Qiu Yizhi pondered for a moment before saying, "Brother, you have seen what happened today. After Li Shenshi's scandal was exposed, Cai Min and Yin Chengliang did not say a good word for him. They just wanted to quickly convict him and settle the case to save themselves. Seeing this, Li Shenshi gave up the idea of taking the blame for others and exposed Cai Min. After Cai Min's scandal was exposed, his boss Yin Chengliang also took advantage of the situation and showed no camaraderie. If it weren't for Zheng Tinghang's disturbance, Cai Min might have attacked Yin Chengliang in court."
Zheng Xin listened carefully, nodded, and said, "So, my dear brother, what you mean is that you want to use Cai Min as a breakthrough point to strip Yin Chengliang of his reputation and thus shake up the entire Jiangnan officialdom?"
"Right!" Qiu Yizhi immediately said, "Brother, you are absolutely right. Moreover, Yin Chengliang has been in charge of this place for a long time. He must know a lot about the illegal and disorderly behavior of officials in Jiangnan. When he is desperate, he will definitely make accusations everywhere. Then, brother can use Yin Chengliang's confession to clean up the Jiangnan officialdom. In this way, the mission entrusted to brother by the emperor has been mostly completed."
The more Zheng Xin listened, the happier he became. He couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Brother, this is a really good idea. No wonder father and master always praise you in front of us brothers! Oh, and what about the third one?"
"In my humble opinion, Jiangnan is a place where cultural relics flourish after all, and I don't think all officials there are corrupt. Take Zheng Tinghang, who touched my eldest brother's sore spot today, for example. Although he is a bit pedantic, I think he is still upright in his heart. What he said today was what he really thought, and he was not trying to excuse Cai Min and Li Shenshi." Qiu Yizi said.
Zheng Xin smiled and said, "So you want to protect your classmate! Don't worry, I think Zheng Tinghang is a nerd with some courage, so I won't make things difficult for him."
Qiu Yizhi shook his head very seriously and said, "Although I am stubborn, I dare not harbor those imperial examination cliques. What I mean is that the emperor wants to punish the officials in Jiangnan in order to make Jiangnan more prosperous. Brother, you know that one-third of our Han Dynasty's annual tax revenue comes from Jiangnan. If this place is in chaos, the court will have difficulty continuing."
Zheng Xin then realized that Qiu Yizhi had other plans in mind, and was far from being as petty as he had expected. His face flushed and he quickly asked, "Brother, what you said is very far-sighted. But I wonder what this has to do with Zheng Tinghang?"
Qiu Yizi took a sip of the slightly warm tea in front of him and replied, "The scholars in Jiangnan are very xenophobic. They mostly think northerners are rude and impolite. They regard southerners as barbarians. Those from the west are all ugly people. Those from the East China Sea are all island barbarians and pirates. Therefore, if you want to govern Jiangnan well, you have to use local people from Jiangnan."
"Brother, what you mean is..." Zheng Xin asked.
Qiu Yizhi followed up the topic and replied, "What I mean is that there are actually many officials like Zheng Tinghang in Jiangnan who are upright and selfless. As long as you carefully find them, you will definitely be able to find a few talents that can be used by me and promote them on the spot. In this way, not only will the atmosphere of Jiangnan officialdom be renewed, but the current military and political stability can be maintained to the greatest extent. This is the strategy for long-term peace and stability!"
Qiu Yizi's words really had the effect of enlightening Zheng Xin!
As the eldest son of Emperor Zheng Rong, Zheng Xin's ambition is certainly not just to be a Taiping prince, and his eyes are fixed on the dragon throne under the emperor's buttocks! However, his father seems to favor his third brother Zheng Miao, and he has no outstanding military power and popularity, so he is worried that he can't compete with Zheng Miao.
However, if, as Qiu Yi said, he took this opportunity to promote a group of officials himself, he would undoubtedly establish a force loyal to him in the wealthy Jiangnan area - not to mention how much help these mediocre officials could provide him at critical moments, at least the annual tribute would naturally not be a small amount, and he could use this money to win people's hearts, which would be a great benefit with no disadvantages.
Thinking of this, Zheng Xin was already overjoyed. Seeing Qiu Yizhi about to speak, he asked himself: Qiu Yizhi, this resourceful brother, has always had a very normal relationship with me, why is he giving me advice now? This made him a little suspicious.
But Zheng Xin changed his mind and thought: Although Qiu Yizi has a father-son relationship with his father, he is a son of a poor family and there is absolutely no way he can inherit the throne; and Zheng Miao, who has always been on good terms with him, may not have much advantage in the competition for the throne. Qiu Yizi's advice to him at this moment may not be an intention to leave room for maneuver and hedge his bets.
Zheng Xin was relieved and praised him, "Brother, you are indeed very smart. Father and Master always want us brothers to learn from your cleverness. But in my opinion, your cleverness comes naturally. How can you learn it casually?"
Qiu Yizi felt that Zheng Xin's words were a bit frivolous and corny, so she quickly bowed and said, "I dare not."
Zheng Xin was in high spirits, so he said, "Brother, what a great idea you have! 'Governing Jiangnan with Jiangnan people'! Remember, your ancestral home is in Jiangnan, and it is just the right time for you to take on this important responsibility. There is no need to wait until the case is over. I will write a memorial to recommend you to be the governor of Jiangnan. With the trust that the emperor has in you, I am afraid that the emperor will approve the memorial on the spot as soon as it arrives."
Qiu Yizi stood up and saluted, saying, "Brother, I appreciate your kindness. I just want to be a minor official in Shanyin County, and I don't have any other thoughts at the moment. Moreover, because I exposed this case, countless officials in Jiangnan have lost their official hats, and there are probably countless people in the officialdom who are jealous of me. It is not easy for me to be a county magistrate safely, so how can I dare to covet the high position of governor?"
Qiu Yizi's words were so sincere that even Zheng Xin couldn't help but sigh inwardly after hearing them: "Alas! That's really hard for you. When I return, I will report this to the emperor in person. I'm sure the emperor has other arrangements and will never let you end up like this."
"No, no!" Qiu Yizi hurriedly refused after hearing this, "The emperor is very busy, brother, please don't bother the emperor with this little thing of mine. Just say that I am doing well in Jiangnan."
Seeing Qiu Yizi being so considerate, Zheng Xin finally understood why his father, who had seen countless men, fell in love with him.
So he sighed again and said, "In that case, I will not interfere. Since you have the golden order in your hand, you must have a way to get your message across. How many government affairs can be handled in a small Shanyin County? When you are free, remember to write more letters to your father, master, and your brothers. After all, we brothers have been together for a long time, and we can't let this distance us."
When he said this, he didn't know what touched his heart, and his voice was choked with sobs.
Qiu Yizhi was also somewhat moved after hearing this. After a long while, he managed to force a smile and said, "Brother, what's wrong? This case has just begun, why are you saying goodbye? The scenery in the south of the Yangtze River is beautiful and elegant. After the case is over, I will take advantage of you and have a good tour!"
Zheng Xin was also moved by Qiu Yizhi's words and smiled, so he said, "Before leaving Beijing, I heard from the emperor's tone that he also intended to tour Jiangnan. My two brothers are going to be the first to help him, which is also a filial piety!"
After saying this, the two brothers smiled at each other.
After laughing for a while, Qiu Yizi said, "There is no rush for this matter. We should first handle the case of 'Liaochen Palace'. I wonder what your plan is, brother?"
Zheng Xin came back to his senses and said, "The three strategies you just mentioned are really insightful. In my humble opinion, the first thing to do in Jiangnan is to be stable, and then seek change within stability. Although the public trial of Jiangnan officials like today has the effect of shocking the people, it is too loud and really frightens people. We can no longer try cases this way in the future."
After hearing this, Qiu Yizi thought: These officials in Jiangnan are very thick-skinned. Even if they make a fuss like today, it may not really touch their conscience.
However, since it was Zheng Xin's idea, Qiu Yizi could not refute it in person, and quickly praised: "Brother, you are so magnanimous, but I wonder how much these corrupt officials in Jiangnan can understand your painstaking efforts?"
Zheng Xin raised his eyebrows and said, "I don't care what they think! Officials who should be punished will still be punished. It's just that we can avoid a public trial like today, just to make them look better."
He looked up at the sky outside the window, then at the clepsydra in the corner of the room, and said with a smile, "This Jiangnan area is really strange. It's already past 3 p.m., but the sun is still so blazingly high in the sky. So, brother, have dinner with me early, and then we'll go find Cai Min to ask about the case. How about that?"
Qiu Yizhi certainly would not refuse, and agreed without hesitation, and then said: "I also brought a guard, Yuchi Lianghong's daughter Yuchi Jiming, who is waiting outside. How about I run over and let her go back first?"
Although Zheng Xin is known for being courteous to others, he is actually very particular about hierarchy. Although Yuchi Jiming is the daughter of Yuchi Lianghong, she has no achievements and is a woman. Zheng Xin never thought of inviting her to eat with him from the beginning, so he smiled and said, "I went south this time and finally invited three disciples of Yuchi Lianghong to escort me. You can actually invite the children of Yuchi Lianghong. I can't compare to you in terms of face!"
Qiu Yizi was startled when he heard this, and hurriedly said, "Brother, you are joking. I will be back soon. After running around outside, I will come back immediately to have dinner with you, okay?" When he saw Zheng Xin waving his hand to signal him to go down, he quickly left the room and ran away.
Not long after, Qiu Yizi returned to the Zen room where Zheng Xin had stayed. She saw that a round table had been temporarily placed in the room, with five or six snacks and side dishes already placed on it.
Because Qiu Yizi had lunch late and dinner started early, she had no appetite. She tasted a little bit of each dish and considered herself full.
Seeing this, Zheng Xin smiled and said, "It's all my fault, brother. I can't eat so early. But it's okay. After we talk to Cai Min, it won't be too late for me to treat you to a midnight snack."
Qiu Yizi smiled and thanked him, then said, "Then big brother, take me to meet Cai Min!"
Led by Zheng Xin's personal guards, the two followed the gradually dimming sunlight, passed through a tree-lined path, and arrived at a remote house.
The leading guard took the lead and opened the door for Zheng Xin and Qiu Yizhi, saying, "In compliance with the order of His Highness, Cai Min will be imprisoned here."
Zheng Xin nodded, said nothing, and walked in.
Qiu Yizhi followed closely and walked into the room. He saw that the room was only a few feet square, with brooms, dustpans and other things piled up in a mess in the corner - it turned out to be a side room in the temple where cleaning tools were stored. (To be continued)