amaotonovel Chapter 427 Visit
Chapter 427 Visit
Upon hearing that Feng Zhihuan had sent a letter home, Madam Feng quickly gestured for her maid to help her sit up and eagerly opened the letter. Her expression changed drastically upon reading its contents.
The people of Yongqing County made a living by growing mulberry and hemp. The area was also rich in lead ore. Although the mines were controlled by the imperial court, the people could earn some extra money to supplement their household income by being hired to work in the mines.
Until five years ago, the Northern Qi and the Great Zhou were at war for years, which led to an empty treasury.
The Northern Qi emperor issued an edict ordering local officials to open mines and collect taxes to replenish the national treasury and support the war against the Great Zhou.
Her son happened to be the prefect of Yongqing County, so he assigned the tasks given by the imperial court to the merchants, stipulating how much silver they had to hand over each year. If they failed to mine the mines, they had to use their own family assets to make up the difference.
Merchants wouldn't do business at a loss, but they couldn't defy the government, so they had to distribute the tasks assigned by the government to ordinary people.
In order to complete their tasks, ordinary people naturally abandoned their farmland.
Over the years, the national treasury and local officials have become richer, while the people have been exploited to the point of starvation and widespread resentment.
Two months ago, her son heard that a silver mine had been discovered in a village, and that the silver mine happened to be located below the village head's ancestral graves.
Her son gave the village head three days to relocate the ancestral graves. If the village head hadn't moved them by then, he would send people to dig them up. He also offered the village head a compromise: for a sum of money, they would mine in a different location.
The village head couldn't afford the money, so when the government sent people to dig up his ancestral graves, a conflict broke out between him and the yamen runners, resulting in the deaths of seven or eight villagers and triggering a riot.
Her son's use of force to suppress the rioting people not only failed to achieve the desired effect, but the situation escalated, and people from all over the country united to protest.
The situation was getting out of control, so he sent a letter home, hoping that Feng Xiaozhong could help him smooth things over and reduce the severity of the situation.
Madam Feng's vision went black; it was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly.
The Northern Qi emperor beheaded the master to intimidate them and prevent them from mentioning the Prince of Qi's origins again.
Now that her son has committed a serious crime, if no one helps her to smooth things over in the court, she will surely be beheaded when things get out of control.
She asked, "Qiongyue, after the incident with the master, which family sent someone to our residence?"
The maid Qiongyue, her eyes red and swollen from crying, said in a hoarse voice, "Not a single family has come to our mansion."
Madam Feng had anticipated this situation. With her husband accused of framing the empress and beheaded, how could those ministers who had previously been on good terms with them dare to associate with them anymore?
She regretted it; she regretted urging her husband to investigate the background of Prince Qi.
But it's too late for regrets now.
In order to save her son, she had to pull herself together and seek help from the King's faction.
Madam Feng sent out invitations to each household.
No one dared to offend the Northern Qi emperor at this critical juncture, so they all made excuses to decline.
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Zhao Yi returned to the mansion last night, and it was already past midnight. Shen Qingtan was already asleep in bed.
Since arriving in Northern Qi, Shen Qingtan has been a light sleeper; the slightest noise can wake her up.
Worried about waking Shen Qingtan, he deliberately slept in the study for the night.
At the fourth watch of the night, he got up to prepare for the morning court session.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Shen Qingtan bringing Liu Yue over.
Zhao Yi smiled slightly: "It's not even dawn yet, why are you up already?"
Shen Qingtan said softly, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, I've come to give you a sachet."
She took a sachet of Chinese medicine from her sleeve and leaned over to tie it around his waist.
Zhao Yi lowered his eyes to look at the exquisite sachet at his waist, which faintly emitted a medicinal fragrance. His handsome features softened, and he gently instructed, "If anyone related to the Feng family comes to visit, you can decline to see them."
Shen Qingtan smoothed out his official robe and was about to say that the Feng family belonged to Consort Shu, so why would they come to visit the Prince of Guangling's residence?
Before she could speak, the gatekeeper rushed over: "Your Highness, Your Highness, Madam Feng has arrived."