Looking at his back, Ruan Ming was dumbfounded.
It wasn't until Ruan Yang walked in that he finally reacted. He said repeatedly: "This, this, this, Yang'er, what does Liu Changqing mean?"
"Alas!" Ruan Yang sighed and said, "I told you not to provoke Liu Changqing, but now, my father has brought trouble on his own."
"Oh! What can we do..." Ruan Ming regretted it after hearing this.
He wanted to curry favor with Liu Changqing, but he didn't know that he had been taken advantage of.
After this incident, Liangzhou officials frowned even deeper when they received the news.
When we met again for discussion, someone said:
"Liu Changqing can't handle it if he doesn't have enough oil and salt..."
"Yes, although this person is pedantic, he is also difficult to deal with..."
"More importantly, we don't know where his breakthrough is now..."
The first official office in Liangzhou.
Qi Ying cupped his fists and saluted, "Sir, we already have some clues."
"Oh?" Liu Changqing was shocked and quickly motioned for him to continue.
Qi Ying said: "According to inquiries from various sources, since the autumn harvest, the number of grain merchants in Liangzhou suddenly increased a lot, and trade was frequent during this period."
"Well, there must be a problem here." Liu Changqing said seriously: "Let's leave it here for now. Later, we will make a plan for the grain merchants. Now, you first take people to Fu'an County to visit the people. Details Check the amount of grain in Fu'an, and also send people on fast horses to rush six hundred miles to deliver this letter to the king's court."
While talking, he also handed over a silk letter.
"This is it?" Qi Ying took it and couldn't help but asked curiously.
Liu Changqing had nothing to hide from him and said bluntly: "It's about the corruption of the Ruan family."
"Ah?" Qi Ying was a little confused and said, "Sir, our main task is to investigate the major grain corruption case. The Ruan family seems not to be involved, right?"
"Any corrupt officials! We cannot let them go!" Liu Changqing said seriously.
"Yes! Let's do the humble job right away." Qi Ying took the order and left.
This urgent letter, which was six hundred miles away, was delivered to Qinzhou not long after. Due to Liu Changqing's current status, the letter could reach the king directly.
In the letter, Liu Changqing explained the matter of Ruan Ming's huge amount of gold and silver and requested that it be investigated and dealt with. However, after Xiao Yuan read it, he suppressed it instead of giving instructions.
In the back garden, he was walking with Gu Xue, and seeing that he was a little absent-minded, Gu Xue couldn't help but ask: "What worries do you have, husband?"
Xiao Yuan shook his head: "It's still about Liangzhou."
As he said that, he added: "The Ruan family doesn't need to do anything now, and can't do it. There are some things that can be turned a blind eye as long as they don't touch the bottom line. But Liu Changqing is too upright in doing things. I really I'm afraid that he will make some big mistake."
Gu Xue heard this and said, "Without his integrity, would my husband still have important officials to handle the Liangzhou case?"
"Forget it, let him do the hard work, I just want to see the results." Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly.
At the same time, Fu'an County.
In the county house, Qi Ying was dressed in armor and had a sword hanging on his waist. He stretched out his hand and said, "Master Lin, please."
Looking at Qi Ying and several soldiers behind him, the county magistrate Lin Youfu said angrily: "This is simply unreasonable! This county is a dignified official! What right do you have to do this! Be careful that I will write a letter to you, and you will be unable to eat and walk around !”
Qi Ying shook his head: "I don't have this right, but the person who asked you to come is the Liangzhou Inspector. Mr. Lin had better leave quickly and don't bring shame on yourself."
"Wha...what!?" Hearing this, Lin Youfu suddenly lost all confidence and was dumbfounded.
After reacting, he immediately changed from his previous arrogance and forced a smile: "The inspector has invited me, so I don't dare not to go. However, there are still many official affairs that need to be dealt with in this county government. …”
Qi Ying looked at him coldly and said nothing, but the meaning was already obvious.
Seeing this, Lin Youfu couldn't help but swallowed and forced a smile again: "Okay, okay..."
There was no words all the way. After bringing the Fu'an County Magistrate back, Qi Ying immediately asked Liu Changqing to return his orders.
After listening to his report, the latter nodded and said: "Bring Magistrate Fu'an in."
"yes!"
Not long after, Lin Youfu entered the hall. He was still wearing the official uniform of the county magistrate. After entering, he first carefully glanced at Liu Changqing above, then bowed and saluted, "I am the magistrate of Fu'an County. I have met Mr. Liu."
"Master Lin." Liu Changqing glanced at him, then picked up a silk book on the desk and said straight to the point:
"This is the official document you submitted to the county government. It contains a detailed description. At the time of the handover, the number of grains in the entire Fu'an was 30,000 shi, right?"
"Yes, yes." Lin Youfu replied standing below.
Liu Changqing said: "After Mr. Qi's verification, Fu'an County has had good weather this year and the harvest is quite good. The total number is actually more than 50,000 shi. Can you tell me that the county government actually received 50,000, but reported only 30,000. In the middle Where did the 20,000 yuan go?”
Lin Youfu seemed to have been prepared for this question. He immediately replied after hearing this: "That's because during the transportation statistics, there were 20,000 stones of grain and grass, which became moldy due to the tide. When the handover was made, the county government rejected it. Therefore, there are only thirty thousand stones."
"Really?" Liu Changqing sneered: "What about the moldy twenty thousand stones of grain and grass? Where are they now?"
"At the county government office, my subordinates already have some storage, and they don't dare to move it privately."
"So, I have wronged you?" Liu Changqing continued to sneer.
"Master Liu's words are serious. On behalf of your Majesty, your Excellency will patrol Liangzhou and summon the subordinates. It should be done. It should be done."
Lin Youfu kept talking, and the nervousness he felt when he first met Liu Changqing seemed to gradually calm down with the airtight answer.
He thought that his answer was perfect. Even if he went to check the 20,000 pieces of moldy food, he would not be afraid because it was indeed in the county government.
But unexpectedly, Liu Changqing suddenly slapped the table and said sternly:
"Courageous official! How dare you deceive superiors and deceive subordinates, and make perfunctory prevarications!"
"After you collected grain and grass, you colluded with grain merchants to exchange new grain for old moldy grain and enriched your own pockets. Do you think I don't know about it?"
He already understood what he meant. After receiving 50,000 shi of fresh grain and rice, in order to make a profit, Lin Youfu took the risk and exchanged 20,000 shi of it for waste grain, which was said to be moldy due to the tide.
This plan is not ill-conceived and has good reasons.
But at this moment, how did Liu Changqing know! Lin Youfu was also frightened by the sudden shouting, and he tensed up, and then forced himself to calm down and said: "Sir... Your Excellency, you are making things out of nothing, falsely accusing the official, and the official refuses to accept it..."
"You still dare to quibble! Come here! Bring me here!" Liu Changqing shouted immediately.
