Qu Cheng summoned all the officials in the county and the gentry families in Pingtao, and went to the tavern where Wei Jing was staying.
This move of his may have been intended as a show of force. Less than an hour had passed since he received the letter, but with just one order he had gathered all the upper echelons of the county.
But the moment he saw Wei Jing, he felt a chill in his heart.
A tall and handsome young man walked out of the guest room slowly, with an indescribable sense of oppression. His expression was indifferent, and his cold and lightning-like eyes swept across Qu Cheng. At that moment, he even held his breath.
No need for conversation, no need for understanding, just one encounter can tell that this is no simple person.
Why did such a county magistrate come to Pingtao out of the blue?
Qu Cheng lowered his eyes, his mind racing, and he raised his eyelids in a moment, with a warm smile on his face: "Greetings to Lord Yang."
He bowed and said, "I didn't know the county master had arrived. I hope you won't be offended if I didn't go out to greet you."
Qu Cheng took the lead in greeting, and the officials and heads of the gentry and aristocratic families behind him looked at each other and followed suit in greeting.
"Everyone, please stand up."
Wei Jing smiled and said, "The Central Plains is very far from Yizhou, and there are some obstacles on the road. Thank you for waiting for a long time."
"Not too late, not too late." Isn't it still before the deadline for taking office?
Qu Cheng was about fifty years old, skinny, with small black eyes that flickered with brilliance. He smiled and flattered a few times, saying, "The backyard of this county government office is very plain. Why don't you stay at my house for a while and I'll have someone tidy it up first?"
After the welcome, it’s time to officially take office. Under normal circumstances, the county magistrate lives in the backyard of the county government office. Before today, Qu Cheng had never thought of preparing a residence for the new county magistrate, but this is a different time.
Wei Jing smiled faintly: "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't need to. Simple is just what I like."
He directly rejected Qu Cheng's advances, and without even noticing the different expressions on the faces of his subordinates and the gentry and their families, he led Shao Qing, Kou Xuan and others straight to the county government office to stay.
…
The backyard of the county government office is even older than the front one. There are a lot of weeds growing in the corners, and a thin layer of dust has accumulated inside and outside the house. Both the house and the furniture look very old.
It was obvious that no one had lived in it or cleaned it for several months, and it had not been repaired in some years.
After Wei Jinghui dismissed Qu Cheng and the others, Shao Qing looked around and said, "Unless they build another courtyard, the recent Pingtao magistrates have had a hard time."
However, it can be seen that the previous county magistrates were still quite elegant and thoughtful, and the backyard was designed with great taste.
Pingtao is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and there are streams in the city. A stream of fresh water is led into the backyard, bypassing the rockery, pushing the waterwheel, making the sound of gurgling water. The clear stream bypasses the pavilion, bypasses the flowers and trees, and then flows out from the underground channel.
Unfortunately, no one has taken care of it for a long time. The flowers and trees grow in a mess, mixed with weeds, and the rockery and water wheel are covered with moss, which looks dark green and damp.
Shao Qing smiled and said, "This place is a bit old, but after cleaning it up, it still has a lot of wildness and is nice to live in."
Even though Qu Chenggang had just given her a warning, she had no doubt that Wei Jing could resolve the matter quickly. On the contrary, Kou Xuan looked solemn, stepped forward and bowed, saying: "My lord, I wonder what we should do?"
Wei Jing glanced at him and said, "Among those who came to greet us just now, there are many local gentry."
He did not trust Kou Xuan easily, but the other party's performance along the way was indeed good. Wei Jing needed to use some manpower, and as of now, Kou Xuan could be used.
Since he was going to use them, he did not hesitate to express his opinion: "However, the Qu family is a foreigner who has been entrenched in Pingtao for more than ten years."
The group witnessed the tyranny of the Qu family with their own eyes. However, the interests were limited to this area. If the Qu family took advantage of it, it would inevitably greatly infringe on the interests of the local gentry families.
The contradiction is deep-rooted and cannot be resolved.
The Qu family has a strong fist, and the gentry and nobles are submissive, but this does not mean that the contradictions have disappeared. They are forced to hide in their hearts, and are more likely to snowball.
"Divide and conquer, use the force to defeat."
With Wei Jing's military strength, it would be easy to kill him directly, but this method is not even a bad idea. Most of the officials in a county are Qu Cheng's followers. If they are to be killed, they have to be killed completely. That would cause too much of a sensation, and Ping Tao's trip would be in vain.
But it was not difficult to solve the problem. He had vision and strategy. After just one encounter, he had a way to break the impasse.
Kou Xuan agreed: "My lord is right."
He said, "The west wing is the study. There are many family files in it. Let's look through them carefully to see if we can understand the situation of each family."
If they want to divide and leverage strength, they must first find a starting point. Now they are completely in the dark and must first try to understand the details of each party.
Seeing that there are so many volumes of The West Chamber, Kou Xuan thought that there should be some. After all, the previous county magistrates faced the same dilemma, and they had to figure out how to defeat the Qu family.
"Just go ahead and we'll clean it up."
Shao Qing told Wei Jing that compared to cleaning up, the most urgent task was to bring down the Qu family. It was not difficult to search the family files, but there was no shortcut, so more people would be better.
Wei Jing nodded and instructed: "Just clean up the house you live in, and don't worry about the rest for now."
Shao Qing responded and led Kou Xuanyanming to the west wing. Only Yuan Hong was left among the men. Wang Mi asked him to help move some heavy objects.
…
The backyard of the county government office was laid out in the same way as an ordinary courtyard house, with a main house, east and west wings, and a back house on each side of the front.
This was originally intended for the county magistrate's family to live in, with his relatives living in the left and right rows of houses surrounding the courtyard. But this row of houses was even more dilapidated, with tattered window screens, doors that were difficult to open and close, and an inch of dust covering the floor, making it completely uninhabitable.
And in the current situation, living separately is definitely not a good idea, so everyone was temporarily placed in the backyard.
The main house naturally belonged to Wei Jing and Shao Qing, and the Kou family was accommodated in the east wing. As for Yan Ming and Yuan Hong, they lived in the back house on one side. The back house on the other side was not habitable because it was the kitchen.
Shao Qing rolled up his sleeves and said, "Okay, let's clean the living quarters and the kitchen first."
…
Wei Jing was looking for a suitable breakthrough point, and indeed he found something in the sect file. In the Qu Mansion next door, Qu Cheng and his trusted subordinates were also discussing this matter.
"Mr. Qu, I'm afraid this man can't be kept."
Before he sat down, Chief Clerk Feng Ping spoke hurriedly. Wei Jing's cold gaze just now still made his spine chill.
As soon as Feng Ping said this, everyone immediately agreed. Qu Cheng looked solemn and nodded: "That's true."
No one had ever made him feel so dangerous, not even someone as cruel and murderous as the Puman leader. He had just tried to win him over, but Wei Jing didn't appreciate it, so he immediately thought about getting rid of him.
"I'm afraid this person is not easy to get rid of! I don't know if he knows martial arts or not."
This is different from those weak scholars in the past who, once they entered Pingtao, were at the mercy of the emperor.
When Qu Gan heard this, he said quickly, "Father, that man is good at martial arts, and it was he who caused my son to break his front teeth." He had already recognized Wei Jing and the others, and told them what happened. He gritted his teeth and said, "Once I catch him, I will knock out all his teeth!"
He did not forget Shao Qing: "The beauty beside him must be mine, I fell in love with her first!"
Qu Gan looked at his father and brother with great caution. They were all in the same business, and he was afraid that they would be robbed of their knowledge. After he finished speaking, he was concerned about his father and added reluctantly, "It's not impossible for you to use it, but you have to wait until later."
"What did Hun say?"
Qu Cheng raised his eyebrows: "It's already this time, and you're still thinking about this?!"
The two people dressed in women's clothes around Wei Jing are Kou Yue and Wang Mi. Wang Mi is the most beautiful, but she is not rare. She has given birth to a child and it is not difficult to find her on the streets of Pingtao. He actually contradicted me for such a woman. This kid is really shameless!
Qu Cheng was in a bad mood and angrily scolded his youngest son several times. Qu Gan was indignant and shouted loudly: "I'm not talking about that woman, I'm talking about the boy in men's clothing standing next to Yang Ze!"
“Nonsense!”
Shao Qing's disguise skills are very good. If you recall, that was clearly a young man, how could he be a beauty? Qu Cheng slammed the table with a loud bang: "I think you are confused because you slept with a woman!"
"Father, my third brother is young and ignorant. Just teach him a lesson. Why get angry? He is injured. Let him go back and rest."
The three brothers of the Qu family were not born of the same mother, so it was natural for them to fight when they grew up. Look, elder brother Qu Gan gave him a cold look without showing any emotion.
"Get out! Get out! Don't stand in front of me and get in my way!"
The eldest brother Qu Gan was secretly delighted, but his expression was solemn: "Father, I don't know how long Yang Ze has lived in Pingtao. Why don't we find out the situation first?"
Knowing yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. Qu Cheng nodded: "Okay."
His father's anger turned into relief, his brother smiled, and Qu Gan, who was driven out, was extremely indignant, but he did not dare to touch his own father, so he had to return to the yard angrily.
His front teeth hurt, as did the bruises on his body. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He didn't even eat dinner, tossing and turning in bed. He sat up and looked toward the west window, through which a silvery moonlight was streaming in.
His yard faced the west wall, and across an alley was the backyard of the county government office.
Why don't you believe him!
That's a woman!
Qu Gan's eyes rolled, and he simply stood up, put on his clothes, opened the door and quietly went west.
The Pingtao County Government Office was just like his backyard. Even if there were eight or ten big padlocks on it, it would not prevent him from coming and going freely.
…
It was said that she only needed to tidy up the sleeping room, but it was actually a lot of work. Shao Qing only asked Yuan Hong to move some tables, chairs and heavy objects for her, and she would do the rest of the cleaning herself.
The Kou family's aunt and sister-in-law rushed to tidy it up for her, but she refused. There was no other way. There were too many people to do and Wang Mikouyue still had to clean the kitchen. Just cleaning those rusty big iron pots was enough to make it a lot of work.
From mid-afternoon until completely dark, everyone was so tired that they couldn't even stretch their backs. They went out to buy dinner and also bought some daily necessities such as quilts, pillows, and oil lamps.
Qu Cheng sent it over, but it was useless to them.
When Shao Qing brought oil lamps and dinner to Wei Jing and the others, he saw the three of them each spreading out the clan scrolls and reading them carefully. Kou Xuanyanming screened it first, and then handed it to Wei Jing's desk if he thought it might be useful.
This is clearly progress.
She smiled, and Wei Jing told her, "Just go to bed early, don't wait for me."
"Um."
Shao Qing's waist and legs ached, and she wanted to lie down immediately, but she smiled and said, "Don't I have to wash up?"
She patted her hair, and a lot of dust was blown down.
Shao Qing left the study and quickly told Yuan Hong to fetch her some water and pour it into the large, clean bathtub in the house. This Yuan Hong is also useless. Such a big man, but he was out of breath after carrying two buckets of water. Kou Yue was so anxious that she rolled up her sleeves and went up.
She was speechless and helped Kou Yue carry the water for a while. When the kettle was about 70% full, she locked the door. Shao Qing was very cautious in an unfamiliar place. She carefully checked the walls, doors and windows of the house. Although they were a little old, they were intact. Only then did she feel at ease to undress and take a bath.
Accompanied by the sound of gurgling water outside the house, she washed her hair and sat in the large bathtub. The hot water soaked over her shoulders and neck, and her sore and tired body felt refreshed. She sighed and soaked for a while before starting to take a bath.
As she was washing, the long hair that was tied up on her head fell down and splashed water all over her face. Shao Qing wiped her face and raised her hand to tie her hair up again.
With her hair tied up, she raised her head, moved her neck inadvertently, and her eyes moved around casually.
She glanced at the rear window inadvertently, and suddenly, she froze.
Shao Qing actually looked straight into one of his eyes.
Someone poked a hole in the window screen from the outside, and an eye immediately came up. The hole was very small, and the eyelashes and eye sockets were not visible at all. Only a round black pupil surrounded by a circle of white could be seen.
"ah!!"
She was so frightened that her heart skipped a beat. She let out a short scream and a ladle of water hit her.
…
Screams pierced the night sky. At the same time, Wei Jing rushed in from the west wing. His face was covered with frost and he kicked the door open. Chapter 23 (Three in One)
The two heavy partition doors were kicked open violently. With a loud bang, the doors made a half circle and bounced back. Wei Jing had already rushed into the inner room.
He looked at Shao Qing first and saw that although she looked pale, she was fine. He made up his mind and rushed to the back window in an instant.
The rear window was pushed open with a "click", and a dark blue figure was seen running out seven or eight steps and already at the foot of the wall.
Wei Jing's brows were grim. He picked up a silver hairpin from Shao Qing on the table beside him and flicked it. The silver light flashed straight to the other person's back like lightning.
Fortunately, this person was not destined to die. He happened to duck down and managed to avoid the vital points. The silver hairpin brushed past his shoulder and went straight into the wall, almost drowning him.
Qu Gan was so frightened that he didn't even bother to pull out the weeds. He just crawled and rolled forward.
It turned out that behind the waist-high lush weeds, there was a hole similar to a dog hole, leading to the back alley. He sneaked in from here, but he didn't expect to be discovered as soon as he entered.
After tumbling out of the county government office, Qu Gan hurriedly got up and ran out.
Wei Jing's face was as gloomy as water and his eyes were sinister, but he did not chase after him immediately. Instead, he turned around without stopping and walked towards Shao Qing.
He was worried about Shao Qing and had to settle her down first.
Wei Jing moved quickly, picked up the clean underwear on the table, and shook it open: "Ah Qing, I will take you to the Kou family."
Shao Qing's hair was messy and dripping with water, and it was obviously not suitable for her to be tracked. Fortunately, the thief was very sneaky and fled immediately after being discovered. He was obviously afraid of being exposed to the light, so she was safe after being sent to everyone.
He would be back soon.
"I……"
In the middle of the night, he suddenly saw an eyeball staring at him silently. The effect was even better than that in a horror movie. Fortunately, Shao Qing had experienced a lot during this period of time, so he quickly came to his senses after the shock.
She did come to her senses, but she was in a very embarrassing situation. She was naked, huddled in the bathtub with her shoulders hugged. Wei Jing stood in front of her. He shook out his underwear and leaned over to cover the back of her head.
But now is not the time to be pretentious. We don't know who that person is. If he manages to escape, it will add another hidden danger.
She gritted her teeth and stood up from the water.
Hot air rose and water droplets flowed down. As soon as they came into contact with the air, tiny goose bumps immediately appeared on the red skin.
The dim light of the oil lamp shone on her. She hugged her shoulders and shivered slightly, not sure if it was because of the cold or for some other reason.
The undershirt immediately covered her body. Shao Qing quickly grasped it and put it on sideways. He didn't care about wiping her body or anything like that. He would talk about it later.
Wei Jing took his coat and put it on her. After she quickly put on her clothes, he straightened her messy front, held her in one hand, and immediately rushed out.
Under the corridor of the main house, Kou Xuan, Yan Ming and others were already waiting, but they did not dare to go in. They could only wait anxiously.
"My Lord?"
Kou Xuan was holding a short knife he had found on the road, looking nervous, and rushed in immediately upon seeing this.
"I'm going to chase that little thief. You stay in one place and wait for me to come back."
Wei Jing squeezed Shao Qing's hand and dodged out. However, he did not chase after them immediately. Instead, he hid in the dark and observed. He saw Kou Xuan and Yan Ming holding short knives, looking around vigilantly, and they had their backs to Shao Qing and did not dare to look around.
Yuan Hong didn't have a knife and his face turned pale with fear. He also faced outwards and didn't dare to look back. The Kou family's aunt and sister-in-law were on guard while wiping Shao Qing's wet hair with a towel.
He felt relieved, tiptoed, and leaped to the back alley, landing at the place where Qu Gan rolled out.
…
Although there was a short delay, tracking was not difficult.
Qu Gan was injured, even though the wound was light and the blood was very little and hidden, Wei Jing had sharp eyes and was able to easily identify him and catch up with him.
Qu Gan was so frightened that he ran away without knowing which way was north and which was completely different from the direction of the Qu Mansion next door. After running for a while and seeing no one catching up with him, he regained some of his senses and turned around and ran towards the street.
He wasn't that stupid. He planned to go to the downtown area to erase all traces, and then send someone to ask his family to send a car to pick him up.
Wei Jing was too terrifying. He had never seen such a person in his life. For a moment just now, Qu Gan really thought he was going to die.
What breath, what beauty, he couldn't remember anything at this moment. He had only one thought in mind, to avoid this evil star.
Covering his shoulder, he ran forward desperately. Fortunately, his luck had not run out tonight. Before Wei Jing caught up with him, he had already reached the alley entrance and met an acquaintance.
…
Wei Jing followed the blood trail and turned a corner. In the quiet and dark alley, he could clearly hear the sound of hurried and chaotic running.
He raised his lips coldly and rushed forward.
After turning another corner, the silver moonlight shone on half of the face of the man in front. Wei Jing recognized him at a glance. It was the Qu San he had seen in the daytime.
Qu Gan had already run to the alley entrance, outside was the busy street with people and cars coming and going at the night market. Wei Jing picked up a silver coin and was about to shoot it out to stop him, but he saw Qu Gan, who had taken a step out of the alley, suddenly retract his step.
His mind moved slightly and his hands paused for a moment.
In front, although Qu Gan shrank subconsciously, it was too late. A male voice sounded: "Huh? Xiu Mu? It's really you! Why are you walking in the back alley today?"
The voice was extremely cheerful. As soon as he finished speaking, a young man in a ochre long-sleeved robe strode over. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. His manners and voice were exactly the same. He put his arm around Qu Gan's shoulder and patted him generously.
"hiss!"
The young man hit Qu Gan's wound right on the spot. He exclaimed, looked at him and laughed, "Did you have another argument with Qu Gong? Come, bandage your wound, and let's go drink!"
Seeing that he was discovered, Qu Gan did not try to avoid it. He looked back at the dark and empty alley with lingering fear, swallowed his saliva, and smiled: "Okay!"
A carriage came from the alley, driven by a young man. The two men were arm in arm, and they seemed to have a very good relationship. They climbed onto the shaft of the carriage while chatting and laughing.
Wei Jing stood on a rooftop shaded by a large tree, silently looking at the two people in the car below. He had seen this young man in the daytime, although it was only a fleeting glimpse, but he was standing at the head of a group of gentry, so he had some impression of him.
His eyes fell on the family crest hanging in front of the carriage, with a seal-script character "Zhuang" in the middle of the gold-painted pattern.
The Pingtao Zhuang family was one of the local gentry families in Pingtao that I had read about in the afternoon. It was one of the more prosperous of the gentry families. The current head of the family, Zhuang Yan, was 26 years old.
Wei Jing's eyes flickered slightly.
This Zhuang Yan is quite interesting. When Qu Gan saw him, he subconsciously shrank back even though he was running for his life. But when they were face to face, the two of them acted extremely close.
The high probability is that this person once made Qu Gan suffer a great loss, leaving a deep impression on him and unable to find fault with him. Not only did it not affect the relationship between the banker and the Qu family, but even Qu Gan himself did not feel any resentment.
If this is true, then it does take some skill, after all, the banker lives under the control of the Qu family.
Wei Jing vaguely sensed something else in it.
For example, untamed.
Recalling the Zhuang family files he had flipped through in the afternoon, he lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. He did not make any other movements, but followed the carriage silently.
The carriage did not go far before stopping in front of a tavern. This tavern looked familiar, as it was where Wei Jing and his party had stayed before.
The door was closed and the pub was closed. The driver went to knock on the door, but it opened quickly. The waiter bowed and nodded, and the female shopkeeper came out to greet him.
Zhuang Yan acted as the host and led Qu Gan inside.
The tavern flag fluttered in the night breeze. Wei Jing had excellent eyesight. With the dim light of the lantern, he saw the same family crest as the one on the carriage.
There is no doubt that this is a banker's industry.
Zhuang Yan ordered his men to bandage Qu Gan's wound, but Qu Gan had a guilty conscience and waved his hand, saying that it was just a scratch and nothing serious, and insisted on not bandaging it. The two of them sat down at the table, drinking and eating.
Wei Jing swept his cold gaze over Qu Gan, then he tiptoed and left silently.
He is leaving temporarily.
Just now, he had identified Zhuang Yan as the breakthrough point, but he was worried about Shao Qing and didn't feel comfortable keeping her for too long.
——
Shao Qing wiped her hair hurriedly. It was impossible to dry it completely, so she just tied it up hastily.
Her undershirt was a little wet, but compared to the long cold rain before, this was nothing. She didn't care at all and just looked outside frequently.
Wei Jing has been out for some time.
With his skills, it is impossible that he couldn't catch a clumsy little thief for so long. There must be a new situation.
Shao Qing couldn't help but feel worried. All the awkwardness and discomfort she had just felt disappeared. Unable to sit still, she stood up and paced back and forth. Suddenly, she felt something in her heart and looked up, and saw Wei Jing's figure right in front of the gate.
"Husband!"
Shao Qing was overjoyed and rushed out in two steps: "Why did you take so long?"
"There are some new developments."
Wei Jing patted her shoulders to comfort her, and said to Kou Xuan and others who came out behind him, "It was Qu San who came here on his own initiative."
It's okay. No one should sneak in tonight. You can rest now, but it's best to leave someone to keep watch. ”
After explaining it briefly, Wei Jing reached out and hugged Shao Qing. Just now, he did not avoid the Kou family due to the urgent situation, and there was no need to do so now. He pointed his toes and jumped directly onto the room. He disappeared in two or three steps.
…
"Husband, what's new?"
The wind was whistling. Shao Qing looked up and saw that he looked OK and had the time to come back and pick her up, which meant there must be some progress. She was happy at first, but then she became a little worried: "It's better not to move Qu San for now, so as not to alert the enemy."
Being peeped at and frightened while bathing must be extremely infuriating, but the overall situation should be taken into consideration. Qu San couldn't see anything because of the bathtub. Shao Qing was more worried about showing her face and exposing her identity. Would this have any adverse effects?
Speaking of this man, Wei Jing's eyes were sinister. After a pause, he said, "Once this matter is over, I will dig out the eyes of this thief."
Although his tone was grim, Shao Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He agreed to put it aside for the time being.
Wei Jing touched her hair, which was half wet, and frowned, but there was nothing he could do as the situation was special, so he told her what he had just seen.
"Then should we start with this dealer?"
Listen, Zhuang Yan is not stupid. On one side is the Qu family who has been entrenched for more than a decade and has deep roots. On the other side is a new county magistrate who has just arrived. Even if he doesn't look like an ordinary person, he may not be willing to be the first to stand out, right?
Unless Wei Jing is sure of winning, and the dealer has some major personal interests involved. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her. Didn’t the dealer have been patient for more than ten years?
Wei Jing smiled faintly: "Salt."
…
Wei Jing also said the word "salt" to Zhuang Yan.
After drinking two pots of wine and eating his fill, Qu Gan finally felt more at ease. The Qu family's carriage arrived, and he burped, "Wengui, I'm going back now. We'll meet again someday."
"Hush, slow down."
Zhuang Yan personally helped Qu Gan up and glanced at his bloody shoulder. The cloth was torn by a sharp object. He raised his eyebrows, said nothing, and helped the person into the car with a smile.
The driver shouted, and he stood with his hands behind his back, watching the carriage going further and further away. He stopped smiling, lowered his eyes for a moment, and turned around.
He walked a few steps casually, and suddenly, he was stunned.
I saw a tall and strange black figure standing at the small door leading to the guest house in the backyard of the tavern.
Silently, Zhuang Yan was shuddering.
"Zhuang Wengui."
The man turned around, his hair was as sharp as a knife and his eyes were as cold as stars. It turned out to be the new county magistrate whom he had just met during the day.
"Yan greets County Master Yang!"
Zhuang Yan was startled and his heart nearly jumped out of his throat, but he did not slow down and immediately bowed to greet him.
"rise."
Wei Jing had already sent Shao Qing to the nearest vacant guest house and walked slowly into the lobby. He stood still but said nothing.
Zhuang Yan's mind raced, and he ordered the waiter in a deep voice, "It's closing time, all of you leave."
The door was quickly locked, leaving only two people in the room. He calmed his heartbeat and asked politely but respectfully, "Your Excellency has come here in the middle of the night, and our humble shop is so prosperous. I wonder if Mr. Yang..."
The conversation paused, with just the right amount of confusion on Zhuang Yan's face.
In fact, after the initial shock, he easily figured out Wei Jing's intention. This County Magistrate Yang was much stronger than the previous ones. He actually found the local noble family in Pingtao so quickly, and his skills were so advanced that Zhuang Yan was shocked.
However, all of the above did not allow Zhuang Yan to intervene in the fight between the two.
In an instant, he made up his mind. He seemed respectful, but in fact he was as still as a mountain.
Wei Jing understood, but he smiled faintly and said, "Today I looked through the family records and learned that Pingtao used to have official salt. It's a pity that it has run out now."
According to county annals and clan records, the Pu tribe, one of the two barbarian tribes, had salt wells in their territory that produced well salt, which was sold via Pingtao to Yizhou. Although the scale is not large, the salt permit was approved by the governor of Yizhou himself, so it is official salt.
The actual operator, of course, was Pingtao County, which was adjacent to the Pu tribe and received part of the salt tax. In this remote southwest, Pingtao was a very wealthy county.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. More than ten years ago, the Pu tribe informed Yizhou with great regret that the salt wells were drying up and now they were only enough for self-sufficiency.
The well is dry, the salt is gone, and God is not giving us any food. What can we do?
This is also something that cannot be helped, but Yizhou's salt and iron resources are very rich, so it is not too regrettable if there is a shortage of them.
The matter just passed without causing any waves.
Wei Jing raised his lip and said, "It just so happens that within a few years after Magistrate Qu took office in Pingtao, the salt well dried up."
Yes, and the time when the funds dried up was the year when County Magistrate Qu completely took control of power.
Is it really such a coincidence?
Wei Jing thought otherwise. What was more likely was that Qu Cheng reached an agreement with the two clans to privatize official salt and make huge profits.
It was indeed a deal that made everyone happy.
However, are there no victims?
Of course there are, and they are the merchants who previously obtained the official salt permits, or in layman's terms, the salt transportation and sales licenses.
Wei Jing looked down at the man and said calmly, "According to the records in the clan records, more than half of the salt permits issued by the government that year went to the Pingtao family."
"you!"
The deep male voice was cold and low, but it sounded like thunder in Zhuang Yan's ears. He couldn't help but take a big step back: "You, you!"
He couldn't even finish a sentence.
With only a few plain sentences from the clan volume, Wei Jing restored the truth to the point where it was exactly the same as the reality, and also uncovered the fundamental contradiction between him and the Qu family. Even Zhuang Yan, who was usually calm, could not help but show surprise.
The Qu family did reach a private agreement with the two clans to privatize the official salt. However, cutting off someone's source of wealth is like killing his parents. How could the Zhuang family accept this without any reservations?
In order to shut up the various families and drag everyone into the water, a portion of the profits from the private salt was taken and distributed equally. But the Qu family was greedy, and the money they received was only one-tenth or one-twelfth of what it used to be.
The private sale of official salt is a crime punishable by genocide. The money that used to be earned legitimately cannot be earned, but instead one has to deal with this hot silver.
The banker wanted to throw the silver back into Qu Cheng's face.
But they couldn't. At that time, the Qu family was very powerful and they set a trap to get the leverage over the banker. Zhuang Yan's father was of a soft temperament, so he just endured it.
He endured it for more than ten years. Now Zhuang's father has passed away and Zhuang Yan has succeeded him as the head of the family.
Now that Wei Jing had revealed his mistake, Zhuang Yan's hands and feet felt cold. His mind raced and he knelt down heavily with a plop.
"I am willing to serve Mr. Yang as a dog and a horse!"
He is a smart man.
Wei Jing raised his eyebrows, then smiled, stepped forward and helped Zhuang Yan up, saying: "You will make amends for your mistakes. After the matter is done, the private salt incident will be forgiven. If the official salt business is reopened, it will be the same as last year."
"Thank you, sir!"
The situation was full of twists and turns, and emotions fluctuated violently like a torrent of water. Zhuang Yan was overjoyed, and he knelt down again and kowtowed three times, saying loudly: "Yandang will do his best to help the county lord."
Wei Jing was well versed in the art of ruling his subordinates, using both kindness and force. He called Zhuang Yan up and asked him to sit down at the table: "Tell me all the details of the illegal salt, no matter how big or small it is."
…
"The Pu tribe has salt wells that produce a lot of salt, which is sold outside through Pingtao. Our county has always been rich because of this official salt. But unfortunately, since the county magistrate fell seriously ill twelve years ago and County Lieutenant Qu took power, this official salt has been..."
As for Zhuang Yan, his temperament is completely different from his father's. He has harbored deep resentment towards the Qu family for many years, but he is a smooth person and always manages everything very properly.
Now that he was being pressed step by step, he gritted his teeth and went ahead, telling all the details clearly.
The county magistrate was seriously ill and delayed treatment for a long time, which gave Qu Cheng the opportunity to seize power. Later, the county magistrate died of illness, and the new county magistrate was cowardly and could not take back power and was still under his control. The new county magistrate was also very capable. He simply stopped taking care of the affairs and just accepted tributes and lived a life of luxury.
From then on, the Qu family firmly controlled Pingtao and became a tyrant. Qu Cheng was a greedy person and soon set his sights on the official salt.
The Pu people were naturally happy to be able to earn more, and the two sides hit it off. The only thing that happened was that the salt merchants and common people who used to rely on government salt for their survival suffered.
Ordinary porters and peddlers, unaware of the truth, thought that the salt wells had really dried up, and went to find other ways to make a living. Only big salt merchants like Zhuangjia were left. Not only had their sources of income been cut off, but they were also dragged into the swamp of selling illegal salt.
"The Zhuang family has been running the official salt business for several generations. My father blamed himself for losing the ancestral business and became depressed. He died of illness a few years ago!"
At the end of his speech, Zhuang Yan's tone revealed deep resentment.
After hearing this, Wei Jing only asked one question: "Who does Qu Cheng have to rely on in the prefecture?"
Zhuang Yan's eyes lit up.
Wei Jing really hit the nail on the head.
The privatization of official salt, even if on a small scale, is not something that a small county lieutenant can handle. If even the slightest clue is accidentally revealed, it will lead to a disaster that will bring about the downfall of the entire clan.
Qu Cheng had been working for more than ten years, and everything was smooth and stable. That was naturally because he had good connections and someone was looking after him.
"The Qu family is very close to the governor of this county, Dong Du, and Dong Du is the cousin of the fourth wife of He Yun, the governor of Yizhou. The fourth wife gave birth to the third son of He Yun, who has reached adulthood."
In today's Great Chu, the administrative divisions are divided into three levels: counties are above prefectures, prefectures are above prefectures, and the prefectural governor is the head of a prefecture. Today, He Yun, the governor of Yizhou, has several grown-up sons.
When they grew up, they naturally started to fight for power. This Dong Du was a relative of the Fourth Lady and a follower of the Third Master He.
A single move can affect the entire body, and no one knows the pros and cons better than Zhuang Yan, so even if he is resentful, he has to face it with a smile.
Wei Jing asked again: "How many sons does the governor of Hezhou have?"
Zhuang Yan was shocked and couldn't help but look up and look straight at Wei Jing.
"Mr. He's eldest son died young, his third wife gave birth to his second son, and his fourth wife gave birth to his third son. Both sons have reached adulthood and are highly trusted by Mr. He."
A county magistrate, who wants to eradicate the Qu family and remain standing, must make good use of the fights between the He family's sons!
Zhuang Yan was greatly moved by the sharpness of the mind, the precision of his vision, and the quickness and accuracy of his methods.
Suddenly he had a feeling that what was before him was not a crisis, but it seemed to be a good opportunity. Once the banker gets a hold of it, it is very likely that the family will be able to at least move up a level!
His blood was beating, his heart was surging, his face became more serious and respectful, and he cupped his hands: "Although the governor of this county, Dong, is a relative of the third young master, the county lieutenant, Bao Zhong, is the confidant of the second young master."
Anyang County and even the entire Yizhou have been in a situation where the two forces are entangled, confronting each other and appearing to be in harmony but not in harmony.
This was the same as Wei Jing's memory. Even though he had never been to Yizhou before, there were constant reports from all over the country, so it was easy for him to connect the two together.
But this time he didn't need to ask again, Zhuang Yan took the initiative to continue.
"The Pu tribe is greedy, and the amount of profit from private salt sent to the prefectures and counties is also huge. County Magistrate Qu must have left a private account in his hands."
This private account was the ironclad evidence that brought down Qu Cheng. Zhuang Yan had always known of its existence, but had no way of accessing it. Even if they get lucky, the banker dare not be the troublemaker, otherwise, if he is not careful, the whole family will be doomed.
Pingtao has had several county magistrates in the past ten years. The first one simply went along with the corrupt officials, but the later ones were better. Unfortunately, the weak and backgroundless scholars were unreliable after all. Some of them could not stand it and resigned, while others "died of illness."
Zhuang Yan was convinced at this moment, and bowed respectfully: "Your Excellency, although I am not talented, if I can get the account book, I will be able to deliver it to the Bao County Magistrate."
"Great kindness!"
Wei Jing stood up, helped Zhuang Yan up, nodded and said with a smile: "Well, after getting the account books, I will hand this matter over to Wen Gui."
He has keen observation skills. Although Zhuang Yan is good at pretending to be good at appearance, his emotions are inevitably revealed when he is emotionally unstable. Wei Jing does not have a suitable messenger under his command now, so this person can be used.
Wei Jing entrusted him with an important task straightforwardly, which made Zhuang Yan's blood boil again. He responded with a resounding "yes".
"Mr. Yang."
Zhuang Yan suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly, "You should be more careful these days. County Magistrate Qu sent someone to inquire about your affairs in the evening."
Wei Jing raised his eyebrows: "What's the matter?"
"Well, I asked you when you checked in, how many days you stayed, how many people you were with, and I took the hotel book with me."
The hotel book is a book that records the detailed identity information of guests staying at the hotel. Wei Jing's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. He nodded: "Nothing, just go back and prepare."
"yes
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