Chapter 623 In-depth Investigation
Chapter 623 In-depth Investigation
Manager Zhao nodded silently and sighed, "We have a very hard time. I believe General Shi has seen it just now. Not many people buy salt. Others sell private salt for ten cents a pound, but we sell it for twenty cents. If it weren't for the good quality of our salt, no one would buy it. But most of the middle and lower class people, as well as restaurants and hotels, will not buy our salt. They must buy cheap salt."
"Then Manager Zhao should know where the illegal salt is sold?"
"Of course I know. General, if you walk a few dozen steps east, you will see the East China Sea Salt Shop. There are three in the city, one more than us. There are also various pickle shops, all selling pickles and pickled fish sauce shipped from the East China Sea. As the general said, they are actually selling salt. You can buy it for seven or eight cents per pound."
"The government doesn't care?" Shi Xiaozhen asked again.
"At first we reported the matter to Magistrate Wu, who brought people to seal up the salt shop. But it only lasted three days, and then the shop reopened. Magistrate Wu was accused of taking bribes and was suspended, and finally dismissed by the court. There are so many secrets here!"
Shi Xiaozhen understood what he meant by the depth of the water, nodded and said, "Is County Magistrate Wu still in Zhongli County?"
"Yes! He is from Zhongli County and is currently a professor at the county school."
Shi Xiaozhen left the salt shop and walked east for a few dozen steps. As expected, he saw a Donghai Salt Shop. Its business was much better than the official salt shop, and there was a long queue in front of the shop.
Shi Xiaozhen came to the county school and found the former county magistrate Wu, whose name was Wu Changtai. He had been dismissed from office and was renamed Professor Wu.
Shi Xiaozhen showed the internal security silver medal, Wu Changtai was shocked and quickly welcomed them into the room.
"When was Magistrate Wu dismissed?"
When Wu Changtai was mentioned about being dismissed from his post, his face was filled with resentment: "Last May, they said I accepted a bribe of 500 taels of silver, and they even dug it out from my yard, which was considered irrefutable evidence. Then they suspended me from my post, and after reporting to the court, I was decisively dismissed. I asked Governor Zhang, who did I accept the bribe from? How come I didn't know that there was 500 taels of silver buried in my yard? I didn't even know about this good thing?"
"Was it the governor Zhang Tai who dismissed you?"
"Who else could it be except him? At that time, I closed down the private salt shop, and the owner of the private salt shop shouted at me, 'If you close my shop today, I will dismiss you tomorrow.' He really came true."
"Is the private salt shop also owned by Du Fuwei?"
"Exactly! He also sells pickled vegetables."
Shi Xiaozhen nodded. "Besides selling illegal salt in Zhongli County, what else did Du Fuwei do?"
"There is a Donghai martial arts school in the county town, with hundreds of instructors and more than a thousand students, far exceeding the normal needs. I believe this martial arts school is used to protect Du Fuwei's interests in Zhongli County. They also have a Donghai Trading Company, which has been established for three years. Every year, they purchase a large amount of grain. The government warehouse had 20,000 shi of grain two years ago, which was the grain accumulated in the government fields. I heard that it is empty this year. Where did the grain go? It should be bought by this Donghai Trading Company. Alas! If His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin had not given up Jianghuai back then, how could Zhongli County become so corrupt?"
Shi Xiaozhen thought for a moment and asked again: "Besides Du Fuwei's intervention in Zhongli County, are there any other forces interfering? For example, Li Zitong, or the fake regime in Chang'an."
Wu Changtai shook his head. "Li Zitong is no match for Du Fuwei. He is not as fierce as Du Fuwei. Li Zitong also bought several thousand dan of grain in Zhongli County before, but was intercepted by Du Fuwei. Li Zitong was furious and sent Wu Tianxi to lead his army to settle accounts with Du Fuwei. However, Wu Tianxi was not good at naval warfare and lost three battles. He even fell into the water and was captured. Li Zitong had no choice but to send people to negotiate.
I don't know what agreement Li Zitong and Du Fuwei reached, but Li Zitong's army has completely left Jianghuai. As for the pseudo-government in Chang'an, I heard that they sent someone here a few months ago."
Shi Xiaozhen asked some more questions and then said goodbye. He investigated for a few more days, summarized all the information he had, and finally wrote a preliminary investigation report on Zhongli County before the New Year.
At midnight on New Year's Eve, Xiao Xia was woken up by his wife Cui Yu while he was sleeping soundly. "My dear, the time is almost up. You have to get up."
Xiao Xia stood up and asked, "What time is it?"
"It's still half an hour before the Yin hour."
Xiao Xia got up, washed up briefly, and went to the main hall with his wife.
The other wives and children in the family had all arrived, and my aunt Yang Lihua had also come.
Tonight is the New Year's sacrifice, and the time is Yinshi, which is exactly four o'clock in the middle of the night.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xiao Xia nodded and said, "It's almost time, let's go!"
The ancestral hall of the Prince of Jin's mansion is located in the northwest corner. It is a small Taoist temple. It is usually locked and only opened during sacrifices. A few old Taoist nuns are invited from the Taiqing Palace to stay for a few days. The night of New Year's Eve is bitterly cold. There is thick snow on the ground of the prince's mansion. Everyone has changed into black sacrificial robes and stood in the yard with solemn expressions.
There were only the spirit tablets of the late Emperor Yang Jian and the late Empress Dugu on the altar. It was only because of Yang Lihua's consideration that Xiao Xia added the spirit tablet of the former Empress.
But after all, this is not an ancestral temple, so we can only worship our ancestors like ordinary people.
An old Taoist nun served as the master of ceremonies for them. She gently knocked on the cloud board and said loudly: "The time has come. Please burn incense and worship in order of age!"
The first person to come up to offer sacrifices was Yang Lihua. She held three incense sticks in her hands, knelt on the futon and prayed silently, "Father, mother, your daughter is offering incense and worshipping you in Nanjingkou, Jiangnan. Everything is fine with your family, don't worry, may you two rest in peace!"
She kowtowed three times, placed the incense in the incense burner, and quietly stood up and left.
Next was Xiao Xia. He also held three incense sticks, prayed silently for a moment, kowtowed three times, stood up, lit the incense, and turned to the other side.
Next it was Princess Cui Yu who came to burn incense and offer sacrifices, followed by Xiaoqing, Zhang Qiao, Xie Ting, Xiaomei, and then it was Crown Prince Li Chu, one after another.
Seeing that everyone had finished offering sacrifices and burning incense, the MC, the old Taoist nun, said rudely, "It's too cold tonight, everyone go back and rest! Now we will do the ritual and convey your sacrifices and prayers to the ancestors."
Xiao Xia returned the greeting and said, "Thank you, Taoist nun. I will offer you some incense oil in a few days!"
"Thank you, Your Highness. Please go back!"
Everyone got on the carriage and returned to the main courtyard. According to custom, after the sacrifice, the whole family will gather together to welcome the arrival of the New Year.
New Year is a time of rest for ordinary people, but it is the busiest time for Xiao Xia and other senior officials. They have to comfort the soldiers, spend the New Year with them, visit the families of the fallen soldiers, visit the elderly and orphans in health homes and orphanages, and meet with officials.
I was busy until the fourth day of the first lunar month, when I could finally take a break and stay with my family.
That afternoon, Li Luming came to report the situation.
"Your Highness, I have received the investigation reports from Jiangdu County, Huainan County, Lujiang County and Zhongli County. From the current situation, Du Fuwei has already started selling salt in Jianghuai. He not only sells pickled vegetables, but also runs salt shops openly, which seriously infringes on our interests. However, starting from the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, all of Du Fuwei's salt shops have been closed, and pickled vegetables are no longer sold. They seem to have realized the danger."
"What about other aspects?"
Xiao Xia asked: "Besides Du Fuwei, are there any other forces entering Jianghuai?"
"There is also the Chang'an pseudo-regime. As far as we know, the governor of Zhongli County, Zhang Tai, and the governor of Huainan County, Wang Yingwu, have connections with the Chang'an pseudo-regime."
Xiao Xia nodded, "Continue to collect intelligence, especially the intelligence of officials. I need it from both the county government and the county yamen!"
On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Xiao Xia received an imperial edict from the emperor, in which Yang Guang demanded that 30,000 cavalrymen from Jiangnan Province join the battle and that Wuguan be captured by mid-January.
Xiao Xia pondered for a long time and finally decided to send Luo Shixin as the commander-in-chief, and the brothers Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche as the left and right deputy generals, leading 30,000 cavalry to assist in the attack on Guanzhong.
Just after the New Year, the war started again inadvertently.
Yang Guang once again sent out 300,000 troops. He personally led 200,000 troops as the main force to attack the ancient road of Qiaohan and attack Tongguan. He ordered Zhang Xutuo to be the general in the north and lead an army of 50,000 to attack Puzhou Pass.
Qu Tutong was appointed as the Southern General, commanding an army of 50,000, and the Sui army from the south of the Yangtze River cooperated in the attack on Wuguan.
On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Luo Shixin arrived in Xiangyang with 30,000 cavalrymen, and Qu Tutong came in person to greet Luo Shixin.
(End of this chapter)