Do you know the long song of laughter?

Chapter 492 No one can argue
Yangzhou Wharf
Suddenly, a large number of officials showed up and put the Yangzhou wharf under martial law.

A group of officials from Yangzhou Huainan Road, officials from the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, as well as dozens of people from the Yangzhou prefectural government and the Yangzhou Tongpan government were waiting in front of the dock.

The thorough investigation of the salt business had nothing to do with other officials in the prefecture and city; the one that was anxious was the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office.

However, Zhao Ceying is the eldest son of the emperor, so they must come to greet him.

The people at the dock saw such a grand scene, and some even speculated that it might be the emperor coming to Yangzhou.

There were also people who knew the inside story and realized that it was to welcome King Huan.

After waiting for about half an hour, we saw many large ships approaching from afar.

After a while, when the leading ship docked, a group of imperial guards came out of the ship and took over the defense of the dock.

Then another ship docked, and Zhao Ceying led the accompanying officials off the ship.

The officials of Huainan Province and Yangzhou held up their robes and stepped forward to salute, saying, "Your Highness Prince Huan!"

Zhao Ceying faced a group of respectful officials and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be polite!"

"Your Highness must have been exhausted by the long journey. I have already ordered people to prepare a banquet to welcome you." Ye Shihu, the transport envoy of Huainan Road, said with a smile.

Zhao Ceying looked at the person who was speaking and smiled, "This must be Envoy Ye, I am ordered to inspect the salt business, I am really sorry that you have come to greet me despite your busy schedule. I am exhausted from the journey, I want to take a bath and rest the most, I really don't want to trouble you all."

"Your Highness, what are you talking about? We have to eat no matter what. The food has been prepared. It won't take much time. Besides, Wangjiang Tower is not far from Your Highness's headquarters. It won't take much time." Ye Shihu said.

"Then I'll trouble you all."

Zhao Ceying is now anxious to settle down at the post station so that Gu Tingye and Li An will definitely rush over when they hear the news.

He was anxious to know whether the man had been caught.

But Ye Shihu was the Huainan Road Transport Commissioner, a third-rank provincial governor.

A thorough investigation of the salt affairs requires his cooperation, and Zhao Ceying couldn't afford to ignore him.

…………

It was already dark when the banquet ended. Zhao Ceying refused the officials' farewell and went to the post station.

Yangzhou is an important city in the south of the Yangtze River and the seat of Huainan Province, so it is natural that it has a good post station.

Ye Shihu had also ordered people to repair and maintain it early on.

However, Zhao Ceying didn't care much about this. After arriving at the post station, he didn't rush to wash up, but waited in the room.

"Your Highness, Li Hanlin is here." The accompanying eunuch Zhou Gonggong walked into the room and bowed.

"Let him in quickly." Zhao Ceying said.

"Yes!"

Eunuch Zhou went out and soon led Li An in, then went out and closed the door.

"Your Highness!" Li An saluted.

Zhao Ceying waved his hand and said, "Ziqian, where is Zhonghuai?"

"Your Highness, there have been some changes in this matter. Zhong Huai is still looking for the whereabouts of the Bai brothers and has not returned yet." Li An said.

Zhao Ceying was full of doubts when he heard this. He asked Li An to sit down and started asking questions.

When Zhao Ceying heard that the Bai brothers had run away, he frowned slightly.

He had already asked Gu Tingye to rush to Yangzhou overnight, how could he possibly run away?
Could it be that Gu Tingye leaked the information on purpose to protect the Bai family?

Thinking of this, his face looked a little ugly.

When Li An saw Zhao Ceying's expression, he roughly guessed what Zhao Ceying was thinking.

It’s not that Zhao Ceying was too suspicious, it’s just that this matter was too coincidental.

If he didn't know Gu Tingye, he would have thought so when he heard the news.

"What's going on?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"Your Highness, the smuggling of salt should indeed be done by the Bai brothers. They bribed the manager of the salt shop under Zhong Huai's name to sell smuggled salt. But when Zhong Huai and I arrived in Yangzhou, we sent people to inquire and found out that the Bai brothers disappeared two hours before we arrived in Yangzhou. Zhong Huai found out through investigation that they should have traveled by water and are currently missing." Li An said.

"After arriving in Yangzhou, did you and Zhong Huai separate?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"Because my home is in Yangzhou, I was afraid of meeting acquaintances, so I waited in the inn when I arrived in Yangzhou. But I can guarantee that this matter has nothing to do with Zhong Huai." Li An said.

"Zichu, it's not that I don't believe Zhong Huai. I have known him for a long time, and he has been kind to my father and me. But isn't this too much of a coincidence?" Zhao Ceying said.

The Bai family borrowed the salt shop under Gu Tingye's name to sell private salt and asked Gu Tingye to come to Yangzhou to investigate first, but the man ran away.

This series of events made Zhao Ceying doubt.

Even if Gu Tingye really didn't know about it, he might still protect the Bai family.

Why did marriage alliances become so important in ancient times?
Isn’t it because in ancient times there was no such thing as one person taking responsibility for one’s crime?

It is easier to deal with if the crime is minor, but it is normal for the clan and in-laws to be implicated if the crime is serious.

It is precisely because everyone prospers and suffers together that clans and marriages were highly valued by the ancients.

He said that he would not pursue Old Master Bai and would leave some bloodline for the Bai family, but Gu Tingye might not completely believe it.

After all, if the Bai family’s crimes were too serious, he might not be able to do it.

Therefore, it is not impossible that Gu Tingye notified them to escape in order to save the Bai family.

Li An smiled bitterly in his heart and said, "I have known Zhong Huai since I was eleven or twelve years old, and I believe in him. Besides, he has a bad relationship with the Bai brothers, and he will not disregard the court's laws for them."

Zhao Ceying was skeptical when he heard this, and waved his hand and said, "What's the situation now? Have you found out where the Bai brothers fled to?"

"We don't know yet, but Zhong Huai is familiar with the people from Cao Gang and has already asked them for information." Li An said.

Zhao Ceying fell silent after hearing this. He also knew about the Cao Gang. Since Gu Tingye was familiar with the people in the Cao Gang, it meant that he could send the person away without anyone noticing.

Sometimes it's like this, once you become suspicious, you will look at everything with suspicion.

"Where is Zhong Huai now?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"Your Highness, Zhong Huai has found out some clues. The person behind the Bai brothers seems to be from Tongzhou. He has already rushed over." Li An said.

Gu Tingye also knew that he had no way to defend himself now, so he searched for the whereabouts of the Bai brothers while also looking for the people behind them.

The Bai brothers were not able to obtain salt permits, so they must have sold their private salt on behalf of others.

Therefore, after finding out some clues, he didn't even bother to welcome Zhao Ceying and immediately took people to Tongzhou.

Zhao Ceying nodded slightly and said, "It's getting late, Ziqian, you should go back and rest early."

"Yes." Li An bowed and said, "I'll take my leave!"

Li An originally wanted to say something good about Gu Tingye to dispel Zhao Ceying's suspicion.

From a public and private perspective, it is not a good thing that problems have arisen internally before the salt administration has even started its investigation.

But after some hesitation, he finally gave up the idea.

Everything is excessive, as is too much. He and Gu Tingye have a close relationship, and if he says too much, Zhao Ceying might even suspect him.

…………

In a house in the east of Yangzhou City, the main hall is brightly lit.

A group of graceful women are dancing to the music.

Seeing Tang Qi staring at the dancers, Wen Duo smiled and said, "It's getting late tonight, so why don't you stay here for one night? You can pick any of them you like."

"Thank you, sir!" Tang Qi raised his glass and said with a smile, "I offer you a toast."

"Haha, let's drink together, let's drink together!" Wen Duo raised his glass to signal, then tilted his head back and drank it.

"Clap clap clap!"

Wen Duo put down his glass, clapped his hands, and said, "All of you leave!"

"Yes!"

The music and dancing stopped, and the musicians and dancers bowed and retreated.

"You did a good job this time. Now His Royal Highness Prince Huan is probably already suspicious of Gu Tingye. If they have problems internally, can the Salt Administration still investigate?" Wen Duo said with a smile.

"God helps you, sir. I never thought that the Bai family was actually related to the Marquis's Mansion in Bian Jing. I have been an official in Yangzhou for many years and have never heard of this." Tang Qi said with a smile.

Wherever local officials go, they will find out about the local interpersonal relationships.

You need to have a clear idea of ​​who you can offend and who you cannot offend.

When he took office, he also inquired about the interpersonal relationships in Yangzhou, including the fact that Li An worked in the Hanlin Academy, which he knew very well.

But he really didn't know that the Bai family and the Bian Jing Gu family were related by marriage.

He originally wanted to bribe people to smuggle salt, but was discovered by Zhao Ceying, who then took action against the salt merchants.

In this way, even if the salt merchants did not assassinate Zhao Ceying, they would not sit idly by and wait for death, and would inevitably cause trouble for Zhao Ceying.

Even if we cannot stop Zhao Ceying from investigating the salt affairs, we can delay time and give Bian Jing time to react.

If the problem is not found in time, the government will not be able to withstand the pressure.

However, he never expected that he would accidentally discover that the Bai family was actually related by marriage to the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion in Bian Jing.

So this trap was set up.

He had someone secretly notify the Bai brothers, which allowed him to escape before Gu Tingye arrived.

This was done to alienate the relationship between Zhao Ceying and Gu Tingye.

It was no secret that Gu Tingye had accompanied the new emperor to quell the rebellion.

And Gu Tingye is the highest-ranking general of the imperial guards accompanying this trip.

If Zhao Ceying suspected Gu Tingye, internal discord would be more beneficial to them.

Even if it is useless, it will not hinder their current plans.

"I do know a little about this. The Ningyuan Marquisate owed the imperial court hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, so they divorced their wife and married the daughter of the Bai family, using the Bai family's dowry to make up for the deficit. The eldest son of the Marquisate married the daughter of a merchant. This is simply a shame for the Gu family. Why would they spread this everywhere?

Later, the daughter of the Bai family died during childbirth, and the two families lost contact. "Wenduo said.

"Your Excellency is well-informed about all the affairs in Yangzhou. I admire you very much," Tang Qi flattered him.

"Haha, let's not talk about this anymore." Wen Duo laughed and looked at Tang Qi more and more favorably.

Before, Wen Duo didn’t like Tang Qi very much because he was fat.

Only now did I realize that although Tang Qi was fat, he had quite capable abilities.

Who doesn't like subordinates who are both capable and good at flattering?

"Today, we didn't see Gu Tingye until the end of the banquet to welcome Prince Huan. Prince Huan said he was unwell. What do you think?" Wen Duo asked.

"I think the person may have arrived in Yangzhou in advance." Tang Qi said.

"Why do you think so?" Wen Duo asked.

"Haha." Tang Qi smiled and said, "Gu Tingye is a military commander. Even if he is just a rich kid, he wouldn't get sick after such a short journey."

"Then the Bai brothers won't be found, I should have known earlier..." A hint of cruelty flashed in Wen Duo's eyes.

"I have considered what you said, sir. It's just that the Bai brothers are in the city, so it's not convenient to take action. It would be very troublesome if any traces were left. With their courage, I'm afraid they dare not come back. And even if they come back, what can they do? This kind of thing can't be explained at all." Tang Qi said with a smile.

"That's right." Wen Duo nodded slightly and said, "King Huan asked me and Envoy Ye to go to the post station early tomorrow morning to report on the Lianghuai Salt Administration. You keep an eye on that side."

"Don't worry, sir. Nothing will go wrong." Tang Qi said.

"Okay, it's getting late, go and rest." Wen Duo called a servant and took Tang Qi downstairs to rest.

…………

The next morning, Ye Shihu met up with Wen Duo and went to the post station.

As a transport envoy, Ye Shihu’s duties were actually somewhat similar to those of a prefect.

The only difference is that the prefect is in charge of a state, while he is in charge of a prefecture.

The Transport Commissioner was mainly responsible for the financial and supervisory work of a province.

The Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office is located in Yangzhou. Although it is directly under the management of the Three Departments of Salt and Iron, Ye Shihu has the power to supervise the financial affairs of the route and was also called over by Zhao Ceying.

"I will have to trouble Envoy Ye to say a few good words for you later. I will definitely reward you handsomely." Wen Duo said in a low voice.

"Haha." Ye Shihu smiled slightly and said, "If possible, I would naturally be willing to help."

He knew a little about what Wen Duo had done.

Although he did not participate, he was well aware that the gifts Wen Duo gave him during festivals were quite generous, but he never paid any attention to it.

If possible, he didn't want anything to happen to Wen Duo and cut off his source of income.

However, whether to help him put in a good word depends on the situation.

Since it won't implicate him, he will naturally be happy to sell it well.

If that's not right, I'm sorry.

As for whether Wen Duo would hold a grudge against him, he was not worried at all.

Although he accepted Wen Duo's gift, this kind of situation is very common in official circles.

He didn't get involved, so he wasn't worried.

Seeing that Wen Duo wanted to say something, Ye Shihu quickly changed the subject.

It's hard for him to make promises about this kind of thing, so it's better to talk less about it.

There was a glimmer of gloom in Wen Duo's eyes. Ye Shihu usually received many benefits, but he was unwilling to help at this time.

But he wasn't worried about anything happening for the time being, so he didn't say anything else.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the door of the post station and the two men got off.

The attendant stepped forward to negotiate, and the two were taken into the post station.

We arrived at the main hall of the courtyard where Zhao Ceying lived.

"Your Highness Prince Huan!" the two men bowed.

Zhao Ceying rested late and looked very good.

With a warm smile on his face, he invited the two to sit down.

"I have come to Yangzhou to inspect the salt business on the orders of my father. I wonder which of you can tell me about the situation of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Commissioner's Office?" Zhao Ceying asked.

Ye Shihu looked at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose, and said nothing.

Wen Duo cursed in his heart, but with a smile on his face, he cupped his hands and said, "I wonder what aspect of this Your Highness would like to know?"

"I want to know everything about the salt business. Let's start with the decrease in salt revenue. Before I came here, I checked with the Salt and Iron Administration about the salt business situation in the states surrounding the Lianghuai Salt Field in recent years. I found that the annual demand for salt in the surrounding states is decreasing. Why is that? Logically speaking, Jiangnan is a prosperous place, the people are wealthy, and the population is constantly increasing. It doesn't make sense that the consumption of salt is getting lower and lower." Zhao Ceying said.

The Salt and Iron Bureau cannot fake the amount of salt permits it sells and the amount of salt it extracts every year.

(End of this chapter)