I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 256 I am Hai Rui Hai Gangfeng!
Manager Xu's expression also changed.

The fourth-rank prefect knelt down at the gate of Xu's mansion, and both Cai Guoxi and the Xu family became famous.

It’s just that one has a good reputation for petitioning for the people, and the other has a bad reputation for being arrogant and domineering.

Manager Xu looked at Cai Guoxi, who was kneeling upright at the gate of Xu's residence, as well as the Tongzhi of Songjiang Prefecture and the magistrates of Huating and Qingpu counties, who hesitated and finally knelt down, and he suddenly felt a headache.

This matter has become a big deal!
His eyes flickered back and forth a few times, and finally he turned and walked into the mansion.

I have to report this matter to the eldest master immediately and ask him to make the decision. This matter is no longer something I can handle.

Hai Rui pulled Yang Jinshui out of the crowd and sat down in a nearby teahouse.

"Eunuch Yang, Prefect Cai has become a general. Let's see how the Xu family responds this time."

"it is good."

The two sat down and ordered a pot of ordinary tea. Hai Rui asked softly, "Eunuch Yang, do you think there is something fishy about this?"

"Of course there is something strange." Yang Jinshui replied.

Hai Rui smiled slightly, "What's so strange? Eunuch Yang, can you explain it in more detail?"

Yang Jinshui looked at Hai Rui and said meaningfully, "Why does Lord Gangfeng have to test me?"

Hai Rui continued to ask, "Didn't Eunuch Yang say that the Xu family is your biggest rival in the southeast? Don't you know your rival?"

"Lord Gangfeng, I am a servant of the crown prince, a notorious eunuch, but you are the most honest official in the Ming Dynasty. Logically, we should be incompatible, but you sit together and talk about everything.

It's scary enough, but you still ask me what's so strange about the play in front of Xu's house. Lord Gangfeng, what's so strange about you?"

Yang Jinshui seemed to not take Hai Rui seriously at all and questioned him aggressively.

Hai Rui smiled and said, "In my eyes, there are only treachery and loyalty.

What is loyalty? To be brave enough to take on responsibilities, benefit the country and the people, and serve the emperor is loyalty in my eyes; what is treachery? To be idle in office, harm the country and the people, and deceive the emperor is treachery in my eyes!
I have heard of your great name, Yang Jinshui, for a long time. The scholars all call you a eunuch, and the great scholars and celebrities gnash their teeth when they mention you. However, merchants and travelers, no matter where they go, will give a thumbs up when they mention the name of Eunuch Yang.

I passed through Nanjing and entered Changzhou and Suzhou, and visited the counties and villages in disguise. The people all expressed gratitude when they mentioned you.

You urged several major businesses to form supply and marketing cooperatives and peddlers' teams, and spread out into the mountainous areas of counties and prefectures in Southern Zhili and Liangzhe to collect silk cocoons, tea, tung oil, pig bristles, raw hemp, medicinal materials, lacquer and other products.

All were paid in cash at market prices, giving the people an additional way to make money. The peddlers accompanied the supply and marketing cooperatives, set up stalls in various markets, and went from village to village, selling cheap cotton cloth, farm tools, ironware and other daily necessities for the people. The prices were good, and they could be exchanged, so the people were less exploited.

Hai Rui stroked his beard and said leisurely: "The common people are the most simple-minded. They know who is good to them."

He suddenly stood up, walked to the next table, bowed to the three people at the table and asked, "Excuse me, are you also doing business?"

"Yes, we are merchants from Jiangxi. Who are you?"

"I am a merchant from Guangzhou. I came to Songjiang to buy cotton cloth because of its reputation." Hai Rui spoke in an awkward Nanzhili Mandarin with a strong Lingnan accent. It sounded very real. "I have heard that the largest cotton cloth merchant in Songjiang is the Xu family. That's why I came to Huating County. I didn't want to run into this matter."

The three Jiangxi merchants at the next table looked at each other, smiled bitterly and said to Hai Rui: "Brother, you have been misled by the rumors. If you want to purchase goods, just go to Shanghai. We came from Suzhou and went straight to Shanghai. We just passed by Huating."

"Shanghai?" Hai Rui was surprised. "Didn't they say that Yang Jinshui, a eunuch, was there? How dare you go there, where he is causing trouble?"

After saying that, he turned around and smiled at Yang Jinshui.

"My friend, you have been misled by bad friends! If you want to do business in the southeast, purchase and sell goods, go to Shanghai. If you encounter any problems, go to Yang Caishen."

Hai Rui was still pretending, "Isn't he a member of the eunuch party who came from the palace? How can there be a good person among the eunuch party?"

"Eunuch party? We wish all the officials in the world were such eunuchs! Then our lives would be much better!" A businessman at the next table sighed.

The other two businessmen talked a lot about the good things Yang Jinshui had done.

Hai Rui suddenly understood something, and immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice. I will go to Shanghai tomorrow."

He sat back at his table and smiled at Yang Jinshui sitting opposite him, like a chrysanthemum.

Yang Jinshui looked at Hai Rui, speechless for a moment, but excited and moved in his heart.

"I never thought that a eunuch like me would be regarded as a loyal subject by Lord Gangfeng. I have no regrets in my death!"

Hai Rui's face changed, and he scolded him rudely, "Why do you want to die? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince trusts you so much and has entrusted you with the economic affairs of the southeast. You don't want to serve for a few more years and make more efforts for the country and the people, but you keep talking about death. A loyal minister should serve the country and the people, share the worries of the king, and work until death!

By the way, I asked you something strange, and you haven't answered it yet!"

Yang Jinshui's attitude changed completely.

"Gongfeng asked me questions, and I, of course, told him everything I knew. The tricks played by the scholars and civil servants were all exposed to Gangfeng. Yang also saw a lot and understood it clearly.

Generally, when landlords and tycoons occupied land, they usually colluded with the county government and falsified the household registers. The county clerk, county magistrate, and county magistrate were either foolish and ignorant, or pretended to be ignorant in order to get benefits.

The Xu family was able to seize more than 50,000 mu of fertile land in one go, covering several counties in Songjiang and Suzhou, and even dared to evade taxes. This would not have been possible without the cooperation of the county governments in Suzhou and Songjiang."

Hai Rui nodded. He also knew that the key to such a bad policy lay in the household registration system of the county government.

"Such a big thing, Yang knows from the appearance of Huating and Qingpu counties that they must know about it. Does Songjiang prefect Cai Guoxi know about it?
He was unaware of the occupation of farmland and the concealment of taxes. Now that the autumn harvest could not be paid and his career prospects were affected, he knew about it and went to the gate of Xu's house to petition, even kneeling on the ground.

Anyway, my family feels that something is fishy. Doesn’t Mr. Gangfeng also feel that something is fishy?”

Hai Rui turned his head and looked out the window towards the Xu Mansion in the distance. The door there was still closed. Songjiang Prefect Cai Guoxi and the two county magistrates of Huating and Qingpu were kneeling on the ground.

More and more people gathered around the street, and their voices of discussion became louder and louder.

"Most officials in the world are like this. They turn a blind eye to matters that do not concern them. But when it comes to their own future and interests, they become anxious and flustered.

Regardless of whether Cai Guoxi has any ulterior motives or not, he is willing to come to the gate of Xu's house today and kneel on the ground. I think he is quite responsible. "

Yang Jinshui nodded in agreement, "What Lord Gangfeng said makes sense. Cai Guoxi came to the gate of the Xu residence today and publicly announced his actions, which has already offended the Xu family. Kneeling in public like this is equivalent to completely breaking off relations.

Just as Lord Gangfeng said, no matter how many private thoughts or how much justice he has in his heart, he is willing to offend the prime minister of the cabinet for the people of Songjiang, and he can be regarded as a loyal minister for the country and the people.

It’s just him kneeling.”

Hai Rui turned to look at Yang Jinshui and asked leisurely, "What are you worried about?"

"Your Highness has just finished the Lianghuai Salt Administration, and now this has happened again. I feel that this huge burden is too much for Your Highness to bear."

Hai Rui was silent for a long time before he said quietly, "The late emperor was extremely intelligent, but stubborn and lazy. The crown prince is gifted, wise and diligent, and is a blessing to the Ming Dynasty."

The side door of the Xu residence opened, and the steward Xu came out again. He said to Cai Guoxi, who was kneeling on the ground, "Let's go. My son is ill. He has taken medicine and is resting today. You should come back tomorrow, Governor Cai."

After saying this, he winked at the slave next to him.

The slaves immediately jumped out and said, "Prefect Cai, at least you are a Jinshi from the two lists, why do you have to humiliate yourself like this?"

"If you can see my master by kneeling like this, then everyone will come to kneel, and my master will be very busy."

Several slaves spoke rudely and humiliated him.

Hai Rui and Yang Jinshui looked at each other.

Yang Jinshui said: "The relationship has already been torn apart. It would be awkward for the eldest son of the Xu family to come out at this time.

He secretly ordered his servants to humiliate Cai Guoxi, so that the governor Cai would be angry and forced to leave. He was quite quick-witted. But he was used to bullying others by taking advantage of his power, and the scheme he came up with was still so arrogant and left no room for retreat. "

Hai Rui stood up and said, "The play has reached this point, the heat is just right, it's just right for me to make my debut."

Yang Jinshui smiled and said, "Then we won't say anything. Our family has a bad reputation, and standing next to Lord Hai would be a disgrace to our reputation."

Hai Rui pointed at him, lifted up his collar, and walked in square steps. Under the protection of several followers, he went straight to the door of Xu's house, raised his head and spoke to Manager Xu who had not yet entered.

"Prefect Cai is not qualified to see your son, so I wonder if I am qualified?"

Another one coming out?
The steward of Xu's residence asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Rui Hai Gang Feng from Nan Hai!"

Hai Qingtian is here!
The entrance to Xu’s house suddenly exploded!

(End of this chapter)