The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 386 Take care of yourself
Datong.

After clearing out a wave of disaster victims, the city will be filled with new ones in just a few days.

This is what Zhou Gui is most dissatisfied with.

The Zhou family is one of the most powerful families in Datong, and the strength behind them is even more formidable. Li Yuan, the Minister of War, is the Zhou family's backer, and the Zhou family also has connections in the imperial court.

Minister of War Li Yuan was Zhang Jifu's right-hand man and an important figure responsible for stabilizing the Beijing garrison.

Tang Ping, a military officer in Datong Army, was once the son-in-law of the Zhou family. Although the two families are now divorced, the Zhou family woman gave birth to Tang Ping's eldest son, who lives with the Zhou family, which shows the great influence of the Zhou family.

Since he was the largest household in Datong, he was naturally also the largest landlord in Datong.

They possessed nearly 20,000 mu of arable land in Datong, while the entire Datong only had more than 640,000 mu of arable land. They and seven other families occupied nearly 100,000 mu. In addition, the sons of these wealthy families often served as village heads in the countryside, responsible for collecting taxes for the county government. Therefore, they controlled the land and grain of Datong.

There were fifty or sixty gentry and landlords of all sizes scattered throughout the counties and prefectures of Datong.

"Send a letter to Lord Li, and tell him that we have reserved four thousand mu of farmland for him, under the name of his clansmen." Zhou Gui personally went to his own grain shop. Now that grain was equivalent to silver, Zhou Gui was worried about his subordinates.

After inspecting the grain store, Zhou Gui gave instructions to his trusted steward.

The steward was a poor scholar who had served the Zhou family his entire life. He was trustworthy and reliable, and Zhou Gui often entrusted him with tasks he was impatient with.

This man was aware of his employer's power, and while urging his son to study, he also hoped to curry favor with the Zhou family.

"Four thousand acres of farmland." The steward said with a smile, "Even if Lord Li is a high-ranking official, he should still remember the young master's kindness."

The land in Datong is now cheap.

Many drought-stricken fields, which in previous years could not be bought even with money and required connections to force a sale, are now being sold to disaster victims at desperately low prices by the victims just to have enough to eat.

In just two years, the Zhou family's land holdings doubled in value.

It's incredible.

Not only the Zhou family, but all the families made a fortune.

Despite his recklessness, the young master is actually quite meticulous. He not only knows how to do what he's supposed to do, but he does it flawlessly. The Zhou family bought more than 20,000 mu of land and didn't forget to give 4,000 mu to Li Yuan. They also sent generous gifts to other officials from Datong who were serving in the capital.

The young master alone disliked the military governor.

The two have completely opposite working styles, so how could they possibly get along?

"Both the Li and Wang families are holding wedding banquets, and the Chen family patriarch is having his 80th birthday banquet. How much should we give as gifts?" the butler asked.

There are dozens of respectable families in Datong County.

They had dealings with each other.

It wasn't just about marriage; through the imperial examinations, classmates, fellow townsmen, and those who took the exams together formed an inseparable network that extended outwards, connecting one network after another.

The steward felt deeply regretful, lamenting that he was just an ordinary person who had thought that passing the imperial examination would change his life, but he soon realized that it wasn't enough.

A family like the Zhou family is a truly wealthy and influential household.

He was only a poor scholar, so he was very aware of his own position. He was well-liked by Zhou Gui, who happily paved the way for his son.

"Damn it." Zhou Gui saw the disaster victims gathering outside the window, and once again they gathered outside the grain shop, waiting numbly. He didn't know what they were waiting for, as if if they kept waiting, the grain shop would release grain.

After cursing, Zhou Gui sneered, "These past two years, everyone has been grinning from ear to ear, and their enthusiasm for doing things has increased. They've been holding one celebratory event after another, as if they're afraid others won't know how happy they are. They really don't know that there are people watching with envious eyes."

The butler didn't understand, but knowing his young master well, he waited quietly.

really.

Zhou Gui said impatiently, "The gift money has increased, so we'll increase it too. Let's give double." After saying that, he shouted to the back, "Where are the instructors? What are they doing? Can't they see outside?"

Not a moment.

Several instructors led dozens of thugs, each wielding long knives, long iron bars, and other weapons, charging out with menacing expressions.

They would beat anyone they saw and slash anyone they saw.

No, my child.

In the chaos, as people jostled each other, the woman, holding her child's hand, was pushed aside and watched helplessly as the child tripped and fell to the ground, letting out a terrible scream.

Although people tried to avoid the children under their feet, the thugs behind them, who were as fierce as wolves and tigers, were eating with greasy mouths, strong and powerful. How could these disaster victims, who had not eaten for many days, be a match for them?

With a single shove from the thugs, a whole group of disaster victims could be knocked down.

If you run even a little slower, you'll be hit on the head with a blow; the worst result is instant death, and the worst is a head injury and bleeding.

The hundreds of disaster victims who had gathered were quickly dispersed, leaving behind a ground filled with injured victims wailing in pain.

Even if you get injured, you should leave as soon as possible.

Before long, the shop assistants from the grain store came out pushing carts. Anyone who was still in the same place, whether they were still alive or not, was thrown onto the carts and transported out of the city, saving the government a lot of trouble.

"move."

While the thugs were away, an older worker, unable to bear it any longer, carefully reminded the woman who was sitting on the ground, holding her child and lost in thought.

The woman seemed to have gone mad; her clothes were already tattered, and her face was filthy, so no one wanted to get close to her.

"Living is a waste of food."

A coach came out and smashed the woman's head with a stick.

Then he looked at the thugs inside the house.

The thugs grew increasingly respectful of their coach.

The young master is decisive. If he does something that displeases the young master, he might be kicked out or even beaten without knowing it. After all, they have done a lot, and the young master may not let them leave alive.

Who knows? In this world, only the wicked can survive.

The instructor intimidated his men, then shamelessly went to see the young master.

"what happened?"

Pushing the cart carrying the corpse out of the city, they encountered a group of inspectors. One of the young men in the inspectors noticed something was wrong and stopped them to ask questions.

"The disaster victims are starving to death."

The man explained.

"Did they starve to death?" the young man pointed at the blood.

"It's common for disaster victims to snatch things from each other, so what's so strange about that?" the old man said as usual.

The younger generation was skeptical.

Just as I was about to leave, I saw the corpse move again.

"Yes, yes," the corpse, waking from its coma, said with difficulty, "It was the people from Zhou's Grain Shop who did it."

He then looked sharply at his old friend, waiting for an explanation from the other side.

The old man looked calm and indifferent.

The government is well aware of this.

The young man gritted his teeth, "Save him!" He glared fiercely at his old buddy, "I'll settle this with you later."

The young man looks like the team leader.

He led his subordinates to search the car for anyone still alive and then brought them back to the supervisory compound.

An ordinary courtyard.

There are several smaller courtyards within the main courtyard.

After the old man returned, he immediately told the steward, who in turn told the young master. Upon hearing this, Zhou Gui frowned. "Could something have happened?"

The person in charge was somewhat worried.

“What could possibly happen?” Zhou Gui shook his head. “They’re just using this as an excuse to take advantage of us and freeload off us. It doesn’t matter who they give to, it’s not like it’s happened once or twice.”

"Really?" The steward was somewhat skeptical, as the Jiedushi's office had a good reputation.

The manager was experienced in handling things at the counter, and Zhou Gui was not angry. He patiently said, "Don't be fooled by Wang Xin's pretentious act. He is extremely power-hungry. Others are after money, but he is after power. He is much more ruthless in taking money than others, but he doesn't use it on things he likes like others do. Because his likes are different from others, he likes power."

The manager suddenly realized what was happening and was filled with admiration.

Everyone says the young master is ruthless, but in fact, his views on things are often surprising yet reasonable, which is quite admirable.

"What if?" The manager was still a little worried.

Zhou Gui was pleased with the manager's cautious nature and said with a smile, "Unless something goes wrong, what can he do to the Zhou family? At worst, we'll just give him a thousand shi of grain."

After saying that, Zhou Gui's eyes turned cold.

The old coach at home is quick to steal the spotlight, but not so quick to get things done. The old man is just too soft-hearted and keeps raising useless people.

The inspection team remains responsible for recovering the stolen goods.

But what if the target of the asset recovery is no longer there?
Then you should take charge of finding a new partner.

The Jiedushi Mansion (military governor's office) can be searched from top to bottom, including military camps, fortresses, granaries, warehouses, and even camps and agricultural reclamation teams outside the pass.

Any violation of regulations or corruption will be subject to inspection.

Originally, the incident of someone being beaten to death at the grain shop was not within the scope of the inspection team's responsibilities; it was a matter for the county government and had nothing to do with the military governor's office. There was no connection in terms of authority or responsibility. However, the new captain of the inspection team still insisted on reporting it to the military governor's office.

From understanding to organizing, and then to submitting.

The inspection team's report was submitted to the Jiedushi's office and then directly reviewed by Wang Xin several days later.

The fact that the inspection team had six hundred people was unbelievable. Yan Zhongzheng felt it was too many, and that the original team was enough. However, Zeng Zhi and Zhang Yuncheng exchanged a glance, and neither of them spoke.

Six hundred people is equivalent to sixty teams.

Looking at the reports from these sixty teams immediately filled Wang Xin with pride. However, in order to hone the inspection teams as quickly as possible and train them in the shortest possible time, Wang Xin did not change his mind.

I read each team's report carefully, not just skimmed it.

Upon seeing the news about Zhou's Grain Shop, Wang Xin slammed his fist on the table.

A life for a life.

Regardless of one's identity, unless it's a case of catching someone red-handed, acting out of a fit of rage to kill adulterers, or engaging in self-defense against a villain, or other clearly reasonable actions.

We need to talk to the prefect first about this matter.

"Prefect Han is dissatisfied with the military governor." Zeng Zhi was very busy, so Zhang Yuncheng arrived instead. Zhang Yuncheng said, "His attitude was extremely bad last time. Although the military governor didn't hold it against us, I'm afraid if he goes there in person..."

"This is not up to him. If he dares not to handle it, I will not be polite to him," Wang Xin made up his mind.

The government was incapable, and Wang Xin couldn't handle the situation, but he couldn't be an accomplice to evil.

If the government were to abide by the law, how could the Zhou family dare to be so arrogant?
Wang Xin brought his personal guards with him.

Everything must be within the bounds of propriety; the Zhou family's actions have crossed those lines.

The guards knew that the prefect disliked the military governor, and they all looked serious. If the prefect dared to show disrespect to the military governor in public, they would not let him off easily. However, considering that the other party was the prefect, they could not act recklessly without the military governor's orders.

The closer I got to the prefectural government office, the more uneasy I felt.

The prefectural government office and the military governor's government office were not far apart, separated only by a street.

When Prefect Han Bin learned that the military governor was coming in person, he actually went out to greet him, showing no sign of disrespecting Wang Xin, which relieved the guards.

Wang Xin's gaze grew increasingly cold.

Han Bin's actions seemed to indicate that he knew Han Bin was coming.

really.

Upon learning of Wang Xin's purpose, Han Bin smiled and pointed to an official below him.

The official came out and said with a smile, "Regarding the incident of Zhou's Grain Shop injuring rioters, the owner of the Zhou family has already sent compensation. After the government's investigation, it turns out that the Zhou family actually hired an instructor surnamed Wang."

"Speaking of which, this instructor has been eating and drinking with the Zhou family for many years and can be considered an old member of the Zhou family. This instructor surnamed Wang did not appreciate the Zhou family's kindness and even privately led people to beat up the rioters who were trying to seize the grain. It is really hateful. Yesterday, the Zhou family personally sent him here. I didn't expect that he would commit suicide in prison out of fear of punishment."

There's someone surnamed Wang on the left, and someone surnamed Wang on the right.

Such a sarcastic tone made the guards' eyes bulge, and they wished they could kill him.

Wang Xin pretended not to hear the veiled insults and coldly said, "They are clearly disaster victims, so why do you call them rioters? And how do you know they were planning to loot the grain?"

"Gathering outside the grain shop for no reason, aren't you planning to rob the grain?" The official laughed and said, "We've encountered this kind of thing many times. We're just waiting for the slightest sign of trouble. As long as someone takes the lead, the grain shop will inevitably be looted."

A military governor was debating with an old official. The old official was sarcastic and knew the ways of officialdom well, which was a poor strategy for him.

Wang Xin looked at Han Bin.

Han Bin looked straight ahead, and his manners were quite proper.

It seemed as if Wang Xin was making a mountain out of a molehill.

If they were to confront each other, Wang Xin believed the Zhou family would be innocent, and the evidence would certainly support that, since they were all dead.

Unless you expose the Zhou family.

Then the evidence will be revealed one by one.

"Lord Han!" Wang Xin ignored everyone else and said seriously, "You are well-versed in the classics, more learned than I am, and more knowledgeable in principles than I am. Does that mean you really disregard the law?"

Han Bin was stunned.

The officials present seemed to have heard the biggest joke, and their expressions were all strange.

After a moment, Han Bin sighed, "Isn't the military governor also heavily relying on the Xue family? In the business outside the Great Wall, the most profitable place is Jiangnan. Isn't the military governor allowing the Xue family to monopolize Jiangnan also for his own benefit?"

The guards, their faces flushed with suppressed anger, insisted that this was not the case at all.

Han Bin concluded with a smile: "Everyone in the world has their own interests, so why can't those interests become public interests? The common people have no power, so they can only rely on the wealthy. It is through the power of the wealthy that the court can govern the country, thereby managing the people, comforting their hearts, and helping the poor and needy."

Damn it.

It's the same old story of ordinary people relying on wealthy families for support.

Scholars of the world, failing to understand, regard commerce and industry as secondary and recklessly advocate suppressing them. But commerce is precisely what the sage kings desired, and commerce is what they wished to facilitate; both are fundamental.

The nascent stage of capitalism in the late Ming Dynasty.

The gentry and wealthy families concluded that the rich were "the people's support," and the imperial court should not excessively punish them, as the saying goes: "The rich and powerful are the people's support."

For example, tenant farmers rely on landlords for their livelihood, and dependent farmers depend on landlords for their lives.

Furthermore, the saying "the parents of the wealthy are the parents of the common people" arose from this.

There are so many theories.

Who says they don't have a theory?

This is utter nonsense; there's no way to communicate on an intellectual level. Wang Xin glanced at Han Bin, then looked at everyone else present, knowing that further words were useless and would only bring him humiliation.

"Take care of yourself!"

Wang Xin calmly left a sentence, then turned and left.

(End of this chapter)