Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 412 Tax Evasion
"I'm here, I'm here!" Fan Wanfu responded quickly.

"Come and open the door! Why lock it?" Chen Weiye felt relieved, but he just put the dagger away and hid it in his sleeve.

When the door opened, Fan Wanfu's entire figure was revealed.

"Are there guests at home?" Chen Weiye turned his head to look inside the door, but only saw a few candlelight shadows.

"How did you know?" Fan Wanfu was stunned.

"There are strangers' voices at home, and you locked the door." Chen Weiye remained standing. "Who's coming?"

"You're quite observant." Fan Wanfu nodded and said, "Someone from the main factory is here."

It's not known when or who started it, but people like them who were assigned to other places and needed to stay for a long time began to refer to their small groups as branches. Correspondingly, when referring to the East Factory in the capital, they called it the main factory.

"Main factory!?" Chen Weiye was shocked. "Why?"

"Why else?" Fan Wanfu made way for Chen Weiye to come in. "It must be about something in Beitang."

Chen Weiye stepped over the threshold and walked in, but did not go to the candlelit main room. "Didn't you ask?"

"How dare I? If the people at the main factory don't speak up, they must have their reasons." Fan Wanfu bolted the door and turned to leave. "Stop talking nonsense, Manager Sun is waiting."

"Oh my god!" Chen Weiye rolled his eyes fiercely, quickly followed, and muttered softly, "Everything makes sense to you."

The door was open, and the two of them walked right in.

"This is Sun, the head of the main factory. This is Zhang Jishi, and this is Li Jishi." As soon as he entered the door, Fan Wanfu waved his hand and introduced Sun Yuerong, who was sitting in the main seat facing south, and the two servants sitting on his left and right.

Although the Dongchang was completely separated from the Jinyiwei after its restructuring, many titles were still used in the old system. For example, ordinary staff without official positions or assignments were still called "Ji Shi Fan Yi," or "Ji Shi" or "Gan Shi." The people who led these Ji Shi Fan Yi were still called, from the highest to the lowest, "Zhang Ban," "Dian Ban," "Yi Zhang," or "Dang Tou."

"I'm honored to meet Captain Sun. I'm honored to meet Supervisor Zhang and Supervisor Li." Chen Weiye was very respectful.

"Are you Chen Weiye?" Sun Yuerong looked up and smiled, but remained seated. Seeing that their leader, Sun Yuerong, showed no sign of getting up, Zhang and Li also remained seated.

"Yes, it's my younger one." Chen Weiye replied.

"Have you eaten?" Sun Yuerong asked knowingly.

"Thank you, Foreman Laosun, for your concern. I've already eaten." Chen Weiye explained, "I go to the tavern where the laborers gather almost every day to inquire about news, and I'll have dinner while I'm there."

Sun Yuerong pointed to the empty seat across from him and said, "Then take a seat and have a drink with me." The empty seat contained not only an empty stool but also a set of earthenware bowls and chopsticks and a small jar of wine. Unlike those cheap wine shops, the station didn't stock low-quality baijiu, but rather medium-to-high-quality huangjiu.

"Thank you, Master Sun, for your honor." Chen Weiye acted flattered. As soon as he sat down, he picked up the wine jar and bowl and said, "I didn't know you were coming and couldn't come to greet you. I will drink three bowls as a punishment."

"No punishment for not knowing. Just drink as you like." Sun Yuerong picked up his chopsticks and scooped up a piece of fish from the large bowl. It was the same fish Fan Wanfu had caught earlier in the river. "Also, let me tell you about what you heard at the dock, about the government boat being used for private purposes."

Chen Weiye's hand froze as he was about to take the wine. "Have you read the diary?"

Sun Yuerong nodded, the smile gone from her face. "What on earth is going on? Tell me in detail." She only made a brief note in her diary, without giving a detailed description.

Chen Weiye thought for a moment. "A few days ago, I went to the tavern as usual to get some information. I heard from a day laborer named Li Youyu that someone was smuggling contraband on the official ships transporting grain. Since grain ships didn't have to pay taxes, they smuggled contraband on them to avoid paying the taxes they would have paid through the proper channels."

"Don't the banknote collectors check it?" Sun Yuerong asked.

"Master, you may not know that in order to facilitate the transport of grain ships to Beijing, except for the grain transport office, no government offices along the way are allowed to stop the ships for inspection. This includes the banknote customs." Chen Weiye said cautiously.

"In other words," Sun Yuerong asked, "as long as they pass the Canal Transport Office, these people can stop the canal boats anywhere along the way, load their goods on board, and then unload them somewhere else. And no one can check, no one can stop them?"

"Yes." Chen Weiye nodded.

"Who is doing these things?" Sun Yuerong asked.

"I've only sporadically found a few involved trading houses and brokerages." Chen Weiye's eyes flickered with eagerness. "However, I believe this could be a major event."

"What do you mean?" Sun Yuerong asked.

"I've heard from many of the long-term laborers at the docks that this is happening, but with so many governors and inspectors along the canal route, no one has reported it to the court, especially the Canal Transport Office. How could they not know?" Chen Weiye grew increasingly excited as he spoke. "So I figured if we stopped the boats and searched them, then severely tortured the people we caught, and followed the clues, we could uncover this whole mess."

Sun Yuerong remained noncommittal and asked, "Have you reported this to Chief Justice Cui?"

Chen Weiye shook his head and said, "Not yet. Because up to now, I haven't collected any evidence, so I just wrote it down in my diary."

"Got it." Sun Yuerong continued drinking and stopped talking. The atmosphere in the room quickly became serious and silent.

Sun Yuerong's indifference made Chen Weiye feel uneasy. He believed this must be a major case with far-reaching implications. If he could uncover and thoroughly investigate it, he would surely be granted official status and outfitted in a beastly robe. He would then return home in glory, envied by all and dignified.

He wanted to ask Sun Yuerong to give him more authority, but then he remembered what Fan Wanfu said: The higher-ups have their own reasons for doing things.

After thinking for a while, Chen Weiye exhausted all his wisdom and broke the silence with the most tactful words: "Captain Sun, are you going to continue investigating this case?"

Sun Yuerong blinked, gathering her scattered thoughts. "Unauthorized use of the canal boats and tax evasion—how could such a case not be thoroughly investigated?"

Chen Weiye's eyes suddenly lit up. "Please give me some advice, Headmaster Sun."

"I'm not your superior, so I can't give you any advice." Sun Yuerong poured himself a bowl of wine, took a sip, and said slowly, "Tomorrow morning we'll go east along the river. I'll tell Cui Tixing about this. If he has any advice, you'll receive it."

"Thank you, Captain Sun," Chen Weiye hurriedly thanked him and asked casually, "Captain Sun, are you traveling east this time? Is there any progress on the case at the Ministry of Finance?"

When he asked this question, Fan Wanfu and Lu Youzhang who were present also raised their heads and looked at Sun Yuerong. They had not forgotten that the reason they were sent to Tianjin Zhongwei to investigate was to investigate the case of Beitang Finance Department. Although their existence was more like an insurance laid by Cui Yuanshun, they did not play any practical role in this case. But if the case of the Finance Department was really closed, it would most likely mean the end of the assignment. At that time, the assignment allowance and extra income would be gone. "If you have any advice, you will receive it." Sun Yuerong picked up the chopsticks and knocked on the big bowl of fish, changing the subject: "Let's not talk about this. Eat some fish and try my cooking skills."

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Tianjin Zhongwei and Beitang are separated by over a hundred miles. Even if one sets out at dawn and rides non-stop, they still won't arrive until the afternoon.

After arriving at the place, the three of them got off their horses and followed the address given by Cui Wensheng.

The East Jishichang's headquarters at Beitang Station was a typical three-courtyard quadrangle, and it was very close to the Ministry of Revenue. So close that one could simply exit the headquarters, walk down the alley, and turn a corner to reach the Ministry of Revenue's back door. It was a classic example of a great secluded place hidden in the city.

As soon as he entered the alley, Sun Yuerong felt a faint sense of being watched. He looked around, trying to find the source of the gaze, but even when the three of them led their horses to the entrance of the camp, Sun Yuerong still couldn't find the source.

Knock, knock, knock. Sun Yuerong knocked on the door of the residence.

Soon, the door opened. Half of a face appeared from the crack. "Who are you and what do you do?"

"You'll know after you see this." The other party's caution made Sun Yuerong sure that he had not found the wrong place, so he handed his badge in through the crack in the door.

The detective stationed at the gate took the badge, glanced at it, and immediately opened both doors. "It's Captain Sun. Please come in."

"Is Chief Justice Cui here?" Sun Yuerong asked after entering the room.

"Cui Tixing is in the study. I'll take you there right away." The detective handed the badge back to Sun Yuerong and waved to the other detective stationed at the gate: "Close the door."

The study of this quadrangle courtyard was located in the second courtyard, just a few steps away from the hanging flower gate. At that moment, Cui Yuan, the person in charge of this operation and the Chief Justice of the Eastern Depot, was sitting behind the only major case in the study, silently reviewing the latest report.

The door was wide open, but Sun Yuerong still knocked gently on the door frame.

"Come in." Cui Yuan didn't look up.

Sun Yuerong walked over to the large desk, opened her front, and knelt. "Your servant Sun Yuerong pays respects to Chief Justice Cui."

Cui Yuan was stunned for a moment, then put down the report in his hand. He raised his head and looked at Sun Yuerong, his brows unconsciously furrowed. "I think you are here to deliver a letter to me?"

"Yes." Sun Yuerong responded.

"Please sit up." Cui Yuan also deliberately smoothed the wrinkles between his eyebrows.

"Thank you, Mr. Cui, for the honor of a seat." Sun Yuerong bowed again, stood up, and sat on the chair closest to the desk.

"Have you had lunch?" Cui Yuan realized that this was not an ordinary routine reply, but he was not in a hurry to ask about the specific content of the reply.

Sun Yuerong was immediately touched. "Not yet, but there's no rush."

"Someone come here." Cui Yuan called out.

"Admiral Cui." Soon a eunuch came over from the next room.

When Cui Yuan came to Beitang, he brought his four newly recruited followers with him. They were responsible for taking care of Cui Yuan's daily life, helping him organize documents and files, and receiving messages and messages.

"Go get some refreshments for Headmaster Sun," Cui Yuan ordered.

"Yes." The eunuch immediately turned around and went out.

"Oral message or written letter?" Cui Yuan asked.

"It's a verbal message." Sun Yuerong replied.

"Yeah." Cui Yuan nodded and stopped asking questions. Sun Yuerong also understood and remained silent.

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Not long after, the eunuch returned with a tray of hot tea and snacks. "Enjoy your meal."

The eunuch put down his snacks and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, Cui Yuan's voice came from behind him. "Close the door. No one is allowed to come in without my order."

"Yes." The eunuch paused for a moment, then closed the study door.

"Admiral Cui," Sun Yuerong was about to speak, but Cui Yuan raised his hand to stop him: "Eat something first."

"Thank you, Admiral Cui." Sun Yuerong picked up the pastry and started chewing it. The way he ate didn't look like he was just filling his stomach, but rather like he was about to starve to death.

Cui Yuan waited silently until Sun Yuerong looked at him again. Then he asked, "Tell me, what does your godfather mean?"

"The Second Ancestor meant to arrest those people and interrogate them thoroughly." Sun Yuerong said concisely.

"Those people, who are they?" Cui Yuan mentioned many people in his report to Cui Wensheng, many of whom Cui Yuan wanted to arrest and interrogate.

"They are just the dogs sent by the lord." Sun Yuerong said.

"What!?" Cui Yuan paused in astonishment, but quickly regained his composure. He lowered his voice, leaned forward slightly, and asked softly, "Has Godfather obtained the imperial edict?"

"Yes. The Second Ancestor not only requested an imperial decree, but also issued a military order." Sun Yuerong replied solemnly, "If we can't find out the truth, we will have to go to Dingling and clean toilets." Although Sun Yuerong was not Cui Wensheng's godson, he was promoted by Cui Wensheng to achieve his current status and was considered his confidant, second only to his godson. If Cui Wensheng fell, he would definitely be implicated. "Excuse me, sir, are you sure?"

Cui Yuan shook his head and sighed, "It's hard to say. If it were any other case, even without evidence, I could still make it an ironclad case. But this involves nobles and relatives. Once we catch their dog, the owner will be so excited that he'll jump up and down. He'll petition for help, saying we've wronged them. Those dog slaves also know that their master will do everything in his power to protect them, so they won't admit their guilt at first. In other words, we won't be able to pry them open in a short time. If we delay for a while, the master may give in to his persuasion. By then, the master will be soft-hearted and want to make a big deal out of a small matter. Then, have we found out the truth, or not?"

(End of this chapter)