Only those court officials who received the imperial edict knew very well about the word Ziyi Xiaowei. However, the fact that Cang Cheng, the Minister of Rites, was beheaded in public, spread to almost every corner of the Ming Dynasty.
Wang Dachuan never dreamed that the person who came to Hangzhou to investigate the case was actually the purple-robed captain.
"Give me your list, along with the warehouse list." Xiao Chen smiled slightly and said lightly.
"Sir, please follow me." Wang Dachuan changed his title unconsciously.
Following Wang Dachuan, the two came to a smaller house.
Pushing open the door, it looks like a private residence.
The furnishings are very simple, except for some daily necessities, and only the bookshelves are left.
"Aren't you surprised, sir, that I, a businessman, also have a study room?" Wang Dachuan pulled out a chair and handed it to Xiao Chen, and then started rummaging around on the bookshelf.
"It's a bit unexpected." Xiao Chen chuckled, sat on the chair, and looked around.
It's really incredible that a businessman built such an antique study room.
"Back then, I was also a scholar who had lost my reputation." Wang Dachuan came over with a stack of lists and placed them in front of Xiao Chen.
"These are the records of the money I gave away."
"So many?" Xiao Chen took the courage and looked through them one by one.
On the list, the name of the person, official position, time, and location were all clearly recorded. I have to say that this Wang Dachuan is really a thoughtful person.
"I don't give these money willingly, so I record them all. Although I have some family property, it is accumulated bit by bit from generation to generation. I hate these corrupt officials deeply. In addition to plundering people's wealth
, I really don’t know what they are doing for the imperial court." Wang Dachuan said.
Xiao Chen couldn't help but raise his head: "Isn't this a win-win situation for you? How can you be so indignant?"
"Without them, although my Wang family's business would be smaller, we would still do the same thing. Pay taxes normally and trade normally. How could we end up like this?"
"You mean, they forced you to do this?" Xiao Chen asked.
"They are officials and I am a citizen. Your Excellency should know better than me who controls who. This list is just for one place in Hangzhou Prefecture. There are many other places like this in the entire court, and how many families are suffering like me.
No one can explain clearly. Although the reason why your Excellency dared to kill the Minister of Rites in public was because of his purple clothes, if he did not have the courage to fear power, he would never do it. These corrupt officials not only harmed the imperial court, but also harmed the people.
It’s us common people. If your Excellency can deal with the affairs in Hangzhou and investigate the affairs in other places, I will be honored even if I die." Wang Dachuan said, holding a ledger in his hand.
Xiao Chen put down the list in his hand and raised his head.
The Wang Dachuan in front of me was very different from what I had imagined.
From beginning to end, this person had a great hatred for the officials of the imperial court. Rather than saying that he successfully separated him from Yang Hu, the prefect of Hangzhou, and confessed these things, it is better to say that he deliberately led himself into this line of thinking.
Moreover, he didn't seem to care about the safety of himself and his tribe.
Thinking of this, two people suddenly appeared in Xiao Chen's mind.
One is Yanqing Guard Commander Huang Anliang, and the other is Jinyi Guard North Town Fusi Town Fu Commander Liao Xianghe.
Compared with these two people, Wang Dachuan's expression of looking forward to death seems to be more subtle. At least, he once emphasized that he also wanted to live.
Xiao Chen was a little confused for a while.
Those two people were involved in the same case and were jointly executing a huge conspiracy. It was not surprising that they had the same behavior.
But this Wang Dachuan is just a businessman. Could it be that he was also involved in their conspiracy? His identity as a Jiangnan businessman was just to hide his identity from others?
Moreover, when he told him that Yang Hu had been arrested and all two to three hundred members of the Shuihu Gang had been killed, although he also acted very frightened, he then accused the court officials of plausibly speaking and calming him down.
The panic was completely overturned.
All his property has been confiscated, but he can still present his account books. Is this a last-ditch effort to gain my trust?
If he is just an ordinary businessman, that's it. If he just uses his identity as a businessman to cover up, then who is he? What is he planning?
Staring at the account book in Wang Dachuan's hand, Xiao Chen smiled faintly: "Is what the head of the Wang family is holding the inventory of this warehouse?"
"Exactly, sir, please take a look." Wang Dachuan placed the account book on the table.
Pressing his right hand on the ledger, Xiao Chen didn't rush to flip it, but looked at the other person thoughtfully.
"Does the head of the Wang family know that I have been to the Wang family compound before I came here?"
"Of course I have thought of it. Since Yang Hu has spoken, it is necessary for you to arrest me. You should not only have gone to my yard, but also my warehouse in Hangzhou city." Wang Dachuan
He said calmly.
"The head of the Wang family is really a smart man. However, your housekeeper and those servants are also really arrogant." Xiao Chen said.
"Haha." Wang Dachuan laughed, "Yang Hu and I are in-laws, and no one in Hangzhou knows it. These servants have something to rely on, and it is inevitable that they will do things based on human influence. They are servants after all, and I will not fight with them.
Just think about it."
"I'm too lazy to care, I just killed them all." Xiao Chen said calmly while staring at the other party.
A flash of anger flashed in Wang Dachuan's eyes, and then returned to normal.
"I know my crime, and it is expected that the servants will be beheaded. Your Excellency has the supreme power, and it is normal to kill some people when handling the case. After all, you are young and full of energy. As long as you can drink these things to us businessmen
Get rid of all the corrupt officials, and even if I, Wang Dachuan, die, I will rest in peace."
"Except for those who are holding weapons and trying to attack me, I will disperse everyone else in the compound on the spot. I wonder what the Wang family leader thinks if I do this?" Xiao Chen asked calmly.
"You are also a human being, not a killing machine. When faced with some women, children, old and young, it is human nature to let them live. Wang thanked you here for them." He put his hands together, stretched forward, and Wang Dachuan's
The body is bent at ninety degrees.
Xiao Chen was speechless.
It's right for me to kill people, and it's right for me to let them go. Why are you so sure of me? Those are your family members and your servants. Can you stop being so hypocritical?
However, with Xiao Chen's sharp eyesight, all he saw on Wang Dachuan's face was sincerity.
There was no stove in the house in Hangzhou. After sitting there for a while, Xiao Chen actually felt a little cold.
Pick up the account book and walk out of the room.
The rays of sunlight that shine through the gaps in the trees are very warm.