novelAbuy Chapter 346 Bribery
Chapter 346 Bribery
When Jiao Ding returned to the prefecture, he caught the tail end of the continental monsoon and arrived at Haimen Port in the prefecture (not Haimen County in Tongzhou, but with the same name) in just three or four days. When he entered the port, it was early morning, and several naval ships surrounded him, demanding money. When they saw the prefectural governor behind them, they dispersed in a commotion.
Jiao Ding silently went ashore.
Behind him, more naval officers and soldiers were harassing fishermen and merchants. They were desperately poor and would take almost anything, even common salted fish.
Frankly speaking, given this level of military discipline, it's not surprising that pirates are so difficult to eradicate. This is because the government troops themselves are constantly creating pirates—some are fishermen driven to desperation by them, and others are even government soldiers who have fled and joined the pirates.
Jiao Ding did not return directly to the governor's mansion, but instead went to the newly built villa on the outskirts of Linhai County and went straight into the study.
Nothing much happened during the day, and it passed by like this. As evening approached, Jiao Ding had just finished dinner when a servant came to report: the guests had arrived. Jiao Ding, who had been so cautious and timid in Hangzhou, became somewhat unfathomable.
A moment later, he secretly met with two people in the flower hall.
He was over fifty years old, his hair was almost completely white, but he was in good spirits. He was none other than Li Daweng, the leader of the state's pirates.
The second one was younger, looking to be under thirty, surnamed Cai, named Ersi, and was the younger brother of Cai Luantou.
Aside from the two of them, there was only Jiao Ding's private advisor, two servants, and two martial arts guards, making it a very secretive affair.
Li Da Weng, as expected of a prominent figure in the state, a veteran of the pirate world, and an old-school gangster, was extremely polite. He immediately bowed deeply to Jiao Ding, then stood up and said with a smile, "Sir, I have fulfilled my mission. After many days of contacting people, I have finally found Cai Luan Tou. This man is his younger brother, Cai Er Si. I have brought him here to meet you. It is better to discuss any misunderstandings face to face than to resort to violence."
Jiao Ding remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sneered.
A misunderstanding? Your misunderstanding sent the former manager straight home and harmed countless people.
Of course, Jiao Ding was the beneficiary; otherwise, he wouldn't have been appointed as the governor of Xinzhou Circuit instead of the former deputy prefect. This position was actually secured for him by Cai Luantou. "Misunderstanding? Not necessarily," Jiao Ding snorted, and said, "What does Luantou have to say?"
Li Daweng spoke before Cai Ersi could: "Luan Tou heard that the imperial court had offered a reward for his head, and he was terrified and wanted to surrender, but he was afraid that the government would not spare him. Therefore, he sent people ashore to scout out the situation before making any further plans."
This statement is partly true and partly false, but mostly true.
Li Da-weng, drawing on his own experience, recalled that when he rebelled, the imperial court also "failed to capture him for a long time." It seemed powerful, but after a year or two, both sides were exhausted.
The government mobilized a large amount of manpower and resources, which led to some instability in the area.
Because Li Daweng was constantly at sea, even after occupying the island, he couldn't provide enough food for himself and frequently needed supplies from his accomplices on land. The loot he painstakingly seized was eventually sold at low prices to those who sold stolen goods, in exchange for urgently needed food, weapons, medicine, ship repair equipment, and even wine and meat to numb himself. In the end, it was hard to say who profited the most.
After such a physically and mentally exhausting confrontation, both sides could only negotiate a truce.
Li Da Weng accepted the offer of amnesty, but because of his many evil deeds, he was not given an official position, but was only pardoned.
Cai Luantou started his uprising more than a year ago. To put it bluntly, if the local area hadn't deteriorated so much in recent years, he wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.
That's enough. Both sides stepped down, Tsai Ing-wen returned to being a "good citizen," and Wen returned to being a "governor."
Jiao Ding wasn't stupid. Upon hearing this, he knew that Cai Luantou truly intended to surrender, and he was secretly delighted.
Now that Duo'er is in power, he's most eager to appease the rebellious Cai. If he can pacify the Cai rebellion, it would be a significant achievement. However, we can't just let him get away with it so easily.
Jiao Ding sneered and said, "The rebellion has been raging for almost two years now. How many places have they looted, and how many officials and civilians have they killed? To be honest, this is not a good matter. The imperial army has come, and countless provisions and funds have been spent. If we just give up now, it would be unreasonable."
Li Daweng understood and said, "I know my sins are grave, and I am willing to offer some money to support the army. Here is a list of gifts, please take a look, sir." After saying that, he gave Cai Ersi a look.
Er Si, who seemed to have little experience, was a bit dazed. Only after being gently nudged by Li Da Weng did he come to his senses and hurriedly took out a gift list from his sleeve, which he then respectfully handed over.
The aide standing nearby stepped forward, took it, and handed it to Jiao Ding.
Jiao Ding unfolded the document and, even the cunning old fox showed a considerable change in expression. He saw that it listed the names and quantities of various goods, and even included notes to ensure the recipient of the bribe was aware of their value:
Two catties of ambergris, produced in the Arab world, can strengthen the mind and unblock all meridians;
The coral tree is over a foot tall, its color is like rouge, a vibrant red, and it comes from Srivijaya.
Cat's Eye Puppet, one large pair, about the size of a sparrow's egg, shines when rotated, and originates from the earthen tower;
Two rhinoceros horns, one entirely black with markings like a bundle of hair, originating from Champa;
Four ivory tusks, one over six feet long, are pure white and delicate, with intricate lotus scroll patterns carved on them, the carving is exquisite, and they are from Siam.
The six scales of the hawksbill turtle are patterned like chicken wings and can be used to make belt boards and combs. It is produced in Annam.
One dose of arsenic trioxide can be used as a medicinal guide; it is produced in Badu.
Jiao Ding was deeply moved. He suppressed his surging emotions and continued reading. These items, though unmarked, were still extremely valuable: one hundred pearls, ten ingots of pure gold, twenty ingots of silver, one hundred bolts of fine brocade, five ingots each of Japanese gold and silver, a jade belt…
By the time Jiao Ding finished reading, his mouth was dry and his years of self-control had completely collapsed. He could no longer hold back, so he only glanced at the goods, such as Goryeo blue and white ware, bronze ware, furs, ginseng, deer antlers, Japanese swords, folding fans, sulfur, and sappanwood.
"Bang!" Jiao Ding slammed the gift list on the table and closed his eyes to calm himself down.
The staff member glanced at it discreetly and also paled.
Just how much good stuff did Cai Luantou rob? The last time I heard about it was a few days ago, when he robbed more than a dozen grain transport ships off the coast of Qingyuan and obtained 10,000 shi of grain.
Unexpectedly, besides grain, this fellow had even more fine goods on hand, to an astonishing degree.
According to the traditions of the Yuan Dynasty's officialdom, as long as no one is determined to kill you, having these valuables is enough to make things easier to discuss.
At the same time, he secretly observed Li Daweng and Cai Ersi. The latter was nothing special, showing no particular talent. His only advantage in being sent ashore was his status, since some confidential matters could only be handled by close relatives, as others could not be trusted.
But Li Daweng is different. This fellow is indeed quite capable and a good persuader. Moreover, his efforts—both initiating the denunciation of Fang Guozhen and helping Cai Luantou bribe his way out of punishment—are rather suspicious. I'll have to have a good talk with my employer about this later.
Jiao Ding slowly opened his eyes and said, "The fact that this person has such thoughts shows that his conscience is not dead and he still has a heart that wants to do good."
Upon hearing this, Cai Ersi was secretly pleased, but hesitated to speak.
Li Da Weng gestured for him to calm down and continue listening.
Sure enough, Jiao Ding changed the subject, saying, "However, the matter is far too serious. It's not enough for just me to speak for him. We also need to be courteous to the Darughachi and the three commanders. Only if the five of us speak well of him together can things take a turn for the better. Another point..."
Jiao Ding paused for a moment, then said, "Even if we manage to successfully appease them and they escape punishment, that would be good enough. There's absolutely no chance of them becoming officials. Don't have any unrealistic dreams. That's all I have to say."
Just as Cai Ersi was about to speak, Li Daweng stopped him, saying, "In that case, thank you very much, sir. The Darughachi and the three commanders have also sent generous gifts. I know perfectly well what I have done, and it is already a great blessing that I have been exonerated. I dare not think of anything else."
Upon hearing what Li Daweng said, Cai Ersi lowered his head and stopped talking.
Jiao Ding nodded slightly upon hearing this and said, "Do not let anyone know about our contact. Let's leave as soon as it gets dark, and be careful on the road." "Yes," the two replied in unison.
Jiao Ding was too lazy to waste any more words with them, so he got up and waved his hand, signaling the two of them to leave.
"My lord," Li Daweng suddenly said, "about Fang Guozhen's situation..."
Jiao Ding glanced at him unhappily and said, "I have my own plans for this matter, so say no more."
"Yes," Li Daweng replied with his head bowed, secretly thinking to himself that he needed to step up his efforts and mobilize more people to report Fang Guozhen, so as to push the government to take action against him.
After all, this guy was far too rich. While the three commanders of ten thousand households certainly benefited, what about the people below them? They were still starving.
Li Da Weng returned home that very evening.
On the second day of the fourth month, he had someone write a letter and send it overland to Huangtian Port in Jiangyin, instead of by sea, after crossing mountains and valleys.
Meanwhile, the messenger of Manzi, the Left Vice Minister of Jiangzhe Province, had already launched a large-scale investigation in Jiangning.
The Southern and Jiqing Road General Administration cooperated fully, mobilizing a large number of personnel to assist in the retrial of Zhu Dingbo's attack case. They investigated very thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned and showing no leniency. All the servants of the officials present that day were arrested and questioned one by one, and those who resisted were subjected to severe torture.
The interrogation lasted for half a month. By the end of March, the steward of Wang Hao, the former magistrate of Jiqing Road, confessed that Shao Shuyi, a "merchant" introduced by the Shen family of Suzhou, had visited them. He had inadvertently let slip that his master was going to a banquet on a pleasure boat. Shao Shuyi never came again, and then the shocking case that rocked Nanjing occurred.
The censors, officials, and bailiffs investigating the case were not fools; they all sensed something was amiss.
Considering that Shao Shuyi was one of the biggest beneficiaries after Zhu Dingbo's death, suspicion against him has grown increasingly strong, and it seems likely that he could be summoned for questioning in the future.