Emperor of the Red Chamber

Chapter 145 Punishing Evil
In this era, there was a type of shop called a ready-made clothing shop, which was a shop that sewed custom-made clothes, that is, a tailor shop.

Many years ago, Yan Xin opened a Xin Yunchang garment store in the outer city of Shenjing, and later opened one each in the inner city and the suburbs of Beijing, which means that "Xin Yunchang" became the name of three chain garment stores.

Marquis Dingcheng is one of the founding marquises of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Today, the inheritor and head of the Marquis Dingcheng Mansion is Xie Jing. Xie Jing's title is second-class male, and he serves as a guerrilla in the Beijing Camp.

Yan Xin, the boss of "Xin Yunchang", is the chief steward of Dingcheng Marquis' Mansion and also a house servant, equivalent to Lai Dazhi in the Rongguo Mansion in the past.

Yan Xin was as greedy as Lai Da. Over the years, he not only embezzled a lot of money in Dingcheng Marquis Mansion, but also relied on Dingcheng Marquis Mansion to purchase shops, real estate, and land outside to do business for profit. His biggest business was "Xin Yunchang".

Ding Shoujin was a shopkeeper under Yan Xin, managing the Xin Yunchang Garment Shop in the outer city. This was the first garment shop opened by Yan Xin and also the largest one.

Ding Shoujin is 49 years old this year, and will soon be 50. He is an experienced shopkeeper with business talent, but he is insidious, cunning and lustful.

More than 20 days ago, He Qi went to Xinyunchang Clothing Shop in the outer city to look for a job and was hired by Ding Shoujin as a needleworker. Ding Shoujin was attracted by her beauty and her status and wanted to violate the widow of such an official who was a Jinshi.

He Qi was really poor, so she asked Ding Shoujin to borrow two taels of silver to live on, saying it was an advance on her salary. Ding Shoujin thought it was an opportunity, and said he felt sorry for the mother and daughter, so he wanted to borrow ten taels. He Qi refused to accept it, but Ding Shoujin insisted on borrowing ten taels, and refused to lend two taels, so He Qi accepted it.

Today, Ding Shoujin asked He Qi to pay off the debt with her body. When He Qi refused, Ding Shoujin used force. He Qi escaped. Ding Shoujin even brought his men to her rented place and asked her to pay back 20 taels of silver, saying that the extra 10 taels were interest. Ding Shoujin's purpose was to force He Qi to obey him.

Ding Shoujin had done similar things several times before, and only failed once. Ding Shoujin thought he would succeed this time, but he did not expect He Qi to be so stubborn, and Ni Er suddenly showed up.

This afternoon, under the intimidation of Ni Er, Ding Shoujin and his three men left in embarrassment.

After leaving, Ding Shoujin found a rather famous ruffian and wanted to pay him to help him deal with Ni Er. However, the ruffian refused because the Drunken King Ni Er was not someone to be trifled with.

This rascal told Ding Shoujin about Ni Er's family background, and Ding Shoujin couldn't help but feel a little timid.

Ding Shoujin's backer is Yan Xin, and Yan Xin's backer is Dingcheng Marquis Mansion. However, Dingcheng Marquis Mansion is no longer as powerful as before. The head of the family has a title of second-class male, which is a second-grade title, and his official position is a third-grade guerrilla, and his power is far inferior to that of Rongguo Mansion.

What's more, Ding Shoujin didn't dare to seek protection from the Dingcheng Marquis Mansion for such a shameful thing.

Ni Er is the descendant of a founding military hero. His elder brother Ni Da is a guerrilla under the command of the Nine-Gates Admiral, and he himself is also quite famous in the circle of hooligans in Shenjing.

Ding Shoujin didn't dare to deal with Ni Er, but he would not let He Qi go. In his opinion, Ni Er would not always protect He Qi. He also wanted to violate He Qi, and even if he failed, he would make He Qi pay him back twenty taels of silver, so that he could make a profit.

So that night, Ding Shoujin brought his men to the place where He Qi rented, thinking that it was already night and Ni Er must be in the inner city, making it convenient to coerce He Qi.

Ding Shoujin was surprised to find that He Qi had actually moved away, and his neighbors told him that among the passers-by watching today was the nobleman Jia Zhu, and that He Qi had moved to Rongguo Mansion.

This sudden news scared Ding Shoujin greatly. How could such a thing happen?
Ding Shoujin still didn't know that Emperor Tianlong was among the onlookers today, otherwise he would have been even more frightened.

That night, Ding Shoujin did not sleep well. He tossed and turned on the bed, unable to fall asleep, thinking that if Rongguo Mansion helped He Qi to avenge him, he would be in big trouble. After thinking about it, he was in a state of confusion and could only hope that Rongguo Mansion would not come to avenge him.

He didn't dare to harass He Qi again. He was worried about being retaliated against, and he also felt sorry for the ten taels of silver he had lent to He Qi.

……

……

It is the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve.

In the morning, the sky was filled with winter rain.
The winter rain fell continuously without stopping, and the chill penetrated the skin. The great capital was shrouded in the cold rain. In the haziness, the winter was even more intense and harsh.

Ding Shoujin, who did not sleep well last night, stayed in the duty room in the backyard of Xinyunchang Garment Shop in the outer city. He lay on a rattan chair, listening to the cold rain outside the window. He felt cold in his heart, and was mixed with worry and sleepiness.

Although the shopkeeper was worried and sleepy, the women in the shop were extremely busy. The workload was heavy at the end of the year. While they were busy, they couldn't help but whisper and talk about Ding Shoujin and He Qi.

Some people ridiculed Ding Shoujin for his failure to succeed in his plan, some worried that Ding Shoujin would also violate their own interests, some envied He Qi for meeting a noble and living in Rongguo Mansion, and some worried that Rongguo Mansion would retaliate and affect their work...

Suddenly, a group of officials and runners from the Shuntian government office came to the outside of the Xinyunchang clothing store in the cold winter rain.

"There are a lot of soldiers outside!"

"He must be here to arrest Shopkeeper Ding!"

"Will the shop be closed down?"

"Oh no, we're not going to lose our salary this month, are we?"

"We have worked extra hard this month. What will we do if we lose our salary?" "..."

The female workers began to panic.

Before the officers and soldiers entered the house, a servant had already rushed to the backyard to report the news to Ding Shoujin.

"Oh no, boss, there are soldiers coming outside..."

The waiter pushed open the door in a hurry and shouted.

Ding Shoujin, who was dozing off, was awakened. Without knowing what happened, he looked at the waiter and asked, "What's the panic?"

The waiter replied quickly: "There are many soldiers outside."

Ding Shoujin was shocked and stunned for a while before he stood up from the rattan chair. His face was pale and he was worried. He wanted to go to the front bunk to check. As soon as he walked out of the duty room, he saw a group of officials and yamen runners rushing into the backyard. The leading official was wearing a second-rank golden pheasant official uniform. He was Song Jiahan, the Minister of Works and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture.

Ding Shoujin was filled with fear and stepped forward to bow to Song Jiahan: "I'm here to pay my respects... to Lord Song!" He had met Song Jiahan more than once and was deeply impressed.

Song Jiahan had no impression of Ding Shoujin. He stared at him with a sharp gaze and asked in a stern voice, "Who are you?"

Ding Shoujin's voice was trembling: "I am Ding Shoujin, the shopkeeper."

Song Jiahan's face was as gloomy as water, and he spoke with dignity, rebuking: "Ding Shoujin, you want to violate the widow of the late magistrate Zhai Xiucheng. You have evil intentions, arrogant behavior, and are bold and reckless. This department has been ordered to come and bring you to justice!"

Since Song Jiahan’s main official position was the Minister of Works, he generally referred to himself as “the Minister of this Ministry”. If his main position was the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture, he would generally refer to himself as “the Governor of this Prefecture”.

Ding Shoujin was horrified when he heard this, not only because he was going to be arrested, but also because of the two soul-stirring words "by order" in the other party's words.

By...by order?
How does it involve the emperor?
Could it be that the Rongguo Mansion reported this "small matter" to Emperor Tianlong in order to avenge me? Could it be that the emperor personally ordered me to be arrested? In this case, wouldn't I, Ding Shoujin, become a criminal of the emperor? I am just a shopkeeper, is it worth punishing me in such a big way?

Seeing Ding Shoujin acting stupid, Song Jiahan ordered sternly, "Come here, take him down!"

Several yamen runners rushed forward and tied up Ding Shoujin with ropes.

Ding Shoujin didn't dare to shout or resist, he just asked Song Jiahan tremblingly: "Sir, did...did the emperor order me to be arrested?"

Song Jiahan glared at him: "That's right."

Ding Shoujin was so frightened that he couldn't even speak.

Then, Song Jiahan ordered all the shop assistants to be arrested, but the female workers were not arrested. Because today he was ordered to arrest Ding Shoujin and the shop assistants, and because in this era, once a woman was imprisoned, her reputation would be damaged and even her marriage would be affected. Song Jiahan also felt sorry for the female workers in the garment shop, who were all poor working girls from the bottom of society.

……

……

On the day Ding Shoujin was arrested, under the order of Yuan Qingbai, two groups of people left Beijing, one group went to Dingxing County, Baoding Prefecture, and the other group went to Shanxi.

Dingxing County of Baoding Prefecture is next to Shuntian Prefecture and not far from the capital. The troops on their way to this county made a detailed investigation in the county and confirmed that what He Qi said was true. Her husband Zhai Xiucheng had been the magistrate of Dingxing County for three years and was indeed a diligent and people-loving magistrate who was truly valuable.

Zhai Xiucheng's hometown is in Shanxi. Another group of people came to his hometown and captured his brother Zhai Xiuye ​​and brought him to Beijing.

Ding Shoujin, Zhai Xiuye ​​and others were all interrogated by Song Jiahan in the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen.

Song Jiahan was not only honest and upright, and dared to speak out, but also loyal to the new emperor Yuan Qingbai. Naturally, he would not slack off in this case. He not only confirmed the crimes of Ding Shoujin and Zhai Xiuye ​​in this case, but also interrogated them for other crimes. Especially Ding Shoujin, he had framed and violated women several times.

Because Yuan Qingbai instructed severe punishment, Ding Shoujin was eventually sentenced to death and Zhai Xiuye ​​had to spend several years in prison. The property of both was confiscated, and part of it was given to He Qi and Zhai Xiaoqing, mother and daughter.

In addition, Ding Shoujin's crime involved Yan Xin, the chief steward of Dingcheng Marquis's mansion. Yan Xin was also arrested and sentenced to several years in prison after the trial. Xie Jing, the inheritor of the title and the head of the Dingcheng Marquis's mansion, submitted a letter of apology to Yuan Qingbai, but Yuan Qingbai did not punish him.

Like the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the nobles, especially the founding nobles, were also the trusted forces of the royal family. During the reign of Emperor Chengtai, he was very cautious in disciplining the nobles, and because he disciplined many nobles, it also caused him a lot of trouble.

Many nobles have become corrupt, and Yuan Qingbai will certainly rectify them, but now that he has just ascended the throne and it has not been a year, it is not convenient to rectify the nobles at this time. Previously, he rectified Ningguo Mansion and Jia Zhen, because the Jia Mansion had a close relationship with him, which made it convenient.

Discipline of the nobles can be considered as a part of official administration.

In Yuan Qingbai's view, for him as the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, reform is very important, and official administration is also very important, and both tasks are arduous and long to go!
(End of this chapter)