Chapter 260 Qian Zhizhou (two chapters in one)
Before today, Xiao Zhen had many speculations about the identity of this group of people, but after what happened at the city gate, combined with the experience of Yang Shengqiu in his previous life, Xiao Zhen can be sure that this group of people, like Fairy Cao, came to Tongzhou for Yang Shengqiu!
There is no family affection among the royal family, let alone the descendants of Emperor Ai.
They were originally royal nobles, but they had been living in darkness ever since they could remember. Their noble status not only did not help them, but was a hindrance to their future.
In order to survive, they gave up their identity, reputation, dignity, and everything except their lives.
Although they have become ruffians, the struggle for power and profit has been engraved in their bones and blood. They are willing to kill each other for the right to speak in the mountain gate.
When the imperial court punished a criminal, as long as the entire clan was not executed, the women and children would be spared. However, if brothers killed each other, no one would be spared.
Yang Shengqiu's mother was an orphan who had been on the run for many years but still couldn't escape the clutches of the murderer.
Although Yang Shengqiu is from a different family, he is the only descendant of the eldest son's family left in the world.
Unfortunately, Xiao Zhen died too early in his previous life, and he didn't know what happened to Yang Shengqiu later. All he knew about Yang Shengqiu was that Yang Shengqiu died in the line of duty, and the disappearance of Yang Shengqiu's son was another matter.
Even the suspicion that Yang Shengqiu in his previous life faked his death and fled far away was just the guess of Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing.
Even if we can now confirm that Fairy Cao and the group of people last night were coming for Yang Shengqiu, we still cannot know whether these people are enemies or friends to Yang Shengqiu.
Xiao Zhen said, "According to the news from the capital, the Fourth Prince and his entourage should be leaving the capital tomorrow. If nothing unexpected happens, it will take at least seven or eight days on the road. In other words, they will arrive in Tongzhou in ten days."
Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing's group took only four days to reach the destination. That was because they traveled at lightning speed all the way, changing horses every time they arrived at a place. Even Zhao Shiqing, who was raised in a pampered environment, Xiuxiu, who had no martial arts skills, and Chen Guanyue, the youngest, did not complain and did not fall behind.
They can do it, but the Fourth Prince and his entourage cannot.
When the prince traveled, he was accompanied not only by ceremonial guards but also by officials.
Those civil servants who did not know martial arts did not ride horses but sedan chairs, stopping and walking along the way. Xiao Zhen estimated that it would take seven or eight days, but they only walked for six or seven hours a day. If these officials were physically exhausted, it would be normal for them to walk for ten days or half a month.
It was hot in the city, but very cool on the mountain. At three o'clock in the morning, Da Zhuang, dressed in night clothes, came back from the foot of the mountain and brought back a batch of weapons, including Zhao Shiqing's syringe.
This syringe belongs to the Xiao family. Zhao Shiqing asked Xiao Su for it, but it has not been used yet.
She had actually wanted to try it for a long time, but the weapon was disposable and would be useless after one use. After much deliberation, Zhao Shiqing decided to keep it by her side to give her courage.
At four o'clock in the morning, the people on the mountain fell asleep. Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing also changed into night clothes, took their weapons and quietly went down the mountain.
The magistrate of Tongzhou was named Qian Huan, a disciple of Feng Ke. Moreover, the aunt of Qian's wife was the mother-in-law of the deceased Master Feng.
Mrs. Qian and Mrs. Feng are cousins.
Master Feng unfortunately passed away, and Mrs. Qian made a special trip to the capital to pay her respects.
Qian Zhizhou is in his second term in Tongzhou, and his term will be up in two years. He will definitely move to a local area after his term is up. Over the years, he has neither done anything good nor wrong in Tongzhou, and coupled with his relationship with the Feng family, even if he cannot go to Beijing, he will definitely be promoted to a higher level.
Therefore, Qian Zhizhou is just muddling through his days. As long as there is no trouble in Tongzhou and everything remains peaceful in the last two years, he will be able to get through it.
Qian Zhizhou was eager to be transferred, partly because of Madam Qian.
On the way to the yamen, Xiao Zhen told Zhao Shiqing about Qian Zhizhou's family affairs.
Qian Zhizhou came from a poor family. His mother and first wife relied on selling tofu to support his father and his studies.
Later, his wife became pregnant, but the signs of pregnancy were not good. She was still making tofu with an eight-month-old belly. She was overworked and had a spotting. His mother thought that all women went through this, so she did not hire a midwife.
The child was born prematurely and had a very low chance of survival. He only lived for half an hour after being taken away by the bandits. His wife also couldn't hold on and died of hemorrhage.
After the death of his first wife, the Qian family gained a reputation among the neighbors for being harsh on their daughters-in-law. In addition, they had no money to remarry, so the young Qian Zhizhou was still a bachelor when he was nearly 30 years old.
Fortunately, hard work pays off. At the age of 29, Qian Zhizhou passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, thus changing his career path.
His good luck officially began after he married Mrs. Qian. Mrs. Qian's grandfather, father, uncle, maternal grandfather and uncle were all officials. Mrs. Qian married into the magistrate Qian as a step down marriage.
Mrs. Qian was married with a beautiful bride, and three years after her marriage, she had two children. Her wife's family even introduced Qian Zhizhou to Feng Ke. With this teacher-student relationship, no one dared to make things difficult for Qian Zhizhou, whether he was in the capital or sent to work in other places.
But these were all superficial. Xiao Zhen asked someone to investigate and soon found out some things.
Although Qian Zhizhou's eldest son was born at full term on the surface, he was actually born in the sixth month after his marriage. Mrs. Qian hid in the farm for half a year because of this. Therefore, Yue's family found a job for Qian Zhizhou outside the village and allowed him to take his wife and children with him to take up the post.
No one knew them in the new place, and of course no one knew when they got married. Therefore, ten years passed, and no one doubted Mr. Qian's background.
Although Mrs. Qian was suspected of cheating on him, due to the power of her husband's family, Qian Zhizhou did not dare to act rashly, and he loved his eldest son very much.
But Mrs. Qian was not content with this. She looked down on Qian Zhizhou. She could take care of her husband and children, but it depended on who she did it for. At least Qian Zhizhou was not worthy of it.
Everyone has different ways of expressing malice. Mrs. Qian's way is to cuckold Magistrate Qian.
Over the years, Mrs. Qian has never stopped having lovers, especially after coming to Tongzhou, Mrs. Qian has even reached the point of picking up men on the street.
Mrs. Qian had a house in the city where she had secret meetings with different men, including not only Qian Zhizhou's superiors and subordinates, but also men she found on the street who didn't even have a name.
A few months ago, Mrs. Qian was beaten by the wife and a group of sisters because she had an affair with someone else's husband. Mrs. Qian was beaten and dragged out of the yard with her hair disheveled, attracting a lot of onlookers.
No one knew who recognized her, but from then on, rumors spread in the city that Mrs. Qian was cheating on Governor Qian.
"That beautiful woman who lives in Xiaoshan Alley, I know her. My cousin slept with her before, and I heard she's quite skilled in martial arts."
Rumors like these became more and more numerous and reached the ears of Qian Zhizhou. He felt ashamed and had an argument with his wife, but gained little. His wife even scratched his face so much that it was covered with red marks. He claimed to be sick and did not dare to go to the yamen for several days.
Now Qian Zhizhou’s biggest wish is to leave Tongzhou as soon as possible and go to a new place where no one knows about these bad things.
At that time, he would think of an excuse to send Madam Qian to the capital, letting her lose all face there, and it would be best if she never came back in this life or the next.
Yes, let the eldest son go with him. As the eldest son, it is his duty to serve his mother.
Only by sending this whore and this bastard away can Qian Zhizhou's good days come.
Before going to bed, Qian Zhizhou was still thinking about this question.
Madam Qian is staying in Xiaoshan Lane again tonight. Not only today, but on weekdays, even if Madam Qian does not go out, she sleeps alone. Since giving birth to her second child, Magistrate Qian has not even touched Madam Qian's little hand.
In Mrs. Qian's words, he is not worthy.
Qian Zhizhou gritted his teeth and dreamed of killing his wife and children.
It felt so good, so good. He stabbed the bitch in the chest with a knife. Even though he knew it was a dream, Qian Zhizhou still felt relieved.
That’s great. It seems like he’s stabbing faster. This bitch is getting easier to kill.
Qian Zhizhou laughed in his dream, looking up to the sky and laughing loudly.
But the next moment, he couldn't make any sound. Qian Zhizhou became anxious and completely sober.
At some point, two people sat beside his bed.
"I heard him say he killed that bitch. Was he dreaming about killing his wife?"
"I even heard him say he was going to kill that bastard too. Not only was he going to kill his wife, he was going to kill his son too."
Qian Zhizhou lost all desire to sleep and his face turned pale.
"Who are you to dare to break into my residence?"
Zhao Shiqing was very interested in this Qian Zhizhou. He smiled and asked, "Does your Yue family know that you want to kill your wife and children? And the Feng family, do they know?"
"What do you want to do?" Qian Zhizhou subconsciously lowered his voice.
Zhao Shiqing understood that this corrupt official wanted to bribe her.
"Nothing much, we just want you to order the relocation of the people."
Qian Zhizhou was stunned: "Relocate the people? Do you know what you are talking about?"
Zhao Shiqing: "Of course I know what I'm talking about. But you, Lord Zhizhou, do you know why the Fourth Prince came to Tongzhou?"
Qian Zhizhou's heart moved. He certainly knew why the Fourth Prince came, and he also knew that the Fourth Prince came with officials from the Ministry of Works.
Tongzhou is close to the water, and the river embankment is reinforced every year, and this year is no exception. Knowing that the Fourth Prince was leaving the capital for river work, he took people to check it out overnight and found no problems.
Of course he also knew the news about the flood in Tongzhou in the capital, and he also knew why the Fourth Prince volunteered to come to Tongzhou. In the final analysis, the flood was just an excuse for the princes to seek credit in front of the emperor.
For example, this time, regardless of whether there was a flood in Tongzhou or not, the Fourth Prince came, but the Third Prince did not. This one thing alone shows that the Fourth Prince was better than the Third Prince.
That’s the third prince, the emperor’s most beloved son. How could he give up this opportunity?
The Third Prince did not fight for this matter at all. The so-called flood was just a rumor, and it was most likely a sorcery to confuse the people. No matter which prince came, it would be a thankless task. Therefore, the Third Prince handed over this opportunity to the Fourth Prince. The Fourth Prince traveled thousands of miles to Tongzhou, while the Third Prince stayed in the capital to enjoy the company of his father.
Upon learning that the Fourth Prince was coming to Tongzhou, Prefect Qian asked Feng Ke for instructions. Feng Ke asked him to accompany the Fourth Prince well and not to panic if there really was a flood. The Fourth Prince had brought officials from the Ministry of Works, and flood control was their job. He was just a parent official and just had to obey orders.
It was precisely because of these reasons that Governor Qian did not take the flood seriously at all. The most important issue he faced now was not the flood, but welcoming the Fourth Prince.
Now when he heard Zhao Shiqing say that he wanted to relocate the people, Qian Zhizhou thought it was a very ridiculous thing.
But he didn't dare to laugh. The two men had knives in their hands, and the tips of the knives were pointed at him, ready to stab him at any time and send him to hell.
"Where are you moving the people? And where are you moving them to?"
Xiao Zhen said in a deep voice: "Gaoping."
Qian Zhizhou was stunned. He didn't expect that these two people would actually move the people to Gaoping.
"Do you know where Gaoping is? Five hundred miles. It takes five hundred miles from Tongzhou to Gaoping. Do you want these people to walk five hundred miles in the scorching heat, bringing their families, the elderly and children?"
Xiao Zhen did not answer this question and continued, "Besides this, you must also issue official letters and send them to Yuzhou, Xianxian, and Baixian. These three places will also experience floods like Tongzhou. The most urgent task is to have the local officials in these four places arrange for the evacuation of the people."
Qian Zhizhou was amused. "If you tell them to evacuate, will they evacuate obediently? If they leave, what will happen to their fields and houses? Besides, why should I ask them to evacuate?"
Xiao Zhen said, "The floods are not only affecting Tongzhou, but also the three places mentioned above. No matter what you write in the letter, the purpose is only one: to relocate the people!"
Qian Zhizhou wanted to say that this was impossible, but he swallowed the words back when they came to his lips.
After all, as a veteran in officialdom with many years of experience, Qian Zhizhou knew that he had to agree to their conditions now, otherwise he would be disgraced and unable to live.
"Okay, tomorrow I will send people to these three places to ask the local government to relocate the people."
Xiao Zhen and Zhao Shiqing had no intention of letting him go, so he had to write the letter now.
Qian Zhizhou gritted his teeth and wrote four letters, three to Yuzhou, Xianxian and Baixian, and one to Gaoping Zhizhou. In order to relocate the people of Tongzhou to Gaoping, he had to inform Gaoping Zhizhou. Of course, whether Gaoping was willing to accept them was not something he could control.
He Zhizhou of Gaoping has a bad temper and is stubborn. With his political achievements and qualifications, he should have been promoted long ago, but he has stayed in Gaoping for twenty years and will most likely retire.
After Qian Zhizhou finished writing the letter, he stamped it with his private seal, and Xiao Zhen kept his eyes on him. When he finished writing the letter, Xiao Zhen took the letter, looked at it, and asked him to write a relocation notice.
Qian Zhizhou finished writing everything he needed to write according to Xiao Zhen's request.
Xiao Zhen took out a piece of paper from his pocket as if by magic.
Qian Zhizhou didn't understand what was going on. When he took it and looked at it, he almost reached out to smite Xiao Zhen to death.
There was a poem written on the piece of paper, which described a woman who was surrounded by many men.
Zhao Shiqing said in a cold voice, "Qian Zhizhou, do you think this poem is well written?"
Qian Zhizhou wanted to say, good, this poem is really well written.
This poem actually tells the story of a beautiful woman who is extremely lonely, but it made Qian Zhizhou shudder.
"Okay, this poem is really well written. Now can you let me go?"
He was talking about me, not me.
After Qian Zhizhou finished reading the letter, Xiao Zhen took Qian Zhizhou's private seal and stamped it.
This poem is now written by Qian Zhizhou.
"What are you going to do? What on earth are you going to do?"
Xiao Zhen ignored him and put the manuscript of the poem with Qian Zhizhou's private seal into his arms.
The two men got what they wanted, threw the frightened Qian Zhizhou into the yard, and quickly left the rear court.
When they got to the street, Zhao Shiqing said, "With these things, we don't have to worry about him not obeying our orders."
Xiao Zhen shook his head: "These can only control him temporarily. When the Fourth Prince arrives, the situation will be different."
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