Chapter 79 Going Crazy
It didn't matter whether the stool fell or not, but Eunuch Yang seemed to be awakened by this sentence. He struggled to get up and grabbed Mu Qi's sleeve:
"We can't let him have a retrial! Take the prisoner away immediately and send this guy named Hai back to Zhejiang!"
Mu Qi frowned and used some skill to pull out his sleeve:
"This is an imperial trial. Please be respectful, sir."
I know that you, the eunuch, are not clean, but you dare to jump out and bully others with your dirty foundation. Is there something wrong with your brain?
Would I be scared by your two words?
"Do you think I'm doing this for myself?!" Eunuch Yang's voice was hoarse, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. "I'm just a guard dog! It doesn't matter if I die, but I can't let that Guangdong barbarian drag everything out and tarnish my reputation--"
Whose reputation was tarnished? Before Mu Qi had time to think about it, the neighbors had already started:
"Of course the eunuchs guarding the garrison won't let me go out to sea, but the Weaving Bureau wants to borrow the top weavers in our mansion to weave silk for sale. Who dares to stop me?"
Eunuch Yang shuddered, and his voice became even more distorted: "Listen to what he said! Is this a trial of treason? This is a trial of the Textile Bureau, a trial of - a trial of things in the palace!"
The Weaving Bureau is the secret treasury that Master Feixuan and Emperor Wanshou use to make money, and being involved in it is indeed extremely sensitive. But Prince Mu remained motionless, sitting there looking at Eunuch Yang who was sweating profusely. Jinyiwei Zhang Zhu was quite nervous, and even tried to pass the tea to the prince, but the prince neither took the tea nor turned around, and only said one sentence:
"There is a divine decree."
There is an imperial decree that those who are listening to the case must not interfere with the imperial case, otherwise it would be a serious crime of disobedience. The power of this sentence was greater than anything else, and Zhang Zhu did not dare to speak.
The secret room of the Ministry of Justice was designed very ingeniously. No matter how much people talked and shouted inside, not a single sound could be heard outside. Hai Gangfeng asked again:
"The Weaving Bureau borrowed weavers. Even if the eunuchs in charge were afraid to investigate in detail, the Maritime Customs Office was in charge of foreign tribute trade. There were records of internal and external transactions. After verification, they could immediately find clues. How did you get away with it?"
"Record it?" The prince sneered, "There is no record."
"Are you saying that the palace has tampered with the files?" Hai Gangfeng said, "Tampering with the files is also a serious crime. Are you going to confess this crime yourself? Clerk, this sentence is recorded in the record."
"What does it have to do with me!" The prince of the vassal king said angrily, "The weaving bureau has borrowed too many people from the coastal vassal states. When has it ever been recorded?"
This statement was earth-shattering, and the faces of the three people in the secret room changed in horror - the records of the Maritime Customs were the proof of tax collection; bypassing the records to trade privately with foreigners was essentially smuggling. Of course, there was nothing wrong with one or two royal family members smuggling, but the Weaving Bureau took the lead in large-scale external contact without the archives, so there was only one possibility -
Smuggling is also happening in the palace!
The palace is the territory of Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor, and the Weaving Bureau is the emperor's small treasury that he cannot do without for a day for his spiritual enjoyment. Given the old Taoist's harsh, sarcastic and vicious nature, even if he was poisoned by heavy metals and became so mentally disturbed that he forgot his own name, he would never forget to check his small treasury at all times. There is only one possibility for this kind of large-scale smuggling involving collusion with clan members to continue until now - they have definitely been condoned by the emperor, intentionally or unintentionally.
Oh my god, there is an unexpected gain!
No wonder Eunuch Yang was so jumpy and terrified that his internal organs were almost burning with anger; he originally thought that this group of eunuchs had dirty hands in the imperial case, but now it seems that the truth is much more terrifying than just a few dirty hands and feet - if the affairs of the Weaving Bureau really implicated the emperor, then he, the dog guarding Jiangnan, could be put into the pot and cooked!
Such shocking news was so shocking that even Zhang Zhu couldn't help but stand up and look. Eunuch Yang was panting and his voice was floating:
"Have you understood? Have you understood? If he continues to try people, the whole world will be in turmoil!" He screamed, "Master Zhang, stop him right now! Prince, you and I will immediately write a joint memorial to impeach this man for his impetuous and inappropriate behavior. Find a random excuse to drive him back to Zhejiang - this man is a disaster, a disaster!"
Zhang Zhu immediately obeyed the order and stood up and walked to the door of the secret room. Eunuch Yang's eyes bulged out as he stared straight at the Prince of Mu. The prince thought for a moment and nodded:
"Then write it."
Eunuch Yang's eyes lit up immediately, but before he could even breathe out, he heard the second half of the sentence:
"My father-in-law already has connections with the Weaving Bureau, so he can just write his own memorial and submit it. As for my memorial, I still need to write it slowly."
Eunuch Yang: …………
He was almost incredulous: "You won't submit a petition with me?"
"I have received an imperial decree to record and report what I heard and heard. Your Highness's hearing is not mine, so how can I sign my name on it?" The prince said calmly, "Since there is an imperial decree, we must follow the rules. By the way, Commander Zhang, the imperial decree we received is to 'hear the imperial case in secret', and you are not allowed to interrupt. If you step out of this secret room, it will be considered disobedience, and I will also write it down in the record."
Zhang Zhu's hand quickly moved away from the door panel, as if it had been burned by fire. He stared at the two people in the chairs with wide eyes, his rough face full of horror.
“You won’t report it?!” Eunuch Yang said in a stern voice, “You heard what he said! If the matter continues, and it reaches the palace and reaches the higher-ups, I will be the first to die. You can escape, you can escape—where is your heart?!”
"I am wholeheartedly devoted to doing my job well." Mu Qi said calmly, "As I said before, there is an imperial decree. Please show me what the eunuch wants me to do."
"Why are you so stubborn? What if the reputation of His Majesty is implicated——"
"There is a divine decree."
Anyway, no matter what, there is always a saying "There is an imperial decree." As long as there is an imperial edict, no one can influence the prince's mind.
Eunuch Yang could not say any more, he slowly shifted his gaze away and stared at Jinyiwei Zhang Zhu - the secret room where the Ministry of Justice listened to the trial was locked from the outside and could only be opened after the trial was over; now they had to break the door and stop the interrogation by force, and Eunuch Yang's old arms and legs were really not good enough, so they had to rely on the martial arts of Jinyiwei.
Mu Qi smiled slightly and uttered aloud.
"There are ways to make Eunuch Yang write what he wants me to write." He said slowly, "How about this, you ask Lord Zhang to beat me up, beat me half to death, and then torture me. Maybe I can't stand the pain and will be willing to sign a letter. Lord Zhang, no one here can stop you, you can start right away."
Zhang Zhu: …………
Zhang Zhu couldn't utter a word. He seemed rude and reckless, but he was able to rise to the position of deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In addition to his amazing martial arts, his mind was also sharp, sophisticated and meticulous. He was once praised by his immediate superior Lu Wenfu as a "descending tiger". But now, this rough but meticulous descending tiger felt a chill down his spine and could hardly hold back his shivering!
——Oh my god, is this the high-end game? Are all the big guys in high-end games so powerful? !
Facts have proved that there are always people who are better than you. No matter how powerful you are, you are just a big Hakimi in this high-end game. You will be killed instantly if you show your head. As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer. Lord Zhang could only tremble in fear and remain silent. He was so afraid that he even breathed heavily!
After a struggle in the secret room, things gradually got better outside the secret room. Hai Gangfeng asked:
"According to the butler's testimony, you have seen the Portuguese three times and the Japanese twice. If they went out every time by sneaking in among the weavers, then isn't the weaving bureau borrowing people too frequently?"
"What's this?" The prince seemed to have given up and explained very happily: "The Westerners want more than just weavers. They want to recruit fishermen, farmers, and craftsmen from the coastal areas to help them do the work. The weaving bureau and the palace will split the profits 50-50, and we will help him privately."
Eunuch Yang twitched violently again, and Mu Qi raised his eyebrows: It would be fine if they just hired weavers, but what are the Portuguese trying to do by using high profits (the Weaving Bureau would never be tempted without profits) to lure Chinese people from all walks of life to work for them?
Portugal in the Age of Exploration was not a small country with little presence in later generations; at that time, relying on the spring breeze of geographical discoveries and the endless supply of gold and platinum from the Americas, old empires such as Portugal and Spain were definitely among the world's few colonial powers and the most brutal imperialisms. The motives of such despicable people must be speculated with the utmost malice, and no matter how we speculate, the results do not seem interesting.
Although they did not leave any reputation in history, the Portuguese also coveted the fertile land in the East, not to mention that there were also Japanese people mixed in - as long as the word "Japanese" was mentioned, Mu Qi would inevitably become extremely vigilant - if he remembered correctly, a few decades later, the Japanese planned to use Goryeo as a springboard to invade China, and Portuguese missionaries were involved in the conspiracy!
The combination of old-fashioned imperialism and extremely vicious and despicable neighbors with no bottom line is really bad no matter how you look at it and it's frightening no matter how you think about it.
Mu Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Hai Gangfeng didn't notice this subtle clue. He looked through the files and inquired about the details of the trade with the Portuguese. From the seized evidence, it seemed that several princes and relatives with ulterior motives had great powers and had actually obtained a large number of muskets and cannons from the Portuguese. These things are very valuable and it is definitely not a deal that can be finalized after just a few meetings. Without going into the specific details, there is no way to explain the transaction alone - how was the money for the weapons sent out?
When it came to such a sensitive and crucial issue, the prince of the vassal prince gradually became dispirited and did not say a word even after being asked several times. Hai Gangfeng was neither impatient nor anxious, and did not argue with such a stubborn person. He just ordered people to put on the clamps. The prince struggled for a while, but had to give in:
"Master Hai, I have told you enough to get the job done, right? Why do you have to ask so many detailed questions? An official should be humble and modest. What good is it to know too much? You have finally become a prefect, and your future is bright. Why do you want to ruin yourself on such an assignment?!"
"No one else needs to worry about my situation in the officialdom." Hai Gangfeng said calmly: "I still say the same thing. Since there is an imperial decree, there is no choice but to try it to the end. Please don't avoid my question - how did you pay for the firearms you bought from the Portuguese?"
The prince was helpless. After a moment's silence, he whispered back:
“No payment.”
"You didn't pay?" Hai Gangfeng asked, "Maritime merchants value money very much. How could they be willing to give you such a valuable item on credit for nothing?"
"...It's not on credit." The prince said, "Every year, the weaving bureau sends a few less craftsmen to the sea merchants, saying that they are kept by the Westerners. After I found out, I made a private agreement with the Portuguese. As long as we send the people they want, they will keep a record of the amount and send us firearms in exchange."
"Are those craftsmen willing to leave their homes and work for Westerners?"
"With someone in charge here, they certainly can't tolerate their unwillingness."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a loud bang from next door. It seemed that the clerk who was accompanying the recorder started shaking with his hands and accidentally knocked over the inkstone. The shock inside the secret room was even more severe. Even though Mu Qi had expected it, he still gasped in shock at the shocking news!
Damn it, no wonder this eunuch named Yang was trying so hard to disrupt the interrogation. It turns out there is such a big melon in it!
Mu Qi turned around, only to see Eunuch Yang slumped in the chair, motionless. It was obvious that he was almost dead from the series of shocking news. Jinyiwei Zhang Zhu was at a loss, trembling all over. He could only shrink into the corner and try his best to reduce his presence. His dark face had lost all color.
The prince stood up and walked closer, staring down at Eunuch Yang's swollen and pale old face. He saw tears streaming down his face; a stream of saliva from the corner of his mouth dripped down to his collar, and his eyes were still rolling around, as if he had completely lost control of his muscles and nerves.
All I can say is that a master is a master. The chief eunuch of the Weaving Bureau, a third-rank official, whose stomping of his feet would make the whole Jiangnan region tremble, was driven half crazy by just two or three questions from Hai Gangfeng. He threw away his weapons and was defeated miserably. Nothing could be more miserable than this.
...This is just the collateral damage of attending the interrogation. If he really rushed in and disrupted the imperial case as Eunuch Yang had intended, Hai Gangfeng would just slam the table and use a big move, and Eunuch Yang wouldn't have to worry about whether he was crazy or not, and he would probably just have to kill him immediately.
This is the huge difference in combat power. It's no wonder that Eunuch Yang lost his composure like that. How can a eunuch who rose to power by currying favor with others show his prowess in front of the magic sword of our dynasty?
Mu Qi sighed and leaned over, looking at the yellowed old teeth in Yang Deshui's half-open mouth, and asked quietly:
“Is it true that the Weaving Bureau is colluding with the Portuguese and condoning human trafficking in private?”
Eunuch Yang groaned a few times, his red eyes rolled around blankly, and there was no trace of rationality in his dull and numb expression.
...If you don't accept my toast, I'll drink the wine for you, right?
The prince stood up indifferently and spoke calmly:
"Eunuch Yang, this is not the time to go crazy. You know, we have to submit a report after the secret trial. If you go crazy and can't take care of things, and Commander Zhang is not very good at writing, how the report should be written will be up to me alone."
Zhang Zhu, who was forced to listen carefully, said:? ! ! !
Dad, living dad, real dad! When you masters are fighting each other like gods, there is really no need to drag in novices like us!
Seeing that the prince glanced back at him intentionally or unintentionally, Zhang Zhu's scalp tightened and he really wished he could shrink into the ground immediately. What amazing martial arts, what rough but delicate, what an invincible tiger coming down the mountain that swept across the Jinyiwei, now he just felt his calves were going weak, and if he opened his mouth he would probably only beg for mercy by meowing!
Oh my god! He usually intrigues and forms cliques in the Jinyiwei, and he thinks he has seen the world; today he was hit hard and sparks flew, realizing that the world is so big that it is beyond the reach of a frog in a well like him - compared with the ultimate moves of the top leaders, the Jinyiwei's tearing plans are nothing! All of you colleagues are clearly a loving family!
All I can say is that the level of the Prince of Mu is good enough. A few questions from Hai Gangfeng could drive the chief eunuch crazy, but a simple reminder from the prince could also have the miraculous effect of bringing him back to life - Eunuch Yang gurgled twice in his throat, and actually turned over and sat up by himself!
How can this not be considered a medical miracle?
The prince smiled slightly, patted his sleeves and sat back in his seat. He turned back and told the clerk who was shaking like a sieve:
"Keep memorizing, don't miss a single word."
·
Although the people in the secret room felt like they were living in hell, Hai Gangfeng didn't actually interrogate them for long. Because the language was concise and there was no concealment, the interrogation was very efficient. Half an hour later, Hai Gangfeng sealed the confession and ordered his men to take the prisoner out of the hall for a rest. There was a sound of machinery in the next room, and then silence returned.
After half an hour of torture in the water and fire, Eunuch Yang was almost dead, and his clothes looked like they had been fished out of the water. Despite this, when the clerk presented the records to the gentlemen for review, two extremely terrifying rays of light still shot out of Eunuch Yang's eyes. He read it from beginning to end and finally nodded weakly.
"Then please sign." The prince smiled.
Eunuch Yang took the brush with shaking hands, and signed his name with shaking hands. Perhaps he could not suppress the turmoil in his heart, so his signature and name were written like a child's doodles, twisted and weird. The prince took it, took a quick look at it, and then tore the signature in half.
"This is not good." He said calmly: "It's written so crookedly that you might think someone forced you to sign it. If someone uses this mistake to deny the record in the future, we can't afford it. Please sign again, Eunuch Yang."
Eunuch Yang stared at the prince blankly, his expression almost distracted.
Unfortunately, no matter how chaotic and disorganized we are, we will never be able to change the prince's mind. Yang Deshui trembled for a moment, but still took the brush.
It took him nearly half a quarter of an hour to write just a dozen words including his name and official title. The prince read it carefully for the second time, and finally nodded, and handed the paper to Zhang Zhu, who was also sweating profusely:
"Please sign, Mr. Zhang."
The majestic and powerful Lord Zhang shivered all over when he was casually glanced at by him, and had to pick up the pen tremblingly.
·
After all three people had signed, Mu Qi watched the clerk seal it with beeswax, then took out the cabinet seal from his sleeve and stamped it on various places on the document. Only when the officials outside the secret room opened the door and took away the official documents did he finally breathe a sigh of relief and casually fall into the chair.
After sitting like this for a while, the prince suddenly remembered something, so he turned around and greeted Yang Deshui:
"Alright Eunuch Yang, you can go crazy now."
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