Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 817 Goodwill
Zhu Yi, accompanied by her son and a retinue of attendants, headed towards the villa where Zhang Yanling was staying.

At this time, Zhang Yanling was meeting with Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao had already prepared to set off and return to Huizhou. However, upon hearing that Zhang Yanling had turned Yingtian Prefecture upside down in just two days, he hurriedly came to inquire about the situation.

"Chief Qin need not worry too much. This is just to remove some obstacles in order to create a good business environment in Southern Zhili."

Zhang Yanling appeared relaxed and said with a smile, "Just as you reported before, business in the capital is easy to do, while in Nanjing, various industries are basically monopolized, making it impossible to penetrate. In that case, let's simply reorganize and sweep away some outdated things, otherwise it will be difficult to develop business in the future."

Qin Zhao said, "I heard... the Second Young Master has murderous intentions?"

Zhang Yanling shrugged and said, "I've brought the new army south, so I have to do something... Since we have guns and cannons, it's a good time to train the troops and resolve the hidden dangers once and for all. After all, it will be difficult for me to come here in person again in the future... There are too many complicated matters in the north."

Qin Zhao's phoenix eyes widened: "Just for business? It shouldn't be... worth going to such lengths, right? It might even put the Second Young Master in danger!"

"Is Master Qin trying to say that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake? No problem! The business in Yingtian Prefecture is a microcosm of our situation in the South..."

"If we can't even make progress in Nanjing, it will be even more difficult to expand our business in so many other provinces like Fujian, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan. But once we firmly control the situation in Yingtian Prefecture and deter the troublemakers, what difficulty will there be in opening up new opportunities in the future?"

Zhang Yanling appeared unusually relaxed. "This can be considered a warning shot. It lets all the powerful clans and those with ambitions know that the court is serious this time, and they have no choice but to cooperate unconditionally, or they will be eliminated!"

Qin Zhao asked curiously, "So, what's next about doing business?"

Zhang Yanling said, "In the past, many businesses in Yingtian Prefecture were monopolized by specific people, especially in the south, where they were almost completely in control of grain, tea, and silk procurement. I know that many of you Huizhou merchants were also involved in these businesses."

Qin Zhao hurriedly explained, "Second Young Master, you are wise... If those in power are eating meat, then the merchants of Huizhou probably don't even have the right to gnaw on bones; they'll only get some soup..."

"With Qian Neng's influence completely eliminated, isn't this now giving you Hui merchants the opportunity to reap the rewards?"

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, “Hurry up and expand the business, especially the banking business. It must be established in various prefectures and counties quickly, without any hindrance!”
"In addition... I will expand the scale of shipyards along the river and coast to build a batch of large ships! This may require the cooperation of officials, gentry and merchants in the south."

In Zhang Yanling's view, the fastest and most effective way to continue developing trade and promote the rapid development of the Ming Dynasty's economy was to colonize and plunder overseas.

Wouldn't it be a huge waste to leave the Americas with so much precious metal and food supplies lying around unused?
For the Ming Dynasty, whose technology is currently ahead of the world, as long as the sea routes are known, all they need to do is build more ships and send people out continuously... large amounts of wealth and resources will be transported back in an endless stream. At that time, whatever life ideals Zhang Yanling wants to realize will be an easy thing to do.

……

……

Zhu Yi and his son came to visit.

Qin Zhao had not yet left at this time.

However, given her status, she was not qualified to communicate with any powerful figures other than Zhang Yanling.

In other words, Manager Qin doesn't need these media channels right now, because she knows very well that she can make a living simply by relying on her relationship with the Zhang family.

Zhu Yi, representing the local officials and gentry, showered Zhang Yanling with flattery.

"If anything happens to the young imperial brother-in-law in the future, just send someone to inform him."

Zhu Yi adopted a very friendly and amicable attitude, smiling obsequiously, "If there's anything you need me to do next, just let me know. My son has been following you around lately, serving you faithfully. Please feel free to use him."

Zhu Fu chimed in from the side, "Absolutely, absolutely. This humble servant very much hopes to follow the young imperial uncle and gain more experience."

Zhang Yanling smiled slightly and said, "I am just a wealthy idler, and I haven't even entered the court to serve yet. Perhaps I will disappoint you two."

"What are you saying?"

Zhu Yi hurriedly said, "The young imperial brother-in-law is highly valued by His Majesty, and he is so decisive in his actions. He can quell local rebellions as soon as he says he will. His abilities are in no way inferior to your father's."

"With two such talented individuals like you supporting the court, the future looks very promising."

Zhu Fu then added, "I heard that His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Uncle to train the new army together with Wang Weining. Judging from the current situation, the new army has become the most elite force in the Ming Dynasty under your training... I am still a military household member after all, and I would like to learn more from the Imperial Uncle."

"is it?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and said, "Then I hope that you and the young master will give me more guidance in the future."

Zhu Yi said, "Having learned that the young imperial brother-in-law is going to Ningbo Prefecture in Jiangsu and Zhejiang on official business, I can send troops to ensure your safety on your journey south at any time."

Zhang Yanling waved his hand and said, "I have enough manpower on my side, so there is no need to trouble the garrison to send troops to protect me! Your first priority is to send people to quell the bandits along the river and completely eliminate the mountain bandits, river bandits, and road bullies in the Southern Zhili region. This will be a way of showing your loyalty to the court!"

"If money can be the culprit, I intend to take the person away, but I don't know..."

Zhu Yi nodded: "Understood, but we may need to make arrangements with the Ministry of Justice in Nanjing beforehand. However, with His Majesty's imperial edict, it can now be determined that he has indeed betrayed the Emperor's grace and has intricate connections with local bandits. Therefore, he must be escorted to the capital for trial!"

"But, how about this... when you return to the capital, you can come and pick him up then?"

Qin Yun explained, "Escorting him on his journey was also to find out about the situation of pirates in the coastal waters around Jiangnan."

"This one……"

Zhu Yi said, “Commander Qin, it’s not that I’m shirking responsibility, but Qian Neng may not even know the details. Moreover, he knows more about Nanjing’s affairs than anyone else, such as the distribution of bandits along the river. In view of this, it would be better to keep him here so that the Ministry of Justice and other departments can conduct an investigation in advance… What does the young imperial uncle think?”

Zhang Yanling said, "Since the Duke of Cheng has a valid reason, I have nothing more to say... Let's do as you say, Your Excellency."

"Thank you, Uncle-in-law. You helped us quell the local bandits as soon as you arrived. I will definitely report to the court to highlight your merits." Zhu Yi hurriedly said, "Regarding local affairs, I will need Uncle-in-law to put in a good word for you before His Majesty."

Zhang Yanling nodded: "Next, we'll see how your troops quell the local bandits go... Jiangnan is prosperous, and the people need stability so that trade can flourish and the court can collect more taxes... Let's work together!"

……

……

Zhu Yi left with her son.

Neither side mentioned Zhu Yi's role in the matter, as if he were also a meritorious figure who actively participated in suppressing local bandits, and that those sordid affairs had nothing to do with him.

"Second Young Master, leaving the money here is not a good idea," Qin Yun cautiously reminded him. "Although the Nanjing Ministry of Justice is handling the case, I'm worried about local officials protecting the money!"

Zhang Yanling shook his head: "I think Qian Neng is not going to survive. Someone will definitely take his life while he is in custody."

Qin Yun stared wide-eyed and asked, "You mean..."

Some things don't need to be said too bluntly.

Because money knows too many secrets, it has become a major concern for all officials in Nanjing.

If Zhang Yanling were to target and investigate such a person, Nanjing officials would be on edge for a long time. If the investigation was completed and the person was taken away and sent to the capital for interrogation, Nanjing officials would be even more panicked.

To solve the problem once and for all, silencing the witness is the best solution.

Zhang Yanling said, "I want to investigate the malpractices and banditry in Jiangnan. Even if the locals don't cooperate, they won't cause me any trouble. But if I want to take people away, I don't know how many people will be unable to eat or sleep peacefully. I might be attacked repeatedly on my way back to the capital... Why bother?"

Qin Yun said, "This humble servant thought that the Second Young Master was planning to wipe out all those lazy and incompetent people in Nanjing."

"how is this possible?"

Zhang Yanling laughed, "This is an entire interest group. Pulling up one radish brings out the rest; who knows, many in the central government might be involved... Do you think my uncle, who served as an official in Nanjing for many years, is innocent? It's best not to get yourself into trouble. "What I'm targeting now is just a disgraced eunuch and some local bandits; it doesn't involve any official matters. Those outside the officialdom shouldn't meddle in its affairs; at least for now, I'm not qualified to investigate them!"

Qin Yun nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

But he was still full of doubts. Since you solved the local safety hazards with such swift and decisive measures, why not investigate the matter thoroughly?

As if seeing through his thoughts, Zhang Yanling sighed and explained, "To put it bluntly, my prestige is not enough to straighten out all the local affairs at once. Even now, the only people from Nanjing who have come out to communicate with me, besides the officials of the Southern Embroidered Uniform Guard, are the Duke of Cheng's Mansion."

"Isn't that enough to explain the problem?"

Qin Yun said, "Perhaps we should invite the new eunuch in charge of Nanjing... That eunuch seems to be one of His Majesty's old acquaintances when he was the Crown Prince."

"You mean Eunuch Jiang Cong? Forget it."

Zhang Yanling smiled.

As a relative of the emperor and the emperor's brother-in-law, he had already arrived in Nanjing, yet Jiang Cong refused to greet him. This already speaks volumes.

Although Qian Neng fell from grace and was brought down, the ills of the Nanjing officialdom were not eliminated. Just like Jiang Cong, who did not have a good reputation in history, he also put on an act of making a fortune after arriving in Nanjing, and his face was extremely ugly.

For eunuchs who have no heirs, it is extremely difficult for the court to supervise them, especially since they are in remote and powerful places where the emperor is far away. Who wouldn't want to think about their future?
The problem isn't an individual, but a system that unleashes the demons within people.

Jiang Cong simply made a mistake that any person without an heir would make.

Qin Yun said, "Knowing that the civil officials will not let Qian Neng go, should we take some measures to protect him first? Or should we have him write a confession in advance so that we can give it to His Majesty?"

"no need."

Zhang Yanling shook his head and said, "Some things can be confessed without money. For someone who has lost his value to all parties, death is the best ending. I'm afraid even his elder brother and younger brother in the palace think the same way!"

"I understand."

Qin Yun figured it out.

Zhang Yanling didn't value money at all.

Since Zhang Yanling's abilities are not yet sufficient to directly purge the Nanjing officialdom, it is best to simply abandon Qian Neng and allow the local forces in Nanjing to strangle him.

This was probably the last bit of dignity and "goodwill" that Zhang Yanling left for the Nanjing officialdom.

Look, I've rectified the local situation, but I haven't wiped them out completely. I'm handing them over to you to deal with as you see fit!
If you let him live, or make him expose you, then it's your own incompetence, and you can't blame anyone else.

……

……

Nanjing, Caishikou.

The public execution is underway.

Almost the entire city's population came to watch.

In fact, most people don't know what crimes these unlucky guys have committed. Many people don't even know that Yingtianfu is considered the capital of the capital, so how could there be bandits running rampant there?

However, the wealthy families and merchants in the city had long suffered from the exploitation and oppression of this group of people. When they saw the court executing so many people at once, they felt the majesty of the court for the first time.

Or rather, they were genuinely impressed by the strength of the troops from Beijing.

The local criminal gangs that had been entrenched for many years collapsed overnight. How much determination must the imperial court have made to clean up the local area?
After all, it had only been a year since the new emperor ascended the throne. For most people in Nanjing, the fact that the emperor had died and the new emperor had ascended the throne was something that would happen after the new year... They deeply felt the emperor's great desire for clean and efficient governance.

A new look seems to be just around the corner!
Among the crowd, Pang Qing was observing what was happening before his eyes.

When he saw rows of people being led to the execution ground, crying and wailing, their crimes announced in public and them executed on the spot, he was somewhat confused about the situation.

"That's it... you killed him?"

Pang Qing peeked out, his face still showing some confusion.

The short, stout old man following behind him was one of Li Zisheng's white gloves used for daily communication in Nanjing. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "It seems that the imperial court is serious... I heard that the Nanjing garrison has dispatched troops and will resolve all banditry on the ground in the near future!"

"Mr. Pang, do you know how deep the connections are behind this?"

Pang Qing said, "I know the dangers involved, which is why I know the Nanjing garrison would not do such a thing... Do you think the Duke of Cheng and Eunuch Jiang would dig their own graves?"

"This……"

The short, stout old man was named Song Pi.

He was just a merchant, but he was very shrewd and capable. When Li Zisheng was all-powerful, he used this connection to develop a huge network of relationships in Nanjing and helped Li Zisheng revitalize many industries... the most important of which was the sex industry.

In the past two years, Li Zisheng has made a lot of use of Song Pi in order to curry favor with Zhang Luan.

"Old Song, you call yourself a native of Nanjing? It's been so many years, and you still can't understand this little bit of social nicety?"

Pang Qing sighed, "Isn't it obvious that someone used the name of the Nanjing Garrison to quell the local banditry on their own? And then coerced the local authorities into action... I don't know what to say to you."

"who?"

Song Pi asked, puzzled.

Clearly, Zhang Yanling's existence was a secret to many in Nanjing's officialdom, let alone Song Pi, who was merely a common merchant.

Pang Qing was also unaware of the specifics, as Zhang Yanling had not told him much.

He was simply analyzing the situation as it was before him; things couldn't possibly be such a coincidence—Zhang Yanling had just arrived in Nanjing when such a major incident occurred…

Think about it, if Zhang Yanling wasn't here to pacify the local area, why would he bring so many men south?

Just to ensure safety along the way?
Pang Qing asked, "How's the matter I asked you to handle going?"

Song Pi looked bewildered and said, "Mr. Pang, what exactly are you asking about? I can't quite remember..."

"you……"

Pang Qing almost rushed over and beat Song Pi up.

The smarter a person is, the more they like to play dumb in front of others.

Now Song Pi clearly wants to bypass Lizi Province and go it alone. Especially now that the Nanjing commercial system has been disrupted and reshuffled, it is an excellent opportunity for everyone to catch up.

Who doesn't want to get rich?
Who wants their destiny to be controlled by others?

"What I'm saying is that you need to raise 50,000 taels of silver in a short period of time," Pang Qing shouted sternly. "Take out the silver, and you'll be free. No one will interfere with you anymore. You can even use the influence of Zhang Guozhang and his son in the court to make your foothold in the local area more secure."

"If you don't cooperate, fine, just wait to be dealt with later! Let me put it this way, guess why I'm here? Does everything in Nanjing have nothing to do with me? If you don't want to get involved in this case, you'd better be sensible. Instead of trying to bribe someone else, you might as well try to please me, it might have a miraculous effect."

(End of this chapter)