Chapter 428: People's Heart
There was an uproar in the White Tiger Hall.

Even those who had been here all night and were already dizzy with exhaustion were completely awakened by Yan Shaoting's words, as if a bucket of cold water was poured over their heads.

Dozens of angry and surprised eyes were fixed on Yan Shaoting as he stood up and walked to the door with his back to them.

Xu Pengju sighed silently.

He knew that Yan Shaoting's trip to Nanjing this time was with ill intentions.

As for the eunuch Chen Hong who was guarding Nanjing, he only had a faint smile on his face. Just like his status, he could stay relatively out of the affairs of the city of Jinling and seemed to be fearless.

But Yang Zongqi and other civil servants in Nanjing could not sit idly by.

Yang Zongqi glared at Yan Shaoting's back.

He hummed cautiously, a hint of sarcasm on his face.

Yang Zongqi casually bowed his hand towards Yan Shaoting's back, and then said with a sneer on his face: "I have heard that when the young Yan was in Beijing, he offered many good advice and suggestions, and Your Majesty favored him and boosted the national treasury. In the past, when the emperor was in the court, an official criticized the loyal and treacherous officials. Your Majesty asked your Highness, but only the young Yan took a different approach and made a strange suggestion, which greatly boosted the emperor's attention. At that time, the young Yan said: In the Mingtang, they are like the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, without any treacherous people, and all are loyal."

Under the White Tiger Hall, Yang Zongqi's voice reached everyone's ears.

This caused everyone to turn their heads.

After saying the above, Yang Zongqi shook his head with a sneer on his face, and then he bowed his hands again and spoke loudly: "But why, at that time, Lord Yan could say in front of the emperor that there were no treacherous officials in the Mingtang, and they were all loyal ministers. But now, in the White Tiger Hall of the Nanjing Garrison Office, he is speaking such treacherous words with my colleagues in the secondary capital? Could it be that Lord Yan is saying that we, the officials in Nanjing, are not your majesty's subjects, not officials of the state?"

have to say.

Yang Zongqi's words touched the hearts of everyone present.

Even those who had been at odds with him in the past showed admiration when they heard these words.

There is no other.

Based on what Yang Zongqi said, Yan Shaoting is unable to give a reasonable explanation.

Then Yan Shaoting would have to bear the bad reputation of being two-faced and hypocritical.

Yan Shaoting, with his back to the crowd, had a calm expression and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

I have to say that Yang Zongqi is very good at finding loopholes.

If I really understood what he said, I'm afraid the game that I had been setting up since last night would be broken by the other party.

Once the plan that he had worked so hard on was broken, whatever he wanted to do in Nanjing city next would immediately become extremely difficult, like being stuck in a quagmire.

even.

This group of people could also use this as an excuse to secretly write to the capital to impeach him for the crime of deceiving the emperor.

But obviously.

People like Yang Zongqi made a miscalculation.

Yan Shaoting is not the officials of the past.

During his years in the court, he was not a person who followed the rules.

Just like today.

Yan Shaoting said there are treacherous people here.

It's just one word.

Fraud.

The most important point in this situation is people's hearts.

What he wants to do is to deceive these people.

Just behind him.

Yang Zongqi, who had not received a direct answer from Yan Shaoting, smiled and spoke again: "I also ask Young Lord Yan to face us and tell us who the treacherous villain here is, so that we can distinguish between loyalty and treachery."

The only sound in the hall was Yang Zongqi's questioning.

But everyone around him was staring at Yan Shaoting's back, as if if he didn't give an explanation today, they would definitely spread Yan Shaoting's true face of being two-faced and hypocritical to the world.

however.

It was also under the gaze of everyone.

Yan Shaoting slowly lowered his head, smiled bitterly as if helpless, and reached out to take out a letter from his arms.

The letter was held on Yan Shaoting's shoulders.

Because of the angle between inside and outside, everyone could only see the light from outside shining in, illuminating the outline of the envelope, but could not clearly see the words on it.

At this time, Yan Shaoting's voice had already reached the hall.

"I think you will be confused by what I said."

"but……"

"I happen to have a letter here. It was received from Nanjing when I was sailing south to Xuzhou."

Yan Shaoting glanced sideways at the envelope he was holding up, with a calm smile on his face.

in fact.

This envelope is empty.

But he continued, "I think you all want to know what is written here. Since you have doubts, I will explain it to you."

To here.

Yan Shaoting's tone suddenly became deep: "It clearly lists the financial and tax accounts of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River. It also directly states that the local people in the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River have suffered from disasters for many years and have been forced to sell their land and become tenants of the powerful gentry and wealthy families, and even sell their children and daughters to become slaves of the rich families! There are also denunciations that we are now in this city of Nanjing, where the officials and nobles in the court are committing fraud and corruption, allowing their relatives to exploit them, and protecting their students and old friends."

Following Yan Shaoting's explanation, everyone present was stunned.

Looks of distrust began to wander around the hall.

Yang Zongqi frowned, and after a moment's silence, he immediately said loudly: "Little Lord Yan, how can this letter of unknown origin be used as evidence? If the court really takes this as an excuse, what is the use of the laws of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Oh?"

Yan Shaoting raised his eyebrows, put the letter in his arms, slowly turned around, and looked at Yang Zongqi who had been competing with him at the moment.

With a smile on his face, he looked at Yang Zongqi calmly.

"This... should be the Minister of Grain Reserves of the Governor-General of Nanjing."

Yang Zongqi stiffened his neck, raised his chin, and bowed casually.

"It's down."

"If Lord Yan really wants to execute us today with this unknown letter, regardless of right or wrong, I'm afraid that the whole government and the public will have some discussions about Lord Yan."

They have all been officials for many years, so how could Yang Zongqi be afraid of Yan Shaoting's tricks?

But Yan Shaoting just nodded with a smile: "It is indeed as Governor Yang said. Our dynasty does not have the rule of executing an official for a letter of unknown origin. But..."

The words stopped abruptly.

Yan Shaoting just looked at Zhu Qi under the plaque of Baihu Hall.

Zhu Qi said nothing and walked straight out the door under everyone's gaze.

Standing in the porch.

Zhu Qi waved his hands fiercely outside and shouted, "Bring all the things up!"

Everyone looked outside with puzzled eyes, wondering what Yan Shaoting was up to.

But they didn't keep them waiting too long.

Following Zhu Qi's call, two soldiers came in from outside the yamen carrying a wooden box.

The wooden box was not big, barely higher than the knee.

But the two officers and soldiers walked with great difficulty.

Not long.

The wooden box was carried to Yan Shaoting, and Zhu Qi followed in, glancing at Yan Shaoting, waiting for the next instruction.

Yan Shaoting looked at the officials from various departments in Nanjing who had been eagerly waiting for the wooden box, and said to Zhu Qi with a smile: "Open the box for you officials to see what's inside."

Zhu Qi nodded, then bent down, reached out, and opened the wooden box.

As soon as the box was opened, the Nanjing officials in the hall stretched their necks to look over.

Impressively.

I saw a wooden box filled with account books stacked up layer by layer.

Everyone's pupils couldn't help but shrink suddenly.

Yang Zongqi lowered his head and stared at the account books in the wooden box, swallowing silently.

He raised his head and looked at Yan Shaoting again, his tone no longer as tough as before.

He frowned and said in confusion: "I dare... I wonder what is in this box that Elder Yan brought up?"

Yan Shaoting smiled and asked, "Doesn't Governor Yang know what these are?"

Yang Zongqi was stunned for a moment, then said in a hurry: "This was brought by Elder Xiao Yan, how can I know what it is!"

While saying this, Yang Zongqi's eyes kept sweeping towards the wooden box on the ground.

Just like him, the eyes of the officials from various departments in Nanjing present were almost cast into the wooden box.

Yan Shaoting smiled and said, "This was sent to me along with the letter just now. It seems to be all about the illegal accounts of Nanjing City. However, I have been on the road for several days and have not had time to check it carefully. Who are the people in Nanjing City involved in these accounts, and what illegal activities have they committed?"

After saying this with a smile.

Yan Shaoting kicked the wooden box again in front of everyone.

"If you are interested, you can come forward and help me check and see who has done illegal things here."

That's it.

Yan Shaoting even took a step back on his own initiative, as if he really wanted to give the box of accounts to the people in front of him.

But.

How could people like Yang Zongqi, who were officials in Nanjing, dare to step forward and check the account books in the box at this moment?

Look.

There are immediately two explanations.

One is to be loyal to the country and cannot tolerate evildoers.

The second is to confirm the evidence of his guilt.

a knife.

Silently, it hung above the White Tiger Hall.

Yang Zongqi raised his eyes and glanced at the people around him, his face tense, and he didn't know how to start talking for a moment.

Everyone felt as if they were on pins and needles, and their whole body was itching.

It's not right to look at it, and it's not right not to look at it. One-track mind will lead to two blocked ends.

Chen Hong, who was standing at the side, slowly showed a smile on his face, squinted his eyes and said with a smile: "Little Lord Yan is the Prime Minister of the six provinces in the south of the Yangtze River appointed by His Majesty. He is under the order of the Emperor to inspect the six provinces. Such reports should be personally reviewed and verified by Little Lord Yan. It seems that we may be involved in it, so according to the rules, we cannot read it."

As Chen Hong spoke, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yan Shaoting just looked at Chen Hong immediately and smiled: "Eunuch Chen really came from the palace and knows the rules best. But I still say that if you want to watch, you can watch."

But this time Chen Hong took the lead.

Everyone immediately shook their heads and waved their hands, rejecting Yan Shaoting's seemingly generous behavior.

Don't underestimate this guy because he is young.

He speaks and acts in one way after another, and there are many pitfalls one after another.

If you are not careful, you will be buried in the pit by this guy.

Yan Shaoting looked at these people's reactions and laughed in his heart.

These people were just as I expected.

Each of them is able to see through the red and purple, and they are all the key ministers of the Ming Dynasty.

But once they encounter something that really concerns them, they will all become quails with their heads tucked in.

In front of these people.

Yan Shaoting pretended to sigh and shook his head, saying, "In that case, I will have to work hard for a few days to figure these things out."

He said something that hurt my heart.

Yan Shaoting immediately changed his expression, looked at Wei Guogong Xu Pengju with a smile, clasped his fists, and said respectfully: "Thank you, Duke, for giving up your house for us to stay. I didn't expect that a night has passed. I don't want to disturb you to report to the government office. If you don't have any instructions, I will leave first. After you have rested enough in the past two days and washed off the dust, I will host a banquet for you all."

After finishing speaking.

Yan Shaoting immediately turned around and took Zhu Qi and Liu Wan with him, and walked out of the yamen under the gaze of everyone in the White Tiger Hall.

Until Yan Shaoting had disappeared behind the screen wall.

Everyone then lowered their eyes and looked at the open wooden box still on the ground.

After a while.

No one said a word.

So the two soldiers closed the wooden box, and then called two more people, and the four of them worked together to carry the wooden box away in front of everyone.

A morning breeze blew outside.

A few wisps of dust were raised on the ground.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Zongqi immediately turned around and looked at everyone: "Who is it! Who gave the box of things to Yan Shaoting so early without telling anyone?"

Yang Zongqi, who was suppressed to the point where he couldn't even raise his head today, was so angry that his temples were bulging.

But his eyes seemed to be fixed on Zhang Shunchen, the Minister of Finance in Nanjing.

Everyone's eyes wandered and looked at each other.

Xu Pengju was watching from the side with fear and trembling. He took several deep breaths secretly before he stood up and said hesitantly, "I think... maybe there is a trick here? We have known each other for many years in Nanjing. Who would do such a thing? It must be a trap set by Yan Shaoting to trick us so that we would be confused and suspicious of each other and then fall into his trap!"

aside.

Wang Yongbao, the Nanjing Minister of Personnel with a beautiful beard, shook his head and denied it.

Wang Yongbao said in a deep voice: "Whether it is a fraud or not, we don't know. But what if there is real evidence in it? What if this evidence really involves you and me?"

Everyone sighed and lamented.

Just as Yan Shaoting had previously invited them to check the account books in the box.

Now this is an unbreakable situation.

No one knows what is on the account book in the box, or if there is nothing at all.

If so, then who among the people present today did it behind the scenes?

If not...

No one dares to bet on this option.

Zhang Shunchen, the Nanjing Minister of Finance, who had been stared at by Yang Zongqi's vague eyes for a long time, sighed and shook his head and said, "Shunchen also knows how you feel. At the moment, we should be prepared for the worst. If there is really evidence of illegal activities of some people in Nanjing in the box, why didn't Yan Shaoting point it out in public today, but instead said that he would check it out later. You are all smart people. If those are indeed evidence, I'm afraid Yan Shaoting would have seen it clearly. Then why did he do it today? I'm afraid that this is the most important thing, right?"

Chen Hong immediately looked at Zhang Shunchen and bowed.

"Minister Zhang is the one who sees things clearly."

With an admiration, Chen Hong glanced at everyone present.

He coughed lightly and continued, "Everyone, now is the time to think about what the purpose of this young Lord Yan's behavior is."

Yang Zongqi snorted coldly immediately.

"Why else?"

"He's clearly trying to force us to bow down to him!"

…………

Monthly PassMonthly Pass
(End of this chapter)