Chapter 210 The Oldest Fox Among Old Foxes
The taxes collected from various localities were almost always exchanged for silver at Jufeng Trading Company, then deposited in Jufeng Money Shop, and finally transported to the capital city to be deposited in the national treasury. Of course, this process required the supervision and cooperation of local officials, such as county magistrates, prefectural governors, and transport commissioners.
Jiang Yu had always suspected that, besides Jiangzhou, Linwu, and Lingnan, other places had also had their official tax revenue minted illegally, so this was the first question she asked. However, she hadn't expected Xie Ning'an to answer that she didn't know.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Xie Ning'an is only in her early twenties, so she must not have been involved in the core affairs of the Xie family for very long. And Xie Yun is a cautious person, so it's normal that Xie Ning'an didn't know.
"When did you start cooperating with the King of Lingnan?" Jiang Yu asked again.
This was another issue that the emperor was very concerned about. The emperor couldn't help but look at Jiang Yu, and then Xie Ning'an answered again: "I don't know."
Jiang Yu, the Emperor, and Prince An all wore unpleasant expressions upon hearing his answer. Xie Ning'an gave another bitter smile; he genuinely didn't know. He had only recently become involved in family affairs this year, and had always only offered advice; he had never actually handled the practical aspects of the business.
Jiang Yu glanced at the emperor's pale face and thought to herself, "I don't know if the current situation is good or bad for Xie Ning'an."
........
Xie family
When the Imperial Guard Commander Liang Dali returned without Xie Ning'an, Xie Yun knew that the Xie family was truly doomed this time. He sat quietly alone in his study, his expression calm as he heard the news that the Imperial Guards had surrounded the Xie family's residence.
When Ji Weifeng, the commander of the Imperial Guards, entered his study, he slowly stood up and said, "I will go with you."
Ji Weifeng hadn't expected him to be so cooperative, but he still put shackles on his hands and feet. Grandpa Xie, Third Master Xie, and the rest of the Xie family were all panicked and at a loss.
"Father, Father!" Grandpa Xie cried out, completely lost and at a loss for what to do.
Seeing his flustered appearance, Xie Yun laughed self-deprecatingly. His son was mediocre and dull-witted, and he had finally produced a grandson who was both intelligent and talented, but the grandson had pushed the Xie family into the abyss.
He took a deep breath and looked at Grandpa Xie, saying, "If Ning'an can come back, he will be the head of the Xie family, and you will all have to listen to him."
After saying that, he dragged his shackles away, leaving Grandpa Xie kneeling on the ground, still panicked and unsure of what to do.
Xie Yun was quickly taken to the Imperial Study. Seeing Xie Ning'an sitting there unharmed, being interrogated by Jiang Yu, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that she was alright. Even though he resented Xie Ning'an for acting on her own initiative, he knew that the Xie family's future depended on her.
"Your Majesty, I, Xie Yun, pay my respects." Xie Yun knelt down and said, "It was all my doing, and it has nothing to do with Xie Ning'an."
As if afraid that this statement was not convincing, he further explained: "Xie Ning'an has been studying hard for the past few years to prepare for the imperial examination. This year he passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, so I allowed him to gradually get involved in household affairs. Everything was done by this disgraced official."
Upon hearing his words, Xie Ning'an knelt down with a thud, "Grandfather..."
Tears streamed down his face. Xie Yun turned to look at him, a smile on his face, and said, "Grandfather stopped you before because he hadn't figured things out yet. Now I understand. You did the right thing. Confessing everything to the Emperor and seeking leniency will put the Xie family and me at ease."
"Grandfather..." Xie Ning'an's voice choked with emotion, "Your grandson is unfilial."
Xie Yun smiled again, then looked at the emperor and said, "I will tell you everything I know, and I am willing to die to atone for my sins. I only ask that Your Majesty show leniency and spare my grandson's life."
Xie Yun kowtowed, his hands clasped on the ground. Seeing Xie Yun like this, the emperor felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. The Xie family was not only a thorn in his side, but also a thorn in the side of the late emperor. He hadn't expected to subdue him so easily.
Yes, he thought it would be easy. In his mind, taking down the Xie family would require at least one battle. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Jiang Yu again; it was all thanks to her. He was very glad that he had agreed to let Jiang Yu serve as an official in the court.
He withdrew his gaze from Jiang Yu, looked at Xie Yun, paused for a moment, then turned to Jiang Yu and said, "I'll leave the interrogation of them, grandfather and grandson, to you."
"Yes." Jiang Yu stood up to accept the order, and then Imperial Guards entered, escorting Xie Yun and Xie Ning'an to the Heavenly Prison. The Imperial Guard who arrived was none other than Ning Yunchuan.
On the way to the prison, Ning Yunchuan gave Jiang Yu a thumbs up and whispered, "You're awesome!"
Jiang Yu smiled, "I'll treat my cousin to drinks later."
"Okay." Ning Yunchuan chuckled.
Upon arriving at the prison, Jiang Yu ordered Xie Yun and Xie Ning to be detained separately, and she interrogated them separately. This was her profession from her previous life, and she was quite adept at it.
......
The Xie family was besieged, and Xie Yun, in shackles, was escorted into the palace in public, adding to the tense atmosphere in the capital. The powerful and wealthy were well-informed, and knowing that Jiang Yu was in charge of interrogating Xie Yun and Xie Ning'an, many went to the Duke of Chu's residence to inquire about the situation.
The old Duke of Chu, citing poor health, closed his doors to visitors.
At this moment, Ning Yunchuan sat next to the old Duke of Chu, telling him what he knew, and finally said with a smile, "My cousin may not be able to come home for a few more days. Xie Yun has a lot on his plate."
His voice was filled with excitement and pride as he said this.
The old Duke of Chu also smiled, "I'll have someone send her some things in a bit."
Ning Yunchuan spoke with the Duke of Chu for a while longer before getting up to take his leave, as he needed to go home and report the news. As he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to whisper to the Duke of Chu, "Grandfather, when I went to the Imperial Study today, I heard the eunuch say that the Emperor was with Consort Su last night. Is Consort Su about to regain favor?"
After hearing this, the old Duke of Chu looked thoughtful and said, "I know about this, but don't tell anyone."
"I know." Ning Yunchuan replied with a smile and left. The old Duke of Chu frowned in thought. If Consort Su regained favor, what would the Emperor mean?
........
During Jiang Yu's interrogation, Xie Ning'an was very honest, answering all questions and directly stating that she didn't know the answers to those she didn't know. Jiang Yu couldn't help but admire her intelligence.
Xie Yun, on the other hand, was a true fox among foxes. When answering questions, he would reveal three parts of the truth while concealing seven, and he would also set traps for you, so you could easily fall into his trap if you weren't careful.
However, Jiang Yu is no novice when it comes to interrogation. She has plenty of ways to extract everything Xie Yun knows without using any torture instruments.
On the first day of the interrogation, the eldest son of the Xie family was imprisoned. On the second day, the third son of the Xie family was also imprisoned. On the third day, Shi Shun'an, the transport commissioner of Jiangzhou, was arrested. The vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue and a group of others were also arrested. On the fourth day, Prime Minister Pei Chengkun was summoned to the palace by the emperor for questioning.
Now, not only is the Xie family on edge, but the entire capital city is in a state of tension.
"Why are you doing this?" Jiang Yu said to Xie Yun as she tidied up the things on the table, "If you confess everything sooner, everyone can have a good New Year. If the Emperor is happy, won't his punishment of your Xie family be lighter?"
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