Prime Minister

Chapter 249, Section 248: [Below the Deep Waters]

As night fell, in the main hall of the Yangzhou Prefectural Government Office, the Assistant Magistrate's Office.

Cheng Dong stood with his hands at his sides, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He reported to Xue Huai in detail the conflict at Lan Yue Fang, Sang Chengze's arrogance, Jiang Fangzheng's intervention, and the final reconciliation.

Besides Xue Huai sitting behind his desk, the prefectural magistrate Zhang Shi and the judge Hao Shifang were also present in the hall. These two men were now Xue Huai's right-hand men.

After hearing this, Xue Huai did not show any obvious anger, not even frowning. He simply asked calmly, "How are Qiao Wenxuan and the others injured?"

Cheng Dong felt a tightness in his throat and quickly replied, "Sir, they are all superficial wounds. They look scary, but they will heal in a few days."

"Ah."

Xue Huai gave a faint reply and said no more.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Shi said in a deep voice, "Inspector Cheng, since the injured are not seriously hurt, you arbitrarily allowed the two parties involved to settle the matter privately in front of the Qiao brothers?"

He had endured more than eight years in the position of magistrate of Yizhen County. It was not that he was ignorant of human relationships and worldly affairs. He also knew that for Cheng Dong, the status of the only son of Governor-General Jiang Fangzheng was too powerful. It was normal that he did not dare to confront him directly for the time being.

However, this is not a reason for him to be completely led by the nose.

The fight occurred within the city, and Cheng Dong should have consulted Xue Huai first, regardless of the circumstances, as this incident could potentially have extremely negative consequences.

The Qiao family is a prominent local clan. Qiao Wangshan is now the head of the Salt Industry Association. The Qiao family has provided tremendous support to Xue Huai, both in salt administration reform and in the new policies of Yangzhou.

At this time, the Qiao family was openly bullied, but the government did nothing. How would the salt merchants and the common people view Xue Huai?
Xue Huai's silence did not mean he was not angry. Zhang Shi knew he had to give Cheng Dong a chance to explain.

At this moment, Cheng Dong bowed his head deeply, saying with remorse, "Jiang Fangzheng threatened me with the overall situation of the Grand Canal transport, and also implied that if I insisted on bringing Sang Chengze back to the government office, it might cause even greater turmoil in the salt and canal trade, jeopardizing the stability of Huaiyang. Wu Ding, the manager of Lanyue Pavilion, admitted that the Qiao family attacked first, and Sang Chengze and others were then portrayed as acting in self-defense. I weighed the matter carefully, fearing that my mishandling would invite criticism from the court and escalate the situation, putting the Qiao family in a difficult position. Therefore, I acted foolishly and tried to settle things peacefully, thus committing a grave mistake. I am incompetent, please punish me, Your Excellency!"

Zhang Shi looked at Xue Huai and volunteered, saying, "Your Excellency, Sang Chengze and his party are still stranded in the city. I am willing to personally lead the officers to bring them back to the government office tonight."

"Not urgent."

Xue Huai looked up at Cheng Dong and said, "Inspector Cheng, you may step down now. I will make a decision on this matter after careful consideration."

Cheng Dong said cautiously, "Yes, this humble servant will take his leave."

After he left, Xue Huai looked at Zhang and Hao and asked, "How much do you know about the Grand Canal Gang?"

Zhang Shi's expression was slightly solemn. He spoke first, "Your Excellency, the Grand Canal Gang has a history of nearly a hundred years. From the initial scattered individual gangs, it has now become the largest gang along the Grand Canal. They are affiliated with the Grand Canal Transport Office, control the lifeline of Grand Canal transportation, and have considerable influence in various places along the canal. However, they have always been under the strict control of the imperial court and have never caused any trouble."

Hao Shifang added, "Yes, Your Excellency, it is true that the Grand Canal Gang is powerful, but... under the strict restrictions of Governor-General Jiang, the Grand Canal Gang has made significant contributions to important matters such as the transportation of grain. The court is aware of this, which is why it tacitly allows their existence. If the Grand Canal Gang dares to abandon their responsibilities or rebel, the court will absolutely not tolerate it."

Xue Huai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "So this is the source of Sang Chengze's unbridled confidence?"

Zhang and Hao exchanged a glance and fell silent.

Sang Chengze was indeed arrogant and domineering, but on the surface this was just a power struggle among the sons of the powerful and wealthy, and the Qiao family even struck first. No matter which article of the Great Yan Law could be used to convict the members of the Cao Gang of a serious crime.

Given the contributions of the Grand Canal Gang to the stability of the Great Yan state, and the foreseeable bias of the Grand Canal Administration, it was not a big deal for Sang Chengze to injure a dozen people in self-defense. If Xue Huai were to forcibly arrest and severely punish them, it would most likely provoke a backlash from the court.

If he were to be charged with "disrupting the stability of the canal transport," Xue Huai, with his current limited influence, would likely find it difficult to bear the consequences.

However, if we turn a blind eye, how can the Qiao family regain their reputation?

No secret can stay hidden forever. This fight that took place on the Slender West Lake could not be kept secret. In addition, the Canal Gang had a very strong influence among the people. With tens of thousands of mouths spreading the word, it wouldn't be long before the world knew that Xue Huai's reputation for integrity was not entirely genuine.

After thinking these questions through, Hao Shifang said sincerely, "Your Excellency, in my humble opinion, if we want to resolve this matter, we should focus on the Governor's son."

Zhang Shi frowned and said, "Jiang Fangzheng's intentions this time are clearly not good."

"Yes."

Hao Shifang nodded and said, "Judging from what Inspector Cheng said, it was no coincidence that Sang Chengze appeared at Lanyue Pavilion today. He must have known in advance that Qiao Wenxuan was hosting a banquet for his friends on the pavilion. Moreover, the fact that he chose Qiao Wenxuan as his target shows that he knows the Qiao family's situation very well and knows that Qiao Wenxuan is the youngest and cannot be provoked. In addition, the timing of Jiang Fangzheng's appearance was also extremely coincidental. This must have been done intentionally by them. However... I really can't understand why Jiang Fangzheng would do this."

As he spoke the last sentence, he involuntarily looked at Xue Huai. As Jiang Jizhou's only son, Jiang Fangzheng was considered a first-class young master in Huai'an Prefecture in the north. It was indeed somewhat inexplicable that he would abandon his life of extravagance and come to Yangzhou to provoke Xue Huai.

Xue Huai said calmly, "Playboys like Jiang Fangzheng and Sang Chengze, who come from wealthy families and have no proper jobs, often act without any reason. Perhaps they came here to dampen my arrogance because they saw that I had become famous at such a young age. It's not impossible that they did it."

Hao Shifang couldn't help but give an awkward smile.

Zhang Shi, however, did not think so.

Sang Chengze might do something reckless, but Jiang Fangzheng is over thirty and married with children. Having grown up surrounded by Jiang Jizhou, he should know that Xue Huai is not someone a young master like him can bully.

Putting aside the difference in their current status and abilities, even Jiang Fangzheng's proud family background seems unremarkable in front of Xue Huai—Xue Huai has the Emperor and the Minister of Works standing behind him, so how does he compare to Ning Hengzhi and Jiang Jizhou?

Xue Huai's fingers tapped lightly on the table.

On the surface, Jiang Fangzheng's move was aimed at the Qiao family, but in reality, it was a scheme to undermine the foundation of the new policies in Yangzhou, specifically targeting him, the Assistant Magistrate of Yangzhou.

The fight itself is not difficult to resolve; it can be adjudicated truthfully according to the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty. However, Xue Huai cannot confirm whether Jiang Fangzheng's actions were his own initiative or at the behest of Jiang Jizhou.

The differences between the two are significant.

If it's the former, then teaching those two纨绔 (playboys) a lesson and kicking them out of Yangzhou would be enough. But if it's the latter, Xue Huai has to reassess the other party's backup plan.

Xue Huai had not forgotten the secret connection between the Xuan Yuan Sect and the Cao Gang. Now the official ship of the Jing An Division that was escorting the criminals had headed north. This was a scheme he had set up for the mastermind and related forces. Was Jiang Fangzheng's sudden appearance related to this matter?

As he was deep in thought, Jiang Sheng suddenly entered and reported, "My lord, Old Man Qiao and Master Shen request an audience."

Zhang Shi and Hao Shifang's expressions darkened slightly. Qiao Wangshan had come to the government office in person to request an audience, and he had even brought the future father-in-law of the provincial governor. It seemed that he wanted the government office to give the Qiao family justice.

Xue Huai remained calm and nodded, saying, "Please invite them in."

Before long, Qiao Wangshan and Shen Bingwen arrived together.

After exchanging greetings, Xue Huai invited the two to sit down.

Qiao Wangshan was sixty-five years old at the time, a time when he should be enjoying the company of his grandchildren. However, the old man looked energetic and vigorous, with the air of an old horse still eager to run. This was, of course, because Shen Bingwen had handed over the position of the first head of the Salt Association to him, and having power in his hands made him seem several years younger.

For the past six months, Qiao Wangshan has devoted himself to the Salt Industry Association, meticulously carrying out Xue Huai's plans. In addition, the Qiao family's De'an ship has spared no effort in supporting the new policies. Therefore, the Qiao family and the Shen family can be considered the two major pillars under Xue Huai's rule.

Looking at Qiao Wangshan's solemn expression, Xue Huai said frankly, "Elder Qiao, I have already learned about the fight at Lanyue Pavilion. Please rest assured, the government will definitely give Qiao Wenxuan and the others justice."

"Thank you, sir."

Qiao Wangshan sincerely thanked him, and then said, "I have failed in my duty to raise my son, and I am truly ashamed to have failed your high expectations. My son, Wenxuan, is crude and lacks any composure. He is easily provoked and will send his henchmen to fight, which has led to this ridiculous situation and has also damaged your reputation. I have come here specifically to apologize. Furthermore, once my son has recovered, I will punish him according to family rules so that he will remember this lesson."

"Old Qiao, why go to such lengths?"

Xue Huai frowned slightly and said, "The fault lies not with Qiao Wenxuan, but with Sang Chengze and others who deliberately provoked us. Under the circumstances, if Qiao Wenxuan had remained silent in the face of Sang Chengze's insults that threatened the Qiao family's reputation, he would have been a spineless person. Elder Qiao need not punish him. No matter who is behind Sang Chengze, I will make him apologize to the Qiao family in a proper manner."

"No, absolutely not!"

To Xue Huai's surprise, Qiao Wangshan quickly waved his hand, his expression seemingly genuine.

This surprised Xue Huai. He knew that when the Qiao family and the Liu family fell out, the latter had powerful backers such as the Jiangsu governor and the Lianghuai salt commissioner. Qiao Wangshan had never bowed his head, which meant that this old man must have a secret and reliable network in the court. How could he be so easily fooled by this young master Jiang Fangzheng?

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency, I was not putting on an act."

Qiao Wangshan sighed, then earnestly said, "I requested an audience with Your Excellency overnight and invited Brother Shen to come along, hoping that Your Excellency could give me some face and let this conflict go unresolved. Since Sang Chengze has already compensated the injured party and apologized to my son, I beg Your Excellency not to pursue his mistakes any further."

Zhang Shi and Hao Shifang assumed that Qiao Wangshan was afraid of the Grand Canal Governor's title. Upon further reflection, they realized that this was normal, since the Qiao family's business was growing bigger and bigger. If they offended the Grand Canal Administration and the canal gangs, the Qiao family's goods would likely find it difficult to move an inch in the future.

Xue Huai stared intently at Qiao Wangshan and asked seriously, "Elder Qiao, why?"

(End of this chapter)