Chapter 1203 Jiannan Salt Case

In the afternoon, Li Ye summoned Li Lin, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, and told him about Li Shi.

Li Lin pondered for a moment and said, "It's no secret that the eldest grandson of the emperor went crazy. The imperial clan basically knew about it. Only Li Fuguo did not allow an investigation into the matter, and the Imperial Clan did not respond."

"Does the Imperial Clan know about Li Shi's death? I heard from the Shen family that they notified the court."

Li Lin nodded, "They did notify the court, but Li Fuguo suppressed it. In fact, the situation was very chaotic at the time, and then the three kings rebelled, so no one cared about this matter at all."

"What did the Shen family say?"

"The Shen family said that the crown prince raped a maid, and the maid pulled out a hairpin to commit suicide. When the crown prince was fighting for the hairpin, he was accidentally stabbed in the heart by the hairpin and died. They also said that he completely lost his mind at the time and was as crazy as a demon, and no one dared to stop him."

Li Ye nodded. Although the Shen family was vague, it was also in line with the facts.

Li Ye hesitated for a moment and said, "I will send the inner guards to investigate this matter. If it is true, there is no need to pursue it further. Let the inner guards directly transport Li Shi's body back to Chang'an, and the Zongzheng Temple will rebury him together with the remains of Shu King Li Tan."

"I fully support your decision!"

"That's it! I will arrange the inner guards later. If necessary, the Zongzheng Temple can also arrange an official to follow the inner guards to Huzhou."

Li Lin smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, please arrange the inner guards! I won't go to the Zongzheng Temple. If this matter is made public, it will damage the reputation of the royal family."

"Okay! This matter ends here."

Li Lin left. Li Ye pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to send someone to notify Li Chenghua, Du You said at the door: " Your Highness, Li Dutong of the Internal Guard wants to see you!"

It was just in time, Li Ye smiled and said, "Please let her in!"

After a while, Li Chenghua walked in quickly, clasped his fists and bowed, "Meet Your Highness!"

"You came at the right time, I was just about to send someone to find you."

"Your Highness, what do you want to do with me?"

Li Ye nodded, "Talk about your business first! I'll talk to you later."

"I want to report to your Highness about the Bashu private salt case. The internal guards have found the mastermind behind the private salt case."

"Who is it?"

"Reporting to your Highness, it is Cui Wei, the son of Cui Yuan, the prefect of Chengdu."

Li Ye's face immediately sank. No wonder private salt was rampant in Jiannan Road and Shannan West Road. It turned out that Cui Yuan's son was supporting it behind the scenes.

"Did Cui Yuan know about this?"

"I think he knew!"

Li Ye walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and asked again: "Is the evidence conclusive?"

"Your Highness, the evidence is conclusive."

Li Chenghua put a report on the table, "This is the internal security investigation report, which lasted for half a year and completely investigated all kinds of relationships."

Li Ye picked up the report and flipped through a few pages. Judging from the facts in the report, even if Cui Yuan did not participate, he must have known about it.

But Cui Yuan is not an ordinary person! He has a deep network of contacts in Jiannan. If he knew that the court wanted to deal with him, it would probably be a disaster.

We must first think of a strategy to transfer him out of Chengdu, and then secretly bring him back to Chang'an, and then we can take action against his son.

Thinking of this, Li Ye nodded, "I know about this matter. I will transfer Cui Yuan out of Bashu first, and then notify you to take action. Before that, the internal guards cannot make any moves to prevent alerting the enemy!"

"I obey your order!"

Li Ye waved his hand and said, "Let me talk about what I want to find you for. Send someone to the Shen family in Huzhou to investigate the cause of death of the emperor's eldest grandson Li Shi. I know how he died, and I don't want to pursue anyone's responsibility. I just want a report, and then bring his body back to Chang'an."

"Your Highness just wants an investigation report?"

"Yes! I'm not asking you to solve the case or arrest people, but to investigate the cause of death. In addition, investigate the situation of Song Guangchun, the pirate of Qiantang River."

"I understand, and I will go back and arrange people to go to Huzhou."

Li Chenghua bowed and left.

Li Ye pondered for a long time, then got up and went to the Secretariat to find his father Li Dai.

Li Ye and his son, one is the regent and the other is the right prime minister, seem to control the military and political power of the entire Tang Dynasty, but in fact, all officials do not think so. On the contrary, it is because of Li Dai as the right prime minister that the separation of power between the emperor and the prime minister is truly achieved, and the political affairs hall has unprecedented power.

Li Dai's fairness, generosity and integrity have won the respect of all civil and military officials in the court, especially when the court's finances were in the most difficult period. The court officials had not received salaries for several months, and many low-level officials could not even open their pots at home. Seeing that they were about to be driven out of the house by the landlord, Li Dai resolutely stepped forward, spent all his family wealth, and used his own money to subsidize the most difficult officials, helping low-level officials through the most difficult years.

It is for this reason that many officials even hope that Li Dai will ascend the throne and create a real dynasty of civil governance, but Li Dai is determined not to take the throne, so everyone gave up this idea.

Li Ye came to his father's official room and happened to meet his father Li Dai discussing something with Li Xian.

"Your Highness is here!" Li Xian hurriedly stood up and smiled.

"Otherwise, I'll take my leave first and talk to Jingwen later."

Li Ye smiled and waved his hand, "Minister Li is here, my business is related to the Ministry of Works, let's go together!"

Li Xian nodded and sat down, and Li Ye also sat down, handing the internal security report to his father Li Dai, "Take a look at this first!"

Li Dai took a general look at the report, and was immediately shocked and angry. He handed the report to Li Xian, and then said to Li Ye: "This Cui Yuan is so bold, no wonder the salt tax in Bashu has dropped sharply since the second half of last year, it turns out that his son is playing tricks!"

Jiannan Road and Shannan West Road are the pilot areas of tax reform. Indirect taxes are used to replace household taxes. Li Ye is considering using salt, iron, sugar and wine as a monopoly, and then canceling household taxes and commercial taxes. Otherwise, the people will not be willing to separate their families to avoid household taxes, which is not conducive to population growth.

Once the household tax is canceled, the government will force the people to separate their families, and the people will not resist so much. Otherwise, if one household is divided into three households, the people will have to pay an extra five strings of tax every year, and no one will be willing to separate their families.

After reading the report, Li Xian said to Li Ye: "From the report, Cui Yuan's son is so unscrupulous in selling private salt, Cui Yuan must have known about it."

Li Ye nodded, "I think he knew about it, but Cui Yuan has a deep foundation in Bashu. If I arrest people hastily, I am afraid it will cause civil unrest in Bashu."

"What is your highness going to do?" Li Dai asked.

Li Ye smiled and said, "Trick him out of Chengdu and secretly capture him in a remote place."

"Do you have a plan?"

Li Ye nodded, "If I remember correctly, Cui Yuan also served as the Jiannan Transport Commissioner, right?"

Li Dai thought for a while and said, "It seems so!"

Li Ye said slowly, "I suggest that the Political Affairs Hall take the lead and summon the Jiannan Road and Shannan West Road Transport Commissioners, as well as officials from various states along the way, to gather in Miangu County, Lizhou to discuss the dredging of the Jialing River. Cui Yuan is the Jiannan Road Transport Commissioner, and it is also related to the transportation of materials from Jiannan Road. Cui Yuan must If he goes, the inner guards will secretly arrest Cui Yuan in Miangu County, Lizhou. Without Cui Yuan in Chengdu, his son and other officials will not be able to escape. "

Li Xian gave a thumbs up and praised: "This is a brilliant plan. The dredging of the Jialing River has been rumored for a long time, and the officials of the Ministry of Works have also gone to the site for investigation. Seeing that the Danba Waterway is about to be completed, it is urgent to promote the dredging of the Jialing River. "

Li Dai smiled and said: "Then please ask Minister Li to go to Lizhou!"

Li Xian is the Minister of Works, and this matter happens to be under his jurisdiction.

Li Xian thought for a while and said: "Of course there is no problem for me to go, but it is better to convene a meeting of the Political Affairs Hall, make a resolution, and summon relevant officials in the name of the Political Affairs Hall, and then I will go to Lizhou with the Du Shuijianling. "

Li Dai nodded, "That makes sense, just treat it as a serious matter!"