"Eldest Prince, what should we do?" Faced with the sudden scene, even Yang Muen, who had a lot of experience, panicked, and asked Chen Guangzong, who was pale, with a panicked expression, Zhao Dengyu was not an ordinary person, and he knew a lot about the salt merchants' association of trafficking in illicit salt.

What is particularly important is that Zhao Dengyu may have some important accounts and evidence of the salt merchants' association's trafficking in illicit salt, which will have a heavy impact on the salt merchants of the salt merchants' association.

Hearing this, the salt merchants at the scene looked at Chen Guangzong with concern, waiting for him to make an idea.

"The salt affairs of the Lianghuai Salt Road involve the interests of all parties, and even the Marquis of Zhenwu doesn't want to get involved, Zhao Dengyu is just a wanted little loach, what big waves can he make?"

Chen Guangzong raised his head and glanced around at the salt merchants, and after a deep sigh, he said, "Besides, with Lord Shilang and Master Zhang here, how can he be allowed to be presumptuous?" ”

The salt merchants nodded their heads when they heard this, and felt that Chen Guangzong was reasonable, and their panicked mood calmed down, after all, the interests involved in the private salt business are complicated, and someone will naturally come to cover the lid of the two Huai Salt Road.

Although Chen Guangzong comforted those salt merchants, his brows were tightly furrowed, and there was no slightest relief in his heart.

For many years, there has never been a matter of salt merchants informing in the Lianghuai Salt Road, after all, those salt merchants are the benefit recipients of the private salt business, once they are informed, they will not only lose their glory and wealth, but also will be severely punished by the law, who is full of food to do such a stupid thing.

This means that the Lianghuai Salt Road will encounter an unprecedented crisis, and Zhao Dengyu may not be able to set off stormy waves in the backwater of the Lianghuai Salt Road, and I don't know how many people will be ruthlessly swallowed by those waves.

Although there was such a big accident, the chess game between Chen Guangzong and Yang Muen was still going on, and he knew very well that people's hearts could not be confused at this time, and no matter what, they had to carry it until there was definite news from the Lianghuai Yandao Yamen before they could make the next plan.

"Young master, the matter has been completed." Not long after, when Chen Guangzong was absentmindedly playing against Yang Muen, a subordinate hurriedly walked over and whispered in Chen Guangzong's ear.

Chen Guangzong nodded when he heard this, the expression on his face became a little relaxed, because the situation in front of him was critical, so he had to take precautions to leave a way out for himself, and use it to protect himself at the critical moment.

Due to Zhao Dengyu's sudden appearance, the atmosphere in the yamen of Lianghuai Salt Road seemed a little dull and depressing, and while waiting for Zhao Dengyu to come, Li Yuntian chatted with everyone with a relaxed expression, after all, this is not a public court, there is no need to make the atmosphere tense.

Although Chen Wenren and Zhang Sheng both had smiles on their faces, they smiled a little reluctantly, and in the face of the crisis in front of them, neither of them could be indifferent.

Pan Xingmin, Zhang Tao and Qin Ke let out a burst of smiles from time to time when they were talking to Li Yuntian, and the three of them felt that today's events were too dramatic, who would have thought that a Cheng Biting Jin would be killed at a critical moment, and the person who wrote the leaflet would dare to jump out by himself.

At this moment, the three of Pan Xingmin already knew the contents of the leaflet, and since the other party was able to list the process of selling illicit salt in such detail, it was obvious that either the people inside the Salt Merchants Association had been concerned about the private salt business of the Salt Merchants Association for a long time, which meant that it was not so simple for the illegal salt seized by the Caoyun Governor Yamen to become accumulated salt.

For the three of Pan Xingmin, the current situation makes them feel a little excited, if the whistleblower can make a fuss, they can grab greater benefits from it, and if the fat of Lianghuai Yandao can take a bite, it will have an endless aftertaste.

However, whether the matter can be stirred up depends on whether the evidence provided by the whistleblower is strong enough, and Li Yuntian's attitude towards the matter.

Among them, Li Yuntian's attitude is very important, after all, Li Yuntian is the salt patrol envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Road, if he wants to let the Lianghuai Salt Road go, this matter will be closed in a blur, and the person who reported it will die in the future.

"Master Hou, the people have been brought." Just as Li Yuntian and Pan Xingmin were talking and laughing there, Li Manshan strode in, followed by a young man with shackles on his hands, and two brocade-clothed guards followed with expressionless faces.

The eyes of everyone present immediately fell on the young man, except for Li Yuntian, even Chen Wenren was secretly guessing his identity, after all, Chen Wenren had not seen Zhao Dengyu before.

"Sinner Zhao Dengyu knocks on the Hou Ye and your lords." The young man came to Li Yuntian, knelt down with a plop, and said in a loud voice.

Chen Wenren couldn't help twitching the corners of his eyebrows when he heard this, he was really afraid of something, and the person who came to surrender was really Zhao Dengyu!

Pan Xingmin and the others didn't know who Zhao Dengyu was, and looked at him with interest, wondering what kind of grievances he had with Lianghuai Yandao, and he took such a big risk to get involved in this incident.

"Zhao Dengyu, Ben Hou asked you, why did you make up facts to slander Lianghuai Salt Road?" Li Yuntian's face sank, and he looked at Zhao Dengyu quietly, "Also, who are you Zhao Wenju who transports and sells smuggled salt?" ”

"Lord Hou, everything the sinners said is true, and there is no lie." Zhao Dengyu raised his head and said to Li Yuntian with an expressionless face, "Master Hou, the father of the sinner is Zhao Wenju, the deacon of the Salt Merchants Association, in fact, the father of the sinner is just a scapegoat. ”

"Master Hou, the father of the criminal has always been cautious, you have come to Yangzhou to investigate the corruption of the Lianghuai Salt Road, how can he defy the wind and still traffic illicit salt in a big way at this critical juncture? Isn't that self-defeating! As he spoke, Zhao Dengyu raised his questions loudly.

Li Yuntian heard that a subtle smile flashed at the corner of his mouth, and he was very satisfied with Zhao Dengyu's expression, Zhang Wenju's case of trafficking illicit salt was actually full of suspicions, but he didn't pay attention to it, and now he had to poke out those doubts one by one through Zhao Dengyu's mouth.

One of the biggest suspicions is that Zhao Wenju's timing of this trafficking in illicit salt is very sensitive and delicate, and he knows that Li Yuntian came to Yangzhou to investigate the greed for ink in the Lianghuai Salt Road, and he still dares to blatantly engage in the transportation of illicit salt, and he does not know at all to avoid the limelight.

After hearing about Zhao Wenju's identity, Pan Xingmin and the others couldn't help but glance at each other, they heard about Zhao Wenju's case of private salt, and knew that Zhao Wenju's second son disappeared inexplicably, but they didn't expect to appear here.

"Hmph, it's just a desire for profit." Zhao Dengyu's voice lagged behind, Chen Wenren immediately sneered, and waited for him coldly and said, "Since you are the son of Zhao Wenju, you must also know the huge profits of transporting and selling illicit salt, Zhao Wenju is greedy in his heart, so he takes risks!" ”

"Lord Shilang, you shouldn't be here today, if it weren't for your false salt introduction, how could those people in the Salt Merchants Association unimpeded the unimpeded delivery of private salt to all parts of the country in the name of official salt?" Zhao Dengyu had seen Chen Wenren before, and when he saw Chen Wenren slandering Zhao Wenju like this, he retorted not to be outdone.

"Ridiculous, this official is sitting upright, how to do those things that violate the law and discipline?" A look of disdain flashed at the corner of Chen Wenren's mouth, and he rebuked in a deep voice, "Do you know that slandering the imperial court officials is a serious crime!" ”

"Master Hou, what the criminals say is the truth, the trade of illicit salt in the Lianghuai Salt Road is rampant, and the Salt Merchants Association can get a lot of salt from the Nanjing household every year to attract trafficking in illicit salt, and the scale of its illegal salt is several times that of official salt."

Zhao Dengyu was too lazy to fight with Chen Wenren, turned to Li Yuntian, and said solemnly, "Master Hou, the batch of salt that was overwhelmed by the Caoyun Yamen this time is the private salt operated by the Salt Merchants Association. ”

Pan Xingmin and others didn't expect Zhao Dengyu to target Chen Wenren, and they were surprised in their hearts, it seems that Zhao Dengyu is not good at this time, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, no civilian has ever dared to reprimand the officials of the six departments in public, Zhao Dengyu can be said to have created a precedent in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

"Bold, Lord Shilang is an important minister of the country, how can you be allowed to blaspheme!" At this time, Zhang Sheng, who was sitting on the side, turned pale, pointed at Zhao Dengyu and said sharply, "Do you know that according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the civil prosecutor must first be punished with thirty boards!" ”

Li Yuntian glanced at Zhang Sheng seemingly casually when he heard this, and Zhang Sheng was obviously reminding him that Zhao Dengyu had violated the laws of the imperial court and was going to be punished with a cane.

Pan Xingmin and the others bowed slightly, Zhang Sheng was right, there is indeed such a rule in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhao Dengyu obviously can't escape the thirty boards.

"Zhao Dengyu, Ben Hou asks you, can you stick to what you said before?" Li Yuntian knew that Zhao Dengyu's thirty boards would not be able to escape no matter what, so he looked at him quietly after a deep groan, "Ben Hou reminds you that according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the civil prosecutor must be punished with a cane for thirty first!" ”

"Master Hou, the sinners are willing to suffer from these thirty boards." Zhao Dengyu had already been mentally prepared, so without the slightest hesitation, he resolutely agreed, and then kowtowed to Li Yuntian, "If the sinners and the sinners' fathers can atone for their sins, I implore the Hou Ye to be lenient." ”

"If Ben Hou verifies that what you say is true, he will be dealt with lightly in accordance with the law." Li Yuntian groaned for a moment when he heard this, and nodded with a stern expression.

"Come on, blame this person for thirty!" Seeing this situation, Zhang Sheng pointed at Zhao Dengyu to the two Huaiyan Road yamen officers standing at the door, and gave an order in a gloomy tone.

Hearing this, the messenger standing at the door immediately rushed in violently, pressed Zhao Dengyu to the ground, and reached out to tear off his pants.

"Master Hou, the Yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Road, the Nanjing Household Department and the Salt Merchants Association are all involved in the transportation and trafficking of illicit salt, if the people of the Yamen of the Lianghuai Salt Road are allowed to execute, the people will definitely die."

Without waiting for the difference between the two Huaiyan Dao Yamen to bring the water and fire sticks from the front hall, Zhao Dengyu, who was lying on the ground, shouted to Li Yuntian, "Master Hou, if Xiaomin is not mistaken, Lord Shilang and Master Zhang should avoid this case!" ”

"What do you think of the three adults?" Li Yuntian frowned slightly when he heard this, looking a little embarrassed, and then asked Pan Xingmin, Zhang Tao and Qin Ke, the three of them were officials of the Three Law Divisions, so they were naturally the most authoritative in this matter.

"According to the law of the Ming Dynasty, Lord Chen and Lord Zhang should be recused." Pan Xingmin discussed with Zhang Tao and Qin Ke in a low voice, and nodded to Li Yuntian with a stern expression.

This made Chen Wenren and Zhang Sheng's faces suddenly look ugly, once the two were excluded, then the development of the situation would be difficult to control, God knows what Zhao Dengyu would poke out what should not be said.