amaotonovel Chapter 688 This official is in pain, and you must accompany him!
Chapter 688 This official is in pain, and you must accompany him!
As everyone knows, Prince Consort Yang has always been a magnanimous person, someone who has transcended vulgar interests.
Adhering to the principle of "rather than tormenting myself through internal strife, I'd rather go crazy and kill someone else," Yang Shaofeng decisively decided to find someone to vent his anger on.
Of course, the most important thing when looking for someone to vent your anger on is to choose a good target.
First, we can rule out Empress Ma.
After all, she was his mother-in-law and his biggest protector, but he was always being manipulated by her. So, just thinking of the name Empress Ma made Yang Shaofeng very wise to change his target.
Secondly, those who could be targeted by Yang Shaofeng for revenge had to have a certain status in the underworld.
After all, he is the son-in-law of a prince consort; not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry is qualified to be targeted by Yang Shaofeng.
So, it seems that only Lao Deng and Xiao Deng are left, plus Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, Xu Da, and Chang Yuchun.
As for the gentry of Jiangnan?
They were like the rabbit in the "killing two birds with one stone" scenario, it was purely a side effect.
If Yang Shaofeng were to use them as punching bags, Old Deng would probably jump out and ask, "What kind of class are they?"
Finally, it's about determining the method and intensity of retaliation.
There are many ways to get revenge on them. Some methods will leave them with no choice but to swallow their anger and accept the loss even though they know they've been tricked. Other methods, however, can easily implicate you.
Therefore, we must find a way to torment them while also making them suffer in silence.
As for the severity of the retaliation, that's even easier to understand.
Simply put, it's about repeatedly jumping back and forth on the red line between wanting to die but not being able to, and wanting to go crazy but not being able to.
I am suffering because I cannot kill that shorty, and you old fools, young fools, and scoundrels must suffer with me!
Even more enjoyable than this official's!
Otherwise, you wouldn't know what it means to empathize!
Yang Shaofeng pondered for a moment, slurping a small dumpling while looking at Jin'er and saying, "I'm going to Jiangnan to continue investigating the case."
……
"Huai'an Prefecture governs six counties and two prefectures. Haizhou governs one county and Pizhou governs two counties, with Shanyang as its capital."
"Among them, Shanyang and Qinghe counties are located in strategic locations, have many government affairs, have accumulated a lot of debts over the years, and have impure local customs."
"The other counties are roughly similar to Shanyang and Qinghe, except that Yancheng is better at taxation because of its salt fields, but it still suffers from problems such as complicated government affairs and impure folk customs."
With a bitter expression, Wu Zhendong, the prefect of Huai'an, introduced the situation of the entire Huai'an Prefecture to Yang Shaofeng.
"Since I took office as the new prefect of Huai'an last year, although I have followed the example of the Prince Consort in Ningyang and Dengzhou to build up many workshops, the results have been minimal."
"Unfortunately, this case involving children and ironware has implicated many officials from various counties in Huai'an."
"This……"
The more Wu Zhendong spoke, the more distressed he became.
Compared to Wu Zhendong, Du Xingchuan, the commander of the Dahe Guard, felt like he wanted to die.
In the third year of the Hongwu reign, Dahewei had already been burned down once, and the commander of Dahewei at that time was transferred to Dengzhou Prefecture on official business as a result.
Later, he took over as the commander of the Dahe Guard. He worked diligently and cautiously, barely making it through the fourth year of Hongwu's reign. However, in the fifth year of Hongwu's reign, the Dahe Guard was implicated in the child case and the ironware case.
If he is not careful, he will be sent to Dengzhou Prefecture on official business, just like the former commander.
How can doing hard labor to repair roads not be considered official business?
Looking at Wu Zhendong and Du Xingchuan, whose faces were full of worry, Yang Shaofeng said with a forced smile, "Prefect Wu and Commander Du seem to be having a headache about something?"
Wu Zhendong thought to himself, "It's because of you, Yang Dianfeng, that I have a headache!"
After cursing inwardly, Wu Zhendong finally spoke, "Your Highness, I do have a headache, but it's because the people of Huai'an Prefecture are struggling to make a living, nothing else."
As Wu Zhendong finished speaking, Du Xingchuan suddenly felt like he was being roasted over a fire.
What should this commander say?
The reason why the people of Huai'an Prefecture had their livelihoods taken advantage of by that old scoundrel Wu Zhendong. Even if it hadn't been taken advantage of, as the commander of the Dahe Guard, the livelihoods of the people of Huai'an Prefecture were not his concern.
Just as the two were internally criticizing each other, Yang Shaofeng said "Oh," and looked at Wu Zhendong, asking, "Huai'an has Shanyang and Qinghe counties located in a strategic area, so how could the people there be struggling to make a living?"
"It's true that there are many official duties, but His Majesty has exempted taxes several times, so how can Huai'an Prefecture have any outstanding arrears?"
"Moreover, there are the salt fields in Yancheng. The people of Huai'an, even if they are not rolling in money, should not be struggling to make a living, right?"
Wu Zhendong glanced at Yang Shaofeng discreetly.
So what if Shanyang and Qinghe counties are located in strategic locations?
You madman Yang dares to build roads and set up checkpoints in Dengzhou Prefecture, but do you think I dare to build roads and set up checkpoints in Shanyang and Qinghe counties at will?
wrong.
To be precise, I can build roads in Shanyang and Qinghe counties, but I cannot set up roadblocks arbitrarily.
Although Dengzhou Prefecture is not directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Secretariat, it is practically the same as one. Shandong Provincial Governor Wang Guangyang doesn't care what you do in Dengzhou Prefecture.
And your father-in-law.
Your reputation as a madman, Yang, for bullying envoys from vassal states and beating and scolding the common people has spread throughout the entire Jiangnan region. Your father-in-law just pretends not to hear or see it.
And what about the other crimes, such as condoning Dengzhou merchants to beat up merchants from vassal states, arbitrarily dismissing garrison soldiers, arbitrarily changing the structure of government offices, arbitrarily establishing salt fields, and arbitrarily setting salt prices? If these were committed by anyone else, your father-in-law would have sent them to the execution ground and beheaded long ago. Who else would be as lively and energetic as you?
What the hell are you talking about, Yancheng Saltworks?
I just want to ask you, Yang the Madman, if you don't take the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office and the Salt Tax Commissioner's Office seriously, do you think I would dare to? They don't dare to cause you trouble, but do you think they wouldn't dare to cause me trouble either?
And then there are those county magistrates below them.
Just because the magistrates of Dengzhou Prefecture are obedient and compliant doesn't mean that the magistrates of Huai'an Prefecture are equally obedient and compliant!
There are hardly any local gentry or worthies in the entire Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, but the local gentry and worthies in Huai'an Prefecture are not more numerous than dogs, but they are everywhere. And which of these people is easy to deal with?
Wu Zhendong became angrier and more aggrieved the more he thought about it.
We're all human, so why should I, an official, have to suffer from both sides like a rat in a bellows, and what's more, suffer this damn humiliation!
Unable to bear it any longer, Wu Zhendong simply cupped his hands towards Yang Shaofeng and said, "Your Highness, according to common sense, Huai'an Prefecture has two counties, Shanyang and Qinghe, and it really shouldn't be poor."
"However, through this case involving children and ironware, it can be seen that the various forces in Huai'an Prefecture are deeply entrenched, especially the gentry who run various shops. When it comes to collecting taxes, they will try every means to evade taxes."
"And the officials of the two prefectures and six counties under the jurisdiction of Huai'an Prefecture have countless connections with these local gentry. Although I am willing to deal with them, however..."