He Guangyi stood outside the Qianqing Palace with his hands hanging down and his body slightly bowed, as if he was hunched over, waiting for the emperor's summons.
He was very uneasy, and the reason for this was not because he had just arrested several princes, the concubine's brother, and a group of meritorious disciples.
But because this matter was not caught by his Jin Yiwei on his own initiative, but by the emperor's order.
In the past, the Jin Yiwei secretly reported to the emperor about something, but now the emperor knew everything and regarded the Jin Yiwei as his execution staff.
This is not a good thing. Although He Guangyi knows that their Jin Yiwei is just one of the emperor's many informants, this feeling is very bad. First, there is a crisis of trust being reduced, and second, if this continues, the Jin Yiwei will be in the emperor's heart. It’s dispensable.
Just as his mind was in chaos, the bastard came out and whispered, "Commander He, please come!"
"Thank you, Mr. Wang!" He Guangyi clasped his fists in salute, then took a deep breath.
~~
Zhu Yunxi was sitting on the Arhat bed, reviewing the memorials in his hands, his brows slightly wrinkled, and the look on his face seemed a little unhappy.
"I'm so broad-minded..."
"Everyone has been arrested!" Zhu Yunxi said softly and continued to read the memorial. He did not let He Guangyi salute or look at him more.
He Guangyi said hurriedly, "Yes, all the relevant persons have been captured!" After saying that, he paused and said, "Now they are all locked up in the prison of Fusi, Jinyiwei Town, and they have not been announced to the outside world yet!"
Immediately, he raised his head and glanced at the emperor's side face, "No one from Yancheng, Huai'an, was left behind. The salt ships, salt merchants, and officials involved in the salt transportation between Huaihe and Huaihe were all arrested and brought to justice. A total of seventy-nine people!"
Just after he finished speaking, He Guangyi heard the emperor sigh deeply, and his head felt lower.
This is not a small number, and based on the usual ethos of officialdom, if one really wants to dig deeper and pull out the carrots and bring out the mud, the sum of all the small and big things could increase to ten times.
Corrupt officials are not thieves. Thieves are caught the first time they attack. Corrupt officials are only caught after they have committed corruption many times.
"Check it!" Zhu Yunxi said lightly and waved his hand feebly, "Hurry, be strict, be severe!"
He Guangyi took a step forward, "Your Majesty, that involves several princes-in-law..."
"Didn't I make it clear?" Zhu Yunxi suddenly looked at He Guangyi with an unkind look, "Did you not hear what I just said clearly or did you not take it to heart?"
"I don't dare!" He Guangyi panicked for a moment and said, "It only involves a few princes-in-law, so I still have to ask the emperor for instructions. After all...?"
"No, after all!" Zhu Yunxi glanced at him, wanting to laugh in his heart.
Surrounded by human beings, they all have eight hundred evil intentions.
The prince-in-law involved in this matter is nothing!
Those princes-in-law, besides Hu Guan, are not as important as Li Fangying!
He Guangyi was asking the emperor how to treat them differently.
As for why they should be treated differently...anyone with a sense of caution should be able to understand. Moreover, there is another meaning to this question. Can I be punished?
At this time, the bastard was outside and said softly, "Long live my lord, your highness is here!"
~
Later, Zhu Gaochi's chubby body moved in from outside, with a layer of sweat on his head.
"minister....."
"Hong Xi is here!" Zhu Yunxi raised his hand with a smile, "No big rule!" He said, shouting to the outside world, "Bring Hong Xi a bowl of mung bean soup!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a bowl of mung bean soup that was steaming like ice and seemed to be cool and refreshing was brought up on a tray.
This year's climate is abnormal. It rained heavily in the past few days, and in the past few days there has been continuous exposure to the sun. It is obviously far from midsummer, but the sun is more poisonous than midsummer.
Looking at the mung bean soup in front of him, Zhu Gaochi swallowed but did not drink it.
"Drink! Look how hot you are!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "Don't be restrained, drink it!"
"My lord..." Zhu Gaochi hesitated a bit, holding the bowl in confusion.
Zhu Yunxi asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"I have been feeling upset since last night!" Zhu Gaochi lowered his head and said.
"Oh! Fortunately..." Zhu Yunxi smiled meaningfully, "Fortunately it's just a stomachache! Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do my job!"
Hearing this, another layer of cold sweat broke out on Zhu Gaochi's forehead.
"Everyone has been arrested!" Zhu Yunxi looked at the two of them, "They are all in the Zhenfu Division Prison, with Hong Xi as the leader and He Guangyi as the assistant. They are trying the largest and most rampant salt smuggling case since I came to the throne, involving the largest number of people!
"
He said, looking at the two of them, "You two remember, no matter who is involved, we will never tolerate it!"
Then, he looked at Zhu Gaochi and said, "This case may not be handled by others. After all, it involves royal family members. Many things that are inconvenient for others and things that others dare not deal with, you don't have to worry about so much!"
"The so-called prince who breaks the law is as guilty as the common people. I am not afraid of being infamy. You, Counselor of Nan Study, and the future minister of the Ming Dynasty, don't be afraid of being infamy. It is better to suffer infamy than the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is rotten!"
"Remember?"
Sweat fell down Zhu Gaochi's temples, "I understand, I understand!"
But he was cursing in his heart, "You are not afraid of being scolded, who dares to scold you? But I... the few princesses who come back are not allowed to come to my door? They can't afford to offend you, but they may be able to offend a big guy like me.
nephew!"
Thinking about it, as he sat there, his heart felt hot for no reason.
While I was cursing in my heart, I felt my mouth was dry and I couldn't help but pick up the iced mung bean soup next to me and drank it in one go.
~~
"How to handle the case, I will only follow your lead!"
He Guangyi and Zhu Gaochi came out of Qianqing Palace and walked outside the Meridian Gate. He Guangyi said.
"As a layman, I still have to rely on you to handle the case!" Zhu Gaochi quickly declined.
"You praise the subordinates! The cases they handle are all cases that are not worthy of publicity. You are the chief judge, and all the subordinates obey your orders!" He Guangyi also showed no mercy, and said sideways with a smile, "Let's go to the town now.
Fusi?"
"Yeah!" Zhu Gaochi nodded in a muffled voice, "Take my carriage, it's spacious!"
The carriage moved forward, the carriage shaking.
The large carriage seemed a bit stuffy and airless because the curtains were down.
"Your Highness, how do you think the trial should be conducted? Direct torture, or...?" He Guangyi sat for a while and began to talk.
Zhu Gaochi frowned deeply, "Has Wang Ning been caught?"
"Well, I pulled him out at home!" He Guangyi said with a smile, "This prince-in-law is really not very courageous. He cried bitterly and kept calling the princess to save him!" As he said that, he looked at Zhu Gaochi.
He looked at the side of his face and sighed, "I guess Princess Huaiqing will enter the palace in a while!"
"Since he is timid, let's start with him. If he pours beans through a bamboo tube, how much dignity can he retain will save us trouble!" Zhu Gaochi curled his lips.
In his mind, there was no need to try this case at all, because the ins and outs of the case, including the people involved, were already clear to him. What was difficult for him was that the emperor not only asked him to try it, but also asked him to judge it in the future.
It's even possible that he was asked to supervise the execution on the day of the murder.
Although he, Zhu Gaochi, had nothing to do with the consorts, but... the eldest nephew chopped his uncle into pieces. Is this nice to hear?
Moreover, the emperor's deeper intention was to let him, Zhu Gaochi, come to the stage.
It would make outsiders think that this case, from discovery to trial to trial, was all his work, Zhu Gaochi's.