Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The officer and soldier who transported the saltpeter this time was a captain of the Yunzhou garrison battalion, named "Song Geng". He had taken a few days off before, but a big event happened in Yunzhou. After returning to the camp, he was busy deploying defenses and transporting saltpeter.

He knew the power of this thing, and the miserable appearance of the brothers who were killed and wounded in the garrison camp made him nervous.

Recently, there have been rumors in the martial arts world that the reward offered by King Jin is very generous, and someone will definitely snatch it away. Based on years of experience in fighting, if you take the shortcut through the bamboo forest, there will be an ambush, so he secretly sent more archers to surround the bamboo forest. The caravan passing through the bamboo forest is also a fake caravan. He ordered the soldiers to pack the real saltpeter in bags, and everyone carried it, so even if they encountered any unexpected incidents, there would not be too much loss.

After the bamboo forest fire was extinguished, a flag officer came forward to report the casualties: "Master, our men are not injured or killed. We just lost a bag while fighting the fire."

Hearing this, Song Geng frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure: "It's no big deal if we only lose one person. We've already caught the thief. If you blame me, we can just use him as the scapegoat!"

Then, Song Geng waved his hand, signaling his men to continue moving forward.

After the team walked away, a scholar emerged from the ground, holding a bundle in his hand.

"Those earthen jars are just a cover-up. This is the real saltpeter!" the scholar said to himself.

He opened the bundle, confirmed that everything was correct, and quickly poured saltpeter into a bamboo tube, which he hung around his waist. He then quickly disappeared into the bamboo forest.

……

In the Yunzhou court, Lu Hui was sitting in the middle hall, and the outside of the hall was crowded with people who came to watch the excitement.

Lu Hui slammed the gavel and said, "Court is open!"

With the loud shouts of the yamen runners, the entire hall instantly became quiet.

"Bring the prisoner!" Lu Hui's majestic voice sounded.

Several constables escorted Wang Jue into the hall.

"Kneel down!" the constable shouted.

Wang Zhen fell to his knees with a thud.

"Who is this person in the hall and what crime has he committed?" Lu Hui asked.

"I am Wang Jue, a student, and I am here to pay my respects to you, sir." Wang Jue kowtowed respectfully.

"Wang Jue, do you admit your guilt?" Lu Hui asked sternly.

Wang Zhen knelt on the ground and said slowly, "I acknowledge my guilt, but I was determined to make amends the moment I was apprehended by Liu Tongzhi. I have already listed all officials involved in the case and settled all the accounts of the Water Defense Battalion. I know my crime is unforgivable, but according to the laws of the Celestial Empire, any criminal who makes amends can be spared the death penalty."

Lu Hui looked at the kneeling man in front of him, nodded, and softened his tone. "You have a good reason and evidence. You hold an official position, so you can be exempted from prison. Once this case is concluded, I will definitely let you go home."

Wang Zhen felt relieved upon hearing this and quickly said, "Thank you for your insight!"

Lu Hui waved his hand, motioning him to stand up. "Stand up, there's no need for this. Although I appreciate your meritorious service, the law of the land cannot be abolished. If you truly broke the law, you must be dealt with according to the law. However, since you have taken the initiative to plead guilty and assist in solving the case, this government will handle the matter at its discretion. I hope you will learn from this and not make the same mistake again."

"Bring Zhu Banshan to the classroom for questioning!"

Zhu Banshan was brought into the courtroom, and he looked at Lu Hui with a look of fear.

"Zhu Banshan, do you admit your crime?" Lu Hui asked sternly.

"I know my crime. I was deceived by the steward of the Marquis' Mansion and committed a serious mistake. Later, I was almost poisoned to death in prison by the Yunzhou Tongpan. Now I have repented and am willing to die for you, my Lord." Zhu Banshan kowtowed repeatedly.

"In that case, I'm asking you a question, and you just tell the truth!" Lu Hui waved his hand and said seriously.

Zhu Banshan hurriedly lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Yes!"

Lu Hui then asked, "What role did you play in this?"

Zhu Banshan replied with deep fear: "Smuggling stolen goods."

Lu Hui asked, "How to smuggle it?"

Zhu Banshan answered truthfully: "It was transported to Yingzhou by horse-drawn carriage."

Lu Hui continued to ask: "What are you transporting?"

Zhu Banshan said tremblingly: "At first it was some salt and tea, then some gold, silver and jewelry, and then weapons and armor!"

Lu Hui asked again: "How many times have you transported it?"

Zhu Banshan replied tremblingly, "I've been transporting goods for Wang Heng for three years, more than twenty times a year, with over a thousand pieces of weapons and armor!"

Lu Hui confirmed again: "Zhu Banshan, do you dare to sign as evidence!?"

Zhu Banshan nodded quickly: "I can prove it!"

Lu Hui's face was serious as he read out the verdict on Zhu Banshan: "Mr. Yunzhou, Zhu Banshan, you are guilty of smuggling and harboring a criminal. You should have been beheaded, but in recognition of your meritorious service in solving the case, you are now enrolled in the slavery system for three generations. I hope you will mend your ways!"

Zhu Banshan burst into tears of gratitude and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for not killing me, sir. I will definitely reform myself."

Once enslaved, they lost many of their freedoms and rights. They were deprived of agricultural production and could not own their own land. They were also prohibited from taking the imperial examinations, cutting off their path to improving their fate through education. Furthermore, they were unable to run businesses or engage in other occupations independently, relying entirely on the protection and rewards of their masters.

This kind of restraint on Zhu Banshan continued to the third generation.

"Bring Wang Heng to the classroom to answer!"

After Wang Heng was brought to court, facing Lu Hui's interrogation, he refused to admit his guilt and claimed that he was framed by Zhu Banshan.

Seeing this, Lu Hui decided to use his trump card. He ordered his men to present some evidence, including the cargo list, shipping records, and documents related to Wang Heng.

However, Lu Hui didn't give him any chance and sternly rebuked him: "Wang Heng, the evidence is irrefutable, what else can you say!"

Wang Heng had a scornful smile on his face. "Ironclad evidence? Haha, my brother and I were just following orders. I'm afraid even you, Governor Lu, wouldn't dare to say a word about the real mastermind!"

Lu Hui's face turned pale with rage, and he roared, "How arrogant! Come on, beat him up! Beat him until his skin is torn to pieces!"

"Wait!" At this moment, the recorder on the side hurriedly spoke up to stop him, "Your Majesty, with so many people watching here, I'm afraid you'll be accused of lynching!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed across Lu Hui's face, but he soon became determined: "Hmph, what are you afraid of? I'm determined to fight today!" As he said that, he waved his hand, signaling his men to take action.

Seeing this, the recorder shook his head helplessly and sighed inwardly.

As Lu Hui's order was given, several yamen runners came over immediately, pressed Wang Heng to the ground, and hit him mercilessly with the yamen sticks in their hands.

For a moment, Wang Heng was beaten so hard that he screamed in pain and blood splattered everywhere.

Wang Heng finally couldn't hold on any longer and passed out.

"Wang Heng is guilty of arson, bribery, smuggling, and treason! He will be executed soon. [The sentence about multiple crimes is unclear and likely a translation error.] [The sentence about Wang Heng ...

"Wang Huang is guilty of smuggling and treason! Furthermore, he attempted to poison Zhu Banshan in prison, a crime punishable by death. Even though he will die soon, his body will be displayed to the public on the execution grounds, and his entire clan will be exterminated as a warning to others!"

Wang Heng was awakened by the cold water, but he was too weak to sign. A yamen runner beside him took his bloody hand and pressed it down on the paper. The people all felt that he deserved it. He had been arrogant and reckless on a daily basis, and now this was his due!

"Bring Han Ye to the classroom to answer!"

A man with disheveled hair and looking like a savage was brought to court by several constables.

This savage was Han Ye. He had not closed his eyes since he was caught by Gao Fei. In addition, he was addicted to alcohol. Now he was mentally disordered, crying and laughing at the same time.

"How dare Han Ye act crazy and stupid in court." Lu Hui cursed.

At this time, a voice came from outside the court.

"He's not just pretending to be crazy, he's really crazy!"

Lu Hui stood up and watched, then shouted, "Who's making a noise?"

"Prefect Lu is quite impressive today!"

The people outside the door made way for a scholar in white clothes with a smile on his face. He looked very similar to Wang Zhen, but his clothes were more refined than Wang Zhen's. He looked to be in his thirties.

"I am the Chief Secretary of the Prince of Jin's Palace, Wang Lian!"