38. Chapter 38
"none"
Ni Man and Zhao Xiu's expressions kept changing. Qi You was gentle and smiled, comforting them, "I'm sorry for the trouble you've had. It's all my fault. I never imagined Dachun would be so greedy. This is the first time I've seen a house raid, and I must see all of Dachun's treasures."
Degao was completely bewildered. He followed Qi You's instructions and went to fetch Fuquan. Guihe, on his horse, went to fetch Lin Yicheng, who was busy at another farm, and galloped back to the Royal Farm, leaving Master Xia to take over for the time being.
Lin Yicheng didn't know what had happened. He ran back panting all the way. When he entered the side yard, he saw sealed boxes neatly stacked on the open space in the courtyard.
In front of the courtyard, tables and chairs were placed. Prince Yu Fuquan sat at the top, chatting with Qi You, laughing. Ni Man and Zhao Xiu sat at the bottom, expressionless faces.
Lin Yicheng was startled by the scene before him. He was stunned for a moment and stepped forward to pay his respects.
Qi You smiled and said, "Second uncle, County Magistrate Lin is back. Let's get started. Oh, this Dachun is really abominable. Your coming here is just the right time to take care of Khan Ama."
Fuquan chuckled and said yes, though he was actually quite confused. After hearing Qiyou praise Zhao Xiu for his excellent accounting, he and Niman worked hard for several days to count the stolen goods. Degao watched as they packed the boxes and sealed them.
Logically speaking, nothing would go wrong. Even if someone took advantage of someone's distraction and didn't keep a close eye on it, and something went missing, that wouldn't be a big deal. Clear water holds no fish, so just turn a blind eye and it'll be fine.
Fuquan knew that Qi You would not cause trouble for no reason. Looking at the expressions of Ni Man and Zhao Xiu, he could see that they were nervous.
This made Fuquan even more puzzled, and at the same time he was quite expectant, wanting to see what Qiyou was up to.
Qi You ordered, "Degao, Niman, and Zhao Xiu, since you three are counting together, you should open the box together. County Magistrate Lin, you will check the accounts at the side, and Guihe, you will lend a hand and help weigh the gold and silver."
Lin Yicheng took the account from Qi You and saw Dachun's property. Comparing it with his own salary, he felt indescribable.
Seeing that Gao was waiting for them, Ni Man and Zhao Xiu had no choice but to step forward and steady themselves. The three of them opened the seal of the box together.
Guihe handed over the scales and watched the three of them weigh the gold and silver. Fuquan was so curious that he stretched his neck to watch intently.
Degao looked at the scales and shouted out numbers, while Guihe helped add them up.
Lin Yicheng looked at the account in his hand, then looked suspiciously at Ni Man and Zhao Xiu. Seeing that their faces were ashen, he said blankly, "That's not right. The account shows 2,100 taels of silver, but Guihe added up the total to 2,700 taels. The total gold is 179 taels, not 116. Guihe, count it again."
Gui He followed Qi You, so he was no problem with math. He moved the beads on the abacus again, added up the numbers, and said with certainty, "Master Lin, I didn't make a mistake."
Hearing that the actual amount was different from the registered amount, Lin Yicheng thought about it carefully and understood the key.
Fuquan also saw through the trick and his face turned ugly.
He didn't care about the little gold and silver that Dachun had embezzled. He was angry that these dogs and slaves dared to take their money at this critical moment. They were too bold!
Zhao Xiu swallowed hard, his legs trembling, and he forced himself to defend himself, "Your Highness, Seventh Master, it's all my fault for not writing it clearly. There's a mistake in the amount. I'll correct it right away."
Ni Man bent down and lowered his head, and his expression could not be seen clearly. Sweat dripped down the bluestone ground in front of him, making it wet.
Qi You looked indifferent, uttered "oh", and said nothing, then told De Gao, "Continue."
Fuquan glanced at Qi You, his face darkened as he called over his followers, saying, "Go up and help us see what other amounts are wrong."
Ni Man thought about how the bondservants had behaved in front of Qi You on the way here, and he felt completely hopeless. It was all his fault that he had been blinded by money and greed.
Knowing that he was doomed this time, he knelt down on the ground, not daring to move, and couldn't even make a sound to beg for mercy.
Zhao Xiu couldn't hold on any longer and fell to his knees, begging for mercy: "Your Highness, Seventh Master, please spare my life. Lord Niman told me to give me 10%. It's all my fault for being bewildered and greedy. Your Highness, Seventh Master, please spare my life!"
Fuquan looked at the two of them, snorted coldly, and was about to speak when he subconsciously glanced at Qi You first.
Qi You looked calm, as if he was not surprised by anything. Fu Quan quickly stopped talking and said nothing. However, he was scratching his head, trying to figure out how Qi You could tell that something was wrong.
It would be too risky to count the stolen goods, take some on the spot, or hide them right under Degao's nose.
What can be tampered with are the accounting documents, that is, the original data.
Qi You had read some information about the profession of clerks before. They often colluded with the police officers, tampered with documents and made money.
The lower down the ladder, the more clearly they see the schemes of those above them. They are especially well aware of the shady practices of the treasury of stolen goods and fines. How could they not get involved in such a lucrative job as confiscating property?
Qi You wasn't sure at first, so he casually mentioned wanting to take a look. Ni Man and Zhao Xiu were feeling guilty, so they felt uncomfortable. Qi You, thinking more deeply, quickly realized what was wrong.
One person sings out the amount and the other responds. If the two numbers match, no one will pay much attention to them.
If De Gao had discovered the mistake between 2,100 and 2,700 taels on the spot, Zhao Xiu could still make excuses, saying that he had misheard or had made a mistake in writing.
When the silver was transported back to the stolen goods and fines warehouse, it was of course put into the warehouse according to the records in the accounts, and Ni Man could easily take away the extra six hundred taels.
Zhao Xiu took a huge risk and could only get 10% of the silver. The remaining 90% would definitely not all fall into Ni Man's pocket.
Corruption has always been a top-down, collective corruption. High-ranking officials are highly corrupt, while lower-ranking officials take small bribes, shielding and covering up for each other.
Therefore, every time corruption is investigated, there is always a lot of resistance. Pulling out the carrot brings out the dirt, and the investigation will reveal a lot.
Not surprisingly, at the end of the investigation, several errors were found, such as the number of gold and silver hairpins, the accounts did not match the actual number.
Qi You looked at Fu Quan and said hesitantly: "Second uncle, look..."
Fuquan's face turned grim. He sighed, waved his hand, and said, "Take them away. Take Ni Man back to the capital for trial. As for Zhao Xiu, hand him over to County Magistrate Lin."
Ni Man and Zhao Xiu were dragged away, and Lin Yicheng was angry and scared.
Although he knew that these people in the yamen were not very clean, he never expected that Zhao Xiu would be so bold as to collude with Ni Man so quickly.
After all, Zhao Xiu was the person he recommended. If Fuquan became suspicious of him and thought he was involved, he would never be able to clear himself even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Lin Yicheng couldn't help but look at Qi You. Seeing that he looked normal and showed no emotion, he felt even more uneasy and bitter.
Seeing this, Qi You sighed inwardly and said, "Lin County Magistrate, you go and do your work. Zhao Xiu will be dealt with according to the law. The crops are more important. Don't delay the important work."
Lin Yicheng had a strong desire to be an official, and he must be extremely clean at the moment. However, to be a completely honest official, one must be prepared to be a lone minister and be able to play both sides and get along with everyone.
Otherwise, you might end up in pieces one day if you’re not careful.
Qi You pushed the matter to Fuquan and had no intention of interfering in how to deal with Ni Man and the group of people who cleaned out the Imperial Household Department's stolen goods and fines treasury.
It's rotten from top to bottom. Officials have such low salaries, but they all live in big houses, wear silk and satin, and have hordes of slaves.
Where does the silver come from?
They both understood each other tacitly.
Qi You asked Lin Yicheng to come back because he wanted him to see the ways of these petty officials. It was impossible to completely eliminate them, but it would be better for him to be more careful and wary of them in the future.
Lin Yicheng retreated in a daze as if he had survived a disaster. Fuquan came to watch a big show and saw Qi You's abilities with his own eyes. He couldn't help but be convinced by him.
Fuquan's eyes lingered on Qi You's left leg, feeling extremely melancholy and inexplicably sad.
Qi You has the same problem as him. He has an eye disease, and Qi You has a leg disease. It's such a pity.
However, Fuquan couldn't help himself in the end, and he leaned over and asked mysteriously, "Seventh Prince, how did you know there was something wrong with Zhao Xiu and Ni Man?"
When Qi You heard Fu Quan ask this, he thought of the Imperial Household Department, the royal service agency.
When Huang Taiji established the Imperial Household Department, Shunzhi, in order to seize power from the Eight Banners nobles, changed it into the Thirteen Yamen modeled after the Ming Dynasty system, which was managed by eunuchs.
Of course the Eight Banners refused to do so. After Shunzhi's death, the Thirteen Yamen were changed back in just over a month, and the Imperial Household Department was once again controlled by the Eight Banners.
The people working in the Imperial Household Department were all from the Eight Banners, with only a few eunuchs close to Kangxi. To put it bluntly, Kangxi's wealth, the amount of money in his purse, his food, clothing, and even his every move were all under the watchful eyes of the Eight Banners.
Kangxi relied on the Eight Banners garrison to protect his country. He needed to win over the bannermen, but also had to guard against the Eight Banners becoming too powerful, and he had to carefully maintain a balance.
Qi You only wanted to reveal the tip of the iceberg to Kangxi. Whether Kangxi was willing to see it or only saw the piece in front of him and always put stability first was not something Qi You could interfere with.
Looking at Fuquan's face full of curiosity, Qi You played dumb and said with a smile: "Second uncle, I was just asking and checking casually, who knew they would bump into me."
Fuquan was stunned for a moment, then laughed dryly.
With just a few casual questions and investigations, they were able to catch two people for corruption. It was almost like saying openly that there were corrupt officials everywhere and they would definitely catch one if they could.
Fuquan dared not accept this statement. Anyway, he would tell Kangxi the truth after returning to Beijing. What Fuquan cared about most was the manor under his own name.
Two thousand or three thousand taels is not a big deal, but what about twenty or thirty thousand taels? Fuquan couldn't sit still anymore. He leaned over again and asked seriously, "Seventh Prince, tell me the truth, is renting this farm to those bondservants really any better than it is now?"
Princes like Fuquan and Prince An all had land holdings of more than 10,000 mu.
If they could also change together, and not just stay in Shunyi, the situation of this group of slaves would soon be gradually improved overall.
Qi You became serious and carefully analyzed the problems in the farm with Fu Quan. "Second uncle, let me take you for a walk. It's getting late now, and they probably haven't returned home from the fields yet."
Fuquan immediately stood up and walked out of the yard with Qiyou and came to the fields.
The bondservants were tilling the soil in preparation for planting winter wheat. These days, there was much more to plant, and the entire family, young and old, men and women, were busy in the fields. Even the toddlers were stumbling about, busy gathering grass roots.
Seeing Qi You and Fu Quan coming, they all greeted each other. Qi You waved at them and said with a smile: "You guys go ahead and do your work, we'll just take a walk."
Fuquan had been to his own farm and seen the appearance of the bondservants. The situation was completely different from what he saw before him, where everyone was full of energy.
He didn't take these things seriously at the time, but now that he thinks about it carefully, farming and fighting are similar in principle.
On the battlefield, the morale of the soldiers is crucial. When farming, it all depends on whether the farmers are dedicated. If they can do so, this can also be considered another form of morale.
Fuquan looked around and came back, having already made up his mind. After dinner with Qiyou and tea, he said, "Seventh Prince, I won't beat around the bush. I'm considering renting the land to the bondservants for cultivation. I don't usually take care of these things; I've left it all to the housekeeper. Give me some advice. I need to be careful and not get tricked by these cunning servants."
Qi You smiled and said, "Second Uncle, your farm is different from Shunyi. I suggest you find some knowledgeable people to go there, or you can personally supervise and re-measure the land and compile a register."
Fuquan was puzzled, and Qiyou explained, "Your farm is quite far away, especially the farms outside the Great Wall. The number of acres is always unclear."
"You bastards!" Fuquan finally understood and cursed, "This land is mine, but it's been taken away by those dogs and slaves. I have to bear the bad reputation, but they get all the benefits."
Seeing that Fuquan understood immediately, Qi You didn't say any more about it. Instead, he patiently advised: "Second uncle, you have a lot of land and many bondservants under your command. You should pay more attention to how they manage them. Are they all your servants? They are the ones who earn money and food for you. You should treat them better so that they will work harder for you. Second uncle, don't you agree?"
Fuquan laughed, nodded at Qiyou, and said, "You little rascal, I get it. You have such good intentions. You stood up for them and did so many things. They will definitely remember your kindness."
Qi You said seriously, "No, no, I just did what a person should do. I was born and raised by my parents... Well, let's not talk about these. Second uncle, if you need my help, just ask. I have a land lease contract here, and the instructions and steps are all written clearly. I will give you a copy later. Take a look at it, use it if you think it is good, and throw it away if you think it is not good."
Fuquan was overjoyed and accepted all of it with a smile. Qi You then said, "Second uncle, you have to hurry. The weather is getting cold. If it's a severe winter, even the cattle and sheep outside the Great Wall will freeze to death, let alone people. I seem to remember seeing a number that reported the deaths of bondservants in a year was around 2,000. I wonder how many more were not reported. These people are all working for you and making money!"
Fuquan laughed heartily and said, "I see. Tomorrow I'll go to the horse ranch for a walk and then I won't come to your place. I'll go straight back to the capital. I'll go to the palace to report to the emperor, ask for leave, and go to the farm outside the pass for a walk."
Qi You suddenly thought and said, "Second Uncle, do you have many cattle outside the Great Wall? Would it be convenient to bring them back?"
Fuquan raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile, "What do you want now? Do you want my cow?"
Qi You admitted it bluntly and said, "Shunyi is in dire need of oxen for farming. There are more cattle and horses outside the Great Wall, and you can bring some back when the time comes. I won't take yours for nothing. I'll rent them to you for half a cent a year, and I'll keep them fat and strong for you. But, uncle, you can't take back the calves born from the cows."
Fuquan glanced at Qi You and clicked his tongue twice, "Your calculations are really shrewd. Now that the cow is in your hands, you must use it to your heart's content and make it fat and strong. The calf is yours, but if you spoil the cow, you will lose everything you have."
Qi You smiled and said, "Uncle, you can't calculate it that way. It's hard to say whether the cow can have a calf. If it does, it won't be able to plow the land and will have to be kept idle. It will take several years for the calf to grow up, and during that time it will require a lot of effort to take care of it. To put it bluntly, even if the cow dies of exhaustion, it will still belong to you."
Qi You didn't explain the rest of the words clearly, and Fu Quan laughed.
The Qing Dynasty strictly prohibited the slaughter of working oxen. If the beef of oxen that died of old age or other accidents was to be sold, it had to be strictly investigated by the government and approved. Otherwise, the person would be punished with caning according to the law.
Even though it was being sold, the beef was secretly snapped up as soon as word of a dead cow got out. Various accidents and strange deaths occurred. Ordinary people couldn't afford to eat beef, so all the beef went to the rich and powerful.
In other words, the control is strict, and there are not enough oxen for farming inside the pass. Even if someone slaughters them for a little money, beef is extremely rare.
Cows are too large to be hidden, otherwise there would have been people who were not afraid to kill them, who would have brought them from outside the Great Wall to be slaughtered inside. The price of a slaughtered cow is tens or even hundreds of times higher than that of a live cow.
A cow only sold for about five taels of silver, and Fuquan could get it cheaper if he bought it from outside the customs. Ordinary businessmen who wanted to sell cattle had to pay heavy taxes.
Of course, no taxes can be collected from Fuquan. No matter how he calculates it, it is a very profitable business.
Of course Fuquan had eaten beef before, and when Qi You mentioned it, he immediately recalled the delicious taste of beef.
Thinking that Kangxi had never tasted beef, he couldn't help but feel a little proud, and immediately agreed with a smile, "You are so devoted to farming, I don't want your little money. Just think of it as a red envelope from me, your second uncle, for the New Year and other festivals."
Qi You thought of the horse farm and said with a smile: "Second uncle, when you go to the horse farm tomorrow, take me with you. I have never been to a horse farm before."
It was such a small matter, so Fuquan agreed immediately: "Okay, I will teach you how to choose a horse tomorrow. In the future, when your Khan Ama wants to give you a horse as a reward, you can choose it yourself. I guarantee you will pick a good one. I won't tell anyone else."
Qi You smiled so hard that his eyes curved. He said, "That's great. Second uncle is really kind to me. Second uncle, you are my dear second uncle. Tomorrow night, you have to stay one more night and help me entertain the guests."
Fuquan was stunned for a moment, then glanced at Qi You and asked with a half-smile, "Who did you invite?"
Qi You recited a bunch of names and said with a smile, "They are all family members. I want to ask them for something, haha, it's a small matter. Winter is coming soon, and I want to ask them to take out some of the money they earn from burning incense and praying to Buddha, and use it to buy some thick coarse cloth for those bondservants who are still wearing rags. Or, you can give them some unwanted clothes at home so that they can have something to wear during the winter."
He paused, and the smile on his face grew wider. "Second uncle, I really don't know what kind of wine to drink or what kind of dishes to eat. I don't have much money, so I picked up some wine and chickens and ducks from Dachun. I don't know if I will neglect the guests. When the time comes, you will be the host, so you have to set a good example. I will follow behind you and serve you. You have to support me.
Fuquan was speechless after hearing the last part. It seemed that Qiyou treated everyone to a meal, but he didn't spend a penny and just picked up the ready-made things. The guests also had to donate clothes and pay money.
He pretended to hit Qi You, and scolded him with a smile: "You little rascal, I shouldn't have come here, but you actually pestered me, and I have to sell my old face and pay money!"
Qi You smiled brightly and kept calling him "Second Uncle". Fu Quan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he just agreed: "Okay, okay, oh, it's not easy to be the second uncle. You should go back and rest early. You have to get up early tomorrow because you have to go to the horse farm."
Qi You obediently agreed, thinking that now that he had the oxen, it was time to take care of the stables.
The author has something to say:
I highly recommend Xiaoxiang Biying's Huanyan Era novel, it's really well written and super cool!!!
Title: "The Miserable Female Supporting Character Stunned," Work ID: 6396750, Text:
Old Wang's daughter-in-law Lin Xiufen moved to the chicken coop.
Because she had been married for three years without having any children, her mother-in-law called her a chicken that couldn't lay eggs.
So she packed up and moved into the chicken coop, her reasoning being that hens only needed to lay eggs and eat, not support the family or do housework! From today on, she planned to be a diligent hen that only gave birth but did not raise the chickens!
Old Wang’s family: “…”
——
Wang Jianye, a tough retired soldier and worker, suddenly became "unable to do it".
The reason was that his wife told everyone that he was a eunuch who looked good but was useless.
Wang Jianye: “…”
Although he was indeed criticized for not being able to get pregnant because he was often away from home, and he felt very sorry for her, but this rumor was too...
"Mom! I want a divorce!" said Wang Jianye.
Lin Xiufen suddenly realized something and said with genuine surprise, "Is there such a good thing?! Then please settle the common property during marriage! According to Article 17 of the Marriage Law..."
Wang Jianye!!!!
Wang Jianye: Stop, stop, I'm sorry, I was wrong, I admit that I am a eunuch, let's not get divorced!
————
Lin Xiufen: Haha, do you really think that I have to continue acting just because I’ve been reborn as a miserable female supporting role?
I'm not afraid of my image collapsing. From now on, there's no Lin Xiufen in the Wang family anymore. There's only me! Lin. Niu Hulu. Fighting Buddha. Ultimate Terminator. Countryside Ghost Seer. Xiufen!
————
Friendly reminder: When reading this, be careful not to take the male protagonist too seriously. Did you see his name in the main character column? No, right? That's right! Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-10-08 20:04:30 and 2022-10-09 19:42:55~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mines: 1 dandelion;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Xiaoyi 18 bottles;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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