Chapter 442 Frame-up
Jiang Mu asked in surprise, "Why did the prefect come to see you?" He didn't know what he was thinking, and his face darkened. "Could it be that he came here to talk about you selling grain?"
Zhao Yi gave Jiang Mu a look, signaling him to stay calm, and then called Jiang Chao in to talk.
Jiang Chao entered the study and closed the door. "I heard that all the officers and soldiers guarding the beggar were killed." He wondered, "Could it be that the prefect came to see you at this critical moment because of this matter?"
Jiang Mu interrupted: "The county magistrate suspects that the master killed him?"
Jiang Chao glanced at him and said nothing.
Jiang Muyi understood and his expression became more serious. He was afraid that the county governor would take some action, so his master had to reveal his identity in advance. He looked at Zhao Yi worriedly, fearing that revealing his identity would affect the subsequent plans.
Zhao Yi had an idea in his mind. The food issue had been resolved for the time being, so he was not afraid of revealing his identity.
He left Jiang Mu behind and took Jiang Chao to meet Feng Zhihuan.
Feng Zhihuan had been waiting in the front hall. The moment he saw Zhao Yi, he put down the teacup in his hand, raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Yi with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.
Zhao Yi seemed not to notice Feng Zhihuan's inquiring eyes, and did not salute Feng Zhihuan, but walked straight to the main seat and sat down.
Seeing this, Feng Zhihuan frowned and became more and more certain that Zhao Yi was Prince Guangling's man.
Otherwise, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of him?
There was no respect for him at all.
There wasn't even any respectful title, let alone a greeting.
Feng Zhihuan thought about the purpose of coming here and temporarily suppressed his dissatisfaction. Before he could speak, Zhao Yi asked, "I wonder why Lord Feng is here today?"
Feng Zhihuan raised his eyebrows and smiled. "You've been in Yongqing County for a while now, so you know a lot about the situation here. Most people don't have enough food to eat. I have no other choice but to ask you to sell your food at a high price and use the tax revenue to supplement the food supply. But this isn't a long-term solution. The gap is too big, and it's just a drop in the bucket."
He sighed and said, "I heard you came from the capital. I was hoping you could help connect with the nobles and see if you could help transport grain to Yongqing County to solve the urgent problem here."
Zhao Yi heard Feng Zhihuan's tentative words and said in a clear and elegant voice, "I do have an idea. There's no need to ask for your help."
Feng Zhihuan raised his eyebrows: "Oh? I wonder what you think?"
Zhao Yi said, "Yongqing County is rich in silk fabrics and has lead mines. Why don't you use these two advantages to attract merchants to transport grain to Yongqing County?"
Feng Zhihuan said with a gloomy face, "You don't know, the lead mines aren't producing enough. We have to find ways to buy the quota we hand over to the court every year. How can we have any surplus to exchange for food with merchants? And silk fabrics also need to be presented to the court as a tribute."
In a nutshell, there is neither of the two things Zhao Yi wants.
Zhao Yi said helplessly, "Then there is no other way."
Seeing Zhao Yi feigning understanding, Feng Zhihuan pointed out the truth directly, "I heard that Plum Garden is the residence of the Marquis of Shou'an. Since you are able to live here, it shows that you have a close relationship with him. The Marquis of Shou'an is the Queen Mother's family and cares about the people. I believe that the Marquis will hear of the plight of Yongqing County and be willing to lend a hand."
"Oh? The house actually belongs to the Marquis of Shou'an?" Zhao Yi frowned, seemingly unsure of the details. "To be honest, I heard someone was selling this house, so I asked someone to help me buy it."
Feng Zhihuan had previously checked the owner of the Plum Garden, and found out that it was the old house of Marquis Shou'an.
Because his father revealed the life experience of the King of Qi, the King of Qi was imprisoned. The Queen went to guard the imperial mausoleum. Zhao Yi was worried that the Queen's forces would join forces with the King of Guangling, so he deliberately found such an excuse to test Zhao Yi.
It seems that Zhao Yi is keeping his mouth shut and he can't get any useful information out of him.
Feng Zhihuan's face darkened and he clapped his hands. The police came into the front hall from outside.
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