Ye Xiaotian was obviously using the method of luring the snake out of its hole. He had asked Mao Wenzhi to pretend to be a merchant from Liaodong and spend lavishly in Jinling in order to catch the big fish that was smuggling contraband.
Businessmen all wanted to maximize their profits, especially when they risked their lives to smuggle goods and sell them. Now, it seemed that Wu Yueyue was the person who sold the goods in Jinling for this huge smuggling organization.
At the same time, Ye Xiaotian also did a thorough investigation of the merchants who often did business on the Gourd County Courier Road and all of the carriages in the county. In the end, his main suspects were two merchants and a carriage company. One of them was surnamed Hu, and his name was Hu Qifeng. The other was named Lu Mo. This carriage company was the Chang Family's carriage company.
Ye Xiaotian secretly used his most trusted people to monitor the movements of these three companies. It was impossible for him to insert his informants in a short period of time, gain their trust, and grasp their deepest secrets. Therefore, he could only analyze it from the abnormal actions of these merchants.
One day, Ye Xiaotian suddenly received a message from Hua Yunfei. Hu Qifeng, the shopkeeper of the Hu Family's merchant company, was going to personally escort a batch of goods back to the Central Plains. This batch of goods was not very important. Hu Qifeng, as the head shopkeeper, had been staying in Gourd County for a long time, but this time, he was going to personally escort the goods.
This news was revealed by Hu Qifeng himself at a banquet. He said that he had been away from home for a long time, and since the end of the year was approaching, he planned to go back to his hometown to celebrate the New Year. This reason made sense, but since he was already listed as a suspect, he had to think about it a little more.
At the same time, the Chang Family's carriage company also sent out a convoy to escort a batch of goods south. The carriage company would not go back and forth with empty carriages. They would carry the goods south from here and then pick up the goods north from the south. This way, they wouldn't waste any time.
This time, the person responsible for escorting the goods south was Chang Zizai's sworn brother. He was also his most trusted subordinate. His name was Jiang Xu. According to their schedule, when Jiang Xu delivered the goods and returned north with the goods, it would be the day that Hu Qifeng planned to leave Gourd County.
When these two pieces of news were sent to Ye Xiaotian, he couldn't help but think of something. When Ye Xiaotian saw these two pieces of news, he immediately realized that there was something fishy going on. If he seized this opportunity, he might be able to swallow the other party's "dragon" in one bite!
Ye Xiaotian immediately made a decision. "When Jiang Xu returns with the goods, we'll make our move!"
…
Jiang Xu led the convoy into Gourd County and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. The group of bandits that had been raiding houses and robbing houses along the relay road had already been wiped out by the soldiers, and the bandits that had luckily escaped had once again broken up into smaller groups. As a result, they didn't dare to attack caravans that had slightly stronger guards. But at the same time, it would be even more difficult to eliminate them.
Jiang Xu's caravan was escorted by dozens of brave and skillful knights. Even so, he was responsible for the safety of the whole caravan, so he was still very cautious along the way. Now that he was back in Gourd County, he could reach the relay station in less than half a day.
Jiang Xu pulled on the reins of his horse and turned around to shout, "Brothers, keep your spirits up. We're almost home. We've already kowtowed three times and bowed nine times. Don't waste any more time. When we get to the carriage and horse shop, I'll treat you to wine and meat! "
Before he could finish his sentence, a gong was heard from the side of the road and a group of men and horses rushed out from the forest. Jiang Xu turned pale with fright and tumbled down from the saddle. The mountain bandits often used arrows and javelins to greet the people on horseback when they came out, because these people were either stewards or bodyguards.
At the critical moment of life and death, how could Jiang Xu be slow? He rolled down from his horse and pulled out his saber. He shouted, "Set up a formation! Set up a formation! Set up a formation! Defend with your life! This place is close to the relay station, the bandits can't stay here for long … "
Jiang Xu shouted loudly. Suddenly he saw clearly those people who were rushing over; he could not help but stare blankly. These people were wearing battle jackets, red cherry battle helmets on their heads, long spears and sabers at their waists. How could they be bandits? They were obviously a group of Great Ming soldiers. An officer pulled out a saber from his waist and roared, "Patrol Division, investigate! One of the officers pulled out his sword and shouted, "Patrol Division, investigate!
When the owner of the goods following the caravan saw that it was an officer, he immediately let out a sigh of relief. He hurriedly walked forward with a face full of smiles, but was stopped by several spears. He could only stand there and bow, saying, "Sir, please make an exception. This batch of goods of mine is free of any prohibited items. The owner of the caravan coldly cut him off and said, "You, stand to the side as well. Once we are done with the investigation, if there are no smuggled goods, we will let you go!
The officer interrupted him coldly and said, "You, stand to the side as well. After we've checked, if there are no smugglers, we'll naturally let you go! The officer interrupted him coldly, "You, stand to the side as well. If there are no smuggled goods after our investigation, we will let you go! Come on!
When the patrol officers suddenly interrogated Jiang Xu's convoy, the entire Gourd County also launched a thorough investigation. The reason Ye Xiaotian did this was because he was worried that he would alert the enemy if he missed. If he expanded the operation to the entire county, he would be able to hide his true purpose.
Ye Xiaotian did this because he was worried that he would alert the enemy if he missed. If he expanded the operation to the entire county, he would be able to hide his true objective. For this reason, Ye Xiaotian not only mobilized the bailiffs, but also asked the patrol division to cooperate with the investigation. He even borrowed some couriers from Zhao Wenyuan.
In total, they caught three human traffickers who abducted and sold women and children, seventeen traveling merchants who evaded taxes through smuggling and other methods, two fugitives who concealed their identities and worked as waiters in the carriage and horse shop, and six small peddlers who smuggled contraband goods.
The County Magistrate Hua was elated. With such a large scale crackdown on smuggling, it was enough to answer to the court and officials who were dissatisfied. Not to mention the bountiful harvest. Magistrate Hua immediately wrote a splendid report and happily sent it to Tongren Province.
For Ye Xiaotian, this operation was a complete failure. It didn't achieve the results he wanted. That day, after the yamen opened, Ye Xiaotian invited Su Xuntian and Squad Leader Zhou to his manor, then called Hua Yunfei over. The four of them sat at a table and drank wine while discussing the operation.
Ye Xiaotian said, "Everyone, let's hear it. We've checked so thoroughly, yet we've found nothing. What could be the reason?"
Su Xuntian took a sip of wine and said thoughtfully, "Milord, do you think … the traffickers had another secret passage and didn't use the courier route at all?"
"That's impossible!"
Hua Yunfei immediately retorted, "In other places, this might be possible, but in Gourd County, it's impossible. The mountains are so steep that even if you were bare-handed, you wouldn't be able to climb them, not to mention carrying large amounts of valuable and heavy goods. "
Su Xuntian said, "Then … maybe it's because the government has been stricter recently, so they've decided to lay low for now."
Ye Xiaotian said, "That's also impossible. The Burmese are in urgent need of large amounts of food, cloth, and medicine, and all of these need to be exchanged with goods. The government has banned all trade with the Burmese, so they can only smuggle. It's easy for one person to make a fortune from smuggling, but it's impossible to supply the needs of a country. Even if the smugglers want to stop temporarily, the Burmese will not agree. If they don't cooperate, the Burmese will find someone else to trade with and never cooperate with them again. They can't stop. "
Squad Leader Zhou said, "Milord, I think that in this investigation, we not only used the patrol officers and three squads of constables, but also the local people and couriers. There are too many people, and if someone got the news in advance, we would have found nothing."
Ye Xiaotian slightly frowned and said, "I've been very careful with this operation. Those who were in charge of surveillance before were all trustworthy people. When we were ready to take action, I asked the magistrate, Patrol Officer Luo, and Deputy Zhao for help. This operation can't be said to be slow. Even if someone wanted to leak the news, I'm afraid it would be too late. "
Squad Leader Zhou said with a smile, "Milord, as long as someone gives us a warning, it's very easy to bury the evidence. If the smugglers have been in this business for a long time, they must have prepared a backup plan, and their methods will be endless. "
Su Xuntian was unconvinced and said, "If it's a carriage company or an inn, it's possible that they have a way to hide it. But what about the carriages on the road? Once they get on the courier road, there are mountains on both sides, and there's no chance for them to move the goods halfway. How can they erase the evidence? "
Squad Leader Zhou said, "That's easy. If it were me, once I got the news, I could move the shameful goods out of the carriages and hide them in the forest by the roadside, with a few confidants watching over them, and then move them later. If it's too late, I'll throw everything off the cliff, and then there'll be no evidence. "
Su Xuntian was immediately speechless.
Ye Xiaotian sighed and said, "This time, I was too careless and underestimated the enemy. If there really is such a group of smugglers in Gourd County, they must have hidden themselves very well, and their eyes and ears are everywhere. This official thought that he had a well-thought-out plan, but in fact, his every move might be in their grasp. "
Su Xuntian and Squad Leader Zhou didn't say anything. They also agreed with Ye Xiaotian's view in their hearts. Everyone has their own net. The whole world is made up of countless people and countless nets intertwined together, and no one can jump out. If you plot against others, others will plot against you. Whether the good is one foot higher or the evil is ten feet higher, who will know until the last moment?
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "It seems that easily defeating Xu Boyi made me a bit complacent. The higher up I go, the more my heart should sink. Only when my heart is at ease can I walk the road under my feet. This time, I've been too eager for quick success. Since I didn't get anything this time, it will be difficult to ferret them out in the future. "
Su Xuntian frowned and said, "Milord, what should we do now?"
Ye Xiaotian slowly put down his wine cup and pondered for a moment. "If the smugglers are really hiding in our Gourd County, and there's a spy tipping them off, they can hide the goods in time, but with our strict checks, it will be very difficult for them to transport them out."
Su Xuntian nodded and said, "That's right! But we can only be a thief for a thousand days, not a thousand days to guard against thieves. We can't be doing this every day, can we? If we do that, we will definitely incur the wrath of the heavens and the people. Before the smugglers are caught, the imperial court will punish us first. "
Ye Xiaotian said, "Of course we can't just wait blindly. But with our superiors urging us, will they be able to do as they please? The end of the year is approaching, and the people handling the goods for them must have already received a lot of deposits from buyers, promising to deliver the goods before the end of the year. Moreover, it will be very dangerous to leave the hidden goods here. They will definitely think of a way to transport them out as soon as possible. In this case, it is impossible not to leave any traces. "
Su Xuntian slapped his thigh and said fiercely, "Fine! Then I'll waste time with them! Later on, I will bring some people to guard the relay road. I don't believe that if someone smuggles the goods, they can slip away from under my nose. "
Ye Xiaotian said, "Now that things have come to this, we can only use this stupid method. Squad leader Zhou, you and Xuntian will have to work hard and take turns. "
Squad leader Zhou nodded and said, "This lowly officer has another idea, but I don't know if it is appropriate."
Ye Xiaotian smiled and said, "I invited you here today to brainstorm. What idea do you have? Feel free to speak."
Squad leader Zhou hesitated and said, "Our Gourd County is the mouth of the entire relay road. When the goods are transported here, they can be shipped separately and distributed everywhere. Therefore, it is easy to tamper with the account books. But our previous stop, the Great Myriad Mountains Bureau, is different. The records there should be real figures. If we take the account books of the local carriage and trading companies and compare them with them, we will find that there is a big difference, and they won't be able to explain it … "
Ye Xiaotian's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and praised, "Wonderful! Then let's work on both sides. Xuntian, you and Squad Leader Zhou will take turns to guard the exit of our county's relay road. Don't let a single box of smuggled goods leave. This official will immediately send a letter to the Tongren Province, requesting for the privilege of investigating cases in our county! "
Hua Yunfei was eager to give it a try. He asked, "Big Brother, what about me?"
Ye Xiaotian said, "You? Go and check if there are any rich people in the county who have an accounting office. "
Hua Yunfei stared at him and said, "Why do I need to check this?"
Ye Xiaotian said, "Because … I need a lot of people who can check the accounts!"
