Early in the morning, Hai Rui arrived at the Zhejiang Governor's Mansion to wait. He wanted to report to Hu Zongxian the progress of Chun'an County's post-disaster reconstruction work, and also asked the Governor's Mansion to provide some help within its capabilities.
It was not until night that Hai Rui met Hu Zongxian.
"Your Majesty the Governor, there are only so many things that I want to report."
In the Governor's Mansion, Hai Rui reported the current situation in Chun'an County to Hu Zongxian.
"Well, that's right. I will consider what you mentioned." Hu Zongxian nodded, put aside the booklet handed over by Hai Rui, and encouraged him.
"It's getting late, so I'll take my leave." After saying this, Hai Rui was about to say goodbye to Hu Zongxian.
"Well, let's do this for now." After Hu Zongxian said that, he picked up the teacup on the side and took a sip.
Just when Hai Rui was about to leave, suddenly a guard came from outside to report: "Your Excellency, someone from the Chief Secretary's Yamen has asked to see you, saying he has something important to report!"
"Chief Secretary's Office?" After hearing the guard's report, Hu Zongxian had an ominous premonition in his heart. Could it be that there was a problem with the salt tax?
"Let him in quickly!" Hu Zongxian ordered in a deep voice.
"Yes!" After the guard accepted the order, he quickly left.
A moment later, a man in official uniform with an anxious expression knelt down on the ground and said, "Report to the Governor, the salt tax stored in the Chief Secretary's Yamen warehouse is less than one hundred thousand taels!"
"What!" After hearing the report of the visitor, Hu Zongxian couldn't help but became furious. He slammed the table and the teacup on the table fell to the ground. After making a crisp sound, it broke into several pieces. The tea spilled onto the ground, steaming hot.
Seeing Hu Zongxian's behavior, the visitor became even more frightened: "Report... report to the Governor, when my lord did the inventory just now, he found that the salt tax was less than one hundred thousand taels. Now the entire Chief Secretary's Yamen has been blocked and no one is allowed to enter or leave. "
"Lead the way, I will rush over immediately!" Hu Zongxian glanced coldly at the officials kneeling on the ground and said.
"Yes, Lord Governor, please come with me!" Seeing this, the visitor quickly said respectfully.
"My Lord Governor, I also have a lot of experience in investigating and solving cases. You might as well ask me to go with you and provide some help." Just when Hu Zongxian was about to leave with the officials, Hai Rui spoke.
"Well, you can come too." After hearing what Hai Rui said, Hu Zongxian looked him up and down and nodded.
At this time, in the Chief Secretary's Yamen, Zheng Bithang was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, clasping his hands behind his back and keeping spinning in circles.
"Sir." When the subordinates saw this, they wanted to comfort him.
"Shut up, I don't want to hear anything else now! Has the entire Chief Secretary's office been sealed off?" He interrupted his subordinate and asked immediately.
"Your Excellency, the entire Chief Secretary's Office has been completely sealed off, and no one is allowed to enter or leave!" Upon seeing this, the subordinate responded in a deep voice.
"Well, well, let's wait for the Governor to arrive together." After Zheng Michang finished speaking, he turned his attention to the remaining silver coins in the warehouse and said.
After noticing that the amount of silver coins was wrong, Zheng Michang immediately asked all those responsible for counting the number of silver coins to withdraw from the warehouse without making too many changes to the scene. Everything remained as it was when the warehouse was first opened.
…
"The Governor is here!"
Just as Zheng Michang was extremely anxious and thinking about the possible outcome, the sound of notification coming from outside brought him back to reality.
Immediately afterwards, Zheng Michang saw Hu Zongxian walking towards him, followed by Hai Rui.
"I've seen the Governor!" Seeing Hu Zongxian coming, Zheng Michang hurriedly knelt on the ground as if he had found his backbone.
"What's going on?" Hu Zongxian ignored Zheng Michang, but frowned, turned his eyes to the wide open warehouse in front of him, and said in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the Governor, when my subordinates were counting the silver in the warehouse just now, they found that there was a shortage of one hundred thousand taels of silver! After that, my subordinate immediately sealed off the entire Chief Secretary and did not allow anyone to enter or exit."
"In addition, the officials who were previously responsible for counting the amount of silver were also controlled by the subordinates, and there were not many changes on the scene." Looking at Hu Zongxian, who was not angry and assertive, Zheng Michang said cautiously.
"Humph, you are in big trouble this time! If the lost silver cannot be found, you can explain it to His Majesty yourself." Hu Zongxian looked at Zheng Michang who was kneeling on the ground and said coldly.
"I hope the Governor will save this official!" After hearing Hu Zongxian's words, Zheng Michang looked desperate and cried.
Not to mention anything else, this is a hundred thousand taels of silver. If you lose the court's silver, you will definitely move your head.
"Get up, how are you crying? Take me in." Hu Zongxian had a look of disgust on his face when he saw Zheng Michang looking like this.
"Yes, Mr. Governor, please come this way." Upon hearing this, Zheng Michang quickly stood up from the ground, patted the dust on his official uniform, and said respectfully.
And when Hai Rui wanted to follow Hu Zongxian's footsteps and enter, he was stopped by Zheng Michang: "What are you doing in here? Go and wait outside! Do you, a small county magistrate, want to get involved in this matter?" "
Hearing Zheng Michang's words, Hai Rui bowed slightly and said, neither humble nor arrogant: "Your Excellency, Chief Envoy, I have a lot of experience in investigating and solving cases. Maybe I can help you."
Zheng Michang was a little undecided for a moment, and then turned his attention to Hu Zongxian, as if asking for his opinion.
"Let him come in." Hu Zongxian's tone was flat, and no emotion could be heard from it.
"yes."
After Zheng Michang bowed slightly to Hu Zongxian, he turned to Hai Rui and said, "Come in."
Hai Rui followed closely and entered the warehouse where the silver was stored.
"Tell me, tell me what happened." Hu Zongxian took the booklet and said calmly after checking the silver in the warehouse himself.
"Ever since the Governor gave your order, I have never returned home! I stay at the Chief Secretary's office every day, and every half an hour I take my subordinates to the warehouse to count the amount of silver and check everything around. Once, and only after confirming that everything is correct, can we leave."
"The last time I checked, the amount of silver was still correct."
After Zheng Michang finished speaking, he added another sentence.
"Well, as far as I know, Yan Maoqing is already on the road. He can arrive in Zhejiang in three days at most! In other words, we only have three days to recover the lost silver. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious. Serious." Hu Zongxian said with a sigh after listening to Zheng Michang's report.
"What? Three days!" After hearing this, Zheng Michang scratched his head with both hands, his tone full of despair.
At this moment, Hai Rui pointed to the two big locks hanging on the warehouse door and asked, "Mr. Chief Minister, do you have all the keys to these locks?"
"No, one key is with me, and the other key is kept by my subordinates. When it is time to put the silver into the warehouse and count the money, he and I will hold a key each and open the door of the warehouse!"
"Except when counting the amount of silver, no one is allowed to approach the bank at any other time, not even the official."
Hearing Hai Rui's question, Zheng Mi Chang subconsciously answered.
"Well, according to what the Chief Envoy just said, we can temporarily rule out the possibility that the criminal will steal the key from you and then make a copy to open the warehouse!"
After Hai Rui said that, he looked away from the two big locks on the warehouse door.
(End of chapter)
