What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 332 This madman surnamed Su is really capable of killing!
Before the accountant of Qianse Pavilion could react, he was brutally beaten.

Instantly, his face was bruised and swollen, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he sat on the ground holding his head, staring blankly at the incredibly arrogant Imperial Guard.

I had absolutely no idea what was happening!
This is property belonging to the Imperial Uncle's family!
Ever since An Wu and his men smashed the signboard of Tianyi Tower, business has plummeted. Qianse Pavilion and Fuyu Tower have become the most profitable properties of the Imperial Uncle's Mansion.

If these two industries were to disappear, the several hundred people in the Imperial Uncle's Mansion would truly be left starving!

Anyone who touches Zhang Shouning is willing to take his life!

Now, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has come to cause trouble?
Several thugs on the ship, unaware of the situation, thought they had powerful connections and tried to draw their swords in retaliation.

As a result, he was ruthlessly taken down by the Imperial Guards a moment later, and several of his arms were even cut off!
Some guests who were just about to board the ship for fun or spend the night on the ship and were about to leave were instantly dumbfounded!
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were the Empress's henchmen, and Zhang Shouning was the Empress's maternal uncle.

In a way, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Thousand Colors Pavilion could be considered as family.

Why are they fighting like dogs now?
They really went all out, biting like crazy and even cutting off his arm!

……

Zhang Wenxing was Zhang Shouning's nephew, and thus, he was Empress Zhang's cousin, calling her "aunt."

During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the interference of the emperor's relatives in politics was severe, and the decline of the dynasty was largely due to this.

After Emperor Wu replaced Emperor Bao Qian, Emperor Wu Taizu learned from Bao Qian's mistakes and explicitly stipulated that relatives of the empress should not interfere in politics.

Zhang Wenxing is indeed quite talented in literature.

Unfortunately, due to his status as a relative of the imperial family, he was unable to obtain official rank through the imperial examinations.

Finally, under Zhang Shouning's care, he got a job working on this ship, which was registered under Zhang Wenxing's name, making him the apparent owner.

However, Zhang Wenxing was not as arrogant as Zhang Shouning, and rarely showed his face.

Normally, matters concerning the ship are handled by the ship's master and the chief steward who was killed by Su Mo.

With the Pavilion Master absent, the Chief Steward had just appeared, but was killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard after only uttering half a sentence.

In their panic, the madam and the thugs could only rush to inform the owner, who was entertaining the distinguished guests on the boat.

Zhang Wenxing was also taken aback when he saw the guards on the warship rushing in with alarm: "What?"

"Did the Imperial Guards board the ship and cause trouble? And even killed Zhang Yi?"

"Which Imperial Guard is so audacious? Don't they know this property belongs to the Emperor's brother-in-law's family?"

He thought he had misheard!

Zhang Yi was a servant born into the household of the Duke of Anguo. His father had been Zhang Shouning's page for decades, and both father and son were deeply trusted by Zhang Shouning and were his true confidants.

Even Zhang Wenxing himself was wary of Zhang Yi and politely addressed him as Manager Zhang!

In this vast capital city, who doesn't know the identity of Steward Zhang?
He was killed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
The messenger guard said urgently, "Those Imperial Guards claim to be from the Qinghefang Hundred-Household Office."

"The second steward said this property belonged to the Imperial Brother-in-law's family, but the other party took it over!"

"The steward Zhang had just come out and shouted when he was killed by those Imperial Guards. They're also going to seize the ship's account books and are moving them out!"

The guard grew increasingly anxious as he spoke: "Master, please go and take a look!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenxing's expression immediately changed!
The counter is not just a record of transactions.

More importantly, there's another debt book!
For example, the fifth son of the Marquis of Anyang recorded an account of one hundred taels of silver on a certain day and at a certain time!

For example, the young master of Honglu Temple recorded an account of thirty-eight taels of silver on a certain day of a certain month!

Also, the Imperial Academy's Director of Studies recorded seventy-three taels of silver!

……

If these ledgers fall into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the consequences will be unimaginable!
The ledgers of Qianse Pavilion are all genuine ledgers.

In fact, Qianse Pavilion had no need to falsify accounts, nor did it need to use cryptic language to refer to the identities of those who owed money.

Who dares to investigate the accounts of the Imperial Brother-in-Law's estate?
Falsifying accounts is pointless!

Who knew someone would actually come to investigate!

Zhang Wenxing took a deep breath, composed himself, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Ao Kun?"

"Summon him to see me immediately!"

No matter what the background of the ship is, there will always be troublemakers.

After all, some arrogant sons of noble families and high-ranking officials, when drunk, don't even respect the Emperor himself.

Besides ordinary guards and thugs, the Thousand Colors Pavilion ship also has real powerhouses in charge.

Ao Kun, a late-stage Divine Realm Grand Sorcerer, possesses extremely formidable strength and is the strongest force in the Thousand Colors Pavilion!
However, Ao Kun hasn't personally taken action for quite some time.

It's not that he's so strong that he can intimidate all martial arts masters and immortal sorcerers!
However, true powerhouses are not as arrogant and ignorant as the sons of nobles. They know that they cannot afford to offend Zhang Guojiu, and they also know that there are probably many high-ranking officials, and even members of the royal family and relatives of the empress, hidden on the ship.

Someone can say something casually and it can make you regret it!
Ordinary troublemakers can be dealt with by the guards and thugs on the ship, without Ao Kun having to lift a finger.

Now that this has happened, Zhang Wenxing naturally sought out Ao Kun for help immediately.

Then the guard said urgently, "Master Ao went to Fuyu Tower with Pavilion Master Lin last night and has not returned yet."

Zhang Wenxing's face instantly darkened.

The ledgers definitely couldn't be taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If things escalate, Zhang Shouning will most likely be fine, but it's hard to say what will happen to the shipowner.

So what if he's the Empress's cousin?

The Empress was cold-blooded and ruthless. She killed her three brothers without mercy, let alone her mere cousin!
Those Imperial Guards knew the true nature of the warships, yet they still dared to cause trouble.

The connections behind this are something even the emperor's brother-in-law and nephew might not be able to withstand.

Zhang Wenxing frowned and thought for a moment, then told the guard to inform the Imperial Uncle's residence. He then turned to look at the tall, handsome, and refined middle-aged man opposite him.

"Brother Hengyu, as you've heard, something happened to the ship. I need to go and see what's going on!"

Guo Lianggang was about to nod, not wanting to get involved.

Zhang Wenxing then said, "I will arrange for servants to escort Brother Hengyu away in a small boat. This matter will certainly not implicate you, so that you will have a way to explain to Princess Jinling!"

Guo Liang's expression changed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "It's nothing!"

"I will go with you to see for myself how the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office dares to be so arrogant as to kill someone in public!"

Zhang Wenxing immediately became anxious: "Absolutely not! If we let Princess Jinling..."

Before he could finish speaking, Guo Liang waved his hand and said, "Eldest brother, there's no need to say more!"

"I've only come here to drink and relieve my boredom, and I'm not doing anything shady, so why would I be afraid of the princess finding out!"

After saying that, he got up and walked towards the VIP room!

A cold glint flashed in Zhang Wenxing's eyes.

Then they followed.

When the two arrived at the ship's counter, they saw a long line of thugs and guards, their faces bruised and swollen, their mouths and collars stained with blood, all of them bound and unable to move.

The accountant in charge of the books looked terrified, blood was flowing from his mouth and nose, and a straight knife was held to his neck!
Several imperial guards kept pulling out stacks of account books from under the counter and carrying them out.

Those who were secretly watching the spectacle became excited the moment they saw Zhang Wenxing and Guo Liang appear!
There's something good to watch now!
Unexpectedly, Zhang Wenxing showed up in person.

Even more unexpectedly, Princess Jinling and her husband were both on the boat, and they were even brought over!
Guo Liang had been on the ship more than once or twice, and many people knew Zhang Wenxing and Guo Liang!
Upon seeing this, Zhang Wenxing's face darkened, and he immediately shouted, "Stop!"

He then squinted at Su Mo and suddenly sneered, "Who do we have here to cause trouble at Thousand Colors Pavilion? It's Lord Su!"

Su Mo was taken aback.

He looked at Zhang Wenxing with a dark expression, feeling a vague sense of familiarity, but he probably hadn't actually met him before.

Then, Su Mo took a look at the other tall, almost as tall as himself, middle-aged man with a jade pendant at his waist, a jade crown on his head, and an elegant and refined demeanor.

"Do you know me?"

Zhang Wenxing snorted coldly, but did not answer Su Mo's question. He said coldly, "May I ask Lord Su, what serious crime did Qianse Pavilion commit that made you board the ship to investigate and even kill the ship's manager?"

He paused, then let out a heavy snort: "If Lord Su doesn't give me an explanation, I will appeal all the way to the Taiji Hall and to the Sage himself, and I will definitely seek justice!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "This person dares to obstruct the Imperial Guards from handling a case; it's tantamount to rebellion!"

"As a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I bear the responsibility of apprehending traitors. Is my reason for killing rebels sufficient?" Guo Liang frowned, suddenly took half a step forward, and said slowly, "You, a centurion, are truly lawless!"

"Zhang Yi is a servant of the Emperor's brother-in-law's household. How dare you say he's rebelling!"

Su Mo was taken aback again.

Listening to music in brothels was one of the few hobbies of the powerful and wealthy, as well as the literati, in the Great Wu Dynasty.

As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a stolen woman, and a stolen woman is not as good as a whore.

Many civil and military officials also enjoyed this flavor.

There are definitely people of high status on the ship, but they just don't dare to show themselves at this time.
Where did this hothead come from?
However, judging from this person's attire—silk and brocade, extremely luxurious—he must be someone of considerable importance.

He frowned: "And who are you?"

Guo Liang said in a deep voice, "Don't worry about what Yu is saying..."

But before he could finish speaking, Zhang Wenxing, who was standing next to him, angrily said, "It's fine if Lord Zhang doesn't take the Duke of Anguo's mansion seriously, but does he even want to take away Princess Jinling's husband?"

Su Mo squinted at Guo Liang: "So you're Princess Jinling's husband!"

Guo Liang frowned subconsciously, then said in a deep voice, "This has nothing to do with my identity!"

"Since Su claims to be handling a case, shouldn't he provide a reason for doing so? Otherwise, how can he convince others?"

Su Mo thought for a moment and then nodded: "Originally, the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office did not need to explain to anyone when handling cases."

"However, I have some connections with Princess Jinling, so I will give the Prince Consort some face to avoid him being schemed against and getting into trouble for no reason."

Guo Liang's heart skipped a beat.

Did the other party know Princess Jinling?
Su Mo glanced coldly around, knowing full well that many people were secretly watching.

However, this is even better.

He intended to make a big fuss and let all the merchants in Qinghefang know about it as soon as possible.

"I have come here to investigate the matter of Qianse Pavilion evading commercial taxes!"

Upon hearing this, Guo Liang was immediately taken aback and frowned, asking, "Collecting commercial taxes is the responsibility of the Tax Bureau. When did it come under the jurisdiction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Su Mo was speechless.

Princess Jinling seems to be a shrewd person, so how could she have chosen such a pretty boy with nothing but a good-looking face as her husband!

The worst part is that he's not even as handsome as me!
If you're going to look for someone, look for someone like yourself.

He had openly pointed out that Zhang Wenxing was using him, but the person in question remained silent, and he took the initiative to approach him again!

What a complete idiot!
Su Mo snorted: "Since Prince Consort Guo has asked this question, I will tell you!"

"The commercial taxes that the Tax Bureau cannot collect will be collected by the Hundred Households of Qinghe Ward. The commercial taxes that Qinghe Ward dares not collect will also be collected by Qinghe Ward!"

In short!

Su Mo listened for a moment, then his voice suddenly turned serious: "From now on, all commercial taxes in Qinghefang will be collected by the Qinghefang Hundred Households Office!"

"As for the Qinghefang Hundred Households, they do not have this authority, and it is not your place to question it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenxing stared at Su Mo in disbelief.

Guo Liang also looked extremely surprised!

The passengers on the ship who were secretly watching the commotion, as well as the high-ranking officials who dared not show their faces, were equally astonished.

They naturally knew that, given the scale of Qinghefang's commerce, the commercial taxes that needed to be paid according to the Great Martial Law were an enormous sum!

Thirty percent tax doesn't seem like much.

The problem is that most of the taxes in Dawu are levied repeatedly, and commercial taxes are no exception.

In name only, commercial taxes can only be collected by the Tax Bureau. In reality, the Customs House, the Tax Bureau, and the Bamboo and Timber Collection Bureau each have their own jurisdictions, and their powers are very different. They could all come and collect these commercial taxes!

Including the current Qinghefang Hundred Household Office!

Take caravans as an example.

Goods transported over long distances are subject to taxes at every checkpoint they pass through.

For those with long journeys, it can take you through dozens of checkpoints.

Even if every checkpoint strictly enforces the 30% tax rate, you can calculate the total amount yourself!

Under such circumstances, all the big merchants would rather pay protection fees far exceeding one-thirtieth of the tax than ever set out to pay commercial taxes!

Although the tax authorities don't collect much commercial tax, in fact, the various items paid by merchants far exceed the standard commercial tax rate of one-thirtieth!
I won't even go into how shocked the officials who were patrons of prostitutes and knew all about the shady dealings and inside stories were.

Even at the height of their power, the Embroidered Uniform Guard never dared to touch commercial taxes; they could only use various tricks to extract money from merchants!
Are the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) who call themselves the Hundred Households of Qinghefang collectively insane with their greed and loss?
How dare they collect commercial taxes from Qianse Pavilion?

Even if they're desperate for money, this isn't the way to go!

Su Mo didn't care how surprised they were. Anyway, her words would probably spread throughout Qinghefang in less than half a day.

He gave Zhang Wenxing a cold look: "I have always been impartial and incorruptible in my dealings!"

"I also hope that no one will be so blind as to obstruct my investigation! Otherwise, even if Zhang Shouning himself comes, I will arrest him!"

After saying that, he waved to his Imperial Guards and said, "Take all the account books back to me and investigate them thoroughly. See how much commercial tax Qianse Pavilion has evaded over the years!"

Zhang Wenxing's expression changed, but he only looked at Su Mo with a cold smile and didn't say a word!

In his eyes, the guy who had always opposed the Imperial Uncle's Mansion was doomed to die this time!

How dare they touch the commercial tax?

Do they really think that having the favor of a sage means they can act lawlessly?
At this moment, Ning Xiaoxiao suddenly said, "My lord, we only have the accounts for the second half of the year for Qianse Pavilion!"

"Should we take the accountant back and interrogate him severely?"

Su Mo waved his hand: "Six months' worth of accounts is enough!"

He then turned to Zhang Wenxing and said calmly, "You have one day to deliver the remaining account books to the Qinghefang Hundred Household Office!"

"Of course, it's fine if you don't send it. It'll just be a matter of adding up the amount of commercial tax evaded over six months, plus a fine of a hundred times the amount!"

After saying that, Su Mo waved his hand: "Fall back!"

Several Imperial Guards, carrying thick ledgers, prepared to leave.

Zhang Wenxing suddenly panicked and remembered the ledgers that recorded the debts.

The guy surnamed Su is definitely doomed.

But once this ledger is leaked, he will be finished along with him.

That guy surnamed Su is tired of living; he hasn't lived enough yet!

Zhang Wenxing finally couldn't hold back any longer. He suddenly stepped forward, blocked their way, and shouted sternly, "No one is allowed to leave!"

Su Mo's face suddenly darkened, and he placed his hand on the straight sword at his waist, saying in a sinister tone, "Do you also intend to obstruct my investigation?"

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

Zhang Wenxing coldly replied, "You dare to kill me?"

Su Mo narrowed his eyes, slightly drawing his straight sword. A flash of cold light from the blade and a murderous intent appeared simultaneously in his eyes: "You can try!"

Zhang Wenxing took a deep breath and stared intently at Su Mo through gritted teeth!

Su Mo remained silent.

Holding the hilt, the straight sword is slowly drawn from its sheath.

One foot... two feet... three feet...

The blade was about to be drawn from its sheath.

Zhang Wenxing's face grew increasingly pale!
Finally, with a heavy snort, they had no choice but to make way!

The guy surnamed Su has gone mad, but I'm not!
If it were anyone else, he would know that the other party was bluffing and would not dare to touch a hair on his cousin, the Sage.

But this madman surnamed Su is truly capable of killing!

　It's my birthday today. I wanted to ask for a day off, but I didn't dare! Sigh, writing is so hard!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)