A news that seemed very ordinary to others, but shocked that Lu Zhen had not been able to come back to his senses for a long time suddenly came - just over half a month ago, Yu Yanzhao, the father of Yu Qian, a high-ranking official in the court, died of illness. At this time, Yu Qian, who was still serving as the governor of Henan, immediately resigned to the imperial court.

What Lu Zhen was worried about before still happened, after learning of his father's death, although the emperor kept him several times, Yu Qian still insisted on returning to his hometown to keep filial piety for his deceased father. In the end, out of filial piety, the imperial court temporarily allowed him to resign from the post of governor of Henan and rushed back to Hangzhou for funeral.

This news did not cause much fluctuation in the officialdom, because for the officials or scholars of this era, it is natural to keep filial piety for three years for the deceased parents, especially the father, but those officials who allow the love of the Son of Heaven are outliers in their eyes.

Only Lu Zhen felt a burst of uneasiness and anxiety. Once Yu Qian leaves the officialdom, what will the situation in Beijing be like when the catastrophe strikes two years later? After countless elites of the Ming Dynasty were buried in the defeat of Tumubao, and without Yu Qian, the last pillar, the world of the Ming Dynasty is likely to collapse!

But at this time, he is not even an official, so naturally he can't influence the minds of Yu Qian or the imperial court, so he can only pray that God can put everything back on track.

Just when he was worried about the future of the Ming Dynasty, Qingle, who had not appeared for a long time, suddenly appeared in front of him that night.

At that time, Lu Zhen was walking back and forth in the courtyard, thinking about whether he could send a letter to Hu Hu and ask him to come forward and ask him to recall the Son of Heaven Yu Qian. However, how to write this letter made him feel embarrassed, after all, such a major event in the DPRK and China was not something that a person like him who dismissed the government could mix casually.

At this moment, there was a sound on the ground, and a figure quickly turned in from outside the wall, which really startled Lu Jin. It wasn't until he saw clearly that it was Qinggel that he breathed a sigh of relief: "Why are you here?" But did you find anything? Qinggele, who has not been seen for many days, looks much darker and thinner at this time than before, and obviously has suffered a lot.

"I'm sorry to disturb you." Qingge smiled a little apologetically, and then nodded: "Exactly, the villain and Brother Lin finally found some clues and evidence after this period of investigation. ”

"Oh? Let's hear it. Lu Jin's face suddenly showed joy, and the worries in his heart were swept away. Now that he is in Suzhou and has no official status, it is useless to worry about the affairs in the court, so it is better to focus on himself.

Now that the ambush planted before has worked, let's put aside the happy things first and go all out to deal with the Yan family!

It turned out that Lin Lie and Qinggele disappeared during this period of time, but they disguised themselves into the canal and entered the Yan family-related industries, in order to find the handle of his family's business house.

Whether it was his understanding of the Cao Yun before the crossing, or some of the information he heard later when he was an official in Hangzhou, Lu Zhen could be sure that the Yan family, who had colluded with the Cao Gang, had other shady activities in addition to the legal accidents in the Cao Yun matter.

In fact, in a sense, this is an open secret in officialdom. Because the government needs local forces such as the Cao Gang and the Yan family to help them transport taxes and goods, and the latter also happens to use this to strengthen its own power and reap enough benefits.

Because this is a mutually beneficial business, the government mostly turns a blind eye to the practices of people like the Yan family, and just disappears. Of course, there is a degree to all this, once it exceeds a certain degree, or it is reported and exposed by someone with a heart, and evidence is presented, the government can only break the wrist of the strong man and abandon the pawn to protect the car.

After turning around and returning to his room and serving Qinggele a cup of hot tea with his own hands, Lu Zhen spoke again: "What have you found, tell me quickly." ”

Qinggel took the tea, thanked him, and then said: "My lord, in fact, not long after we entered the trading house at Yanjia Wharf, we already noticed that they were transporting goods that had not been taxed, such as tea and silk and other things, mixed with the goods sent to other prefectures and counties by various yamen in Suzhou Prefecture. However, these are not only his Yan family, but also other businessmen who are close to the Cao Gang and the Cao Yun Yamen, even if they get the evidence, it is difficult to really hurt their bones, so I didn't let Brother Lin come to report. ”

Lu Zhen nodded knowingly: "You did a good job." Even if this matter can really cure the sin of his Yan family, with the current situation of the big and small businessmen in Suzhou City, we can't expose it. Otherwise, there will be too many people to offend. He was not false, for this kind of tax evasion was very fruitful, and it made the shrewd southeastern merchants, who had a little way, take this road of getting rich quickly. Moreover, these people must have colluded with the government a long time ago, and if Lu Zhen lifted the lid, there would be too many people to offend.

Not to mention that he is now just a master who has been dismissed, even if he has an official position, in the case of ruining the good things and future of so many people, I am afraid that he will be swallowed up by this huge force.

Seeing Lu Zhen say this, Qinggele greatly appreciated in his heart, he really followed the right person, although he was not very old, but his mind was quite cautious and meticulous. Then he added: "Therefore, we continue to patiently search for other incriminating evidence." Just yesterday, we found something even more damning......"

"But what?" Lu Zhen immediately sat up straight and asked with some concern. He could tell from Qingler's words that something was anything but ordinary, and his heart beat a little faster.

"It's salt, salt shipped to the north!" Although Qinggele's words were very light, they were very clear, which made Lu Jin stunned for a while: "Are they really so bold? ”

Since the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains Dynasty has implemented a system of salt and iron monopoly. Of course, this system was strictly controlled by the imperial court, and only a certain number of merchants recognized by the government were allowed to buy and sell not only salt and iron, such as horses, such as tea, and even wine in the Song Dynasty could only be sold with the approval of the government.

However, no matter how it changes, this salt and steel that can be used to make weapons have always been strictly controlled by the government. But the more tightly the court controls this, the higher the benefits it can produce. Under the temptation of huge profits, it is natural that countless people will go forward and take risks one after another.

In terms of steel, because the demand is not too great, and it is all about dealing with foreigners or rebels, few people have to touch it, but this salt is something that ordinary people can't lack. As a result, in all dynasties, the existence of smuggler salt dealers was indispensable everywhere.

Although all imperial courts strictly cracked down on the trafficking of illicit salt, especially the Ming Dynasty, which set a severe punishment for the crime of smuggling more than 50 catties of illicit salt, it was still difficult to stop this trend. On the southeast coast, as well as in some places where salt is abundant, there are always people who try to take the salt out and sell it to the north.

And now, the Yan family is actually involved in such a headless matter, which really shocks Lu Jin. Are they so lawless that they think no one cares about them?

As long as this matter is exposed, as long as there is evidence, then I am afraid that no one will be able to save them.

After being stunned for a long time, he asked, "Have you found out?" Is it really private salt? It's not that Lu Jin doesn't believe in Qinggrad, it's because the matter is too big, and he has to be cautious.

Qingge also looked back at Lu Zhen cautiously, and then nodded: "This can't be wrong, because Brother Lin and I stole into a few ships last night to check and confirm it again and again." The merchant ships that will leave the Suzhou Canal Wharf the day after tomorrow will be used for ballast as private salt. ”

Hearing this, Lu Zhen gasped again: "What a big guts, what a big hand!" ”

Generally speaking, large cargo ships will put heavy objects in the bilge to ensure their own stability. And the ballast is generally just a weighty stone. Some merchant ships smuggled, and some replaced ballast with goods that had not been taxed, and as long as the government did not conduct strict inspections, it would pass.

But now, the Yan family is so bold that they use illicit salt to ballast, which is not an ordinary trafficking of illicit salt, at most, only a hundred catties. With the size of the Yan family's merchant ship, several ships added together, I am afraid that there will be thousands of catties of private salt that will leave the Suzhou wharf. This is now in front of the decree of the Ming Dynasty, which is enough to kill their entire family more than a hundred times!

In a sense, once the Yan family is allowed to do this business, they will no longer be ordinary smuggler salt dealers, but can be called salt lords.

After sighing, Lu Zhen couldn't help muttering again: "Where did they get so much private salt?" ”

"We can't find this. It was only when we accidentally discovered that there was illicit salt hidden on the ship. Qingler shook his head.

Lu Zhen is no longer entangled in this, as long as the Yan family's ships are detained and it is found that there is indeed illicit salt, are you afraid that you will not be able to ask the origin of these illicit salts from their mouths?

Thinking of this, he raised his teacup: "Well done." This time, you not only helped me, but also helped the government a lot. If this batch of illicit salt is really transported to the north, it will inevitably cause more trouble. ”

"The adults are overrated, it's just the luck of the two villains." Qingler hurriedly said modestly, and at the same time raised his glass.

But before they could drink a cup of tea instead of wine, suddenly there was another tom sound outside, which made Qingle's eyebrows rise suddenly, and in a trembling hand, a short knife had fallen into his right palm, and then he leaned towards the door.

Lu Jin's heart was also mentioned: Could it be that the Yan family noticed their identities, so they chased them all the way and wanted to kill them?

Just as the two of them were ready to go, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door: "My lord, Qinggrad, there is an accident at the dock!" But it was Lin Lie who also rushed back.