Chapter 29: Extortion

Finding the right path and reporting Xiang Shihai's name to explain the purpose, the treatment Chen Jichuan received was completely different from before.

Facing the overly enthusiastic master, he fully experienced what is human warmth and coldness, and the world's coldness.

"Nephew, coming from the imperial prison, the Eastern Depot people didn't make things difficult for you, right?"

Wang Shaofeng asked with concern.

The Eastern Depot's fame has resounded throughout the capital in recent days. Among the civil and military officials in the court, there are few who are not afraid.

When he learned that Chen Jichuan had just walked out of the imperial prison and brought Xiang Shihai's message, his first reaction was impossible.

"Thanks to Lord Wang's blessing, this trip was smooth. The Eastern Depot agents are all greedy people; as long as the handling is in place, it is not difficult to go in for a trip!"

Chen Jichuan's answer made Wang Shaofeng very embarrassed.

As a Jinshi of the same subject as Xiang Shihai, the relationship between the two has always been good, and even Xiang Shihai's joining the Pure Stream party was led by him.

As a political ally, after learning that Xiang Shihai was arrested and imprisoned, not only did he not think of a way to reach out, but he also made a cut at the first opportunity.

It is a pity that this kind of cutting is limited to drawing a clear line in politics. Before this, the messy things the two of them did together could not be directly uncovered.

Originally, they were handles for each other, but now they have become one-sided constraints. Xiang Shihai, who entered the imperial prison, can not care about increasing a few charges, but Wang Shaofeng, who is on the shore, cannot.

The official position of the fifth rank is not prominent in the capital, but he serves as the Physician of the Zhejiang Qingli Division under the Ministry of Revenue, and has a loud name in the outside world—"Great Minister of Degrees."

Responsible for the tax collection and expenditure review of Zhejiang, it is a core real-power position. Officials at all levels in the province come to the capital, and they all have a "book silk" from him.

Both "money path" and "future" are very broad, but he cannot be implicated.

"Is Xiang brother's situation okay?"

Wang Shaofeng inquired.

He didn't care about Xiang Shihai's life or death. Officialdom is the most realistic place; even if they were close friends before, that is a thing of the past.

If conditions allow, he doesn't mind reaching out to pull. Now the two parties are fighting to the white-hot stage, which is obviously not something he, a Physician, can mix into.

If he can't save the person, Xiang Shihai becomes an unstable factor.

Knowing too many secrets, just reveal a little bit. It can pull him down to accompany him to death; this is what he is most worried about.

"Master's situation is very bad; that group of Eunuch faction are beasts, actually conducting torture and interrogation on him!"

Chen Jichuan said indignantly.

Status determines the position; the teacher-student relationship in the Great Dayu Dynasty is second only to father-son and brothers. Confucian culture pays attention to hiding relatives.

Regardless of whether Xiang Shihai committed a crime, as a disciple, he must stand in the correct position.

Rescuing Xiang Shihai is rescuing his own political resources.

Even if this political resource is about to expire, it has no small value.

"Damn Eunuch faction, actually daring to treat Xiang brother like this!

Nephew, don't worry; I definitely cannot sit idly by on this matter and will definitely find a way to return justice to Xiang brother.

Once Grand Secretary Pang wakes up, I will immediately report the matter to him, and I will definitely make the Eunuch faction pay the price."

After listening to Wang Shaofeng's righteous indignation, Chen Jichuan was first moved, and then found that something was wrong.

The cake is drawn very big, but it can be seen and not touched!

When Grand Secretary Pang's illness will be better, no one knows.

The mentor's case will be finalized in three days.

Once the verdict is publicized, the difficulty of fishing for people will increase tenfold.

"Lord Wang, Master's body cannot hold on for long. That group of Eunuch faction is constantly forcing him to confess, wanting to implicate more people.

I, as a student, am incompetent and have no ability to overturn the case for the teacher. I can only find a way to bribe the Eunuch faction to save the teacher's life first.

Alas, it's just that the purse is shy, and the travel expenses carried have been exhausted, and I can't feed that group of hungry wolves!"

After speaking, Chen Jichuan looked at Wang Shaofeng expectantly.

In the prison, Xiang Shihai personally told him that if there was a lack of money to handle it, looking for this person would be right.

"Nephew, the Eunuch faction people are the most cunning; are you sure that after sending gifts, you can save Xiang brother?"

Wang Shaofeng asked with slight hesitation.

Reason told him that he must spend money to avoid disaster now. But the instinct of the body also showed resistance.

To fish people from the Eunuch faction's hands, the money spent is by no means a small amount. The most pitfall is that these guys take the money first and can suddenly turn their faces later.

The Eastern Depot has done a lot of fishing law enforcement.

"Lord Wang, don't worry; this time I found a reliable middleman and asked a big figure to come forward to mediate, and the Eunuch faction also has to give a few points of face.

Even if there is a change in the middle, it will not implicate you. If you are not at ease, just pretend I didn't come to your mansion tonight!"

Hearing Chen Jichuan's words, Wang Shaofeng broke out in a cold sweat.

At this time, sending people away, I guess he will go to the imperial prison to accompany Xiang Shihai tomorrow.

"Nephew, don't worry; if you need money, I can still think of

"But you must at least let me know who the middleman is, who the big shot coming forward to mediate is, and how much money is needed in total for all the bribes, right?"

Wang Shaofeng said, forcibly suppressing the pain in his heart.

In order to save up some family fortune, he had been in the position of Vice Minister in the Ministry of Revenue for five whole years.

There were several opportunities for promotion in between, but he had voluntarily declined them all.

He had raked in quite a lot of money, yet he hadn't dared to spend a single tael of silver.

Except for a few who knew the truth, in the eyes of the outside world, he was the representative of integrity and honesty, a model official in the bureaucracy.

"Lord Wang, their identities are special, and it is inconvenient for them to intervene directly; I have promised to keep their specific identities confidential.

However, the reason I was able to come over smoothly tonight is that I was escorted by men from the Five Cities Military Commission.

The Eunuch Faction has a huge appetite; they opened with a demand for 100,000 taels. It is said that this was set by that treacherous villain Zuo Guangen, and not a single tael less will do.

If the silver cannot be gathered within two days, they will subject your former teacher to severe interrogation, and they won't stop until they have made up for the sufficient amount of money from other places!"

The threatening words were taught to him by Xiang Shihai.

100,000 taels of pure silver is not a small number.

Without turning up the intensity, relying purely on friendship would make it very difficult to get people to pay up to save him.

"What, 100,000 taels?

That bunch of Eunuch Faction members really dares to ask for that much; who has that much ready cash lying around for no reason!"

That someone dared to get involved in the struggle between the Pure Stream and the Eunuch Faction had already surprised him. The asking price of 100,000 taels made him lose his composure even more.

"Three years as a clean prefect, 100,000 taels of pure silver."

That's just a saying; local officials have high incomes, but they also have high expenses.

Except for those few large prefectures that can manage it, the annual fiscal revenue that other prefectures turn over to the central government doesn't even reach 100,000 taels.

As a Vice Minister with real power, his annual income of tens of thousands of taels of silver already made his position a rare, lucrative post among officials of the same rank.

"Lord Wang, I have even understated it.

The 100,000 taels is just what the Eunuch Faction wants; the money for the middleman and that big shot hasn't even been calculated in yet!

You are knowledgeable and experienced; please help me decide how much this money should be."

Chen Jichuan said with a nervous look on his face.

He didn't know that the quote Li Mu gave already included all expenses; he just assumed it was what the Eunuch Faction wanted.

For no reason at all, an extra expense had been added.

The pressure was suddenly all on Wang Shaofeng, and he ultimately didn't dare to voice a refusal.

"Give the middleman 10,000 taels, and give that big shot 30,000 taels.

This is their worth; we cannot break the rules!"

Wang Shaofeng said through gritted teeth.

140,000 taels gone in an instant; this was purely cutting into his own flesh.

(End of Chapter)