New Policies in Sichuan

Chapter 9 The warehouse door opens

As soon as the warehouse door opened, the wind seemed to stop for a moment.

From the outside, the granary in Qingcheng County looked quite decent. The doors were thick, the locks were heavy, and a string of rat-repelling grass hung from the beam. If one only stood at the door and glanced at it from a distance, one would likely think: Not bad, although the place is small, the regulations are still there.

But regulations are something that are most difficult to examine up close.

Because often, it's just a shell.

Meng Xuanzhe stood in front of the door, not going inside, but instead scanning the entire storeroom from the beams to the floor.

The warehouse is very large.

They've hoarded quite a bit.

The rows of grain bins looked bulging from the outside, with the bags neatly tied, like a "harvest picture" specially displayed for people to see. The ground had been specially cleaned, and even the pile of old winnowing baskets and broken measures in the corner of the bins had been moved into the shadows, showing that they knew very well what it meant for leaders to have an impressive appearance during their inspections.

well.

The arrangement was quite thoughtful.

They just put too much effort into it.

They're so meticulous that you immediately want to ask: Are you usually this clean?

Sweat was already trickling down Zhou Ling'an's temples, but he still tried to remain calm: "Your Highness, I just mentioned that the granary has been a bit damp lately. If it's going to affect Your Highness, perhaps I should call someone first—"

"Magistrate Zhou," Meng Xuanzhe said without turning his head, "if you say 'would be better' again, I'll really start to suspect that what's hidden in this granary isn't grain, but your life."

Zhou Ling'an: "..."

Gao Chengli stood silently by, his eyes lowered, silently praying for the magistrate of Qingcheng County.

Your Highness is becoming increasingly less polite in your speech these days.

But strangely enough, it sounded quite enjoyable.

Meng Xuanzhe stepped inside.

After taking just two steps inside, the distinctive musty smell of grain from the warehouse became even more pronounced. But beneath that smell, there was an unsettling odor—damp, stuffy, and with a faint hint of mold.

Not strong.

If it were just any random person, they might actually be overwhelmed by the faint smell of fresh grain on the surface.

Unfortunately, he wasn't just anyone.

Although he had never actually worked in a grain depot in his previous life, he had seen quite a few grassroots warehouses. He could tell the difference between new grain, old grain, damp grain, and grain that had been turned over and dried just by smelling it.

The warehouse in front of us is definitely not as "full and neat" as it appears on the surface.

Gu Chengyan followed behind, his eyes scanning the area rapidly.

He understood files and numbers better than Meng Xuanzhe, but he was clearly less adept at the intricacies of the warehouse. So, he subconsciously asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, is something wrong?"

Meng Xuanzhe looked at the rows of drums in front of him and said calmly, "They're too neat."

Gu Chengyan was taken aback.

Gao Chengli was also taken aback.

Even the warehouse clerks holding the keys nearby were taken aback.

Too neat?

What crime is this?

Meng Xuanzhe didn't explain, but walked forward to the first row of grain bins and patted them.

The sound is wrong.

space.

It's not completely empty; it's the kind of emptiness where there's something on the surface, but a large void inside.

He changed his position and took the picture again.

Still not right.

Even Gao Chengli could hear it now—the first one was a muffled "bang," but the second one was more like a "dong," hollow inside, like someone stuffing a layer of cotton into a drum. It looked like a drum on the surface, but there was nothing real inside.

Gao Chengli's expression suddenly became quite interesting.

well.

The moment the warehouse door opened, the face was already falling.

Meng Xuanzhe turned around and looked at the minor official kneeling beside him: "What's your name?"

"Little, little Feng Si..."

"Feng Si," Meng Xuanzhe nodded, "tell me, is this granary filled with grain, or with your courage?"

Feng Si's face turned pale, and his lips trembled: "Your Highness, please understand, I... I wouldn't dare..."

"You've got some nerve," Meng Xuanzhe sneered. "I'm standing right here, I can tell it's fake just by patting it a couple of times, and you still dare to tell me you don't dare?"

After saying that, he turned to look at Sun Kuo: "Captain."

Sun Kuo clasped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate is here."

"Take these three stockpiles at the very front and break them up for me."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling'an's expression completely changed.

"Your Highness!" He almost instinctively took a step forward. "If anything goes wrong once the warehouses are opened, the subsequent accounting will be—"

"Don't worry, Magistrate Zhou," Meng Xuanzhe said, looking at him. "If there really is grain, I will sew the granaries back up one by one for you."

Zhou Ling'an: "..."

These words sound like comforting words, but for some reason, they sounded more frightening than "Tear it down."

Sun Kuo, however, was a straightforward person.

He had always disliked this local way of concealing things, and last night he had witnessed firsthand how the Crown Prince managed to secure his position and deal with the servants at the city gate, so he had already gained some respect for this prince. Upon receiving the order, he didn't hesitate for a moment, beckoning two guards to draw their swords and make a cut along the rope at the entrance of the barn—

Splash!

The top layer of grain immediately slid down.

It's new grain.

Golden yellow, plump, and even looks pretty good.

Zhou Ling'an's eyes lit up, as if a drowning person had suddenly grabbed a plank of wood, and he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please look! How could we dare to deceive in the granary? This is all newly arrived grain this spring—"

Before he could finish speaking, Meng Xuanzhe raised his hand and said, "Continue."

Upon hearing this, Sun Kuo immediately ordered someone to use a long pole to probe into the granary and stir it.

The color changed in the next instant.

Turning aside the top layer of new grain revealed a patch of dark, grayish-brown old grain. Digging deeper, one could even find clumps of moldy grain mixed with bits of husk and dampness, releasing an unpleasant odor.

Caught off guard, Gao Chengli was almost forced to take a step back by the fumes.

"This, this..."

He was dumbfounded.

What was once a decent stockpile of good grain is now covered by a layer of rotten stuff.

This is not simply a matter of poor warehousing.

This is blatantly using the top layer to fool people.

Gu Chengyan's eyes darkened, and he picked up his pen to write: "The first granary is new on the outside but moldy on the inside, and the grains are of different colors, which suggests that it has been deliberately concealed."

Feng Si knelt on the ground, his face so white it was almost as white as paper.

Lu Yuanfeng stood at the back, initially pretending to be a kind-hearted local gentry who was just passing by to watch the excitement, but now his hands in his sleeves were secretly clenched.

Meng Xuanzhe, however, seemed to have expected this, his expression remaining unchanged, and simply said, "The second stockpile."

Sun Kuo didn't waste any words and continued dismantling.

This time it was even more straightforward.

There was still a thin layer of new grain on top, and it looked like there was also something below, but when the garrison used a long pole to probe, it went in too deep, and the pole head was almost halfway in.

Everyone's expression immediately changed.

Sun Kuo himself was stunned for a moment, then his face darkened, and he ordered his men to poke a hole in the outside of the silo—

There was a loud clattering sound.

The granary looked bulging from the outside, but inside there was only a thin ring of grain piled up, and the middle part was mostly empty!

Gao Chengli gasped in shock.

"Empty, empty hoarding?"

He had seen plenty of swindling and deception in the palace in his life, but this huge granary, which looked perfectly complete on the outside but was only superficially plastered on the inside, still surprised him greatly.

This is no longer stealing.

This is using the spirit of craftsmanship to fake something.

Meng Xuanzhe was amused by the group's creativity.

well.

He thought at most it would be "new grain covered with moldy grain", but he didn't expect the Qingcheng County granary to be so accommodating and directly put it in a "thin-skinned empty granary".

This level of skill deserves an "Innovation Award for Local Accounting Practices".

He turned to look at Zhou Ling'an, smiling very amiably: "Magistrate Zhou, your Qingcheng County granary is quite well-ventilated."

Zhou Ling'an's lips turned white, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He now finally understood why he felt a chill in his heart when Prime Minister Han specifically named Qingcheng County that morning.

Because this place really can't withstand being overturned.

It's not that we're afraid of being investigated, but that we're afraid that if we are investigated, the truth will be exposed too quickly, too completely, and too mercilessly.

The third stockpile was quickly opened as well.

This time it's even more amazing.

The surface layer of new grain is not entirely moldy or empty; it contains a large amount of husks and bran. Although the quantity looks substantial, very little of it is actually usable in the pot.

Sun Kuo was so angry he laughed: "These bastards are really daring. They'd even dare to stuff chaff into the granary?"

Feng Si finally couldn't hold back any longer and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! I... I was just a warehouse keeper, and I was only following orders to seal and secure the warehouses. How dare I do anything without permission!"

Meng Xuanzhe didn't look at him, but his gaze fell on Zhou Ling'an and the few minor officials in charge of the granary.

"We dare not move without permission." He repeated slowly, "That means you all know what's inside."

Feng Si trembled and dared not utter a sound.

Meng Xuanzhe didn't press him. He simply turned around, walked to the warehouse entrance, and looked at the growing crowd of county residents drawn by the commotion.

Correct.

He had seen it long ago.

As soon as the granary gate opened, the guards began dismantling the stockpile, and the crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger. What started as just a few passing porters and merchants soon drew people from nearby shops and farmers passing by. No one dared to get too close, only peeking from afar as if watching a spectacle that might just hit them on the head.

Very normal.

Local authorities are most afraid of having people gather around to watch.

Because many things, you can just shut yourself in and call it "the rules of the government"; but once there are more onlookers, the rules are easily exposed.

But Meng Xuanzhe has no intention of closing the door to investigate today.

He raised his hand to Sun Kuo: "Open the door a little wider."

Sun Kuo was taken aback, but then he understood and immediately ordered his men to push the half-open warehouse door open completely.

Light suddenly flooded into the warehouse.

The murmurs outside became clearer.

"My God...it's really demolished?"

"Why is the warehouse empty?"

"I knew something was wrong with the granary! Last year when my brother-in-law came to unload the grain, he said the Qingcheng granary was acting very strangely..."

"Shh, keep your voice down, you're asking for trouble!"

"What? The Crown Prince is inside watching!"

The phrase "The Crown Prince is inside watching" seemed to embolden everyone. What was initially just hushed whispers gradually began to heat up.

Meng Xuanzhe knew that it was about time.

He turned and went back into the warehouse, standing in front of the three dismantled grain bins, and spoke in a neither loud nor soft voice:

"Magistrate Zhou."

Zhou Ling'an trembled and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Your humble servant is here."

"What explanation do you have for me regarding these three stockpiles?"

Zhou Ling'an's lips moved, and sweat poured down his forehead.

He wanted to explain.

I wanted to say it was dampness, that the old grain hadn't been turned over and dried, that the warehouse officials were negligent, that this was just a problem in a few storage areas and didn't mean the whole warehouse was like this.

But when the words were on his lips, he found himself unable to utter a single coherent sentence.

Why?

Because the three mounds of things exposed in front of us are so perfectly preserved.

The new grain is covered with mold, the thin skin is empty, and the chaff is filled.

This was not an accident.

These are three different types of forgery, all displayed in one warehouse for public viewing.

Even sophistry is an insult to one's intelligence.

After a long pause, he finally managed to say with difficulty, "Your Highness, this... I was indeed negligent."

"Oversight?"

Meng Xuanzhe nodded, surprisingly without getting angry; his tone was even quite calm.

"Okay, I like the word 'you'."

He took two steps forward and stood in front of Zhou Ling'an.

"Then let me ask you one more question—"

"How long have you been negligent?"

Zhou Ling'an's face turned pale instantly.

In short, all avenues of retreat were blocked.

It's not about whether you failed to supervise.

It's asking how long you've been negligent.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: this couldn't have only happened today. Since it didn't happen today, you, the magistrate, either knew long ago, or you should have known long ago.

No matter which one, they can't escape it.

Zhou Ling'an's throat tightened, and he could barely speak.

Lu Yuanfeng, watching from behind, felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

He had initially held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that even if the granary officials were exposed, it might not affect him so quickly. But the Crown Prince's current demeanor clearly indicated that he wasn't just planning to scold two granary officials and let it go.

This person is checking the people at the back of the storage area.

That's not good.

Shen Bushu stood further back, his eyelids drooping even lower.

He knew better than anyone that the situation in Qingcheng County's granary hadn't just started today.

It's not something a lowly granary official could have accomplished.

Behind this were the public granaries, the county government, the grain shops, and even the private granaries and loan agreements held by several local gentry and powerful families. But when the Crown Prince arrived, before he could even have a cup of tea, he publicly dismantled the three most telling granaries.

Fast, too fast.

So fast that this place hasn't even had time to weave a coherent story yet.

Gu Chengyan was already writing with great speed and skill.

"Qingcheng Granary, three granaries were dismantled: one granary was new on the outside but moldy on the inside; one granary had a thin skin and was hollow inside; and one granary was filled with chaff."

He even paused for a moment while writing this, and looked up at Meng Xuanzhe.

It's not because I ran out of things to write about.

It's because it's too easy to write.

This isn't an audit; it's like a line of rotten accounts lining up to crash into the pen.

Meng Xuanzhe glanced at Gu Chengyan: "Finished writing?"

"Your Highness, I will record this for now."

"Then let me add one more thing," Meng Xuanzhe said calmly, "The magistrate of Qingcheng County has rendered meritorious service for his oversight."

Gu Chengyan was taken aback.

Gao Chengli almost bit his tongue.

Zhou Ling'an's face turned green.

That's a really mean comment.

The phrase "meritorious service for oversight" is even harsher than publicly calling him "useless."

Because it's not an insult.

It nails you to the pillar of shame for being "incompetent enough to be a crime," and then stamps it on you.

Gu Chengyan lowered his head, suppressing a smile, and obediently wrote it down.

Among the onlookers outside, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing. Then, as if someone was holding back their laughter, low snickers echoed from several other places.

It wasn't just Zhou Ling'an who was laughing.

What's laughable is that all these years they knew there was something fishy going on in the granary, but no one dared to say it to the officials' faces.

Now someone has finally spoken up.

He's still a prince.

This feeling is refreshing and cathartic.

Zhou Ling'an's ears burned, and he almost bit his teeth to pieces, but he didn't even dare to speak loudly in defense.

Because the granary was right in front of them, the storage area was open, and moldy grain and chaff were piled on the ground.

At this point, anyone who says "the county's granaries are still quite full" is not lying, they're going crazy.

Meng Xuanzhe, however, had no intention of stopping there.

Three stockpiles are enough to illustrate the problem, but not enough to establish rules.

What he wanted today was not just to embarrass Zhou Ling'an, nor was it to provide a spectacle for the onlookers.

What he wants is—

Starting from this warehouse, let everyone in Qingcheng County know that the Crown Prince has arrived, and he won't just flip through the booklets and leave.

So he pointed and said, "Arrange the remaining stock in the warehouse, name each one, and seal them."

Sun Kuo immediately replied, "Yes!"

"Then, select a few literate people, people who know how to weigh things, and people who have worked in the granary before."

Zhou Ling'an looked up abruptly: "Your Highness! This is a vital storage area; how can it be left to unauthorized personnel—"

"A nobody?" Meng Xuanzhe looked at him. "If the rice in this granary truly belongs to the imperial court, the county, or the common people, then how can a commoner coming in to take a look be considered a nobody?"

Zhou Ling'an choked.

Meng Xuanzhe continued, "Today I will not dismantle the entire granary, nor will I count it all on the spot. But from this moment on, not a single grain of rice in this granary is to be moved. Whoever moves it will bear the consequences."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Feng Si.

"Feng Si".

Feng Si trembled and hurriedly kowtowed, "I...I am here!"

"From now on, you will kneel here and think one thing through for me," Meng Xuanzhe said calmly. "Who gave you the authority to seal these three granaries like this?"

"If you think this through, you might still be alive to continue guarding the warehouse."

If you can't figure it out—

He glanced at the pile of moldy grains and chaff on the ground and smiled.

"I don't need another person to fill the granary."

Feng Si collapsed on the spot.

The threat wasn't even particularly serious, but coupled with the smile on the prince's face, it made one's legs go weak.

Gao Chengli silently took a deep breath beside him.

He suddenly realized that his prince had learned a very dangerous skill in the past two days: to scare people to death while laughing.

This is much more powerful than simply getting angry.

Just then, someone outside the warehouse door suddenly shouted:

"Your Highness! Your Highness, please understand!"

Everyone turned around.

A man in his forties pushed through the crowd and knelt down outside the granary door with a thud, his voice incredibly loud: "I delivered grain to this granary last year! This granary isn't just like this today! The grain sent from above is one thing when it enters the granary, and another when it leaves! I can testify to that!"

Suddenly, both inside and outside the warehouse fell silent.

Meng Xuanzhe raised an eyebrow slightly.

it is good.

It was faster than he had expected.

He had originally thought that he would have to set a precedent first before anyone would dare to step forward. He never expected that in Qingcheng County, the resentment was even stronger than the musty smell in the granary; all that was missing was someone willing to lift the lid.

Now that the lid is open, naturally people are coming out.

He looked at the man kneeling outside the door and smiled slowly.

Zhou Ling'an's face suddenly turned even more ashen than the moldy grains in the warehouse.

Because he suddenly realized—

Today, with the warehouse doors opened, it's not just the grain storage that's being opened.

It's a human mouth that's open.

Once people start telling the truth, it's more troublesome than a leaky grain bin.