mtlumby2d Chapter 1235 Resolving the Xie Family Issues
Chapter 1235 Resolving the Xie Family Issues
After breakfast, Liang Chongyue sent someone to escort his mother and Li Furong out for a stroll.
The evidence against Princess Qiyang had been written down. Liang Chongyue sat in the front hall, took the two thin sheets of paper from Princess Qiyang, and after flipping through them, looked up at her with amusement:
"Is my aunt joking with me using these things?"
Princess Qiyang stood before Liang Chongyue, looking as nervous as a child who had made a mistake, innocent and helpless.
Liang Chongyue ran her fingertips over the two pieces of paper. The writing on them wasn't entirely worthless; it would have been better not to have written anything at all.
Even minor offenses that don't even qualify as legal offenses are considered a waste of time to write down and send someone to investigate.
Princess Qiyang opened her mouth to explain, but Liang Chongyue raised her hand to interrupt her.
She had long since witnessed the inherent flaws in the Liang family.
The idea that bad bamboo can produce good shoots is something that can only happen to Minglang.
Princess Qiyang was taken away, and Liang Chongyue instructed Yunling:
"Send someone to follow her. She has been entangled with the Xie family for many years, and it won't be easy for her to get away unscathed. After the divorce, lock her in the dungeon of Qingyu Pavilion. Once this matter is over, then escort her to Ninggongtai Palace."
When Yunling heard about Ninggongtai Palace, she was taken aback: "Ninggongtai is bitterly cold and covered in ice and snow all year round. Princess Qiyang has lived in Jiangnan for many years and I'm afraid she can't bear the hardships of Ninggongtai."
Liang Chongyue burned the paper that Princess Qiyang had just written on the fire: "Why should a person with heinous crimes enjoy so much happiness?"
Yunling: "Yes, this servant understands."
After Yunling left, Liang Chongyue returned to her study and waited for a short while before someone arrived.
She thought it would be Fei He, but unexpectedly, Li Yu'an came back first.
"You've been searching for so long, have you had breakfast yet?"
Looking at the dark circles under Li Yu'an's eyes, it was clear that he had stayed up all night investigating the Xie family's affairs.
Li Yu'an took the book box off Cheng Zhao's back, and while taking out the contents, he responded to His Majesty.
"I ate a fried dough stick on the way back, so I'm not hungry now. My lady, please take a look at these first."
Li Yu'an emptied the entire book box and piled it full on the table.
Then he took out the most crucial book from among them and handed it to His Majesty.
Liang Chongyue was fully prepared when she saw Li Yu'an uncover all sorts of illegal and disorderly conduct in Qiyang over the years, as well as those who repeatedly crossed the line of the law.
From the governor down to the lowest official, everyone in Qiyang was on Xie's pirate ship, practically working for Xie.
The traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants has come to a true understanding for Liang Chongyue, who now truly comprehends why merchants have historically held the lowest social status.
As soon as their status is raised even slightly, these people's bottom line drops drastically.
Until there is none left.
"Thirty-sixty-five thousand taels. In three years, they embezzled thirty-sixty-five thousand taels from the imperial court. This does not even include the money the Xie family has spent on traveling around and currying favor with powerful figures over the years."
Liang Chongyue now understood why Fei He hadn't returned yet; there were simply too many accounts to keep track of.
The annual taxes, grain, and trade revenue of the various prefectures and counties in Jiangnan, when converted into silver, amounted to only 100,000 to 300,000 taels of silver.
This is only possible for the most prosperous county in Jiangnan under favorable weather conditions.
To put that into perspective, Qiyang was located in a remote area of Jiangnan and had not been considered wealthy in recent years.
When feeling down, there's a saying: "I'd rather be a county magistrate than work in the imperial academy."
Even if all those corrupt officials in the capital were to die of greed right under her nose, they still wouldn't be able to amass this much wealth.
Looking at the stack of evidence of the Xie family's crimes beside her, Princess Qiyang's two handwritten papers seemed utterly ridiculous.
"Have you checked everything?"
Li Yu'an nodded to His Majesty. He wouldn't dare to return if he hadn't investigated everything thoroughly.
This matter is of great importance; it involves far more than just Qiyang.
Liang Chongyue spent the entire day in the study watching Li Yu'an find out these things.
Why only those from the last three years?
When Li Yu'an heard this while he was organizing the writing materials for His Majesty, he replied, "I searched the entire governor's office and only found the materials from the last three years. The ones from before have probably been destroyed."
The Xie family is incredibly audacious; finding someone within these three years is already quite an achievement.
Liang Chongyue continued reading without asking any further questions.
Liang Chongyue hadn't finished looking at the stack of things in front of him until Fei He brought him back with the information.
Fei He held three ledgers in his hand, each only an inch thick.
Just as I was about to report to His Majesty, I saw that His Majesty's front was already piled high.
"Just leave it there for now, I'll check on it later."
Fei He could tell from His Majesty's unfriendly tone that the Xie family was doomed.
If His Majesty hadn't initially dealt too harshly with the Xie family, once what he had in hand was presented before the Emperor, even the entire Xie family of over a hundred members might not be enough for His Majesty to execute.
It wasn't until dawn the next day that Liang Chongyue finished looking at everything the two had brought back. After a simple meal, he took his men directly to the Xie family.
She couldn't wait for anyone from the Li family to come; she couldn't sleep until this scourge was eliminated.
The system, which had been dozing off, stayed up all night with its host. When it saw its host get up, it quickly followed.
Liang Chongyue said to Ping An, who was jogging up to her, "After Mother gets up, have her take Aunt Li to the clinic. Xie Hong doesn't need any more treatment; let fate decide his fate."
Seeing that His Majesty was so angry that he was about to set the entire courtyard on fire, Ping An repeatedly agreed and was about to retreat when Liang Chongyue stopped him.
"Tell Yunling to take Princess Qiyang to the Xie family."
After saying this, Liang Chongyue stepped outside. The warhorses were already waiting outside. Liang Chongyue mounted the horse and rode towards the Xie family.
These days, officials in Qiyang are under pressure, and everything has come to a standstill, but it hasn't had much impact on the lives of ordinary people.
When Fei He and Li Yu'an checked the accounts, they did not deliberately conceal or hide anything.
After daybreak, Fei He checked the accounts in the brothel. The people kneeling outside the brothel were all prominent figures in Qi Yang's society.
Every passerby could see them, and they couldn't leave even if they wanted to.
Gradually, within a day, the news of His Majesty's personal visit spread throughout Qiyang.
Today, Liang Chongyue rode her horse through the streets, whipping it on, while the people on both sides of the street watched her swiftly pass by.
A clear, childlike voice rang out on the street, so quiet that only the sound of horses' hooves could be heard:
"Is that His Majesty? Has His Majesty come to our aid?"
Liang Chongyue had amazing hearing; even though she had gone far away, she could still hear the child's voice.
The child's mouth was covered by the elders around him to prevent him from speaking out of turn. Li Yu'an rode his horse behind His Majesty. As he passed the child, he took a silver coin from his waist and threw it onto the stall in front of the child.
He left with the words, "The child is sensible, there's no need to be nervous."
Only then did he continue riding to catch up with His Majesty.
When Liang Chongyue arrived at the Xie family, the Xie family had already been surrounded by the Qingyu Pavilion's secret guards, so tightly that not even a mosquito could fly out.
Upon seeing her arrive, the guards immediately opened the door, and Liang Chongyue rode her horse directly into the Xie family residence.