Chapter 184: Handling Major Affairs For The Sacred Dynasty
But in the time it takes to burn one stick of incense.
The women were panicked, the servant women terrified.
Su Kehachi watched helplessly as his own mansion and the family fortune he had accumulated over half a lifetime turned into cartloads of valuables loaded onto horse-drawn carriages.
Amid the flying dust, the once magnificent and splendid large courtyard turned in an instant into an empty courtyard with scattered debris.
And the direction those valuables were heading was precisely the County Yamen.
The County Yamen was just like a Pixiu that takes in but never lets out, accepting everything without refusal.
Su Kehachi’s knuckles turned white, his steps unsteady as he paced in place, muttering nonstop in his mouth, “It’s over, everything’s over,” terrified like a dog that had lost its home.
“Just this? Su Kehachi, does your family have any hidden chambers or cellars? If Chen Mou discovers them, that would be a different matter entirely.”
Chen Shun’an narrowed his eyes, roughly estimating the value of the valuables on the horse-drawn carriages, then turned back indifferently to look at Su Kehachi.
Su Kehachi stuck out his neck, veins bulging at his temples, shouting loudly,
“It’s all here! What more do you want?!”
“He’s lying!”
Suddenly, a crisp young woman’s voice rang out.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
They saw the young maidservant who had just been clinging to Su Kehachi, calling him “Master” left and right and saying “This servant only knows how to care for Master,” now stepping forward, her head lowered, but her eyes revealing a few hints of eager desire for merit.
“Behind the chamber pot in the east wing washroom, there is a hidden chamber with a privately cast bird gun and two hundred rounds of ammunition! This servant heard it directly from Su Kehachi’s own mouth after we were intimate!”
At these words, Su Kehachi’s face instantly turned deathly pale.
And the other few personal maidservants who had originally been huddled to the side, seeing someone take the lead, also emerged from the crowd one after another, like grasping at lifesaving straw, hurriedly abandoning the dark for the light and severing ties with Su Kehachi righteously.
“Not just that, not just that, under the wall niche in the main hall, there is a shiny helmet, said to be part of some armor!”
“In the study room, the third row of floor tiles near the bookshelf, underneath are hidden many deeds, mountain contracts, even salt permits!”
Bird gun?
Helmet?
And salt permits?
Chen Shun’an was startled at the words, even he was taken aback.
This Su Kehachi was indeed an Imperial Clan Descendant, playing on a grand scale.
Any one of these three items, if twisted out, would be enough to implicate an ordinary family’s nine generations, grinding their bones to dust and scattering their ashes.
And you went and collected the whole set!
Especially the private possession of salt permits.
The Sacred Dynasty currently implemented a state monopoly on salt sales, with salt permits uniformly minted and stamped by the Ministry of Revenue, equivalent to operating licenses, each salt permit redeemable for different weights of salt.
And Wuqing County, due to water transport, generally had Wuqing salt permits where each permit could redeem nearly a thousand catties of salt.
With ample profits.
In the past few years, the famous Lianghuai salt permit case involved successive Lianghuai salt administration officials colluding with salt merchants, through a series of means like pre-withdrawing salt permits and falsifying expenses, continuing for thirty years and embezzling over ten million taels of tax silver!
It made His Majesty the Emperor fly into a rage, heads rolling.
That was the silver of Us!
So things like forging salt permits, private possession of salt permits, salt permit transfers… if not discovered, fine, but if truly caught by the tail.
His Majesty the Emperor would be very angry.
And the reason Chen Shun’an knew this so clearly.
Was because there was another major corruption case no less than the Lianghuai salt permit case, the Longnan False Relief Case, and he was a firsthand witness.
The two cases were separated by only twenty or thirty years.
Chen Shun’an secretly looked at this group of maidservants with alarm.
Timely self-reflection.
Indeed, beware the wind from the pillow side, one blow and they turn.
Chen Mou must not say the wrong thing or commit similar mistakes.
Now Su Kehachi was betrayed by all, suffering a stab in the back.
Su Kehachi suddenly widened his eyes, staring deadly at this group of maidservants, his eyeballs filled with bloodshot veins, like he wanted to devour people.
He trembled with rage all over, his lips quivering, and only after a long while did he squeeze out a sentence,
“Vile maids, you vile maids!”
Before the words finished, he only felt a churning pain in his chest like raging waves, his throat sweetened, and a mouthful of blood “puff” sprayed out.
Immediately after, his eyes rolled back, his body stiffly fell backward, and he completely fainted dead away.
“Hahaha…”
Seeing this, Chen Shun’an laughed satisfactorily a few times.
“Search inside again! Confiscate all the items to the County Yamen, and hand Su Kehachi and his family members over to Qiu Chen, Lord Qiu.”
Chen Shun’an waved his hand, showing no mercy.
Bai Shan Ren bully the weak and fear the strong; to deal with them, one must be even more barbaric and dominant.
Only then would they instead speak pleasantly, even offering shiny silver as compensation.
“As for these young ladies who abandoned the dark for the light, do not neglect them, serve them with good wine and fine food. Trust the government offices, we will absolutely not harm the innocent!”
“Thank you, my lord!”
“Thank you, Lord Chen!”
The several young maidservants hurriedly curtsied, their faces still bearing undried tear stains, but their eyes watery, revealing a bit of relief at surviving the disaster.
They too boarded the horse-drawn carriages together.
However, watching cartload after cartload of valuables winding forward, handed over just like that.
Chen Shun’an felt somewhat regretful.
With his current identity merely as the water station shopkeeper, after sealing off Bai Shan Ren, touching their family property was a red line that could not be crossed.
But what if he also donned an official robe of the Sacred Dynasty?
And infiltrated the enemy’s interior?
“Five Rivers river affairs, Minister of Agriculture seedling cultivation, nurturing Precious Plants in the water… Hmm, this seems like a method. River Administrator is also an official…”
Once this thought emerged, it grew wildly in his heart like vines, making him unable to resist being tempted.
Tonight’s successive house raids.
And as dawn just broke with a pale light on the horizon, the group of fierce and vicious water carriers scattered away with a clatter.
The ground was clean everywhere, not even leaving broken bricks and tiles.
It seemed as if everything that happened last night was just an illusion.
Chen Shun’an had a good sense of proportion.
At night, raid houses to confiscate; by day, push carts to deliver water and earn money.
Only this way could they avoid alarming the common people and keep peace with the populace.
He, Chen Shun’an, doing this was working for Landlord Zhao, doing good for the Wuqing County people, doing great things for the Sacred Dynasty!
……
Looking at Scarred Liu not far away, walking with deep and shallow steps, probably even with banknotes stuffed in his butt crack, Chen Shun’an irritably kicked him in the butt and laughed scoldingly,
“Watch your sense of proportion, don’t take what you shouldn’t, and certainly don’t take extra!”
Scarred Liu rubbed his butt, not angry at all, instead grinning cheekily,
“Old Chen, rest assured, brothers know inside out, I’ve carefully instructed them, absolutely won’t cause you trouble!”
The nearby water carriers also gathered around, all with flushed faces, excited expressions, looking at Chen Shun’an with eyes carrying a bit of flattery and awe.
Chen Shun’an nodded, saying no more.
Then, Scarred Liu looked at Lin Shou Zhuo and Jiu Chan Hui.
He rubbed his hands, shifted his feet, lowered his voice, and asked with a bit of curiosity, “You two, how much did you take?”
Jiu Chan Hui put his hands together, chanted a Buddha’s name, and said, “Not a single coin taken.”
Lin Shou Zhuo also shook his head and said, “Me too.”
“Ah?”
Scarred Liu’s puzzled gaze turned to Chen Shun’an.
Chen Shun’an: “I didn’t take any either.”
“Ah?!”
Scarred Liu’s eyes suddenly bulged round, somewhat uncomprehending.
Such an opportunity to line one’s pockets, why not take it?
That was shiny, glittering gold and silver!
But Scarred Liu did not know.
Soldiers charging into battle can skim some profits after triumphant return.
But the generals issuing orders must instead strictly uphold military discipline.
Cannot be greedy, dare not be greedy.
The higher-ups are watching.
As for rewards, they would naturally be distributed according to merit afterward.
That is the big prize.
Scarred Liu after all lacked the strength and level to comprehend these reasons.
Scarred Liu and the others dispersed one after another, each returning to the wellhead for duty.
While Chen Shun’an and the other two quickly arrived at Zhao Guangxi’s mansion.
Before even passing through the courtyard, Chen Shun’an and the others clearly heard intense arguing voices coming from the direction of the study room.
Like the roars of hungry wolves fighting over prey, audible clearly even through several layers of courtyards.
“The copper mountain mine outside the county must be returned to the government offices!” This voice carried a bit of toughness, not allowing rebuttal.
Immediately after, another voice, though flat, rose unwilling to show weakness.
“Those several fishing villages and hundred mu of paddy fields, I want them for Wuguan Camp.”
“In that case, the Little Clear River dock and the dozen or so water shops will belong to me, Zhao.”
“Zhao Guangxi, Guanghui Money House has already been given to you, don’t be greedy for more, reaching out from the coffin for money! These shops and docks naturally should go to Liangjiang Military Academy!!”
A furious shout suddenly rose high.
While Chen Shun’an was busy raiding Guanghui Money House and Su Kehachi’s mansion.
Liu Qingyi, Lu Jing, Zhao Guangxi, and Qiu Chen were also not idle, also dividing profits.
In fact, they had already taken the lead in raiding and confiscating.
For example, Zhao Guanghui’s mansion was seized first by Liu Qingyi, all confiscated.
And the large residences and mansions Zhao Guanghui had acquired outside were also divided up by Lu Jing and Qiu Chen.
Zhao Guangxi’s strength among the four was slightly inferior.
He ran the slowest.
Fortunately, Chen Shun’an was in the Emperor’s favor and prepared in advance.
He had Scarred Liu take down Guanghui Money House ahead of time, the oiliest prize second only to Zhao Guanghui’s mansion.
Seeing this, Liu Qingyi and the others, aside from sighing that Zhao Guangxi truly had foresight, preparing manpower in advance, did not wish to stir more trouble and turned to swallow up the remaining interests.
In the study room.
Liu Qingyi, Lu Jing, Zhao Guangxi, and Qiu Chen argued until their faces were red and necks thick, spittle flying.
Whatever dignity of True Intent Masters, whatever pride as Commander or Director, all fake.
Solid, tangible interests were the truest.
In the end, only Zhao Guangxi and Lu Jing were still deadlocked.
The two had bloodshot eyes, fury nearly spraying from their eyes, chests heaving violently, qi and blood surging around them, quite a trend of drawing swords at a disagreement.
Zhao Guangxi and Lu Jing were originally as close as brothers, but later fell out over quotas for the year-end grand celebration, becoming strangers.
Their previous alliance was only because of a common enemy.
Now the enemy was gone, and with interests catalyzing, naturally they looked at each other with disgust, neither pleased.
And seeing the two so tense, Liu Qingyi and Qiu Chen occasionally advised and pulled them apart.
But in the depths of their eyes, both had a relaxed satisfaction at watching dogs fight.
Zhao Guangxi was now promoted to water station wellhead, holding Chengping Temple Well Sword, counting as a Slay Five Thieves combat force.
Under him, there were also four True Intent Masters: Zhou Qing, Lin Shou Zhuo, Jiu Chan Hui, and Elder Feng.
Plus a Chen Shun’an with Three Refinements Martial Body.
Fortunately, He Qiang, with the highest hope of breaking through to True Intent Realm, failed his breakthrough, costing Zhao Guangxi a General.
But even so, this faction, looking across all of Wuqing County, was also formidable.
If unchecked, what then?
The government offices would not sleep well, and Wuguan Camp guarding Wuqing County and protecting the Capital City would not sleep well.
And who could be more reassuring to check and curb than Lu Jing, Zhao Guanghui’s former close kin and friends?
The sounds of slamming tables, cursing, and qi and blood clashes from the study room transmitted out from time to time, shaking the leaves outside the window rustling.
