Chapter 101: Stealing chicken but losing rice!

The leaders rushed to the scene, only to see that their warehouse was in ruins. The charred wooden beams, broken rubble, and well salt that had been burned beyond recognition all told of the severity of the disaster!
The fire was so huge that it was shocking, but strangely, the surrounding houses were safe and sound!

It is obvious that someone has carefully planned and laid out this! !
Anger and grief intertwined in the hearts of the leaders. They gritted their teeth and vowed to find out the mastermind behind the incident.

Someone shouted angrily: "Investigate! We must find out who did this!"

However, at this moment, someone said in a cold voice: "No need to check, I think there is no other possibility except Ye Chi!"

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. They looked at each other, with a hint of doubt and realization in their eyes!

The clan elder was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table, stood up, and shouted angrily: "Ye Chi! He deserves to be killed! He deserves to be killed!!"

"How dare he bully my clan, destroy my warehouse, and cut off my livelihood! This feud is irreconcilable!!!"

His voice echoed in the night air with anger and determination.

……

As the night deepened, the lights in the Ye Mansion were brightly lit.

Zhang Han, the leader of the Black Ice Platform, came quietly to the outside of Ye Chi's study as fast as the wind.

He knocked on the door lightly, and only stepped into the room after Ye Chi responded.

Zhang Han looked solemn, but could not hide the smugness in his eyes. He bowed and reported: "Master Ye, I have led the soldiers of the Black Ice Platform to destroy the salt warehouses in the city one by one. Now, the salt stored by the clan has been reduced to ashes!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chi put down the pen in his hand, looked up at Zhang Han, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

He smiled calmly and said, "Good! The efficiency of the Black Ice Platform is indeed well-deserved. General Zhang Han, you have made great contributions this time. When you report this to His Majesty one day, you will be rewarded handsomely!"

Zhang Han bowed and said, "It is His Majesty's will that I serve Lord Ye. I dare not claim credit for it."

He paused and asked, "Master Ye, what should we do next? The clan has suffered heavy losses and will definitely not give up."

A gleam of light flashed in Ye Chi's eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "The clan has suffered such a huge loss, so it is bound to settle the losses. Now is the best time to investigate the clan's accounts!"

"You must immediately send someone to sneak into the clan's mansion and investigate their accounts. Make sure they are thorough!"

Zhang Han was startled when he heard this, and instantly understood Ye Chi's intention.

He bowed and said, "I obey your command! I will not let you down, Lord Ye!"

After saying this, he turned around and left the study, disappearing into the night!
Ye Chi once again bent over his desk and wrote a memorial.

He knew in his heart that instead of waiting for the clan to counterattack, it would be better for him to take the initiative and seize the initiative.

There must be many secrets and weaknesses hidden in the clan's accounts. As long as we can master this information, we will be able to gain the upper hand in future competitions.

Thinking of this, his handwriting became more fluent, and his heart was filled with confidence and expectation.

The next day, the dawn broke and the sky was filled with rosy clouds.

The palace gate is majestic and all the ministers stand in silence, waiting for the court meeting to begin.

The clan leaders filed in one after another, their faces showing fatigue. The destruction of the warehouse last night had left them exhausted and dejected.

A moment later, a bell rang, breaking the silence. The First Emperor, wearing a black bird robe with a tasseled crown on his head and a winch sword hanging from his waist, slowly walked into the court. He walked like a dragon and a tiger, with extraordinary momentum, showing the majesty of an emperor!
Upon seeing this, the ministers immediately knelt down and saluted, shouting in unison: "Long live your majesty! Long live the Qin Dynasty!!!"

The First Emperor nodded and then sat on the emperor's couch.

The attendant Zhao Gao beside him announced in a sharp voice: "If you have something to report, report it. If not, leave the court!!"

Just as the clan leaders were preparing to report what happened last night, Ye Chi took the lead and walked out of the court!
Holding the jade sceptre in his hand, he saluted the First Emperor solemnly and said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, last night, all the snowflake salt warehouses under the name of the Minister of the Imperial Household were destroyed, and all the stockpiled goods were burned!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the court!
The clan leaders were stunned when they heard this!
They looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

There was dead silence in the court, with only Ye Chi's voice echoing.

The First Emperor frowned slightly, and his eyes swept across the ministers, finally settling on Ye Chi: "Mr. Ye, is this true?!"

Ye Chi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is absolutely true! I have personally visited the scene. The warehouse was burned beyond recognition and all the stockpiled goods were not spared."

The First Emperor was furious when he heard this. He slammed the table and stood up, asking in a stern voice: "What is going on? Who dares to be so bold as to destroy the workshop warehouse and burn the salt goods under my rule?!"

Ye Chi looked calm, and slowly bowed to the First Emperor again, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, after careful investigation, I have found out that the murderer who destroyed the workshop warehouse is from the clan headed by Gan and Du!"

"Those involved in this incident also include the elders of the Meng, Zhao, and Han clans!!"

As soon as these words came out, the court immediately went into an uproar! !
Everyone in the clan glared at him angrily and argued loudly: "Ye Chi, you are the first to complain! We did not destroy the workshop warehouse, nor did we burn the salt. This is a complete slander!"

The leader of the Gan clan stepped forward and said angrily: "Your Majesty, what Ye Chi said is pure fiction! Our clan has always been loyal and law-abiding. How could we do such a ridiculous thing? Your Majesty, please look into it!"

Elder Du was not to be outdone and argued loudly, "Ye Chi is clearly seeking revenge and framing us! He has always had a grudge against us, and this time he must be taking the opportunity to frame us. Your Majesty, please help us!"

In the court, both sides held their own opinions and argued endlessly!

The First Emperor frowned, and glanced at his ministers with a sharp gaze, his heart filled with rage!

While the court was arguing endlessly, Ye Chi spoke calmly: "Your Majesty, I have not slandered the clan. On the contrary, I have solid evidence!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience was in an uproar!

Everyone in the clan looked at each other in shock and anger. Some of them even had red faces and pointed at Ye Chi and cursed him.

The Gan clan leader's eyes widened with anger, and he shouted, "Ye Chi, stop slandering us! How could we do such a dirty thing? Your so-called evidence is nothing but nonsense!"

Elder Du also echoed angrily: "Ye Chi, what exactly do you want to do? What is your intention in framing us like this?!"

Faced with the fierce reactions of the clan members, Ye Chi seemed unusually calm.

He smiled slightly and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, the reason why I said I have evidence is not groundless."

"Near the side door of the workshop, I found clear footprints. These footprints roughly match the pattern of noble shoes. As everyone knows, this kind of shoes sells for a very high price in Xianyang. Only the rich and noble are qualified to wear them. It is impossible for them to be anyone other than the nobles and the wealthy."

He paused, and glanced sharply at the clan members: "What's more, I have also found out that among those who transported salt for the General, there were many servants in the clan."

"These servants are closely related to the location of the workshop warehouse. Apart from them, who else can easily find and destroy the warehouse?!"

(End of this chapter)