Idle courtiers

Chapter 406 The case is not small

As soon as they said they would leave, the group of people took a car and headed towards Lu Zudian.

On the way, Zhou Nan asked Shi Wenjiang how the case was discovered.

When Shi Wenjiang introduced the case earlier, he said that after Lu Zudian lent the money to the Xu family business, all the IOUs were placed in the cabinet for storing valuables in the alchemy room.There is only one key, which is tied to the waist of the temple master.

The alchemy room is heavily guarded, and the Taoists in the Luzu Hall learn from the Longmen sect and only focus on inner cultivation, so they are not too interested in outer alchemy, and few people go to that place all year round.

The thing is, like any Taoist monastery in the world, there will be a box of rejoicing merits and virtues in front of the statue of Luzu Hall for pilgrims to give alms, which is a fixed income for the Taoist temple.

Everyone knows how many pilgrims come every day and how many can be recorded.

Like Lu Zudian, during this time of year, there are basically hundreds of articles entered into the account every day.It only takes ten days to fill the merit box.At that time, it will start to open the box and change to whole silver.

In the past month, the income has been very short. After ten days, it is only five or six hundred yuan.This is strange, is there a thief?
The supervisor who was in charge of the daily management paid attention and kept silent. He took two confidant Taoist boys and secretly hid behind the statue of the Patriarch Sanqing at night, and he caught the thief.

And this thief, Huo Ran, is the deacon of the house who has been greedy for tens of thousands of taels of silver, and his dharma name is empty.

Afterwards, the Taoists searched his room and found a few withdrawal receipts from Xu's business that they hadn't had time to pick up. The person who made the withdrawal was Lu Zudian.Now the problem became serious, and the Taoists checked, only to find that the certificates of deposit locked in the alchemy room were missing, and there was a shortage of tens of thousands of taels of silver.

While talking, Shi Wenjiang laughed loudly: "Then Kong Ming is really ridiculous, Si Zheng, guess how he stole the money in the merit box/"

"Is there a key?"

"No, no, no, Guanli locked the box to prevent little Taoist priests from stealing money. When it comes to thin handles, a seal will be affixed." Shi Wenjiang said: "That Kongming is also clever, so he used a piece of thread to A magnet is tied to hang down from the mouth of the box, and the copper coins are fished out like fishing, which is really unique, admiration, admiration!"

Zhou Nan asked again in his heart: "That's not right, besides copper and lead in this coin, how can you catch it with a magnet?"

"That happened in the past, Si Zheng, your news is still not well-informed!" Shi Wenjiang said: "A few months ago, Jianghuai merchants came to Beijing with silver to buy a large amount of copper coins and took them home, turning them into bronze wares for profit. The imperial court also discovered the loopholes, so they took back the copper coins in the capital market one by one and exchanged them for new coins."

What he said was obviously the work of Wu Xinhua and the others, and Zhou Nan also participated in it and distributed a few thousand taels of silver, which can be regarded as initially getting rid of the personal financial crisis.

Zhou Nan: "I know this. In view of this, the court changed the new money from copper to six lead and four to copper six and lead four, making it unprofitable for merchants. No, even if the ratio of the new money is changed, using magnets will not be profitable. Can't get it on?"

"What copper is six and lead is four, copper and lead are half and half." Shi Wenjiang said: "But there is a problem in this way. When the lead content is high, the money will become brittle, and it will become two pieces when you break it with your hands. So , the Ministry of Finance will give you a booklet, please mix pig iron into the money to make it hard, and it will naturally be attracted by the magnet.”

"Oh, you're talking about iron money!" Zhou Nan suddenly realized that he had heard of this thing before.

However, suspicion suddenly arose in his heart.Ordinarily, the Taoist named Kong Ming embezzled tens of thousands of taels of silver from the temple, even if he gave half of it to his accomplices or subordinates, he would be a proper little rich man. As for stealing the small money from the merit box?
To use an analogy, is it possible that the multi-millionaires of future generations run overtime to steal toilet paper?

When they arrived at Lu Zudian, Zhou Nan interrogated Kong Ming immediately.

Seeing Kong Ming's appearance, Zhou Nan was taken aback: This man is so fierce and evil.

Kong Ming is about forty years old, not tall, only about 1.6 meters ten, but he is very strong.He had a bearded face, and his hair was messed up in a bun, which was pierced with a wooden stick.There was a fierce light in his eyes, and he was not a kind person at first glance.If you carry a sword on your back, you will be like the flying centipede in Water Margin.

After Zhou Nan asked the soldiers to take him away from the alchemy room, he slapped the gavel hard, and shouted: "Kong Ming, you are greedy for Mo's 1 taels of silver temple property, do you know what the consequences will be? Even if you have ten heads, it's not enough to chop off. Plead guilty quickly, and find out where the money is. If so, I can intercede with Yousi and save your life. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

Holding the mahogany Jingtang ruler in his hand, Zhou Nan felt the pleasure of being in charge of the family.

But Na Kongming sneered: "How can you be rude to me, my lord? Don't forget that Xiaodao has an official status of eighth grade. If your lord wants to punish me, you must first report to the Ministry of Rites, and then the Ministry of Rites will write to the Ministry of Officials, so that the poor Dao’s official position is fine. If you don’t say anything politely, if I don’t say a word today, my lord will not do anything to me.”

As he spoke, he folded his arms and squinted at Zhou Nan with a sarcastic smile on his lips.

Zhou Nan: "The evidence is solid and you cannot deny it. Aren't you afraid of death?"

Kongming: "If I don't recruit, it's a dead word. So what if I do. I'm afraid I will be sent to the smoky place in Yunnan and Guizhou, and I won't live for a few years. My lord, tell me, it's a dead word anyway. Why should I quit?" silver?"

Shi Wenjiang was furious, "What an unrepentant bastard, I don't believe I can't beat you today."

Zhou Nan smiled: "The imperial court has its own system, and you cannot punish a doctor. Since you have an official status, it is related to the dignity of the imperial court, so naturally this official cannot use severe punishment on you. However, you have a rank and are well received by the emperor. Well, I think you still have a conscience in your heart, and you will definitely repent. I have always convinced people with virtue, and I think you will be influenced by my sincerity."

Kong Ming looked at Zhou Nan with the eyes of a fool, and said in his heart: I am so remorseful, I was so influenced by you to confess, am I crazy or are you narcissistic and crazy?

Zhou Nan said softly: "The system of the imperial court is that the registered officials cannot be punished. However, I have always judged cases with reason and emotion. By the way, I brought twelve officials from the division today. This is what I plan, one person will interrogate you for one hour, and everyone will take turns chatting with you and chatting with you for twelve hours, until Kong Ming is completely moved by you."

Hearing what Zhou Nan said, Kong Ming's complexion changed drastically: "You dare!" He naturally understood what Zhou Nan wanted to do, this was to use fatigue tactics!You are not allowed to eat or sleep, and you can persist for two days a day, but what about three or four days?
He is not afraid of death or torture, but this kind of mental torture, even the hardened King Kong can't bear it.

Zhou Nan: "Why don't you dare? By the way, this autumn tiger is really powerful. If you want to come to Kongming, you will be too hot, especially at night. Well, by the way, you take off Daoist Kongming's clothes at night , ask him to take a cold bath to cool off the heat."

Since the heavy rain a few days ago, the weather in the capital has become cooler every day. Now it is very cold, and everyone has put on thick clothes.If these bastards from Daolu Division poured a basin of water on their heads at night, who would stand the cold overnight?
Moreover, even if this kind of thing is reported, even if the people from Yulitai come to investigate, and you are not injured, there is no way to get the surname Zhou.

"Master Zhou is so vicious?" Kong Ming shouted angrily.

Zhou Nan: "I move people with emotion and convince people with virtue."

Kong Ming: "Okay, I'll recruit."

All the members of the Daolu Department showed joy, and they all thought in their hearts: what a Zhou Sizheng, he really has a good trick, he calmed down the prisoner with just a few words, admiration!
Zhou Nan: "Where's the money?"

"It's gone." Kong Ming spread his hands.

Zhou Nan smiled lightly: "No, really? That's 1 taels of silver. Even if you spend a lot of money every day, whoring and gambling wildly for a year or so, you can't spend it all. Even if you spend it all, the geese will leave marks, You have to pay for it. Tell me, where did the money go?"

Kong Ming: "All of it was given to Prince Yu's Mansion to be used as military resources for the frontline in Fujian."

"Don't use King Yu to scare people." Shi Wenjiang snapped: "The former imperial court raised a lot of military expenses for Governor Tan, and there is no shortage of money there."

"Believe it or not, who would think that they have too much money? That is the money that the prince wants, and I naturally dare not touch a penny. A poor way is a maid who holds the key and cannot be the master of the house. Otherwise, it is impossible to be so poor." Go and steal the money in the merit box." Kong Ming: "If you don't believe me, you can go to the palace to ask. If you are afraid, be afraid, hehe, if you ask, you will offend the prince."

Kongming laughed sarcastically.

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhou Nan also felt a headache: "Take him down and record a statement."

At this time, a Taoist boy came in and said, "Master Sizheng, there is a visitor here, and I am waiting in the meditation room."

Zhou Nan wondered, "Who?"

Daotong: "It is said that the surname is Chen, and he is a student of the Grand Master."

Chen Ju?Zhou Nan was sure it was him.

Where did he get his exam questions, whether there were any future troubles, and why he came here today, countless doubts arose in Zhou Nan's mind.

Entering the meditation hall where the guests were received, Zhou Nan saw Chen Ju looking at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall with his hands behind his back.

He coughed: "Chen Ju, why are you here?"

Chen Ju hurriedly closed the door and bowed to the ground: "The student has met his teacher, and heard that the student is honored to be promoted by the master in high school, so he went to the Department of Daolu to congratulate him, but he didn't want him to come here."

Zhou Nan: "You have this kind of heart, I am very gratified for the teacher." She stretched out her hand to help him up.

Chen Ju: "Students heard that the Department of Records is handling the corruption case of Kongming. Do you know who the 1 taels of silver belong to?"

Zhou Nan: "Naturally, it is the property of Lu Zudian."

Chen Ju shook his head, his voice lowered: "Wrong, it's His Majesty's internal money."

"What!" Zhou Nan groaned, "Even the emperor's inner money is dared to be greedy, this case is not small!"

Chen Ju's face was serious: "Besides, it's Prince Yu's Mansion who is greedy for this money. On one side is the emperor, and on the other side is the future prince. Sir, the storm is coming, and you are in the eyes of the typhoon, sir. If you are not careful, you will melt into the sky." For powder."

(End of this chapter)