Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 264 Tiger father gives birth to dog son

“If Zhang Dai is unwilling to grant this favor, he can simply say so. Why play games with him? The taxes collected by you from the prefecture amount to only a little over three thousand strings of cash. How can you claim it's a staggering thirty thousand strings!”

After a long while, Yuan Fucai glared at him and said, "Even if you want to blackmail me now, where would I get 30,000 guan for you to extort!"

Zhang Dai was obviously extorting Yuan Fu, but he couldn't help but frown when he heard this.

He didn't care whether Yuan Fu had 30,000 guan or not, but to say that he had only been charged 3,000 guan in taxes was undoubtedly a blatant lie. When he passed through the country a few days ago, he was indeed extorted for 6,000 to 7,000 guan!

"Does Lord Yuan think I'm extorting or blackmailing you? Why don't you take those words back and think about them again? Do you know why I've come east this time?"

His face darkened, and he pointed at Yuan Fu angrily, saying, "On this trip eastward, I carried a large amount of goods and distributed them to the disaster-stricken people along the way. I had 100,000 strings of cash in my pocket, and I didn't mind spending it all. You can go and inquire about it in Henan and Hebei! Now you're trying to extort money from mere 30,000 strings of cash? Are you going to offend the Prime Minister's family for a mere 30,000 strings of cash?"

"Now that things have come to this, I have no need to deceive you any longer. The money that the prefecture received from you was indeed only a little over three thousand strings of cash. Even if Prefect Pei does not come to the prefecture to supervise this matter, I have already ordered the officials to set aside this batch of money and silk and return it later."

Although Yuan Fu had been domineering, it didn't mean he was completely ignorant of human relationships; otherwise, Pei Zhou wouldn't have caught him on the spot erecting a monument to Consort Wu Hui.

He had previously refused to do anything convenient for Zhang Dai and had only dealt with the weaving workshop perfunctorily because this matter was entrusted to Zhang Dai by Consort Wu Hui. If it was not done well, it would be Zhang Dai's fault for not doing his job properly.

As the governor of Bianzhou, he dared not directly offend Consort Wu Hui, but he also did not need to take her henchmen seriously or fawn over them. Therefore, he treated Zhang Dai with disdain, but he did not dare to extort or blackmail him. He was even more afraid that Zhang Dai would really take advantage of his position and go back to the capital to harass his father. So he planned to return the tax money at some time.

But Zhang Dai said that the taxes collected amounted to 30,000 strings of cash, which naturally surprised him greatly. At first, he naturally suspected that Zhang Dai was trying to extort him, but then he thought that this guy had indeed been like a benevolent benefactor along the way, distributing money, silk and goods that probably amounted to several tens of thousands of strings of cash, so his motive for extorting money and goods was indeed not very strong.

If Zhang Dai was not lying, then the problem must lie with the officials in charge, with some of them deceiving their superiors and embezzling funds!
Although they were in a hostile relationship, after some consideration, Yuanfu still felt that Zhang Dai's integrity was higher than that of the officials in the prefecture.

After all, this kid really treats money like dirt, and it's common knowledge that the Zhang family is extremely wealthy, so they shouldn't be falsifying accounts in this kind of matter.

However, the officials of Bianzhou Prefecture were a different story. Even Yuan Fu himself had discovered many officials secretly engaging in shady dealings and embezzling funds. It was just that, in order to maintain stability within the prefecture, he had not investigated these matters thoroughly.

So Yuanfu believed that these people were secretly embezzling taxes, but he didn't expect them to be so audacious. They only handed over one-tenth of the total tax of 30,000 guan. They were simply incredibly daring!
"I have been suspended from my duties by Magistrate Pei and am unable to thoroughly investigate this matter for you. However, Magistrate Pei is capable and shrewd, and I am sure he will soon be able to find out the truth and return all the taxes you paid recently. As for me, I will also do my best to urge him to pay."

After thinking for a moment, he spoke again, feeling extremely indignant. If this matter was indeed true, then he had undoubtedly been thoroughly tricked by these corrupt officials.

"So, what does Lord Yuan have to offer me in exchange for favors? Or do you think our friendship is so deep that I would disregard Lord Pei's instructions and protect and indulge you?"

Zhang Dai sneered again, and upon hearing Yuan Fu's words, he guessed that there might be a systemic corruption problem in Bianzhou.

When they first met at Xiangguo Temple, Yuanfu said that he had ordered the suspension of the tax collectors' orders, but the inspections and extortions they encountered along the way were more severe than usual, which clearly indicated that the officials below were also disobeying the orders.

After all, although Yuan Fu gave the orders, it was they who actually did the work. Fatty meat leaves oil after being handled, and if someone with a bit of courage were to cut a few slices, wouldn't the oil be even more plentiful? Such a good business, how could it be stopped just like that!

The corruption problem in Bianzhou wasn't directly related to Zhang Dai; Pei Zhou would investigate first. However, he had a personal grudge against Yuan Fu. Not to mention, even the textile workshops in Bianzhou were forced to close, and Yuan Fu and his subordinates were arrested by the state government that year. Would this be allowed to end easily?

Upon hearing this, Yuan Fu's expression darkened. He had never expected their circumstances to change so quickly, and he found it difficult to adjust his attitude for a moment.

"I am asking you for a favor today, not for my own selfish reasons. Prefect Yuwen of Weizhou has entrusted me with many matters, and the relief efforts in Hebei still rely heavily on the support of Henan. If things here are halted, the other region will also be greatly affected. At that time, the victims will not be just the people of one prefecture. Can you bear this responsibility?"

He first spoke in a deep voice, then lowered his tone: "In the past, people in the capital often called Zhang Dai 'Jade-Boned Gentleman' and 'Sixth Gentleman of Righteousness,' and I have heard of this many times. Your actions in the east to provide disaster relief are also commendable. If we simply relax a little and allow the news to circulate, the benefits will be even greater than the good deeds you have done before. Why is that not possible? Is Zhang Dai just a hypocrite, a fraudster, and not a truly public-spirited person?" Zhang Dai did not answer Yuan Fu directly, but instead looked him over with great interest.

He discovered a problem: the sons of these prime ministers of the Kaiyuan era were all incompetent. Needless to say, his father was no better, and Yao Chong's son was just an ordinary person. As for Yuan Fu in front of him, he further refreshed Zhang Dai's understanding of the low standards of these second-generation officials.

This guy has already lost his freedom, yet he's still struggling with himself. He first intimidates himself, then resorts to moral blackmail, and judging from his serious expression, he genuinely believes this approach is effective!
Well, these people come from privileged backgrounds and their parents wield immense power. What others would find as a life of hard work and constant struggle is simply a simulation game with cheat codes for them.

On the one hand, they are worldly-wise and familiar with the intricacies of officialdom; on the other hand, they are terribly incompetent. They rely on the legacy of their ancestors, but mistakenly believe it is their own talent and hard work, to get by with a seemingly shrewd but actually clumsy approach to things. They are just a bunch of idiots!

“If Lord Yuan doesn’t have any serious ideas, he might as well go back to the back hall and take a nap later. When he wakes up, he can think about how to deal with the interrogation. As for your wish to send a message to Lord Yuwen for help, I’m not against it, but you’ll have to do me a favor.”

Zhang Dai, too lazy to tease him any longer, simply said, "Bianzhou is a place rife with corruption and filth. The officials here deceive their superiors and levy exorbitant taxes. I'm sure even Prefect Yuan is unaware of all this. Prefect Pei, having just entered the territory, will likely find it difficult to investigate thoroughly as well."

I don't have much time to linger here; it's merely a few tens of thousands of strings of cash. Please, Magistrate Yuan, provide a written statement confirming this matter. If the prefecture cannot repay the full amount in the future, Magistrate Yuan will be required to acknowledge this debt.”

"This...this is official business. All the requisitioned funds go into the government treasury and not into my private coffers. How can I claim them? Besides, the claim of 30,000 strings of cash is only your side of the story..."

While Yuan Fu was still arguing his case, Zhang Dai stood up and walked out, saying to Xu Shen, who was walking with a cane, "This Lord Yuan has impure thoughts and is restless. He even wants to send his servants out to report an emergency and ask for help. The back hall of the prefecture must be strictly guarded. If anyone is seen entering or leaving without permission, they should be beaten to death!"

"Rest assured, my lord, I will guard the entrance and exit securely!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Shen quickly replied that he had been quite frightened when he was suddenly detained by the state government, and was naturally happy to have the opportunity to retaliate.

"Wait, Zhang Dai, please stay. I promise you, I promise... You only need to release one of my servants, and I will write you a contract. If the stolen goods are not recovered, I am willing to compensate you with my family fortune!"

As Yuan Fu watched Zhang Dai walk further and further away, his anxiety grew. Thinking of Pei Zhouxian's aggressive attitude, he ultimately dared not bear the pressure alone and wanted to immediately notify Yuwen Rong to come to his rescue.

Zhang Dai smiled and accepted the contract that Yuan Fu had finished writing. Then he instructed Xu Shen to lead him to the back hall of the prefectural government to be detained. He then took the contract and went straight to Pei Zhouxian, who was in the prefectural government office reviewing the files, and handed the contract to him.

"what is this?"

Pei Zhou glanced at the contract and asked curiously. After listening to Zhang Dai's explanation, he sighed and said, "This Yuan Fu is far inferior to his father. The administration of the entire prefecture is so muddled. Even now, he still wants to bribe his way out of punishment! You didn't let his servant go, did you?"

“I think that since Governor Pei is going to investigate the merits and demerits of the administration here, he should also ask about the views of the surrounding prefectures and counties. The north and south are separated by a river, and now they are both suffering from disasters. Their situations are similar. If Governor Yuwen has any other complaints, we can investigate further. If not, this matter should serve as a warning to him.”

Zhang Dai said with a serious expression, but he didn't mention that he had already tried to sow discord between Yuwen Rong and Yuwen Rong.

If he knew that such a big mistake had occurred in Bianzhou, he probably would have been eager for Yuan Fu to get out of there as soon as possible, and he would not have risked being implicated to bail people out, since Yuan Qianyao might have been implicated and dismissed from his post as prime minister!
"Then why did you send this here again!"

As they spent more time together, Pei Zhouxian increasingly felt that this kid was not simply innocent and kind, but rather full of wicked ideas.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai immediately lowered his head and said, "I am merely an outsider who has been fortunate enough to be appreciated by Magistrate Pei and allowed to serve him. Since the magistrate entrusted me with this matter, how could I dare to use my power to make things difficult for others? Now, Magistrate Yuan has given this to me in order to make connections with outsiders, and the evidence must be properly recorded. However, I request that this item be returned after the case is closed."

If he were to simply pocket the contract, Yuanfu would inevitably resort to shameless tactics and accuse him of extortion in the future. But now that it's in court and recorded in the case file, I won't allow the Yuan family to renege on their debt!
(End of this chapter)