Chapter 565: The Jin Yang Affair
Those who understand music can grasp its elegance, let alone those present who were the cream of the crop—how could they not discern the intentions of Yu Mu and Jia Yang? Their gazes toward Hua Zhi became more restrained as they began pondering inwardly.
Only Lü Xinming, who had just accused Hua Zhi and sought to exploit the situation to turn the tables, found himself trapped. He didn’t know this person’s identity and believed a woman serving as an official was sheer fantasy, but when that seal representing the absolute authority of the Seven Constellation Bureau fell into her hands, she became the decision-maker.
Lü Xinming had many flaws, but his sole redeeming quality was knowing when to yield. Aware that Jin Yang was problematic, he had shielded himself thoroughly and prudently avoided any involvement. To protect himself, he had even willingly relinquished power and allowed himself to be sidelined—no sacrifice was too great for his safety.
Had it not been for the newcomer who, without a word, subdued his trusted aide, he wouldn’t have foolishly challenged his superior. Though numerous thoughts raced through his mind, it lasted only a moment. Wisely, he bowed and said, “This humble official overstepped. However, this aide has been by my side for many years, almost like family. To suddenly claim he is a remnant of the Chao Li Tribe—I find it hard to believe.”
Yu Mu and Jia Yang exchanged surprised glances, taken aback by this turn of events, but Hua Zhi was not surprised.
She and Yan Xi had once studied Lü Xinming’s character. She refused to believe he had noticed nothing amiss in Jin Yang. While others might plausibly claim ignorance of Zhu Ling and Zeng Xianglin’s activities, how could Lü Xinming, a fifth-rank assistant prefect, be unaware?
Either he had profited from it, or he had turned a blind eye—or both.
Observing the submissive figure before her, Hua Zhi leaned toward the latter. This was a clever man, one who knew exactly how to serve his own interests.
Sitting in the main seat, she downed the tea Bao Xia handed her in one go, finally feeling her throat soothe. She gestured for Bao Xia to pour another cup.
“I can assure you, Lord Lü, your aide is indeed a member of the Chao Li Tribe.”
Lü Xinming looked up in disbelief, his face etched with grief and indignation.
Hua Zhi hadn’t expected to encounter such a masterful actor here—his performance was impeccable. She nodded slightly. “Please take a seat, Lord Lü. Let me explain the situation in Jin Yang to everyone.”
Lü Xinming sat down, his heart settling. It seemed he would not be implicated in this matter.
After finishing another cup of tea, Hua Zhi swept her calm gaze over the assembled officials. “Zeng Xianglin is dead.”
Her opening words sent a jolt through the Jin Yang officials, many of whom had vested interests with Zeng Xianglin.
Yu Mu and Jia Yang exchanged a knowing glance. The use of “dead” rather than “executed” suggested the young lady intended to resolve the Zeng family’s troubles at their root.
“Thirty-seven remnants of the Chao Li Tribe have all been captured.” Rubbing her teacup, Hua Zhi glanced at the bound and gagged man on the floor and continued, “For years, the Wise Men of the Chao Li Tribe have cultivated Jin Yang into a gambling city, siphoning the city’s wealth for their own use. As officials of Jin Yang, your incompetence has enabled them. Worse, many of you have participated and profited from it.”When they learned that there were thirty-seven members of the Chao Li Tribe in Jin Yang City, the faces of all the officials turned grim. If officials relied solely on their salaries to survive, their entire families would starve to death. It was common practice to reach out for extra benefits, but if they reached in the wrong place...
"All officials in Jin Yang are hereby stripped of their positions and shall carry out orders as commoners."
The officials—no, former officials—exchanged bewildered glances. All of them dismissed at once?
"You understand better than I do the gravity of this matter. If you cannot achieve even the slightest merit to atone for your mistakes, everyone will end up in prison. Strive to accomplish more—if you can escape unscathed, consider yourselves fortunate."
Hua Zhi paused, allowing them time to digest her words. She wanted to conserve her energy—she was so hungry.
The first to respond was the ever-pragmatic Lü Xinming. "Your Excellency, what must we do?"
"I am not an official. Address me as 'Miss Hua.'"
"Yes, Miss Hua."
Hua Zhi glanced at him. Having such an obliging subordinate during tasks was truly useful—no wonder those skilled at flattery and self-promotion always fared better than those who worked quietly without speaking up.
"I plan to take advantage of Jin Yang's lockdown to conduct a census, with neighbors providing mutual testimony. Additionally, we will reorganize the shops. You are to record the ownership of every shop. From now on, all shop transactions in Jin Yang must be documented with triplicate contracts: one for the buyer, one for the seller, and one kept on file by the authorities. Each transfer of ownership will require a payment of one tael of silver. Both tasks are time-consuming, but I expect you to complete them as quickly as possible."
She paused again, giving them time to process the information, then continued, "Close all gambling dens and account for the gambling funds. Furthermore, I wish to meet with the heads of all prominent families in Jin Yang. I trust you can arrange this for me."
With Zhu Ling, who usually took charge, absent, everyone turned to Lü Xinming.
Lü Xinming, unaccustomed to such attention for so long, felt a surge of satisfaction even though he knew he was being pushed forward as the scapegoat. He straightened his back slightly and clasped his hands. "When would Miss Hua like to meet them? This humble official will make the arrangements."
"The sooner, the better."
"Understood."
Lü Xinming then asked, "What should be done with the silver collected from the contracts?"
"Keep a record of it. Whether it will be used as integrity silver for the officials or for other purposes will be decided later."
"Understood."
Hua Zhi subtly pressed her hand against her aching stomach. "As far as I know, Jin Yang hasn't experienced a lockdown in years. The people are likely quite frightened by these measures. When carrying out your duties, be mindful of your approach—do not incite panic among the populace. Calming the people comes first; handling affairs is secondary. If anyone attempts to exploit this situation for personal gain, I will not be lenient!"
Everyone responded in unison.
"I won't assign any other tasks. Those who were previously responsible for certain matters should continue handling them independently."
"Yes." As individuals who needed to atone for their mistakes, the former officials dared not delay and quickly dispersed. Losing their official posts was one thing, but if they ended up in prison, they might never see the light of day again.
Once everyone had left, Hua Zhi immediately looked up. "Is there any food?"
Yu Mu was taken aback but quickly understood. "Yes, yes! This subordinate will fetch some."
As he left, Yu Mu dragged the man on the floor out with him. Bao Xia hurried after them—the young lady needed something soft and easy to digest, preferably with soup.
"Jia Yang, go interrogate that man. An ordinary person wouldn't qualify as an advisor."
Jia Yang was startled. "You mean he is the Wise Man?"Hua Zhi shook her head. "It shouldn't be him. His behavior doesn't match that of a Wise Man capable of setting up such an elaborate scheme. Moreover, given how highly the Chao Li Tribe values their Wise Men, they would never agree to place him deep within Daqing's territory. Since he managed to gain Lü Xinming's trust, he must be somewhat clever. Go dig deeper and see if you can uncover anything useful."
"Yes."
PS: Still typed on mobile. A friend recommended iFlytek, saying it's suitable for one-handed typing like mine. I downloaded it with great excitement, but... I just can't get the hang of it! The speech synthesis has zero emotional expression - so dry and dull it's unbearable. How do people even use this thing!
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