Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Li Tianliu said nothing. He sorted the confiscated swords and divided them into two piles. One pile was made by the government of Yunnan County, and the other was made by the government, just like the sword that was not very sharp. The official pile was obviously larger than the other pile.

Chan Yi frowned, rummaged through the pile of swords and knives made by the government, roughly counted them, and said, "Why are there so many official swords?"

Quan Shuyu walked up to her and said solemnly, "It seems that many people in the official armor workshop supervised by Yunnan County have joined the prince's party of the previous dynasty."

Chen Shao looked at the two piles of weapons and asked Li Tianliu, "How many weapon forging workshops are there in Datong?"

Li Tianliu glanced at her and said, "Wherever there are iron or copper mines, there will be Jiafang Office, Wanfang Office, etc. If you add them up, there will be at least 800 if not 1,000."

If not a thousand, there must be at least eight hundred... With so many weapon workshops, the princelings of the previous dynasty are still thinking about forging weapons by themselves. This is enough to prove that the weapon workshops they have infiltrated so far are only a very small part of them.

Even if it is a small part, it must be resolved as soon as possible.

I had originally planned to go to Shu County after finishing my visit to Hongyuan County. But now it seems that I have to go to Yunnan County first.

After collecting his thoughts, Chen Shao walked out and said, "Go and bring Bao Chengle up."

The three of them were waiting outside the second hall, suffering from the cold wind. Hearing the summons, Bao Chengle almost couldn't wait to enter the second hall. Chen Shao sat down behind the desk, looked at his shivering appearance, and motioned Chan Yi to throw a few knives and swords found in Qi's house to him, and then asked directly: "Tell me, where did these come from? Remember to tell the truth, otherwise you will continue to freeze outside, and come in when you are willing to tell it."

Chan Yi threw the knives and swords very well. Five of them were government-made, and only two were privately made. Of the five government-made swords, all were thrown in front of him.

When Bao Chengle saw those knives and swords, his blood rushed to his head and he no longer felt cold. His strong desire to survive made him explain without any hesitation: "It was forged by the Mengshe Smelting Supervisor and the Mengshe Armor and Crossbow Bureau. The person in charge of this task is Sun Guishan, the governor of Yunnan County."

"When did it start? How many weapons and armors have been cast so far?" Chen Shao asked.

"It started in March of the 14th year of Yuanhe. So far, a total of less than 10,000 pieces of armor have been cast." Knowing that she didn't believe him, Bao Chengle explained, "Before March of the 14th year of Yuanhe, the Mengshe Smelting Bureau, Mengshe Armor Bureau, and Crossbow Bureau were all under the control of the General of the State. The General of the State was too strict in military discipline, and the people of the former prince's party did not dare to act rashly. After March of the 14th year of Yuanhe, the war at the border guarded by the General of the State was tight, so all the people in charge of the Mengshe Smelting Bureau, Mengshe Armor Bureau, and Crossbow Bureau were transferred away. The talents of the former prince's party took the opportunity to arrange their own people in. However, when the General of the State was in charge, the account books were recorded too carefully, and the people arranged by the former prince's party did not dare to make big moves. Therefore, over the years, only less than 10,000 pieces of armor have been cast secretly."

After a pause, he continued, "Most of the iron used in these less than 10,000 pieces of armor came from the Shan Kingdom."

Chen Shao couldn't read the account books, but he could still do basic calculations. After he finished speaking, he immediately questioned, "Since most of the iron used in these less than 10,000 soldiers and armors was transported back from Shan State, then if we transported more, as long as we didn't move the iron from Mengshe Iron and Steel, wouldn't no one find out?"

Bao Chengle said: "It's useless to have iron. Shan has too few copper mines. In Jiannan Road, only the former Mengshezhao, Wenfu and Gujiang County have copper mines. The copper mines in Mengshezhao, Wenfu and Gujiang County are the same as iron. They were previously controlled by the people of the General of the Auxiliary State. With the previous account books, it is not easy to embezzle a large amount. Shan is always raising the price or being capricious..."

This more or less matched what Uncle Fang said. Chen Shao thought for a moment and asked, "In addition to Yunnan County, how many other forges like this did the princelings of the previous dynasty control?"

Bao Chengle said: "My humble servant, even Lord Luo only knows some things about Jiannan Road, and knows almost nothing outside of Jiannan Road."

Chen Shao had also discovered this from the interrogation of the Zhu family and the Gu family. Perhaps because they were afraid of being uprooted due to the gossip of many people, the princelings of the previous dynasty always managed their own affairs. Of course, Chen Shao did not believe Bao Chengle blindly. After all, there was a long way to go, and she was not in a hurry to know the whole truth of the matter.

Chen Shao suppressed his thoughts and asked about the two knives and swords beside him: "Where did these two come from?"

Bao Chengle looked over as she said, and then he noticed that the two swords were not made by the government. He raised his eyes slightly to look at her, and after meeting her compelling gaze, he quickly retracted his eyes, took a look at the cold wind outside, and then hesitantly answered: "They were forged by some blacksmiths summoned by the prince's party of the previous dynasty based on the stolen drawings of the Mengshe armor and crossbow."

The reason why he was so ready to reveal the situation in Yunnan County was not only to protect himself, but also to protect the private fortification. If he was rescued one day, he could use this excuse to escape the pursuit of the prince's party of the previous dynasty, but now... since he was forced to say everything he should and shouldn't say, Bao Chengle hesitated for a moment and added: "The Jia and Nu Bureau established by the prince's party of the previous dynasty are also in Yunnan County, in Luoyun Mountain, about 20 miles away from Mengshe Jia and Nu Bureau."

This was a very important clue. After taking note, Chen Shaocai asked, "Is Sun Guishan also the one responsible for privately forging these armors and crossbows?"

Bao Chengle nodded in agreement.

Chen Shao asked again: "Who are the supervisor of the Mengshe Smelting Bureau and the commanders of the Jia and Nu Bureaus?"

Bao Chengle said: "The supervisor of the Mengshe Smelting Bureau is Sun Guishan's second brother Sun Guihe. The commanders of the Jia and Nu Bureaus also seem to be relatives of Sun Guishan, but Lord Luo did not say who they were, and I did not ask."

After Chen Shao wrote it down again, he asked, "Who are the people who are secretly monitoring Sun Guishan in Yunnan County?"

Bao Chengle did not answer for a moment. When Chen Shao looked up, he said, "I only know Zhou Shan."

Chen Shao asked: "How many people are there in total?"

Bao Chengle shook his head and replied, "It should be no less than five people."

Chen Shao then asked: "What does Zhou Shan do? I mean, what does he do in Yunnan County?"

Bao Chengle replied: "Like Shopkeeper Qi, both are butchers."

Chen Shao continued: "Where is the exact location?"

Bao Chengle said: "In Luoyun Town, on the west side of the foot of Luoyun Mountain."

After Chen Shao took note of it, he raised his eyes and looked at him, without saying anything for a while.

Bao Chengle thought she was questioning his lies, and said quickly: "What I said is absolutely true. If you don't believe it, you can send someone to investigate."

Chen Shao did not comment and asked, "How long have you been following Lord Luo?"

Bao Chengle lowered his eyes slightly: "It's been almost twenty years."

"Twenty years is not a short time." Chen Shao turned his pen twice and said slowly, "When did Lord Luo defect to the prince's party of the previous dynasty?"

Bao Chengle reluctantly said, "I don't know the exact date, but I guess it will be after he passes the imperial examination."

Chen Shao nodded, and then remained silent for a long while. When Bao Chengle was feeling anxious, he suddenly asked, "You have told me all this. Even if I let you go, Lord Luo or the former prince's party will not let you live anymore, right?"

Bao Chengle did not answer.

Chen Shao looked at him, "Do you want to live?"

Bao Chengle smiled bitterly and said, "Of course I did. Otherwise, why would I explain this to you, sir?"

"That's true." Chen Shao curled his lips, "Then you should follow me from now on."

Bao Chengle looked up in surprise.

Chen Shao raised his eyebrows: "Not willing?"

"No, I am willing to do so!" Bao Chengle kowtowed quickly, "I am willing to tell you everything I know to show my sincerity."

Chen Shao said 'hmm' in a light tone, "Don't worry. Everything you know is one of the reasons why I let you stay by my side, and it is also one of your life-saving talismans. If you tell me everything at once, you will feel uneasy and I will not be able to remember it. Take your time."

"Thank you, sir!" If Bao Chengle had still intended to save his life before, this time his kowtow would have been more or less sincere.

Chen Shao didn't say much. He asked Fu Jiu, who had returned, to take him downstairs to find a place to stay. After a few days of rest, he called Shopkeeper Qi into the second hall.

Shopkeeper Qi was a member of the previous dynasty's princeling gang who followed Shopkeeper Lin to join the gang. Before joining the previous dynasty's princeling gang, he was a butcher with a reckless temper and a strong sense of chivalry. When he entered the second hall and saw the knives and swords still on the ground, he knew that the situation was hopeless, so he answered whatever Chen Shao asked without hiding anything.

But apart from the useful information that there was a cellar in Uncle Fang's house where weapons that had not been sent out were stored, all he knew were things that Bao Chengle had confessed. And his usual tasks were to do whatever Manager Lin asked him to do, without asking why. Fortunately, although he knew very little, the little information he confessed proved that Bao Chengle was not lying.

After having the bailiffs throw him into jail, Chen Shao interrogated Ma San again.

Ma San knew a little more than Manager Qi, but it was also limited. He was the henchman that Luo Wanyou secretly hired to seek benefits for himself. After having the yamen runners throw him into prison, Chen Shao focused on interrogating Manager Lin.

Unfortunately, Manager Lin knew very little. Apart from explaining that he was entrusted by Song Kexing, a minor official who served as the chief clerk in Chang'an County, to secretly monitor the annual grain harvest of the Zhu and Gu families and to help transport the weapons, everything he did was communicated by Bao Chengle or Li Wu, Cheng Shide and Zhao Xiong. Li Wu, Cheng Shide and Zhao Xiong were the uncle, younger uncle and nephew referred to by the people of Qingxi Town.

As for the identities of Li Wu, Cheng Shide and Zhao Xiong, he only knew that they were sent by Song Kexing and lived in Shu County.

As for the princelings of the previous dynasty, he didn't know. What he knew was the tricks used by the Zhu and Gu families to deceive Ding Lisheng. The reason why he risked his life was to get the 200 taels of silver that Song Kexing gave him every year. Although he had to take out 50 taels of silver from the 200 taels to share with Manager Qi.

After asking the bailiffs to throw him into jail, Chen Shao packed up their confessions and turned his head to look at Li Tianliu.

Before she could speak, Li Tianliu said, "I have arranged for someone to go to Yunnan County."

Chen Shao nodded in appreciation, then stood up and said, "Then take the men and set off to Uncle Fang's house!"