Chapter 210 Heavy rain at night, please have prison food...
A chorus of support rang out behind her, and Zhang Ting sighed softly, a dull ache stirring in her dormant conscience. These colleagues trusted her so much, regarding her as a guiding light, yet she was trying every means to extract money from their pockets—how could she bear this?
Her conscience ached deeply, but her steps didn't falter. What could she do? Who told them to embezzle so much public funds and land, becoming incredibly wealthy? And who told them to run into her?
Heaven's creation is governed by fate; it provides these corrupt officials with the conditions for corruption, yet also creates someone like her with a flexible moral compass. My fellow colleagues, do not resent or blame her; everything she has done is in accordance with Heaven's guidance.
Back in the signing room, Zheng Er quickly brewed her a pot of tea. The light green tea was poured into the teacup, and the steaming vapor carrying a delicate fragrance wafted into her nose.
Zhang Ting crossed her legs, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Hmm, good tea, good tea, but it doesn't have much flavor."
Zheng Er stood beside her and asked her about what had just happened: "Master, why did that person who reported you come to deliver the heart?" As the master's legal advisor and former housekeeper, she was completely unaware of this, which was a serious dereliction of duty!
Zhang Ting raised an eyebrow, put down his teacup, took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to her, "Take a look."
Zheng Er unfolded the letter with suspicion, and his eyes widened instantly upon seeing it. "This...this..." It was a blank sheet of paper!
Zhang Ting leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "I didn't crawl under anyone's bed, how would I know who embezzled and how much?" But Zhangzhou Prefecture was such a remote and impoverished place, yet land annexation was so rampant. It was a place where wealthy relatives often gathered, so how could there be fewer people embezzling and breaking the law there?
And sure enough, today's test proved them right. Their faces turned pale with fright, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.
"My goodness, the boss didn't even need evidence, he just tricked people out with a few words." Zheng Er held the letter with great emotion, admiring Zhang Ting's wisdom, and then asked, "Then the letter from the capital... could it also be fake?"
Without hesitation, Zhang Ting said, "If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. Don't leave the enemy any way out." She looked into Zheng Er's eyes and said, "I'm not just saying I want to settle accounts with the land and population of this prefecture. There are always some disobedient people. Those who can't see the situation clearly and want to oppose me will be dealt with through this reckoning."
She had another reason she didn't mention: Chen Jue regarded Yingzhou Prefecture as the base of his rebellion, so he would inevitably have to seize control of the military and political affairs there, place his trusted confidants in there, and plan carefully before taking action.
Although Chen Jue has not yet given instructions on this matter, it is certainly better to do it as soon as possible.
Zhang Ting's strategy achieved three goals at once: eliminating some corrupt officials for the people, removing dissidents, consolidating his control over Yingzhou Prefecture, and securing his position within the anti-military camp.
A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and the two men's eyes sharpened, instantly falling silent.
"My lord, there is a letter."
Zhang Ting gave Zheng Er a wink, and she nodded before going out to open the door.
The messenger was an unfamiliar young man. Zheng Er's alarm bells went off. Just as he was about to interrogate her, Zhang Ting peeked through the crack in the door and recognized the messenger. She had seen him outside the main tent last night; he was Chen Jue's personal guard.
"Let him in." Zheng Er closed her mouth and immediately made way. She unconditionally trusted her boss's words.
The messenger was named Zheng Xiaohe. She first greeted Zhang Ting before presenting the letter with both hands, and then left without saying anything.
Zhang Ting opened the letter; it contained only eight short characters—
Purge those on both sides to consolidate the foundation.
Just as she expected.
At this moment in the council hall, some people were deeply moved by Zhang Ting's "benevolence," while others were not so impressed. Being moved costs money, and destroying someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. Moreover, they have to make up for the past embezzlement. Who can bear that?
"We don't know where that list came from, everyone. Don't fall for it." A sinister glint flashed in her eyes as she rallied the crowd. "Those who want to smear us should first consider whether they have the power to do so! As long as we work together to find the accuser and force her to tell the truth, the benevolent Prefect will surely plead for us before the Emperor. Then our predicament will be solved."
Relying on the fact that the surrounding soldiers had withdrawn and the hall was now filled with their own people, Niu Lan sneered, "Don't be fooled by her scheming and all that. I don't think she's any good either. A hypocrite." The person she was referring to was obvious.
Many people were Zhang Ting's supporters and immediately retorted sarcastically, "Lord Niu, if you think the lord is trying to harm you, then you don't need to come. You're as clean as snow; what business is it of yours when they investigate?"
Niu Lan choked on her words, feeling a lump in her throat. "I'm upright and honest, of course I'm different from you!" She glared at the other person and stormed off.
The others ignored her. Corruption was rampant throughout Yingzhou Prefecture; even the most honest official would have to take a cut. Niu Lan was pretending to be ignorant, putting on an act in front of everyone—who would buy her act?
"Who is this person?"
"She's notoriously stingy, and she's keeping a young widow on the side. He used to be in charge of money and supplies, but since the bigwigs came and consolidated government affairs, he can't get any extra money, so he's holding a grudge."
Three days later, late at night.
Zhang Ting was fast asleep, embracing her beloved husband. As October arrived, the weather turned cool, and a wind blew in from outside, causing the curtains to flap wildly. A chill crept in through the gaps in the bedding, making her skin shiver.
Zong Suyi lay on top of her, her cheeks flushed from sleep. When a cool breeze came in through her neck, she would snuggle into her arms, snuggling up with every gust of wind.
But Zhang Ting isn't a blanket, so what's the point of groping her?
It did have some effect; at least Zhang Ting was brought back to her senses.
Zong Suyi was like a rapidly writhing maggot on her body, making it hard for her to fall asleep again.
Zhang Ting pushed the man away in disgust, but he stuck to her again like a leech. This happened repeatedly. She looked up at the sky speechlessly, wondering what kind of husband was like this.
The wind blew heavily against the window, making a loud banging sound, and it sounded like it was about to rain outside.
Neither of them liked sleeping with the windows closed, but they still had to close them when it rained to prevent rainwater from getting in and making them feel even more uncomfortable.
Zhang Ting pulled the blanket over and quickly wrapped the person inside, successfully completing the task. The little thing was still sleeping peacefully, showing no signs of waking up.
Okay.
Zhang Ting slipped on her shoes and walked to the window. A light drizzle began to fall from the sky, brushing against her face and leaving it damp.
She looked toward the government office, calculating the time; the box must be almost full by now.
Feeling quite pleased, I smiled, closed the window, and went to sleep.
However, Zhang Ting simply pulled over a mattress to cover herself; she didn't want to share a bed with Zong Suyi.
The raindrops pattered down, making a dull sound as they hit the tiles. A slight coolness seeped in through the cracks, making the room more comfortable.
At this moment, the council hall was pitch black. In the very center was a large chest containing a mountain of brocade bags, which gleamed with a bright and luxurious luster under the silvery lightning.
After looking around, a man wearing a black hood quietly entered the hall, sneaked up to the wooden box, and looked at the mountain of brocade bags inside with envy.
"Everyone else is so rich, why am I eating the least?" She pulled out her bag, which contained all the extra money she had saved up over the years. "That Zhang guy is really heartless, so cruel..."
Her hands trembled as she placed the brocade pouch inside, but at the last moment she abruptly pulled it back, her heart aching with pain. In the past three days, she had sold off her possessions to buy back the land deed; how could she bear to part with it?
But thinking of his own life, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and quickly put the bag inside. Turning around with resentment, he bumped into the person behind him.
"Ouch!" He fell to the ground with a groan, his hood falling off in the process.
The person who came also stumbled and stood up, intending to curse, but in the dim light, he could see the face of the person opposite him.
"Niu Lan...it's you?" She was only surprised for a moment, then a playful smile appeared on her lips. "Weren't you quite innocent a few days ago? What brings you here now?"
She went over, supporting her back, and asked, "Is this just an act for us?"
Niu Lan covered her face with her sleeve in embarrassment, unable to utter a single word, and ran away in the rain, clutching her head.
"Hmph, who's really putting on an act here?"
After a night of heavy rain, the next day the sky was crystal clear, a beautiful azure, and the air was incredibly fresh.
Zhang Ting dreamt that she was performing a stunt involving breaking a large stone on her chest. The stone, weighing a hundred pounds, was pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. She struggled for a moment and then woke up.
But what was pressing on his chest wasn't a stone; it was clearly a person.
Zhang Ting pushed away the huge thing on top of her and breathed a sigh of relief. She sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. She had wrapped herself up properly before going to bed, so how did it roll in again?
She was truly exasperated with him. She pinched Zong Suyi's cheek hard, and the sleeping man frowned unhappily, muttering, "How annoying." He then turned over and went back to sleep.
Zhang Ting chuckled and kindly helped him pull off the covers, since sleeping too long in bed isn't good for his health.
She has always been low-key, never leaving her name after doing good deeds, and quickly stepped out of the room.
Hearing the cursing behind her, she couldn't help but sigh. Young people these days are too impetuous; they can't even accept kindness.
How can one bring peace to the world if one's heart is not at peace? Indeed, great things must be done by a strong woman like her!
At Chen Shi (7-9 AM), she sat firmly in the main seat.
After carefully counting the brocade pouches in the box, Zheng Er was greatly shocked: "This...this is a staggering one million taels!!" Damn it, these officials are too greedy!
Zhang Ting was somewhat disappointed when he heard the amount; it was only one million taels, barely enough for the rations, salt and vegetables, horse feed, military pay, and training equipment of an army of 100,000 for a year.
Chen Jue has been raising an army for a long time; where did she get the money to support so many people? Ordinary methods probably won't work. After all, she is the Crown Princess; she's shrewd and calculating.
Zhang Ting was filled with regret; she was still too young.
But despite the regret, the money still has to be collected.
Zhang Ting instructed Zheng Er to register each case and preserve evidence. If anyone were to turn against them in the future, this information would serve as incriminating evidence in court.
"Who didn't take it?" In this situation, those who 'confess and accept punishment' may seem insignificant, but those who resisted the turmoil are quite obvious.
However, the result was beyond Zhang Ting's expectations: "Not a single one?" Is Yingzhou Prefecture really that cowardly? She had sent several people to be reincarnated back in Zhangzhou Prefecture.
Zheng Er didn't want to admit it, but it was the truth. "Yes, boss." She wanted to see her boss overpower the bandits and slaughter everyone in sight!
Such was the reality; Zhang Ting had no choice but to accept it, and her dream of having her home confiscated was shattered.
But she still couldn't bear to give up. "No, no, there will always be some who slip through the net and some opportunists. I have to find a way to send them to jail!"
Today is a day off, and the sun is shining brightly and the weather is fine. However, all the officials and wealthy merchants in Yingzhou Prefecture felt a chill run down their spines, and their hearts were filled with unease, as if they had become prey marked by a wild beast.
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