Chapter 727: More Vicious than Pan Jinlian

"Low-ranking officials shouldn't be given low performance ratings; a good official's priority lies in tax collection. These officials, sigh." Wang Wang Guoguang took out a memorial and handed it to Zhang Zhang Juzheng for review.

After reading it, Zhang Zhang Juzheng felt a darkness wash over him. He slapped his forehead, leaned back in his chair, and after a moment of relief, shook his head helplessly. He reaffirmed once more that relying on His Majesty's brilliance was more reliable; that path was much easier to walk and far more realistic. Relying on the strength of ten thousand men was simply too difficult.

It was a very peculiar corruption case. The memorial came from Hai Rui and Li Li Youzi of the Censorate, and the direction of the investigation was a nest of corruption in Suiyuan.

Suiyuan was dirt poor. If not for the Suiyuan Imperial Highway, even the people of Guihua City would have to live like animals, following the water to survive. Their production model was primarily nomadic. The Great Ming had only conquered the Bansheng City five years ago, and a nest of corruption had already been born!

This time, the imperial court didn't wait for a civil uprising before providing relief; they prepared to assist with the drought as soon as the precipitation levels dropped. Naturally, this required an audit of the local Suiyuan accounts. Upon closer inspection, a strange phenomenon was discovered: there were problems with the local tax revenue in Suiyuan.

It is hard to learn good, but easy to learn bad. The heavy taxes and levies of the Great Ming heartland had been learned perfectly by the horse-taming men!

The key was that the Great Ming heartland could barely withstand such exploitation, let alone Suiyuan, where the means and relations of production were extremely unstable, and which was suffering from a severe drought this year.

Under San San Niangzi's command, there were about twenty-seven Tatar officials and scribes who, since the tenth year of Emperor Wanli, began to invent various pretexts for levies. Moreover, all these heavy taxes and levies were blamed on the Great Ming imperial court, claiming the Emperor was the one collecting them!

Suiyuan was a place where Hu and Han lived together. Having just been incorporated into the Great Ming five years ago, the people didn't understand the laws well. For the sake of a stable life, they could only bite the bullet and pay.

San San Niangzi, who had been collecting wool, had just escorted the wool into the capital when she went straight to the Censorate, requesting the Censor-in-Chief to fight corruption and arrest the greedy.

San San Niangzi didn't let Suiyuan investigate itself; she directly requested the Censorate to handle the case in a different jurisdiction to ensure the nest of corruption could be thoroughly investigated.

For San San Niangzi, if she investigated herself, the imperial court would likely suspect her of secretly accumulating strength, always preparing to restore the glory of the Great Yuan. Therefore, San San Niangzi handed it directly to the imperial court and brought the wool to the capital herself.

The case was not complicated.

The first pretext invented was: children over three years old on the grassland had to pay a poll tax of 23 wen of Zhiyuan Tongbao per person per year, and from the age of fourteen, they were counted for the tax, at 120 wen of Zhiyuan Tongbao per person per year.

Poll tax was also a custom of the grassland. The Great Ming did not collect this poll tax in order to encourage population movement and reproduction.

The Zhiyuan Tongbao in the Great Ming heartland was not enough to go around; where would there be so much money on the grassland? It didn't matter if there was no money; cattle, sheep, furs, and livestock could all be used to offset it. Soon, there was no distinction between the poll tax and the tax; it all became a single tax, and even the babies in their mothers' wombs at three years old were counted for the poll tax.

This poll tax was only one part; the most important thing was the various apportionments. The imperial court used the Engineering Corps for building the imperial highway, but the supporting industries were not. The local Southern Yamen began to pull able-bodied men for labor as if they were conscripting them. At first, it was just work like repairing bridges, mending roads, and moving earth, but later it simply became that as long as there was work, they would pull able-bodied men, and paying money could exempt one from service.

These Tatar officials and cruel officials would constantly cite the "Holy Emperor's instructions."

For example, there were many places in Suiyuan where sweet potatoes were planted. Some people ran sweet potato flour factories—not government-run ones. These local bullies would give these Tatar officials a little silver, and the Tatar officials, cracking their whips with a "pop-pop" sound, would go to pull men. The people would have to work for these Tatar officials for as short as three months or as long as a year.

If they refused to pay or work, it was even easier to handle! They were directly dragged to the stone tablet at the entrance of the village and whipped!

The Tatar officials in charge of tax collection would beat them to death, beat them until they were gasping for breath, and then go to their homes to search, dragging away their cattle, sheep, and livestock, tearing down their doors, and even taking away the thatch from their roofs.

After Pan Pan Jixun entered Suiyuan, he had ordered a boundary marker to be set up at the entrance of every village where people gathered. The name of the place was carved on the boundary marker. In the hearts of the grassland people, this boundary marker represented the Great Ming, represented the imperial court, and even directly represented the Emperor himself.

This boundary marker was the Dragon Flag and Great Banner planted by the Emperor on the grassland!

These Tatar officials would drag people to the boundary marker to beat them. This was clearly using the Great Ming's heavenly might to suppress the anger in everyone's hearts.

"Low-ranking officials shouldn't be given low performance ratings; a good official's priority lies in tax collection." The meaning was that if an official wanted to climb up, they had to learn to collect taxes.

"Based on my understanding of the grassland, these Tatar officials have already been quite restrained," Wang Wang Chonggu said with a sneer after reading the memorial. "Consort Lady Zhongshun is in the capital; if you don't believe me, feel free to ask. When I was young, I followed my father to do business, and I saw with my own eyes how many times people on the grassland were hung up and beaten just for a small piece of wolf-skin mattress."

"These cruel officials don't dare to toss people around so excessively now, but they were still discovered by the imperial court. Using the Emperor's name to do such harmful things, the Emperor certainly won't show mercy. This is rebellion, not just breaking the law."

"What is the point of this? After tossing around for two or three years, the silver they got in hand was at most 140 taels, and they ended up losing their lives."

Greed, in fact, was no big deal. The scribe Zhang Ang who built the canal was greedy, but the Emperor didn't punish him; he just confiscated the illegal gains. The imperial court didn't want it either and gave it to the construction site to improve the meals for the laborers, and the Emperor even added some.

But these Tatar officials had only one outcome, and that was death.

"San San Niangzi said in the memorial that she wants to slightly restore the ancestral laws, skin these cruel officials one by one, stuff them with straw, and stand them at the temple gate to warn future generations. I think this method is good. Sometimes, when problems are tricky, it's quite good to flip through the old piles of paper," Wan Wan Shihe said, mentioning San San Niangzi's opinion.

Wang Wang Chonggu said irritably, "She is a barbarian; this is my Great Ming's ancestral law. What is she restoring! She just wants to take advantage of us Han people."

Wang Wang Chonggu was also getting old, and his thinking was relatively rigid and conservative. Even though Pan Pan Jixun and Wang Hua were doing a great job in Suiyuan, in Wang Wang Chonggu's heart, these barbarians were simply afraid—afraid of the Great Ming's heavenly troops, afraid of the cavalry, afraid of the firearms—and they had no heartfelt yearning for the King's transformation. Once the Great Ming became weak, there was no telling what kind of trouble they would cause. One had to maintain a vigilant heart.

Wang Wang Chonggu had personally led troops in Xuanfu and Datong back then, fighting these Northern Barbarians with real swords and guns. He didn't consider the barbarians as Great Ming people at all.

"The people, the land, and the mines all belong to the Great Ming. We still have that much magnanimity. Taking advantage of the ancestral laws is fine. If you have no objections, I will post the floating ticket." Zhang Zhang Juzheng felt that there was no reason to give up territory that had already been brought into his own hands.

As the Great Ming recovered the Ordos Loop, Zhang Zhang Juzheng instead understood why the founding Emperor had used such violent means back then to skin corrupt officials and stuff them with straw. If he didn't do that, the people wouldn't know it was wrong, and these cruel officials wouldn't know what kind of punishment they would receive. Once the straw man was stood there, everyone would understand.

Just like Shang Yang's reform of moving the wooden pole to establish trust, some money could not be touched. Daring to splash dirty water on the Dragon Flag and Great Banner—this was the outcome.

Use heavy codes in troubled times.

Wan Wan Shihe said very clearly, "This skinning and stuffing with straw can only be done by San San Niangzi."

The Emperor was a holy and brilliant monarch. It was more appropriate for San San Niangzi to bear the reputation of this dirty and tiring work, this bad name.

"Reasonable." Zhang Zhang Juzheng wrote the floating ticket and transferred it to the Imperial Study in the Tonghe Palace, requesting the Emperor's vermilion approval.

Wang Wang Chonggu took out the Ministry of Justice's memorial and handed it to Zhang Zhang Juzheng to pass to the assistant ministers. He said with great emotion, "I have a case here that is somewhat similar to the official factory marriage fraud case, but it's among the common people."

"Good heavens, 1.6 million silver!" Zhang Zhang Juzheng looked at the case. It was a major case that would have money left over even after building three imperial mausoleums for the former emperors!

This case truly opened Zhang Zhang Juzheng's eyes because the amount involved was too large. The Fujian authorities didn't dare to handle it themselves and sent it directly to Lu Lu Guangzu of the Court of Judicial Review. Moreover, it was a case with very far-reaching influence, even giving birth to the maturity of an industry.

Under normal circumstances, the husband manages the outside and the wife manages the inside. In a small-scale peasant economy, the silver in the family is managed by the wife.

In Haicheng County, Zhangzhou Prefecture, there was a fisherman named Tang Si, who later became successful and changed his name to Tang Tang Zhihan. Since the opening of the sea in the second year of Emperor Longqing, he began to struggle at sea. At that time, Tang Tang Zhihan was only sixteen years old. After twenty years of struggle, Tang Tang Zhihan had become the largest sea merchant in Zhangzhou and was the merchant leader of the Yuegang Ocean Trading Firm, almost equivalent to Sun Sun Kehong's status in Songjiang Prefecture.

Tang Tang Zhihan was in his prime, just thirty-six years old this year, and he was daring and aggressive. He had led the Yuegang sea merchants to clash with the Songjiang Ocean Trading Firm several times without falling behind. And last year, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, Tang Tang Zhihan struck the grievance drum in front of the Zhangzhou Prefecture gate.

When Prefect Lu Cheng of Zhangzhou heard that Tang Tang Zhihan had come to strike the drum, he didn't care about the New Year and had the very miserable and dying Tang Tang Zhihan carried into the prefecture Southern Yamen. One must know that two-fifths of the tax revenue of Zhangzhou Prefecture was paid by this Yuegang Ocean Trading Firm. Since the opening of the sea, this Tang Tang Zhihan had never been in arrears with taxes.

When Tang Tang Zhihan entered the prefecture Southern Yamen, he had only one shoe left and was covered in bruises. It turned out he had been beaten out of his own home.

"This wife of Tang Tang Zhihan is not a successor wife who entered the family later; she can be called a wife of humble beginnings. How did this turn into a farce of beating her husband out of the house?" Wan Wan Shihe looked at the memorial, his jaw dropping in surprise. This Tang Tang Zhihan often appeared in the imperial court's memorials, but he ended up in such a state.

Wang Wang Chonggu looked at Wan Wan Shihe and added, "This Tang Tang Zhihan used to go to sea all year round and was not at home. When he returned home, he would give the silver to his wife, Liu, and put it at home, and then go out to struggle again."

The memorial wasn't detailed enough. Wang Wang Chonggu knew more. Tang Tang Zhihan was not weak at all. In those days, sailing was a bitter job. If you were short and had no strength, you couldn't get on the ship. This Tang Tang Zhihan married at sixteen and went to sea not long after. Not to mention not coming home once a year, sometimes it was normal to come home once every two or three years.

It was only in the last few years that Tang Tang Zhihan slowly became a shipowner and didn't have to go to sea himself.

His wife of humble beginnings, Liu, was at home and couldn't endure it, so she had a secret affair with someone else, and this relationship had been maintained for more than ten years.

The silver Tang Tang Zhihan brought home was all given to his wife, Liu. Liu directly gave the silver to her lover one after another. For so many years, Tang Tang Zhihan had never been short of silver when he took it from home, so he didn't ask.

Wan Wan Shihe read the memorial again and asked in surprise, "So last winter, Tang Tang Zhihan wanted to take silver from home to do business and also wanted to donate silver to the imperial court to fight the Japanese in Korea. Only when the silver at home was empty did Tang Tang Zhihan realize there was a problem?"

Originally, if Tang Tang Zhihan only wanted to do business, the silver Liu left in the mansion would be enough, but Tang Tang Zhihan wanted to donate 100,000 taels of silver to the Southern Yamen, and only then did he know there were only a few thousand taels left in the mansion.

"His heart is too big! Didn't he discover it for such a long time?" Zhang Zhang Juzheng was also amazed. It was truly strange. Even if this Liu disguised herself well, didn't the servants in the mansion tell him that this sucker had been one for more than ten years?

Wang Wang Chonggu shook his head and said, "Not at all. The accountant in the mansion told Tang Tang Zhihan more than once, but this Tang Tang Zhihan was soft-hearted. He felt that he had struggled in his early years and had wronged his wife and children, so he scolded and favored Liu for such idle gossip. After one or two times, no one dared to mention it again."

"As for Tang Tang Zhihan's first wife, Liu, she replaced everyone inside and outside the mansion with her own people. As time went on, no one mentioned it even more."

Wang Wang Guoguang frowned and said, "Then in this Ministry of Justice memorial, why is it that Liu accused Tang Tang Zhihan? And Prefect Lu Cheng of Zhangzhou still wants to judge him as guilty? This doesn't make sense!"

The most intense part of the case came. No matter how you looked at it, this Tang Tang Zhihan was the victim, and he was beaten into that state, but Tang Tang Zhihan instead became the criminal!

How much silver did Prefect Lu Cheng of Zhangzhou receive to make such a judgment with a conscience darkened by greed!

Wang Wang Chonggu tucked his hands and said, "Tsk tsk, no wonder they say there is nothing more vicious than a woman's heart."

"Last spring, this Liu lied to Tang Tang Zhihan to fake a divorce because the Military Provisions Office had a rule: to develop Jilong Island, the tax on new wood workshops opened on Jilong Island would be reduced by half. This was originally to encourage Fujian merchants to go to Jilong Island to develop new wood workshops, provide more timber to shipyards, and develop Jilong Island."

"This Liu used this tax reduction as an excuse and persuaded Tang Tang Zhihan to divorce her. Tang Tang Zhihan didn't suspect anything and transferred the family business to Liu's name. The newly opened wood workshop did enjoy the policy, and the tax was indeed preferential, but Tang Tang Zhihan could be said to be penniless."

"After this Liu divorced Tang Tang Zhihan, she immediately married the lover she had been seeing for more than ten years. There was a marriage certificate from the Southern Yamen, and there were the three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts."

"Tang Tang Zhihan wanted silver to do business and silver to donate for the aid to Korea against the Japanese. There was no silver in the mansion. This Liu, without hesitation, arranged with her lover to stage a scene of catching them in the act. This catching in the act was solid evidence. According to the Great Ming Law, beating to death was not a crime. If Tang Tang Zhihan hadn't practiced a bit of strength from running ships, he would have deserved to be beaten to death."

Wan Wan Shihe stretched out his hand and said blankly, "No! Wait a minute, Minister of Justice, let me sort this out. This victim Tang Tang Zhihan, let alone having nothing, how did he become the lover?"

Tang Tang Zhihan's transformation from husband to lover was a trap carefully designed by Liu. In the end, he was almost beaten to death. This Liu could be called Pan Jinlian reborn, and compared to Pan Jinlian's plot to poison Wu Zou Dalang, this Liu was even more vicious in that Tang Tang Zhihan was confirmed as the lover and was almost legally beaten to death!

Tang Tang Zhihan's parents were killed during the Japanese pirate disaster, and Tang Tang Zhihan had a younger brother who starved to death. Their Tang family didn't even have any relatives. Therefore, Tang Tang Zhihan was lucky to have practiced iron-like skills from running ships. The terrified Tang Tang Zhihan ran straight into the prefecture Southern Yamen for refuge. He didn't dare to go anywhere else, and he didn't even trust his life-and-death brothers.

This was why this case reached the imperial court. Besides the huge amount of money and the bad influence, another reason was that according to the Great Ming Law, Tang Tang Zhihan deserved to die. He was the lover. Everyone knew he was wronged, but according to the law, he also deserved to die.

The entire Zhangzhou Prefecture knew how their Tang family made their fortune. This Tang Tang Zhihan could also be considered a legendary figure. This Liu was Tang Tang Zhihan's wife; this was a well-known fact. In the past, everyone envied this Liu for her good luck in marrying Tang Tang Zhihan. Now, everyone had seen the result of handing over all the silver in the family to the wife, and everyone was waiting for the imperial court's judgment.

Although Prefect Lu Cheng of Zhangzhou gave the judgment according to the law, in the end, the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice intervened. If they really judged according to the rigid dogma of the law, the Great Ming Law would be the biggest joke.

Pan Jinlian had been scolded for so many years, but compared to this Liu, she was like a white lotus flower.

Wang Wang Chonggu sat up straight and said, "This matter isn't over yet. As soon as this Tang Tang Zhihan's incident broke out, it immediately caused a huge uproar. Not to mention Zhangzhou Prefecture, even the sea merchants of several Maritime Trade Offices began to check their own money. They didn't know until they checked: at least seven sea merchants with assets over 200,000 silver in the five Maritime Trade Offices were almost hollowed out."

"These powerful and wealthy families in Jiangnan put their silver directly into the Joint Office of the Maritime Trade Offices and exchanged it for acceptance bills. The family accounts, which used to be managed by the wives and accountants, are now all given to accountants in various places for cross-management, for fear of following in Tang Tang Zhihan's footsteps. Losing face and money is one thing, but losing one's life is not worth it."

Liu, with her own strength, powerfully promoted the construction of the Great Ming's financial system. Even the tax audit of the Tax Audit Office became much easier. This was not promoted by the imperial court; it was these powerful and wealthy merchants who were looking for audits everywhere. The Joint Offices of the five Maritime Trade Offices could only reluctantly launch audit services one after another.

The imperial court only wanted 6% tax, but this Liu not only wanted money, she also wanted lives!

And this was not an isolated case. Now there were seven people who had run to the Southern Yamen to call for injustice after self-investigation.

"This case cannot be handled simply and hastily. My opinion is to investigate this case clearly and escort the relevant criminals to the capital for trial," Zhang Zhang Juzheng made a cautious decision. Sending it to the capital for trial was to clarify the matter thoroughly before making a decision.

Firstly, the matter was of great importance. These sea merchants were the emerging bourgeoisie. If handled poorly, they would be alienated. Moreover, Tang Tang Zhihan was not an ordinary person. He was the merchant leader of the Yuegang Ocean Trading Firm directly appointed by the Ministry of Revenue. Tang Tang Zhihan had more than 700 ships under his command, mainly transporting timber to Dagheigou.

Secondly, it was for the true fairness and justice of the law. They couldn't just muddle through for the sake of avoiding trouble. A large amount of silver was flowing into the Great Ming, so they had to improve the law and promote the construction of the legal system.

In any case, this case could not be judged in Zhangzhou; otherwise, it would trigger turmoil, and he, the Chief Grand Secretary, would be hard-pressed to escape the blame.

Zhu Zhu Yijun, who was in the Imperial Study, received the memorial and looked at these two cases.

For the first case, Zhu Zhu Yijun gave severe punishment to these twenty-seven cruel officials who carried the Dragon Flag and Great Banner to invent pretexts, collect heavy taxes, and exploit the people. Besides beheading, it was skinning and stuffing with straw.

This was not a question of how much they were greedy for, but for the sake of local stability. Facing this kind of problem, Zhu Zhu Yijun had no good method, so he directly brought out the "Great Proclamation." Although cruel, it was effective.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was not afraid of being scolded. He didn't care who bore the bad name. If Consort Lady Zhongshun wouldn't, then he would bear it.

For the second case, Zhu Zhu Yijun appeared exceptionally confused.

"Feng, my attendant, this Tang Tang Zhihan is a good man, right? He didn't even keep a concubine, did he?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked uncertainly.

"Your Majesty, Zhangzhou Prefecture conducted a comprehensive investigation of Tang Tang Zhihan. Indeed, he didn't keep one. He didn't even visit prostitutes when he went to sea, for fear of bringing back any disease. He had no concubines and no illegitimate children. On the contrary, this lover, using Liu's money, kept two concubines and is currently making a scene," Feng Bao replied immediately. Feng Bao had fully understood the case from the Ministry of Justice.

Zhu Zhu Yijun held the memorial and continued to ask: "Then was there any conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law? This conflict exists even in the imperial family, so it's natural among the common people. Was it very intense?"

Feng Bao said immediately: "Tang Tang Zhihan's parents both died in the Japanese pirate disaster. Tang Tang Zhihan's village was slaughtered clean. There were no uncles or cousins. The two brothers also hid in a cesspit to survive by luck. The younger brother was three years old and starved to death not long after."

"Tang Tang Zhihan discovered the silver was gone because he wanted to donate silver to the imperial court to fight the Japanese, and Liu then decided to kill Tang Tang Zhihan to eliminate future trouble. Is that it?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked again.

Feng Bao said with certainty: "When Tang Tang Zhihan heard that the imperial court was going to destroy the Japanese, he went to the prefecture Southern Yamen to ask. Prefect Lu Cheng of Zhangzhou reported that Tang Tang Zhihan said at the time: 'I cannot avenge my parents' blood feud, so I am unworthy of being a son. I hate that my strength is weak and I cannot enter the navy or the capital camp. I am willing to donate all my family wealth to support it.' This is a national hatred and a family feud, of course, it must be avenged. As a result, when he went back, he found out there was no money in the mansion."

In Lu Cheng's memorial, it was written that Tang Tang Zhihan was a man of integrity, but when he suddenly heard that the imperial court was really going to destroy the Japanese, he cried like a tearful person.

"Your Majesty, the minister learned from the Northern Secret Service that Tang Tang Zhihan's fleet also cooperated with the Governor of Luzon and the Songjiang Town Navy to suppress Japanese pirates several times, transporting grain, silver, and gunpowder without any mistakes." Feng Bao added some details. Tang Tang Zhihan was able to reach the position of the richest man in Zhangzhou Prefecture because he was also well-connected and had contacts everywhere.

"This Tang Tang Zhihan didn't visit prostitutes, but did he gamble or smoke? Or gamble money, or smoke opium? He was overseas all year round. That Davao City had quite a few opium dens." Zhu Zhu Yijun thought of a possibility.

"No gambling. Tang Tang Zhihan's business is very clean. He probably didn't smoke opium either. Tang Tang Zhihan fled to the prefecture Southern Yamen to seek refuge and has been detained for four months. If he had smoked opium, the Zhangzhou authorities wouldn't have dared to deceive the imperial court. Moreover, if Tang Tang Zhihan had smoked, his body would have been hollowed out, and it would have been impossible for him to escape after being surrounded and beaten in a trap. The minister believes he didn't." Feng Bao hadn't collected intelligence in this regard and stated his own speculation.

"Why is it that no matter how you look at it, Tang Tang Zhihan is a good man? Why is it that he has now become the lover?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked blankly.

A perfect victim.

"According to the news received so far, from all aspects, there is only one reason: Liu disliked Tang Tang Zhihan for being too honest," Feng Bao answered this question.

There was no other reason. Tang Tang Zhihan was devoted to his career. A man from a fishing village didn't understand any romance at all, so naturally, he was quite boring. As Tang Tang Zhihan earned more and more money, Liu opened her eyes and naturally became a bit arrogant. Relying on Tang Tang Zhihan's trust, she did these things.

"Should an honest man be bullied!" Zhu Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said to Feng Bao: "Bring everyone to the capital for questioning. In this matter, I personally believe Tang Tang Zhihan is innocent. Immediately issue an order to Zhangzhou Prefecture. If necessary, the Maritime Defense Inspector will help the local authorities investigate. Be sure to clarify the matter completely!"

On April 17th, all the criminals were escorted to the capital. The Maritime Defense Inspector even mobilized hydrofoil sailboats to urgently send all the criminals to the capital.

After the criminals entered the capital, the Chief Grand Secretary and the Assistant Grand Secretary immediately came to the Imperial Study in the Tonghe Palace to have an audience with the Emperor.

Zhang Zhang Juzheng said with a solemn face: "Your Majesty, I asked Shen Shen Shixing. Because these sea merchants risk their lives at sea, the captains and sailors are brothers of life and death. At sea, if the ship sinks, everyone is dead. This Tang Tang Zhihan is very loyal. The 700 ships under his command and nearly 2,000 sailors—the captains, first mates, and leaders on the ships are all sworn brothers. This situation is completely different from the clerks of merchants in the interior."

Doing business at sea in this day and age was completely different from doing business on the ground. It was a life-risking business at any time, especially when the Japanese pirate disaster hadn't completely subsided. Meeting Japanese ships was a life-and-death struggle. And now that Tang Tang Zhihan had been taken to the capital, the brothers who had experienced life and death were all watching the imperial court's decision.

"Last winter, before the New Year, at the ship-meeting ceremony, this Liu still attended as Tang Tang Zhihan's wife. The ship-meeting involves choosing ships, water trials, general ships, worshipping Mazu, racing ships, sending off the head-pole, banquets, and singing night plays. Liu was there as the eldest sister-in-law." Wang Wang Chonggu added details. It wasn't that Tang Tang Zhihan was blind and ignorant; it was really that this Liu was too evil.

"Do the two of you mean that if this matter is not handled well, it might lead to a farce of officials forcing the people to rebel?" Zhu Zhu Yijun inquired.

"That is indeed what the minister means. This is also the reason why the imperial court refused to open the sea in the past. These sea merchants are only one thought away from being merchants to bandits, and many of them are bandits themselves, all rough men. If Tang Tang Zhihan really did something wrong, or bullied the wife of a good family and was beaten to death by the husband, then it would be his own fault. These sailors who risk their lives at sea would accept it," Zhang Zhang Juzheng answered the Emperor's question very clearly.

If handled improperly, it would lead to officials forcing the people to rebel. If Tang Tang Zhihan had been killed for molesting another man's wife, these rough sailors would have accepted it. But to be almost beaten to death in his own home, on his own wife's bed, and then to be sentenced to death according to the law—

That logic could not be explained in any way.

If it really led to sea pirates, it would be no small matter. Of course, the Great Ming Navy could suppress them, but Tang Tang Zhihan's fleet had helped the Great Ming Navy suppress sea pirates before. If these sailors were also suppressed as water bandits, it would not be reasonable.

"Regarding the twists and turns, from all aspects of the investigation, Tang Tang Zhihan is wronged, and very wronged. On December 23rd last year, during the ship-meeting, the brothers were still calling him 'Big Brother' and 'Big Sister-in-law' and wishing each other a Happy New Year. On the 25th, Big Brother became the lover." Wang Wang Chonggu wasn't framing Liu; he directly produced evidence from Zhangzhou Prefecture, the Maritime Defense Inspector, and the Tax Audit Office's accounts to prove that before the 25th, Tang Tang Zhihan and Liu were still a de facto married couple.

Zhu Zhu Yijun asked with a serious face: "How does the Assistant Grand Secretary think it should be handled?"

Wang Wang Chonggu said immediately: "First, audit the taxes. Fake couple, fake divorce, cheated for preferential tax rates. This matter must be audited, defined as a true couple, and then discuss the rest." ===== CHAPTER 728 =====