Chapter 1076
The Prefect of Qingyang is Imprisoned
Chapter 1076 The Prefect of Qingyang is Imprisoned
Almost deafening,
inside the cabin,
Although the sun was shining brightly outside, the flower hall was somewhat dim and quiet. The bright sunlight shone through the windows and onto the mottled floor, casting dappled shadows that were dazzling to the eye.
However, Xu Changwen's words left the two officials speechless, a sense of respect rising within them for no apparent reason. They had never seen anyone, as a county magistrate, enter the arena alone.
"Haha, good, well said. Take care, both of you Lord Xu."
"please."
At that moment, Zhuang Shouzhi and Jing Cunliang simultaneously raised their teacups, offering a cup of tea instead of wine to the two men.
An indescribable atmosphere lingered around them. They were no strangers to the capital, but it was not a pleasant place either. It all depended on the Emperor and the Grand Secretaries' thoughts. If they were to handle things lightly, it would just be a formality. But if it really stirred up a major case, they would probably be in deep trouble. Most importantly, they had to be very careful with Eunuch Yang at the Textile Bureau.
One-tenth of the world's silver is there; who wouldn't be envious?
The four people put down their teacups.
Xu Changwen composed himself and asked again;
"Lord Jing, if I may be so bold as to ask you a question first, are you aware of the matter of the dikes being destroyed and the fields being flooded in Jiangnan, and how it was done?"
His tone was somewhat harsh, and there was even a hint of accusation in it.
"Haha, oh dear, Magistrate Xu is truly persistent. Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you. I know about this matter, and all of you gentlemen know as well, but it was Ma Guangcheng who brought it up. Who would have thought he would actually do it? Even I found it unbelievable when I first heard about it."
Jingcun Liang laughed again. One could say they were the ones who orchestrated all of this, but without evidence, how could they say it? Xu Changwen turned his gaze to Provincial Governor Zhuang, only to see the old man looking wistful and nodding.
"What Lord Jing said is true. Ma Guangcheng brought this up more than once, but how could we agree to it? We never expected that he would act first and report later, causing a great disaster."
His expression turned serious, not like he was faking it, but Xu Changwen remained unmoved and added a comment;
"It's not that Ma Guangcheng acted first and reported later, but that all of you officials wanted to do it, but dared not. What you officials wanted was a solution that could be resolved once and for all without taking responsibility. Unfortunately, natural disasters and man-made calamities have occurred, and we can't control them."
Xu Changwen showed no mercy, speaking stiffly. Even Xu Dong glanced at him frequently. Now that the truth was out, these thoughts could no longer be kept secret. The two officials had miscalculated.
Sure enough, upon hearing Xu Changwen's accusation, the two elders looked somewhat embarrassed and shook their heads.
"Life is unpredictable; who can truly explain some things?"
at the same time,
There were more boats on the river outside, and Anhu Wharf was already in sight. A guard captain on the deck shouted.
"We're almost at the capital's docks."
Upon hearing this, the four people in the cabin paused, a strange look flashing across their faces.
"Reporting, Lord Marquis, a message has come from Anhu Camp: General Duan has returned with his troops, and the remnants of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard, who are traveling alongside him, are also resting at the camp. They say they will return to the capital camp shortly!"
Beijing,
In front of the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion,
Reeking of alcohol, Zhang Jinyu was about to dismount when a messenger rushed back from afar, jolting the slightly drunk Marquis back to his senses. He glanced at Ningbian and asked.
"You're back now, but have you done what I asked you to do?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, General Duan, General Song, and General Hu, on the night before their return to the capital, had Song Da distribute the silver."
Then, he took out an account book from his pocket and handed it over;
"Nearly six million taels of silver were looted from Linshan County. Adding the spoils from Chenzhou, Huaizhou, Qinzhou, and other places, there are at least three or four million taels. That's over ten million taels of silver in total. Every soldier under the Marquis's command received a share."
Although this amount of silver seems like a lot, it becomes quite a lot when divided among hundreds of thousands of troops.
He took the ledger, glanced through it briefly, and saw that the money had indeed been distributed. He hadn't kept much silver, but it was at least a year's worth of wages—better than nothing. Add to that the imperial rewards, and it was acceptable.
"Take less from the living and more from the dead. Quickly sell the antiques and paintings that have been looted to the major chambers of commerce in the capital. With the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet approaching, they should fetch a good price, probably several million taels of silver. Send half of these to Prince Jin in private, and keep the rest in the bank."
After thinking it over, Zhang Jinyu divided the money from selling antiques. He figured that the King of Wei and the King of Chu had also plundered and collected tributes, so it probably wasn't a lot, but it wouldn't be a small amount either. Xihe County seemed poor, but the people there were rolling in money. Jiangnan was even more so, and the King of Dongping was never short of silver.
"Yes, my lord,"
Ningbian responded and was about to relay the order when he suddenly remembered something he had almost forgotten.
"My lord, Duan Hong sent men to bring back all the things looted from Runan City and Shizhou City, along with several million taels of silver, as well as some gold and silver artifacts. They were delivered to the Hou Mansion Chamber of Commerce last night."
"What? So fast? Where is the thing?"
Zhang Jinyu was somewhat surprised. He had the women dig up the loot in Runan City, leaving Duan Hong to escort them with troops. Although they were seen on the way, no one dared to ask questions.
"They're stored in the merchant's warehouse at Shuiqiao. Coincidentally, the caravan that went to the border has already returned. By blending into the caravan, no one should notice. My lord, what should we do with these things?"
Ningbian was also a little worried. After all, with so many boxes on the way back to Beijing, even if they were shipped in batches, it wouldn't be easy to hide from those who were interested.
"Hmph, if no one noticed, it would be fine if you brought less stuff. But the Shuiqiao Chamber of Commerce is full of people and eyes, and there are quite a few people watching. How can these little tricks be hidden? In that case, send someone to move the four million taels of silver out and transport it to Chongwen Gate. Also, go to Yunhai Bank now to collect the silver. After all, four million taels of silver doesn't sound good."
Thinking of the large denomination banknotes he carried, which were all stored in the bank, he realized that the owners of these things must have died at the hands of rioters. He couldn't let those guys get away with it.
But Ning hesitated for a moment.
"My lord, those silver notes have no official seal or stamp, so Yunhai Bank probably won't exchange them, since it's against the rules."
Thinking back to how the Marquis's mansion had withdrawn money from Yunhai Bank several times recently, they were bound to be in a bad mood.
"You really are something. If I could give it to you, would I need to go myself? Let's go! Giddy up!"
Zhang Jinyu pulled on the reins impatiently and headed straight west. Strangely enough, the Sihai Money Shop was located in the same shop opposite the Jiaofangsi (a government-run commercial office), practically face to face.
As Marquis Luo Yun's entourage moved forward...
The Chamber of Commerce also received the Marquis's order. Immediately, the Chamber's employees began to prepare the carts and move the goods from the warehouse back to the warehouse. They also covered the carts with straw mats. Many employees were curious about where the guild leader wanted to send the goods. However, a moment later, the Marquis's golden-armored cavalry arrived, and the employees quickly calmed down and went back to work.
"Chairman, the items on the carriages have been stored in the warehouse, and the items in the Westinghouse warehouse are being loaded onto the carriages. Fortunately, we have enough carriages."
Jia Yun wiped the sweat from his forehead. He hadn't been able to rest since returning today. The Second Mistress of the manor sent a message saying that she had something to discuss with him upon his return, but he hadn't had a moment to spare.
"Yes, tell the people below to be quick-witted. These are all what the Marquis wants. After they're packed up, just hand them over to the steward of the Marquis's residence. Don't ask any other questions."
Those boxes might go unnoticed by others, but they couldn't escape his eyes. A row of small, heavy boxes—they undoubtedly contained gold and silver. The sheer number of carriages prepared indicated a vast sum; the Marquis's wealth was truly formidable.
Jia Yun nodded. How could he dare to ask about the Marquis's affairs? What he really wanted to know was how the Chamber of Commerce would buy the goods this time and at what price. After all, he had even mortgaged his ancestral home and borrowed a lot from Ni Er and others. Looking back now, he was still a little scared.
"Don't worry, Chairman, Jia Yun knows what's important. But I wonder how to calculate the price of those goods that were transported? Today, someone from the Duke's mansion, from the Second Madam's side, came with a message asking me to go back." Going back naturally meant asking how many goods had been transported and their value. Although she had some guesses, all goods were subject to taxes these days, and news of what happened in the capital had spread far and wide.
"Well, I should give you a heads-up. This trip to the border region, according to the rules inside and outside the border, also requires paying taxes. So, the profit from going to the border region is more than double. Now that we've exchanged the goods for them, we originally thought it would be three times, but the capital has changed the taxes. So, I estimate it won't even triple. The Chamber of Commerce wants all of these goods."
A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, and he asked again;
"At Guorong's residence, have you settled the accounts for the goods from Second Madam's side?"
This statement,
Jia Yun was overjoyed, delighted that this business trip had brought him a fortune. The two thousand taels of silver he had scraped together would have tripled to six thousand taels if they were returned. After paying off the mortgage on the ancestral home and the loans, he would still have more than four thousand taels left, enough to hire a few maids and servants to take care of his mother.
The person who was alarmed was Second Madam. How could he dare to settle the bill for her? If things went wrong, he would be punished.
Just as I was about to refuse, the president stopped me.
"Don't rush to refuse. Here's the general situation. We'll need a few more days to calculate the details. Second Madam might need it, but as you know, I've heard that she paid for all this money herself. If she finds out, it will be hard to explain to the Duke's Mansion. If you settle the accounts, you'll be solving a big problem for Second Madam. How about it?"
Shang Da secretly admired Jia Yun. If he could get in touch with the Second Madam, keeping Jia Yun would be a sure thing. As for the goods, they could be shipped out quickly in the capital.
Upon hearing this, Jia Yun felt that the chairman's words made sense, and was mostly grateful. If he could really help Second Madam, it would be a way of repaying his previous kindness, so he nodded in agreement.
"Okay, I'll do as the chairman says."
"That's good. This is Second Madam's inventory ledger, and this is 70,000 taels of silver. Besides Second Madam's share, there's also yours, and the rest for the merchants. You'll be in charge of distributing it. There's also a letter for you to pass on to Second Madam. You'll be leading the merchants next time."
Without further ado, Shang Da made the decision immediately. Since they had enough manpower, they couldn't waste time. He also had several apprentices under him; after this round of walking and familiarization, they could form three small caravans, treating it as practice for this year.
"Thank you for your appreciation, Chairman. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
Jia Yun bowed deeply; perhaps this was his chance.
"Haha, okay, let's pack up and go back."
"Yes, President."
In front of Yunxiang City,
Zhang Jinyu's entourage had arrived not far from the Jiaofangsi. Perhaps because it was close to noon, the area in front of the Jiaofangsi was still bustling with activity, with people constantly on the move, all indulging in lust. Inside the Jiaofangsi, there was plenty of food and drink, and with beautiful women in their arms, how could they not be happy?
"The world is truly going to the dogs; it's not even past noon yet, and these people are already so impatient."
He pointed to the north side of the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district).
A carriage rushed over and stopped in front of the manor. Before the driver could even pull on the reins, a young nobleman jumped out and hurriedly ran into the brothel's attic, attracting many stares.
It was obvious that he was driven by lust and lost all sense of propriety.
Accompanied by the sounds of string and wind instruments emanating from the gilded gate, mixed with the scent of rouge, the music of the Imperial Music Bureau wafted out from the vermilion gate, as musicians from the Imperial Music Bureau tuned their instruments by the carved window lattices, the tinkling of golden bells creating a soft, fragmented sound.
"My lord, I've heard that the brothel has brought quite a few new girls for training, and some of them, seeing an opportunity, are naturally interested in this kind of thing."
Ningbian returned quickly, and the easiest place to inquire was the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau). Many things were told to him by Commander Shen.
"Oh, you know about this too. Then tell me, who found out about these things from where, and who came to investigate?"
Seeing Ningbian's somewhat secretive demeanor, Zhang Jinyu became rather intrigued. These so-called newcomers were nothing more than those whose homes had been raided, daughters of disgraced officials—nothing special. She wondered where they came from.
"My lord, one is the family of the prefect and vice prefect of Jinling who have been registered in Jiangnan. It is said that they were sent here as soon as they entered the capital. The other is several officials from Qingyang County in the northwest. They have all been arrested and brought back to the capital. They are now being held in the Beizhenfu Division of the Military Command. Their families, wives and daughters have been sent to the Jiaofang Division. This news came from Commander Shen."
From the Marquis's secret guards, news kept arriving from all over the capital, especially from the Military Command, where Commander Shen's messages were particularly timely.
Zhang Jinyu was puzzled. The governors of Qingyang Prefecture in the Northwest, or rather, several prefectures in the Northwest, all held absolute power. How could all the officials have been wiped out in one fell swoop? That was rare. Suddenly, Zhang Jinyu remembered the geomantic map in the Emperor's study. Wasn't Qingyang Prefecture right next to Liangzhou?
There must be some connection with the Western King's Palace; it seems there have been changes in the Northwest.
"The letter from Shen Baoan should be genuine, but Qingyang County is too close to the Gong family of the Western King's Mansion. What could offend the prefect here is not only the Western King, but probably the imperial court and His Majesty. Can you find out what the crime is?"
There must be something fishy going on. Apparently, someone said that the two princes from the Gong and Lang families would be attending the Emperor Emeritus's 60th birthday celebration this year, but so far, they haven't been seen at all.
"The Marquis is wise. The Prefect of Qingyang, Ding Jiayu, the Prefect, He Xinjie, and the Vice Prefect, Liu Zhongqi, actually wanted to build the Han River Valley Road. They said that the people here were short of water and wanted to build a dam to divert water southward for irrigation. This matter was reported by the Prince of Xi's Mansion and entered into the cabinet. It is said that the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet personally drafted the bill, confiscated their property, and imprisoned them. The Imperial City Guard personally escorted the Prefect of Qingyang and other officials to the capital."
Ning Bian's expression was strange as he recounted the whole story. He explained that if anyone truly desired to cultivate this path, it would undoubtedly be the Gong family; unexpectedly, they had implicated him.
"Interesting. The regulations set by the imperial court and the Western King's Mansion have been changed by a mere prefect of Qingyang. Why did he choose this time to build it? What was that again, the Han River Valley Road? In my opinion, the person behind this deliberately made him do this. It seems that after this year, the Western King will probably never come to the Central Plains again."
Zhang Jinyu smiled leisurely. Whether it was for self-preservation or to avoid suspicion, once the waterways in the Northwest were touched, it would mean that the Western King Gong family had the idea of entering the Central Plains. This was a red line set by the imperial court. Even if the Gong family was framed, a crack had already appeared in the court's heart. Considering that the chief of Qinglian Academy was the heir of the Gong family, and that both father and son were in the capital, that was impossible.
"My lord, surely not. If the other three princes all come to the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, it just doesn't make sense that the Prince of the West is the only one who doesn't come."
Ningbian found it impossible, especially since the two princes' carriages were already heading towards the capital. If they hadn't come, how could this news have spread?
"That doesn't make sense, but think about it, what if the man from the Nanwang Lang family didn't come either?"
What seems reasonable is based on the premise that everyone is present. If that old fox Lang Yun doesn't come, no one will mention the four-person table again.
"No way, my lord. Lang Yun said a few years ago that he had won a battle and was asking the court for support. If he doesn't come to the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet, what will the court think?"
Ningbian hesitated, still somewhat disbelieving.
Zhang Jinyu, however, first pointed towards the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau).
"You need to send someone to keep an eye on things over there, especially the family of the Prefect of Qingyang. Also, find out who is instigating him. As for the Lang family of the Southern King, they are nothing but a toothless tiger. The three kingdoms in the south have been looking for an opportunity to make a move. If that old fox Lang Yun leaves, or if Lang Yun dies in the capital, then the entire south will be engulfed in war."
It should be noted that the south is mountainous and watery, making it difficult for the army to maneuver. If a protracted war were to break out, the imperial treasury would be dragged down. If Lang Yun were still alive, he could control the situation. Even if he did something unorthodox, as long as he did not rebel, the imperial court would turn a blind eye.
Unfortunately, Shui Rong and Mu Shi were both in different places. One was in the north and was replaced by the border army, while the other was in the peaceful Jiangnan region. It would be a disservice to the court if they were not stripped of their power. They would not even be able to support their own power by harboring bandits. If Xihe County had fallen into war back then, at least Tang County would have been left in Jiangnan. Unfortunately, the old prince of the Eastern Prince's Mansion gave up, which can be considered as taking a step back to preserve wealth and status.
"Yes, my lord. As for the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau), Commander Shen said he has his own way, but he found out that the Prefect of Qingyang has been imprisoned but has not been tried, which is really strange."
Ningbian quietly agreed, but how to investigate, and whether there were any leads, remained to be seen.
"Then we'll wait!"
(End of this chapter)