The rain outside gradually began to drop. In the lobby of the Inspectorate, several people sat together and talked politely.
Almost every word spoken by Jiang Qianxiao, the censor of Zuodu of the Inspectorate, was either a compliment to Dongchang, or a compliment to Dongchang Changgong Lin Shangli himself.
Wanqing, the censor of Youdu, played the role of a servant. He kept adding hot water to Lin Shangli's tea bowl. It seemed that the Inspectorate was not as ruthless as the legend said, and everything was in accordance with the laws of the imperial court.
Act according to the law.
Outside the gate, Xiao Lizi sat on the carriage and drove the carriage to a roof that could provide some shelter from the rain. He held his hands together and shivered.
"Master Jiang has been working in the court for so many years and has been meticulous in his work and has won the trust of the emperor. This time, the prince was kidnapped, and all the responsibility lies with Dongchang. Since the emperor handed over the matter to the Inspectorate, Mr. Jiang
But we must not engage in favoritism and malpractice because of our relationship. The whole world is watching this matter, and our Dongchang will never evade responsibility for this matter. Now, it is just Xiao Chen whose freedom is restricted by the emperor. If the prince
In the end, it really came to a head, and even if the emperor chops off my head, I won’t have any complaints."
Picking up the tea bowl on the table, Lin Shangli held it in his hands as if to warm his hands.
"Until the prince is found, the emperor will not jump to conclusions easily. Having said that, during the time when the prince's accident occurred, the factory master was in Huailaiwei. If the emperor is to hold him accountable, he should also hold the purple-clothed school captain accountable.
.The factory owner will not take the main responsibility."
Jiang Qianxiao said with a smile.
Every word of this old fox may be a trap. When talking to him, you must pay full attention at all times.
"No, no, no." Lin Shangli shook his head, "Xiao Chen is just one of the frontline workers of Dongchang who handles cases. As the owner of Dongchang, all things are carried out only with my consent. If he is responsible for
, I should bear the main responsibility."
Looking at Jiang Qianxiao, Lin Shangli spoke slowly, but his mind was spinning rapidly.
"Haha, all conclusions are subject to the Emperor. Our Inspectorate is just going through some necessary procedures for the Emperor. After all, pursuing accountability is one aspect, and bringing the Prince back safely is the top priority.
." Jiang Qianxiao said.
This old fox came to the Inspectorate early in the morning. Could it be that he had little hope of finding the prince and wanted the Inspectorate to investigate him together?
Not to mention that the emperor did not give such instructions, just because the captain in purple clothes was imprisoned, Dongchang no longer had a leader and was afraid of doing things.
Now, Lin Shangli was arranged by the emperor to come back from Huailaiwei, with the intention of taking full responsibility for all the next affairs of the East Factory. If he is also imprisoned, the prince will really not be able to come back in the future, and the Supervisory Council will definitely be accused of delaying the opportunity.
Everything else is easy to talk about. If he asks the Inspectorate to investigate him now, this request will definitely not be granted.
"The prince has been kidnapped for three days, but we have no clue how to trace it. If this continues, the prince will be in trouble. Among the three princes, the prince is the most benevolent and kind-hearted. If he inherits the throne, he will also
He will be a good emperor. If there is no news about him, it will be a huge loss to both the court and the people of Ming Dynasty."
Looking at the other party, Lin Shangli had a heavy expression on his face.
Jiang Qianxiao also nodded, acknowledging the other party's statement.
He was indeed right. Among the three princes, the prince could become a great person. The other two princes were both full of misdeeds. Even if they succeeded to the throne in the future, most of the officials in the court would be dissatisfied.
Disharmony among ministers is a huge hidden danger for the court.
"If the prince really cannot be found this time, the court will definitely experience turmoil." Jiang Qianxiao said.
"The turmoil Mr. Jiang is talking about refers to the emperor getting angry and dealing with those of us responsible, or does it mean that the two princes are fighting fiercely for the title of prince?" Lin Shangli asked with a smile.
Straightening his waist, Jiang Qianxiao let out a long breath: "The emperor will definitely deal with all the people involved. The prince has been supervising the country for many years. In the emperor's mind, he should be the heir to the unification. In my opinion
, the emperor detained the prince in Dongchang Prison, it was just a test of the prince's will. If there is really no result, the emperor himself will be the one who will be hit the hardest."
"Master Jiang, what do you mean, the emperor is too sad and will go on a killing spree?" Lin Shangli couldn't help but ask.
At that time, Taizu was extremely sad because of the death of Prince Yiwen from illness. All the elites of the Ming Dynasty who were originally arranged for Prince Yiwen were killed one by one by Taizu because the emperor's grandson was too young to control them.
One by one, the founding fathers, veterans on the battlefield, and important ministers in the court were all accused of unfounded charges and the nine tribes were exterminated.
This incident, to put it more seriously, made all the people of the Ming Dynasty who acted as spectators feel awe of the imperial power, but also had a lot of dissatisfaction in their hearts.
To put it mildly, Taizu founded the Ming Dynasty, which was also a stain on him for the rest of his life.
Now, if the prince really dies, will a chilling injustice case at the hands of Taizu happen again?
"It won't be a mass killing, but many people will definitely be implicated. What I'm worried about is that with the death of the prince, the other two princes will see hope again. They will win over each other's ministers and compete for power. For the court,
, this will be a tragedy." Jiang Qianxiao shook his head and said.
"So, finding the whereabouts of the prince and bringing them back safely is the top priority at the moment. Although I am the owner of Dongchang, I am still lacking in investigating the case. I will direct the entire Dongchang to
I still feel powerless to find the prince from clues."
Looking at Jiang Qianxiao, Lin Shangli said in a deep voice.
"Didn't I give Dongchang the green light to imprison the purple-robed captain in the Jinyiwei prison and allow people from Dongchang to come in and out? What, this means that the purple-robed captain is still involved in rescuing the prince, isn't this okay?"
Jiang Qianxiao said.
According to the emperor's wishes, finding the prince's whereabouts is the first priority. As for recovering Dongchang's firearms, it is just a matter of course.
If retrieval of the crown prince was delayed due to this, the Emperor would blame him, but the Inspectorate would not be able to bear the responsibility.
"Master Jiang," looking at Jiang Qianxiao, Lin Shangli laughed, "According to the past cautious style of the Inspectorate, Xiao Chen should not be transferred to the Jinyi Guard Prison casually. Today, we are all thinking about the future of Ming Dynasty, Master Jiang
Can you tell me truthfully whether this arrangement was ordered by the emperor?"
Although he was smiling, Lin Shangli's words were like a bolt from the blue in Jiang Qianxiao's heart.
This old guy first told himself the importance of retrieving the prince, and then circled back. He should have guessed a long time ago that the Inspectorate did not dare to make the decision on his own and casually handed over Xiao Chen's detention place.
However, if he admitted it like this, what he had done before would seem extremely hypocritical.
"Hahaha, Mr. Factory Lord, you are overthinking. Although our Inspectorate regards the Ming Dynasty's laws and decrees as the basis for doing things, we also have the future of the imperial court at heart. The reason why we gave the green light to Ziyi Xiaowei and Dongchang is
It is my personal conduct, Jiang Qianxiao."
Jiang Qianxiao said with a smile.
Although this sentence is very false and the other party will definitely not believe it, at least it can save yourself some face.
"Master Jiang." Looking at the other party, Lin Shangli retracted the smile on his face and said seriously, "Master Jiang should be able to guess the serious consequences of not being able to find the prince. Regardless of whether it is the emperor's responsibility to transfer Xiao Chen to the Jinyi Guards
It is your intention, sir. We have only one purpose, which is to find the prince as soon as possible to solve the current predicament. I just want to ask, in your heart, should I, Lin Shangli, as the owner of Dongchang, should I
Are you fully responsible for this?"
Seeing the other party's serious look, Jiang Qianxiao felt very embarrassed.
If something happens to Dongchang, the person most responsible is of course the owner of Dongchang.
Although Captain Ziyi is currently imprisoned, Lin Shangli is the one who deserves to be punished the most in the future.
"Eunuch Lin, it's really hard for me to answer your question. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, you are indeed the first responsible person in Dongchang. However, you have been guarding Huailai..." Before Jiang Qianxiao could finish speaking, Lin Shangli
He interrupted his answer.
"It's fine that I'm the first person responsible. I just told Mr. Jiang that all Xiao Chen's actions were with my permission, so the incident in Huailaiwei cannot be an excuse for me to shirk responsibility.
.The purpose of my coming today is to exchange Xiao Chen with me, Mr. Dongchang."
"Exchange? What does Eunuch Lin mean?" Although Jiang Qianxiao understood what the other party meant, she still wanted to be sure.
"Lock me up and let Xiao Chen go out to handle the case and find the whereabouts of the prince." Lin Shangli looked at the other party with determination in his eyes.
Looking at Lin Shangli, Jiang Qianxiao could not help but feel a sense of respect in his heart.
When faced with responsibility, most people's choice is to escape. However, Lin Shangli used the name of the factory owner to ask himself to be replaced as a purple-clad captain. This move alone has been admired by many people.
The words I wanted to refuse came to my lips, but I couldn't say them.
"I can understand the mood of Mr. Factory Master. However, you should also know that it is not my supervisory office who can make the decision on this matter. Otherwise, I will send someone to report the matter to the emperor first, and wait for the emperor's consent before handing it over.
Too late." Jiang Qianxiao discussed.
"If the prince is outside for a quarter of an hour, he will be in danger for an additional quarter of an hour. This matter cannot afford to be delayed. Otherwise, Mr. Jiang will imprison me first and let Xiao Chen go. The report will be carried out together," Lin Shangli said.
"This, this, I don't dare to do this." With a sad face, Jiang Qianxiao shook her head vigorously.
"That's it. I will go to the Jinyi Guard Prison on my own now. If the emperor becomes angry because of this, I, Lin Shangli, will bear the responsibility alone. Mr. Jiang said that I lead the people of Dongchang, so I will threaten you with force."
After saying that, without waiting for the other party's reaction, Lin Shangli stood up and rushed into the rain.
