Chapter 391
Chapter 391: Bright And Cheerful Scenery
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Often there was a common point between commercial and political battles that when it appeared things were at an end, there was also a glimmer of hope . When things were very intense and fiery, who knew when it would suddenly become desolate and quiet?
As for the Ministry of Revenue battle in Jingdou, Xinyang and the Eastern Palace thought they had their finger on the pulse and had gotten hold of the best information to use against the Fan family . They attacked proudly and quietly . They wanted the Fan family's square and round crest to have a change of owner . They did not know that in the end, all the trouble had the opposite effect, and they would lose a large amount of power for no good reason .
To speak of Jiangnan, Fan Xian held the imperial envoy sword in his hand . After clearing the palace treasury, he controlled the transport company and forced the Ming family to rapidly retreat through Xia Qifei challenging them . Then through the officialdom, he successfully forced the Ming family into a chaotic situation, and, through the giant power of the Overwatch Council, he made life difficult for the Ming family all under heaven . His power was imposing, and it seemed that at any moment he could crush the Ming family into a pile of fine powder .
However, right at this moment, it was hard to imagine such a shocking thing could happen .
…
…
"My people need to enter the garden . " Fan Xian slammed the table . His eyes were like hooks as he looked coldly at the person before him . He bit off each word clearly as spoke . "Sir Xue, I have already waited for 10 days . I will not wait anymore today . "
Sitting beside him was the most influential person in Jiangnan, the Jiangnan governor Sir Xue Qing . They were having their secret discussion in the study of the governor's manor .
The account's master of the Junshang Conference, who was also the head housekeeper of the Ming family, Mr . Zhou, had already been found by the Overwatch Council . He was hiding in the Ming Garden . Regardless of whether it was for that assassination attempt in front of the Jiangnan Restaurant or because of Fan Xian's strong interest in the Junshang Conference, the Overwatch Council had enough excuse to kill their way into the Ming Garden and retrieve him .
However, that was, after all, the Ming Garden . One of the three major gardens under heaven . It represented countless Jiangnan people's interests, countless people's lives, and countless people's hopes .
Even though Fan Xian wanted to send people into the Ming Garden to search, he had no choice but to first go to the Jiangnan governor's manor and inform Xue Qing . As long as Xue Qing nodded his head…what Ming family…what Jiangnan gentry…Fan Xian did not care much about them . . He could not directly enter the governor's manor and raise this seemingly shocking suggestion .
Xue Qing's attitude was also very clear .
You want to search the Ming Garden? Sure .
You want the governor's manor to send officials to help? No way!
He was not afraid to offend the Ming family, but he knew very well that the Ming Garden was like a door . In the previous few months, Xue Qing and Fan Xian had cleaned up the Ming family industry outside of the door . They had tormented the Ming family's spirit but had not touched the foundation of the Ming family . So, the other side had retreated and feigned weakness to protect itself . Once the government stepped over the Ming family's tall threshold .
This meant that the battled had already reached the nucleus . The two sides had torn into each other, and it had become a situation of one must die for the other to live .
Qing Kingdom court did not care about the toppling of a wealthy merchant family, even if this family was the wealthiest in the kingdom . However, the Ming family directly supported a hundred thousand people, and they influenced the lives of many of the Jiangnan people . The Ming family did not need to strive to counterattack . As long as this situation was revealed, the stability of the entire Jiangnan area would be in question .
Xue Qing looked coldly at the young man beside him, thinking, You are the imperial envoy . After you've churned Jiangnan into a mess, you can dust yourself off and leave . After you return to the capital, there are still the Emperor, Director Chen, and Minister Fan to support you . But what about me? Would the mess at the end be all left to me?
If Jiangnan was not stable, how would he continue as the governor?
When Fan Xian, very respectfully, came to the governor's manor to discuss this matter, Xue Qing rejected the request for the two sides the work together with a strange determinedness . His words were very clear . Since it was about the mysterious Junshang Conference and that the Overwatch Council had found the problem in the beginning, and it did not involve local governmental affairs, his people could help the Overwatch Council clean up around the perimeter but would not directly enter the Ming Garden .
This was the way of the being an official . Xue Qing knew that Fan Xian did not have a handle on the problems that could be caused by searching the Ming Garden . Thus, he wanted to drag him down too . How could he allow himself to meekly be dragged under?
It had already been 10 days, and Xue Qing still refused to relent . Fan Xian began to feel the anger gradually rise in his heart .
After leaving the governor's manor, Fan Xian boarded his carriage and furrowed his brows . With his chin on his hand, he began to drift into a daze .
Deng Zi Yue glanced at his master and said quietly, "People have long been scattered outside of the Ming Garden door and are keeping watch . I heard that the Fourth master in the Suzhou manor also did not suffer much . When do we want to enter the Ming Garden to capture the person? We can do it ourselves . We don't have to have the governor's help, although we might lose some people . "
Ming Garden would have hired guards and maybe even a powerful private military . Fan Xian had once seen the garden from a distance . He knew that with some small additions, it could become a solid castle . If they wanted to force their entry with the Overwatch Council people, it would be a difficult matter without the Black Knights .
If Xue Qing did not agree, the Black Knights could not enter into the wealthy land of Jiangnan .
"It is not difficult to enter the Garden . " Fan Xian gave a pained smile and shook his head . "As long as the Ming family are not preparing to revolt, who would dare to hold back the Overwatch Council with my documentation for a search?"
"Whatever castle-like armed forces…the old Ming matriarch would not dare to move any of them . "
His face gradually grew cold . "If we want to enter Ming Garden to take someone, there are two problems . One, we don't know how many aces the Junshang Conference had in there . If head housekeeper Zhou has the inside knowledge of the Junshang Conference and has not yet been silenced, would those aces escort him away from Suzhou? Two, we cannot make this too troublesome . The Ming family has already feigned weakness for a few months . The sorrowful atmosphere they have created is incredibly thick, particularly after that Fourth young master was taken into the Suzhou manor and has not been let out yet . The rumors floating around outside are becoming more and more strange…"
Deng Zi Yue listened quietly . He knew what the commissioner was worried about . Everyone in Jiangnan was saying that the Overwatch Council, under Fan Xian's direction, was oppressing the Ming family and had intentions to take over the family wealth, and that it was about to change into a story of killing to steal the property .
There had to be a reason to send out troops, and the court's reason for defeating the Ming family has never been straightened out . Thus, in the Jiangnan area, with hundreds of families of gentry, they all began to use a wary and irritated gaze to stare at Fan Xian . The reputation Fan Xian had built for two years in Jingdou had been majorly stained .
"Ming Qingda is a clever man," Fan Xian frowned and said . "This strategy of retreating as advancing is indeed very good . They appeared to be constantly retreating, yet we are still pushing them back step by step . In the people's eyes, there would always be an emotional bias, furthermore, the Ming family has deep roots in Jiangnan . Their ability to stir up public opinion is every stronger than that of our Eighth Bureau . "
After they learned that Zhou was hiding in the Ming Garden, the Overwatch Council and palace treasury transport company's attack on the Ming family became more and more fierce . The Ming family industry received endless harassment . It had the appearance of the end of an era and looked incredibly pitiable .
"Public opinion is a very important matter, as is reputation . " Fan Xian sighed . "If we keep suppressing the Ming family like this, not only will the people develop an antipathy toward us, even the royal merchants Xia Qifei contact might grow fearful for the court . No one knows whether or not they will be the second Ming family . "
"What gives me the biggest headache is," he shook his head, "I don't know the situation in the capital right now . I don't know if I make too big a move, if too many people die or if the criticism is too heavy, would that give the people in the capital an excuse to transfer us back?"
While the Jiangnan situation was still unstable, Fan Xian did not want to return to the capital . After he returned to the capital, he would be impeded by those women in the Palace . This was not a situation he could accept .
The carriage arrived at Hua Garden . He spoke a few words with the Third Prince and others, then he took Deng Zi Yue and a few trusted aides into the study . He spread out a large map on the desk and began to think in silence .
After Fan Xian thought for a while, he used his finger to point at a province on the map and asked quietly, "Has there been news from Quanzhou?"
The family home of the concubine of the heir of the Ming family, Ming Lanshi, was in a village right beside Quanzhou . The Overwatch Council had found that this concubine's older brother was indeed the person responsible for running the Ming family's pirate business and stealing from their own merchant ships on the Eastern Sea . That pirate leader had already been silenced by the military the Ming family had colluded with, while that concubine had also vanished . To use the Ming family's words, she had gone back to visit family .
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login