Mo Linglan said: "Before Zirong left Beijing, he had expected that this trip to Jingnan would not be peaceful, and he was afraid that there would be changes in Beijing, so he had already made a lot of arrangements before leaving. ”

"It's just that the situation has become too much, and some of those preparations have to be invalidated, I have to go back immediately to meet Nan Yuanshan and King Rui, and discuss some things with them, I am afraid that there will be greater changes in the capital."

"At that time, if we are not in the capital, and no one knows about Jingnan, there will be nothing that can be done."

Xiao Mian didn't expect that in just a few days, not only Jingnan had an accident, but even Jingzhong made such a big mess.

Qi Wenfu had already had the intention of assisting the crown prince earlier, and had actually made some arrangements openly and secretly, plus the relationship with the Xie family and Su Ruan.

If the crown prince dies, the Qi family will definitely be implicated.

Xiao Mian propped his hands and said, "It's too dangerous for you to go back alone, I'll go with you......"

Mo Linglan stretched out his hand and pressed him back: "You can stay here for the rest of your life, just like you are now, it's already good if you don't want me to protect you, and going back with me will only drag me back." ”

Xiao Mian was so angry that he wanted to stretch out his hand to cut him, but who knew that Mo Linglan's voice changed,

"And you have more important things to do."

Xiao Mian looked at him puzzled.

Mo Linglan asked, "Do you know where the gunpowder that blew up the dock came from?" ”

Xiao Mian shook his head: "How do I know where they found so much black fire, the imperial court has extremely strict control over flame nitrate, how can ordinary people find so many gunpowder raw materials, and I have never heard of anyone taking such a large amount of gunpowder on the trade routes in various places." ”

First it was Taoyuan Slope in Beijing, and then it was Jingnan Wharf.

You must know that the Xiao family already has a lot of private mines, so Xiao Mian knows the power and effect of gunpowder best.

There is a special smelting workshop in the imperial court, and the gunpowder produced will be more powerful, but the output is very small, and most of them are used for fireworks and firecrackers.

However, because there is no recipe for gunpowder in ordinary places, and there is not much flame nitrate, the power of gunpowder is even reduced by a few percent.

If the gunpowder wants to blow up a place or even kill hundreds of people, the amount required is not a little bit, even if it is the smelting workshop, I am afraid that the amount will not be enough for a whole year.

Xiao Mian said: "In this entire north-south trade route, east-west gateway, there are only some people with private mines who can have so much gunpowder, but how can it be so easy to transport it into the capital and send it to Jingnan." ”

"Not to mention the checkpoints on the land route, it is easy to go off fire if you are a little careless when transporting, even if you take water transportation, but there are countless superintendents of the waterway along the way, and there are those gangs, who want to transport so much gunpowder, how can they hide it from everyone's eyes......"

Xiao Mian was talking, and saw that Mo Linglan was just looking at him quietly, and his eyes were a little hairy.

"What do you think I'm doing here?"

Xiao Mian said inexplicably, "It can't be our salt gang, right?" ”

Mo Linglan shook his head, and just when Xiao Mian was relieved and wanted to say something, he opened his mouth and said, "It's not the Salt Gang, it's the Xiao family." ”

"What are you kidding?!" Xiao Mian's eyes widened.

"I'm not kidding."

Mo Linglan said in a deep voice: "I asked people to track down all the ships that have been to Jingnan Wharf recently, and even stayed here. ”

"Whether it is a merchant ship, an official ship, or a local private ship, all those who dock are recorded, and there are people from the government who have inspected the goods carried on board."

"Only one of the ships under the name of the Xiao family docked in Jingnan, because it carried some people from Beijing, and it was hung with the logo of the Salt Gang, and it was extrapolated to carry the things that accompanied the Qincha when the Chaozhong Qincha went south, so the government never went up to check, and the ship stayed near the dock for two days before leaving after those people left in Beijing."

Xiao Mian couldn't believe it at first, but after listening to Mo Linglan's words, he opened his mouth, "You mean, Tu Qi's boat?" ”

Mo Linglan snorted: "At the beginning, Zirong and Su Ruan originally wanted to cover up their whereabouts and secretly visit Jingnan, but they took Tu Qiye's boat to the outside, and they also moved some of the accompanying people and salutes to his boat to hide people's eyes, but the two of them were with you." ”

"Only halfway through the trip, I knew that there was a mess in Jingnan, and Su Ruan was seasick again, so he changed to the land route, and as soon as he arrived in Jingnan, he directly found Xuan Longan."

Mo Linglan said to Xiao Mian,

"Think about it, apart from Tu Qiye and the people around you, who can calculate the time when Zirong and them arrived in Jingnan so well, and put the bait so right, waiting for Zirong and them to drill in?"

"I asked people to check all the porters near the dock, and in the two days that Tu Qiye's boat stayed, someone once saw them moving a lot of things down from the ship, saying that they were waiting for someone to pick up the goods by themselves, and the goods were precious at all times, and no one was allowed to approach."

"But the things were left on the dock for two days, and they moved the boxes back to the ship, saying that the person who had ordered the goods had not come."

"Xiao Mian, I remember that when you left Beijing, because Tu Qiye's boat was under the guise of being manipulated halfway, there was no cargo on that ship at all, and the goods that time were still sent to the other side of the river by you personally, and then returned to Jingzhou."

Mo Linglan looked at his friend with a blue face and said,

"I asked you to stay in Jingnan, not only to let you recuperate, but also because you have to go and find out why the Xiao family was involved in this incident."

"Who instructed Tu Qiye to do this?"

"If he's just being bought, that's fine, but if it's ......"

Mo Linglan paused, "Then I'm afraid you're in trouble." ”

Although Mo Linglan didn't say what it was, Xiao Mian understood what he meant.

Xiao Mian never thought that the gunpowder that blew up the dock and injured him, Qi Wenfu and others actually came from the Xiao family, and it was still a merchant ship under his name, using the people around him Xiao Mian.

Although Tu Qiye is not from the Xiao family, he has followed his father for many years and has a very high status in the Salt Gang.

Three years ago, his father wanted him to take over the Salt Gang, so he sent Tu Qiye to him to help him take care of the affairs of the gang.

Xiao Mian may be wary of others, but he has never suspected Tu Qiye.

But if the gunpowder was really sent by Tu Qiye, and this matter was instructed by someone, then ......

Who else can care so much about his death, and even go so far as to take his life to calculate Qi Wenfu, and be bribed to take away the Salt Gang Waterway to transport these things for others, who else will there be besides his bastard brother who has always wanted to take over the Salt Gang?!

"The king! Eight! Egg! ”

Xiao Mian gritted his teeth, he didn't doubt the truth of Mo Linglan's words at all, if it weren't for the conclusive evidence, and even if he could be sure that the gunpowder came down from Tu Qiye's ship, Mo Linglan wouldn't tell him.