The selection of the Chamber of Commerce has begun in secret, and 'Jingwei' laboriously analyzes all the information of the nobles, looking for all the clues of cooperation between the powerful and the merchants.

And as the date approached, in the turmoil of Taiyi City, some powerful people also chose to watch, but they did not leave Taiyi City, but waited for the results, and then prepared to buy those manufacturing methods from the merchants at a high price, as well as the permission order of the household department.

Zong Chuke is now busy with Bai Chun every day, and since the two waiters from the left and right of the household department came, Bai Chun and Zong Chuke have a chance to breathe.

The arrival of Dai Zhide, Liu Zhengli and others also made ordinary people realize that this time there seems to be something unknown happening behind the ordinary Chamber of Commerce!

Hua Meng led Dai Zhide and others to Taiyi City for three more days, and was allowed by the prince to visit Helan Minzhi and others. In the middle, Li Hong has never even seen them, and has been avoiding them, no matter who asks to see them, it is not easy to do it.

These people are basically coming to Taiyi City for the first time, and when they see the prosperous scene of Taiyi City, they are already surprised and almost drop their jaws on the ground.

But when the carriage drove out of Taiyi City and slowly walked towards the forbidden area, far away, they had already seen the forbidden area wall that was surrounded like a long dragon!

There are only five gates in the long dragon city wall, except for the middle gate, which is a walk, the other four city walls are even transporting goods day and night.

In just five or six years, the prince's childish language caused all the courtiers to laugh in the Taiji Palace, and now when they see this scene, they are already dumbfounded, and they can't believe the scene in front of them.

The gate of the city is guarded by the prince's left and right guards, and the interrogation of them and others is also extremely strict, and the whole process is always dark, and he is wondering if this is the prince who will repay him, and he deliberately embarrass them!

In the end, he couldn't help it, and asked Hua Meng next to him: "Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have to go through such a tedious and rigorous investigation every time he comes?" ”

"Dai Shangshu, the prince naturally doesn't need it, everything in this Taiyi City is his, so naturally he doesn't need it." Hua Meng replied humbly.

"What about Bai Chun? Since this Taiyi City is His Royal Highness the Prince, should Bai Chun also be interrogated? After Dai Zhide finished asking, he didn't wait for Hua Meng to answer to know the result.

The seven or eight people in the carriage were all checked, and only Hua Meng was fine, standing aside and watching them. Hua Meng is like this, so Bai Chun must not be said, it is naturally unimpeded.

"Bai Chun is responsible for managing this forbidden area, so naturally there is no need to check it." Hua Meng replied again without seriousness.

"Humph!" Dai Zhide snorted again, the tedious investigation was finally over, and the carriage carried them again and began to enter the mysterious forbidden area of Taiyi City.

The place where Helan Minzhi and the others were held was naturally not a good place, and an iron gate made of newly made steel exuded a cold murderous aura and ruthlessness!

When Dai Zhide and the others saw this iron gate, they all frowned involuntarily, and walked all the way, this forbidden area looked like a small city, making people feel no pressure and discomfort at all.

But until they stepped into this courtyard, the coldness and murderous aura that came to their faces still made them feel cold for a while.

"Where are the people?" Dai Zhide asked.

"In the dungeon." Hua Meng said with his eyes lowered.

The heavy iron door was slowly opened from the inside, and suddenly there was a pungent fishy smell, which made Dai Zhide and the others dizzy for a while, and they almost couldn't help but vomit.

"You're all locked up here?" This time it was Honglu Temple Qing Cui Dunli frowned and asked.

If those envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty were also imprisoned in such a dark and smelly place, if it spread in the future, it would be a heavy blow to the long-awaited state of etiquette for the Tang Dynasty.

Hua Meng didn't even want to speak this time, just nodded, no way, the smell of blood was too strong, and even breathing was a little uncomfortable, if he opened his mouth to speak, he always felt that the smell of blood had gone down his throat to his stomach.

Several people endured the difficulty of breathing, and slowly walked down the dim steps after Hua Meng.

The oil lamp in the cell was also listless, as if it had absorbed too much blood, and it was stained with a hint of demonism.

There is an iron fence in every room, and inside the iron fence are the imprisoned Helan Minzhi and others, and their treatment is not much better, the only thing in the room is a humanoid wooden stake, and everyone is tied to it solidly.

And the body is covered with blood, and the cloak is scattered, and it is impossible to tell whether it is a human or a ghost.

Doctor Gao Zhi of Yushitai covered his mouth and nose with his hands, and said angrily: "Take away Helan Minzhi, Ning Daoming, Xiao Shougui, Xiao Shoudao and the two envoys of the Wa Kingdom." ”

Before Hua Meng could speak, a miserable cry came from the innermost cell: "Adults save me, let me out, I don't dare anymore, please, let me out, I really know it's wrong, I ......don't dare anymore." ”

"Shut up!" The guard in the dungeon shouted coldly, and the voice disappeared immediately.

"Helan Minzhi?" Dai Zhide looked at Hua Meng and was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly walked to the innermost cell.

"Ah......h Dai Zhide ran over defenselessly, and when he saw the people inside, he couldn't help but cry out in fright.

Everyone followed his footsteps and arrived, and suddenly everyone was pale, which ...... Is it really a person tied to the stake in the cell?

"Whose idea was this? Is it really the crown prince? Hasn't he always been virtuous in kindness and filial piety? Why did you make such a ruthless move! Dai Zhide looked at Helan Minzhi, who was no longer human, and could no longer control the anger in his heart, and ignored the pungent smell of blood in the prison, and roared angrily.

Helan Minzhi, who was naked, did not have a piece of complete skin on his body, and his whole body was covered with blood and buzzing flies lying on his body.

Behind Dai Zhide, the officials of the Criminal Department, Zongzheng Temple, Dali Temple, and Yushitai who followed in were also taken aback by the scene in front of them, which was too vicious.

"Release people, release people immediately, and send them to Taiyi City for treatment." Dai Zhide pointed to Hua Meng's nose and shouted.

"I want to see what you Dai Zhide is capable of, and what reason you have to take him away from here!" Li Hong's cold voice came from the prison door.

"You ......." Dai Zhide didn't expect that the prince, who had been with them for several days, would show up at this time.

"What am I? As a scholar of the Ministry of Rites, you don't know how to deal with insulting the first emperor? Or do you Dali Temple, Yushitai, as well as your Criminal Department and Zongzheng Temple not understand this? The dignified Tang Emperor's dormitory has become a place for them to drink and have fun, and enjoy singing and dancing! Have you fed all the kindness you have to the emperor to the dogs! Li Hong approached slowly, step by step, and every sentence was sharp!

"Helan Minzhi, Lone asks you one by one, if you dare to talk nonsense again, don't blame Lone for continuing to torture you." Li Hong was like a demon coming out of hell, with a thick and pungent smell of blood, as if he couldn't smell it at all.

"Tell Lonely, who gave you the privilege to enter Cuiwei Palace?" Li Hong looked at Dai Zhide and the others and asked coldly.

"Back to Your Highness, I bribed Wei Siqing and then ran in." Helan Minzhi's neck seemed to be broken, he drooped his head, and replied with a strong spirit.

"How many times have you been dispatched to the prison guard?" Li Hong lowered his head and kicked the floor tiles under his feet and said.

"This ...... I don't remember exactly, it's been three or four years. ”

"This is the first time you've entered Cuiwei Palace?"

"The second time."

"What does the envoy of the Japanese kingdom have to do with you? Why are they there? ”

"They want to be able to get all the methods you have in Taiyi City, Your Highness, so they came to me."

"How did Zongzheng Temple, Shaofu Supervisor, Xiao Shougui, and Xiao Shoudao conspire with you?"

“…………………………。”

With more than an hour of inquiry, the faces of Dai Zhide and the others became darker and darker, this is a capital crime, a crime of joint sitting!

Not to mention Helan Minzhi or Xiao Shoudao and Xiao Shougui, it is the prefect of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, Zongzheng Temple, and the Shaofu Supervisor, if this matter is really investigated, they will be pulled out and slashed, which is the lightest punishment.

"Dai Shangshu, Cui Siqing, this envoy of the Japanese State insulted the royal family so much in my Tang Dynasty, I want to know, what do you think? On weekdays, the two of you communicate and contact with them, and the Datang etiquette they have learned has been learned in the dog's belly, or have you not taught it in the same pig brain? Dai Zhide, what kind of face do you have to come in and scream? Do you still have a light on your face as a scholar of the Ministry of Rites? The majesty of the royal family has been trampled under the feet and insulted, why did you let me go? Li Hong's remarks, no one gave a good face.

Seeing that everyone was silent, and occasionally there was only the unbearable crying of Helan Minzhi in prison, Li Hong's eyes flashed with coldness, and he continued: "My Tang Dynasty favor is greater than the law, let me show you, this is the will given to me by my father and the queen mother, and these, all of them are special letters of plea written by you high-ranking officials!" Your high-ranking officials are all given by Datang, but you still have to be a moth of Datang, and you have to intercede for them! If you want to ask for mercy, take off your official uniform, and they will be free, and you will be at your disposal, how about it? ”

"Your Highness is angry, and the ministers and others are still asking Your Highness to consider this matter." Cui Zhiwen, the secretary of the Criminal Department, said.

Cui Dunli, the secretary of Honglu Temple, also bowed down and said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince taught him that it was the minister who failed to manage the foreign envoys well, and the minister was guilty of the crime, so please punish the prince." ”

"Reprimand? Punishment is only a symptom but not a cure. As for the Ministry of Rites and you, after returning to Chang'an City, go to my father and the emperor to confess the guilt, as for when the person will take it away, when will I give me a satisfactory result, when will I take it away, and when will I take it away. After Li Hong finished speaking, he left without looking back.

Helan Minzhi's cry came from behind him again: "Your Highness, I really know that I am wrong...... I really don't dare anymore, please let me out...... ”