Prime Minister

Chapter 155, Section 154: [His Will Cannot Be Taken Away]

The room was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

As the candlelight flickered, it cast swaying shadows on the delicate bowls and plates, illuminating the diverse expressions on everyone's faces.

"Evil will be punished, it is the justice of Heaven. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't come yet."

Xue Huai's voice was clear and cold, like ice beads rolling onto a jade plate. It was exceptionally clear in the silent flower hall, and every word carried immense force, striking Liu Fu's heart heavily.

The old man's humility froze instantly, replaced by an expression of shock, shame, and anger at being publicly humiliated.

Liu Fu had dominated the Yangzhou business world his entire life, and even the prefect treated him with deference. He had never been rebuked like this to his face before.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists inside his sleeves.

Xu Guanlan's warm smile vanished completely, and his worldly-wise eyes stared at Xue Huai with a sharp, hawk-like gaze, as if he wanted to see right through this arrogant young man.

He thought that by setting a way out and offering a reward, Xue Huai, no matter how unwilling, would have to consider the unspoken rules of officialdom and his own face as a third-rank salt transport commissioner, and they would tacitly complete the transaction.

However, Xue Huai not only refused outright, but also declared in an almost resolute manner that evil will be punished, pushing this dinner, which originally had the meaning of negotiation and mediation, into complete confrontation!
"Xue Tongzhi."

Xu Guanlan suppressed his surging emotions, his deep voice revealing a hint of coldness: "As officials of the imperial court, we must be extremely careful with our words and never make hasty judgments based on our own likes and dislikes."

Although Xue Huai's blunt statement greatly angered Xu Guanlan, he still did not want to completely break off relations. After all, if he wanted to restrain Xue Huai through others, he would have to pay a considerable price.

Xue Huai slowly stood up, his posture as upright as a pine tree on a cliff. He met Xu Guanlan's imposing gaze without fear and said slowly, "Your Excellency, the person I am referring to as an evil person is not this old man Liu in front of me."

Upon hearing this, Xu Guanlan softened his tone slightly and asked, "Then what do you mean?"

"Yuntai, the Hu family of Qingshan Town, Yizhen County, has committed countless evil deeds. Luo Tong, the former magistrate of Xinghua County, led his subordinates to embezzle public funds and even attempted to instigate a peasant uprising to massacre the government offices. There is irrefutable evidence of these things. As the leading merchant family in Yangzhou, the Liu family's managers are extremely audacious and have deep-rooted ties with those people. Can Old Man Liu really get away with it by saying that he was deceived due to poor supervision?"

Xue Huai's tone was extremely calm, without any deliberate anger, yet this calmness made Xu Guanlan's heart sink.

Seeing that Xu Guanlan did not answer, he turned to Liu Fu and said, "Among the account books I seized from the Hu family warehouse in Qingshan Town, Yizhen County, there is evidence of your Liu family's major businesses engaging in bullying and monopolistic practices. Furthermore, the bottom of the money box found in the home of Luo Tong, the former magistrate of Xinghua County, clearly bears the mark of your Liu family's Yutangfeng money shop! In addition, according to Luo Tong's confession, the reason he instigated the popular uprising was entirely due to the instigation of Liu Song, one of the head managers of your Liu family's Yutangfeng money shop!"

These words were like a heavy hammer blow, and even Lou Shizong, who had been silent to the side, felt his heart tremble.

According to Xue Huai, the Liu family, as the leading local powerful clan in Yangzhou, outwardly presented themselves as righteous merchants, but secretly colluded with officials and gentry, disregarding the law.

"That's absolutely not the case!"

Liu Fu's face turned deathly pale, then flushed red in an instant. His voice trembled with anger and fear: "Our bank's money flows in and out like the sea every day. Even if Luo Tong's money box bears the mark of Yu Tang Feng, it only proves that Luo Tong was once a customer of Yu Tang Feng. What does his illegal behavior have to do with the Liu family? As for Liu Song instigating him to incite civil unrest, that's pure slander. Our manager and employees can all testify that Liu Song has not left the prefectural city in the last two months! I urge Lord Xue to discern the truth!"

Xue Huai narrowed his eyes, staring at the changes in the old man's expression, as if trying to determine the truth of his words.

Xu Guanlan had not expected Xue Huai's knife to be so sharp and precise, nor had he expected that this young man would dare to directly expose the Liu family's crimes at the banquet. This undoubtedly showed that he did not take Xu Guanlan, the salt commissioner, seriously at all.

He suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Prefect Xue, you have accused the Liu family of such a serious crime based on just a few transactions and a not-so-rare money box mark. You have completely ignored the contributions the Liu family has made to the people of Yangzhou over the years. This is too rash and biased."

"Taiwan has taught us a lesson."

To the surprise of the other three, Xue Huai took a step back, sat back down, and calmly said, "Regarding the matters involving the Liu family, I should not have made any comments at tonight's banquet. Instead, the matter should be handed over to the Yangzhou government for a thorough investigation and a report to be submitted for trial according to the law. Old Liu, what do you think?"

Liu Fu knew it wasn't his turn to speak tonight, so he wisely remained silent in the face of Xue Huai's veiled questions.

Xu Guanlan said at the right moment, "Prefect Xue, whether to investigate or not, and how to investigate, are official matters of your Yangzhou government, so there is no need to ask for other people's opinions."

Xue Huai turned to look directly at Xu Guanlan and said frankly, "I mention these things tonight not to adjudicate a case here, but to plead my case with the Governor—the root of the corruption in Yangzhou's administration lies not in the petty malpractices at the lower levels, but in the powerful and influential at the top. These people are deeply entrenched, colluding with the government, monopolizing resources and sucking the people's marrow; their actions have long exceeded the bounds of propriety. I am entrusted by the Emperor to rectify the local area, and for those black sheep, no matter how deep their roots or how powerful their backers, no matter whether they are affiliated with the Yangzhou government, or—"

He paused, his gaze meeting Xu Guanlan's without flinching, and his tone grew increasingly forceful: "It's still the list of salt merchants under the jurisdiction of the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office. I will investigate it thoroughly according to the law!"

Xu Guanlan's expression gradually darkened. In order to ensure the smooth running of the reclamation ceremony and to reassure the major salt merchants of Yangzhou, he personally hosted a banquet for Xue Huai tonight, disregarding the difference in rank and age. He even had Liu Fu take the initiative to bow down and submit to Xue Huai, and made clear guarantees to him. This was simply to try to resolve the conflict between the two sides as peacefully as possible, and did not mean that he was truly afraid of this young junior.

"Well done, investigating to the end!"

Xu Guanlan laughed in fury, a laugh that was icy and chilling, carrying a hint of murderous intent: "Prefect Xue, do not forget that the salt administration is a vital instrument of the court and the foundation of the nation! I am in charge of the salt affairs of Lianghuai, ensuring the continuous flow of salt taxes to the central government. This is my top priority. Do you know what a colossal crime it would be if the salt supply were disrupted, the salt routes were blocked, the border pay to the capital was cut off, and the nine border regions were in turmoil? This responsibility is not something even a lowly prefect like you could bear, not even the governor of Jiangsu could bear!"

The atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Seeing Xu Guanlan completely break off relations and confront Xue Huai head-on, Liu Fu breathed a slight sigh of relief, a smug glint flashing in his eyes.

As long as Xu Guanlan insists on protecting him, no matter how capable Xue Huai is, he will not be able to overcome this obstacle, because the salt administration is independent and even the Jiangsu governor cannot easily interfere.

Faced with Xu Guanlan's sharp, almost suffocating accusations and enormous threats, Xue Huai showed no fear, but instead revealed a trace of pity.

He took a deep breath, his voice calming down, yet carrying a penetrating power as he clearly stated, "Yuntai's words are erroneous. When the salt permit system was first implemented, it was also a time when the nation was newly established and everything was in disarray. The salt workers transported grain to the borders, while merchants facilitated the salt trade, greatly benefiting both the country and its people. However, over time, problems have arisen. Why is it that today, while salt taxes seem plentiful, the salt workers are suffering immensely? Why are merchants incredibly wealthy, yet the imperial treasury is running a deficit?"

Xu Guanlan's hands clenched quietly inside his sleeves.

Xue Huai's voice gradually rose, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Guanlan: "The corruption of the salt administration lies not in the investigation itself, but in the tolerance and cover-ups! More and more salt workers are deserting, the credibility of salt certificates is waning, salt prices are fluctuating wildly, and the people are filled with resentment. The very foundation that the Transport Commissioner claims maintains for the salt transport is riddled with termites and teetering on the brink of collapse. My actions are precisely to remove this cancer, to restore the salt law to its former glory, and to guide trade back to the right path! Only in this way can we truly solidify the foundation of the salt tax and ensure a continuous supply of provisions for the border regions and the people. If the Transport Commissioner truly cares about the nation, he should support me in removing the rotten flesh, rather than using the name of the greater good to cover up the crimes of these treacherous rats who are devouring the very foundation of the nation!"

"absurd!"

Xu Guanlan's face turned ashen, his lips trembled slightly, and he said in a cold voice, "You are merely the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou, how dare you speak ill of the salt administration? Out of respect for Lord Xue Wensu, I kindly offered you guidance on how to be an official, but you not only fail to appreciate it, but instead you interfere in the very foundation of the nation!"

Xue Huai looked at him quietly, a hint of disappointment flashing deep in his eyes.

Judging from the information he had, Xu Guanlan's abilities were beyond doubt. He deserves great credit for the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office's ability to remain the top of the eleven salt fields of the Great Yan Dynasty. As for his personal character, that was clearly not what the emperor and the officials in the court were most concerned about.

Xue Huai was well aware of the true meaning of tonight's banquet. He also hoped that Xu Guanlan could pull back from the brink, but now it seemed that the other party was deeply involved with those big salt merchants and could not be separated from them for a long time.

In this case, there is no point in saying more.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Xu Guanlan and said resolutely, "I am grateful for the banquet hosted by Governor Xu tonight, but we are not on the same page. For the sake of this meal, I would also like to offer a word of advice: if you wish to return to the central government, you should broaden your horizons. If you are fixated on immediate gains, you will find it difficult to rise to a high position."

The atmosphere in the hall was almost frozen.

Xue Huai stood up, no longer looking at Xu Guanlan's gloomy face, and said to Lou Shizong beside him, "Please, Lord Lou, lead me away."

Lou Shizong's lips moved, but he hesitated and could not speak.

Xue Huai stopped insisting, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and then walked outside.

"Xue Huai!"

Xu Guanlan let out a sharp shout, his previous composure completely vanished.

Xue Huai stopped and turned to look at the high-ranking salt commissioner.

Xu Guanlan stared at the young man's solemn face and said, word by word, "I am giving you this final warning: if you obstruct the important plan of salt administration, no matter what powerful backer you have, I will not let you off the hook."

Xue Huai paused for a moment, his calm tone revealing a hint of sharpness: "I, Xue, will wait and see."

As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't hesitate any longer and strode away.

(End of this chapter)