xymnovel Chapter 355 A ruler who rises by this will surely fall by this.
Chapter 355 A ruler who rises by this will surely fall by this.
Su Tianjue moved into the state government office that very day.
Darughachi Khorijis could no longer hide anything and immediately summoned more than ten constables, each armed with a bow, to be on high alert. According to regulations, the officials of Jiangyin Prefecture were only allowed to have seven bows and arrows, which was clearly an overreach.
In addition, he immediately ordered Judge Ma Yuanchong to investigate the case, instructing him to name any personnel needed and for the prefectural government to find a solution. After doing all this, he hurriedly went to Huangtian Trading Company.
When he saw Shao Shuyi, the usually cautious man was surprisingly a little exasperated. The first thing he asked was, "Shao Shuyi, tell me honestly, did you do it?"
Shao Shuyi had already received the news and was discussing it with Yu Yuan, Wang Xing, Liang Tai, and others. Upon seeing this, he replied straightforwardly, "I didn't do it." "The incident happened only three miles from your place. Who are you trying to fool?" Kuolijis said angrily.
"There are many out-of-town merchants in Jiangxia City, all sorts of people, and I can't possibly question them one by one," Shao Shuyi said. "Besides, do you want me to openly lead troops to Chengjiang Post Station to pick up Councilor Su?"
Koligis choked, unable to utter another word.
You've already trained a small retinue of troops in Ma Tuosha, and you're openly taking them to meet a provincial political advisor? That's just too outrageous.
Ultimately, the problem lies in the inadequate protection of Jiangyin Prefecture.
Ge Daji, looking around, stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Shao She, this is not the time to argue."
Just then, Meng Chaodong, a clerk in the Department of Criminal Justice, rushed over.
Everyone turned their attention to him.
Meng Chaodong swallowed hard, foregoing formalities, and said directly, "Someone just went to Chengjiang Post Station to inquire and found that the station clerk, Liu Yu, is missing." Shao Shuyi's gaze sharpened, and he asked, "Where are his family members?"
"Liu Yu's family died of an epidemic the year before last, leaving him all alone," Meng Chaodong sighed. "He might still have some relatives in the countryside, and people have already been sent to check. But...but...sigh, I don't know how to put it, but people like him probably don't care about their relatives."
Whom has Liu Yu been in contact with?
"They were all Su's entourage."
Shao Shuyi and Yu Yuan exchanged a glance. Liu Yu was highly suspicious; he might have been the one who tipped them off. So who carried out the operation? And who was the mastermind behind it all?
Shao Shuyi counted his enemies and first ruled out Zhou Fang Guozhen.
This person doesn't have the energy to cause trouble in Jiangyin for the time being, since he's still at sea.
He thought of Zhao Yangui from Shiqiao. He certainly had the ability to bribe a patron like Liu Yu, and also the ability to organize an assassination in Jiangxia City, but the possibility was really low.
The reason this person exists is purely because of the protection of officials in Jiangyin Prefecture. It is unlikely that he would put his protectors in danger—of course, suspicion cannot be completely ruled out.
Next up are your enemies, and they have to be the kind who are audacious and reckless.
After thinking for a moment, Shao Shuyi first ruled out business competitors.
Over the years, he has monopolized the water transport trade and ventured into the cloth, silk, raw silk, and grain industries. He has offended quite a few merchants, but would these people dare to kill an official? I wouldn't say they would not, but they would be very unlikely.
Therefore, only one possibility remains.
First, there were the remnants of Zhu Ding and Zhu Chen's faction, who had been lying low among the people, silently waiting for an opportunity.
First, there were salt merchants from Jiangbei. These people came in waves, seemingly endless. Every day, there were desperate men, driven by dreams of getting rich, who dared to come to Jiangyin with seven, eight, or even ten followers. One group had inquired about him twice before, clearly intending to assassinate him.
First, there were the local salt dealers or local gangsters in Yixing, Changshu, Changzhou, Songjiang, and other places who were targeted by the authorities.
One possibility is that someone has relatives who were harmed by him and are coming to seek revenge. For example, the sons, nephews, or relatives of officials in the Tongzhou salt field, or the lay relatives of the monks killed in the Guangfu Zen Temple in Ganming. Perhaps they have come to Jiangyin many times without his knowledge.
One possibility is that they were members of the White Lotus sect, or perhaps bandits from Chaohu Lake or Taihu Lake.
Firstly, as the investigation by the barbarians deepens, some information may have leaked out regarding the relatives of the murdered officials in Nanjing and those who were dismissed due to their involvement.
First, there's Prince Boluobuhua of Zhennan, if he knew that he was the one handling many things in Changzhou.
What’s more…
Damn! After thinking it over, Shao Shuyi realized he had a lot of enemies.
But there's no way to explain this. If given another chance, he would still choose to make these enemies. How can someone who climbs from the bottom rise without stepping on others?
With so many people, it's not easy to investigate.
Before Liu Yu's social connections are clarified, it's impossible to determine which group of people he belongs to.
"Shaoshe, there's one more thing," Meng Chaodong added. "According to Inspector Chen of Chengjiang, the thieves' accents are very strange..."
Meng Chaodong then recounted the previous events at the scene, all based on firsthand accounts from the survivors.
After listening, Shao Shuyi said, "Mr. Meng, you guessed right. This person must be from Jiangbei. Moreover, he has been to Jiangyin more than once and has managed to learn a few words of the local dialect, but he doesn't speak it well. So his accent is a mix of northern and southern dialects, which sounds rather strange."
Upon hearing this, Korigis asked in surprise, "Then do they have a place to stay in Jiangyin?"
Meng Chaodong secretly glanced at Shao Shuyi a few times.
What's so surprising about that? Jiangxia City and Huangtian Port are a melting pot of all sorts of people, with outsiders coming every day. You can't possibly investigate everyone one by one, can you? Besides, how did this guy in front of you manage to assassinate Zhu Ding back then?
Rumors are circulating in Jinling that the case of the official's murder may be related to Shao Shuyi. Even the Left Chancellor, Manzi Gong, has sent people to investigate. How did Zhu Chen die?
If Shao Shuyi can pull this off, why can't others?
However, these are all speculations, without any concrete evidence. Meng Chaodong also speculated that Shao Shuyi had a conflict with the salt suppliers in Jiangbei over the division of profits, and that they were deliberately trying to harm him; again, there was no concrete evidence.
When Korigis saw Meng Chaodong secretly looking at Shao Shuyi, he seemed to understand something, but he became even angrier.
These desperados set up a foothold in Jiangyin City, then committed illegal acts, only to end up being the ones who suffer the consequences.
Shao Shuyi was obviously aware of this as well.
He was an outsider, yet he managed to hook up with Madam Liu in Jiangyin and Liu Jinbao in Jiangning. Others might be able to replicate this.
"Can you tell where those Jiangbei accents are from?" Korgis suddenly asked, "Jiangbei is a big place. It could be Yangzhou Road, Gaoyou Prefecture, Huai'an Road, or even Guide Prefecture in Xuzhou. Can you tell?"
"It's a bit difficult," Meng Chaodong said honestly. "Neither Chen Zi nor the archer could tell the difference; they only knew he was from Jiangbei."
Upon hearing this, Korgis was very disappointed, and after glancing at Shao Shuyi, he became even angrier.
Now, with a surge of resentment rising in his chest, he was no longer so afraid of Shao Shuyi. He complained, "Shao She, look at you! Every day you're attacking this person and suppressing that person. Now you have enemies all over the world. If someone harms you, you don't even know who to hold accountable. What do you suggest we do?" Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "You're right, sir. The most important thing now is to ask ourselves what to do."
Korigis paused for a moment, then did not refute.
"Is Councilor Su alright?" Shao Shuyi asked.
"No, he was just a little frightened, but he seemed relatively calm," Korigis said.
"For you, there's still room for maneuver," Shao Shuyi said. "But for me, it's not the same."
At this point, he changed the subject, saying, "Although I don't know who did it, one thing is certain: that person wanted to harm me, trying to use the attack on Councilor Su to pin the blame on me. I'm not entirely sure of their motives; they might want revenge, or they might want to sell salt in Jiangyin. It's hard to say right now. But whatever the reason, once this happens, even if Councilor Su is magnanimous, the Hangzhou officials' perception of me will be greatly damaged."
Kuolijisi, Ge Daji, Meng Chaodong and others were taken aback by Shao Shuyi's words and felt somewhat heavy-hearted.
By now, they had basically figured it out: Shao Shuyi didn't want to rebel, at least not now. Even at this moment, he was still trying his best to avoid rebellion.
But one thing after another forced him, driving him down a path of no return, even as he struggled desperately to escape the quagmire of rebellion... Two words suddenly popped into Korigis's mind: retribution.
Shao Shuyi came from a very humble background and did too many things to climb the social ladder. Now, his retribution is slowly coming.
"Ming Gong Yi," Shao Shuyi glanced at Kuolijisi and smiled, "If you have the chance, go to Hangzhou and try to get a transfer. If you can't even get that, then you might as well be dismissed from your post. We've met enough, so let's leave it at that. The officialdom in Jiangyin is bound to undergo a major overhaul."
Koligis's expression changed, and he said, "Why do you say such a thing, Shao She...?"
"Whether that's the case or not, you know better than I do," Shao Shuyi said. "Zhang Gou has been here for a few months now. How are things going with you? I've seen him running to the interpreter's Han army every few days. Besides, Zhao Yangui probably has quite a bit of contact with him too, right? The Zhang family of Xishun is still training their farmhands and tenants. That happened this year, didn't it?"
The winds have shifted. Even if nothing happens for now, as long as someone is watching me, they'll eventually target me. Sometimes, you really can't underestimate these government officials; I'm grappling with them, and they're grappling with me too.
Korigis didn't understand what "pulling" meant here; perhaps it meant a subtle competition?
Thinking about it carefully, judging from the direction of the wind, it is indeed unlikely that the province will let Shao Shuyi off the hook. It's just that they are currently delayed and unable to take action. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened.
Shao Shuyi clasped his hands in a salute to Korigis and the others, then turned and left.
"Prepare the boats and have the horses carry sand back." Shao Shuyi instructed Yu Yuan, "Once we're ashore, gather everyone together for a meeting."
"Brother, this..." Yu Yuan hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.
"No one can control everything; unexpected things always happen in life." Shao Shuyi patted him on the shoulder and said, "I just remembered something."
"What is it?"
"I always manage to hit the government where it hurts the most, forcing them to comply with me even when they have no choice," Shao Shuyi said. "But there are also smart people in the government who can see through my bluff and know that I don't actually want to rebel right now. They are also testing my intentions step by step, thinking about how to tighten the noose around my neck. This is a good opportunity."
"Why don't we see what they do first, and then decide what to do?"
Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "We should always make thorough preparations first. If things don't go well and there's no way out, then we'll have no choice but to take the risk."