Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 31 Cang Street Ghost Market
Seven days later, a major earthquake hit the officialdom of Suzhou Prefecture.

Qianlong's imperial edict arrived and dismissed more than a dozen people from their official positions, starting from the inspector level.

Magistrate Zhao was also on the list of people to be dismissed from office, but he was frightened on the outside but calm on the inside.

Going home for retirement a few months in advance will have little impact.

He is the one who is resigning anyway, so let Xian settle down as soon as possible.

The latest major cases are happening one after another.

His broken heart couldn't bear it for a long time, and he couldn't sleep every day.

Humming a little tune, I packed up my belongings, took my three-bedroom Jiangnan concubine, and boarded the ship to leave the place of right and wrong.

The most unlucky thing was actually the Yangcheng Lake inspection, because it happened in his jurisdiction, and the ninth-grade black gauze hat was gone.

……

Some people are unlucky, and some people are lucky.

Zhang Youdao, the magistrate of Yuanhe County, was promoted to the magistrate of Yuanhe County.

Instead of being an acting magistrate, he broke the rules and became a full-time official directly.

From county magistrate to county magistrate, it seems like a small step, but it is actually a big step.

Many people in the official career cannot make it in their lifetime.

Zhang Xiancheng, oh no, Zhang Zhixian was very happy, so naturally he couldn't forget Li Yu who gave him advice.

So a banquet was held in the county government office's back hall, and the two had a long chat.

If he can't become a son-in-law, it's better to win him over to the shogunate.

Zhang Zhixian took the initiative to extend an olive branch and hired Li Yu as his master. He was responsible for all affairs inside and outside the county government.

Although he has no rank, he has real power!
The real No. [-] chief of Yuanhe County.

However, Li Yu politely refused.

The reason is that he has a group of brothers who are pointing at him for food.

You need to be loyal. If you become a master, you will be considered the number one person in the city.

But the church had no choice but to disband, and the brothers went to dig in the soil for food.

"Your Excellency, your Majesty, it would be more beneficial for you not to enter the shogunate."

"how do I say this?"

"If you are not in the yamen, you are not bound by the rules. It is convenient for me to cooperate with the county minister's official and private affairs."

Li Yu's words touched his heart.

"I really have a private matter, and I would like to ask Mr. Li for help."

"Sir, please speak."

……

According to the usual practice, every time the county magistrate is replaced.

Check whether the official warehouse, granary, and bank account are consistent with the account records.

Obviously, Yuanhe County Guancang is in deficit.

Zhang Zhixian did not disclose the size of the deficit, but he hinted euphemistically that there was still a lot of shortfalls and that the higher-ups would send people to verify it later.

As for the fact that he didn't dare to speak out, it was because he was also involved.

As the county magistrate, he cannot escape the responsibility for the deficit caused by the former county magistrate.

Therefore, it is better to find a way to make up for it yourself.

As for where to dig the east wall to make up for the west wall, Li Yu needs help and reference.

Land taxes cannot be moved. The increase will not bring much money, and it can easily trigger civil unrest.

Commercial taxes cannot be touched either, as there are prefects and governors above.

Looking for help from a businessman is one way.

But then you have to get a handle on a certain businessman and ask him to pay the money. If he doesn't pay, he will go to jail.

Being an official in the Qing Dynasty was an art of shedding wool.

The core of this art is how to steal more hair from the sheep without making any noise, without letting the sheep bleed.

Those who do not shed wool are commonly known as honest officials!

Those who pluck the wool too hard, causing the sheep to wail and resist, or even die, are called corrupt officials!
The person who calms down the sheep, pulls the wool in an orderly manner, and finally leaves a ring of hair on the sheep's head is a good official of the Qing Dynasty!
Obviously, Zhang Youdao wants to be a good official, and he also wants to climb higher.

Li Yu said that he would go back and help him think about it.

How could Yuanhe County, which is so prosperous, not be able to make up for the shortfall in the county treasury? No way!
There are 20 people, and one copper coin per person is enough to make a mountain.

Zhang Youdao was very impressed by what he heard and repeated the old tune again:

"If my daughter is still in the boudoir, I will definitely recruit your son to be my master's wife."

This made Li Yu a little wary.

We are just talking about what should the husband do if his daughter dies one day.

So, he decided to find someone to investigate the truth. There was always something in what this old boy said!
None of the officials in the Qing Dynasty were good.

……

Ghost city.

Even before dawn, the area where all kinds of cows, ghosts, gods and snakes set up their stalls, focusing on one illegal thing.

Suzhou Prefecture also has such a magical place, located within the jurisdiction of Yuanhe County.

Cangjie, running north-south, is a section of the city wall next to Suzhou Prefecture.

Because the official warehouse is here, it is named Cang Street.

However, it has nothing to do with wealth. On the contrary, it is considered a slum area in the city.

Those who live around Cangjie must have never been an official or businessman within three generations.Low houses and continuous shacks are the best explanation.

At dawn, black and midwinter.

Many people carry their luggage and sneak here to set up stalls.

Before dawn, this was a place beyond the control of the Qing Dynasty, and any contraband could be traded.

Li Yu brought Lin Huaisheng here with the purpose of buying gunpowder.

Before leaving Suzhou, Fucheng told him how to buy gunpowder on the black market.

This person rarely contacts unfamiliar customers unless he is trading in the ghost market.

According to the characteristics described by Fucheng, there is a statue of Guan Gong on the stall.

Li Yu stopped in front of a stall:
"Uncle Wu, I want a 10-pound one with a ring."

The stall owner, who had his head covered and could not see clearly, smiled:
"Have you brought any money?"

"Of course I have enough."

"Then come with me and be careful where you step."

……

The stall owner is in front, and the two are behind.

We walked into the small alley near Cang Street and turned two more turns.

Lin Huaisheng motioned to Li Yu with his elbow, and there were people watching behind him.

The stall owner called Uncle Wu walked into a shack and passed through another alley.

Dong Dong, he knocked on the door twice.

The door opened, and it was dark inside.

"You two, take the money first."

Lin Huaisheng took out a banknote and put it into Uncle Wu's hand.

"You guys wait here, I'll go in and check if it's OK, then I'll get you gunpowder."

Uncle Wu entered the dark courtyard and disappeared.

After a while, he came out carrying a bag of things.

"You guys gave me 100 taels, that's all it's worth."

Li Yu took it and weighed it, obviously it didn't weigh ten kilograms.

However, in the prohibited business of gunpowder, the seller has always had the final say.

"I'll give it a try when I get back. If it's of good quality, I can eat three to five hundred pounds."

"Hey, if it's less than 50 kilograms, I'll sell it casually with my eyes closed. If it's more than 50 kilograms, I need to know your details."

Uncle Wu is also a thief and a good man.

The two of them carried a bag of gunpowder and walked to Cang Street under his guidance.

When I looked back, the person was gone.

……

"Come on, let's go back and try this gunpowder."

The sky gradually grew brighter and the city gate opened.

There happened to be a small boat that was rowing to deliver vegetables, and the vegetables were unloaded in preparation for the return journey.

He was hired by two people and took a boat back to Tangkou.

There is a moat along the way, first to the south and then to the west, and finally merges into the Grand Canal to reach the destination.

Suzhou's water system extends in all directions and is densely covered with water networks.

It left a deep impression on Li Yu. They all say that the boat in the south is like the horse in the north, and it is true.

The cavalry may not be of much use in a place like this.

On the contrary, the power of a navy army cannot be underestimated.

Theoretically, a gunboat could weigh anchor from Taihu Lake and sail all the way to Tongzhou Bay at the foot of the emperor in the capital, giving the Qing court a bit of an artistic shock.

Li Yu and the sentry waved, and the gate of the wall slowly opened.

"Yes, the gunpowder particles are uniform and full, and there is no moisture."

Wrapped in three layers of oil paper, gunpowder is extremely difficult to preserve in the humid climate of Jiangnan.

Li Yu discovered something.

It is different from the gunpowder used for hunting last time. The difference lies in the particle size.

The gunpowder from the last hunt had few particles and a lot of powder. It was probably the gunpowder stored in the Green Camp Army.

Could this fifth uncle know how to make granular gunpowder himself?
……

"Come on, follow me into the mountains to test the gun."

The upper mountain is only a few hundred meters away from the entrance of the hall.

Except for the Qingming Festival, there are few tourists on weekdays and the atmosphere is very gloomy.

This is the back garden of life for the people of Suzhou.

Li Yu took a flintlock gun, and Lin Huaisheng took a matchlock gun.

The two loaded it with the gunpowder they had just bought and prepared to test the gun.

The lead bullets are melted by oneself, which is the basic quality of a musketeer.

Rustling, leaves shaking.

A big monkey jumped out and stared at the peanuts placed by Lin Huaisheng on the stone.

(End of this chapter)