Chapter 130

“Young master, young master! Liu Wu sent a message saying that none of the people sent out to do business this time came back. I went to inquire and heard that they were all detained by Zhang Fangyuan!”

Qin Zhong, who was waiting for the news, heard the sound of the thin porcelain teacup being crushed. He felt uneasy in his heart after waiting for the news for a long time, but he didn’t expect that nothing had happened.

He stood up and grabbed the collar of the servant who came to report: “You said you were detained by Zhang Fangyuan? Is he all right?”

“It’s just that the coachman who drove the horse was injured a little bit, and he went in and out of the Shencaotang just fine!”

Qin Zhong’s chest was stuffy and he didn’t know which link had gone wrong so that the matter could not be completed.

“Hurry up, let the coachman harness the horse, I have to see the county magistrate.”

The people sent out this time will definitely confess to him when they are interrogated. In fact, it was an emergency that sent people to do things in a hurry. The handle fell into his hands.

At that time, the witness and material evidence will inevitably be handed over to the government, and no matter what, he has to ask the county magistrate to protect him first.

Hurrying to the county government office, Qin Zhong didn’t even dare to enter through the main entrance, but knocked on the side door.

It took a long time for the side door to be opened, and the servant who came over took a look at Qin Zhong, seeing that he was in a hurry and didn’t seem to have any good news, so he stopped the door and said, “Master Qin is here.”

“I have something urgent to see my lord, please let me in.”

“Your Excellency is busy with important matters. I’m afraid you won’t be able to see Young Master Qin for free. You’d better come back another day.”

After saying that, the servant was about to close the door, Qin Zhong quickly blocked the door: “I have to see you today, please pass it on.”

“Master Qin, no matter how urgent you are, the master will not see guests today, so please don’t embarrass me.”

After finishing speaking, the servant gave a wink, and several people came up and invited Qin Zhong out. Seeing the door slam shut, Qin Zhong wanted to go up and knock again, but when he reached the door, he withdrew his hand again.

“Master, what does this mean?”

Qin Zhong couldn’t see anyone, and felt uneasy again, he gritted his teeth and turned around to go back. Just as he was thinking of countermeasures, the carriage was stopped suddenly.

“what happened?!”

Qin Zhongxin was furious, and he raised the curtain impatiently, looking at the people outside but he lost his arrogance.

“I was about to go to the mansion to look for Young Master Qin, but now I’m coming towards you, which saves us another trip.”

Qin Zhong looked at the yamen servant: “What do you mean?”

“Young Master Qin, don’t you know what you did? Boss Zhang just entered the county government office and brought someone to sue you for attempted murder.” The servant said: “Come on, please, there is no time to delay, you I also know that Lord Yanzheng is here.”

Qin’s heart was thoroughly chilled.

All the people in the hall came here, Huang Guan himself had just received a lawsuit, and now he had to interrogate Qin Zhong in the hall, his face was even more ugly.

“Defendant Qin Zhong, Zhang Fangyuan failed to sue you, can you admit it?”

Qin Zhong didn’t say anything, he just looked down at Huang Guan.

Huang Guan didn’t know what Qin Zhong meant, he only complained that this kid was too confused about the occasion, Yan Zheng was sitting at the side, he didn’t dare to show his air.

He slapped the gavel: “The plaintiff has submitted personal and physical evidence. If you have nothing to refute, then you have accepted the murder!”

Seeing that Huang Guan would not speak up for himself, Qin Zhong hurriedly argued: “My lord, there is no reason, why should I take the risk of harming Zhang Fangyuan?”

“Of course you have your reasons. This time, Yanyin Zhang’s family competed, but the news has not been announced. You want to turn things around. It’s not for no reason, but for a good reason.”

Yu Mingda, who had been silent all this time, scolded angrily.

“Since the adults haven’t made it public, what about the villains…” Before Qin Zhong could finish speaking, he felt a fierce look across his forehead.

Qin Zhong saw Huang Guan’s expression, and held back the words that came to his lips.

“It really is the Zhang family who obtained Yanyin?”

“This matter can be false, just now what the Yanzheng said, you are deaf and can’t hear it?”

The merchants who were watching the case outside were disappointed when they learned the result of the salt merchant selection, but some people showed some unnatural expressions.

“It’s really a mistake to blame the Qin family and the county magistrate.”

“I didn’t wrong him, since we didn’t get the salt, why did we have to give so much silver to Huang Guan, the salt government didn’t accept the gift, but he made a lot of money, and he didn’t rob the merchants in the city these years. ”

The merchant also felt quite reasonable, and felt a little more at ease.

“Forget it, this is the end of the matter, everyone might as well gather up and congratulate Zhang Fangyuan.”

“What you said is true. In the future, the merchants in Siyang will be the only ones who follow the Zhang family’s guidance.”

The lawsuit was simple, with the Yanzheng in charge, the county magistrate did not dare to be partial, Zhang Fangyuan brought up the witnesses and material evidence, it was useless for Qin Zhong and his family to argue, and there was no room for delay in the case.

Yu Mingda felt that the nature of the case was very bad. In order to serve as an example to others, he ordered a heavy sentence and was imprisoned in a prison.

After the incident ended, the merchants in the city were quite afraid of the Zhang family, but they also wanted to cling to the Zhang family, so they waited for the Zhang family to have a banquet to celebrate, but they never entertained guests until the Yan government officially announced that the Zhang family had obtained the qualification for salt introduction. People in the city murmured, Could it be that the Zhang family looked down on the merchants in the city after winning the salt and attracting chickens and dogs to heaven, and did not give others a chance to celebrate.

Until the beginning of June, the sun was like a fire.

Scholars who went to Beijing to take the exam returned home, a group of red silk horses drove in from the city gate, and Zhang Ruijin came with a big horse. Only then did everyone know that the Zhang family had two Jinshi on the list, and after the palace exam, he was appointed by the emperor to be a co-prefect.

Now I am returning to my hometown to thank my teacher, and I will go to take office next year.

Every household in the city can be said to be jealous, and now the Zhang family is no longer an ordinary merchant, with officials in the family and backed by the imperial court.

Only then did Zhang Fangyuan set up a large banquet table for three days and three nights, all Siyang merchants, celebrities, officials and officials all came to congratulate, and the feast was very lively, almost all night long.

After the banquet was over, Zhang Fangyuan was free to invite his close friends to a table for a comfortable dinner.

Yu Mingda never left Siyang, so he had waited for this banquet.

“The prefectures of Tibet are a rich place. Although it is not as good as the top three in the first class, you can stay in the capital and be assigned to the Hanlin, but your rank is not low. It is a good thing to be sent to the rich prefecture to practice. It will not be better than coming out of the Hanlin. low.”

Luo Yan was also happy, did not drink less, and praised Zhang Ruijin a lot during the banquet.

Yu Mingda smiled even more when he saw the talented Xinke Jinshi, and said that Luo Yan had a good eye, if he hadn’t acted early, he would have betrothed his daughter.

“You are young, Beijing may not be suitable for you to stay now, and it will not be too late to enter Beijing when you have a solid foundation in the future.”

Yu Mingda patted Zhang Ruijin’s hand: “Come on, have a drink with us two old guys.”

Ruijin raised his wine glass and respectfully accompanied him.

Seeing that the two elders really liked Ruijin from the bottom of their hearts, Zhang Fang also toasted two glasses.

Yu Mingda drank his head, then went to hold Zhang Fangyuan’s hand and said: “You teach your children well, very good.”

“The villain Huang Guan dared to make money in secret behind the old man’s back. The old man has already reported this matter, and he will have another place to go in a short time. At that time, he will use all the money he collected with salt.” Spit it out.”

Zhang Fangyuan was quite surprised that this matter was stabbed into Yu Mingda’s hands. I don’t know whether he was investigating secretly or someone reported it.

But this is good news no matter what, Zhang Fangyuan toasted another glass of wine: “Master Yu understands righteousness!”

Yu Mingdalang laughed.

A banquet did not dissipate until late.

The Zhang family was full of guests, but the Qin family was busy running around to get Qin Zhong, and there was no time to spare.

“My lord, for the sake of many years of love, you can’t just watch Zhonger be exiled! Xiangshui is just such a big brother.”

“You still have the face to beg me?”

Seeing Qin Qi’s earnest pleading, Huang Guan was extremely annoyed. If he hadn’t informed the Qin family to make preparations, how could he be so unlucky to be caught by the Yanzheng.

It’s all about being greedy together, the people below him get more than the one above him, and no one would swallow his anger.

Huang Guan opened his mouth and scolded: “Not enough successes, more than failures. It’s in vain that I put my hopes on you father and son, and such a thing happened. How do you want me to do it? I don’t know how to ask for it.” Who is going!”

“Where did you say that?”

Huang Guan suppressed the anger in his heart, seeing that Qin Qi still didn’t know about it, it seemed that he didn’t know that he was also a mud bodhisattva crossing the river and he couldn’t protect himself.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, changed his mind, and suddenly let out a soft breath: “I know you are such a son, and I have been watching over these years, and now that the Zhang family is so powerful, I am afraid that no one can hold it back. gone.”

Seeing this, Qin Qi hurriedly said: “I don’t even have the mind to fight the Zhang family, but thank God for Zhong’er’s safety, and please have mercy.”

“Forget it, the old man tried to clear up the relationship with the higher authorities because of Xiangshui’s face, but it’s just to make connections…”

Qin Qi was very kind, and hastily handed over the brocade box he carried with him to Huang Guan: “Please worry about it, my lord!”

Huang Guan looked at the silver ticket in the brocade box and was satisfied: “Don’t worry, I will take care of this matter carefully.”

Qin Qi thought that things turned around because of Huang Guan’s acceptance, so he went back and waited, and when Yu Mingda had left the county town, before there was any news from the county government, he hurried to the door to inquire.

I don’t know if I don’t inquire, but when I went to the county government office, I found out that the owner has changed inside, and the Huangguan family can’t be found at all, they have run away without a trace.

The old servant in the county government office who did not follow took some rewards before saying: “Master Qin, don’t you know? Huangzhi County was reprimanded by the court, and it is no longer our county magistrate in Siyang.”

Qin Qi was shocked: “Where did Huangzhi County go?”

“I went to a poor village in the South of the Five Ridges to be a county magistrate. I was so shameless during the day that I left the city at night.”

The old servant who swept the floor shook his head: “I was afraid that I offended the big merchants in the city, so I left quietly. Now that I have no power, how can I not run away secretly.”

After hearing these words, Qin Qi knew that someone had gone to the building, so he didn’t catch his breath and passed out.

“It is said that all the money collected by Huang Guan with salt was returned to the merchants, but the Qin family committed a crime and the money was confiscated. Huang Guan tricked Qin Qi into running away with half of the family’s wealth. Qin Qi is a man He lost his money after not getting it out, and was so angry that he was bedridden.”

When Xinzhi County took office, he first cleaned up the prisoners in the prison. On the day of Qin Zhong’s exile, Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He went to watch the fun, and they couldn’t help talking about these dirty things.

“The Qin family and Huang Guan have been a nest of snakes and rats for so many years, and it’s retribution to make such a mess in the end, but I still have one thing that I don’t understand. How did Master Yu find out about Huang Guan’s corruption.”

Zhang Fangyuan said: “I only found out later that Yanzheng made a decision after meeting with the merchants. On that day, Huang Guan called Qin Zhong to have a secret talk.”

“The merchants who were watching the movement thought that Huang Guan had lured the salt to the Qin family, and the merchants who took money to beg Huang Guan to speak well in front of the salt government were not happy. They felt that Huang Guan had long been interested in the Qin family, but deliberately lied to them. money, so he passed the matter of Huang Guan’s confiscation of money to Mr. Yu.”

Zhang Fangyuan sighed with a smile: “It’s self-defeating.”

Xu He looked at the Qin family who came to send them into exile and wept, which was also an explanation to the people who had been oppressed all these years. The exile team went away one by one, and the buzz of people slowly went away, and the two did not follow the team.

Zhang Fangyuan gently pulled Xu He in, and he picked up Xu He’s hands: “The matter is over, after the autumn harvest, I will go to the salt field to get salt and put it on the shop, and I will be busy at that time. There is still some free time, let’s go back to our hometown.”

Xu He held Zhang Fangyuan back: “Okay.”