65. Chapter 65
"none"
Zhangjiakou belonged to Wanquan County, Xuanhua Prefecture, not far from the capital. It served as the trading post with Mongolia. Due to its geographical location, it has always been prosperous.
When Qi You handed the silver to the Ministry of Revenue, he was ambiguous and did not specify that he would accept the grain from Zhangjiakou.
There is no doubt at all that once money and grain are involved, buying and selling is simply the best breeding ground for corruption.
Due to its size and prosperity, Zhangjiakou was designated as a large county, and the imperial court stipulated that it must have a grain reserve of no less than 30,000 dan.
There are many unclear accounts involved, such as the lack of transparency in grain prices, and the fact that even in good years, grain purchases rely on the judgment of local officials.
There are many articles on when to buy and at what price.
Selling grain doesn’t matter to whom or at what price, and one can easily make money from it.
Whether the granaries were opened to release grain during famine relief, how much grain was released, and what kind of grain was released all depended on their reports.
The local state governments and warehouse officials are not so afraid of these bad debts that are difficult to investigate.
Degao and Guihe did not return until the third day. Qi You knew at a glance that the local warehouse officer must have delayed them and was anxiously discussing countermeasures with his superiors.
When it came to burning the warehouse, it meant that there was a shortage of grain in the Changping warehouse.
If they were to be inspected, they wouldn't be afraid. Besides colluding with each other, they could also use the excuse that they had already sold off their stocks and hadn't had time to replenish them.
Qi You's attack was basically a lightning strike. The officials had no time to react and could only take a risk. He burned down the warehouse and left no evidence.
Burning it with fire has been a crude but effective method from ancient times to the present.
Qi You had previously sent Gao and Gui He over and had already told them to keep an eye on the warehouse, as they were on guard against this group of heartless people doing such a thing.
Qi You paused for a moment before giving me a series of instructions: "Degao, go back to the capital and report the situation to Khan Ama in person. Don't be afraid, just tell him everything that happened. Guihe, follow me to Zhangjiakou. Lin Daniu, keep an eye on everyone and lead them slowly."
These people had been working with Qi You for a long time and were already familiar with his style. Soon everyone took up their duties and acted in an orderly manner.
Qi You, Gui He and the guards, rushed to Zhangjiakou without stopping. In the afternoon, they arrived at the city gate of Zhangjiakou.
The officials here were also well-informed, and they had already stationed people along the road between the capital and Zhangjiakou. Seeing Qi You's shadow from afar, they hurried back to report the news.
As soon as Qi You arrived at the Changping Warehouse gate, County Magistrate Xu Zhongsheng hurried forward to greet him. He introduced himself first, his eyes gleaming, but his face was honest and simple. He politely and respectfully asked, "Are you the Seventh Master?"
"It's me." Qi You nodded to Xu Zhongsheng, dismounted, threw the reins to the guard, and said without beating around the bush, "I heard there was a fire in the Changping granary. There's so much grain in there, it would be a shame if it burned. Magistrate Xu, take me in to take a look."
Xu Zhongsheng was embarrassed and said, "Logically, Master Qi wants to visit the Changping Warehouse, and I should take you in. However, the Changping Warehouse is an important place for the government, and now there has been a fire, this..."
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Zhongsheng sighed, revealing everything he had just said. He spoke with great annoyance, "Seventh Master, I dare not hide it from you. The fire started and went out in strange ways. The government is still investigating where it all started and how much grain was lost. And the two men who were guarding the warehouse, alas, were burned so badly that they died not long after. The whole family depended on them for support, and with their backbone gone, the family is devastated. Alas, I personally visited them and it's truly unbearable to watch."
Your brain works really fast!
Qi You understood from Xu Zhongsheng's words that he wanted to put the blame for the fire and food shortage on the guards sent, that is, on him.
Qi You raised his eyes and looked at the tall wall outside Changping Warehouse. After a moment of pause, he couldn't help but sneer.
I'm afraid they had already made up their minds to let the guards in, then set fire to the place, and wait for Qi You here.
Qi You looked at Xu Zhongsheng's sad face and even his eyes turned red.
He is a talented person, but he is not a human being.
Qi You asked calmly, "Xu Zhongsheng, have you seen the Khan's imperial edict?"
Xu Zhongsheng was stunned and said, "Seventh Master, I have already read it."
Qi You's face darkened and he said, "I have already handed over the money for buying grain to the Ministry of Revenue. How your warehouse caught fire and how you investigate the case are your business. What does it have to do with me? Nine thousand taels of grain in this warehouse now belong to me. Could it be that you have no grain at all?" After saying that, he was about to walk inside.
Seeing Qi You's stubborn attitude, Xu Zhongsheng gritted his teeth and asked the gatekeeper to move aside. He followed Qi You closely and said, "Seventh Master's grain is all there. It's just that the warehouse is in a mess and hasn't been properly counted yet, so it really can't be delivered in time. Seventh Master, you can go and see it, but the grain will have to wait until the case is fully investigated before we can hand it over to you without missing a single grain."
Since the case involved casualties, it would be submitted to the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice. How long this trial would take would depend on whether the suspect Xu Zhongsheng mentioned was apprehended.
They knew that Qi You could not afford to waste time, and they did not dare to really throw the basin of dirty water on him. After all, he had no reason to burn the Changping Warehouse.
But as long as they get a chance to catch their breath, they will be able to make up for the shortfall.
Qi You believed that they would not buy food to make up for the deficit. The amount was huge, and no one was willing to pay for it.
They would borrow grain from their cooperating grain merchants, put it in the warehouse to make up the numbers, and then return it after the inspectors left.
Or, they would be even bolder and blame the food loss on the suspects who cannot be caught, and completely write off the account.
He really has a good plan, or perhaps it can be said that he is so bold!
Qi You looked calmly at the granary in front of him. On the north side were several side rooms, which were used to provide housing for the people who usually looked after the warehouse.
Towards the east, there is a row of about ten warehouses, tall buildings made of blue bricks. To prevent fire, grain is stored underneath, also called granaries.
The warehouse had caught fire earlier, and the county government had dispatched runners to guard it. Xu Zhongsheng had the runners open the door, and as Qi You entered, he was hit by the lingering aroma of burnt grain.
Qi You paused, turned around and asked, "Is every warehouse on fire?"
Xu Zhongsheng paused, then answered with a stiff upper lip: "Master Qi, every warehouse is on fire."
Qi You smiled and said, "That's quite neat. It seems that they are going to burn all the food in the warehouse. What a deep hatred they have. If they are not rebelling or collaborating with the enemy, they probably won't do such a heartless thing."
Xu Zhongsheng's scalp couldn't help but feel numb.
Looking at Qi You, he is young and walks with a slight limp in his left foot, but no one pays attention to his age and legs.
Although he was gentle and steady, he had an indescribable aura that made Xu Zhongsheng's heart beat fast and he felt unsure for a moment.
Qi You walked down the steps and came to the place where the grain was stored. It was a tall circular granary made of bricks and stones, about ten centimeters above the ground, to prevent moisture.
In addition to rice and wheat, coarse grains such as millet, sorghum, and various beans are also stored.
Xu Zhongsheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "Seventh Master, this room contains wheat, the new grain from last year. Would you like to go up and take a look?"
There are steps built next to the granary. When storing grain, people go up the steps and pour the grain into the granary.
Qi You walked up the stairs, lifted the wooden door covering it, and looked inside.
It was pitch black and I couldn't see anything clearly.
Xu Zhongsheng said, "I'm afraid of another fire, so I don't even dare to bring in lanterns. Please forgive me, Master Qi."
Qi You uttered an "oh," closed the lid, and walked down the stairs. He clapped his hands and walked out, asking again, "Xu County Magistrate, when will the grain be delivered?"
Xu Zhongsheng was stunned for a moment, then replied, "I still say the same thing, Master Seventh, please forgive me. I dare not release the grain without thoroughly investigating the case and calculating the losses! If the harvest is poor this year, this grain will have to be sold at a fair price to provide relief to the victims."
Qi You only glanced at Xu Zhongsheng, then turned and walked outside. After leaving the warehouse, the spring sun shone on his body, bringing a slight warmth.
Qi You looked up at the sun in the sky, ignoring Xu Zhongsheng. He walked towards the row house and told Gui He, "Gui He, we will stay here and I will personally guard the warehouse. This is all the grain I paid for, and it can't be burned."
Xu Zhongsheng's face changed. Seeing Qi You coming, he lowered his head quickly, not daring to look him in the eye. With a bitter taste in his mouth, he advised, "Seventh Master, you'd better go to the inn to rest. This place is really not safe!"
Qi You smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Magistrate Xu. If it's not safe here, then the posthouse is not safe either. Let's stay here. We have everything we need anyway." After saying that, he ignored Xu Zhongsheng, opened the door of the wing room and walked into the house.
Xu Zhongsheng wanted to follow him in, but Gui He turned around and stopped him with a hand, saying, "Please go back, County Magistrate Xu. The Seventh Master has been on his way and needs to rest."
Xu Zhongsheng had no choice but to stretch his neck and shout into the room, "Seventh Master, I will take my leave first."
Qi You responded indifferently and scanned the room. The kang and kang table were simple, but barely clean and tidy.
Gui He and the guards hurried over to pack their bags and find a small stove to boil water.
Qi You sat down on the kang and said to Gui He, who was busy all the time, "Get me the writing brush and ink first."
Gui He hurriedly took out the pen, ink, paper and inkstone and set them aside. Qi You poured some clean water from the water bag to grind the ink, and then quickly wrote a letter.
After sealing it with wax, Qi You handed it to Gui He and instructed him, "Take this letter, take a guard with you, and rush to the military camp to give it to the garrison commander Qi Erlang."
Gui He took the letter and said worriedly, "Seventh Master, if I take my men away, you'll only have two of us left here. I'm really worried!"
Qi You said: "It's okay. If it's really dangerous, there will be no use having two of you, so you have to go quickly."
Gui He agreed and said, "Seventh Master, please take care of yourself. I am leaving now."
Qi You nodded and said, "Hurry up and be careful on the road."
After Gui He left, the guard boiled some water and brought it into the house, and Qi You washed it briefly.
Since cooking was not allowed in the warehouse, Qi You ate a cold steamed bun with hot water. He let the guards take turns to rest while he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes to rest.
Xu Zhongsheng himself was not that courageous. He was afraid that by the time they reached the provincial government or even the imperial court, they would have become grasshoppers on a rope.
Qi You stayed in Changping Warehouse and refused to leave. Xu Zhongsheng probably rushed to Xuanhua Prefecture to ask for help.
The distance between the two places is less than a hundred miles. If he rode his horse at full speed, by evening, the order from above would reach Xu Zhongsheng.
"It seems that I can't sleep tonight." Qi You muttered to himself, pulled over the worn quilt on the kang, put it on his chest, closed his eyes and fell asleep peacefully.
It gets dark early in spring. The guard came in, lit the lamp, placed the food box on the kang table, and said, "Seventh Master, this is the food that County Magistrate Xu sent."
Qi You opened the lunch box and saw that in addition to a bowl of stewed noodles, there was also a bowl of braised lamb and a plate of green vegetables.
The guard hesitated and said, "Seventh Master, I'm afraid the food is not clean. How about I take it away and throw it away?"
If the food is not clean, it is poisonous. The poison is basically arsenic, but the arsenic today is not purified enough and cannot be colorless and odorless.
Besides, Xu Zhongsheng and the others would not be so stupid. Even if they wanted to kill someone to silence him, they would have to cause a big scene and chaos so that they could put the blame on the suspect they mentioned.
Looking back, throughout history, no one dared to attack the royal family easily except the royal family themselves.
It was simply because it concerned the bottom line of the imperial family. If they killed one, they would become bolder. No matter who it was, the emperor would be the first one to disagree.
Unless they really want to rebel, there is no point in poisoning a disabled prince like him.
Qi You smelled the mutton and it smelled quite fragrant. He had been hungry for a long time, so he said, "It's okay." He picked up the chopsticks and started eating calmly.
After finishing his meal, Qi You rinsed his mouth and said to the guards, "You guys need to be alert and don't fall into a deep sleep."
The guard agreed and left. Qi You closed his eyes and thought for a while, then continued to sleep with his clothes on.
Around midnight, the door was pushed open and the guards rushed in. Qi You opened his eyes, quickly turned over and got up, and said in a deep voice, "Are they here?"
The two guards had unsheathed their swords and stood in front of Qi You, saying nervously, "They are coming. Many men in black are coming. Master Qi, you can't go out. It's dangerous outside. I will protect you at the risk of my life."
Qi You listened to the noise outside and heard the guards shouting, "You bold thief, how dare you come here again! Ah!"
After a scream, there was the sound of fighting, footsteps, and the sound of wheel wheels rolling on the bluestone ground.
Someone was laughing loudly and shouting without hesitation: "The imperial court's grain belongs to me. Take it if you want. I will kill anyone who dares to stop me!"
Qi You's face darkened. He got off the kang, put on his boots, and said coldly, "Light the lantern and follow me out!"
The guard wanted to persuade him but didn't dare to say much. He quickly lit the lantern, held it in his hands, and tightly protected Qi You on both sides as they walked out the door together.
Outside the house, countless wheelbarrows were pushed in one after another. There were about dozens or even hundreds of men in black, holding sacks in their hands, walking towards the warehouse.
Qi You was so angry that he shouted, "The Seventh Prince of the Qing Dynasty is here. You are courting death by robbing the imperial granary!"
There was a moment of silence. A burly man in black, who looked like the leader of the crowd, came over. He looked Qi You up and down and shouted, "Hey, there's someone here who dares to pretend to be a prince of the Qing Dynasty! We all know each other very well, Seventh Master! Where did you come from, little kid? Since you're young, I won't bother with you. If you know what's good for you, get out of here quickly and I'll spare your life!"
Qi You laughed and asked curiously, "May I ask your name, sir? How come you are so familiar with the Seventh Master?"
The man glanced at Qi You and said, "How familiar are we? Why should I tell you? Since you don't want to leave, don't blame me!"
Qi You smiled and said, "I don't blame you, I really don't. After all, you're just too stupid. The master who hired you probably didn't tell you who I am, right? Or maybe he taught you to say it like that to appear familiar with the Seventh Master. Do you know that if the court investigates, you won't be able to escape? Even if I gave you all this food, your lives and the lives of your families combined, is it worth it for this little benefit?"
The man's eyes flashed behind the black cloth and he took a step back unconsciously.
At this time, a man in black quietly stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear.
The man's whole body trembled, his eyes flashed with murderous intent. He walked towards Qi You with a knife in his hand, grinned, and said, "I don't have the patience to waste time talking to you. Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish! Brothers, get rid of this brat first. He has guards, so he seems to be a rich man. Rich people are very bad. Killing him is the way to do justice!"
The guard raised his knife, protecting Qi You in front of him, and shouted in a deep voice: "You bold traitor, how dare you attack the Seventh Prince of the Qing Dynasty? The Emperor will definitely kill all nine generations of your clan!"
The man kept walking, laughing and shouting, "Brothers, kill them! Whoever grabs the gold, silver and jewelry first will get it!"
Qi You's eyes darkened slightly as he watched them howling and running towards him with knives and sticks in their hands. He couldn't help but turn his head to look outside the door.
Outside the door, the dull sound of horse hooves came from far away, and Qi You couldn't help but smile slightly.
Finally here!
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-11-04 21:41:51 and 2022-11-05 21:29:50~
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 10 bottles of Tongmutang; 1 bottle of Haloxylon ammodendron;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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