Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 87

At this moment, Xiang Yunhe suddenly emerged from the crowd.Xiang Yuding was surprised: "Yunhe, why are you here?"

Xiang Yunhe said: "I was brought by the imperial envoy. Dad, my injury really wasn't caused by the Kan family!"

Xiang Yuding was dumbfounded, and asked: "Yunhe, what's going on?"

Bowing his head to Yunhe, he said, "That day, the people in the governor's yamen said that in order not to let the imperial court exploit us, they had to stop the Kan family from reporting the new tax law, and they had to sue the Kan family! The Kan family!"

Kan Wangda shook his head and said, "Yunhe, you almost killed me with such a trick!"

He bowed his hands to Yunhe and said, "Brother Wangda, I'm sorry for you!"

The grievances between Kan and Xiang had just been settled, and someone shouted again in the crowd: "You two are reconciled, what should we do? Let's pay taxes?"

There was another roar in the crowd, and they didn't talk straight.

Chen Tingjing said: "My fellow villagers, let's not talk about whether we should pay taxes or not. Let me ask you a few questions first. Yunnan is located at the border, what should we do if foreign enemies invade?"

Someone replied: "The imperial court has an army!"

Chen Tingjing asked again: "Yunnan is vast and sparsely populated, and there are many bandits. If there are bandits who rob houses, what should we do?"

Someone replied: "The yamen sent troops to suppress it!"

Chen Tingjing continued to ask: "What do the people in the yamen and those soldiers eat and wear?"

Now no one answered.Chen Tingjing said: "Payment of royal grain and national tax is an eternal practice and must be followed. You are just hearsay about the new tax law proposed by the Kan family and his son, but I have consulted it carefully. Let me tell you, my family is also in business. Compared with my hometown Shanxi, the new law collects much less tax!"

Still no one spoke.Chen Tingjing added: "Kan Gong and Kan Wangda are really thinking about the long-term stability of Yunnan. Otherwise, why are they bothering about it? According to the new tax law, they themselves have to pay taxes and taxes!"

Kan Wangda clasped his hands and said: "Seniors, colleagues, listen to me. The current tax burden in Yunnan is already the lightest in the country. Rich provinces need to pay for the release of treasury silver every year, but Yunnan does not. There is a need for co-payment at times. How did Wang Jiwen co-pay? On the one hand, he wants to appear capable to the emperor, and on the other hand, he wants to act like a blue sky in front of the people. Although he does not collect taxes from the people, he uses treasury money to do co-payment."

Kan Zhenzhao took over the conversation and said: "He, Wang Jiwen, won the good official reputation of Master Qingtian, and when he is successful, he will leave a mess to his successor. In the end, the people have to make up for the Kuyin, which has been in deficit over the years. The people don't know I thought Governor Wang didn't collect taxes, but Governor Zhang and Governor Li did collect taxes and taxes, and they charged so much. People will say that the governor's yamen government orders are changing, and there may be troubles! The world is in chaos, and those who suffer After all, we are the people!"

Chen Tingjing said: "Masters, we have explained the truth very clearly. If you can't figure it out for a while, you can go back and think about it. Now, follow me to the treasury to get back your money."

After Chen Tingjing finished speaking, the Kan family's own sedan chair was already waiting.The merchants were discussing and following Chen Tingjing to get money from the treasury.

Only then did Liu Jing hand over Yicheng Xiangbao's confession to Chen Tingjing, and said, "My lord, take a quick look, there is still a shocking case."

When Chen Tingjing took the confession, he was really shocked.It turned out that after Wu Sangui's defeat, he left behind more than 3000 million taels of silver, more than 5000 million catties of grain, and more than 1000 million bundles of fodder, all of which were concealed by Wang Jiwen.Xiang Baoyuan was Wang Jiwen's book boy and had followed him for more than 20 years.Xiang Bao was not proficient in literary and ink, and couldn't be placed in the officialdom, so he was made a postman.Xiang Bao's job as postman is just to deceive people's eyes and ears. He is actually looking after the money and food left by Wu Sangui for Wang Jiwen.Every time a co-payment was needed, the money was embezzled from the treasury, and the food and grass were collected secretly by Xiang Bao, which even Yang Wenqi didn't know about.At first, Wang Jiwen was reluctant to report the money and food left by Wu Sangui to the court, but later he dared not let the court know.

Kan Zhenzhao suddenly realized, and said: "Now I understand! Alas! What a blind man I am! Wang Jiwen was playing tricks right under my nose, and I didn't even see it!"

Chen Tingjing told Ma Ming: "Go and invite Mr. Wang Jiwen, after all, it is the Yunnan treasury, I can't just open it!"

When we arrived at the treasury, after waiting for a long time, Wang Jiwen arrived in a sedan chair, got off the sedan chair and said, "Master Imperial Envoy, you have to discuss such a big matter with me first."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Isn't it just for you to come over and discuss?"

But some merchants shouted: "We get back our own money, what else needs to be discussed!"

Wang Jiwen said softly but firmly: "If there is a riot and the official bank is looted, it is not my responsibility."

Xiang Yuding said: "Don't worry, Master Taiwan, we only want our own money!"

The treasury began to return the money, and the merchants called Chen Tingjing Qingtian Master.Chen Tingjing returned the gift frequently, but Wang Jiwen was in a hurry.Suddenly, I heard Chen Tingjing casually say: "Master Taiwan, I have found out that Wu Sangui left a huge amount of money, food and fodder, and I don't know where they went."

Wang Jiwen's face turned livid, his eyes turned black, and he was speechless.

Chen Tingjing, however, was lukewarm, and said: "Master Zhitai, come with me to Beijing to face the saint!"

Back at the post house, Liu Jing took out the glass chess.Chen Tingjing asked how he found it, but everyone laughed and didn't answer.

Finally Dashun said: "Master, I just found out that the glass chess set was never lost!"

It turned out that Liu Jing and the others saw that Xiang Bao was unusual, but they couldn't make a move, so they deliberately used the lost glass chess to bluff him.Chen Tingjing didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he heard this, and said: "In future investigations, don't allow others to frame you first! Don't make an example."

Liu Jing agreed, but still smiled.Chen Tingjing then asked: "What are you laughing at? Is there something else you are hiding from me?"

Liu Jing smiled and said, "Master, this is all Young Mistress Zhen's idea!"

Chen Tingjing had the intention of blaming Zhen'er, and Zhen'er said: "I have long felt that the relationship between Xiang Bao and Wang Jiwen is extraordinary, but I couldn't grasp the reason."

Chen Tingjing said with a stern face: "If you can't grasp the handle, you will impose a handle on him?"

Zhen'er said angrily: "Master, it's true, for a person like Xiang Bao, if you don't give him a blow, scare him first, will he tell the truth?"

Liu Jingdao: "It's also thanks to Mrs. Zhen, how else would I confess to Bao that Wang Jiwen concealed Wu Sangui's money and food?"

Chen Tingjing finally laughed, but still said that he could not handle cases like this in the future.

On the second day, Chen Tingjing escorted Wang Jiwen back to Beijing.Wang Jiwen has not yet been convicted. He is still in his official uniform, his face is gray and black, and he is sitting in the carriage.Chen Tingjing still treated each other with courtesy, but Wang Jiwen didn't appreciate it.

Going out of the city gate, I suddenly saw people standing on both sides of the street.Listen carefully, it turns out that they are here to send Wang Jiwen off.Some people cried bitterly, saying that Mr. Wang is a good official, but he was murdered by treacherous officials for not asking the people for a tael of silver in recent years.Some people also said that Mr. Wang offended a wealthy businessman in Yunnan, and was sued by them to the capital, and the imperial court sent an imperial envoy.

When I left the city gate, I saw many people kneeling in darkness outside the city, blocking the way.When a commoner saw Wang Jiwen, he stood up suddenly, rushed forward and cried: "Master Wang, you are a big blue sky, you are gone, we don't know how to live!"

Wang Jiwen also seemed to be emotionally moved, and said: "Don't worry, the new tax law proposed by the Kan family and his son, although the imperial envoy will report to the court, the emperor may not approve it!"

The man turned his head and glared at Chen Tingjing: "Are you an imperial envoy? Why do you want to arrest our parents? Mr. Wang is a good official that Yunnan has never had since ancient times!"

Chen Tingjing shouted: "Fellow townspeople, there is no conclusion as to whether Mr. Wang is guilty or not. If you get the capital, listen to what the emperor says!"

The man said: "With a treacherous minister like you in the imperial court, Lord Wang will definitely suffer!"

Suddenly someone shouted to kill the treacherous officials, and the common people stood up coaxingly, and rushed over like bees and ants.Liu Jing and his followers tried their best to block the flow of people.Zhen'er jumped out of the car and swung her sword to protect Chen Tingjing.

Ma Ming flashed to Wang Jiwen's carriage and whispered, "Tell them to retreat quickly, or they will kill you!"

Wang Jiwen stared and said, "How dare you!"

Ma Ming drew out his knife and said, "Don't force me! Hurry up, or you'll die if your neck gets cold!"

Wang Jiwen and Ma Ming looked at each other for a moment, finally softened, got out of the car and shouted: "Folks, folks, listen to me!"

But someone shouted: "Master Wang, don't be afraid, we killed the treacherous ministers, if the imperial court sends troops, we will support you and fight them to the end!"

Wang Jiwen shouted sharply: "Shut up!" The people immediately quieted down.Wang Jiwen suddenly knelt down and bowed to the people several times.When the people saw it, they knelt down in unison again, crying.

Wang Jiwen said: "I, Wang, please everyone, please don't do anything that is unfaithful! I am diligent and frugal in Yunnan, I am not greedy or occupying, I am worthy of the emperor, and I am worthy of the people. This time I went to Beijing to face the holy, fierce Good luck is determined by heaven. The way of heaven has its own justice, folks, rest assured!"

No one spoke, only crying.Wang Jiwen said again: "Folks, please make way, even if I, Wang Jiwen, beg everyone."

The people slowly stepped aside, and they all looked at Chen Tingjing with hatred.

Zhen'er said: "My lord Wang moved me so much that I really cried."

Chen Tingjing sighed: "This time, the people who were crying to see off Mr. Wang came here after hearing the news. Poor these kind people!"

(End of this chapter)