At Tianyi Inn, Duan Tianming held a stack of banknotes in his hand with a lewd smile on his face.
"Master Ouyang really talks about his word. We are satisfied with this gift."
"Do you know how much the Ouyang family earns every year from this fake business? They have a monopoly on the mining, production, and most sales of Yishui inkstones in Yizhou. This amount of money is just a drop in the bucket for them."
Xiao Chen sat on the chair and said calmly.
Xiao Chen knew very well that the Ouyang family's gift to him was not because they were afraid of him, but because they recognized that he was a powerful person and wanted to build relationships.
"As the saying goes, one's hands are short when taking money. Today we collected the banknotes from the Ouyang family. When the time comes to capture Ouyang Qianhu, isn't it a little difficult to start?" Duan Tianming said as he put the banknotes into his arms.
"It's not easy to start? Taking down Ouyang Qianhu is a public matter. Whoever comes here has to take it down. If the members of the Ouyang family didn't report the knowledge, it is a crime of cover-up. They all have to be taken down." Xiao Chen fiddled with the tea bowl in his hand.
, the smile on his face was very natural.
This great gift is given voluntarily by you, so it should be regarded as a contribution to the imperial court.
"Xiao Chen, do you think that if the Ouyang family is captured, will their property be confiscated as well?" Duan Tianming asked.
"By bullying the market and substituting inferior products, most of the property will be confiscated. The Ouyang family is completely ruined because of Ouyang Qianhu. But Ouyang Xiaoke has not participated in this matter from beginning to end, so there is no need
Pay attention." Xiao Chen said calmly.
"Confiscated? Confiscated to Baoding Mansion, or directly to the court?"
"Baoding Mansion? Baoding Mansion may be related to the Ouyang family, but we have no evidence at the moment. When the time comes, we will sell off all the properties and report them directly to the emperor." Xiao Chen stood up.
It's getting a little dark outside, and the day has come to an end, and the Yizhou Zhizhou hasn't come to the door yet. It seems that he is not as smart as the old fox, the head of the Ouyang family.
"I don't know how long it will take for Ouyang Workshop to deliver the goods. Once we get the official documents from Yizhou Prefectural Government, we can start. It's okay these days. Tell the brothers not to take any action outside.
So as not to alert the enemy."
Just as he was talking, a figure stood at the door of the inn with a small bundle in his hand. It was Lan Liqun, the magistrate of Yizhou.
Seeing Xiao Chen and the other two, they walked straight in.
Now, it is still the first month. Although Yizhou City has always been crowded with merchants, basically none of these merchants have arrived during the first month.
According to the description of the head of the Ouyang family, the two people in front of him must be Mr. Xiao and his personal guard.
"Master Xiao." Lan Liqun stepped forward, placed the bundle on the table, and hugged his hands as a gift.
"Who are you?" Looking at Lan Liqun, Xiao Chen asked.
"Lan Liqun, the governor of Yizhou, failed to manage his subordinates well. They actually went behind my back and acted for personal gain, using the name of a guard to charge passersby and horses entry fees. I came here today specifically to apologize to Young Master Xiao."
With that, Lan Liqun saluted again.
"It turns out to be Mr. Lan. You are the magistrate of Yizhou appointed by the imperial court. I can't bear to pay such a courtesy to an ordinary citizen like me." Xiao Chen said with a smile.
Although he said he couldn't bear it, he put his hands behind his back and had no intention of returning the favor.
Seeing what Xiao Chen did, Lan Liqun believed in the words of the head of the Ouyang family.
Although the other party said that he couldn't bear it, he had no intention of returning the gift. Either the other party was a little dissatisfied because of his poor management, or the other party believed that a magistrate was not worthy of returning the gift.
"The guards of Yizhou City were originally supposed to guard the gate of the city and protect the safety of the city. Now they actually use the power in their hands to make money for themselves. I, the governor of Yizhou, feel guilty. Today, I am at fault.
On the other hand, it is appropriate to salute the young master."
Lan Liqun looked at Xiao Chen with an expression of shame and heartache on his face.
"Master Lan is joking. How can you bear the responsibility for the mistake that the guard made? Come on, sir, please sit down." Xiao Chen extended his hand to signal.
"Master Xiao, please." Lan Liqun did not take a seat immediately, but waited for Xiao Chen to take a seat first.
As long as Xiao Chen dares to sit down in front of him, it means that in the eyes of the other party, his official title of governor is really insignificant.
How could Xiao Chen not understand that this was Lan Liqun observing him? He pulled the chair back and sat down casually.
Seeing Xiao Chen's casual look, Lan Liqun became even more convinced of his judgment.
Pushing the baggage on the table forward, he said: "I have been busy with the affairs of the state government, and I have neglected the management of the guards. If it hadn't been for the conflict between Young Master Xiao's servants and the guards today, I wouldn't have known that they actually
You are so bold that you dare to charge horses to enter the city without permission."
"Afterwards, I summoned the guard captain to the county government and learned that they had been collecting fees for horses to enter the city for several months, but the money they had received had been squandered. This is the salary I have accumulated over the years, and I think it is
I will apologize to Mr. Xiao for them. Although it is not much, it is already all my savings. I hope Mr. Xiao will not dislike it."
"Salary? Mr. Lan is a fifth-rank official in the imperial court, and he doesn't have much salary. He has to support a large family. He can save so much money, and he usually lives a tight life. Now he uses all these belongings to pay for his own money.
The guard apologized and was really considerate of his subordinates." Looking at the other party, Xiao Chen smiled.
These words sounded like they were complimenting the other party, but upon careful consideration, they seemed full of doubts.
How could Lan Liqun not hear the implication, but since he had already said so, he could only continue to tell the lie.
"Oh, it's all my fault for not employing people well. Now something goes wrong, and I have to bear the responsibility myself. I will take good care of the guards and will not allow them to do this kind of thing again." Lan Liqun said.
The corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and Xiao Chen had a bright smile on his face.
"I wonder how Mr. Lan plans to organize the guard team? I seem to have heard that this guard captain is your brother-in-law."
Hearing this, Lan Liqun felt a little panicked.
He never expected that the other party actually knew about this relationship. Could it be that Mr. Xiao had investigated in advance and specifically targeted him?
If this is the case, what I said in a serious manner before was not just deceiving myself, but in the eyes of the other party, it was just a joke.
What to do, how to end this situation? Lan Liqun was extremely anxious, and a layer of sweat gradually broke out on his forehead.
"Moreover, I also heard that the guard captain not only charges cleaning fees for horses entering the city, but also charges various fees from merchants in the city."
"The monthly fee for Tianyi Inn alone is fifty taels of silver. How many merchants are there in the city? Did the guard captain treat the silver as food and finish all the money?"
Xiao Chen smiled, looking like he was chatting with friends, very casually.
