Prime Minister

Chapter 172, 171 [Shocking]

That shout was like a thunderclap, instantly exploding in the stagnant air and drowning out all the noise on Jinxiu Street.

A valiant squad of guards from the Fubiao Battalion, carrying the command flag of the Jiangsu Governor's Office, swept in like a whirlwind, quickly clearing a path through the crowd blocking their way.

In the center of the procession, Chen Yan, the Jiangsu governor, wearing a second-rank official robe with a golden pheasant insignia, rode forward on horseback, entering the central circle of the confrontation under the protection of several close attendants.

Chen Yan was a fellow student and fellow townsman of Grand Secretary Ning Hengzhi. Both were from Hangzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. Because of this close relationship, he always bore the distinct mark of Ning's faction.

The man was nearly sixty years old, but he was vigorous and his square face made him appear even more dignified.

His gaze swept across the two tense camps before him like lightning—on one side were the constables and archers of the Yangzhou government office, led by a resolute young man named Xue Huai, the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou; on the other side were the salt soldiers directly under the Salt Transport Office, exuding murderous intent, surrounding Xu Guanlan, the solemn Salt Transport Commissioner of Lianghuai.

"It's so lively."

Chen Yan uttered three words expressionlessly.

Xu Guanlan and Xue Huai stepped forward to pay their respects, and the previously tightly closed gates of the Liu residence suddenly opened. Liu Fu, who was showing signs of aging, staggered out with Liu Xu and several younger members of the family, and knelt down, saying, "This humble subject, Liu Fu, pays his respects to Your Excellency the Governor!"

Chen Yan first told Xu Guanlan, Xue Huai, and other officials to dispense with the formalities, then looked at Liu Fu and said, "Get up, what are you doing at your age?"

Although his tone was calm, his familiarity and concern were evident.

Liu Fu stood up with the help of his nephews and nieces, and glanced at Xue Huai beside him as if by accident.

In such a tense situation, Xue Huai stood calmly, while Liu Fu appeared respectful, but a hint of smugness flashed across his eyes.

He only dared to have his household guards confront the government officials because he knew Chen Yan was already on his way.

Although Chen Yan could not completely destroy Xue Huai, as the governor of Jiangsu, he had the right to suspend Xue Huai from his post!

Just then, Chen Yan looked at Xue Huai's young and handsome face and asked, "Prefect Xue, could you tell me what happened?"

Xue Huai, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, bowed respectfully to the scrutinizing official, saying, "Reporting to the Governor, the matter stems from the Liu family of Yangzhou. Their crimes are as follows: First, they have long been encroaching on salt quotas and illegally selling them for exorbitant profits. Specific witnesses and evidence will be submitted to the government office shortly. Second, they coerced small and medium-sized salt merchants into signing IOUs at usurious interest rates and extorted money under the guise of purchasing salt quotas, causing their businesses to be on the verge of collapse. Third, they manipulated prices, hoarded goods, exploited the people, and oppressed the innocent—their illegal acts are too numerous to list! Today, I have come to arrest Liu Fu, Liu Yi, Liu Xu, and other key culprits to bring them to the government office for detailed interrogation. However, Salt Commissioner Xu led his officers and soldiers, armed with weapons, to intervene and obstruct the government office from carrying out its duties, resulting in a stalemate."

"Prefect Xue, be careful with your words!"

As soon as Xue Huai finished speaking, Xu Guanlan stepped forward and solemnly said, "Your Excellency, this is all Xue Huai's one-sided account! The salt administration system relies on the operations of major salt merchants to ensure the smooth flow of salt taxes. Old Liu is an honest merchant who has paid his salt taxes in full every year. How can there be any talk of him arbitrarily altering the quota? As for the so-called coercion of small and medium-sized salt merchants, these are purely business loans with clear contracts and are all voluntary. How can the government impose crimes on merchants simply because they are not doing well? Xue Huai's siege of Liu's residence today, with its cruel methods, is the real culprit in exacerbating the conflict and disrupting the salt administration order! As the Salt Commissioner, it is my duty to maintain the stability of the salt administration. How can I sit idly by and watch the prefecture abuse its power and damage the imperial salt tax system?"

"Your Excellency the Governor!"

Seizing the opportunity, Liu Fu knelt down again with a thud, tears streaming down his face, and said, "The Liu family has always been law-abiding and has done its utmost for the salt tax of the imperial court. When Magistrate Xue first arrived in Yangzhou, he harbored deep prejudice against us local merchants. First, he detained my eldest son, Liu Rang, on trumped-up charges, then he seized several of my family's properties, and now he wants to frame my entire family and imprison them! My Liu family has lived here for generations, with countless relatives and friends, and our businesses are linked to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people. If we are framed and arrested today, Yangzhou will surely be in turmoil. I implore Your Excellency the Governor to do justice for us, and to do justice for those innocent people who depend on the Liu family for their livelihood!"

Chen Yan listened calmly, his gaze shifting between Xue Huai, Xu Guanlan, and Liu Fu.

The room fell silent.

Xue Huai's subordinates, Xu Guanlan's salt soldiers, and Chen Yan's Fubiao Battalion stood in distinct groups, all looking towards the small area in the middle.

After a long silence, Chen Yan said earnestly to Xue Huai, “Prefect Xue, I have long known that you are wholeheartedly devoted to the people and determined to reform. However, the most important thing for an official is stability – stability in governance, stability in the people, and stability in commerce! The salt administration of Yangzhou is the lifeblood of the imperial court; a change in one part affects the whole. How can you mobilize so many troops to besiege the mansions of local gentry and powerful families? What about the dignity of the imperial court? What about the stability of the local area? Is this how a local official should behave?”

Xue Huai stood tall and straight, not in a hurry to argue or debate. This composure alone made Chen Yan feel a little uneasy.

He had actually received Liu Fu's request for help long ago, and was very satisfied with the gift lists that Liu Rang and Liu Yi had sent to Suzhou Prefecture several times. However, he had been kept away by the Provincial Governor Dou Xian for some time. Fortunately, the old man had other important matters to attend to a few days ago and finally stopped holding him back with a bunch of thorny official business, so he hurriedly came to Yangzhou.

After a brief pause, Chen Yan glanced at Liu Fu and softened his tone slightly, saying, "As for the Liu family's affairs, even if there are disputes over business loans, it is common for merchants. The government will handle it according to the law. How can it be equated with a heinous crime? Not to mention the heinous crimes of unauthorized alteration of salt permits and smuggling, which require irrefutable evidence and a thorough investigation by the three judicial departments before a conclusion can be reached. How can you arrest the entire family based on a moment of anger? Liu Fu is a local elder, and his businesses involve a wide range of people's livelihoods. Prefect Xue, you need to be even more cautious and thorough in handling this matter."

Hearing these seemingly gentle yet sharp words, Xu Guanlan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while Liu Fu's old face showed excitement and admiration.

"I will remember the Governor's teachings."

Xue Huai remained calm and unmoved, and continued, "Your Excellency, please allow me to report that the evidence I possess is far more than just a few indictments. The Liu family members have committed numerous illegal acts, and the witnesses and physical evidence are irrefutable. The Liu family, in collusion with powerful clans such as the Zheng, Bai, and Ge, manipulated prices in the Huai River region, buying low and selling high, plotting to seize others' land and property, and colluding with salt smugglers to sell smuggled salt. Every single one of these acts can be verified! Furthermore, there is another matter that Your Excellency may not know: just now, more than forty local merchants from Yangzhou, who were originally coerced by the Liu family and other powerful clans to aid and abet their evil deeds, have now turned their backs and joined forces to report Liu Fu and others. Prefect Tan is currently handling their report at the prefectural office!"

"Prefect Xue, you...you're spouting nonsense!"

Liu Fu's face turned deathly pale instantly, his hand pointing at Xue Huai trembled violently, and his voice was sharp but revealed a guilty fear.

Xu Guanlan's expression grew even more grim; the defection of those dozens of salt merchants was indeed the most troublesome problem at present.

Chen Yan frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Xue Huai's statement was clear and confident, making it impossible for him to easily use excuses like "acting on impulse." However, he came today not only to protect the Liu family, but also to prevent Xue Huai from disrupting the upcoming family recognition meeting. In short, he had to quell the matter.

"Xue Tongzhi!"

Chen Yan emphasized, speaking solemnly: "Official procedures must be followed when handling cases. Your mobilization of troops to besiege local officials today is almost an overreach. I will not pursue your responsibility because your initial intentions were not bad. However, this matter is of great importance and involves many people, and it cannot be decided by your Yangzhou government alone!"

Xue Huai raised his head slightly and said, "This humble official dares to ask what the Governor means by these words?"

Chen Yan scanned the crowd and said solemnly, "From this day forward, all cases concerning salt administration fraud and salt merchant disputes, including those involving the Liu family, will be transferred to the Jiangsu Provincial Governor's Office for unified handling. Xue Tongzhi, you may focus on assisting in the administration of Yangzhou and maintaining local stability. I will handle the official documents for Prefect Tan. All witnesses and evidence involved in the cases shall be sealed and transferred to the Provincial Governor's Office immediately."

This decisive move brought a look of relief to both Xu Guanlan and Liu Fu.

Xu Guanlan felt particularly relieved. He couldn't forcefully interfere with the Yangzhou government's decision. This time, he would inevitably be impeached by the censor for leading troops to stop them. However, compared to the secrets hidden by the Liu family, he would rather be impeached a few times.

Fortunately, Chen Yan arrived in time and, in the name of the governor, directly seized the power to handle the case. Xue Huai was powerless to resist. Even though he had powerful connections, he had no leverage to contend with the governor.

"As for the two of you—"

Chen Yan turned to Xu Guanlan and Liu Fu and solemnly said, "The Salt Transport Office must fully cooperate with the Governor's Office's investigation, and Liu Fu and everyone in the Liu family must not leave the residence before the Governor's Office formally summons them!"

The two quickly and respectfully agreed.

At this moment, all eyes were on Xue Huai, including Chen Yan's scrutinizing and warning gaze.

Xue Huai showed no anger whatsoever after hearing Chen Yan's extremely biased, even protective, decision.

He took a deep breath, bowed deeply to Chen Yan, then straightened his back and said loudly, "I should have obeyed the Governor's order, but the Great Yan Criminal Law clearly states that any suspect found to have conclusive evidence of treason, collusion, corruption, or perversion of justice has the right to arrest them immediately to prevent collusion, destruction of evidence, or escape. This is a power granted to local officials by law and is necessary to uphold the dignity of the imperial law. While the Governor's office certainly has higher authority, it is not a prerequisite stipulated by law. Today, I have exercised my authority in accordance with the law, and the procedure for arresting a suspect of a serious crime is proper and without fault!"

These words, spoken with such force and conviction, as resounding as a great bell, silenced the entire room.

Chen Yan frowned deeply.

He knew Xue Huai was a notorious hothead in the capital, but only today, having experienced him firsthand, did he realize how difficult and troublesome this young man was. At this moment, he couldn't help but recall the secret letter Ning Hengzhi had sent a few days ago.

In his letter, Ning Hengzhi warned him that the emperor was already angry and was very likely to investigate the salt administration, urging him to protect himself.

However, having stayed in this prosperous Jiangnan region for so long, and having enjoyed too many tributes from the wealthy salt merchants of Lianghuai, coupled with his entanglement with the Salt Transport Bureau, Chen Yan could not remain aloof.

He knew that Xue Huai had powerful backers, so he was not too harsh today. He wanted to find a reasonable way to handle the case, including taking away the authority to deal with the case directly, rather than forcibly suspending Xue Huai's authority.

However, Xue Huai was even more resolute than he had imagined. He said without hesitation, "If the Governor insists that my actions violated procedure, I am willing to bear all the consequences. But before that, as the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou, I have a duty to uphold the law. Today, the person must be taken away!"

He suddenly raised his hand, pointed at Liu Fu whose face had changed drastically, and said sternly, "Come here! By order of the Prefect, arrest the criminals Liu Fu, Liu Yi, Liu Xu, and others, and bring them back to the Prefectural Office! Anyone who obstructs official duties shall be arrested according to the law!"

"Xue Huai!"

Chen Yan's expression changed drastically, and he shouted angrily. He never expected Xue Huai to be so tough and resolute, even going so far as to bring up the law to directly confront his authority!
Almost at the same time as Chen Yan's angry shout, Chen Lun, the deputy salt commissioner, glared and said, "How dare you, Xue Huai! How dare you disobey the orders of the governor!"

The Fubiao Battalion and the Salt Soldiers have an absolute advantage in numbers, and their combat strength is definitely stronger than that of the constables and archers of the Yangzhou Prefecture. If a conflict really occurs, Xue Huai's troops will most likely be quickly defeated.

Therefore, with these two groups eyeing him covetously, Xue Huai's subordinates were stopped when they tried to step forward.

However, neither Chen Yan nor Xu Guanlan could stand by and watch the bloodshed unfold.

Xue Huai still stood tall and straight, like a pine tree standing tall and proud.

Chen Yan stared intently into the young man's eyes, suddenly finding the situation quite troublesome.

In this suffocating atmosphere, Chen Yan softened his tone and said, "Prefect Xue, are you aware that I have the right to suspend your duties?"

"I understand."

Xue Huai replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Excellency, I was merely acting in accordance with the law and fulfilling my duties. I do not know what wrong I have committed."

“You have not committed any major offense, but as I just said, this case is far-reaching and should be handled by the governor’s office. Why do you refuse to accept the order?”

Chen Yan patiently said, "Do you doubt that I, this official, will uphold justice in judging cases?"

If this young man rashly admits it, Chen Yan can then take the opportunity to punish him for disrespecting his superior, and no one can criticize him for temporarily suspending his authority.

Xue Huai was naturally not fooled. He shook his head and said, "This humble official had no such intention."

Chen Yan couldn't help but sigh.

As time went on, no direct conflict occurred, but no matter what Chen Yan said, whether appealing to emotions or directly threatening, Xue Huai remained firm, as if he was determined to bring the Liu family back to the government office for trial today.

Seeing Xue Huai holding his own against Chen Yan, Xu Guanlan suddenly looked up at the sky and realized that the sun was already setting.

For some reason, a sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

Suddenly, a panicked voice rang out from afar.

Xu Guanlan turned his head and saw a clerk almost staggering through the salt soldiers. He didn't even have time to bow to Chen Yan, the highest-ranking official in the area, before collapsing in front of Xu Guanlan, gasping for breath, "Sir, something terrible has happened!"

Seeing this, Xu Guanlan couldn't help but angrily say, "Speak quickly, what is it!"

The clerk struggled to his feet, his body covered in wounds. His voice trembling with tears, he said, "Prefect Tan and a troop of grain transport soldiers surrounded the saltworks. Vice-Envoy Lou tried to stop them, but Assistant Magistrate Huang and his men colluded from the inside, letting Prefect Tan's men in. The saltworks was thrown into chaos! Vice-Envoy Lou and his remaining brothers were captured, and the Liu, Zheng, Bai families, and others hiding there were all arrested by Prefect Tan. And…and they even found the account books in the inner quarters! I risked my life to escape and report this!"

He had clearly lost his composure and blurted out a bunch of secrets regardless of the occasion.

These words came like a thunderclap from the ground, exploding in everyone's hearts.

Even Chen Yan couldn't control his expression; he stared at Xu Guanlan in utter astonishment.

"you……"

Xu Guanlan's face was as pale as paper. He raised his hand and pointed at Xue Huai, his hand trembling violently. Liu Fu, who was standing next to him, was even more trembling and fell to the ground with a thud.

The room was deathly silent.

Xue Huai looked at Xu Guanlan quietly, and after a long time, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"puff!"

Xu Guanlan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Only now did he realize that Xue Huai had not come for the Liu family today, or rather, the Liu family was just a side target.

Xue Huai was using this as bait to lure the Liu family and their elite troops from the Salt Transport Bureau to this location, so that Tan Mingguang could then directly attack the central army!
In other words, this young man's target from beginning to end was Xu Guanlan. Moreover, in order to lower his guard and find an opportunity to seize all the evidence in one fell swoop, he did not hesitate to tell a huge lie, keeping the entire Lianghuai region, including Chen Yan, in the dark!

Xue Huai smiled and said, "Envoy Xu, your stronghold is impregnable. Only in this way can I find a crack."

"You brat! I'm going to kill you!"

Xu Guanlan's eyes were bloodshot. He pulled out Chen Lun's waist knife from beside him and lunged at Xue Huai!

"stop!"

Chen Yan was shocked and roared in anger. He did not want to see the salt commissioner kill the Yangzhou magistrate in the street, otherwise he, as the governor of Jiangsu, would have to pay a heavy price afterward.

On the other side, Liu Fu took a step back, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart.

If Xu Guanlan really dies together with Xue Huai, perhaps the Liu family will still have a glimmer of hope!
In that split second, Xue Huai remained unmoved. Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him like lightning, moving even faster than Jiang Sheng!
He raised his foot and kicked Xu Guanlan in the face, sending the dignified Salt Commissioner flying backward!

Everyone was stunned.

The thirty-year-old man who had made the sudden move stood to the side and bowed his head in greeting to Xue Huai.

Xue Huai nodded slightly, then stepped forward, glanced at Chen Yan, and looked at Xu Guanlan, who was lying on the ground in a very disheveled state, and said indifferently, "Xu Guanlan, do you know what crime it is to assassinate an imperial envoy?"

His tone was calm, yet it swept through the room like a raging storm!

(End of this chapter)