At night, the study in the Hall of Heaven's Tribute was brightly lit.
Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and was checking the records of the Brocade Guard during the day, as well as everything that had happened in the jade market at the east of the river.
With the efficiency of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, there was naturally no need to wait for Zhu Biao to return. The detailed report had already been sent to the royal study two hours ago.
One of them was Zhang Qing who had bought an incomplete jade in the jade market and cut out a rare jade with a knife.
Compared to the divination of Fengtian Jingnan and the Dragon Slaying Technique, a piece of jade worth some silver was nothing.
What caught Old Zhu's attention was the arrogant and despotic Xue Cheng.
"Xue Cheng is really something. He can even order constables around. Those who don't know better would think that he's the emperor.”
Zhu Yuanzhang put down the memorial and lightly tapped it twice. His tone seemed to be smiling.
"Jiang Meng, how's the investigation going on with the Xue family?”
Zhu Yuanzhang put down the memorial and asked with a frown.
His years of experience dealing with corrupt officials told him that this matter was not simple.
"Your Majesty, the Xue family is actually quite clean. It's difficult for me to find anything in a short period of time. The government also said that someone reported a robbery on the street today, so they quickly sent constables over.”
"Everything is reasonable.”
"Other than Xue Cheng's crime of extorting and distorting black and white, I'm afraid it'll be very difficult to find out the rest in a short time.”
"I suspect that there is something fishy going on.”
Jiang Meng's tone was also quite suspicious.
The reason why he found it strange was very simple.
This was because the Xue family was too clean, so pure that it was as if they had clean hands.
After working in the Embroidered Uniform Guards for so many years, he had never seen a cat that did not steal fish. After doing a huge business in Yingtian Prefecture, he would more or less get involved in some dirty things.
Who would believe that his butt was cleaner than his face?
If he was someone with clean hands, why would he resign and go into business?
"Something fishy."
Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and recalled that there were a few memorials in the court today that spoke up for the Xue family.
Now that he thought about it, it was too much of a coincidence.
"His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience."
At this moment, a servant's voice came from outside the door.
"Yes, let Biao Er in."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and watched Zhu Biao walk in with a heavy expression. He asked,"Did the little Taoist priest calculate something?”
"Imperial Father, you should take a look at it yourself.”
Zhu Biao sighed and placed the few pieces of paper that recorded the evidence on the desk.
Seeing his son's expression, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and did not say anything. He began to flip through the book.
"In the 16th year of Hongwu, his second son, Xue Sheng, was arrested for murder while drunk and was sent to the Ministry of Justice's prison. Xue Jia bribed the Ministry of Justice's assistant minister with ten thousand taels of silver to make him fake his death in prison.”
"In the 16th year of Hongwu, he framed the wealthy merchant Zou Di and embezzled 150,000 taels of his property.”
"In the 17th year of Hongwu, he set up a flower boat by the Qinhuai River and abducted innocent women. He imprisoned them for the pleasure of the rich and powerful. Among them, 1,742 people committed suicide and were killed!”
"In the 20th year of Hongwu's reign, he persuaded the important officials in the court to start smuggling tea horses, earning millions of taels of silver every year. During this period, there were five honest officials who refused to cooperate with him and were all killed!”
"Hongwu 21st year!"
"Hongwu 22nd year!"
......
There were many cases recorded in the book. Each of them was shocking enough!
Zhang Qing was only talking about the major crimes. If he recorded all the major and minor crimes, these few pieces of paper might not even be able to write them down!
Moreover, Zhang Qing only saw Xue Cheng's fate. The above were all things that Xue Cheng had participated in.
There were probably many things that Xue Cheng did not know!
"Hehehe, you're bullying the heavens!”
"I was wondering why no one exposed it. So there are so many people helping Xue Jia to cover up the mine. The subjects are wholeheartedly lying to me.”
"I was wondering why we couldn't find out. The assistant minister and censor have all become members of the Xue family, helping the Xue family to deceive our Zhu family.”
"If it wasn't for Daoist Zhang Xiao's deductions, I'm afraid that I would still be thinking about Xue Jia's good deeds until I die.”
Zhu Yuanzhang's face twitched as he laughed.
Jiang He felt a gloomy murderous aura spread from Zhu Yuanzhang's body, pressing down on him, making him, the commander of the Brocade Guard, drenched in sweat.
Disregarding human lives, smuggling tea horses, corruption and bribery were all reasons that made Old Zhu angry.
But what really angered him was that these bribed officials had ganged up to deceive him!
She was lying to him today. Would she one day want to make him the emperor?
Receiving a salary from the imperial court but working for the Xue family, was this Jiang Shan surnamed Xue or Zhu?
"Imperial Father, these corrupt officials deserve to die, but we have to think about it carefully and not alert the enemy.”
"Your son suggests that we start with that flower boat. I'm afraid that it's the key to Xue Jia delivering benefits to the officials in court!”
Zhu Biao was also furious, but he still reminded him.
There was no other reason. The Xue family was deeply involved. It was necessary to remove this tumor, but it needed to be discussed in the long run.
Moreover, this was only Zhang Qing's work and could not be used as evidence. It was even more impossible to use this to deal with so many corrupt officials.
He needed complete evidence!
He wanted to use the smallest influence to uproot Xue Jia and all the officials who had secretly sent benefits to the court!
"Jiang Meng, bring some people to investigate according to the clues given by the little Taoist priest. I'll give you two months.”
"Investigate all the officials involved, big or small! After this, I will find the little Taoist priest to calculate again. If you miss one, you can stop being the commander.”
Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order and sealed the charges, pressing them at the bottom of the desk.
"Yes, sir!"
Jiang Meng only left behind a hurried figure.
Only the father and son were left in the room.
Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought and couldn't help but think of Zhang Qing.
If she needed jade, she could just ask him directly.
Why did he have to go and get it personally, and even happened to have a conflict with Xue Cheng?
Was there a possibility?
Zhang Qing did it on purpose?
Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache.
He realized that once Zhang Qing was involved, things would definitely be earth-shattering.
A hedonistic son of a rich family could be involved in such a shocking case!
"What did the little Taoist priest say to you before you left?”
"He said that he would be concentrating on refining jade talismans.”
Zhu Biao took a deep breath and said,""Your son surmises that the next tribulation is just around the corner!”
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。