Hearing Prime Minister Wan's words, Chu Pei confirmed what Chu Feiyang said. Anger suddenly surged in his heart. His icy eyes instantly shot towards Prime Minister Wan. Suppressing the chill in his body, he said in a cold voice, "This is my family affair. When did it become Prime Minister Wan's turn to make comments? Besides, Chu Nanshan is my father after all. How can I allow you to harm him? Prime Minister Wan, do you think too highly of yourself? Do you really think that besides you, I have no other choice?"
Seeing Chu Pei emitting a dangerous aura, Prime Minister Wan frowned slightly. Although he didn't know much about the Chu family's affairs, Chu Pei had stayed alone in Youzhou for more than 20 years and married the daughter of the Xie family as his second wife. Isn't all this enough to explain the conflict between Chu Pei and Chu Nanshan?
However, Chu Pei's questioning at this time gradually shook Prime Minister Wan's confidence. He slowly stood up and considered what he was about to say. After a long while, he slowly said, "Isn't it true? I think there is not much father-son relationship between Lord Chu and the old prince!"
"Hmph!" Little did he know that Prime Minister Wan's indirect hints were only met with a cold snort from Chu Pei. Looking at the Prime Minister with a prying look in his eyes, Chu Pei warned, "I didn't expect Prime Minister Wan to be so fond of prying into other people's family affairs! However, even if my relationship with my father is a little bad, it's not Prime Minister Wan's turn to point fingers! If it happens again, Prime Minister Wan, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Chu Pei, what do you mean?" Upon seeing Chu Pei's threatening words, Prime Minister Wan's cautious look disappeared instantly, and a solemn atmosphere instantly filled his entire face. He stared nervously at Chu Pei who was gradually approaching him. His hands, which had originally hung at his sides, had already been clenched into fists, forcibly suppressing his anger!
"It's nothing! I just want to warn Prime Minister Wan, don't be so smart! If you dare to touch Chu Nanshan, the sisters in the capital will be in trouble! Don't try to test my patience. You must know that I have been patiently waiting for so many years, and it is impossible for me to tolerate your mistakes!" Prime Minister Wan's angry voice did not drive Chu Pei away. Instead, he fought back against the opponent's attack with a more powerful voice. At this time, Chu Pei had a sneer on his face, and his whole body was shrouded in a dangerous aura, which made people afraid. Even Prime Minister Wan, who had been in a high position for many years, was shocked when he saw such a Chu Pei, and was overwhelmed by the opponent's momentum!
"So, Lord Chu has a better choice? Or is it that Lord Chu is already fully capable of standing on his own and intends to abandon us!" Restraining his anger for a moment, Prime Minister Wan half-lowered his eyes to hide the viciousness in his eyes, and tried to soften his tone, speaking calmly but with hidden calculations!
How could Chu Pei not see Prime Minister Wan's forbearance at this moment? However, he had the upper hand now, so he naturally would not give Prime Minister Wan any chance to turn the tables!
However, even with the upper hand, Chu Pei had no intention of immediately turning against Prime Minister Wan. Seeing the hint of anger between his brows, Chu Pei suppressed his fierce aura and spoke calmly, "Prime Minister Wan, don't forget, we are allies! If a dispute breaks out between us now, who do you think will benefit? We have worked together for so many years and know each other well. We have also endured for our own purposes. Do you think it is worthwhile to undermine each other at this critical juncture? Or perhaps, after being imprisoned by Nan Yijun for so many days, you have learned to compromise and are no longer willing to reclaim the throne from the palace for your nephew? We have never had any major friction in the past. If a quarrel breaks out at this critical juncture, it only proves that there is not even a trace of trust between us. Do you think it is necessary to join forces with such an alliance? This is all I have to say. If I were not worried about Nan Xun's condition, I would not have risked coming here today. If you think I am not sincere enough, then we can only go our separate ways!"
Chu Pei's words moved the emperor with both emotion and reason, but the more Prime Minister Wan listened, the tighter his brows furrowed. It was undeniable that Chu Pei did have the ability to see through people's hearts and the ability to persuade people. His words touched his heart and also pointed out the very passive situation of both parties!
If a dispute or conflict arises between them under such circumstances, it will undoubtedly benefit the other two parties!
Instead of doing this, it is better to swallow my anger and deal with Nan Yijun and Chu Feiyang before settling accounts with Chu Pei about what happened during this period!
Just as he was about to reply to Chu Pei, he heard a burst of orderly footsteps outside the study. Clusters of bright candlelight instantly illuminated the dark night outside, and from the sound of the footsteps, it could be heard that this was obviously the sound of the army advancing!
As the footsteps approached the study, Prime Minister Wan's expression suddenly changed. He immediately opened the entrance to the secret passage and anxiously whispered to Chu Pei, "Oh no! Nan Yijun must have discovered us. Go in quickly!"
Chu Pei was also aware of the anomaly outside, especially the neat and powerful footsteps, which were not something that an ordinary servant could make. Faced with such an emergency, Chu Pei had some doubts about Prime Minister Wan, but when he saw his anxious look at this moment, he knew that Prime Minister Wan had not betrayed him. This also showed that the Regent of Nanxun should not be underestimated!
"Go straight back to Xichu after you go in. I'll send someone to notify you if anything happens!" The door of the secret passage opened, and Prime Minister Wan immediately pushed Chu Pei in. Then he turned the switch and closed the bookcase. He picked up a book from the bookcase, walked quickly to the desk, sat down, and read it carefully!
'boom'!
At this moment, the door of the study opened, and a guard kicked open the bolted carved wooden door, then respectfully stepped aside, and walked in with many guards to meet Nan Yijun who had a cold expression on his face!
"What's the matter with the Regent coming here in the middle of the night? He even asked the guards to kick open my door. What's the meaning of this?" The hand holding the scroll tightened slightly. Prime Minister Wan calmed down his agitated emotions and spoke in a cold voice!
Nan Yijun didn't answer him immediately. Instead, his eagle-like eyes scanned Prime Minister Wan's study, scrutinizing this hidden secret room with meticulous attention to detail. After a moment, Nan Yijun turned to Prime Minister Wan with a sullen expression. Seeing the fury gathering between his brows, he sneered, "Prime Minister Wan knows exactly what he did! Are you waiting for me to find out for you? It's the dead of night, and Prime Minister Wan hasn't even gone to his bedroom to rest. It's truly intriguing!"
As he spoke, Nan Yijun had already walked to the desk. His sharp eyes lowered slightly. He saw two books of different categories placed on the desk. One was held in Prime Minister Wan's hand, and the other was covered on the desk. Nan Yijun's eyes suddenly solidified into ice. He said sarcastically, "I didn't expect Prime Minister Wan to be so hardworking. He's still studying in the middle of the night!"
Hearing the sarcasm in Nan Yijun's words, Prime Minister Wan followed Nan Yijun's gaze and looked at his own scroll. When he saw another half-read scroll lying upside down on the desk, a trace of annoyance flashed in Prime Minister Wan's eyes, but he immediately returned to normal. He honestly accepted Nan Yijun's ridicule and said lightly, "All this is thanks to the Regent. Otherwise, how could I have such free time to read so many books? But I am very curious right now. Why did the Regent come to the Prime Minister's residence in the middle of the night? I wonder what he wanted. Although I have been deprived of power by the Regent, it seems that the Regent has gone too far! Isn't it enough to put me under house arrest that he is still thinking of breaking into the Prime Minister's residence to insult me?"
As he spoke, Prime Minister Wan slammed the scroll in his hand onto the table. He then stood up suddenly with an angry look on his face, staring at Nan Yijun in front of him with hatred, as if he wanted to burn the now powerful Nan Yijun to death with the fire in his eyes!
However, in Nan Yijun's eyes, all this only made things more obvious!
Staring coldly at the furious Prime Minister Wan, Nan Yijun said with amusement, "Prime Minister Wan, do you think I'm willing to rush to the Prime Minister's residence in the middle of the night? However, I just received news that things seem to be a little turbulent in the Prime Minister's residence tonight! I'm worried about Prime Minister Wan's safety, so I came here to check on him myself! After all, Prime Minister Wan is the Crown Prince's uncle, how can I neglect him!"
Nan Yijun mentioned Nan Hongye for no reason in his words, which made Prime Minister Wan's already nervous heart tighten even more. He immediately raised his eyes to look at the man in front of him who was smiling calmly, and wondered in his heart how much Nan Yijun knew about Chu Pei's coming!
"Your Highness is truly devoted to the people! However, the Prime Minister's Mansion is filled with His Highness's confidants inside and outside. Even though I feel at ease, I don't know what Your Highness is worried about! Could it be that Your Highness is afraid that I will grow wings and fly away?" One is attacking and the other is defending. Prime Minister Wan insisted that everything was normal in the Prime Minister's Mansion, while Nan Yijun was full of suspicion that there were other things hidden in the Prime Minister's Mansion!
Prime Minister Wan's words caused Nan Yijun to burst into laughter. He then spoke meaningfully, "I'm not afraid of Prime Minister Wan growing wings. Even if you fly into the sky, I will shoot you down! I'm afraid that if you can't fly, you'll have to escape underground!"
After he finished speaking, the smile in Nan Yijun's eyes disappeared, and he stared at Prime Minister Wan with a shrewd gaze, as if he wanted to find clues from his eyes and expression!
However, Prime Minister Wan kept reminding himself in his heart that he must not reveal his true identity at this time, otherwise he would be implicated by Chu Pei, and the entire Wan family would be executed!
The flickering candlelight illuminated the expressions in the two men's eyes as they held their breath. The calmness and concealment that were revealed at a glance made Nan Yijun half-close his eyes, while a sneer appeared in Prime Minister Wan's eyes!
"Your Highness, do you have so little confidence in your own guards?" Meanwhile, Prime Minister Wan sat back down, seemingly at ease. Since Nan Yijun still had the leisure to engage in such a charade, it meant he wasn't certain he'd met Chu Pei tonight! If that was the case, what was there to fear? Besides, Chu Pei was likely long gone by now. Even if Nan Yijun searched the entire residence, he'd still come back empty-handed.
Nan Yijun noticed the relief in Prime Minister Wan's eyes, and his expression suddenly became serious. He scanned the study in front of him sharply again, trying to find the hidden secrets in it. "Come here, search this Prime Minister's Mansion thoroughly for me. Don't miss any corner!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Upon hearing this, the guards at the door immediately answered in unison, then dispersed in a well-trained manner and quickly searched the Prime Minister's Mansion!
Nan Yijun, on the other hand, walked over to the bookshelf, staring at the heavy bookshelf with a strange expression, carefully observing the gap between the bookshelf and the wall. After a while, he raised his hand and pulled out a copy of the Historical Records. He walked back to the desk and slowly sat down. He and Prime Minister Wan each read the book in their hands...
"Sir, please go back and have a rest!" At this time, Chu Pei in the secret passage led the guards behind him and quickly rushed to Youzhou!
He didn't expect Nan Yijun to act so quickly. In just a few hours, he had discovered something strange. If he hadn't left the study, he would have been caught by Nan Yijun by now!
"No need! After you go back, go tell Xie Yingping that this road is blocked!" After all, Chu Pei had just recovered from a serious illness, and his body was still a little weak. Although his steps were fast, a layer of hot sweat had already appeared on his face, and his mood was gradually unstable. It was obvious that he had really exhausted all his strength after running around all night!
When they walked out of the secret passage and returned to the Chu Mansion, it was already bright outside. Chu Pei raised his hand somewhat uncomfortably to block the sunlight that came into the bedroom through the window. After his pupils adjusted to the sudden light, he slowly lowered his right hand, untied his cloak and placed it on the bed, then walked to the table and poured himself a cup of hot tea!
The butler who was guarding outside the door immediately walked in quickly after hearing the crisp sound of porcelain touching each other in the inner room!
"Master, you are finally back!" Seeing Chu Pei coming back safe and sound, the housekeeper couldn't help but feel relieved, and the tension on his face also disappeared a lot, but the worry in his eyes was frankly revealed in front of Chu Pei!
"What happened?" Since the housekeeper was able to notice my return so quickly, he must have been guarding the yard. His eyes were full of worry, fearing that something else had happened at the Xie family!
"Last night at midnight, Lord Han ordered people to seal up all the jade mines under the name of Xie family! Now there is a lot of noise in front of Xie family's door. We cannot deliver the goods on time. Those retail investors have already gathered outside the Xie family's door and are making a lot of noise!" The housekeeper immediately expressed his concerns!
"Han Shaomian, you really confronted me!" He placed the teacup in his hand heavily on the table, and the tea that had not been finished was spilled out. The light yellow tea stains gradually spread on the plain tablecloth, just like the matter of the Xie family was getting bigger and bigger, and there were signs that it was out of control!
However, although Chu Pei mentioned Han Shaomian, the person he was thinking of was Chu Feiyang. The conversation between the two last night was once again imprinted in Chu Pei's mind!
Especially Chu Feiyang's last sentence, 'I won't give you this chance!'
This was to tell him that there would be no chance for father and son to fight each other on the battlefield, and it was also to tell him that there would be no chance for him to start this fight!
I'm afraid that the moment Chu Feiyang turned around, he had already ordered Han Shaomian to launch the next strike against the Xie family, cutting off all possibilities from the root!
Thinking of this, the anger on Chu Pei's face faded a little, his brows furrowed, his eyes solemn, and he knew in his heart that going to the south to look for Chu Feiyang was probably the biggest mistake in his life! Not only did it not make Chu Feiyang let go of the Xie family, but it actually pushed the Xie family into a desperate situation!
"If the government runners hadn't stopped those retail investors, they would have already rushed into the Xie residence to seek justice!" The housekeeper described in detail the current situation of the Xie family's ancestral home!
"What's the reaction of the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce?" Since Xie Yingping hasn't shown up yet, it means that there is still hope for a turnaround. Now that the government is in Han Shaomian's hands, the only one Xie Yingping can rely on is the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce!
Moreover, the merchants in the Chamber of Commerce are all influential figures in Youzhou. If they jointly resist Han Shaomian's act of sealing the jade mine, there may still be a glimmer of hope. I'm afraid...
Thinking of Xie Yingping's previous speculation, Chu Peimei felt a little embarrassed. The look in his eyes was no longer full of calculation and shrewdness, but instead showed a hint of difficulty...
At this time, many retail traders had already gathered outside the Xie family's ancestral home. They were all jade merchants from Youzhou, but due to their lack of financial strength, they could only purchase jade from the Xie family in small quantities. Even though they purchased a small amount, they were facing the situation of losing everything because the jade mine was sealed by the government!
Seeing that the head of the Xie family had not shown up for a whole day, these people's previous rationality had long been replaced by torment, and they gradually became anxious and uneasy. Some of them even sat at the door of the Xie family with their families, crying and complaining about the Xie family's behavior of not stepping in to solve the problem after it happened!
However, the door was guarded by guards sent by Han Shaomian, preventing them from entering. They were also worried that the officials and businessmen would collude to let Xie Yingping escape punishment, so they stayed at the door of Xie's house, vowing to seek justice for themselves even at the cost of their lives!
Little did they know that at this moment, the Xie residence was also in turmoil!
The elders who had been calmed down by Xie Yingping started to get anxious again after receiving the news in the middle of the night. They gathered in Xie Yingping's study and sat at the table with heavy faces. Although they were all very anxious and unbearable in their hearts, no one spoke first!
Xie Yingping started to calculate the accounts yesterday. Ever since he took over as the head of the Xie family, he has calculated every account clearly and distinctly. In the depressing and dull study, the only sound left was the clacking of his abacus. Although it was crisp, it also made people feel irritated!
"Yingping, why don't you say something! What are you fiddling with that abacus for all day? Do you think that if you can figure it out, Lord Han will let the Xie family go? Now that something like this has happened to the Xie family, the most important thing for us is to come up with a countermeasure. Even if you calculate it clearly, if Lord Han doesn't give us a chance, everything will be in vain!" An elder with white hair and beard put down the teacup in his hand with a bang, and was very dissatisfied with Xie Yingping's behavior at this time!
It was already this late, and Xie Yingping still had the mind to make plans in front of them. Could it be that he couldn't think of any solution, so he decided to surrender?
This won't do. The Xie family's illegal mining has already violated the laws of Western Chu. If they are coupled with the collusion between officials and businessmen of the Chu family, I'm afraid the Xie family's luck will be over!
This is absolutely not allowed!
Thinking of this, the elder who had just spoken became a little nervous and sat up straight with his hands on the armrests of the chair. His expression became more and more solemn, but he could not think of any other way. He could only look at the other elders present, hoping that they could give him some suggestions!
The others were also willing but unable to do anything. Looking at Xie Yingping who was constantly fiddling with her abacus, and thinking about the retail investors outside the Xie residence who were collecting debts, everyone frowned. The elder, who was about 60 years old, couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Xie Yingping, what do you mean by this? Are you calculating how much money the Xie family has left and planning to run away? You are the patriarch of the Xie family. Now that such a big thing has happened, you are still sitting there watching and doing nothing. With those retail investors making such a fuss, do you think the Xie family still has any credibility? How do you want the entire Youzhou to view the Xie family? Do you want to force the Xie family into a dead end? If you continue to be so stubborn, don't blame us for re-selecting people!"
This caught Xie Yingping's attention. His fingers, fiddling with the beads, paused slightly, and his sharp eyes swept across the numbers on the abacus. He then slowly raised his head and looked calmly at the elders who had been sitting in the study for several hours. With the unique arrogance of the Xie family head, he slowly said, "I am curious. How do you want to replace the people? In the current situation in Youzhou, how can we have the final say? Look at the guards guarding outside the Xie residence. Can you get out? You know that those guards have bloodthirsty eyes. They are soldiers who have been on the battlefield. If we really clash with them, do you think the Xie family has a chance of winning? If the government then arbitrarily convicts the Xie family, the Xie family will really have no way to explain themselves!"
"That's better than sitting and waiting to die! Lord Han didn't come to court, nor did he summon us. If he convicted us at will, wouldn't it be too unfair for the Xie family?" An elder with a hot temper had already slammed the table hard, his old face flushed with anger. He had lived a whole life, and he had encountered such a thing at the end of his life. If the Xie family was caught in this incident, they would not be able to face their ancestors after they died!
"Wait a little longer! Han Shaomian is not so arrogant as to punish the Xie family without going to court!" But the one who responded to them was Xie Yingping's calm reply!
Compared to the angry and anxious elders, Xie Yingping was unusually calm at this moment. He just looked up at the sky outside. The sun was scorching hot at this moment. He thought Chu Pei should be on his way back, but he didn't know if Chu Pei had the ability to convince Chu Feiyang!
"Wait? The Xie family doesn't have time to wait any longer! You promised Lord Chu that he would handle this matter, but you didn't expect that things would become more serious!" The elder with white hair and beard spoke again, looking at Xie Yingping with a hint of expectation in his eyes, but also a hint of disappointment!
But the elder's words made Xie Yingping's calm expression slightly startled. His smooth brows wrinkled slightly for a moment, as if he had grasped a key point. The fingers holding the pages of the account book were glowing white, and a bad premonition suddenly came to his mind!
He was sure that Chu Pei would set off for Nanxun after their conversation ended, and judging from the current time, it was enough time for Chu Pei to travel back and forth between Nanxun and Youzhou!
However, in the second half of last night, Han Shaomian suddenly ordered people to seal off all the jade mines that were being mined by the Xie family. This was really strange!
But connecting the two things at this moment, Xie Yingping suddenly realized that perhaps the breakdown of the negotiations between Chu Pei and Chu Feiyang caused Chu Feiyang to take action early!
For a moment, Xie Yingping's calm face turned slightly pale, and his brows couldn't help but frowned. Even his eyes, which were calm just now, became extremely terrifying, causing the elders present to look at each other in bewilderment. Although they didn't know why Xie Yingping was like this, everyone's hearts were tightly gripped!
"Clan leader!" At this time, Steward Mo, who had been running around outside for nearly two days, walked quickly into the study. Seeing that all the elders were there, Steward Mo immediately put away the unnecessary expressions on his face, became calm and steady, and also retracted his right foot that had stepped into the study, and stood respectfully outside the door!
Xie Yingping had already noticed the slightly anxious look on Butler Mo's face when he appeared in her sight. She suppressed the expression on her face, stood up calmly, and walked quickly to the outside of the study. Under the speculative and suspicious gazes of the elders, she walked to an empty corner of the garden. Then she asked, "What's the matter?"
Steward Mo carefully looked around before walking up to Xie Yingping and whispering, "I just received a message from Lord Chu. He told you that this road is blocked!"
Hearing this, the calmness in Xie Yingping's eyes suddenly shattered, and a chill gradually surged into her eyes. Her hands behind her back were clenched into fists. With an unpleasant expression, she said in a low voice, "Besides this, is there anything else?"
When Manager Mo saw Xie Yingping's expression suddenly change, he knew that something was wrong. However, Chu Pei was the last hope of the Xie family. If he also failed, wouldn't the Xie family have no hope at all?
For a moment, this quiet corner suddenly became dead silent, and both of them frowned and thought of other ways!
"How's the situation at the Chamber of Commerce?" Chu Pei's matter could only be discussed in detail after a meeting, but whether the Chamber of Commerce could remain stable depended on Manager Mo's ability!
"Except for the retail merchants outside Xie's house, all the merchants in the Chamber of Commerce have been stabilized by Boss Li! But Clan Leader, this matter should not be delayed for too long, otherwise those merchants will definitely think that we are not trustworthy!" It was dark in front of him, and Manager Mo could only do his best!
Xie Yingping whispered, "Don't make this public first, or the elders will find out and start a commotion! Han Shaomian has already made a ruthless move against the Xie family, and the case will probably be brought to court soon. As long as we work together with the Chamber of Commerce, Han Shaomian will be unable to do anything to the Xie family!"
Steward Mo nodded slightly, but still couldn't help expressing his opinion, "Clan leader, Lord Han is only a Beijing official. Even if he was ordered to take charge of Youzhou affairs, if the other officials in Youzhou don't acknowledge this, he will probably be helpless. If we..."
"No!" However, before Manager Mo could finish his suggestion, Xie Yingping denied it. "Chu Pei is different from other officials in Youzhou! The Chu and Xie families are married. Chu Pei will come forward to protect the Xie family even if it means protecting the Chu family! But those officials have no relationship with the Xie family. They just turn a blind eye to the money the Xie family pays them every year! If we try to win them over now, there is no guarantee that Han Shaomian will not do something about it. If we are bitten back by someone, I'm afraid we will really be speechless! Besides, don't underestimate Han Shaomian. The Prince Duan's Mansion in Kyoto is his backing! He is also a new noble in the court favored by Emperor Yugan. This time, Prince Chu Nanxun and his entourage handed over the power of Youzhou to Han Shaomian. Can't you see his ability? What we have to do now is to prevent others from catching the Xie family's handle again, and at the same time, find ways to get rid of the crime!"
Listening to Xie Yingping's analysis, Manager Mo frowned and nodded. It was indeed as the clan leader said. If the news of the Xie family bribing Youzhou officials was exposed at this time, Han Shaomian would not have to do anything else. This one thing alone would be enough to suppress the Xie family and make it impossible for them to recover!
"What should we do with those retail investors at the door? Should we return all the money they paid?" Now, if the money could solve the problems encountered by the Xie family, Manager Mo and others would not feel sorry for the money. They were afraid that those retail investors had been bewitched and came here to cause trouble on purpose, in order to ruin the reputation of the Xie family!
"Even if we are willing to give them money now, I'm afraid they will make trouble again after receiving the money! I believe that the court will be held in the next few days, and we can discuss everything then! You go and do your work. As for Boss Li, he is the most prestigious person in the Chamber of Commerce besides the Xie family. If necessary, give him some benefits! Han Shaomian can't stay in Youzhou all his life, but Lord Chu is a frontier official appointed by the late emperor. Let him understand that Han Shaomian has returned to Kyoto, and Youzhou is still under the control of Lord Chu. Use both kindness and force. I believe Boss Li knows what's going on!" After saying this calmly, Xie Yingping turned and left the corner and returned to the study!
Now Chu Pei has angered Chu Feiyang, and the Xie family can only rely on themselves! However, Chu Feiyang must have some concerns in his heart!
Even if Chu Pei did not participate in the Xie family's jade mining, the marriage relationship between the two families cannot be changed. If Han Shaomian insists on pursuing this matter, the Chu family will probably not be able to escape blame!
What's more, Chu Pei has been a participant in this matter from the beginning to the end. It is just a fool's dream to want to distance himself from it!
Pushing open the study door and stepping inside, Xie Yingping returned to her seat with a sinister look on her face, her mind repeatedly pondering countermeasures...
However, Han Shaomian was even faster. At 1:00 p.m., he ordered the guards to invite Xie Yingping to the Youzhou government office for questioning!
Closing the account book in front of him, Xie Yingping glanced at the anxious elders, but without saying a word, he followed the guards out of Xie's house!
When Xie Yingping calmly stepped out of Xie's house, the retail investors who were guarding outside the door swarmed over, pointing at Xie Yingping and questioning her angrily. The scene was in chaos. Fortunately, the guards prevented any actual conflict from happening!
The recent events of the Xie family have become a hot topic among the people of Youzhou. Everyone is speculating about the fate of the once-powerful Xie family. They also wonder if Han Shaomian, who has replaced Chu Pei in charge of Youzhou, will really offend Lord Chu for the Xie family. Lord Chu is also the father of the current King of Chu and the son of the old King of Chu!
When Xie Yingping followed the guards into the lobby of the Youzhou government office, the outside of the government office was already filled with people, all eagerly waiting to see how the matter would end!
"Your humble servant greets Lord Han!" Since they were in the court, Xie Yingping, who had no official title, could only call himself a commoner!
Han Shaomian, dressed in the uniform of a third-rank minister, sat behind a desk with a solemn and serious look. Although he was young, he had the ability to judge right from wrong and analyze the truth of things. His upright character made him look very convincing to the people at this moment!
With a bang, Han Shaomian slammed the gavel in his hand onto the table, instantly stopping the people standing outside the government office from talking and restoring silence to the hall!
"Xie Yingping, do you admit your guilt?" Han Shaomian spoke loudly, his powerful voice revealed a sense of integrity, and his clear eyes were free of any impurities!
Seeing Han Shaomian actually showing off his authority, Xie Yingping smiled coldly and then asked, "I don't know what you are referring to, sir!"
Seeing that Xie Yingping was still playing dumb even when the situation arose, Han Shaomian looked at him standing in the center of the lobby with an imposing manner and spoke calmly, "The Xie family secretly mined the Youzhou jade mine. This is their first crime! They sold inferior goods to merchants as good ones. This is their second crime! Now that the evidence is in place, do you still want to quibble?"
Han Shaomian's words stirred up a huge uproar, and the people outside heard it clearly. The scene that had just been quiet suddenly exploded and everyone started talking!
"No wonder the Xie family has been under guard these past few days. It turns out something like this happened! I thought they were a wealthy family, but I didn't expect them to resort to such despicable means!"
"Don't forget, Mr. Chu is the son-in-law of the Xie family. How could he not be on the side of the Xie family..."
"Old man, what nonsense are you talking about! Some things should be said, and some things should not be said! You are also talking nonsense about Lord Chu's affairs. Do you want to live?"
'Bang!' Han Shaomian banged the gavel in his hand again. Hearing the people start to discuss the relationship between the Chu and Xie families, Han Shaomian's heart tightened slightly, and then he said solemnly, "Silence!"
Seeing that the current judge had spoken, even though the people had countless questions in their hearts, they immediately swallowed them and dared not act rashly again!
After he finished speaking, Han Shaomian turned his stern gaze to the calm Xie Yingping and spoke again, "Xie Yingping, what else do you have to say?"
Looking at Han Shaomian's solemn expression, Xie Yingping sneered and retorted, "I naturally refuse to accept this! The appearance of the goods this time was caused by someone causing trouble. How can you, Your Excellency, condemn the Xie family without asking the reason?"
Xie Yingping was also filled with anger. Han Shaomian didn't even give the Xie family a chance to find out the truth, and he immediately had the entire Xie family under surveillance. Even if she wanted to find out the reason, she was powerless. Now he was openly blaming her, which was really funny!
Han Shaomian, however, had something to say. "So, the Xie family is innocent of everything they have done? Then, please ask Patriarch Xie to explain to me and the people of Youzhou, are there any official documents supporting the jade mines the Xie family is currently mining? I have already ordered an inventory, and all the jade mines in Youzhou are mined by the Xie family, but no corresponding official documents have been found! The Xie family mined jade privately to make huge profits. What else can you explain, Xie Yingping? Are there no other merchants in Youzhou? The Xie family has disregarded the lives of other merchants. With such a deformed competitive method, you still dare to say that the Xie family is innocent?"
However, Xie Yingping already had a plan at this time. Since Han Shaomian was so sure, he naturally didn't mind dragging everyone into it!
Facing Han Shaomian's questioning, Xie Yingping remained unmoved. She simply spoke calmly, "Master Han, since you came to Youzhou, did you know that there is a Chamber of Commerce in Youzhou? If the Chamber of Commerce has no objection to the Xie family's jade mining, it means that the Xie family's livelihood methods in Youzhou are also normal. You can't condemn the Xie family just because they monopolize all the jade mining! Besides, the Xie family also has this ability. If other merchants also have such strength, it is likely that the Xie family will not be able to dominate! Master Han, please let the merchants in the Chamber of Commerce come out and speak, so that what I say will not be distrusted by you!"
Seeing Han Shaomian's certainty, Han Shaomian's eyes flashed slightly, and then his gaze swept over all the Youzhou officials sitting in the hall. Although they didn't speak, their eyes were always filled with caution and the pride after Xie Yingping refuted him. Han Shaomian knew that in Youzhou, there had long been collusion between officials and businessmen. If he wanted to hear words accusing Xie Yingping from these officials, it would be difficult as hell!
As for the Chamber of Commerce, we can only rely on Rong Yunhe and others!
After thinking for a moment, Han Shaomian nodded to the guard beside him according to Xie Yingping's words and asked him to handle the matter quickly. The trial in the lobby was temporarily stopped, and everyone was concentrating on waiting for the merchants from Youzhou Chamber of Commerce to arrive!
Han Shaomian usually remained silent except when speaking out of necessity during the trial. Xie Yingping saw the situation clearly and knew that any extra words she said would become evidence for others to refute and attack her, so she naturally kept silent. The two of them, one sitting and the other standing, had different thoughts but the same goal, which was to make the other party speechless!
Half an hour later, the guard led a dozen merchants into the lobby!
"Sir, I have brought all the merchants of the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce here!" After reporting to Han Shaomian, the guard quietly retreated behind Han Shaomian, but quietly handed a piece of letter to Han Shaomian!
Xie Yingping naturally saw the guard's actions, and his relaxed brows suddenly frowned slightly, but because the guard did not speak about the contents of the letter, he naturally could not question Han Shaomian without authorization!
"We are honored to meet you, sir!" When more than a dozen merchants saw Han Shaomian, they were all surprised at his extremely young age, but they had to kneel down and pay homage to him in the hall!
"Everyone, stand up and talk!" Spreading out the letter, Han Shaomian looked at the contents and asked, "Who is the president of the Youzhou Chamber of Commerce now?"
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