Red Mansion, Ningfu Scholarly Family

Chapter 122 The Elders’ Dispute

……

Shandong, Jinan Prefecture, Xue’s Grain Store.

"Brother Xue, hasn't your Xue family been focusing on overseas business in recent years? Why are you suddenly involved in grain?"

"It's fine if you want to interfere. Business is done by people all over the world. There's nothing wrong with that. But what do you mean by suppressing the grain price?"

"Yes, isn't this breaking the rules for the Xue family? Your family has a grudge against money, so don't affect our fortune!"

Everyone talked at once and attacked Xue Ke.

Xue Ke listened quietly for a while, then smiled and said, "Have you finished talking?"

"I've finished talking. What's the matter? Are you still not convinced?"

"Are you going to go against so many of us?"

"We know that your Xue family has a backer in the court, do you think we don't?"

People continued to criticize.

At this time.

Xue Ke suddenly stood up and said with a smile, "I have a few rebels here and will take them to the government office to claim their reward. Please see if you know any of them."

After saying that, Xue Ke clapped his hands twice.

Several guards came forward, carrying six or seven dying pirates, and stood in a row.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Yet they all remained calm.

"Brother Xue, is this what you mean?"

"Nothing interesting." Xue Ke said with a smile, "I caught a few rebels on the way to transport grain, and I plan to hand them over to the court for the reward."

"Go ahead."

Xue Ke waved his hand gently.

The traitor was dragged back again.

Now someone couldn't sit still anymore and said with a smile: "Brother Xue, we are just making a little money, there is no need to make such a big fuss, right?"

"Yes, Brother Xue, we all have connections above us, and it will be difficult for us to explain if you do this."

Xue Ke smiled and said, "I don't care about you. My superiors have told me that this is the price of grain. I'll give you a low point..."

"what?"

"Brother Xue, do you know something?"

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Xue Ke smiled and said, "I heard a piece of news by chance, and I don't know if it's true or not. Someone up there is determined to investigate and is planning to kill a few chickens to scare the monkeys."

"Of course, it could just be a rumor, haha, you don't have to mind it."

"I'm sorry for the poor hospitality."

"Come, let's see you off."

……

The group of wealthy businessmen did not disperse after leaving the Xue family, but gathered at the Chamber of Commerce.

"Everyone, what did the second son of the Xue family mean by his last words?" Chamber of Commerce President Yu Tanliang said with a frown.

Mr. Li smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's obvious that you are trying to scare us."

Zhao Fushang said terrifiedly: "What about those who were arrested? If they confess, we will be dead without a burial place!"

The wealthy businessman Qian smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, their families, wives and children are all in our hands, they will not rebel."

Sun Fushang said with a smile: "The law does not punish the masses. As long as we work together, what can we do even if the Xue family has all the power?"

"makes sense."

Chairman Yu Tanliang nodded, then frowned and said, "How can we deal with the Xue family? They can't beat the backers in public, and they can't beat the thugs in secret, and they were caught by others."

Their backers are nothing more than the prefect, while the Xue family’s backers are in Beijing, there is no comparison.

"Why not ask the prefect? ​​He is a student of Lord Wen. Could he be afraid of the Jia family?"

"Okay, let's do it!"

Before they could go to ask, the prefect's confidant arrived and said in a serious voice: "Everyone, the grain price in Shandong must be controlled below two taels this year. If there is any mistake, you should weigh your own head!"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Why? What I said wasn't clear enough?"

"This... I understand."

……

Shenjing.

At some point, a piece of news began to spread wildly among the scholars.

The relief grain allocated by the imperial court to Shaanxi was completely swallowed up by corrupt officials. Grain merchants took the opportunity to hoard goods at high prices. The price of one stone of grain had risen to six taels or even higher. Ordinary people could not afford it at all, so they sold their children and became bandits.

The local government was even unable to quell the rebellion and began to seek help from the imperial court.

For a time, the crowd was excited and the Shuntian Prefecture government office was surrounded by hundreds of scholars.

"Corrupt officials are rampant, and people are living in misery!"

"Evil officials are in power, and officials force the people to rebel!"

Shuntianfu Yi was so anxious that he almost went out and knelt down before someone.

What does the matter of Shaanxi have to do with Shuntian Prefecture? !
"Master Min."

"Eunuch Dai, save me..."

Dai Quan chuckled: "The emperor knows, this is none of Lord Min's business, follow me to the palace and explain the urgent situation."

Shen Min wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said gratefully, "Thank you, Eunuch Dai, for your kind words. It's just a small token of my respect."

As he spoke, he handed over a bank draft that he had with him. Dai Quan did not take it, but waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's really nothing, Lord Min, you don't have to be polite."

Shen Min continued to apologize with a smile, "I don't have anywhere to put it at the moment, so I have to trouble you to keep it for me. I will come to thank you another day."

Dai Quan then smiled slightly.

"In that case, our family will keep it for you for a day or two, but you have to pay for the storage fee."

"Haha, definitely, definitely."

As they talked, they walked out of the yamen from the back.

……

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

It was eerily quiet.

The usually gentle emperor had a blank expression on his face and said nothing.

below.

The four ministers of the cabinet, the ministers of the six ministries, the chief censor of the Censorate, the chief justice of the Supreme Court and others were all present. They all lowered their heads and dared not breathe.

Suddenly, the sound of light footsteps was heard in the palace, and everyone could tell that it was the eunuch's jogging footsteps.

"Your Majesty, Lord Yimin of Shuntian Prefecture has arrived."

"come in."

Shen Min hurried into the palace and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, long live the emperor."

"Ai Qing, please be fine."

The Emperor took a sip of tea and said, "I heard that Shuntian Prefecture was surrounded. Is that true?"

Shen Min stood up tremblingly and said carefully: "Your Majesty, it is true."

"why?"

The emperor asked with a smile: "Did you do something that angered the gods and the people, causing them to criticize you? Or did you demolish the Confucius Temple?"

"Pfft."

Shen Min knelt down again: "I didn't, Your Majesty, you know clearly, they didn't scold me."

"Oh? Who was he scolding?"

Shen Min said: "Corrupt officials..."

"Where are the corrupt officials?"

Shen Min said: "I heard he is from Shaanxi."

"Oh."

The emperor smiled, looked at Prime Minister Ye and said, "Lord Min said there are corrupt officials in Shaanxi. What do you think, Prime Minister?"

Prime Minister Ye cupped his hands and said, "I think we should conduct a thorough investigation of Shaanxi, especially the matter of the last disaster relief grain. Anyone who embezzled money will not be tolerated!"

"Good, a good one that will never tolerate..."

"Who is responsible for the allocation and planning of disaster relief grain in Shaanxi?"

Cabinet assistant Sun Xiaoye came out with a pale face: "Your Majesty, yes, I will take responsibility."

"How did you take responsibility?" The emperor sneered, "This year, three places in the country were hit by disasters, and the rest of Shandong and Huainan were all safe and sound. Only you in Shaanxi made a mistake. Isn't it time for Sun Aiqing to reflect on yourself?"

By the end of the conversation, the retired emperor's tone had become very serious, and several imperial censors jumped out at the right time.

"I impeach the cabinet minister Sun Xiaoye for abusing his power for personal gain,"

"I impeach the cabinet minister Sun Xiao for embezzling disaster relief grain. Please investigate clearly, Your Majesty."

Sun Xiaoye looked at Ye Xiang and saw that Ye Xiang was staring at him and had no intention of paying any attention to him.

He immediately realized that Ye Xiang had abandoned him.

There's chaos in Shaanxi, and someone needs to take responsibility.

How hateful! He was actually schemed against by a conspiracy of others!
……

Ye Xiang was also very panicked.

He originally thought that the second assistant Wen Ting was an honest and decent person, but he didn't expect that he would bite him without saying a word.

One of his arms was bitten off.

Sun Xiaoye is his arm in the cabinet.

Now that Sun Xiaoye has resigned, the cabinet will have to add new people immediately, and Jia Jing is undoubtedly the most likely to join the cabinet.

By then, Wen Ting and Jia Jing will join forces, and there will also be an old fox Wu Nan eyeing them covetously. It will be difficult for him as the Prime Minister!
As Prime Minister for twenty years, he naturally had many students and former officials, as well as many enemies.

Apart from anything else, the number of senior officials from the six ministries and even cabinet ministers who were squeezed out by him is almost incalculable.

"I resign."

Sun Xiaoye knelt down and kowtowed

"That's right."

The emperor said simply.

The process of three rejections and three retentions to maintain harmony between the monarch and his subjects was omitted.

"I will not confiscate your house. All the proceeds from corruption must be turned over to the national treasury."

Sun Xiaoye immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "I, your humble servant, thank the emperor for his great grace."

The emperor waved his hand.

Sun Xiaoye stood up shakily, glanced at the court, and walked away slowly, step by step.

In the court, it is a place where one person takes over after the other. He is not the first to leave, nor will he be the last to leave.

……

(End of this chapter)