"Sir, what should I do with the body of General Zhenguo? Should I send it to Yizhuang?" The Yamen servant on the side looked at Xu Tong.
Xu Tong said angrily: "General Zhenguo is a member of the clan, how can his body be sent to Yizhuang?"
The officer who spoke was so frightened that he shrank his neck.
A middle-aged man dressed as a scholar came up from the side. He bowed and said, "Sir, the body of General Zhenguo was found in the moat outside the city. I think many people know about this, so I'd better make plans in advance."
It was the staff around Xu Tong who spoke.
As the governor, Xu Tong had two staff beside him. In addition to the deceased Zhang Wenhe, there was also Liu, a scholar from Guangling County. He passed the scholar examination in the same year as Xu Tong and participated in the provincial examination together.
Xu Tong frowned and said: "Since I took over as the governor of Datong, there have been many impeachments among the officials below. Now that a member of the clan has died, there will be more impeachments. The imperial court will not believe my excuses. What do you think about this matter? How should it be dealt with?”
He spoke with hatred in his heart.
The death of a clan member is no small matter, especially if the general who died was related to the Dai Wangfu. The court would definitely reprimand him, the governor of Datong, again.
"Sir, the student must have an idea." Staff Liu said in a low voice.
Xu Tong glanced at him and said, "What's your idea? Tell me!"
Staff Liu did not speak in a hurry, but looked at the other people in the lobby.
Xu Tong took a look and understood what he meant, and said: "You stay here to guard the body of General Zhenguo. Mr. Liu will go to the back office with me."
"yes."
In the lobby, the police officers and servants bowed and saluted.
Xu Tong left the lobby with eight-character steps and walked all the way back to the back office.
Also returning with him was Staff Liu.
Entering the back office, Xu Tong sat on his seat and picked up the tureen on the table. Just as he was about to drink, he thought of General Zhenguo's face that had been soaked in water. He immediately lost his desire to drink tea and put the tureen aside. Push aside.
Immediately, he said to Staff Liu who was standing in front of him: "There is no one around now, so we can talk."
Staff Liu bowed and saluted, and then said: "Sir, General Zhenguo is the thousand-year-old grandnephew of the king. He was kidnapped and his body is now abandoned in the moat outside the city. This matter must not be hidden. If the court finds out, From the beginning to the end of this matter, it is inevitable that some people in the DPRK will take the opportunity to blame you."
"I know what you're talking about, and I can tell you something useful." Xu Tong's tone was slightly dissatisfied.
"Yes." Staff Liu bowed and said, "If you want to avoid this matter, you will inevitably spend some money to classify the death of General Zhenguo as a disease."
Xu Tong's eyes lit up, and he immediately asked: "This is a good method. How much money do you think it would take to turn the death of General Zhenguo into a disease?"
Staff Liu held up his sleeves and stretched out two fingers.
"Two hundred taels?" Xu Tong frowned, "I just want to keep it secret for two hundred taels. Isn't it too little?"
Staff Liu was stunned for a moment, then explained: "Sir, it's not two hundred taels."
"That's two thousand taels." Xu Tong hesitated and said, "Although two thousand taels is a bit too much, if the incident can be settled, I can take out these two thousand taels of silver."
"Sir," Staff Liu said with a grimace, "It's not two thousand taels, but twenty thousand taels."
"What? Twenty thousand taels!" Xu Tong almost jumped up from his seat as if his tail had been stepped on.
He had been the governor of Datong for so long, but he only received more than 20,000 taels of silver.
Staff Liu smiled bitterly and said: "My lord, twenty thousand taels is really not much. Prince Dai's palace needs to be managed, and Lin Changshi also needs to be managed. There is also a part of the money that needs to be compensated to the people in the Zhenguo General's Mansion. The Ministry of Rites of the Central Government needs it." It would be better if even the cabinet could take care of it."
Xu Tong's face sank and he said: "What a stupid idea you have. I lost more than 20,000 taels in one fell swoop. I have no money."
"Sir, don't let a small thing cost you a big thing!" Staff Liu advised.
"Okay." Xu Tong waved his hand impatiently and said, "You go and draft a memorial about the general who Zhenguo. I will print it and arrange for it to be sent to Beijing."
"My lord, you can't do that!" Staff Liu said hurriedly, "If you can't appease the Prince of Dai, and you report it so hastily, you will definitely arouse the anger of the imperial court, and the adults in the court will definitely take the opportunity to attack you, my lord."
"So what!" Xu Tong snorted coldly and said, "I have been the governor of Datong for less than a year. Even if someone in the court is dissatisfied, at most they will only be reprimanded by the officials. Is it possible that I can be dismissed as the governor!"
"Sir," Staff Liu said, "you have been in Datong for less than a year. Naturally, the officials will not dismiss you easily. But if the Holy One also has this intention, it will be really dangerous."
Xu Tong said: "The Holy Lord is the Holy Son of Heaven. As long as I tell the whole story clearly, I won't be blamed."
"Sir..." Staff Liu wanted to continue persuading.
But Xu Tong waved his hand to stop what he was saying, and urged: "Hurry up and draft the memorial. I want to present the memorial to the Holy Master before the palace of Prince Dai."
"Student, go and do it now." Staff Liu bowed and left.
Xu Tong added: "Arrange for the body of General Zhenguo to be returned to his house."
"Yes." Staff Liu agreed and left the back office.
Not far away, a government official waiting outside came up to him and asked hurriedly: "Mr. Liu, what do you think, the governor, whether the body of General Zhenguo should be sent back or sent to Yizhuang for temporary storage."
Staff Liu said: "Send it back to the Zhenguo General's Mansion."
"I understand, little one." The officer nodded.
"Go! This is what the governor wants." Staff Liu waved his hand, and then walked in another direction to prepare a memorial for Xu Tong.
As a staff member, whether it was official documents or memorials, it was his duty to do so, so he quickly made a plan and took it back to the Hou Yamen for Xu Tong's seal.
After doing these things, he left the governor's office and returned to his home.
As a staff member of the governor, he lived not far from the governor's office and rented a small courtyard. He took his family to Datong and lived with him.
"Why did the master come back so early today?"
As soon as he entered the house, the woman who was picking vegetables in the yard put down the vegetables in her hands and walked towards him with small steps.
"There was nothing going on in the yamen, so I came back early." Staff Liu explained.
The woman said: "Master, you should stay with the governor more often. In the past, when Mr. Zhang was here, he often stayed by the governor's side, so he was quite trustworthy. Master, you should do the same, in order to be valued by the governor."
Hearing this, Staff Liu smiled bitterly and said: "The reason why Mr. Zhang is trusted by the governor is not because he often accompanies the governor, but because he can help the governor make money. Who is our governor?" He will value anyone who can get him money."
The woman said: "Now that Mr. Zhang is gone, I am the only one left with you. I think it won't be long before the governor will rely on you."
"It's useless." Staff Liu sighed and said, "It's up to two people whether our governor can still sit in the governor's seat!"
The woman was stunned for a moment, looking puzzled.
Staff Liu didn't explain and walked into the room.
