Chapter 56 An Old Friend Arrives to Press
One dish after another, in a dazzling array, was served.
"..." The inspector took a deep breath, struggling to tear his gaze away from the novel and delicious dishes, and continued listening to the conversation with a solemn expression. The minor official from the Ministry of Personnel sat on the other side of Lord Wang, discreetly observing the person opposite him:
Master Qin was a scholar who had a shrewd smile, yet exuded a strong sense of confidence and composure. No, perhaps he was just a commoner without any official rank.
This was confirmed after Wang Chuandao politely inquired about the other party's place of origin and academic achievements.
"..." However, neither the inspector nor the minor official from the Ministry of Personnel showed any discrimination or condescension. Instead, their expressions tightened, and they took it even more seriously.
Based on their current investigation, the booklet was most likely leaked from this clerk... For a mere commoner to accomplish so much, with achievements so outstanding that even a local prefect wanted to steal it, one can only imagine his talent.
Those who navigate the officialdom should know best who they can offend and who they cannot. Even if you really want to look down on or humiliate others, you should never choose someone who will inevitably rise to power.
Even Wang Chuandao felt a slight interest in talent, and after hesitating for a long time, he finally said, "With your talent, why don't you try the imperial examination?"
"I was injured before..." Master Qin coughed twice, making up an excuse to avoid the issue. In reality, they wouldn't have much contact in the future, and even if they did, he would find a way to refuse.
"That's a real pity," Wang Chuandao said, repeating the regretful statement insincerely. He actually knew very well why Master Qin didn't take the imperial examination, and how else could he help the Second Prince if he didn't stay on the job. But given his personality, if he didn't ask a few questions, it would arouse suspicion.
The tedious small talk quickly came to an end; those were just pointless back-and-forth probing and getting to know each other. Master Qin's expression turned serious, and Wang Chuandao also straightened up slightly, adopting a listening posture.
"I know what you've come to me about today." Master Qin's eyes held a wistful look as he slowly surveyed the three officials present, his plea earnest yet sorrowful.
“I have endured this for a long time and have tried many solutions... but for the sake of the suffering people of Liuzhou, I can only tell you all the problems now and ask you to help them.”
"That's why we're here. If you have any grievances, tell me and I'll stand up for you," Wang Chuandao said sternly. At this moment, his expression was imposing without anger, and his calm demeanor instantly transformed into a stern aura. His eyes shone with a cold light, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
"..." Qin Liusong was supposed to deliver his prepared speech fluently, delivering a moving and poignant lament with perfect timing and nuance. But looking at Wang Chuandao's expression, he was speechless for a moment.
For a moment, his expression showed surprise and something was off.
Qin Liusong suddenly understood.
The instant he uttered his request, he suddenly understood what Lord Wang had been pursuing all his life.
It was a pursuit that Qin Liusong couldn't quite articulate. Was it for fame? To be remembered in history? To be a just and upright official? None of these quite captured it. It was like the satisfaction Qin Liusong felt after each successful task being praised by the new emperor, and like the grateful smiles of the farmers when he warned them to hide—
In that instant, when he uttered his prayer, Lord Wang's entire being shone with a solemn light.
Wang Chuandao didn't want to be a saint; he was intoxicated by his act of saving others—which is certainly a good thing, but that's what he originally thought.
Qin Liusong suddenly realized, and a sense of satisfaction rose in his heart. He was no longer afraid. On the contrary, this strength and this weakness of Lord Wang would now be well under his control.
Qin Liusong sighed, and with a heavy heart, repeated his original explanation: "The prefect doesn't interfere at all, which is still considered good. The prefectural governor has always been fond of extortion. Our county government previously organized people from all the villages and alleys to collectively repair the main street, and in the end, we returned the fertilizer to everyone. The prefectural governor saw a business opportunity and came to extort a large sum of money from us. Later, when we were repairing our houses, he again..."
Qin Liusong has an excellent memory.
In the few months he'd been in Liuzhou, he'd had his fill of the wrath of that group of people. Everything he did required bribes; he had to hand over hefty sums of silver notes to satisfy the prefect's insatiable appetite, and he had to find all sorts of antiques and rare treasures to appease him. Otherwise, why would they have remained invisible for so long? Did they really think that corrupt officials accustomed to plundering the people would be so kind as to just watch loads of fat slip away?
When the restaurants and factories in Liuzhou were built, and merchants flocked to the area, it was all opportunity. Corrupt officials, who would suck the marrow from the bones to satisfy themselves, how could they easily let it go?
Of course, it was Qin Liusong who offered the benefits.
He acted on behalf of the prince, handling these diplomatic maneuvers with increasing skill in bribery. Even the prefectural and state offices remained eerily quiet, their staff indulging in drinking, revelry, and laughter, their corruption fostered by Qin Liusong's deliberate indulgence. It's worth noting that the state offices were capable of commanding troops.
He knew perfectly well that those two wouldn't lower their guard against the Second Prince just because they were greedy. Did they really think they wouldn't care about someone sending people to interfere in the county government, given the prince's sensitive status? They were simply holding each other's secrets. If anything went wrong later, that would be their chance to expose it… like now.
Ah, this hidden danger really needs to be eliminated.
However, when telling this story to the imperial envoys, Qin Liusong had to rephrase it differently.
He adopted an innocent and melancholic expression, portraying himself as someone who would stop at nothing to climb the social ladder, using the influence of the muddle-headed prince to improve the lives of ordinary people—a positive image indeed. This kind of person who champions the people is exactly what the prince wants, making him doubly attractive. It also explains why Qin Liusong came to Liuzhou, downplaying the "sensitive" aspect of him being a man sent by the prince to the county government.
Qin Liusong emphasized just how negligent the duties of the prefectural and state governments were, how much they enriched themselves, and how much they mistreated the people...
Not only did he talk about it, but he also clearly and spontaneously recounted the details of the relevant evidence and gave several examples of where he went to verify it.
"..." The expressions of the three officials changed constantly as Master Qin recounted the story. Sometimes they gritted their teeth, sometimes their faces turned black, and sometimes their expressions shifted between red and blue.
Finally, Wang Chuandao angrily slammed his fist on the table: "...This is outrageous!"
He stood up, panting with anger, and started pacing around the room without a care for his image.
This is not an act.
Wang Chuandao had been wondering what the new emperor needed his help with most at this time. He had come today to listen to the emperor's grievances, but to his surprise, he found officials like this! Such corrupt officials! They deserve to be skinned alive! This remote and impoverished land is being extorted like this?
What kind of miserable life is the new emperor living here? He is clearly a prince, but because of his sensitive status, he cannot touch the local officials. How absurd!
Wang Chuandao's anger erupted.
Not only him, but the inspector sitting behind him was even more furious. They couldn't stand this kind of thing, and now that their Ministry of Personnel had sent someone with the expertise, they had the perfect opportunity to deal with the officials. The three men exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing their unwavering resolve.
'—Take them down!'
The progress in the private room was rapid.
When Master Qin calmly recounted the devastation caused by the recent hurricane, he subtly emphasized that the people of Liuzhou were only outwardly prosperous; in reality, the city faced severe problems. The people couldn't afford to eat, couldn't pay their taxes, and the bulk of the money was in the hands of the prefect, the governor, and the prince…
The prince was alright, though he did cause a lot of trouble. Some of his actions, however, inadvertently benefited Liuzhou. For example, the public toilets Ai Jie built saved many Liuzhou residents who would have fallen ill after the flood. And Ai Chi attracted so many merchants, giving some locals the opportunity to sell their produce…
Wang Chuandao listened with satisfaction as the advisor secretly praised the prince, trying to reverse their negative impression of the second prince.
"Hmm." He put on a stern face, pretending to be dissatisfied with the prince but only able to ignore it. "Eat up, and after this meal, take care of everything that needs to be taken care of."
"I understand." The minor official from the Ministry of Personnel nodded, his expression hardening. Judging from Lord Wang's reaction, he knew how to handle the disaster relief. He exchanged a glance with the inspector, then silently buried his head in his food. Although the food had cooled down a bit after half a day, it was still so delicious it brought tears to his eyes.
Mmm...delicious! The prince wasn't entirely without good intentions, after all.
...
Two days later.
The county government received the news that all the disaster relief grain had been distributed, and taxes for this autumn and next year had been waived. There were also various other tax reduction and exemption policies, specifically for those inside and outside the city, and for farmers and merchants.
Everyone who saw the good news on the notice couldn't help but cheer.
On the other hand, both the prefect and the governor were imprisoned—the imperial envoy had the authority to do so while away from home, collecting evidence and awaiting their return to the capital for reassignment. The wise Lord Wang decided to leave all the hard-earned money—the money the prefect and governor hadn't yet spent on their own pockets—in Liuzhou, trusting that Master Qin would use it for the benefit of the people and for a better purpose.
As for the remaining private property of the prefect and governor... well, that will have to wait until their crimes are proven and their property confiscated and returned to the national treasury. Even if Wang Chuandao wanted to keep it, there was nothing he could do; it had to be done according to the rules.
"Good news, all good news...!" For several days in a row, Qi Chengming was overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling.
Feeling refreshed, he had finally gotten rid of those disgusting, greedy, and troublesome fellows. Now came the crucial waiting period: how Grand Scholar Mu would manage to promote Magistrate Mu to Prefect. Including his favored confidants, who could now be recommended!
This time, it's a big win.
"Your Highness, an imperial envoy named Lord Shen, who is in charge of flood control, has arrived in Liuzhou and wishes to request an audience." Just as the disaster relief team was about to leave Liuzhou, Chief Steward Song suddenly brought back a report.
"Lord Shen?" Qi Chengming repeated in surprise.
He racked his brains, recalling something Wang Chuandao had mentioned casually a couple of days ago during their audience: a certain Lord Shen had been appointed Imperial Envoy in charge of flood control and had been sent to a neighboring prefecture; that official was Shen Shuzhi. Qi Chengming had assumed they had no connection whatsoever…
"Please invite him to the front hall." Despite his inner turmoil and curiosity, Qi Chengming calmly raised his hand in response.
Soon, a handsome young man, looking travel-worn, walked in, followed by several simply but clean-looking people and servants.
"Greetings to Your Highness." Shen Shuzhi bowed deeply, trying hard to suppress the excitement in her heart.
After so long, I finally got to see you!
He knew, however, that now was not the time to get excited; there were important matters to discuss first.
Shen Shuzhi took a breath and calmly stepped aside. The figure behind him stepped forward, suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down his face: "Your Highness! Do you still recognize this servant?!"
It was an old figure, his face etched with the marks of time and hardship, making it impossible to tell his exact age.
But Qi Chengming was startled, suddenly recognizing the man's identity:
His gaze fell on the woman's signature dark purple lips: "...!!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com