The anger that Zai Chun had accumulated for many days finally burst out. He pointed at the noses of these royal nobles and yelled, "You still have the nerve to say that you don't want to cause a big prison?"
"See how dark the Capital Iron Works has become?"
"Look at these confessions, have your consciences been eaten by dogs? It's so dark that no light can shine through. What nonsense do you tell me about Tongzhi Zhongxing on weekdays?"
"Slaughtering pigs, flower shacks...where did those people come from? They opened their mouths and said that the poor couldn't afford to have more children and sold their children and daughters. It's all nonsense!"
"I will interrogate them one by one. If one of you is abducted or stolen, who among you will be responsible? Who will bear the blame..."
"Where do so many opium cigarettes come from? I have repeatedly ordered that the Jingshi Iron Works is not allowed to allow even a few ounces of opium to flow in. How come there are so many black opium dens?"
"In casinos, workers are forced to gamble, and loan sharks are charged with compound interest... Who is responsible for these things?"
"Now that all the confessions have been found out, do you still have the nerve to tell me that I don't want to go to jail? Why? Why!"
Zai Chun had already poked his finger on the nose of Prince Zheng Chengzhi, "Do you still have the nerve to speak? Is Guang Liang your slave? Do you have a share in such a big scapegoat?"
Chengzhi knew that he would not get better today, and that he would be stabbed sooner or later. He kowtowed loudly and cried, "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu... Your Majesty, this servant is wronged, really wronged!"
"It's all stated in this confession...it was those dozen thugs who committed suicide without authorization, which led to the deaths of Wang Grasshopper and the others. This was really not an order given by Guang Liang!"
"And for other crimes, there is no direct evidence to say that Guang Liang committed it?"
"I admit that Guang Liang is guilty of lax service, but this crime does not deserve death!"
"I swear on my life that what happened in the iron factory has nothing to do with me. The imperial court has given me a royal salary, and the land and manor left by my ancestors are enough for me to spend. What's the point of asking for so much money? ?”
"Please tell me, Your Majesty! This slave is really unjust..." Chengzhi kowtowed and cried, "How dare you bend the law for personal gain? How did my uncle Wang die earlier? I remember it clearly!"
"No matter how brave I am, I will never dare to break the king's law. I really don't dare!"
These princes are all in the same boat, and they are all responsible for the darkness of the Qinghe Iron Factory. At this time, we can only plead for mercy together, "Your Majesty! I am also willing to provide guarantee for Prince Zheng!"
"The whole thing was caused by the lack of strict control of my minions and the gangsters in the wilderness were deceived. That's why this tragedy happened!"
"We are all princes of the Qing Dynasty. We all know the truth that everyone will be prosperous and everyone will suffer losses. We really don't dare to throw the blame. Your Majesty, the Holy Ming, can definitely see this clearly!"
The iron hat king inside began to plead for mercy, and other princes outside the room also echoed. Does that person actually have no share in this black industry in the capital?
These black money have already formed an industry. For example, Guang Liang, the general manager of the first line, is a slave of Prince Zheng and has profited from the black property of the first line manager.
But are all the people under Guang Liang his own? Are there no other family members of Beile and Beizi here who have come in through some connections to make a fortune?
The Eight Banners pay attention to eating and drinking together with wine and meat. What are relatives? This is kinship, you have to look after each other!
You Guangliang earn ten thousand taels a month, but you have to give it to my slave who earned a thousand or eight hundred in the past!
Just like this, the black network is getting tighter and tighter, and there are more and more protective umbrellas. At this critical moment, the protective umbrellas come into play.
When Zai Chun heard that half of the people in the Yangxin Hall were begging for mercy, the fire in his heart started to rise! At that moment, he wanted to have a seizure. He really wanted to overturn the filth in this room.
But out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his teacher Weng Tonghe winking at him desperately!
After taking a few deep breaths, Zai Chun said, "Master Weng, Master Li... I have to ask you what you want!"
Li Hongzao frowned and thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty! It's really shocking that the Capital Iron Factory is so dark. I really didn't expect..."
"Our civil servant Qingliu did not do a good job in collecting local folklore. The censors have failed in their duties. Your Majesty, please atone for your sins!"
"But... if His Majesty wants to build a prison, I have a few words to say... If the prison is so prosperous, the court will lose face!"
"Your Majesty has traveled across Europe, and his experience is much greater than mine... What doesn't your Majesty understand? In today's world, the way of speech has been opened up by newspapers, and people can easily know things thousands of miles away!"
"If our court overturns this blame, what will the people of the world think? What will the envoys from Western countries think? What will the surrounding vassal states think?"
"The imperial court also needs face!"
The civil servants always spoke in a measured and pleasant manner. Prince Zheng and Prince Li did not have a good impression of these Han ministers at first, but at this moment they all looked at Li Hongzao with gratitude.
Weng Tonghe also spoke: "Your Majesty... be careful not to rush but to be patient. The bigger the problem, the more patient you must be! Of course we have to handle the case of the Jingshi Iron Works. Murder to pay debts and pay back money is a matter of course!"
"But if the prison is really built! I have another idea... What Mr. Li just said is absolutely right. The court's face is important, but there is one more thing that your majesty needs to think about carefully!"
"If all the cases of human trafficking, pornography, gambling and drug abuse, embezzlement of earthworks and timber...and even cases from long ago were turned over, wouldn't it be a bit too much?"
"People are dissatisfied! Will supporting them like this increase their unrealistic ideas?"
"If something goes wrong, will it be more difficult to manage the court in the future?"
"You need to know that the people should be in awe of the imperial court. We can't lose this sense of awe!"
Ouch! Weng Tonghe actually spoke to the Manchu dignitaries. Prince Zheng, Prince Li, and others wished they could invite these two Han ministers to drink after the dynasty was over!
He is really good at talking. Why didn’t we think of these two points?
Zai Chun was also stunned. Thinking about what these people said, a chill suddenly came out of his heart. "What Er Mao persuaded him before actually happened. This group of people is so powerful. Even Master Li and Master Weng helped to speak." Got it!"
Zai Chun sat back on the throne and suddenly looked up at Prince Dun, who had been silent all this time. "Uncle Five Emperors...why are you silent? What did you think about this matter?"
Prince Dun came out and bowed his hands in salute, "Your Majesty! I'm afraid all the gentlemen in the audience are starved for food today! Can you ask the tea room to send some tea soup to warm your body and relieve your hunger?"
"Your Majesty, you are also tired. Take a rest..."
Zai Chun heard the words in Uncle Wu's words, "Okay! I'll give you some hot tea and soup. Uncle Wu will accompany me to Meiwu to get some fresh air..."
There are also two bowls of tea soup from the imperial tea house placed on the stone table in Meiwu. This kind of tea soup made from ground millet noodles is sprinkled with a thick layer of sesame seeds, and it smells fragrant.
Zai Chun pushed a bowl to Uncle Wu, "Uncle Wu... I'm really worried, really worried..."
Yi Pei did not drink the soup but knelt in front of Zai Chun, his face changed dramatically, "Your Majesty! This matter cannot cause a big prison, it really can't!"
"During your trial of the case, the threshold of my home has been violated! All the royal nobles involved in the case have been sent generous gifts, just to ask me to intercede!"
"This is the gift list, please take a look at it! Your Majesty has locked up all the gifts. Please confiscate them later!"
"This is not the most serious thing, you know? The Eight Banners in the capital have already begun to connect..."
"They even want to parade through the streets! If the matter is not handled well this time, the world will really be in chaos!"
