Chapter 371: Heroines Proud of Beards and Eyebrows

Great Zhou Palace, Ganyang Palace.

It is the eighth month, the hottest time of the year in the Love Shenjing.

On both sides of the Emperor's imperial desk, two fish-dragon-offering blue copper ice basins were placed, filled with crystal-clear crushed ice, emitting milky white cold air, eliminating the heat around the imperial desk to almost nothing.

Since the beginning of summer, Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao has implemented two new policies: reducing the tax-exempt land of officials and gentry, and changing the poll tax to a tax based on land.

After suffering much opposition and censure from both inside and outside the court, the Investigation Court, which had been silent for a long time, has once again become a sharp blade in the Emperor's hand.

In the end, the new law used the future and reputation of five high-ranking officials of the old party as a sacrifice, and was strongly implemented in various places. By the beginning of the eighth month, the land tax collected into the national treasury increased by a full forty percent compared to last year.

It was just that before Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao could be happy about the smooth implementation of the new law and the significant results achieved,

the Dali Temple, through the interrogation of key criminals, broke out that Jin Ling Guard Commander Zhou Zhengyang was involved in the Water Surveillance Department major case, and fled when the court arrested him.

Later, because of Zhou Zhengyang's matter, a series of branches were implicated, the Dali Temple and the Five Armies Governor's Office appeared in the case of information leakage, and seven officials of the Ministry of Personnel were involved in the examination malpractice.

If the number of private transport exceeds three, they will be imprisoned and convicted; and if the quantity transported is small, once seized, the fine will be ten times, and the loss will outweigh the gain.

Although he knew that the Zhen family had deep roots in Jiangnan, the head of the Zhen family, Zhen Yingjia, was the president of the Jin Ling Province Tiren Academy, which was a virtual position with high official rank and low power, and was a reward bestowed by the court because of the nobility of the Zhen Empress Dowager.

Those families with huge wealth, privately hiding one or two firearms, is a common thing, so private transport of advanced Western barbarian firearms in sailing ships, privately selling to powerful families, intending to seek huge profits, is also not uncommon.

In the past, they must have done this kind of thing a lot. The officials of the Shipping Department who were originally responsible for port inspection also mostly colluded with them, or were bought....

And this person is a third-grade military officer, holding high power in Jin Ling, and the personnel and relationships involved are complex. If a large number of personnel are sent down to Jin Ling to assist in the investigation, it will definitely startle the snake, and it will be difficult to have gains.

Time passed not long, according to the news sent back from Jin Ling by the Central Vehicle Office secret agents, and the routine report sent by Yang Hongbin of the Dali Temple.

So he advised Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao to avoid the heavy and take the light, change the direction, and first carry out routine rotation of officials for government offices with close foreign exchanges such as the Jin Ling Guard, Water Surveillance Department, and Shipping Department.

Since firearms showed great power in the battle against the Jurchens in Liaodong, a brand-new Western Lu Mi gun has risen to two hundred taels of silver on the black market.

Jin Ling, Longtan Port Wharf.

This is also the reason why after the court issued the firearm ban, very few merchant ships dared to take the risk of privately transporting firearms.

Guo Lin replied: "Reporting to the Emperor, it will rain tomorrow, and the ship cannot travel. Jia Cong will go down to Jin Ling the day after tomorrow. According to the Emperor's edict, the slave has made proper arrangements for the Jin Ling Central Vehicle Office, and has also explained it to Jia Cong."

Since the beginning of summer, the weather has been hot, government affairs have been laborious, and various matters have followed one after another, and the ups and downs of the mind have been intense, making Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao restless and restless, and his body has always been unwell.

Wang Weian, the deputy lift of the Shipping Department responsible for inspection, was newly rotated from the Love Shenjing by the Ministry of Personnel this time.

The Love Shenjing was in turmoil, the court and the public were looking at it, and the achievement and self-esteem brought by the implementation of the new law by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao quickly became non-existent.

At this time, Guo Lin stood before the imperial desk, opened the secret memorandum sent urgently from Jin Ling by the Central Vehicle Office

Just on the second day after Jia Cong entered the palace, several imperial edicts related to the audience that day were issued one after another.

Therefore, Wang Weian guessed that this Zhen family merchant ship must have been at sea for several months, and thus was unaware of the many recent changes in Jin Ling City.

Now that the port garrison officials have been newly replaced, it caught them off guard, and they accidentally fell into the trap.

Ever since the day Jia Cong entered the palace to report and proposed that Zhou Zheng, as the chief official of the Jin Ling Guard, was implicated in the major case of the Water Surveillance Office, he has already become the focus of everyone's attention.

But Wang Weian is an official newly rotated to the Shipping Office; he has no personal or interest entanglements in Jin Ling yet, so he has no great misgivings about the Zhen family.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao thought of these things, let out a slight sigh, and asked: "Yesterday, Shi Ding submitted a memorial to Us, stating that the Five Armies Camp has already dispatched troops to escort five new-style cannons down to Jin Ling. When will Jia Cong set out?"

Only when Zhou Junxing of the Investigation Court used thunderous momentum to quickly crack the two cases of the Dali Temple confession leak and the Ministry of Personnel's examination fraud did Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's anxious and angry mood slightly ease.

It was not until the Minister of War and the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple recommended Jia Cong to enter Jin Ling to assist in the investigation of this case that Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao saw hope for breaking the deadlock.

The Zhen family also has the Zhen Dowager Consort, who holds a revered status in the palace; they are absolutely not comparable to ordinary merchants.

This is an unbearable sum for ordinary merchants, and even with the immense wealth of the Zhen family, it is not a small amount.

"As of the day of reporting, the rotated officials of the Ministry of Personnel in the Love Shenjing have all assumed their posts; the garrison of the Jin Ling Guard, the patrol of the shipping ports, and the patrol of the Jin Ling waterways have all been greatly rectified in their atmosphere.

This Jia Cong, at such an age, is not only brilliant and stunning in the firearms craft industry, but also outstanding and eye-catching in military affairs, and equally resourceful in political coordination; his seasoned nature is already no weaker than that of veteran officials like Gu Yankui.

And other preparatory matters for a rainy day have also been listed one by one, and after obtaining Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's approval, they are being implemented with the cooperation of the Ministry of War and the Five Armies Camp respectively.

Because places like Su Zhou and Yang Zhou in Jin Ling are the wealthiest under heaven, with rich merchants and powerful clans everywhere, and a lifestyle of luxury and indulgence, there has always been a habit of using muskets for hunting and amusement.

The reason this Zhen family merchant ship was detained is because the clerks under Wang Weian's command searched the ship and found three brand-new Rumie muskets, as well as an Englishman with incomplete identification documents.

All of this fully demonstrates that Jia Cong's careful planning and strategy that day have already achieved the expected results.

Dealing with the branches before the main trunk not only provides convenience for solving the major case of Zhou Zheng, but is also a powerful reform and innovation for the Jin Ling officialdom, killing two birds with one stone.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao listened to the contents of the secret memorial, his gloomy expression gradually relaxed, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

Cutting off the officialdom connections and influence that might be associated with Zhou Zheng, and suppressing the spread of information, provides greater convenience for the strict investigation of Zhou Zheng's case.

It is just that since the Great Zhou established the Firearms Office and promoted the strengthening of the military with firearms, the imperial court has issued edicts to all prefectures and counties strictly prohibiting private possession and private transport of firearms.

However, for those caught privately transporting three or fewer Western barbarian firearms, the contraband firearms are confiscated, and the owner is fined ten times the value; for private transport exceeding three, the owner must be imprisoned for a serious crime.

The three brand-new Rumie muskets seized from the Zhen family merchant ship are worth six hundred taels, and a ten-fold fine means paying six thousand taels.

Within the city, the petty thieves and night-criers have lowered their flags and ceased their drums; outside the four gates, the illegal acts of shipping have been strictly investigated and corrected, which is a great improvement compared to before.

However, as Jin Ling is the auxiliary capital of Great Zhou and the hub of the six prefectures and one province of Jiang Nan, the root cause of the major case of the Jin Ling Water Surveillance Office has not been removed for years, and it has always been a hidden worry in Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's heart.

The newly appointed officials in various government offices have sorted out previous affairs, checked for omissions, and pursued twenty-three old officials who broke the law, all of whom have been handed over to the Dali Temple for investigation and prosecution...."

Wang Weian is newly transferred to Jin Ling and has no interest entanglements in the local area at all, so naturally, he has no taboos and acts according to the rules and regulations.

Jin Ling, Mingde Ward, Zhen family mansion.

The person with the highest seniority in the Jin Ling Zhen family is naturally that Zhen Dowager Consort in the palace.

The Zhen Dowager, who has the highest seniority in the main family, is of the same generation as Grandmother Jia and is the niece-in-law of the Zhen Dowager Consort in the palace.

The Zhen Dowager has two sons; the eldest son, Zhen Yingjia, is the head of the Zhen family and holds the official position of Commissioner of the Tiren Academy in Jin Ling Province, which is a nominal position with high rank but little power, granted by the imperial court due to the Zhen Dowager Consort's nobility.

The second son, Zhen Yingquan, did not inherit any official position. Since the imperial court established the Shipping Office in Jin Ling and opened up maritime trade, Zhen Yingquan has managed the Zhen family's fleet, participated in the maritime trade business, and earned huge amounts of gold and silver for the Zhen family.

Unfortunately, a talented man died young; three years ago, Zhen Yingquan took his fleet out to sea for business and went missing unexpectedly, never to be heard from again. Judging from common sense, he must have encountered an accident and died.

Zhen Yingquan has only one daughter, who is the Third Miss Zhen, who was being raised and accompanying the Zhen Dowager Consort in the palace at that time.

After learning the bad news about her father, the Third Miss Zhen returned to Jin Ling from the Love Shenjing to accompany her widowed mother.

And relying on her close relationship with the Zhen Dowager Consort in the palace, as well as the Zhen Dowager's doting, and her own exceptional talent since childhood, she, as a daughter, actually managed the business left by her father in an orderly manner.

This day, as usual, she went early to pay her respects to the Dowager, and then returned to her own courtyard to work. Of course, what she did was not the needlework and embroidery of an ordinary daughter.

There are always matrons at the second gate who will send the business accounts and documents for the Third Miss Zhen to check and review, and then add her own comments and notes before passing them outside the second gate for others to send out for processing.

She is still wearing a cyan dress, her hair neatly combed into a bun, with only a pearl hairpin, and no other hair ornaments, yet she cannot hide her exceptional, clear, and elegant beauty, and her graceful bearing.

It's just that her delicate brows are slightly furrowed; for the whole morning, the Third Miss Zhen's mood has not been very good.

Therefore, just now, the matron at the second gate sent in a silver withdrawal slip, requesting to withdraw six thousand taels of silver from the public funds, and the slip bore the signature of the Third Brother of the family.

Even if the Zhen family is a wealthy family, six thousand taels is definitely not a small amount, so the Third Miss Zhen naturally has to send someone to ask for the reason.

Later, Manager Chen, who is responsible for withdrawing the silver, reported that the Third Brother had transported three brand-new Rumie muskets on a sea ship, as well as an Englishman with incomplete identification documents, and as a result, they were discovered by the Shipping Office officials at the port.

The identity documents of that white barbarian are easy to handle; just pay the head tax and apply for replacement documents.

But the three brand-new Rumie muskets are contraband. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Shipping Office, they must be confiscated on the spot, and a fine of six thousand taels must be paid.

According to Manager Chen, the muskets were for a certain nobleman to use for hunting, and he entrusted the Third Brother to purchase them from the Western barbarians. The Third Brother probably couldn't refuse the request, so he took on this task.

But the Third Miss Zhen is a meticulous and detailed person, and she does not fully believe Manager Chen's words.

This Manager Chen was once her father's capable subordinate, but now he is very close to this Third Brother in the family.

Now the imperial court is vigorously strengthening the military with firearms, and the control of firearms among the people is becoming increasingly strict.

This Third Brother of hers acts too eagerly for quick success; who can guarantee that this is his first time transporting muskets? Now it's three, but if the number exceeds the limit, it wouldn't be strange if someone slapped him with a charge of treason.

Thinking of these things, her delicate brows remained unfurled, and she put down the brush in her hand in low spirits. Could it be that a daughter is not as good as a man, and no matter how outstanding she is, the end result is always like this?

She knows very well in her heart why Manager Chen, who was her father's capable subordinate, has changed his tune and deliberately gotten close to the Third Brother of the eldest branch; it is nothing more than leaving a way out for himself in the Zhen family.

The Third Miss Zhen is about the same age as Yingchun and has already passed the age of fifteen. Since Zhen Yingquan went missing, she has taken over the business left by her father.

And these businesses are the source of the Zhen family's wealth. Originally, it was absolutely contrary to common sense for an unmarried girl to manage them.

But the Third Miss Zhen is intelligent, sharp, and has superior wisdom; ordinary men simply cannot compare to her. Among the Zhen family descendants, those who have some talent and strategy all pale in comparison before her.

In addition, the eldest branch of the Zhen family inherits the family's blessings and serves as officials; those who serve as officials are not allowed to engage in business, at least on the surface, this must be the case.

The Zhen family's maritime trade business was built by the Third Miss Zhen's father, and it has made great contributions to the family's gold, silver, and wealth.

The eldest branch serves as officials, and the second branch engages in business, clearly separated from each other.

Therefore, the Third Miss Zhen managing the business on behalf of her father is justifiable in terms of righteousness.

Moreover, the Zhen family's greatest face and pillar is the Zhen Dowager Consort in the palace. The Third Miss Zhen was sent by the Zhen family to the palace to accompany the Dowager Consort since she was a child, and she was raised and nurtured by the Dowager Consort in the palace for four years.

The Zhen Dowager Consort treasures this great-granddaughter of her maiden family, who is outstanding in character and appearance, like a treasure.

If it weren't for Zhen Yingquan's accident, the Third Miss Zhen would have returned to Jin Ling to serve her relatives out of filial piety, and thus missed the marriage discussion period of several imperial princes.

The Zhen Dowager Consort might have played matchmaker and let the Zhen family produce another Princess.

With such a big backer, the Third Miss Zhen has an extraordinary status in the family, and the Zhen Dowager also dotes on this granddaughter very much.

Therefore, the Third Miss Zhen has managed the family business for three years, deciding everything with a single word, and the results have been remarkable; no one in the clan dares to say any idle words.

But a woman is a woman after all. After passing the age of fifteen, she must get married. A married daughter is like spilled water; how can she still manage the family business?

This principle is something that even the Zhen Dowager, who has always loved her, cannot refute, and even the Dowager Consort in the palace would not say anything.

The Third Miss Zhen is stunningly beautiful and talented, so naturally, her standards are not low, and she disdains to let anyone marry into her family as a son-in-law.

In this day and age, killing someone is just a matter of a nod, and the men who are willing to marry into a family are all at their wits' end; where could there be any good people?

Therefore, in the past two years, with the approval of the Zhen Dowager, the Cong Sanye of the Zhen family's eldest branch began to participate in managing the business....

During this year, the Third Miss Zhen's mother has been bedridden with a long-term illness and cannot handle affairs, and the wife of the eldest branch is very enthusiastic about her marriage....

It's just that the aristocratic descendants of Jin Ling, everyone knows each other's roots, and most of them are dissolute fops; how could they escape her eyes?

The wife of the eldest branch began to set her sights on Baoyu, who was born with jade in his mouth from the Jia family, a family friend in the Love Shenjing, but later felt that the Earl of Weiyuan, who was granted a title as a youth from the Jia family, was much more outstanding.

This time, she went to the Love Shenjing with herself to pay respects to the Dowager Consort, and also dragged along her second sister, who had become the Princess of Beijing, to visit the Jia Dowager; she really couldn't wait to marry herself off.

Nowadays, who in the world doesn't know the outstanding nature of that young Earl?

This mistress of her own family, even if she is in a hurry to send her out of the house, wants to maximize the benefits of her marriage and add prestige to the family; it really is a good calculation.

But that day in the Love Shenjing, Jia Cong happened to enter the palace, and the two of them didn't meet.

And the next day, the palace suddenly issued an imperial edict to rotate officials in various important government offices in Jin Ling.

The way of doing business has always been unable to avoid involvement with government offices. The Third Miss Zhen asks herself that the matters she has handled are meticulous and steady, and there are no violations that can be caught by others.

However, after that cousin of hers intervened in the business, his actions were too eager for quick success, and the family business has had hidden dangers in the past two years.

The Third Miss Zhen was worried that this rotation of officials would impact the family business and ruin her father's life's work, so she found an excuse and hurried back to Jin Ling with the wife of the eldest branch.

She thought that the Love Shenjing and Jin Ling were separated by heavy mountains, and the mistress's tricks would always fail; if she didn't marry, no one could do anything about her.

After all, with Jia Cong's fame spreading throughout the world, if it could really be done, she wouldn't find a reason to refuse; otherwise, she wouldn't know how many idle words would be dropped about the family.

But she didn't expect that the Emperor's second imperial edict was to let Jia Cong go to Jin Ling for official business; it really is a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.

Thinking of these things, the Third Miss Zhen felt a bit gloomy and unhappy in her heart. She went to the front of the bookshelf, took out a red silk brocade box, took out a beautifully framed scroll, and slowly unfolded it with a pair of slender hands.

A flowing and elegant aura of ink and brush, like substance, rushed towards her, making people feel solemn.

The first two sentences are like knives and halberds: The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward, the waves wash away all the heroes....

Her pretty and alluring mouth slightly pursed. Could it be that in this world, only men can be heroes, and women are only fit to rot in the boudoir and inner chambers...!

(End of chapter)