She then assigned the man to guard the West Gate. It was said that Xie Fengling, like her younger brother, had been loyal to guarding the West Gate, and the West Gate had never made a single mistake.
"I vaguely remember this person." Xie Lanzhi stood up, and the old woman Xie dared not say anything more. She had already done her best to relay the message from the clan. Now it was up to the Marshal and His Highness to decide Xie Fengqing's fate!
At Jianzhang Palace, Zhang Changle had almost finished his report when the guards announced, "The Marshal has arrived!"
Wu Qiu, Xie Fengling, and Zhang Changle were all pushed aside. Then they saw the Marshal, dressed in a black casual suit, step into Jianzhang Palace with her hands behind her back. She deliberately walked up to Zhang Changle, who bowed and felt a rather oppressive gaze scrutinizing him.
Zhang Changle dared not look up.
Until his master, who had been observing him, spoke.
"Xiwei has been doing very well lately, so it's time to come up with a result after an afternoon." Xie Lanzhi took the opportunity to test Xiwei's capabilities. She allowed her wife to establish Xiwei, but that didn't mean she could unconditionally tolerate it. She agreed with her wife's judgment. Zhang Changle was talented, but the others in Xiwei might not be. If Xiwei was full of mediocre people, it would be better not to waste money.
Zhang Changle quickly replied, "We've already uncovered some clues; it's definitely a spy from Weidu."
Xie Lanzhi asked him to repeat it to her, and Zhang Changle reported all the information that Wei Du had found in detail.
After listening, she walked directly to the imperial table and said to Si Xitong, "I have told you about the history of my world, especially the part about the ban on smoking."
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2021-12-25 20:02:50 and 2021-12-26 19:42:24!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: Asi and Jingjing (1 each);
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: Ling Moyu (60 bottles); Hongyan (10 bottles); Ahe (9 bottles); Jingjing (4 bottles); Tingzhi, Baona Xiangjianni, and Youyue (3 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 100 Using this as an excuse to interfere in Weidu
She has a knack for grasping the key points, and what Si Xitong initially found strange suddenly became clear.
"Zhang Changle ordered his men to continue tracking the case, and if necessary, contact Prince Li to have him cooperate with the investigation," Si Xitong commanded. "Then, the Xie Fengqing case should be immediately transferred from the Weidu government office to the Shuntian government office."
Only when a case is in your own hands can you investigate it systematically.
Zhang Changle clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"
After Zhang Changle left Jianzhang Palace, Xie Lanzhi saw that the Xie family generals were still distracted in Jianzhang Palace. She ordered them to return to the West Gate to continue guarding it, and to inform her of any news.
Xie Fengling was reluctant to leave. Before leaving, she clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Marshal, my younger brother has a lover in Weidu, and he also owns pawnshops of various sizes in Weidu. What should we do about that?"
Xie Lanzhi said, "The clan has its own arrangements. Losing a talent like Xie Fengqing is a huge loss for both the Xie family and the new Tianjing. You should go back and wait."
Xie Fengling did not get the answer she wanted, so she had no choice but to leave Jianzhang Palace.
After Wu Qiu and the others left, someone couldn't help but say, "They were crying their hearts out just now, and now they're thinking about their brother's inheritance."
The body was barely cold, and the living were already making other plans. Xie Lanzhi knew that even if Xie Fengling didn't intend to, the Xie family might still be eyeing this opportunity. If she hadn't refused to budge, Xie Fengqing's affair would have been quickly forgotten, and his position would have been replaced by a newcomer.
"Wu Qiu, tell me the details of the Weidu merchants." Xie Lanzhi chose half a seat on the throne and sat down. Si Xitong sat down next to her.
Wu Qiu said, "I have heard that the King of Weidu once established a road tax. People from all over the country who came ashore to do business needed to go to the government to pay a lot of money to obtain a road permit and then pay a portion of the tax before they could do business in Weidu without any hindrance."
“Prince Li has always been fair in handling commercial matters in Weidu, and he is trusted by merchants from all walks of life. Otherwise, so many people would not have gone to Weidu specifically to do business.”
"However, the road tax system in Weidu has been plagued by many problems since it was only recently implemented."
Xie Lanzhi knew that the more commercially minded a place was, the more crucial it was to establish clear rules; otherwise, any oversight would allow profiteering merchants to exploit every loophole. The current road tax system only collected fees for entry and exit; the purchase of goods was entirely at the merchants' discretion, with no related taxes. This resulted in highly inaccurate trade records and chaotic pricing for many goods. Large sums of money ended up in the pockets of merchants, while the government had to foot the bill for maintenance projects.
As long as they paid their protection money, Si Lei would leave them alone. Furthermore, Weidu itself was small, consisting of roughly three county towns, and didn't need a comprehensive system to waste resources. Therefore, under Weidu's free trade policy, some entertainment and service industries flourished.
Wu Qiu told her that the round-trip travel permit would cost about twenty taels.
Wu Qiu said, “Weidu has few farmlands and relies on the four counties for grain production. Therefore, every year the people of Weidu have to buy grain from the four counties. Moreover, most families work as laborers locally. Merchants often delay paying wages because of this food and clothing relationship. It is said that when Xiaoyao Palace was built, it collapsed and killed many people, but nothing was ever done about it.”
As an ancient capitalist city, Weidu's ruthless and predatory nature was not hard for her to guess. However, with Xiaoyao Palace operating so blatantly and ripping off so many merchants, hadn't the merchants ever considered fighting back?
Wu Qiu brought up this point at the right time: "It has become commonplace in the past two years that Xiaoyao Palace has caused many local businessmen to go bankrupt. Before the new year, someone sued Xiaoyao Palace because of his connection with an official, but unexpectedly, that official was directly dismissed from his post."
"Prince Li has always been a peacemaker, and in the end, he only made Xiaoyao Palace pay some money to settle the matter. After that, no one dared to file a complaint with the authorities."
Because the Xiaoyao Palace hadn't threatened the Xie family's business, the Xie family had rarely mentioned what the locals called the Ghost Palace. Now that something has happened, people are starting to pay attention to the existence of the Xiaoyao Palace again.
There was no point in continuing the discussion, so Xie Lanzhi gestured to Si Xitong to put the matter aside and investigate it slowly, without rushing.
Si Xitong's mind was already on Weidu. She said, "I will definitely uphold justice for Xie Fengqing and handle this case properly. However, I cannot personally go to Weidu to investigate directly. Zhang Changle will find out sooner or later; it's just a matter of time. But Lanzhi and Weidu are water ports where merchants can come and go freely without restriction. Even if the truth is found, it is easy for people to escape."
Xie Lanzhi narrowed her eyes, sensing that her wife was about to do something big.
She asked, "Are you trying to take advantage of this?"
“It’s just a matter of moving it forward, since it will be implemented in Weidu sooner or later anyway,” Si Xitong said. “I will collect import taxes from foreign merchants in Weidu, and I will decide the pricing power and commercial taxes in Weidu.”
Currently, no specific department has been established to manage commercial taxation; only the Ministry of Revenue is in charge, but it lacks sufficient personnel. Adding another department to manage Weidu would concentrate too much power. Therefore, it would be better for the ruler to make the decisions himself and then gradually delegate power to trusted confidants.
Si Xitong's decision quickly gathered talent from the Mingsuanmen sect. The Mingsuanmen sect had always been Xie Lanzhi's confidants, and now many people had been transferred to the Ministry of Revenue to collect taxes, which was a heavy burden in terms of both energy and tasks.
The days that followed.
Zhang Changle received intelligence from various places in a dark room.
One: Xiaoyao Palace was moving goods to the dock overnight. A laborer accidentally knocked over a box full of gold. He was then murdered and his body disposed of.
Article 2: The medicine in the Xiaoyao Palace storeroom smells extremely strong. The Xiaoyao Palace doctor is brewing a black ointment-like substance, and has sent someone to pose as a merchant inside.
Three: The informant died of poisoning last night. The coroner's investigation revealed it was not poisoning but rather exhaustion. However, the informant had taken something called "Xiaoyao Wan" before his death.
Fourthly: The informant has not been exposed, and the Xiaoyao Palace even sent a letter inviting the informant to a smoking gathering. It was also discovered that Xie Fengqing's son was smoking in a room, and his personal safety is assured.
Article 5: One Xiaoyao Pill has been obtained and sent to Tianjing. The Shenxing Division has received it.
Zhang Changle thought to himself, "This must have been intercepted by Zhang Ju's men and sent to the Censorate!" His men weren't that stupid; this spy only reported it as a formality because he didn't want to offend Zhang Ju.
He immediately went to the Imperial Hospital, where the poison master of the Censorate was testing a dark pill, with Lu Qing by his side.
Wearing white gloves, Lu Qing crushed the pills with a bamboo skewer and brought them to her nose to smell them, catching a familiar scent.
Her expression changed instantly.
The poison master had never seen such a pill before, but it contained poisons such as poppies inside and out. Because of its small size, the poppy poison would not kill the person.
It's probably not highly poisonous.
Lu Qing was extremely wary of this pill: "This is the 'Free and Easy Pill' of the Huns, how could it appear in the Central Plains?"
She was used to referring to the Central Plains in the South, so she unconsciously started speaking in her usual way.
The poison master asked, "This substance is not highly poisonous, so what harm could it cause?"
“Poison can kill a person in a moment, but Xiaoyao Pill is extremely deadly. It is a slow-acting poison that will erode the consciousness of addicts, leaving them in a daze all day long.” Lu Qing explained with a serious expression: “The nobles of the Hu and Xiongnu often use this to entertain guests, and once a guest takes it, he will be unable to escape the control of Xiaoyao Pill.”
"A day without it would be worse than death; even the most skilled martial artist cannot escape the accidental loss of their power. So it's a deadly poison that can break a person's spirit and destroy their will!"
"Furthermore, the production volume of Xiaoyao Pills is large, and the profits are huge, so it's a sure thing that you'll make money without losing anything."
After Lu Qing finished speaking, she noticed that the Poison Master did not have any particular reaction, and even Zhang Changle frowned and stared at her.
She had no choice but to use a more effective analogy: "If the soldiers of a million-strong army were to take the 'Xiaoyao Pill,' then within ten years, a million people would lose their fighting ability. If it were to spread to the common people, then the Central Plains would have almost no soldiers to defend against the enemy, let alone silver to pay their salaries. The harm would be enormous."
"At that time, the Hun cavalry can easily destroy Tianjing."
“It hasn’t spread yet, so there’s no need to exaggerate like this.” Zhang Changle knew she was trying to convey the seriousness of the situation. Although he was indifferent, he wasn’t stupid. It was okay if one or two people used it, but if the whole country did it, it would definitely bring a devastating disaster.
It's just a small, insignificant palace now.
Xie Fengqing's case is related to Xiaoyao Palace and possibly also to Xiaoyao Pills, but Xiaoyao Pills are not the focus of the case. The focus is why Xie Fengqing would cause trouble at the banquet in the first place. He certainly didn't cause trouble because his son was being held hostage; his son was coerced after the banquet.
Based on intelligence from various places, Zhang Changle quickly deduced a reliable message: Xie Fengqing had taken Xiaoyao Pills, causing his mind to become disordered, which is why he caused a scene at the banquet.
From the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Ju also quickly brought news. This time, instead of vying for credit, he handed over a piece of intelligence in a bamboo tube.
The last chapter ended without saying anything.
Zhang Changle read the intelligence from the Censorate: Xie Fengqing's residence in Weidu was found to contain a large quantity of Xiaoyao Pills, which were subsequently recovered by the Xiaoyao Palace. The Xiaoyao Palace personnel also conducted a thorough search of Xie Fengqing's house, seizing account books related to transactions with Xie Fengqing.
Xie Fengqing had a habit of keeping two copies of his account books. One reason was to give an account to the clan, since many people coveted his position, and any mistake could be easily seized upon and he could be brought down. The other reason was to have a backup plan.
Zhang Changle said to Lu Qing, "I will immediately ask the Xie family to produce Xie Fengqing's backup account book within the clan. You continue analyzing Xiaoyao Pill."
Lu Qing's face turned pale. She nodded, then shook her head, and then specifically instructed everyone present: "Never get involved. Even if you inhale it unintentionally, you will become addicted. This kind of thing is like a demon that can be triggered at any moment."
Zhang Changle didn't say anything; he went directly to the Xie family's ancestral land in Tianjing.
The Xie family was deeply shaken by Xie Fengqing's matter and, without saying a word, handed over the account book that Xie Fengqing had given them a few days earlier.
Zhang Changle quickly found on page seventeen Xie Fengqing's transaction with a Hun merchant named Anshan for 300 Xiaoyao pills, as well as Anshan's transaction records with the Si Lei family, totaling one million taels. He had previously reviewed the trade transactions in Weidu, though they were vague, but the merchants were all recorded, except for a Hun merchant named Anshan.
"Found it!" Zhang Changle slammed the ledger on his hand.
Si Xitong soon met Zhang Changle. This time, Zhang Changle confidently presented the account books and the intelligence sent by the secret agents to him, and he roughly reconstructed the case in detail.
Chapter 101 They uncovered transnational corruption
Xie Fengqing caused a scene at the banquet because he had taken Xiaoyao Pills and was incoherent. After the Hun merchant made a deal with him for 300 Xiaoyao Pills, he stopped supplying him with more.
He went to look for him again, but was tricked into attending a banquet. The purpose was to fabricate a story that Xie Fengqing had been murdered. Afterwards, the Hu Xiongnu searched Xie Fengqing's residence and took away an account book. It was the one that the Xie clan had prepared beforehand. The Hu Xiongnu did not know that Xie Fengqing had the habit of keeping two account books, so they made a mistake.
Even knowing that the other party couldn't attack the Xie clan, the truth of this case has finally come to light.
Si Qitong said: "Anshan?"
Zhang Changle said, "Yes, Master. I think the Huns were protecting a merchant named Anshan. But strangely, there is no Hun named Anshan in the trade records of Weidu. Even though Weidu is a mixed bag, they wouldn't dare to be so careless when it comes to interests. So I guess Anshan is the most crucial person."
"Perhaps An Shan did something shameful that Xie Fengqing accidentally recorded, which is why he wants to kill him to silence him!"
"Therefore, I suspect..."
That would break the possibility that Xie Fengqing offended a Hun merchant two years ago and was killed two years later. Perhaps Xie Fengqing accidentally stumbled into something else, which led to his murder.
Perhaps even Xie Fengqing himself doesn't know the reason.
Zhang Changle tells Prince Fengning the final truth.
At the same time, the Shenxingsi Zhangju also discovered the truth.
Zhang Ju was already waiting in front of Xie Lanzhi, reporting all the trade transactions of the Hu and Xiongnu merchants in Weidu, and also pointing out the suspicious details.
"Marshal, the Hun merchant named Anshan that the Western Guard found is still using an alias. The Shenxing Division investigated Anshan's food, clothing and daily necessities and found that they were all prepared according to the standards of the Hun royal family."