Prime Minister

Chapter 292, Section 291: [Father's Kindness and Son's Filial Piety]

The following afternoon, Fan Dongyang publicly announced that the salt and grain transport dispute had been resolved. Although the root causes of the long-standing problems in the grain transport system had not been resolved and Xue Huai's reform proposals had not been implemented, this was still a joyous occasion that the salt merchants of Lianghuai could not have imagined in the past.

From now on, they will no longer have to worry about being targeted, and they will not need to pay extra money for various gifts and gifts. Even the fees they are required to pay will be limited to 50%, which will greatly reduce their burden.

Of course, not all of these savings would end up in the pockets of the merchants.

Long before the salt and grain transport dispute broke out, Xue Huai had made it clear to these people that he would help them get the benefits they deserved. After the matter was settled, the salt merchants had to use no less than 50% of the amount to improve the treatment of the lower-level employees and laborers. Anyone who dared to disobey would inevitably face joint sanctions from the Salt Transport Bureau, the Salt Law Enforcement Bureau, the Yangzhou Prefectural Government, and other members of the Salt Association.

The salt merchants naturally dared not disobey Xue Huai's decision. After so many ups and downs, they had come to a deep understanding of the methods of this Assistant Magistrate.

Even though they had to give up at least half of their profits, they were still extremely surprised and delighted with the result.

Compared to the jubilant expressions of Qiao Wangshan and others, the faces of Song Yi and his group were increasingly grim. However, they understood Jiang Jizhou's predicament. The Grand Canal Administration and the Grand Canal Gang had successively produced scoundrels who colluded with the evil cult. If they did not quell the storm and investigate themselves as soon as possible, they feared they would incur the emperor's wrath.

Now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to back down.

Fan Dongyang took in everyone's reactions and then asked them to go home.

The reason for keeping everyone here overnight was simply to prevent the news from leaking out. Now, the Jing'an Division should have already taken control of the situation in Huai'an City, and with the support of the Imperial Envoy's personal guards and the Huai'an Guards, it would be useless even if someone tried to send a message to the north.

About fifteen minutes later, in the inner hall of the Yangzhou Supervisory Office of the Grand Canal.

Jiang Jizhou's trusted guards stood watch outside on the porch, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching or spying on him.

Inside the hall, Jiang Jizhou sat expressionlessly at the table, coldly staring at his only son kneeling below, while four elite and burly middle-aged men stood beside him.

Jiang Fangzheng was thirty-two years old at the time. He had been pampered since childhood, especially during the last seven or eight years. As the son of the Governor-General, he enjoyed himself to the fullest. Wherever he went, he was arrogant and everyone fawned over him.

But at this moment, he looked like a wilted eggplant, exuding an air of dejection.

Jiang Jizhou took a sip of tea and slammed the teacup down. The sound was particularly loud in the silent hall, startling Jiang Fangzheng.

The next moment, Jiang Jizhou squeezed out a single word through gritted teeth: "Speak!"

Jiang Fangzheng swallowed hard, raised his head with difficulty, and asked fearfully, "Father, what...what did you say?"

Jiang Jizhou stared at him with eyes as sharp as knives and said in a cold voice, "Tell me when you started to collude with the thieves of the Xuan Yuan Sect."

Jiang Fangzheng forced a bitter smile and said, "Father, I have never heard of the Xuan Yuan Sect before, let alone colluded with thieves. I know that you are angry because of Dong Dachang's audacity, but this matter has nothing to do with me! Father, it is Dong Dachang who is heartless and dares to collude with the thieves of the demonic sect. He might even make false accusations. I beg you to do justice for me!"

"is it?"

Jiang Jizhou slowly stood up, seemingly without doubting his words.

Jiang Fangzheng nodded hurriedly and said, "Father, that's exactly it!"

Jiang Jizhou approached and looked down at his only son.

Besides his legal wife, he had four concubines, but he only had one son, which inevitably made him somewhat spoiled.

He had always thought this was no big deal. After all, Jiang Fangzheng had neither the talent nor the ability to be an official, and the imperial court would not allow father and son to serve as officials in the same canal administration. A little bit of spoiled brat behavior would not harm the entire Jiang family.

Only now did Jiang Jizhou realize the extent of the good deeds his only son had done.

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out.

Jiang Fangzheng was so struck by the sudden and fierce slap that his vision went black and he fell to the side.

The Jiang family guards standing nearby immediately helped the eldest young master to sit up.

A cold light gleamed in Jiang Jizhou's eyes as he said, word by word, "You have one more chance."

Jiang Fangzheng felt a burning pain on his face. He raised his hand to cover his cheek, looked up at his father who was exuding murderous aura, and his heart was quickly filled with fear.

He finally felt fear.

"Father……"

Jiang Fangzheng's voice trembled uncontrollably as he stammered, "I really don't know what happened. Logically speaking, Dong Dachang wouldn't be so bold. He certainly wouldn't dare to collude with the heretical sects and rebels in private... That's right, it must be Xue Huai and those salt merchants who framed him. They have money, people, and a motive. That must be it!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jizhou did not make another move. Instead, he slowly stepped back and sat down, glancing at his trusted confidant beside him.

"Young Master, please forgive me."

One of his trusted aides spoke up, but before Jiang Fangzheng could react, he was forcibly pressed to the ground, followed by a whoosh of wind behind him.

"Snapped!"

Another trusted aide swung a wooden stick and struck Jiang Fangzheng on the buttocks.

"what!"

Jiang Fangzheng's body tensed instantly, and a shrill scream escaped his lips. The wooden stick fell again, and Jiang Fangzheng's scream suddenly rose in pitch, as sharp and piercing as a rooster being strangled.

As the wooden stick rose and fell repeatedly, Jiang Fangzheng's expensive Hangzhou silk trousers gradually tore apart, and thick blood mixed with fabric scraps soaked through the fabric, each blow bringing up a layer of blurred flesh and blood.

Two guards, like cold iron clamps, firmly suppressed his futile struggles.

"Snapped!"

Another blow landed squarely on the most swollen part of the buttocks.

"Father! Father—! Your son was wrong! Wrong!"

Jiang Fangzheng wept uncontrollably, his meticulously manicured nails scratching wildly at the hard floor tiles, his body convulsing violently under the blows.

Jiang Jizhou sat upright in his chair, watching the scene expressionlessly. He slightly raised his chin, signaling the guards carrying out the execution to stop temporarily.

The wooden stick was suspended in mid-air.

Only Jiang Fangzheng's heavy, intermittent groans of pain remained in the hall. He lay limp on the ground like a completely rotten lump of mud, his consciousness rising and falling in a torrent of excruciating pain and shame.

Jiang Jizhou looked down at his son, who was almost unconscious, his voice icy cold: "Tell me, when did you hook up with that demon? And what did you do? If there's even a single lie... I'll beat your skin to a pulp today, then send you to the Imperial Prison, and let you experience all the tricks of the Jing'an Division, and see if you still dare to harbor any illusions!"

Jiang Fangzheng dared not hide it any longer, and after catching his breath, he told the truth in fits and starts.

From being seduced by beautiful women to accepting various gifts from those people, then providing them with information about the government, and then learning two years ago that the other party was actually a demon from the Xuan Yuan Sect, he originally wanted to sever ties with the other party immediately. However, in the previous years, he had already given the other party a lot of leverage. In addition, the elusive Holy Son did not make any excessive demands, so Jiang Fangzheng could only comfort himself that nothing would happen.

Generally speaking, Jiang Fangzheng did not do anything too outrageous. However, he was Jiang Jizhou's only son and the sole heir of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office. If he were to have even the slightest connection with the sorcerer's cult, it would be a devastating blow to Jiang Jizhou's career.

At that moment, Jiang Jizhou recalled Xue Huai's parting words from yesterday, and his heart sank into an icy abyss.

He was absolutely certain that the whole thing was Xue Huai's doing!

Sang Shichang's performance couldn't fool him, and a playboy like Sang Chengze was even less likely to find evidence of Chen Bao and Dong Dachang's crimes. The Sang family's stance had already wavered, but that was still not the most crucial issue. The crucial issue was that Jiang Jizhou's son had boarded the demonic cult's pirate ship!

"You remember."

Looking at Jiang Fangzheng lying in the bloodstains, Jiang Jizhou said wearily and agedly, "From now on, no matter who asks you, you must insist that you don't know the identities of those demons. Only admit that you accepted their bribes and provided them with some conveniences. As for Dong Dachang's matter, it has nothing to do with you."

Jiang Fangzheng said with a sob in his voice, "Yes, Father."

"You beast! The Jiang family has been officials for generations, and now you're going to ruin them all!"

Jiang Jizhou gritted his teeth in hatred. Although his instructions might save Jiang Fangzheng from death, as long as Fan Dongyang reported these cases to the emperor, he would not be able to keep his position as the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner.

Jiang Fangzheng was already numb with pain, and he was powerless to defend himself in the face of his father's scolding.

"Take him away."

Jiang Jizhou waved his hand with a look of utter despair and said, "From now on, without my permission, he shall not have any contact with anyone."

His trusted men respectfully agreed, and then together they lifted the battered and gruesome Jiang Fangzheng and carried him to a side room for treatment.

Inside the hall, Jiang Jizhou remained seated, staring blankly at the empty space before him.

Before long, a trusted aide quietly entered and whispered, "Chief, a message has arrived from Huai'an."

Jiang Jizhou slowly turned his eyes to look at him.

The confidant said with slight surprise, "Dong Dachang committed suicide by poisoning himself last night at midnight. He left a suicide note stating that he was coerced and implicated by the demonic cult and that everything was done by him alone, and had nothing to do with his family."

Since it has nothing to do with family, it has even less to do with Chiang Fang-cheng.

Jiang Jizhou's expression changed slightly, but he quickly recovered.

He clenched his left hand into a fist on the table and said in a deep voice, "Do those sorcerers think that I would be grateful to them?"

The confidant now understood that Dong Dachang's suicide out of fear of punishment was most likely the work of the Xuan Yuan Sect traitors. If Jiang Jizhou could sever the connection between Dong Dachang and Jiang Fangzheng as soon as possible, this matter might not implicate the Jiang family.

After a moment's thought, he said respectfully, "Lord Caotai, the situation is perilous now, and we really cannot afford to leave any hidden dangers."

"Go ahead and do it."

Jiang Jizhou waved his hand, and after his trusted confidant left to receive his orders, he got up and went to the window, his face filled with despair and dejection.

After decades of ups and downs in his official career, he has now reached the end.

Upon thinking of this, Jiang Jizhou swayed, barely managing to support himself with his hand, before giving a sad smile.

"The traitor! The traitor!"

(End of this chapter)