latelenovela Chapter 274 After the Turmoil
Chapter 274 After the Turmoil
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At "Leyunlou," to avoid further trouble, Chang Wei swallowed his anger and waited until he left before thinking about how to get revenge. Nanjing was a dangerous place, and although he relied on the power of the eunuch Chang Kun, he didn't dare to be too arrogant. He originally thought he could do whatever he wanted in Suzhou, but he never expected to be beaten into a pulp by a prostitute in a brothel. He couldn't tolerate this insult no matter what.
After returning to the inn in a disheveled state, Chang Wei gathered everyone together to discuss how to vent his anger. His attendants didn't have any good ideas either; some suggested going back to Nanjing to get reinforcements, while others suggested finding an opportunity to fight back.
Although Chang Wei was uneducated and incompetent, he wasn't stupid; otherwise, Eunuch Chang wouldn't have entrusted him with the silk business. Upon hearing this, the eldest brother slapped him across the face and cursed, "When I was being beaten, you all just stood by and did nothing, not even offering a decent suggestion! A bunch of good-for-nothings! Go back to Nanjing to help? How am I supposed to tell my godfather? Am I supposed to tell him that I didn't handle the business well, went out drinking and carousing, and got beaten up over a girl? I'd be sure to get a severe scolding. Finding a chance to fight back is even more unreliable. With a bunch of good-for-nothings like you, do you think you can beat them?"
The attendants stammered, "Then what should we do?"
Chang Wei's eyes lit up, and he came up with a plan: "Let's go to the prefect's office and have the Suzhou prefect find a reason to throw that bastard in jail, so we can vent our anger!"
The attendants flattered him, saying, "Young master, your idea is excellent. Let's deal with him using official methods."
Amidst a chorus of flattery, Chang Wei was smugly escorted to the prefectural government office. Little did he know that his every move was exactly what his enemies had anticipated.
No sooner had Liu Ye left than Chang Wei arrived. Chen Zhongsheng had already prepared a plan and gave him a "warm" welcome.
"What? Someone actually committed a crime in broad daylight? This is outrageous! I will definitely give orders to investigate thoroughly and give Young Master Chang an explanation."
Chang Wei was somewhat dissatisfied: "I was almost beaten to death. We have witnesses and physical evidence, what's the point of further investigation? Just arrest that guy and throw him in jail. He speaks with a foreign accent, isn't a local from Jiangnan, and he's with a group of thugs. He'll be easy to find..."
“Young Master Chang…” Chen Zhongsheng interrupted him, saying with a forced smile, “Are you trying to teach this mansion how to do things?”
Chang Wei was about to lash out, but as the words were about to come out, he suddenly remembered that this was the prefect of Suzhou, not a seventh-rank county magistrate like those in Jiangning or Shangyuan counties of Nanjing, whom he could point fingers at and curse without restraint. He swallowed back the few words of greeting he had to say to the other party's female relatives.
Although Chen Zhongsheng was in Southern Zhili, he was unwilling to directly offend the eunuch garrisoning Nanjing, but it wasn't his place to have an insignificant adopted son causing trouble. Besides, fortunes change, and a prefect in a place like Suzhou could easily rise to the position of governor or viceroy if he played the game well. At the very least, he could become a vice minister of one of the Six Ministries, and maybe even a minister. At that level, the eunuch garrisoning Nanjing, the secondary capital, would be insignificant; only the powerful eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Horse Administration in the capital could rival such civil officials. If Chang Wei offended Chen Zhongsheng and created a future heavyweight political enemy for Chang Kun, he might even be tempted to kill his adopted son.
Having spent a long time in the circles of the powerful and wealthy, Chang Wei wasn't stupid. He immediately realized this and his tone softened considerably.
"This... Prefect Chen, please don't misunderstand, I'm just a little anxious..."
Seeing that the other party had given in, Chen Zhongsheng slowly took a sip of tea and said, "Young Master Chang, you don't need to worry. I will hand this matter over to Wu County for handling. At that time, I will definitely bring the madman who committed the crime to justice and punish him severely according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and give you an explanation."
Wu County is the county where Suzhou Prefecture is located. It is the county magistrate of the attached city that people jokingly call "unfortunate in three lifetimes". The case occurred in Bantang Street, which is under the jurisdiction of Wu County. It is assigned to Wu County to handle the case. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with it. However, it is far from what Chang Wei expected, that the prefectural government would personally deal with the murderer. The effect is also greatly reduced.
Chang Wei was very dissatisfied, but he was helpless. The other party had given him face; the prefect personally received him in the back office and was willing to arrest the murderer. However, he wanted to follow the proper procedures and couldn't exert as much pressure as he had with an ordinary county magistrate in Nanjing. What could he do but wait for the result?
He said sullenly, "I thank Prefect Chen for upholding justice. I will go back and await good news. Farewell."
Chen Zhongsheng picked up his teacup, his face beaming with a smile: "Young Master Chang, please take care. Someone, see the guest out!"
After the Leyunlou incident, many people and events deviated from their original historical trajectory and developed in completely different directions.
After Li Fei was sent back to Lingao to requisition the "Yangming" ship, all the large and small guilds, villages, and leaders in Suzhou got busy under the instructions of the guild leaders and started a large-scale purchase of raw silk. The price of raw silk, which was originally in the off-season, also rose sharply. The purchase price of 27 or 28 taels per 100 catties rose to 32 taels, and in some places it even reached 35 taels. The income of silkworm farmers in the countryside also increased.
A few days after being rebuffed at the Suzhou prefectural government office, Chang Wei returned to the guild to demand that Su Mingkang and others honor their promise. However, he was dismissed with a pre-prepared excuse: a Guangdong merchant had bought all the goods from several large silk shops under the Suzhou guild at prices higher than the market value. Su Mingkang also subtly hinted to Chang Wei that this Guangdong merchant was the same person who had assaulted him at Le Yunlou. Chang Wei was furious that this man had not only assaulted him but also ruined his plans. Although enraged, he dared not act arrogantly after these two days of setbacks. Moreover, he knew he couldn't defeat Liu Ye, whether through legitimate or underworld means. He quickly sent someone back to Nanjing to consult his godfather on how to proceed. However, he hadn't anticipated that the powerful figures behind the Suzhou silk shops were launching a coordinated impeachment, putting pressure on the eunuch Chang, who was trying to make a fortune in Suzhou, and leaving him preoccupied with his own problems.
Dong Xiaowan, the top courtesan of Leyun Tower who had always presented herself as aloof, changed her ways and sent a letter to Liu Ye of the inn five days later. The letter was simple: to thank him for his righteous help, Dong Xiaowan was hosting a banquet at Leyun Tower to express her gratitude.
After reading the letter, Liu Ye chuckled and casually handed it to Liang Xiaoming: "Look, even the most arrogant courtesan has finally bowed her proud head to power."
Liang Xiaoming took the letter and looked at it, then asked in confusion, "Didn't you have feelings for her? Why is your tone so strange? She wrote it very clearly, it's to express her gratitude. But with your interpretation, the whole thing seems so utilitarian, it's really boring."