"You're right, I will find a way to resolve this matter."
With the evidence conclusive, Kangxi wasted no time and immediately ordered his men to surround Ning Zhiyuan's residence.
Subsequently, Zhang Xianghua, Li Zhaokun, and others were all imprisoned.
It was only half a day. When he was surrounded, Ning Zhiyuan was eating and lecturing his son to be more ambitious. Who knew he would be arrested?
It was very sudden and extremely exciting.
Without much interrogation, Kangxi's men presented the evidence directly, leaving Ning Zhiyuan completely stunned upon seeing it.
At this time, Ning Zhiyuan had already been stripped of his official position.
"My lord, I was unaware of such a thing. Please investigate thoroughly."
Ning Zhiyuan genuinely didn't know, but while he could escape the death penalty, he couldn't escape punishment. Zhang Xianghua was relying on his influence, and a simple "I don't know" couldn't erase those crimes.
In the end, Ning Zhiyuan lost his official position and his family property was confiscated. His most beloved concubine, Zhang, was imprisoned and exiled thousands of miles away. The Ning family was barred from taking the imperial examinations for three generations. Zhang Xianghua and Li Zhaokun committed the most serious crimes, as they had murder on their hands and were beheaded in the market. The others were also punished to varying degrees according to the law.
In this respect, Ning Zhiyuan lost out, but in a way, he didn't lose out. After all, no one forced him to favor a concubine. If it weren't for his favoritism, even if Zhang Shi was a woman with impure intentions, her brother wouldn't have dared to use the prefect's name to do things.
In the end, Ning Zhiyuan wasn't entirely innocent either. He was spoiled by her, and he deserved to be taken advantage of her kindness and gentleness.
Ning Zhiyuan's wife, Madam Xu, was the most unfortunate. When Ning Zhiyuan was still the prefect, he favored his concubine over his wife. Even though she was the legal wife, she had to be inferior to others because she had no children and was usually suppressed by a concubine.
The wrongdoings of Zhang's brother unfortunately implicated her as well.
As she watched the items in the storeroom being moved out one by one and the door being sealed, Xu Shi became unhappy. She had the old woman from her maiden family who had come with her pack up her dowry, wrote a letter of divorce, and then went straight back to her maiden home.
Xu's family wasn't particularly wealthy, and her father wasn't bad either. They weren't as good as Ning Zhiyuan, but they were still a well-off family. Xu herself had a dowry, and her parents were still alive. They didn't say anything about her sudden return, but they weren't particularly welcoming either.
This was enough for Xu Shi. She planned to stay at her parents' home for a few days and then move out. Her dowry wasn't much, but it was enough for her to live on for the rest of her life. As for Ning Zhiyuan, Xu Shi didn't want to pay him any attention.
Anyway, she has no children. When Ning Zhiyuan was in power, she didn't get any glory. Instead, she suffered ridicule from her mother-in-law, sarcasm from her sister-in-law, and humiliation from her concubine. Now she's not going to serve them anymore.
Xu's departure dealt a heavy blow to Ning Zhiyuan, who fell seriously ill when Kangxi left Tianjin, seemingly on the verge of never recovering. His son, born to a concubine, was fine, but he was not capable of handling things. He had previously relied on Zhang's favor in the household and had learned Zhang's flattering and ingratiating skills, but he had not paid any attention to the skills of a man to establish himself and start a family. Naturally, he had no respect for his father, Ning Zhiyuan, who had neither money nor power.
Before leaving Tianjin, Emperor Kangxi stated that he would pass through Tianjin again on his return journey from his trip to Jiangnan, and that he would conduct a thorough investigation then. Anyone found guilty should make amends immediately, and those who had not made amends would be dealt with according to the law.
While investigating this matter, Kangxi also discovered something else. The crime was not punishable by death, but it was even worse than Ning Zhiyuan's.
If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. If an investigation really takes place, there aren't that many people who can replace these officials. Just give them a warning, let them make amends as soon as possible, and if they don't go too far, that's fine. Keep a record so they can be more careful in the future. If they can't make amends, then it's not too late to replace them.
Youqing agreed with Kangxi's approach. Only after coming to ancient society did she truly realize how good the country she had once lived in was.
There is no need to worry about food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. While medical care and education may not be entirely satisfactory, they are not as difficult as in ancient times.
Moreover, the officialdom in ancient times was truly not aboveboard.
To put it simply, the emergence of a corrupt official in modern government is an isolated case, but it was different in ancient times. If a truly upright and honest official appeared in a place, he would surely be remembered for generations to come.
Therefore, Youqing had no opinion on Kangxi's decision. In the end, she knew that even if a new batch of people were replaced, it would be useless if the inaction of these people could not be eliminated at the root.
It's better to leave a knife hanging over their heads, at least they'll know to be mindful and know what they can and cannot do.
As for the land that was forcibly sold, it naturally returned to its original owners without any payment.
The farmland that Zhang Xianghua had taken from Lijia Village has all been returned, but it was bought back at a low price. Those who don't have the money can pay on credit, since ultimately it was their greed for small gains.
They weren't unhappy about this; they could buy it back at a low price, and as long as the money was returned to the government within five years, no interest would be charged. Emperor Kangxi even specially ordered a three-year tax exemption for these lands, giving them a buffer period to return to normal life.
After leaving Tianjin, the group stopped in Hebei. Hebei was peaceful, at least there was no place in Hebei that Kangxi could punish.
Indeed, Tianjin is not far from here, and those who are well-informed know what's going on and have made preparations in advance. Kangxi knew there must be some unclean places, but he didn't punish anyone for it.
However, before leaving, they also spread the word that they would come to check on the return trip. Past mistakes, as long as they were not serious, could be forgiven, but only if the offenders made amends.
When Kangxi left Hebei, the officials there truly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing their behavior, Kangxi was displeased.
"They all act like mice before a cat when they see me, they're quite guilty." As he spoke, Kangxi couldn't help but sigh.
The memorials sent from various places, apart from those about natural disasters or major events, mostly described a peaceful and tranquil life, but only after seeing them with one's own eyes did one realize that problems were everywhere.
After leaving Hebei, Kangxi decided to take his sons to visit a farmhouse so they could see what the Qing Dynasty was like.
Although the journey wasn't very comfortable, I didn't really suffer. At most, I was a little tired, but the food, clothes, and other necessities I had were all the best.
Youqing took Le'an with her and went along.
Accompanied by several guards, the group pretended to be merchants relocating with their families and asked to stay overnight at a farmhouse.
This reason is quite plausible. The place is relatively remote and there are no inns where people can stay overnight. The village usually receives many traveling merchants.
Finally, they stayed at the home of the village chief and the only scholar in the village.
In the evening, the villagers accompanied us for dinner.
Before the meal, the village lady looked at Youqing, who had come to the table with her, with a disapproving expression, but for the sake of money, she didn't say anything.
Youqing didn't find it strange. Even in modern times, there are still some places where women are not allowed to sit at the table. This was even more so in ancient times. It was clear that the village chief's wife usually listened to the village chief.
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