The selection process of the chamber of commerce has begun secretly. 'Jingwei' is painstakingly analyzing all the information about all the powerful people, looking for any clues about the cooperation between the powerful people and merchants.
As the date approached, amidst the turmoil in Taiyi City, some dignitaries also emerged who chose to watch. However, they did not leave Taiyi City. Instead, they were waiting for the results, and then prepared to buy the products from merchants at high prices. Law, and the permission order from the Ministry of Household Affairs.
Zong Chuke is now busy with Bai Chun every day. Since the arrival of the two ministers from the Ministry of Household Affairs, Bai Chun and Zong Chuke have had a chance to breathe.
The arrival of Dai Zhide, Liu Zhengli and others also made ordinary people realize that something unknown seemed to be happening behind the scenes of this ordinary chamber of commerce!
Three days after Hua Meng led Dai Zhide and others to Taiyi City, the prince allowed him to visit Helan Minzhi and others. During this period, Li Hong had never even met them and had been avoiding them. No matter who asked to see him, it was not easy.
It was basically the first time for these people to come to Taiyi City. Seeing the bustling scene of Taiyi City, they were so surprised that their jaws almost dropped to the ground.
But when the carriage drove out of Taiyi City and walked slowly towards the restricted area, they were far away and saw the wall of the restricted area that was surrounded by a long dragon!
The long city wall has only five gates. Except for the middle gate, which is for pedestrians, the other four walls are even used to transport goods day and night.
In just five or six years, the prince's childish language made all the courtiers hold their heads up and laugh in the Taiji Hall. Now when they saw this scene, they were stunned and couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The gate of the city was guarded by the prince's left and right guards, and the interrogation of them and others was extremely strict. Dai Zhide's face remained dark throughout the entire process. He wondered if this was the prince who was determined to retaliate, and was deliberately making things difficult for them!
Finally, I couldn't bear it anymore and asked Hua Meng next to me: "Does His Highness the Crown Prince have to go through such a tedious and rigorous interrogation every time he comes?"
"Dai Shangshu, the prince naturally doesn't need it. Everything in Taiyi City belongs to him, so of course he doesn't need it." Hua Meng replied calmly and without saying a word.
"What about Bai Chun? Since Taiyi City belongs to His Highness the Crown Prince, should Bai Chun be interrogated as well?" After Dai Zhide asked, he knew the result before Hua Meng could answer.
The seven or eight people on the carriage were all interrogated. Only Hua Meng stood aside and watched them as if nothing happened. If Hua Meng is like this, it goes without saying that Bai Chun will naturally have unimpeded access.
"Bai Chun is responsible for managing this restricted area, so naturally there is no need for interrogation." Hua Meng replied again in a nonchalant manner.
"Hmph!" Dai Zhide snorted again. The tedious interrogation was finally over, and the carriage once again carried them into the mysterious restricted area of Taiyi City.
The place where He Lan Minzhi and others were imprisoned was naturally not a good place. An iron gate made of newly made steel revealed a cold murderous aura and ruthlessness!
When Dai Zhide and others saw the iron gate, they all frowned involuntarily. As they walked along, the restricted area looked like a small city, making people feel no pressure or discomfort at all.
But when they stepped into the courtyard, the coldness and murderous aura that hit them still made them feel cold for a while.
"Where is the person?" Dai Zhide asked.
"In the dungeon." Hua Meng said with his eyes lowered.
The heavy iron door was slowly opened from the inside, and a strong fishy smell suddenly hit the nostrils, which made Dai Zhide and others dizzy and almost vomited.
"Are you all imprisoned here?" This time Cui Dunli, the minister of Honglu Temple, asked with a frown.
If those envoys sent to the Tang Dynasty were also imprisoned in such a dark and smelly place, if word spread in the future, it would be a heavy blow to the ceremonial state that the Tang Dynasty had longed for.
Hua Meng didn't even bother to speak this time and just nodded. There was nothing he could do. The smell of blood was so strong that even breathing was a little uncomfortable. When he opened his mouth to speak, he always felt that the smell of blood had gone down his throat and into his stomach.
Several people endured difficulty in breathing and followed Hua Meng slowly down the dim steps.
The oil lamps in the cell were also listless, as if they had inhaled too much blood and were tainted with a hint of evil.
There is an iron fence in every room, and Helan Minzhi and others are imprisoned inside the iron fence, and their treatment is not much better. The only thing in the room is a human-shaped wooden stake, and everyone is tied up. Tie it firmly on top.
His body was covered in blood, his hair was disheveled, and he couldn't tell whether he was a human or a ghost.
Gao Zhiyi, the doctor of Yushitai, covered his mouth and nose with his hands and said angrily: "Take away Helan Minzhi, Ning Daoming, Xiao Shougui, Xiao Shoudao and the two envoys from Japan."
Before Hua Meng could say anything, miserable cries came from the innermost cell: "Sir, save me, let me out quickly, I don't dare anymore, please, let me out quickly, I really I know I was wrong and I won’t dare to do it again…”
"Shut up!" the guard in the dungeon shouted coldly, and the voice immediately disappeared.
"He Lan Minzhi?" Dai Zhide looked at Hua Meng and was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly walked to the innermost cell.
"Ah...!" Dai Zhide ran over unprepared, and when he saw the person inside, he couldn't help but scream out in fright.
The crowd followed in his footsteps, and everyone suddenly turned pale. This... Is there really a person tied to the wooden stake in the cell
"Whose idea was this? Is it really the prince? Hasn't he always been kind and filial? How could he be so ruthless!" Dai Zhide looked at Helan Minzhi, who had no human form inside, and could no longer control himself. The anger in his heart, regardless of the pungent smell of blood in the prison, he roared angrily.
Helan Minzhi was naked, with not a single piece of intact skin on his body, and his whole body was covered in blood and buzzing flies.
Behind Dai Zhide, the officials from the Ministry of Justice, Zongzheng Temple, Dali Temple, and Yushitai came in. They were also shocked by the sight in front of them. It was so vicious.
"Release him, release him immediately, and send him to Taiyi City for treatment." Dai Zhide pointed at Hua Meng's nose and shouted.
"I want to see what you, Dai Zhide, are capable of and what reason you have to take him away from here!" Li Hong's cold voice came from the cell door.
"You..." Dai Zhide did not expect that the prince who had been with them for several days would show up at this time.
"What am I? As the Minister of Rites, you don't know how to judge the crime for insulting the late emperor? Or do you Dali Temple, Yushitai, your Ministry of Punishments, and Zongzheng Temple not understand this? The palace of the majestic Emperor of the Tang Dynasty has actually become their residence. A place for drinking, having fun, and enjoying singing and dancing! Have you fed your kindness to Grandpa Huang to the dogs?" Li Hong walked closer step by step, and his words were sharp!
"He Lan Minzhi, I'll ask you one question and answer it. If you dare to talk nonsense again, don't blame me for continuing to torture you." Li Hong was like a demon coming out of hell. The thick and pungent smell of blood seemed to be a little bit... Can't smell it either.
"Tell Gu, who gave you the privilege to enter Cuiwei Palace?" Li Hong looked at Dai Zhide and others and asked coldly.
"Back to Your Highness, I bribed the Weiwei Siqing and then ran in." He Lan Minzhi's neck seemed to be broken, his head drooped, and he replied with force.
"How many times have you dispatched prison guards?" Li Hong lowered his head and kicked the floor tiles under his feet.
"This... I can't remember clearly, it was three or four years ago."
"Is this the first time you have entered Cuiwei Palace?"
"the second time."
"What does the Japanese envoy have to do with you? Why are they here too?"
"They hope to get all the methods you created in Taiyi City, your highness, so they came to me."
"How did Zongzheng Temple, Shaofu Supervisor, Xiao Shougui, and Xiao Shoudao conspire with you?"
“…………….”
As the questioning lasted for more than an hour, the expressions of Dai Zhide and others became darker and darker. This was a capital crime, a crime of consecutive imprisonment!
Not to mention He Lan Minzhi, Xiao Shoudao and Xiao Shougui, the officials of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, Zongzheng Temple, and the Shaofu Supervisor. If this matter is really investigated and investigated, these people will be pulled out and chopped with a knife. This is the most lenient thing. All the punishments were meted out.
"Dai Shangshu, Cui Siqing, this Japanese envoy insulted the royal family in the Tang Dynasty. I want to know what you think? You two communicate and contact them on weekdays. The etiquette of the Tang Dynasty they have learned is all Did you learn it in the dog's belly, or are you pigs with no brains to teach it? Dai Zhide, why do you have the nerve to make such a fuss when you come in? The dignity of the royal family is so shameful? He was trampled under my feet and insulted, you really want me to let him go?" No one looked down upon Li Hong's remarks.
Seeing that everyone was silent, and occasionally there was only the uncontrollable cry of He Lan Minzhi in the prison, Li Hong's eyes flashed with coldness, and he continued: "In the Tang Dynasty, human kindness is greater than the law. Let me show you, this is what my father is still saying. There is a decree given to me by my mother, and these are special letters of pleading written by you senior officials! Your senior officials and generous salaries are all given by the Tang Dynasty, but you still want to be a worm of the Tang Dynasty and work for them. Beg for mercy! If you want to beg for mercy, how about taking off your official uniforms and leaving them free to do whatever you want?"
"Your Highness, please calm down. I would like to ask Your Highness to consider this matter." Cui Zhiwen, the Minister of Punishment, said.
Cui Dunli, the minister of Honglu Temple, also bowed and said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is teaching me that I failed to manage foreign envoys well. I know my crime and ask the Crown Prince to punish me."
"Punishment? Punishment only treats the symptoms but not the root cause. The Ministry of Punishment, Dali Temple, and Yushitai, you can watch the trial. As for the Ministry of Rites and you, go back to Chang'an City and go to my father to accept the punishment yourself. As for when he will be taken away "Whenever you give me a satisfactory result, take it away." After Li Hong finished speaking, he left without looking back.
He Lan Minzhi's cry came from behind again: "Your Highness, I really know my mistake... I really don't dare to do it anymore. Please let me out..."
(End of chapter)