Chapter 111: Attempting to Control Yulin Prefecture...
That day, the people of Liuzhou did indeed witness a strange sight.
The Imperial Guards, usually so kind and gentle when out in public, bared their fangs today, ruthlessly surrounding a house and making quite a commotion, before arresting several people and taking them back. The east wing of the Prince's mansion, originally the Imperial Guards' quarters, was now being used as interrogation cells—fortunately, it wasn't the first time.
Commander Mao stopped leading the militia training. After listening to His Highness's instructions, he went inside to interrogate them personally and soon managed to get them to talk.
These two young people are still too naive. They started crying and begging for mercy without being scared at all, and spilled out everything they could remember.
On the other side, sitting in front of Qi Chengming were the county magistrate and Qin Liusong, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.
There's no need for the prefect and governor to rush over and ask about this; it would only make things seem bigger. That's why they only sent the county magistrate. In fact, both of their usual advisors came along, and Qi Chengming knew exactly what was going on.
"Your Highness." The one leading the group could only be Qin Liusong, a trusted confidant of the Prince's mansion. He cupped his hands in greeting, glanced at the county magistrate and his clerk, and said, "We've come to ask how to handle today's matter."
Legally speaking, the Prince's Mansion did not have the right to arrest people and carry out vigilante justice; the responsibility for settling scores lay with the government. However, since people live in this world, they cannot rigidly adhere to inflexible rules—
Take those princes of the previous dynasty, for example. If a commoner offended them, would they have swallowed their anger and not reacted on the spot, but instead seriously reported it to the authorities and asked them to arrest the person? If they had just watched the government give the person a few dozen lashes and pay some money and then released them, the princes would have lost all face!
Let alone princes feeling ashamed, even ordinary people would think there's something wrong with this prince—what kind of problems could cause him to be so spineless and incompetent? For example, has he recently fallen out of favor? Lost power? Is that why he's swallowing his anger to this extent?
To put it bluntly, the laws were never meant for royalty and nobility to follow.
Qi Chengming had always acted in accordance with the law and treated ordinary people with courtesy, never abusing his power. This was a habit instilled in him by his modern values and upbringing. But that didn't mean… he wouldn't use his power.
So at this moment, Qi Chengming said calmly, "The two of them have made a lot of mistakes. I'm short of people in Lingnan, so I'll send them over there."
Death is too cheap.
Qi Chengming is not their parent, and has no obligation to teach them reason, as they are spoiled and unaware of their own evil deeds. Letting them experience the hardships and cruelties of life is the best way to console the victims.
Qin Liusong understood and concluded: "The Yang family has failed in their parenting; they must compensate each of the aggrieved parties, and..."
He gestured to Qi Chengming with his eyes, asking how the new emperor planned to punish them. Although the Yang family was far away in Yulin Prefecture, once word got out that the Yang family had offended the prince, it wouldn't be a problem. Although the new emperor's intention was certainly to uphold justice for the people, using the name of the offended family was the most powerful approach at this time.
"No rush, let them pay for it." Qi Chengming waved his hand, leaving his words unfinished, "After this snake is startled..."
He was furious after reading the contents of those letters. This was just the evil deed committed by two young members of the Yang family. If it were the Yang family, the local tyrants who had dominated Yulin Prefecture for many years, how many more unspeakable crimes would they have committed? This time, it was simply unacceptable that no blood had been shed.
But the people he sent to Yulin Prefecture to investigate haven't returned yet, and he'll put all his efforts into waiting for their return.
Qi Chengming was disgusted by the Yang family's style and attitude, and he was also deeply concerned about the escalating chaos and misery in Yulin Prefecture, for which he couldn't find a way to intervene.
That's when things happened.
"Then I'll go and issue the notice first," the magistrate said in a very humble tone. He could sense the bloodshed in the young prince's gentle tone, and he shrank back, wishing he could slip away immediately.
Qin Liusong also felt a jolt in his heart. He wasn't afraid, but he secretly thought of the young new emperor in his previous life—
Normally, the new emperor's methods are mild and steady. He understands the principle that "clear water has no fish" in all aspects of court affairs, and he doesn't resort to the crude method of blindly hitting a wall. However, if he learns about the misdeeds of this纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families who have committed numerous evils), he will immediately become ruthless and hate him to death.
Qin Liusong had vaguely heard a couple of stories about this, and knew that the new emperor was different in this respect, truly caring about the most humble people... In order to curry favor with the emperor, Qin Liusong gradually learned to be a "Qin Qingtian" who stood up for the people.
Although in the end, I never gained the favor of the new emperor in my previous life...
But after a while, Qin Liusong also began to enjoy it. Without affecting his ambition to climb the social ladder, he made a habit of doing good deeds for the people. And wouldn't that bring him good fortune? He actually had a miraculous encounter, and his future seemed set for great success.
"Your Highness, we'll take our leave now." The magistrate wiped his sweat, and the group all took their leave.
Qi Chengming had just stepped out the door when news came from the east courtyard that the interrogation results had been handed over to Xiao Chengzi.
Commander Mao was interrogating the Yang siblings on Qi Chengming's orders. He suspected that Yang's words about cement were related to the floods in Yulin Prefecture, so the Yang siblings spilled the beans.
The Yang family made their fortune through pearl diving, but the deaths and injuries among pearl divers were too severe, and the losses were extremely rapid. No amount of money could buy back so many families willing to risk their lives. Furthermore, Yulin Prefecture was prone to flooding, requiring constant inspection of the dikes. From time to time, imperial envoys would be dispatched to manage flood control, either for repair or maintenance. Over the years, a tacit trade chain had already formed.
No matter how you repair the dikes, it's impossible to fix everything at once, and flood control costs a fortune, so it won't be cheap. But the floods can't be left uncontrolled, so every year someone profits handsomely, with everyone sharing the spoils and leaving satisfied. Even if you happen to encounter a loyal and incorruptible flood control official, don't be alarmed.
Repairing it is fine, dismantling it is also fine.
The Yang family saw this as an opportunity and quickly reached an agreement. As long as it didn't cause a major disaster, the minor disturbances and displacement of people were good... refugees were a boon, as it was said that when there were refugees, it meant wealthy families were about to make a fortune. Thus, the pearl divers the Yang family needed came in droves.
"Fine." Qi Chengming laughed angrily, slamming the confession on the table and looking at Commander Mao. "Are they so spineless? They even know all this evidence clearly?"
Qi Chengming was worried that something was amiss. Logically speaking, these siblings didn't even know the purpose of their trip to Liuzhou, so how could they know so much about their family's secrets? And what they revealed were all serious crimes that could wipe out nine generations of their families.
"Your Highness." Commander Mao's expression was indescribable. He had the same suspicion at the time, so he interrogated him for a while longer, but it turned out that he had overthought it. "In the upper echelons of Yulin Prefecture... this is not a secret."
Qi Chengming: "?"
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Author's Note: Second update! This chapter is a bit short, I can't take it anymore, I'm going to pass out and go to sleep right now!
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