Father can be an enemy to the country

After a while, Zhao Zhu, the Minister of Punishment, rushed to Zhongshu Province, and Hu Weiyong immediately received him.

"Greetings to Prime Minister Hu." Zhao Zhu bowed respectfully to Prime Minister Hu.

Liubu is a subordinate yamen of Zhongshu Province, and contrary to Hu Xiang, who is still standing, the six ministers are changing like a revolving lantern. From Shen Liben last year to now, in just over a year, three more ministers of the Ministry of Punishment have either been dismissed from office, imprisoned or confused.

Therefore, Zhao Zhu was very obedient in front of Hu Weiyong, without the slightest reserve of a leader. He really hoped that Hu Xiang could help him at the critical moment and prevent him from falling into the pit and dying.

"Sit down, Zhao Butang doesn't have to be polite." Fortunately, Hu Weiyong was also very amiable and didn't have the airs of a prime minister at all. He also got up from the prime minister's case, sat on the chair next to him, and started talking to him cordially.

After the pleasantries, Hu Weiyong talked about the case of the 'Fourth Prince and the Seven Wolves'...

"Although the crown prince is taking the lead and the provincial government and Taiwan will co-examine the case, the actual investigation of the case still has to be handled by your criminal department. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."

"Thank you Hu for your understanding." Zhao Zhu thanked him gratefully, and then said cautiously:

"I have thought carefully about this case since I humbled myself. There are currently three major difficulties in this case. One is that the personnel involved in the case are too high-level, and the Ministry of Criminal Justice will inevitably have its hands tied in the investigation."

"I can only say this, just do your own thing well. If the sky falls, there will be someone higher to hold it up. If you are unsure, ask for instructions more often, and you will make fewer mistakes." Hu Weiyong said lightly, of course asking for instructions from Prime Minister Hu. .

"Yes, please keep this in mind." Zhao Zhu nodded hurriedly to indicate that he had taken note of it.

"What about two?"

"Both of them, although the matter is simple to say, it would be extremely troublesome to investigate... Each family has to file a case separately, collect evidence separately, take confessions, and then go to court separately. This will take a long time. , it was designated years ago that the case could not be closed.”

"That's not possible. The identity of the fourth prince is there. If the case drags on for a long time, the pressure will become greater and greater. Besides, the seven princes are also the backbone of the governor's office. If they are absent for a long time, won't the country's military affairs be neglected?" Hu Weiyong But he shook his head decisively and said:

"As for you saying that it takes too long, that's easy. How about moving forward at the same time? The Criminal Department is short of manpower. I will transfer it to you from Zhongshu. The case must be closed as soon as possible!"

"Yes." Zhao Zhu nodded, a little embarrassed: "If it's too hasty, I'm afraid the document won't be solid."

"So what? Do you really think you are handling the case with every penny spent?" Hu Weiyong smiled nonchalantly and said: "What we want is to never monitor officials again. How can we really do anything to our fourth prince?" Can’t do it?”

After a pause, Hu Xiang crossed his legs and said leisurely: "As long as we don't embarrass the fourth prince, will the emperor and the prince investigate your desk work?"

"Yes, yes." Zhao Zhu said with a sigh of relief: "Xiang Hu said this, and the official will have confidence in his heart."

"So, the third problem has been solved?" Hu Weiyong said with a smile.

"That's right." Zhao Zhu nodded with a wry smile: "In fact, it is also the biggest problem - conviction. After all, the fourth prince is also the son of the emperor. The crime is too serious, and the emperor will not be able to pass such a test. If he is here If you can lift it up high and put it down gently, then the seven princes will be able to deal with it naturally and lightly."

"Yes." Hu Weiyong nodded and said, "Actually, they are just lax in their discipline and their subordinates do not deal with them lightly or harshly. There is a huge difference between what the Fourth Prince did."

"Oh, there's nothing I can do." As he said this, his eyes suddenly turned red, as if he was touched and he said sadly, "Who made me the son of a dragon? The sons of us ordinary people will not have such a good life."

Zhao Zhu naturally knew what Prime Minister Hu was lamenting, and hurriedly echoed: "Yes, in fact, the cases of Mr. Hu and Mr. Hou are quite similar. The discipline is also lax, and the people under his command are not serious, but there is nothing I can do..."

"Alas, it is difficult for me to have heirs. I only have one son in his sixtieth year." Hu Weiyong couldn't help himself. He covered his face and cried in front of Zhao Zhu. "I expected him to continue my Hu family's legacy and give me my last breath. Who would have thought that a white-haired man would send a black-haired man to me? What kind of evil have I done..."

"Don't cry so hard, Hu Xiang." Zhao Zhu was a little at a loss and quickly picked up a few handkerchiefs and handed them to Hu Weiyong to wipe his tears.

"That's a rag..." Hu Weiyong didn't answer.

"What a joke about your humble position..." Zhao Zhu put down the strangely delicate white rag in embarrassment.

Hu Weiyong waved his hand and took out a handkerchief from his sleeve. After his stroke, he would salivate at the corners of his mouth from time to time, so he always had this on hand.

"I have decided that next month Tianci will perform an operation, and I will go with him." He wiped his tears with a handkerchief, but he couldn't stop the tears. He said more and more sadly:

"It's so cold and dark down there, he'll be scared alone..."

"..." Zhao Zhu was a little confused at first, but gradually got a taste of it. I know that Hu Weiyong must be asking for something. Otherwise, when would the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty become a crying old woman?

Moreover, he knew that Hu Weiyong was asking for a lot of money by showing off like this, so he really didn't want to continue.

But when he didn't answer, Hu Weiyong kept crying. What could he do with this?

He finally asked helplessly: "Xiang Hu, can I do anything for you?"

"It's really possible..." Hu Weiyong waited for his words, then lowered his voice and told everything about his plan.

His plan is very simple. To put it bluntly, it is to ‘kill the white duck’. The so-called "killing the white duck" was a secret operation in which officials in the previous dynasty protected each other and officials and gentry colluded.

Whenever a wealthy and powerful family encounters a life-threatening lawsuit, they will spend money to bribe the officials who are involved in the lawsuit, and at the same time, they will pay another sum of money to buy the lives of poor children or homeless people, so that they can take the blame for themselves. He changed his identity and continued to do evil with ease.

In the Yuan Dynasty, where officials were corrupt and disciplines were lax, slaughtering white ducks had become a tacit process. There is even a ridiculous record of a playboy being killed five times without dying.

Even in this dynasty, "white duck killing" has not been completely banned, but has been moved from the light to the dark. And because the criminal laws of this dynasty are so strict that you may lose your head, the price is much higher than that of the previous dynasty. And it’s no use just having money, as long as you have good connections...

Zhao Zhu did not expect that the prime minister would kill a white duck as a substitute for his son.

His face turned pale when he heard that, and he was silent for a long time before saying: "I have heard of such things as finding a scapegoat. I have heard of it, and it is not impossible to do it. But the young master's case involves Shengting, and the palace will come to verify it by then. Once your true identity is discovered, the consequences will be disastrous."

"Don't worry, I asked someone to find a young man who is ninety-nine times similar to my son, and drugged his brain. He taught him the words 'My name is Hu Tianci, and my father is Hu Weiyong' every day." Hu Weiyong said firmly: " That traitor has been in jail for so long, and you changed the person quietly, even my wife couldn't tell the difference if she came in person!"

"Oh, okay..." Zhao Zhu had no choice but to agree.