Mr. Xiang teases her husband every day

Chapter 95

Xiang Yuan sat in the temporary study room arranged by Zhuangzi, immersed himself in quick calculations.

Yesterday, Qin Mian and Zhou Qinglin came over.As early as he found out that the government office in Hejian was secretly extracting official salt for his own benefit, he wrote to call Qin Mian and Zhou Qinglin, and ordered them to inquire about the news secretly.Yesterday, the two of them compiled the information about salt and grain that they had secretly inquired in Hejian Mansion into a booklet for him, and then the couple went to the south of the Yangtze River together to help Zhao Shen.

With the two of them going, Xiang Yuan felt a little relieved at last.

Qin Mian's mind is extremely clever. The booklet he sorted out clearly marked the incoming and outgoing news of the salt and grain harvest, sales, and taxation in the prefecture of Hejian Prefecture in this year.It's just that due to time constraints, Qin Mian can only sort out the information of the last year, and there is no other way for the previous years.

However, this is already a good result for Xiang Yuan. Before that, he secretly contacted Wu Zuo, who was neglected in the Yamen of Hejian Mansion, and lobbied several times to win people to his side, and Wu Zuo would intervene. , to get the entry and exit records of all salt grains in Hejian Prefecture in the last two years.

Quickly calculating the results, and comparing the two, Xiang Yuan had a rough estimate of Hejian Mansion's annual salt and grain production.

Li Qiqian waited at the side, patiently waiting for him to finish the calculation, and then eagerly checked the results. After a closer look, he was almost so angry that he cursed loudly regardless of his appearance, took a few deep breaths, and then he calmed down the anxiety in his heart. The violent spirit of cutting those corrupt officials into pieces.

"These silverfish are simply too much! They dare to take away [-]% of the official salt in a mere Hejian mansion! There is also food taxation, which is not in line with reporting to the court! Enjoying my salary from Daliang, but guarding and stealing , fattened up my belly, hmph, when I tell my father, I will definitely disembowel this group of people and leave no one behind."

Rao Xiang Yuan didn't expect the officials of Hejian Mansion to be so bold.The annual salt and grain tax revenue is nearly [-] million taels of silver, yet they dare to conceal nearly one million taels of silver!

This is only one place in Hejian Prefecture. If the three prefectures are like this, it is not difficult to imagine how amazing this number will be.

No wonder the sage was anxious to solve the problem of the three prefectures, it turned out to be such a serious situation.If King Qing really had treasonous thoughts, the tax bankers of the three prefectures alone could create tens of thousands of elites for him.In this way, the most urgent task is to quickly determine what is going on on that small overseas island.

Before that, though.

"Your Highness, the people who came to pick you up have been staying in Zhuangzi for three days, so you should go back with them."

Li Qiqian was humming to himself, and was very unhappy when he heard this.

"You are short of manpower. If I don't leave, not only will these corrupt officials be punished, but the most important thing is that I have to stay here to make sure Uncle Qing is really plotting something wrong."

Just know!

Xiang Yuan helped his forehead, and patiently persuaded him: "Your Highness, you must know that even if it is really confirmed that King Qing is plotting something wrong, this is not something that the minister can do. It must be handed over to the person who should take over. As for corrupt officials Officials, I assure you that they will be imprisoned without exception."

Li Qiqian's face was ugly, and he knew that what Xiang Yuan said was true.

The prince is smart and scheming. Seeing that he was silent at this time, Xiang Yuan knew that he had listened to what he said, so he made a decision directly: "I will go and inform the commander Tong, Your Highness, please tell me what to say." Just go back to Beijing."

Li Qiqian became even more unhappy when he heard the words, but he also knew that Xiang Yuan was determined to send him away, and in order to ensure his safety, even if he refused to leave, Xiang Yuan must have a way to send him out of Hejian The government, instead of being passive at that time, it is better to strive for the initiative.

"Okay, okay, all of you are chattering, talking about going back alone all day, you're so annoying. Tomorrow, I'll go back to Beijing with them! I won't stay here and be talked about by you."

After finishing speaking, he walked to the door with a flick of his hand, turned his head to stare at Xiang Yuan, and said seriously: "But Mr. Xiang must remember your promise."

Finally, he was about to send the person away, and Xiang Yuan could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Master, a letter from Tongping Mansion."

Hearing this, Xiang Yuan was refreshed.Xu Hanzhang, whom he met in Tongping Mansion before, was in the rice grain business. Ever since he knew that the rice grain taxes in the three prefectures were not in line, Xiang Yuan wrote to Xu Hanzhang, asking him to help him find out.Xu Hanzhang was also reliable in his work, and within five days, the letter was delivered.

Xiang Yuan took it apart and looked at it carefully, the more he looked at it, the more frightened he became.

It was previously calculated that the cargo ship sent about [-] shi, which is only five shipments.At that time, he wondered how the Hejian Mansion had an extra [-] shi for grain just after paying the taxes.Now that he has read Xu Hanzhang's letter, he has finally cleared up his doubts.

Five years ago, someone at the southern end of the Jiangnan Mansion adapted to local conditions and developed a rice seed that could be harvested twice a year. After a year of experimentation, the yield was gratifying.However, the Jiangnan Mansion did not report such a great good deed and credit at all, but secretly contacted the Hejian Mansion and the Guanzhong Mansion, ordering the two mansions to farm privately, and the grain they obtained was still paid according to the output of one crop in previous years. , and the tax here is also deducted one-tenth of it privately according to the old practice.

Because Xu Hanzhang's family has been in the rice and grain business all year round, they have done several transactions, but they can see the tricks in it. It's just that they are just merchants, and they dare not get involved in it even if they have the guts.

If Xiang Yuan hadn't written the letter this time, Xu Hanzhang would never have leaked the news.

"Shu Shu Shuo Shu, you are so bold!"

Previously, I thought that the three governments were just more serious about corruption, and I didn't want to get to the bottom of it, but there were many problems. If any one was singled out, it would be a serious crime of ransacking the house and beheading.Now that there is King Qing again, I don't know how many people who are not afraid of death are involved.

I'm afraid that after these things happen in the future, more than half of the positions in the government offices of the three prefectures will be vacant.

The population of Xujiazhuang is small, and it is the beginning of winter, early in the morning, there are almost no active people outside.Xiang Yuan ordered his followers to inquire about the surrounding area and found nothing unusual, so he invited the prince out.Seeing the prince getting into an unremarkable carriage with his own eyes, the Commander Tong, who was dressed in ordinary uniform, clasped his fists with him, then beat his horse and left.Xiang Yuan's heart finally came down to earth.

After sending the prince away, he is ready to go to the south of the Yangtze River.He planned to visit that small overseas island for himself.

Unexpectedly, someone came and knocked on Zhuangzi's gate that night.

"Old man, please inform me that brother Feng Jue is visiting."

The gatekeeper was the old man who had been watching Zhuangzi before the butler, and he knew that the news of Xiang Yuan's presence must not be leaked.Seeing someone coming to the door, he drove them away with a vicious voice through the door, saying that he was the only old man in the village and there was no one else.However, when someone outside said that he was Xiang Yuan's senior brother, the old man hesitated for a moment, opened the door, and saw a man standing outside who was gentle and refined, with an extraordinary bearing, and kindly asked him to report again. I didn't even take half a step.

The old man had served the housekeeper before, and had seen many wealthy people, so he naturally had good eyesight.The more I look at this person, the more kind-hearted he looks, I just feel like I've seen him somewhere before.All the way I thought about going to inform Xiang Yuan, while watching Xiang Yuan rushing to pick up the person, I was still thinking, where did I see this person?

"Senior Brother Feng, why are you here?"

Feng Jue and Xiang Yuan walked towards Zhuangzi side by side. Hearing this, he said with a smile: "I came here on purpose. I found out that you had left Hejian Mansion earlier, and there was news that you were in Guanzhong. I didn't believe it, so I secretly inquired about it. After a while, I found Xujiazhuang, and you are here."

"If everyone was as smart as Brother Feng, I'm afraid Congzi would have been plotted against."

Feng Jue laughed out loud.

When he sat down in the study, he saw that the old man who was watching the door was still following behind him.

Xiang Yuan looked over suspiciously, and yelled twice, the old man came back to his senses suddenly, and retreated nunuo, but before he left, the look he looked at Feng Jue was extraordinarily complicated.

Feng Jue was a smart person, seeing this scene, he could tell what the old man was thinking when he looked at his face.

"You old janitor, are you the housekeeper?"

Xiang Yuan raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"You should also be suspicious of my reason for coming, so I'll just say it straight, we brothers don't need to go around the bush."

Xiang Yuan poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it towards Feng Jue, as if to listen attentively.

"Presumably Congzi has been to the Chrysanthemum Garden in the city, right?"

"Well, the scenery is very beautiful."

"That's natural. In order to preserve the chrysanthemum garden's different scenery in four seasons, the pavilions and pavilions are exquisite everywhere. It cost nearly one million taels before and after. This is the first scene of Hejian Mansion. However, it is also because of the construction of the chrysanthemum garden. , which led to the catastrophe of annihilation of the family. The Feng family, the richest man in Hejian with a hundred or ten members, is the only one left in the lineage, my brother who lived in the temple because of his weak fate since he was a child."

Xiang Yuan's expression can no longer be described as shock.

His second senior brother is actually a brother? !

"You, brother?"

Feng Jue's slender phoenix eyes raised, bringing out a natural style.

"I said, son, is your focus a bit biased? Isn't it time to comfort the senior brother not to indulge in the family tragedy in the past?"

Xiang Yuan refilled his tea, and said, "Since senior brother came all the way here, he must have his own plan. If he can speak out frankly, it means that he has come out. Naturally, there is no need for Congzi to give some useless words of comfort. ,right?"

Feng Jue laughed.

"No wonder the teacher praised you, you are indeed a rare and transparent person."

After boasting, Feng Jue's expression became serious, and said: "I actually met Mr. Lin before I came here, so I know more or less what you are doing now. When I came here, I actually have something very important to tell you in person."

Xiang Yuan's spirit lifted.

It seemed extremely important that Senior Brother Feng could travel thousands of miles to come here in person regardless of the danger. It was so important that we couldn't communicate by letter at all.

"Our Feng family was coveted and framed because of the huge wealth, but the root cause of the disaster is actually a blind medicine developed by my brother after studying medicine, a medicine that can charm the mind!"

Xiang Yuan immediately thought of what Niu Er said about the unusual appearance of the guards on the island.

"King Qing's dead man?"

Feng Jue nodded solemnly.

"Because of this unintentionally developed pill, all 120 people in our Feng family died cleanly."