There is a god in the sky

Chapter 376 Joint Trial by Three Judicial Offices 17

Zhang Xinghui propped one leg up on the box and said in a nonchalant manner, "Lord Xiao, we're taking these things with us."

“That won’t do, this is stolen money.”

"Ha, Lord Xiao is certainly tough." Zhang Xinghui drew his sword and held it to Xiao Ji's neck, asking provocatively, "Now? Can I take my things away?"

Xiao Ji said with certainty, "You wouldn't dare kill me."

Zhang Xing reluctantly sheathed his sword and muttered, "It's really pointless to talk to someone like you."

He dared not kill Xiao Ji, and even if the Crown Prince were present, he would not dare to kill anyone at will.

But he's determined to move his things today.

"Guards! Come in and move your things! Anyone who dares to block the way will have their arms and legs broken!"

"Yes!" The Imperial Guards rushed in.

Constable Xing and his officers stood guard beside the box, the two sides tense and ready to fight.

Lord Dong tried to persuade him, but Xiao Ji stopped him with a single look.

"It's so lively."

The eldest princess entered, surrounded by a group of guards.

She reached out and brushed aside the Jinwu Guard's swords, then walked to the boxes.

"This is all the dirty money we found at the Tong family's place? There's so much of it?"

Xiao Ji bowed to the Princess and said, "Your Highness, I have already counted the goods. There are a total of 3.8 million taels of silver and 500,000 taels of gold."

Even Dong Minghua was astonished by this number.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead; his legs felt weak.

Even if the Tong family had been prominent officials for generations, it would have been impossible for them to accumulate such a vast fortune.

Once this money is delivered to the imperial court, no one will dare to speak up for the Tong family anymore.

The eldest princess sighed, "His Highness the Crown Prince is truly pitiful."

Everyone was puzzled. How did this involve the Crown Prince being pitiful?

But Xiao Ji and Lord Dong understood that the Crown Prince was always short of money and was trying to get money from various channels, while his maternal grandfather's family had mountains of gold and silver, which showed that they were not wholeheartedly devoted to him.

The princess looked around, and the Imperial Guards whose gaze swept over her all put away their weapons.

"Young Master Zhang, do you intend to oppose me?"

Zhang Xinghui didn't have that kind of guts.

"I don't dare to do this in a humble position."

"Then let's withdraw. I will pretend I never saw what happened today."

Zhang Xing looked up at Lord Dong, who was also at a loss. If this matter wasn't completed today, he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Tong family.

"Your Highness, please show mercy," he pleaded.

The eldest princess sneered, flicked her wide sleeves, and faced Lord Dong directly, saying, "Have you forgotten whose subject you are?"

"I am also doing this for the sake of the stability of the country."

"What a joke! How dare an unfaithful and unjust person talk about the fate of the nation! Lord Dong has probably been a high-ranking official for too long and doesn't know how much blood and sweat of the poor people is stained on this gold and silver!"

"your Highness……"

"Slap!" The princess interrupted him with a slap.

The guards from the Princess's residence tied up Lord Dong, and as soon as he left, the Imperial Guards also slunk away.

"What are you still standing there for? Come with me into the palace."

With the eldest princess in charge, Xiao Ji was no longer afraid and ordered his men to send the illicit silver away.

He walked out of the government office and saw many people standing along the way watching the spectacle.

"I heard that the stolen silver found in the Tong family's possession amounted to tens of millions of taels!"

"My God, even our national treasury doesn't have that much money!"

"The Tong family is so wealthy, yet the Ministry of Revenue keeps complaining about being poor. Do you remember the snow disaster that struck northern China two years ago? How many refugees froze and starved to death outside the city? The Tong family didn't even offer any grain for disaster relief."

"These powerful and high-ranking officials are inherently heartless; otherwise, how could they have done so many inhumane things?"

"Have you heard? There was once a landlord in Tongzhou who owned thousands of acres of fertile land. However, the steward of the Tong family took a liking to him and fabricated a crime to imprison the landlord and his entire family."

That family was killed by bandits during their exile; now those fertile fields must be in the hands of the Tong family.

"That's not all. I've heard that the Tong family has controlled the number of candidates for the provincial examinations in recent years. They can make anyone they want pass."

"Give them enough gold and silver, and even a fool can become a scholar!"

"That's too arrogant!"

"Let's go and see. I heard that two of the officials in the joint trial are from the Tong family. I wonder if the Emperor dares to convict the Tong family."

Xiao Ji spotted several familiar faces among the onlookers.

No wonder the whole city knew about his illicit silver as soon as it was brought in; clearly, someone deliberately spread the news and incited the people to come and watch.

With these tens of thousands of commoners escorting them, even if the Crown Prince and the Tong family wanted to rob the silver, they would have to get past these groups of ordinary people first.

Xiao Ji's heart calmed down.

His only concern now is Shen Lan's safety.

The terrain in Jiufeng Mountain is complex, and the Tong family has been operating there for so many years, there must be many hidden dangers.

But his battlefield was not in the mountains, but in the imperial court.

At the palace gate, Commander Zhao personally led a group to greet them.

He also learned about what had happened at the Criminal Investigation Department, but he was unable to go and help.

Marquis Pingyang led several thousand imperial guards outside the city. The emperor did not trust anyone to guard the palace gates, so only he personally stood guard.

Fortunately, Xiao Ji was clever enough to invite the eldest princess to oversee things, which was enough to keep high-ranking officials like Dong Minghua in check.

"Alright, I'll see you off here. I hope there will be good news today."

Before leaving, the eldest princess said meaningfully, "Xiao Ji, you are very good. Don't disappoint me."

Xiao Ji felt that there was something hidden in her words, but he couldn't figure it out for the time being.

At this time, civil and military officials were still attending court.

When Xiao Ji entered the main hall, he found that Lord Dong and Lord Huang had already arrived.

He found it amusing; these two could still stand there as if nothing had happened, their mental fortitude was truly remarkable.

Boxes of gold and silver were carried into the main hall, and even the emperor couldn't sit still.

Xiao Ji recounted how he found the stolen silver.

The secret passage led directly to the Tong family's study. There were two guards at the entrance of the passage, and the exit was a thatched house built with gold and silver.

"Your Majesty, this is all the evidence I have uncovered."

Xiao Ji presented all the evidence he had collected.

"Time is limited, and many things cannot be investigated in depth. Some places are far from Bianjing City, and evidence cannot be obtained in a short time."

The thick stack of evidence and the mountains of gold and silver filling the main hall are enough.

The emperor remained relatively calm, examining the evidence while questioning Xiao Ji.

Dong Siqing and Huang Yushi could only stand numbly to the side.

They never expected that Xiao Ji could find so much evidence without their knowledge.

"Minister Dong, Minister Huang, what have you two found out?" the emperor asked casually.

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent." The two hurriedly knelt down to admit their mistake.

They felt a burning sensation in their foreheads, as if everyone was waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.

The emperor raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "You two have worked hard. Guards, escort your two beloved ministers to their eternal rest!"

When the imperial guards rushed in, the ministers thought they had misheard.

The Emperor wants to kill the two officials!

"Your Majesty..." Minister Zhao was the first to step forward, but the emperor stopped him by raising a finger.

"Don't plead with me, or I'll have Xiao Ji search your residence to see if you have any gold or silver to repair the houses."

Minister Zhao quickly retreated.

Just kidding, if Xiao Ji were to investigate the Zhao family, he could probably dig up their entire secrets.