novelSusiti Chapter 135 Irrefutable Evidence
Chapter 135 Irrefutable Evidence
Chapter 135 Irrefutable Evidence
Chen Shi (7-9 AM).
Dengzhou Wharf.
Eleven ships slowly entered the harbor, their masts towering and their sails billowing.
The dock was already crowded with onlookers.
They had heard it yesterday—that Judge Lu had gone out to sea to suppress the bandits and had won a great victory!
"They're here! The fleet is back!"
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"Look, that's the flagship 'Zhenhai'!"
'
"Lord Lu is mighty!"
The people cheered and waved.
Lu Yan stood at the bow of the "Zhenhai" ship, looking at the crowd on the shore with a faint smile on his face.
"Master," Zhao Changying walked to his side, "we're back."
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"Hmm." Lu Yan nodded. "Pass down the order to dock."
"yes!
"6
The fleet slowly approached the shore, and the sailors threw down ropes to secure the ships to the dock.
Lu Yan was the first to disembark, followed by Zhao Changying, Shen Qing, and a group of personal guards.
The guards escorted more than fifty prisoners, bound hand and foot, off the ship in single file.
These prisoners were all disheveled and ragged, clearly outlaws of the sea.
"Are these the pirates?"
"He looks like a fierce monster, he deserves to be arrested!"
"6
"Lord Lu is truly ridding the people of a scourge!"
'
The people were full of praise for Lu Yan.
Lu Yan ignored the discussions and went straight to the magistrate's office.
He has more important things to do.
Noon.
The magistrate's office, the study.
-
Lu Yan sat behind the desk, with a pile of documents in front of him.
These documents—ledgers, letters, contracts, lists—were all seized from Black Lagoon.
Shen Qing stood to the side and reported in a low voice, "Master, I have finished organizing all the documents."
Tell me about it.
"First, there's the ledger." Shen Qing picked up an ledger. "This ledger records the list of goods looted by the Li family's 'pirates' over the years. From the first year of the Tianqi reign to the third year, they looted a total of forty-seven merchant ships, with goods worth approximately 150,000 taels. Each item is marked with the words 'delivered to the Li family.'"
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Lu Yan nodded.
"This shows that the relationship between the Li family and the 'pirates' was not simply one of protection, but rather one of direct command."
"That's right," Shen Qing said. "Secondly, there are letters."
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He picked up a stack of letters.
"These letters were written by Li Shouzheng to the pirate leaders, instructing them on which merchant ships to plunder, which routes to avoid, and where to deliver the goods. The letters bear Li Shouzheng's personal seal, which can serve as irrefutable evidence."
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"Okay," Lu Yan said. "Anything else?"
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"This is the most important thing."
Shen Qing picked up a thin booklet, her expression grave.
"This is a transaction record. It records the Li family's trade with Liaodong involving saltpeter, sulfur, pig iron, and gunpowder—all military supplies. The trading partners are—"
'
He paused, then lowered his voice.
"Later Jin".
Lu Yan took the booklet and carefully flipped through it.
The handwriting in the booklet is neat and the records are detailed.
"In the third month of the second year of the Tianqi reign, five hundred catties of saltpeter were delivered to Liaodong, and three thousand taels of silver were received."
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"In July of the second year of the Tianqi reign, three hundred catties of sulfur were delivered to Liaodong, and two thousand taels of silver were received."
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"In the first month of the third year of the Tianqi reign, two thousand catties of pig iron were delivered to Liaodong, and five thousand taels of silver were received in return."
"In May of the third year of the Tianqi reign, one thousand catties of gunpowder were delivered to Liaodong, and eight thousand taels of silver were received in return."
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Lu Yan's face darkened after reading it.
"The Li family—they really have a lot of nerve."
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"Yes," Shen Qing said. "My subordinates interrogated several prisoners, and they confessed that these military supplies were transported to the Liaodong Peninsula by sea and then received by the Later Jin people. The Li family made huge profits from this, earning at least tens of thousands of taels of silver every year."
"Treason and collusion with the enemy." Lu Yan sneered. "A crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family."
He put the booklet down, stood up, and walked to the window.
Outside the window, the sun shines brightly and a gentle sea breeze blows.
But Lu Yan's heart was filled with coldness.
The Li family operated in Dengzhou for three generations. On the surface, they were wealthy maritime merchants, but in reality, they were traitors who colluded with the enemy and sold out their country.
They sold military supplies to the Later Jin, who then used these supplies to kill Ming soldiers.
People like that deserve to die ten thousand times over.
"Shen Qing," Lu Yan turned around, "organize all the evidence and make three copies."
Three portions?
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"One report will be submitted to the prefect, one to the garrison eunuch, and one to the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou," Lu Yan said. "With these three measures combined, the Li family will have nowhere to escape."
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"Yes."
"Furthermore," Lu Yan paused, "have Hu Jingshui prepare a detailed list of evidence, clearly outlining the source, content, and probative value of each piece of evidence. I want everyone to see that the Li family's crimes are irrefutable and undeniable."
"Understood."
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Shen Qing turned and left.
Lu Yan stood by the window, looking at the distant sea.
The Li family, your end has come.
Shen Shi (3-5 PM).
The second hall of the magistrate's office.
Lu Yan sat behind the desk, with three people standing in front of him.
These three men were prisoners captured from Black Reef Island—the leaders of the "pirates".
The leader was a burly man with a full beard named Zhang Sandao, who was the second-in-command of the "pirates".
"Zhang Sandao," Lu Yan looked at him, his voice calm, "do you know what crime you have committed?"
Zhang Sandao trembled all over, lowered his head, and dared not speak.
"Robbing merchant ships and murdering people are capital offenses," Lu Yan said. "But if you are willing to cooperate and confess all the crimes committed by the Li family, I may consider a lighter sentence."
Zhang Sandao raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
"My lord—is what you're saying true?"
'
"I never lie," Lu Yan said. "If you tell me everything about the Li family—how they directed you to hijack the ship, how the spoils were divided, and how the military supplies were transported to Liaodong—I will spare your life."
Zhang Sandao hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke: "Sir, I'm willing to confess!"
"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Go ahead and speak."
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Zhang Sandao took a deep breath and began to confess: "I was originally a minor officer in Dengzhou Guard, but I committed a crime and was dismissed from my post, ending up at sea. Three years ago, Li Shouzhen approached me and said he had a good deal to do, and asked me to lead a group of men to do it."
"What kind of business?"
"Rob a ship," Zhang Sandao said. "Li Shouzhen said that there are many merchant ships coming and going in the waters off Dengzhou. As long as we rob a ship, the goods will be ours, and he only wants 10% of the profits."
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"Ten percent?" Lu Yan frowned. "So little?"
"Yes," Zhang Sandao said. "I also found it strange at the time, but later I learned that what Li Shouzhen wanted wasn't the goods, but—"
'
"But what?"
'
"Instead, he controlled the sea routes to Dengzhou," Zhang Sandao said. "He ordered us to specifically rob merchant ships that didn't obey him, scaring them away. In this way, all the maritime trade in Dengzhou would fall into the hands of the Li family."
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Lu Yan nodded.
"What about the military supplies? What happened?"
Zhang Sandao's expression changed, as if he were somewhat frightened.
"My lord—this matter—"
"Speak!" Lu Yan said in a deep voice, "If you don't speak, I will hand you over to the garrison eunuch. You know how ruthless eunuchs are, far more so than I am."
Zhang Sandao trembled and hurriedly said, "I'll talk, I'll talk!"
He took a deep breath and continued, "The matter of military supplies began in the second year of the Tianqi reign. Li Shouzhen instructed us to transport saltpeter, sulfur, pig iron, and other such goods by ship to a small port on the Liaodong Peninsula. There, someone would meet us and transport the goods away."
1
Who was the person who was supposed to meet them?
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"I don't know," Zhang Sandao said, "but I've heard that those people are—the Jurchens."
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"The Jurchens?" A cold glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes. "Are you sure?"
"I'm certain!" Zhang Sandao said. "I saw it with my own eyes. Those people who came to meet us were wearing Jurchen clothes and speaking Jurchen language."
Lu Yan listened without showing any expression.
But in his heart, a storm was brewing.
The Li family's treason and collusion with the enemy are irrefutable.
"Very well," Lu Yan said. "I have noted everything you have said. Guards, take him away and keep a close watch on him."
"yes!
'
The guards took Zhang Sandao away.
Lu Yan sat behind the desk, silent.
Shen Qing walked to his side and said in a low voice, "Master, the evidence is sufficient."
"Yes." Lu Yan nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the prefectural government office."
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"yes.
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That evening.
Li House.
Li Shouzhen sat in his study, his face ashen.
A steward stood before him, reporting, "Sir, Lu Yan's fleet has returned. They captured over fifty prisoners and seized a large number of account books and letters—"
"Enough!" Li Shouzhen interrupted him. "I understand!"
He stood up and paced back and forth in the study.
Once the account books and letters fall into Lu Yan's hands, the Li family is finished.
Those ledgers recorded all the transactions between the Li family and the "pirates".
Those letters bear Li Shouzhen's handwriting and personal seal.
Even more deadly was that transaction record—
All the transactions between the Li family and the Later Jin dynasty were recorded on this document.
"Brother," Li Shouyi walked in from outside, "what should we do?"
Li Shouzhen remained silent for a moment, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
There is only one way.
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"What method?"
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"Run!" Li Shouzhen said. "Before Lu Yan submits the evidence, we must leave Dengzhou tonight."
"Run?" Li Shouyi was taken aback. "Run to where?"
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"Liaodong," Li Shouzhen said. "We've done business with the Jurchens for so many years, they won't abandon us."
Li Shouyi's expression changed drastically.
"Brother, are you saying—to defect to the Jurchens?"
"Otherwise what?" Li Shouzhen sneered. "Stay in the Ming Dynasty and wait to have your entire family executed?"
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Li Shouyi remained silent.
He knew his older brother was right.
If the Li family's crimes are exposed, they will face certain death.
Rather than sitting and waiting to die, it's better to—
"Okay." Li Shouyi gritted his teeth. "I'll go prepare right away."
"Quickly," Li Shouzhen said, "we'll leave at midnight tonight."