Tu Yidao was dragged away by the yamen runners again like a dead dog. He was a frequent visitor to the prison, and his parents didn't even bother to look at him. As long as he was not beheaded, they would rather spend the rest of his life in prison to prevent him from coming out to harm others.
Because he never brought home a penny, when he had no money he would eat and drink for free, and when he got into trouble he would have his parents clean up his mess. This good one or two taels of silver was gone again, and his parents were so angry that they gnashed their teeth. His mother just hoped that he would die quickly without any illness, and that his body would not be exposed on the street one day.
After all, he was born after ten months of pregnancy, and his mother didn't want him to die a bad death.
Outside the yamen, three carriages were waiting, driven by Master Ding Sanye, Xiangqian, and Xiao Si. In Xiangqian's carriage sat the Grand Tutor and Lai Xi. Another person stood outside, rubbing his hands, breathing into them from time to time, and peering anxiously into the yamen.
This person is none other than Meixiang.
Meixiang was overjoyed as they came all the way from the county town. When they arrived in the town and passed by the government office, they were stopped by Mr. Ding Sanye.
Huo Jincheng and Yang Jinyu learned that Jian Ning and Ding Youtian were involved in a lawsuit, so they hurried out of the car and rushed in. If it weren't for them and Weidong, Ding Youtian would have been beaten with a stick and thrown into prison. Zhenjun's actions made him very unhappy. Even though the lawsuit was settled and he escaped unscathed, his brows were still furrowed.
A single example can reveal the whole picture. The local officials of a small town dared to abuse their power and bend the law. This shows how many such troubles the local officials of the entire Dayan Dynasty have encountered. If no one steps forward, won't the innocent people suffer in vain?
Seeing that he was in a low mood, Jian Ning quietly took his hand and squeezed it to comfort him.
She wanted to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly. They smiled at each other, and walked hand in hand out of the yamen. Only then did his mood improve slightly.
"Brother Ding!" Meixiang saw them coming out and came over. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared when I heard about it."
After Meixiang finished speaking, she seemed to realize that she was too excited. When she saw him and Jian Ning holding hands, the smile on her face froze.
She took a step back awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
Huo Jincheng glanced at her meaningfully.
"You're here. Where's Ah Man?" Seeing her, Jian Ning thought Ah Man had followed her. She turned to look at the carriage moving forward and was about to call Ah Man when Huo Jincheng said, "Ah Man went back to the capital early this morning."
Yesterday, Mr. Ding San sent the Grand Tutor and his men to the county town. Not long after the Grand Tutor and his men arrived, Huo Jincheng brought his men over, and he also brought Yunniang with him.
Yunniang was the maid given to Huo Jincheng by his mother. She was responsible for taking care of A'man after A'man's mother passed away. Later, Huo Jincheng made her his concubine and helped him manage the affairs of his own mansion.
This time, he came here to investigate the disaster relief grain issue after returning to Beijing to report, and he brought Yunniang with him. He hadn't been very satisfied with Meixiang the last time, and felt that Yunniang would be more reassuring with Ah Man. Unexpectedly, after arriving, he learned that Ah Man hadn't learned well. Not only was his father, the Grand Tutor, angry, but he was also angry when he heard it. Especially since Ah Man kept calling Jian Ning "mother" and even insisted on returning to Dingjia Village, he naturally refused to accept it.
Someone was sent to escort Yunniang and A'man back to Beijing early this morning.
As for Meixiang, she had originally been a maid in the Taifu's mansion. Lai Xi had a crush on her and frequently mentioned her to the Taifu, so the Taifu naturally knew what was going on. Furthermore, he needed someone to help with the laundry, so he kept Meixiang.
Returning to Dingjia Village, Jian Ning and Meixiang got on their own carriage, while Ding Youtian, Huo Jincheng and Yang Jinyu got on the carriage driven by Xiao Si. On the way, Ding Youtian asked about the relief food, and Huo Jincheng's eyes darkened.
"The Yizhou prefect has taken all the blame. The matter has been concluded, and the emperor has already sentenced him."
The prefect of Yizhou was not originally a man of Prince Yong. He did not know what weakness Prince Yong had found in him, so he took the initiative to admit that he had withheld the disaster relief grain. He knelt outside the hall for a day and a night and asked for a pardon.
How could the prefect be so bold as to withhold the disaster relief grain? This was a serious crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the family. But in the end, he was given a light sentence. Only he and the adult male members of his family were exiled, and even their property was preserved.
Huo Jincheng had already uncovered the truth, tracing it all the way back to the King of Yue. A while ago, the Minister of Revenue had also launched an attack in the court, targeting the King of Yue. Yizhou was the fiefdom of the King of Yue, and the King of Yue was the brother of the King of Yong, born from the same mother, and both were conceived by Concubine Liang.
Just as the Emperor, enraged, was about to issue an edict summoning the Prince of Yue to the capital, he heard the Yizhou prefect pleading guilty outside the palace. The court officials all knew the prefect was taking the blame for his brother. But now that the Emperor was obsessed with favoring Concubine Liang and her son, the Minister of Revenue was helpless and had to put the matter aside for the time being.
The atmosphere in the carriage was a bit heavy for a moment, and everyone was silent. Ding Youtian didn't know why he suddenly remembered that when he was a child, Blind Liu would get drunk and cry and curse people, and he cursed everyone in the world! He didn't understand before, and didn't know how the world could offend an old blind man like him.
Thinking about it carefully at this moment, he was afraid that his master was hiding a great injustice in his heart. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Blind Liu was not an ordinary person. He made up his mind to ask him a question in the evening.
After arriving at Dingjia Village, the Grand Tutor and Huo Jincheng went directly to the riverside. Ma Fuquan and his men were working enthusiastically by the river. Huo Jincheng looked around and became excited. He had brought a lot of silver bills with him this time. He also told Ma Fuquan that master craftsmen from all over the country would be arriving soon to help him make glass to generate electricity.
This wasn't the most important thing. He pulled Ma Fuquan aside and said, "The hidden weapon you and Madam Jian used last time looked like fireworks to me. Could you please lend me your hidden weapon so I can take a look? If you can make it, you can name your price. I won't bargain."
"This...that's not mine. It's Jane's. You have to ask her."
"Oh, okay then. I'll ask her later."
Huo Jincheng returned to Beijing to meet with the prince secretly, and talked about the hidden weapons used by Jian Ning and Ma Fuquan in private. The prince was very interested. Even a martial arts master like Feng Qingzi could die under Jian Ning's hidden weapon. He ordered that this hidden weapon must be made, even if the lantern could not be made.
The prince's financial resources are second to none in the Grand Banquet Court.
At that time, the emperor had no choice but to make Yin the empress. A few days later, Yin's father gave the Ding brand as a gift to the empress. In this way, the Ding brand became a royal business and was preserved.
Although Yin was born a woman, she was a rare business prodigy. Before she married, she disguised herself as a man to help her father manage the Ding brand. The Ding brand's widespread popularity during the Five Kingdoms period, and its status as the only merchant capable of exchanging the currencies of the Five Kingdoms, were all due to Yin's efforts.
After the prince came of age, the Ding brand was handed over to him. On the surface, the prince did not care about the affairs of the Ding brand and he even transferred many branches, but in fact, every branch across the country was firmly in the hands of the prince.
In terms of economic strength, the prince is as rich as a country.
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