Listening to the descriptions of the salt merchants present, Prefect Zhen nodded thoughtfully, thoroughly confirming that his prior investigation and deductions were correct.
However, his doubts multiplied.
No matter how he pondered it, he couldn't figure out how the other party managed to transport such vast quantities of salt to Eastern and Central Dian in such a short time.
It was simply unreasonable.
After all, that was tens of millions of catties of salt, not a few or a few dozen. Such an amount, regardless of where it was placed or which route it took, would absolutely require immense manpower and resources. If the other party possessed such capabilities, they could very likely also transport grain, or even weapons, without a sound.
Therefore, once the relevant information reached the imperial court,
The focus shifted from the mere losses of the salt merchants to what kind of force was orchestrating this matter, and whether someone was plotting rebellion!
That's right, Ding Yun's actions had caused some officials in the court and the Emperor himself to suspect rebellion, and an imperial envoy was dispatched to investigate.
To those in high positions,
Anything that escaped their control, or that they themselves couldn't investigate thoroughly, posed a grave hidden danger. No matter how arrogant the salt merchants were, the Emperor at least knew what was going on.
He simply had reservations about openly confronting them.
But what Ding Yun did was something he couldn't comprehend.
How could the Emperor not be anxious and worried?
And desperately wish to understand the truth as soon as possible.
"Alright, it seems the current investigation results are consistent with my deductions. This matter has not only caused immense losses for you salt merchants, but it also means that the organization or force behind it possesses the ability to transport large quantities of goods to other places without a trace.
Therefore, this is no longer a simple theft case.
In a few days, an imperial envoy will arrive to investigate.
There will even be officials from the Imperial Observatory assisting.
So, regarding specific issues and whether the mastermind can be found, do not pester me anymore. When the imperial envoy arrives, you can inquire with them directly.
I still have the administrative affairs of Huaidong Prefecture to handle.
I don't have time to focus solely on one case.
You may leave now, escort the guests out!"
Recently, Prefect Zhen had been extremely annoyed by these salt merchants. If they didn't have considerable backing, he wouldn't even bother with them, and might even have them beaten and thrown out.
Now that the matter had escalated,
And the court was paying attention and sending people to take over the investigation, he was not only not dissatisfied, but rather overjoyed. Because this mess could finally be handed off, and he wouldn't be bothered by the salt merchants anymore.
Day in and day out, he couldn't even sleep well.
Therefore, at this moment, having confirmed that his suspicions were not wrong and that the arriving imperial envoy would not be able to make things difficult for him in this regard, he immediately began to serve tea and see them out, wanting nothing more than to send these salt merchants away quickly.
To resume a relatively peaceful life.
While those salt merchants still had some doubts in their hearts, they were all shrewd individuals. How could they not detect Prefect Zhen's impatient attitude? Lingering here now would surely leave a bad impression, so they could only rise and take their leave with a hint of bitterness.
And as they left, they discussed amongst themselves, speculating about what the situation would be like when the imperial envoy arrived, whether they should try to find out which imperial envoy it was, and whether they should offer gifts.
But regardless, the news of the envoy's arrival finally brought some hope to the salt merchants.
Hope of finding the mastermind.
Hope of bringing this matter to a complete end.
Ding Yun's information channels were slightly inferior, and she also found it inconvenient to openly inquire about relevant matters through her contacts. Therefore, she received the news of the imperial envoy's arrival when he had already arrived.
For this reason, she had to halt her actions.
She directly diverted to another location. After all, Huaidong Prefecture wasn't the only place with major salt merchants.
Of course, Ding Yun wasn't afraid of an ordinary imperial envoy; they posed no threat to her. Her primary concern was whether the Imperial Observatory officials accompanying the envoy possessed genuine abilities, especially since this was not an ordinary ancient world, but a parallel world to Dream of the Red Chamber.
This world had characters like Monk Lai Tou and the lame Daoist.
It also had the Grand Illusionary Realm and the Fairy Huan.
Even Ma Daopo possessed some capabilities.
Although these existences were mostly centered around the main characters of Dream of the Red Chamber, since they existed in this world, there were definitely other cultivators.
The Imperial Observatory, being in charge of celestial phenomena and the calendar,
It was difficult to say whether they possessed any capable individuals.
Legendary figures like Li Chunfeng also served in the Directorate of Astronomy, the predecessor of the Imperial Observatory.
Currently, apart from the ability to freely enter and exit the farm and retrieve items from it, Ding Yun possessed no other special abilities. If she truly encountered supernatural beings, her means of self-preservation might not be effective.
Therefore, there was no need to confront them head-on.
She had plenty of time, and could take it slow.
Besides, she was tired of the delicacies of Huaidong Prefecture; changing locations was not a troublesome matter.
Thus, as soon as the imperial envoy arrived,
That night, Huaidong Prefecture experienced an unprecedentedly peaceful night. The salt merchants did not lose a single item.
It's worth noting that in the preceding days, despite doing their best to convert their gold, silver, and jewelry into land and property, they still had some salt reserves and a few precious items they hadn't completely sold off.
Therefore, even though the amount lost had decreased, they were still losing items in large quantities. Either their private caches were emptied, or their reserves of salt vanished.
However, with the arrival of the imperial envoy,
They didn't even lose their cheapest commodity, salt.
Upon discovering this, the salt merchants were overjoyed and began to lavish praise upon the imperial envoy, saying things like "the bandits were so terrified by your arrival that they dared not commit any crimes." Not only were the salt merchants pleased, but the imperial envoy who had arrived was also quite happy.
But their joy didn't last long.
Because neither the imperial envoy nor the officials from the Imperial Observatory who accompanied him could uncover anything.
Meanwhile, within a few days,
News of salt merchants suffering disasters in other regions
Quickly reached Huaidong Prefecture.
Clearly, the matter was not over.
The imperial envoy was not dispatched solely for the salt merchants of Huaidong Prefecture. To be precise, his primary mission upon arrival was not to champion the cause of the salt merchants. When he was dispatched, he was specifically instructed by the higher authorities that his main task was to identify the mastermind behind these cases and understand how they managed to transport the salt to places thousands of miles away without a trace.
Therefore, when similar cases occurred in other regions,
He naturally had to continue his pursuit, hoping to arrive quickly and find some clues, rather than remaining completely in the dark.