Chapter 1502: Buying and Selling are Equally Guilty

"Third Master, you have really worked hard this time. You haven't slept for ten days and ten nights. Come, come, come, I represent the people of Chun'an to toast you."

In the county office, in the County Assistant's residence, Tian Youlu asked his wife to cook a sumptuous meal to entertain Wang Yan, who had just woken up after a good sleep.

Wang Yan shook his head with a smile: "How can I not sleep for ten days and ten nights? Wouldn't I have died long ago? I still slept in the middle. If you want to talk about hard work, who in Chun'an is not hard-working? Are you, Second Master, not hard-working? If it weren't for you, Second Master, running around to raise money and materials, how could the problem be solved so smoothly? Second Master is a senior, and the junior should toast you, Second Master."

"Hahaha..."

Tian Youlu laughed happily and toasted with Wang Yan: "Brother, I can rest assured if you can say this. I was just afraid that you were a fledgling who didn't understand anything and didn't want to be greedy or occupy, wanting to be the master for the people."

"Can't be the master?"

"Can't be!" Tian Youlu shook his head repeatedly, "You also said that this territory is decided by those big families and those low-level minor officials below. We deal with the higher-ups, they deal with us, and everyone is confused. We have an explanation for the higher-ups, and they have an explanation for us.

But if the two of us fight first, we can't explain to the higher-ups, and we can't stabilize the situation of those people below, and neither of us can earn silver. You took the imperial examination at such a young age and came out to be an official. I think your family conditions were not good and you made a desperate gamble, spending a lot of silver, right?"

"Second Master sees it clearly. I am alone, with no one to rely on. The farmland in Liaodong was sold out, and only then did I seek such a job."

"So, my Third Master, our brothers should work together to earn a family fortune early. When you take the imperial examination again, you will have a bright future."

"Second Master, I am from a poor background. Studying for fame is to live a good life for myself, which is correct. But as the saying goes, wild geese leave their voices, and people leave their names. After reading so many sage books, I can't really read them into a dog's belly. I want to live a good life myself, but I also want the common people to live a better life. I can't be an official and let the common people point at my spine and scold me."

Wang Yan ate the food with a smile, "What do you think, Second Master?"

Tian Youlu took a sip of wine, sighed, and shook his head: "Brother, do you think I want to carry the infamy? But there is no way. Do you think that as an official, you can have the final say everywhere? You also see clearly that the people below don't cooperate, and what we say is just a fart. Not only is it a fart, but if we make people unhappy, they can kill us, and we can't do anything about it.

And our brothers are auxiliary officials, I am eighth rank, you are ninth rank. What we say doesn't count; it has to be the seventh-rank County Magistrate who holds the seal. He is polite to the big families. If we oppose them, it will definitely not be good. If he opposes the big families, we can't oppose them either. We must be careful. Otherwise, it will be easy for the two of us to become the chickens that are killed to warn the monkeys. It is really difficult at both ends, even worse than a concubine..."

He waved his hand and turned to say, "Let's not talk about those. Brother, you know I definitely didn't want to harm you. You have seen my family, and I am not easy either."

"Sister-in-law is virtuous. With sister-in-law, what is not easy?"

"You will know when you get married."

Tian Youlu had the sadness of someone who had been there, sighed, and said, "Brother, do you think Chang Boxi should be beheaded by now?"

"It is estimated that his head has already fallen to the ground." Wang Yan directly grabbed the chicken with his hands and ate it with his mouth full of oil.

"It is still you, brother, who sees it clearly. It is ridiculous that Chang Boxi boasted of being smart, but died so unclearly. It is really unjust..."

Tian Youlu sighed long and drank a muffled wine, "Brother, you spoke so lightly when you scolded Chang Boxi earlier. If it really reached that point, what would you do? Do you really dare to stand up to the Riverway Office and the Yan Party?"

"You don't think you can still live, do you? You don't think you can still live, do you?" Wang Yan shook his head repeatedly, "If you don't stand up, you will die. Chang Boxi's end is right there."

"But after standing up, this life will be over..."

"Then it depends on whether you want to die. Chang Boxi's family members have all been taken away, the women are prostitutes, and the men are exiled. The warning is right there. You actually still think you can't earn money later? Second Master, people who are insatiably greedy often don't have a good end."

"People who are not greedy don't have a good end! Brother, you are inexperienced and have seen too little. You will know later. If you want to live well in this world, you have to be in harmony with the light and dust, otherwise, the official career is difficult, and life is even more difficult. Brother, let's not talk about this, let's drink."

After the two drank a glass of wine, Wang Yan said: "Second Master, we can't not talk about it. There are so many disaster victims, and there is a plague. We have to find a way to solve these things. Otherwise, the disaster victims will be crowded in the city, the plague will spread, and I am afraid that the common people of our Chun'an will all die."

"Hey, I know, but what can we do? No money, no food. Even if we have great ability, we have nowhere to display it."

Tian Youlu said, "And brother, you are also clear that the prefecture office sent people to notify us before, asking us to stabilize the situation. In a short time, someone will come to buy food and fields, and the common people will naturally pass this hurdle. Brother, you are proficient in medicine, and the prescription you opened is very effective. The plague has turned into an invisible form. Why should you and I work hard? It is better to drink and sing, and wait for the new County Magistrate to come, he will naturally worry about it."

Wang Yan shook his head repeatedly: "You only want to earn money, not to be promoted. I am young and still want to work hard. It is estimated that everyone's eyes are here now, and the Emperor is the same. I don't know how many spies are in the territory, reporting the situation. At this time, as long as you perform well, maybe you will enter the Emperor's eyes, and you will have a bright future."

Tian Youlu blinked his rat eyes, and his face was written with "Keep dreaming."

He couldn't possibly say that, so he just showed a smile to Wang Yan and invited him to continue drinking...

Early the next morning, Wang Yan arrived at the county office in light clothes. Compared with the last time he came here, this time he received the attention of these people, as well as superficial respect.

The main reason is of course the decisiveness shown by Wang Yan in some time before, as well as the reasonable response to many things and the handling of various problems that occurred.

For example, if someone didn't do things well, they were dealt with directly. If someone took the opportunity to make trouble and incited the common people, they were beheaded on the spot. The various things in the past ten days forged Wang Yan's prestige today.

Tian Youlu no longer expressed his opinion. He saw that Wang Yan really wanted to die, and Wang Yan was indeed fierce. He simply didn't oppose Wang Yan. Whatever Wang Yan said was what it was. He wanted to use unilateral cold violence...

The seat belonging to the County Magistrate in the hall was empty, and the seat on the lower left was Tian Youlu's seat. Wang Yan, the third-in-command, naturally sat opposite the County Assistant.

Lightly lifting his clothes and flicking his sleeves, Wang Yan sat down.

"How is the clearing of stagnant water and silt in the city?"

"Reporting to Third Master, it has been cleared, and it is currently being cleared outside the city." The head of the Works department accompanied with a smile, nodding and bowing, "Third Master, there is a lot of work, and there is a lot of consumption. We have no food."

Seeing Wang Yan's gaze look over, the head of the Household department smiled bitterly: "Third Master, there is really no food. How much food is there in the Ever-Normal Granary?"

"I remember there are 30,000 shi, right?" Wang Yan held the lid bowl with a smile, "There are 45,000 people in Chun'an County, and if you count the old and young who suffered from the disaster, it is more than 40,000. According to our porridge distribution standard, it is enough to eat for more than half a month. It has only been five days since the granary was opened to distribute food. You say there is no food?"

The head of the Household department already wanted to die. He looked at the Second Master for help.

Tian Youlu coughed twice: "This... Third Master... The problem of the Ever-Normal Granary is all Chang Boxi's fault. This person is insatiably greedy, and he exchanged new rice for old rice long ago, and old rice was sold again. It is simply insane. This time, heaven really has eyes, Chang Boxi deserves to die!"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes, it was all done by Chang Boxi."

"Chang Boxi deserves to die!"

"Died well..."

For a time, the hall was full of voices scolding Chang Boxi, which can be called hatred of the same enemy.

Wang Yan believed that what they said were all sincere words. Chang Boxi really deserved to die, and he really died well. After all, Chang Boxi died, and the bad accounts in the county could be pushed to Chang Boxi. As for the remaining things that couldn't be explained, it was the flood, and the flood took everything away...

Waving his hand to suppress the clamoring crowd, Wang Yan said indifferently: "Chang Boxi has already been beheaded. The problem now is that the food in the Ever-Normal Granary doesn't match the number. Even if Chang Boxi has great ability, he can't transport 10,000 shi of food alone.

Before the disaster, it didn't matter. Now that there is a disaster, and there is no food, the disaster victims are waiting to eat outside. If they can't eat, they will make trouble. If making trouble is useless, they will rebel. Now the hearts of the people are uneasy, and the situation must be stabilized.

Second Master, what do you have to teach me?"

"Uh..."

Tian Youlu looked at the quiet crowd and thought for a while: "The person in charge of the granary stole and sold it, colluding with Chang Boxi to steal and sell official food, causing our Chun'an common people to have no food today. It is really a heinous crime and deserves to be killed!"

Seeing that the crowd didn't react and didn't hear Wang Yan's reply, he couldn't help but take the initiative to ask, "Third Master... what do you think?"

"This is a capital crime. Stealing and selling 10,000 shi of official food, the profit is more than 60 taels? If Emperor Taizu were alive, he would be skinned and stuffed with grass. The person who sold it is heinous and deserves to be killed. What about the person who bought it? Second Master?"

Tian Youlu reacted fiercely and stared at Wang Yan: "Brother, you must think clearly. This matter is not just in front of you..."

"Brother, I am asking you, how to count the person who bought it?"

"Naturally... buying and selling are equally guilty!"

So Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction and looked at Zhang Song, the Police Chief who had been slapped by him earlier.

"Fourth Master? Did you hear it?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I heard it, Third Master. Don't call the little one Fourth Master, the little one is scared." Zhang Song was trembling, really scared to death.

He had been slapped back and forth, and kicked away. He deeply understood how much power this Third Master, who looked thin, had. Plus the decisiveness in the past ten days, he was already full of fear for the Third Master.

Not to mention now, in front of everyone in the county office, he was directly concocting others?

"Since you heard it, the disaster is so urgent, and the common people are hungry, why are you still standing here? Ah?"

Wang Yan shouted, "Go, catch people for me! Those people in the Ever-Normal Granary, the merchants who bought food, catch them all for me, and seal all the shops for me."

"Yes, Third Master!" Zhang Song responded and ran out in a hurry to organize manpower to catch people.

Seeing Wang Yan shaking his head, Tian Youlu asked: "Is there anything inappropriate?"

Wang Yan glanced at him: "Our Fourth Master went out without even asking who to catch."

"Uh..."

Tian Youlu lost power again. He smiled awkwardly and explained, "He is a local in Chun'an. There are only so many big families here, and there are only so many grain shops. He is the Police Chief, so he naturally knows everything."

"I believe it."

Wang Yan nodded seriously, and then looked at the head of the Works department, "Now that there is food, it can support for a period of time. Next, you organize manpower to clear the roads and work to receive food."

"Yes, Third Master."

"Our task now is to provide disaster relief and save the people. Everything is based on ensuring the survival of the common people and restoring their previous lives. Everyone must work together and not trip each other up. At this time, keep your hands to yourself. Whoever dares to move a grain of food, whoever dares to take the opportunity to do evil, I will take their head. Don't think about anything good. I'll say this first, so as not to kill without teaching. Alright, go do your work."

The crowd dispersed like birds and beasts, breathing a sigh of relief for escaping death. They also couldn't understand why Wang Yan, who was only twenty years old, had this prestige. His eyes were like knives, scraping people painfully.

"Brother... you... hey..."

Tian Youlu sighed, "You know that the higher-ups want our Chun'an common people to starve, and you still want to offend the local big families, killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. This is really..."

Wang Yan smiled: "Brother, I am a newcomer and don't understand much. I am just trying my best to raise food for disaster relief. Today, catching grain merchants is also because the old case of stealing and selling official food has been exposed. I am upright. This lawsuit, even if it reaches the Emperor, I am reasonable."

"Who looks at your reason? Brother, listen to my advice, don't think about finding trouble for yourself."

Wang Yan patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, I am very happy that you can be honest with me. But the disaster is urgent and cannot be delayed. You must also take action to raise money and food as much as possible. I know you have taken a lot of money. This time, it has reached this point. Brother, if the money and food are not enough and the situation is critical, then you can only pray for your own blessings."

"You..."

"If you get it, you have to lose it. How can you always get it?"

At that time, Tian Youlu did not firmly oppose Wang Yan, but let Wang Yan take overall charge of this flood fighting. Tian Youlu was effectively sidelined.

Wang Yan, by virtue of his various performances during this period, made the common people and officials see it in their eyes, and pulled in a part of the people in the process. Regardless of whether others were good or bad to him, he was now the de facto Chun'an County Magistrate.

Sometimes the boundaries of power are clear, who is responsible for what, but sometimes, it is impossible to explain exactly to what extent, just like Wang Yan at this moment.

Everyone knew him, everyone listened to his orders, and he naturally had power. Of course, whether it was firm or not is another matter...

Looking at Tian Youlu meaningfully, Wang Yan walked out in big strides to deal with the disaster victims outside...

Daily thanks to the big brothers who tipped, voted for monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and silently read the book for their strong support! ===== CHAPTER 1503 =====