Dugong

Chapter 119 Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west
Shihu County leads south into Songjiang Prefecture, borders Yangzhou Prefecture to the east, and Jiaxing Prefecture to the south. These three prefectures were important salt-producing areas during the Great Yong Dynasty.

It oversaw dozens of large salt fields, collectively known as the Three Prefectures Salt Fields.

Taizhou.

Songjiang Prefecture City.

Before dawn, a long queue had already formed in front of the city gate. Li Ergou, carrying a cloth bag, mingled in the dense crowd, waiting for the gate to open so he could squeeze in amidst the chaos.

Around 7:00 AM, the city gates slowly opened.

Two lines of officials emerged from the crowd, brandishing swords and spears to drive the people back.

The city gate officer swaggered out and shouted, "Check everyone carefully! Anyone who dares to break through the gate will be arrested and flogged!"

Li Ergou looked helpless and cursed inwardly that whenever the city gate official was short of money, he would conduct strict interrogations and demand bribes.

One by one, they moved forward, and soon it was Li Ergou's turn to enter the city. He skillfully took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it into the hand of the official.

"Sir, take this to have some wine."

The officer weighed the bag in his hand and, feigning ignorance, asked, "What goods are in the bag?"

Li Ergou dared not open it in public, so he took out another piece of silver and begged for mercy, "Sir, this is a small business, it really can't withstand the losses."

The official took the money again and waved for them to leave: "Go in, but remember to leave me some cheap stuff."

Li Ergou nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."

When officials are on duty, they inspect smuggled salt, but after their shift, they still buy smuggled salt. Official salt is mixed with sand and sold at a higher price. Nobody's money comes from thin air.

At this moment.

A rumbling sound came from afar, and the ground trembled continuously. Soon after, a large, dark mass of soldiers appeared as they approached.

Leading the charge were over a hundred riders, each a tall, imposing horse.

Li Ergou had once been a horse trader and knew a bit about judging horses, but he had never seen such a vigorous and spirited steed.

When the city gate official saw the flag bearing the character "Li," he immediately sent someone to inquire about its origin and at the same time drove the people away to clear the road.

A moment later, the official returned, stumbling and scrambling, screaming in alarm: "A eunuch! It's a eunuch from the palace!"

"Something's wrong! The men are in Jiangdu County!"

The city gate official had heard a little about the imperial envoy case, and he ordered the officials to line up and bow to welcome the angel from the palace.

After a while.

Li Ping'an rode his horse through the city gate, glanced at the pale-faced gatekeeper, and ignored him, leading his troops directly into the city.

Li Ergou, mingling in the crowd, secretly sized up the young man in the red robe, thinking him to be incredibly imposing and a true man.

The streets of Taizhou City are much wider than those of Shihu County, but since the streets were not cleared in advance, there were many early-rising vendors and pedestrians.

As the army passed by, chaos ensued.

Xiao Yuzi flattered, "Godfather's trick of feinting to the east while attacking in the west and luring the tiger away from the mountain was truly brilliant, leaving Prefect Wen waiting in vain."

After leaving Shihu County, Li Ping'an sent a messenger to Taizhou City to deliver a message, saying that he would soon arrive in Jiangdu County to investigate the case of King Qi.

Halfway there, he led his troops to change course and go to the prefectural city.

Eunuch Xia scoffed, "That fellow surnamed Wen is not a tiger in the eyes of the adults; at most, he's just an eyesore of a bug."

Zhao Lian said, "It only takes five or six days to travel from Jiangdu to Taizhou and back, leaving us little time to investigate the case."

Li Ping'an nodded and said, "No need for five or six days, we'll have the case solidified tomorrow!"

It doesn't matter who killed the imperial envoy; what His Majesty wants is salt tax revenue. Following that line of thought will surely lead to the right conclusion.

After walking through several streets, we arrived at the government office.

A dozen or so officials in green robes waited at the entrance, led by Xue Tongpan, who was left to oversee the situation. In terms of rank, he was third in the prefectural government, above him were the prefect and the assistant prefect.

Judge Xue bowed and said, "Your humble servant Xue Yongze greets Your Excellency the Admiral."

Xiao Yu's face immediately darkened, and he was about to scold and curse this fellow for being so ungrateful, daring not to kneel down as a mere fifth-rank official.

Li Ping'an raised his hand to stop him, and instructed, "I am ordered to investigate a case, and I need Lord Xue to deliver some documents." Magistrate Xue replied, "Since His Majesty has decreed it, I will cooperate fully. May I ask what documents you require, sir?"

Li Ping'an said, "All the registered salt merchants in Songjiang Prefecture."

"I obey your orders."

Judge Xue instructed the clerk to fetch the documents and files, and the one leading the way said, "Please, Eunuch An."

"I trouble Your Highness to lead five hundred soldiers to seal off the four gates. Entry is permitted, but exit is not. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be killed on the spot!"

After giving his instructions, Li Ping'an dismounted and followed Magistrate Xue into the government office.

Along the way, the dilapidated and crumbling government offices were even worse than those of Shihu County. The plaque above the front gate that read "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" was faded and mottled, indicating that it had not been repaired for a long time.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

Li Ping'an chuckled a few times and said in a sarcastic tone, "Songjiang Prefecture is an important salt tax area of ​​the dynasty, but I never expected the government office to be so dilapidated."

Magistrate Xue stroked his beard and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The salt tax is the people's hard-earned money. How can it be used to repair the government office? It doesn't matter if the government office is a little dilapidated. What's truly good is that the people live well!"

Li Ping'an glanced at Xue Tongpan's official robe, the corner of which was faded and frayed, with several patches.

"Lord Xue is truly an incorruptible and virtuous official."

"I dare not accept such praise. I am merely trying to share Your Majesty's burdens and to secure a better future for the people!"

While talking.

The group arrived at the main hall of the front office, where Li Ping'an, holding the highest official rank, naturally took the seat of the chief official.

Eunuch Xia and others stood on the right, while local officials such as Prefect Xue stood on the left.

Li Ping'an's gaze swept over the group of officials: "Let's get this straight from the start. If any of you have any connection with the Salt Gang, you can be given a lighter punishment if you confess now."

As soon as he finished speaking, several officials looked tempted, but when they saw that Judge Xue was standing upright and composed, they immediately abandoned their thoughts of confessing.

Li Ping'an instructed, "Eunuch Xia, make a note of this matter. Anyone who knows their crime but refuses to admit it will be punished even more severely!"

"As ordered."

Eunuch Xia brought out a writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and sat down at the low table on the right side of the hall.

Didn't have to wait long.

The official in charge of the case brought over a thick stack of documents and bowed as he handed them over: "Sir, there are a total of thirty-two registered salt merchants in Songjiang Prefecture, large and small."

Li Ping'an casually flipped through the list, noting that eighteen of the families were located in the prefectural city, and gave his instructions.

"Xiao Yu, remove those who have passed the notes, and arrest everyone else. Don't leave out the owner, the manager, or the employees!"

"As ordered."

Xiao Yuzi bowed and accepted the order. After checking, he found that seven salt merchants in Houfu City had not submitted their notes. He immediately summoned six old eunuchs, each leading soldiers to arrest the criminals.

Judge Xue was dumbfounded. He had never seen a case investigated like this before. Shouldn't the case be analyzed first, then clues investigated, and finally the real culprit apprehended?
"Sir, is it inappropriate to arrest people like this?"

Li Ping'an took the imperial tea handed to him by the eunuch and blew on it to cool it down: "I suspect the thief who attempted to assassinate the imperial envoy is among these salt merchants. Can't we summon him and question him?"

Judge Xue had no way to refute it: "Of course you can."

"Lord Xue, we have plenty of ways to make the thief confess his crimes."

Li Ping'an said quietly, "I hope you have nothing to do with the thieves, otherwise you will be punished even more severely and your whole family will be exiled."

Looking at Eunuch An's ambiguous smile, Magistrate Xue felt a cold sweat instantly soak his back. As the saying goes, those who live near the mountains live off the mountains, and officials in Songjiang Prefecture naturally have to eat salt.

Li Ping'an sipped his tea leisurely, occasionally exchanging a few words with the young eunuch, and even wrote a letter expressing his concern for Empress Dowager Zhou when he had a spare moment.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Yuzi was the first to return and report: "Godfather, all the people from Shunxing Trading Company have been arrested. Should we interrogate them immediately?"

Li Ping'an nodded slightly and looked at the old eunuch accompanying him.

"Eunuch Kang, that depends on your methods!"

(End of this chapter)