In the next few days, Qin Mubai inspected several dikes and inspected the rice bags used to build them, further confirming that his inference was correct.

It is true that the floods in Jiangzhou are natural disasters, but some people have taken advantage of this natural disaster to make money difficult in the big country and try to cover up the previous crime of embezzling flood control funds. There are also people murdered from it.

This can already be regarded as a shocking case in the Zhenguan Datang in the peaceful and prosperous era of Langlang Qiankun!

A few years ago, Zhenguan Datang once set a record of the rule of law in Chinese history - only 29 people were sentenced to death in a whole year!

Three years ago, on September 4, the eighth year of Zhenguan, there was a sensational anecdote that caused a sensation in the world - on that day, more than 300 death row prisoners who were sent home by Li Shimin for the New Year and participated in the spring plowing and autumn harvest were not absent, and all of them returned to death row and prepared to be executed!

The cause of the incident was this: there was a custom in the Tang Dynasty that the death penalty could only be carried out after the autumn after the emperor's approval. Moreover, before the death penalty was issued, Li Shimin had to patrol the prison. As long as there are prisoners who cry out for injustice, no matter how the case is, the evidence is conclusive, and Dali Temple must be pushed back for a retrial, so as not to kill a good person by mistake.

On that day, Li Shimin patrolled more than 300 prisoners, and not one of the death row prisoners cried out for injustice. Li Shimin was surprised at the time, why there are so many more death row inmates this year than the 29 in the previous two years? Aren't these people afraid of death? Seeing that most of these death row inmates were young and middle-aged, Li Shimin suddenly decided to let these death row inmates go home to reunite with their families for the New Year and participate in the spring ploughing of the coming year, and agreed with them that they would return to the cell in the autumn of the next year to be punished.

That sounds like a fantasy. But a year later, all of the more than 300 death row inmates returned to their cells. After enjoying the last year of their lives with their families, these death row inmates were all grateful, and they were willing to die, which touched everyone including Li Shimin on the spot. Li Shimin immediately granted amnesty, pardoned all these people, and released them home

Zhenguan Datang has always been politically clear, has good public order, and has always advocated "prudent punishment". The crime rate is also quite low. However, such a bad incident happened in Jiangzhou, and I really don't know how Li Shimin and the more than 300 death row inmates will feel when they find out.

After a few days of secret investigation and evidence collection, Qin Mubai has made the case very clear. So he found Li Ke and the two to talk secretly.

Qin Mubai first told Li Ke about the various evidence and inferences he found and asked Li Ke's opinion: "Is it time for Your Highness to arrest these corrupt officials and evil officials?" ”

"Not busy." Li Ke waved his hand unhurriedly and said: "Recently, we have been busy with the resettlement of disaster victims, the reconstruction of homes, and the restoration of agriculture, and all the officials in Jiangzhou Mansion are doing their best. If you suddenly start to arrest people at this time, you will definitely startle the grass and snakes, and make a lot of noise. It's not good for the big picture. ”

"Your Highness is very true." Qin Mubai said: "The officials of the local prefectures and counties are not as good as the officials in Beijing, and they cooperate closely with each other, and the relationship is also very strong. I always feel that Jiangzhou is not a small case here. The officials here seemed to be firmly embraced like a deep-rooted tree. If we start to pull up a certain tree root, I'm afraid we will have to move the whole body. A tree can be lifted easily without much strength. But if its roots are intertwined and sinuous in the dirt, it will not be so easy. ”

"Well said." The corners of Li Ke's eyes flashed with a gleam, and he said softly: "In the past few days, I have specially sent Quan Wanji to go to Jiangzhou Prefecture in the name of recruiting the hands of the people's wife. In fact, it is to find out the details of Cheng Songnian, Ma Kun and others. The results are great! ”

"Is there anything special about it?" Qin Mubai asked.

"Yes. And it's not just ordinary. Li Ke said: "It turns out that Cheng Songnian and Ma Kun are not ordinary laymen. Cheng Songnian, a small Wupinzhou thorn history, has a great history. As early as more than ten years ago, he was a small official in the mansion of Li Jiancheng, the hidden prince. After his father ascended the throne, he did not carry out a purge and exterminate these people, but appeased them, and most of them were reappointed. At that time, Cheng Songnian was appointed as the county magistrate of this Ji County, and he worked for seven or eight years. Until five years ago, I didn't know what kind of way he had entrusted, and he had a relationship with the Shengnanhou Mansion in Jiangzhou, and married his daughter as a concubine. Then he had a smooth official road and worked all the way until he made the history of the Honshu assassination. Mu Bai, do you know who this Shengnanhou is? ”

"Who?"

"He's my eldest brother, the younger brother of the prince's nurse." Li Ke smiled to himself: "Don't underestimate the nurse." Most of the children and grandchildren of our royal family have been brought up by the nurse since childhood, and the relationship with the nurse is sometimes closer than that of the mother. In private, the prince saw this Shengnan Marquis and called him 'uncle'! I treat my nurse's son like a brother. Didn't you just gamble with them last time and play too crazy to be impeached? ”

"In this way, Jiangzhou is really a place with big roots and deep roots. The prince is actually involved! Qin Mubai wrinkled his brows, thinking back to what the emperor had confessed, and suddenly understood in his heart: no wonder the emperor's words were so ambiguous, it turned out that he had long thought that this matter might be related to Shengnanhou, so as to involve the crown prince. Now the ups and downs of the Manchurian Dynasty are all about how the prince disdains the emperor and has the intention to abolish it. If this case involves the prince again, it will be really sensitive. No wonder the emperor repeatedly told Li Ke and Qin Mubai not to be in a hurry to startle the snake, and if there were special circumstances, they should first play back to him.

"This Ma Kun's path is not small!" Li Ke said: "A few years ago, he was just a small ordinary soldier, why did he suddenly rise so quickly to become a captain of the fifth grade, in charge of the state's soldiers and horses? It turned out that this Ma Kun was Cheng Songnian's worshipper, and the two brothers were on an errand together in the Hidden Prince's Mansion. After the Xuanwu Gate, Ma Kun left the Hidden Prince's Mansion because he was an insignificant little person, and returned home to continue farming, at most an ordinary soldier. But later, Cheng Song's achievements promoted him to his brother until he became the captain of the Jiangzhou Mansion. He and Cheng Songnian are both literate and martial arts in Jiangzhou, which can be said to be covering the sky. Coupled with Shengnanhou's relationship in the capital, taking care of Jiangzhou is simply a country of its own - of course, the king of this country is naturally Shengnanhou. Cheng Songnian and Ma Kun are just his accomplices. ”

"What an irony! A little Shengnanhou dares to be so perverse! Qin Mubai couldn't help but sneer: "Your Highness, what are you going to do now?" If this is reported, although we have no conclusive evidence now, as long as the emperor sends people from Yushi and Dali Temple to investigate thoroughly, it will definitely be able to find out. At that time, the gang of tumors from Jiangzhou will be able to be wiped out and uprooted. ”

"I know that." Li Ke twisted his brows, and his face was embarrassed: "Actually, it's not difficult to clean up Shengnanhou, Cheng Songnian and others." Although they seem to be relatively powerful, they are at most only worthy of running rampant in front of state and county officials, and this king has not yet taken them seriously. It's just that...... This matter concerns the prince and has to be cautious. Do you know that my father has always hated the emperor's relatives the most, only breaking the law, relying on his own identity to cover up and do misdeeds. Last time I was impeached, one of the important reasons why my father was so angry and punished me so severely was that he couldn't get used to me messing around with my nurse's sons. My father personally reprimanded me, as a royal person, I must always think about maintaining the dignity of the royal family and take responsibility for it. The identity of the emperor's relatives is not used to bully the upper and lower levels, and to fish and flesh the people. This time, if he knew that the younger brother of the prince's nurse was so perverse and rebellious...... It's hard for me to say whether the emperor will use this to disadvantage the crown prince. ”

"I understand your feelings." Qin Mubai said: "Now the wind of competing for the heir and the prince above the court is getting stronger and stronger, the two camps of the prince and the king of Wei are incompatible with each other, and the emperor is very annoyed by this, but there is no perfect solution for a while, so they are a little anxious." If you suddenly join the prince at this time...... That's really hard to think about. Will the emperor and his ministers speculate that King Wu is helping King Wei compete for the crown prince or does he want to jump out and get a piece of the pie? As the saying goes, melon fields are not accepted, and Li Xia is not crowned. Even if you don't have the intention, you won't be able to escape suspicion. Once you are swept up in this torrent, it will be unpredictable. ”

"Not bad." Li Ke raised his eyebrows and said, "If I hide it and don't report it, it will also be a big crime to cover up the stubbornness." And so I don't know how to be good! Among the people in this case, Zhu Chengwen, who died unexplained, the people of the two counties who were poisoned by the flood, the state treasury property that was embezzled by corrupt officials and moths, and the soldiers who died in the flood fighting and disaster relief. In my sleep, there are often countless unjust souls haunting me, and those corrupt officials and corrupt officials seem to be shouting and provoking me with their teeth and claws - I am not willing to let go of those corrupt officials and evil officials no matter what! ”

"Does Your Highness want a foolproof solution?" Qin Mubai said lightly.

Li Ke's eyes lit up with surprise on his face: "What is Mu Bai's plan?" ”

"Yes, yes, but it's not necessarily pretty, and it's a bit silly." Qin Mubai smiled.

"Speak quickly!"

"If you want to do both, you have to start with the analysis of His Majesty the Emperor." Qin Mubai said: "Obviously, the emperor had vaguely sensed that there were ghosts in Jiangzhou before he sent us to Jiangzhou. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so low-key and secretive, and he had secretly ordered the two of us to investigate secretly and not be in a hurry to startle the snake. With the emperor's usual thunderous style, this is very abnormal. Therefore, unless he had already guessed that the matter was about the crown prince, he would not do so. ”

"Makes sense! Keep talking! ”

Qin Mubai said: "I was on an errand in the harem, and I came into contact with the emperor and the imperial family every day, and summed up a characteristic of the emperor. I don't know if it's right or wrong when I say it. If you are to Your Highness, continue to listen to me; If not, you will be treated as if we have not heard anything, and we will not have to discuss. Luckily? ”

"Okay, you can talk about it." Li Ke said decisively: "You should understand my personality." No matter how unbearable you are, you will never betray your friends! ”