Qing Yao

Chapter 181 Well done, brilliantly executed!

Committee member Zhao became a laughing stock in Yangzhou's officialdom, and the discussion about him even surpassed the shutdown of the Grand Canal.

What other government departments do to laugh at Committee Member Zhao is none of the business of the education system, but they cannot laugh at Committee Member Zhao.

Because there is no better leader than Committee Member Zhao who cares more about his subordinates.

The unity shown by the education sector in the face of the beating of Professor Zhao, a committee member and professor, can be described as one of shared hatred against a common enemy.

If it weren't for the fact that it was the Fuzhou general who ordered the beating of Committee Member Zhao, the prefectural school might have organized the students to protest.

The twenty lashes that Commander-in-Chief Kui ordered his men to deliver were quite severe, so severe that Zhao An had to be carried back on a stretcher while lying on his stomach.

Since he was injured, he needed medical treatment, so during his "hospitalization" at home, he received a constant stream of visitors from all walks of life.

Old Ding and Old Song were among the first to come and visit.

Upon learning that his grandson-in-law had been publicly flogged by the Fuzhou general, Old Ding was trembling with anger. This time, he wasn't angry that his grandson-in-law had bothered to join in the fun, but rather that the Fuzhou general was so ignorant of etiquette.

No matter how high your rank or how great your official position, you are just a passerby. You have neither jurisdiction over Yangzhou Prefecture nor management authority over the educational officials. What right do you have to touch the local people?

The principle that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake is something you, Kui Lun, are supposed to understand, as a first-rank general.

In her haste, she dragged Old Song to visit her grandson-in-law, not daring to tell her son and daughter-in-law about it, for fear that the couple would get sick from the shock.

When they arrived, the doctor was applying medicine to his grandson-in-law, and a young woman was standing beside him helping him; she must have been the widow of the deceased Zhao Youlu.

This could be considered the grandson-in-law's concubine.

Upon seeing his grandson-in-law's buttocks covered in bruises and red welts, with several spots turning black, Old Ding was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Kui Lun is going too far! I'm going to submit a memorial to the throne and impeach him!"

What kind of memorial should be submitted?
Even a seventh-rank official like you doesn't have the authority to submit documents to the Office of Transmission; you have to have them forwarded by a superior.

Which official would be so bored as to help you challenge the General of Fuzhou?

Unless the general has fallen into trouble.

However, Instructor Song made a surprising remark: "Well done! Excellent!"

"Ok?"

Zhao An and Lao Ding, who were lying down, looked at Lao Song at the same time: "Look at this, is this how a human being speaks?"
"It was a good shot, a brilliant shot!"

Seeing that his two good "comrades" had misunderstood him, Old Song quickly explained: "Didn't Kuilun publicly say that he was beating Heshen's dog? Now that the dog has been beaten by him, do you think the master will be angry? If the master is angry, Kuilun will definitely be in deep trouble!"

Old Ding coughed lightly: "That makes sense, but Lord Song should be careful with his words. What do you mean by 'dog' and 'master'? My grandson-in-law is a dragon, a pillar of the nation, how can he be compared to a dog?"

"If you two can't speak properly, then shut up."

Zhao An, trembling from the pain of the doctor applying medicine, glared at Lao Ding and Lao Song. Just as he was about to speak, a sharp pain shot through his buttocks, and he couldn't help but cry out, "Ouch!"

"Be gentle, be gentle. Which clinic do you work at? Do you even know who this is? How can someone so clumsy be a doctor?"

After scolding the doctor for a bit, Old Song bent down and whispered in Zhao An's ear, "Don't worry, Lord Zhao. Kuilun wasn't hitting your backside, but rather He Zhongtang's face. Humph, who is He Zhongtang?"

He was humiliated in public by Kui Lun like that. I think it won't be long before Kui Lun is in trouble, and then you, sir, will benefit from the misfortune. Who knows, with just a wave of your hand, you might get promoted again. Tsk tsk, if only I had been the one getting a spanking.”

A look of envy crossed his face.

"."

Zhao An was too lazy to argue with Lao Song, but he agreed with Lao Song's analysis because Imperial Censor Zheng had revealed something to him on the way back.

That is, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, Wu Lana, was a relative of He Shen, and the Fujian Governor, Pu Lin, the Provincial Treasurer, Yi Zhebu, and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, Qian Shouchun, were all members of the He Shen faction. Why were there so many He Shen members in Fujian? Because He Shen wanted to establish the Fujian Customs in Quanzhou, Fujian, to trade with Westerners, just like the Guangdong Customs.

Therefore, officials in Fujian must be obedient allies.

Another aspect is to digest the "fruits" of the Fukang'an platform.

General Fu was also unlucky. He had just become the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang and quelled the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion. Before he could share the joy of victory with his subordinates, he was urgently transferred to Guangdong to deal with the Tay Son Nguyen Dynasty in Annam.

He was the only firefighter the old man could actually use.

As soon as Fukang'an left, Heshen seized the opportunity to recommend his relative Wulana to the old master to take over as the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. With a few words, he pocketed all the benefits of the Fujian officialdom and the platform.

News also came from the capital that Wulana and General Kuilon had gotten into a feud, each accusing the other of wrongdoing. So the old master had specially summoned Kuilon back to the capital for questioning.

Therefore, Kui Lun was furious with He Shen, which reasonably explains why he beat his own "dog" with a stick.

Because in the eyes of the Commander-in-Chief, you, Zhao Youlu, got your position by currying favor with Heshen, and it's quite possible that Heshen instructed you to voluntarily hand over the money for your crimes.

If the owner isn't afraid, why would he be afraid of you, a dog?
Although he was badly beaten, Zhao An still admired Commander-in-Chief Kui. In his memory, apart from Agui and Wang Jie, who dared to fight against Heshen, no one else in the Qianlong era had any presence.

Including Liu Luoguo, who was praised to the skies.

Ji Da Yandai was practically Heshen's lackey; the two were so close they were practically inseparable.

Bullshit! Iron teeth and bronze teeth.

"Alright, you don't need to pretend to be kind here. I've been working hard lately, so I'll take a few days of sick leave. The governor shouldn't say anything."

Zhao An was in a good mood. Old Ding didn't want him to get involved in the affairs of the Grand Canal Gang in the first place. The provincial examination was conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations. Even if Governor Fu Song came, it would only be a formality. There was no need for Commissioner Zhao to get involved personally.

So, it's good to stay home and check the wind direction.

Imperial Censor Zheng submitted a memorial on his behalf, and this time he didn't ask for money, because Imperial Censor Zheng felt that as one of the staunch supporters of Grand Secretary He, he had to distance himself from the tyrannical Kui Lun.

This memorial should be delivered to the capital by a special messenger on horseback.

In the following days, the flower baskets and gifts that Committee Member Zhao, who was "hospitalized," received were so numerous that even the gatekeeper couldn't hold them all.

They were all sent by the faculty and staff of the academy, and the red envelope register was filled with entries.

It's all from the heart, it wouldn't be right not to accept it.

When Jiangsu Governor Fu Song arrived, he heard that Commissioner Zhao had been beaten by a passing Fuzhou general, but he did not write to the court to speak up for Commissioner Zhao, because he was a man of A Gui.

Although Kui Lun was not one of A Gui's men, Master Fu still understood the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

When Lord Fu entered Yangzhou, he was stopped by women and children from the canal gang who cried out for justice. In front of so many people, Lord Fu had no choice but to accept the petition. He then summoned the Yangzhou prefect Fang Weidian, the military commander Zhao Dehan, and other officials to inquire about the canal situation.

Because they had each received 5,000 taels of silver as a tribute from the canal gang, both the prefect representing the civil officials and Zhao Dehan representing the military officials held a neutral view on the canal gang's strike.

However, his words still expressed some dissatisfaction with the Grand Canal Administration.

After all, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and it's a bit unreasonable for the canal transport authorities not to settle the freight charges with the canal guilds.

Regardless of the reason, local stability is of paramount importance. Moreover, the canal gangs are not ordinary organizations. If the canal workers are really pushed too far, who would dare to say that nothing will go wrong?
Given that local stability was of paramount importance, and considering that the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Guan Ganzhen had no conflict with Fu Song, Fu Song truthfully reported the matter to the imperial court.

This is also the first official memorial to date regarding an investigation into the canal's shutdown.

(End of this chapter)