Prime Minister

Chapter 199, Section 198: [Seeing the East Wind]

For Xue Huai, this holiday season was not lonely at all.

The government office was officially sealed on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month, a few days later than in previous years. The officials did not complain about this, because the new policies were numerous and complex, and everyone had many important official duties. These newly promoted officials all hoped to demonstrate their abilities.

On the other hand, neither Tan Mingguang nor Xue Huai were stingy people. They would not expect their subordinates to work hard without giving them food. As long as their subordinates worked diligently, they could receive a generous New Year's bonus when the seal was sealed.

As early as the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Xue Huai received New Year's gifts from the capital. He also had Mo Yun and Li Shuncai buy gifts in advance and send them to Cui Shi and Shen Wang, who were far away in the capital. As for the one in the palace, Xue Huai prepared a sincere New Year's greeting.

Madam Cui was extremely thoughtful. In addition to Xue Huai, she also sent New Year's gifts to the Shen family, Shi Daoan, Huang Chong, Tan Mingguang, and others. Furthermore, all of Xue Huai's subordinates were rewarded.

Of course, countless people have also come to give gifts to Xue Huai in the past few days.

Salt merchants, especially those from the Lianghuai region, knew Xue Huai's integrity and incorruptibility. They dared not visit him under normal circumstances, fearing they would be seen as examples of bribing officials. Only during the precious few days before the New Year—when Xue Huai would definitely visit his colleagues in the officialdom during the first month of the lunar calendar—did the salt merchants feel they had no right to do so.

Facing the salt merchants who were all smiles and obsequious, Xue Huai did not personally come forward. Instead, Li Shun received them on his behalf. Although he did not accept their generous gifts, he did invite them to sit for a while and have a cup of tea.

After Xu Guanlan, Liu Fu, and others were brought to justice, Xue Huai had a two-hour-long in-depth conversation with Tan Mingguang. The two agreed that the next policy strategy should be to stabilize people's hearts and revitalize people's livelihoods. Therefore, while adhering to his bottom line, Xue Huai did not deliberately adopt a distant attitude, which finally put the salt merchants at ease.

They knew in their hearts that the signal Xue Huai had given meant that there would be no more major turmoil in Yangzhou in the future.

On the morning of the thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Xue Huai, accompanied by more than ten elite guards and escorted by hundreds of canal soldiers, inspected the warehouses throughout the city. He also ordered the patrol officers to be aware of potential fire hazards during the New Year period before returning to the Tongzhi's residence. There, he and Moyun, along with several maids, pasted up peach wood charms and door gods.

In the evening, he held a simple ancestral worship ceremony at his official residence. Afterward, he invited all his subordinates and servants to gather together for a harmonious New Year's Eve dinner. He then personally gave each of them a heavy red envelope to express his gratitude for their dedication throughout the year.

On the first day of the month, Xue Huai rested soundly at home for a day.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, he paid a visit to Tan Mingguang; on the third day, he visited Mr. and Mrs. Shen at Shen Garden; and on the fourth and fifth days, he received visits from his subordinates at his official residence.

Night falls in the study in the front yard.

Xue Huai sat behind the desk. There were five other men in the room: Ye Qing, the Jiangsu commander of the Jing'an Division; Yu Chengguang, the commander of the grain transport army; Zhou Kun, the head of the government office; Cheng Dong, the patrol inspector; and Jiang Sheng, the commander of the personal guards.

Zhou Kun and Cheng Dong were quite awkward on this occasion. After all, they were both low-ranking officials, and Xue Huai was their direct superior, whose word could decide their fate. Not to mention that they had met the legendary Jing'an Division officials tonight, which made them too afraid to even breathe.

"I have invited you all here tonight because it is related to the official banquet that will be held in three days."

Xue Huai's gaze swept over the five men, whose expressions were solemn. His voice was deep and slow, yet carried an undeniable power: "On the eighth day of the first lunar month, Prefect Tan and I will host a banquet at Yingyuan Garden to entertain the local gentry who have benefited the community. Although the main culprits in the Lianghuai salt case have all been brought to justice, there are still many who have escaped the net and remnants of salt smugglers. The people on the eighth day will be diverse, and it is inevitable that some thieves will infiltrate. We must take precautions to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

These words immediately created a somber atmosphere in the room.

Zhou Kun and Cheng Dong were filled with excitement. This was their first time participating in such an important meeting. They felt a great sense of responsibility and were thrilled to have gained Xue Huai's trust.

"Commander Ye."

Xue Huai first looked at Ye Qing and asked, "I gave you a list earlier, which included the names of all the guests, waiters and servants from that day. I wonder if the Jing'an Division has checked it properly?"

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Qing's narrow eyes as he calmly replied, "Rest assured, my lord, I have thoroughly investigated the list and eliminated dozens of suspects. Furthermore, the Jing'an Division has deployed surveillance throughout the city, with informants stationed in pharmacies, blacksmith shops, inns, illegal workshops, and docks. In addition, every corner, well, and kitchen inside and outside the Shadow Garden has been thoroughly searched. On the eighth day, three checkpoints will be set up around the Shadow Garden. Everyone entering, from guests and drivers to deliverymen and servants, will be checked and allowed to pass by the Jing'an Division's sentries."

Xue Huai said happily, "Okay, thank you for your hard work, Commander Ye and the brothers of Jing'an Division."

Ye Qing bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Two months ago, he received a secret letter from Han Qian, the chief of the Jing'an Division, instructing him to provide Xue Huai with as much convenience as possible without violating the Jing'an Division's code of conduct.

He knew this was not Han Qian's idea, but must be an implication from the emperor in the palace. It was clear that Xue Huai's performance this year had earned him great favor from the emperor. Previously, the emperor rarely allowed the Jing'an Division to treat a local official so well.

Xue Huai was well aware of this; without the emperor's tacit approval, he would not have easily relied on the power of the Jing'an Division, this special government office.

He suppressed his thoughts and turned to Yu Chengguang, saying, "Commander Yu, the city is surrounded by water on all sides. It's hard to guarantee that thieves won't sneak into the city by water. Please select the most capable and reliable soldiers from the canal army and have them thoroughly search all the waterways outside the city from tomorrow until the tenth."

Yu Chengguang, understanding the implication, replied, "My lord, I have already selected six hundred elite soldiers skilled in swimming and combat, along with over fifty fast boats of various sizes, and dozens of sentry posts, both overt and covert. If any bandits dare to cause trouble in the city, I will make them taste the swift blades of our canal army brothers!"

The two looked at each other and smiled.

They had previously worked together in Xinghua County, and Wu Changling's decision to keep Yu Chengguang in Yangzhou demonstrates that his stance and abilities could withstand scrutiny.

"Zhou, the squad leader; Cheng, the patrol inspector." Xue Huai looked at Zhou Kun and Cheng Dong.

The two dared not be careless and quickly responded.

Xue Huai slowly said, "On the eighth day, the government officials will be responsible for maintaining order and checking access within the Shadow Garden. Guests will enter with their invitations, and Head Guard Zhou will personally oversee the process to verify the invitations and ensure that the person and invitation are correct. In addition, key locations within the Shadow Garden, such as the side gates, side courtyard corridors, and the entrance to the flower hall, must be guarded by your most trusted and observant brothers. Servants who are not designated are strictly prohibited from leaving their posts or wandering into unrelated areas."

Sweat beaded on Zhou Kun's forehead, but his eyes remained resolute. He clasped his hands tightly and said, "Rest assured, sir, I will lead the sixty most capable men of the government office to keep a close watch on all the key roads and not let a single mouse scurry around!"

Xue Huai nodded slightly, then looked at Inspector Cheng Dong and said, "Inspector Cheng, maintaining order in the streets and alleys outside the Film Garden is your primary responsibility. You need to select the most capable patrol soldiers to set up checkpoints at the main gate of the Film Garden and the surrounding intersections starting from the morning of the eighth day. If anyone is found acting suspiciously or gathering in groups, they should be driven away immediately, and if necessary, they should be arrested decisively."

"I accept my order from my humble position!"

Cheng Dong solemnly replied, "The patrol and inspection department has over three hundred people; we will certainly not let you down, sir!"

Jiang Sheng was the only person not called out by Xue Huai, and the other four did not find it strange.

As the leader of Xue Huai's guards, Jiang Sheng would have followed Xue Huai closely that day, which goes without saying.

About half an hour later, the details of the security arrangements for the official banquet on the eighth day of the lunar month were largely agreed upon, and Yu Chengguang, Zhou Kun, and Cheng Dong bowed and took their leave.

"Master Xue."

Ye Qing stayed behind, clearly having something important to tell him. He lowered his voice and said, "I have repeatedly reviewed the files of Jimintang these past few days and have not found any wrongdoing by those doctors."

The night outside the window was deep and cold, with a howling wind.

Xue Huai gazed at the flickering candlelight on the desk and slowly said, "According to the Commander's opinion, is Jimintang trustworthy?"

"Do not."

Ye Qing shook his head, a cold glint in his eyes: "Jimintang is regarded by the people as a bodhisattva who saves them from suffering, and it has considerable influence in Hangzhou, Suzhou, Jiaxing, and Huzhou. On the surface, they mainly rely on their own businesses and donations from local gentry to make up for the pharmacy's losses, but judging from my experience, these incomes are still insufficient. Moreover, the internal order of Jimintang is extremely tight, and my men have never been able to squeeze in. This suggests that there may be a force behind Jimintang that has not yet been discovered."

Xue Huai understood the deeper meaning in Ye Qing's words. Both of them knew that if there was danger on the eighth day, the most likely culprit would be Liu Yi, who had many desperados. However, Xu Zhiwei's sudden appearance and the many mysteries of Jimintang might add more unknown risks.

After a moment's thought, Xue Huai said in a deep voice, "All the preparations we made before were routine responses. If Liu Yi really dares to come, and if unexpected forces appear, the most dangerous place will definitely be inside the Shadow Garden. That's why I asked you to stay."

Ye Qing and Jiang Sheng listened attentively and quietly to Xue Huai's statement with solemn expressions.

After another half hour, Xue Huai finally stopped, picked up his teacup, and moistened his throat.

Ye Qing thought for a moment and said, "Sir, should I send someone to keep an eye on that Dr. Xu at Jimintang?"

Xue Huai recalled Xu Zhiwei's aloof eyes. He trusted Ye Qing's judgment in this regard and immediately nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll leave this matter to you, Commander."

"This is my duty."

After careful consideration, Ye Qing concluded that there was nothing he had overlooked, and then rose to bow and take his leave.

The study fell completely silent.

Jiang Sheng stared solemnly at Xue Huai. He knew exactly how much preparation his young master had made for that banquet. After all, for Liu Yi, who was on the run, that day would probably be his only chance. Otherwise, given Xue Huai's current reclusive lifestyle and the fact that he would always have many guards accompanying him when he went out, he would have virtually no hope of revenge.

Xue Huai looked up at his most trusted subordinate, a strange light appearing in his eyes, and smiled, "Is everything ready?"

Jiang Sheng nodded emphatically and said, "Don't worry, young master."

Xue Huai said no more, got up and walked out of the study. Looking at the quiet and desolate night, he said softly, "It's time to end this."

Time flies by, and before we knew it, it was the eighth day of the first month of the twentieth year of Taihe.

On that day, the film studio held a grand banquet, eagerly awaiting the arrival of distinguished guests.

(End of this chapter)