Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

"Okay, let's do it the same way as before. First, check all the granaries inside and outside the capital. I want to see where all the grain has gone over the years! Also check the shadow secret fan." Jia Cong sneered.

"Yes." Zhuang Qing and Wang Fei responded quickly.

Not long after, Yang Qingsheng came back and presented a fan case.

Jia Cong took it and looked at it. He saw that this golden silk fan cover, as yellow as rice, was very delicate. One side was embroidered with the words "Receive in the South and Collect in the North", and the other side was embroidered with the words "Load in the East and Unload in the West".

He took out the fan and unfolded it, and saw that there were many strange and bizarre symbols painted on the fan. Under each symbol was a two-character code, such as Tongzhou, Heizi, Lao Hu, Wang Ma, Xiaolou, Luo Gou, etc., which corresponded to the secret symbols one by one. There were a total of one hundred secret symbols and one hundred codes on both sides, representing one hundred military food brokers.

On the edge of the fan, there are also seals of the Governor's Office of the Grand Canal, the Ministry of Revenue's Warehouse Office, the Yunnan Qingli Division, the Ministry of Granaries, the Ministry of Grain Administration and other government seals, which make it almost impossible to forge them.

Jia Cong looked at it carefully and asked, "Where did you get this fan?"

Yang Qingsheng understood what he meant and said, "Your Excellency, these 100 secret symbols and codes were all thought up by our military grain brokers, and then reported to the grain office. They were made by the government-designated 'Juchenggong' workshop and then distributed to me."

"You mean, besides you, only the people in the Grain Hall have the ability to copy this fan?" Jia Cong said.

"My Lord, I have no ability to forge this fan, even if I remember all the secret codes. This fan is very delicate, and the fan blade and ribs must be made with special techniques. Only the Juchenggong workshop in the city can make it.

If I ask them to make another one, I'm afraid they will be reported to the authorities and arrested immediately. Making a secret talisman fan privately is equivalent to disrupting the grain transport, which is a serious crime that can lead to confiscation of property and death. The Juchenggong workshop doesn't dare to take on this job." Yang Qingsheng hurriedly distanced himself.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That makes sense."

Yang Qingsheng said, "Your Excellency, the secret talisman fan is the lifeblood of our military ration brokers. We would rather lose our heads than lose it. If we can make it at will, wouldn't it be a mess?"

Snap! Jia Cong closed the secret talisman fan and returned it to him, saying, "Go, you are not allowed to leave the capital these days, be ready to be summoned at any time, and do not let out any news, otherwise..."

"Yes, yes, I obey your command and will not talk nonsense. If there is anything you need me to do for you, just tell me." Yang Qingsheng nodded and bowed.

"I'll come to you if I need you." Zhuang Qing glanced at him.

"Yes, yes. I'll be at your service anytime." Yang Qingsheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and watched everyone go downstairs.

When Jia Cong returned home, he first discussed the grain tax fraud with Pang Chao, and also mentioned the speculation about the shadow secret fan.

Pang Chao pondered and said, "Grain tax fraud has always existed, it's just a matter of severity. If the Shadow Secret Fan is involved, I'm afraid the water is too deep. It is completely different from the ordinary theft, substitution, and embezzlement of public grain. We must be careful."

Jia Cong said: "What you said is right, sir. Gu Cong did not make a big fuss because he was afraid of alerting the enemy."

"Well, Your Majesty is worried that this matter still needs to be investigated indirectly and slowly, and we must not be impatient."

"Sir, I think the same thing. By the way, Feng Yuan will be here later to discuss the new land rent standard." Jia Congyin told what he saw and heard in the teahouse.

Pang Chao said with a hint of shame: "I was so careless that I didn't even consider this."

Jia Cong waved his hand and smiled, "Even a wise man can make mistakes. Your Excellency has a lot of things to deal with every day, and there are mountains of documents. How can he take care of everything? It's all because the officials at all levels of government are trying to protect themselves and make mistakes."

Pang Chao sighed, "So the ancients said, governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. It is not enough to just get the big joints right, you must also start from the details, otherwise there will be chaos."

As he was speaking, a personal soldier reported that Feng Yuan was here to visit, and Jia Cong hurriedly ordered someone to invite him in.

"What do you want to hear from you, Your Highness?" Feng Yuan seemed to have gained some weight, and he slowly moved towards them like a wall of flesh.

Jia Cong asked him to sit down and told him the opinions of several scholars in the teahouse about the land tax. He said unhappily, "Brother Zhengfang, I just gave you a general idea that day. How to implement it well is the business of the Military Affairs Council. How can you be so rigid and inflexible?
I mean to say that one mu of land is taxed five cents, but can the same be applied to fertile fields and lean fields? Brother has been in the Ministry of Revenue for a long time, so there is no need for me to say more."

Feng Yuan said: "I was just about to discuss this matter with the prince. That day, the prince was furious and sent troops to investigate. All the ministers felt very guilty. Geng immediately sent the prince's edict to the Ministry of Revenue and all provinces.

When they were asked to carry out the work, they must firstly treat the gentry and common people equally, and secondly, the amount must not exceed five cents per mu.

I didn't know that the lower levels would ignore the law that has been in place for many years and mechanically apply it. This is a far-reaching mistake. I will ask the Ministry of Revenue to carefully draft a proposal and send it to all places for implementation immediately."

Jia Cong said, "My idea is to collect a tax of five cents of silver per mu of top-quality farmland, and as for the land below that, you can do whatever you want, as long as it is fair and reasonable."

Feng Yuan pondered and said, "The ancients divided the land into nine levels of upper, middle and lower grades based on soil color, texture, pores and fertility. The imperial court has always determined the tax amount based on this, and it can still be used today."

Jia Cong asked: "In your opinion, how should the tax amount be set reasonably?"

"Let's decide based on the correspondence between 5, 4, and 3, upper, middle, and lower.

For example, the highest price for the best soils, such as Xitu, Wotu, Weitu, and Yintu, is five cents, and the lowest is four cents.

The middle soils such as dùtu, luotu, jiantu and piaotu are charged from four to three coins according to their grade;
The price of the lower soils such as huotu, hongtu, zhuitu and hutu varies from three to two coins. No one can complain about this. ” Feng Yuan said.

Jia Cong clapped his hands and laughed, "It has to be Brother Zhengfang. You know all the money and taxes in the world."

Feng Yuan smiled bitterly and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I have something special to report today."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

"When the news of the court's plan to increase the regular tax spread, the gentry in the capital were quite indignant. Memorials of appeal, suggestion and criticism came pouring in. Not only court officials, but even students of the Imperial Academy and scholars and teachers from major academies in the capital mostly disapproved of this move, saying that the court was being too harsh," Feng Yuan sighed.

Jia Cong glanced at him and said, "Brother comes from the Ministry of Revenue, so you naturally know how much revenue this method can add to the national treasury. I think it will at least double it, which is 200 million taels a year.

Brother Zhengfang, I don't need to tell you how much can be done with two hundred million taels of silver? Isn't it worth our efforts?

Feng Yuan swallowed his saliva, his eyes gleaming with gold, and said with a smile: "Your Highness is indeed courageous. The price of one penny for one mu of land set by the Duke is really too stingy.

Those local rich people should collect more. But..." He said with a look of embarrassment, "The scholars are already somewhat unstable now. If we forcibly collect... there may be trouble."

Jia Cong said, "Didn't we just lower the tax rate? It depends on the fertility of the land. I think quite a few people should be satisfied. As for those who are stubborn and unyielding... where are the most troubled now?"

Feng Yuan hurriedly said: "Both Zhong and Jiangnan."

Jia Cong sneered, "Don't worry, let's use the old method. First, pacify these two places, and the rest will naturally be pacified by issuing an order. I will take care of the capital, and you can send a capable person to Jiangnan."

Feng Yuan nodded and said, "Who should Jiangnan send?"

Jia Cong thought about it. Niu Jizong and Wang Ziteng were both unable to leave, and Li Meng was going to the south to quell the Tusi rebellion. He said, "Send Liu Fang. He is not from Jiangnan, so he has no worries and can handle things efficiently. By the way, who is the governor of Liangjiang, Chen Zhongjian?" Feng Yuan smiled and said, "He used to be a member of the old party. He is used to changing his mind according to the situation. After the old party was destroyed, he boarded the new party and made a new start."

"How's the business going?"

"He has been in Jiangnan for a long time, is familiar with the area, and is very capable in handling affairs. He has also delivered every cent of the summer tax this year."

"I remember he seemed to be from a Jiangnan gentry family," Jia Cong said.

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "Your Highness, don't worry about him protecting or favoring us. Just issue a strict order and you will see whether he wants to keep his position or keep his family ties with his old friends."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "That's true. I will send an order to the Jinling Guards to keep an eye on them. I want to see who dares to resist the tax! Wasn't there enough people killed last year? Anyway, killing these wealthy people will only applaud."

Feng Yuan clapped his hands and laughed, "No wonder the prince is still known as 'Jia Qingtian' in the streets and alleys of Jiangnan."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "It is all thanks to the elders in Jiangnan for their kindness. I am ashamed to accept it."

After some banter, Jia Cong suddenly asked, "Brother Zhengfang, you are well versed in money and grain matters. I heard that there is another corruption case in the government warehouse in the capital. Do you know anything about it?"

Feng Yuan hurriedly asked, "I have never heard of it. How did Your Majesty know about it?"

Jia Cong said: "It's not important. What's important is whether the grain is still in the warehouse."

Feng Yuan said: "Could it be that the prince has sent someone to check it out?"

Jia Cong said: "We are investigating, but no conclusion has been reached yet."

Feng Yuan sighed, "If you say there are no rats in the government warehouse, even a three-year-old child wouldn't believe it. It just depends on the size of the damage."

Jia Cong frowned and asked, "Doesn't the Ministry of Revenue have strict supervision over the government warehouses?"

Feng Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, you don't know that the Thirteen Warehouses in Beijing and Tong can collect millions of dan of grain every year, not to mention the local grain. It's hard to imagine how deep and wide the implications of such a lucrative position are. How can the Ministry of Revenue be able to control it?
Money can attract people's attention. How many people were killed in the empty warehouse case more than ten years ago? Isn't it repeating the same mistake now? It is very difficult to expect warehouse officials not to be greedy, just like asking a cat to wait for the smell of fish but not eat it. "

"Could it be that the shadow secret fan appeared last time as well?" Jia Cong asked.

"What? Shadow Secret Fan?!" Feng Yuan was shocked. He had worked in the Ministry of Revenue for many years, so he knew this.

"Well, this is the news I just got. In addition to the fan in Tongzhou's hand, there is another shadowy secret fan on the Caoyun Wharf. It appears and disappears mysteriously, and no one knows who has it."

Hiss… Feng Yuan took a deep breath. Even the empty warehouse case back then was not so cruel. They did not even bother to think about the warehouse, but directly took away the entire ship of grain at the dock. He hurriedly said, "Who is so bold? This… This is simply not greed, but robbery."

Jia Cong sneered: "No matter who it is, I will make him spit out what he ate."

Feng Yuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Zilong, this matter is of great importance and should not be taken lightly. If we are not careful, it may shake the government."

Pang Chao also nodded and said, "What Feng Zhongtang said is very true. The current situation has not been easy to come by, and we should not lose the big picture for the sake of small gains."

Jia Cong frowned and asked, "Are we just going to let such a huge corrupt official go unpunished?"

Feng Yuan sighed: "Even if you want to investigate, just stop at the point. There is an old saying in the industry: those who work in the grain hall eat the money, and the warehouse commander eats the warehouse.

The matter involves grain and government warehouses, so it's a big deal. I think we should ignore the matter of the shadow secret fan and just check the warehouses in the capital.

As long as we kill a bunch of people to serve as a warning to others, I think the Shadow Talisman Fan will be quiet for a few years. In this way, the court can be stable and the corruption in the warehouse can be rectified. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"

Pang Chao nodded slowly and said, "This is a mature and wise way of thinking about the country. For now, we should focus on the overall situation and not create any more complications. The prince's grand plan is the most important."

"Your Highness, some things are not good if they are investigated too thoroughly," Feng Yuan said meaningfully.

Jia Cong closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then said, "I have my own ideas. This matter will not be disclosed for the time being."

"Yes." Feng Yuan and Pang Chao looked at each other and smiled bitterly. Jia Cong meant that he would never let go.
-
The capital city of Shenjing under the cover of night seemed to be covered with a mysterious black veil, and shameful things were happening quietly under the veil all the time.

Outside Chongwenmen, a shabby tavern in Xi Que Hutong was doing little business. The owner was counting the accounts under the lamp, the waiter was listlessly dozing on the table, and two men who looked like merchants were drinking with a few side dishes.

"Lao Zhuang, where should we start investigating this case?" One of them whispered. It was Wang Fei. He knew nothing about investigating a case, so he could only follow Zhuang Qing's lead.

Zhuang Qing glanced across the alley and said, "Naturally, we'll start with that thing. I've already sent people to investigate it secretly. To keep it secret, only one person in the workshop made that thing. The others, even though they are masters with decades of experience, have only heard of it and have never even seen it."

This is the first time in recent years that he has personally come out to arrest a wanted criminal.

Wang Fei's eyes lit up and he asked, "Could it be that the small courtyard is that person's home?"

Zhuang Qing smiled and nodded, saying, "As long as we invite him back and follow the clues, we will get something."

"That makes sense." Wang Fei rubbed his hands and said, "This time I can do something great by following your brother."

Zhuang Qing waved his hand and smiled, "I dare not, it's all thanks to the brothers' collective efforts."

Suddenly, I heard wailing from across the street, which sounded very harsh in the quiet night.

"Not good!" Zhuang Qing was startled and looked up suddenly, only to see two young men walking in quickly with frightened looks on their faces.

"Sir, the man is dead and the body has just been sent back." Someone whispered in Zhuang Qing's ear.

"Where did he die?" Zhuang Qing asked in a deep voice.

"In the workshop. It was said that there was an emergency at the beginning of the evening hour. People in the workshop rushed him to the doctor, but he died after receiving ineffective treatment. Only then was the body sent back."

"Find the leader of our group." Zhuang Qing stared at the door with narrowed eyes. It seemed that when the prince and himself and others went to the dock to check today, they were seen by someone with ulterior motives and the clues were cut off directly!
No! Zhuang Qing suddenly remembered something and hurriedly whispered, "Go and see if the owner and manager of Juchenggong have controlled the situation. Quick!"

Although the craftsman is the one who comes into direct contact with the secret talisman fan, if someone orders the workshop to copy this item, the owner and the manager should also be aware of it.

"Yes." The captain knew that the matter was of great importance and rushed out. (End of this chapter)