"Tinglong has lived in Xuanhua for a while, and he knows a lot about border affairs. I wonder if he has any ideas to resolve this crisis?" Niu Yuanyuan finally expressed his feelings and asked quickly.
"The lower official deeply suspects Governor Shi of being embezzled."
"How to say?"
"He said before that the Ministry of Revenue allocated cannon-casting fees to Xuanhua. The specific figure was not disclosed, but the amount was for forty cannons. I sent people back before, but most of them have already left; but it doesn't matter.
The prime minister can check with the Ministry of Household Affairs in person. If there is any discrepancy, he can ask Shi Yiyi about his crime of embezzlement. The evidence is solid, and the ministers will have no reason to object." Ye Yongjia readjusted his original idea.
After hearing this, Niu Yuan's eyes froze for a moment, and then he smiled and said: "Tinglong's idea is brilliant, I need to rely on you even more for the next work."
"Bring it in."
Tongpao Chen gave the order and saw two servants holding a short man and pulling him indoors.
"My lord, have mercy! My lord, have mercy! I am just a servant of Shi Yiyi's house and has nothing to do with the politics of the court. I don't know anything!" The servant knelt on the ground, wailing and waving to Chen Shilang.
"Don't panic. I just heard that you were a subordinate of Governor Shi, so I wanted to help. I was afraid that you would not submit, so I took this trick. Don't blame me." Tongpao Chen motioned to others to help him up.
"You and them...are not the same group?" the servant gradually stood up and asked doubtfully.
Tongpao Chen shook his head slightly: "There is no such thing as a clique. Everyone wants to contribute to the court and hope for the good of the country, and they have not formed a clique. Some people may have different political opinions from me temporarily, but there are also changes.
When it comes to attitude, don’t take the truth lightly.”
"You are stupid." The servant felt that he had said the wrong thing.
"You go back and tell Governor Shi that Prime Minister Liu has repeatedly postponed the decision. There are many objections from the ministers. Ye Yongjia will not be able to leave for a while. Let him work with peace of mind."
The servant muttered this sentence several times, then handed it over and said, "I will remember it firmly, little one."
Chen Tongpao went to the Ministry of Revenue without stopping, met with the Minister, and said: "Master Gao asked me to tell you that the Ministry of Revenue is always responsible for raising the army's expenses. If there is a discrepancy in checking with the border, there will be disputes in the court.
Come back again. Now that the power of the prime minister is very strong, the minister should check the old documents as soon as possible to prevent him from using this to cause trouble."
The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance snorted contemptuously, stroking his beard and smiling: "Master Chen is still young, we are quite comfortable with this, so we don't have to worry so much. How can Niu Yuan predict events like a god? We are not timid!"
Chen Tongpao had already made a plan in his mind and did not give too much advice. He completely followed his wishes: "Your Majesty is so confident that I am really ashamed of my juniors. But it is best to be careful."
"Well, I don't have to. You can go back and do business." After Shangshu invited the guests away, he was still muttering in the garden: "What a fuss..."
Before the sun set, the servant who was ordered to come to Beijing galloped through the official roads in the city and rushed to Xuanhua. In fact, he had a fellow traveler who arrived in Xuanhua before him. It turned out that this person was the confidant Ye Yongjia had sent away earlier.
, accidentally passed by Ye Yongjia and had already sent the things back.
Cai Xianqing took back his silver and opened the wooden box. There was a note inside, which wrote the evidence collected by the envoy: "The Ministry of Household Affairs urged Xuanhua to make cannons three times and allocated 8,612 taels of silver."
, far exceeding the price of forty gates. In addition, Shi asked for the cost of replacing the armor and got one thousand taels of silver.'
He was overjoyed when he saw the letter, but he regretted that he could not tell Ye Yongjia in time, so he had to put the note on the bedside. He did not dare to use the new money indiscriminately, and gave it all to the sergeants who had made meritorious services in the past to encourage them to continue to serve the court.
After he finished all this, the sky gradually turned dark - the servants of Shi Mansion returned.
Shi Yiyi is currently living in the deputy governor's office. The servant came along the road from Suidi. As soon as his feet crossed the threshold, the inner courtyard was suddenly brightly lit, like daylight.
"How's it going? Can you get some results from your inquiry?" Shi Yiyi pulled on his shoes and walked up excitedly.
"Master, I received some advice from Mr. Chen from the Ministry of Civil Affairs this time, and it should be of great use!" The servant gasped, looking sullen.
"Speak quickly and let me listen!"
The servant then said what Chen Tongpao had taught him in the courtyard, which made Shi Yiyi laugh out loud: "This is really great news! Our advantage is great, and I feel more at ease!"
"One more thing," the slave rolled his eyes, "I heard from the brother in Guanyi that a guard who claimed to be a new member of the imperial court came to change horses and pull a three-horse cart. There was a big box in the cart.
, very suspicious. I guess he went to Cai Xianqing’s place.”
Shi Yiyi tightened his eyebrows and made a snapping sound with his fingers: "Huh, I've been frustrated for so many days, and I can finally be proud and deal with those bastards! Xiu Niuyuan is almost losing power, I take the opportunity to show off my power, who can control it?
?Immediately go to each barracks and call for people to forcibly search Cai Xianqing’s house for me!”
Cai Xianqing was about to take off his clothes and go to bed when he suddenly heard several hurried knocks on the door: "Cai Shilang! Cai Shilang! Open the door quickly!" He was so frightened that the turban on his hand fell off.
He hurriedly went to the window to look and saw groups of soldiers holding open fire, like a winding fire dragon, reflecting the world outside the window in fiery red.
"What are you doing! Why are you disturbing Cai's rest!"
"We have been ordered to come here to investigate your suspicious objects!"
"I am a high-ranking official in the capital. Do you have any suspicious items hidden?"
"Open the door honestly! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!" The knock on the door became harder.
Cai Xianqing never thought that Shi Yiyi would use a forced search. He was not prepared at all and subconsciously wanted to hide the note. Unfortunately, it was too late.
Bang! The door was kicked open by a soldier, and a dozen sergeants swarmed in and quickly blocked the door.
"Search!" An officer waved his hand, and several soldiers immediately looked around. One of them directly reached under the bed and touched a big thing from the dark space.
"Box! Box!" He shouted excitedly, attracting the attention of his colleagues. They all used their strength to drag the box out.
"You still dare to quibble..." The officer casually opened the box and looked around with the dim light of the torch, but found nothing.
"Can you go?" Cai Xianqing's expression was slightly stiff.
"Let's go, let's go..." The soldiers behind were already greeting us.
"Wait a minute," the officer glanced at the bed, "We searched under the bed, but what about the bed? Searched it too!"
Cai Xianqing's face was livid, and he saw several soldiers gradually approaching the bed, seemingly ready to lift the pillows.
"Don't..." Cai Xianqing hurriedly pushed away the crowd and rushed up to break the sergeant's hand, but the latter did not move at all. He was pushed away and staggered to sit on the ground - he knew that there was nothing he could do.