While the two brothers were wandering around Linhai County, a group of gentlemen were sitting and eating in a small building that was quite hidden but luxuriously decorated in the county town.
Although these gentlemen do not have official uniforms, from their demeanor and temperament, you can tell at a glance that they are official gentlemen. Sitting in the main seat is a somewhat fat middle-aged man. After drinking a glass of wine, he put down his With the cup in his hand, he looked around at the crowd and said slowly: "Everyone, I heard from the capital that your Majesty has sent the Crown Prince of Jin as an imperial envoy to inspect the defense of coastal states and anti-Japanese affairs..."
"There was no news about this prince a few days after he left the capital. No one knows where he went or what he did."
This fat official was Yuan Yuan, the magistrate of Taizhou. He glanced at everyone present and continued: "You should also know that our Taizhou Prefecture is a place where Japanese pirate activities are rampant. It is inevitable that the imperial envoys above will investigate Come down, there might be someone from the Imperial Envoy in the city right now."
Having said this, Magistrate Yuan paused and continued: "For the safety of the people of Taizhou and the safety of everyone, from today on, you must muster ten thousand efforts to prevent Japanese pirates from invading."
This phrase "forbidden" is actually somewhat intriguing.
Because the Japanese pirates were not members of the imperial court, it was impossible for them to stop coming if the prefect's Yamen said they were not allowed to come.
But after Yuan Fuzun said these words, many officials bowed their heads and drank in silence without saying anything else.
There was a little old man who looked about fifty years old and was wearing brocade. He looked at everyone and said with a smile: "Masters, those Japanese pirates are vicious people who eat people without spitting out their bones. I'm afraid it's not what the yamen said. If it is forbidden, it can be forbidden.”
"To put it bluntly, if Mr. Fu Zun said that Japanese pirates are prohibited, and the Japanese pirates suddenly disappear, I am afraid that the court will turn around and investigate Mr. Fu Zun."
Hearing these words, Magistrate Yuan frowned slightly.
He looked at the little old man and said indifferently: "What does Mr. Wang mean by this?"
The little old man, who was known as Mr. Wang, lowered his head and said: "Sir, the common people think that suppressing Japanese pirates is a matter for the imperial court, not for the local government. The local government has no soldiers and no money, so it is not possible at all." Maybe do whatever you want to do to the Japanese pirates."
"Even if the imperial envoy arrives in Linhai, he cannot blame the governor and the county master for the incident."
Hearing Mr. Wang's words, the county magistrate Deng Quan on the side smiled and said: "Master, the imperial envoy of the imperial court is the eldest son of the Jin Dynasty. I sent someone to inquire. He is only in his twenties this year. This kind of Tianhuangguiwei is probably because he got tired of staying in Jiankang and asked his Majesty for an errand to go out for fun. He said that he was incognito. He may not know which brothel he is hanging around at the moment, so don't worry, the Palace Master."
Magistrate Yuan lowered his head and took a sip of wine, then frowned and thought for a moment, looked at everyone present, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, it has been more than two years since I arrived in Taizhou. I am not afraid to tell you clearly that I have already cleared the air. Because of the relationship, I will work in Taizhou until the end of this year, and I will be transferred next year."
The master said in a deep voice: "At this time, if something happens to us in Taizhou, don't blame me for being unkind."
Magistrate Yuan expressed his attitude very clearly.
He just wants to get rid of this term and doesn't want to have any more entanglements with these people in Taizhou.
As soon as he said these words, everyone present raised their glasses to congratulate the magistrate on his promotion.
As the richest man in Taizhou, Mr. Wang smiled and toasted to Magistrate Yuan, and asked with a smile: "Master, next month the plum garden in Bifu will be completed, and the people from the province will come to our Linhai to enjoy the garden." , if your master is free then, why don't you come to the Plum Garden to have some tea?"
To be in Taiwan is to inspect the envoys.
Provincial level boss.
Magistrate Yuan's eyes lit up, he nodded first, then sighed slightly and said, "Of course I have to go, but I always feel uneasy today."
"In the past few months, some newspaper department in the imperial court inexplicably established a branch in Laihai and sent dozens of people over at once. Later I heard that another group of people were recruited, saying it was for the purpose of selling in Taizhou Prefecture. Di newspaper."
Yuan Fuzun frowned and said: "This so-called Di Reporting Division is mysterious and mysterious. Even the person in charge still doesn't know who it is."
In Dachen, there are few officials who are not greedy.
Even if you are not greedy, you may do other bad things.
The same is naturally true for Yuan Fuzun.
During his two years in Taizhou Prefecture, although he did not commit any serious crimes, he did a lot of accepting bribes. Naturally, he was afraid that someone would come here to investigate him.
Mr. Wang lowered his head and said: "Master Fu, you are too worried. I don't know what the newspaper company in the capital does. But our newspaper company in Linhai is printing and selling newspapers. I have never found out what they are doing." Something else."
Magistrate Yuan smiled and said, "Mr. Wang is so powerful. How can he find out their details so quickly?"
Mr. Wang smiled and said: "Most of the people in the newspaper department are from near the capital and cannot understand our local dialect in Taizhou. Therefore, after arriving in Taizhou, we recruited many young people who can speak the local dialect. Among these young people, …”
"There are a few acquaintances from Xiaomin's family."
Several officials looked at each other, and then gave some perfunctory remarks to Mr. Wang, and then they couldn't help but think to themselves.
Are the natives of Taizhou Prefecture around me also acquaintances of the Wang family?
…………
Shen Yi and the two naturally didn't know that these local officials in Taizhou Prefecture were studying them behind the scenes.
However, after staying in Linhai County for four or five days, the two of them only found some information about the Japanese pirates, and did not find any evidence that the wealthy businessmen in the city were colluding with the Japanese pirates.
By the fifth day, Li Mu was already a little anxious.
He simply found Shen Yi privately and said to Shen Yi: "Zi Heng, since we can't find any evidence that these local wealthy businessmen colluded with the Japanese pirates, it means that they are all innocent people. There is no need for us to hide it anymore. Let's just reveal it." I will clarify my identity and, in accordance with His Majesty's wishes, begin to gather young men in Taizhou Mansion to train anti-Japanese soldiers."
What His Majesty the Emperor means is that two people will be required to train a combat-capable coastal defense force along the coast within two to three years.
It's just that this coastal defense force is temporarily called the Anti-Japanese Forces.
Shen Yi shook his head slightly. He took out a stack of documents that had just been sent by the Di newspaper from behind, placed it in front of Li Mu, and said, "Your Majesty, please see, this is the number of merchant ships that have been robbed at Linhai Wharf in recent years."
Shen Yi pointed to the data on the paper and said: "Among them, the Wang family in Linhai has been robbed the most. In ten years, the goods of hundreds of ships were robbed by Japanese pirates."
Li Mu took these pieces of paper, read them over, and asked, "Does this mean there is nothing wrong with the Wang family?"
"No…"
Shen Yi said in a deep voice: "This Wang family has a big problem."
"Your Majesty, please think about it. The Wang family has suffered heavy losses in the past ten years. Now..."
"But he became the richest man in Linhai and even the entire Taizhou Prefecture!"
He looked at Li Mu and asked, "Can the Crown Prince mobilize the Linhai Guards?"
Li Mu hesitated for a moment, nodded and said: "It should be okay..."
Shen Yi looked at Li Mu and said, "Although there is no concrete evidence, the Wang family is enough to make people suspicious. Is the prince willing to take the risk?"
Li Mu grinned.
"Whatever you say, Ziheng, I will do."
