Han official!

Chapter 42 Powerful
Zhang Qian was both surprised and embarrassed. "You two and three have all contributed to the assassination of the powerful Jia Ziguang, but I am the chief of the city gate. It's too much. Too much."

Zhichengmen was the central gate on the west side of Chang'an. The gate pavilion was connected to Gaojie Duting, which expanded the neighborhoods that Guo Jie could control. It was convenient for him to take people out of the city at any time after Dinghun (18:45-19:30) when the gates of Chang'an were closed.

Zhang Qian always wanted to go to the Western Regions and serve as the chief of a gate pavilion, as it would be more convenient to move to a frontier fortress.

He was just worried that Wei Guang, Ji Shaogong, Mang Tong and others would become dissatisfied.

Gan's father was his good friend, and he would only be happy that Zhang Qian was appointed as the chief of the gate pavilion, and would not have any resentment or dissatisfaction.

"It doesn't matter."

Guo Jiesi replied, "Ji Shaogong and Mang Tong will both obey my orders and won't have any grudges against each other. As for Wei Guang, hehe."

Speaking of Wei Guang returning the Hexi horse, Guo Jie couldn't help laughing. "He likes fancy clothes and showing off, but he won't accept charity. Lord Zhao has appointed you as the chief of the city gate. If you give it to Wei Guang, he will be dissatisfied and think he is looking down on him."

Zhang Qian didn't want to create any rifts with his friends at the Gaojie Duting, so he felt relieved after hearing Guo Jie's words of comfort. "Brother, since you say so, I can take up my post as Dutingzhang at the gate pavilion without worrying about causing a quarrel between us brothers. If that's the case, I'd rather not be Dutingzhang at the Zhichengmen Gate."

Guo Jie patted Zhang Qian's black robe and said happily, "After today, you too can kneel and sit at the door of the white cloth-covered carriage. The more food and money the brothers receive, the happier I am as their elder brother. Let's go back and give you two or three sons a feast with wine and horses."

Mention the three words "Lama Wine".

Zhang Qian, Ji Shaogong, Mang Tong and others all had saliva in their mouths, their Adam's apples rolling, and they kept swallowing their saliva. Luoma wine was the wine used by nobles and powerful people for banquets.

"The cook is dead?"

Guo Jie had been busy transporting millet to the wealthy and powerful courtyards. When he returned to the Gaojie Duting, he learned shocking news: "Don't talk nonsense. Although the chef's sword fighting skills are not as good as those of the second and third disciples, he is still quite skilled. How could he die in Jia Ziguang's courtyard?"

He suddenly remembered something and framed Jia Ziguang for secretly keeping red ribbon armor, which involved Dou Ying's guests.

Dou Ying was also a member of the Dou family, a family of foreign relatives that was at its peak of power. Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang, two senior officials in the Chang'an government, inevitably suspected that Dou Ying had ulterior motives, and this matter could not be made public.

The cook who went to the government temple to report that Jia Ziguang had secretly hidden armor will not be allowed to live.

Before Guo Jie left Jia Ziguang's courtyard, he set a big fire. All the members of the Nanyang Jia family, whether alive or dead, were buried in the sea of fire, and their bodies were completely destroyed.

The extermination of the Nanyang Jia family turned out to be an accidental fire.

The entire family died in a fire.

In the eyes of Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang, the only one who knew the inside story, the cook, must not live.

Most of the kitchen stewards committed suicide. Rather than being forced to death by the officials in the Chang'an government, it was better to commit suicide in a decent manner and leave a good impression for their grandchildren.

"I am going to the official temple in Chang'an."

Guo Jie sighed and said, "To appoint the grandson of the Kitchen Treasurer as the Treasurer requires the approval of Duke Zhao. You and Zhang Qian and the others should take care of the Kitchen Treasurer's funeral. Remember to bury him with honor. Don't let your brothers feel disappointed. Their funeral was just a hasty one."

The relationship between the Kitchen Master and Guo Jie and others was average, not as close as that between him and Zhang Qian, Wei Guang and others.

Guo Jie was shocked to hear the news of the death of the Kitchen Master from Ji Shaogong. He was just surprised, but he couldn't help but sigh that the Kitchen Master had lived most of his life for his grandson.

In order to give his grandson a good future, the chef was willing to die, and he died calmly in an empty corner of the courtyard.

"Transporting 20,000 dan of corn? No, no, this corn is for the plan."

"Don't worry, Chang'an magistrate. I have written you a scroll of bamboo slips explaining that the 20,000 dan of millet used to build the forest garden will still be counted towards the amount of grain and money calculated."

"Alright, you and I are both doing this for the Han court and for the emperor. Don't forget to stamp your seal."

Guo Jie walked along the tiled corridor to the main gate of the Ling's residence. He heard Zhao Yu and Sang Hongyang arguing inside. The two were fighting over 20,000 dan of millet. Lingxia saw Guo Jie coming to pay his respects to Zhao Yu. Knowing that Guo Jie was different from other minor officials and was highly regarded by Zhao Yu, Lingxia did not dare to neglect him and immediately went in to announce Guo Jie's arrival.

"Guo Jie?"

Sang Hongyang turned his head to look at the gate, the red and black sable tail behind his hat and belt swung, and he said with a smile: "Guo Tingzhang's arrival is just in time, so I don't have to send people to find you. Last time, you sent over 10,000 dan of grain, but I haven't rewarded you yet. This time, you sent another 20,000 dan of millet. Tell me what reward you want."

Guo Jie sent money and silk in order to buy a title to atone for his sins, but it also relieved Sang Hongyang's urgent need.

The emperor was building a forest garden, and Sang Hongyang went around raising money and food, and he was almost going crazy due to lack of money.

Although the food sent by Guo Jie could not fill Sang Hongyang's stomach, it could quench his thirst and slightly alleviate the gap in the construction of the forest garden.

This was also the reason why Sang Hongyang immediately went to the official temple in Chang'an to look for Zhao Yu when he heard that the young master of Chang'an was transporting a large amount of millet.

Guo Jie looked at Sang Hongyang with a happy smile on his face and thought to himself: I am killing two birds with one stone. I robbed the money and food of the powerful and used it to buy a title to atone for my sins. On the one hand, I have atoneed for my sins, and on the other hand, I have received a reward.

This time, all 20,000 dan of millet were transported to the government temple in Chang'an because Guo Jie had calculated one thing correctly: Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang were both cruel officials with brutal methods, but they would not embezzle the millet.

In the eyes of the two cruel officials, money, silk and grain are not important, and they will not embezzle money and grain.

The officials killed most by cruel officials were corrupt officials, and they hated officials who embezzled money the most, so how could they become corrupt officials themselves?

Just wait until the corn is counted and then you can submit the letter of atonement.

The only confusion is that I don’t know how many love letters I can redeem this time.

As soon as possible.

Time is running out and all blood debts need to be atoneed before moving to Maoling.

What Guo Jie wanted most at the moment was a way out, and it was also the best way out for him to complete the purchase of titles and atonement 100% before moving to Maoling.

"Land property."

Guo Jie bowed and said, "I, a humble official, would like to have a hundred mu of land."

Sang Hongyang's expression changed, his smiling face turned gloomy, and he looked at Guo Jie with some displeasure.

Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang also looked unhappy.

Ha ha.

Guo Jie had just killed a powerful person, so he wanted to become a powerful person himself and annex land.

Standing in opposition to Sang Hongyang, Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang.

Bureaucrats, powerful people, and businessmen used various means to annex large amounts of land from counties and prefectures, hiring poor and landless common people to farm for them, or renting the land to farmers and collecting a "15%" rent.

The powerful sought to make huge profits and concealed their land without reporting it. The land official was just a minor official and could hardly fight against the local powerful, resulting in a gradual decrease in the land rent collected by the counties.

The Han court's Taicang warehouse gradually became empty.

Guo Jie actually wanted to be a corrupt official who sucked the power out of the Han court.

(End of this chapter)