Li Yaonan has been keeping a low profile in recent days. He has met with the village chiefs of Lin County, Yingfeng County, and Yunshan County. After negotiating the terms, two people were transferred from each village to be placed in the government office. The village chiefs all agreed to this. It would be difficult to find such a cheap deal for just a few taels of silver.
In a month, Li Yaonan had accumulated more than fifty people under his command, some of whom were sent to the cells, and some of whom worked under him.
Now everything is ready, only the east wind is missing. Li Yaonan has carefully investigated the situation in Yuxi. Except for the Yan family which has just risen and is a new noble family, the other families are well-established and have been entrenched in Yunnan for two or three hundred years. It is impossible to catch them all in one fell swoop. At present, all he can do is to squeeze money from them. It is a trivial matter. As long as he does not go too far, the governor will not care even if he knows. At most, he will only give him some warnings.
The governor would feel more at ease if I were a corrupt official than an honest and upright official.
The Governor of Yunnan, whether he heard it from others or sent people to inquire, all the information showed that this governor was a local emperor of Yunnan who was far away from the emperor and had absolute power.
No wonder Yunnan cannot be governed well. With the governor above putting pressure on them and the indigenous people being powerful below, what can the officials do? Anyone who shows any signs of revenge will either be worn down or dismissed and investigated. Under such a situation, who would dare to take any drastic action
Li Yaonan took some time off and asked someone to meet with the head of the Yan family. After thinking it over, he decided to cooperate with the Yan family. He was not that stupid to offend the five major families at once. Now that the Yan family was weak, it was a good opportunity to win them over. This was the so-called combination of officials and businessmen.
The Yan family was shocked when they received the invitation. That night, several leaders of the Yan family closed the door to discuss. After Li Yaonan took office, there were many speculations from all sides, but the judge acted very carefully, and soon everyone lost interest. He was just a sixth-rank official. If he was not a confidant of the emperor, who would take him seriously? But no one expected that two months later, Lord Li would actually send an invitation to their family. They didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
It’s all because Li Yaonan didn’t take any action after taking office, making it hard for people to tell which direction the wind is blowing. Although several yamen runners were removed, this was normal for them. Even at home, they would manage their own connections. After Lord Li’s actions attracted a lot of attention, no one took it seriously soon.
As the next head of the Yan family, Yan Tianyu immediately made a decision: "Whatever the Tongpan invited us for, let's wait and see. The Yi family is powerful now, and it can't be that bad. Besides, the Yi family has the support of the governor, and the Zuo family has a lot of ties with the Yi people. The Tongpan is also weak."
"Yu'er is right." Patriarch Yan twisted his beard and reminded, "But you need to be careful this time. We are from Yuxi. Don't let the judge lead us by the nose."
Yan Tianyu looked serious and nodded carefully: "I understand, kid."
Yan Tiancheng was stunned: "Father won't come to the appointment in person?"
Patriarch Yan shook his head and said with a smile: "You should learn more from your elder brother, kid."
Yan Tiancheng was unhappy. Why did his father look down on him
The second uncle patted his nephew's head and smiled proudly, "Although the Tongpan is an official, we don't need to be afraid. The Tongpan has no foundation in Yuxi. Big brother doesn't need to come in person. Tianyu can go there. No matter what we talk about, there will always be room for easing the discussion."
Yan Tiancheng understood instantly and said, "I was wrong."
The head of the Yan family nodded and smiled. What made him most proud in his life was that his children and grandchildren were all promising. Although the Yan family was in decline now, he believed that one day it would be able to stand on equal footing with other families. So what if the Yi family was a big family with deep roots? In his opinion, the Yi family was too big to be removed and there were only a few promising descendants. It was only a matter of time before the Yi family fell into decline.
No matter what the Yan family speculated, the agreed day soon arrived.
Three days later, Yan Tianyu changed his clothes and went alone to Tongpan Mansion quietly. During the whole process, he did not disturb anyone except the guards at home.
Li Yaonan was slightly surprised. He looked at the young man in front of him carefully. He was indeed a handsome man, and most importantly, he was quick-witted. He even thought of changing his clothes. Wasn't he afraid of being blamed
Li Yaonan knew the answer quickly. Yan Tianyu remained calm and let Li Yaonan look at him. He said calmly, "I took the initiative to guess what you are thinking. I wonder if my outfit today suits your taste?"
Li Yaonan raised his eyebrows. He liked talking to smart people, but he just smiled and looked at Yan Tianyu without saying a word.
Yan Tianyu smiled slightly and continued, "Your Excellency posted alone, probably because you don't want others to know. Among the five major families in Yuxi, except for the Yan family, the other families are very powerful and have many connections behind them. I guess your Excellency is afraid of trouble."
Li Yaonan chuckled, expressing his satisfaction with his choice of the Yan family for cooperation. Although the man in front of him was very cunning, it did not prevent him from admiring him.
Yan Tianyu first mentioned that he needed help from others, then he elevated the status of the Yan family, and then dragged other families into it. Yan Tianyu was reminding himself not to underestimate the Yan family, and also telling himself that except for the Yan family, the other families would not be used by him, and he could attack or defend.
"Sit down!" Li Yaonan pointed to the seat next to him and smiled as he asked someone to serve the food and wine.
Yan Tianyu bowed and said with a smile: "It is better to obey than to be respectful."
After a few cups of rice wine, Li Yaonan didn't beat around the bush. He said, "I have seen a lot of tea trees in Yunnan. Does the Yan family have any ideas?"
Yan Tianyu remained calm and said, "Tea has always been monopolized by the Shan family. I'm afraid I can't make the decision on this matter."
Li Yaonan showed a look of disappointment and said calmly, "That's all."
Afterwards, Li Yaonan talked about everything under the sun and never mentioned anything about tea. Yan Tianyu was secretly annoyed. To be honest, although he knew that the judge was young, he never thought that Lord Li was actually a few years younger than him. He was in the upper hand just now, but as soon as Lord Li opened his mouth, he put him in a dilemma.
His father repeatedly warned him not to be led by the nose, but the bait given by the judge was too tempting and it took a lot of courage to give it up. The Shan family and the Yan family had no friendship, so how could he bear to give up such a piece of fat meat? Even the food in his mouth tasted tasteless.
Li Yaonan chatted and laughed calmly, using only bait to tell Yan Tianyu that the initiative has always been in his hands.
Yan Tianyu raised his eyes and looked at Li Yaonan seriously: "Please tell me more about the tea matter, sir."
Li Yaonan raised the corners of his lips: "Can you make the decision now?"
Yan Tianyu was choked and said tactfully: "I still have to report to my father."
Li Yaonan stopped teasing him. He had to keep people on edge, otherwise it would only have the opposite effect. He said calmly, "All the tea in Yuxi will be purchased by the Yan family. I want 50% of the tax."
Yan Tianyu thought for a while and said, "No, 50% is too much. After deducting the expenses, we won't make much. Besides, how can Lord Li guarantee that the Yan family can take on this job?"
Li Yaonan smiled and didn't care about it. It was good that Yan Tianyu was so cautious. "The government will take care of this matter. The Yan family doesn't need to worry. The price of tea will at least increase several times when it is shipped to the Jiangnan area. With a 50% tax, the Yan family will not lose money."
Yan Tianyu thought about it for a moment and did not agree immediately: "This matter still needs to be discussed with my father." Now everything is just empty talk, he will not put the entire family involved for a few words.
Li Yaonan nodded to show his understanding.
Yan Tianyu was a very considerate person. Regardless of whether the business was successful or not, he smiled and asked, "My Lord, is there anything that the Yan family can do for you?"
Li Yaonan shook his head and smiled mysteriously: "You go back and discuss first. As for what happens next, the Yan family just needs to watch from the sidelines."
Yan Tianyu nodded in agreement, and soon asked to leave. They had finished talking about everything, and Li Yaonan did not try to keep him. He just told him to think about it slowly and not to rush. Anyway, the Yan family was stable. As for the tea issue, it was still too early and they had to wait until the road construction was put on the agenda.
Li Yaonan half-closed his eyes, lost in thought. After nearly two months of planning, it was time to take action.
He went back to the study and took down several stacks of documents. The Yi family, the Zuo family, the Shan family, and the Liu family had committed shocking crimes. The Yi family and the Zuo family were the worst. They had the final say in Yuxi, and it had become their territory. As the brush lightly drew a few strokes, a cold flash flashed in Li Yaonan's eyes. He would never allow any force to override the government. The rule of "peace is the most precious" was crossed out first after he understood the local situation.
The next day, Li Yaonan went to the government office and summoned all his subordinates to arrest several people from the Yi, Zuo, and Liu families who had recently committed serious crimes. As for the Shan family, if they did not cause trouble, they would be let off for the time being. It was enough to offend three families at once.
No one expected that Li Yaonan would act so quickly and so ruthlessly.
After the mountain people went out, they only did what Li Yaonan told them to do and ignored everything else. They only remembered that Lord Li had said that he wanted the village to become rich, wanted everyone to have enough food to eat, and wanted to build a road that could be used for traffic. All their hopes rested on the prisoner, so they had to catch him and keep him under strict watch. No one could get away with it.
Li Yaonan stirred up a hornet's nest with one move, causing chaos outside, but he was drinking tea in the yamen. Within two hours, the prefect found him and asked him what his action meant.
Li Yaonan smiled faintly: "If Lord He needs to worry, it's just that money is a little tight, and I won't go too far."
"You... ... Alas..." Lord He sighed deeply. He knew that his request was too much and would offend the three major families. He would never agree to it no matter what. He scolded him, "If you need money, just say so. Why do you want to do this? Isn't it giving people a handle?"
Li Yaonan was slightly surprised. He did not expect that Prefect He was worried about him. He comforted him, "Don't worry, sir. I know what is going on. You just need to watch."
He Zhifu frowned and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Li Yaonan took a sip of tea, and the aftertaste was endless. He praised with a click of his tongue: "Yunnan's tea is really good." Seeing that Lord He was about to get angry, he smiled and said: "It's not a big deal. At most, I will offend a few people, but it won't cause any big trouble."
Several people were arrested this time, all of them were direct descendants of several families. The weight of the case could not be said to be heavy, but it was also not light. It was within the scope of their redemption, but also beyond their bottom line. He only believed in one sentence: things that can be done with money are trivial matters. Therefore, even if the major families are angry, they will still pay money to redeem people. As for this kind of thing, they would be stupid to ask the governor for help, because what they give to him is always less than what he gives to the governor.
However, after this incident, hatred has definitely been formed, and there will inevitably be obstacles in the future.
Li Yaonan didn't care. Since he didn't want to go along with the crowd but wanted to gain benefits from others, the only way was to threaten them. It was not only simple but also effective. As for the aftermath, he had already thought about it and would not let others have any reason to talk about him.
Prefect He thought more and said seriously, "Lord Li, tell me the truth, what exactly do you want to do?" Lord Li doesn't look like a man who is short of money, so don't fool him with silver. Which corrupt official doesn't hide something? Lord Li dares to speak it out openly, there must be something else going on.
Li Yaonan thought for a moment, his lips curled up slightly. There was no need to hide it at this moment. Lord He would know it sooner or later anyway. He said in a high-sounding manner: "The Yi family, the Zuo family, and the Liu family are indeed philanthropic families. They actually jointly donated money to build roads for the benefit of the people. They are simply role models for our generation. I have decided that I will give them a plaque to show my praise one day."
Lord He was unable to comprehend what he heard, but soon he was stunned and shocked by Li Yaonan's shamelessness. He had captured someone else, used his money, and left him with no way to suffer.
Li Yaonan looked at him with a smile: "What do you think, Lord He?"
Prefect He glared at him unhappily, flicked his sleeves, turned around and left: "You can handle it yourself." According to Lord Li, he really couldn't cause any big trouble, so it was better for him to avoid suspicion.
Li Yaonan knew clearly that Lord He didn't want to cause trouble, but also wanted to do something for the people of Yunnan, so he simply ignored it. This way he wouldn't offend anyone, and if any problems arose he would take the responsibility himself. He was truly a seasoned man.
The author has something to say: Sorry, the husband and wife reunion is tomorrow, I wrote too much details without realizing it, I will continue to work hard. o(n_n)o
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