Chapter 7: Official Cases
"As they say, old ginger is spicy. The old lady is really a smart person."
Zhu Wanjian was thinking about this matter on his way to the county government office to discuss matters with the magistrate.
The Zhu family did not need to submit visiting cards when entering the county government office. They just greeted the gatekeeper and went directly to the side courtyard room to wait. Soon, Shen Li, the magistrate of Changshou County, came to see them.
"Master Zhu, what brings you here?"
When Shen Li saw Zhu Wanjian, he suddenly felt a headache.
Previously, Zhu Wanjian came to report his brother and sister-in-law, intending to seize the property of the orphans of loyal officials and righteous men. Although Shen Li sent yamen runners to assist, he felt very disgusted... For a local official like him who was a Jinshi, his reputation was more important than anything else. Although the farce ended hastily, he still had a grudge.
Zhu Wanjian said with a haughty face: "County Magistrate Shen, let me be frank first. I am here to give you a good future. It depends on whether you want it or not."
Shinri frowned.
Shen Li was a Jinshi in the sixth year of Zhengde.
Generally, those who were Jinshi graduates would either stay in Beijing to observe the administration of the six ministries, and after the observation period would be appointed as officials in Beijing, or be sent as Censors to the local areas for several years to gain experience. Their careers would be bright. After all, only 300 Jinshi were produced in three years in the Ming Dynasty. Even if they were Jinshi graduates, they would still be popular in the officialdom.
The strange thing is that Shen Li is from Pingliang Prefecture, Shaanxi.
The great eunuch Liu Jin was also from Shaanxi. After Liu Jin's fall in the fifth year of Zhengde, the Shanxi Jinshi candidates who passed the imperial examinations in recent years were in bad luck, and none of them had a good future. As a fellow Jinshi candidate, Shen Li waited for two full years before he was appointed as the magistrate of Changshou County, Anlu.
"Mr. Zhu, please stop making fun of me and just tell me your purpose directly." Shen Li said with a cold face.
Zhu Wanjian smiled and said, "Shen County Magistrate, my Zhu family is a family of Jinyiwei. My father is a captain of Jinyiwei, and my brother is a deputy captain of Beizhenfusi. My Zhu family is also close to the current emperor. If you help me, I will never treat you unfairly. Besides, this time we are going to investigate a salt smuggling case involving a huge amount of money. If we can find out the truth, we can fill our pockets and have a bright future."
Shen Li took a breath.
He originally thought that the Zhu family came to his door and asked him to send people to do the dirty thing of fighting with the chaste woman for inheritance, but who knew it was actually to investigate smuggled salt?
After the Ming Dynasty’s salt administration changed the “grain opening method” to the “grain reduction method” in the fifth year of Hongzhi, the national treasury was once full, but a long period of salt administration chaos followed.
If local officials can seize huge amounts of privately-owned salt, their political achievements can indeed be greatly improved.
"Master Zhu, the investigation of smuggled salt is not the responsibility of the Jinyiwei, right?"
Shen Li was skeptical.
Judging from Zhu Wanjian's character, he was asked to send runners to seize the property of the chaste woman before, so would he be kind enough to take him to investigate the illegal salt production to gain political achievements this time?
Zhu Wanjian smiled and said, "The case was not discovered by the Jinyiwei. The tip-off said that a merchant wanted to purchase a large amount of private salt from private salt dealers. I just want to ask if you dare to intervene?"
Shen Li hesitated again and again, then sighed, "It's better to find out more clearly."
Shen Li is not a fool.
He didn't understand why the Jinyiwei Zhu family didn't stay in the two capitals of the north and the south, but chose to settle in a remote corner like Huguang. Then he thought of the Prince Xing's Mansion and had some understanding, but quickly discarded the idea.
He doesn't think that the other party will benefit from good things.
However, he felt relieved after learning the source of Zhu Wanjian's information.
"It was the Third Madam who admitted it herself? She...she is breaking the law knowingly. Mr. Zhu, are you going to sacrifice your own relatives for the sake of justice?" Shen Li looked at Zhu Wanjian in surprise.
Zhu Wanjian cursed: "What do you mean by slaying relatives for the sake of justice? We are no longer a family. This unchaste woman should be thrown into a pig cage."
Perhaps remembering that some things should not be said in front of outsiders, Zhu Wanjian forced a smile and said, "Let her be punished so that she can behave herself when she returns home. My brother in heaven would definitely not want his woman to show up in public."
"Um."
Shen Li nodded, but he was wondering in his heart, what kind of family is this, betraying their family members again and again?
You still have the nerve to brag about yourself?
At this time, the sky had unknowingly darkened, and the yamen runners sent to investigate came to report.
"Reporting to the county magistrate, the third wife of the Zhu family did lead a group of people out of the city and rushed to a place fifteen miles southeast of the state capital. There was a long caravan with a large number of salt bags piled on the cars. I asked the salt shops in the city, but they all said that the goods were not theirs. Moreover, these people hid in the woods and acted furtively. They seemed to be private salt dealers..."
The information reported by the yamen runners seemed to confirm Zhu Wanjian's statement.
Zhu Wanjian slapped his thigh and said, "I said the news couldn't be wrong. That woman is guilty of buying and selling salt illegally."
Shen Li asked cautiously, "Have you investigated clearly that the group of people are really private salt dealers?"
Before the runner could reply, Zhu Wanjian became anxious.
"County Magistrate Shen, are you still hesitant? There are only a few salt merchants in Anlu. They were the ones who jointly raised the price. Don't I know whether they are selling official salt?"
Shen Li nodded and waved his hand: "Come here, gather the three shifts of yamen runners... and bring the people from the patrol inspection office, and follow me to capture the salt smugglers. If they resist... kill them without mercy!"
Seeing this scene, Zhu Wanjian showed a smug smile on his face.
…
…
Night falls.
The door of Zhu's rice shop in the city was closed early.
Zhu Niang took Zhong Shu, Yu San and Gou Zi to buy salt. Aunt Li was cooking with her daughter. Zhu Hao was sitting at the desk in the east wing of the central courtyard, writing and drawing on a piece of paper under the oil lamp.
"Brother Hao, do you think it will be smooth sailing for Madam to go and buy salt?"
Aunt Li was a little uneasy that day, because Zhu Hao had grown a lot recently, so she asked him in a dependent tone when she had free time.
Zhu Hao put down the brush in his hand and said with a smile: "Of course... it won't go smoothly. If my guess is correct, the Zhu family will bring the officials to arrest my mother and the salt seller in one fell swoop."
"ah?"
Aunt Li was shocked when she heard what Zhu Hao said: "Then why don't you call your wife back quickly, young master?"
Zhu Hao said, "Don't worry. My mother and I have already found out that the man who sells salt to us is a very important person. He is the brother-in-law of Huang Zan, the newly appointed Left Governor of Huguang... Huang Zan was just transferred Will he let his brother-in-law die here?"
Aunt Li was completely stunned.
She was not present when Zhu Niang came back from the Zhu Mansion to discuss countermeasures with Zhu Hao, but even if she participated, she would not be able to understand the complicated official affairs.
Zhu Ting came over, widened her eyes and asked cutely, "Brother, what is a governor?"
Zhu Hao smiled and touched his sister's head. "The governor is the highest official in Huguang. He is much more powerful than the county magistrate. Above the county magistrate is the prefect, and above some prefects are the prefects. Above the prefects are the councilors and councillors of the Provincial Administration Commission. At the top is the governor, who is also called the governor..."
Aunt Li was skeptical: "Does that mean Madam is fine?"
Zhu Hao put away his smile and sighed, "It's too early to say that there is nothing wrong, but generally speaking, risks and opportunities coexist. If everything goes well, our salt supply channel should be guaranteed."
…
…
It was a dark and windy day.
It's pitch dark.
Zhu Niang, with a dozen people, was waiting outside the woods fifteen miles southeast of Changshou City to meet up with the salt seller.
As Zhu Hao said, the rice shop this time also imported official salt, and the other party was the brother-in-law of the newly appointed Left Governor of Huguang, Huang Zan. Huang Zan was famous in history for resisting the rebellion of Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao. In the first month of the ninth year of Zhengde, he was demoted from the Right Governor of Jiangxi to the Left Governor of Huguang.
Being an official requires money to manage turnover, and one must have white gloves around him, such as the Mi family of Xuzhou to Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period, and Hu Xueyan to Zuo Zongtang in the late Qing Dynasty. Huang Zan's money bag was his brother-in-law, and his brother-in-law's business channels would be laid out wherever he served as an official.
The business in the world that requires least worry about losses is selling official salt, so soon after Huang Zan took office, he arranged for his brother-in-law to distribute the goods in various prefectures in Huguang.
As he had just arrived, Huang Zan needed to maintain his official reputation, and he repeatedly reminded his brother-in-law to keep a low profile when selling salt, so as not to attract the censors and become a target of gossip.
"coming."
Yu San suddenly pointed to the light of torches in the distance and said anxiously.
Zhu Niang immediately led people to meet them.
The convoy on the opposite side was very large, with more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages carrying official salt.
A man in his thirties, dressed in a clerk's uniform, came first. He complained before he even met Zhu Niang: "We only buy 20 liters of salt each time, and we have to send it here by water. Who will pay for the wear and tear of the axles?"
At first glance, he is a businessman who is very calculating and penny-pinching.
Zhu Niang hurried forward and saluted.
"I have met Lord Su."
Previously, through a middleman, Zhu Niang knew that the other party's surname was Su Xigui and that he controlled a huge business group, so she respectfully called him Master Su.
Su Xigui took the torch and shone it around, then asked in surprise, "It's actually a woman? Rare, rare... Can you bring some money?"
Zhu Niang said, "They are all in the carriage at the back. Please ask Master Su to check them out."
Su Xigui waved his hand and said, "Just weigh it. But let's make it clear first. Copper coins will be depreciated at 98%, and silver will be depreciated at 96%. Is that okay?"
Not only did he want to ask for the freight for abandoning the ship and taking the horse-drawn carriage, but he also wanted to deduct some of the discount.
"These are all rules. Just follow what Master Su said."
Zhu Niang agreed readily.
In this era, transactions were very complicated just by counting the payment for goods. After all, whether it was copper coins or silver, the impurities contained in them were different. Whether it was collecting money at a money shop or making payments for business, they all needed to be weighed. And silver could not be weighed with an ordinary scale, but had to be weighed with a special balance.
After going through a series of procedures, it was night time and the handover alone took nearly half an hour.
…
…
“Delivery, delivery!”
At this time, Zhu Wanjian, Shen Li and others were on a hill not far away, staring at everything happening outside the woods in the light of torches.
Shen Li solemnly asked the county magistrate beside him: "Looking at this situation, there shouldn't be anything wrong, right?"
The county magistrate was an old veteran who was born and raised in Changshou County. He nodded when he heard this and said, "It's almost certain. Official salt rarely trades like this."
Shen Li gritted his teeth and said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and gather your men to attack them. Surround them from all sides. Don't let the thieves escape. There will be a huge reward for capturing them!"
The yamen runners and soldiers quickly mobilized and approached the woods.
Su Xigui had had the silver and money weighed and was about to have the salt bags carried to the carriage brought by Zhu Niang after properly disposing of them when he suddenly felt an unusual atmosphere around him.
"Master, we are surrounded by government officials! "
Su Su Xigui's men hurried over to report.
Su Xigui was confused.
official?
What official?
Am I not a representative of the officials?
Is there anyone in Huguang area who holds a higher official position than my brother-in-law?
Then shouts and screams were heard not far away.
"Those who surrender will not be killed, but those who resist will be killed without mercy!"
Seeing the men looking at each other in bewilderment, Su Xigui raised his eyebrows and asked, "Could it be that some bandits are impersonating officials to commit crimes?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves was heard, and the Inspection Office sent more than ten riders to charge forward. Yamen runners and soldiers followed suit and captured both parties who were in the transaction.
