The world of film and television started from optical film

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became depressing. After Wang Zhong looked at what was written on the letter in his hand, his expression gradually became serious.

"Judging from the current situation, the degree of corruption in the Lianghuai Salt Service is even worse than we expected!" Wang Zhong said with a solemn expression.

Zhao Ceying frowned and said, "If this is really the case, then we will be in big trouble!"

Wang Zhong's eyes flickered, and he immediately bowed and handed over his hands, saying with a serious face: "Now that the prince's whereabouts have been revealed, it's better to stand up openly!"

"Anyway, General Xiao Duan's people have also been dispersed. Instead of us investigating slowly bit by bit, it is better to wait for the guilty ones to show their flaws, and then we can follow the clues and find out those bad apples."

"This is the only plan for now." However, Zhao Ceying was very puzzled: "But we came all the way in disguise without leaking any information. How did this news leak out?"

Wang Zhong seemed to have expected it, and said: "Now this case is getting bigger and bigger. There are no less than dozens of officials involved. This is only what we know. There are also those we don't know. I don't know how many more there are. We Although his whereabouts are hidden, if we come out of Tokyo and head south, if we are serious, we can always find some clues."

Zhao Ceying looked around and lowered her voice very low: "Do you think there is anyone among our people..."

"It's really hard to say!" Wang Zhong said.

Zhao Ceying's expression changed for a while. Thinking of the current situation, he became more and more certain that his suspicion was right. However, Zhao Ceying was also a well-educated military scholar after all, and knew the principle of trusting those who employ people and distrusting those who doubt others. Now at this juncture, Zhao Ceying's expression changed. , it is necessary to work together from top to bottom to investigate the salt case. If an inadvertent move shakes the morale of the military, I am afraid that it will give those who conspire even more opportunities.

"Hey!"

"Even if there are those people's spies among our people, it may not be a bad thing for us!" Wang Zhong said.

Zhao Ceying looked at Wang Zhong and asked, "What does Zihou mean?"

Wang Zhong said: "Don't you still have a list in your hands? The initiative is now in your hands. In fact, you don't need to do much at all. As long as you stay the same to cope with the changes, those guilty black sheep might be able to do it themselves." It will show its flaws."

"Furthermore, General Xiao Duan has already launched an investigation into the people on the list. As soon as he has detailed results and the prince gives the order, can't we close the net?"

"As for the prince, it doesn't matter if someone really tipped off those black sheep!"

Seeing the smile on Wang Zhong's face, Zhao Ceying couldn't help but nod, obviously agreeing with Wang Zhong's statement.

The next day, a big flag was erected on the big ship, and all the guards put on armor, equipped with swords, guns, bows and crossbows. Zhao Ceying also put on a purple official robe, and appeared openly and openly in the Lianghuai Salt Transfer Department.

The current salt transfer envoy of the Lianghuai River is called He Rongchang. He comes from a Longyou family. Although his official rank is not high, he is in charge of the entire salt affairs of the Lianghuai River and has great power.

It's a pity that it's not someone else who comes now, but Zhao Ceying, King Huan, who holds the imperial decree. He Rongchang can only be respectful in front of King Huan.

As soon as Zhao Ceying arrived at the Yandu Transfer Envoy Department, he ordered that the transfer envoy's case library be sealed. Wang Zhong led a group of accompanying civil servants and scribes and began to review the records of Lianghuai and Huaihe in the past 20 years recorded in the case file library. Various account books and documents of Salt Affairs are reviewed.

Unexpectedly, on the night when King Huan and others settled in the Lianghuai Salt Capital Transfer Envoy Si Yamen, a fire broke out in the archives. All the files over the years were burned to the ground, leaving only ashes on the ground.

The next day, King Huan Zhao Ceying stood in front of the ruins with a livid face. He Rongchang led the Lianghuai Salt Capital to transfer all the officials from the Yamen to their knees and begged King Huan to punish him.

Zhao Ceying suppressed the anger in her heart, glanced at the officials kneeling behind her with a sharp gaze, and said coldly: "Don't you think that this can destroy the corpse and eliminate all traces?"

"I'm guilty, please punish me!" He Rongchang didn't even defend himself and led a group of officials to kneel on the ground.

"Who is in charge of the record library?" Zhao Ceying closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked at everyone and asked loudly.

"Your Majesty, I am in charge of the records and documents treasury!" A middle-aged official wearing a green official uniform stood up and knelt down again.

"The document library was burned. As an official in charge, if you failed to discover and stop it in time, you are derelict in your duties. Pull him down, give him a cane of forty, and put him in prison!" Zhao Ceying waved his hands and turned around, sternly instructing.

Didn't even ask.

"promise!"

When two tall sergeants dragged the official aside and let him shout that he was wronged, they took off his official uniform and pressed him on the bench. Then the two men held water and fire. The soldiers with sticks immediately started fighting one on the left and the other on the right.

The shrill screams stimulated the nerves of all the officials.

The screams lasted for less than five breaths and then stopped abruptly. How could an official who had been pampered all year round be able to withstand forty sticks? The person fainted after being hit with twenty sticks. By the time the forty sticks were finished, he was already only All that's left is to vent your anger.

"Find a doctor!"

After ordering his men, Zhao Ceying watched the official being dragged down like a dead dog. Zhao Ceying walked up to He Rongchang, squatted down, looked at He Rongchang and said, "Don't you have anything to say to me, Ambassador He Zhuan?"

"Your Majesty is aware of everything. I really know nothing about this matter!" He Rongchang quickly surrendered.

Zhao Ceying helped He Rongchang up, looked into He Rongchang's eyes and asked, "Does He Zhuanyuan really not know?"

"Your Majesty is aware that I really don't know this!" He Rongchang hurriedly explained: "I have stayed at home since I went to the Yamen last night and have never gone out."

"He Zhuanshi is the humerus of the imperial court. How can I not believe in He Zhuanshi!" Now that there is no evidence, Zhao Ceying naturally cannot get angry.

Moreover, Zhao Ceying's trip is not only to solve the problem of salt affairs, but more importantly, to show his ability to win over the courtiers. If he blindly uses force, he will inevitably fall into trouble. The Queen Mother and her family will definitely not let such a good impeachment go. His chance.

"It's cold on the ground, please get up quickly." Even when going to court, all the officials only bowed and saluted the emperor. They would only kneel when they were offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, or when being canonized by an imperial edict. However, He Rongchang and other officials knelt down in front of Zhao Ceying to plead guilty because the record library was burned.

"Thank you, my lord, for your understanding!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" A dozen officials stood up, but they still stood with a slight bow and their heads lowered.

He Rongchang said: "Your Majesty, now that the case record library has been destroyed, I wonder what your Majesty's next plans are? If there is a place that can be used to get the official, I will try my best to cooperate."

"He Zhuanjian is so polite!" Zhao Ceying said: "I was ordered by the officials to go south to inspect the salt and conduct a thorough inspection of the salt affairs. I didn't expect that when I first arrived in Yangzhou, something like this happened. It seems that this salt inspection lasted only a short time and a half. I’m afraid it will be difficult to make any progress soon.”

When he said this, Zhao Ceying couldn't help but show a bit of dejection on his face.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, the salt from both Huaihe River and Huaihe River has been transferred, so everyone in the government office is following His Majesty's lead!" He Rongchang immediately expressed his stance.

"Then thank you so much to Envoy He and all your colleagues!"

They are all thousand-year-old foxes, and each one is more devoted than the other when acting.After returning to her residence, Zhao Ceying slammed the tea cup in her hand to the ground.There was a crisp sound, and Zhao Ceying gritted his teeth and said: "Very good! Very good! This is to give me a kick."

Wang Zhong stood beside him, cupping his hands and saying, "Why do you need to be angry, Your Majesty? In fact, even if the case files are not burned, we may not be able to find any substantive evidence from them!"

"Huh? Why?" Zhao Ceying asked puzzledly.

"Yandu Transfer has kept the Yamen running for so many years, and there has never been any mistakes. The officials who have served are not fools. The accounts that have been put into the treasury must have been done beautifully."

"Then why do they still burn the archives?"

"Maybe it's to confuse us, or maybe, as the prince said, it's to give him a blow."

Wang Zhongdao: "Yesterday, the prince said that the case library would be sealed. That night, the case library burned down, and the fire was so strong that it spread instantly. If the prince had not left troops and horses around the case library last night, I'm afraid that The entire transfer office will be burned down."

Zhao Ceying immediately grasped the key point of Wang Zhong's words: "Being able to break through the blockade and burn the archives to this state silently means that the person who set the fire must have been in the archives all the time, or he was hiding in the archives. Among the soldiers and horses surrounding the case library last night?"

"In addition to the people we brought to guard the archives last night, there were also many troops from the Yangzhou Command Battalion."

"Instead of tangled up with a few hidden rats, the prince would rather focus on Liu Zhenfeng, who has just been imprisoned by the prince. If he can be made to open his mouth and confess, he might be able to gain unexpected gains."

"Isn't this Liu Zhenfeng the scapegoat being pushed out?" Zhao Ceying asked doubtfully.

Wang Zhongdao: "The scapegoat may not know the truth of the matter. Even if he does not know the whole thing, it is still excellent if he only knows part of it."

Zhao Ceying frowned and said, "I'm afraid we may not be able to pry his mouth open."

Punishment is not enough for a doctor, and this dynasty co-rules the world with scholar-officials and always treats scholar-officials preferentially. Zhao Ceying has already used an excuse to beat the person severely. Even if he is punished again, it will only be demoted or dismissed, and it will not hurt the person's bones. .

"As long as we are human, we have weaknesses. Liu Zhenfeng is willing to stand up and be the scapegoat. It is just because someone promised him some benefits, or there is some reason to get caught. But as long as we find his weaknesses, we are afraid that he will not Do you want to speak?"

"What's Zihou's clever plan?" Zhao Ceying's eyes lit up and he asked quickly.

Wang Zhong said: "We might as well learn from Zhong Huai and use some dirty tricks."

"A dirty trick?" Zhao Ceying really couldn't figure out what else to do.

Although Liu Zhenfeng was imprisoned, he was still an official after all. Naturally, the prison chiefs did not dare to neglect him. Not only did they live in a single room, but the coordinator also ordered someone to hire a doctor to treat the injury on his buttocks.

Suddenly, Liu Zhenfeng was awakened by the sound of the door opening. Before he could see clearly, a tall and burly young man, holding a lantern and wearing a scarlet official uniform, walked up to him.

"Deputy Ambassador Wang?"

Liu Zhenfeng squinted his eyes and used the weak light of the lantern to see Wang Zhong's appearance clearly, and then he hurriedly said: "I have seen Deputy Ambassador Wang. I am injured and have difficulty moving. I am not polite. I hope you will." Deputy Ambassador Wang, please forgive me."

"Master Liu is very elegant. He is already in jail, but he can still be so open-minded. Wang admires him." Wang Zhong cupped his hands and said.

"Hey!" Liu Zhenfeng sighed and said helplessly: "The matter has come to this, if you don't look at it more openly, you will still suffer."

Wang Zhong walked up to Liu Zhenfeng, sat on the small stool brought by the jailer, put the things in his right hand on the small table that the jailer had just moved into the cell, waved his hand, and the jailers were driven away by the guards.

"Mingren don't tell secret words. Wang came here today because he wanted to ask Mr. Liu for help with something."

Liu Zhenfeng said: "Deputy Envoy Wang is polite, but now that the official is behind bars, I'm afraid I won't be able to help Deputy Envoy Wang."

"Master Liu is too modest!" Wang Zhong smiled and pushed the box on the table to Liu Zhenfeng: "Master Liu, you might as well take a look at the gift I brought for Master Liu first."

"Gift?" Liu Zhenfeng, who was lying on the ground, opened the box in confusion and took out a small skirt worn by a girl, a pair of embroidered shoes, a rattle and a jade lock.

The moment he saw these things, Liu Zhenfeng's expression changed. He looked at Wang Zhong in shock and asked in confusion: "What does Deputy Wang mean by this?"

Wang Zhong seemed to be calm and said: "Master Liu was also born as a Jinshi in the second rank. It is said that he is Wang's predecessor. He has served as county magistrate and general magistrate in many places. He was transferred to the Lianghuai Salt Division and held a mere post. For several years, although I have been in charge of nothing more than a small document warehouse, as long as I have enough qualifications, I can be promoted to Tokyo, and it may not be impossible to rise to the top.

Now that he has become a prisoner of his subordinates and is behind bars, is it possible that Mr. Liu is not unwilling at all? "

"So what if you don't want to give in?" Liu Zhenfeng's face showed a bit of helplessness: "Deputy Ambassador Wang, just say what you want to say."

Wang Zhongdao: "Master Liu is a smart man, so Wang will not go around in circles. This time King Huan went south to inspect the salt, it was a decision jointly made by the official family and the eldest lady. King Huan is the eldest son of the official family, and he only waits for this inspection." After the salt is over and great achievements have been made, the officials can issue a decree and canonize King Huan as the crown prince. Now that this great opportunity is in front of you, Mr. Liu doesn't know how to cherish it?"

Liu Zhenfeng was stunned for a moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he finally closed his eyes: "Why can't Liu understand what Deputy Ambassador Wang said?"

Wang Zhongdao: "It doesn't matter if you don't understand, but if Mr. Liu doesn't think about himself, shouldn't he also think about his father and two young children at home?"

Liu Zhenfeng had a look of horror on his face: "What does Deputy Ambassador Wang mean by this?"

Wang Zhong smiled mysteriously: "Of course it means literally!"

After saying that, he turned around with the lantern and walked away without stopping at all, and without any intention of saying more. He didn't give Liu Zhenfeng any time to think about it.

But Liu Zhenfeng, who was lying on the haystack, instantly filled up countless messages in his mind.

What did Wang Zhong mean when he suddenly mentioned his father and children just now?Is it because you want to harm them?To threaten yourself?However, this dynasty has always treated civil servants favorably. Even though King Huan was a prince, he could not go beyond the ancestral precepts.

But those are his father and children!if······

Invisible threats are the most deadly, and invisible brainstorming is the most unstoppable.

The moment Wang Zhong stepped out of the cell door, Liu Zhenfeng couldn't help but stretched out his hand to stop Wang Zhong.

"and many more!"

The corners of Wang Zhong's mouth raised slightly, and he turned to look at Liu Zhenfeng and said, "Master Liu, have you figured it out so quickly?"