Ma Youlu asked Chang Feng: "Should I talk about the other seven elders?"
Chang Feng said: "Keep talking."
Ma Youlu continued to confess: "The second elder is Lu Shaoyuan, the son-in-law of Geng Yu, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites."
Chang Feng took a breath of cold air again. Geng Yu has been the Great Jiuqing since his great-grandfather's generation. His father was Geng Jiuchou, the Minister of Punishment during the Tianshun period.
No matter who is the emperor, the Geng family can stand in the court without falling.
In the 22nd year of Chenghua, Geng Yu even became a Heavenly Official in the Ministry of Personnel. It is the first of the "Six Masters of Clay Sculpture".
Emperor Hongzhi hated Geng Yu, a mediocre official, to the point of his teeth. However, the disciples of the Geng family have too many old friends and have too much influence in the court. There was no way to clear it out of the court.
In the end, Emperor Hongzhi only demoted Geng Yu to the rank of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites. Shangshu Zhou Hongmo is old, and it is said that Geng Yu is about to take over and return to the rank of Dajiu Qing.
His son-in-law is actually an elder of the Sihai Society? If he touches his son-in-law, the officialdom of the capital will be shaken.
Fatty Xu was speechless at the side: "Good boy. Old Geng's son-in-law is also your elder? No wonder some people in the capital say that the Geng family has more than 200 - more money and more money!"
Chang Feng said: "Go on."
Ma Youlu named the third elder: "Yang Guosheng, the capital of Zhejiang."
Chang Feng asked: "Who is Yang Dusi's relative?"
Ma Youlu's answer shocked Chang Feng again: "It's either his relative or Yang Guosheng himself."
Dusi, the full name is Dusi Commander. He is the highest military attaché of a province. At the local level, the governor has the power to mobilize troops, and the Dusi has the power to command troops.
Dusi is equivalent to the military commander in later generations. .
Yang Guosheng was involved in the case, and it is very likely that a bunch of generals, large and small, in the Zhejiang Guard Army were also involved.
If Yang Guosheng is pursued, there will most likely be a mutiny. If there is a mutiny in Zhejiang, it will be like a stab in the fate of the Ming Dynasty.
Fatty Xu and Chang Feng looked at each other: "I think we should stop interrogating, right?"
Chang Feng shook his head slightly and ordered Ma Youlu: "Go on."
Ma Youlu said: "The fourth elder is Wang Ke, the chief merchant of the Yangzhou Salt Chamber of Commerce."
Chang Feng asked: "Which *** is he a relative of?"
Ma Youlu shook his head slightly: "Wang Yi has been doing business for generations, and no one in the family is an official. But..."
Chang Feng asked: "But what?"
Ma Youlu said: "His trading firm has a stake in Liu Ji, the chief minister of the cabinet!"
"Although Liu Ji didn't know that Wang Ji was doing smuggling business along the coast, the silver he got from Wang Ji every year was all earned from smuggling."
Chang Feng gave a wry smile: "Ha. Looking deeper, even the chief minister of the current cabinet is involved in the case! Wonderful! How damn wonderful! Talk about the fifth elder."
Ma Youlu said: "The fifth elder is Zhu Yueqi, the eldest son of Prince Jingjiang."
Chang Feng was stunned again: "A noble family member of the royal family, the prince of the feudal lord is also smuggling from Japan?"
Ma Youlu explained: "Fujian produces black tea. Westerners prefer black tea to green tea. The entire black tea smuggling trade in Fujian is controlled by Prince Jingjiang."
Fatty Xu exclaimed from the side: "Mr. Chang, is this damn...involving Lao Zhu's family?"
Chang Feng lamented: "If it were the less timid Jin Yiwei Qianhu who tried this case, I'm afraid he would be scared to death by now. Let's talk about sixth place."
Ma Youlu said: "The sixth elder is Gao Wenze, the head of Ji'an Weihuai Academy."
Chang Feng asked: "That Gao Wenze, who is known as one of the three great Confucian scholars in Jiangnan?"
Ma Youlu nodded.
Although Gao Wenze only had the reputation of being a scholar, he was an out-and-out scholar leader.
His Weihuai Academy is known as a frequent visitor to Nanbang. Every time there is an imperial examination, several of the Jinshi in the South List must come from Weihuai Academy.
The feudal officials in Jiangnan provinces were all polite to him, a scholar leader. He is their guest.
Chang Feng said: "Among the six elders, there are relatives of *** eunuchs, scholar leaders, royal family members, business leaders, and military commanders. Where are the last two? I really want to know who they are."
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You Lu said: "The seventh one is Huang Degong, the governor of Zhejiang."
Chang Feng was shocked: "The most powerful members of the imperial court stationed in Zhejiang also smuggled into Japan?"
Ma Youlu said: "The Four Seas Conference is so big that you can't even imagine it. With so many elders, congregations, big and small bosses, we need someone with a high enough status to mediate and coordinate the interests of all parties."
"It is most appropriate for a province to be closed off as a frontier."
Chang Feng said: "Okay. Let's talk about the last elder."
Ma Youlu said two words: "Wang Zhi."
Chang Feng asked: "Which Wang Zhi? Could it be that Wang Zhi?"
Ma Youlu said: "That's right. It's Eunuch Wang Zhi who was demoted to Xiaoling Sixiang."
Fatty Xu stretched out his hand and pulled Chang Feng. Pulling him towards the door of the hall: "Master Chang, let's take a step to talk."
The two came to the courtyard.
Fatty Xu said: "Master Chang, don't worry about it. Let's just pretend we don't know about the Sihaihui."
"Let Ma Youlu go. Burn the confession. Just say that you drank too much and went crazy and nailed his toes in a daze."
"If this matter is made public, you will definitely die."
Chang Feng said calmly: "I had estimated before that the eight elders might have a very high status. But I didn't expect them to be this high."
"Oh, you're right. If I make this known to the public, I will definitely die."
"But if I hide and don't say anything, it will be like holding the entire southeastern officialdom, the scholarly community, the capital city, and even the vassal king in my hands!"
Fatty Xu blurted out: "You are playing with fire."
Chang Feng said: "Wealth can be found in danger!"
Fatty Xu kept mumbling and said word by word: "Chang Feng, are you crazy?"
Chang Feng shook his head slightly: "I'm not crazy. I will take care of this matter. For myself and for the people along the southeast coast."
Fatty Xu asked, "How do you say that?"
Chang Feng explained: "The job of Jinyiwei is like dancing on the tip of a knife. Although I am a popular person around the emperor now, maybe one day I will encounter a bumpy road in the future, which will endanger my life."
"Until then, the big handle I hold in my hand will be my life-saving amulet."
"People die for money, and birds die for food. It doesn't matter to the people of the Sihaihui that they make money. But they lead the Japanese invaders and bring disaster to the people along the coast. If I don't let them suffer a dumb loss, I'm sorry for my conscience."
"Don't worry, follow my plan. I will make them suffer so much that they don't even know who gave it to them!"
Fatty Xu asked: "What exactly is your plan?"
Chang Feng said nothing and turned around and entered the main room.
Chang Feng smiled and said: "Brother Ma. You just said that if I want money, you can give me all your money, right?"
Ma Youlu nodded hurriedly: "Yes! As long as you don't kill me. And don't let others know that I confessed the identity of the Eighth Elder."
Chang Feng asked: "How much money do you have?"
Ma Youlu smiled bitterly: "You have to calculate carefully with the ledger and abacus. Part of my wealth is fields, part is real estate, part is goods that are warehoused to protect capital, and part is the share capital of various companies..."
Chang Feng waved his hand: "I don't want any of that. Just tell me how much cash you have in your house and where it is hidden."
Ma Youlu said: "There is not much silver in the house. Only more than 30,000 taels. Hidden..."
Chang Feng passed by and Ma Youlu explained the place where the silver was hidden.
Chang Feng ordered Shi Wenyi: "Wenyi, bring the things I asked you to prepare."
Shi Wenyi left the main room and brought in a ghost head knife.
Chang Feng took the Ghost Head Sword and walked directly behind Ma Youlu.
Ma Youlu was horrified: "What are you going to do..."
Before he finished speaking, Chang Feng's ghost-headed sword had already fallen on his head. "Click", "Pfft!"
Ma Youlu's head rolled to the ground like a ball.
