King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 406 Three Halls Collaborate
In the 11th year of Zhengtong, September [-]th, Yingtian.

In the yamen hall of Yingtian Mansion, Jia Yucun, the prefect, sits at the top. There are also more than [-] officials sitting in the hall, including the yamen subordinate officials and the county magistrates below.

Taking out a memorial, Jia Yucun said with a smile: "Everyone, after spending more than half a year, we have finally lived up to the great trust of the Holy One and completed the clearing of the Yingtian land!"

"Originally, there were more than 450 million acres of cultivated land in the register, but now we have more than [-] million acres. All the details have been listed in the memorial. I invite you all to come and jointly submit the memorial today!"

There is only one person in Jiayu Village. He mainly plays a supervisory role in completing the Qingzhang. The specific errands are completed by the people below.

Now that the memorial is jointly signed, it is natural that the responsibility must be shared, and Jia Yucun is not someone who wants to suffer.

After he picked up the pen and signed, he stood up, walked aside, and handed the pen to his colleague Zhang Fangshi.

The latter did not hesitate, took the pen and wrote quickly, then handed it to the next person.

When everyone was signing the pledge, they only heard Zhang Fangshi say: "Master... Qingzhang Tutang Santang has also received the emperor's order. I think the three hall officials should also sign this memorial!"

Since responsibilities must be shared, it should be implemented to the end. Zhang Fangshi’s words expressed everyone’s aspirations.

"I understand this!" Jia Yucun responded.

Zhang Fangshi asked again: "When will the emperor send this memorial to the Chief Secretary?"

This was obviously because he couldn't trust Jia Yucun and thought he was prevaricating, so he asked him to give a clear explanation.

"Just today!" Jia Yucun frowned.

"Okay... I am willing to go with the Lord of the Palace!"

After hearing this, the other officials present felt much more at ease, but Jia Yucun felt particularly dull.

So he didn't answer anymore, but snorted and went out.

After he left, the county magistrate extended his thumb and praised: "Master Zhang, I really have you!"

"We all act under orders. Even if the sky falls, there should be an expert to hold it up!"

"Okay, please stop saying a few words. The Palace Master also has his difficulties!" Zhang Fangshi sighed.

While everyone was talking, Jia Yucun came to the back of the Yamen, where he lived.

"Master, the Xue family's uncle is here!"

"Uncle Xue family?" Jia Yucun repeated before remembering who it was.

"Where is he?"

"It's just in the outer hall. He said he has something important to do with the master!"

"Ok!"

Jia Yucun came to the outer hall and saw Xue Pan inside, playing with the toys on the shelf.

"Brother Xue Xian's visit really makes the humble house shine!" Jia Yucun welcomed him in.

Now that the Xue family has a princess, Xue Pan has become the prince's uncle. With this relationship alone, Jia Yucun does not dare to neglect her.

"Prefect Jia, you are too polite... I came here this time to ask for your help!" Xue Pan expressed his purpose directly.

After signaling Xue Pan to sit down, a servant had brought tea. Just now, Jia Yucun asked, "What trouble did you encounter, brother Xian?"

"It's not a big deal, it's just that I have a friend who was detained by Shangyuan County for selling smuggled salt a few days ago, so I would like to ask the governor to help him turn things around!"

"Don't worry, Lord Palace, I will never let your help go in vain!"

This time Xue Pan was really entrusted by someone. The 5000 taels of silver notes he took out at this moment were taken from the house of the person who was arrested.

Selling private salt is a big or small thing. If someone else came to ask for it, Jia Yucun might be too proud.

However, in the entire Jinling officialdom now, because Zhu Jinghong had specially greeted him, no one would betray Xue Pan.

Not only can't he sell it, but if he comes to him to prove his innocence, the officials will follow the rules more strictly.

"My dear brother, the state-owned legal family has family rules. As an official of the imperial court...how can I bend the law for personal gain?"

Jia Yucun sighed and said, "Brother Xian, you'd better take back these banknotes!"

Actually hitting a wall again, Xue Pan felt angry and left immediately after collecting the banknotes. This behavior was extremely rude.

The Xue family's business has hit a wall when they want to be exempt from tariffs. The Xue family has taken a liking to a wealthy family's garden and wants to seize it. Now their request to Jia Yucun to release Jia Yucun has hit a wall again...

Thinking of what happened recently, it was even more than before Baochai was elected as the princess. Even the banknotes had lost their intended use, which made Xue Pan feel bad when he thought about it.

Let's talk about Jia Yucun. After sitting at home for a while and feeling calm, he returned to the government office. At this moment, everyone had signed the pledge.

After checking and confirming that it was correct, Jia Yucun just picked up the memorial and went to the Chief Secretary first.

Before leaving, Jia Yucun stopped beside the magistrate of Shangyuan County and asked, "Have you caught a thief selling illegal salt recently?"

"This is true!" Shangyuan County magistrate replied.

"This case must be handled strictly!"

After saying these words, Jia Yucun walked out of the inner hall, and his colleague Zhang Fangshi actually followed him.

First go to the Chief Secretary, then the Inspector General, and finally the Inspector Yamen. Although these three places are not far apart, they are enough to keep Jiayu Village busy for a while.

Let's talk about Xue Pan's return to the house. At this moment, he became more and more angry as he thought about it. Then he couldn't help but throw something, and then he was called by Aunt Xue to scold him.

In front of his mother, Xue Pan did not dare to refute.

But after Aunt Xue finished her training, Xue Pan asked: "Mom...when will we go to Beijing?"

"Going to Beijing? Didn't you say... that you want to take care of family affairs in Jinling?" Aunt Xue said coldly.

That was Xue Pan's previous thought. He felt that relying on the prince's uncle, he could live happily on the ground in Jinling, but reality slapped him hard.

So now he feels that he should go to the capital, where he may be able to leverage his sister's influence, at least it will not be worse than in Jinling.

Seeing that his mother had doubts, Xue Pan said again: "Don't forget, mother, that your son is a very old man. Now it's time to speed up the marriage!"

"Furthermore, there is no result yet regarding the official status of the Ministry of Household Affairs. If my son continues to hang out in Jinling, how can he live up to his ancestors!"

You say this guy is not smart, but he knows how to find these reasons.

Acting with emotion and understanding with reason, Aunt Xue was naturally convinced at this moment.

Whether Xue Pan gets married or obtains an official status, it is a first-class event for her.

"Then you tidy up and arrange everything properly, and then we go to the capital!"

"My son obeys!"

At this moment, Xue Pan, who was seventeen or eighteen, was really like a big boy, laughing and running out.

But when he summoned the clan members for a lecture, it was a different story. At least no one in the Xue family dared to despise him, and no one dared to question his arrangements.

There was a princess in the big house. No matter how misbehaving Xue Pan was at home, everyone could only endure it.

When Xue Pan was arranging people to prepare to go to Beijing, he did not know that because of his intervention, the government strictly conducted a trial of the case.

However, this trial was extraordinary. It actually brought up the old case of Tongwa, causing Jinyiwei Jinling Qianhu to intervene.

The final result was that the young master who participated in family affairs for the first time died in the prison of Qianhu Prison in Jinling.

Originally, because of the Qingzhang incident, Jinling turned into a powder keg. As soon as this incident came out, someone secretly added fuel to the flames. In the end, it turned into the government brutalizing good people, and even triggered a civil uprising in Yingtian Mansion.

On September 25, a large number of civilians who had lost their interests in the Qing Dynasty, as well as tenants instigated by big families, tens of thousands of people, appeared outside Yingtianfu City, demanding a clear explanation from the government.

Fortunately, the government responded promptly and closed the city gates to prevent the mob from breaking into the city.

Amid the outrage, the soldiers from Yingtian's Qianhu Station, as well as the officers from various government offices, were all sent to the city wall.

And Xue Pan, the initiator of this butterfly effect, set foot on the road to Beijing three days ago.

Jinling Du Commandery Department, in the duty room in the inner hall.

"Sir, the Inspector General has sent another official letter, hoping that we can mobilize troops from Zhenjiang Guard and Chuzhou Guard as soon as possible to strengthen Yingtian's defense!"

After hearing the report from his subordinates, the commander-in-chief Wang Quanyi remained unmoved and just said: "Then reply to them... Just say that the deployment of troops is of great importance. The situation is still under control and it is not appropriate to use weapons rashly!" Now that the people were besieging the city, But the situation is still controllable, all the guards need to do is to be more alert.

It was the government's responsibility to appease the people, and Wang Quanyi did not want to get involved in this matter.

If the situation gets out of control or even unnecessary casualties occur because of the additional troops, Wang Quanyi will have to take responsibility under the impeachment of the censor Yanguan.

Therefore, even after the second letter from the Chasi, Wang Quanyi still refused without hesitation.

"Yes!"

After the scribe left, Kong Jinshan, the commander of the general office, said: "Sir, I'm afraid we have to make plans early!"

"If the mob really takes over the city, we won't be able to explain it!"

"Then send an order to Chuzhou Guard and Zhenjiang Guard first, asking them to prepare two thousand sergeants each to be on standby. If there is any situation, they will immediately go to Yingtian!"

Under normal circumstances, even the capital cannot mobilize troops at will, but the current mob siege does not include this, so Wang Quanyi can issue this order.

Then Kong Jinshan said: "Perhaps we can also inform the Xiaoling Guards and let them prepare to defend the city!"

"Yeah!" Wang Quanyi also agreed.

The Xiaoling Guards are not under the jurisdiction of the Jinling Capital, so they cannot issue orders directly, but must cooperate with each other.

"This group of people caused trouble and caused trouble for us!" Wang Quanyi couldn't help but scolded.

Wang Quanyi also knew roughly what happened in Yingtian Mansion in the past six months. He understood that it was the wealthy gentry who were causing trouble and leading the people's hatred towards the government.

…………

At this moment, in the Yinchasi Yamen, the chiefs of the Second Department of Fan Zhen and the officials under the Yamen were all gathered in the inner hall to discuss matters.

"Everyone...it has caused civil unrest right now, which is a big deal!"

"To put it lightly, it means that we have failed to educate them properly, but to put it seriously, they are causing rebellion!" He Gujin's tone was particularly harsh.

"No matter how you say it, you and I have failed the great trust of the Holy One, and we should both take responsibility for this matter!"

Although that is said, He Gujin and Zheng Xianlin must have the heaviest responsibilities, so the officials present were not nervous.

"The people are in the countryside, and if they gather so quickly, there must be someone behind the scenes. What I'm worried about...is that there is a fool between you and me, wearing the same pants as this local gentry!"

"I think you have not forgotten Qian Ruiming's fate last year. It's not too late to stop now!"

Even if someone at the scene colluded with the local gentry, it was impossible to admit it at the moment, so He Gujin only hoped to persuade these people to stop.

"Everyone... you and I are all foreign officials. To be honest, we have nothing to do with the local gentry!"

"Master He is sincere and does not treat you as outsiders. You must think carefully!"

Zheng Xianlin looked around at the crowd and continued: "It's too late to stop now. When the Jinyi Guards investigate closely afterwards, I'm afraid there will be no room for change!"

At this time, a person below said: "Since Mr. Zheng has explained what he said, even this humble official has something to say!"

This person is the Chief Secretary Wang Xin, who is in charge of the land registration of a province and knows everything about Tian Qingzhang.

"Say it!" Zheng Xianlin said calmly.

"Today's incident, on the surface, is due to the illegal salt case and the Japanese case, but in fact it is the instigation of the local gentry with the intention of disrupting the government of Yingtian Qingzhang!"

"So the meaning of the humble position is to capture the thief first... As long as we capture the big families in Yingtian, this disaster may be easily solved!"

“It’s so hard to convince people to arrest someone without any evidence!”

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures... You may want to refer to this proposal for details!"

Listening to the discussion among the people below, both Zheng and He felt angry. These people were obviously just watching the fun, otherwise they would not have made such a reckless request.

Now there is only turmoil on the ground in Yingtian. If these big families in the city are really arrested and exterminated in Shilin, it will be a matter of course. I am afraid that the whole of Jinling will be in chaos.

"What do you think?" Zheng Xianlin looked at He Gujin.

"The matter is clear. The people were deceived and just pointed the finger at the government. As long as the matter is explained clearly, everything can be solved!"

"The people must have lost their interests. How can you explain it clearly? Who can explain it clearly?" Zheng Xianlin said angrily.

While the two of them were talking, the people below also fell silent and listened.

When He Gujin glanced over, these people all turned their heads to the side, fearing that they would be ordered to appease the people.

"Then of course whoever caused the trouble will be left alone!"

"You mean Magistrate Jia?"

"Well... and the magistrate of Shangyuan County!" He Gujin nodded.

"But what if they can't persuade them to stop?" Zheng Xianlin asked.

If Jia Yucun cannot persuade him and continues to persuade him, someone with a higher official position will have to appear.

And everyone present has a higher official position than Jia Yucun.

Several political councilors and deputy envoy Qian Shi looked towards the roof. No one wanted to wade into this muddy water at this time.

"If Jia Yucun can't persuade him, I'll try again!" He Gujin said with a cold face.

"The mob is acting arrogantly. If something goes wrong..."

Before Zheng Xianlin finished speaking, He Gujin said: "In that case, Old Zheng... you better go!"

"This...I can't even do this. Look at my bones..."

Seeing that Zheng Xianlin was telling the truth, He Gujin didn't talk nonsense to him.

"By the way, what's going on now has to be reported to the Holy One. You and I should jointly report it!" He Gujin said in a deep voice.

"It should be like this..." After finishing speaking, Zheng Xianlin added: "Zhao Xun also should have signed it!"

"exactly!"

Everyone got busy. About half an hour later, Jia Yucun received an official letter jointly signed by the three halls, asking him to explain the situation to the people and try to persuade them to return home.

"Hmph... these people are more stupid than the others!"

"Don't they know the origin of this matter? Explain... no matter how clear the case is, will these people go back?"

At this moment, he was not in the government office, but in the Salt Patrol Censor's office not far away. Lin Ruhai heard all his complaints.

Lin Ruhai sighed: "They are very aware of the relationship behind this...that's why they are hiding further away than the other!"

He has never been in good health, and he fainted a few days ago, but he survived this year again.

"Brother Lin, what do you think I should do?"

"Persuad... It's good if you can persuade him to leave. If you can't persuade him to leave, report it to the three halls and let them worry about it!" Lin Ruhai replied.

According to the authority previously given by the emperor, Jia Yucun could find out the mastermind behind the scenes and bring him to justice to serve as a warning to others.

But now that his boss is unable to do anything, he has no choice but to follow orders. Acting recklessly may resolve the crisis, but the risk will increase sharply to the point of overwhelming him. Naturally, Jia Yucun will not take this path.

Lin Ruhai said with a smile: "Brother Jia, now that the matter of clearing the father-in-law has been settled, I'm afraid it's time for you to be promoted!"

Jia Yucun shook his head and said: "Alas...I am grateful to God for being able to survive this disaster safely!"

After putting away the official letter, Jia Yucun stood up and said, "Brother Lin, have a good rest. I'm going to do some work first!"

"I'll send it to you!"

"Stay here, stay here!"

Looking at Jia Yucun's leaving figure, Lin Ruhai sighed, and then said: "The officialdom is getting more and more difficult to treat. Let's resign again this year!"

Lin Ruhai originally thought that fighting against a group of salt merchants would be difficult enough, but it was nothing compared to what Jia Yucun is doing now.

At least he doesn't have to worry about the Shilin Review, or being liquidated after the incident fails.

(End of this chapter)