Zhao Xian was stunned and let go of the eunuch.
Not only was he in disbelief, Shu Ao, Chen Rui and others behind him all looked suspicious.
The Chief Secretary followed the map and found out about the private mining of mines and private minting of copper coins. The clues all pointed to the Yueyang Palace.
After some planning, Shu Ao found out that the leader of the mine thieves was hiding in the Yueyang Prince's Mansion.
Governor Zhao Xian made great efforts and connected the abnormal movements of the state guards with the Yueyang Palace.
Clues from various ministries and departments have been gathered, and people from several parties have gathered, trying to find a breakthrough from here.
Now, he actually told them that Zhu Yingyan was dead!?
This was a relative of the emperor, how could he die so easily without knowing anything about it!?
Zhao Xian took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Shu Ao, the patrol censor behind him, suddenly said: "Zhao Butang, let's go in and express our condolences."
No matter what, you have to go in and take a look.
Regardless of whether Zhu Yingyan's death was real or fake, he only said that based on the clues he found, the mine thieves were in the Yueyang Palace, so he had to go in to find out.
Zhao Xian understood what Shu Ao meant and nodded immediately without hesitation.
No matter whether he acted frivolously or not, he obeyed the authority when the matter was urgent. He directly called for people to restrain the eunuch who had just answered.
Zhao Xian was about to take the lead and go in to express his condolences.
Suddenly, a burst of shouts and curses came from the side next to the palace.
Several people frowned and turned their heads to look.
Only a few strong men were seen coming out of the palace.
Then he was caught by the soldiers and restrained on the ground like a dead dog.
After a while, a Qianhu official quickly came to several people, saluted Zhao Xian, and said with a happy face: "Zhao Butang, several unidentified thieves have been found in the palace!"
"I found some letters from my body!"
After saying that, he handed over a stack of letters with both hands.
The traitor happened to climb over the wall from the direction he was guarding, so he couldn't help but be unhappy. After all, this was a great achievement.
But Zhao Xian's expression was not so good.
He looked at the letter in the hand of Qian Huguan, frowned and said nothing, and did not even reach out to pick it up.
Zhao Xian has been an official for many years. If he didn't notice the strangeness of this matter, he would have served as an official for nothing.
However, now he is not the only one present.
A palm reached out from Zhao Xian's side and took the letter.
Zhao Xian turned his head.
Chen Rui nodded and said with a smile: "Zhao Butang, you have a clue, why are you so hesitant?"
He actually refused to give in.
Shu Ao, the patrol censor, saw the situation on the field most clearly and hesitated to speak.
He understood Governor Zhao Xian's hesitation.
Too easy!
It’s just a clue delivered to you!
On the contrary, people don’t dare to accept the move easily!
As for Chen Rui, it's even simpler. After all, he is the chief official in charge of civil affairs. If a military disaster occurs within the country, his responsibility will naturally be weaker than that of Zhao Xian.
Even though Chen Rui knew there was something fishy at this time, even if there was something wrong, he could still hand it over to the imperial envoy for his own judgment.
After all, it shows a hard-working attitude.
Shu Ao was in between the two, unable to make up his mind for the moment.
As soon as Chen Ruifang said that, he opened the envelope and browsed it in front of several people.
Zhan En looked a little nervous.
Zhao Xian saw that it was a done deal and just looked at him coldly.
Chen Rui glanced at ten lines and read one of the letters, a look of surprise and astonishment suddenly appeared on his face.
He put away the letter, ignored the governor Zhao Xian, and handed it directly to the patrol censor Shu Ao, saying solemnly: "Censor Shu will take a look at it first."
Zhao Xian's expression changed and he became furious: "Chen Rui! You are so outrageous!"
Chen Ruiyi was not afraid, and after handing the letter to Shu Ao, he stood between the two of them.
Faced with Zhao Xian's anger, he said calmly and calmly: "Governor Zhao, this is for your own good, just to avoid suspicion."
Zhao Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he was keenly aware of something wrong in Chen Rui's words.
He ignored Chen Rui and looked at Shu Ao with some uneasiness: "Shu Yushi, what did the letter say?"
Regardless of their background, a Jinshi has the ability to look at one eye and perform ten actions.
Shu Ao glanced at it and finished reading it, his expression uncertain.
Facing Zhao Xian's inquiry, he didn't even raise his head and said thoughtfully: "The letter roughly says..."
"Zhu Yingyan, the lieutenant of the Yueyang Palace, conspired with others and committed something rebellious."
"And this group of people are mine thieves driven by others. Someone who drove them specifically warned Zhu Yingyan that he had been traced and told him to flee immediately and someone would cover him."
"And before escaping, you should give him another scapegoat to take away the crime of stealing someone's seal."
The words just fell.
Governor Zhao Xian immediately felt something was wrong!
Just as he was about to speak, Commander Zhan En immediately came forward, looked at Zhao Xian and said in astonishment: "It's actually like this!?"
Zhan En cupped his hands and consoled him: "Governor Zhao, you really should avoid suspicion in this matter. Let me take command here."
As the commander of the capital, he can naturally take over the power of command and dispatch.
After that, he faced Chen Rui and discussed: "Fantai, since we have clear evidence, there is no need to be polite to the Yueyang Palace! Let's just conduct a massive search!"
Chen Rui nodded: "As it should be!"
Having said that, he also breathed a sigh of relief - it seems that the case is expected to be closed.
Zhan En gave the order directly and ordered the soldiers to rush into the house to search.
Chen Rui and Zhan En hit it off immediately, and immediately threw Governor Zhao Xian into the cold.
Stealing the seal!
Who else but Zhao Xian!
At the beginning, the soldiers who were encircling and suppressing the water thieves were prepared to attack Ru Zhi. They "just happened to" mobilize most of Tang Bin's guards, and only then did the next thing happen.
And this transfer warrant was issued by the governor’s Yamen!
Now everyone can understand this situation clearly.
But it was this kind of despicable frame-up that Chen Rui and Zhan En jumped into immediately - a lieutenant and a governor were enough to close the case!
As for whether there are any problems?
That’s something people coming from North Zhili need to consider!
When things are done this way, it's enough to clean yourself up.
The soldiers filed in and poured into the Yueyang Palace. Chen Ruizhanen walked hand in hand and walked in with high heads.
Zhao Xian pursed his lips, but ultimately did not speak.
Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Zhao Xian turned around.
Shu Ao slowly opened his mouth and said: "In the Chu vassal alone, there is one prince, six other kings in Yong'an, Zhen, Fu, Feng Guo, one hundred and ninety-eight generals, six hundred four lieutenants, counties,
County Lord, you are four hundred and forty-seven."
"Not to mention the Bieji and Jing vassals. Taken together, there are probably hundreds of people in the auxiliary country. They are like cabbage."
"Now that you want to close the case just because the auxiliary country is dead, you are looking down on the imperial envoy."
"Chen Rui is short-sighted and Zhan En doesn't know what is good and what is bad, so he wants to end things hastily. This little idea may not lead to a good outcome."
"Zhao Butang might as well retreat bravely and wait for the imperial envoy."
Zhao Xian was speechless.
…
Huguang Huicheng, the tenth day of May.
The Yangtze River spans from east to west.
The Han River connects the north and the south.
Huguang, where the two rivers meet, has always been the heart of the world and the thoroughfare of nine provinces.
As Wuchang Prefecture, the hub of Huguang, the wharf has always been filled with people from all walks of life, bustling with people coming and going.
Today, the largest wharf in Wuchang Prefecture was cleared, and all irrelevant people were driven to other wharves.
Clean water was sprinkled on the ground and loess paved the road. The first row was filled with the chief secretary and the officials waiting at the governor's office. In the outer row, the officers and guards stood still, holding high the guard of honor.
From noon till now, Wuchang Prefecture, which has been sunny for several days, has started to rain lightly again.
The officers were naturally a little impatient, and they only swallowed their anger under the pressure of several superior officers.
"Didn't you say that the imperial envoy arrived at noon? It's almost afternoon!" Chen Rui frowned, looking quite anxious.
No matter what the fate is, waiting for trial is the most painful.
Now, although the matter has been pinned on the Yueyang Palace and the suspected governor Zhao Xian.
But his judgment is still indispensable.
Chen Rui is on the left and on the right, standing is Huguang left political councilor Zheng Yunying, and left political councilor Feng Shiyu.
Zheng Yunying raised his eyes and glanced at Chen Rui, but did not answer.
This chief envoy, who has not been involved in the civil affairs of the province these days, really has a dark eye.
As the current Chief Secretary, second only to Chen Rui, he is naturally happy to see Chen Rui step down. This may not be an opportunity for him.
Feng Shiyu took over the conversation: "This section of Huguang from Nanzhili, the prefectures and counties on the way are more or less affected by floods, so it is normal to go slower."
Sailing against the current is inherently slow. In addition, the trackers have to be deployed to prevent floods, so it is normal for the journey to be delayed.
Chen Rui was silent.
He raised his head and glanced at Huguang Inspector Du Si and Commander Zhan En, who were standing not far away.
Seeing that he was very good at nourishing qi, there was no trace of uneasiness on his face.
Chen Rui couldn't help but take a deep breath and restrain his emotions a little.
Zheng Yunying, the political counselor on the left, looked curious and said, "Why didn't Governor Zhao and Yushi Shu come to greet the imperial envoy?"
Although the governor and the censor are also imperial envoys, they are still different from the imperial envoys who come to investigate cases according to orders and deal with special matters.
Even if you just say you're here to say hello, it's still necessary.
When Chen Rui heard this, he remembered that a few days ago, several people gathered at Yueyang Palace, and couldn't help but smile.
Although I don’t know whose handiwork it was, at least the injustice has been repaid and the creditor has been repaid.
Since there is someone to bear the blame, Chen Rui will not appear to be incompetent.
He said sarcastically: "The one who started the fiasco has no descendants? He is determined to investigate and solve major cases, so naturally he can't get away from it now."
After saying this, Chen Rui finally calmed down a little bit of his anxiety.
Zheng Yunying knew it well and pretended to say "Oh."
Governor Zhao Xian had previously ignored this and kept trying to get to the bottom of the matter, which had already ruined the officialdom.
Now that there is shit on my butt, I can only stay behind closed doors.
Several people were chatting together.
The sky is getting dark, and the showers sometimes stop.
It wasn't until the sun gradually set in the west that finally several imperial ships appeared in sight.
Regardless of size or shape, the official ships are like stars in the night sky, making them unique among the hundreds of boats on the Yangtze River.
When the officials who were waiting for him saw it, they became agitated one after another.
Looking forward to it and whispering to each other.
Chen Rui quickly led the officials of the Chief Secretary to come forward to greet him.
All the commanders and supervisors were waiting for him on the left and right.
The three divisions greeted them respectfully, and the tall ship headed by it was so menacing that it seemed like the sky was falling, and it was firmly pressed on the pier.
The shadow of the building and boat covered the waiting officials, and everyone raised their heads.
I saw several imperial envoys standing on the deck, leaning out half of their bodies, looking down with indifferent expressions.
Condescending.
The officials from the three divisions of Huguang and Huguang shuddered one after another.
…
at the same time.
Not far from the pier, in an unknown mansion somewhere in the city.
There are three entrances and three exits in the courtyard, and when you reach the deepest teahouse, you can hear the sounds of conversations from time to time.
In the tea room, a middle-aged man with a rich face sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table with a pot of tea in his hand.
Sitting opposite each other on the coffee table was a young man, scratching his head and ears nervously.
The middle-aged man drank a glass of wine leisurely and took a sip.
The young man sitting opposite finally couldn't help but urge: "Uncle Zong, I'm afraid the imperial envoy has entered the city now! Why are you not in a hurry!?"
The rich middle-aged man turned a deaf ear and took another sip of tea.
Seeing his nephew's anxious expression, he couldn't help but shook his head and said with relief: "The imperial envoy is here to investigate Zhang Chucheng's case. What does it have to do with us?"
"You look so impatient. I don't know, I thought it was you."
The young man opposite him immediately stood up with an unkind look on his face: "Uncle Zong is trying to trick you in your words. Even if you rank them as suspects, Uncle Zong is the one who comes first, and it's not my turn yet!"
The rich man smiled lightly: "If that's the case, then why are you anxious?"
"A few days ago, didn't Chen Rui, Zhao Xian, Zhan En, and Shu Ao investigate the matter at the Yueyang Palace?"
"The mine thief was raised by the Yueyang Prince's Palace. Officially, Zhao Xian cooperated with him. What does it have to do with us?"
The young man was speechless after hearing this.
It’s okay to deceive outsiders, but you can also deceive yourself no matter what.
Let’s not talk about supporting thieves.
Just to let Lieutenant Fuguo die with dignity, there are only a few people in Huguang who are capable of doing this.
Nothing to do? Liar!
The rich man stretched out his hand to signal the other person to sit down, calmed down his expression, and said seriously: "That matter has nothing to do with me."
"At the beginning, Zhang Chucheng just wanted to investigate trivial matters such as illegal copper casting and armor. What reason did I have to do something dirty?"
"Don't talk about the evil hand. When he found out about the gentry in Changsha, King Ji was beaten on the left cheek and stretched out his right cheek to be beaten. Do you think the vassal king is nothing in front of these imperial envoys?"
"Black Hand? I'm not out of my mind!"
The matter of privately minting coins and armor was a major repertoire of the Ming Dynasty.
Due to historical issues, the central copper coins have lost their credibility. People in slightly remote states and capitals would rather barter than use the copper coins minted by the central government - Yunnan specializes in seashells, Sichuan and Guizhou use fennel, and flowers.
Silver and salt, cloth, Jiangxi and Huguang use rice, grain, silver, cloth, Shanxi and Shaanxi use fur.
If there is a gap, someone will naturally fill it.
The imperial court's copper coins have a large face value and are worthless. Local private mints have smaller face values ​​and pay attention to making small profits to open up the market.
Directly speaking, there are guards and officials gathered together to set up furnaces, and people from all over the country made private furnaces.
The subtle point is that you rely on traders or gentry to hide behind the scenes.
After the scale and industrial chain were formed, local officials naturally became a part of it, and then they began to neglect their duties in the same old way, bullying each other and deceiving the central government.
Nowadays, it can be said that every place has its own currency.
Not to mention soldiers and armor, there are always some stocks in the cellars of wealthy families.
Why do you say it's a trivial matter?
I have never heard of anyone who privately minted coins or armor and was punished with death or extermination of the country!
Zhu Qitao, the auxiliary general of the Qingcheng Palace, is proof of this.
He hid soldiers and armor and supported thousands of bandits. After the Dongchuang Incident, Emperor Sejong was only able to deal with one third of Chlumi.
After that, when coins were minted to make armor, they were basically fined and reduced in rank.
In this case, what reason does he have to attack the imperial envoy!?
The rich middle-aged man's expression turned to anger, and he said helplessly: "I don't know what kind of stupid dog Zhu Yingyan is."
"How dare you use our names to join forces and commit such a big thing!"
"Forcing everyone to wipe his butt, he really deserves to die!"
He didn't dare to recall what happened that day.
At this point, he finally softened his tone: "But no matter what, Zhu Yingyan was the one who did this."
"We sent all the witnesses and physical evidence to these people, and even helped to make meritorious service to the imperial envoys."
"The matter has come to an end now, so that everyone can be decent."
Everyone has what they need.
What the Huguang officialdom wants is stability, what they want is peace and quiet, and the imperial envoys naturally want that too.
If Zhao Xian hadn't offended too many people with his move, he would really have had to worry about how to feed those imperial envoys who were eager to do their best.
Now that there is a tacit understanding among the officials in Huguang, everyone is naturally happy. As long as the emperor nods, the matter will be over.
The young man sitting opposite him shook his head and did not answer.
He was a little unsure whether what this uncle said was true or false.
After all, it is impossible for a real brother to admit this kind of crime, so he must cleanse his mouth.
But no matter what.
The water thief was raised by his family.
The mine thief belonged to his uncle.
Although he was transferred by the Yueyang Prince's Palace under false pretenses, it is impossible for him to remain untouched.
I don’t know how this uncle can be so optimistic.
At this moment, a eunuch hurriedly walked in.
The young man immediately couldn't hold himself back and asked, "The imperial envoy is here!?"
The wealthy middle-aged man also showed concern.
The eunuch cautiously replied to the young man: "Your Majesty is wise, it is the imperial envoy who has come."
The two looked at each other with solemn expressions.
The wealthy middle-aged man asked: "Who are the imperial envoys?"
The eunuch quickly replied: "There is Hai Rui, the censor of Qiandu, and Wu Jinghe, who is in charge of the affairs of the clan..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the rich middle-aged man's expression changed: "Who!?"
In charge of the affairs of the clan!?
The imperial envoy was investigating the case. Why did he call the clan’s family here?
The young people also showed fear.
The eunuch repeated it again.
Of course the rich middle-aged man didn't hear clearly. He took a deep breath and waved his hand: "Continue talking."
The eunuch recalled for a moment and continued: "It's all up to Li Zaiting..."
The wealthy middle-aged man stood up and paced back and forth in the tea room.
Everyone knows that Li Zaiting is Zhang Chucheng's senior brother, and now he is sent to investigate the case thoroughly. If he is carrying hatred, I am afraid there will be some trouble.
The eunuch was still reporting: "There are also Duke Cheng and Zhu Xizhong, commander of the Jinyi Guards."
The rich middle-aged man looked in disbelief: "Who!?"
The Commander-in-Chief of the Jinyi Guards, the Three Dukes, the Duke of the Kingdom, and the dying nobles were actually sent as imperial envoys!?
Why is there such a big battle!?
Chapter completed!