Chapter 66 vanished

Early in the morning of the second day, because of the blockade of the city, the foreign merchants stationed in Zhenjiang City rushed to the prefect's yamen one after another. Bayi Chinese ??.

The acquaintances exchanged heads and ears, but they didn't know what was going on with the Yamen being called.

"Brother Cheng, don't you suspect that we have something to do with the Zhenjiang Warehouse?" An obese guy said worriedly to Brother Cheng beside him, but he was still sweating profusely in the cold morning.

"That's not it, if that's the case, how can you invite us to come in a friendly manner, I'm afraid that we will already be shackled." Brother Cheng shook his head and said.

The fat man nodded hurriedly and said with admiration: "What Brother Cheng said is very true, and the younger brother was confused for a while. But it's not a matter that the city gate is closed and you are not allowed to go out, and the two ships of goods are still waiting to go to sea, if you miss the ship, the loss is immeasurable. ”

Brother Cheng nodded, and said with the same sad face: "Who said no, the fleet will go to sea in ten days, if you can't catch up with Quanzhou, this season's business will be all in vain." ”

As he was talking, Deng Youcai, who looked depressed, appeared in everyone's sight, which immediately caused an uproar. "Yo, isn't that Lord Deng from the Maritime Yamen, why is he here?"

Deng Youcai looked up at the crowded scene in front of him, and immediately felt that his legs were sore, and his body began to tremble slightly. It seems that Lord Shen really doesn't plan to let himself go, how can this be good?

"I've seen Lord Deng." A merchant greeted him with a smile on his face. "My lord, the villain's three ships of goods are stranded in the city, if you don't go out of the city, the transaction will be delayed, you are accommodating, can you let the villain's goods out of the city?"

Some people took the lead, and the rest of the people also gathered around, all with humble words and pleading faces. This maritime yamen is extraordinary, and the governor is the current emperor's letter and minister Shen Chongming, if the maritime yamen can say a few words for the big guys, the prefect yamen will no longer dare to stop everyone from leaving the city.

The future is bleak, Deng Youcai's mood is naturally bad, if it was normal, he would have reprimanded these merchants who don't know the depths.

But now that he is in danger, his future can be said to be in the hands of these people, and it is too late to please him, so how can he scold.

"Hehe, everyone, don't be impatient, everyone's difficulties are well understood, and they will arrange this matter." Deng Youcai rarely squeezed out a smile, and almost knelt down and begged these merchants to wait for a few kind words for him in front of Shen Chongming.

The merchants didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Lord Deng's gourd, but when they heard him say this, they also cheered, and their voices of gratitude immediately sounded.

finally got rid of everyone and entered the yamen, and met a Jinyi guard official at the head. Although he didn't look like a big man at a young age, Deng Youcai still saluted respectfully: "This lord, the lower official Deng Youcai, I don't know where Lord Shen is?" ”

"Hehe, Lord Deng, this official Chen Xiao, Lord Shen is waiting for you, please come with me." Chen Xiao was full of smiles, it seemed that this guy was panicked.

Walking into the backyard without expectations, Chen Xiao took Deng Youcai straight into the main hall of the mansion. Looking at this formation, Deng Youcai's legs were weak and he almost fell to the ground!

"Your Majesty, your subordinate Deng Deng is talented, and you will meet the Governor." Deng Youcai lay on the ground and said tremblingly, with such a formation, it seems that Shen Chongming is really going to take himself.

Shen Chongming didn't wait to see it, and directly ordered: "Invite the merchants outside the yamen in." ”

There are really a lot of merchants, and no one dares to approach the majestic and spacious lobby except for Deng Youcai, who is kneeling in the middle, and even the officials on both sides are squeezed into the corner.

"Outside of all the members, this official Shen Chongming. This time, I rashly invited you to come, because there is one thing that needs your help, if it delays everyone's time, I hope you will be able to do it. Shen Chongming was kind, and he didn't put on a stand as an official of the imperial court in front of these merchants at all.

Hearing that he reported his name, the merchants' eyes immediately widened, he turned out to be the famous Shen Chongming? After a moment of silence, everyone immediately knelt down and kowtowed, their heads on their buttocks, and their faces were full of gratitude. As for the nobleman, now the business is going smoothly, thanks to Lord Shen.

"Hehe, everyone, hurry up and excuse me." Shen Chongming's face was full of spring breeze, and he was sincerely grateful by so many people, isn't this what he wanted?

Seeing the two sides like this, Deng Youcai, who was kneeling there, was like ashes, and the last bit of hope was all shattered.

"Master Deng, what do you have to say?" Shen Chongming's face changed when he said it, but when he looked at Deng Youcai again, he was already as cold as ice.

"My lord, the lower official is also confused for a while, please look at the merits of my Zhenjiang Maritime Yamen this year, and give the lower official a chance to reform himself." Deng Youcai's face was full of pleading, and he was no longer as cunning as yesterday.

The merchants present looked shocked, and they originally felt strange when they looked at Lord Deng, who used to dominate Zhenjiang Mansion, kneeling there, but looking at the neat official robe on his body, they didn't dare to think deeply. At this time, when he heard this, he really committed something and was held by Lord Shen!

"Hmph, you use your power for personal gain, and harm past merchants for your own selfish interests, how can you have your share in the merits of this Zhenjiang Maritime Yamen?" Shen Chongming's expression was stern, and he didn't give Deng Youcai a chance at all.

"My lord......" Deng Youcai still wanted to quibble, but after looking back and forth at the faces of the merchants full of surprised expressions, he was speechless, which said that the designation would be exposed.

"Hmph, there's nothing to say, right?" Shen Chongming smiled coldly, then looked up at the merchants and said with a smile: "Ladies and gentlemen, this official has some things to deal with here, you can go to the back office for a while to drink tea and rest, and this official will arrive later." ”

Although everyone really wanted to see the second-grade officials investigate and deal with corrupt officials and open their eyes, they immediately cleaned up their mood and walked out after hearing Shen Chongming's words. The ending has been guessed, this arrogant Lord Deng for more than half a year is going to be unlucky.

Seeing everyone walk out of the main hall, Shen Chongming leaned back and said, "Say, explain all your crimes, don't be careful, otherwise the crime will be added to the crime!" ”

"Yes, yes, the guilty must confess truthfully, and must confess truthfully." Deng Youcai nodded hurriedly, wiped the sweat on his forehead with his right hand, and happily explained the crimes he had committed in the past year. Now that it is impossible to quibble, the next step is to seriously confess the crime, in order to atone for the crime.

"What did you do with all the dirty silver?" The number of confessions is more than he estimated, more than 300,000 taels before and after. However, in this way, the amount is a little wrong, and there is a loss of nearly 100,000 taels of silver.

"My lord, if I tell the truth, will it be considered as atonement?" Deng Youcai asked tremblingly, confessing the crime, he was also scared enough, in just one year, he actually got so much silver. That's the amount, ten kills are enough!

Shen Chongming frowned, pulled out the radish and brought out the mud? "Do you think there's still a bargain?"

Deng Youcai smiled bitterly and said: "My lord, in addition to the dirty silver obtained, in addition to the purchase of two mansions and the opening of three shops, the remaining 100,000 taels are all filial piety to Lord Wang in the capital. ”

"Lord Wang?" Shen Chongming couldn't help but wonder, the Jingguan himself knew a lot, but he had never heard of a powerful person surnamed Wang interfering in the affairs of the maritime yamen.

"My lord, Lord Wang is Wang Siming in the Qing Dynasty of my maritime yamen." Deng Youcai said cautiously. It is said that Lord Wang and Lord Shen are friends in the same year, and the relationship between one and one Tanhua is very good.

Shen Chongming only felt a bang in his head, and let him guess in every way, he didn't expect Wang Siming to do such a thing!

Although the two have interacted less and less in recent years, their impression of Wang Siming has always been good. Suddenly, when he heard that he had accepted bribes from his subordinates, Shen Chongming's heart was like falling into an ice cellar!

Taking a deep breath, Shen Chongming looked up at Deng Youcai, who was full of hope, and ordered: "Come on, take this corrupt official down, and wait for the official to deal with the affairs at hand before convicting him." ”

"My lord, the criminal has been exposed, you can't bend the law for personal gain." Seeing that Shen Chongming didn't mention his meritorious service at all, Deng Youcai couldn't help but be anxious. Shouldn't it be that officials protect each other, he Shen Chongming wants to keep Wang Siming, right?

"The official has his own conclusion on the matter, how can you be allowed to talk nonsense here, and go down!" Shen Chongming reprimanded, whether to keep Wang Siming or not, he can't make up his mind now.

"Oh, the upper beam is not right and the lower beam is crooked, you have to deal with this matter properly, brother." Seeing Shen Chongming sitting there frowning, Liu Shouyou, who was sitting on the side, said. For Wang Siming, he has also heard a little that the third-in-command of the maritime yamen can be called a low authority. As one of the core figures of the maritime yamen, no matter how he is, he must be considered clearly, and he must not cause a big shock, otherwise the weak maritime yamen, which has not been established for a long time, will not be able to withstand it at all.

Shen Chongming sighed helplessly, "Let's talk about it later, for now, we should hurry up and deal with the Wuwei Sect." ”

After such an incident, Shen Chongming was inevitably a little depressed, and the original intention of having a good chat with the merchants was gone, so he hurriedly met and beat everyone away.

Looking back at Chen Xiao, it can be said that he has been sad in the past few days. With the experience of the last time, Wuwei Jiao's actions this time were extremely fast, and the few clues at hand were clueless one after another, and the whole case came to a standstill in a blink of an eye.

"My lord, my subordinates are incompetent." Chen Xiao said dejectedly, there was no progress in the matter, and he was a little embarrassed to face Shen Chongming.

"Hehe, eat a trench and grow a wisdom, this inaction will also learn to be smart, if it is easy for us to find out, then they will not be able to match them." Shen Chongming was in a good state of mind and was not too anxious about this matter.

Chen Xiao nodded, "My lord, what should we do next?" ”

"Tomorrow is the last day of the half-moon period, and the day after tomorrow will open the gates of the city. As for the future, the case will still be investigated, but it won't take so much manpower, as long as the Wuwei sect suppresses those who dare not act openly, their power will not be displayed, and one day they will be self-defeating. Shen Chongming said with a smile, not taking Wuwei in his eyes at all.

Chen Xiao smiled, and then asked cautiously, "What about Miss Ziqian......

"Ignore it, let her go." Shen Chongming's brows furrowed at the mention of this, this girl disappeared and deliberately avoided herself, where to find her in this vast sea of people.

Chen Xiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief, finding Miss Ziqian was more difficult to do than doing something that was not taught, if the adults insisted on forcing it, he would be sad to death.

"As soon as the city gate opens the day after tomorrow, Lord Liu and I will go to Huguang to find the second egg, and the matter here will be left to you for the time being. In addition, all localities must be notified that they must send personnel to check all kinds of shops with a large number of personnel, and they must not be given the opportunity to take advantage of the lack of education. Shen Chongming commanded.

"Yes, my subordinates will do it." Chen Xiao bowed down to receive the order, turned around and walked out.