Chapter 74 Killing Intent [First Update]
The chaos in Tongminfu continues.
No matter how the local gentry and wealthy families tried to defend themselves or organize their forces, it was all to no avail.
Moreover, tenant farmers in various places spontaneously spread the news.
Everyone was waiting for the local big players to open their granaries.
Although these wealthy families have many members, they are still far too few compared to the tens or even hundreds of thousands of ordinary people.
Many bullies don't even dare to go out, not to mention that they can't fight off four hands with their bare fists.
They could lose their lives at any moment.
It's impossible to say there won't be chaos.
But there was nothing they could do.
Prefect Chen only wanted to minimize the problem and make it disappear.
Moreover, they had previously been lukewarm towards Prefect Chen, so it was even less likely that they would help him.
The garrison commander has not yet taken office.
The county magistrates were all living in fear, after all, they had done their share of evil deeds.
For a time, they were completely helpless, crying out to heaven and earth in vain.
Su Qing originally intended to take the time to manage military discipline, emphasizing that they were not there to rob, but simply to help the weak and punish the strong.
Now that Yan Zhengzhou has passed away, there's no need to worry too much about military discipline.
As for why he came, it's easy to guess.
Our own improved iron smelting technology.
They still have contact with General Chai, so he'll definitely come to visit.
There's no need to worry about Tongmin Prefecture; Su Qing's focus remains on Guangle Prefecture.
They also needed to comfort Mei Niang and Aunt Su.
After all, it happened in our hometown, so everyone is bound to be worried.
Fortunately, a letter arrived from their hometown, leaving everyone who was initially worried speechless.
"Everything is fine at home."
“The village bully’s entire family is gone, and the land has been distributed to local families by the newly arrived county magistrate.”
"The losses to the granary are irrecoverable, so let's just let it go."
"However, we have organized people to patrol the area daily to prevent the bandits from breaking in again."
In summary...
So much trouble has happened.
Life has actually gotten better for everyone?
The villagers' debts were gone, and the land was returned to them.
Upon hearing this, the villagers in Guangyuefu clearly wanted to go home to visit.
I only came here because I couldn't make ends meet, so naturally I want to go back and visit now.
Mei Niang also helped them pack their luggage and told them to be careful on the road.
This put everyone's minds at ease.
However, Su Qing still asked a few more questions about Mei Niang's safety.
Wu, the head constable, also said, "Since the news of the Tongmin Prefecture spread, the Hua family seems to have stopped making any moves."
Su Qing's expression was serious.
She and Luo, the registrar, and Wu, the constable, were indeed right.
The Hua family truly hated her to the core.
That Master Hua was indeed desperate and ready to take drastic measures.
The events at Tongminfu, however, served as a wake-up call for his family.
Whether they realized it or not, the matter in Tongmin Prefecture was related to Su Qing.
But it's true that they dare not take action again.
This left Su Qing with some regret.
If we actually lay a hand on her, it would only give her an excuse.
The Hua family has been able to establish themselves in this place for many years, which shows they have their own abilities.
That's incredibly tactful.
That's what Su Qing thought.
But the Hua family mansion was eerily quiet; no one dared to speak loudly.
Because Master Hua was so angry that his chest ached, he lay on his sickbed with his eyes slightly closed.
Hua Cheng, Hua Jingming, and Hua Cheng stayed by the bedside to care for the ailing patient.
The woman carrying the flower didn't dare to breathe, standing to the side, waiting to hear her orders.
"How many tenants have vacated their properties today?" Old Master Hua asked, panting heavily, his voice like a broken bellows.
Hua Cheng gritted his teeth: "Three thousand six hundred tenants in Guangzuo County have returned their rents, one thousand nine hundred in Guangyou County, and more than four hundred in the prefectural city."
As mentioned before, the Hua family owns countless fertile fields.
Eighty percent of the farmland in Guangzuo County and Guangyou County belongs to his family.
The number of tenants in these two places is about the same, both around 24,000 households.
The population of the prefectural city is more diverse, but the area is larger, with about 36,000 households, all of whom are his tenant farmers.
Starting from last year and the year before.
Tenants began to gradually terminate their leases.
The reason is that after the buying, selling, and leasing became fairer, their hard-working nature became more apparent, and they were able to save money.
People who don't farm don't want their own land.
When people have money on hand, most of them immediately buy land and houses.
The Guangyuefu area was no exception.
Although there were some tenants leaving the lease in the past two years, it wasn't a major blow.
Starting this year, things are very different.
Because the officials all knew that Lord Su's term was up and he would soon be leaving.
The common people also know this.
Before Lord Su leaves, quickly buy everything you need.
Even if something goes wrong later, it will last longer.
In addition, there was the trouble caused by the Hua family this year, as well as the attitudes of Hua Youling and the magistrate of Guangyou County.
Many people have figured out their attitude.
Don't wait any longer.
While you have the money, hurry up and buy some land.
Otherwise, after Lord Su leaves, the Hua family will re-emerge from its previous state.
He'll have to lead these tenant farmers to their deaths again.
Having grown accustomed to a comfortable life, who would still be willing to fight for these masters?
They were the ones who died.
It's not their family members who benefit.
Why bother?
In response, the Prefectural Government's Household Department issued a special recommendation.
It explains the land situation in other counties of Guangyue Prefecture, where land can still be purchased, and where it is more convenient to reclaim wasteland, etc.
So after this year's autumn harvest.
More and more tenants are giving up their leases in Huajia.
They no longer need to rent land!
They're going to buy their own land!
Since we're farming anyway, we might as well farm our own!
By the end of September, things were still going well in Guangyou County, which Hua Youling used to manage. She was never too harsh on her tenants, and not many people were giving up their leases.
The prefectural city is alright; it's so close to Suqing that many tenants are too lazy to terminate their leases.
In Guangzuo County, which is under the jurisdiction of Huacheng County, more than 24,000 households have now been reduced by half.
For the entire Hua family.
This place suddenly lost half of its income.
It's just a matter of losing income, but that's fine.
In less than two years, these lands will be abandoned.
This rule existed in almost every dynasty.
If good farmland turns into wasteland, the imperial court has the right to hold those responsible accountable, and may even directly reclaim the land or buy it back at a low price.
The purpose was to prevent landlords from hoarding too much land, leaving it uncultivated.
The tenants have now left.
Are you suggesting we let the Hua family father and his two sons do the planting?
Even if the father and son worked together, they couldn't cultivate that much land.
Su Qing will definitely use the charge of abandoning the land to force the Hua family to give an explanation.
It's a pity that Su Qing didn't move and remained as the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture.
Hua Chengzai was still cursing, but Hua Laoye, lying on his sickbed, was silently sitting next to Hua Jingming.
There are also standing flowers supporting the wife.
They all understood one thing.
No amount of scolding will change anything.
Once Su Qing decides to do something, she won't let go.
Let's see how she gets to know the imperial court.
The people in Beijing have been demanding this year's tax payments.
Su Qing still dared to refuse.
Moreover, it's just a small family like the Hua family.
Master Hua spoke again: "Tongmin Prefecture, is there any news from there?"
Hua Chengcheng shuddered upon hearing this.
Although Tongmin Prefecture is far from Guangle Prefecture.
But whenever he heard about the miserable state of the wealthy families there, he felt a chill run down his spine.
To put it bluntly, it's a case of the rabbit mourning the fox's death.
Hua Jingming slowly began to speak: "There was a classmate of mine from Tongmin Prefecture. His family's century-old foundation was wiped out."
I originally thought that these families were indestructible.
In reality, it could be reduced to nothing with just a fire.
Master Hua's eyelids twitched slightly: "Who do you think did this?"
Both of them had an answer they couldn't believe.
But no one dared to say it.
Master Hua only fell into a coma after hearing the news from the Tongmin Prefecture.
The first thing he did upon waking up was to ask the Tongmin Prefecture how many people had died.
Is it only targeting wealthy and powerful local gentry?
When they learned of this news, the "Daze Army" had already swept through the fourth county.
Therefore, the answer is yes.
But Master Hua's intuition told him that things weren't that simple.
This thief seems to be different from the previous ones.
Moreover, that was the Tongminfu (a government office).
Su Qing's hometown.
When she returned from the capital, she stayed at Tongminfu.
They even warned these local gentry and wealthy families.
Of course, they didn't take it seriously at the time.
Hearing this now, it's hard not to be horrified for onlookers.
Could it have been Su Qing who did it?
If it's her.
If the Hua family still wants to kill her, wouldn't that be even more dangerous?
If it weren't for the youngest son constantly stopping him...
The Hua family's best fighters had already gone to kill Su Qing's entire family.
In particular, she protected her mother and younger brother in Nanjiang County.
As long as Su Qing is alone, she won't fare much better.
After learning of his father's thoughts, Hua Jingming kept trying to persuade him.
Master Hua then asked, "Which side are you on? If you truly care about Su Qing, you shouldn't be protecting the family. If you're considering the family's interests, you should be dealing with the lawsuit."
But he hesitated, wanting to have it all, wanting both.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
It's good if you don't run into someone like Su Qing.
How could one possibly have the best of both worlds when it comes to her?
Hua Jingming could not give an answer.
Then the Tongminfu incident happened.
"Never mind." Master Hua lay on the bed and sighed deeply. "Go to the yamen again."
"We concede defeat."
Admit defeat?!
The flower carries an unsolved mystery.
We're not at our wits' end yet!
How can we admit defeat!
Master Hua sneered, "If the youngest son goes to be an official, the family business can only be taken over by the eldest son."
Judging from his personality, the Hua family's business was already finished.
If only we could keep the second daughter.
Although she was focused on stability, she was also very meticulous.
Under her leadership, the Hua family will not experience significant growth, but it will also not be squandered.
Master Hua looked around and pointed to his eldest daughter-in-law: "You go to the government office with your younger brother."
"Call the second son along too."
"Just say that my days are numbered, and that I cannot manage my family's land and property well, so I need to sell some of them. Please have the government act as a witness and find a buyer."
Selling off the land?
How can this be?
Hua Cheng immediately objected.
But the rest of the family was willing.
Hua Cheng wanted to go find his mother, but Madam Hua was at a loss and had no opinion of her own. She only said, "Listen to your father. What your father says must be right."
After saying that, she added, "Husband, I heard that there is a kind of pill in Nanjiang County that can cure your illness. Let's go and buy some."
Madam Hua was about the same age as Master Hua, but she knew nothing about these things happening outside.
They would never have known that the Qi-boosting and spirit-nourishing pills came from Su Qing's hand.
Given the current situation, how could she possibly give it to him?
Hua Jingming helped his mother up and comforted her gently.
When Hua Youling sent word, she went directly to the government office.
"Preserving oneself is the most important thing."
That's what they say, but Mr. Hua looks much older than he is.
He worked hard for the Hua family his whole life, but he never expected that he would have to sell off his land.
But he knew even better.
Rather than letting the land lie fallow, it's better to sell it.
This would both reduce trouble and serve as an admission of defeat and pleading for leniency from Su Qing.
You can't just rely on words to plead with her.
I certainly can't say I want to marry you.
This isn't pleading for mercy; it's courting death.
Regardless of whether the Tongmin Prefecture affair was orchestrated by Su Qing or not.
But what happened there could very well happen in Guangyuefu.
Su Qing definitely has the guts to do that.
"Go," Master Hua said in a hoarse voice.
When Su Qing heard about this, he only asked Wu Hufang and the others to handle it.
It would be perfect to sell the land to the tenant farmers who used to cultivate it, so they wouldn't have to move away.
It seems that the incident at Tongmin Prefecture has truly terrified the Hua family.
When Hua Youling arrived, she looked at Hua's eldest sister-in-law and Hua Jingming and was speechless for a moment.
The purpose of bringing her here is to manage the farmland in Guangyou County.
She used to manage everything, and we had to contact her to sell anything.
However, Hua Youling really couldn't understand it.
Seeing the seemingly invincible Hua family, they simply admitted defeat.
Her father even took the initiative to approach her, which was clearly a sign of humility.
What about all that forbearance, helping to manage the family business, and always standing out?
There are no benefits to being compliant.
After retaliating, they actually got what they wanted.
The tenants were extremely excited about the Hua family's plan to sell their land.
It's like someone just hands you a pillow when you're about to fall asleep.
The price sounds reasonable.
It's really good that the government is in charge of buying and selling.
They worked so hard to save money, wasn't it all for this day?
The officials of the prefectural government and the two counties were engaged in buying and selling business every day.
The Hua family, the largest family in Guangyue Prefecture, is gradually shrinking its sphere of influence.
This has left many people feeling regretful.
However, his family was still much better off than those people in Tongmin Prefecture.
By the end of September, half of the major households in Tongmin Prefecture had been purged.
The remaining people either quickly opened the granaries to distribute the grain or packed up their belongings and fled to other places.
So the Hua family should be content.
You'll behave yourselves once you're placed in the Tongmin Prefecture.
The imperial court, which had previously paid little attention to the various regions below, is now taking the affairs of the Daze Army seriously.
Send the newly appointed garrison commander, Lian Feiyang, over here quickly and make sure to wipe out the bandits.
Lian Feiyang had fought in many battles, and his arrival gave many people confidence.
Moreover, upon arriving at Tongmin Prefecture, he immediately began his investigation.
On the second day of the tenth month, he submitted a memorial to the imperial court.
“There are many bandits in this area, and they have the intention to rebel. The local prefect, Chen Jianye, concealed this and failed to report it, which led to a great disaster.”
Let's leave the rest aside.
rebellion?
They even specifically targeted wealthy landowners and gentry.
For the emperor, the word "treason" was a capital offense.
Let's learn more about the details.
They were targeting the aristocratic families.
Which official in the capital didn't own a large amount of farmland?
Like Master Hua, they were both angry and afraid, and they cursed Chen Jianye for daring to cover up for the rebels.
If the court had known about these things earlier, it would certainly have taken them seriously.
Over a hundred officials jointly petitioned the authorities, demanding that Prefect Chen be held accountable.
The Emperor nodded and ordered the Ministry of Personnel to take action.
Let's leave everything else aside.
What the "Great Swamp Army" did was exactly what the aristocratic royal family feared most.
When Prefect Chen received the dismissal document from the Ministry of Personnel, everything went black.
How could he not know how serious this matter was?
If they didn't know, why would they go to such lengths to hide it?
The newly arrived garrison commander actually filed a complaint directly.
It caught him completely off guard.
Back when the gentry and landlords ran rampant, he was at most just living in fear.
Now the biggest threat has been resolved.
He himself was dismissed from his post?!
Where there is sorrow, there is joy.
When Wang Tongpan saw his appointment document, he thought he had misread it and asked someone to pinch him hard.
To appoint him concurrently as the Prefect of Tongmin Prefecture?!
Should we just let him fill this vacancy?!
I didn't see wrong, did I?
The messenger who delivered the document offered his congratulations again, and only then did Wang Tongpan remember to give him some reward money.
That's great!
Their master has become the prefect.
He was originally a fifth-rank education commissioner, and then a sixth-rank prefectural judge.
He's now a prefect, a fourth-rank official!
Moreover, Prefect Wang and others knew about it.
Tongminfu may appear chaotic, but in reality, it was the local gentry and bullies who died there.
With this troublemaker gone, Lian Feiyang and Lian Shoubei will be able to purify the area.
They're not actually that hard to manage.
He hadn't even realized that Wang Tongpan had become Wang Zhifu.
But then I suddenly thought of Prefect Su.
Why did Lord Su send him to Tongmin Prefecture?
They even said to just wait.
Could it be that this is what we've been waiting for?
Prefect Wang shook his head immediately, recalling the recent events.
Some things are better left unasked about.
Anyway, he has already become the prefect.
He knew what to do next.
After all, if they can get him up there, they can also bring him down.
Lord Chen, standing nearby, serves as a cautionary tale.
From the perspective of others.
After the appointment of the new garrison commander and the new prefect of Tongmin Prefecture.
The public security situation has indeed improved a lot.
The Daze army had been driven back several times before. Although they hadn't captured the enemy, at least they didn't dare to come any closer.
Moreover, the new prefect took the initiative to write to the other party, saying that as the new prefect, he would not ignore these local gentry and bullies, and so on, to reassure the other party.
Surprisingly, it actually worked; several counties were spared, just waiting for the new prefect to take charge.
The new garrison commander was not idle either. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he mobilized troops and gathered local militia to deal with the real mountain bandits and outlaws in the surrounding area.
With the two working together, the situation in Tongmin Prefecture improved significantly.
A letter came from Su Jiamei's family in Zhaozhen County, saying that everything was alright at home.
The local young men and women are not planning to leave home; they are leveling the land, waiting to plant crops next year.
Even after Lord Chen packed his bags and returned to his hometown, he only felt that he was unlucky.
Why did this have to happen?
When he returned to his hometown, he even passed through Guanglefu, but he did not stay for a day and quickly sent his family to drive away by carriage.
He was at odds with Su Qing and the Tongmin Prefecture where Su Qing worked.
I used to rely on her, but she's unreliable now.
When these good news reached Su Qing, how could she not be happy?
Tongmin Prefecture, the hometown of Lord Su and Mei Niang, is finally at peace.
Don't let its simplicity and crudeness fool you; this method is truly effective.
Su Qing tidied up the room, waiting for someone to come over.
The ninth day of the tenth month in the sixth year of Yongsheng.
Although it was autumn, the night wind wasn't particularly cold.
Su Qing lit a lamp and read a book in the courtyard.
Yan Zhengzhou arrived as promised.
After Yan Zhengzhou sat down, Su Qing smiled and asked, "Are you calm now?"
Seeing that he didn't answer, Su Qing ignored him.
Both of them knew what Yan Zhengzhou was angry about.
Knowing full well that she doesn't want to take away someone else's love, she won't get entangled with someone who is already engaged.
But Su Qing made him lower his standards step by step.
Even knowing it's wrong, they still get close.
He knew that telling her those past events was just talking about his childhood.
But she used it for her own purposes.
Also, his identity.
Yan Zhengzhou thought to himself that Su Qing treated him differently.
Is it for this identity, or for him?
Or perhaps both are present, and they are inseparable.
After sitting for a while, Yan Zhengzhou said, "I'll leave tonight."
It's been quite a while since I left Beijing.
Su Qing asked curiously, "How did the capital handle it?"
“Ma Hao disguised himself as me and went hunting in the mountains.”
The timing was perfect; it was time to go back, otherwise it would definitely arouse suspicion.
Su Qing put down her book and stared at him with her bright eyes: "Are you really not going to rebel?"
Yan Zhengzhou was helpless.
How could she say such blasphemous things so easily?
"Not for me, and not for yourself."
"Can't it be for the people of Tongmin Prefecture you've met?"
Su Qing's voice remained unchanged, showing no sign of feeling that there was anything wrong with what she said.
As Yan Zhengzhou got up to leave, Su Qing laughed mockingly.
Yan Zhengzhou then turned to look at her, approached her directly, and said very seriously, "If you lose, you will die."
Getting that position isn't that simple.
He has seen it, and he has experienced it.
One wrong move and the whole game is lost.
At that point, even with his martial prowess, he'll only be able to die alongside her.
He can die, but Su Qing cannot.
Su Qing wasn't afraid of him getting close; instead, she leaned in, hooked her arms around his neck, and gently bit Yan Zhengzhou's lips before saying, "So what if I die?"
"You don't even have this much guts?"
"Yan Zhengzhou, rebel!"
On his way back to the capital, Yan Zhengzhou passed by Tongmin Prefecture again.
At this time, Su Qing's hometown was completely different.
Execute the local gentry and bullies.
With the addition of civil and military officials arranged by Su Qing, the atmosphere was completely renewed.
Prefect Wang even sent people to buy cheap and easy-to-use farm tools from Guangyuefu.
The silver used was the 300,000 taels of tax that was originally to be paid to the imperial court.
The former prefect originally intended to donate most of the tax revenue to the emperor.
Before he could do it, the new prefect stopped him.
Prefect Wang wasn't as bold as Su Qing, but he was tactful and roundabout, conveying the same message: "The people of Tongmin Prefecture are suffering, and there are rebels causing trouble. This money is meant to suppress public resentment and eliminate the rebels."
Of course, the reason why Prefect Wang dared to do this was because Prefect Su had taken the lead.
Everyone knows that the imperial court is eyeing the tax revenue from Guangyue Prefecture.
Su Qing still refused to give it, saying that it had already been given to the army and that he had instructed officials from the Ministry of Revenue to ask the army for military funds.
Are you kidding me?
The Ministry of Revenue only allocates funds to the military; it doesn't ask the military for money.
The back-and-forth of official documents and memorials between the two sides had become the emperor's biggest headache.
This matter concerning the Tongmin government is nothing.
Su Qing firmly established himself in Guangyue Prefecture, bringing vitality to other areas as well.
From Guangyue Prefecture to Gaoqing Prefecture to Tongmin Prefecture.
There are also 160,000 troops stationed there; none of them have achieved their current status without her skillful management and efforts.
Yan Zhengzhou returned to the capital, changed his clothes, and went back to the palace to meet the emperor.
The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow robe, was discussing the construction of the imperial mausoleum with the Ministry of Works.
He wanted both glory in life and wealth in death.
"The silver is still not enough," the emperor said. "Please urge the Guangyue Prefecture and Tongmin Prefecture again."
"Do they dare to disobey orders?"
The officials from the Ministry of Works nodded repeatedly, needing no further explanation of their flattery.
The Emperor then looked up, as if he had just seen Prince Zheng, and said, "You went hunting in the mountains and have been gone for so long. Did you catch anything?"
Yan Zhengzhou was very familiar with this, but since he could not answer that he had hunted bears or deer, he could only talk about pheasants and rabbits.
"Isn't Prince Zheng a war god? How come he's dealing with such trivial matters?" The emperor laughed, coughing slightly, and quickly swallowed a pill.
Thinking of those local gentry and bullies in Tongmin Prefecture.
It is indeed a small item.
Yan Zhengzhou nodded: "They are all small things, but too many small things can also be a nuisance."
The emperor waved his hand, ignoring him and dismissing him.
As long as he is in the capital.
What you do isn't that important.
Yan Zhengzhou left the Hall of Diligent Governance, no longer listening to the Emperor's discussion with the Ministry of Works.
On the other side, Qi, the palace official, waved to him.
They had both fought in Yisong County before, so their relationship wasn't bad.
The two walked into the shadows, and Qi, the palace eunuch, whispered, "Your Highness, there's a new concubine in the palace who's very favored lately. Have you heard about it?"
Yan Zhengzhou didn't care about such things, so naturally he didn't know.
The eunuch took a deep breath: "Your Highness, please don't leave yet. She will be here soon to bring the ginseng soup to the Emperor."
Yan Zhengzhou had a bad feeling, and he looked up.
A tall woman walked gracefully towards them.
His face bore a six or seven-point resemblance to Su Qing's.
Yan Zhengzhou's throat bobbed as he stared at the Hall of Diligent Governance, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
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