NFBE Chapter 201 Confiscating the house
Chapter 201 Confiscating the house
Chapter 201 Confiscating Property
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The group of merchants followed Da Zhuo's voice and looked at the young prefect, among whom Song Heng's eyes flashed with a dark light.
After a long while, the young prefect at the head of the table spoke: "All of you here are wealthy merchants from Youzhou Prefecture, with vast fortunes. Yet, you seem powerless to help us with the spring planting problem, rather than genuinely supporting the government in making agricultural tools to distribute to the people."
Hearing the young prefect's accusatory words, the Bai family head stepped forward, feigning helplessness: "Your Excellency, it's not that we are unwilling to contribute generously, but the harvests in recent years have been poor. If we rashly give out a large sum of money, it might cause serious damage, even ruining families!"
Faced with the man's evasive answer, Zheng Hao said calmly, "Since that's the case, I am not an unreasonable person. The grain seeds that the Song and Bai families borrowed from the government a few years ago should be repaid this year, with interest."
The young prefect spoke calmly, yet it caused Judge Wan, who sat at the lower end of the table, to break out in a cold sweat.
His lips moved, but he ultimately remained silent.
Hearing that they refused to donate money to make farm tools and then urged them to return the grain seeds, the Bai family head's eyes flashed with disdain, and he spoke again: "...My lord..."
Before he could continue, the young prefect turned his gaze to the guard-like man standing to the side and asked, "A few days ago, thieves frequently appeared in the city. The prefectural accountant and the head of the Song family were both in danger on the same day. I sent soldiers to protect the mansions and families of the wealthy merchants present. How did you arrange it?"
Da Zhuo clasped his hands in greeting: "Your Excellency, the families of all the gentlemen present have been well protected by the Zhenbei Army, and there will absolutely be no blind bandits who would harm them."
The master and servant's back-and-forth banter left everyone in the hall speechless.
No matter how eloquently they spoke, the merchants present could tell that the young prefect was threatening them.
The head of the Bai family stood up and pointed at the young prefect: "You..."
Before the foul language could even be uttered, two rows of soldiers armed with weapons surged into the hall, frightening the merchants into moving closer to the center. Instead of heading towards the merchants, the soldiers turned to various corners of the hall, with two soldiers standing guard at the main entrance.
Faced with this sudden change, the merchants' expressions changed.
Da Zhuo drew his sword and pointed it at the Bai family head: "Mr. Bai, watch your words!"
Pointing at the gleaming sword tip, Boss Bai's face turned as red as a pig's liver, but he dared not open his mouth any further.
Upon seeing this, Song Heng's heart sank, but a strange light flashed in his eyes.
He stepped forward and bowed to the young prefect, saying, "Spring plowing in Youzhou Prefecture is of great importance. As a member of Youzhou Prefecture, the Song family is willing to donate three thousand taels of silver to make farm tools for the people."
"In addition, the Song family will repay the government with interest all the grain seeds they have borrowed over the years."
Originally, Song Heng planned to donate around a thousand taels, but the young prefect's boldness surprised him. At such a good opportunity, all the wealthy merchants in Youzhou Prefecture regarded the young prefect as an enemy. Before everyone could react and join the young prefect, he openly joined him. Although this would put himself and the Song family on the opposite side of many merchants, he was able to successfully establish a relationship with Prefect Zheng.
Zheng Hao glanced down at the man who had spoken first, and based on what the man had said, he remembered the man's identity.
Knowing Song Heng's intentions, Zheng Hao didn't dwell on it; he only cared about the outcome.
The young prefect said, "The Song family truly deserves to be called a reputable merchant family of Youzhou Prefecture, and they are a model for merchants in the city. What do you all think?"
With their family members being held hostage, do they have any other choice?
Before they came, everyone had agreed to unite and fight against the new prefect. But now, seeing the prefect's ruthless methods and his refusal to feign compliance, and seeing that even the leading Song family had yielded and shown goodwill to the new prefect, they had no choice but to give up.
One by one, they pinched their noses, their initial indignation turning into fawning smiles as they expressed their loyalty to the young prefect.
"This humble citizen is willing to donate one thousand taels of silver... to repay the grain seeds I have borrowed for many years, including principal and interest!"
"This humble citizen is willing to donate two thousand taels of silver... to repay the grain seeds I have borrowed over the years, including principal and interest!"
The young prefect raised his hand, and Da Zhuo and his soldiers immediately sheathed their swords.
Faced with the stiff smiles and the angry but speechless expressions of the crowd, Zheng Hao remained unfazed. Upon closer inspection, a slight smile appeared on his lips: "I do not wish to make things difficult for you all. It would be best if you could cooperate sincerely."
Turning to Da Zhuo, he instructed, "You personally lead a group to the residences of all the good merchants to settle the grain accounts!"
"Yes!" Da Zhuo immediately led his men away from the government office.
As he left, the merchants were filled with worry. Their wives and children lived in the mansion, and if he became violent, their families might get hurt.
They looked at the prefect above, their eyes filled with hope, hoping that he would let them leave.
After Da Zhuo left, another guard stepped forward and said, "Esteemed merchants, you may return home after leaving your donated money."
Immediately, the merchants present took out their silver notes, left the amount of silver they had donated, and left the mansion. Some merchants who did not have enough silver notes were escorted home by soldiers sent by the prefect. After settling their debts, the soldiers surrounding the mansion withdrew.
As for the grain seeds they borrowed from the government, the young prefect was tolerant and kind, and was willing to give them a few more days to collect the grain.
When Gu Lin heard about what had happened in the main hall of the government office, the young man had already finished dealing with it and was now in the backyard.
Da Yan did not deceive her husband. Gu An did come to the government office to find Gu Lin and Zheng Hao. However, in Gu Lin's opinion, the matter that the other party wanted to report was not very urgent. It was just that the craftsmen had successfully developed the waterwheel.
It is clear from this that Zheng Hao deliberately lured him away so that he could provoke the wealthy merchants in the city.
Although he felt the other party was being a bit impulsive, Gu Lin thought that it was good for the young man to assert his authority by showing some emotion at the banquet earlier, considering the behavior of the Bai family and other families.
The young man understood, but he didn't intend to take the matter lightly.
At this moment, the young prefect entered the house, while Gu An had already left.
He walked closer to Gu Lin and saw that the other man's expression was somber and different from usual, so he knew that the young man was angry.
Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and apologized to the young man: "The matter was urgent just now. If we hadn't used force to suppress the wealthy merchants in the city, the government would have been locked in a long battle with the Song Bai family. They could afford to wait, but the people of Youzhou Prefecture couldn't."
"so"
Gu Lin looked up at him and said slowly, "You had Da Yan call me away because you were worried I'd hold you back, right?"
The young man pursed his lips; he was genuinely angry at the other person's behavior.
He told the young man that he and the other side were on the same side. Doesn't the other side understand what that means?
“I’m advising you not to act impulsively. It’s not wrong to deal with them at the banquet, but if you really intend to break ties with them, do you think I would stop you on the spot? You shouldn’t have distrusted me and let Da Yan call me away.”
With an apologetic expression, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes to meet Gu Lin's gaze, his eyes filled with solemnity: "I did not distrust Uncle Gu."
He said earnestly, "I have never distrusted Uncle Gu."
As the young man spoke, Gu Lin looked at him without saying a word, his expression unmoved.
Seeing his reaction, Zheng Hao continued to explain, "I have long been prepared to make an example of him at the banquet, and the scene will be extremely bloody. I do not want Uncle Gu to face such a sight."
“Transferring Uncle Gu away is not because I don’t trust him, but because I don’t want to spoil his mood or make him feel fear,” Zheng Hao said.
The young prefect's words seemed to express his fear that the young man would be afraid of the bloody scene, but in reality, it was his own unease that he was afraid the young man would be terrified if he saw his brutal side.
With his eyes slightly lowered, Gu Lin did not speak immediately, as if he was seriously considering the young man's words.
Zheng Hao's eyes gradually filled with anxiety, but he dared not say anything to disturb him.
After a long pause, the young man raised his head, his clear eyes looking at the young prefect: "I'll let you off this time, but if there's a next time you hide it from me and don't want me to get involved, I'll just leave it at that."
After Gu Lin finished speaking, Zheng Hao did not immediately respond. He still did not want Uncle Gu to be involved in such bloody and dirty matters.
Gu Lin narrowed his eyes and looked over.
Zheng Hao did not avoid the topic. He said, "If anything like this happens in the future, I will inform Uncle Gu, but I hope Uncle Gu will not be present to come into contact with this filth."
It happened again. Gu Lin clenched his fist under his sleeve.
He looked at Zheng Hao and suddenly asked, "What do you take me for? Someone who needs your protection, has no ability to defend myself, and is terrified of even the slightest bit of blood?"
Gu Lin called out the young man's name: "Zheng Hao, I am a brother, that's true, but I'm not a good-for-nothing who can't survive without someone's protection or when faced with danger."
Faced with the young man's outburst and questioning, Zheng Hao, who had been so imposing outside, lowered his eyes and head in front of him. When he saw the young man's face turn red with anger, he did not speak, for fear of adding fuel to the fire.
Seeing the young man lower his head and remain silent, Gu Lin barely managed to control his anger and gradually calmed down: "Think about it carefully yourself."
After speaking, Gu Lin got up and returned to his residence, leaving the young prefect standing there, his gaze deep and lost in thought.
evening.
Zheng Hao returned home after his shift and headed towards Gu Lin's courtyard, only to be stopped at the gate by the servants.
The servant said in a trembling voice, "Sir, your husband is asleep. Please go back to the front yard for your meal."
Zheng Hao looked up into the courtyard. The sun had not yet completely set, and the houses inside were brightly lit by candlelight. How could a young man possibly fall asleep?
The servant who said this to the prefect was inwardly groaning, fearing that he would be blamed by the other party.
Recalling the young man's angry appearance during the day, Zheng Hao did not force his way in.
Before turning to leave, he instructed his servants, "Take good care of them."
For the next few days, even though Zheng Hao and Gu Lin lived in the same mansion, they did not see each other once. Since the last banquet at the government office, the young man did not allow the young men to enter his courtyard for meals, so naturally they could not stay in the same room.
The atmosphere around Zheng Hao grew increasingly tense, and the officials in the government office became more and more cautious, afraid of displeasing the young prefect. Even when Da Zhuo and Gu An reported to the young prefect, they found that he treated them more harshly than before.
In handling serious matters, Da Zhuo and Gu An have never made any mistakes, but in some areas, they have not yet achieved perfection.
The young prefect was known for his strictness. In the past, when they encountered such matters, the young prefect would calmly point out the mistakes and ask them to correct them. Now, the other party stared at them with dark eyes, his eyes filled with impatience.
That day, before entering the study, Da Zhuo took a few deep breaths before stepping inside.
Upon arriving at the table, Da Zhu bowed his head and reported to the young prefect: "Sir, apart from the Song family, several other families, including the Bai family, have made moves tonight."
Zheng Hao put down his brush, raised his head and gave the order, his voice as cold and unapproachable as jade: "Anyone involved in tonight's unrest shall have their property confiscated and be imprisoned."
Da Zhuo clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"
After dealing with the matter, Zheng Hao got up and left the study for the backyard.
Just then, Gu Lin returned from Zhao's house and ran into him. The young man seemed not to see him and brushed past him as he was about to enter the house.
Zheng Hao paused slightly and called out to the other man, "Uncle Gu, there was unrest among the merchants in the city tonight, and I have already sent men to deal with it."
Stopping in his tracks, Gu Lin pursed his lips and finally asked, "Are you confident you can quell the unrest?"
Seeing that the other party was finally willing to speak to him after many days, Zheng Hao lowered his eyes and replied, "Although the Bai family and others have guards in their mansion, they have no troops and pose no threat. The turmoil can be quelled tonight."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin understood that the other party had come specifically to inform him of this matter.
Zheng Hao continued, "This matter is urgent and there was no time to discuss it with Uncle Gu. After giving the order, I came to tell Uncle Gu. If Uncle Gu wants to know the details, I can take him to see it."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin's brows twitched slightly, reflecting on the changes the young man had made.
In fact, Gu Lin never wanted Zheng Hao to consult him before making any decisions regarding his official duties. He himself couldn't do that in business, so how could he expect the young man to do so?
He just wanted the other party to inform him when making important decisions, so that he wouldn't be left clueless, and not to be treated like a fragile object, with restrictions on his access to this and that.
Clearly, after several days of reflection, the young man took the initiative to back down.
Gu Lin stepped into the courtyard. In the evening breeze, the young man's voice was light and ethereal, yet clearly reached Zheng Hao's ears: "Come in."
That night.
When the Zhenbei Army attempted to move their grain, a group of wealthy merchants, led by the Bai family, ordered their servants to set fire to the grain and burn the people. However, the fire was discovered by the officials and soldiers as soon as it started. At that time, all 500 soldiers, including the yamen runners and constables from the government office, were mobilized and, on the orders of Prefect Zheng, they confiscated the property of the Bai family and several other wealthy merchants who dared to set fire to the grain and burn the people.
In several mansions, men, women, and children cried and screamed incessantly but could not escape. One by one, they were escorted into the prison by soldiers. Just because they dared to openly defy the prefect's orders and attempted to set fire to the government's grain and burn the soldiers to death, they had no chance of escaping.
Several wealthy merchants had amassed a fortune in the entire prefectural city. It would take the government troops several days and nights to move all their money and provisions.
Song family.
Upon hearing the news from his subordinates, Song Heng immediately realized that he had fallen into a misunderstanding.
He had always thought that Prefect Zheng would not rashly take action against the Song and Bai families. At most, he would just change the head of the family and support someone else to serve him. He did not expect that this Prefect Zheng had no intention of keeping them. From settling the accounts of grain seeds, setting up the Hongmen Banquet, and giving each family a deadline to return the grain seeds, all of these were to force them to resist and then deal with them in a legitimate way.
Prefect Zheng did not take them seriously and was unwilling to waste time with them. What they wanted was to firmly grasp the entire Youzhou Prefecture in a short period of time and prevent them from being coerced.
As Song Heng tapped his fingers on the table, his heart sank. How much weight did the Song family carry in the eyes of Prefect Zheng?