On the shore, Chen Zhennan ordered his men to bring everyone from the boat over.
Sunlight shone through the clouds onto the sea, making it sparkle and seem to cheer for the truth that was about to be revealed.
More than fifty people were escorted to Chen Zhennan. Their faces were different, and their expressions revealed a hint of tension and unease.
When Chen Zhennan saw the person in the lead, he couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected it to be Cao Kedi.
Cao Kedi's expression was also clearly one of surprise; he stared at Chen Zhennan in disbelief.
Chen Zhennan reached out and pressed down on Cao Kedi's shoulder, shaking his head with a mocking expression.
"Cao Kedi, you're quite wealthy, aren't you? Over a million taels of silver. Where are you going to send it?"
Cao Kedi frowned, his face filled with stubborn reluctance to answer, his eyes flashing with complex emotions as he pondered how to deal with this sudden situation.
"What? You don't want to answer?"
Chen Zhennan's smile gradually faded, and his tone carried a hint of disdain, "Looking at your unwilling face, I just find it laughable."
“I have nothing to say,” Cao Kedi replied coldly, his tone revealing a hint of stubbornness, but the fear in his heart was spreading.
"If I'm not mistaken, it must have been the Shadow people who arranged this route for you, right? You're going to Japan, aren't you?"
Upon hearing Chen Zhennan's words, Cao Kedi's eyes widened suddenly, and he was shocked. Chen Zhennan's guess was completely correct.
His face turned pale instantly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead; his inner panic was palpable.
"How...how did you know?" Cao Kedi stammered, his voice trembling slightly.
"Of course I'm guessing."
Chen Zhennan's gaze was sharp as he looked at Cao Kedi, whose face was filled with shock, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. You have millions of taels of silver. Once you get to Japan, do you think you'll still be alive to spend it?"
Cao Kedi's face turned pale instantly. Chen Zhennan's words pierced through Cao Kedi's naivety. His words were like sharp swords, pointing straight to Cao Kedi's vitals.
Chen Zhennan's words were like the cold wind in winter, icy and biting, but Cao Kedi still held onto a sliver of hope.
“We made an agreement long ago: once I get there, I will be the regent!”
Cao Kedi's voice revealed a hint of madness, and his eyes flashed with a thirst for power.
However, upon hearing Cao Kedi's sophistry, Chen Zhennan gave him a suggestion.
"You can't take the money with you, but you can go. How about we send all fifty of you over there and see what happens?"
Upon hearing this, Cao Kedi was stunned. He then realized how foolish his idea was. His face turned even paler, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
His voice trembled, almost breaking into tears: "No, no, I don't want to die..."
Cao Kedi finally gave in, his face showing fear and despair.
Chen Zhennan looked at Cao Kedi, gave a disdainful snort, and said with a hint of contempt, "Cao Kedi, so you've finally learned to be afraid?"
Cao Kedi stood there blankly, his thoughts in complete disarray, utterly at a loss for words.
Chen Zhennan scoffed and suddenly put his arm around Cao Kedi's shoulder.
"Cao Kedi, I'll give you one more chance to live. As long as you tell me all the clues about the Shadow, your family will not be punished, and you can live and die as you please. What do you say?"
Cao Kedi thought for a while, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes flashing with hesitation and fear.
Seeing that he was still hesitating, Chen Zhennan drew his long knife from his back and placed the cold blade against Cao Kedi's neck.
The gleaming blade reflected a blinding light in the sunlight, and Cao Kedi felt the coldness on his neck.
"explain!"
Chen Zhennan's voice was like thunder, deafening.
Cao Kedi shuddered, his legs could no longer support his weight, and he hurriedly knelt down.
Cao Kedi's voice trembled, almost pleading, "I...I'll talk, I'll tell you everything..."
Chen Zhennan narrowed his eyes, flicked his wrist slightly, and pressed the blade against Cao Kedi's face.
"I'm listening, go ahead and say it."
Cao Kedi nodded hurriedly and said quickly, "In addition to stealing 33 million taels of silver from the national treasury, Shadow also stole the family property of officials from various departments."
Chen Zhennan's brows were furrowed, and his eyes flashed with anger and shock.
"Go on!"
Cao Kedi swallowed hard and continued, "Shadow has prepared routes and ships for all the bribed officials, and ensured that all officials can reach Japan safely, and that they will receive corresponding official positions and double salaries."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhennan's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and he said sarcastically, "Shadow is really generous, using the nation's wealth to buy people's hearts. You bunch of idiots, don't you have any brains?"
The sea breeze howled, carrying a salty taste. Cao Kedi's face was pale, and his voice trembled as he begged Chen Zhennan for his life: "Your Majesty, I was wrong, I was really wrong, please spare my life."
Chen Zhennan stood in front of him and said calmly, "I told you I wouldn't kill you, don't worry. But you must tell me all the routes that Shadow has planned. We can't let them steal the money of my Great Yan."
Cao Kedi looked troubled, his brows furrowed, and his voice carried a hint of anxiety: "I... I don't know much. The people from Shadow only told me about this route, and didn't reveal anything else. But... I guess it probably exists in various provinces and states along the southeast coast."
Chen Zhennan frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. To him, Cao Kedi's words were no different from nonsense.
There are dozens of prefectures and counties along the southeast coast; how could they possibly investigate them all?
"Cao Kedi, you're wasting my time. What about the other ship? What's the situation with the ship that left with you just now?"
Cao Kedi hurriedly explained, "The ship was full of Shadow men, who were all wiped out by Lin Cheng's navy. The ship sank."
Chen Zhennan nodded slightly and waved his hand, signaling to take Cao Kedi and his family away from the scene.
"Take Cao Kedi and his family down with you and make sure they have three meals a day and are properly cared for."
Cao Kedi's family looked terrified, but Chen Zhennan didn't say anything more.
After they were taken away, Chen Zhennan turned his gaze to Lin Cheng and pondered, "Lin Cheng, blockade all coastlines in the southeast and do not allow any ships to go to sea without authorization."
Upon hearing this, Lin Cheng's expression revealed a hint of difficulty, and he stammered, "Your Majesty, the southeast coast of the Great Yan is 71,000 li long, so vast, how easy is it to completely blockade it?"
Chen Zhennan understood Lin Cheng's difficulties, but there was no hint of compromise in his tone.
“I understand your concerns, but thirty-three million taels of silver is such a huge sum that it cannot be taken away. If you recover this silver, I will give you five million to strengthen the Bohai Navy.”
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