Shenjing, east of the city, Zhen family villa.

When Yao Shouan saw that Liu Baozheng’s family had revealed their identities, the officers showed no mercy and slapped them twice, leaving their mouths and faces covered in blood.

Now he was lying on the ground, looking extremely miserable, with swollen cheeks. Not only could he not speak, he didn’t even dare to cry out.

In the Zhen family compound, Liu Baozheng’s wife is the eldest wife’s confidant. She is smart, capable, eloquent, and a powerful woman.

Even though she was just an old servant of the Zhen family, Yao Shouan usually respected her. But now, she was beaten like a dead dog by the police just because she said a few words to flatter herself.

It turned out that the officials in the capital were so arrogant that they didn’t even show any favor to the royal palace. When Yao Shouan thought of this, he was so scared that his face turned pale and his legs couldn’t help but tremble.

The head constable sneered, “The Zhen family in Nanjing was involved in the illegal manufacture of muskets. More than ten days ago, the emperor issued an order to dismiss Zhen Yingjia from his post and investigate him.

This bitch dares to show him off. Do you think this is Jinling? You are trying to trick the officials under the emperor. I think you are looking for death!”

Yao Shouan was shocked when he heard this, because when they left Jinling, the imperial edict had not yet been issued, and he did not know that Zhen Yingjia had been dismissed and investigated.

He finally understood why these officials were so unimpressed by Liu Baozheng’s family’s disclosure of their identities…

Yao Shouan said hurriedly: “We left Jinling half a month ago and didn’t know that my master was also dismissed.

But we are indeed good people. We came to Beijing to work for the head of our family and have done absolutely nothing wrong. We hope that, for the sake of the Beijing Prince’s Mansion, we can be more tolerant of us.

This woman’s words offended the officer, which was her fault. We are willing to accept the punishment. I am willing to give a box of goods as compensation, and I hope you will accept it.”

When the captain of the police heard Yao Shouan say that he was going to send a box of valuables, his eyes lit up. Each box here was worth at least 10,000 or 20,000 taels. He would be rich now.

Liu Binfang remained calm after hearing this and asked, “Are these boxes going to be sent to Prince Beijing’s Palace?”

Yao Shouan was slightly stunned when he heard this. Before he left Beijing, Zhen Yingjia and his wife had reminded him that the matter of hiding the silver should not easily involve Prince Beijing’s Palace.

But now that the Jia family’s access to resources has been cut off and the officials from Zhen’an Prefecture have already arrived at their doorstep, the situation is extremely urgent.

In this huge city of Shenjing, Yao Shouan’s only lifeline is the second daughter of the first wife, Princess Beijing.

Even though he was still worried about being involved with Prince Beijing’s Mansion, he couldn’t care less at the moment, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to keep any of the thirteen boxes…

He stammered, “These things…are indeed gifts from my wife to the second young lady.”

Liu Binfang couldn’t help but smile and said, “Your wife really loves her daughter and is very generous. If that’s the case, things will be difficult to handle.

Captain Xu, take all the people and boxes here into custody. I will send a letter as soon as I return to the yamen to have them immediately transferred to the Imperial Guards.”

……

These words not only scared away Yao Shouan’s soul, but also made Captain Xu, who was standing beside him, look puzzled.

He said, “Sir, this is the tip we received from Zhen’an Prefecture. The Zhen family is already on the verge of ruin, yet they dare to smuggle so much gold and silver into Shenjing.

This is definitely a big case. The two people in charge look like idiots. They will confess everything if they are tortured.

This matter has fallen into our hands, which is a great opportunity. Besides, these thirteen boxes of things… are we going to give such a credit to the Jinyiwei for nothing?”

When Captain Xu finished speaking, his voice involuntarily lowered, but greed was already evident in his tone.

After all, among these thirteen boxes, it was a very common thing in official circles to withhold a few boxes and hand them over. It was not too difficult to do it without leaving any traces.

For these constables and yamen runners, whose annual salary was only a few dozen taels, the temptation of these dozen boxes of gold and silver was hard to resist.

Liu Binfang’s face remained expressionless after hearing what Captain Xu said.

Youyou said, “Captain Xu, silver is a good thing, who wouldn’t like it? But some silver can kill you if you touch it.”

After hearing this, Captain Xu looked a little unconvinced and said, “Sir, I heard that the three judicial officials are reviewing the case in Nanjing and have now confirmed the facts of the Zhen family.

The palace issued an edict yesterday to convict the criminal. Although I do not know the content of the edict, based on similar experiences in the past, the Zhen family will most likely not escape the crime of having their property confiscated.

A ruined family is nothing more than a drowned dog. It can’t be as powerful as the adults say, right?”

Liu Binfang said: “You think it’s too easy. The Zhen family case was organized by the Jinyiwei. Wang Zhangjiang, the captain of Jinling Jinyiwei, is a top figure.

The Zhen family of Jinling is already guilty. If I were him, I would not let the Zhen family transport more than a dozen boxes of gold and silver out of Jinling City under my nose.

This Lord Wang is meticulous and capable. He is more capable than us and will never be more careless than us. He will not play the long game to catch the big fish or do things that come to him easily.

If my guess is correct, the types and quantities of things in the box may have been recorded in the secret account of the Jinyiwei.

It’s always best to be safe than sorry. This person actually wants to send us a box of things, which is not a good thing.

If there is a piece of silver missing from the box, our lives and future may be at stake.

At that time, losing office or being dismissed will be a small matter, but life and death will be decided by others.

The tip-off to us at Zhen’an Prefecture is an opportunity for us. If we fail to act appropriately and something goes wrong, it will become a joke.”

After hearing this, Captain Xu felt a chill in his heart. He thought about Liu Binfang’s words carefully and found that they made a lot of sense. He broke out in a cold sweat.

He said: “Your Excellency is very thoughtful. I am a rough guy and almost ruined everything.”

……

Liu Binfang said: “This is just one of the reasons. The old woman just talked nonsense, and this person also said that the box was to be given to Princess Beijing.

A ruined family of corrupt officials smuggled more than a dozen boxes of gold and silver into the capital, and was also involved with a king of a different surname. This was a very unpleasant matter.

Our Zhen’an Prefecture is a civil and criminal department. We don’t have such a strong foundation, so we can’t wear such a big hat.

This hot potato is thrown to the Jinyiwei, they will definitely be happy to handle it, and we will be doing them a favor.

As long as the people and the things are handed over to the Jinyiwei intact, and Zhen’an Prefecture escapes unscathed, we will also have a share of the credit.”

Captain Xu was just a rough man, and he didn’t have the meticulous and powerful mind like Liu Binfang. After hearing what the other party said, he suddenly felt enlightened.

I couldn’t help but sigh in my heart, this scholar’s mind is so damn smart and amazing, how did he figure it out?

No wonder the previous prefect was beheaded after being questioned, but Liu Binfang, as a trusted official, not only did nothing go wrong, but he was even promoted in the past two years…

……

Yao Shouan, who was standing by, was so frightened when he heard that they were going to be handed over to the Imperial Guards that he almost collapsed.

The Zhen family’s old case was seized upon by the Jinyiwei, which led to the family’s ruin. The Zhen family was afraid of the Jinyiwei like a tiger.

When he heard that they were going to be handed over to the Jinyiwei, Yao Shouan fell to his knees and kept begging Liu Binfang, even blurting out a lot of words.

Liu Baozheng’s family was beaten by Captain Xu until their mouth was twisted and their tongue was broken. Even though they could no longer speak, they still muttered something with fear on their faces.

Liu Binfang frowned and said, “Shut their mouths. If they have anything to say, let them go to Jinyiwei Zhaoyu to speak. If we listen too much, we will cause trouble.”

Captain Xu kicked the nagging Yao Shouan to the ground, tied his hands himself, and gagged his mouth tightly with a piece of old rag he found from somewhere.

He also ordered people to do the same to Liu Baozheng’s family. Unfortunately, she was also a respectable servant in the Zhen family, and she could talk freely even in front of Wang Xifeng and others.

Now, not only is she humiliated, her life or death is uncertain, but the filthy thing stuffed in her mouth from nowhere has suffocated her to death, and she feels sick but can’t vomit…

Liu Binfang watched as all the Zhen family members were taken out of the villa. His runners prepared a carriage and loaded more than a dozen boxes onto the carriage and transported them away.

At this moment, he suddenly thought that the man would not have anticipated the move to Prince Beijing’s Mansion…

But when he thought back to the past, he realized how old he was back then, yet he was already so ruthless and cruel. It was not surprising that he was even more cruel now.

……

Earl’s Mansion, Tanchun Courtyard.

Jia Cong was just walking into the main room when he saw Cui Mo carrying out hot water. Seeing him, she smiled and said, “Third Master is here. The girl is changing her clothes. Please wait for a moment, Third Master.”

Jia Cong knew that Tanchun had injured both her hands. Zhang Youshi had instructed that she must not move her hands for ten days, and that maids had to help her change clothes and bathe during these days.

He just waited for a while, and the secretary came out and invited him in.

Jia Cong entered the inner room and saw Tanchun sitting by the bed. She looked much better than the day before, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

She was wearing a newly changed jacket embroidered with rose-red magnolia branches, a pink tube top underneath, and a snow-white pleated skirt. She had a slight smile on her lips, and looked smart, lively, pretty and eye-catching.

Jia Cong saw that her hands, which had just been bandaged with ointment, were half covered by her sleeves. At first glance, she did not look like someone with injured hands.

There is also a sweet scent left in the room after a girl changes her clothes after bathing, which is refreshing and intoxicating…

Tanchun smiled and said, “Thank you, Third Brother, for remembering me and coming to see me every day, even several times a day.”

Jia Cong said: “My third sister has been spoiled since she was a child. She has never suffered such hardships. Naturally, I have to come and see her more often.

Is the injury on your hand better now? Is it still painful now? “

As Jia Cong spoke, he reached into Tanchun’s sleeves and took her hands wrapped in gauze in his hands, carefully shaking them. Tanchun couldn’t help blushing slightly. Jia Cong said, “The swelling has subsided compared to the day before. Doctor Zhang’s plaster is really a good thing.”

Tanchun said, “Third brother, you don’t know that the first day I applied the plaster, it really hurt, as if many knives were scratching my hands.

I was in so much pain that I couldn’t sleep most of the night, and only fell into a drowsy sleep in the second half of the night. But when I got up the next day, the pain in my hand was gone, and I felt much better.

Doctor Zhang’s ointment is indeed effective.”

Jia Cong was slightly stunned when he heard this. He felt that Tanchun’s description of the properties of the ointment made him feel somewhat familiar…

He said: “I think all good healing ointments should be like this. The medicinal effect will take effect when it is first applied, and the pain will naturally disappear when the blood congestion is eliminated.”

At this time, Cui Mo brought over a tray with a bowl of porridge in it, which was steaming and fragrant, and there was a small dish of dried eggplant next to it.

Because Tanchun injured her hands, she couldn’t do it herself, so she had to be fed by maids these days.

To make it easier to eat, the best green-stem rice is boiled into porridge, added with chopped chicken, vegetables, and bone broth, and served with a small dish of eggplant fish as a side dish. It is quite sweet.

Jia Cong then realized that he had arrived at the right time, as it was almost lunch time and just happened to be Tanchun’s meal time.

Tanchun said, “Cui Mo, put the things aside. I want to talk to my third brother for a while.”

Jia Cong smiled and said, “That’s not necessary. Let Cui Mo serve you lunch and I’ll accompany you. You’re recovering from your injuries now, so you can’t let your sister go hungry.”

Tanchun didn’t take it seriously. The two siblings had been close since childhood, so naturally they didn’t need to be polite.

Cui Mo brought the bowl of porridge and fed him a few mouthfuls, while Jia Cong just chatted beside him.

Tanchun said, “Brother San, don’t go back to your own courtyard to eat. It’s more convenient to eat here. The food I’ve eaten these days is quite delicious.

My second sister asked the inner courtyard kitchen to make a lot of it, and Cui Mo, the daily servants, also ate it. I asked them to bring some over so that my third brother could taste it together.

Cui Mo, go to the kitchen and get a portion for Third Brother as well.”

Jia Cong smiled and said, “That’s fine, I’ll just come and bother you, Third Sister.”

Cui Mo quickly agreed, put down the bowl of porridge and left the room.

Jia Cong picked up the bowl of porridge and said with a smile, “When Cui Mo comes back, the hot porridge will get cold and tasteless. Let me serve Third Sister for once.”

As he spoke, he scooped up a mouthful of hot porridge with a silver spoon and was about to feed it to Tanchun’s mouth. Tanchun’s pretty face suddenly turned red.

He said, “Third brother, how can this be allowed? How can you, a man, do such a thing? It is too shameful for others to see it.”

The daughter of a noble family like Tanchun has been brought up with the idea that men are the positive yang and women are the auxiliary yin, which is a natural thing.

Household chores, food, clothing, housing and transportation are all handled by women, and there is no reason for the brother, the head of the family, to do it for them.

But she didn’t know that her cousin didn’t take it seriously at all.

Jia Cong smiled and said, “It’s not a big deal since we are in the inner house and no one has seen us.

My third sister has saved our family from disaster and suffered. It is only natural that I should serve her once…”

Tanchun’s pretty face turned pink, and she was dizzy with his words. It seemed that she no longer had the will to resist. She opened her cherry lips involuntarily and let him feed her a mouthful.

After the first bite, there was a second bite. The fragrance of glutinous rice porridge wafted in the embroidery room, and an indescribable intimacy and warmth filled the air.

Tanchun was a little dazed as Jia Cong fed her mouthful after mouthful. She looked at his bright eyes as deep as autumn pools, with a gentle and doting smile on his face.

Her heart was floating, somewhat unable to control herself, somewhat addicted, somewhat unable to extricate herself.

I felt that this ordinary bowl of porridge and rice was actually the most delicious and sweet thing I had ever tasted in my life…

When Cui Mo brought Jia Cong’s meal from the kitchen, she found an empty bowl of porridge on the bedside table.

She couldn’t help but feel a little strange. Isn’t it possible for a girl to do it herself…

But she was also a smart girl, and she knew that the Third Master and the girl had been close since childhood, and most of the time, when she went out by herself, the Third Master would take action…

When she saw her daughter blushing, she knew she was right, and she pursed her lips tightly to hold back her laughter.

He brought the tray to Jia Cong and said with a smile, “Third Master, we have some ready-made food in the kitchen, but I’m worried that it won’t be sweet enough.

Ask them to make another portion, and eat it while it’s hot.”

……

The palace city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qianyang Palace.

The two square bronze ice mirrors beside the imperial desk exuded a misty white chill, bringing a pleasant coolness to the hall.

Emperor Jiazhao, as he did in the past, went into the Qianyang Palace to review memorials after the morning court session. During this period, he summoned ministers twice to discuss state affairs in the palace.

After lunch, he only took a break for a cup of tea and then began to review the pile of memorials.

In fact, most of these memorials were drafted by the cabinet, but Emperor Jiazhao was a man with strong opinions and never followed the crowd.

Although the cabinet is composed of knowledgeable and experienced ministers, most of the advice they write is meaningful and to the point.

However, Emperor Jiazhao would still carefully consider the contents of memorials requesting matters, and would not rely too much on the cabinet’s recommendations.

At this time, Yuan Jing, the eunuch on duty at Qianyang Inn, walked into the hall, bowed and said, “Your Majesty, there is a report from outside the palace that Xu Kun, the commander of the Jinyiwei, is seeking an audience outside the Fengtian Gate.

He said that something unexpected happened to the Zhen family in Jinling, and he wanted to report it to His Majesty.”

When Emperor Jia Zhao heard about the sudden incident of the Zhen family, he could not help but concentrate slightly and said, “Send him to the palace to see the emperor.”

After a short while, Xu Kun, the commander of the Jinyiwei, stepped into the palace. Emperor Jiazhao waited for him to perform the etiquette of monarch and subject, and then asked, “What sudden incident has occurred in the Zhen family?”

Xu Kun said: “Your Majesty, someone reported to Zhen’an Prefecture yesterday that there is a villa in the east of the city, where a group of southern visitors stayed, accompanied by four carriages and horses.

These people carried more than a dozen boxes of unknown origin, and came and went in strange ways, visiting wealthy families in Shenjing. Their behavior was quite suspicious.

Liu Binfang, the magistrate of Zhen’an Prefecture, led people to investigate and discovered that these people were from the Zhen family in Jinling and had left Jinling half a month ago.

They carried with them thirteen large boxes filled with the private property of the Zhen family’s eldest son.

According to the person in charge, these thirteen boxes of valuables were gifts from the eldest wife of the Zhen family to Princess Beijing.

Because the matter involved the prince and was of great importance, Liu Binfang did not dare to act on his own, so he immediately sent a letter to the Jinyiwei and handed over the criminals and property on the same day.

After counting, the thirteen boxes were worth 173,450 taels, a huge amount.

The two persons in charge of this matter were Yao Shouan, the brother-in-law of Zhen Yingjia, and Liu, the wife of Zhen Yingjia who was married as a dowry.

After these two people were imprisoned in Zhaoyu, they initially wanted to deny and shirk their responsibilities, and even used the name of being relatives of Prince Beijing’s Mansion to plead for mercy and shirk their responsibilities.

After being tortured by the Imperial Guards, he finally confessed everything.
They were ordered by Zhen Yingjia and his wife to smuggle the eldest son’s private property to the capital and hide it in the gate of the aristocratic family because they were afraid of being punished by the court and losing their wealth. “

Emperor Jia Zhao snorted coldly and said, “Zhen Yingjia is so bold. He has committed a crime and does not repent. He wants to escape the law, make friends with the rich, and hide gold and silver!”

He pondered for a moment, then asked in a focused voice, “They came to Beijing to hide the silver. In which wealthy family are they planning to hide it?”

Xu Kun said: “Your Majesty, according to the confession of those two people, they originally wanted to hide the thirteen boxes in the Jia family in Shenjing.

Since the Zhen family and the Jia family were both aristocratic families in Jinling and had been interacting with each other for generations, it was also said that Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong and the second branch of the Zhen family were related by marriage.

Therefore, Zhen Yingjia relied on this and chose the Jia family as the place to hide the silver.

However, after arriving in Beijing, the two men entered Rongguo Mansion and the East Courtyard, but were rejected by Wang of Rongguo Mansion and Jia Zheng’s wife.

When Emperor Jia Zhao heard that the Zhen family was going to hide the silver in the Jia family of Shenjing, his expression suddenly became gloomy. After hearing what Xu Kun said afterwards, his expression eased a little.

He said: “Although Jia Cong is young, he is a smart man. He knows the importance of this matter and has not let me down.”

Xu Kun continued, “When those two failed to hide the silver in the Jia family, they planned to go to the Beijing Prince’s Mansion.

Before the Zhen’an Prefecture came to investigate, they had already sent an invitation to the royal palace.

Liu Binfang of Zhen’an Prefecture handled the matter very carefully. After taking the prisoner and the silver box away, he arranged two plainclothes runners to guard the villa.

As expected, I received a reply from the Beijing Palace, which stated the time of the visit, and that the Princess of Beijing wanted to entertain the guests from her old family. “

Emperor Jia Zhao laughed coldly and said, “Thirteen boxes and 170,000 taels of treasure are indeed a large amount that can impress a prince of a different surname.

Guo Lin, send someone to ask Shui Rong for me. The Beijing Prince’s Mansion has been blessed by the emperor for generations. Among the old heroes who founded the country, only the Beijing Prince’s line still inherits the title of king.

The royal palace’s property, the rewards from previous kings, is not enough for the Beijing Palace to use? Is he still not satisfied and is coveting the private silver of the criminal officials? “

Guo Lin quickly responded, “I will obey your order and arrange for someone to go to the palace to question him.”

Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly asked: “Xu Kun, who reported this matter to Zhen’an Prefecture?” (End of this chapter)