Chapter 291: Killing the Chicken Means No Monkeys [Happy New Year]
Shen Tang was well aware of the risks of making an example of someone only to find the nest full of chickens and no monkeys, but now she had no choice but to act. She needed to acquire enough supplies to revitalize Fugu, this dead city.
Fugu City is not thriving.
Those who will die will not only be the original natives of Fugu City, but also the elderly, weak, women and children brought from Sibao County along the way!
The chickens in the chicken coop are undoubtedly a vicious tiger blocking the way for the revitalization of Fugu City.
Bloated, cruel, violent, and insatiable.
It is also a sword that threatens Shen Tang.
Even though the sword seemed rusty and not sharp to her, she couldn't sleep at night until it was completely broken!
However, the officials of Fugu City were oblivious to these thoughts. Not only did they not understand, they even thought that Shen Tang was eager to curry favor with the local tyrant the very next day. Such obsequious behavior greatly diminished the goodwill that Shen Tang had gained by spending his own money, and they all prepared to "transfer their illness" as soon as possible.
Even if you can't make steamed buns, you still have to fight for your pride.
If Shen Tang wants to collude with the wicked and treacherous, let him go ahead; they don't want to become henchmen of the Zhang family and their ilk.
Despite thinking this way, I still gave in to save face.
Shen Tang instructed them to present the visiting cards to the Zhang family in her name. Upon receiving the visiting cards, the head of the Zhang family raised an eyebrow in disdain.
"Prefect Shen Tangyouli of Heyin County pays her respects... What is the background of this Shen Youli? She is quite sensible; she knew to come to the door on her second day of arrival. She is much more sensible than the previous ones..."
If the military workshop in the mountains hadn't been completely looted, and the news of the mine hadn't been exposed, arousing the suspicion and covetousness of other families, which in turn caused the Zhang family to be on edge and dare not make any big moves, the Zhang family head would have been even happier to receive Shen Tang's invitation.
At this moment, however, I felt somewhat annoyed.
"...I can't be bothered to see him."
They were preparing to have the invitations rejected.
But before he could give any further instructions, he paused.
The head of the Zhang family remembered something else.
He changed his mind and said, "Fine, I'll agree."
This previously unknown Shen Youli was personally appointed by the tyrant, and it's not advisable to openly offend her right now; it's best to find out her background first. He also heard rumors that Wu Xian of the Wu family in Tianhai was also eyeing the position of River Magistrate.
With Shen Tang watching over him, Wu Zhaode couldn't interfere.
Compared to Wu Xian (Wu Zhaode), a talented scholar from a distinguished family with generations of illustrious lineage and a prestigious reputation, Shen Tang was naturally easier to handle. Since the other party had taken the initiative to show goodwill, he couldn't very well refuse him...
besides--
"Has this Prefect Shen made contact with anyone else?"
The person replied, "No."
The Zhang family patriarch asked in surprise, "Oh?"
He thought Shen Tang would also send out invitations to the other families, since the Zhang family was not the only dominant family in He Yin.
His initial gesture of goodwill towards the Zhang family did indeed put him at ease. His initial impression of Shen Tang was above average.
He ordered his servants to prepare for the guests.
His wife then said, "I've heard that this prefect is very young, only twelve or thirteen years old, with a beautiful face, very pretty."
The Zhang family patriarch knew what she wanted to say from her words, glanced at her with the whites of his eyes, and gave a noncommittal snort.
Mrs. Zhang: "No?"
The Zhang family patriarch shook his head: "Of course not! Shen Youli is not from any aristocratic family, so don't try anything funny."
The current Mrs. Zhang is not the original wife. She is the second wife of the Zhang family head after his first wife had difficulty giving birth to a daughter. His first wife came from a good family, and he was originally marrying above his station. However, his father-in-law's family suffered a disaster due to the war, and the whole family was wiped out except for one niece. The Zhang family head secretly embezzled his father-in-law's huge fortune by handling the funeral and raising the orphan girl, and turned his life around in one fell swoop.
Compared to his rigid personality, which was often met with his "straightforward advice," he preferred his current second wife, who was more tactful and capable.
She was good in every way, except that she disliked her daughter from her first marriage and often cut back on her living expenses. If I hadn't covered for her, people would have spread rumors that she was unkind.
He's up to no good again, trying to marry off his daughter...
It wasn't that the Zhang family head had a change of heart, or that he had some fatherly affection for his daughter; it was simply because he looked down on Shen Tang.
The calling cards they presented didn't mention their origins or social standing, so they were most likely commoners. How could they be worthy of a noblewoman?
Even if she was just his unloved daughter.
Therefore, he secretly warned Madam Zhang to give up this crooked idea, saying that there was no need to do this if she wanted to marry off her eldest daughter.
Madam Zhang twisted the handkerchief between her fingers.
He whispered, "He's a prefect, after all..."
The Zhang family patriarch scoffed, "Prefect? This Shen Youli may be a prefect, and the title sounds impressive, but it depends on the region. In the Heyin area, who has the right to speak? Marrying off the eldest daughter would be too much of a disgrace."
Just then, the younger brother of the Zhang family patriarch arrived.
"Is your elder brother preparing to marry off his daughter?"
Before I even saw anyone, I heard them making fun of me.
"Second Uncle is here," Madam Zhang said with a smile. "They're talking about the eldest daughter-in-law. In two more years, she'll be of marriageable age. If they don't arrange a marriage soon, all the eligible young men will have been chosen, and she won't have a chance. I told your brother, but he didn't agree."
"Oh? That's where elder brother is wrong."
"A new prefect has arrived in Fugu City, and as soon as she heard he was about the right age, she wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the eldest daughter-in-law. What does a woman like her know? She comes from a humble background—humph! Does she even deserve it?"
How old is He Yin?
How many of the governors and prefects of Hezhou were killed?
The Zhang family patriarch really didn't take Shen Tang seriously.
If it weren't for Zheng Qiao's order to appoint him, and the fact that the Zhang family had recently suffered a major blow from the military camp, he really wouldn't want to see Shen Tang.
Even if we do meet, we'll wait three to five days and see how I feel.
The patriarch's younger brother, upon hearing this, quite agreed.
Seeing that her plan was about to fall through, Madam Zhang felt uncomfortable, so she changed the subject and asked, "I noticed that Second Uncle looked rosy-cheeked just now. Is the family about to welcome a new member?"
This uncle doesn't discriminate between meat and vegetables.
Over the years, countless rural women have been abused.
Not content with having over twenty concubines in the backyard, he also defiled all the maids serving in the house, and even the old lady's maids were not spared. He also loved pleasure and indulged in sensual pleasures, collecting things like "beauty paper," "beauty bowl," and "beauty pot."
Previously, when an epidemic broke out in the villages under the jurisdiction of He Yin, he took the opportunity to deceive the children of commoners and have fun with them.
She thought her husband was a handsome man, but her younger brother looked exactly like the child the old lady had cheated on her with her father. He was fat and big-eared, with a face full of fat, fierce eyes, and looked like a monster. Sometimes he even looked at her strangely.
Madam Zhang felt extremely disgusted.
The younger brother of the head of the family said, "That's not the case. I recently found a fine item and brought it here specifically to show my elder brother."
The head of the Zhang family wasn't very interested in this.
I asked casually, "What is it?"
The patriarch's younger brother remained silent, only chuckling.
Everything is understood without words.
The Zhang family patriarch could tell at a glance that his younger brother had found another beauty. Although his brother was a scoundrel, he had one redeeming quality: he was generous and always thought of his elder brother first when something good came up. However, he simply didn't have time to appreciate the beauty today.
Why?
"The Prefect of He County is coming."
What you say comes true.
It had only been a short while since it got dark when a servant came in to report.
The Zhang family patriarch chuckled coldly: "Here we come."
The patriarch's younger brother had absolutely no respect or fear of the so-called prefect. He even had a concubine in his harem, a gift from a previous prefect, and the two of them addressed each other as brothers. Hearing this, he said, "I'd like to see where this new prefect is from!"
Before long, a servant led the Prefect of He County into the gate.
The head of the Zhang family symbolically stepped out a few paces to greet them.
They were slightly taken aback when they saw who it was.
He knew that Shen Tang was very young, but he realized just how young he was when he actually saw him, especially with a burly man named Gong Shuwu standing behind him who was nearly two meters tall, with a strong and robust build, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and powerful muscles in his limbs!
He bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Shen."
Shen Tang returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Patriarch Zhang, it's a pleasure to meet you."
She keenly noticed the gaze that made her feel uncomfortable.
Looking closely, she saw a burly middle-aged man with a fat head and big ears. His eyes gleamed with a greedy, savage light, and his sticky, foul gaze was almost glued to her face.
This person said, "Mr. Shen is quite young."
Shen Tang asked in a calm voice, "And who is this?"
The head of the Zhang family led Shen Tang inside, and they sat down as host and guest.
He said, "My younger brother."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's eyes lit up.
Oh, what a coincidence!
This person's reputation is truly legendary.
Shen Tang had long wanted to meet him, and she never expected to see him like this. Just as Bai Su had said, he looked just like a mountain pig that had come to life.
This "mountain pig spirit" disregarded etiquette, looked at Shen Tang's beautiful and handsome face, and said, "If it weren't for the Wenxin Hua monogram on your waist and the refined and elegant aura around you, I would have thought you were a fairy descended from heaven... May I ask, are you married?"
Shen Tang: "...No."
Raising an eyebrow, she hadn't expected that the younger brother of the Zhang family head was also a literary scholar—well, he couldn't possibly be a complete useless person, given that he had been able to run rampant for so many years and still had the Zhang family head diligently cleaning up his messes.
“I have a daughter, who is about the same age as Mr. Shen…”
Shen Tang: "..."
She almost lost control of her facial expressions.
I don't know whether to complain about being arranged to marry a girl when I was twelve, or to complain about the look in this younger brother of the head of the family's eyes—that doesn't look like the look of someone looking at a future son-in-law.
Shen Tang inwardly scoffed at this "mountain pig spirit's" strange taste, actually wanting to introduce the person she had her eye on to her daughter. The entertainment circle was truly chaotic. She refused: "Marriage is a major event that requires the consent of parents and the words of a matchmaker. Besides, I am still young and have no intention of considering this matter at the moment."
Career is far more appealing than romance.
The head of the Zhang family did not interrupt.
As the elder brother, he could tell what his younger brother was planning just by sticking his butt out.
How can you not know the other party's true intentions?
Looking for a "good son-in-law" for his daughter?
Haha, he really is looking for a "beauty" for himself.
Seeing that his younger brother's words were becoming increasingly incoherent, he finally spoke up to interrupt the conversation and asked Shen Tang what his purpose was in coming here—was he a newbie coming to pay his respects and ask for help, or was he here to inquire and find out more about him?
Shen Tang's answer was neither.
She came looking for someone.
Hearing from several officials that Zhang's business was large and he had many connections, he shamelessly went to Zhang's house to ask for help.
The head of the Zhang family pondered the truthfulness of Shen Tang's words.
It seems the so-called search for someone was a pretext; the real intention was to use it as an excuse to establish a relationship with the Zhang family, a classic case of feigning one thing while secretly plotting another—this wasn't unheard of for prefects before. However, that previous prefect, by casting a wide net, juggling multiple relationships, and indiscriminately interfering in the disputes among the various river magistrates, was eventually discovered and executed.
Shen Tang is probably resorting to the same old tricks.
After some thought, I had an idea.
"This is a small favor, why bother Mr. Shen to come in person? Just send someone to deliver the message. May I ask who this person Mr. Shen is looking for is? What are their characteristics? How many people are in their family? Where are they from?"
The Zhang family patriarch planned to give Shen Tang a few perfunctory words and send her away.
He, Zhang, doesn't run any family tracing projects.
Shen Tang took out a pre-prepared explanation, saying that the person she was looking for was her elder sister, who was the third in her clan.
The head of the Zhang family gave a perfunctory reply.
He then asked, "The household register of the administrative center couldn't find anyone?"
"My sister must have come to the River Magistrate's office two years ago. At that time, there were frequent wars, and the River Magistrate's household register was not yet ready to be updated..."
Shen Tang sighed as she spoke.
The head of the Zhang family chuckled inwardly.
What do you mean by "not having time to register"?
Do you think they don't know how poor those people are?
The problem was simply a lack of manpower and a severe shortage of writing materials, so expenditures were cut in various places and the management of refugees was lax.
No one knows how many people came or how many died.
His own younger brother also liked to target families like that.
Because there was no travel permit or registration, dying would be pointless.
It won't cause much trouble...
Thinking of this, the Zhang family patriarch's heart skipped a beat, and his eyelids trembled slightly—this Shen Jun is outstanding in appearance, so his elder sister must be no less beautiful. If she is also beautiful and came to Heyin with the refugees, it is hard to guarantee that his younger brother will not take a liking to her—he secretly glanced at his younger brother, whose eyes were filled with infatuation and greed, and cursed inwardly.
They're only thinking about their lower bodies!
I'll die from this sooner or later!
He was worried that Shen Tang had come to interrogate him.
Although they weren't afraid, being entangled with them would be troublesome, especially now that Zhang's family was being targeted by several other families.
We can't let others use our weaknesses against us.
After some probing, it turned out that this wasn't the case. Shen Tang's behavior didn't resemble someone who had lost a blood relative at all; rather, it seemed as if he had come to ask for his help in finding his family. The Zhang family head felt somewhat relieved—what kind of schemes could a twelve-year-old boy have? Even if he had schemes, he couldn't possibly be cunning in every aspect.
He said, "I will instruct my servants to search for you later. Don't worry, Lord Shen, I will definitely be able to reunite your family."
Shen Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
He laughed and said, "With Lord Zhang's words, I can rest assured."
He paused after speaking.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing."
The head of the Zhang family asked, "What is it?"
Shen Tang said, "The government office has been in disrepair for years, and the treasury is empty. It's even difficult to find someone to repair it. I've come here today to shamelessly ask Lord Zhang for some money to pay for my studies during the harsh winter. I've taken in too many commoners who were displaced by the war before, and I'm afraid my meager savings are..."
She smiled a little shyly.
Zhang family patriarch: "..."
So they're just here to freeload.
Of all the prefects and governors I've met, this is the first one who came knocking on my door on his second day in office to ask for money and grain.
The head of the Zhang family feigned a troubled expression.
"It's not that I'm unwilling, but I have some unspeakable difficulties."
He became adept at feigning poverty.
The weather has been bad, the tenant farmers have run away, the soil is infertile, and making a living is difficult. In recent years, we have done our best to donate several large granaries...
In short—
No money, no food!
You've asked the wrong people to borrow from them.
The young prefect before him, being quite young, blushed with embarrassment and stammered, "But...but—"
The head of the Zhang family began to grow impatient.
He said, "Please understand our difficulties, Lord Shen."
Shen Tang pursed her lips, her watery eyes looking pitiful, making one feel a pang of pity—especially for that "mountain pig spirit." The Zhang family head only felt annoyed—but the words that came out of those red lips made one's nerves taut: "I have checked the taxes for the past few years. The Zhang family has not paid a single cent of market tax for its businesses, and its more than 100 hectares of land have only paid a hundred liters of tax... Is this what you call hard work?"
The words fell.
The boy's eyes suddenly sharpened like knives.
It pierced straight to the heart!
)
Happy New Year, and may the Year of the Tiger bring you good fortune, babies.
[Just between you and me, I've got 6859 monthly tickets! I only need 141 more to reach my dream of 7000 monthly tickets after seven more draws. Please help!]
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
