mtl008 Chapter 385 Case closed
Chapter 385 Case closed
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After taking over the case of the Ningxian Salt Mine, the Governor-General of Jiangnan swiftly arrested all those involved in the case. With the evidence obtained by Lu Yangyang and Lu Wei, after rounds of interrogation, the Ningxian Magistrate, Magistrate Liang, and the Salt Mine Manager, Manager Yang, all confessed to profiting from loopholes in the Salt Mine's personnel and to secretly selling smuggled salt.
The Governor-General of Jiangnan immediately ordered the confiscation of the two men's residences. Excluding antiques and paintings, the total amount of cash and banknotes seized was 800,000 taels of silver. It should be noted that the annual salary of a magistrate in Ning County was approximately 200 taels of silver, and this was after several increases due to the recent abundance of the national treasury. Before this, a magistrate's annual salary was less than 100 taels. This Magistrate Liang had only served as magistrate for less than five years, yet he had embezzled hundreds of thousands of taels of silver—he was utterly greedy!
Governor Jiang frowned as he looked at the numbers and the boxes of antiques and paintings confiscated from the two men's homes.
"Father, things are progressing so smoothly, what's wrong with you?" Jiang Xun returned from outside and saw that Governor Jiang's face was very ugly as he looked at the list of confiscated property. He asked in confusion.
“The figures don’t match up, they’re far too far off.” Governor Jiang shook his head, pointing his finger at the ledger: “But if we look at the records for a year, there was a profit of over three million taels. Now we’ve seized less than one million taels. Where do you think the rest is?”
Jiang Xun replied matter-of-factly, "It must have been sent to the Yang family in the capital, Father. This time, we will definitely bring the Yang family down completely!"
Governor Jiang sighed: "I wrote to the capital about this matter, but I have not received a reply yet."
“How is this possible? This…” Jiang Xun looked at his father in surprise. The salt smuggling case was a major case. If it reached the capital, it would surely cause a huge uproar. The court should have sent an imperial envoy to handle it!
"Make a list of all the confiscated items, seal them all up, and escort them to the capital by waterway," Governor Jiang waved his hand.
“But Father, this matter…” Jiang Xun didn’t understand and couldn’t help but say, “Shouldn’t Magistrate Liang and Steward Yang be escorted to the capital together?”
"Go and make the arrangements first, and wait for news," Governor Jiang said.
"Yes." Jiang Xun left, completely bewildered.
Governor Jiang stared at the account books on the table, his gaze growing increasingly intense.
*
The Imperial Palace in Beijing.
Since the news of Yang Chengfeng spending 100,000 taels of silver to keep a famous courtesan reached the capital, Consort Yang and the Fifth Prince have been placed under house arrest.
Consort Yang secretly tried to see the emperor many times, but to no avail.
When news of the Ningxian salt mine incident reached the capital, there was even more discussion about the Yang family.
A few days later, the Yang family secretly sent someone to deliver a box to Consort Yang.
That evening, Consort Yang, carrying a box, requested an audience with the emperor, who finally agreed to see her.
Consort Yang looked haggard. Upon seeing the Emperor, she immediately knelt at his feet and burst into tears: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was wrong, I was wrong! Please have mercy, Your Majesty, please have mercy..."
There were only two people in the bedchamber. The emperor lowered his eyes and looked coldly at Consort Yang kneeling at his feet. However, after not seeing her for some time, Consort Yang looked several years older, with white hair at her temples, and she had lost all of her former beauty.
Consort Yang kowtowed several times on the ground until her brow turned red. Then, tears streaming down her face, she looked up and said, "Your Majesty, I failed to control my family. I never imagined that my brother would allow my cousin to commit such a heinous crime. My father has been so angry that he vomited blood, and the doctor says he is likely to have a stroke. My brother was also severely beaten by my father and is still bedridden. Your Majesty, the Yang family knows its mistake. Please, have mercy and spare the Yang family's life..."
"Consort Yang, do you know what the crime of selling smuggled salt is?" The Emperor stared coldly at Consort Yang: "I have never liked to use severe punishments or punish those who share the burden, but those who sell smuggled salt shall have their entire family exterminated. Do you understand?"
Consort Yang flinched, crawled forward two steps, and hugged the emperor's leg: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, have mercy! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy!"
The emperor kicked Consort Yang away, "Speak! What does your Yang family want to do? Rebel?"
Consort Yang collapsed to the ground, still struggling to crawl toward the Emperor. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please understand! How could the Yang family dare to even think of such a thing? I am utterly incompetent. I have spoiled Xu'er since he was a child. He is no match for his elder brothers in both studies and martial arts, and he is even inferior to his younger brothers who are still in school... I am deeply ashamed. If I truly had any selfish motives, it was only to leave Xu'er more money. Otherwise, he is neither good at literature nor martial arts, and I fear he will not be able to do even a proper job in the future. I am truly terrified, Your Majesty! Xu'er is simple-minded. Others may not understand, but how could you not understand? He has admired you since childhood. Even if anyone harbors disloyal intentions, it could never be Xu'er!"
As she sobbed, she picked up a box that was placed to the side and opened it, revealing a thick stack of silver notes inside, all of them the largest denomination from Jingfeng Money House, 100,000 taels. And this whole box contained at least a hundred notes, which meant that it was worth at least ten million taels of silver.
"Your Majesty, this is all the silver the Yang family has secretly obtained over the years. I know I shouldn't indulge my own and the Yang family's selfish desires, but please believe me, Your Majesty. The Yang family has never, and would never, harbor any disloyal intentions. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth and, for Xu'er's sake, leave the Yang family some dignity!"
The emperor's gaze fell on the thick box of silver notes, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Yang family is truly something else!"
Consort Yang clung to the emperor's leg, weeping and pleading, but inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed she had finally passed this hurdle!
Early the next morning, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the old patriarch of the Yang family knelt at the entrance of the main hall to beg for forgiveness, claiming that his old eyes were failing and he had not noticed that his clansmen had made a mistake, which led to a great disaster, and begged His Majesty to punish him.
The old patriarch of the Yang family knelt under the scorching sun for three hours, on the verge of death, before the emperor finally summoned him. Enraged, the emperor dismissed the Yang family from their official posts and ordered Jiang Jiange, the governor of Jiangnan, to execute those involved in the smuggling of salt on the spot. He then ordered that the salt mines be reorganized before sending someone to take over.
A few days later, the Governor-General of Jiangnan, who was far away in Ning County, received the imperial edict, returned to his study, and threw the account books into the brazier.
The eunuch delivering the imperial decree outside the door quietly turned and left after witnessing this scene.
Subsequently, the Governor-General of Jiangnan ordered that all the main culprits in the case of selling smuggled salt at the Ning County salt mine be executed in front of the entire city, and that all other involved persons be exiled.
The high-profile salt smuggling case has thus come to an end.
When Lu Yangyang heard the news, Chief Luo had already shaved off his thick beard and changed his appearance before arriving at the manor.
He asked Lu Yangyang, "You know the outcome of the salt smuggling case, right? Is this what you made me believe—that the Governor-General of Jiangnan would handle it impartially?"