I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 316 The People Spontaneously Hunt Down the Killer! The Terrifying Popular Support of Yaodong Trading Company
Cabinet value.

The four Grand Secretaries, Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, Shen Shixing, and Wang Xijue, were all greatly shocked when they heard that Shen Nian's father had been assassinated and injured.

If the villains were only after money, they would most likely not target Shen Yaoshan, because the latter always had many guards accompanying him when he traveled.

In addition, Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing had an excellent reputation among the people, providing livelihoods for countless ordinary people in the north. As a result, vagrants and bandits generally would not rob such honest merchants.

The most likely reason left is: to kill Shen Yaoshan and force Shen Nian to leave the court.

“There must be someone behind this. Ordinary bandits would never dare to do this!” Yin Zhengmao analyzed.

Zhang Juzheng nodded in approval.

Shen Nian has unwittingly offended too many officials, nobles, and gentry over the past two years due to the new policies!

At this moment, Shen Shixing spoke up: "His Majesty's request to immediately dismiss the Prefect, Assistant Prefect, and Inspector of Cangzhou is not in accordance with regulations. The murderer should be apprehended, interrogated, and then the decision should be made by the Prefect of Hejian Prefecture or the Imperial Inspector..."

"So what if it's not in compliance with regulations?" Wang Xijue interrupted Shen Shixing directly.

"Just because Ziheng's father and father-in-law donated Yaodong Trading Company to the imperial court, the imperial court should attach such importance to it!"

“Yuan Yu, it’s not that I disagree with doing this, but there’s no basis for it, and there’s no precedent for it. Does that mean that every time a merchant is robbed, the local official will be dismissed? Once the censors find out, they will surely submit a memorial opposing it. How will we deal with that?” Shen Shixing explained.

Upon hearing this, Yin Zhengmao glared and said, "I'd like to see which blind fool dares to submit a memorial opposing this?"

“Grand Secretary Yin, this… this isn’t a matter of whether or not we dare to submit a memorial opposing it. It is… it is… indeed illegal!” Shen Shixing said.

"Shen Rumo, stop nitpicking. Ziheng's father deserves this treatment!" Wang Xijue said, somewhat annoyed.

Shen Shixing looked at Zhang Juzheng helplessly.

Shen Shih-hsing usually likes to smooth things over, but he is also the least likely of the five cabinet ministers to act on emotion.

He believes that rules are rules and there should be no exceptions.

Zhang Juzheng thought for a moment and said, “Ru Mo’s words are reasonable, and this exception should indeed not be made. However, five days ago, after His Majesty learned that Ziheng’s father and father-in-law were about to come to the capital, in order to commend the two for their contributions to the northern trade and for donating the Yaodong Trading Company to the court, he decided to award them the rank of sixth-grade official and the annual salary of a sixth-grade official. This has already been officially documented and stamped!”

Upon hearing this, Shen Shixing exclaimed excitedly, "That's it...that solves the problem! Now that they have official positions, they can be treated this way!"

……

As it turned out, Shen Shixing's concerns were justified.

When the decree issued by the young Wanli Emperor reached the Ministry of Personnel and was about to be implemented, several officials raised objections.

Fortunately, Wang Guoguang, the Minister of Personnel, produced the official documents from the court that granted the two men official seals, proving that Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing already held official positions.

At this point, no one raised any further objections.

at the same time.

The eunuch Fang Ping went to the Shen residence to inform Shen's mother and wife that Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing were both unharmed.

As for Shen Nian, she will not arrive in the capital for several more days.

Xiao Wanli planned to inform him of this matter after he landed, so as not to make Shen Nian too worried or change course at the last minute. He knew Shen Nian very well, and Shen Nian valued his family very much, so he might do something extreme.

……

September 12th, the sixth day since Shen Yaoshan was stabbed by the villain.

Jia Jin, the prefect of Hejian Prefecture, led a delegation to the territory of Cangzhou.

The first thing he did upon arriving in Cangzhou was to strip the prefect, his assistant prefect, and his inspector of their official robes and imprison them in the prefectural jail.

He had just learned the whole story.

Shi Qing, a commander of the Imperial Guards, led a group of Imperial Guards to the Cangzhou government office.

The rear hall of the prefectural government office.

Jia Jin, the prefect of Hejian Prefecture, reported the details of Shen Yaoshan's assassination to Shi Qinghui.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 6th.

Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing, along with a group of more than ten people, were resting at a teahouse ten miles south of Cangzhou City.

Inside the teahouse, three thugs wearing straw hats, who had been waiting for a long time, suddenly pulled out daggers hidden in their shoes and stabbed Shen Yaoshan when they were less than ten feet away.

Fortunately, Shen Yaoshan reacted quickly and together with Gu Dongxing overturned the table, blocking the first wave of attacks.

However, the three villains did not give up and instead stabbed at Shen Yaoshan again.

The three men were extremely agile. Only after one of them stabbed Shen Yaoshan in the arm did the guards rush forward. When the assassination attempt failed, the three men immediately ran into the woods ahead, where they had prepared horses. They quickly disappeared without a trace.

However, Shen Yaoshan saw the appearance of the villain who stabbed him, which was currently being drawn by the state government's painter.

obviously.

These three villains weren't after money or kidnapping; their sole purpose was to kill Shen Yaoshan.

It's highly likely that they were a premeditated assassin.

Shi Qing looked at Jia Jin and asked, "Prefect Jia, what are your plans next?"

Jia Jin, a plump old man of about fifty, thought for a moment and said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I have dispatched men to guard all the official road intersections within the Hejian Prefecture territory. All suspicious persons will be checked. Furthermore, the murderer's portrait will be posted in the prefecture city, along the way inns, hotels, and teahouses. If they are in Hejian, they will certainly be caught. If they have escaped Hejian Prefecture, it will be much more difficult to catch them!"

"That's it?" Shi Qing stared at Jia Jin.

"Isn't...isn't that enough?" Jia Jin asked, somewhat bewildered.

Shi Qing said with a serious expression, "Clear out all the refugees and bandits in Hejian Prefecture, interrogate them to see if they know the murderer, and if they know any other gangs in Hejian Prefecture that kill for money. Once discovered, arrest them all and bring them to the prefectural government!"

"Ah? Wouldn't that be too much of a fuss? I'm afraid I don't have enough manpower!"

"If the murderer isn't found, your official career is over!" With that, Shi Qing turned and left.

After a moment of surprise, Jia Jin quickly cupped his hands and said loudly, "Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will do as you say!"

……

Half an hour later, Shi Qing arrived at a residence in the north of Cangzhou City, which was a branch of the Yaodong Trading Company.

This was the place where Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing were temporarily resting.

Shen Yaoshan lay on the bed, his face still somewhat pale.

On his left arm, below his shoulder, there was a long, narrow gash as long as an adult's index finger.

There was a lot of blood loss.

When Shi Qing informed the two that the young Wanli Emperor had dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort them back to the capital, the two were deeply moved and immediately kowtowed to express their gratitude for the Emperor's grace.

"Commander Shi, is my son still away on business? Let's not tell him about this yet, so he won't worry!" Shen Yaoshan said.

When Shen Yaoshan met Shen Nian, he didn't say much, but Shen Nian was the person he cared about most.

Knowing Shen Nian's temperament, he worried that in her haste, Shen Nian might disregard the emperor's orders and rush directly from another place to Cangzhou.

"Grand Secretary Shen is currently on the Grand Canal and is expected to arrive in the capital in about ten days. His Majesty has not instructed us to inform you of the assassination attempt. The physician just said that you need to rest for another three days before you can move around. After three days, we will return to the capital together, still arriving before Grand Secretary Shen. When he sees you then, he will be at ease!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Shen Yaoshan nodded.

The following day, a portrait of one of the murderers was completed and presented to Shi Qing and Jia Jin.

He has a square face, a big beard, and a scar on the corner of his left eye.

Below the portrait is a text description: He is about six feet five inches tall, with a strong build, and is between thirty and forty years old.

As for the other two, because they were wearing straw hats and ran away quickly, no useful information was captured.

Jia Jin immediately ordered several thousand copies to be printed and distributed.

……

While the constables of the prefectural government were busy arresting all the bandits in Cangzhou and bringing them to the government office.

News of the assassination attempt on Shen Yaoshan, the former owner of Yaodong Trading Company, spread rapidly throughout the streets and alleys.

Without Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing knowing the situation.

Merchants and workers from the Yaodong branch of the Cangzhou Trading Company, along with local merchants, began to spontaneously search for the culprit and quickly spread the news throughout the Hejian Prefecture.

North of the Yellow River.

Anyone who has ever been a merchant, transporter, or a porter knows Yaodong Trading Company.

It was precisely because of the existence of Yaodong Trading Company.

This enabled some people who could only farm to have extra income, and allowed some small merchants to have their own shops and caravans.

Without being modest, Yaodong Trading Company has supported countless impoverished families and transformed countless small vendors into successful businessmen in recent years.

They were grateful to Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing, and they knew how to repay kindness.

……

In front of a warehouse on the outskirts of Cangzhou.

A merchant stood on the carriage, looking at the thirty-odd men in front of him.

"Brothers, without Yaodong Trading Company, there would be no shop here!"

"Now that Mr. Shen Yaoshan, the owner of Yaodong Trading Company, has been assassinated in our Cangzhou territory, I, as a Cangzhou native, feel extremely ashamed!"

"I, along with several other merchants from Cangzhou, have launched a joint reward: one hundred taels of silver for anyone who discovers the whereabouts of the assassin who killed Old Master Shen and informs the authorities! Five hundred taels of silver for anyone who can capture all three assassins and hand them over to the authorities!"

Five hundred taels of silver was not much for high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital.

But for these ordinary people whose average annual income was only about twenty taels of silver, it was an enormous sum of money.

The merchant then posted the printed portrait of himself on the convoy.

……

Similar bounties were being offered in other parts of Hejian Prefecture, with even some street thugs joining the manhunt.

Less than three days.

This matter spread from Hejian Prefecture to the surrounding Baoding Prefecture, Zhengding Prefecture, Shunde Prefecture, Guangping Prefecture, and even Shuntian Prefecture in the far north.

Nearly ten thousand people participated.

The main reason why the people were so enthusiastic was not because Shen Yaoshan was the father of Shen Nian, a cabinet minister, but because he had been the owner of Yaodong Trading Company.

Even after donating Yaodong Trading Company to the imperial court, he still protected the interests of all employees.

People hope that such a merchant can live a long and healthy life.

……

September 16th, early morning.

After leaving behind thirty Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) commanders, Shi Qing prepared to escort Shen Yaoshan and Gu Dongxing back to the capital.

Jia Jin, the prefect of Hejian Prefecture, rushed to see him off.

Shi Qing looked at Jia Jin and said with a gloomy expression, "Prefect Jia, these past few days, the enthusiasm of the people of Hejian Prefecture has been much higher than that of your government officials. If the people find out and the government fails to do anything positive, you can expect to lose your post!"

With that, Shi Qing flicked his sleeves and left.

He is on behalf of the young Wanli Emperor on this inspection tour, and Jia Jin must take this seriously. If the murderer is not found, the entire court will lose face.

Jia Jin's forehead was covered in sweat.

He scolded his subordinates who were standing there dumbfounded, "What are you all standing there for? Go find him quickly! Go find him quickly! The longer we wait, the harder it will be to find the murderer!"

(End of this chapter)