Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 309 Jinyiwei Arrests People

Cheng Yishi had never expected that this businessman would be so eloquent. Ordinary people would have been trembling with fear when seeing an official of his level, but he was not afraid at all?
"presumptuous!"

"How dare you slander an official appointed by the imperial court?!"

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "I didn't. Why are you so excited, sir? I'm just curious."

"Besides, we never opened the goods sent by the merchant, so how could we know it was sulfur?"

"Sir, you should investigate carefully to see who the sender is and arrest him to punish him. What crime have I committed?"

Cheng Yi said indifferently: "You are responsible for carrying the goods, and you deserve to be exiled!"

Chen Ce retorted: "At the beginning of this year, the imperial court issued a regulation to the express delivery industry, prohibiting express delivery companies from privately opening merchants' parcels. Merchants are responsible for delivery. Aren't we responsible for transportation?"

Cheng Yi sneered, "Since I have arrested you for questioning, I have sufficient evidence. The sender of this batch of goods cannot be found. Tell me quickly whether it was sent to Xuanfu by your internal staff."

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "No."

"Be bold!"

Just as Judge Cheng continued to interrogate him, a clerk whispered something in his ear. Cheng Yi signaled that Chen Ce be escorted back to prison, and then quickly went to the back hall.

"Jingzhi, why are you here?"

Wang Qin, the director of the Ministry of Works, looked solemn and said, "The Censorate suddenly wants to check the military supplies of the Ministry of War today. Where is this batch of sulfur now?"

Cheng Yi hurriedly said, "In the Shuntianfu warehouse."

"Hurry up and transport it to the Ministry of Industry warehouse tonight. I will send someone to pick it up. If the Censorate finds out about the Ministry of Industry, the consequences will be disastrous."

Cheng Yi was stunned for a moment, and asked nervously: "Jingzhi, why would the Censorate suddenly investigate the Ministry of War at this time?"

"It's none of our business..."

Wang Qin shook his head and said, "No, don't worry, it's just a routine check."

"How was your trial?"

Cheng Yi shook his head and said, "That kid is very sharp-tongued. He won't confess for a while."

Wang Qin gritted his teeth and said, "If he still doesn't confess tonight, I will torture him directly, make him sign and seal his name, and convict him and exile him."

"it is good."

……

Hong Zhong found the Minister of Revenue Qin Hong and the Minister of Works Xu Guan.

Today he checked the Ministry of War's Arsenal and the Accounting Department, and found that the sulfur in the warehouse matched the account books, which meant that this batch of sulfur did not come from the Ministry of War.

Qin Hong and Xu Guan looked suspicious. If this batch of sulfur did not come from the Ministry of War, where did it come from?

Hong Zhong glanced at Xu Guan and said, "Ministry of Works."

"Huh?" Xu Guan looked at Hong Zhong in surprise.

Hong Zhong said: "The Ministry of Works wants to build a mausoleum for the Empress Dowager, and they need to blast the mountain, so they applied for sulfur, saltpeter and charcoal from the Ministry of War."

Xu Guan was stunned for a moment and looked at Qin Hong in a daze.

"I will send someone to guard the Ministry of Industry's warehouse, and I will bring someone to arrest him tonight!"

Hong Zhong cupped his hands and said, "Okay!"

After he left, Xu Guan took a long breath and said earnestly, "Could it be that the boy's business reform and outsourcing of engineering projects to the private sector were leaked?"

The only explanation is that outsourcing the project to the private sector blocked the vested interests of a group of people in the Ministry of Works, and they could get half or even more of the 200,000 taels of silver in project funds.

If these projects are outsourced to the private sector in the future, they will no longer be able to profit from it.

Once they knew that it was Chen Ce who planned these reforms, it would not be surprising to treat him in this way.

But the question is...how did they know?
Qin Hong and Xu Guan looked at each other. They both knew before that Chen Ce's identity must not be revealed, so when they did these things, no one said anything more.

I'm just afraid that this will happen.

Once someone knew what Chen Ce did behind the scenes, he would be in great danger. Now is a living example!
"Let's go to the palace."

Qin Hong said to Xu Guan that now that things were going well, it was time to tell Emperor Hongzhi. Qianqing Palace.

After listening to the report from Qin Hong and Xu Guan, Emperor Hongzhi was furious and said, "The Ministry of Works is a bunch of parasites! I didn't bother them before, but instead of being grateful, they are looking for an opportunity to retaliate?!"

"Once the evidence is irrefutable, there is no need to submit it to the Ministry of Justice. Send it directly to the Imperial Guards and kill them without mercy!"

……

At night, the lights dim.

A batch of sulfur was quietly transported from outside to the Ministry of Industry's warehouse.

Just as the sulfur arrived in front of the Ministry of Industry's warehouse, lights suddenly came on, and then a group of imperial guards surrounded all the people being transported!

The residence of Wang Qin, director of the Ministry of Works.

Wang Qin sat in the study at home with a restless mind, the light flickering. He had no intention of sleeping, waiting for the servants in the mansion to come back with report.

After thinking about the whole thing, he still felt that there should be no risk.

But today, the Censorate suddenly checked the military supplies of the Ministry of War, which made him feel that the Censorate's purpose was not simple.

Why did they suddenly check the military supplies of the Ministry of War? Was it really a routine inspection? It was too much of a coincidence.

It shouldn’t be!

He is just an ordinary businessman. Shangshu Qin and Shangshu Xu are busy with all kinds of affairs. How can they have the time to care about the life and death of a businessman?

He is just a lowly commoner. Is it necessary for him to be personally protected by two of the most powerful officials in the court?

Wang Qin walked back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back, looking outside from time to time, extremely anxious.

Why hasn't the housekeeper come back yet? It's already this late, so the work should have been done.
Dozens of Jinyiwei Tiqi had surrounded Wang Qin's mansion at this time.

Wei Wenli, holding the embroidered spring sword at his waist, strode into Wang Qin's mansion.

"master."

A doorman came quickly and found Wang Qin in the study, and whispered, "A group of Jinyiwei came outside."

boom!
Wang Qin almost fainted, but he still pretended to be calm and nodded, "Got it, take me to see..."

"No need."

Wei Wenli had already kicked open the door of Wang Qin's study.

"How dare you, Jinyiwei, trespass into my residence?"

During the Hongzhi period, the power of the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot had been severely weakened, and the civil servants were not afraid of the Jinyiwei at all.

Wei Wenli said coldly: "Without the emperor's order, I would never dare to enter your residence."

"My Lord, are you waiting for your housekeeper?"

"He has been arrested by the Censorate and has confessed everything. Do you still want to quibble? Or should you just go with me to the Imperial Guard?"

Wang Qin's expression changed slightly, and he shouted, "I want to go to the Ministry of Justice!"

Wei Wenli sneered, "Your Excellency has no right to choose. Your Excellency knows what crime you have committed, but I will not point it out. Someone will come to interrogate you."

"Let's go."

……

Shuntian Mansion.

At night, Chen Ce was about to go to sleep, but was woken up by the jailer. The jailer said, "Chen Ce, the criminal! Lord Cheng is here to interrogate you. Come with me to the back hall."

It seems that the other party can't wait any longer.

Not knowing what was going on with Censor Hong, Chen Ce nodded and said, "Oh."

Soon, he was taken to the back court. Cheng Yi, the judge of Shuntian Prefecture, pointed at Chen Ce and said, "Chen Ce, the criminal! Do you plead guilty?!"

(End of this chapter)