It has been seven days since Li Yanqing left Chengdu Mansion, and the money and grain sent to Jingzhao Mansion also set off five days ago under the escort of the 8,000 Xiang Army, and the officialdom of Chengdu Mansion has also returned to calm in the past few days, and almost everyone thinks that this matter is over for the time being, at least there will be no problems before the New Year.

At dusk, Xu Qingwei hurried home, he wanted to change his clothes, and in the evening, Liu Dawei, a big salt merchant in Chengdu, wanted to invite him to dinner, of course, he also wanted to settle an account for him, how much should he get this year?

Xu Qingwei is a native of Wenxian County, Maozhou, Zhenghe eleven years into the Shi and the first, has been an official in Shuzhou, three years ago from his hometown Maozhou to Chengdu Prefecture Judge, he has followed Zeng Xiulin for almost ten years, can be regarded as Zeng Xiulin's henchman, but also one of his most powerful assistants.

Xu Qingwei just returned to the house, saw a carriage parked in front of the house, and knew that there were guests waiting for him at home, close to the end of the year, his guests were very many, basically all the businessmen came to visit him, all kinds of expenses of the Chengdu government are settled once every six months, once in June, and then once in December, so two months before the settlement, the proprietors of the major merchants have come.

I wonder who it will be today? But it seems a little early to come now, and it doesn't make sense until at least late November.

As soon as Xu Qinghui walked into the house, his wife Lin came up quickly, "Master, there is a guest looking for you!" ”

"I know, let them come back another day, I have something to do in the evening."

"Master, it's not a businessman, and it's about our lives."

Xu Qinghui was stunned, what kind of words is this, it is related to his net worth and life? He asked, "Where are the people?" ”

"In the study outside!"

Xu Qinghui thought about it, then walked quickly to the outer study, and as soon as he walked to the door, he saw a young scribe walking out of the room, very familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it for a while?

"May I ask your Excellency ......?"

"In Xia Cao Ye, the lord of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Jingluo Mansion is thin."

Xu Qinghui suddenly remembered, the young man who had been following behind Li Yanqing, he suddenly took a breath of cold air, and couldn't help but take a step back, his heart was shocked, "You.... What's the matter with you? ”

"Xu Tong doesn't have to be nervous, he is talking about a business, even if the deal doesn't work, but the friendship is still there!"

Xu Qinghui's heart calmed down a little, turned around and asked his wife to close the door, and instructed, "Let the housekeeper go to Deqing Tower, Liu Yan'er will wait for me there, and say that I am not feeling well, and I will drink with him another day." ”

His wife left with a puzzled heart, and Xu Qinghui pointed to the study again, "Let's go in and talk." ”

The two walked into the study, and there was a man in the corner of the study wearing an entourage costume, wearing a big hat and a sword at his waist, presumably Cao Ye's entourage bodyguard, Xu Qinghui walked into the study and said: "I will say ugly things in front first, let me betray the Zeng Governor's Mansion, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it." ”

"Why can't you do it?"

The voice came from behind, Xu Qinghui turned his head suddenly, stared at the entourage standing in the corner, his eyes slowly widened, and he saw the entourage walking out of the corner of the wall with his hand in the dark light, and slowly took off the hat, and his appearance suddenly became clear, it was Li Yanqing.

Xu Qinghui was stunned, and stammered for a while: "Li Jingluo is not.... Isn't it in Azusa? ”

Li Yanqing smiled slightly, "That's another 'Li Yanqing', this one in front of you is the real thing." ”

"Ahh

Xu Qinghui exclaimed, Zeng Xiulin has been sending people to keep an eye on Li Yanqing's movements, it turned out.... It turned out that it was a fake, and the real Li Yanqing had sneaked back to Chengdu Mansion.

Li Yanqing sat down, waved his hand and said with a smile: "Xu Tongju, please take a seat!" ”

Xu Qinghui's legs were weak, he sat down weakly, sorted out his thoughts for a while, and then asked, "I don't know what the envoy is looking for me?" ”

Li Yanqing said with a smile: "I don't even have a cup of tea, this is not hospitality!" ”

Xu Qinghui hurriedly got up and went out to call for tea, and after a while, his wife came in with a pot of tea and gave Xu Qinghui a look, and Xu Qinghui went out with her again, "What's wrong?" ”

"The housekeeper can't go out, there are a few fierce men at the front and back doors, and no one in our family is allowed to go out."

Xu Qinghui suddenly understood that Li Yanqing was afraid that he would send someone to report to Zeng Xiulin, and he sighed in his heart, "If you can't go out, forget it, wait until they leave." ”

"Master, it's going to be fine!"

"Don't worry! It's going to be fine, I'm an official of the imperial court, and he won't mess around. ”

His wife left worriedly, so Xu Qinghui walked back to the study, sat down and asked, "Is there anything you need my help with?" ”

Li Yanqing put down the tea bowl and said unhurriedly: "I need all the account books of the anti-gold tax." ”

Xu Qinghui's face was red and white for a while, Li Yanqing really wanted to make a fuss about this matter, he quickly shook his head and said: "I don't know what the account books are, the account books should be in the official offices of various states, what do the envoys ask me for?" ”

Li Yanqing glanced at him meaningfully, and then asked, "Xu Qing'an of Emeizhi County, Jiazhou is your brother, right?" ”

"That's right, he's my brother, what happened to him?"

Li Yanqing threw a document on the table, "This is a report letter written by your brother to Yushitai, reporting that Zeng Xiulin skillfully set up a project to resist the golden tax, loot the people, and fill his pockets, the time is February this year, you can see for yourself!" ”

Xu Qinghui shook his head, "Although he is my brother, this matter is his own doing, and it has nothing to do with me." ”

"Really?"

A strange smile appeared at the corner of Li Yanqing's eyes, "But your brother told me personally that you asked him to write this report letter." ”

Li Yanqing took out another letter and shook it in front of Xu Qinghui, "This is a handwritten letter you wrote to your brother, the content of which is to ask him to report Zeng Xiulin, if this letter falls into Zeng Xiulin's hands, how do you think he will clean you up?" ”

Xu Qinghui's face turned pale, he didn't expect his brother to recruit everything, his lips trembled, and he couldn't say a word.

Li Yanqing smiled slightly: "You don't have to worry, didn't Cao Ye say it just now?" We came here to negotiate a deal with Xu Tong. ”

"What.... Buying and selling? ”

Li Yanqing stared at him tightly, his gaze became solemn, "You help me bring down Zeng Xiulin, I recommend you to the official family as the prefect of Chengdu, Xu Tongju, isn't this the real purpose of you letting your brother denounce Zeng Xiulin?" How, is this deal going to be done or not? ”

Xu Qinghui sighed, "I originally had this idea, but not long ago I learned that he really had the will of the Emperor Taishang in his hands." ”

"I know, and the official family also knows, so the official family gave me a secret decree, asking me to take down Zeng Xiulin, Xu Tongju, between the official family and the emperor, who do you believe more?"

Xu Qinghui was sweating profusely, Li Yanqing was forcing him to stand in line, if it was possible, he didn't want to choose.

Li Yanqing said lightly: "The power struggle between the official family and the Emperor Taishang has begun, all the local officials have to stand in line, you are not the first, neither is Zeng Xiulin, Jiangning Mansion, Pingjiang Mansion, Shaoxing Mansion, Shaanxi Road, and Hedong Road have all made it clear that they are on the side of the official family, do you still want to take refuge in the already unpopular Emperor Taishang?" ”

Xu Qingwei was shocked, he suddenly realized that in fact, he had no choice, if Li Yanqing handed over his letter to Zeng Xiulin, even if he was a hundred loyal, Zeng Xiulin would not spare himself.

He finally gritted his teeth and said, "I know which account books Zeng Xiulin hid where?" ”

.........

Zeng Xiulin collected a total of 3.8 million guan of anti-gold military expenses from Chengdu Fulu last year, but he did not list this income in his tax report to the imperial court, but only 6 million guan of taxes from Chengdu Fulu, and all of them were sent to Jingzhao Mansion, and this 3.8 million guan of anti-Jin military expenses was missing.

Regardless of whether Zeng Xiulin used this money to fill his own pocket, or whether he used it to build bridges and roads, and gave bonuses and so on, but he levied taxes on the people without authorization, deceived the court, and deceived the monarch, but the charges were confirmed, and the amount was huge and serious in nature, not to mention that Xu Qinghui confirmed that at least one million of this tax money was exchanged for silver by Zeng Xiulin and sent to the capital, needless to say, it must be used to buy the ministers of the DPRK and China, or to buy land and build houses in the capital.

But Zeng Xiulin is very well-connected in the capital, and there is the emperor to support him, if there is no conclusive evidence, he can't be defeated at all, that batch of account books is the original record of taxation, and the signature of the handler, as well as the detailed tax list, once they are found, the evidence is conclusive.

In order to completely bring down Zeng Xiulin, Xu Qingwei also recruited Zeng Xiulin for another major crime, illegally forming a private armed group and hiding a large number of armor and crossbows, which is suspected of rebellion, once it is verified, the gods will not be able to save Zeng Xiulin.

At night, Yan Qing led five hundred elite men of the scout battalion to the foot of Qingcheng Mountain in Chengdu Prefecture.