Winter mornings in Hangzhou are not as cold as those in Beijing.
The sun was hiding behind the trees, looking shyly at the earth.
A few gray sparrows were chirping and jumping around on the ground, looking for food to satisfy their hunger.
Xiao Chen stretched out and got up from the bed.
In the yard, the captains had finished their morning exercises and were gathered around Duan Tianming, chatting happily.
Seeing Xiao Chen walk out of the room, Duan Tianming hurriedly left everyone and walked up.
"Today, are you going to capture those people on Yang Hu's confession?"
"Don't worry, I'll go meet Yang Hu and see if I can find Wang Dachuan's whereabouts. His private warehouse should bring us a bigger surprise." Xiao Chen said lazily.
"Yes, we spent a lot of money on the way to Hangzhou. We should replenish the small treasury in Dongchang in time." Duan Tianming rubbed his hands and smiled.
"Looking at your future, you only think about money." Xiao Chen rolled his eyes at him, "What if Wang Dachuan collects some rare and good things, takes them back and displays them in the East Factory Hall, wouldn't it be quite pleasing to the eye?"
"Ah? Right, right, we also need to improve our taste appropriately, right?" Duan Tianming slapped his forehead and smiled in realization, but no matter how he looked at it, there was a look of vulgarity on his face.
"Let's go see our prefect." Xiao Chen walked towards the house where Yang Hu was imprisoned with his hands behind his back.
The door opened, and Yang Hu stood in the room with a frightened look on his face.
For Yang Hu, yesterday's experience was like falling from the clouds to the ground. His whole body had aged much overnight, and his hair had turned gray.
"Master Yang, were you used to sleeping here last night?" Xiao Chen said lightly with a smile on his face. He walked to the table in the room and sat down.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. I am very accustomed to being here." Yang Hu responded hurriedly.
A large dormitory where members of the Shuihu Gang live is allowed to live in a large dormitory where the Hangzhou prefecture magistrate lives, and he still asks people if they are used to it. Isn't this a waste of time?
Although he knew that Xiao Chen was trampling on his dignity, what could Yang Hu do? He was just a prisoner. He only hoped that his honesty could give his family a glimmer of hope.
"Today, I came here to ask Mr. Yang, how long is your in-law relationship with Wang Dachuan?"
"Well, it has been seven or eight years since the children got married. It has been seven or eight years now." Yang Hu was a little confused. Why did he ask this?
Xiao Chen leaned on the chair and stared into Yang Hu's eyes, with a faint smile on his face: "So, you have been doing business together for more than ten years?"
"No, no," Yang Hu waved his hand hurriedly, "Xiaguan has never participated in Wang Dachuan's business. It's just that every time he completes a batch of big business, he will give Xiaguan some bonuses."
Yang Hu stammered.
Now that we have reached this point, there is no point in hiding it anymore. If we recruit it ourselves rather than the other party finding out, the result may be better.
"You wouldn't say that Wang Dachuan's money is for his children, right?" Xiao Chen's smile was quite interesting.
"No, his bonus is for Xiaguan. However, Xiaguan has never dared to spend it. He keeps it all at home." Yang Hu said.
"How much dividends were distributed in total?"
"I took his bonus for only five or six years, and the total banknotes were 750,000 taels." Yang Hu lowered his head and said in a low voice.
Although Xiao Chen seemed motionless on the surface, he was still a little surprised in his heart.
Wang Dachuan is a businessman. Even if he relies on Hangzhou Prefecture to open up some business conveniences for himself, he will never give Yang Hu more than half of the dividend. If he is more evil, he can give Yang Hu 30% of the dividend.
It's already considered good.
Just take 30%, that’s 750,000 taels of silver in five or six years. How rich is Wang Dachuan himself?
If his private treasury were found to enrich the national treasury, it could support the emperor's personal conquests several times!
"Oh, what do you think of Wang Dachuan?" Xiao Chen changed the topic.
"Well, what does this subordinate say?" Unable to figure out what Xiao Chen was thinking, Yang Hu didn't know what to say.
"Don't talk about his hoarding of silk and monopolizing most businesses in Hangzhou, let's just talk about his personal character." Xiao Chen said with his right hand on his lap, patting it gently.
After thinking for a while, Yang Hu looked at Xiao Chen: "I'm not afraid of adults' jokes. I don't know much about Wang Dachuan except that he is the largest household in Hangzhou."
"Master Yang, don't worry. For example, you can tell me what special hobbies Wang Dachuan has and what places he often goes to."
Yang Hu was stunned: "Sir, isn't this Wang Dachuan in the Wang Family Courtyard?"
"Master Yang is also the prefect of Hangzhou Prefecture, and he should have handled many cases. If Wang Dachuan was in the Wang family compound, would I still have to ask you questions?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but laugh.
"Wang Dachuan ran away? This old fox." Yang Hu raised his head, seeming a little disappointed.
Once, he and Wang Dachuan, one in charge of the government affairs of Hangzhou Prefecture, and the other in charge of the economy of Hangzhou Prefecture, agreed to work together to help each other, but now he ran away, leaving him alone to support himself.
"Perhaps he didn't run away, but just happened to be out. As for the Hangzhou government's secret hoarding of silk and deception, if he hadn't come forward to share the responsibility, even if Mr. Yang confessed frankly, he might not have been able to escape the execution of the nine tribes.
What a crime." As if he was really thinking about Yang Hu, Xiao Chen let out a long sigh.
"Sir, Wang Dachuan believes in Buddhism. He goes to Xiangji Temple outside the city every month." Yang Hu said hurriedly when he heard that no one would take responsibility and he would be exterminated.
"Xiangji Temple, is it the first temple where the Grand Canal enters Hangzhou?" Xiao Chen said with a faint smile.
Different from other temples, Xiangji Temple is dedicated to the Great Sage King Kinnara Bodhisattva and is the only temple in the Ming Dynasty dedicated to Jianzhai Bodhisattva.
The great sage Kinnara Bodhisattva is also the "Kitchen Attendant Bodhisattva" among the people of Hangzhou.
Because of the horns on its head, it is also called "human but not human". In addition, Kinnara is divided into men and women. The male has a horse head, and the female has a dignified appearance and a beautiful voice. In Chinese Buddhism, Kinnara was once transformed into the Shaolin Temple.
The old monk Huotou of Xiangjichu held a three-foot poker to fight off the red scarf army surrounding the temple. Therefore, he was honored as the Dharma Protector Jialan by the Shaolin Temple, and was also called the "Zhai Zhai Bodhisattva".
This Wang Dachuan believed in Buddhism and specifically chose to worship the great saint Kinnara Bodhisattva of Xiangji Temple. It is probably because this Bodhisattva once transformed into the old monk Huotou of Xiangjichu and fought back the red scarf army that surrounded the temple.
He knew that he had done too many things that violated the laws of the imperial court, and he was afraid of being sued, so he just asked the Bodhisattva of Xiangji Temple for blessing.
"Master Yang, please rest well and take good care of yourself. Provide me with more useful information to alleviate your own sins."
Xiao Chen stood up, smiled faintly, left the room with a few words.
