Becoming an immortal and ancestor begins with the golden toad spitting out money.

Chapter 156 Bringing up old stories stirs up trouble

From the investigation of the landlord to the complete dismantling of the gold-devouring gang, Su Ji had already realized that the Qian family's business association had serious problems.

It's nothing unusual for a chamber of commerce to cultivate relationships with officials or have a group of guards in order to do business.

However, the Qian family's business association bribed officials and cultivated criminal gangs, which makes people wonder whether the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, is a normal, humane deity.

Now that the Night-Wandering Spirit General has come in person to recount the secrets, it is both paving the way for his son Li Hui and helping this important Night-Wandering Spirit General in Jinfeng County.

Thirty-six years ago, many places in Yuzhou and Lunzhou suffered from severe drought. Jinfeng County, with its Qili Lake, was a major grain-producing area. Even with the impact of the drought, the harvested grain was sufficient.

"The following year, another severe drought struck. Jinfeng County managed to hold on, but many people in the most severely affected areas could not survive. As a result, many began to flee their homes, and the once prosperous Jinfeng County became a gathering place for many displaced people..."

After the mass deaths from the famine, a plague also struck. Although the Night Wanderer was only eight or nine years old at the time, he was already one of the refugees fleeing the famine and saw countless refugees dying by the roadside along the way.

"When we arrived in Jinfeng County in April, only my grandfather and I were left at home. We were too tired to walk any further, so we had no choice but to stay in Jinfeng County."

"At the beginning, the Jinfeng County government used the Ever-Normal Granary to regulate grain prices... We refugees had some savings, which alleviated the crisis for a while."

"However, by May, as the number of refugees increased, the price of grain also rose, even reaching ten times the previous level at one point. Many refugees, even those with some savings, could not hold on for long."

"So the government opened the granaries to distribute grain, and the refugees could receive a bowl of porridge every day. Even if the porridge contained a little bit of rice bran, it was still a life-saving food."

"However, after only half a month of distributing porridge, the amount of rice bran in the porridge increased, and even sand began to be mixed in. What looked like a bowl of porridge was actually only half the amount it used to be..."

"It was already June. The refugees were hot and hungry and could no longer bear it, so they started to protest to the government. However, the county magistrate did not dare to come out. Under the suppression of the yamen runners, the refugees did not cause trouble for long."

"However, some officials made sarcastic remarks, saying that the porridge in the soup kitchen belonged to the people of Jinfeng County, and that it was already good enough to give it to the refugees, so why did they dare to pick and choose the good and the bad?"

"After this news spread, many refugees could no longer hold back and began to run to the county government office to demand justice. When the county magistrate saw the refugees coming in a fierce manner, he was so frightened that he ordered his yamen runners to arrest many of them."

"However, this did not frighten the refugees, who eventually rushed into the county government office and met the county magistrate."

"In a panic, the magistrate made a guarantee and vowed to supervise the soup kitchens from now on to ensure that no refugees would starve to death in Jinfeng County..."

"Afterwards, although the porridge in the soup kitchens was a bit thinner, at least it was free of sand and rice bran. Grain merchants also released grain under Qian Gong's leadership, which stabilized the disaster situation in Jinfeng County."

"Not long after, the imperial court opened the Taicang granary for disaster relief, and that famine was finally quelled..."

At this point, Su Ji showed a strange expression.

From the beginning of the disaster, grain prices in Jinfeng County began to soar. The opening of the Changping Granary to regulate grain prices did not last long. It was not until problems arose in the soup kitchens and refugees stormed into the county government that grain merchant Qian Gong took the lead in opening the granary to release grain.

In retrospect, the grain merchant Qian Gong's act of distributing grain did indeed save many displaced people.

However, for more than two months prior, Qian Gong and his group of grain merchants had been quietly making a fortune by selling off a lot of grain at high prices, during which countless refugees starved to death because they could not afford to buy food.

Although Su Ji didn't know whether it was because the grain merchants could no longer squeeze money out of the refugees, or because the government was pressuring them to release grain, he understood that the grain merchant Qian Gong was not a good person who cared about the country and its people.

So Su Ji shook his head and said, "As the saying goes, one should judge by actions, not intentions. But Qian Gong's behavior was very problematic. It was only because of the government's inaction that the grain merchant Qian Gong gained the gratitude of the people at the time after he opened the granaries to release grain and adjust the grain price."

If we're really judging by actions rather than intentions, then at least we shouldn't have inflated grain prices in the first place. The fact that the granaries were only opened when the imperial court was about to provide disaster relief shows that something was amiss, even to outsiders.

At this moment, Ye Youling couldn't help but sigh: "Many people are puzzled by Qian Gong's actions, but he has his own reasons. The reason for leaving a granary full of grain is to prevent Jin Feng County from running out of grain and ultimately causing even the locals to starve to death."

"These words made the local people of Jinfeng County realize the truth and began to praise Qian Gong's actions, which gave Qian Gong a lot of faith power, and he eventually became the God of Wealth of Jinfeng County after his death."

To become a human deity, the gratitude of the refugees alone is not enough; he also needs the approval of tens of thousands of people in Jinfeng County. At the very least, Qian Gong's words pleased the people of Jinfeng County, giving him a foundation of faith to become a god.

However, the Night Wanderer General then said with a solemn expression, "I was originally one of those who praised Lord Qian. Now that I have become a Night Wanderer General, some worldly secrets are no longer secrets."

“At that time, some gods knew that the reason why the porridge kitchens in the county government were getting worse and worse was because the county magistrate colluded with grain merchants to sell the grain in the public granary at low prices, forming a whole chain of corruption and bribery.”

"The grain in the public granary was insufficient, so they had to mix in rice bran and even sand. The reason why the leaders of the refugees rallied a large number of refugees to rush to the county government was because they knew that there was something wrong with the public granary behind the soup kitchen."

"When the magistrate arrested the ringleader of the displaced people for the first time, he inadvertently revealed his lack of confidence, which gave the other two displaced people who were secretly plotting an opportunity. They rushed into the county government office and surrounded the magistrate."

"The magistrate was terrified but dared not make a big fuss, so he could only put pressure on the grain merchants who had colluded with him."

"The grain merchants also knew that once the county magistrate fell from power, their corrupt practices would be exposed, so they had no choice but to give up their actions of continuing to raise grain prices and exploit the people. After discussing it, Qian Gong, the head of the Qian family business association, took the lead in opening the granaries and releasing grain."

"This move, while costing the Qian family a lot less money, brought them a great deal of prestige..."

"Some of the refugees knew about the shady dealings, but since the survival problems of a large number of refugees had been solved at the time, they did not dare to fight against the local county government and grain merchants, and ultimately chose to keep the matter to themselves."

Although the Qian family's chamber of commerce was not as large as it is now, it was still one of the top chambers of commerce in Jinfeng County. In addition, many people and refugees only saw the superficial behavior of the grain merchant Qian Gong, which made everyone feel a sense of despair.

Fortunately, more than 30 years have passed, the county government has changed its leadership, and the East-West Chamber of Commerce has emerged, giving the Night Wanderer Spirit the opportunity to reveal this secret.

Su Ji's gaze sharpened: "The so-called God of Wealth, Qian Gong, is actually a wicked man who embezzles public funds, inflates grain prices, and reaps fame!"

In the beginning, Su Ji and the God of Wealth Qian Gong were only in a conflict of faith and doctrine. Even when they did fight, it was just a business struggle, and they did not use any underhanded tactics.

However, the Qian family's business association not only sent thugs from the Gold-Swallowing Gang to cause trouble when Laifu Restaurant opened, but also sent ghosts and gods to poison the silver ear fungus used in Laifu Restaurant. Although they dealt with it safely, it caused Su Ji a considerable loss.

In the poisonous tremella incident, Su Ji also suspected that the villains of the Golden Mountain Sect wanted to use poisonous tremella to harm Mo Linglong in order to seize the [Scattered Gold] Dao Fruit.

Later, Jinshan Sect invited Luochuan Zhenren, Mo Linglong's former master's niece and her former grandniece, and the two sides reached a certain agreement, allowing Su Ji to pinpoint the real culprit of the poisonous tremella incident to the Qian family business association.

Now that the true identity of the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, has been revealed, Su Ji's debate over the God of Wealth's beliefs has gained some legitimacy and righteousness.
"Thirty-five years ago isn't too long ago. Even if we can't find anyone in the present world who can expose the God of Wealth, there should be someone among the ghosts of Wusheng's hometown who knows the whole story!"

At this time, the conflict between Su Ji and Qian Gong over their respective faiths in the God of Wealth had already begun, but the City God Temple showed no bias. After all, this was a struggle between human and divine beings, and these local deities had no say in it.

However, while the main body of the City God Temple remained impartial, some deities held their own will, believing that Su Ji had abandoned his proper role as the Guardian Spirit General to engage in the worship of the God of Wealth. Now, if Su Ji were to expose the true face of the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, from the realm of the living and the dead, at the very least, those deities like the Gatekeeper Spirit General, Deng Daxueshi, who had been won over by the God of Wealth, would no longer support him.

Therefore, Su Ji immediately began to exert his efforts. First, he sent out two spirit soldiers, Wang Meng and Ren He, to search for the spirits who knew the truth at the time, following the guidance of the Night Wanderer. Then, he personally went to the Bright Moon Spirit Realm and found the gatekeeper spirit, Scholar Deng.

"During his lifetime, the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, was corrupt and lawless. The previous county magistrate embezzled grain from the public granary by falsifying grain consumption rates and misappropriating grain, and then sold it at low prices to grain merchants like Qian Gong?"

Grand Secretary Deng served as an official in the court for many years. When Yuzhou suffered a major disaster, he even wrote a memorial to the emperor requesting disaster relief. The Deng family was powerful and influential at the time and was not greatly affected by the disaster, so much so that Grand Secretary Deng only learned the truth now.

Immediately, Grand Scholar Deng exclaimed with great distress, "I've drunk with the God of Wealth, Mr. Qian, so many times, only to find that the scoundrel not only ruined my cultivation with food and drink, but also committed such wicked deeds!"

Scholar Deng had a good talent for cultivation, but he did not demand strict discipline of himself. Not only did he cultivate a body full of mixed qi, but he also developed a soul tumor formed from the incomplete souls of all things in heaven and earth.

It wasn't until he met Su Ji that he realized the lack of rigor in his previous cultivation, and he abandoned humanity and national destiny, beginning to wholeheartedly cultivate the "Minor Yin-Yang Method".

Now that Grand Secretary Deng has seen through the true nature of the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, he not only immediately sent people to Wusheng's hometown to investigate the case, but also plans to use his network of connections from his lifetime to investigate the matter.

"Even now, I'm afraid that many places are still embezzling grain from the public granaries. This not only violates the laws of the imperial court, but also involves the hard-earned money of countless people. If this is not eradicated, it will surely have endless consequences in the future!"

The gods of this world can control the wind and rain, but nothing can go smoothly. They cannot avoid even a minor disaster every few decades or a major disaster every few hundred years.

Not to mention, once the gods start vying for the throne of the Heavenly Emperor, they no longer care about favorable weather or abundant harvests; even disasters arise from the gods' struggles...

However, since Grand Secretary Deng was a spirit after death, it was too difficult for him to influence reality. Even if someone from the Deng family held an official position in the court, they would still be affected by the separation between the living and the dead.

Not to mention, officials, influenced by the power of humanity and the nation's destiny, also possess the ability to ward off evil spirits.

Su Ji could only do his best to help, and informed Zhang about the matter that evening.

The next morning, Zhang followed the East-West Chamber of Commerce to Jinfeng County, and then returned to her maternal home, the Deng family.

If it were just the Zhang family, it might not be enough to convince the Deng family. Following Su Ji's instructions, the blind old Taoist priest found several elderly people who had experienced the famine thirty-five years ago, one of whom was the leader who rallied the refugees.

This time, the Deng family dared not disbelieve, but because the matter was too far in the past, they could only try their best to look through the files to find evidence.

The head of the Deng family, who was Zhang's uncle, was a county instructor, a true eighth-rank official, so it was not difficult for him to look through the files.

However, Instructor Deng was somewhat worried that if this matter involved countless officials of the imperial court, his Deng family might be greatly affected.

Deng had anticipated this, and thus delivered the prepared explanation:
“Uncle, although what happened back then is only in the case files, it can also be written in the county annals. You were just compiling the annals, and the hidden details were discovered by others. Even if it blows up, this matter has little to do with the Deng family…”

Grand Secretary Deng has been dead for almost twenty years. Even if we bring up Grand Secretary Deng, it's uncertain whether Instructor Deng will believe it or not.

The Deng family's compromise meant that they lost the possibility of gaining credit from the case, but also avoided the risk of being framed, which could be considered a win-win situation.

"To rewrite the county annals..."

A county gazetteer is a specialized book that records the history, geography, customs, notable figures, culture and education, and products of a county.

The disaster 35 years ago was an event that should not be overlooked in the county annals, but due to collusion between officials and merchants, many details were hidden in history.

If Instructor Deng were to rewrite the county annals based on the information gathered from his visits, even without explicitly pointing out the collusion between officials and businessmen, it would allow people to see the truth of the matter at the time and reflect on the unusual aspects of that period.

This provides a stronger foundation of documentary evidence for the subsequent investigation, giving the case a legitimate basis for prosecution!

So, while the governor of Yuzhou was investigating the crossbow case, Instructor Deng began to supplement the county annals. At this time, the county magistrate was preoccupied with dealing with the collusion between the local rent collectors and officials, and did not pay any attention to this matter.

Within a few days, the clerk's son and the county magistrate's cousin were both found guilty, the rent collector was sentenced, and although the gold-swallowing gang did not provide much evidence of crimes related to the Qian family, they still destroyed several businesses.

Among them were antique shops that secretly excavated ancient tombs, merchants who sold both public and private salt... and brothels that forced women into prostitution.

For a time, the common people in the city who had been threatened, intimidated and had their interests encroached upon by the landlord applauded, and some coerced prostitutes also received long-awaited justice.

In the realm of Yin and Yang, the reputation of the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, began to plummet. The culprit was none other than Deng Daxueshi, who had once been on good terms with the God of Wealth, Qian Gong.

Grand Secretary Deng was a man of integrity in the court, and he couldn't stand seeing such a scoundrel. With his reputation, he exposed the true face of the God of Wealth, Mr. Qian, in just a few days.

However, the God of Wealth, Qian Gong, did not take this to heart. Ever since the Supervising Sun Spirit General and the Gate Guardian Spirit General, Deng Daxueshi, had been working together, he knew that the two had become rivals.

Now, the merchants from both the East and West have taken action to eliminate the Gold-Swallowing Gang and the son-in-law of the Qian family, but they have not touched the core of the Qian family. As long as the Qian family's Chamber of Commerce does not fall, his faith in the God of Wealth will not be a problem.

When the white fungus poisoning incident happened before, Qian Gong did not expect that he would offend the Mo family of Qianbian Town, and he has not made any small moves since then.

Now that the East and West Chambers of Commerce have made their move, the Qian Family Chamber of Commerce certainly won't sit idly by. They can compete by throwing money at businesses in the east, west, and north of the city, but they can't afford to expose any weaknesses in their core businesses in the center and south of the city.

Therefore, when the second batch of silkworms began to be harvested, the Qian family's business association began to buy them at high prices, and also signed contracts with many silkworm farmers, monopolizing the subsequent silkworm business.

Fortunately, the East-West Chamber of Commerce gained the cooperation of many silkworm farmers by spreading new silkworm breeding technologies, and did not lose out in this battle for the silk business.

However, the Qian family's next move caused the East-West Chamber of Commerce considerable losses.

The first batch of silk had been made into silk fabrics and was ready to be transported to Dazhen Prefecture for sale, but they encountered thieves on the way. Even though the guards of the East-West Merchant Guild were quite strong, two carts of silk fabrics were still burned.

The so-called thieves were naturally sent by the Qian Family Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of undermining the foundation of the East-West Chamber of Commerce.

Su Ji's solution was simple: he invited the mechanical sorcerers from Thousand Changes Town to oversee the operation, and the second shipment of silk indeed went smoothly.

However, Su Ji was not someone who only knew how to suffer losses. Although he would not resort to violence, he was well prepared.

As time passed, on June 10th, the new county gazetteer was finally completed after many days of visits by Instructor Deng!
(End of this chapter)