Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 338 Linjiang City

The group continued south.

We continued our journey, stopping frequently to explore each place we reached.

If there are corrupt officials, kill them; if there are bandits, eliminate them; if there's nothing, enjoy the scenery, eat local specialties, and stay for a day or two before leaving.

Lin Chen was still the same as always. Once he arrived at the destination, he had Yan Da check the accounts and people, while he himself strolled around the city with a few women.

Eat when you want to eat, drink when you want to drink, go to the brothel when you want to go to the brothel, without missing a beat.

That day, the group arrived at a place called Linjiang City.

Linjiang City is not large, but it is strategically located as a transportation hub for several southern provinces, and caravans traveling north and south all pass through here.

People came and went at the city gate, and a long line of carriages stretched out. Merchants carrying tea, silk, and porcelain, with various accents, crowded together and chattered noisily.

Lin Chen ordered the university's dragon cavalry and the Imperial City Guard to be stationed outside the city, and only took Yan University and a carriage into the city.

Upon seeing the flag on the carriage, the soldiers guarding the city quickly opened the side gate, and a centurion trotted over, bowing and scraping.

"Your Highness, shall I go and inform them?"

Lin Chen waved his hand: "No need, I'm just passing by."

The centurion responded and quickly stepped aside.

The carriage drove into the city.

The streets are wide, and shops line both sides, selling all kinds of things.

Tea shops, cloth shops, grain stores, pawnshops, restaurants, and inns stood side by side, their signs swaying in the wind.

The people on the street were a mixed bunch, speaking all sorts of accents, a lively and bustling scene.

Yao Yao peered out the window for a while, then turned and asked, "Husband, are there corrupt officials around here?"

Lin Chen chuckled lightly: "Of course there is."

Yao Yao blinked: "Shall we go investigate?"

Lin Chen glanced at her: "You're quite enthusiastic."

Yao Yao chuckled, "I'm just trying to ease my husband's burdens."

Lin Chen laughed and flicked her forehead:

"Don't give me that. Yenching University has already checked. Let's take a look around first."

The carriage moved slowly down the street.

Lin Chen lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, his gaze sweeping over the shops on both sides of the street, and he had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

This riverside city is richer than he imagined.

Just by looking at the clothes worn by the merchants on the street, you can tell that this place is quite lucrative.

A moment later, Yan Da returned, riding alongside the carriage, and lowered his voice:

"My lord, we have found out that the prefect of Linjiang City is named Zhao Deming, and he has been in office for three years."

The accounts look clean, and taxes are paid on time every year, without missing a single penny.

However, the Imperial City Guard secretly investigated the records of the trade route and discovered a problem.

Every year, the taxes paid by caravans passing through Linjiang City do not match the actual goods they transport.

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "How much less?"

"It's 30% short." Yan Dadao:

"Based on the volume of goods passing through customs, at least three million taels of tax should be collected annually, but only two million one hundred thousand taels are turned over to the imperial court."

The nine hundred thousand taels vanished into thin air.

Lin Chen laughed: "Nine hundred thousand taels, that's two million seven hundred thousand in three years. Zhao Deming has quite the appetite."

Yan Da nodded: "Moreover, I also found out that Zhao Deming is very close to several big local businessmen."

Those merchants had been operating in Linjiang City for many years, monopolizing several trade lines, including tea, silk, and porcelain.

When their goods clear customs, the taxes are always 30% lower than others.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly: "What are the names of those merchants?"

Yan Dadao: "The leader is called Qian Youcai, who runs a tea shop and a cloth shop."

There was another man named Sun Fugui who was in the business of grain and porcelain.

These two are related to Zhao Deming through marriage; their relationship is very close.

Lin Chen snorted coldly: "Investigate thoroughly, gather all the accounts, witnesses, and physical evidence before taking action."

Yan Da clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes."

The carriage circled the street once more.

Lin Chen took the girls to a restaurant, booked a private room on the second floor by the window, and ordered a table full of dishes.

Yao Yao ate until her cheeks were bulging, Lan Fenghuang slowly picked up food, Liu Shengxue ate in small bites, and Liu Sheng Piaopiao kept her head down, barely moving her chopsticks.

As for Lingbo, she only drank some tea.

Lin Chen leaned against the window, drinking and watching the hustle and bustle of the street.

My gaze paused for a moment as it swept across the street corner.

There was a tea stall on the street corner, where a few people were sitting, dressed in silk, with protruding bellies, drinking tea and chatting.

One of them was a fat man in his early twenties with a face full of fat. He spoke the loudest, and you could hear him from a great distance.

Yan Da whispered from the side, "My lord, that fat man is Qian Youcai's youngest son, Qian Duoduo."

Lin Chen glanced at it a couple more times before looking away.

While we were eating, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.

Lin Chen looked out the window and saw a crowd gathered on the street.

Qian Duoduo, accompanied by several servants, was arguing with an old man selling vegetables.

The old man squatted on the ground, his vegetable basket overturned, and green vegetables and radishes rolled all over the ground. He was so frightened that he trembled all over.

Qian Duoduo pointed at the old man's nose and yelled, "Do you know whose land this is? It belongs to the Qian family! Did you pay any fees for setting up your stall here?"

The old man stammered, "Uncle Qian, I...I don't know, I just sell some vegetables..."

"Don't know?" Qian Duoduo waved her hand. "Smash the stall!"

Several servants rushed up, kicked over the vegetable basket, and pushed the old man over.

The old man knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Mr. Qian, spare my life! Mr. Qian, spare my life! I'll leave right now..."

Qian Youcai wouldn't let it go, and kicked over the vegetable basket next to him.

"Get out! If I see you again, I'll break your legs!"

The old man got up and ran away, tumbling and crawling.

There were quite a few onlookers, but no one dared to utter a sound.

Lin Chen leaned against the window, watched the whole process, and then took a sip of his wine.

Yan Da stood to the side and whispered, "My lord, should we...?"

Lin Chen waved his hand: "No rush, the investigation into Zhao Deming's case is not finished yet, let him live a little longer."

Yan Da nodded and stepped aside.

After lunch, Lin Chen led the girls to an inn to rest.

I had barely lain down when Yan Da knocked on the door.

"My lord, we've found it."

Lin Chen sat up, took the file he was handed, opened it, and smiled.

Zhao Deming has been in office for three years. He appears to be honest and upright, but in reality, he is a master strategist.

Instead of collecting the money directly, he intercepted the tax revenue through his two in-laws, Qian Youcai and Sun Fugui.

The specific steps are as follows:

When a caravan passes through customs, it is required to pay one hundred taels of tax. However, wealthy caravans only pay ninety taels, with the remaining ten taels going directly into Zhao Deming's pocket.

In exchange, Zhao Deming gave Qian Youcai's caravan the green light all the way. While other caravans were thoroughly inspected, Qian Youcai's caravan wasn't even looked at.

Over the course of three years, Zhao Deming embezzled at least three million taels of silver.

Taking advantage of this relationship, Qian Youcai and Sun Fugui bullied and monopolized the market in Linjiang City, forcing people to buy and sell goods against their will, causing many families to be ruined and people to die.

The case files alone show that 157 families were forced to sell their children, and 69 families were forced to lose their homes and lives.

Lin Chen closed the file and sneered:

"We'll act tomorrow, exterminate their entire family, leave no one alive!"

"Yes!" Yan Da replied, cupping his hands in greeting.