Xu Fan and Xu Ying arrived in Shanghai only half an hour later than Lin Run.
Xu Fan was cautious and didn't know the situation, so he didn't dare to rush into the city. He stopped the boat on the river bank outside the water gate and ordered Xu Ba to go into the city to investigate.
Not long after, Xu Ba brought back a shocking news: As soon as Lin Run entered the city, he sent troops to seal off the Shanghai Wanyuan!
"Why is he so crazy?" Xu Fan was completely confused. "We are the ones who provoked him, why would he take it out on the Wanyuan? Besides, the Wanyuan is not a soft persimmon that can be easily bullied."
"Yes, if it was easy to control, our family would have swallowed up Wanyuanhao long ago." Xu Ying also nodded and agreed: "Why would we need to open an account with him?"
"They said it was to investigate a case of collusion with the Japanese." Xu Ba is quite capable in gathering intelligence, otherwise he would not have been entrusted with such an important task.
"Collaboration with the Japanese?" Xu Fan couldn't help but laugh, "The Japanese pirates have been extinct for many years. What kind of old account is he trying to bring up?"
"Tong...Japan..." Xu Ying sat down on the chair.
He naturally knew that Xu Liu and Umekawa Kazuo had done the transaction at the Shanghai Wanyuan.
As for the murderer Xu Liu, he still hasn't found where Umekawa Kazuo is, let alone silence him.
This matter has been weighing on his mind, and the fear in his heart has been growing day by day.
Now he finally realized that Umekawa Kazuo had fallen into Lin Run's hands.
"What's wrong with you?" Xu Fan saw that his little brother's face was pale and the corners of his mouth were swollen.
He immediately had a bad feeling and asked in a low voice: "What do you know? Or are you hiding something?!"
"I, I..." Xu Ying cried and knelt down in front of her elder brother. "Brother, help me, I don't want to die!"
"You, it is indeed related to you!" Xu Fan felt dizzy, but fortunately he had experienced many storms before, so he quickly calmed himself down, waved his hand, and asked Xu Ba to stay outside.
Then Xu Fan slowly sat on the chair while holding the table, gritted his teeth and said to Xu Ying with a gloomy face: "Speak!"
"Brother, I don't know what's good for me, I deserve to die!" Xu Ying slapped herself hard and told Xu Fan everything she had done behind her family's back over the years.
Xu Fan’s head was about to explode after hearing this!
He grabbed Xu Ying by the collar and asked fiercely, "Last year, when I wrote to you and asked you about it, didn't you swear that we were just supplying goods to sea merchants like other companies and would never go to sea ourselves?!"
If that were all, it would at most be condemned on a moral level, and would not violate the laws of heaven.
After all, for these wealthy families, a simple excuse of "I only sell goods, I can't check who buys them" is enough to get away with it.
"How come in the blink of an eye, the Sand Ship Gang and the Japanese pirates all showed up?!" Xu Fan's eyes were bloodshot, and he wished he could strangle to death this little brother who had caused such a disaster!
"I can't do anything about it, big brother! The Lu family is ruined, the golden seal of King Jinghai is lost, the sea is in chaos, and maritime trade is completely cut off." Xu Ying said with a sad face:
"There are so many cotton cloths piled up in the warehouse, and tens of thousands of weavers need food and drink. What can I do if I don't find a way out myself?"
"Besides, we are not the only one doing this. The Xiang family took the lead..."
"Fuck your mother! I'll fuck your uncle to death!" Before he could finish his words, Xu Fan swung his arm and slapped him hard in the face.
With a loud bang, Xu Ying was beaten to the ground.
"How many times have I told you that if we don't cross this red line, our Xu family will be poor and starving to death, and our whole family will have to beg on the streets, but we can't get close to the Japanese pirates!"
Xu Fan's energy, which had been cultivated for months, failed suddenly. He roared, kicked and punched Xu Ying, and beat him to death.
"Do you know that there are not many crimes that can bring down our Xu family, but collusion with the Japanese is one of them!"
Xu Ying was stunned, he didn't expect that his elder brother was so skilled in beating people, and he didn't know where he learned his boxing skills, but he felt that every punch hit the flesh and made people feel excruciating pain.
He rolled over and screamed:
"Brother, don't you know? Merchants, pirates, real Japanese, fake Japanese, it's always hard to tell them apart..."
"Then don't get involved at all! If you don't go into the sea, won't all the problems be solved?" Xu Fan kicked Xu Ying in the heart, making her roll her eyes. It took her a long time to recover.
Xu Fan’s anger and fear are easy to understand.
Although the Ming Dynasty did not go as far as the Jin, Sui and Tang dynasties where "no punishment was imposed on officials", its laws followed the Tang laws and clearly stipulated the Eight-Discussion System.
The so-called eight discussions refer to "discussing relatives", i.e. the emperor's relatives; "discussing old friends", i.e. the emperor's old acquaintances;
'Yixian' refers to people who are virtuous and have good morals; 'Yigong' refers to people who have made outstanding contributions;
'Yi Neng' refers to people with outstanding talents; 'Yi Gui' refers to officials above the third rank and those with the first rank of nobility;
'Yiqin' refers to those who are diligent in state affairs; 'Yibin' refers to the descendants of the royal family of the previous dynasty.
The Eight-Discussion System is a privileged system under which when eight categories of people commit crimes, the courts cannot directly try them, but must submit the case to the emperor for a decision, or reduce their punishment according to law.
Xu Ge Lao accounted for at least five of the eight opinions, and even Xu Fan enjoyed this judicial privilege as a "noble opinion holder".
This is also the reason why Lin Run dared not touch the Xu family without solid evidence...
But there are always exceptions. Since ancient times, the law has clearly stipulated that those who commit the "Ten Evils" are not subject to the eight discussions for redemption.
That is the so-called 'unforgivable crimes'!
The ten evils are 'rebellion, high treason, rebellion, evil treason, immorality, disrespect, unfilial piety, disharmony, injustice and civil strife'!
In the Ming Dynasty laws, the crime of collaborating with the Japanese was clearly classified as "treason", the third of the ten evils, and therefore was absolutely unforgivable.
Back then, Lin Run accused Yan Shifan and Luo Longwen of collaborating with the Japanese, which led to the sentencing of the arrogant young cabinet minister!
A few years later, this guy is going to use the same old tricks again and send my Xu family to ruin?
When he thought of the tragic end of the previous cabinet minister, he fell into boundless fear.
Could that be the fate of those who are called 'Little Minister'?
No, my destiny is in my own hands!
Xu Fan clenched his teeth and silently uttered the loudest voice in his heart!
Actually, I am afraid of death...
After Xu Fan had his fun... crossed it out and changed it to "I'm tired of fighting"... then he sat down, panting heavily.
Xu Ying was beaten into a "iron-eating beast in Shu" and it took him a long time to recover.
He didn't care to cry out in pain, and quickly hugged Xu Fan's thigh tightly, crying, "Brother, it doesn't matter if you beat me to death, but you can't let Lin Run continue investigating, otherwise our Xu family will be finished!"
"You still know that the Xu family is doomed!" Xu Fan raised his fist and wanted to hit him again. Unfortunately, he moved too hard and found that his arm was stretched.
With a dark face, he pressed his shoulder and shouted to the outside, "Go and invite Zheng Guancha over!"
"Yes." Xu Ba responded and quickly tried to find a way to contact Zheng Yuanshao.
ps. Chapter 3, I’m going to sleep. I wish you all a happy holiday.