Gou writes entries in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 96
Jiangdu Pavilion,
All the heads of the aristocratic families who had succeeded Liu Xuan last time were present.

It was related to the distribution of profits in Guangling's salt-making industry, so naturally these family heads were present in person.

Representatives of the people from each street were also invited.

Liu Xuan sat in the main seat, with the heads of various aristocratic families on both sides, and at the end were the representatives of the people.

As the dishes were passed around one after another, the table in front of the owners was soon filled with sumptuous dishes.

Chen Cong was secretly proud and glanced at the head of the family next to him.
"It seems that Liu Xuan wants something from us."

Sure enough, Liu Xuan picked up the wine bottle and said to everyone,
"I invite you all to come here today. I believe you all know something."

"This county governor has only taken over the Guangling salt manufacturing industry for more than a month. One after another, the salt in the city has had accidents, and innocent people have suffered as a result. Liu Xuan is really sad."

"You are all people who have run the salt industry. Liu Xuan held a banquet today just to ask you to give me some advice. I hope you will give me your advice."

When Chen Cong heard this, he stroked his beard in an old-fashioned way and said with a smile,

"Governor Liu, in fact, when our families handed over the salt-making industry to the government, they explained that the art of making salt is not simple. We also invested a lot of manpower and material resources before we successfully mastered the mature art of salt-making. "

"Governor Liu, please don't think that we are engaged in the salt-making industry just for profit. I think when Yan Baihu came to Guangling, he knew nothing about the salt-making industry. Fortunately, the various families in Guangling worked together to take over this industry, so that the salt fields in Guangling could not be destroyed." As for desolation.”

"In my opinion, Governor Liu might as well follow Yan Baihu's example and still leave the salt field to us. If there is any profit then, we will deduct the wages we deserve and hand it over to the governor's office. This can be regarded as sharing the worry for Governor Liu. no?"

Liu Xuan looked at Chen Cong and nodded pretending to be regretful.

"Now this situation has to be like this."

"When the banquet is over, I will ask the young palace supervisor to take over the handover with you. As for how you allocate, I will not be involved."

Liu Xuan raised the wine bottle again, "Come on, I'll trouble you all later. Let's drink as much as we want today, no need to be restrained."

All the heads of the family were in a good mood after their wish was fulfilled. They exchanged cups and started to eat the dishes before the table.

Liu Xuan glanced around calmly, and when he saw that the heads of the families had almost eaten, he stood up and asked,

"I have forgotten something. There have been many cases of salt poisoning in the city in the past few days. There must have been some mistakes in the salt production process. From now on, I will leave the salt production industry to you, and you can guarantee that there will be no problems?"

Chen Cong patted his chest and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Governor Liu. We have been in the salt-making industry for many years and our salt-making technology is mature. We will never produce poisonous salt."

When Liu Xuan heard this, he slowly put down the wine bottle in his hand, looked directly at Chen Cong and said,
"I heard that there is a salt field on Dulong Island in the east of the city. The salt produced in it is extremely poisonous. If you accidentally eat it, your stomach will ulcerate and die. With the Chen family's salt-making technology, can this salt field produce non-toxic salt?"

Chen Cong's hand holding the wine bottle trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry Chen Cong didn't quite understand what Commander Liu said. What is Poison Dragon Island? Is there such an island outside Guangling City?"

Chen Cong looked at the family heads around him, and everyone shook their heads with twinkling eyes.

Liu Xuan sneered and said: "Since none of your local aristocratic families know about it, it seems that I, an outsider, know better."

"A few years ago, the Chen family took over the salt production industry from the county governor Yan Baihu. When developing salt fields on Dulong Island, they accidentally discovered that the salt produced in a salt field was highly toxic."

"This salt field is not among the salt fields handed over to the government by various aristocratic families."

"And the poisonous salt that appeared in the city this time was all salt from the salt fields of Dulong Island, which was mixed into the official salt by covert means. Hundreds of innocent people were poisoned and died."

Liu Xuan approached Chen Cong and said word by word, "Mr. Chen, am I right?"

"Huh, Sheriff Liu is so ruthless in his calculations," Chen Cong retorted with a flick of his sleeves, "The officials are not familiar with the art of making salt, so they forcibly took over the salt industry. Now that something happened, they made up such a reason and wanted to take the blame. Is it with our Chen family?"

"Although our Chen family abides by our duties, we are not willing to be bullied by others. We have the important city of the imperial court above us, and the people of Guangling below us. Everyone can see clearly."

"You are a clan member of the Han Dynasty and the Queen of Huaiyang. If you deal with us innocently, there will be courtiers and people who will cry out for us."

Chen Cong's rhetoric was so high-sounding that it actually frightened a group of people's representatives.

Liu Xuan curled his lips and showed his cards directly.

"It doesn't matter if you don't admit it now, but what I want to tell you is that the salt used in the dishes before your case came from the salt fields of Dulong Island. If, as Mr. Chen said, this island does not exist in Guangling, then you will naturally be fine. "

"What? Is this the poisonous salt from Poison Dragon Island?"

As soon as Liu Xuan's words came out, the heads of the aristocratic families below immediately panicked. They didn't know how Liu Xuan knew about Dulong Island, but since he was so sure, letting them come to Jiangdu Pavilion today was really a feast. .

However, you eat at your own table.

"Uh~" Xu was excited, which accelerated the attack of poisonous salt. A family head covered his stomach, knelt on the ground and retched.

And a moment later, all the family heads felt tingling pain in their stomachs to varying degrees.

The people's representatives sitting at the end saw the heads of these aristocratic families falling to the ground in pain, and quickly left the table, knelt on the ground and begged,

"Governor Liu, we are just representatives of the people, and we really don't know anything about the poisonous salt."

"Everyone, please get up," Liu Xuan said in a gentle tone, "Don't I know that you are just ordinary people who keep their duties. Don't worry, all the salt in your dishes is Guantian's salt. You will be fine."

“People’s representatives are all here today, and it’s a good time to testify whether the poisonous salt is caused by poor government craftsmanship or someone deliberately framed it.”

Liu Xuan turned his head and said to the family heads who were holding their stomachs and wailing,

"Now the toxicity has just started. If any of you confess honestly, I may let you see the doctor based on the principle of leniency for frankness."

"If you are stubborn, then let you experience for yourself the pain suffered by the people who were poisoned by your poisonous salt."

"I said, I said, I will explain everything." The first person who couldn't bear it was the head of the Fan family.

He was in excruciating pain now, and blood was pouring out of the corners of his mouth.

Seeing that his life was in danger, he finally crawled to Liu Xuan's feet and said,

"This matter was all Chen Cong's idea. He united with us to fight against the governor."

"He said that as long as the matter gets bigger and the new county governor's crime of poisoning the people is enough for the court to remove you from office, Chen Cong can ask his nephew Chen Deng to write to the emperor and let Sun Ce of Wu County take charge of Guangling County Sheriff. At that time, we should work together internally and externally to drive you out of Guangling."

The head of the Fan family revealed everything in one breath.
"County Sheriff Liu, this was all the Chen family's idea, and we were forced to do so. Please ask the Sheriff to send me to the doctor. Uh~~~"

Liu Xuan put his hands behind his back and turned around silently.
"Okay, I will keep my word and let you see the doctor."

"However, I have no obligation to send you there. If you can crawl out and find the doctor by yourself, I will never stop you."

(End of this chapter)