East Factory Governor

Chapter 311 Corrupt officials are not dirty officials
Qin Shuhuai helped Zhao Xinian up, and said, "It's not suitable to stay here for a long time, let's find a quiet place to talk."

Li Shounian said, "There is a small town more than twenty miles ahead, and there is a restaurant in the town that I helped to open. If Chief Qin doesn't mind, please move over there and we can talk again."

Qin Shuhuai said, "It's very good."

So everyone got into the carriage and drove fast all the way. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the town and entered the restaurant run by the Haisha Gang.

Li Shounian found a private room for Qin Shuhuai and Zhao Xinian, and then he exited tactfully, calling Zhao Quyou and others to drink.

After closing the door of the private room, Qin Shuhuai said to Zhao Xinian, "Young Master Zhao, it's just you and me now, so feel free to talk if you have anything to say."

Zhao Xinian said, "Master Qin, let me ask you first, why did Master Qin want to save me?"

Qin Shuhuai smiled lightly, and said, "I didn't intend to get involved in the disputes of your Zhao family, but that day when I was passing by your hometown in Yangzhou, I happened to hear a servant girl rushing to ask for help, saying that the Zhao family had been wiped out, so I went to Go and investigate. I don’t want the Yangzhou government to confuse right and wrong, ignore human life, and insist that I am the murderer. In desperation, I had to forcefully escape from prison, so as to find out the case and give myself justice. Of course, I also want to give justice to the 36 members of Brother Zhao’s family. "

Naturally, Qin Shuhuai would not mention dealing with the Donglin Party, so he only talked about his being framed, but this was enough to show his determination to thoroughly investigate the matter and dispel Zhao Xinian's doubts.

After hearing this, Zhao Xinian's eyes lit up, and he was very excited. He said, "So, it was rumored that the people who hijacked the general judge in Yangzhou Mansion were you, Chief Qin?"

"That's right, it's us. We tracked down from Yangzhou Mansion all the way to Ningbo Mansion. I heard that you are in the hands of the Haisha Gang. I was afraid that something might happen to you, so I followed you."

Zhao Xinian immediately let go of his guard, as if seeing a life-saving straw, he knelt down facing Qin Shuhuai with a "plop".

"Master Qin! I heard that Master Qin is a true hero who fought against the establishment of slavery, and a true hero for the country and the people. Now, seeing him, he really deserves his reputation. Master Qin, my Zhao family is wronged! I beg Master Qin, we will uphold justice !"

Qin Shuhuai helped Zhao Xinian up, and said, "Young Master Zhao, tell me slowly. Let me ask you, do you have any evidence for what you said earlier that the governor of Zhejiang, Wang Huazhen, wanted to kill your whole family?"

Zhao Xinian's eyes were scarlet, and he gritted his teeth and said, "That old thief Wang Huazhen is cunning and cautious. We have no evidence. However, there is no doubt that he was responsible for the extermination of the Zhao family."

"There is no doubt about it, just tell me."

"After Wang Huazhen was governor of Zhejiang, he always wanted to support his nephew Wang Jin to monopolize the foreign business in Zhejiang, but he was unanimously resisted by our chamber of commerce. Later, he adopted the strategy of division and disintegration, and the Zhao family, the largest foreign business in Ningbo Prefecture, , the Li family reached a compromise, promised them a lot of benefits, and made the two families support Wang Jin. Later, in order to force us small and medium-sized businessmen to submit, he first found a reason to copy the home of the Qi family in Zhoushan County, and then arrested Chen The Patriarch of the Zhou family and the Zhou family, in this way, no one dared to speak out, and could only watch helplessly as Wang Jin's family dominated, while other merchants could only share the leftovers. This Wang Huazhen amassed money endlessly. After the overseas port, other businesses can't survive at all, and the money basically goes into Wang Huazhen's pocket!"

Qin Shuhuai interjected, "I probably understand this, let's talk about why he wanted to kill the Zhao family."

Zhao Xinian said in grief and indignation, "My father was murdered, and I actually agreed to the request of Mr. Li, the prefect of Ningbo! In order to increase income, Mr. Li asked my father to bring a few old foreign businessmen to continue to run his own business secretly, and even specially opened a business for us. A port. My father originally wanted to return to his hometown for the elderly, but Nian agreed to him because of the sincerity of Master Li. Originally, this matter has been peaceful with the help of Master Li. But at the end of last year, somehow Wang Huazhen discovered it. So I found my father and told my father that Wang Huazhen was furious and wanted to kill chickens to make an example of monkeys, and advised my father to leave quickly. So my father immediately left Ningbo Mansion and returned to Yangzhou, and kept me here to investigate the situation.”

Qin Shuhuai thought for a while and said, "I have two questions. First, why does the magistrate Mr. Li resist the pressure of the governor and ask you to continue doing overseas business secretly? How much profit can he get here? I heard that his official Sounds good, why are you so greedy for money? Second, since your father has returned to Yangzhou, this Wang Huazhen is really so vicious and insists on killing your Zhao family?"

Zhao Xinian sighed, and said, "Master Qin, you have misunderstood Mr. Li! Mr. Li is greedy for money, you can say that he is extremely greedy for money, but he is not a corrupt official!"

Qin Shuhuai wondered, "Oh? This is something new, please tell Mr. Zhao clearly."

Zhao Xinian said, "Master Li, the magistrate, was greedy for money. In fact, all of it was filled into the court's Liao's salary and Lian's salary! The leader of the Qin clan should also know that now the imperial court's Liao's salary, Li's salary and normal land taxes have already accounted for More than [-]% of the total output of the field, if it is really paid in this way, the people will not starve to death? So Mr. Li has no choice but to risk his head and connive at the coastal merchants doing overseas business. Six to four merchants, he six merchants four. Of the [-]% he takes, he has to manage officials at all levels up and down, and the remaining half can be paid. Every year, he scrapes together so much to make up the salary. So , Compared with other places, the people in Ningbo Prefecture pay very little tax, at most it is normal land tax, so their livelihood is much better than other places. How can the people not praise such a good official?"

Qin Shuhuai suddenly realized, and said with emotion, "It turns out that those who are greedy for money are not all filthy officials! This Mr. Li is quite interesting, he is indeed a scholar, he would rather risk beheading himself than forget the people's livelihood. For the sake of the country and the people, Lord Li can be regarded as a chivalrous man."

Zhao Xinian nodded and said, "Lord Li does have a chivalrous heart, but it's a pity that the official position is not high enough! Wang Huazhen let his nephew monopolize all the outlying towns in Ningbo Mansion with a single word. Although Master Li also has a small share, his income has dropped all at once. Probably. That's why he asked my father and others to secretly open a new port. It's a pity that God's will tricks people..."

"Do you hate Li Zhifu?" Qin Shuhuai asked.

Zhao Xinian was silent for a while, then said, "I hate but I don't hate. I say I don't hate because I respect him. I say hate because I hate him. Why did he find my father and why didn't he find someone else?"

Qin Shuhuai nodded, expressing his understanding.

Then he said, "By the way, you haven't answered my second question yet. Why did Wang Huazhen want to kill your father when he returned to Yangzhou? Is he really so vicious?"

Zhao Xinian burst into tears and hesitated.

"Mr. Zhao, it doesn't matter if you don't want to say it, but I can't help you in this way."

Zhao Xinian looked up at Qin Shuhuai, and said, "Master Qin, I believe in you!"

As he spoke, he took out two booklets from his pocket and handed them to Qin Shuhuai.

(End of this chapter)