Prime Minister

Chapter 137, Section 136: [First Visit to Xinghua]

Late June of the nineteenth year of the Taihe reign.

Located in Xinghua County, north of Yangzhou.

Yangzhou, under the rule of the Great Yan, had seven counties and one prefecture, and Xinghua County was among the worst in every respect.

The county has a registered population of just over 80,000. Although the dense river network is suitable for rice cultivation, the low-lying terrain makes it prone to flooding. Unlike Baoying County and Gaoyou Prefecture to the west, it does not have the advantage of canal transportation, and its salt fields are far smaller than those of Haimen County and Rugao County.

The local people rely on the weather for their livelihood, but unfortunately, the weather is often uncooperative. In addition, the corvée labor has never been reduced over the years, which has led to the people's extremely difficult lives.

Zhaoyang Town was the seat of Xinghua County.

The county government office was deserted, not because the local government was honest and the people were harmonious, but because the people had long since given up on the sycophantic and oppressive magistrate. They preferred to solve problems in their own way, which gradually fostered the fierce local customs.

Inside the study in the back hall, Magistrate Luo Tong hummed a leisurely tune, his eyes fixed on the silver notes in the wooden box on the table, his smile growing ever wider.

After a long while, he reluctantly closed the box, looked at the middle-aged man opposite him, and said, "This gift is far too generous; I dare not accept it."

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Why be so formal, Your Excellency?"

The implication is that this is not the first time such a thing has happened.

Luo Tong was itching with desire. This sum of silver was worth over a thousand taels, equivalent to more than twenty years of his salary. It was impossible for him not to be tempted, but he knew that some silver, even if one had the life to take it, one had to have the life to spend it. In the past, large salt merchants like the Liu family would often give him some silver to do him a favor, at most a few dozen taels. Never before had they given him such a generous gift.
As the saying goes, something unusual must be amiss, so Luo Tong smiled but did not answer, and picked up the teacup on the table.

The middle-aged man was named Liu Song, one of the head managers of Liu Family Jade Hall. Luo Tong had only met him once before.

Seeing this, Liu Song bluntly said, "Your Excellency, you don't want to follow in the footsteps of Registrar Chen and others from Jiangdu County, do you?"

The smile on Luo Tong's face immediately vanished.

During this period, he was on tenterhooks because the storm stirred up by Xue Huai, the prefectural magistrate, was astonishing. From Jiangdu County to Yizhen County, officials and gentry were punished one after another. Meanwhile, Luo Tong had been making a fortune in Xinghua County under various pretexts in recent years, and his schemes could not withstand scrutiny.

As Xue Huai's arrival date drew closer, Luo Tong felt the noose around his neck getting tighter and tighter, and he couldn't eat or sleep well these past few days.

Of course, he wouldn't easily reveal this to Liu Song, and slowly said, "How could I not understand what Manager Liu meant?"

Liu Song chuckled inwardly, leaning forward as he said, "Your Excellency, I have come here to help you resolve your troubles."

Luo Tong couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?"

Liu Song said in a low voice, "Since taking office in Yangzhou, Prefect Xue has acted recklessly and willfully, turning the city into a chaotic mess where the people are suffering. My magistrate and the other officials in the prefectural government have long wanted to impeach him, but Prefect Xue has a powerful background and influential connections in the court, so even the provincial administration dares not easily take action against him. Does Your Excellency know about the incident in Qingshan Town, Yizhen County some time ago?"

"I heard something."

Luo Tong's heart skipped a beat, and he said with a hint of eagerness, "You mean the Salt Transport Office and the Grand Canal Transport Office are also dissatisfied with Xue Tongzhi?"

The local officials in Yangzhou are now complaining bitterly about Xue Huai's methods. If those two government offices were to take action, they might actually be able to get rid of this plague god, Xue Huai.

Liu Song said mysteriously, "How would I know such secrets? However, I heard that Vice Commissioner Chen of the Salt Transport Office lost a lot of face that day, and I'm afraid he won't let it go."

Luo Tong knew why he hesitated to speak. Thinking about the many benefits he had received from these salt merchants in the past, and how they held the leverage over him, coupled with the sense of crisis brought by Xue Huai that kept him awake at night, he looked up at the box on the table, then reached out and picked it up, and put it in the hidden compartment under the bookshelf.

"Thank you for the honor of meeting me, Your Excellency."

Liu Song had a big smile on his face.

Luo Tong turned around and sat down, no longer hiding his intentions, and asked, "Speak, what are the plans of the Prefect and the Liu family patriarch?"

"Your Excellency, please allow me to explain in detail."

Liu Song certainly wouldn't reveal Liu Fu's entire plan, but his selective recounting alone was enough to cause Luo Tong's expression to change constantly.

After a long silence, Luo Tong gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, we'll do it your way!"

Liu Song reminded him, "Your Excellency, Magistrate Xue and his entourage are currently inspecting Baoying County. We need to hurry up and make preparations."

Luo Tong resolutely replied, "That is certainly the case."

……

Just as Magistrate Luo was having a private discussion with someone, a group of five merchants led a worn-out horse into Lizhong Town, which is more than 20 miles west of the county seat.

This town is adjacent to Desheng Lake, and the people there make a living by fishing and farming, leading a life of poverty and hardship.

The town is small, with only about 300 households. However, because it is located at the border of Xinghua County and Baoying County, outsiders often pass through. The arrival of those merchants did not attract much attention from the local people.

As noon approached, the five merchants arrived at the town's only teahouse. One of them said, "Old man, five bowls of tea, and some food."

"Okay, coming right away. Please have a seat."

The tea shop is run by a grandfather and granddaughter. The old man is over fifty years old and his back is hunched. His granddaughter is about eleven or twelve years old and is very sensible in helping her grandfather.

This place is unlike a big city; there aren't as many rules, so the old man wasn't very particular about etiquette, and the merchants didn't mind either. After a while, the old man brought out five large bowls; the tea was slightly yellowish, indicating that the tea leaves were of very ordinary quality.

The food was simple: a plate of rice cakes, a plate of vegetable dumplings, and a plate of stir-fried broad beans. The only thing that was somewhat fresh was a plate of water chestnuts.

The old man rubbed his hands together and said apologetically, "There's nothing good in the countryside, please make do with what you have."

“Old man, there’s no need for that. We’re used to traveling all over the country and sleeping in the open. We’re very fortunate to have this food and drink.”

The head of the traveling merchants was nearly forty years old and spoke with a very obvious northern accent.

The old man couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you from the north, guest?"

"It seems that the old man is a knowledgeable person."

The traveling merchant smiled and said, "We come from Linqing, Shandong. We're on our way to Taixing County to check out the cloth market. We just happen to be passing through here. May I ask your name, sir?"

The old man's surname is Chen.

Old Chen sighed, "I visited Taixing when I was young. It's a great place. It has tea, salt, and mulberry trees. It's much better than Xinghua."

Upon hearing this, the merchant asked, "Sir, why be so modest? It is said that Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice. Although Yangzhou is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River, its wealth has consistently ranked among the top ten prefectures in Jiangnan in recent years. Even if Xinghua cannot compare with those rich counties, it is still better than many places in the north."

It was midday, and the sun was intensely hot at the end of June. There were hardly any people coming and going in the town. Seeing that no one else was coming, Old Man Chen simply moved a bench over and sat down next to him. He said to the forty-year-old merchant, "Sir, you may not know, but while it is true that Jiangnan is prosperous, Xinghua County is an exception."

The forty-year-old merchant was Li Shun. He was knowledgeable and amiable, making him the most suitable person to play this role. At this moment, he followed the old man's words and said, "If you have time, sir, you may elaborate."

Old Chen sighed, "We have a few sayings around here, and you guests will understand what they mean as soon as you hear them."

Under everyone's gaze, the old man's slightly sorrowful voice rang out.

"The rice jars are low due to the flooding of the fields, and cries of anguish echo from the hollow bottom of the pot."

"The Yellow Register of Taxes is a life-or-death debt; salt workers and stove makers are eating reeds and firewood."

"Officials and merchants embezzle funds to enrich the lords, while boats fleeing famine head towards Taixing."

Old Chen's tone was off-key and unrecognizable, yet it still carried a certain rhythm and intonation.

The merchants all remained silent.

Besides Li Shun, the other four were Xue Huai, Jiang Sheng, Wang Gui, and Kong Li. They had all changed their clothes and made some minor alterations beforehand.

Originally, Xue Huai's fair and handsome face was extremely eye-catching, but in the past two months, he had been traveling around Yangzhou and had not only lost weight but also gotten quite tanned. As long as he did not deliberately show off his demeanor, he looked like a young and handsome man from a fairly well-off family.

Li Shun said, "Old man, I heard in Baoying County that a new prefect, Xue Tongzhi, has arrived in Yangzhou Prefecture. Since taking office, he has dealt with many corrupt officials and wealthy but unkind gentry. Hasn't Xinghua County heard about this? Aren't you afraid that your county magistrate will be punished after Xue Tongzhi arrives?"

"The county magistrate..."

Old Chen squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, ultimately not daring to discuss the local magistrate in front of strangers, and could only shake his head and say, "I don't know either, perhaps it's because the magistrate isn't afraid of being investigated."

Li Shun understood immediately. He glanced at the timid little girl by the wall and asked, "Aren't your children at home working now?"

Upon hearing this question, Old Man Chen said sadly, "What's the point of working if I'm dead?"

Li Shun immediately apologized, saying, "I misspoke, please don't take offense, sir."

"nothing."

Old Chen waved his hand and said, "Which family here hasn't had someone die in an accident? My family used to be salt producers, that is, people from the salt fields who made salt for the government. These years, life has become increasingly difficult. We work hard all year round making salt, and not only do we suffer from all kinds of illnesses, we don't even have enough food to eat. My son and daughter-in-law died in an accident at the salt fields. I'm too old to do it anymore, so I can only make a living by running this tea stall."

He looked at his granddaughter not far away and sighed heavily again.

As he said, there are many families in Xinghua County in similar situations; it's just a matter of who is worse off.

About an incense stick later, Xue Huai heard a lot about the specific problems in Xinghua County from Old Man Chen, which were even more serious than he had expected.

Before leaving, Li Shun took out five taels of silver. Old Man Chen dared not accept it. After a long standoff, Li Shun finally stuffed the silver into the old man's hand.

Watching the merchants depart, Old Man Chen and his granddaughter expressed their deepest gratitude.

Xue Huai and his group did not linger and went straight through Lizhong Town towards Xinghua County.

The atmosphere in the group was very serious. After all, seeing is believing, and no amount of suffering can compare to witnessing the current state of people's lives firsthand.

"Young master, the magistrate of Xinghua County is probably not a kind person. Should we wait for the main force to arrive?"

Jiang Sheng was slightly worried; he didn't want Xue Huai to put himself in danger.

Xue Huai looked ahead, recalling the secret letter he had received from the Shen family a few days ago, and shook his head, saying, "Speed ​​is of the essence in war, there's no need to wait any longer."

(End of this chapter)