Be a small county magistrate in ancient times

Chapter 496 It’s too late
Meng Changqing looked at the person in front of him, "What do you mean?"

Hua Rujin leaned out from behind the door curtain and said, "It's cold outside, let's talk inside."

"That's right." Meng Changqing said, "You two adults, please sit inside and talk slowly."

There was no time to waste, so Zeng asked as soon as he entered the door, "Excuse me, Lord Meng, where is the memorial written by Sun Tongpan now?"

Meng Changqing paused while holding the teapot. "Why do you ask this, Master Zeng?"

Zeng Jing looked embarrassed and hesitated when the words came to his lips.

Hua Rujin couldn't bear to see him like that, "If you don't confess, how can Lord Meng help you?"

"I was caught by Lord Liu for helping my neighbors evade taxes." Zeng Jing just brushed aside his own affairs and emphasized, "Now Lord Liu has something on me, I can't go against him no matter what.

Lord Meng, please blacken the area where my seal appears on the memorial."

Meng Changqing put the teacup next to him.

"Mr. Zeng is a graduate of imperial examinations and has been an official for many years. Have you forgotten the rule that no alterations can be made in any memorials submitted?" Meng Changqing knew very well that as long as they could be caught, it was not tax evasion.

Why do you have to put it in such a nice way when you are colluding with local gentry?

"Don't worry about this. Just withdraw the memorial. I'll ask Lord Sun to rewrite it and you can stamp it again." Zeng Jing assured.

Meng Changqing didn't say anything and stared at Zeng Jing for a long time.

Zeng Jing saw Meng Changqing like this and asked Hua Rujin in confusion, "What's wrong with me?"

Hua Rujin shook his head and asked Meng Changqing, "Master Meng, what's wrong?"

Meng Changqing smiled and said, "Master Zeng, why should you be so scared? Master Liu is one level higher in rank, but how long has he been in Liangzhou? How can he really manage the people in your Quping County if he stays in Liangzhou all day long?"

Hua Rujin's expression changed. He had wanted to ask this question before.

"You don't know." Zeng Jing looked at the two of them. "Yesterday, Lord Liu bypassed me and went directly to meet with the gentry of Quping County. Some of those gentry have long been dissatisfied with me and wish me bad luck. If they can take this opportunity to get close to the prefect, how can they give up?"

Zeng Jing pleaded with Meng Changqing: "The lives of my family, young and old, all depend on you, Lord Meng. Please make sure to retrieve the memorial." "It's too late," said Meng Changqing.

Zeng Jing froze.

Hua Rujin asked again: "Has the memorial arrived in the capital?"

"Your Majesty has read the memorial." Meng Changqing said.

Zeng simply slid off the chair.

Hua Rujin hurried over and helped the man up, "You don't have to do this."

Zeng Jing grabbed Hua Rujin's arm and barely managed to sit still. He asked unwillingly, "How can you be sure, Lord Meng, that the Emperor has read the memorial?" He thought that perhaps Meng Changqing wanted to scare him on purpose.

Hua Rujin also said, "If the emperor has read the memorial, why is there no movement in Liangzhou City?"

When Zeng Jing heard him say this, hope arose in his heart. As long as the emperor had not read it, even if the memorial had been placed in the imperial study, he could always use his connections to get it withdrawn.

"Why is there no movement?" Meng Changqing looked at Zeng Jing.

Zeng Jing's face turned pale instantly and he was about to slide to the ground again. Hua Rujin took a half step forward and stopped him with her foot.

"I received two letters from the capital yesterday." Meng Changqing called Bafang who was passing by the door, "Come to my study and bring the two letters over."

The two letters arrived on the same day and talked about the same thing, but the contents were slightly different.

One of the writers of the letter was Chen Xingqi and the other was Dai Dongwen.

The general meaning is that the six ministries were arguing over whether the new tax rate in Liangzhou was feasible. After discussion, it was decided that the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue would each send one person to Liangzhou for an on-site investigation.

The letter written by Dai Dongwen also included the names of officials sent by various departments.

They are Feng Zhongan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xu Xiaoyun, Doctor of the Ministry of Revenue, and Li Daolang, Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Personnel.

With her uncle Dong Wen's connections, how could he find out so much? It is obvious that the message was passed on to her by the Zong Mansion, but it is not clear whether the person who passed the message was her master or Zong Shouqing.