Zhao Dawu walked in the rhythm of the Ten Protectors, crossed the canal angrily, and walked into Lijin Gate again.
He came to Lin Daguan's residence, asked if he was there, then turned around and went to the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Department in the north.
As soon as I walked into the gate of the Salt Transportation Department, I saw Lin Daguan sitting in front of the front hall with a golden sword, basking in the sun, talking wordlessly to Wu Tian next to him.
Zhao Dawu walked up to the platform and reported: "Sir! Our salt goods have been detained!"
Lin Daguan jumped up from his chair and said with joy, "Is this really so? Sitting here every day is so boring!"
Zhao Dawu: "."
Sir, why are you so happy? Can your reaction be a little more reasonable?
Official Lin adjusted his state, frowned, glared, clenched his fists, and shouted angrily: "Who dares to be so blind!"
Although it is still a bit exaggerated, the emotional reaction is much more normal.
Zhao Dawu reported in detail: "The total amount of the seized salt goods is 300,000 jins, of which 100,000 jins are Wu Deng's own private salt without any certificate. They were mixed together for export and were seized by the Taizhou branch!"
The Lianghuai Salt Transportation Division has thirty salt fields on the seashore, which are managed by three branches: Taizhou Branch, Tongzhou Branch, and Huai'an Branch.
After Zhao Dawu explained the situation, he asked for instructions: "What should we do now, sir?"
Lin Daguan said loudly: "No need to do anything!"
Zhao Dawu said anxiously: "What is being impounded is our salt. The charges are going to be pinned on us, and we just watch helplessly?"
Lin Daguan asked again: "Then what do you think we should do?"
Zhao Dawu put forward his own opinion: "We can cut off the tail to survive, hand over the culprit Wu Deng, and get rid of the crime of smuggling!"
"That won't work!" Lin Daguan objected without hesitation.
Zhao Dawu was very disappointed and said: "Until now, you still want to protect Wu Deng in the palace?"
Lin Daguanren explained: "For the 100,000-pound accident, I actively handed over people to the Yamen. So what do other people think of me? Who will be willing to work for me in the future?"
If this person's heart is lost, it will be difficult to get it back. Don't just focus on the present when doing things, you must focus on the long term and take the overall situation into consideration."
That's what politics is like. Whether you make friends with others or not, you always have a rhetoric.
Zhao Dawu obviously couldn't quibble with Lin Daguan and had no choice but to use magic to defeat magic. "If Wu Deng is allowed to implicate other people without caring about it, it will also chill other people."
Official Lin put on a straight face, took on the posture of a superior, and reprimanded: "Zhao Dawu has been with me for a year, don't you even have this little trust and patience? Just go back and wait for the results!"
Zuo Protector Zhang Wen stepped forward and pulled Zhao Dawu out, and as he walked he said, "The last person as stubborn as you was named Gao Changjiang."
Sometimes, only the people around you who have followed you the longest can see some clues.
Although Zhang Wen was not very clear about his intentions, he always felt that Wu Deng was deliberately trying to sell the show.
Lin Tailai looked at Wu Tianshi again and asked, "Why don't you go home and see what your husband is doing?"
Wu Tianshi smiled bitterly and replied: "I'm afraid I won't be able to see anyone when I go back. With my clumsy temper, I will definitely go to the beach to hide again after causing an accident."
Lin Daguan said thoughtfully: "It's best for him to just hide."
Wu Tian didn't understand what he meant, and then heard Lin Daguan say: "Actually, I would rather see him jump up and attack me."
Wu Tianshi always felt that this was teasing her, but there was no evidence.
At this time, the focal figure talked about by many people, Wu Deng, the second shopkeeper of Lin's Salt Industry, was hiding in a residence five miles away from the city.
Cai Shiquan, a clan leader of the same clan who patrolled the salt censor, sat in front of Wu Deng and said, "You are such a cunning rabbit. It's really hard to find you!"
Wu Deng said angrily: "Why were my salt products seized?"
Cai Shiquan was not interested in talking about the confiscation of private salt, "I have helped you make a lot of money this year, right? Now I need to use you."
Wu Deng asked: "I can't protect myself now, so what can I do?"
Cai Shiquan replied: "I want you to take the initiative to surrender to the government and put all the problem of the 100,000 kilograms of illegal salt on Lin Tailai!"
Wu Deng couldn't help shouting: "Then what good results can I achieve!"
He often walks by the river without getting his shoes wet. It's normal to get into trouble while doing smuggling. At worst, he will be on the run for a few years. When the news is over and the officials are replaced, he will come back and he will be a good man again.
But if he takes the initiative to surrender to the government, is he because he doesn't want to die quickly enough, or does he want to contribute to the construction of the border town?
Cai Shiquan stared directly at Wu Deng and said, "My master is the censor of the Salt Patrol. As long as you surrender yourself, I will ensure that nothing happens to you."
Wu Deng is not a three-year-old child. "As long as I am in officialdom, how can I be fine? Is it possible that I can be exonerated?"
Cai Shiquan said: "You and your wife can be punished as slaves and sold to the Cai family, and you will be fine."
Wu Deng said angrily: "You are going to be a domestic slave instead of being a good citizen?"
Cai Shiquan sneered: "Sometimes these days, domestic slaves are much more comfortable than good citizens, so don't miss the opportunity.
Look at what you, a good citizen, did to you. At first, you were almost wiped out by the Zheng family, and then your wife was played by Lin Tailai, and you were helpless.
Joining the Cai family is equivalent to having a backer. Who would dare to offend you when you sell salt in Yangzhou?"
Wu Deng remained silent. It was really difficult for a small person to survive in the cracks and want to get rich.
If you didn't want to get rid of the Zheng family salt industry and become independent, how could you be surrounded and suppressed?
If it weren't for Lin Tailai's protection and the smuggling convenience of Lin's Salt Industry, how could he be willing to endure the confusion between his wife and his big boss?
If he wasn't greedy for profits worth hundreds of thousands of pounds of private salt, how could he secretly cooperate with Cai Shiquan?
He knows that he is dancing on the edge of a knife, but he wants to get rich and become a big boss. Is this wrong? Why does everyone come to oppress him?
Cai Shiquan said proudly: "As long as I appear in front of you today, you will have no other choice."
"Are you going to inspect the Salt Procuratorate tomorrow?" Wu Deng said without joy or sorrow.
Cai Shiquan replied: "No, go to the Yanyun Division Yamen."
My salt patrolman is so noble and he doesn't want to get directly involved in these troubles, so he can just let the salt transportation department work at the front desk.
Moreover, if Wu Deng goes directly to the Salt Inspectorate to surrender, there will be no room for maneuver. It is best to let the Salt Transportation Department act as a buffer first.
The next day, after Lin Daguan and Secretary Bai finished their morning exercises, they came to the side courtyard where Wu Tian lived and shouted outside the courtyard door: "Let's go! Today we will continue to go to the Salt Transportation Department to ask for compensation!"
After Wu Tianshi dressed up, she opened the door and asked, "Do you still need to go today?"
Official Lin replied: "Of course I want to go. If the salt goods were seized, I would not dare to go to the Salt Transportation Department today. Wouldn't it look guilty?"
When they arrived at the Salt Transport Department, Official Lin was still sitting in the front hall near the door, while Wu Tian was boiling water and making tea under the eaves.
The day before yesterday, Protector Zuo Zhang Wen got a small stove from somewhere and placed it under the eaves of the front hall.
When Wu Deng walked into the gate of the Salt Transportation Department, he saw his wife Wu Tianshi serving tea and water to Lin Daguan.
Lin Daguan greeted Wu Deng warmly and said, "It's not easy for you and me to meet. Come and sit down and drink tea!"
Wu Deng shook his head and said, "No."
Official Lin asked: "Are you here to find me? Recently, many people know that if they want to find me, they have to come to the Salt Transportation Department."
Wu Deng shook his head again: "I'm not looking for you, I'm surrendering to the Salt Transportation Department."
Lin Daguan advised: "Why bother? When word spread, they thought our Lin's Salt Industry couldn't handle the problem."
As he was talking, he suddenly saw Fei Yunshi, who had been hiding for several days, rushing to the front yard with his people.
I also heard Fei Yunshi yelling at Official Lin: "Lin Tailai! Don't obstruct justice!"
Then Fei Yunshi escorted the surrendered smuggler Wu Deng into the atrium lobby for interrogation.
Wu Tian was a little panicked and hesitated to speak, not knowing what to say.
But Lin Tailai continued to sit on the Taishi chair, closing his eyes and concentrating, as if waiting for something.
Not long after, a salt man ran to the front yard and shouted to Lin Tailai from a distance: "Lin Qianhu! Master Yunshi will send you to the court!"
As a person with an official status, Lin Daguan can choose not to be summoned, or he can choose to go to court on his behalf. These are normal operations.
But Lin Daguan, who has a strong sense of the rule of law, chose to respect justice. He stood up and walked towards the lobby where the case was being heard.
Fei Yunshi was talking in a low voice with the clerk on duty when suddenly he heard an exclamation, which made the courtroom no longer quiet at all.
Fei Yunzhi raised his head angrily and was stunned when he saw Lin Tailai walking into the lobby.
Although he sent someone to summon Lin Tailai, Fei Yunshi only regarded it as a formality and did not expect Lin Tailai to appear in court in person. This is the case for all nobles.
But who knows, Lin Tailai actually came to the court in person to listen to the question.
Official Lin glanced at Wu Deng who was kneeling on the ground, and asked Fei Yunshi in a loud voice: "Is there any case that needs to summon me?"
Fei Yunshi almost died, but it took him a long time to recover from the shock and said:
"Wu Deng surrendered and confessed. The 100,000 kilograms of unlicensed salt that was seized are all your goods."
Lin Tailai asked, "Does the envoy accept this confession?"
Fei Yunshi said with reason: "Everyone in Yangzhou City knows that Wu Deng is your shopkeeper and manages the salt industry on your behalf. His statement is naturally credible."
Fei Yunshi is very sober, so it doesn't matter if he can't be convicted. Anyway, you Lin Tailai can't explain it at all, and you can't remove the suspicion.
It's enough to pour dirty water on Lin Tailai and report it to the court. Do you really expect to use justice to deal with Lin Tailai?
Anyway, the atmosphere in the imperial court has not been very good in recent years, and there is no need for evidence to criticize it.
Lin Daguan sighed deeply and responded: "These 100,000 kilograms of unlicensed salt are indeed mine."
Fei Yunshi habitually took pictures of the gavel and shouted: "Lin Tailai! You don't need to defend yourself, my officer!"
But mid-sentence, Fei Yunshi suddenly realized that something was wrong. Was it because he was hallucinating?
"Say it again?" Fei Yunzhi asked in disbelief.
Lin Daguan said sonorously: "These 100,000 kilograms of salt belong to me! There is indeed no certificate! I asked Wu Deng to handle it! I admit it!"
Fei Yunshi: "."
I have never seen someone admit his crime directly in the most confident voice. What kind of operation is this?
The law can be circumvented and loopholes can be exploited, but how can there be such a direct confrontation?
If you take the initiative to admit the crime, no one can save you!
Everyone in the lobby was shocked. How could Lin Tailai confess directly?
According to common sense, even if a person is standing here, he will not admit guilt!
Moreover, the 100,000 kilograms of smuggled salt originally had the greatest relationship with Wu Deng, but Lin Daguanren actually took the blame so happily.
Under normal circumstances, it is the younger brother who takes the blame for the older brother, but today it was the older brother who took the blame for the younger brother. It was really eye-opening.
Fei Yunshi was the first to wake up, but he seemed to have fallen into a state of madness. He suddenly stood up and yelled incoherently at the clerk on duty next to him:
"Hurry, write down! Hurry! Write down! Draw and seal! Let Lin Tai come and draw and seal!"
The clerk directed Yan Ding to carry the table and place it in front of Official Lin. On the table was the confession.
Allowing Mr. Lin to stand and sign his signature is the last act of dignity given to Mr. Lin.
"No!" came a scream from outside the door.
Everyone turned around and saw Wu Tian standing outside the lobby door.
Wu Tianshi excitedly stepped forward to stop him and said, "How can a high-ranking official confess his guilt!"
Lin Tailai sighed: "One hundred thousand kilograms is a lot of personal salt, you can't just watch your husband die, right?
And I have an official position and fame, so I can take the blame, and the most I can do is be exiled to the army."
Everyone in the lobby felt strange when they heard Lin Tailai's words. Could it be that Mr. Lin was willing to take the blame for Wu Deng because of Wu Tian's face?
Wu Tian, who had always been weak, also broke out and said to Wu Deng: "You must not be ungrateful! If it hadn't been for the rescue by Lin Daguan and his people, all three of us would have died without a burial place!"
Fei Yunshi became angry and shouted: "Don't disturb the court! Drive out the irrelevant people!"
Lin Daguan also said to Wu Tianshi: "Men do things here, let the women go out!"
Fei Yunshi didn't care about others, so he only urged Lin Tailai: "Since you confessed, why didn't you sign the confession?
Official Lin lowered his head and read the confession carefully, confirming that it was all his true words, and then signed and stamped it without any haste.
Fei Yun made him look up to the sky and laugh "hahahahaha", not knowing what he was laughing at.
Although Lin Tailai was an official, according to the rules, except for crimes such as rebellion, Lin Tailai could not be detained even if he was convicted, but Fei Yunshi still felt happy.
Between the north and the south of the Ming Dynasty, who could successfully convict Lin Tailai?
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, even if Lin Tailai was an official, he would not be able to escape exile.
After Fei Yunshi finished laughing, Senior Official Lin raised his hand and said, "I want to appeal! Go to the Salt Inspectorate to appeal!"
Fei Yunshi said subconsciously: "It's unreasonable!"
For things like filing a lawsuit, people feel they have been wronged and then file a lawsuit. But you, Lin Tailai, have already pleaded guilty and still sue for nothing. This is a waste of judicial resources!
To put it bluntly, Lin Tailai took the initiative to plead guilty. This is an ironclad case. What's the use of appealing? Can the verdict be overturned?
Official Lin asked: "I am a person who respects the judiciary very much. Do I have the right to appeal?"
Fei Yunshi gritted his teeth and said: "Of course, quit!"
Official Lin walked up to Wu Deng and said very gently: "One hundred thousand catties of illegal salt, if the sentence is severe, it will be enough to kill you.
I shouldered such a heavy crime for you, which is considered a second life-saving grace for you, how should you thank me?"
Wu Tianshi was outside the lobby, covering her face and sobbing.
She never imagined that Mr. Lin would be willing to pay such a heavy price for herself.
Do you still have a monthly pass... I'm so thirsty! I'll go to bed late tonight and write some more, and I'll post the next chapter at noon tomorrow!