Chapter 72 Eradication
Zhu Fangjie's legs felt a little weak.
The warehouse, which had been empty, was now filled with items again.
This time, the items weren't as cluttered; they consisted mostly of easily portable jewelry.
And two boxes of silver notes.
There are also eight boxes of gold and silver ingots.
So the gold and silver ingots that were originally worth six million taels of silver weren't that many?
Fortunately, she managed to keep a straight face.
After counting the items one last time with General Chai's men, the warehouse was officially closed.
It looks like just an ordinary warehouse near the dock, but who would have thought that it contains so much stuff?
Zhu Fangjie led everyone to Mei Niang's current residence.
Because Mei Niang had many people around her, she moved out a few months ago to a four-courtyard house near the yamen.
They lived together with Aunt Zhu, Aunt Su and her son, and people from their hometown.
At this moment, more than twenty tables of food have been set up in the courtyard.
Let General Chai's men, who have traveled a long way, have a good meal.
More than twenty young men and women from Tongmin Prefecture were also helping out inside.
Most of them have moved out, but they still keep in touch frequently and keep quiet about it.
Asking them for help will definitely not be a problem.
But everyone was also curious.
What are all these people carrying swords and knives doing?
And there were already one or two hundred people here, and now another group has arrived?
Seeing the county magistrate leading seven or eight more men, these men were clearly their leaders, all of them wearing smiles.
He invited everyone to sit down, and served four plates and eight bowls of chicken, duck, fish, and meat.
The food wasn't fancy, but it was all substantial steamed bowls of meat.
Finally, the rice and noodles arrived, and everyone ate until their bellies were round and full.
When it was time to leave, Mei Niang took out all the clothes, shoes and other items that she had prepared beforehand.
Her daughter had already given instructions, and she certainly wouldn't forget.
Those in the military are in dire need of these well-made items.
The group, dressed neatly and carrying dozens of jars of wine, disappeared into the night.
After the five hundred elite soldiers arrived, they rested briefly.
The group then headed towards Yisong County.
The two deputy generals in charge were efficient and decisive in their work.
It comes quickly and goes quickly.
When they were almost at Yisong County, they saw miners who had escaped from Shanyang Prefecture.
These miners were unaware that the eunuchs who had imprisoned them and treated them like dirt had already met their demise.
At this time, an inn in Shanyang Prefecture was in a complete mess.
The prefect of Shanyang Prefecture and the local garrison commander who rushed to the scene were at a loss as to where to begin.
The ground was covered in blood and corpses.
Of the nearly one hundred people in the group, not a single one survived.
The murderer had a clear target and did not search the personal belongings of these people.
They only took the boxes belonging to the chief eunuchs.
"Cruel methods, vicious intentions, and blinded by greed!" the garrison commander roared.
Prefect Shen looked at him and sighed, "It seems that someone knew these chief eunuchs were going to run away with valuables and deliberately intercepted them here."
After Prefect Shen finished speaking, the guard in front of him felt a little guilty.
But it really wasn't him who did it.
He was still hesitating about whether to take action, and was even held back by these dead eunuchs, so he planned to take action today, July 24th.
Who could have imagined that these people would perish on the night of July 23?
It seems there are quite a few people eyeing those gold and silver.
Could they be bandits from Shanyang Prefecture?
That's possible.
Or perhaps they were bandits from elsewhere who came here specifically to intercept them?
The garrison commander thought for a long time but couldn't think of the Guangyue Mansion next door.
Even more unexpectedly, it was Su Qing who joined forces with General Chai.
In fact, Prefect Shen was also making guesses.
He did indeed pass the message on to Su Qing.
But where did Su Qing find such capable people to do things so efficiently?
Moreover, they left behind a considerable amount of silver at the scene, items worth at least one or two million taels.
We can also talk to the imperial envoy Liang Gonggong who will be coming tomorrow.
Half a day later, the clerk in the yamen cleaned up the scattered items and replied, "Your Excellency the Prefect, Your Excellency the Garrison Commander."
"The bandits acted in haste and only took many chests with them; most of the eunuchs' personal gold was still with them."
"Leaving aside the various items, just the gold on the bodies of a dozen or so people is enough to be worth nearly two million taels of silver."
really.
The money left over was just enough to deliver to the imperial envoy, so he wouldn't have made a wasted trip.
Prefect Shen remained silent for a moment.
Su Qing had far more capable people under his command than he had imagined.
But once you're on her boat, there's no getting off.
After all, the newly arrived imperial envoy seems to have a good relationship with Su Qing.
However, the imperial envoy's decision to postpone the meeting was primarily to deal with the immediate, enraged defenses.
The garrison commander was inherently greedy, and his eyes turned bloodshot when he saw so much gold.
I should have taken action sooner!
So much silver, it's all his!
It was so close!
Now, the gold and silver have been collected into the treasury, and will be handed over to the imperial envoy tomorrow.
It broke his heart.
To the guard's surprise, many people around him were quietly watching him.
The chief eunuch and his entourage numbered about a hundred, and many of them were quite skilled in martial arts.
How could they have been wiped out so easily?
Judging from the knife wounds on their bodies, most of them were from official knives.
And the number of people is definitely not small.
To be able to kill so cleanly and still escape unscathed.
Within Shanyang Prefecture, who else could do that?
Isn't that overestimating mountain bandits and thieves?
For a time, the garrison commander of Shanyang Prefecture became the prime suspect.
He was still filled with envy and jealousy, unaware that he was quietly surrounded after being invited into the government office.
Prefect Shen looked at him coldly.
I have been in Shanyang Prefecture for two years now.
It goes without saying how recklessly these people acted.
They also contributed to the many chaotic situations within the government.
If he doesn't seize this opportunity to take power, then he doesn't need to hold this official position anymore.
On the morning of July 25th.
Upon arriving at Shanyang Prefecture, the Imperial Envoy, Eunuch Liang, flew into a rage.
How could someone just die!
Who did this to them?!
These eunuchs in charge had some connection with Eunuch Liang.
I remember when Prince Zheng came here to sweep away the rebels, he stole more than thirty boxes of valuables.
It all came down to Eunuch Liang's connections with the local eunuchs.
With this relationship, Eunuch Liang only wanted to cooperate with the head eunuchs to raise some silver to take back to the capital and regain the emperor's favor.
Who would have thought they would try to abscond with the valuables?
But after arriving, Eunuch Liang understood.
These people have embezzled too much money; they have no choice but to flee.
No wonder I was so scared.
Su Qing summoned him over, but didn't offer him any guidance whatsoever.
If I had known they had embezzled so much money, I would have definitely tried to appease them beforehand.
Unfortunately, it's too late to say anything now.
These people have already died, and their bodies are cold.
Upon learning that their scattered belongings amounted to two million taels of silver, Eunuch Liang exclaimed in surprise, "How much?!"
The surviving valuables amounted to two million taels.
What about those who were kidnapped?!
These people are so foolish!
Do you think I'd die if you waited for me to come?!
Eunuch Liang paused for a moment, then said, "He might die."
Prefect Shen explained, "They all have lives on their hands and are used to running rampant in the mines. Whether they return to the capital or stay here, life won't be easy for them. So they simply left."
That's true.
They also knew that if Su Qing didn't buy their ore, they wouldn't get a good price.
Rather than be tracked down, I'd rather run far away.
Given the precedent of rebels fleeing, they could also, like the rebels, occupy islands along the coast and become kings.
Life will only get better than it is now.
Who would still serve as a servant to the emperor?
What are the benefits of being a servant to the emperor?
Liang Gonggong was even less inclined to speak.
If he were one of those eunuchs in charge, he would most likely run away too.
The emperor's will is unpredictable, and he is indeed difficult to serve.
Prefect Shen was quite surprised to see that Eunuch Liang was sighing but not mentioning the pursuit of the thieves.
Given this situation, shouldn't the imperial envoy order the recovery of stolen goods and the pursuit of thieves?
This leaves him wondering how to move forward.
While feeling heartbroken over the silver that had been taken away, Eunuch Liang looked towards the Guangyue Mansion.
Will Su Qing be the one to do it again this time?
She certainly has guts.
But Prince Zheng isn't here, so who will help her?
I heard that the new commander-in-chief has no contact with the local authorities at all.
If Su Qing did it, this matter definitely cannot be investigated further.
If the investigation really reaches her, wouldn't that be like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple?
The two men were interviewed at the Shanyang Prefecture government office.
Prefect Shen was eager to catch the "thieves" and carried out Su Qing's plan one by one.
Eunuch Liang wanted to assess the situation further, fearing that Su Qing might actually be arrested.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate, unsure of what to say to each other.
Why don't you take a rest first?
Prefect Shen glanced outside the door.
I'm afraid the garrison commander will leave the yamen, and then it will be difficult to catch him.
Prefect Shen stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Excellency, please order the arrest of the thieves. If we investigate now, it should be easier to apprehend them."
"If we wait any longer, I'm afraid they'll run off with the money."
Eunuch Liang thought to himself.
How could I not understand these things?
We should ask Su Qing about that.
Unexpectedly, Prefect Shen whispered again, "I already know who the real thief is."
“That person is in the yamen, but he is a military officer and I am a civil servant, and we are of the same rank, so it is not appropriate to make a move against him.”
who? !
Prefect Shen was originally just giving it a try.
Unexpectedly, Eunuch Liang, who had just been uninterested in apprehending thieves, immediately perked up.
"Who is that person?!"
"I, the Imperial Envoy, have come by His Majesty's decree, and I am accompanied by guards. I am sure I can capture him!" Eunuch Liang said excitedly.
Not Su Qing?!
That makes things easier!
He was determined to catch the thieves and see just how much silver the chief eunuchs had!
If I remember correctly, they used to make weapons in the army, and now they make farm tools.
They were all purchased from the mines in Shanyang Prefecture.
This amount of money must be enormous.
If he takes this money back to the capital...
How could the emperor not trust him?
When Prefect Shen saw that his expression had suddenly changed, he didn't think much of it and just wanted to finish the matter as soon as possible.
Only by capturing this defender can we succeed.
This plan can now be considered successfully completed.
“The local garrison commander,” Prefect Shen said. “He has always maintained contact with the eunuchs in charge, and it is he who sends out men to supervise the imprisoned miners.”
"I heard that the garrison commander knew that the eunuchs were planning to abscond with their valuables, so he hatched a plan."
As he spoke, Prefect Shen even presented evidence: "The coroner examined the bodies and found that all the deceased died by the official's knife."
They were able to surround a hundred or so people and leave no one alive.
They were still using official knives.
Who else but those who are in charge of defense?!
Eunuch Liang thought to himself, if Prince Zheng were here, it might be Su Qing.
But now Su Qing's suspicions have greatly diminished.
That makes them more likely to be guards.
Prefect Shen and Eunuch Liang exchanged glances and ordered an arrest!
Press them further to find out where the stolen goods are!
By the time the guards realized what was happening, he had already been bound hand and foot and thrown in front of the imperial envoy eunuch.
The garrison commander cursed inwardly, wondering if he was incompatible with these rootless creatures.
They used to work with the head eunuchs; they ate the meat, and he drank the soup.
Now he has been arrested by the imperial envoy and eunuch without asking any questions.
Why?!
"Bold guard! How dare you impersonate thieves and rob government property! Confess immediately!"
The garrison commander looked completely bewildered.
who?
he?
Was he impersonating a thief?
No!
He wants to do it!
But before we could even make a move, someone beat us to it!
Seeing that he refused to confess, Eunuch Liang suggested torture, but Prefect Shen said, "To catch a thief and get the stolen goods, we should go to his house and see if there are any stolen items."
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately began to struggle.
This won't do!
Although his family didn't have the stolen goods from this time, they did have the stolen money from before!
He also had the same gold ingots.
There were even correspondence between them.
The letter in which he discussed with his men how to rob money and how to escape!
wrong.
This situation is completely wrong.
If those gold ingots were found, wouldn't he be caught red-handed?!
He's innocent!
But Imperial Envoy Liang didn't care about any of that; he simply ordered his guards to confiscate the stolen goods from the house.
The result is self-evident.
A chest of gold and silver was found in the guard's house.
That adds up to 1.5 million taels.
This was far beyond the wealth a garrison commander could possess.
"See? You've used your official position to commit theft; your crime is utterly unforgivable."
The guard was completely limp.
What exactly went wrong?
He really didn't do it!
At least this time, we really didn't do it!
How did it end up on him?
It was the end of July in the sixth year of Yongsheng.
The eunuchs in charge of the mines in Shanyang Prefecture all fled.
The local guards disguised themselves as thieves to commit murder and robbery.
These two pieces of news left the Shanyang Prefecture area somewhat dumbfounded.
Are you kidding me?
Are they crazy?
More information followed.
The collusion between the mine and the guards was exposed to the public.
Furthermore, these people were trying to evade the imperial envoy's pursuit, but they never expected to be robbed by their own people.
The matter is now clear.
It's just a bunch of corrupt officials fighting amongst themselves.
Then, the imperial envoy sent by the emperor and the local prefect joined forces to expose the other party's conspiracy.
The witnesses and physical evidence are available.
They even found correspondence in the garrison commander's home.
The letter contained a plot to rob someone of their property.
Those eunuchs in charge are dead, so we can only continue to pursue their families.
The entire family of the garrison commander would be escorted to the capital.
Also being escorted to the capital were three million taels of real gold and silver.
Don't ask the head eunuch or the garrison commander's family where the gold, silver, and treasures, as well as the 500,000 taels of silver, went.
It was all squandered by the garrison commander and others!
As for the confiscation of these people's gardens and houses, that goes without saying.
It's all as it should be.
Dozens of local mines were also brought under the control of the prefect, Shen.
Imperial Envoy Liang himself left on the third day of the eighth lunar month.
This task was completed efficiently and effectively.
The perpetrators were caught red-handed, and the case was handled appropriately.
Therefore, the group has not yet returned to Beijing.
The Emperor's praise arrived, along with his shock at the corruption case.
If nothing unexpected happens.
If a garrison commander were to be overly involved in the execution of more than half of his men, then he himself would be even more vulnerable.
Those family members who should be exiled were exiled, and those who should be enslaved were enslaved.
The garrison commander just couldn't understand it.
He really didn't do it.
Did he do it and then forget about it?
Otherwise, why would they have been caught red-handed?
It looks flawless?!
As Prefect Shen saw Eunuch Liang and his entourage off, he thought to himself, "They deserved to die with their eyes wide open."
At this point, the truth of this major case in Shanyang Prefecture has been fully revealed and the truth has come to light.
No matter who looks at it, it seems flawless.
The Emperor was satisfied.
The imperial envoy and prefect were efficient in their work.
Embezzled funds were recovered.
Those who deserve to die, die; those who deserve to be arrested, arrest.
Apart from Prefect Shen, who was deeply involved and praised by the Emperor.
The most shocked person was General Chai, who was far away outside Yisong County.
If it wasn't his people involved.
General Chai believed that there was no problem with the case in Shanyang Prefecture.
As for his people, they only appeared in the early stages.
He was originally worried about what would happen if the imperial envoy and the prefect pursued the stolen goods, or what would happen if the emperor insisted on catching the thieves.
The official knife is also a flaw.
Now it's all right.
It's likely that this whole affair was orchestrated by Prefect Su from the very beginning.
The so-called flaws and the so-called recovery of stolen goods were all part of their plan.
But should we say that the defense is the scapegoat?
Not entirely.
The fact that many miners in Shanyang Prefecture were unable to resist was entirely due to him.
The stolen money at home, and the original plan, were not fake either.
Even if General Chai's men hadn't taken the valuables.
The guards themselves will also take action.
The only problem is that they've been stripped of their titles too cleanly.
So many jewelry pieces, precious fabrics, and six million in cash vanished into thin air.
Are you sure there's no problem?
General Chai shuddered at the thought of Su Qing.
Fortunately, this woman was a person who cared about the people and was loyal to the law.
Otherwise, with her intelligence, she would surely be able to turn the world upside down.
"Working with someone like that gives me real peace of mind," General Chai thought to himself.
General Chai also heard reports from his subordinates.
It is said that more and more refugees are passing through the vicinity on their way to Gaoqing Prefecture.
These people were dressed in rags and were skin and bones, looking like refugees fleeing famine.
"Ignore them." General Chai handed the memorial in his hand to his subordinates, "Send it to the capital as an urgent dispatch."
"Please urge them again to pay the grain and salary."
His subordinates didn't think much of it.
That's true. With everyone's pay and rations stopped, who cares about the displaced people?
But will we be able to get it this time?
I heard that three million taels of embezzled money were sent over from Shanyang Prefecture?
His men became excited.
Only General Chai knew that this memorial was still the will of Prefect Su.
Previously, when the court was short of funds, military funds were misappropriated.
Now that you've made a fortune, do you even think about them?
If we don't give it to them, wouldn't that be a bit wrong?
Just as General Chai was thinking, Eunuch Luo arrived, his voice a mix of joy and doubt: "General, another batch of grain has been delivered from Yisong County. They say there's been a lot of traffic between Gaoqing Prefecture and Guangle Prefecture lately, and they need the army to make things easier for us."
This is actually just an excuse.
The idea was to take the opportunity to exchange the silver in the warehouse for military rations and deliver them to General Chai so that his subordinates wouldn't have to suffer so much.
Eunuch Luo was so happy that he didn't notice General Chai's expression.
General Chai was naturally filled with mixed feelings.
It would be a miracle if there were no bias.
Hopefully, the Emperor won't disappoint them with this memorial.
Seeing that the general agreed to accept it, Eunuch Luo was almost overjoyed and wept.
Finally, we have food!
If things continue like this, he doesn't know if he can make it to the autumn harvest.
Upon learning that General Chai had once again petitioned the imperial court for military funds.
Eunuch Luo naturally also thought of the three million taels of embezzled money.
Hopefully, the Emperor will remember them.
All sorts of information gathered in the hands of Prefect Su of Guangle Prefecture, but Su Qing didn't say much.
After all, from any perspective, this matter seems to have nothing to do with her whatsoever.
But she couldn't hide her relief.
They finally got back the extra money that Guangyuefu had given them over the years.
Moreover, the cooperation with Gaoqingzhou Minerals has been extremely smooth, and there is no worry about raw material issues.
Then she would be even more eager to watch the good show in the capital.
Of course, before the show could begin, Yan Zhengzhou's letter was quite a disappointment.
Since Yan Zhengzhou's last letter inquiring about the improvement of iron smelting technology, letters have been secretly sent to him from time to time.
Su Qing didn't reply to any of their letters, but she still read them.
The letter begins: "You're cooperating with the new General?"
This statement is completely unfounded.
But the meaning is quite clear.
They felt that Su Qing was using the same old tricks again, colluding with General Chai to smuggle silver from Shanyang Prefecture.
The difference lies in this.
When they collaborated back then, Su Qing's work was somewhat rough.
It's now perfectly seamless.
The story ends as soon as it begins.
Su Qing looked at it repeatedly; there was only this one sentence in the letter.
Su Qing picked up her pen and replied with a single word: "Mm".
The letter was folded and sent out.
Yunxi and Lvlan were both dumbfounded.
Although they were both quite old, they still couldn't understand the undercurrents within.
The brother and sister whispered for a long time without reaching a conclusion, and finally started discussing gossip about the city of Guang Le Prefecture.
That was the matter of the Hua family in Fucheng.
The Hua family of Guangyue Prefecture was a renowned and wealthy family, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were among the richest in the region.
Moreover, he has been charitable and generous in recent years, and has gained a good reputation for virtue. He also treats his tenants quite well.
He has three children.
The eldest and third sons are both men, born to the current second wife.
The second child was a woman who married many years ago, but her husband was stationed in the countryside, so she helped her family manage their business. She was born to the first wife.
Just from these words, you can tell that his family situation is extraordinary.
Fortunately, Master Hua was powerful, and his children all listened to him.
Although the eldest son was mediocre, he still held the title of the eldest son and ran the business together with his second daughter. The two were in competition with each other and were only focused on developing the Hua family business.
The third son is a brilliant student. He passed the provincial examination this year and even achieved a remarkable fifth place in the palace examination.
This family is wonderful no matter how you look at them.
Furthermore, he also has a good relationship with Prefect Su.
There are even rumors that Master Hua wants to match his youngest son with Prefect Su.
Those Gu couple were blind; they called off the engagement.
Master Hua immediately wanted to continue.
When these words reached the ears of the Gu family couple, they remained silent for a long time.
To say I have no regrets would be a lie.
They were already embarrassed, and Master Hua's words made them even more ashamed.
Their son is the top scholar in the imperial examination, so he will definitely have a bright future.
These people are incredibly despicable; they actually came to my door to ridicule me.
The Hua family, who had been enjoying everything going smoothly, are now facing a major mishap.
The second young lady of the Hua family, who had always worked for her maternal family.
Taking advantage of the gap in changing the source of minerals, they used the name of Liantiandipu (a type of agricultural product trading company) as a cover.
In fact, they completely emptied the Hua family's pig iron workshop.
They simply started from scratch, building a new workshop to continue processing pig iron.
It doesn't matter to the government office, as long as pig iron is delivered to the weapons workshop.
Moreover, everyone in the second young lady of the Hua family's workshop is familiar, saving them the time of getting to know each other.
The second young lady of the Hua family uses cheap minerals from Gaoqing Prefecture in her new workshop.
The weapons workshop said they wanted as much as they had in stock.
Anyone who has ever done business knows that this is a steady stream of income.
It can generate continuous profits from the very first day of opening.
Hua Youling was happy.
But the rest of the family was in an uproar.
This refers to Hua Chengzai, the eldest son of the Hua family.
The eldest son of the Hua family had already been cursing and swearing, saying that girls are outgoing and would steal things from their own homes.
They told her to get out of Guangyou County, saying that this place belongs to the Hua family.
He even led a group of people to smash the new workshop to pieces.
Many villages, large and small, in Guangyou County belonged to the Hua family. At Hua Cheng's command, countless tenants and servants would follow.
They immediately surrounded Hua Youling's new workshop.
But Hua Youling was not someone to be trifled with; not to mention she had hundreds of employees.
She also got twenty soldiers from her husband and set them up in front of the workshop to see who dared to smash it.
Faced with Hua Cheng's insults, Hua Youling calmly said, "Why should I get out of Guangxio County? Is this Shunchang Kingdom's territory or the Hua family's territory?"
If Master Hua were here, he would definitely be able to discern the problem within.
But he didn't show up today, only sending his eldest son to test the waters.
Upon hearing this, Hua Chengzai retorted, "Of course it belongs to the Hua family! Eighty percent of this land belongs to the Hua family! These tenant farmers also belong to the Hua family! Everywhere around your workshop, isn't it the Hua family's territory?!"
"If you know what's good for you, let me see. Considering you also have the surname Hua and have served the Hua family for so many years, I won't hit you."
"I was unaware that Guangxio County was actually the territory of the Hua family."
The local magistrate arrived leisurely, followed by clerks and servants, his expression serious.
The Hua family owns most of the land in the two counties to the left and right of the prefectural city.
Therefore, the Hua family would handle any major or minor matters first and rarely report them to the authorities.
The magistrates of all the counties in Guangyou and Guangzuo counties had very weak presence.
Now that it has suddenly appeared, everyone is a little unfamiliar with it.
But since he was an official, everyone had no choice but to bow to him.
The magistrate said directly, "I heard that some people are harassing the tenants and trying to cause trouble."
The magistrate looked at the hundreds of tenants behind Hua Chengzai and said sternly, "Come on, tie up this villain and take him to the yamen to report."
who?
Who are you going to tie up?!
Hua has never suffered such injustice in all her life!
He immediately sent his men to stop them, and even ordered the tenants to rush forward.
But the tenants looked at the officials, then at the young master, and immediately took a few steps back.
They're not stupid; why would they risk their lives for their master?
They used to work so hard just to have food to eat, because they were afraid of being retaliated against by their employers.
With Lord Su backing us up, who would dare to step forward?
Don't you value your own life, or your family's?
It's already pretty good that I can stand here.
The magistrate looked at them and said directly, "You tenant farmers, why aren't you farming properly? What are you doing joining in this fun? The autumn harvest is coming soon, isn't there any work to be done in the fields?"
Upon hearing the magistrate's words, the crowd scattered, completely disregarding the young master of the Hua family.
Hua Chengzai was furious and actually cursed, "Su Qing! You shameless bastard, how dare you instigate people to this extent!"
This is something Hua Cheng has wanted to criticize for a long time.
Because her father had said that Hua Youling's ability to open a new workshop was definitely not solely due to her own capabilities.
The replacement of the mines in Shanyang Prefecture with those in Gaoqing Prefecture was something Su Qing had arranged in advance.
Therefore, there is only one possibility.
The idea for the new workshop was Su Qing's idea from beginning to end.
The reason these tenants dare to disobey him now is entirely due to Su Qing.
If she hadn't been backing them up, would these tenant farmers have dared to leave?!
Unexpectedly, the tenant who was about to leave turned around and shouted, "Who are you cursing?!"
"Yeah, who are you calling a jerk?!"
"How could we have been instigated? How could Lord Su be so shameless?!"
Let them be; I'm used to it anyway.
Why bring Lord Su into this?
It's Lord Su who gave them their confidence, so what?
The tenants who had been standing behind him turned around and began to question Hua Chengzai.
Hua carries in front of Hua Youling and the workers from the new workshop.
Behind them were the tenant farmers, their emotions running high.
There were also officers nearby who wanted to tie him up.
Hua Cheng's legs went weak, and she was immediately tied up and taken back to the yamen.
They only released him when Master Hua came to take him away.
Since nothing truly serious has happened, he can't be detained for too long.
He also has a younger brother who passed the imperial examination; even if we don't respect the monk, we should respect the Buddha.
Master Hua, with a gloomy face, glanced at the new workshop from afar.
Hua Youling never showed up; as the "victim," she neither submitted a complaint nor pleaded for leniency.
After escorting the magistrate back to his office, he returned to work in the workshop.
When Master Hua came over, he pretended not to know anything.
Now that things have come to a head, why bother with all that?
After this incident, the conflict between Hua Youling and the Hua family continued to escalate.
Seize the shop, check the accounts, find the mole.
Master Hua initially wanted to cover it up, but as things escalated, he could no longer conceal the truth and was almost ready to confront his daughter directly.
Because the eldest son couldn't beat the second daughter.
The youngest son is far away in the capital.
But if he stands up...
That's really ugly.
Master Hua stared at the government office with almost resentment.
After Su Qing became the prefect, knowing her style of doing things, he took the initiative to rectify the Hua family, and it was done cleanly and honestly.
She treats the tenants well, so the Hua family obeys her orders.
She wants fair trade, no problem.
Later, the Hua family invested two to three million taels of silver in iron production.
Even so, it still couldn't satisfy her appetite.
The Su family must be broken up.
Master Hua said to his eldest son, "The pig iron workshop must be taken back."
"But there's no need to rush."
No rush?
How could I not be anxious?
Hua Cheng said, "Now all the workers in that workshop listen to Hua Youling, how can we not be anxious?"
Master Hua glanced at him and scolded him, telling him to calm down: "This is Su Qing's third year in Guang Le Mansion."
By August or September, it will have been exactly three years.
It is said that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake.
These officials will leave sooner or later, and once they're gone, the Hua family will be able to return to normal.
We're just being patient for now.
"Write it all down, so that the tenants, the servants, and my dear daughter will know who the true master of Guang Le Mansion is." Master Hua rarely uttered harsh words.
Although he delegated power to his children, he never relinquished core power.
Saying these things now shows genuine anger.
Hua Cheng was still indignant: "You still want her to marry my younger brother? What were you thinking?"
What can I think?
It's all because we're afraid of this day coming.
He wanted to make her his woman and stop her from causing trouble.
But it seems they figured it out.
They didn't respond at all.
Instead, it was all for nothing that the youngest son had put in.
Master Hua asked, "Have you told your younger brother about what's been happening lately?"
"I have informed them," Hua Chengzai said. "I have instructed my subordinates to write a letter informing them truthfully."
Master Hua was still worried, so he sent another message.
In short, the goal is to get Hua Jingming to persuade them, to show that their feelings for each other are pure, and that even if they don't get married, they still have a past friendship.
Furthermore, Hua Jingming was sent to the capital to gather information and find out when Su Qing would be transferred.
The Hua family has plenty of time.
Su Qing didn't have that.
It's a pity about the other people in Guangyuefu.
I originally thought the internal strife within the Hua family would be even more intense.
Unexpectedly, his family went quiet and remained silent for the time being.
Hua Youling was somewhat surprised.
I thought her father would take action himself, but what happened?
Su Qing didn't answer, only telling her to run the workshop well.
Su Qing knew exactly what her family was planning.
But now that she's done it, she won't let go.
It's simply a matter of shifting the battlefield to the other side.
Su Qing communicated with Prefect Shen of Shanyang Prefecture and learned that he had secured control of the mines below.
Once things return to normal on their end, they will be able to supply goods to Guang Lefu.
Since the weapons workshop improved its iron smelting technology, steel forging and iron smelting have become more than twice as fast.
They can consume minerals from two different places.
Another person was having increasingly more contact with General Chai.
Another batch of supplies and farm tools were sent from Nanjiang County.
The days with the 160,000 troops stationed there were finally not so difficult.
General Chai was still waiting for news from the capital.
Su Qing told him to wait, and even said in his letter, "If the court can allocate funds, that would be the best."
That sounds so strange.
Su Qing thought to herself, "She said that from the bottom of her heart."
How could it not be good if the imperial court allocated funds for the military?
But at this time, the imperial court in the capital...
They completely ignored the issue of military spending.
On the third day of the eighth lunar month, Eunuch Liang escorted three million taels of silver to the capital.
The imperial court then began to devise how to use this sum of money.
The six ministries are about to fight over this.
The Ministry of War had the most opinions, one being the garrison in Guangyue Prefecture, and the other being maritime defense, etc.
However, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Rites all had something to say.
The Ministry of Rites, in particular, said that the emperor should begin constructing the imperial mausoleum after six years on the throne.
This is not a curse wishing the emperor to die, but rather an ancient belief that the dead should be treated as if they were alive, and the earlier the imperial tomb was built, the better and more dignified it would be.
Like the late emperor, who started building the imperial mausoleum in his first year on the throne.
The Ministry of Works strongly agreed with this, and also suggested that the Empress Dowager's tomb could be expanded.
When the late emperor was alive, the empress dowager was just a concubine, and the tomb she built was too small.
Now that she is the Empress Dowager, it is necessary to expand the palace according to the established rites.
Currently, these two issues are the subject of the most intense debate.
On August 13th, Eunuch Liang finally escorted the silver and the garrison commander of Shanyang Prefecture to the capital.
The garrison commander was beheaded and his head displayed to the public.
Most of the money went to the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Rites to build a tomb for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Even a greedy person like Eunuch Liang would be stunned.
Guangyue Prefecture also received a share, with 200,000 taels of silver allocated to them.
Having served as eunuchs in the military, Eunuch Liang and Eunuch Qi were quite knowledgeable about the military.
Two hundred thousand taels of silver is not even enough to cover the army's expenses for four months.
Moreover, the money wasn't directly transferred; it was used to purchase supplies and sent to Guang Le Prefecture.
We'll deliver it after they've finished shopping.
It's almost the end of the year, isn't it?
Even Eunuch Liang couldn't help but offer advice.
This won't do; those are the military.
The emperor naturally knew that it was the army, but he said, "There is no longer any fighting there. I have already told the soldiers to lay down their arms and return to their fields."
In his view, the chaos in the world stemmed from war.
If there are fewer wars, there will be peace.
The 160,000 troops stationed there were always a thorn in his side.
Given the current situation in Shunchang Kingdom, it is simply impossible to provide for them.
The emperor paused, thinking that if the Guangyuefu could be brought to life, there would likely be no problem.
However, he did not trust Su Qing.
The Emperor stared at Eunuch Liang, wondering why he was speaking up for the garrison.
What is the purpose?
Seeing the Emperor's expression change, Eunuch Liang immediately changed his tune: "Your Majesty is wise; they should be allowed to go home."
As soon as Liang Gonggong left the Qin Zheng Hall, he was covered in sweat when he ran into Sun Gonggong.
When Grandpa Sun, who was always at odds with him, saw him return, he actually breathed a sigh of relief.
I only found out after asking other people.
The Emperor has been waking up in fright from his dreams lately.
It seems she was thinking about the scene when she was driven away by the rebels three years ago, and her experience of fleeing to Nanjing.
During that period, we had pursuers and no money.
It became a nightmare for the emperor.
This made him value money highly and despise soldiers.
Even when they held military training exercises in the suburbs of Beijing this spring, they showed little interest, didn't go to watch, and offered no praise.
As for Prince Zheng, he has been completely stripped of his military power and is now retired at home. I heard he goes hunting in the mountains and rarely goes out.
For a moment, Eunuch Liang was bewildered.
How should one serve an emperor like this?
Oh well, he has enough money on hand to repair the outer residence anyway.
We just need to keep a low profile and not let the emperor know.
The use of this money shocked not only Eunuch Liang, but also other officials in the court.
There were also the Hanlin Academy members, who were the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).
The idea that studying is for becoming an official is something no one would deny.
But many of them genuinely want to do things for the country and its people.
For example, Qi Anping was the most furious.
His results in the provincial and imperial examinations were mediocre, but he still entered the Hanlin Academy during the examination for probationary officials, and he had many followers around him.
He couldn't help but say, "This is absurd. We have money but don't pay for the military. Instead we just keep cutting troops. What if there are more rebels causing trouble?"
"There are also bandits running rampant in various places, why can't we send the army to suppress them?"
The other scholars thought to themselves, "That definitely won't work."
Garrisoning troops is expensive enough; suppressing bandits would empty the national treasury.
"In my opinion, we should let the people rest and recuperate, cultivate the land properly, and wait until the national treasury is full before sending the army to suppress the bandits," said another person with clear eyes.
Another newly appointed scholar looked at him and said, "Resting and recuperating? Farming properly? The people have no land left. How can they farm? Who will farm for them?"
Gu Congsi didn't speak, but looked at the restless Hua Jingming.
Hua Jingming seemed to be provoked by these words and said, "How could the common people not have land in their hands?"
How could there not be?
Qi Anping's lips moved slightly.
Your family owns thousands of acres of fertile land, so naturally you have land.
Normally, Hua Jingming wouldn't say something so self-defeating.
He adjusted his hat.
Thinking of the recent letters from home.
Su Qing actually took action against the Hua family.
She disliked landlords and gentry.
The Hua family was the largest landowner in Guangyue Prefecture.
Both his father and he were prepared for this.
Therefore, the Hua family changed their usual practices.
Even taking on two or three million taels of silver in credit was an attempt to "atone for his sins."
In Hua Jingming's view, it was actually a good thing that the government office, or rather Su Qing, couldn't repay the money.
It will indeed cause the Hua family to lose some money.
But it can preserve most of the farmland.
For the Hua family, all other shops and businesses are meaningless.
Only the land in two counties is real.
But Su Qing repaid it all, penny by penny, until it was all gone.
But Hua Jingming wanted to say that his feelings for her had nothing to do with these things.
He truly liked Su Qing; he admired her intelligence and decisiveness.
She is Su Hehe.
He thought that once he became an official, things would ease and he would be able to mediate.
Now it seems...
Su Qing wanted to resolve the Hua family's affairs before he became a real official.
Even her second sister was a pawn in her game.
"Hua Jingming".
"Hua Jingming," Qi Anping said, "what do you think? Can the imperial court collect taxes from large landowners?"
"Do large landowners have countless ways to avoid taxes?"
Gu Congsi looked at him with an expression of watching a show.
Hui Rong hesitated, not wanting everyone to start arguing.
Hua Jingming snapped out of his daze, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Of course, why not?"
“Large landowners not only pay taxes, but they can also set up tenant households to help them get through years of disaster, giving them a place to stay.”
Gu Congsi suddenly laughed out loud, withdrawing from the discussion.
I overestimated Hua Jingming.
He actually wanted to balance the relationship between Su Qing and his family.
It's funny.
Su Qing probably didn't believe Hua Jingming's choice either, so she had long since given up on this path.
Choose to do it yourself.
"Stop hitting!"
"Scholar Qi! Have you gone mad?!"
"Quickly pull them apart!"
"Hua Jingming, what's wrong with you? It's one thing to fight back, but why are you hitting me so hard?"
Qi Anping couldn't stand Hua Jingming's words.
Their conflicts have been increasing lately, and he and Hui Rong moved out of Hua Jingming's house a long time ago.
Hua Jingming wasn't much better off.
Thinking that Su Qing showed no mercy to the Hua family and had no affection for him whatsoever.
He was furious at the Hua family's current predicament.
The two men started fighting immediately after a disagreement.
Gu Congsi stood outside the door, somewhat speechless and wanting to facepalm.
It's no wonder they're both angry; whoever it is, they're both burning with rage right now.
Those who are devoted to the country are heartbroken by the plight of Shunchang.
He who is devoted to the people does not know how to save them from suffering.
Even those who are only concerned with their own family know that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.
And these scholars can only engage in empty talk here.
It seems that Shunchang Kingdom is truly beyond saving.
The only place where there is hope.
The only place where there is still hope is Guangyuefu.
Gu Congsi walked into the Hanlin Academy and pulled Qi Anping and Hua Jingming apart.
After Hua Jingming left, Gu Congsi said to Qi Anping, "We newly appointed Jinshi will soon be assigned official positions."
"Official positions will change in different regions."
"You, me, and the Guang Le Fu Fellow Association must ensure that Su Qing stays in Guang Le Fu and continues to serve as the prefect."
"Did you hear that?"
Hua Jingming had only one goal.
Let Su Qing leave Guang Le Mansion.
He couldn't just watch her destroy the foundation of his own family business.
He didn't mean to harm Su Qing.
I just want to protect my family.
No matter how much they fight among themselves, they are still family. The Hua family's century-old foundation cannot be ruined in the hands of these three.
Even in a different place, Su Qing can still achieve something, and perhaps even bring peace to the people in that other place.
However, both sides have just begun their actions.
The Ministry of Personnel then sent word.
This caught these newcomers to officialdom somewhat off guard.
With their current abilities, they can neither help nor harm Lord Su.
There's no need to inquire about the location of the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture anymore.
Su Qing's position remains unchanged.
She will remain the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture, according to the Emperor's decree.
What's wrong?
Why is this happening?
Your Majesty, didn't you most want to replace Su Qing?!
The memorial placed on the emperor's desk was written by General Chai, whom he trusted.
General Chai was especially grateful for the 200,000 yuan in military pay.
However, the back pay owed from the first half of the year really can't be delayed any longer.
This problem can be solved.
Only Su Qing from Guangyuefu remains.
The Emperor was well aware of Su Qing's abilities and knew that even if she said she was unwilling, she would not mistreat the soldiers.
In addition to this, Su Qing has an even greater advantage.
No one else knew about this; she was going to deal with the Hua family, the largest landlord family in Guangle Prefecture.
That Master Hua of the Hua family is no good.
How difficult it was for me when I was in Nanjing.
He absolutely refused to donate any money.
Upon hearing Eunuch Liang mention it, the Emperor couldn't help but recall those events.
Now things are really messed up; Su Qing is going to investigate his family.
I wonder how much silver they'll find.
Since that's the case, why not let her stay a little longer?
This piece of fat meat belongs to the Hua family.
The imperial court is determined to win.
Liang Gonggong once stayed at Guangyuefu and said that the Hua family's assets were worth more than ten million.
He even claimed that 80% of the land in the two counties of Fucheng belonged to his family, and he shamelessly boasted that it was their territory.
He was practically a local tyrant.
Su Qing was not surprised at all to receive the document from the Ministry of Personnel.
She already said it.
She wouldn't hand over Guangyuefu to someone else so easily.
General Chai's letter was also on the table.
The letter contained only gratitude towards Su Qing.
Next, the provisions and pay for the 160,000 garrison troops will depend on her.
Su Qing calculated the time.
After the autumn harvest.
The troubles of the Tongmin Prefecture should also be resolved.
Intimidating local tycoons and gentry was a temporary solution, not a permanent one.
Now, we must send some people over there to eradicate those persistent problems.
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