Wang Yongtai is in charge of the six sections, and in terms of the system, if the five ministers of the council office want to "inquire" about him, they must "follow the order". In this way, from the "request", to the "quasi-performance", and then to the official business of the guard to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and finally the Metropolitan Procuratorate notified Wang Yongtai to respond to the interrogation, two days passed.

The location of the "inquiry" is at the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

Although the case was "undertaken" by the Criminal Department, it was inappropriate to send Wang Yongtai to the Criminal Department, because he was the informant, not the suspect; Moreover, although Wang Yongtai is only a fifth-grade official, and his grade is far lower than that of the five ministers of the association, he is a speech official in the six sections, and the five ministers must be given considerable respect for this identity.

In the same way, the household department and the military department are not very appropriate.

After a little discussion, the five ministers simply put the place of inquiry in the Metropolitan Procuratorate, which can be regarded as a "door-to-door visit", and they are respectful enough for Yanlu, right?

Because it was an "order to ask", the five ministers and Wang Yongtai did not attend the salute with each other, but only stated the names of the subjects, and after checking each other, they were invited to sit down.

Wang Yongtai is a middle-aged man with gray hair, a sallow complexion, cloudy eyes, and expressionlessness.

Seeing this description, the five ministers couldn't help but muttered in their hearts.

All the princes here, Wang Yongtai is not the ugliest born - the ugliest one is, of course, Yan Jingming. But Yan Danchu's eyes rolled, the essence flickered, and the momentum was compelling, and the person who described him as arrogant would unconsciously be three points shorter in front of Yan Lao Xi'er, who was less than five feet tall. And this Wang Yongtai is like a piece of charred wood, lifeless from head to toe.

Such a big case that caused a sensation in the government and the opposition was actually launched by such a figure?

Wang Yongtai sat down. Then he took out a white fold from his bosom. Hand it to Rui Chang. He said dryly: "This is a post I wrote, please take a look at Zhongtang and all the adults." ”

Rui Chang is a Jinshi of Daoguang for 12 years, and among the six people seated, the family name is the earliest; At the same time, although Ruichang and Yan Jingming, Cao Yuying, and Lin Chang are both from the first product, but Ruichang's from the first product, Xianfeng was awarded the imperial history of the left capital in the seventh year, and he has the oldest qualifications; What's more. Rui Chang is a university scholar and a "prime minister", and nominally, among the five ministers of the council, Rui Chang's position is the highest. Therefore, Wang Yongtai regarded Rui Chang as the head of the five ministers.

However, after Rui Chang took his "post", he did not open it immediately, but turned around and handed it to Yan Jingming, saying, "Dangong." Take a look. ”

Yan Jingming hurriedly said, "Zhongtang, please." ”

Rui Chang opened the "post" and swept it through the ten lines at a glance. Then he closed the fold and handed it to Yan Jingming again.

Rui Chang's action couldn't be clearer: Yan Jingming is the real "host" of this case.

Yan Jingming looked much more serious, and saw that the post wrote:

"The matter of stealing and bribing is mysterious, Yongtai is not in the matter, and there is no way to get its background. However, in this case, the household department solicited a lot of bribes, and there were rumors outside, and the bribes were bribed by Huang Shaozu and Mao Yingzhang; Guan said, that is, to Huang Shaozu and Mao Yingzhang. Talking on the streets, ten thousand mouths are the same, which is the actual evidence of bribery, and Li Zongshou and Song Zunbang should be asked; The actual evidence of what is said should be asked by Mao Yingzhang. ”

However, Huang Shaozu and Mao Yingzhang took bribes without basis, and Li Zongshou and Song Zunbang were the basis; Yongtai is not unfounded and led to play, and what everyone says is its basis. Huang is the respect of the department, Mao is the most important of the cardinal, and the big move is for the sake of negative grace; Hearing people's words but not listening to them is a waste of duty. And the science and road example is to hear the wind and say things, and the words are not spoken, and Ann uses this corpse science and road for yes? ”

"Yongtai has no dealings with Huang Shaozu, Mao Yingzhang, Li Zongshou, and Song Zunbang, and there is no resentment, which makes non-material discussions boiling, how dare you slander for no reason? The truth is so conclusive that it cannot but be based on the truth. ”

After a short time, the five ministers of the conference office all finished reading the "post".

Everyone saw it: This Wang Yongtai knew that the five ministers were here to ask him for human and physical evidence, so in this "post", he insisted that the source was "rumor", and closed the door in advance.

"Talking in the streets, ten thousand mouths are the same, it is the actual evidence of bribery", this logic is extremely domineering, close to scoundrels, but what can I do if I detain the "rumors"? However, "Li Zongshou and Song Zunbang who should be asked" and "Mao Yingzhang who should be asked" cannot be said to be unreasonable. Moreover, these sentences also imply such a meaning: What is your intention to not investigate the suspect, but to ask the whistleblower?

Yan Jingming spoke first: "The article is a good article, but it is inevitably empty. ”

Wang Yongtai's voice was as dry as a piece of wood: "Kedao Feng hears words and things, and plays what he hears, so as to say." ”

Yan Jingming said: "So the person in this case, who gave and accepted bribes, did he give and accept bribes from himself, or entrusted others to pay for them? Do you know this, dude? ”

Wang Yongtai said: "This kind of thing, of course, is extremely secret, how can outsiders know about it? Among the twists and turns, it is natural to rely on the adults, send powerful officials, visit the hook and sink, and make it daylight. Yongtai is a scholar, how can he do it? ”

These few words, in turn, put Yan Jingming's army into the army, which is very powerful.

Yan Jingming was not angry, smiled slightly, and said, "Brother is too humble. I'm ashamed to say that I don't know many of the things mentioned in my brother's recital, and it's really very closed; A few of you here probably haven't heard much. So, I always have to ask my brother for advice. ”

Wang Yongtai shook his head and said: "The discussion is like this, what Yongtai knows, it is all written in the 'post'. ”

Yan Jingming said: "The so-called 'material discussion', who is 'discussing'? Dude, can you point out a few so that we can move the bottle and teach? ”

Wang Yongtai's voice became more and more dry: "There is no way to refer to the noise. ”

Yan Jingming said: "So, do you have any other evidence, brother? ”

Wang Yongtai said: "That's all, no more." ”

I can't ask any more questions.

Yan Jingming leaned back slightly, leaned back in his chair, and said, "I don't have anything to ask." ”

There was a moment of silence in the room.

The Criminal Department is the yamen that "undertakes" the case, and as the main hall, Lin Chang cannot always remain silent. He held back for a while, and when he saw that no one else spoke, he had no choice but to speak: "The minister's name is very serious, and the blame for bribery must always have real evidence." Although Kedao can hear about things, he can't slander people's innocence at will, brother......"

Before Lin Chang's words were finished, Wang Yongtai said coldly: "After the investigation, Huang Shaozu, Mao Yingzhang and others are really innocent and honest, and Yongtai will accept his own guilt!" However, now Huang, Mao, Li, and Song have not checked, nor have they asked, and the adults have given Yongtai the conclusion of 'defiling people's innocence at will', is it a little early? ”

Lin Chang was choked and his face was red, and he couldn't speak.

Yan Jingming smiled slightly and said, "What the elder brother taught is this. Well, when we get out of the door of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, we will go to 'check', and we will go to 'ask'! Well, dude, please. ”

Wang Yongtai bowed, then turned around and walked out slowly.

Yan Jingming said slowly: "What do you think? ”

Rui Chang's "handling" of this case, with the same purpose as going to the Prime Minister's National Affairs Yamen to hold a "railway meeting": Xu Shu entered Cao Ying - without saying a word; Lin Chang robbed Wang Yongtai of a round of white, and was stabbed by Yan Jingming again, but he also made up his mind and never spoke again. The main hall didn't speak, and Fang Dingrui, as the deputy hall, couldn't say anything for the time being.

So, Cao Yuying opened his mouth and said, "Just ask Dan Weng to preside." ”

Seeing that no one objected, Yan Jingming said: "Mao Yingzhang, Li Zongshou, and Song Zunbang naturally want to ask, but if we don't have any real evidence in our hands, we can't ask anything famous." In this way, I'll go back and check which silver accounts were exchanged and cashiered by Li Zongshou and Song Zunbang after they came to Beijing. After finding out, he asked the criminal department to summon the treasurer of the silver number to see if there was any improper money exchange between Li, Song, Mao, and Huang, and then reasoned. ”

The corners of Lin Chang's eyes jumped, thinking to himself, wouldn't this hot potato be thrown back to the Criminal Department?

He looked at Fang Dingrui and inquired. Fang Dingrui bowed his head slightly, signaling "I know", then turned to Yan Jingming and said, "Yes, I will obey Dan Weng's orders." ”

Lin Chang didn't know what medicine was in Fang Dingrui's gourd, so he still didn't say a word.

"Go back and check" is just Yan Jingming's disguise. As mentioned above, Yan Jingming has mastered the details of the silver numbers of Li Zongshou and Song Zunbang in Beijing: there are two in total, one is called "Shun Rixiang" and the other is called "Qiantongsheng".

The names of these two silver numbers leaked out, in addition to Huang Shaozu and Mao Yingzhang, there was another person who was also anxious, and this person was Baojun.

*(To be continued......)