Wuchang Mansion went to Beijing for more than 2,000 miles, and after the governor and his entourage went out of Beijing, they died down all the way, and stayed in the twilight of the morning without delaying a day. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info Qiu Yinming thought all the way. The mountains and hills in the Huguang area are continuous, the water system is encompassing, the land is fertile, the products are abundant, the calendar is orthodox, the Jingtai two dynasties, there are tens of thousands of northern displaced people who migrate and hide between the mountains and rivers of Huguang, to avoid disasters and famines. At first, the imperial court strictly forbade it, and ordered the local government to expel the displaced people from the country and repatriate them to their hometowns. Some people suggested that the displaced people should be attached to the nearest local county, and if they lived in barren mountains and wilderness, they should establish a new county to pacify them. However, the displaced people lived in scattered places and were difficult to control, and they originally left the country to avoid taxes and military service, and they did not want to enter the household registration and work as an errand again. Therefore, they went deep into the remote land, or cultivated themselves, or opened mountains to dig mines, or planted tea trees, lacquer, tung oil, medicinal materials, and ran to sell, and there were also many bandits in the mountains who made a living by plundering property. Although there were proposals in the imperial court, they were not implemented in the states and counties step by step, not to mention that after the seizure of the gate, the court situation was turbulent, and no one mentioned this matter again. Although the displaced people are in trouble, they have worked hard to reclaim wasteland and barren mountains for their livelihood, and Huguang has always had good weather and is now getting richer and richer. Stay away from the Beijing Division, and the government decree will be sparse. In the past two years, I have also heard that when the inner court sent eunuchs to the various political secretaries, Huguang has become the hottest place after Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and many internal eunuchs are vying to curry favor with Cao Jixiang in order to gain fat.

Qiu Yinming thought again that Luo Fangyu, the current Huguang Inspectorate, was a close protégé of Shi Geng Jiuchou, the left governor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate who had just taken office two or three months ago. Geng Jiuchou entered the government during the Yongle period, and the general government affairs were generally and very prestigious. In the early years, he served as the envoy of the two Huai salt transports, honest and upright, and during the orthodox years, he served as a waiter in the criminal department, not afraid of the powerful, repeatedly cleared up doubtful cases, and then pacified Shaanxi, rectified the border defense, and made the people live and work in peace and contentment. One day this spring, the emperor convened his ministers to discuss the matter, praised him for his integrity, and conferred the title of Governor of the Imperial History. Qiu Yinming has worked with him for a long time, he has no deep friendship, and Geng Jiuchou is not used to the arrogance of Shi Heng and Cao Jixiang, knowing that Qiu Yinming and Shi Heng have a lot of contacts, and now they have become Shi Heng's niece and son-in-law, so they are very cold to him. Qiu Yinming understood the reason, so he had to guess, but he was extremely respectful when they met. Luo Fangyu is not only his protégé, but also an honest person, no matter what Geng Jiuchou thinks of him, if there is an upright envoy, it may be helpful for him to make this trip.

On this trip, Qiu Yinming asked Chai Ban to accompany him and took the dark horse with him. Before leaving Beijing, he thought that if he wanted to know the inside story of the matter, he would have to visit the mine himself, and he might even need to go deep into the Qingliu Society. Chai Ban followed him for a few years, handled things thoroughly, and understood his behavior, so he could hide and prevaricate for him in case of trouble.

Now it is the rainy season, after crossing the Huai River, it will be rainy day by day, endless, the mud is deep and the road is slippery, the carriages and horses are not fast, and the servants are even more complaining. Finally, on the afternoon of May 23, we arrived in Hanyang County, and there were already boats from Wuchang Province waiting by the river. At this time, the rain did not stop, the people were sleepy, and most of the accompanying officers sat in the cabin to drink tea and rest. Qiu Yinming stood alone on the side of the boat with an umbrella, jolting in the carriage for days, and it was rare to stretch for a moment. As far as the eye can see, the sky is wide and the river is flat, and there are thousands of sails on the river outside Hanyang County and Xiakou Town, and the commercial ports along the coast are complicated and crowded. The city of Wuchang Mansion on the opposite bank rises from the river, the city is high and the wood is deep, on the Longquan Mountain behind the Yellow Crane Tower seen from afar, the eaves pavilion is sometimes present between the lush forests, it must be the palace of the king of Chu. Cross the river into the city of Wuchang, it is already the time to turn on the lights, look out of the car window, there are many big houses in the city, high walls and deep courtyards, there is no north and south business travel in Hanyang County city gathering, the scene of prosperity and noisy, but the streets are clean and wide, the buildings are exquisite and magnificent, compared with the neighborhoods where the nobles live in the city of Beijing, there is no more. It is worthy of being the first capital in Chuzhong.

The governor is not a local permanent official position, so there is no exclusive yamen, and the governor of Huguang has always settled in a government office in the northwest of the city that was renovated from the old residence of the general of Zhenguo. When Qiu Yinming and his entourage arrived, Liu Wenbin of Wuchang Mansion greeted them at the door. Qiu Yinming got out of the car and looked up, although this office was a little old, but after all, it was once the residence of the clan, quite imposing, the lintel was written "Huguang Governor Shi Yushitai", the main gate was wide open, and there were more than a dozen errand servants standing on both sides. In his forties, with thin eyebrows and fine eyes, and a slight fortune, Lord Liu, who was polite, stepped forward and said, "Lord Qiu has worked hard all the way. The lower officials prepared a little thin wine to wash the dust for the adults. Qiu Yinming replied: "In such weather, Lord Lao Liu has been waiting for a long time, and Qiu is not very grateful." Liu Wenbin smiled: "Where, where." Adults, please come in. ”

Passing through the instrument door, the lobby, to the main hall, I saw that the tables and chairs in the hall were polished brightly, the cloth curtains, cushions, lampshades, etc. were all new, and there were already drinks and side dishes on the table, and the dishes were only four kinds, but they were extremely fine when they looked closely. After taking his seat, Lord Liu said politely: "Xia Guan heard that Lord Qiu is a former detective, and he has made remarkable achievements in recent years, and he has a good career. ”

Qiu Yinming smiled secretly in his heart, this Liu Governor said it well, looking at the appearance of this hospitality, although it was not ostentatious, it really took a lot of thought, it seems that this person is sleek, and he will probe him. So he smiled and said: "Lord Liu has said it, Qiu can't afford such a good name." Mr. Liu is familiar with the local government affairs and customs, but I need to consult from time to time. I have long heard in the DPRK that Huguang is rich enough to enter the top three in the world, and what I saw along the way in the past two days really deserves its name. ”

Governor Liu toasted a glass of wine, and then said: "As far as the lower officials know, your Excellency is ordered to supervise the mining tax department and eliminate the rebellion of the displaced people. The lower official has some doubts, can I ask the adults for advice? ”

Qiu Yinming said: "But it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

Liu Zhifu said: "Xia Guan served as the prefect of Wuchang for more than half a year, and in his spare time, he had read the copywriting files of the past years, which Hubei is rich in copper and iron, as far as Wuchang Mansion is concerned, although the copper and iron tax has not increased sharply since Hongwu, but no matter how much it is every year, it has increased unabated, and there has never been a mistake, why did the imperial court suddenly issue an order to supervise." The lower officials were very puzzled, lest there be omissions in government affairs, but they really couldn't think of why. What is the reason for this? ”

Qiu Yinming thought to himself, I don't know if anyone in the local area knows about the matter of the Shen master of Daye County's book of going to Beijing and overstepping the level, no matter what, he must not be allowed to know his true purpose. sighed: "Don't hide it from Lord Liu, Qiu also doesn't understand this matter." There was some controversy in the Cabinet over the matter. Qiu was just acting on orders. Seeing Lord Liu's somewhat skeptical look, he said: "To be honest, when I first arrived in office, everything must be understood from the beginning, if Lord Liu has heard anything, please advise." ”

Governor Liu smiled: "What did the adults say?" Wuchang Mansion is where the political envoy is located, and the lower officials only took office this year, and they do not dare to slack off at all, nor dare to speak falsely, hoping that the adults will understand. ”

chatting casually with Governor Liu about some recent gossip, Qiu Yinming suddenly said: "I came all the way here, and I heard that there is a big gang in the rivers and lakes on the ground in Hubei, called the Qingliu Society, which has a large number of people, and it seems that it is still operating a mine. I wonder if Lord Liu has heard of it? ”

Governor Liu nodded and said, "Yes." But I haven't done anything, it's just a chamber of commerce. He smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "As for the operation of the mine, although it is not customized, it is nothing more than borrowing the power of the people to benefit the people, reducing the number of people sent by the government, and also reducing expenses." Since the envoy thinks it is harmless to do this, then I can't say anything. ”

Qiu Yinming said: "I'm just talking casually. Time has passed, and there is no need to worry too much about the old rules. ”

Governor Liu said: "My lord is very reasonable. ”

Qiu Yinming smiled slightly, and then said: "Actually, I am more interested in the purging of the displaced people, and I don't know if there will be progress in the near future. ”

Governor Liu frowned and said, "It's really timely. A bandit leader was captured yesterday, and the trial will begin in three days. It is ashamed to say that in the boundary of Jiugong Mountain, Tongshan County, which is under the jurisdiction of this government, in recent years, a group of rogues have gathered, calling themselves 'Feihu Village', and there are two bandit leaders, who are dedicated to opposing the government, looting mines and robbing government property. After more than a year of suppression, there was no result, but this time, thanks to the command of Feng under the command of the superintendent Li Daren, the martial arts were strong, and the second master of the Flying Tiger Village was captured. Alas, it is unbelievable that the rogues are so arrogant. ”

Qiu Yinming asked, "Your Excellency is presiding over this case?" ”

Governor Liu said: "Exactly." This person is now in the prison of Wuchang Mansion. ”

Qiu Yinming said: "At that time, I want to listen to the adult's interrogation of this person, what do you think?" ”

Governor Liu excused himself and said: "The governor is here, how can the lower officials preside over the trial." ”

Qiu Yinming smiled and said, "I don't know what is going on in this case, so Lord Liu should not shirk." After three days, my lord will preside over the trial, and I can just leave a seat on the side. ”

At this time, the night was already thick, and after eating with Qiu Yinming and chatting casually for a while, Governor Liu took his leave. Qiu Yinming took advantage of the fact that it was still early, and successively wrote several letters to the political envoys, the envoys, and the officials of the main hall of the superintendent and command. When I put down my pen, the rain outside the curtain was heavy and the humidity was heavy. Living in the capital for a long time, this rainy day is really uncomfortable. I didn't want to sleep for a while, so I stood under the porch and thought about it for a long time.

Early the next morning, Qiu Yinming sent someone to send all the prayer posts out, and the letter said that he would visit the various yamen after he settled the affairs of the government office a little. At this time, there are still two days before the interrogation of the bandit leader, so it is better to take the opportunity to go to Daye County first. When he first came to Wuchang, few people had seen him, and soon after dawn, Qiu Yinming changed into a coarse cloth shirt, brought a hat and a coat, rode out of the east gate alone, and rode quickly to Daye County. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, and although it was a little muddy along the way, the road was quite flat, and Qiu Yinming arrived at Daye County around lunch. The county seat is not big, the houses are dilapidated, there are few pedestrians and vendors, and when you look around, the streets are full of old and weak women and children, lifeless, and even more depressed and cold in this gloomy and gloomy sky. recalled that when I saw Master Shen in the capital more than a month ago, the scene that Master Shen told him was indeed the same as in front of him.

According to the main book, although it was not a prosperous county, it was also a densely populated and stable place. Since the Longjiaoshan mine was taken over by the Qingliuhui, the nearby fields have been forcibly bought by the mine owners and rented to farmers at high prices. Peasants who could not pay their rent were assigned to work as coolies in the mines. Later, even the county became the territory of the mine owner, and the mine owner was rampant, and many shops and merchants could not bear the exploitation, and those who could move moved away, and the county became like this in two or three years. Lord Zhixian Fang is a good official who cares for the people's livelihood, but he is weak and has no way to appeal, and after arguing with Shen Jin, the chief bookkeeper for several months, Shen decided to take the risk to go to Beijing. The two knew that there was little hope for this move, so before Shen Jin left, he asked his family to quietly return to his hometown, while Fang Zhixian was tight-lipped and said that the chief bookkeeper had resigned and returned to his hometown.

After seeing Master Shen in the capital, Qiu Yinming sent him some entanglement and asked him to go back, he should have already returned to the county seat, I don't know if the county knows it. Qiu Yinming weighed in his heart, this Qingliu will not know how big the backstage is, and he can see the king's law on the ground so close to Wuchang Mansion, I am afraid that he can only have a rough look today, and he will need to come to visit carefully in the future.

So he found a small semi-open-air noodle shop nearby, sat on the street side of the shed, and ordered a bowl of dry noodles that the local people often eat. The business of the small shop was light, and finally a customer came, and the stall owner was very enthusiastic, and the noodles were sufficient, and an extra spoonful of sesame paste was added. As soon as he took a bite, Qiu Yinming saw a group of people swaggering on the other side of the street, and the people on the side of the road hurriedly took refuge. I saw that the person at the front was riding a horse, followed by six or seven big men, strutting with his head held high, and his eyes were unfazed. The horseback carries a double hook on his back, and the entourage of the big man is a saber at his waist. Qiu Yinming was very surprised, there has always been a ban in the imperial court, and the common people are not allowed to hold swords in the market, even if they are characters in the rivers and lakes, they are generally covered, these few seem to be just third-rate goods, they are already so arrogant!

When these people walked away, the stall owner came over and whispered to Qiu Yinming: "The guest officer must feel strange when he comes from other places." Qiu Yinming asked, "Who are these people?" The stall owner said: "It is under the owner of the Longjiao Mountain mine." The owner of this mine is not only in charge of the mine, but this land is his for a hundred and ten miles, alas, our place is really ruined by them. Qiu Yinming said: "What is the surname of this mine owner?" Where to stay? The stall owner looked at him a few times and said in surprise: "Guest officer, these people are very fierce, you still don't ask." Qiu Yinming said: "I'll ask casually." The stall owner said: "You go out of the county ten miles to the south, it is the manor of the mine owner, called Longquanzhuang, the big one, you must see it." Qiu Yinming thanked the stall owner, finished eating the noodles, gave some more copper coins, and was about to go on the road. The stall owner still said, "Guest officer, don't go." Qiu Yinming smiled: "I'm not going, I'm not going." ”