It's rare for me to have such a goddaughter, who is much better than my poor son. !" Meizhen took advantage of the situation and urged her to live with her.Xiang's mother was also very happy, so she rented a house in the prime minister's alley.After all, it was the nursing mother who cared about Meizhen's diet and daily life. Zi Youxiang's mother took care of her and felt much more comfortable.Originally, the banner people are all good at blending the five flavors, so they don't need to use cooks.She cooks by herself in the morning and evening, and Meizhen eats very well.

On this day, Meizhen went to the Presidential Palace to congratulate her. Before leaving, she told Xiang's mother, "Don't wait for me to eat." Unexpectedly, at night, she still didn't come back.Xiang's mother was very worried, so she waited all night for the door.Brother Parrot went to bed early, but he tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.It wasn't until dawn and the sun came out that I closed my eyes and went to sleep.The outside door rang, so hurry up and open it.Seeing Meizhen coming back in a carriage, the coachman said to Xiang's mother, "Miss is sick, please help her out of the carriage." This sentence shocked Xiang's mother, and hurried over to unlock the car door with her own hands, staring at her old eyes. Staring at Meizhen's face, she asked, "My miss, why are you sick outside? What kind of disease is it?" Mother hastily stretched out her hand and gently helped her out, supporting her step by step, and helped her to sit down in the upper bedroom.After Meizhen sat down, she took out a ten-yuan bill from her wallet, handed it to Mother Xiang, and said, "Give this note to the driver of the carriage, and entrust him to bring back the brocade quilt and give it back to Su." Miss Juan." Mother Xiang took the ticket, but hesitated a bit, and said, "My lady, why do you reward so much! If you want to hire a carriage, it is enough to hire ten carriages." Meizhen laughed and said: Mother, do you know where this carriage is from? This is the carriage used by the Presidential Palace. Ten yuan is not enough for others to reward him. You can give it to him quickly.” Mother Xiang heard that it was the carriage of the Presidential Palace. Knowing that Meizhen must have lived there last night, she hurriedly sent the money out, and told the coachman exactly as Meizhen had said.The driver said "Thank you!" and drove the car back to the palace.

Here Xiang's mother ran in three steps at a time, took Meizhen's hand, and said, "Miss, why did you get so sick so fast that I couldn't sleep well all night. If I wanted to go to the presidential palace to inquire, I would I don't know the Tao, it's rare that you are back. Please see a doctor, I will invite you there soon, don't delay!" Meizhen said: "I don't need to call a doctor for this disease. In the past, it would be fine after a day or two, and it didn’t matter if you took medicine.” Xiang’s mother was very surprised and said: “Why are you in such a hurry!” Meizhen said: “Cough! Don’t talk about it. At the government banquet, I met a girlfriend. She just came from Tianjin and brought me a message saying that my mother had come to the north. Because an overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia was elected as a member of the National Assembly, and my uncle was my brother. My uncle’s home was farewell, and my mother must follow him to the north to see her daughter, so she came here in a hurry without writing to me. Unexpectedly, I arrived in Tianjin and lived in the Changfa Inn in the French Concession, and fell ill the next day I fell down, and the condition is still very serious. A certain congressman was unable to go to Beijing immediately because of something, so he entrusted my girlfriend to bring me a message, telling me to go to Tianjin immediately. I heard this letter yesterday, and at that time Then I fainted and fell down. Fortunately, Mr. Zhou helped me to her bedroom and rescued me with ginger soup. I wanted to go to Tianjin yesterday, but my limbs were so weak that I couldn’t move. Tonight’s late train, no matter what No matter what, I must leave. Fortunately, there is a parrot accompanying me, so I asked my godmother to look after my house for a few days. When my mother recovers, the three of us will come to Beijing together. At that time, I will give Please write to me, please pick us up at the station." After hearing this, Xiang's mother said anxiously, "Since my wife is ill in Tianjin, of course you have to go and see her. But your illness is not well yet, and you will be rushed again. Don’t make it worse! Otherwise, I’ll go to Tianjin with you, first to see your wife’s illness, and if there’s any difference in your journey, I’ll take care of you at any time, but I don’t know what you mean?” Meizhen thought, This old mother treats me like my own daughter. No matter where I go, she is by my side to take care of me. It is really a rare relative.Thinking of this, he generously agreed and took her to Tianjin together.The three of them hurriedly packed up, only bringing two soft suitcases, two leather bags, and none of the rest of the bulky furniture.Before leaving, I didn't know that I would meet her aunt's house, so I just called the landlord and said, "We are going to see patients in Tianjin." Since the landlord did not owe rent, of course there was nothing difficult to do, and said, "Miss Chen, please go ahead, I will take care of you." Watching the house for a few days is nothing." Meizhen went straight to the station with her nurse and maid.Because it is hidden from people's eyes, all the tickets are third-class tickets.Although there were detectives on the station, they saw that there were three women holding a patient, so they let them go without paying attention.

After Meizhen left, only Zhou Wenjin was always worried.She thought to herself, although the telegram was burned, the box gun was still in her closet, and it was still inappropriate. I had to destroy it, which was the solution once and for all.But where?After thinking for a long time, I suddenly had an idea, why don't I do this.That night, just in time for the extremely hot weather, she secretly put the pistol in her pocket by herself, and said to the two maids, "I went to the South China Sea to enjoy the cool, and I will come back when I am young." Liuxiangyuan, where she lived, was behind South China Sea.There was a ready-made sofa by the sea, she sat down and looked around, but seeing no one in the front, back, left, and left, she thought to herself: This is a coincidence.She stood up and walked a few steps alone, picked a place where the water was deep, took out her pistol, wrapped it in a handkerchief, squatted down by herself, pretended to pick up something, and threw it lightly into the water, about a foot away, With a plop, it fell into the center of the wave, and immediately a circle formed in the water, which was very clearly illuminated by the moon.I didn't feel like I was jumping up in my heart, and I didn't dare to delay, so I hurried back to my room and went to sleep.

The next morning, before going to work, Yin Chang, the chief military attache in the mansion, sent someone to inform Mr. Zhou, saying: "Chen Meizhen came to the council when I was young. Please inform us that I have important business to interview her." Ms. Zhou Startled, she hurriedly said: "Chen Shenshi asked for leave due to illness, and has not come for three days." Although she dismissed the visitor, she felt scared in her heart.At this time, the ninth son of the president suddenly came and reported to Ms. Zhou, saying: "The president ordered Chen Meizhen to be arrested. Do you think this is strange?" Ms. Zhou took this opportunity to ask him, What exactly is going on.He is Ms. Zhou's student, and the teacher-student relationship is the best.Ms. Zhou asked him, and he told the truth: "This morning, the President received a telegram from Zheng Ercheng, the guardian of Shanghai. Since he saw the telegram, his face was very displeased. He stopped for a moment and wrote that. A letter came, and at the same time it was sent to Wu Bixiang, the police chief, and Yunlei, the director of law enforcement. At this time they are all here, I will go and see what they have to say, and I will report to the husband when I come back." Ms. Zhou asked again He: "Don't tell the president that I inquired about this matter." The ninth son agreed and ran away. At this moment, both Wu and Yun arrived.The propaganda officer led them all the way to the president's office, and the two bowed to the president first.看总统脸上的气色很有愠怒之意,全都吓得不敢坐下,好像笔管似的,立在总统身旁,连大气也不敢出一口。总统左顾右盼的,每人看了他们一眼,气哼哼地说道:“有话坐下说吧。”两人这才告坐,欠着身子,把屁股略挨在椅子边上,同唱戏的虚坐差不多,真是受罪极了。总统未曾开谈,先冷笑了一声,说:“你两人职司警备,关系北京全部治安,责任是何等重大。你们手下养的侦探成千累百,他们每人全吃着很大的钱粮,不是叫他们预防奸宄、消弭反侧吗!如今革命党遍布北京,上回社会团的事,你们始终并没办出一点头绪来,如今连我这公府中也发现了革命党,你们还在睡里梦中。似这样溺职,真是太说不下去了!难道说你们豢养的侦探,除去吃饭拿钱之外再没有第二样本事吗!”总统劈头盖脸地教训了一顿。两个人哪里还坐得住,不约而同地全立起身来。吴必翔吓得身子乱颤,哪里还答得上一句话来。云雷究竟是武人出身,胆子比较大些,他便低声下气地回道:“卑弁受大总统厚恩,不能尽职,实在罪该万死。但不知总统所谕的本府之内竟有了革命党,这个革命党究竟是何人,还求总统的明白吩示。”项子城听他这样问,不觉从鼻子里哼了一声,说:“难得你脸皮真厚,反倒问到我头上来,你看一看这个电报。”说罢把上海拍来已经译过的密电,随手掷与云雷,说:“你看这个就知道了。”云雷如同奉到圣旨似的,战战兢兢把电报捧着,仔细看了一遍,吴必翔也立起身来,站在一旁侧目而观。他本是一个文人,一过眼就明白了。云雷还在捧着一再地读。总统也笑了,说:“笨人,看一张电报也值得这样费劲。”云雷被这一说,自己也不好意思再往下看了,恭恭敬敬地将电报仍放在总统办公的写字台上,只好拉脸皮向总统回道:“这样大问题,末弁事先一点觉察也没有,实在有亏职守。此后自当督率侦探,随时随地加紧预防,借此稍赎以前的罪罚,还求总统格外宽宥。”他说到这里,又深深请了一个大安。项子城很郑重说道:“这种事本来防不胜防。那些革命党专门以捣乱为能,面子上看着很规矩的一个人,哪知骨子里偏偏要犯上作乱。说真了,我也不能专归罪你们两人,总因为你们手下的那些侦探,实在太脓包了。假如有一两个真能负责办案的侦探,像陈美珍这一类的人,当然就不能在北京立脚。你们两人务必要物色高手侦探,这是顶要紧的一件事。亡羊补牢,尚未为晚,以后可不要再大意了。”吴必翔回道:“总统所谕,确是目前唯一要图。不过人才难得,真有本事的,千百之中不准能选出一个来。必翔服官京外也一二十年了,实地考查、试验,从来就未看见过一个出类拔萃的。”他的话还不曾说完,云雷便插口道:“怎见没有出类拔萃的人才呢?当年大总统在北洋时候,路成章奉委为侦探局长,他手下曾有一个侦探长,外号叫什么飞天狮子,真有飞檐走壁之能,经他手破的案子,也不知有多少。假如北京城中要有他这样一个侦探,敢保不出三个月,便把革命党根本肃清。只可惜这个人现在不在北京,我们又有什么法子可想呢?”项子城听他这样一说,不觉拍着手儿说:“真是我怎么把这个人忘记了呢!前一个月,路成章还有公事来,保他为陆军上校,部里也核准了,只是不曾想到把他调到北京来交给你执法处委用,这倒要怨我疏忽了。”云雷借这机会,便至再恳求:“请总统给路成章去电报,叫他转饬此人,克日启程来京。” 说了半天,这个人究竟是谁?原来内中也有一段小小历史。此人姓霍名正义,是河南滑县瓦岗集的人。自幼学成软硬武术,两三丈楼房,他可以耸身上下,履地无声。从十几岁时,便投入绿林,在白朗的部下充当过小头目。后来因为他强奸民妇,不守山规,白朗本要杀他,他预先知道信,便一溜烟似的跑了。跑到天津,便投入路成章的侦探局充当侦探,很破过不少的案子。因此侦探界中无不知有飞天狮子霍正义的大名。后来侦探局改委了杨德林,他因为办案,同杨德林闹过一次冲突,自己赌气不辞而别,也不知跑到哪里去了。有的说他仍做绿林生意,有的说他投到某省仍然去当侦探。其实全都没有猜着,他是仍回河南老家,投在大侠王天宠的部下学艺去了。王天宠这个人,在前部曾经说过他,因为报父仇,在少林寺学艺成功,手刃某知县,号召同帮的英雄,占山为王,假充候补道,骗娶某观察的小姐,在河南一带,杀赃官,除恶霸,扶弱抑强,同白朗两个人称为二杰。后来因彼此意见不合,白朗出了伙,跑到北京,受铁木贤利用,行刺项子城。因见项子城亲手释放民党,他一时良心发现不忍下手,寄柬留刀,又逃出北京回河南去了,自己独树一帜,召集了数千积匪,同王天宠分道扬镳。霍正义就是在这时候回到河南,有心再投白朗,恐怕他记念前嫌,枉自断送了自己生命。后来一想,我何不去投王天宠,彼此全是帮中同志,他比我长着一辈,也算是师叔,以前也同他见过面,他很喜欢我,我此刻投了去料想他总不能不收。果然见面之后,王天宠便派他为小队长。他是放出全副精神来,极力巴结天宠,后来又拜他为老师,跟天宠学艺。其实天宠哪有工夫教他,不过是挂了这个头衔,在同帮中都知道他是首领的门徒,谁不另眼看待。这时候恰赶上项子城有意出山,想把大侠王天宠罗致在自己部下,特派了路成章去说降。路成章冒险而来,迎头遇见霍正义,彼此一谈话,知道霍正义是王天宠的学生。他心中自然是十分高兴,以为这件事一定可以望成,便把奉项宫保命令,特来招降王天宠的话,原原本本对正义说了。并告诉他,项宫保不日就要出山,你正好趁这时候建立奇功,将来一定要大大地给你一个官做。正义笑着说:“卑弁原是一个粗野之人,不懂得官是怎样做法,事成之后,局长也不必在宫保面前保荐。我是抱定宗旨,始终不愿离开局长,将来局长走到哪里我便跟到哪里,局长仍然派我当一名侦探头儿,我就感恩不尽了。”路成章笑道:“很好,这个完全能做到,你就替我在天宠面前为之先容吧。”也是活该霍正义露脸,他对天宠一说,天宠当时表示非常欢迎。正义见得了他的同意,便即刻把路成章招来,同他见面。两人见面后,越说越投机。天宠本是侠义中人,又因为他父亲死于满清官吏之手,对于排满革命的宗旨,他是非常赞成。听说项宫保有意起事,预备推倒满清,他欢喜得手舞足蹈。说:“项宫保本是我们河南第一英雄,只可惜他给满清做官,这是我最不满意的一件事。如今他既幡然反正,我一定竭尽全力帮他的忙。我手下的弟兄虽然不多,但在三天以内,准可以号召十万人,而且这十万人中,有枪的足可占去一半。那时候宫保有用我之处,自请下一道命令,我马上就可以动员。”路成章得了这样美满结果,真是喜出望外,又特请天宠写了一封情愿效忠的信,自己带着回到彰德复命。他果然也没说出霍正义的引线来,只说自己单人独马,冒着险去探虎穴,怎样凭三寸不烂之舌,把王天宠说得心服口服,情愿给宫保效力,赴汤蹈火,在所不辞。又把天宠亲笔书信取出来,呈给项子城阅看。子城看了,真是欢喜快慰,对路成章大加激赏。说:“你居然能收服王天宠,真要算隋和再世,陆贾重生。将来我如果出山,一定派你独当一面。”路成章请安谢过。果然未出一年,恰赶上武汉举义,清廷起用项子城。项子城晋京时,路成章便随他一同入京。后来子城做了临时总统,特特地成立了两师军队,定名为拱卫军。所有一切编制,全仿照德国最新式的陆军,甚至兵士的月饷口粮,以及军械军装,全比别的军头格外优异。他成立拱卫军的意思,固然是为保护自己,一半也是为收容王天宠部下那一两万喽啰。因此本军中的兵士,除去河南之外,再没有第二省的人。始而倒是应许王天宠一个师长,及至把天宠诳到北京之后,却又变了花样,仅仅给他一个陆军中将的头衔,派他为陆海军大元帅统率办事的参议,每月给他一千二百元薪金,八百元公费,面子上总算十分优待,其实骨子里却是削减他的实权。本来项子城疑心最重,他看王天宠英气勃勃,同自己又没有历史关系,恐怕将来缓急之时有些靠不住。因此先事预防,一面将他部下人分散在两师里边,美其衣,鲜其食,厚其饷俸,转移这些人忠事故主之心,来忠事自己;一方面却把天宠高高地供起来,用种种手段使他沉醉于声色之中,完全与旧部隔离。若问他用的是什么手段,等下面书中我还要细细地描写。 此时先不要说他,却说项子城自从做了总统,大权在握,便想起路成章来,特特派他到陕西查办事件,紧跟着又下了一道命令,派他为陕西都督。这明明是叫他独当一面,酬报他当日收服王天宠的功劳。此时霍正义早已脱离王天宠,跟随路成章了。路成章到了陕西,饮水思源,当初没有霍正义介绍王天宠,未必能有今日的地位。如今既做了都督,当然要派一点优异的差使给霍正义做。不过正义是一个粗人,直可以说目不识丁,稍微局面一点的差使,他如何干得了呢!只好仍派他为侦探长,每月给他四百块钱薪水。其实他是醉翁之意不在酒,几百块钱他哪里放在眼里。头上有了这侦探长的帽子,他在西安府城里关外,便可以任意横行。第一是各家娼寮同赌局烟馆,全得在他手里纳供奉,只这一笔进款每月便有万金,这是固定的。还有许多临时的,不是说谁形迹可疑,便是说谁勾通乱党,再不然就栽赃诬陷,私擅逮捕,没有他不敢做的事,临时入款,每月还不知有若干。他在陕西官场,是都督台前第一个红人,是各差事中第一项优差,较比当年在天津,真有云泥天壤之别。正义左顾右盼,真是说不尽地得意,大丈夫千载一时,正应在他的今日了。 这一天路成章忽传出话来,叫他到内宅有要紧的事面议。他赶紧随着内役,来到路成章的秘密休息室。成章正躺在烟铺上过瘾,两个小厮轮流给他烧烟。他深深请了一个安,垂手侍立在烟榻旁边。著者写到这里,有人问我:那时候不是已经改了中华民国吗?请安是满清的一种旗礼,难道中华民国还能够通行吗?我回答他:你说这话,真正是书呆子,不但没入过官场,只怕连官场的历史你也不曾听人说过。请安诚然是满清的旗礼,然而流行已久,官场中小官见了大官,或是听差的下人见了他的主人,或是主人的亲戚朋友、同寅同事,依然还是要行这请安的礼。What is the reason for this?彼此身份悬殊。假如作揖,自己就先觉着僭分,并且也显着不美观。要鞠躬呢,这时候鞠躬的礼还不甚普遍,在行礼的人就有点生硬不惯。因此还是请安的占大多数。当民元之时,总统府中的高级官吏还亲眼看见他们请安,上行下效,其余更可想而知了。霍正义本是微贱出身,他当然脱不了听差的习气,何况以一个侦探头儿,到了堂堂都督的面前,他除去请安之外,还敢行什么礼!请过安后,在一旁侍立着敬听吩咐。路成章也不言语,仍然呼啦呼啦地吸他的鸦片烟,一连吸了四五大口,才把烟枪放下,坐起来呷了两口热茶,笑嘻嘻地对霍正义说道:“这真是喜事,你的机会到了,早晚一定升官。”正义听他突如其来地说了这几句没头没尾的话,真是丈二的和尚摸不着头脑,忙掉过脸来向成章正式地请示道:“都督吩咐的话,卑弁听不明白,但不知有什么喜事,还求都督的示下。”成章笑着从自己烟盘子里拿起一张电报来,递给正义,说:“你看这个,自然就知道了。”正义接过电报来,却白瞪着两只眼,一个字也不认得,为难了半天,高高举着电报向成章低声道:“都督你老人家叫我看电报,还不如打我一顿屁股板子倒来得爽快呢!”他这两句话一回,把路成章同两个烧烟的童儿,全引得哈哈大笑。成章伸手把电报接过来,说:“这也难怪,你如果再认得字,这个中华民国更装不下你了。听着吧,我念给你听:西安路督,速令霍正义回京,有要差。府印。” 路成章念完了,问正义道:“你听明白了没有?”正义躬身回道:“卑弁听明白了。大概是总统府的电报,叫卑弁到北京去吧。”成章道:“正是。你的意思怎么样呢?”正义忽然跪在地上,连连给成章叩头。成章发急道:“你这是什么毛病?有话只管讲,磕的哪一门子头呢!快起来吧。”正义道:“卑弁有一言上禀,都督要是准了我就起来,如果不准我,我只有在这里跪一辈子。”成章道:“我一定准你,你起来吧。”正义又连连磕了几个头,说:“谢谢都督!”他这才立起身来,侍立在旁向成章说道:“总统调我到北京去,固然是要抬举我,然而我断断乎是不能去的,无论如何求都督婉言回复总统,就说我去不了,想来总统也决不至因为这一点小事,同都督为难。”成章道:“你这话太奇了,在旁人巴结着想总统来调,还巴结不到手,你怎么倒往外推呢?”正义道:“回都督的话,卑弁有三种理由,决不能到北京去,无论如何得求都督替我开脱。”成章道:“什么三种理由?你可详细地说不说,如果说得近乎情理,我一定替你想法子。”正义道:“头一样,卑弁伺候都督多年,恩重如山,我情愿跟随一辈子,决不想再到旁处去;第二样,我在西安,难得同事的人都能互相帮助,如亲兄弟一般,到旁处去,纵然我一个人肯尽力,左右帮不上忙,孤掌难鸣,也断然不会露脸:第三样,项大总统那个老头儿,听说很难伺候,卑弁是一个粗人,在他跟前不定哪一句话回错了,就许担不是,我实在没有这个胆量敢去试验。”成章哈哈大笑,说:“你不用说了,一言以蔽之,你就是怕老头子收拾你。这个你只管放心,项大总统决不是翻脸无情的人。他生平最念旧。你只要规规矩矩的,好好当差,绝不会亏你的。”正义又连连请了两个安,说:“卑弁始终就是不离开都督,不怕招恼了大总统,把卑弁的功名差事全都革掉。我情愿给都督当一名长随,早晚伺候你老人家,也情甘乐意,北京是决然不能去的。”成章见他这样坚决,也不好再说什么,只得点点头,说:“我姑且给你顶一顶看,倘然顶不回去,你只好赶快进京。老头子的脾气,谁还敢接二连三地顶他呢!”正义请安谢了,慢慢地退下去。成章立刻叫秘书上来,口授意思令他拟了一个回电,即刻拍至北京总统府。 却说项子城正在灯下阅看公事,见有西安来电,知道必是为霍正义的事,忙抽出来观看,见司电生已经译好了。It says: 北京大总统钧鉴:正义在病假期中,未能承命即刻北上,请宽宥,病愈即行。成章叩佳。 在路成章这样措辞,明明是不敢说正义不去,却拿病来搪一搪,只把第一关搪过了。总统一日万机,哪有工夫顾这些事,慢慢地自然就付之淡忘了。他的打算未当不妙,无奈时候赶得不对。项子城此际正在严防奸细,力遏乱萌,心热如火之时,他看定北京的侦探没有一个上驷之选,恨不得霍正义即刻就来到眼前,把北京窝藏的汉奸一律搜剔干净,好不至妨害了他的大选。如今见路成章竟回了这样一个电,老头子看见了,那心中的无名业火立时高起三千丈来,按捺不下。此时国务总理已经换了段吉祥,项子城用电话将他叫来。一见面,便叫着他的号说:“瑞芝,你看路成章是存了什么心,居然敢同我顶起来!这种人予以方便之权,将来恐怕靠不住的。你赶紧想一个妥当的人,把他调换下来,不要再耽误时刻了。”段吉祥对于项子城的话,向来是不敢驳回的,唯独这一回,觉着情形过于突兀。他一面连声答应着“是是”,一面偷眼看总统的神气,果然有一种急怒的样子,知道必是有一种邪火。他同路成章平日感情很好,当这吃紧关头,当然得替他想转圜的法子。所以停了一刻,等项子城的怒气略微平息了几分,然后从容问道:“总统这样震怒,不知路成章办了什么错事,可否请总统明白吩示,吉祥也好量其轻重,施以相当的惩罚。”项子城一手拿着电报,向段吉祥说:“这件事说起来,本不算大,不过他这样顶我,于情理上太说不去。大概你也知道,当年成章任侦探局长时,他手下有一个著名的侦探叫霍正义。此人随他多年,今年他还保为陆军上校,是经你核准的。我前天同云雷谈及此人,他说北京城中很缺少这样一个侦探,假如有正义在京,乱党决不至潜藏密布。我说这事很容易办,当时叫秘书厅给成章拍去一个电报,叫他派霍正义即刻来京。我想这原是不要紧的一件事,成章当然不至有什么旁的可说。没想到他来了回电,竟敢托词正义有病,非等病好了不能前来。你想他这不是有意同我顶撞吗!这一点点小事他尚不肯服从我的命令,将来遇到缓急吃紧之事,他这人还能靠得住吗?所以我把你叫来,想一个适当人,把他替换下来,省得将来怄气。”吉祥微微地笑了一笑,说:“成章不知好歹,竟敢驳总统的电谕。本来褫职也不为过,不过据吉祥想,他从前的为人确还不是这样子,这或者有什么难言之隐,也许霍正义胆小不敢前来,故而推病,也说不定。假如总统为这一点小事免他的职,未免叫部下将士看着寒心。到底也不可无一种相当的警诫。吉祥倒想出一个法子来,但不知总统肯容纳否?”项子城道:“你既有法子,一定很好,不妨快快说出来,我就依你的法子去办。”吉祥道:“上次总统叫秘书厅去电,仅仅叫正义来京,并未说明委他什么差事,似乎不足以表郑重,所以他把事情也就看轻了,也就托病不遣。如今总统可以叫秘书再去一个电报,就说总统有面谕,委霍正义为公府一等侦探,委令已经缮好,并盖有大总统金印,着霍正义速来谢恩,不得有误。至于他病不病的话,可以一字不提。成章如见着这个电报,一定战战兢兢、诚惶诚恐立刻打发霍正义即日起程。就是当真有病,他派专人护送,也把正义护送前来,不敢再耽延一刻了。倘然这封电报,再不能发生效力,那可真是夜郎自大,目无尊上,总统再褫他的职也不为晚。”项子城点点头,说:“你这法子很好,也不必我传令了,你下去告知秘书长,就叫他这样办吧。”吉祥领了总统的谕退下来,便到秘书厅去寻梁世翼,告诉他如此这般。世翼怎敢怠慢,立刻照这一套话给西安去电。吉祥回到自己家中,又详详细细拍了一封长电,告知成章,总统怎样震怒,怎样叫自己入府,要即刻褫他的职,自己怎样婉转进言,怎样再发电报,叫成章速速派霍正义来京,千万不要再碰钉子。倘然碰丢了官,可别怨我不照应你。这两封电报同时拍到西安。成章正在烟榻上过瘾,一口鸦片尚未吸净,他的贴身小厮旺儿,慌慌张张拿进两封电报来,说:“秘书长叫送来的,北京要电,请都督快看。”成章按过来看了一遍,立刻“哎呀”一声,吓得昏了过去。要知性命如何,且看下回分解。
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