The Chamber of Commerce's selection process has begun in secret. "Jingwei" is laboriously analyzing all the information about the dignitaries, looking for any clues of cooperation between the dignitaries and the merchants.

As the date approached, a number of powerful people in Taiyi City chose to stand by and watch amid the turmoil in the city. However, they did not leave Taiyi City. Instead, they waited for the results and prepared to buy the recipes and the Ministry of Revenue's permission from the merchants at a high price.

Zong Chuke is now busy following Bai Chun every day. Since the two assistant ministers of the Ministry of Revenue arrived, Bai Chun and Zong Chuke have had a chance to catch their breath.

The arrival of Dai Zhide, Liu Zhengli and others also made ordinary people realize that something unknown seemed to have happened behind this ordinary chamber of commerce!

Hua Meng led Dai Zhide and others to Taiyi City three days later before the prince allowed them to visit Helan Minzhi and others. During this period, Li Hong had not even met them and had been avoiding them, so no matter who asked to see him, it was useless.

Most of these people came to Taiyi City for the first time. When they saw the prosperous scene of Taiyi City, they were so surprised that they almost dropped their jaws.

But when the carriage drove out of Taiyi City and slowly headed towards the restricted area, they could already see the dragon-like wall surrounding the restricted area from a distance!

The long dragon-like city wall has only five gates. Except for the middle gate which is used for people to pass through, the other four gates are used to transport goods day and night.

In just five or six years, the prince's childish words made the court officials laugh in the Taiji Hall. But now, seeing this scene, they were already stunned and could not believe what they were seeing.

...

...

The city gate was guarded by the prince's left and right guards, and the interrogation of them was extremely strict. The whole process made Dai Zhide's face dark. He wondered if this was the vindictive prince who deliberately made things difficult for them!

Finally, he couldn't help himself and asked Hua Meng beside him: "Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have to go through such a tedious and strict interrogation every time he comes?"

"Minister Dai, the prince naturally doesn't need it. Everything in Taiyi City belongs to him, so naturally he doesn't need it." Hua Meng replied calmly.

"What about Bai Chun? Since Taiyi City belongs to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, shouldn't Bai Chun also be questioned?" After Dai Zhide asked, he knew the result without waiting for Hua Meng to answer.

The seven or eight people on the carriage were all checked, but Hua Meng was the only one standing aside and watching them. If Hua Meng was like this, then Bai Chun would certainly be able to pass through without any hindrance.

"Bai Chun is in charge of managing this restricted area, so naturally there is no need for inspection." Hua Meng replied again in a calm tone.

"Hmph!" Dai Zhide snorted again. The tedious inspection was finally over, and the carriage once again carried them into the mysterious Taiyi City restricted area.

The place where Helan Minzhi and others were imprisoned was naturally not a good place. An iron gate made of newly made steel exuded a cold murderous aura and ruthlessness!

When Dai Zhide and others saw the iron gate, they couldn't help but frowned. As they walked along the way, this restricted area looked like a small town, and people didn't feel any pressure or discomfort at all.

But as soon as they set foot into the courtyard, the coldness and murderous aura that hit them in the face still made them feel a chill.

"Where are the people?" Dai Zhide asked.

"In the dungeon." Hua Meng said with his eyes lowered.

The heavy iron door was slowly opened from the inside, and a sudden strong fishy smell filled the air, making Dai Zhide and others dizzy and almost vomiting.

"Are they all detained here by you?" This time it was Cui Dunli, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who asked with a frown.

If those envoys to the Tang Dynasty were also imprisoned in such a dark and smelly place, and if the news spread later, it would be a heavy blow to the country of etiquette that the Tang Dynasty had longed for.

Hua Meng didn't even bother to speak this time, he just nodded. There was nothing he could do. The smell of blood was too strong, making it difficult for him to breathe. When he opened his mouth to speak, he felt that the smell of blood had already gone down his throat into his stomach.

Several people tried to hold back their breath and followed Hua Meng slowly down the dim stairs.

The oil lamp in the cell was equally listless, as if it had inhaled too much blood and taken on a hint of weirdness.

Each room has an iron fence, and inside the iron fence are people like Helan Minzhi who are imprisoned. Their treatment is not much better. The only thing in the room is a human-shaped wooden stake, and everyone is tied tightly to it.

His clothes were covered in blood and his hair was disheveled, making it hard to tell whether he was a human or a ghost.

Gao Zhizhou, the Imperial Censorate doctor, covered his mouth and nose with one hand and said in a muffled voice, "Take away Helan Minzhi, Ning Daoming, Xiao Shougui, Xiao Shoudao, and the two Japanese envoys."

Before Hua Meng could say anything, a miserable cry came from the innermost cell: "Master, save me, let me out quickly, I won't dare to do it again, I beg you, let me out quickly, I really know I was wrong, I won't dare to do it again..."

"Shut up!" the guard in the dungeon shouted coldly, and the voice immediately disappeared.

"Helan Minzhi?" Dai Zhide looked at Hua Meng in a daze for a moment, then hurriedly walked towards the innermost cell.

"Ah...!" Dai Zhide ran over without any preparation, and when he saw the person inside, he couldn't help but scream out in fright.

Everyone followed in his footsteps and suddenly everyone's face turned pale. Is there really a person tied to the wooden stake in the cell?

"Whose idea was this? Could it really be the prince? Hasn't he always been known for his kindness and filial piety? How could he be so cruel!" Dai Zhide looked at Helan Minzhi, who no longer had a human form, and could no longer control his anger. He roared angrily, ignoring the pungent smell of blood in the prison.

Helan Minzhi was naked, with not a single intact piece of skin on his body. His entire body was covered in blood and buzzing flies.

Behind Dai Zhide came the heads of the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Clan Temple, the Dali Temple, the Censorate and other departments. They were also shocked by the scene before them; it was too vicious.

"Let him go, let him go immediately, send him to Taiyi City for treatment." Dai Zhide pointed at Hua Meng's nose and shouted.

"I want to see what abilities you, Dai Zhide, have and what reasons you have to take him away from here!" Li Hong's cold voice came from the prison door.

"You..." Dai Zhide didn't expect that the prince, who had been with them for several days, would show up at this time.

"What do you mean by 'me'? As the Minister of Rites, don't you know how to punish those who insulted the late emperor? Or do you, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Zongzheng Temple, just don't understand these things? The bedroom of the great Tang Emperor has turned into a place for them to drink, have fun, and enjoy singing and dancing! Have you thrown all your kindness to the Emperor away to the dogs?" Li Hong approached slowly, one step at a time, and his words were sharp!

"Helan Minzhi, answer each of my questions. If you dare to talk nonsense again, don't blame me for continuing to torture you." Li Hong was like a demon from hell. He seemed to be unable to smell the strong and pungent smell of blood.

"Tell me, who gave you the privilege to enter Cuiwei Palace?" Li Hong looked at Dai Zhide and others and asked coldly.

"Your Highness, I bribed the Minister of the Imperial Guards and then ran in." Helan Minzhi's neck seemed to be broken, and he drooped his head as he replied with all his strength.

"How many times have you dispatched the gate guards?" Li Hong said while kicking the floor tiles under his feet with his head down.

"This... I can't remember clearly. It's been three or four years."

"Is this your first time entering Cuiwei Palace?"

"The second time."

"What is your relationship with the Japanese envoys? Why are they here?"

"They hope to obtain all the recipes you have in Taiyi City, so they came to me."

"How did Zongzheng Temple, the Shaofu Supervisor, Xiao Shougui, and Xiao Shoudao conspire with you?"

“…”

After more than an hour of questioning, the faces of Dai Zhide and others became increasingly gloomy. This was a capital crime, a crime punishable by death!

Not to mention Helan Minzhi, Xiao Shoudao, and Xiao Shougui, even the heads of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Zongzheng Temple, and the Shaofujian, if this matter was really investigated and everyone was held accountable, they would be dragged out and beheaded, which would be the lightest punishment.

"Minister Dai, Cui Siqing, this Japanese envoy has insulted the royal family of our Tang Dynasty. I want to know, what do you think about it? You two are the ones who communicate and contact with them on weekdays. Have they learned the Tang Dynasty etiquette, but have they learned it into a dog's stomach, or have you pigs like you not taught them anything? Dai Zhide, how dare you come in and make a scene? Do you still have the face to shine as the Minister of Rites? The dignity of the royal family has been trampled underfoot and insulted, and you ask me to let him go?" No one was happy with Li Hong's remarks.

Seeing that everyone was silent, with only the occasional cry of Helan Minzhi in the prison, Li Hong's eyes flashed coldly, and he continued: "In our Tang Dynasty, human relationships are more important than the law. Let me show you, this is the decree given to me by my father and mother, and these are all letters of appeal written by you high-ranking officials! Your high positions and generous salaries are all given by the Tang Dynasty, but you still want to be parasites of the Tang Dynasty and even plead for them! If you want to plead, you can, but take off your official uniforms, and they will be free and at your disposal, how about it?"

"Your Highness, please calm down. We ask Your Highness to consider this matter carefully." Minister of Justice Cui Zhiwen said.

Cui Dunli, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, also bowed and said, "Your Highness, what the Crown Prince is teaching me is that I failed to manage the foreign envoys well. I know my crime and I ask the Crown Prince to punish me."

"Punishment? Punishment is only a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution. The Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate, you guys can judge the case. As for the Ministry of Rites and you guys, go and confess your crimes to my father after you return to Chang'an City. As for when you can take the person away, you can take him away when you give me a satisfactory result." After Li Hong finished speaking, he left without looking back.

Helan Minzhi's crying voice came from behind again: "Your Highness, I really know I was wrong... I really won't dare to do it again, please let me out..."