Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 38

On the second day, Chen Tingjing invited Fu Lun to visit Baotu Spring together, both of them dressed in normal clothes.Several relatives of Dashun, Kong Shangda and Chen Tingjing followed behind.

Fu Lun said: "Master Imperial Envoy, it's really rare for me to be so leisurely without you coming."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said: "People in the officialdom, whether they are idle or not, depends on whether they wear official hats on their heads. If we follow you today and we go out in official uniforms, even if we clear away all the tourists from Baotu Spring, we will still be leisurely." No way!"

Fu Lun continued to nod his head: "Your Imperial Envoy, talk a lot, talk a lot! I have never been free in Shandong, and I have never taken off my official uniform!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "The imperial court needs such a diligent and good official like you!"

Fu Lun was not without emotion: "Before I came to Shandong to take office, I would resign from the emperor. The emperor gave me instructions and taught me earnestly. I dare not forget it at all times!"

Chen Tingjing said: "The governor is so busy, and I take time to accompany you, Chen is really sorry!"

When there was a kiosk, the two sat down.Chen Tingjing said: "Baotu Spring is truly magical."

Fu Lun smiled and said, "Yes, Baotu Spring bursts out with three eyes, gushes endlessly, and the waves are like snow and mist. No matter whether it is winter or summer, it is warm and cold."

Not long after, the servants brought the wine and dishes, and the two began to drink.Chen Tingjing raised his glass and said, "Beautiful scenery and fine wine are the bliss in the world! Your Excellency Governor, I would like to offer you a glass of fine wine from your place!"

Fu Lun laughed loudly: "Don't dare! No matter what, I will respect you! Let's drink together!"

The two clinked glasses and threw them all together.Chen Tingjing said: "You have managed Shandong so well, even if the emperor is here, he will reward you with wine!"

Fu Lun said: "I hope that the imperial envoy will speak well in front of the emperor when he returns to Beijing!"

Chen Tingjing nodded and said: "Tingjing will tell the emperor what he saw and heard."

At this moment, Dashun came over and whispered something to Chen Tingjing, Fu Lun couldn't help feeling a little nervous, but pretended to be fine.Kong Shangda was also a little anxious, looking at Fu Lun.The people he sent last night didn't kill Zhen'er, for fear of showing off, they were very guilty.

Chen Tingjing whispered a few words to Dashun, then turned to Fu Lun and said, "Your Excellency, the woman who assassinated me is finally willing to speak. My subordinates have brought her here."

Fu Lun said angrily: "Such a daring and troublesome person, he can be killed without trial."

Chen Tingjing said: "I think this matter is quite strange. By the way, I forgot to tell the governor that someone wanted to kill this girl last night. Fortunately, my people are good at it, and the bad guys are not able to do it."

Fu Lun looked very surprised: "There is such a thing?"

While talking, Zhen'er was brought over.Chen Tingjing said coldly: "Take it!"

Zhen'er lowered her head and said, "I want to confess to the Imperial Envoy privately."

Chen Tingjing falsely said: "Since you are willing to confess, how many people are afraid to hear?"

Zhen'er also said it as if it was true: "If the adults refuse to obey, the little girl will not say anything. You can kill me now."

Chen Tingjing looked helpless, and said to Fu Lun: "Lord Futai, what do you think we should do? Go back for trial? I really can't bear to part with this boundless beauty."

Da Shun interjected: "Master, there is a small room over there, why don't we take the criminals there for interrogation."

Chen Tingjing cupped his hands and said: "Lord governor, I'm sorry, I will not accompany you. If you don't mind, I will ask Dashun to serve you a drink. Dashun is from my family, so I will be rude here."

Fu Lun was very generous: "Okay, Dashun, please sit down."

Da Shun hurriedly said, "Don't dare, I'll just stand and drink with the Governor."

Chen Tingjing led Zhen'er into the hut, and hurriedly said: "Miss Zhen'er, don't be afraid of anything if you stay here. The people watching outside are all my people. I have something urgent to do, so I went out through the back door."

It turned out that Chen Tingjing had sent Ma Ming to look for Zhang Qian's whereabouts long ago, and now he pretended to be Boss Wang of Hengtaiji to meet Zhu Ren.He left Baotu Spring through the small gate, and there were already fast horses waiting outside.

Liu Jing and Heng Tai Ji's staff had agreed on their terms a long time ago, and they were drinking tea with Zhu Ren at the moment.Seeing that Chen Tingjing hadn't come for half a day, Liu Jing was afraid that Zhu Ren would become suspicious, so he said, "Master Zhu, please drink some tea. I'm really sorry to keep you waiting for so long."

Zhu Ren knew that the person he was waiting for had been invited by the governor to visit the garden, so he dared not get angry, so he hurriedly said: "It's okay! You, Mr. Wang, have a very special relationship with the governor!"

Liu Jing said: "That's natural. When the Governor was still an official in Beijing, he was as close as a brother to our Lord Wang."

Zhu Ren said: "Although I have no relationship with the governor, I am a good friend with Mr. Kong Shangda. Mr. Kong said that the governor has contacts with different businessmen. Many businessmen here in Jinan want to stick to the governor, but the governor just doesn't like it." I agree. Mr. Kong works under the Governor, so he is naturally extra cautious when interacting with me. The people have a steelyard in their hearts, and they all say that the Governor is a bit harsh in governance, but people are not greedy."

Liu Jing smiled and said: "Master Zhu, we are also talking speculatively. You and I have something to say in private. Is the governor greedy or not?"

Zhu Ren said: "The word greed is ugly. Let's put it another way. People die for wealth, and birds die for food. This is an old adage! If a person is a person, he must love money!"

Liu Jingting nodded and said, "It makes sense, it makes sense! No matter how much we talk about in business, isn't it just one word? Cai!"

Zhu Ren suddenly became cautious, and said: "Brother Liu Jing, what I said was only human nature, but I didn't say anything about the governor! It's unacceptable!"

The two were talking when Chen Tingjing arrived.Liu Jing immediately stood up and shouted: "Master Wang, you are here! This is Master Zhu from the Zhu family business."

Zhu Ren hurriedly stood up, and the two bowed their hands in salute.Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Master Zhu, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two began to talk about business.Chen Tingjing took the contract and looked at it, and was taken aback: "How dare I want the food from the Yicang?"

Zhu Ren said with a smile: "The food in Yicang is the food in my Zhu family."

Chen Tingjing pretended to be confused and said, "I don't understand Boss Zhu's words."

Zhu Ren said with a smile: "Since we are all friends, there is nothing to hide. When Mr. Wang does business with me, he is also doing business with the governor."

Chen Tingjing asked: "How do you say that?"

Zhu Ren said: "Shandong's harvest is not good, and there is a shortage of food. The governor will not let Shandong's grain go out. This business is all done by my Zhu family."

Chen Tingjing said: "It's no wonder Master Zhu asked such a high price, you've made a lot of money!"

Zhu Ren said: "Just go to the market as you go! This year's famine in Shanxi is even worse, and you will make a lot of money."

Chen Tingjing looked worried, and said: "If the imperial court traces the whereabouts of the grain in the Yicang, how can we do business? I have been friends with the governor for many years, so I can't harm my friends."

Zhu Ren shook his head for a long time, and said: "Master Wang, please rest assured, the court will probably be able to fool you."

Chen Tingjing laughed loudly, and said: "Okay, let's do it like this, take a pen."

Chen Tingjing picked up the pen and wrote half of Chen's characters without paying attention. He made up the words "Scattered people in the back alleys" and signed: Wang Changji.

Seeing him, Zhu Ren said with a smile, "One sack of food, one ladle of drink, in the alleys, Boss Wang has the style of Yan Hui!"

Chen Tingjing said a few words modestly: "Boss Zhu, I have to go back to Baotu Spring. The Governor is still waiting for me there! If you don't mind, I will introduce you to the Governor?"

Zhu Ren was naturally overjoyed, but said: "But I heard from Mr. Kong that the governor never sees any businessmen."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Aren't I also a businessman? Let's see who is with whom!"

Zhu Ren cupped his hands and kept bowing: "Boss Wang introduced me, and Zhu is very grateful!"

Just as he was about to go out, he suddenly saw Zhang Qian and Ma Ming coming.Zhu Ren recognized Zhang Qian, he was very surprised, but he saw Chen Tingjing cupped his hands and bowed: "Xiaomin Wang Changji pays homage to the magistrate."

It turned out that Ma Ming had visited Jinan all over the city, and finally found Zhang Jian on the small island of Daming Lake, and had made preparations with him in advance.Fu Lun originally wanted to put Zhang Qian under house arrest first, and then join him after Chen Tingjing left.

Zhu Ren was full of doubts, but he had no choice but to pay respects to Zhang Qian: "Xiaomin Zhu Ren pays homage to the magistrate. You are..."

Ma Ming rushed to say: "My master has friends all over the world!"

Chen Tingjing was very polite: "Master Zhu, can you allow me to have a word with the magistrate inside?"

Zhu Ren lowered his head and said, "The magistrate is here, what else can Zhu say?"

After going to a secluded room, Zhang Qian bowed in accordance with the etiquette, and said in a low voice: "The prefect of Dezhou, Zhang Qian, pays his respects to the imperial envoy."

Chen Tingjing hurriedly said: "This is a private room, so there is no need to be polite. In-laws, you have suffered."

Zhang Qian said: "Ting Jing, Fu Lun has a very good reputation in Shandong. Whether he is an official, a businessman, or a commoner, they all say that he is a decent official, but he is harsh. Why did he treat me like this? I still don't understand." .”

Chen Tingjing said: "Don't worry about whether you understand it or not, just tell me, do you have any problems with him? Time is running out, so you pick the most important ones first."

Zhang Jian said: "We have always been friendly personally, but recently I thought it was inappropriate for people to donate food, so I didn't listen to him."

Chen Tingjing asked: "How is Shandong's harvest this year?"

Zhang Jian sighed: "There are different harvests and apologies in different places, but Dezhou is a catastrophe. Counting the general accounts of the whole province, it should not be considered a good year."

Chen Tingjing said: "But Fu Lun reported to the emperor that Shandong had a great harvest, and the people voluntarily donated [-]% of the grain to the court."

Zhang Jian said: "I still don't believe that the governor intends to deceive the emperor. Maybe he trusts his subordinates. Another thing is the policy of distributing relief money and food. I have a different opinion from the governor."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said: "I just need to get a rough idea first. Fu Lun is still waiting for me in Baotu Spring."

However, Fu Lun asked Dashun to wait for him to drink, and he seemed to be very drunk, and his speech was slurred: "The imperial envoy has been interrogating for so long, why... hasn't he come out?"

Kong Shangda seemed to have seen something, but he didn't dare to make mistakes, and asked, "Do you want me to go in and have a look?"

Da Shun hurriedly said: "There are people guarding outside, the imperial envoy will give orders if there is something to do."

Fu Lun spoke in a wrong way: "That chick looks pretty good. Alright, let the imperial envoy take the time to interrogate her. Come, Dashun, let's have a drink!"

In fact, Fu Lun was not drunk, but pretended to be confused.Although he didn't know the details of Zhen'er, the killer sent last night didn't leave anything behind.

After a while, someone came and whispered to Dashun.Dashun nodded and said, "Master Governor, Mr. Imperial Envoy invites you and Mr. Kong to go in!"

Fu Lun's face was full of wine, oily and sweaty, and he smiled: "Me? Please me? Okay, I'll go to interrogate that woman too!"

Fu Lun staggered, let Kong Shangda help him, and walked towards the hut.As soon as Fu Lun and Kong Shangda arrived at the door, the door opened.As soon as the two entered, Dashun immediately closed the door.Chen Tingjing, Zhang Bang, and Zhu Ren were already in the hut, Kong Shangda had already seen that something was wrong, but Fu Lun was drunk-eyed and said with a smile: "Master Imperial Envoy, you are at ease!"

Zhu Ren was stunned immediately, his mouth opened wide: "Imperial envoy?"

Someone had already rushed forward and knocked down Zhu Ren and Kong Shangda.Fu Lun was stunned for a while, then suddenly went crazy with the help of alcohol: "Chen Tingjing, you are on my territory!"

Chen Tingjing said coldly: "Your Excellency, the Governor, is a good drinker!"

Fu Lun looked domineering: "Chen Tingjing, what do you want? You can't bring me down!"

Chen Tingjing said calmly, "Where did the Lord Governor come from? I didn't come here to bring you down!"

Fu Lun shouted: "The emperor was raised by my mother, the emperor even called me brother when he was young!"

Kong Shangda knelt on the ground anxiously, knowing that everything Fu Lun said was a capital offense, he wanted to excuse him and said: "Master Governor, you have drunk too much, stop talking drunk!"

Chen Tingjing glanced at Kong Shangda and said, "You are quite sober!"

Kong Shangda knelt on the ground and said: "Student Kong Shangda, please forgive me, the imperial envoy!"

Chen Tingjing listened strangely: "Where did I come from a student like you?"

Kong Shangda said: "The student once took the exam, but unfortunately he failed. The Imperial Envoy is the examiner for that subject!"

Chen Tingjing said angrily: "So, you are still a juren. You are a scholar, and you are the successor of Confucius. You are the one who came up with all the evil ideas here! You have really humiliated Confucius!"

Kong Shangda fell on the ground and said, "The student is convicted!"

Chen Tingjing sounded sharp, and pointed at Kong Shangda and cursed: "Kong Shangda, here are all the witnesses and testimonies. Because of your instigation and deception, and behind the back of the Governor, Shandong has made people's lives miserable! You have at least seven deadly crimes, don't think about it." On the head of the Governor: [-]. Deceiving the emperor and ignoring his superiors, making false claims for credit; [-]. Extorting the people and putting them in trouble; Villagers; six, cheating and deceiving imperial envoys; seven, herdsmen have no rules, and governance is useless!"

(End of this chapter)