Shao Xi's words confused Cui Qi. Cui Qi's main target for yesterday's incident was the Zhao family. Although Shao Xi expressed dissatisfaction with his neglect, strictly speaking, Shao Xi was not wrong.
It was his fault in the first place. Even if what Shao Xi said to him was a bit excessive, it was still reasonable. Besides, if a first-level official can crush someone to death, how can a third-level official apologize? It's already considered a good thing if people don't cause trouble for you.
"Your Majesty, you are serious. Yesterday, I was indeed rude to you. I was negligent to you. I should apologize to you. How can I ask you to apologize to me? This is really impossible."
"Master Cui, if I told you that I deliberately made things difficult for you yesterday, what would you think?"
Cui Qi shook his head with a wry smile and said: "My lord's official rank is there. Even if you deliberately make things difficult for your subordinates, your subordinates will not have any ideas. This has always been the case in the officialdom. A person with one level of seniority can crush someone to death. Your Excellency." Even if you are a fourth-grade official, even if you are making things difficult, how can I, a seventh-grade official, dare to have any dissatisfaction?"
Shao Xiqi was happy. It seemed that Cui Qi was still a little wary of him and did not dare to open up and tell his true thoughts.
"Mr. Cui, your performance today is very different from yesterday. Yesterday, in my eyes, you were a good official who was not afraid of power and dared to stand up and speak out. Why have you turned into a timid person who dared not speak now? ?”
Cui Qi seemed to be a little more angry when he was rebuked by Shao Xi. He said with annoyance in his tone: "A good official? I never dare to think that I am a good official, but at least I am not a corrupt official. I am not a coward either." As a person, sometimes the only reason to compromise is to keep my official status and do more things for the local people. I was originally just a scholar. I studied hard for ten years in a cold window not to get a job or a title. Now I wear this Wearing an official robe, I just want to do my best for the folks in Yujiang County. If it hadn't been like this, I would have taken off my official robe and become a commoner. I just don't want to lose this opportunity to serve the imperial court because of my anger. , an opportunity to do something for the people.”
Shao Xi couldn't help but nodded after hearing what Cui Qi said. Although this person is straightforward, he is not an impulsive person. He still knows how to judge the situation and keep it useful. He has his own principles but is not stubborn. He can stand up and speak out generously but does not act recklessly. He can be said to be a good official who is both upright and wise.
At this time, Lu Ju, who had already brewed tea, happened to come in with a tea tray. Seeing Shao Xi saying that Cui Qi was a coward, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Cui Qi.
"Master Shao, there is no one else in the house today, so I have to say a few words. If Master Shao thinks that Master Cui is a coward, he has underestimated Master Cui. If it weren't for Master Cui and Master Sun in Yujiang County, existence, then the Zhao family doesn’t know what they want to do with Yujiang County? It is precisely because of Mr. Cui that the Zhao family has some scruples in doing things. It’s a pity that we don’t have as deep a foundation as the Zhao family in the local area. They think that we are weak people, which is really unfair to us..."
"Ahem..., Lu Ju!"
Cui Qi stopped Lu Ju before he could finish what he said. Now he still doesn't know anything about Shao Xi. He doesn't know what the purpose of this fourth-grade official from the capital is for his visit today. So some words are not suitable to be said at this time. Who knows if he is from the Zhao family?
When Shao Xi saw Cui Qi stopping Lu Ju from continuing, he also understood that the other party was still wary of him. Instead of being so secretive, it was better to be honest and make his position clear.
"Master Cui doesn't need to stop him. I just hope that Master Cui is such a person. To be honest with Master Cui, I originally came to Yujiang County for other things, but because I learned about this Yujiang County in Yushui Town, The Zhao family of Jiang County actually dominates one area, covers the sky with one hand, and secretly increases local commercial taxes, causing merchants and people to suffer miserably. From this, we can think of what is the use of the Zhao family's corruption of tax money for many years? Spending a lot of money, I suspect that the Zhao family is raising a private army. What on earth is a local official doing to support a private army? In order to find out this matter, I deliberately approached the Zhao family, hoping to find some clues and find an opportunity. Destroying them will minimize the harm to the court and the people. Yesterday at the banquet, I saw that Mr. Cui is an upright person and has excellent official status. Therefore, I came here today to cooperate with Mr. Cui to find out what the Zhao family raised. Evidence of a private army. If possible, destroy this private army to avoid future troubles."
After hearing what Shao Xi said, Cui Qi suddenly realized that he had misunderstood the young inspector Shi of the "Jingcheng Division" in front of him.
Cui Qi quickly stood up, bowed to Shao Xi and Lao Wu and apologized: "So that's how it is. It seems that the official has indeed misunderstood the two adults. Let me tell you! The dignified 'Jingcheng Si' is the most powerful person around the Holy Master. How could they be easily bribed by the Zhao family with their help? It turns out that the two adults have their own plans, but I am so stupid that I misunderstood the two adults. Please forgive me for my ignorance."
Shao Xi waved his hand and asked Cui Qi to sit back, and continued: "Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, I think we should talk about business. You have been an official here for many years, how much do you know about the Zhao family? Do you have any control? Is there any evidence that the Zhao family has committed evil crimes in the local area over the years?"
"My lords, please wait a moment."
After Cui Qi said this, he stood up and walked towards the study.
Shao Xi and Lao Wu looked at each other and both understood that Cui Qi must have gone to get some evidence related to the Zhao family.
After a while, Cui Qi came back with a thick stack of documents, files, and account books in his hand, and placed them all in front of Shao Xi.
"What is before your Excellency are all the records and accounts of the Zhao family in Yujiang County, including all the records and accounts of the Zhao family's business in Yujiang County that have been collected by the officials over the years. What they did in the county every year, money and taxes I secretly recorded the collection, distribution, and transfer of endowments. They thought they did it perfectly, but when they were busy making fake accounts, they didn't notice that I was making real accounts for them."
Shao Xi simply flipped through a few of the books and found that every transaction was a huge amount. The Zhao family not only doubled the business taxes of various industries in Yujiang County, but also monopolized and controlled various industries. In all industries, the most profitable industries were all brought into the Zhao family, making it difficult for local merchants and people to survive.
This Yujiang County has almost become the private property of the Zhao family. No wonder Zhao Huajun had such a strong reaction yesterday when he mentioned that he wanted to take over the Yunsha industry. It seems that he has touched the fattest piece of meat of their Zhao family in Yujiang County. Nearly half of their profits were taken away.
Now it seems that his original judgment was correct. Zhao Huajun's verbal promise to hand over the Yunsha industry was just a delaying tactic. What the Zhao family must do next is to eradicate himself and the officials in the county who opposed the Zhao family. Killing someone with a borrowed knife. This kind of thing is already common in officialdom.
"Master Cui, since you have such a huge amount of evidence in your hands, why don't you go to the court to impeach Zhao Huajun and attack the Zhao family's influence in Yujiang County?"
Cui Qi had a helpless smile on his face.
"Master Shao, the Zhao family dares to amass money so blatantly and crazily in Yujiang County. Do you really think they have such courage? Every year, the imperial court sends officials to inspect and inspect, but in the end they all leave quietly. It goes without saying how many benefits the Zhao family has gained. The fact that the Zhao family secretly raised a private army in Nanshan is not your guess, it is a fact. Where did they get so bold? I'm just a little kid. I am a seventh-grade county magistrate with no connections and no connections. If I rashly report to the court to impeach Zhao Huajun, I am afraid that I will be dead in the wilderness before arriving in Kyoto. Over the years, I have endured the humiliation and endured the heavy burden to secretly collect these evidences, just to wait until you look like your Excellency. When people like you appear, we will discuss good strategies together to eradicate the Zhao family in Yujiang County in one fell swoop."
Shao Xi confirmed from Cui Qi's mouth that the Zhao family indeed supported private soldiers, and was extremely horrified in his heart. What was just a guess and a worry before has now become a reality. What do they want to do by raising a private army?
"Master Cui, do you have any evidence that the Zhao family is raising a private army? How much do you know about this matter? Tell me quickly."
Cui Qi opened one of the scrolls on the case in front of Shao Xi. It was a fairly detailed map with several special marks on it and numbers next to the marks.
"Over the years, the Zhao family has secretly recruited a large number of blacksmiths from other places to manufacture a large number of armors and weapons in a private military depot in Nanshan. They also spent a large amount of money to bribe officials from various places to privately recruit all death row prisoners and exiled prisoners to Nanshan. For training, I have recruited more than 2,000 people over the past few years, all of whom have been trained to become elites, and all of them are not afraid of death. I once asked Lu Ju to sneak into Nanshan to station the private armies scattered and hidden everywhere. The land is drawn on a map, and the specific deployment of troops is marked. If the imperial court sends troops to encircle and suppress, this map will be of great use."
"Do you know who is behind the Zhao family?"
"I'm afraid even many Zhao family members don't know the answer to this question. Zhao Huajun may be the only one who knows about it."
Shao Xi had a big headache for a while!
There are still a lot of shitty things in Kyoto that have not been resolved, and now a private army has emerged here. This is no small matter! What should we do now? Return to Daliang to report this matter to the Holy One? But I still have the status of an envoy, so I can’t put off my mission any longer!
How can I wipe out these two thousand well-trained elites with my own abilities now? Although Xiao Changyi gave himself the power to act first and then act later, there is no one at hand right now! It's hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. How can the two or three thousand men and horses under Yujiang County's lieutenant fight against these two thousand elites? Not to mention encirclement and suppression!
In the past, we often saw hundreds of thousands or even millions of troops fighting against each other in movies and TV dramas, but in reality, the opponent's two thousand troops were a terrifying number. Where should I mobilize my troops?
Shao Xi originally thought that there were only a thousand soldiers, but he never expected that the Zhao family could raise two thousand private troops in these years.
"Mr. Cui, are you in the same camp as the Commander Sun Jue and others? This matter is of great importance. If Sun Jue is not reliable, you can tell me directly. If he is reliable, I would like to find someone. If you have a chance to meet him, make arrangements in advance."
"Master Shao can rest assured that Sun Jue was once the lower official's brother-in-law."
"Ah! So you have a wife?"