Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 293 The Emperor's Edict, upon reaching Nanyue, took on a different writing style in Nanyue.

That night, the rain pattered on the banana leaves, echoing in the air of Guangzhou and resonating in the hearts of countless officials and gentry.

The dramatic street confrontation that took place during the day had already spread like wildfire throughout the city.

Lu Xiang-sheng's "Note it for now" stirred up a huge wave on the other side of Guangzhou.

The young master Chen, terrified by the whistling arrows and iron cavalry, brought this catastrophic disaster back to the Chen family mansion.

Deep within the Chen family mansion in Panyu, the patriarch, Chen Tingjing, was in his study, holding a pair of warm, smooth white jade balls, slowly twirling them in his palms, and closing his eyes to rest.

He was over fifty years old, his temples were streaked with gray, but his eyes were still incredibly sharp, a gleam honed from years of dealing with storms, government officials, and foreign barbarians.

"boom!"

The heavy rosewood door to the study was suddenly flung open, and a figure tumbled and crawled in, his tearful cry shattering the tranquility of the room.

"Father! Father! Something terrible has happened! Your son... your son has committed a terrible crime!"

Chen Tingjing frowned, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, and the pair of jade balls suddenly stopped in his palm.

He looked closely and saw that his usually arrogant and domineering only son, Chen Rui, was now ashen-faced and trembling like a leaf in the wind. He had lost all of his usual arrogance in Guangzhou.

"What's the panic! Is the sky falling down? Stand up straight and speak properly!" Chen Tingjing shouted in a deep voice, his voice carrying an imposing aura.

Chen Rui was startled by the shout and trembled. He barely managed to stand up, his teeth still chattering, "Father, today... today on the street, I got into a fight with someone and almost had the servants beat me up. That young man... he is the newly arrived Imperial Envoy and Governor, Lu Xiang-sheng!"

"Clap!"

With a crisp sound, the pair of priceless white jade balls in Chen Tingjing's palm shattered into several pieces scattered on the ground.

Upon hearing these words, this seasoned maritime tycoon, who had weathered many storms and witnessed countless life-and-death situations, was struck as if by lightning, jolting abruptly from his armchair, his body trembling violently.

Lu Xiang-sheng!
This name has been weighing heavily on the minds of all officials and gentry in Guangdong these past few days, like a dark cloud.

The new emperor ascended the throne swiftly and decisively. This newly appointed governor was a close advisor to the emperor, holding a high position at a young age, and leading several thousand fierce Beijing garrison troops south.

Everyone was still watching, still speculating, and still cautiously testing the new official's bottom line.

But his own stupid son actually ran headfirst into it on the very first day!
A new broom sweeps clean, and the first fire of that broom might just burn down on his own doorstep!

Chen Tingjing felt as if he could barely breathe; if that were the case, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He paced back and forth, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, his mind racing.

An apology? How should one apologize? A gift? What gift could appease the wrath of an imperial envoy?
A moment later, he abruptly stopped, his eyes regaining the decisiveness of a ruthless leader: "Men! Quickly go to the treasury and fetch fifty thousand taels of silver notes, and also wrap up that Western clock in my study! Uncle Fu, you personally lead the men, without needing horses or sedan chairs, to the examination hall where the governor is staying!"

Chen Tingjing's voice was firm and resolute. He had figured it out. Since he couldn't avoid it, he had to make the best of a show!
We must apologize openly and honestly, right under the noses of everyone in Guangzhou!
This would not only demonstrate sincerity but also allow all the officials and gentry in the city to see how the Chen family resolved this crisis.

Whether it brings fortune or misfortune depends on this one move.

Uncle Fu, the old steward of the Chen family, arrived at the gate of the examination hall where Lu Xiang-sheng was temporarily staying, riding in a small blue sedan chair and escorted by a group of servants, carrying a gift box covered with red silk.

By this time, the area around the examination hall had already been cordoned off by Lu Xiang-sheng's personal guards, with sentries every three or five steps.

The guards, all fully armored and armed with long spears, stood silently, their postures as upright as pine trees.

A chilling and murderous aura swept over them, a stark contrast to the usual bustling and decadent atmosphere of Guangzhou. This made Uncle Fu, who was used to his family's lax guards, feel a chill run down his spine, and his legs even felt weak.

He was stopped a few feet away from the door by a burly captain of the personal guards, who was none other than Zhou Chaoxian during the day.

Uncle Fu dared not be negligent in the slightest. He hurriedly stepped forward, bowed, and handed over the visiting card and the apology letter he had already written. His face was full of a humble smile that was almost fawning as he explained his purpose with utmost respect.

Zhou Chaoxian did not reach out to take it, but only glanced at the gift box and Uncle Fu out of the corner of his eye, and said expressionlessly, "My master has ordered that the Imperial Envoy and Governor's residence will not receive any guests. Please leave."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness. Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu was nearly scared out of his wits.

They won't even see me, that's serious!

He knew that if he couldn't deliver this "gift" today, the Chen family would likely face disaster tomorrow.

In desperation, he disregarded his dignity, lunged forward, nearly kneeling down, and almost pleaded:

"Sir, sir, please make an exception! My master is truly repentant, without the slightest falsehood. I beg you to grant him a way out! Here... here are fifty thousand taels of silver notes, a small token of my respect. Please convey my message to the sir! This self-ringing clock is a Western wonder, not a common gold or silver item. I only ask that it be placed on your desk as a decorative piece, to put my master's mind at ease!"

As he spoke, he was already drenched in cold sweat, and his voice was trembling.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chaoxian frowned, his gaze finally landing on Uncle Fu. His eyes were sharp as knives, making Uncle Fu's heart tremble.

He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing his options or waiting for some instruction; the air around him seemed to freeze.

After a long silence, he finally spoke slowly, his tone still icy, but seemingly softening slightly: "My master said that officials must be honest and self-disciplined. Take the silver notes back; I appreciate Master Chen's kindness."

Uncle Fu's heart sank to the bottom.

“However…” Zhou Chaoxian changed the subject, “Since you have just arrived in Guangdong, the governor’s office is quite empty and indeed lacks some decorations. Let’s leave that bell here.”

Upon hearing this, Uncle Fu was overjoyed, as if he had grasped a lifeline while drowning. He exclaimed repeatedly, "Yes, yes! It's my duty, it's my duty! Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

“Tell Master Chen,” Zhou Chaoxian added coldly at the end, his gaze sweeping over Uncle Fu and the servants behind him, “this is the last time. This matter ends here.”

Fu Bo felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He nodded and bowed repeatedly, and directed his servants to carry the heavy self-ringing clock inside and hand it over to another personal guard. Only then did he take the 50,000 taels of silver notes intact and leave the suffocating area as if he were fleeing.

……

When the news reached the Chen residence, Chen Tingjing finally felt a little relieved after hearing Uncle Fu's report.

However, the returned 50,000 taels of silver seemed to cause more unease than accepting it.

However, this chill was quickly overwhelmed by another wave of excitement sweeping through Guangzhou.

The news that the Chen family had "settled" the new governor spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of all the high-ranking officials and nobles in Guangzhou overnight. In the process of spreading the news, it was embellished and made even more vivid.

The following day, in a private room of Tao Tao Ju, the most prestigious teahouse in the city, the atmosphere shifted from initial repression to fervor.

"Have you all heard? Faced with the Chen family's generous gifts and the deeply entrenched power in Southern Guangdong, that governor chose to be pragmatic, accepting the rare treasures but returning the money, and letting the matter drop with a few polite words!"

"I knew it!" A wealthy businessman sitting next to me, who made his fortune selling smuggled salt, slapped his thigh, his face full of disdain. "What does a greenhorn like him know about Guangdong? Does he really think he can turn the world upside down here with just a few thousand men?"

The salt merchant's general manager slowly picked up his blue-and-white porcelain teacup, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Once the Chen family makes a move, he'll have to obediently pull his claws back. He dares to touch the Chen family? Hmph, he doesn't know his own limitations! If he touches the Chen family, half of Guangdong's tax revenue will collapse! Can he bear that responsibility?"

The private room erupted in laughter, filled with contempt and glee.

Amid this pervasive atmosphere of disdain throughout the city, Lu Xiang-sheng sent people to post a "Letter to Officials, Gentry, Soldiers and Civilians of Guangdong" on the bulletin boards of the city walls in various prefectures and counties of Guangdong.

A young scholar dressed in a lake-blue silk robe, relying on his literacy, began to read aloud.

"First, officials and gentry alike must pay taxes! ... Second, land surveys must be conducted! ... Third, commercial taxes must be reformed! The tax rate will be set at 30%..."

Before he finished speaking, a burst of suppressed laughter rose from the crowd.

After the scholar finished reading, he shook his head and muttered, "Thunder and rain, all are the emperor's grace. But this rain and dew, once past Meiling, will always be three parts less intense."

Against the backdrop of the Chen family's affair being "raised high and then gently put down," this "Proclamation to the People" seems more like a formality that a young man had to go through to fulfill his duty to the emperor in the capital.

When the emperor's edict reached the southern region, it was written in the style of the southern region.

(End of this chapter)