If Du Ke was in a good mood just now, he was in a bad mood now. He looked at the boxes of white silver, some golden gold, some jewelry, etc., and his whole face was dark. "Are all these from the bandits' den?" So much silver, not including the money the bandits ate and spent, so how much would it be if added up
Du Ke thought of the old man Yonghehou. No wonder he was so active in suppressing bandits. No wonder the silver he found was used directly as military pay. It turned out that there was quite a lot of silver. Thinking that this silver could be used as military pay, the old man Yonghehou must have felt happy. However, he was not happy because this silver was robbed from the common people.
Qin Fang said: "These were searched out from the bandits' den, but I have already taken 40% of them. 30% will be used as military pay for the development of the Yunxiang County military camp, and 10% is a reward from the emperor." Qin Fang said this without blushing or getting angry.
Du Ke glanced at him. If he didn't know Qin Fang's intention at this time, then he was not worthy of sitting in the position of the Minister of War, and was not worthy of being the emperor's confidant. Qin Fang didn't directly say how much silver there was in the bandit's den when he wrote the letter. It seemed that this was his idea. If he did, would he be able to get so much silver
Qin Fang also felt a little guilty. After all, this was the first time he had done such a thing, and he was secretly praying for luck. If this thing didn't work out, and the emperor didn't agree in advance, but asked the imperial envoy to check the silver first, then he wouldn't get 30%, and his own 10% would be gone.
Du Ke had no idea. Although Qin Fang had a plan, compared to Yonghe Hou taking all the stolen money, Qin Fang's behavior was obviously much better. However, how could someone from Yongzhou military camp be more like a bandit than a robber
Qin Fang added, "I only took 40% of the silver. I didn't touch the jewels. Also, these were only found in the robbers' den, not including the county magistrate's warehouse. I went to the county magistrate's warehouse and saw nothing was touched. I dare not touch it. Please move on."
When Du Ke heard this, he had an idea in his mind: "Let's go and see."
The county magistrate's storehouse was in the county magistrate's bedroom, and there were many soldiers guarding the door. As soon as Du Ke saw the posture of the soldiers, he knew that the situation inside must be serious.
The soldier saw Qin Fang and saluted: "General."
Qin Fang nodded, and pushed the door open: "Please come in, sir."
Du Ke and his men walked into the house, Qin Fang followed them, and then closed the door. Then Qin Fang walked to the portrait on the wall and took it down. The mechanism was very clever. If you don't pay attention, you will take down the portrait and not notice that there is a mechanism here, because the button of this mechanism is used to hang the portrait. So according to normal thinking, who would think that this is a mechanism? Most people think it is a wooden nail for hanging the portrait.
Qin Fang pressed the wooden nail inside, and then a wall moved away.
Du Ke and the others walked in and saw three wooden cabinets, which were filled with silver and gold. This amount was several times the 50,000 silver coins that the robbers had.
Du Ke's face looked very ugly.
Three years as a clean official, 100,000 silver coins. This year, Du Ke truly experienced the meaning of this sentence.
Of course, 100,000 taels of silver was not a lot in Du Ke's eyes, as his Du family's assets were much more than that. However, we need to know the source of this money. Fifty thousand taels of silver were found in the bandit den, but they were robbed from ordinary people. For ordinary people who only spend two taels of silver a year, what does this fifty thousand taels of silver mean? It means that tens of thousands of ordinary people were robbed, and even if there were no tens of thousands of ordinary people, they had been robbed for many years.
Even without counting carefully, Du Ke knew that the county magistrate's storehouse would add up to hundreds of thousands of taels of money if the gold was converted into silver.
How much of the people’s money has been plundered
No, it might not have been obtained by plundering the people's wealth. The county magistrate must have used extraordinary means.
Du Ke asked Qin Fang: "Do you know where this silver came from?" His voice was as cold as falling ice chips.
Qin Fang felt that the county magistrate was going to be in trouble. "The money was from the bandits and the money was from the Feng Family Clinic. The Feng Family Clinic uses cheap medicines and sells them at a low price. Over the years, the profit has been very considerable. In addition, the bandits only have 50,000 taels of silver left because they have many people and high expenses. But the county magistrate has a small family and low expenses, so he naturally has money."
Du Ke raised his eyebrows: "Small profits but quick turnover?" This description is quite interesting.
Qin Fang said: "It is to attract customers with small profits and increase profits with multiple sales." This is how his wife described him. "Besides, the medicine of Feng Family Clinic has problems, so the effect is very slow. The medicine is slow, so people buy it more often, and then Feng Family Clinic makes more profit. However, people don't know the trick. They think it is the same medicine as other clinics, but the price is cheaper at Feng Family Clinic, so according to the number of purchases, compared with the medicine of other clinics, people still think they are making money."
Sadly, they don’t know that they are actually losing a lot.
Du Ke said sternly: "People who use the lives of ordinary people to make these dirty money should be killed."
His murderous aura was so strong that Qin Fang and others dared not say a word.
Things in Huanshui County went quite smoothly for Du Ke. When Qin Fang subdued the bandits in their den, they had already confessed. The bandits' confessions included things about the county magistrate, so the county magistrate had no way to deny it. For a man like the county magistrate, happiness may not be shared with others, but disaster will definitely be a scapegoat. So when he knew that he had no hope of escaping, he directly dragged Doctor Feng and the Feng Family Clinic into the water.
In fact, the county magistrate still had some brains. At least Doctor Feng didn't know about his affair with the bandits. He would rather let the bandits ask Doctor Li for help instead of the Feng Family Clinic, so that Doctor Feng wouldn't use this to blackmail him.
Now, the bandit leader, the county magistrate, and Doctor Feng were all imprisoned together. These three most heinous criminals looked at each other every day.
But after Du Ke met the county magistrate, he asked Qin Fang a question: "Qin Fang, do you know why the county magistrate has so much money but is still so thin?"
Qin Fang didn't expect Du Ke to be so humorous. He said frankly: "I don't know."
Du Ke smiled and said, "Do you think he might have become thin because of starvation?"
Qin Fang couldn't understand this. To be honest, he had never paid attention to this issue before. He couldn't imagine that such a majestic Lord Du would pay attention to such a thing. However: "Isn't it? If he was starving and skinny, what would he do with so much stolen money?"
Du Ke nodded: "So, let me tell you why he is so thin. You may not know that some women, in order to maintain their slim figure, will pinch their sore throats every day, or eat something that induces vomiting. Then, if they eat too much of this kind of vomiting, they will lose interest in eating. Therefore, after they can't eat anything, they will become so thin.
I think this county magistrate has some tricks. He has so much stolen money. If he eats a lot of meat and fish every day, he will definitely be fat. Once he gets fat, he can't maintain the image of a clean county magistrate. As the saying goes, whether this county magistrate is greedy or not can be seen from his fat body. So, he should do this."
Qin Fang flattered him for a rare moment: "Your Excellency is wise."
Qin Fang stayed in Huanshui County for about 20 days. During these 20 days, Du Ke had already left after handling the affairs of Huanshui County. Qin Fang had to stay here because the sick people had not recovered yet. He would take them out of Huanshui County and continue on his journey until they recovered.
However, while they were on their way, Yang Haiyan and others arrived in Yunxiang County.
People who have seen Huanshui County, seeing Yunxiang County at this moment, have a feeling of being unable to recover for a long time. The main reason is that Yunxiang County is too desolate, so desolate that standing outside the county, looking at the collapsed city wall of the county, one can doubt that he has come to the wrong place.
Regardless of whether the county magistrate of Huanshui County was corrupt or earned money from bribes, at least on the surface, Huanshui County developed well. No one talked about bandits. There was also a doctor named Feng in the county who was a kind man. Although the county was not prosperous, it was still good. If we don't compare Huanshui County with other counties, we can compare them with the border counties, which also developed well.
But what happened to Yunxiang County? The city wall collapsed, but no one cared? What did the county magistrate do? Could it be that because Yunxiang County was not at the border, the city wall did not need to be used to defend against the enemy, so it was left to collapse like this
Captain Lu came to Yang Haiyan and said, "Madam, is this Yunxiang County?"
Yang Haiyan didn't know. Although she had read in a geological magazine before that Yunxiang County was a relatively remote and poor place, everything in front of her limited her imagination. Because no matter how remote or poor it was, she didn't know that even the city wall of the county town was like this
Not to mention whether the imperial court would intervene or not, even if the matter were to be reported to the imperial court, would the magistrate of Yunxiang County still have his head
Yang Haiyan got off the carriage: "I don't know, go ask the bailiff at the city gate." They had been looking at the map and asking people along the way, so it should be correct.
Captain Lu: “Yes.”
In fact, the guards at the city gate saw a large group of people coming, as many as 2,500 to 2,600 people, and they were also afraid, fearing that they were coming with bad intentions. However, they still came over bravely: "Excuse me...Excuse me, is General Qin Fang here?" The county magistrate said that the generals of the court brought people here to settle down, and since there were more than 3,000 people, they should be easy to recognize.
Captain Lu had just taken a few steps when he saw the yamen runner coming over. When he heard the other party asking this question, he cupped his fist and said, "I am Captain Lu Zhide under General Qin. General Qin was delayed in Huanshui County because of court affairs. In addition, several hundred of our people are sick and need to stay in Huanshui County for treatment. Therefore, the general asked us to bring these two thousand people here first."
The yamen runners heaved a sigh of relief when they heard this. It was clearly a half-month journey, but these people would arrive a month later. The county magistrate was naturally worried about accidents. When the county magistrate was worried, they would be scolded, so they would walk a distance every day and wait nearby for General Qin's group to arrive. "Greetings, Captain Lu, you are finally here. The county magistrate is waiting for you. Please come in quickly."
Captain Lu said, "No hurry. The general's wife is traveling with us this time. I will go ask her first."
When the bailiff heard that the general's wife had arrived, he hurriedly said, "No hurry, no hurry." Having said that, the other bailiffs had already run back to the county government office to inform the county magistrate.
Captain Lu came to the carriage and said, "Madam, these servants are here to welcome the general on the orders of the county magistrate. They are inviting us to the county magistrate's office. What do you think?"
Yang Haiyan said, "Send someone to set up tents here first to settle the people who came with us, and then go to the county town to buy food. Everyone is tired from the journey, and eating is important." The county magistrate is only a seventh-rank official, and Qin Fang is a fifth-rank official. Qin Fang came here on orders, so naturally the county magistrate came out to greet him, and there was no way he would visit him in person. Even if Qin Fang is not here now, he has to put on a show.
Yang Haiyan didn't know whether the county magistrate was going to give Qin Fang a warning, but as Qin Fang's wife, she naturally had to establish authority on his behalf. It was impossible for her to visit him in person today. Either the county magistrate would come out to greet him, or they would just wait and see who could outlast him.
However, looking at the situation on the city wall, she was sure that the county magistrate would come.
After hearing what Yang Haiyan said, Captain Lu immediately called everyone to gather. He arranged for most people to set up tents and for some people to go to the county town to buy food.
Only Aunt Yu and Aunt Hong were around Yang Haiyan, while Aunt Fan and Aunt Lian stayed with Qin Fang. Aunt Yu could only do rough work and could not take charge of things on her own. Aunt Hong also had a child, so it was inconvenient. Speaking of which, Datou Hong was really amazing, as such a young child was not infected by the cold. After some people were infected during that period, the number of infected people gradually increased. Uncle Hong and Aunt Hong were very worried about Datou Hong.
But little did they know that Hong Datou was alive and well. Uncle Hong and Aunt Hong were happy, and Yang Haiyan was happy too. It was she who had raised Hong Datou, feeding him a bowl of goat milk every day to keep him healthy, and she hoped that he would be well.
Yang Haiyan's gaze rested on Mrs. Niu and Kun Zhang. After a moment, she withdrew her gaze.
The tents were not set up yet, and the people who went to buy food had not returned yet. County Magistrate Yang Shunlei came with his chief clerk Song Wenbing and County Magistrate Bai. In fact, County Magistrate Yang had no intention of showing off to Qin Fang. He had been waiting here for several days and had not seen the three thousand people Qin Fang brought. He did not know when Qin Fang would arrive, so he did not come out to greet him. How could he, a county magistrate from a poor place, show off to a general of the fifth rank with soldiers? Was he a local tyrant? With these small soldiers and crab generals in the county government? County Magistrate Yang did not have such confidence.
Yang Haiyan stood beside the carriage, waiting for County Magistrate Yang to come over.
County Magistrate Yang knew that General Qin had not come, but Mrs. Qin was also a fifth-rank official, higher in rank than him. Moreover, he already knew General Qin's background. Even if he was a county magistrate in a poor place, he would have a few acquaintances. Knowing that the court was going to transfer a general to guard the city, he always wanted to get to know him. Unexpectedly, he and Mrs. Qin had some connections, which was unexpected.
County Magistrate Yang said, "Your humble servant, the County Magistrate of Yunxiang County, Yang Shunlei, and I, accompanied by the County Magistrate Bai Wenshu and the Chief Clerk Song Wenbing, have come to see you, my lady."
Yang Haiyan returned the greeting and said, "I have met Lord Yang, County Magistrate Bai, and Chief Secretary Song. The general was delayed by some matters in Huanshui County, so I took some people with me to hurry on. The general has said that these people should be settled outside the county first and will be arranged after the general returns. Lord Yang can discuss some matters with Lieutenant Lu."
County Magistrate Yang: "Yes. Yiren, the General's Mansion has been renovated and cleaned. You can enter the mansion at any time."
This was a pleasant surprise for Yang Haiyan. After all, lunch was not ready yet, so she said, "Then I will go there. I'll trouble Magistrate Yang to lead the way. Of course, if Magistrate Yang is busy with county affairs, he can just send someone to lead the way for me."
County Magistrate Yang: "No hurry, no hurry, please come in."
Yang Haiyan hummed, and then said: "Aunt Yu, Kun Zhang, you come with me. Captain Kun, you bring your personal guards with you."
"yes."
Yang Haiyan: "Let's walk there. This will be our home from now on. It's good for us to see the local customs and people along the way."
County Magistrate Yang said: "You are thoughtful, but there is really no place in Yunxiang County for you to enjoy it." Speaking of this, he sighed.
Yang Haiyan thought there seemed to be something hidden in his words, but she didn't ask.
County Magistrate Yang added: "Speaking of which, this humble official and Yiren may have some connection."
This made Yang Haiyan curious. She glanced at him and had no impression of him. "Please help me, Lord Yang."
They walked in the front, followed by the county magistrate, the chief clerk, Kunshi and others.
County Magistrate Yang smiled and asked, "Is your wife from the family of Grand Tutor Yang who was executed two years ago?"
Yang Haiyan was stunned, and remembered the name he mentioned when he introduced her just now, "Are you from the Yang family?" "If so, it can be considered a kind of fate. It's not really a family, but it's fate that we can meet like this."
After hearing what Yang Haiyan said, County Magistrate Yang understood that she had acquiesced, so he explained: "I am a descendant of the Yang family, but the relationship is too distant, and my family does not have much contact with the Yang family. However, I did enjoy the benefits of being a descendant of the Yang family in my hometown, so after I passed the imperial examination, I was sent to a pretty good place. After the incident of the Yang family the year before last, my family was not implicated and killed, but I was still transferred here. But speaking of it, I am lucky to be able to be an official and keep my life."
Yang Haiyan sighed. The affairs of the Yang family did not implicate innocent servants. Wasn't this a blessing for the servants? So it had to be said that the laws of Qi State were much more humane than the laws of ancient China that she knew. Although she didn't know County Magistrate Yang, this relationship did bring them closer. She could see that County Magistrate Yang was trying to get close to her, so she naturally had no reason to push him away. After all, he was one of the local bosses here. "I see. There really is some connection. Originally, I left my hometown and came here with some fear in my heart, but now that I know that you are an old friend, I feel relieved."
Her words were a sign of weakness. After all, she was young, only 18 years old, so it was not shameful to say these words.
County Magistrate Yang said, "If the general needs my help, please let me know." County Magistrate Yang also knew that he would never be able to make a name for himself. Unless he made great contributions, even if the emperor did not pursue the children of the Yang family who were five generations older than the deceased, the court would not use them.
In contrast, Qin Fang was different. At the age of 22, he was a fifth-rank general, and his future was limitless. So County Magistrate Yang was willing to make friends with them in advance.
As they were talking, they arrived at the gate of the general's mansion.
The entrance to the General's Mansion is very large, and the two stone lions at the entrance are very majestic. The main reason is that the shape of the house covers a large area. Yang Haiyan asked: "This courtyard is not simple."
County Magistrate Yang said, "This was originally the Prince of Liang's mansion. Twenty years ago, after the Prince of Liang died, because he had no offspring, everything was taken over by the court. Now that General Qin has been transferred here, the court has asked me to directly renovate the former Prince of Liang's mansion into the General's mansion."
Yang Haiyan had mentioned the King of Liang to Qin Fang a month ago. She had also seen him in a geological magazine, but she had never thought that this was the King of Liang's mansion. The King of Liang's mansion was not favored, so his territory was not good. But even if this territory was not good, there were still better counties than Yunxiang County. Why did the King of Liang choose this place for his mansion? Yang Haiyan was puzzled and asked directly: "Yunxiang County looks quite... poor. Why did the King of Liang, a dignified prince, build his mansion here?"
County Magistrate Yang knew about this, and it was no secret in Yunxiang County 20 years ago. So he said straightforwardly, "Because King Liang likes hunting, there are a lot of prey in the mountain southeast of Yunxiang County, so King Liang simply built his palace here. It is said that when King Liang goes hunting, he will stay in the mountain for ten days or half a month. Moreover, this is King Liang's territory, so the mountain naturally belongs to King Liang. Therefore, King Liang does not allow others to go there to hunt. For this reason, hunters were once at a loss."
Yang Haiyan didn't expect this to be the reason. The King of Liang, who built his palace here for hunting, must be very keen on hunting. However, as a prince, no matter how bad his territory is, no matter how unpopular he is, and no matter how poor Yunxiang County is, it doesn't make him suffer. He still has no worries about food and clothing. So, the poor conditions in Yunxiang County don't affect him, so why does he care about this? "I see."
County Magistrate Yang continued, "It is said that Prince Liang died young 20 years ago without leaving any offspring. He died because of a serious injury while hunting."
Yang Haiyan said: "So that mountain is still quite dangerous. Let's go into the mansion and take a look."
The group entered the general's mansion. Although the mansion was large and luxurious, it was built 20 years ago, so it was still quite old. County Magistrate Yang asked people to renovate it, but only the leaking parts were repaired. More than 90% of the place was not touched. The county government had no money to move.
So, after they came in, they saw that this mansion was a desolate mansion.
However, Yang Haiyan liked it very much. She turned to Kun Shi and said, "After lunch, let's move the things into the general's mansion."
Kunshi: “Yes.”