Chapter 353: Greedy for Everything

As a corrupt official......

Especially, as a widely known corrupt official.

Bai Liren's idea is actually very simple, even simple enough to be summed up in a single word——

Greed.

Greed that risks one's life.

Thanks to the events of the past, Bai Liren today......

As long as there is silver money, and the silver money is sufficient, everything is sufficiently flexible.

As long as there is silver money, and the silver money is sufficient, everything can be sold.

Any silver money that comes knocking at the door inevitably falls into his pocket.

Even if the silver money does not come knocking......

Then he can forcibly extort, and he doesn't even know how to write the two words "shame".

After all, he differs from those corrupt officials who take money but do nothing.

Bai Liren believes that when he takes money, he genuinely is willing to handle affairs.

Throughout history, isn't there a saying that "losing wealth wards off disaster"?

Even if one usually doesn't ask him to handle affairs, to guard against his secret sabotage, one must still pay tribute to him......

Indeed, according to common sense, it should be this way.

However, the facts prove——

Some people and matters indeed cannot be inferred by common sense.

"No gift sent?"

The next day.

In the study, behind the documents.

Bai Liren held his brush, lifted his eyes, and looked rather surprised at the attendant opposite who had followed him for many years:

"That Yizhou Governor is really not understanding things."

"Thanks to that old fogey Chen Yan, who constantly thinks of distant alliances and nearby attacks, wholeheartedly wanting to ally with Yizhou, now it seems unnecessary."

The attendant has been by Bai Liren's side since he was a poor scholar, now over thirty years, thus knows his master extremely well.

Therefore, upon hearing his master say this, the attendant immediately echoed:

"What the master said is, that Yizhou Governor relies on holding the easy-to-defend, hard-to-attack Chuan Shu zhi Di, appearing lofty but actually short-sighted, indeed not worth consulting....."

"However, please rest assured, master, although the Qiongzhou Governor didn't come, the envoy he sent has arrived, bearing a generous gift, wishing to see you, sir."

Upon hearing this, Bai Liren clearly became somewhat interested, his expression returning to that of a refined gentleman, and he uttered a word:

"No need to meet; just accept the gifts and let them take their intentions back."

"Leave the gift, take back the intention."

If anyone else heard this, they'd certainly be astonished.

The attendant, however, was unfazed, only hesitating a few breaths before whispering:

"The valuables are fine to accept, but this 'gift' also includes, also includes......"

As Bai Liren suspended his wrist and put brush to paper, sweeping the final stroke, the attendant finally spat out the words he had been holding back:

"Master, they also sent a young lady, and several handsome attendants."

"Outside, there's been much talk over the years about you being alone, with no wife nor concubine; this time they send gifts, obviously preparing......"

"Pa!"

The brush was set down softly, and the attendant dared not speak further.

However, Bai Liren merely wrote it up as a document, and was not angry:

"If I recall correctly, Qiongzhou is still in the hands of the local strong clan, the Chunri Clan, right? Now, while shuttling between the two places, the person acting as envoy surely also bears the surname Chunri?"

The attendant bowed his head and replied repeatedly:

"Replying to master, that is exactly so."

"The envoy is quite young, a direct descendant of a branch of the Chunri Clan's clan head, and is the brother of the young lady sent. His father is a fourth-rank transport vice commissioner of the Imperial Court, the second-in-charge of finances for Qiongzhou Zhoufu, overseeing grain, audits, and evaluation of local officials......"

The attendant rattled off a list like a report; Bai Liren initially took it seriously, but hearing the rest, he couldn't help but chuckle:

"If I'm not mistaken, isn't this the person who, a few years ago, tried to threaten his clansmen in the exam hall to cheat for him, only to be dragged out by the chief examiner?"

"What was his name again? Chunri... Chunri... well, I'm old, some things I truly can't recall."

Bai Liren pressed his forehead, pondered a moment, shook his head repeatedly, and still wore a light, carefree smile:

"To be frank, this person doesn't impress me as much as the Chunri Jianling who once placed first in the children's exam; that child swept the top in all six subjects, a rare heavenly talent."

"It's a pity that the child who placed first in the children's exam never became an official; instead, the Chunri Clan has let such notorious scoundrels run about doing their bidding, utterly absurd."

However, this also precisely proves one point——

The Chunri Clan has no usable person.

This clan appears to have deep roots in Qiongzhou for years, wielding great power, even once jointly petitioning to have the chief examiner demoted......

In reality, the Chunri Clan is already rotten and hollow inside, having only lush foliage but no sturdy branches.

Now they can only rely on sending women to forge marriages and alliances everywhere......

With such people in charge of Qiongzhou, the situation surely won't be good.

According to reason, if Guangzhou Zhoufu truly wants to conquer territory, accumulate prestige, and seize Qiongzhou, the chances of success are far greater than trying to take the unknown, perilous Yongzhou that has caused them to lose a large shipment of goods.

If he were to tell these to Chen Yan, given Guangzhou Zhoufu's current reserves, Chen Yan could surely take Qiongzhou without effort, saving trouble, labor, money, and grain.

However, however......

"What does this have to do with me?"

After all, people from Jade Zhoufu sent money, but Yongzhou didn't send any money, ah.

Bai Liren gave a quiet, mischievous chuckle, murmuring as he folded the note that had been set aside for a while and had already dried, then handed it to his personal attendant.

The attendant saw this and respectfully received it.

"Sir, this letter is......"

Bai Liren casually waved his hand and said calmly.

"It's just a letter asking for a bribe."

"As for the earlier incident of the missing goods, I've always felt a vague unease, so I deliberately wanted to test it out. Just send someone by express horse to Yongzhou; I'll see how the person in charge of Yongzhou responds, and then naturally know what decision to make."

The attendant immediately understood, replied affirmatively, carefully tucked the letter into his chest, and then respectfully asked:

"May I ask, sir, how much silver do you need this time? So I can know how many people to bring and how many horses to hire......."

Bai Liren still appeared warm, gentle, and modest, aloof and indifferent, as he casually picked up a practice sheet from the side and began to copy it, while casually saying:

"I just casually wrote down ten thousand taels of silver."

"After all, it's a whole prefecture, and they've just seized a lot of goods...... Even if the looting wasn't done by them, how poor can they be that they can't even come up with a mere ten thousand taels of silver?"

"Just a mere ten thousand taels......"

The attendant choked, nearly scared to death.

If someone truly had no money, seeing this letter would probably make them burst into tears.

The attendant helplessly shook his head, stepped back a few paces, but then heard his master speak leisurely:

"Right, since you've already mentioned the Spring Day Clan, go inquire again: where is Chunri Jian of the Spring Day Clan now, who didn't manage to become an official back then?"

"After careful calculation, this person's age should be not far from that of my child lost abroad...... If he's still idle at home, it wouldn't hurt to give him a promotion."

?? Bai Liren: "Who gave me money I don't remember; who didn't give me money I know perfectly clear."

? Indeed, in this timeline, the Spring Day Clan is still going around giving people away, and Shasha remains dirt poor..... Whenever they have a little extra, they end up squandering it for various reasons.