lovenovelstory Chapter 029 Things Changed After Becoming an Official
Chapter 029 Things Changed After Becoming an Official
Chapter 029
"When we get to Changping, I will definitely build a school so that each of you can study and learn to read. However, you must work hard and try to bring back a few scholars who have passed the imperial examinations!"
Whenever Chen Ying went to camp, he would start making grand promises to his adopted sons and daughters.
"Godfather, can we really go to school?"
"Absolutely!"
Chen Ying patted his chest and said, "Your father is rich! Everyone gets four new sets of clothes a year, and we eat rice, white flour, and steamed buns every day!"
"Father, I'm really serious!"
Chen Yongren found it hard to believe. He was already sixteen years old and knew very well the enormous price a family had to pay to raise a scholar. In his old village, the wealthy Wang had three sons, but his more than one hundred acres of land could only support the education of one son.
"This has to be taken seriously!"
"I will not only send you to school, but I will also teach you a trade!"
Chen Ying laughed and said, "When you grow up, I'll build you a big house, help you get married, and provide you with generous dowries so you girls can marry off in style!"
The children were overjoyed. They ate the hard-to-swallow multigrain pancakes, feeling that a bright future was just around the corner.
"Godfather, I...I want to farm!"
"Farming is great! I have over 2,600 acres; you can farm as much as you want!"
Chen Ying looked at the children and said, "You are all my children. If you want to farm, then farm; if you want to study, then study; if you don't want to study, that's fine too. You all have a share in Chen's business. As long as I make money in business, you will all receive dividends. You won't have to worry about food or clothing!"
"Dad, you really are my dad!"
Chen Yongyi asked, "But do you keep your word?"
"A real man's word is his bond. If I say something, then I'll stand by it. If I don't, then I'll become this..."
Chen Ying stretched out his hand and made a turtle shape with his fingers, and all the children burst into laughter.
Chen Daniu leaned closer: "Boying, do you need an adopted son? Just build me a house and find me a wife, and I'll call you Dad from now on..."
"You're my brother, so even if you don't call me 'Dad,' I'll still find you a wife!"
Chen Ying pointed at Wang Tiezhu and said, "And Tiezhu, don't worry, when we get to Changping, I'll build you houses..."
Wang Tiezhu hadn't even swallowed the biscuit in his mouth: "Did I really believe that?"
"This has to be taken seriously!"
Chen Ying waved his hand dismissively: "Fat or thin, take your pick. Or why don't you marry three? One fat, one thin, and I'll even find you a Mongolian wife!"
"Is your back okay?"
Chen Daniu said, "Don't tire Tiezhu out..."
"You're the one who's exhausted!"
Since leaving Guide Prefecture, Chen Ying has been able to let loose and has made a promise to the craftsmen that each of them will receive no less than one tael of silver in wages and at least three meals a day.
The same applies to the soldiers of the Right Thousand Household Guard. They are promised that they will be well-fed and receive sufficient military pay. If the court does not pay, they will make up the difference themselves.
Unlike children, the soldiers treated Chen Ying's promises as a joke, but despite this, they accepted Chen Ying as their commander.
The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty were very simple and honest. They didn't need the officers to treat them well. As long as they had the opportunity to make merit, they wouldn't be angry even if most of their military achievements were taken away. They would be satisfied if Chen Ying ate meat but they could have a sip of soup.
Chen Yingke didn't put on airs like a commander. He mingled with the soldiers and craftsmen, eating the same food and chatting casually. Despite how hard it was, no one complained.
The northward-bound team moved exceptionally slowly through Shandong. In the late autumn of Qilu, the fields on both sides of the official road had long been harvested, revealing the gray-yellow earth, and the withered grass shivered in the cold wind.
Chen Ying's troops, having entered Jining Prefecture, were already exhausted and their morale was low.
That evening, the group arrived at the designated supply point outside Jining City, a dilapidated post station.
According to the warrants issued by the Ministry of War and the documents received by local governments along the way, Jining Prefecture should provide three days' worth of provisions for this garrison of a thousand households that has been ordered to move north.
However, when Song Xianze, the quartermaster in charge of receiving the supplies, led his men to open the more than two hundred sacks and a dozen wooden barrels delivered by the Jining Prefecture officials, a stench mixed with mold and sourness hit them.
What was poured out of the sack was blackened millet and wheat, clumped together and mixed with sand, stones and even insect carcasses. Many of the grains were covered with grayish-green mold.
The so-called pickled vegetables in the wooden barrel were extremely murky, with a layer of white foam floating on the surface. The vegetable leaves that were scooped out were soft, rotten, and black, with maggots wriggling inside.
"Huff..."
Song Xianze looked at the pickles and immediately spat them out.
"You son of a bitch!"
Enraged, Wang Tiezhu kicked over a wooden bucket, spilling its filthy liquid all over the floor: "Is this food for humans? Even pigs wouldn't eat it!"
"How dare they?"
"This is outrageous!"
The surrounding soldiers and artisans immediately erupted in uproar.
"Lord Commander, look at this! Jining Prefecture is treating us like beggars!"
Chen Ying's face darkened instantly as he looked at the grains and pickles.
Along the way, although supplies in various places were not very good, basic food was still guaranteed. Their northward journey and the resupply along the way were equivalent to balancing their accounts.
Chen Ying didn't really care about the slight discrepancy in quantity. As long as it wasn't too excessive, he would sign it. But the problem was that Jining Prefecture was an important town on the Grand Canal and a wealthy place. Providing such a thing was simply disgusting.
"Da Niu, gather twenty brothers and come with me to the Jining Prefecture government office!"
"Yes, sir!"
Chen Ying then said to Song Xianze, "Bo'an, reassure everyone and use our own stored grain first. We can't let anyone go hungry tonight. Also, make sure to count the quantity and type of these supplies and keep a record."
"Understood, brother-in-law, be careful."
Song Xianze nodded. Chen Ying had already promised him that when he arrived in Changping, he would give Song Xianze a thousand-household garrison.
The commander of a thousand-household garrison is a sixth-rank military officer, which is neither a high nor a low position.
Chen Ying led twenty elite soldiers straight to Jining Prefecture.
The prefectural government office was located in the city center, and its gates were already tightly shut. Chen Ying stepped forward and pounded on the door knocker. After a while, a small door next to it creaked open a crack, and a gatekeeper in a blue official's uniform poked his head out, saying impatiently, "What are you knocking for? The government office is locked. Come back tomorrow morning if you need anything!"
"I am Chen Boying, the commander of the Changping Shahe garrison, who has been ordered to go north. According to the Ministry of War's documents, Jining Prefecture should supply our army with three days' worth of rations, but what has been delivered is moldy grain and rotten vegetables. I want to see the prefect and demand an explanation..."
"Oh my, it's the Prefect!"
Facing Chen Ying and the menacing soldiers behind him, the gatekeeper showed no fear, but rather a hint of mockery: "Hasn't the grain already been delivered? If there are any problems, go talk to the escorting officers. Our prefect is too busy with affairs of state to concern himself with such trivial matters. Besides, it's good enough to have something to eat; why be picky?"
"A small matter?"
Chen Ying laughed angrily: "How can the soldiers march on empty stomachs? If the northward march is delayed, can your Jining Prefecture bear the responsibility?"
"Sir, you can't talk to me like that. That's the rule: the supplies are given, take it or leave it! Go back now, don't make a scene here and disturb the master's rest, we can't afford to offend him!"
After saying that, the doorman slammed the small door shut.
"Lord Commander, this..."
Chen Ying gritted his teeth, turned around and left.
If Chen Ying were just an ordinary commander, he would be completely helpless in the face of such difficulties from Jining Prefecture. Even if he appealed, the officials from the Ministry of War and the Provincial Administration Commission would all be in cahoots.
Using civil officials to control military officials was the politically correct approach in the Ming Dynasty. Regardless of the internal strife among the civil officials, such as the Donglin Party, the Zhejiang Party, and the Chu Party, they were united against the military officials.
Historically, Ma Shilong, the general of Liaodong, mistakenly believed the words of Liu Boqiang, a surrendered official, and dispatched his vanguard deputy general Lu Zhijia and assistant general Li Chengxian to lead troops to attack Yaozhou. The entire army was wiped out, which is known as the Battle of Liuhe. Censors submitted memorials to impeach him, and all officials united against this general of Liaodong who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops.
As a result, Ma Shilong was dismissed from his post.
In fact, Ma Shilong had a very high prestige in Liaodong. People like Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang didn't even have the right to enter Ma Shilong's tent. They were just one of the hundreds of generals under Ma Shilong.
Chen Ying knew there was no point in arguing with this watchdog. The other party dared to be so arrogant because he must have the tacit approval of his superiors, or even their orders.
If he were to force his way into the prefect's office, even if he had a valid point, he would lose it.
Chen Yingdao said, "Da Niu, go and find out about the background of Song Shiwen, the prefect of Jining."
Chen Ying had actually made two preparations. If this prefect was a good official and was only making things difficult for him, a military officer, out of political correctness as a civil official, Chen Ying would not use him as a tool to kill him. But if... then he would not be polite. Xu Xianchun was quite a useful tool.
It doesn't matter if you don't ask, Song Shiwen has already become famous in Jining in just three years.
In pursuit of political achievements and personal gain, he privately increased the tax surcharge for grain collection to an alarming two qian, meaning that for every tael of regular tax, two qian of loss would be added, far exceeding the amount tacitly approved by the court.
The people suffered terribly, complained bitterly, and secretly cursed him as Song the Skinflint.
In addition, he created various pretexts to increase miscellaneous taxes, colluded with local gentry to embezzle the profits of the canal transport and warehouses, and is said to have amassed a fortune and lived an extremely extravagant life.
More importantly, he also used his clansman Song Qiaoen to open Mingyue Tower, the largest brothel in Jining. This Song Shiwen, also known as Lord Song, had a particular fondness for unusual fetishes. He liked to force respectable women, especially pregnant women, on them, claiming it was a way to bring good fortune.
"Just you wait!"
Chen Ying turned and left Jining City, arriving at the inn where Xu Xianchun was staying.
"Greetings, Lord Xu!"
Xu Xianchun smiled faintly and asked, "What brings you here, Commander Chen?"
"I have a fat pig; would you be interested, Lord Xu?"
"What fat pig?"
"Song Shiwen, Prefect of Jining!"
Chen Ying did not mention the moldy grain and maggot-infested pickles sent from Jining Prefecture. These were minor matters, and even if investigated, he could shift the blame to lower-level officials.
"Lord Song is quite the businessman; rumors say his family fortune is no less than a million taels..."
"What, a million taels of silver?"
Xu Xianchun nodded and said, "Understood..."
Although Chen Ying didn't say it, Xu Xianchun already knew about the supply problem. He originally wanted to take the opportunity to do Chen Boying a favor, but Chen Boying took a different approach.
Early the next morning, a troop of about a hundred Imperial Guards headed straight for the prefectural government office. Leading the troop was a criminal officer surnamed Zhao, under Xu Xianchun.
Without alerting the local authorities, they directly presented their official warrants and, under the pretext of investigating the deficit in grain transport, arrested Prefect Song Shiwen, who had just taken the stage. They then sealed off the prefectural office and his residence and began a search.
Song Shiwen initially tried to remain calm, protesting his innocence and accusing the Embroidered Uniform Guard of overstepping their authority.
But when Commander Zhao produced Xu Xianchun's warrant and began the torture, the pampered prefect quickly broke down. He not only confessed to obstructing the supplies of the troops being transferred north, attempting to extort bribes but failing and resorting to using inferior goods, but also, under severe torture, poured out his various crimes of corruption and abuse of power, including imposing additional taxes, extorting merchants, embezzling treasury funds, forcing women into prostitution, buying and selling people, and accepting bribes…
The initial inventory results were even more astonishing. From Song Shiwen's mansion, villa, and secret warehouses, cash, goldware, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, land deeds, and shop documents were seized, totaling more than 690,000 taels of silver. This does not include the property he had stored in other places and with relatives and friends.
The news sent shockwaves through the entire city of Jining.
The people were initially astonished, then applauded and cheered, some even setting off firecrackers. Meanwhile, the Shandong officialdom remained eerily silent.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was extremely efficient. Within five days, they had essentially confirmed the case against Song Siwen, put him in a prison cart, and escorted him to the capital along with some crucial evidence.
The huge amount of property seized was registered and most of it was turned over, but as is customary, a portion of it naturally became case-handling expenses and hard-earned money.
That evening, Zhao Baihu personally came to Chen Ying's camp and handed over a cart to Chen Ying.
"Commander Chen, Lord Xu has instructed that Commander Chen deserves much credit for catching these corrupt officials. This is a small token of Lord Xu's appreciation, to provide you and your men with some provisions for the journey. In addition, the newly appointed acting official of Jining Prefecture has arrived, and the three days' worth of rations required by your unit have been ordered to be allocated immediately according to the best standards; they will arrive shortly."
Chen Ying opened the wooden box, inside were sixty neatly arranged snowflake-shaped silver ingots, each ingot weighing fifty taels, totaling three thousand taels. There were four such boxes, totaling a staggering twelve thousand taels of silver.
"Thank you, Lord Xu. Thank you, Commander Zhao."
Chen Ying bowed and thanked him, understanding the situation. This was Xu Xianchun's share of the profits. If he were just an ordinary commander, he certainly wouldn't have received any of this money. But the problem was that the Tianqi Emperor had even bestowed imperial estates upon Chen Boying, making him a favorite who could directly meet the emperor.
Twelve thousand taels of silver was undoubtedly a huge sum of money for him at the moment, enough to solve his immediate problem and do many other things.
More importantly, this incident will likely spread throughout the officialdom along the way, making Chen Boying known for his vindictiveness, collusion with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and tendency to confiscate property at the drop of a hat.
This will certainly offend many people and make him encounter more hypocrites in the future, but it will also scare away many petty people who want to easily manipulate him.
It has both advantages and disadvantages, but in the current situation, the advantages may outweigh the disadvantages.
Sure enough, the supplies sent by the government were completely different. They included top-quality white rice, fine flour, plenty of cured meat, fresh vegetables, and even several carts of charcoal. The government's attitude was so respectful that it was almost obsequious.
Song Xianze said, "Brother-in-law, you're too reckless!"
"They offended me first! If they don't like me, let them come at me..."
"A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan!"
"I don't know any grand schemes, I only know to avenge wrongs and settle scores!"
Seeing that Song Xianze's expression was off, Chen Ying softened his tone and explained, "Bo'an, I know you mean well, but sometimes, you really can't tolerate those people. They've bullied me; what other choice did I have?"
Song Xianze lowered his voice and said, "This Song Shiwen is the nephew-in-law of Qian Longxi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel..."
"The Donglin Party, huh?"
Chen Ying said nonchalantly, "If they don't mess with me, then it's fine. As long as they dare to put their faces right in my hands, I'll slap them without hesitation. If they dare to fuck my mother, they're not afraid of offending my father!"
Song Xianze was both amused and exasperated. Chen Boying was such an honest and simple person, how could he have changed so much after becoming an official?