Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 127 Secret Investigation

night.

In Dengzhou City, in the western district, there is an inconspicuous little courtyard.

This is Shen Qing's newly established base, located in the slums of the western part of the city, surrounded by fishermen and porters. The courtyard is dilapidated, and the doors and windows are mottled. From the outside, it looks no different from the surrounding houses.

But inside the courtyard, the scene was quite different.

Inside the main room, Shen Qing sat at an eight-immortal table, with a thick stack of documents in front of him.

Two oil lamps were lit on the table, illuminating the room brightly.

"Your subordinate greets Master Shen."

A man in his thirties pushed open the door and bowed.

This man, named Zhou San, was a spy planted by Shen Qing at the Dengzhou Wharf. He used the guise of a porter to gather information about the wharf.

"Sit down." Shen Qing raised her hand. "Tell me, what have you learned these past few days?"

On Wednesday, he sat down as instructed, took out an oil paper package from his pocket, opened it, and found several sheets of paper covered with writing inside.

"Master Shen, I've been keeping an eye on the Li family's warehouse these past few days. I've discovered something suspicious."

"What is it?"

"Every three to five days, the Li family's warehouse ships out a batch of goods," Zhou San said. "These goods are loaded onto ships at night and leave before dawn. I've inquired, and the people at the docks say it's the Li family's 'private goods,' and they don't allow outsiders to touch it."

"Private agenda? What private agenda?"

"I don't know," Zhou San said, "but I secretly took a look once. The goods were all wrapped in oilcloth, in heavy boxes. The Li family kept a close watch on them during the moving, not allowing outsiders to get close."

(Please remember the website 20 ...

A glint flashed in Shen Qing's eyes.

"What do you think it is?"

"My guess is that it might be contraband," Zhou San said. "Saltpeter, sulfur, ironware, and the like. The court has explicitly forbidden the private trade of these things, let alone their transport overseas. But the profits are extremely high; a pound of saltpeter sells for five qian of silver in Dengzhou, but can fetch two liang in Liaodong."

"Liaodong?" Shen Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean, the Li family transported these things to Liaodong to sell?"

"I'm not sure," Zhou San said, "but I heard from the old men at the docks that the Li family's ships often head north. What's north? The Liaodong Peninsula. Further north..."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"This is the territory of the Jurchens."

Shen Qing remained silent for a moment, then his face turned gloomy.

If what was said on Wednesday is true, then the Li family's crimes are far more than just ordinary smuggling.

That's treason.

It's a capital offense.

Are you sure about this?

"I'm not sure," Zhou San said, "but I can continue the investigation."

"Okay." Shen Qing nodded. "You continue to keep an eye on the Li family's warehouse. Next time they transport goods, try to find out exactly what those goods are and where they're going."

"yes."

I got up on Wednesday to say goodbye.

After he left, Shen Qing called in a few more people and questioned them one by one.

These people were all his undercover agents planted throughout Dengzhou—some worked as waiters in restaurants, some as pimps in brothels, and some as odd jobs in government offices. They each had their own intelligence channels, and together they formed an intelligence network covering the entire Dengzhou.

An hour later, Shen Qing had finished asking everyone.

He sat at the table, looking at the documents in front of him, his brows furrowed.

The intelligence gathered over the past few days, pieced together, paints a shocking picture.

The Li family's business is far more complex than it appears on the surface.

On the surface, the Li family was the largest maritime merchant family in Dengzhou, engaged in overseas trade of silk, porcelain, and tea.

Secretly, the Li family also had another business line—smuggling contraband.

Saltpeter, sulfur, and ironware—these were all military supplies, and the imperial court explicitly prohibited their private trade. But the Li family not only traded them, but also shipped them overseas to sell to…

To whom should we sell it?

Shen Qing dared not think any further.

But he knew that there was only one buyer north of Liaodong.

Build slaves.

Later Jin.

If the Li family was indeed smuggling military supplies to the Later Jin, that would be treason and a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family.

But that's not the worst part.

Even more frightening is that the Li family also kept a group of "pirates".

This "pirate" group, nominally a bandit gang in the Dengzhou waters, was actually the Li family's private armed force. Under the guise of "pirates," they specifically targeted the Li family's competitors—any merchant who dared to compete with the Li family would be targeted by the "pirates," with the consequences ranging from the theft of their goods to the loss of their ship and crew.

And what about the Li family?

While sending "pirates" to plunder, the Li family also used the pretext of "bandit suppression" to curry favor with the government and ask for rewards.

The stolen goods were sold through the Li family's channels.

The money earned was used to bribe government officials and buy off the navy.

Smuggling → Piracy → Smuggling → Bribery → Monopoly

A complete industrial chain, a perfect closed loop.

"Good tactic." Shen Qing sneered.

He stood up, put the documents away, and walked out of the courtyard.

The night was deep, and the streets were deserted.

Shen Qing walked briskly along the alley, pondering her next plan.

This information must be reported to the employer as soon as possible.

But intelligence alone is not enough; evidence is also needed.

Solid, irrefutable evidence.

Evidence that could pin the Li family down.

……

Half an hour later.

The magistrate's office, the study in the backyard.

Lu Yan sat behind the desk, listening to Shen Qing's report.

"...This is roughly the intelligence I've gathered over the past few days," Shen Qing said. "The Li family's crimes are more serious than I anticipated. Smuggling contraband, harboring pirates, treason... each one is a capital offense."

After listening, Lu Yan remained silent for a long time.

"Where's the evidence?"

"There's no concrete evidence yet," Shen Qing said. "What I've collected is all circumstantial evidence—testimonies from dockworkers, rumors from restaurant staff, and gossip from government clerks. These things can serve as clues, but they can't be used as evidence in court."

"What kind of evidence is needed to bring down the Li family?"

"We need at least three things," Shen Qing said. "First, the smuggling ledgers. The Li family smuggled contraband, so they must have ledgers. Once we get the ledgers, we can prove their crimes."

"Secondly, the pirates' confessions. If we capture a few of the 'pirates' the Li family keeps alive and get them to confess, we can solidify the Li family's guilt."

"Third, physical evidence of treason. If the Li family was indeed smuggling military supplies to the Later Jin, there must be letters, contracts, and the like. Once we obtain these, the Li family is doomed."

Lu Yan nodded.

Are you confident you can get these three things?

"I'm confident in the account books and confessions," Shen Qing said. "But physical evidence of treason is much harder to obtain. The Li family has definitely hidden this kind of thing very well; it won't be easy to get it."

"Then let's get the account books and confessions first," Lu Yan said. "We'll investigate the matter of collusion with the enemy slowly."

"yes."

Lu Yan stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark night sky outside.

"Shen Qing, why do you think the Li family dared to do this?"

Shen Qing thought for a moment and said:

"Because they have nothing to fear."

"What do you mean?"

"The Li family has been operating in Dengzhou for three generations; their influence is deeply entrenched," Shen Qing said. "They've bought off the government, controlled the navy, and monopolized the business world. In Dengzhou, the Li family are like local tyrants; no one dares to touch them."

"Moreover, the Li family's backing isn't limited to Dengzhou."

"Oh?" Lu Yan turned around. "Who else?"

"I've heard that the Li family also has connections in the capital," Shen Qing said. "I haven't found out exactly who they are yet, but anyone who can speak for themselves in the capital is certainly no small fry."

Lu Yan nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

"The powerful backer of the capital..."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"interesting."

"The boss?"

"It's nothing." Lu Yan waved his hand. "Continue your investigation. I need to see the Li family's smuggling ledgers within three days."

"yes."

Shen Qing bowed and took his leave.

Lu Yan stood by the window, watching his figure disappear into the night.

Li family.

Smuggling, piracy, and collusion with the enemy.

Their crimes are numerous and too many to recount.

But they were fearless because they had powerful backers.

Then let's cut off their backers first.

Then cut off their roots.

A cold smile appeared on Lu Yan's lips.

This show has only just begun.