Led by Lord He, a large group of people poured into Zuiyue Tower, while the outside was surrounded by layers of onlookers.
Shen Xing'er stood behind Old Madam Shen, arm in arm with Tian Sangui. "Don't worry, eldest sister, my father and I have everything arranged!"
"Alright, this time, let's catch them all in one fell swoop!"
The two whispered to each other, and then Lord He gave the order, and the soldiers began to search frantically.
The scene was no better than Tian Sangui's shop. The father and son, dressed in black, sat down leisurely with calm expressions on their faces.
They acted as if the matter had nothing to do with them.
Soon, the officers and soldiers who had been searching returned to their positions one by one, reporting, "Sir, we found nothing!"
"Your Excellency found nothing!"
Upon receiving the same answer from the officers and soldiers, the father and son's calm demeanor turned into disdain, and even mockery, as they looked at Tian Sangui.
"Alright, my superiors have already investigated. We are all law-abiding and honest businessmen, unlike Miss Tian who would do anything for profit!"
"Yeah?"
"Lord He, have you inspected his family's cellar?"
Tian Sangui's words caused the two men to change their expressions in shock. The middle-aged man composed himself and cheered, quickly suppressing his panic and secretly tugging at his son's sleeve behind him.
The young man's expression softened slightly, and he strode forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and replied.
"My lord, my cellar is full of imperial wine supplied to the royal family. If you wish to inspect it, please ask your soldiers to be gentle. If the wine is damaged, neither you nor I can bear the consequences if the Emperor blames us!"
The implication is clear: royal wines are not something that can be viewed casually.
Lord He nodded. He had heard about the supply of imperial wine long ago, and because of this, he hadn't checked his cellar for several years.
To avoid trouble, they always did things hastily, or even ignored them completely.
After all, the royal family had stricter controls than even the provincial government, and the fact that the palace hadn't said anything proved that there was nothing wrong with the cellar.
"Then..."
"check!"
Before Lord He could finish speaking, Old Madam Shen ordered a search.
"Lord He, royal wine must be thoroughly inspected, otherwise if the Emperor discovers a problem and blames you, even a hundred heads wouldn't be enough to chop off your entire family!"
"But......"
He understood Madam Shen's words perfectly, but wouldn't he be guilty of a serious crime for ruining the imperial wine?
Knowing Lord He's concerns, Old Madam Shen turned to face him.
"Go ahead and order your men to search. If the Emperor blames you, I will take the blame. I will never blame you, the prefect!"
Having said all that, what else did he have to worry about? He then looked at his officers and soldiers.
"Then investigate thoroughly, and make sure the imperial wine isn't ruined!"
"yes!"
The officers and soldiers gave a firm reply, and then turned to leave. The father and son exchanged a glance, both seeing a look of panic in their eyes.
There was no time for discussion. The young man took the key and followed the soldiers to the cellar in the backyard.
He stayed behind to deal with Tian Sangui and his men.
Tian Sangui came out and advised Lord He, "Why don't you go along, sir? With you watching over things, the soldiers searching the wine will be more careful and avoid the risk of ruining the imperial wine!"
Tian Sangui's words did not receive a reply from Lord He, but they did make the calm middle-aged man standing to the side unable to sit still.
He stood up abruptly, then realized he had overdone it. He quickly straightened his clothes, cupped his hands, and smiled at Lord He.
"Sir, the cellar is small and dimly lit, it's really not big enough for so many people to fit in. Why don't we wait here? They'll be out soon!"
Tian Sangui understood the meaning behind his words perfectly.
“My lord, supplying imperial wine is no small matter. As the prefectural governor, you should personally go down into the cellar to oversee the Emperor’s wine selection. Only in this way can you show your dedication to the Emperor!”
"If some petty people seize on this matter and impeach you before the Emperor, you will be wronged!"
Lord He was somewhat swayed by Tian Sangui's words. This matter could be big or small, so he should go and take a look to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.
"I will accompany Lord He on this inspection as well. It is our inescapable duty to be loyal to the Emperor!"
Old Mrs. Shen got up, and Lord He naturally followed suit.
The man, startled and frantic, blocked his path, saying, "Sir, it's really not appropriate for you to enter too many cells in the cellar, besides... besides..."
"Why is the shopkeeper so insistent on stopping us? Could there be some unspeakable secret in the cellar?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" The man suddenly stood up and roared at Tian Sangui.
"Then why do you keep obstructing us? Are you afraid we'll expose something?"
"you......"
The man was at a loss for excuses. Tian Sangui's words had already aroused suspicion among the officials and onlookers. If they continued to obstruct him, it might be detrimental to him.
"Very well, sir, please proceed, lest someone try to frame me!"
After saying that, the man took the lead and went to the cellar, followed by a group of people.
Before the soldiers came out, the lock on the wooden board was naturally open.
The man hesitated for a moment, then quickly opened the wooden plank, revealing the staircase inside.
"Please, sir!"
The man carrying the lantern was the first to go downstairs to lead the way, and Lord He helped Old Madam Shen downstairs.
Tian Sangui and Shen Xing'er followed closely behind.
The cellar was not as small as the man had described; on the contrary, the staircase was two stories high.
There was still plenty of room for them, including the ladies, to stand in the cellar.
On the blue brick walls, there is a small wall lamp for every two large blue bricks, with cooking oil burning inside.
Lord He frowned slightly. This man had previously said that the place was too small for people to enter, but now he saw that the place was as big as three rooms. How could it be as he had described?
"Your cellar..." Lord He's words carried a hint of inquiry.
"Your Excellency, in order to supply the Emperor with imperial wine, His Majesty specially approved my request to expand my cellar. I think His Majesty must have mentioned this to you, Your Excellency, right?"
Lord He couldn't recall it for a moment. Since it was the Emperor who said it, how could he dare to ask? He figured this person wouldn't dare not report it to him and build it on his own.
"Since it is an imperial decree, just explain it clearly. Why lie and try to cover it up?"
Lord He expressed his dissatisfaction.
The man quickly smiled and apologized, "Yes, yes, yes, this humble subject thought that the imperial decree should not be leaked. It was also due to my ignorance, sir, please do not take offense!"
Then they were led to the next entrance, which was filled with wine jars of uniform size, their mouths sealed with red cloth and mud for preservation.
The bright red color was very pleasing to the eye and festive.
Lord He couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.
Shen Xing'er and Tian Sangui had no interest in appreciating it, and the two of them moved to the side in cooperation.
"Hey, why is the door still locked?"
The man immediately rushed over nervously, pushed Tian Sangui aside, and glared at her with displeasure.
"This contains my family's secret recipe, so please forgive me, Master He and Miss Tian!"
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