When the carriages escorted 10 sealed large iron boxes into Beijing, it attracted hundreds of onlookers and discussions.

"I finally found it, all of it is silver, I heard that there are five million taels!"

"It turned out to be hidden by someone and framed the Nine Princes, this matter has nothing to do with the Nine Princes at all!"

"It's all dead, and I don't know who sent it to frame the Nine Princes, it's so hateful." Looking at the bodies of several suspects who were transported in together, the people pointed and pointed out, and they had a curious gossip to find out.

Jingzhao Yin Jiang Chengye had already entered the palace and took advantage of the early dynasty to report the good news to Emperor Yuanqing.

At this time, in the court, the civil and military officials have not yet received the news, Emperor Yuanqing frowned, his face was gloomy, he has not slept well these days, but it is a pity that the case has passed for several days, and there are no clues so far.

Gonggong Lu looked at Emperor Yuanqing's spiritless appearance, and stood up and said: "If there is something to play, there is nothing to retreat from the court......"

Before the words fell, Lin Kangnian, the head of the household, had already come out of the ranks, and bowed to Emperor Yuanqing and said: "Your Majesty, the ministers have a performance!" ”

"It has been three days since the tax and silver case occurred, and there is no news so far, the suspect involves the Nine Princes, although he has been imprisoned, he has not been arraigned, this is not a reasonable trial procedure. Your Majesty, the disappearance of five million taels of tax silver is a major event, and it cannot be delayed any longer. ”

Lin Kangnian said: "Please put the emperor first on the overall situation, and must interrogate the Nine Princes and let him confess the truth!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Nan Jingtian, the prince of Nanguo, also stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the minister seconded the proposal." ”

Lan Hongzhuo also came out and saluted Emperor Yuanqing: "Father, the sons are not absolutely suspicious of the Nine Princes' greed for ink tax silver, but since the person who robbed the tax silver is the personal guard of the Nine Princesses, and he also showed the tokens of the Nine Princes, this case must be related to the Nine Princes." Father and son, the son believes that it should indeed be strictly investigated, although the ninth prince has always been very loyal to his father, but it is difficult to ensure that he ...... privately"

A group of courtiers also stood up and said in unison: "The ministers implore the emperor to let the criminal department strictly investigate, and they cannot be tolerated." ”

The sound was so loud that the entire Jinluan Hall shook like thunder.

Emperor Yuanqing's face was as black as ink, and he was distraught, and finally couldn't help but pat the dragon chair and said, "Isn't this case the Criminal Department and Jingzhao Mansion investigating clues together?" It's been three days and you still haven't gained anything, are you just so perfunctory? ”

Yin Jiang Chengye of Jingzhao Mansion stood up, bowed his head and whispered: "Your Majesty, the minister is trying to clarify the situation, but Lord Lin and Nan Shizi are one step faster, so that the minister has no chance to speak." ”

"Then what do you say, what are you doing in a daze!" Emperor Yuanqing glared at him and snorted.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Jiang Chengye raised his head, a smile appeared on his face and said: "Weichen received a report yesterday that there were suspicious people in Changping Village, thirty miles away on the outskirts of Beijing. ”

"What? Seriously! Emperor Yuanqing's eyes widened suddenly when he heard this, and he stood up excitedly.

"Weichen didn't dare to deceive the emperor, during last night's operation, we found ten large iron boxes in Changping Village, which were the ten boxes that the second prince sent to escort back and were robbed halfway. Now that it's being transported back, I'm afraid it's time to come. Jiang Chengye said.

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the Jinluan Palace, and the ministers were shocked.

At this moment, a eunuch entered the palace to report: "Your Majesty, the two guards of the Nine Princes are here to escort ten boxes and are waiting outside the palace." ”

Emperor Yuanqing was excited, and said loudly: "Xuan, bring it immediately!" ”

The ministers also stared at the door of the hall in shock, their eyes full of disbelief. Some people were relieved, some people were stunned, some people had complicated expressions, and Lin Kangnian, the head of the household, looked at the second prince Lan Hongzhuo, both of them frowned, and their faces were instantly ugly. Nan Jingtian, the prince of Nanguo, also had a deep face, and his fists were clenched tightly.

Soon, in the escort of a group of forbidden soldiers, Shattered Star and Leng Mo walked up to the hall, and behind them were iron boxes carried in, and the eyes of all the ministers who watched were straight, and they were stacked in the middle of the main hall.

"This is the stolen tax money? Crashing into this box?"

"Sure enough, I found it, it's great!"

"The emperor is blessed, the ninth prince is a thousand years old, the ninth prince is really wronged!"

The ministers talked about it, and the hall was already completely sensational, and everyone turned their heads and ears, looking at the ten boxes. Thinking that the box was full of the tax money that the second prince had worked hard to collect, countless courtiers also congratulated the second prince.

"See the emperor!"

Shattered Star clenched his fists and said loudly: "Last night, the ministers received a report and took people to Changping Village, and sure enough, they found these ten boxes hidden in a villager's house. It's just that the suspect committed suicide in fear of crime, and the leader of the figure was the person who pretended to be the secret guard beside the Nine Princesses, and the corpses and ministers also brought with them, a total of twelve bodies, all of which were placed outside the palace. ”

He pointed to the boxes behind him: "These boxes, from the time the ministers found them to the time they were transported to the emperor, have not been opened throughout the whole process, the keyhole is sealed by fire paint, and it seems that no one else has opened them." This is the five million taels of tax silver sent back by the second prince, and the second prince is asked to verify it! ”

The ten tin boxes were placed on the main hall, and they were covered with scratches and dents, but the keyhole was intact, and the box was intact, and indeed no one had opened it. The ministers all stared at the box, eager to open it immediately and see with their own eyes the tax money that the second prince had worked so hard to recover.

"Lost and found...... Great......" Xiaoyaohou's voice trembled, excited.

"Hongzhuo, take a look right away, did you send someone to transport these ten boxes back?" Emperor Yuanqing was overjoyed and asked eagerly, "Hurry up and open it to see if the tax silver is lost or less!" ”

Lan Hongzhuo walked out and stood in the hall, his heart shaking.

No one was as shocked as him, looking at these ten boxes, he couldn't believe it, how could it be possible that someone had already sent someone to destroy it, so how could it still appear intact? What was in this box, was it something he had seen his men put in before?

If...... Would he dare to open the box?!

Emperor Yuanqing urged: "Hongzhuo, hurry! Open the box and check it to see if there is any shortage of tax money! ”

These words seemed to hit Lan Hongzhuo's head with a stick, he was shocked, and he still stood still, and the broken star next to him knew it, and hugged his fist at Emperor Yuanqing and said: "Your Majesty, these boxes are sealed with fire paint, and the second prince can't open them alone." ”

Emperor Yuanqing suddenly laughed at this time: "Hahahaha, I was so anxious that I forgot about it." It's okay if the fire paint is sealed, it proves that the silver inside is definitely fine, come on, open the box, and let me see! ”

At the sound of an order, Gonggong Lu immediately summoned several eunuchs and came with tools to open the box. After working hard for a while, I finally opened the first box. In full view of everyone, the first box was opened.

Everyone expected it, thinking that they could see a piece of silver light, but who knows, but they were stunned.

"Huh? This ......" Grandpa Lu was dumbfounded first.

The ministers were also dumbfounded, they actually saw that the boxes were not filled with silver, but with large stones. Dusty stones were piled up all over the chest, and there was no trace of silver at all, as if to laugh at the folly of the ministers!

At this moment, no one noticed the realization in Xia Yanxiu's eyes.

Sure enough, the second prince is going to be unlucky today, and it turns out that God is also on his side...... Secretly touching the things in his arms, Xia Yanxiu smiled slightly, but waited quietly.

Emperor Yuanqing was also stunned, and blurted out: "What's the matter?" Where's the silver! Where's my tax money!? ”

He pointed at the broken star, and then stared at Jiang Chengye angrily: "Jiang Chengye, didn't you say that you have found the tax silver?" Why did the chest contain stones, and where did the silver go? ”

"Your Majesty, it shouldn't be!" Jiang Chengye was also surprised and surprised, stepped forward to pick up the stones in the box, opened them one by one and looked down, and said to himself eagerly: "These boxes were obviously transported back by the second prince, and they were never opened halfway, why did the silver turn into stone?" ”

Shattered Star also had an exaggerated expression on his face and exclaimed, "How can this be? Last night, the minister personally led people to snatch these boxes back from the thieves, and they stubbornly resisted and fought to the death. If there are stones inside, how can this be? ”

Leng Mo suddenly came out with a sentence: "I'm afraid I'm worried that people will know that there are stones in the box." ”

Emperor Yuanqing was suddenly shocked, staring at Lan Hongzhuo in disbelief, and the thought that came to his heart shocked his eyes with bare eyes, and he didn't want to see through his son completely.

The hall was noisy, and everyone didn't expect this.

It was easy to finally find the box, thinking that the tax money had been recovered, but when I opened it, there was no silver in it, only stones.

Suddenly, Emperor Yuanqing pointed to the box and said angrily: "Open, open them all, don't leave a single one, open it immediately!" ”

Gonggong Lu didn't know that Emperor Yuanqing was already on the verge of breaking out, so he hurriedly said: "Don't be stunned, hurry up and open all the boxes to see if it's silver or stone inside!" ”

Several eunuchs panicked and hurriedly opened the remaining boxes.

The ministers seemed to be about to jump out of their hearts, and everyone stared at these boxes to open one after another, but without exception, all of them were full of stones, and they couldn't see a single ingot of silver. Until all ten boxes are opened, there are only stones!

"Stone...... It's all stones! Emperor Yuanqing gritted his teeth, his angry forehead cracked, his anger rushed to the crown, and he roared angrily: "What the hell is going on!" Why is it all stone and silver? Have you eaten all the money? ”

Jiang Chengye knelt down with a thud and shouted, "Your Majesty, the minister is wronged!" The minister assured that the boxes were snatched back from the hands of the thieves. Unless the inside is originally a stone, and the keyhole fire paint is intact, it is impossible to change! ”

"Lan Hongzhuo! You say, what the hell is going on? ”

With a roar from Emperor Yuanqing, the second prince Lan Hongzhuo's knees weakened and knelt down: "Father, the sons, the sons and daughters don't know......"

Emperor Yuanqing was furious: "I don't know, I don't know!" One by one, you all say that you don't know, is it that the silver has disappeared and has grown wings? What the hell is going on? If you can't find a problem today, I'll cut off all your heads! ”

At this moment, Xia Yanxiu saluted Emperor Yuanqing and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the minister has a report." ”