66. Chapter 66
"none"
Thousands of soldiers holding weapons formed neat lines and surrounded the warehouse.
Qi Erlang strode forward and waved his hand. The soldiers in the front row raised their guns and pulled the trigger into the air.
The sound of gunfire rang out, resounding through the sky.
The men in black were trembling with fear, their grip on the knives barely steady. Some of the accomplices who had previously been shouting and yelling, ready to kill Qi Youfacai, simply dropped their knives and collapsed to the ground. Others stood there, stunned.
The man following closely behind the man in black was a ruthless character. When he saw that the situation was not right, a fierce look flashed in his eyes. He flipped the dagger in his hand and was about to pounce on Qi You.
Qi You calmly raised his hand and pointed the Portuguese machine gun at him.
His pupils shrank sharply and he stared at the muzzle of the gun in disbelief. After pausing slightly, he still rushed forward in despair.
"Bang!" The gun went off, the bullet hit his hand, blood flowed out, and the dagger fell to the ground with a bang.
Almost in a flash, the guard came to his senses and saw that he had fallen to his knees on the ground with his hands covered in blood.
The guard was shocked, rushed forward, kicked the dagger away, and pushed him to the ground.
Qi Erlang witnessed Qi You's decisive shooting and was filled with admiration. He quickly shouted, "You bold thief, why don't you put down your weapon and surrender!"
The man in black completely collapsed, collapsing like a puddle of mud. The other brothers who followed him dropped their swords and sticks and knelt down to beg for mercy.
Qi Erlang ordered his soldiers to herd them together and "tie them up and keep them under strict guard!"
After finishing his work, Qi Erlang walked towards Qi You, smiled and greeted him, "Seventh Prince, I am sorry for being late. I have troubled you."
The two had already met when Li Guangdi led his troops from Zhangjiakou to Khalkha. At that time, Qi Erlang's words were quite respectful and enthusiastic, but Qi You did not accept his overtures.
This time, Qi You asked Degao to deliver a letter to him. Even without orders from superiors, sending troops privately is a taboo.
Qi You was certain that he would come, and Qi Erlang had to accept the great favor that was delivered to his doorstep.
Furthermore, the imperial granary had been looted, and the prince was in danger, yet the government took no action. His dispatch of troops at this time was to quell the rebellion, a matter of urgency, and could not be considered a violation of the law.
Qi Erlang's eyes were filled with excitement, but he couldn't say much under the current circumstances. He asked respectfully, "Seventh Prince, how should we deal with these traitors?"
Qi You glanced over and told Gui He, who had returned with the troops, "Go wake up the two yamen runners and have them go back and tell Xu Zhongsheng to come."
Gui He took the order and left. Qi Erlang was stunned for a moment. Thinking of the complicated relationship involved, his eyes flashed slightly and he stepped aside without saying a word.
Seeing the yamen runners tumbling away, Qi You smiled faintly and said to Qi Erlang, "Come in and sit for a while. I need to trouble you with something later."
Qi Erlang was completely confused and followed Qi You into the house. He looked around the simple warehouse keeper's house and felt a complicated feeling in his heart.
Not to mention the prince, even he couldn't live in such a shabby place.
The two of them had barely finished their cup of tea when Xu Zhongsheng arrived. Qi Erlang put down his teacup in surprise and said, "How could he arrive so quickly?"
Qi You smiled faintly and said nothing.
Xu Zhongsheng didn't arrive early, and was even a little late. How could he be at ease with these bandits coming to Changping Warehouse? He must have been nervously waiting for news.
The emperor's order was required to mobilize troops. He probably never expected so many soldiers to arrive at once. He was at a loss for a moment and was thinking of various countermeasures.
Xu Zhongsheng, even sloppily throwing on his official robes, looked incredulous. He stepped forward to greet him, then said apprehensively, "Is Seventh Prince alright? I'm late. I never imagined such desperate bandits would be in my service. I'm truly derelict in my duty!"
Qi You was impressed by Xu Zhongsheng's ability to act so well, and said, "Xu County Magistrate, whether you've failed in your duties or not is not my responsibility. I told you, I just want food. Now that Garrison Commander Qi has arrived, it's a good opportunity to borrow his troops and clear out the treasury."
Xu Zhongsheng was horrified and struggled to speak, "Seventh Prince, may I ask how you plan to clear the treasury?"
Qi You smiled and said slowly, "The burnt grain is still in the warehouse. Let's weigh it together. Take a pound of burnt grain and weigh it. Then weigh all the burnt grain. Then we can calculate how much grain was originally stored in the warehouse."
Xu Zhongsheng was horrified, but he calmed himself down and said, "Seventh Prince, there is also grain that was stolen by the thieves. They only counted the burnt grain, which is not clear!"
Qi You laughed and said, "That's strange. The charred grain on top is still piled there untouched. Could it be that the thief is a field mouse that can get underneath and steal all the good grain?"
Qi Erlang finally understood at this point. He turned to look at Qi You with indescribable admiration in his eyes and said with a smile, "Seventh Prince, this idea is really brilliant! Seventh Prince, I'd like to ask a favor. Why don't you give me those grains that aren't too burnt so I can take them back and feed the horses and livestock."
Qi You smiled and said, "Whether it's Jiao or Hao, it's all property of the imperial treasury. I can't promise you anything casually. When the imperial court sends someone to take over, I'll tell him and you can ask him for it."
Qi Erlang paused, slapped his forehead, and said in frustration, "It's all my fault for not thinking it through. Even if it's spoiled food, it's still public property. How can I just take it casually?"
Xu Zhongsheng listened to the two people talking back and forth, standing there silently, his face pale.
Qi You did not ask him for the account book, nor did he care about the mess in the warehouse, nor did he arrest him. He was only concerned about the food he deserved for paying the money.
So many people were captured, but they were still taken into custody by Qi Erlang, who had always been at odds with them, and were brought directly into the army. Without going through the local government, they would have had no chance of escaping even if they had wings.
Looking at Qi You's every move, Xu Zhongsheng knew that when someone from the court came, even their own people would not dare to come forward to protect him.
This time, they truly met a master among masters, and they had no place to bury their dead.
At this moment, Xu Zhongsheng suddenly understood why Qi You handed the silver directly to the Ministry of Revenue.
The Changping granary had a full 30,000 dan of grain, and even if 70% of it was sold, it would still not be enough for Qi You's 9,000 taels.
Qi You definitely couldn't take it all at once, so he had to either take it in batches or over the years.
The food they already had in their warehouses was more than enough to get by.
Qi You didn't let the money pass through their hands because he wasn't afraid that his subordinates would embezzle it. Rather, he didn't give them time to react, so that they would be frightened and make mistakes in a hurry, and take risks.
Otherwise, Qi You would not have received the imperial edict, and even as a prince, he would not have been qualified to inspect the warehouse of Changping Warehouse.
Not to mention Zhangjiakou's Changping Warehouse, other Changping Warehouses in the surrounding areas may all have to keep their tails between their legs after this incident and secretly fill the gaps.
Moreover, they dare not buy large quantities of grain on the market. Once the price of grain rises sharply in a certain place and causes public resentment, they will be in big trouble without even checking the warehouse.
Xu Zhongsheng gave up struggling and stood aside like a stone statue, staring blankly at the brightly lit warehouse busy until dawn.
After counting all the grain in the warehouse, it turned out that there were only a little over 10,000 dan at most, with a deficit of two-thirds.
There is no evidence to prove how many years the deficit lasted.
Qi Erlang was stunned. Tired after a sleepless night, he wiped his face and said bitterly, "Every time I go to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for food and fodder, I have to beg like a grandson. Not only do they make excuses, but they also shortchange us by weight. It turns out they've already been embezzled. How can they give us any food and fodder?"
Qi You glanced at Xu Zhongsheng, who was squatting on the ground. Without responding to Qi Erlang's words, he turned to look at the wheelbarrow and sacks in the courtyard. He couldn't help laughing and said, "I'd like to trouble you to leave some soldiers to guard here until my troops arrive and take the food away. The court should be sending people soon, and you will hand over all the people you capture to them for trial. You've been busy all night, and it's really hard for you. I will write to Khan Ama and report the truth."
When Qi Erlang heard that Qi You would write a letter to Kangxi, he was sure that he had contributed to the cause. He was overjoyed, but pretended to be humble. He said hurriedly, "It's not hard, it's my duty. It's my duty. Seventh Prince is the one who has been working hard. Why don't you come back to the barracks with me and rest for a while?"
Qi You smiled and said, "Thank you, sir. I'll just take a break here. I'll leave soon and won't bother you in the barracks."
Qi Erlang was very upset, knowing that he was not thinking clearly and had said the wrong thing again.
How could anyone enter the military camp without permission? Even Qi You, a prince, was not allowed to enter. And precisely because he was a prince, it was even more unacceptable.
Qi Erlang left some soldiers to guard the warehouse. After all the captured bandits were taken away, Changping Warehouse became quiet, as if nothing had happened.
The spring sun is shining brightly, shining brightly on the earth.
Xu Zhongsheng was still sitting on the steps, his face dejected and his eyes distracted.
Qi You glanced at him, ignored him, and turned to go into the house.
"Seventh Prince, Seventh Master." Xu Zhongsheng suddenly looked up and called him in a hoarse voice, his face full of self-mockery, "It's a pity that I am a Han official, so I don't need to call myself a slave."
Qi You stopped, looked him in the eye, and said gently, "It doesn't matter. You can call me whatever you want. I never care about these things."
Xu Zhongsheng said sarcastically, "Of course you don't need to care, because you are already a prince, high and mighty. You don't need to study or take exams, even if you don't have to do anything, you can still live a life of luxury and wealth."
Qi You was surprised for a moment, then said with a good-natured smile, "He still has to study, just like you. He has to get up early and go home late to study hard. You should know that the princes have to study as much as you do."
Xu Zhongsheng laughed heartily, his smile madly. "You are studying, with a bunch of servants serving you. Your teacher is the best in the world. You can read rare ancient books at will, and use the best pens, ink, paper, and inkstone. You have everything you need. That's what you call reading? That's the best enjoyment in the world. Why would I want to be an official or do anything else? I can read forever!"
Qi You smiled. When Gui He went to fetch tea, he walked over to sit down beside him, poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. He tilted his head and asked, "I haven't seen your resume. Was your family very poor before?"
Xu Zhongsheng took the tea and sipped it. He looked up into the distance, his eyes gradually reddening as he spoke slowly, "I was born in the suburbs of Beijing. My family used to be okay. Our land was coveted by a steward under Suksaha, a powerful figure in your bannermen's army, and a dispute arose. My father was severely beaten by the steward and died after lying in bed for six months. According to the law, the person who killed my father was only sentenced to beating with a stick and paying two taels of silver as compensation. Haha, the officials protected each other, so I'm afraid the man was only given a beating. What can two taels of silver do? It can't even buy a single ginseng beard. Our land was gone, my father was injured and took medicine, and he owed a lot of debts. My mother almost cried herself blind. Because of my education, our family was already destitute. Fortunately, God spared no one's fate, Suksaha suffered a great loss, and the steward was beheaded."
Qi You listened quietly and looked at the sun in the sky.
The sun is the fairest, shining on everyone, no matter if they are princes or peddlers, and it watches with pity the struggles of ants in the world.
Xu Zhongsheng closed his eyes, his expression agonizing, and he raged with sarcasm. "Passing the imperial examination doesn't guarantee instant success; you still have to wait for an official position. Without connections, even if you have extraordinary abilities, you won't be able to secure a good position. The lucrative positions have already been distributed. If you don't show respect to those above you, even if it's a tough assignment, you'll have to spend a year or two in the capital."
Qi You had known all this for a long time and was not surprised. There was a huge difference between being an official in a wealthy place and being an official in a poor place.
As for where the difference lies, it has to start with the actual power of the current government offices.
Yamen officials had few responsibilities and were only responsible for taxation, education, public security, etc.
In other words, it is difficult to collect taxes in poor areas, and education is to prohibit some things that violate customs and morals, such as disobedience, adultery, murder and arson, etc., in addition to the local students taking exams.
Public security is just about small matters like fights, petty thefts and trivial matters.
Because of these reasons, it is difficult to achieve political achievements in poor areas, and even more difficult to get rich, so no one is willing to go there.
Xu Zhongsheng said, "I had long since seen the true state of the world. I resolutely borrowed a large sum of money, used it as gifts, and was assigned to a slightly wealthier county. Later, I received some more money from this county and was transferred to Wanquan County."
There were a lot of usurers in the capital who lent money specifically to poor scholars who had passed the imperial examinations. For example, if they borrowed 1,000 taels, they would actually only get 500 taels, and after deducting the amount, they would still have to pay back the 1,000 taels.
Those who can lend money have connections, and they have their eyes on officials, so they are not afraid that they will not repay.
"Three years as a clean magistrate earns a hundred thousand silver coins." Borrowing this little money was nothing; it would be repaid quickly. Officials, for the sake of their future, would not default on their debts.
Xu Zhongsheng smiled bitterly and said, "My initial salary was less than three taels of silver a month. Three taels is one tael more than what the steward gave as compensation to my father. I've accumulated a lot of debts from studying and becoming an official. If I were an honest official, I wouldn't be able to pay it back in this lifetime. The interest on the loans would compound, and my descendants wouldn't be able to pay it back. Even if I wanted to be an honest official, I wouldn't be able to do it now."
Qi You smiled. Officials protect each other. If you want to stay out of trouble, you have to carry a coffin and become an official.
Xu Zhongsheng wouldn't do that. He was full of hatred and unwillingness.
After a moment of silence, Xu Zhongsheng said, "I'm defeated by the Seventh Prince this time. I accept the loss and there's nothing more to say."
Qi You said calmly, "You didn't lose to me, you lost to yourself. All your resentment seems reasonable. But it's not. You are just numbing yourself. You hate the powerful and the rich, and you hate injustice. In the end, you become the same as them."
Xu Zhongsheng was shocked and lowered his head, mumbling, "What can I do? What can I do?"
Qi You said: "Yes, what can you do? Either you don't go along with the crowd, or you can keep yourself safe, or you will be destroyed. You chose to go along with the crowd, and you can't blame anyone for that. You are very smart, but this cleverness has also harmed you."
Xu Zhongsheng stared at Qi You with a sarcastic look on his face. He moved his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Qi You sighed and said, "Yes, I'm standing here and saying this without any hesitation, but I still have to say that you're doing the wrong thing. The grain in the Changping Warehouse is mainly used to stabilize grain prices and provide relief to disaster victims. No matter what, if something goes wrong, the people will suffer and die. You know better than anyone else. If you can still remain indifferent, you're no different from the steward who beat your father to death. You're even more vicious than them."
Xu Zhongsheng's expression twisted, and he said bitterly, "In the final analysis, it's just because you're a prince that it's easy for you to say it."
Qi You was not angry either. He smiled and said, "As a prince, I have done what I should do and have a clear conscience. If you feel that a certain rule or law is incorrect, you should work hard to promote reform. If you can't do it, you can also choose to avoid it instead of adding fuel to the fire and doing evil."
He looked at Xu Zhongsheng, his expression dimming. "Those people last night must have come from Yuzhong, right? Given their brutality and stupidity, the crimes they committed must have been serious. Look at what foolish things you've done. All your resentment and accusations are ridiculous. If your father were still alive, he'd be ashamed of you after hearing what you've done. Under heaven, justice and light are never lacking. If you don't believe me, look at the sun above you."
Xu Zhongsheng subconsciously looked up. The sun was too glaring, and his eyes were dry, dark and painful.
Qi You didn't say anything more, got up and went into the house.
Xu Zhongsheng thought of his family, his old blind mother, his wife and children. They had lived with him for only a few days, and then...
Xu Zhongsheng didn't dare to think further. Regret almost overwhelmed him, and he howled and screamed like a wounded beast.
Qi You listened, his expression as calm as ever.
Life is actually not without choices, just like Xu Zhongsheng and others.
They personally chose different paths and must face their own future outcomes.
This time, he had touched the Changping Warehouse, affecting the interests of countless people. It was estimated that in the future, open and covert attacks would rain down on him.
Qi You thought that if he died accidentally one day, he would not cry like Xu Risheng.
Because he never feels guilty or regretful.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-11-05 21:29:50 and 2022-11-06 21:20:26~
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mines: 1 dandelion;
Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 20 bottles of salty fish; 1 bottle of Yannes;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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