I'm really not doing business

Chapter 925: Taking Advantage of the Situation, South is Light and North is Heavy

"He who steals a hook will be punished and put to death, while he who steals a country will become a prince." This sentence comes from "Zhuangzi: Qie Xie", which means that a person who steals a hook will be punished and put to death, while a person who steals a country will become a prince.

This sentence reveals a very cruel truth, which has always been applicable from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the Ming Dynasty: meat eaters can deny their debts.

For the powerful and wealthy, the emperor borrowed 30 million silver coins to build the Chidao. Even if the emperor really defaulted on the debt, the powerful and wealthy had no way to ask the emperor for repayment. The emperor was even willing to give the Chidao a name, such as Chonggu Chidao, and erect a stele for the Chidao. The powerful and wealthy would just pinch their noses, kowtow and shout that the emperor was gracious.

This is what feudal monarchy is like.

The powerful and wealthy, the local elites and the gentry, these predators, are all parasites who are completely dependent on the order. Order is their foundation, and the emperor is the spokesperson of this order. The powerful and wealthy, the local elites and the gentry, cannot resist the imperial power.

Not to mention that Your Majesty has 100,000 troops from the capital and 160,000 naval forces at your disposal, even if Your Majesty does not have these elite troops, the powerful will not be able to collect the debts.

The wealthy families in Xitu City all felt that Zhang Juzheng had completely fooled the 10-year-old emperor with his lecture. How could the emperor really understand the word "faithfulness" as a promise worth a thousand gold, a word as good as a deed, and a promise must be fulfilled?! The emperor must pay back the debt he owed?
Even if we count back to Qin Shi Huang, he still did not fully fulfill his promise to the Qin people!

None of the emperors in history always kept their promises.

Zhang Xueyan thought for a long time, frowning and saying, "After the Chidao Road was built, grain from the south went north, and imported grain went north. Then what goods went south? Whether it was the Kaizhong method of grain and salt exchange in the past, or the grain and silver exchange in the border areas now, or the coal and silver exchange in the canal, the north has things to exchange with the south."

"But why did the southern grain and imported grain go north? Was it just because of the imperial court's order?"

"This is indeed a problem." Zhu Yijun said immediately. The imperial court was not omnipotent. Trucks full of grain from the south went north, while empty trucks went south. Not to mention the empty trips, why did the grain from the south go north?
There is also a huge problem in the execution of the court's policies, which is that as the orders go down layer by layer, the execution at the end will become worse and worse.

Just like during the Wanli period, when discussing the rule of law with the Grand Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu, Wang Chonggu just thought it was ridiculous.

The rule of law, from the imperial court to the localities, became weaker and weaker. In the end, the localities were ruled by absolute man. The "Ming Dynasty Code", "Criminal Interrogation Regulations" and "Ming Dynasty Code" were all bullshit.

The more local we go, the more of a joke the law becomes.

Wang Chonggu's attitude of "I find it funny when you talk about the law" actually shows that he has a pursuit, ideals and ambitions for the law, but he had no choice but to compromise with reality after being disappointed again and again.

If the emperor's edict is really omnipotent, then the Kaizhong Law can be restored with just one word. After Zhang Juzheng was liquidated, the Kaocheng Law can be restored with just one word. Destruction is always easier than construction, and the same is true for order.

Moreover, these systems, which have far-reaching impacts and cannot be reversed, cannot be rebuilt once they are destroyed because no one believes in them anymore.

In order to transport grain from the south to the north, in addition to transportation, sufficient commodities for exchange are needed.

Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said, "My Lords, the failure of the Shanghai Machinery Factory may have been a mistake from the very beginning."

"In the initial plan, Songjiang Prefecture had a unique advantage in sea transportation, with coal from the north, silver from Nagasaki, copper from Luzon, and iron from Datielingwei. It seemed that the Shanghai Machinery Factory had no shortage of raw materials or craftsmen. In addition, the products were produced in the south, so the cost of sales in the southern market was lower."

"Everything was perfect, and the Shanghai Machinery Factory did make money. After deducting the deficit, it still had a surplus of 74 silver coins, but the Shanghai Machinery Factory eventually collapsed."

Zhang Xueyan took a deep breath and said, "Yes, the Shanghai Machinery Factory was a mistake from the beginning. This is not just a man-made disaster, but also stability. The Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Households overlooked this point when they were planning."

When the imperial court was planning the Shanghai Machinery Factory, it overlooked a key issue: stability.

To put it more simply and bluntly, iron ingots and copper ingots do not grow on shelves, and the decision made by the Shanghai Machinery Factory of the imperial court was somewhat wishful thinking.

The transformation of iron materials into iron ingots and copper materials into copper ingots requires a stable supply from iron smelters and copper smelters. Iron and copper smelting requires a stable supply of coal. Once there is heavy snow, heavy rain, canal blockage, or drought along the way (Xuzhou releasing water), the supply of coal coke will immediately become tight.

The lack of a stable supply of raw materials was one of the reasons why the Shanghai Machinery Factory ultimately failed and lost out on important confidential matters.

The coal in the Jiangnan region is too dependent on supply from the north.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng, Wang Chonggu, and Zhang Xueyan and said, "So, the Shanghai Machinery Factory is wrong, and the Xuzhou Machinery Factory is right."

"As Dr. Lin said in The Five Keys to the Rise and Fall of Industries, the five elements that determine the gathering of industries are resources, population, investment, research and market. The north has more resources, while the south has more grain and silver."

"The north is rich in raw materials such as coal and steel, and can gradually form an industrial cluster dominated by mining, smelting, machinery manufacturing and other products."

"The south has convenient transportation, excellent natural endowment for water transportation, and a large amount of silver. Development requires industries that are not too dependent on raw materials and processing of imported materials."

"When doing things, local governments should play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, rather than blindly following trends."

"I, my lords, must also learn from this lesson. The imperial court must play a leading role and ultimately complete the industrial layout of light in the south and heavy in the north."

Zhu Yijun made more specific instructions that the south was light and the north was heavy, which was an important supplement and foundation for transporting grain from the south to the north.

Crisis not only brings danger but also opportunity. If we can take advantage of the coming of the super cold wave to complete the industrial layout of the Ming Dynasty and open up transportation between the north and the south, then after the danger is resolved, the Ming Dynasty will usher in a booming vitality.

Moreover, when a crisis comes, people can more easily reach a consensus and are willing to give up more power in exchange for the stability of order and to ensure their own survival.

Of course, if giving up more power still cannot buy survival, that would be a world of chaos. At that point, even if Zhu Yijun was a land immortal, there would be nothing he could do.

The Ming Dynasty was stumbling forward. The contradictions and problems it faced now were completely different from those in the past. Since there were no answers to be found in history, it had to overcome them one step at a time.

Zhu Yijun never thought that he was omniscient and omnipotent. He continued to improve his cognition amidst the contradictions.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng and his ministers bowed respectfully again.

Before the 17th year of Wanli passed, it was the ministers' duty to come up with a specific and executable plan to deal with the crisis within three to five years.

If a plan is put forward but cannot be implemented, then your Majesty cannot be blamed for imposing military control on all areas north of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River.

Martial law and rationing are definitely not what the ministers want to see, because behind the word martial law is the moment when the military takes complete control of power. Violence will gradually get out of control and eventually degenerate into the level of underworld politics of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Whether it is chaos in the world or martial law and rationing, both are unacceptable options for the literati, because no matter which outcome it is, it will ultimately represent a complete reshuffle of power, and the literati will suffer huge losses.

Outside Chengtian Gate of the Ming Dynasty is Chang'an Avenue, and on the other side of Chang'an Avenue are the Six Ministries and the Embroidered Uniform Guard Yamen. The Embroidered Uniform Guard Yamen is now mainly responsible for the public security and patrols in Beijing, while the Northern Pacification Yamen is the emperor's personal judicial department, located between the outer court and the inner court.

Yang Junmin, a fourth-rank official of Shuntian Prefecture, and Wang Menglin, the prosecutor of Shuntian Prefecture, came to the Beizhenfusi Yamen. They encountered a case that they could not handle themselves and it required the help of the Beizhenfusi Yamen.

"General Ti, Commander Chen, the case file is here." After some polite words, Yang Junmin and Zhao Mengyou explained their purpose.

Zhao Mengyou and Chen Mo were already accustomed to this scene. There wasn't much in the capital, but there were many officials. With one brick, a military merit, two scholars, and three idle officials who did not do their jobs were killed.

For Shuntian Prefecture, which only had yamen runners, it could only seek help from the Zhenfu Division. If it involved officials above the fifth rank, the imperial guards had to be dispatched.

When the Imperial Guards declined and needed to rely on eunuchs, officials in Beijing above the fifth rank lost the sword hanging over their heads.

After Zhao Mengyou and Chen Mo finished reading the case file, they were shocked at each other. Even though they were knowledgeable and had handled so many cases over the years, they were still surprised by this case.

The scholars and officials really have a bit of extravagance in their entertainment.

"The case involves the Ministry of War and may even involve Grand Marshal Zeng Shengwu. This matter is of no trivial importance. I will report to the emperor and begin an investigation. The case will be transferred to the Pacification Office, and you two don't need to ask about it." After Zhao Mengyou took over the case, he wrote a ticket and handed it to Yang Junmin, thus taking over the case.

In the future, if the emperor asks why the matter was not investigated thoroughly, he will ask the Zhenfu Division instead of the Shuntian Prefecture government.

"Master Ti, you are too nosy. I will not bother you any more. Bye." Yang Junmin received the ticket and ran away immediately.

After leaving the gate of the Pacification Office, Wang Menglin said with a sense of relief: "This hot potato has finally been handed over!"

"Who said it wasn't? My problems are simple, but they involve the affairs of ministers in the court, so we have no say." Yang Junmin got on the carriage and headed towards the Shuntian Prefecture government office.

When Yang Junmin and Wang Menglin left, they kept looking at the Ministry of War.

The cause of the incident was still related to Wang Menglin's love of meddling in other people's affairs.

There is a street in the suburbs outside Xizhimen in Xicheng District that appeared after the Wanli Restoration. It is called Xiujin Street. This street is nicknamed Song Girl Street because all the people living here are girls of unknown identities who spend money lavishly and have good looks.

At first glance, the houses in the suburbs are just a suburb within a suburb, and must be where the poor and laborers gather.

In fact, this is not the case. The northwest of the capital is the richest place in the capital. Many powerful and wealthy people have built mansions here. This place is not poor at all. It is even where wealthy families gather. Silk shops, money shops, garment shops, spice shops, brocade hat shops and other industries that wealthy families need are concentrated here.

There is a rouge shop at the end of Xiujin Street. They sell a kind of rouge made from the juice of mountain rouge flowers. This rouge is sold by the penny. One penny (3.7 grams) of powder costs two taels of silver. However, the purple powder made from safflower residue used by ordinary people in their homes only costs fifteen cents per penny.

Two taels of silver can buy a banquet at Qianmenlou!

It is not a problem to make a set of clothes in a garment shop for thirty or fifty taels.

There was a murder case on Xiujin Street. Wang Menglin brought people to investigate the case. It looked like a drowning death, but the matter was a little unusual because the young woman who died was pregnant.

Originally, Wang Menglin thought it was a drama of palace fighting among wealthy families, in which the old and ugly wife caught the mistress who was pregnant, went mad, and pushed her into a puddle.

If this is the case, it will generally be closed as "falling into the water". Although the status of slavery has been abolished these days, it still remains in people's minds. In a case like a concubine being beaten to death, as long as the scene is well handled, the government will not waste too much manpower and resources to investigate the truth of the case.

In fact, the case would have been closed if Wang Menglin had just concluded that the case involved falling into the water, but Wang Menglin insisted on being nosy and asked a few more questions before he finally solved the case.

This woman had another identity. She was a doctor at Huimin Pharmacy in Yongping Prefecture. Since she had a legitimate identity, the Shuntian Prefecture government had to investigate her carefully.

As the investigation progressed, Wang Menglin became more and more frightened. In the end, he did not pursue the case any further, but announced the closure of the case and determined that the victim had fallen into the water accidentally.

Wang Menglin did not completely close the case, but sealed it and waited for the emperor to return to Beijing and hand it over to the Northern Pacification Office. This matter was of great importance and the Shuntian Prefecture Prime Minister really could not handle it.

Zhao Mengyou handed the case file to His Majesty the Emperor, waiting for the Emperor to read it and decide whether to investigate.

"Liu Yongshun, the chief supervisor of the Ministry of Works' Armoury Bureau, Zhuang Lufeng, the doctor of the Ministry of War's Arsenal, and Zhou Jianhou, the doctor of the Institute of Inquiry, are all involved in the case. This case should be carefully investigated. Even if the case is closed, the case file on Zhou Jianhou does not need to be circulated to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple." Zhu Yijun finished reading the case file and found out why Shuntian Prefecture could not investigate further. They really did not dare to investigate the Ministry of Works' Armoury Bureau, the doctor of the Ministry of War's Arsenal, and the fifth-rank doctor of the Institute of Inquiry. Shuntian Prefecture did not dare to investigate at all.

Doctor Zhou Jianhou of the Gewu School was a doctor of firearms from Yunnan recommended by Zeng Shengwu in the fifth year of Wanli. He was specifically responsible for the research and development of firearms in the Ming Dynasty. The 36-jin naval gun was invented by Zhou Jianhou, and the improvement from black powder to granular gunpowder was also completed by Zhou Jianhou.

Once Zhou Jianhou had any problems, Zeng Shengwu, who recommended him, would be held jointly responsible.

The Imperial Guards were in charge of investigating the case, and the trial had to be held jointly by the three courts, but Zhu Yijun's instructions were very clear: Zhou Jianhou was guilty of the crime, and the case file would not be circulated to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple. The emperor had the final say on how to deal with the Doctor of Gewu.

"I obey your command." Zhao Mengyou took the order and left. Chen Mo took the Chief of Justice to start investigating the case.

They are all officials in Beijing. Most of them have lived in the capital for decades. All their social relations are in the capital. When the Northern Pacification Office investigates, it will naturally be swift and resolute. However, since the matter involves the Institute of Gewu, they have to be extremely cautious and must not miss any clues.

Even the investigation must be completed without alerting Dr. Zhou Jianhou.

Seven days later, Chen Mo went to see the emperor with all the evidence including witnesses, physical objects, documents and certificates, and completely restored the course of the case.

Chen Mo presented the first case file and said, "The deceased's name is Zhen Zhuolian, from Yangzhou, 20 years old, and pregnant."

"At the end of the 14th year, Liu Yongshun, who was then the Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Works, visited a prostitute and went to the Xishan Temple. Zhen Zhuolian appeared next to Liu Yongshun for the first time. According to investigations, a Jiangnan merchant was buying a skinny horse in Yangzhou. Seeing Zhen Zhuolian's good looks and figure, he bought her for 1,200 silver coins as a bribe to Liu Yongshun."

The seventeen-year-old Zhen Zhuolian is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is well-versed in history books. This is why the Jiangnan merchants are attracted to Zhen Zhuolian.

Some scholars are not only lustful, they also want spiritual resonance!
To pay bribes, it is not enough to just give money, you also have to please the other party.

Because Zhen Zhuolian and Liu Yongshun had a lot in common, Liu Yongshun even stopped going home and moved directly to the small courtyard on Xiujin Street, where he and Zhen Zhuolian were always close to each other, and they were very comfortable. However, Liu Yongshun's happy days did not last a year, as his wife finally came to the door.

Liu Yongshun really didn't dare to make too much trouble, otherwise if the censors got wind of it, he would be skinned alive if not killed. Liu Yongshun returned home, but would go to the small courtyard on Xiujin Street every month, but he never stayed overnight.

"Your Majesty, Liu Yongshun arranged a job as a doctor at Huimin Pharmacy in Yongping Prefecture for Zhen Zhuolian as compensation for not being able to stay with her day and night." Chen Mo told the emperor the first outrageous thing in this case.

Zhen Zhuolian was a prostitute who knew nothing. It would have been reasonable for her to go to the Taichang Temple to be a musician, but Liu Yongshun actually arranged for her to be a doctor!
What kind of medical skills does Zhen Zhuolian have? Forget about medical skills. Zhen Zhuolian has never even been to Yongping Prefecture.

This is a respectable identity, and it is precisely because of this respectable identity that the Shuntian Prefecture officials had to conduct a careful investigation. During the investigation, they discovered that the problem was too big and the Shuntian Prefecture could not cover it up at all.

"Zhuang Lufeng has been having an affair with Zhen Zhuolian since September last year." Chen Mo took out the second case file and presented it to the emperor.

As the saying goes, if you don’t water the flowers, someone else will water them for you.

Liu Yongshun had no time to water the flowers, so Zhen Zhuolian ended up hooking up with Zhuang Lufeng, a doctor in the Arsenal of the Ministry of War.

"Is Zhuang Lufeng crazy? He wants to eat the steamed buns that have been chewed by others? He is a Jinshi, but he has no dignity at all? He is just using the rhetoric of the literati. He is a Jinshi and is in the same boat with Liu Yongshun, a Juren, and he is not ashamed!" Zhu Yijun picked up the second case file and was very dissatisfied with Zhuang Lufeng.

According to the logic of the literati, Zhuang Lufeng's eating such a fallen woman is really a disgrace to his manners!

If you really like it, ask Liu Yongshun for it!

Liu Yongshun was not a Jinshi, just a minor official of the ninth rank. Zhuang Lufeng was a fifth rank doctor. How could Liu Yongshun refuse to give it to him if he asked directly? She was just a concubine anyway.

Why are you eating leftovers? And you're stealing them!
"Zhuang Lufeng went to a private banquet in August last year and met Zhen Zhuolian. He immediately became eager to get her. He took advantage of Liu Yongshun not going and went there."

"Zhuang Lufeng has a fierce wife at home, and he doesn't dare to keep a mistress. Therefore, every time he goes to Xiujin Street, he leaves a sum of money and leaves in a hurry." Chen Mo explained why Zhuang Lufeng did not use his power to bully others.

It’s not that I don’t want to, but I have a shrewish wife at home.

Liu Yongshun married his first wife before he passed the imperial examination. After he passed the imperial examination, his wife did not dare to blame him too much for keeping a mistress. She went to his house to fight because Liu Yongshun had not returned home for a long time, which caused rumors and was detrimental to his career. Liu Yongshun was forced to return home.

Zhuang Lufeng was different. He married his wife after he passed the imperial examination. His wife was not from a humble family and she controlled Zhuang Lufeng very strictly. Zhuang Lufeng really did not dare to have a mistress, so he became a fellow traveler with Liu Yongshun.

Every time Zhuang Lufeng went there, he would leave a lot of silver. In half a year, he spent six thousand taels of silver on Zhen Zhuolian.

Chen Mo took out the third case file with a serious expression, bowed his head and said, "The Tiqi investigation found that Doctor Zhou Jianhou had also been to Xiujin Street, and not just once, but a total of seven times from February to March."

"In April, Zhen Zhuolian was pushed into the pool by Liu Yongshun and drowned."

Zhu Yijun picked up the case file and found out that Zhen Zhuolian was dead and the one who did it was Liu Yongshun.

Liu Yongshun had known about the relationship between Zhen Zhuolian and Zhuang Lufeng a long time ago, but Liu Yongshun didn't really care. No matter how much he liked her, she was still a mistress.

Zhen Zhuolian was pregnant, and Liu Yongshun didn't know whose baby it was, so he simply pushed her into the water, leaving her dead. He waited until the body rotted and started to stink before the neighbors reported the case.

The investigation showed that the day before Zhen Zhuolian died, Liu Yongshun and Zhuang Lufeng met in a restaurant by "coincidence". It is unknown what the two talked about, but Zhen Zhuolian died the next day.

Obviously, Liu Yongshun didn't want to leave any trouble, and Zhuang Lufeng didn't want to leave any trouble either.

"So, Doctor Zhou Jianhou of the Gewu School also had an affair with Zhen Zhuolian? Could it be that Zhen Zhuolian is a celestial being?" Zhu Yijun let out a breath of foul air.

When Liu Yongshun was not around, Zhou Jianhou frequently went in and out of Xiujin Street, going there seven times in total. I'm afraid there was something fishy going on between Zhou Jianhou and the deceased Zhen Zhuolian.

Chen Mo handed the last case file to His Majesty and said, "Your Majesty, the reason why Zhou Jianhou went to look for Zhen Zhuolian may not be related to prostitution, but to the formula of granular gunpowder."

"Is it related to the formula of gunpowder?" Zhu Yijun sat up straight and opened the fourth case file.

Zhen Zhuolian was given to Liu Yongshun by a Jiangnan merchant. The imperial guards conducted a comprehensive investigation on this Jiangnan merchant. On the surface, it seemed that this merchant was very successful in paying bribes. Liu Yongshun, through various means, transferred the business of buying copper materials for the Military Equipment Bureau into the hands of this merchant.

Originally, up to this point, it was just an ordinary case of bribery, but the appearance of Dr. Zhou Jianhou, an expert in the study of things, made things seem particularly strange.

You have to know that Doctor of Gewu is beyond the Three Realms, not within the Five Elements, and detached from worldly affairs. Entering the Gewu Academy is equivalent to having your life and death taken care of, and you don't have to worry about anything. It is extremely difficult for ordinary people to meet Doctor of Gewu.

A third-hand skinny horse obviously couldn't attract Zhou Jianhou, even if he was blinded by greed. Zhou Jianhou, with his achievements in naval gun design, how many skinny horses did he want? There was no need to go to Xiujin Street to eat such leftovers.

After careful investigation, the Ti riders discovered something unusual about this merchant. This merchant had been aiming for cannons from the very beginning, and his main purpose was to get the formula of gunpowder!
This merchant spent a huge amount of money to corrupt Liu Yongshun and Zhuang Lufeng, but failed to obtain the formula for gunpowder, so he set his sights on Zhou Jianhou.

This Jiangnan merchant had been arrested and taken to the interrogation center for a tour. He confessed everything.

Behind this merchant was the culprit behind the tribute selection case, Lin Qing, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College of Nan Ya.

The Lin family of Min County, which had five ministers in three generations and eight Jinshi in seven imperial examinations, was naturally well aware of the power of Ming Dynasty gunpowder. As a wealthy family along the coast, the Lin family also had plantations overseas, so they set their sights on gunpowder.

However, the bureau responsible for producing brown granular gunpowder was not the Military Equipment Bureau or the Ministry of War, but the Armory Bureau directly under the Inner Court.

The merchants explained that the reason Zhou Jianhou had to go to Xiujin Street many times was because of his unfilial descendants.

After Zhou Jianhou came to Beijing to become a doctor of the Gewu school, his son entered the Imperial Academy to study. In March of the 16th year, Zhou Jianhou's son went to study in the Southern Yamen Imperial Academy. He committed murder in the Southern Yamen and fled back to the Northern Yamen in fear and told his father.

Zhou Jianhou had to go to Xiujin Street many times because he was afraid that the matter would be leaked, so he had to go there in person.

"Dr. Zhou is really confused. He didn't tell the court or me when something happened, but insisted on handling it himself. This is obviously a trap carefully planned by the traitor Lin Qing, who used his power to set a trap." Zhu Yijun frowned and asked, "What is the murder case committed by Dr. Zhou's son?"

"After checking the Xuan Gong case files, the murder was not committed by Dr. Zhou's son."

Zhou Jianhou's son went to the Southern Court, where someone held a banquet. He drank some wine and stayed overnight in the restaurant. When he opened his eyes the next day, the girl in his arms was dead. Zhou Jianhou's son was so scared that he went straight back to Beijing to seek shelter from his biological father.

Not long after, Zhou Jianhou received a message asking him to go to Xiujin Street.

Zhou Jianhou went there seven times and provided a total of three different gunpowder formulas and production methods. Each one looked good, but each one failed.

The son is stupid, but Zhou Jianhou is not. He can just maneuver slowly. If he really hands over the gunpowder formula, both father and son will be dead.

In the professional field of gunpowder, these merchants were really no match for Zhou Jianhou, the doctor of firearms, and were fooled around by him.

Zhou Jianhou knew very well that this group of people wanted something from him. As long as the formula of gunpowder was not obtained, his stupid son would be safe. However, while Zhou Jianhou was still trying to deal with them, the tribute selection case broke out.

The powerful Lin Qing and Minxian Lin families collapsed, and these minions lost their backbone and dared not harass Zhou Jianhou anymore.

"Liu Yongshun from the Military Equipment Bureau and Zhuang Lufeng, the doctor of the Armory Department, the timing of their killing is too coincidental. As soon as the tribute selection case broke out, Liu Yongshun started killing people. It seems like they were killing to silence them." Zhu Yijun looked through several case files carefully again and suddenly realized the coincidence.

Liu Yongshun and Zhuang Lufeng must have known the purpose of the merchant's bribery, and even knew who was behind the merchant, so they took action immediately after the emperor's southern tour to avoid any further complications.

"I am still investigating. Liu Yongshun and Zhuang Lufeng firmly denied it, so I did not write it on the case file." Chen Mo bowed his head and said that if he told His Majesty the speculation without investigating the case thoroughly, it would be deceiving the king.

If Zhen Zhuolian was still alive, we could interrogate her clearly, but now that she is dead, it is indeed difficult to investigate.

"The tribute selection case has come to an end in the Southern Court. There should be remnants in the Northern Court. You should investigate carefully, starting with this merchant. Don't miss any possible clues and make sure to catch them all in one fell swoop."

"I would rather be overthinking. I also hope that all the ministers of the Ming Dynasty will be loyal to the emperor and the country." Zhu Yijun tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times before he opened his mouth and gave a clear order.

"I obey your command." Chen Mo bowed his head again and accepted the order. This was actually Chen Mo's purpose.

The case of Zhen Zhuolian has been fully investigated and I can report back. However, whether to pursue the remnants of the rebel party involved in the political case of selecting tributes requires the instructions of His Majesty. Chen Mo doesn't really understand political matters. After weighing the pros and cons, the decision has to be made by His Majesty.

We can't check everything, what if we find something?

(End of this chapter)