"Your Highness, it seems that you are a sensible person. Since this pig was bought and someone died from eating pork, it is natural that Zhao Laosan must be blamed!"
Du Buju said with a smile.
Zhao Chunjuan on the side cried and said: "You are talking nonsense! They obviously bought it by force. My father did not say that he wanted to sell it. Those pigs have not been raised yet!"
Du Buju said in a deep voice: "Little girl, this is the Yamen of the Ministry of Justice, not a place for you to talk nonsense."
"you!"
Zhao Chunjuan said angrily, but Lin Fan patted Zhao Chunjuan's hand and said, "Don't rush this matter. I am here, and I will definitely give you justice."
"Du Buju, let me ask you, when the pig was sold, was it alive or dead?"
Lin Fan looked at Du Buju and asked.
Du Buju said: "Nature is alive."
"Since the pigs are alive, it means that the pigs sold are not poisonous. Why are the pork those people eat poisoned?"
Lin Fan asked.
"This... Your Highness, you are in a bit of a dilemma. After all, he was poisoned to death after eating pork. He must be held responsible for this matter!"
Du Buju said in a deep voice.
"Okay! Take out the Ming Dynasty Law and look through it for me. If you can find the crime that convicts Zhao Laosan, I will admit that Zhao Laosan is guilty!"
Lin Fan said coldly.
Du Buju had a look of embarrassment on his face. In the past, when he encountered such a thing, he would kill the person who could afford it.
Fortunately, this time, neither party could afford to offend him. However, he also knew that this matter was clearly caused by the Hanlin Academy and Dali Temple deliberately seeking trouble.
Since these people are putting the blame on themselves, I might as well find a way to push it out and let these people make trouble as they please.
Thinking of this, Du Buju calmed down a lot and said: "Back to Your Highness, there is no mark on the Ming Law."
"Hmph! Since there is no mark on the Great Ming Law, then why is Zhao Laosan guilty?
Can you still charge Zhao Laosan with a new crime outside of the Ming Dynasty Law?"
"Zhao Laosan is a merchant. It is normal for him to sell pigs. Since the pigs are alive, they are non-toxic. Why those people died must have been caused by poisoning."
"You didn't go to find out who was responsible for the poisoning. Instead, you dragged Zhao Laosan out to take the blame. I don't think you, the Minister of Punishment, want to do it?"
Lin Fan said coldly.
Du Buju said directly: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is absolutely right. I will let him go now and then find out who poisoned him!"
"Du Buju, I won't pursue the matter this time, but if there is another time, I won't let you go easily."
Lin Fan said.
Lin Fan also knew that Du Buju was not responsible for what happened this time. After all, he and Du Buju had no enmity. This man was in charge of the Ministry of Punishment and had a normal relationship with the officials of the Ministry of Rites.
The reason why Zhao Laosan was put on death row before was probably because there was someone Du Buju was afraid of standing behind the other party.
Half an hour later, Zhao Chunjuan's father, Zhao Laosan, was released. Zhao Laosan knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Lin Fan.
"Thank you Lord Wuhou for saving this villain's life!"
Zhao Laosan kowtowed.
"You should get up first. What happened this time is a lesson to the past. No matter who comes to buy the pigs from the pig farm, they cannot be sold before they are slaughtered."
"If anyone dares to rob it, just report it to the official."
Lin Fan warned.
Zhao Laosan nodded repeatedly and followed Zhao Chunjuan back.
However, after Zhao Laosan and others left, rumors began to appear in the capital.
"The pigs raised in His Royal Highness's pig farm are all poisonous pigs. I heard that some people ate the pork and died of the poison. Three of them died!"
"I have also heard about this. Because the pigs are alive, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that the pigs are not poisonous and asked the Ministry of Punishment to release the person, and then the Ministry of Punishment released the person!"
"Alas! If pigs are non-toxic, how can pork be poisonous?
Would anyone still risk their lives to frame those pigs?"
"I heard that the pigs owned by His Royal Highness have been castrated, so the pigs are very fat. Is it because of this that the pork is poisonous?"
"This is very possible! After all, those pigs are not healthy anymore, and there must be evil poison entering their bodies. It seems that not one of the pigs raised by His Highness can be eaten!"
"Alas! With such a prince, it is really hard for the people to make a living!"
"It's hard for me to imagine what will happen if our emperor is replaced by a prince in the future!"
…
The common people discussed this matter privately. For a time, unfavorable remarks against Lin Fan spread everywhere, and rotten eggs were often thrown at the gate of Lin Fan's residence.
When the great scholars in the Hanlin Academy learned about this, they all sneered inwardly.
"Haha! This Lin Fan is so arrogant, he finally got the punishment he deserves!"
"This matter was probably done by those nobles from aristocratic families. Lin Fan caused them to lose their salt business. It is normal for these people to have long been jealous of him and look for opportunities to deal with him."
"Once this incident comes out, Lin Fan's position as the crown prince may be shaken again. If we fan the flames secretly, we may be able to make him irreversible!"
The great scholars in the Hanlin Academy discussed with each other and wanted to give Lin Fan something cruel.
The next day, news also came out from the Hanlin Academy, denounced the prince's various behaviors.
Suddenly, the news was confirmed that the pork produced by Lin Fan was poisonous, and the pig farm was often vandalized, causing many pigs to escape.
Although it was recovered in time, a large amount of farmland was destroyed, and Lin Fan had to pay a lot of money in compensation.
"Your Highness, the pig farm was destroyed. This incident is most likely related to the previous frame-up of Zhao Laosan."
Zhao Dashan said in a deep voice.
Lin Fan said: "I have also guessed this, but the Hanlin Academy's words have confirmed that the pigs I raise are poisonous. These bastards actually dare to do this to their teachers!"
On that day, all the great scholars in the Hanlin Academy became Lin Fan's students. This matter was known to everyone in the civil and military circles of the dynasty.
"Your Highness, what should we do?
Do you want to come forward to confirm it?"
Zhao Dashan asked.
"No need to confirm, I just know that the pork is non-toxic. Not only will I not confirm this, I will also increase the scale of pig breeding!"
Lin Fan said.
“Increase the scale of pig breeding?
Your Highness, raising pigs also requires costs. If we can’t sell them in the end, won’t we lose money?”
Zhao Dashan said.
"Death?
This is impossible, I have 300,000 soldiers and horses in my hands, and 100,000 pigs are just their ration for two or three days, so continue to breed them for me!"
"From now on, you and Zhao Laosan will watch over the pig farm together. If you find someone destroying the pig farm again, you will teach them a lesson. If necessary, you can be cruel!"
"As for the Hanlin Academy, I will go find those great scholars and ask them carefully."