Chapter 97

Chapter 97

At Ningjiang County dock, officials from all around were at a loss, watching helplessly as the merchant ship engulfed in flames sank into the river along with the fire. The crew jumped overboard to escape and were rescued by other fishing boats. The merchant sat on the embankment, staring at the sunken vessel, shouting, "Save the grain!"

How could the grain be saved? With the fire raging, it was all but destroyed, and it sank in the middle of the river—there was no way to recover it. The gathered crowd, upon hearing that it was a shipment of grain, looked tense. "Where did that merchant come from?"

"It's the Liu family's ship! Don't you remember? Over the years, whenever Jiangnan was hit by a disaster, the Liu family always sent the grain!"

"Isn't that Liu Dafu, the great benefactor?"

Liu Dafu and his son Liu Dengke sat by the shore, both drenched, surrounded by the crowd. Liu Dengke, still plump as ever, shouted in a booming voice, "Officials! Officials, you must seek justice for us! Those river bandits are outrageous—it was a whole ship full of grain!"

When the Liu family was mentioned, the people of Jiangnan's three prefectures couldn't forget. Years ago, after the snow disaster in Jiangnan, the wealthy merchant Liu Dafu had used the name of the Sixth Prince to distribute relief. Last year, when the Jiangling embankment collapsed, Liu Dafu joined forces with wealthy merchants in the capital to raise funds and send grain to the three prefectures. Now, the grain on the river was a new shipment from the capital.

This time, Liu Dafu was not alone; other merchants were with him. The grain was meant to help the people of the three prefectures get through spring. But who would have thought they'd encounter river bandits? The merchant and his son barely escaped with their lives. The Ningjiang County officials were flustered upon arrival. They quickly calmed the merchants and their crew and sent word to Yingtian Prefecture.

There were indeed river bandits in Jiangnan, but these gangs usually operated monitored by government informants. Today's incident was unusual—they couldn't even identify which gang was responsible.

"Is Liu Dafu closely connected to the Sixth Prince? Was this the Sixth Prince's idea?" an official asked.

Assistant Prefect Fei frowned. They had just spread news about the Sixth Prince investigating the granaries, and now a merchant ship had been attacked so blatantly. This had to be Ying Fusheng's scheme. "Are you sure the sunken ship was carrying grain?"

"It seems so. The dock officials managed to retrieve a sack—though it had broken open, it was indeed grain," said the official. "Many of the locals saw it."

Assistant Prefect Fei was shocked.

Before they could discuss further, they heard that Merchant Liu and a group of merchants had gone to beat the drum and lodge a complaint, demanding that Yingtian Prefecture take action against the river bandits. Moreover, upon hearing of Merchant Liu's trouble, the Sixth Prince, staying at Prince Jin's residence, had already sent people to assist. With Prince Yan intervening and many witnesses present, Yingtian Prefecture could not avoid it—they had to respond publicly.

Ningjiang County was right next to Huaizhou. The Jiangnan officials, who were accompanying Prince Yan back to Yingtian Prefecture, learned of the news before even leaving Huaizhou. They were immediately called back by this sudden turn of events.

When they arrived at the Huaizhou government office, Prince Yan was already seated inside, and the doors were surrounded by onlookers. This incident had occurred in full view of the public, so there was no way to smooth it over quietly.

Even Prince Jin had come. A single merchant had brought two princes to oversee the matter.

Ji Wuming, under the cover of the Imperial Guards, appeared outside the government office. He hadn't expected so many people to gather. From afar, he could see through the wide-open gates into the court hall, where the young prince sat. "He chose the right person."

Qi Hanzhou, in disguise, mingled among the crowd alongside Ji Wuming. He kept a close watch for suspicious individuals. In his peripheral vision, he noticed someone sitting quietly in the distance.

An ordinary merchant wouldn't have achieved such an effect.

Liu Dafu was a benevolent man who had provided disaster relief for years. The people might forget a single act, but repeated acts of charity would be remembered. And behind him stood Prince Yan, who had saved Jiangling and was gaining popularity in the southern regions. In the eyes of Jiangnan's people, Prince Yan was deeply beloved.

Such a perfect "victim" was most likely to gain sympathy and support from the public.

Qi Hanzhou kept an eye on suspicious figures in the crowd, kept a low profile along with Ji Wuming. He gestured for the Imperial Guards to spread out. As he moved, he noticed the Light Garment Guards hidden among the crowd. The fact that they had sent undercover agents meant it was his plan. "You can rest easy for now. There won't be chaos."

Outside the government office, hidden agents from various factions lurked among the onlookers, all watching the unfolding situation. Inside the hall, Prince Jin sat with his fan open, surrounded by Huaizhou officials. When they saw Lord Fei and Lord Zhang return, they immediately went to greet them.

Assistant Prefect Fei remained calm, with Zhang Wuyong following behind him.

"Have you sent anyone to salvage the ship?" Ying Fusheng's gaze fell on them from afar.

How could they salvage it? The ship had been burned and had sunk in the middle of the Ningjiang River.

Just saving the people was already an achievement. The grain was either burned or swept downstream by the swift current. Figuring out what happened, let alone identifying the mysterious "river bandits" who attacked the ship, would be nearly impossible.

Assistant Prefect Fei spoke. "Your Highness, this incident came without warning. It requires a thorough investigation."

"The river bandits' origins are unclear. Ningjiang County has seen many incidents lately, and there are numerous bandit gangs along the river..."

"How strange. Since last year, the grain shipments sent by the court have never encountered problems. I hear that wealthy merchants in Huaizhou have also been providing aid, using the same waterways. The water transport is under your jurisdiction in Jiangnan. Why haven't other ships had issues?" Ying Fusheng looked at Liu Dafu, who was kneeling in the hall. "And yet my friend's ship was attacked."

Assistant Prefect Fei exchanged glances with his colleagues before calmly responding, "Prince Yan may not be aware, but river bandits have always been a problem in Jiangnan. The reason there were no grain incidents in the past six months is that the local princes and marquises stationed troops along the river to guard it, keeping the bandits at bay."

Assistant Prefect Fei's words calmed the crowd outside. The people of Jiangnan knew all too well about the bandits on the waterways. Every year, the local government spent considerable effort on water transport. After the Jiangling embankment collapse last year, local troops guarded the river, and grain was diverted to land routes, alleviating the issue.

"If there are bandits, why haven't they been eliminated?" Ying Fusheng pressed.

"Nephew, you may not understand," Prince Jin interjected. "These river bandits form a centuries-old gang that appears and disappears mysteriously. Eliminating them is no easy task. Jiangnan has dealt with them for years. Thanks to Old General Chen's presence, they've been somewhat reined in, but they keep cropping up again—it's impossible to wipe them out completely."

Assistant Prefect Fei bowed in agreement. Without a hint of panic, he calmly explained the situation regarding the river bandits in Jiangnan.

"Is it that they can't be wiped out, or that they don't want to be?" Ying Fusheng asked with a smile.

The Jiangnan officials exchanged uneasy glances. They had feared the Sixth Prince would use the granary issue to attack them, but instead, he wasn't directly targeting the granaries. Assistant Prefect Fei now understood his aim: using the sunken ship to investigate Jiangnan's water transport. As a prince seeking medical treatment, he had no authority to interfere in Jiangnan's official affairs. But the shipwreck involved water transport—a lifeline of Jiangnan. He was striking at the core.

Ying Fusheng's gaze was steady. "Lord Fei?"

"Over the past half-year, the three prefectures of Jiangnan have suffered natural disasters. The people are only just stabilizing. Eliminating the bandits is a serious matter. Your Servant would like to do so, but now is not the time," Assistant Prefect Fei replied unhurriedly, deftly sidestepping the issue.

As he lowered his head, his eyes turned cold.

Trying to meddle in Jiangnan's affairs by focusing on water transport? He had chosen the wrong target.

"Then I was too forward. Please enlighten me, Lord Fei," Ying Fusheng said. "Do you mean to say that Jiangnan's water transport has been stable recently?"

"With Old General Chen's help, it has indeed been quite stable," Assistant Prefect Fei replied.

Zhang Wuyong knew this man was a smooth talker. Prince Yan had used the sunken ship to propose bandit elimination, and Lord Fei countered with the natural disasters.

Now that the three prefectures had stabilized, eliminating bandits would inevitably involve the local authorities, which in turn would put pressure on the people. Forcing the issue would only burden the populace. If he wanted to interfere in Jiangnan's official affairs, bandits were the wrong angle—they were the easiest to delay. With his influence, Assistant Prefect Fei could easily suppress the matter. The Fei family enjoyed broad support from the people. Whenever it touched on that, Lord Fei had a thousand reasons to push things aside in the name of serving the people.

The people of Jiangnan held the Fei family in high regard. Seeing Assistant Prefect Fei explain so earnestly, the earlier agitation began to subside.

"But I heard from my friends that commodity prices in Jiangnan have soared," Ying Fusheng said, locking eyes with Assistant Prefect Fei. "The court sent plenty of relief supplies to Jiangnan. The long distances may have caused delays, but they all arrived eventually. Grain prices haven't risen much, but the price of salt—I hear it has gone through the roof."

Prince Jin stopped fanning himself, his gaze turning serious.

The man behind him was about to speak, but Prince Jin raised a finger to stop him.

Liu Dafu, being a merchant, said, "Indeed, Your Highness. Those of us in trade know that with court relief, prices haven't spiked. The Jiangnan treasuries also have reserves. Oddly, medicine prices haven't gone up, but salt prices..."

When Ying Fusheng mentioned salt, Assistant Prefect Fei's expression changed slightly.

Zhang Wuyong realized something and looked at Ying Fusheng, who met his gaze.

"Your Excellency may not know, but this is thanks to the local philanthropic merchant, the Fei family, for their help."

A Jiangnan official quickly tried to explain. "And recently, because of Magistrate Qian..."

Assistant Prefect Fei shot a cold glance, and the official immediately fell silent.

"Why did you stop?" Ying Fusheng pressed.

"Prince Yan may not be aware—the salt price issue stems from a major salt case that occurred recently in Ningjiang," Zhang Wuyong stepped forward, speaking firmly before Assistant Prefect Fei could gloss over it. "Ningjiang is a water transport hub. All ships must pass through it to enter the three prefectures. The largest local salt syndicate took advantage of price fluctuations to exploit local salt merchants. The county magistrate later discovered collusion through private contracts..."

"Your Highness, it was collusion between officials and merchants. The people present can testify," Assistant Prefect Fei interrupted.

This Prince Yan had gone to all this trouble just to investigate the Ningjiang salt case.

Outside the prefectural office, the gathered commoners began shouting:

"That's right—Magistrate Qian colluded with the salt merchants, and the evidence is solid!"

"They rigged the salt tax, driving those small salt vendors to ruin..."

Outside the prefectural office, when the salt case was mentioned, Ji Wuming's expression turned grim: "Does Prince Yan have evidence? Has he coordinated with Zhang Wuyong? Why bring up the salt case now?"

Ye Xuanjiu murmured, "No, Lord Zhang did not stay at Prince Jin's residence."

Moreover, the Junior General had not sent any letter to Prince Yan regarding this matter. Prince Yan likely only had a superficial understanding of the salt case.

Ji Wuming frowned. Without evidence or a clear grasp of the situation, why would Prince Yan bring this up?

"Then there's only one possibility," Qi Hanzhou said, gazing at the composed figure in the distance. "A bluff?"

Bluffing? But those were old foxes in Jiangnan officialdom—would they let an outsider bluff them? Ji Wuming watched as Qi Hanzhou summoned Ye Xuanjiu and gave him a few quiet instructions.

"How much do you know about this Sixth Prince?" Ji Wuming asked.

Qi Hanzhou turned toward the growing crowd, his eyes briefly meeting Ying Fusheng's, who was glancing outside. He replied, "Lord Ji, care to take a gamble?"

"Loan me some of your men."

Ji Wuming frowned. "What do you intend to do?"

"Strike first," Qi Hanzhou said.

Inside the prefectural office, Ying Fusheng withdrew his gaze. Ye Xuanqi behind him had quietly slipped away. He said, "Lord Fei, why are you so anxious? I was merely inquiring about the situation. The sunken ship was a grain supply vessel—this concerns the people of Jiangnan. I only asked a couple of questions."

As he heard the shouts from outside, he added, "Besides, collusion between officials and merchants is a serious matter."

Mentioning the people, Assistant Prefect Fei had no choice but to say, "Of course, Your Highness may inquire."

"Isn't it just a salt case?" Prince Jin interjected at this moment. "After all, Lord Fei's own household has suffered some grievances. It's only natural for him to be upset. Please forgive him, nephew."

Ying Fusheng smiled and replied, "Of course."

Prince Jin then continued, "Lord Zhang, why don't you clarify things for Prince Yan?"

His words were ambiguous, taking no one's side.

Assistant Prefect Fei glared coldly at Zhang Wuyong. Zhang Wuyong stepped forward calmly, noticing Wang Guanzhi standing behind Prince Yan, and began to recount the full story—

Regarding the Ningjiang Salt Case, a major salt merchant in Ningjiang had monopolized the salt trade. Small salt vendors basically had to buy from him. The merchant promised to bear the risk of price fluctuations, offering a fixed price, and lured the vendors into signing contracts. But when the Jiangling dike burst, the merchant claimed it was an act of God, and since the contracts clearly stipulated terms, he refused to bear the cost. This ruined the small vendors, leaving them bankrupt and their families destroyed.

Magistrate Qian investigated and discovered that the Fei family had colluded with the salt merchant to set a trap, using the contracts to amass large sums of money while casually destroying these small traders. However, when he summoned the merchant and the Fei family's second son to court, the merchant turned around and accused Magistrate Qian of raising the salt tax. This turned it into an accusation of official-merchant collusion, leading to letters from scholars and stirring public anger.

Zhang Wuyong thought he must be mad, driven to desperation by seeing Wang Guanzhi, to gamble on this prince.

"Official-merchant collusion," Ying Fusheng said, his gaze sharpening. "Uncle, this is a serious matter."

Prince Jin looked at Ying Fusheng with a changed expression. "Indeed, if there is official-merchant collusion, it is no small affair."

Among the crowd, some "commoners" shouted—

"Prince Yan has come to root out corrupt officials!"

"Yes, my relatives in Jiangling say things are much better now!"

The commoners passed the word among themselves, and others were carried away by the emotion.

Ying Fusheng glanced sideways. "The Fei family—and Lord Fei, you also bear the surname Fei. Surely you must know something about this?"

The Jiangnan officials fell silent when they heard Prince Yan's question. They had thought he was inquiring about the sunken grain ship for the sake of his friend, but unexpectedly, he had led them into a trap by steering the conversation to the salt case. If Prince Yan had directly asked about the salt case, it wouldn't have worked, as he had no official mandate and could be easily brushed off.

But now, with an indignant crowd outside, this seemingly casual question would stick in people's minds. Even if the officials wanted to hush things up, the commoners outside were continuing to denounce Magistrate Qian's "crimes." Who would dare silence the people now?

Wouldn't that be an admission of official-merchant collusion?

Assistant Prefect Fei pondered. Facing Ying Fusheng, any wrong word could be used against him. When Prince Yan was young, in the capital, he had exposed the crimes of Chen Yuanli and Zhou Bingjun. Now that he had brought up the salt case, what did he already know? Was there more he planned to reveal?

Numerous secret reports had highlighted Ying Fusheng's intelligence. Today's events were clearly premeditated. What did he know, and what else did he intend to uncover?

After consideration, Assistant Prefect Fei said, "I dare not speak rashly. I await Prince Yan's decision."

"I've only just arrived—wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Ying Fusheng said with a faint smile.

Assistant Prefect Fei replied, "You are a prince, with the right to inquire."

The other Jiangnan officials watched Assistant Prefect Fei's expression. Seeing him fall silent, they grew uneasy. Originally, they feared Prince Yan would bring up the grain storehouses, but now the salt case behind the official-merchant collusion was even more dangerous. Prince Yan had caused Vice Prefect Xu to defect in Jiangling, crushing the entire prefecture with a single case...

In the courtroom, Ying Fusheng sat reclined in his wheelchair, his expression leisurely, as if he were merely making casual inquiries. But the officials knew that Liu Dafu and other wealthy merchants had a close relationship with the Sixth Prince. Today's events had been deliberately provoked by him, and his every move seemed confident in victory.

"Since you acknowledge it, why not summon the witnesses from that time for questioning?" Ying Fusheng said. "My friend's ship sank suspiciously today. It's possible that there was collusion between officials and bandits. What do you think, Uncle?"

Prince Jin's eyes darkened. He closed his fan and said, "Since my nephew suspects, we should investigate thoroughly."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the cowed officials. "Summon the salt vendors involved to court immediately. In this case, we will judge based on evidence, regardless of who is close or distant."

"Find a way to disperse the people outside," one official muttered under his breath.

"It's impossible. Someone's been stirring them up. Now the crowd is growing, all here to watch the investigation into official-merchant collusion!" an official lamented.

The official sensed danger—someone was inciting the crowd.

They turned toward Zhang Wuyong, who seemed to be in league with Prince Yan.

Prince Yan had suddenly arrived in Huaizhou and sent people to investigate the grain storehouses among the people, and now used public sentiment to raise the issue of official-merchant collusion. This was no ordinary matter!

Inside and outside the prefectural office, undercover agents from various factions, hidden among the commoners and officials, fell silent in deep thought. From the moment the salt case and official-merchant collusion were brought up, they knew this was no ordinary affair. Ying Fusheng's attitude only convinced them further that he had a hidden plan.

Zhang Wuyong turned. The clamor outside was growing louder.

He wanted to investigate the salt case thoroughly, but any move could be used against him, making him a pawn. That's what happened to Magistrate Qian. They thought the salt case could rip open the web of Jiangnan officialdom, but instead it intensified the conflict between Jiangnan and the capital.

Now, Jiangnan could least afford provocation. The princes and marquises were like birds startled from a branch—easily set off by a slight stir. However, the emperor had the power to intervene militarily. If the Jiangnan officials were diligent and won the people's hearts, military action by the emperor would damage public goodwill and earn him the title of tyrant.

Conversely, if the dark underbelly of Jiangnan officialdom was exposed to the people, the emperor would have just cause to act, appearing as a righteous ruler in accord with heaven's will. This would not weaken the Dayuan dynasty's popular support—it would strengthen it.

The Fei family's network was mostly made up of scholars and civil officials. These officials drew power from the people, acting in the commoners' name. Thus, they maintained the family's popular reputation. With the Fei family's web of connections covering Jiangnan officialdom, as long as they remained, Jiangnan officialdom retained the people's trust.

Likewise, Prince Yan also had popular support. Today's accusers were wealthy merchants who had worked for the people.

The entire Jiangnan officialdom had never been so cautious.

Prince Jin turned to look at his nephew, who had stirred up the situation with just a few words. If the Fei family wanted to use him to provoke and advance their own agenda within Jiangnan officialdom, then he could turn the tables and deepen their internal divisions. Did he have evidence? Who provided it? Who was backing him today?

No one knew…

"Nephew, you truly have the people's support," Prince Jin remarked with emotion.

Ying Fusheng responded calmly, "The people support the ruler of Dayuan—my father."

"This is just a trivial reputation, not worth mentioning."

Magistrate Qian and the Fei family used their own reputation and that of the literati to crush a good official who worked for the people.

Using the same method, he used his own reputation to pressure the Jiangnan officialdom.

He was merely giving them a taste of their own medicine.

"There's something I need to thank you for, Uncle," Ying Fusheng suddenly said. "Thanks for sending me the message."

Prince Jin's expression shifted subtly.

With three factions in the Jiangnan officialdom, once someone entered the game, he could disrupt it. These people were probably wondering now: was it Prince Jin who sent the messenger, Zhang Wuyong who diligently investigated the case, or a mole planted within their own faction?

For intelligent people, suspicion is a fatal weakness.

Just then, the officer who had rushed to find the salt merchant returned, shouting urgently—

"Your Highness, it's bad! The salt merchant's house is empty!"

Ying Fusheng relaxed, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Indeed, the suspicious one took the bait.