Jiu Ye asked: "How is she?"
The soldier said, "Miss Fu whipped out her whip and said that the owner of Duan Manor, Duan Qinghong, had previously poisoned Master Jiu in Lengjue Town, and now he's being chased all over the government office, wanting to kill him and asking about the whereabouts of his sister, Duan Shucen. Duan Qinghong has no martial arts skills, and Miss Fu is chasing him around the government office with a whip."
"General Yu is not here?"
The soldier said, "The general stood by and didn't try to stop them. He even ordered the gates of the government office to be closed. He also told Miss Fu to run slower so she wouldn't fall, and to run more in the sun. Now Duan Qinghong is exhausted from being chased like a dog."
Jiu Ye smiled faintly. This Fu Tong'er was truly his little wild girl. Even if he was not by her side, her fighting power could still be maximized.
"Wasn't there a pig butcher named Li San before? How did Wei Shichang handle it?"
The soldier said, "Lord Wei has already confiscated the nine million taels of silver that man used to bully the people from his home and used it to fill the local treasury."
"Oh? That's how he handled it? I really misjudged him." Jiu Ye put down his teacup and beads and said, "Tell him to write a report on Li San's case. I'll be waiting here!"
"Yes, Master Jiu."
The two old officials, Pang Wenguang and Chen Tiande, kept their composure while eating and drinking. They watched as Jiu Ye's close confidant, Deputy General Xiao, received nearly 1.8 million taels of silver. This evil banquet made everyone panic.
"Don't drink too much!" Jiu Ye suddenly said loudly and jokingly, "Hurry up and play some music!" At this time, Deputy General Xiao had lived up to Jiu Ye's trust. Each table was offering wine, and the banquet was almost over. The seats were bustling with conversation, and the atmosphere became lively. Hearing Jiu Ye's words, everyone quieted down again.
A dozen musicians were playing music in the music pavilion.
"The fragrance of rain and dew, thin green eyebrows, cold quilt under the hair, the night is long and cold."
"The rain at midnight, the sound of the night sky, the ghosts destroy the dead."
The salt smugglers who had been squeezed out of their money were reduced to tears by the sound of these few tunes.
Pang Wenguang and Chen Tiande, two old officials from Pingxi Province, lowered their heads to drink and laughed secretly with their hands covering their faces.
Deputy General Xiao was drinking heavily today, going round the table to persuade people to drink. As he poured the salt merchants a huge draught, he said amid the music: "This feeling is wonderful, this scene is wonderful."
The salt merchants were so drunk that they dared not speak out. They had agreed not to pay, but in the end they all paid dozens of taels of silver.
At this moment, the Ninth Master waved his hand, cup in hand, to stop the music. He stood up, rubbing his knees, and walked towards the salt smugglers in the corridor, saying as he walked: "I am, after all, the regent prince. Not only must I lead the troops to defend the territory of Great Yan, but I must also assist my brother the emperor in rectifying the government. In early March, the government office in Shangyang County reported that the Wei River was flooded and requested that the court allocate funds for disaster relief and repair the levee. I ordered the Ministry of Revenue to approve 1.2 million taels of gold and silver for the southward expedition. However, the boat capsized at the border between Liushui County and Shangyang County. Is anyone here from Liushui County?"
A middle-aged man sitting at the table next to Duan Sihai stood up and said, "Master Jiu, I am Yu Zeyou, the salt merchant from Liushui County."
Jiu Ye walked over to Duan Sihai and asked Yu Zeyou, "How much did you donate?"
The man glanced at Duan Sihai from Duanjiazhuang. The salt smuggler leader took the lead in donating 800,000 taels, which was probably not voluntary. He only donated 200,000 taels. Wouldn't it be too little and make the regent Prince Chun unhappy?
"Um--?"
Duan Sihai didn't understand why Jiu Ye asked the salt merchant from Liushui County to stand behind him. When he heard the rising tone of "hmm", his wine glass fell over. He hurried to help, and Jiu Ye seemed to pat his shoulder unintentionally.
Yu Zeyou, the salt smuggler from Liushui County, quickly responded, "Replying to the Regent Prince Chun, two hundred thousand taels, my financial resources are not as good as those of the lords of the great counties, so—"
"Who is your master? Has he ever exchanged letters with you, or given you any instructions?"
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