King Han secretly applauded Qian Deguang's wit, clapped his hands on the armrest and said: "These traitors must want revenge because King Changping broke their alliance!"
"King Han is very well informed. He already knows that I have destroyed the Fire Phoenix Club." Wu Chengsi looked at Li Yuanjia sideways.
"I just learned the news." Li Yuanjia hummed.
Wang Jizhen knew early on that Qian Deguang was good at adapting to situations, otherwise he would not be reused by the Yue king.
Although the other party was inappropriate in what happened today, his words did not leave much room for criticism.
In order to get Qian Deguang to admit this, he needs to be defeated from other places first.
"Grand Governor, I have a series of crimes committed by Qian Deguang here. Please take a look at them."
He took out another copy of the incriminating evidence from his left sleeve and handed it over.
Wu Chengsi took it and slowly looked at it.
The crimes recorded in this article are shocking. If Wu Chengsi had not seen what happened in Lijiacun and learned about the lawlessness of the Hangzhou government, he would probably change his mind.
He watched slowly and patiently, and after a while, he finally found out that the mason's family was imprisoned to death by the government.
The person behind the scenes was clearly Qian Deguang.
Wu Chengsi raised his head, handed the evidence of crime to Zhuge Nan and asked him to hand it over to Qian Deguang, and said coldly: "Qian Changshi, are everything recorded here true?"
Qian Deguang had already read it once, and after pretending to read it again, he hurriedly said: "Your Highness, this is all framed by Wang Ji!"
"Is it all a false accusation?"
"Yes, it's all false accusations!"
Just as Wang Ji was about to speak, Wu Chengsi waved his hand to signal him to be silent and said to Qian Deguang: "There is an incident recorded here, saying that hundreds of masons have disappeared in Hangzhou. The families of these masons went to the Yamen to report the case, but they were shut down by the county government.
Get up."
Qian Deguang was about to explain when he suddenly thought: "The Prince of Changping County brought this matter up for questioning. There must be a reason. It's better to be careful."
Turning to look at Jiang Ping, he said: "County Magistrate Jiang, you are responsible for handling this matter. Hurry up and explain to His Highness!"
Jiang Ping quipped: "Qian Changshi, this is not..."
Qian Deguang said angrily: "Don't explain to me, explain to Your Highness, even though you told me at the time that those stonemasons became pirates, you shouldn't lock up their families!"
A cold light suddenly flashed through his eyes, and he said in a cold voice: "You are also a family man. Even if those masons become pirates, you should understand more about the feelings of their families. How can you lock them up?"
Wang Ji sneered and said: "Your Highness, you heard it right? Qian Changshi threatened Magistrate Jiang's family in front of you. He was extremely arrogant."
Qian Deguang called out to Qu: "Your Highness, Governor Wang is such a slanderer. How can I threaten his family?"
King Han followed: "Yes, I clearly only heard Qian Changshi reprimanding County Magistrate Jiang for not imprisoning the pirates' families."
Wang Ji added: "Your Majesty, saying that those stonemasons are pirates is just Qian Changshi's one-sided statement."
Qian Deguang immediately said: "Your Highness, there are four major pirates along our Jiangnan coast. One of the pirates named Haigouzi is composed of these coastal villagers."
"That's nonsense. When those masons disappeared, pirates like Sea Gouzi hadn't appeared yet!" Wang Ji scolded.
Qian Deguang was quick to think and said: "That's because they were not famous at that time, so we didn't know about it!"
Zhuge Nan suddenly sneered and said: "What a clever mouth, Qian Deguang, have you forgotten that the sea dog is in our hands now?"
Qian Deguang said hurriedly: "That man is the leader of the pirates. He is resentful because he was killed by his subordinates. Your Highness, please do not believe what he says!"
King Han said leisurely: "King Changping, you would never use the testimony of a pirate to make a case."
Wu Chengsi snorted and said: "I am the Young Minister of Dali. I know the law better than King Han. I don't need King Han to remind me."
Turning to look at Jiang Ping, he said: "County Magistrate Jiang, let me ask you, are the family members of those masons imprisoned under your order?"
Jiang Ping noticed that both King Han and Qian Deguang were staring at him, so he could only nodded.
With a bang, Wu Chengsi slapped the table hard and shouted: "Speak!"
Jiang Ping was so frightened that he knelt down and said in a trembling voice: "Yes, yes."
At the door of the inner room, Uncle Eighth and Li Si looked around. When they saw Jiang Ping's appearance at this moment, they both felt resentment in their hearts.
Especially the Eighth Uncle, because of Li Si's incident, the whole village was tortured miserably by the Hangzhou County Magistrate. If Geng Xiucai hadn't saved him, they would have all died of exhaustion on the embankment.
"This bitch has a day like this!" Uncle Eight snorted.
In the outer hall, Wu Chengsi asked again: "Why do you want to imprison them?"
Qian Deguang interrupted: "Your Highness, I have just..."
"Shut up! Let him speak!" Wu Chengsi shouted. He had always been gentle and gentle before, but now he suddenly became angry, and even King Han next to him was shocked.
Qian Deguang didn't dare to say anything, he could only keep threatening Magistrate Jiang with his eyes.
Jiang Ping swallowed and said, "They are all family members of pirates. I hate pirates the most in my life. I was so angry that I went too far and asked the governor to punish me."
"You mean, those masons have all become pirates?" Wu Chengsi said coldly.
"Yes."
"how do you know?"
Jiang Ping hesitated for a moment and replied: "Xiaguan has planted a few spies among other pirate gangs. They saw with their own eyes that the villagers went to visit the docks of other pirate gangs as pirates."
Wu Chengsi asked: "Are your men still in the pirate gang?"
Jiang Ping hurriedly asked: "They were all exposed and killed by pirates?"
"All killed by pirates?"
After Jiang Ping said a few words, his mind became more flexible and he defended: "You don't know something. It is extremely dangerous to lurk in a pirate gang. If you are not careful, you will be exposed."
Sighing, he added: "They are all warriors. They are young and sacrificed their lives to eliminate pirates."
Wu Chengsi sneered and shouted into the inner room: "Li Si, come out."
Li Si walked out, and the other people immediately looked at him.
"Li Si, tell everyone your identity."
Li Si glared at County Magistrate Jiang and gritted his teeth: "I am one of the missing stonemasons, Li Si, a villager in Lijia Village!"
Jiang Ping felt a buzzing sound in his head and instantly went blank.
Qian Deguang's eyes kept rolling, thinking about how to respond.
Wang Jize remembered Geng Xiucai's words: "I think Prince Changping is here for the masons!"
Unexpectedly, he actually guessed it.
Zhuge Nan crossed his arms and said: "When we attacked the main altar of the Fire Phoenix Society, we rescued more than 300 masons and then sent them all the way back to Hangzhou. You, a dog magistrate, what else can you say?"
"Your Highness, Your Highness, I also heard what those men lurking among the pirates said! They deceived me, they deceived me!" Magistrate Jiang was struggling to his death.
Wu Chengsi said calmly: "Uncle Li Ba, please come out and tell the public what Magistrate Jiang has done."
Uncle Eighth responded loudly in the inner room, bowed his waist, and trotted out.
He kowtowed to Wu Chengsi first, then stood up and told him again about the persecution of the villagers.
"...Everything the old man said is true. Villagers from more than a dozen nearby villages can all testify. Please make the decision for me and other common people!" Uncle Eight said loudly.
At this moment, Qian Deguang suddenly said angrily: "Jiang Ping, I never expected that you would do such an inhumane thing and dare to deceive me."
He turned to Wu Chengsi and cupped his hands, saying: "Your Highness, I was deceived by Jiang Ping, and I am guilty of misconduct. Please punish me!"
Magistrate Jiang looked at Qian Deguang in surprise and said: "Qian Changshi, you...can't...do this!"
Qian Deguang glared and said: "Magistrate Jiang, now that the matter is over, I advise you to admit your crime honestly. If you continue to resist, it will only increase the charges. You should think about your family."
Magistrate Jiang opened his mouth wide, as if he wanted to say something, but he had no strength to say the words out.
Seeing that Qian Deguang wanted Jiang Ping to take the blame, Governor Wang sneered: "Jiang Ping, you should know Qian Deguang's character and the behavior of the people behind him. Do you think they will let your family go?"
?”
King Han said angrily: "Wang Ji, what do you mean by this?"
Wu Chengsi said calmly: "King Han, the governor Wang is talking about the person behind Qian Deguang. Since you don't admit that you are the person behind Qian Deguang, why are you so excited?"
King Han said angrily: "Wang Ji just slandered me as Qian Deguang's backer, but he couldn't provide any evidence. I am about to pursue him for slandering me!"
Wu Chengsi said calmly: "Well, this matter is indeed not a trivial matter. Don't worry, King Han. I will report to your majesty exactly what happened outside the palace today. With your majesty's wisdom, you will be able to tell the truth."
Li Yuanjia was suddenly speechless.
A discerning person will know what happened today at a glance. Li Zhi is not stupid, and he also knows that the kings of the Li family have always been dissatisfied with the Wu family. He can only believe his own words.
Wang Ji continued to induce: "Jiang Ping, think carefully, even if you take the blame, your family will not escape the fate of being silenced."
His tone suddenly turned gentle, and he said warmly: "As long as you confess the person who instigated you, not only can you reduce your guilt, but this governor can also ensure the safety of your family."
Magistrate Jiang glanced at Qian Deguang and saw that his cheeks were red and his eyes were bulging, like a little beast that had been forced into menopause.
In fact, he was originally very afraid of Qian Deguang, but when he saw Qian Deguang's appearance at this moment, he suddenly lost his fear and pointed at Qian Deguang and said: "He is the one who ordered me to do it!"
Qian Deguang said sharply: "Say it again?"
Black Teeth Changzhi suddenly took two steps forward, picked up Qian Deguang like pulling a carrot, and said coldly: "How can you be so noisy and wanton in front of His Highness?"
As soon as Jiang Ping's words came out of his mouth, they were like floods from a broken embankment, flowing in an endless stream.
"Over the years, Qian Deguang has directed me to commit countless crimes. Not only did he poison his predecessor Huang Sima, but he also framed and framed more than a dozen officials loyal to the governor Wang. He even colluded with pirates and killed Captain Ma, who was responsible for suppressing pirates.
More than 800 officers and soldiers!"
Qian Deguang, who was constantly struggling in Hei Te Changzhi's hands, suddenly became quiet, his hands lowered and his face ashen.
King Han suddenly stood up and said: "King Changping, I have other things to deal with, so I'll take my leave."
Without looking at Qian Deguang, he strode out of the house.
This night, a big earthquake occurred in the officialdom of Hangzhou.
Under the order of Yangzhou Governor Wu Chengsi, except Qian Deguang and Jiang Ping, more than 20 civil and military officials loyal to Qian Deguang were all dismissed and imprisoned.
In the early morning of the next day, Wang Ji strode to the camp outside the city. After announcing, he entered the commander's tent and said with cupped hands: "Your Highness, all Qian Deguang's gang members have been eliminated."
Wu Chengsi put down the book, nodded and said: "President Wang, Hangzhou is the largest state in the south of the Yangtze River. Qian Deguang has governed this place in such a mess over the years. I hope you can put things right as soon as possible and eliminate the bad influence he caused."
Wang Jilang said loudly: "I will accept my order!"
"In addition, the people of Hangzhou have been very dissatisfied with the imperial court in recent years because of Qian Deguang. You should go to more places, listen to the people's demands, and eliminate the gap between the government and the people as soon as possible."
Wang Ji saw that Wu Chengsi focused all his attention on people's livelihood and did not mention party disputes at all. He was greatly admired and thought: "It is the blessing of the country that the government must be in the hands of people like Wu Chengsi.
The people are lucky."
He is very capable and has a rich resume. He was originally the key target of the Li family kings and Wu Mei, but he ended up like this because he did not want to be involved in party struggles.
After experiencing this incident, he realized that the party struggle was inevitable. Since he had to choose one, Wu Chengsi in front of him was the best choice.
"Wang Ji will always remember His Highness's words." Wang Ji bowed.
When he stood up again, he took out the paper recording Qian Deguang's crimes from his sleeve and said, "Your Highness, there is something that I think I should report to you."
"What's the matter?"
Wang Ji took a few steps forward, handed over the paper, and said: "My subordinate once showed Qian Deguang's crimes to King Han. I found that King Han was particularly concerned about one thing."
"Which thing?"
Wang Ji stepped forward and pointed, saying: "This is right here. Qian Deguang asked his subordinate Zhe Chongfu to send a warship to Yangzhou, and when he came back, he killed all the officers and soldiers on the ship!"
Wu Chengsi scanned the records on the paper and frowned: "You didn't record the reason why he did this?"
Wang Ji nodded and said: "My subordinates still can't understand this matter, but according to my guess, those officers and soldiers must have known something they shouldn't have known, and that's why they were silenced."
Wu Chengsi thought for a moment and said, "Go and investigate this matter. If there is any news, send someone to inform me immediately."
Wang Ji responded and reminded: "Your Highness, when you go to Yangzhou, besides the King of Yue and the King of Han, you need to be careful about one person."
"Oh, who is it?"
"Navy Commander Yang Sijian!"
Wu Chengsi's heart was moved. According to the information obtained by Li Duozuo, He Lan Minzhi's backer was the Navy Commander's Mansion.
"Do you think there's anything wrong with him?"
Wang Ji said in a deep voice: "According to the intelligence from my subordinates, Yang Sijian seems to be colluding with pirates."
Wu Chengsi nodded and said, "I understand this."
Wang Ji hesitated for a moment and then said: "Your Highness, I would like to recommend someone to be the governor of Hangzhou."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "You have eliminated so many officials at once, and I guess you need more officials to supplement. Tell me, who do you want to help you?"
Wang Ji hurriedly said: "My subordinates want to recommend Geng Jian, the former Yushi Zhongcheng. He originally resigned because he couldn't see Yuan Gongyu clearing out dissidents in the Yushitai."
Wu Chengsi touched his forehead and said, "If I remember correctly, one of the two people who faced King Han with you yesterday is named Geng Jian."
Wang Jidao: "That's him. The other person is Zhang Sijin, the imperial censor. Both of them are good friends of the subordinates."
Wu Chengsi nodded and said: "He is willing to never leave you under such circumstances, which shows that he is a loyal person. With such a person by your side to help, I can leave Hangzhou with peace of mind."
Wang Ji was not a pretentious person and did not say anything to persuade him to stay. He said with a solemn expression: "Your Highness, please rest assured that I will restore Hangzhou to normal as soon as possible. If Your Highness has anything to say, just let me know."
After Wang Ji left the influence, Wu Chengsi fell into deep thought.
The trip to Hangzhou was quite fruitful. Not only did the villagers of Lijia Village receive justice, but they also gained a talent like Wang Ji.
However, in order to truly secure the position of governor of Yangzhou and train the navy to fight against the Japanese as soon as possible, we still need to deal with the two princes of Yangzhou.
The real difficulty begins now.
…
A big update today, wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! (*^w^*)