The embezzlement of military rations is a major matter, and it is not that the imperial court did not investigate this matter back then.

The official who came to investigate the matter was the former secretary of the Criminal Department, and it was found out that it was Yue Tao, the deputy general in charge of the military rations and logistics in Shazhen, who embezzled military rations and silver, and Yue Tao was sentenced to death.

When Qi Yuning and Lu Ze arrived at the Shazhen Yamen, Qin Feng was already waiting here.

"Qin Shilang?" Qi Yuning said, "Why are you here?" ”

Lu Ze said: "He has come to Beicheng once, and he has to do something for the imperial court." ”

Qin Feng saluted and said: "County Lord, our people have found Yue Tao's widow and his daughter, they still deny that Yue Tao embezzled military rations back then, but according to the file of the Criminal Department, one hundred thousand taels of silver were indeed found in Yue Tao's house back then, and these silvers all have the mark of the Northern Desert. ”

After Qin Feng said that, he asked his subordinates to find Yue Tao's family.

Yue Tao's wife is fifty years old, she is already gray-haired, she is obviously the age when she knows the destiny of heaven, but she looks like an old man, she came trembling with a cane, and when she saw Qi Yuning, she trembled and said: "Tianjiao......"

Qi Yuning knew that Tianjiao was her mother's name, and she rarely heard this name since she was a child, and everyone mentioned that her mother was General Liu or the concubine of the Qi family, and it was rare to have the name Tianjiao.

Yue Tao's wife walked up to Qi Yuning, "You are the county lord, the county lord of Yuning." ”

Qi Yuning nodded lightly and said, "You know me?" ”

"You look very similar to your mother, and I hugged you when you were born." Liu Tianfen cried and said, "Your mother is my little cousin......"

Qi Yuning said: "You are my mother's cousin?" Then why did your husband kill my father and mother by embezzling military rations? ”

Liu Tianfen shook his head and said: "No, my husband is absolutely not greedy for military rations, the military rations and military clothes transported from the imperial court at that time were already defective, we went to make trouble, but the court official who sent the military rations was the brother of Concubine Xian, and he insisted that there was no problem when the military rations were delivered, and we couldn't do anything."

General Qi said that the military situation was urgent, and he would wait to protect the city, but later General Qi found out that there was someone in the court who colluded......

It's a pity that General Qi never came back, and the officials who came down to investigate in the court actually said that my husband sold the general's grain, cotton, clothes and military medicine to Bei Mo and collected 100,000 taels of silver from Bei Mo.

We can't even think about these 100,000 taels of silver, I grew up with your mother since I was a child, how could I put her in danger for this 100,000 taels of silver, regardless of her pregnancy? ”

Yue Tao's daughter Yue Qingniang said: "County Lord, my father will never sell the military rations to the thieves of the Northern Desert, my grandfather, grandmother and brother all died at the hands of the Northern Desert, and we have a common enmity with the Northern Desert!" ”

Lu Ze said slowly: "But at that time, Yue Tao pleaded guilty and was detained. ”

"He was forced, when my husband left, there was no good skin on his body, he was tortured into a trick!"

Qin Feng said to Lu Ze: "The previous criminal department was still used to using some means of coercing confessions. ”

The use of forced confession and torture is very shameful for both Qin Feng and Lu Ze.

Qin Feng said: "But I went to the place where Yue Tao hid the silver two at the beginning, and it was not a day or two days to hide 100,000 taels of silver over there, 100,000 taels of silver is so heavy, it is impossible to hide it in Yue Tao's house in a day or two."

It was impossible for Yue Tao not to find out that someone had hidden so much silver in his house, so the former criminal department Shangshu was sure that Yue Tao must be involved. ”

Liu Tianfen said: "My lord, we really didn't hide 100,000 taels of silver!" We really wronged me for this, and I don't know why so many silver taels came out of the back door of my house. ”

Lu Ze asked Qin Feng and said, "What confessions do you have over there from the remnants of the Northern Desert Royal Court?" ”

At the beginning, not all of the Northern Desert Imperial Court died at the hands of the Qi family, and some remnants of the Northern Desert were still alive and were imprisoned in Shazhen.

Qin Feng said: "They all said they didn't know, but it was true that in the battle fourteen years ago, the Northern Desert Army suddenly had a lot of military medicine, cotton clothes to protect against the cold, and a large number of sharp swords, bows and arrows. ”

Lu Ze raised his eyebrows and said, "A large number of swords, bows and arrows? Not long ago, I went to Shancheng to investigate the illegal digging of iron ore, and I remember that the account book of 14 or 5 years ago recorded that the amount of iron ore transported was far higher than usual.

Dasheng is strict with the management of iron ore sword weapons, and there is no large amount of iron ore in the Northern Desert, so I suspect that it is the iron ore forging weapons of Nashan City that are provided to the Northern Desert. ”

Qi Yuning clasped his hands and said, "So, is it really the King of Shu?" ”

Lu Ze said: "Shancheng Iron Mine is inseparable from the King of Shu, but there is no conclusive evidence that can be counted on the head of the King of Shu." ”

Qi Yuning looked at the file of the Criminal Department at the beginning, and saw a name on the file that was Uncle Qin Guo, "Did you also have Uncle Qin Guo when you investigated this matter?" ”

Qin Feng said: "Well, because the King of Shu and Concubine Xian were involved at the beginning, Uncle Qin was also overseeing it. ”

Qi Yuning frowned and said: "If it was really the collusion between the King of Shu and the Northern Desert, what did the King of Shu want?" ”

Lu Ze said: "Tu throne, the Northern Desert border pass is in chaos, the Qi family army is defeated, the King of Shu can take the opportunity to force the palace to seize the throne, at that time, the Qi family army has lost countless losses and has to take care of the Northern Desert, and he will not be able to return to Shengjing City to protect His Majesty for a while, and the King of Shu is just losing a few cities in the northwest, but he can win the throne of Dasheng World." ”

Qi Yuning frowned, if this is the case, it can be said that he is collaborating with the enemy and treason, and he is not even worthy of people, how can he be worthy of being the emperor!

Lu Zedao: "This matter has been a long time, it is not easy to find out, we have found out that the original weapon and the account book of Shancheng iron ore are on the same number, at least we can convict the Shancheng officials who participated in the private mining of iron ore to exterminate the clan."

I wonder if they will be willing to confess to the king of Shu behind the scenes to save the lives of the clansmen in front of the death penalty of extermination? ”

Yue Qingniang on the side said: "County Lord, after they came to take away my husband, a strange thing happened in our village. ”

Qi Yuning said: "What's the strange thing? ”

"It didn't take long for more than 30 young men to die of the epidemic, and our village was locked down."

"Sudden death from the epidemic?" Lu Ze instructed Deqingdao: "Go and get the Shazhen County Chronicle." ”

Lu Ze flipped through the county chronicles, but there was no record of the epidemic, "There is no record of the epidemic in this county chronicle. ”

Liu Tianfen on the side said: "It's true, at the beginning, many young and middle-aged people in the village died of illness at once, and the bodies of these men suffering from the epidemic were taken away and burned with a fire."

The most pitiful is Aunt Wu at the entrance of the village, her husband was killed by the Northern Desert people in the early years, she worked hard to raise her male son, because her son was infected with the epidemic and was taken away and burned together, she couldn't even find the ashes which was her son's. ”

Liu Tianfen sighed and said: "Recently, this Aunt Wu has also launched a madness, saying every day that her son is not dead and alive, and she wants to marry the daughter of the general's family." ”

"Wu Xiong!"

Qi Yuning and Lu Ze said in unison.

Qin Feng asked, "Who is this Wu Xiong?" ”

Lu Ze said: "It's too late to explain, we have to rush back to Quanzhen!" ”

Qi Yuning went to the desert again and again, and saw Lingling playing sandboarding: "Lingling, it's time to go back." ”

Ling Ling said: "Mother, it's fun to go sand skiing here." ”

Lu Ze stepped forward and picked up Lingling and said, "Come back to play when you have time in the future, it's time to go." ”

With Lingling and Wu Xiong's mother and daughter, as well as Liu Tianfen's mother and daughter, it's not good to hurry up.

In the middle of the carriage.

Qi Yuning's hands were trembling.

Wenban was one of his grandfather's apprentices, and like Uncle Huoan, he was a good apprentice that his grandfather regarded as his own.

Lu Ze stretched out his hand and took Qi Yuning into his arms, holding her hand extremely cold.

At night, although the carriage was burning with charcoal braziers, it was also very cold.

Even the horses slowed down in such cold weather at night.

Qi Yuning looked at the Lingling who was already sleeping in Lichun's arms on the side, leaned on Lu Ze and said, "If Wen Ban also colludes with the Northern Desert...... I'm going to kill him! ”

"It's not worth letting him get your hands dirty." Lu Ze said, "Don't think about it, sleep well, and when you wake up, you can go to Quanzhen." (End of chapter)