Li Huan spoke, not only Wang Hao, Chen Wenliang and others felt something was not right, but others also felt something was wrong.
Especially among the nobles, headed by the British Duke Zhang Lun, the Cheng Kingdom Duke Zhu Fu, and the Ding Kingdom Duke Xu Guangzha, they all looked at Chen Wenliang with half-smiles but not smiles.
In fact, Chen Wenliang relied on his seniority and had many disciples and former officials in the court waving flags and shouting, so he was sarcastic towards them.
These nobles were even so angry that they wanted to go up and beat the old man severely.
It's just that Chen Wenliang relies on his old age and sells his old age, and he is also a noble official in the Qing Dynasty, so there is nothing they can do against Chen Wenliang.
In fact, Chen Wenliang needed to have seniority and connections, plus he was old, so even the emperor had to maintain some respect for him.
But at this moment, Zhang Lun, Zhu Fu and others were inexplicably full of expectations. Based on their understanding of Li Huan, Li Huan was not the kind of person who was easy to talk to.
It can be said that if anyone who is targeted by Li Huan has no stain on himself, then that's fine. But if there is a stain on him, his end will definitely not be much better.
Think about the previous cabinet minister Xie Qian. He was not only a veteran of several dynasties, but also an important minister when the late emperor passed away. As a result, Li Huan seized the opportunity and directly killed him.
His reputation was ruined.
Of course, the premise is that these people have their own reasons. Anyway, they have never seen Li Huan frame some innocent people.
As for whether Chen Wenliang has any problems himself, to be honest, if I say that Chen Wenliang has no problems, no one will believe me.
Moreover, Lin Pingzhi had just revealed the details of the Chen family behind Chen Wenliang in front of everyone.
The Chen family is a large salt merchant based in Yangzhou. Not to mention that few salt merchants themselves are clean. The unclear relationship between the Chen family and the Tatars outside the customs is enough to prove the Chen family's problems.
It will definitely not be any smaller.
Just looking at Chen Wenliang's expression and reaction at this moment, we can see the tension and anxiety in Chen Wenliang's heart.
Some people looked at Chen Wenliang with worried expressions on their faces, while others looked at him with gloating expressions.
At this moment, Li Huan looked at Chen Wenliang and slowly said: "Li wanted to ask Mr. Chen, what did the Chen family's caravan send to the Yiliha tribe in March last year, and what did it send to Dayan Khan in September?"
What did you send..."
After hearing Li Huan's question, Chen Wenliang was stunned for a moment, and then he seemed to have thought of something, and his expression suddenly changed. However, he tried hard to keep calm, but just looking at his expression, a fool could tell that Chen Wenliang
The panic in my heart.
"I...my Chen family has always been impartial and law-abiding. What the caravan sells is nothing but tea, porcelain, cloth, etc. These are recorded at the border town checkpoint. If Mr. Li doesn't believe it, you can send someone to check the customs clearance record.
.”
As he spoke, Chen Wenliang's originally trembling voice gradually became much calmer, and at the same time there was a firm look in his eyes.
Even after Chen Wenliang said this, he bowed to the emperor and said: "Old ministers are all ministers in the court. They naturally know what can and cannot be done. They also strictly require the children of the clan to abide by the laws of the court and never dare to do anything.
Your Majesty, I would like to ask your Majesty to take action against such violations of laws and disciplines."
Zhu Houzhao glanced at Chen Wenliang, who had an aggrieved look on his face, and slowly said: "If, as the Qing family said, Mrs. Chen has always been law-abiding and acted in accordance with the laws of the imperial court, I am very relieved and will not allow anyone to be cold." I have such loyal ministers in the Chen Qing family with such a bold and loyal heart."
As he spoke, Zhu Houzhao turned to Li Huan and said, "Li Qing, do you think this is true?"
Li Huandang bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said, "What your Majesty said is true."
But the next moment, Li Huan changed his voice and said to Chen Wenliang with a mocking look on his face: "Since Mr. Chen said that the Chen family abides by the law and never does anything illegal, then Li wants to ask Chen Wenliang." Sir, where did the three hundred pairs of armor, more than ten thousand kilograms of fine iron, and the thousand powerful bows obtained by the Yiliha tribe come from? Who traded the one hundred thousand kilograms of fine iron from Dayan's tribe?"
When he said this, Li Huan's voice suddenly became louder, and he even took a few steps forward, his eyes flashing with coldness, staring at Chen Wenliang, and his words were full of questions.
"What? Three hundred pairs of iron armor, a thousand pairs of strong bows, this...this is an ordnance strictly prohibited by the imperial court!"
Some people had horrified expressions on their faces, looking at Li Huan and Chen Wenliang in disbelief.
What Li Huan said was really shocking. Previously, everyone thought that Li Huan had caught the Chen family, and that the Chen family was just transporting some salt and iron to the grassland.
Although it was said to be against the laws of the imperial court, it was not too outrageous. After all, even if the imperial court strictly prohibited it, salt and iron would still be smuggled into the grassland by some unscrupulous traders.
But if salt and iron are acceptable, then when it comes to weapons and supplies such as iron armor and strong bows, the nature is much more serious.
More importantly, where did the iron armor and strong bow come from? If Li Huan did not frame Chen Wenliang, then where did the Chen family get the iron armor and strong bow, weapons that are strictly prohibited from circulation among the people.
As soon as Li Huan finished speaking, Chen Wenliang swayed slightly, his face suddenly turned pale, and he shouted in horror: "Slander, you are slandering."
Chen Wenliang, who was shouting with a face as pale as paper, pointed at Li Huan, and at the same time knelt down to the Emperor, whose face became extremely gloomy, and said: "Your Majesty, the old minister is unjust. It was Li Huan who framed the old minister. Please ask your majesty to do it for him." The old minister makes the decision."
Many officials who had previously responded to Chen Wenliang looked at Chen Wenliang with a hint of fear in their eyes. Even some officials who were close to Chen Wenliang subconsciously distanced themselves from Chen Wenliang.
It is true that the revelations made by Li Huan are too shocking. If this matter is really confirmed, then one can only imagine what will happen to Chen Wenliang.
If Li Huan takes the opportunity to implicate Chen Wenliang's accomplices in the court, does it mean that they may become the targets of Li Huan?
Many people were filled with regret. Why did they impulsively board Chen Wenliang's pirate ship?
Of course, some officials who only have an average relationship with Chen Wenliang still have the possibility to bury the hatchet, but several officials who have extremely close relationships with Chen Wenliang have no chance or possibility to bury the hatchet.
Just like Du Yang, a foreign minister from the Ministry of Industry, who was Chen Wenliang's son-in-law, and his son-in-law becoming an official in the same court was a good story in the court.
Just now, Du Yang was one of the vanguards in the impeachment of Li Huan and Wang Yangming. Because of his relationship with Chen Wenliang, Du Yang had already become a member of the Ministry of Industry, one of the six ministries, at a young age. It can be said that his official career was smooth sailing.
But at this moment, Du Yang's forehead was covered with cold sweat, his eyes were full of fear, and he couldn't help shouting: "Li Huan, you are a traitor, you actually framed the old man's innocence out of thin air. The old man has been an official for decades and is incorruptible."
Like water, no one knows who is unknown up and down the court. Your Majesty knows everything, how can he be deceived by your sweet words?"
As he spoke, Du Yang bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said, "Your Majesty, please make the decision for Mr. Chen."
As Du Yang spoke, several officials who were closely related to Chen Wenliang stood up and spoke frankly, saying that Li Huan had framed important officials in the court and begged the emperor to make the decision for him.
Li Huan looked at these officials as if they were clowns and paid no attention to what these people meant.
Lin Pingzhi, who was standing next to him, sneered and said: "Du Yang, you are the son-in-law of the Chen family. Everyone in the court knows it. Han Zhi, you are a close disciple of Chen Wenliang..."
When the details of several officials were revealed by one of Lin Ping, Du Yang, Han Zhi, and Chen Wenliang all turned pale, prostrate themselves on the ground, and screamed grievances at the emperor.
However, anyone who is not a fool can see this situation. I am afraid that Li Huan is really not framed by Chen Wenliang. Otherwise, Chen Wenliang would not appear so panicked.
With a "Peng" sound, Zhu Houzhao slapped the dragon chair with his face. His face was covered with frost. He stared at Chen Wenliang and others coldly and said: "Chen Wenliang is so bold, why don't you hurry up and recruit him from the real thing?"
Zhu Fu on the side said gloomily: "Your Majesty, I am very curious. The Chen family smuggled it to Jiawei on the grassland. Where did the bow and crossbow come from? Could it be that people from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry colluded with the Chen family...
"
Before Zhu Fu finished speaking, among the hundreds of officials, the expressions of the officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War changed dramatically. They immediately saw the Minister of Works and the Minister of War all stepped forward to bow to the emperor and said: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not the case.
Maybe, even if the officials at the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Industry are very brave, they would not dare to reveal taboo items such as armor and stomach, bows and crossbows."
The British Duke Zhang Lun looked at the few people with cold sweat on their foreheads with a half-smile and said: "Can you guys explain where the armor stomachs and crossbows that Chen smuggled to the grassland came from?
, is it possible that besides the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of War, there are people who can secretly make taboo items such as armored stomachs and bows and crossbows?"
Zhang Lun and Zhu Fu, who had been impeached by these officials before, could be said to be holding back their anger. Although they did not know the news of Li Huan's return in advance, let alone that Li Huan had caught Chen Wenliang, they
They were not lenient at all when they added insult to injury.
The fine beads of sweat can be clearly seen on the foreheads of the Minister of Industry, the Minister of War and other officials, and their faces are full of panic.
Although they insisted in front of the emperor that the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works would never let armor, bows and crossbows escape, they knew better than anyone else that with the greed and methods of many officials in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, the treasury would be destroyed.
It is not unusual for bows and crossbows to use various methods to remove the armor and stomach stored in it.
What they even knew was that every year, many officials, big and small, took out a lot of weapons and armor from the treasury, and then resold them to various forces.
The number of hundreds of armored stomachs and thousands of bows and crossbows mentioned by Li Huan is already quite astonishing. There seems to be no such record in their minds, but this does not mean that they are sure that the armored stomachs and bows and crossbows are not
It flowed out from the treasury, because they couldn't guarantee whether their officials were deceiving the superiors and deceiving the subordinates, and gave the weapons stored in the treasury to the Chen family behind their backs.
Zhu Fu stroked his beard, sneered, stared at a few people and said: "Everyone, you must think clearly before reporting back to His Majesty. You must know that this is a serious crime that will destroy your family and exterminate your family."
Immediately, the Minister of Works and the Minister of War and other officials from the two ministries, large and small, all looked frightened, but they did not dare to say anything.
Zhu Houzhao looked even more ugly when he saw this scene. As a supervisor, the officials in the ordnance management department were not sure whether the ordnance smuggled by the Chen family was made by them. What does this mean?
Several pavilion elders on the side looked at each other, and Li Dongyang sighed softly, then slowly said: "Your Majesty, please investigate Chen's smuggling of salt and iron ordnance."
It was originally a situation to impeach Li Huan, but it ended up being manipulated by Li Huan. Chen Wenliang, who impeached him, became the subject of strict investigation.
Li Dongyang spoke, and Yang Tinghe, Wang Hao, and Liu Yu also spoke out.
Zhu Houzhao, who took a deep breath, let out a cold sweat, and said with a cold light in his eyes: "Come here, put Chen Wenliang in jail, put on guards in royal uniforms, and the East Factory will jointly investigate Chen's smuggling. We must get to the bottom of it, no matter who is involved."
, will never tolerate it.”
Zhu Houzhao obviously didn't trust the Sansi Yamen, so he directly issued an order to hand over the case to Dongchang and Jinyiwei for joint investigation.
When the officials of the Sansi Yamen saw this scene, they opened their mouths one by one, and finally closed their mouths. No one dared to speak at this time to stimulate the emperor who was in a state of rage.
After all, Chen Wenliang, the censor of Zuodu, the head of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, one of the three bureaucracies, was himself involved in the scandal, which made them embarrassed to speak for a moment.
Could it be that the Metropolitan Procuratorate should be asked to investigate the top leader of the Metropolitan Procuratorate?
Although according to the procedure, it is reasonable and reasonable, the emperor directly ordered Dongchang, and the Jinyiwei investigation and investigation of this incident has clearly shown the emperor's thunderous anger. At this time, even if he is not angry, the emperor skips the third division to try Chen's smuggling scandal.
Alas, no one dared to express opposition.
After hearing Zhu Houzhao's words, Chen Wenliang, who had been shouting injustice, swayed and almost fell to the ground. Suddenly, Chen Wenliang suddenly got up from the ground with red eyes, rushed towards Li Huan and shouted: "Li Huan."
Huan Zeizi, I will kill you..."
But before Chen Wenliang could rush to Li Huan, Lin Pingzhi kicked Chen Wenliang hard, sending Chen Wenliang flying away.
Chen Wenliang fell heavily to the ground and fainted.
Looking at Chen Wenliang who fell to the ground with disheveled hair, many officials felt a bit of sadness in their hearts. A moment ago, he was an important minister in the court, extremely noble, but in less than a cup of tea, he fell into the abyss and became a destitute person.
Imprisoned.
[During the double monthly pass period, brothers who have monthly passes, please give it a try.]