Chapter 796: Who plots against whom?

At noon the next day, Hou Shikai was invited to Su Songbo's house for a drink again.

Today, there are not only Su Songbo and Su Henian, but also Yang Huizhou.

They didn't eat in the main room of Su Songbo's house, but in the pavilion in the back garden, and they looked like they were talking about something.

"My dear nephew, let me introduce to you. This is Lord Zhan Shi Yang Huizhou Yang of the Prince's Mansion!"

Su Songbo introduced Hou Shikai with a smile.

"I have met Mr. Yang."

Hou Shikai quickly saluted Yang Huizhou.

"Hou Shikai, do you know your guilt?"

Yang Huizhou looked at Hou Shikai coldly, with an unkind look on his face.

Do you know your sin?

Yang Huizhou's words immediately confused Hou Shikai.

Hou Shikai was confused, "Forgive me for being stupid, but I don't know what Master Yang is referring to?"

"Since you want to act crazy and act stupid, I will remind you."

Yang Huizhou stared at Hou Shikai coldly, "White sugar!"

Sugar?

A hint of enlightenment quietly flashed through Hou Shikai's eyes.

understood.

They are here for the sugar!

This is really God helping me!

Hou Shi laughed heartily, but he glanced at Su Songbo calmly, then smiled: "Master Yang, the villain selling sugar doesn't seem to have violated any of the court's laws, right?"

"It is indeed not against the law."

Yang Huizhou nodded, "However, I suspect that your sugar came from something illegitimate! I suspect that you colluded with people from the court to steal and sell sugar!"

"Sir, do you have any evidence?" Hou Shikai looked confident.

"Evidence? What evidence do you think this requires?"

Yang Huizhou stared at Hou Shikai coldly: "This sugar is exclusively for the royal family. All the sugar produced by the sugar workshop every month belongs to the palace's internal treasury, and no one else can get it! If you hadn't colluded with those in the palace, How can I get sugar to sell?”

"My lord, this is a crime you want to inflict!"

Hou Shikai said angrily, "The villain's white sugar has its own origin! It is definitely not from the palace! If you don't believe it, sir, please ask the palace to check the treasury to see if the sugar has decreased!"

"I don't need to investigate!" Yang Huizhou snorted coldly: "Since you dare to steal and sell sugar from the internal affairs treasury, you naturally know how to keep accounts! The sugar in your hand is the best evidence! If you don't recruit from the truth again, be careful. The officer will send you to the county government office for severe punishment!"

For an old official like Yang Huizhou, it was too easy to intimidate Hou Shikai.

So what if you want to add guilt?

As long as Hou Shikai can't tell the origin of the sugar, the sugar in his hand will be stolen goods!

If Hou Shikai explained the origin of the sugar, it would just confirm his guess.

Sure enough, when he heard that Yang Huizhou said he wanted to be punished, Hou Shikai immediately panicked, but he still said stubbornly: "This white sugar was obtained legitimately by the villain! The villain did not collude with anyone in the palace!"

"It seems that you won't shed tears until you see the coffin!"

Yang Huizhou was too lazy to talk any more and shouted: "Come here!"

As Yang Huizhou's words sounded, his two guards immediately stepped forward.

When Hou Shikai saw this, he was even more panicked.

"My dear nephew, it's time now, so don't be stubborn!"

Su Songbo stood up and acted as a good guy at this time, "Mr. Yang is not an unreasonable person. As long as you tell the truth about the origin of the sugar and prove that you did not collude with people in the palace to steal and sell sugar, this matter will be over."

Seeing Su Songbo's hypocritical appearance, Hou Shi couldn't help but cursed happily.

Is this old man pretending to be a good person again at this time?

it is good!

Since you want to harm me, you idiot, don't blame me for being cruel!

Seeing that Hou Shikai didn't seem to be ready to say anything, Yang Huizhou immediately waved his hand: "Take it away!"

"Yes!"

The two guards took the order and immediately stepped forward to detain Hou Shikai.

Hou Shikai panicked, hesitated for a moment, and quickly shouted: "Sir, I...I said it! I said it!"

Seeing that Hou Shikai relented, Yang Huizhou signaled the guards to let him go.

"Say it!"

Yang Huizhou was a powerful official.

"This……"

Hou Shikai hesitated for a moment and then said tentatively: "Sir, how about taking a step to speak?"

Yang Huizhou nodded and led Hou Shikai away.

This time, Hou Shikai confessed "honestly".

All the sugar he had came from Shuobei and was sold to him by Pang Lushan.

Pang Lushan is in charge of various workshops in Shuobei, including the sugar workshop.

Therefore, Pang Lushan kept a lot of sugar in private.

But Pang Lushan didn't dare to sell sugar blatantly, so he decided to sell the sugar to himself.

The reason why he refused to tell the story of Baitang's origin was because he was afraid that Yun Zheng would know about it.

If Yunzheng finds out, he and Pang Lushan will both die!

After saying this, Hou Shikai handed Yang Huizhou a thousand taels of silver notes and begged, "Please help me keep it a secret. If King Jingbei finds out about this, I will die!"

Yang Huizhou blocked the banknote back, but was thinking silently in his heart.

It's exactly what I thought!

Pang Lushan!

He had heard this person's name from Zhang Xu.

Moreover, what Hou Shikai said is consistent with what Zhang Xu said.

Pang Lushan is indeed in charge of the workshops in Shuobei.

Now, Pang Lushan has something in his hands!

If he is the one who develops Pang Lushan into a prince, he will definitely be able to provide a great help to the prince!

After thinking for a while, Yang Huizhou asked again: "How much sugar has Pang Lushan sold you so far?"

"It's just what the villain has in his bag."

Hou Shikai replied uneasily: "That bit of sugar was actually given to the villain by Pang Lushan."

Is that so?

Yang Huizhou thought for a while and then asked: "How much sugar does Pang Lushan have in his hand?"

"About ten pounds!"

Hou Shikai replied.

How much... how much?

Yang Huizhou suspected that he heard wrongly.

Ten pounds?

"You're not honest, are you?"

Yang Huizhou looked at Hou Shikai with a dark face, "Do you think I am a fool? For ten pounds of sugar, you ask Su Songbo to borrow one hundred thousand taels of silver? What, are you afraid that I will get a piece of your pie?"

"The villain dare not!"

Hou Shikai quickly shook his head and explained: "It does not cost much money to buy sugar, but what the villain is interested in is Pang Lushan's method of making sugar!"

No wonder!

Yang Huizhou suddenly realized it and asked again: "How much does he offer?"

"Two million taels of silver!"

"How many?"

In a short period of time, Yang Huizhou suspected for the second time that he had heard wrongly.

A method of making white sugar worth two million taels of silver?

Is Hou Shikai a fool?

"Is there anything special about his method?"

Yang Huizhou snorted coldly: "How dare you ask for two million taels of silver?"

"Even the villain doesn't know!"

Hou Shikai panicked: "He just promised the villain that five pounds of brown sugar will produce one pound of white sugar!"

what?