Chapter 228: As the saying goes, a sister-in-law is like a mother. I will allow you to go home and observe the mourning period.
Zhu Gang nodded and said, "Of course it is true, my king..."

Before he could finish his words, a group of Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms came over, surrounding a middle-aged man in a red official robe.

The leader was none other than Lu Yi, a captain of the Jinyiwei in Changzhou Prefecture, whom Zhu Gang had met not long ago.

He walked up to Zhu Gang, clasped his fists and said, "I, Lu Yi, pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin!"

Zhu Gang nodded and said in a deep voice, "Get up and talk."

Lu Yi stood up straight and turned to look at Chen Shouliu and others who were kneeling on the ground.

He then cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, what this person said has been verified, and Gu Mingjie has been arrested.

In addition, I have also found out that this fellow has been relying on his power to amass wealth and forcibly seize women in Yixing for many years, and he has done all kinds of evil. "

Zhu Gang slammed the table and stood up, "Damn it! Such an evil official is simply insane!"

He turned to look at Chen Shouliu, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I will give you justice."

After that, he looked at Zheng Keyuan again and ordered: "Zheng Zhixian, this matter will be handed over to you.

We must investigate thoroughly and show no leniency! "

Zheng Keyuan quickly responded, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Hang Siding, who had just woken up from his dream, quickly said, "I have not made any serious mistakes. Even if you are a prince, you cannot arbitrarily replace me, the magistrate of Yixing."

Zhu Gang turned to look at Shang Hao, "Please ask Lord Shang to read out the emperor's will, so that some people will not be unable to understand the situation clearly."

Shang Hao cleared his throat upon seeing this, "There is an imperial decree, kneel to receive it!"

Seeing him take out the imperial edict from his sleeve, everyone present, except Zhu Gang, knelt on the ground.

"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Under the influence of the Hu Party, the Secretariat is no longer suitable for continued existence.

Before the establishment of the cabinet and provincial governors, the Prince of Jin was able to exercise the powers of the Secretariat with the help of a golden medal bestowed by the emperor.

I hereby grant you the power to make arbitrary decisions on the spot. You do not need to ask for permission to kill civil and military officials below the third rank. This is my decree!"

Zhu Gang took the imperial gold medal from Shang Hao and said to Hang Siding with a smile: "The imperial edict has been read. If Lord Hang still has concerns, you might as well find someone to verify the authenticity of the imperial gold medal."

Hang Siding, who was kneeling on the ground, shook his head and said, "Since the imperial edict is here, I naturally trust Your Highness."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Gu Mingjie who had been controlled by the Jinyiwei.

"Gu Mingjie, the clerk in the criminal department, colluded with the police, the village elders and the baojia, and took advantage of the opportunity of handling cases to extort money and property.

I have no evidence to take over this case, but now His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin is so observant, it is a blessing for the people of Yixing!"

Zhu Gang put his hands in his sleeves, looking calm and unhurried.

This posture can not only reflect the lazy nobility of the superior, but also hide his own forbearance and thoughts.

While covering the hands, it also conceals many small movements.

"According to what you said just now, the matter of seizing the 'travel permits' of Chen Shou's six families was decided by Gu Mingjie on his own.

Then I would like to ask you, your sister-in-law Wang died suddenly recently, is there any unknown secret behind it?"

Things have developed to this point, Hang Siding could only bite the bullet and say: "My sister-in-law is already in poor health, and she caught a cold some time ago.

Although I sought medical advice everywhere, I was unable to change the final outcome. "

Zhu Gang sighed when he heard this, "I heard that your parents died early, and now your sister-in-law has passed away due to illness.

As the saying goes, an elder sister-in-law is like a mother. This dynasty governs the world with filial piety. I, the king, will allow you to return home to observe the mourning period."

Hang Siding knelt down and kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground heavily, making a crisp sound.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your grace!" Zhu Gang raised his hand slightly, signaling Hang Siding to stand up.

Then he waved his hand gently and said, "Go down."

Hang Siding bowed again to express his gratitude, then slowly stood up and respectfully left the county government office.

After Hang Siding left, Zhu Gang turned to look at Lu Yi beside him, with a shrewd look in his eyes.

He said softly: "Send someone to secretly investigate the real cause of Wang's death."

Zhu Gang always had a feeling that what Hang Siding said was not the whole truth.

Moreover, this matter is related to Gu Mingjie, so it is even more necessary to get to the bottom of it.

Seeing that it was almost time for lunch, Zhu Gang helped Chen Shouliu, who was still kneeling on the ground, to stand up and asked, "I have heard that the sauced wild mushrooms in Yixing are well-known far and wide as the 'treasure of the kitchen'. Is this true?"

Chen Shouliu nodded and said, "It is said that the spring noodles eaten by the royal family in the Yuan Dynasty used goose mushrooms as a condiment.

It's a pity that a farmer like me has no chance to eat such delicious food."

Zhu Gang did not get angry at Chen Shouliu for mentioning the previous dynasty, "It is fate that you can meet me today.

I can’t guarantee that you can enjoy the delicacies from land and sea, but I can definitely give you the noodles with wild mushroom sauce.

County Magistrate Zheng, start interrogating Gu Mingjie now. I want to see the results after lunch."

After explaining all this, Zhu Gang took Chen Shouliu away from the county government office.

The group came to a nearby noodle shop and asked the owner to open a private room, and waited for the sauced goose mushroom noodles to be served.

At the same time, Gu Mingjie, who has become a prisoner, is being interrogated by Zheng Keyuan.

"Gu Mingjie, if you don't want to suffer physical pain, then tell me the truth!"

Gu Mingjie, who was already disheartened, acted like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water.

“Everything was done by me alone.

Now that the big mistake has been made, all I want now is to die quickly! "

Zheng Keyuan immediately understood that the road that King Jin asked him to explore was not paved with flowers, but was paved with the blood of countless people.

This road is destined to be cruel!

As expected, no matter how he tortured him, Gu Mingjie refused to say another word.

At this moment, a yamen runner stepped forward and warned: "Sir Zheng, given the prisoner's current condition, if we continue to torture him, his life may be in danger."

Zheng Keyuan frowned and said, "His Royal Highness Prince Jin has issued a strict order to see the results after lunch.

Now that the prisoner is reluctant to confess, I am afraid I will not be able to explain to Your Highness."

The county official in charge of the clerk's room saw that the time was right, so he stepped forward with a smile and said, "I have some special methods that guarantee that within an incense stick of time, I can make the prisoner confess."

After a brief silence, Zheng Keyuan said helplessly, "In this case, I will temporarily step aside and come back to take the confession after an incense stick of time."

After Zheng Keyuan left the lobby of the county government office, Zhu Gang, Chen Shouliu and his party also ended this unforgettable lunch.

“As far as I know, the Yixing kilns are famous for producing purple clay pottery.

My father intended to establish a Palace Manufacturing Office under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works to specialize in manufacturing and repairing daily necessities for members of the royal family.

If you know of any skilled craftsmen among the common people, you can always recommend them to me."

As he spoke, Zhu Gang handed his token to Chen Shouliu. The other party wanted to kneel down to express his gratitude, but was stopped by Zhu Gang.

"If anyone dares to retaliate against you because of what happened today, I will petition my father to execute all nine generations of his clan!
If you abuse my name to bully others in the countryside, I will never protect you."

(End of this chapter)