diymy Chapter 36 This Zhu Yao is the first piece of fat meat he has in Chenzhou!
Chapter 36 This Zhu Yao is the first piece of fat meat he has in Chenzhou!
Not long after, the subordinate rushed back, looking somewhat embarrassed. He bowed and said, "Sir, the people from the Liu family have replied that the master of the house is unable to entertain you today. Please come another day."
"Is it inconvenient to entertain you?"
Upon hearing this, the newly appointed prefect Zhao Wude flew into a rage. His face instantly darkened to a grim hue, his hands clenched into fists, and his tone icy, "What a convenient excuse! I, Zhao Wude, have personally come to pay him a visit, and he dares to be so disrespectful! He's utterly arrogant!"
He was already displeased by the size of the Liu family manor, and this refusal only fueled his anger. However, given that he had just arrived in Chenzhou and his position was not yet secure, he couldn't vent his anger on the spot. He could only suppress his rage, glare fiercely in the direction of the Liu family manor, and grit his teeth, saying, "Fine, we'll see!"
Having said that, he turned and climbed into the sedan chair, coldly ordering, "Go! To the prefectural government office!"
The vehicle started again and headed towards Chenzhou City.
Inside the Liu residence, Zhu Yao was lying on a rocking chair in the courtyard, resting with his eyes closed. A maid was gently massaging his shoulders, while another maid was carefully feeding him grapes from a fruit platter. He looked quite content and at ease.
Butler Chen Zhong hurried in, his face full of worry. He bowed and said, "Young Master, the newly appointed Prefect of Chenzhou just sent someone with a visiting card, wanting to pay a visit. As you instructed, I replied that it was inconvenient to receive him today. Will the new Prefect be angry?"
Zhu Yao slowly opened his eyes and said in a calm tone, "So what if he's angry? It's no big deal. This new prefect is obviously here to freeload. He just arrived in Chenzhou and he's already thinking about climbing the social ladder and extorting money from us. Why bother with him?"
He stretched and continued, "If it were Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) coming, I might be a little more wary."
"If we fawn over a mere prefect and try to curry favor with him, we'll be bullied every day from now on."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhong's worries eased slightly, and he bowed, saying, "Young Master is right, I was overthinking it."
Having said that, he bowed and withdrew to continue managing the affairs of the mansion.
On the other side, the newly appointed prefect Zhao Wude's carriage arrived at the gate of Chenzhou City. From afar, one could see that all the officials of Chenzhou City, large and small, were already dressed in their official robes and lined up at the city gate to wait. The deputy prefect and the vice prefect at the head of the group had respectful smiles on their faces.
"Your subordinates respectfully welcome Prefect of Chenzhou. You have worked hard, Your Excellency!"
All the officials bowed in unison, their voices loud and clear, their attitude respectful.
As Zhao Wude stepped down from the sedan chair, his anger dissipated considerably upon seeing the officials lined up to greet him. A hint of arrogance appeared on his face as he raised his hand to indicate, "Gentlemen, you may dispense with the formalities. Thank you for your hard work."
Afterwards, the officials surrounded the newly appointed prefect Zhao Wude and led him to a restaurant that had been prepared in advance to welcome him and wash away the dust of his journey. During the banquet, they toasted and drank together.
The officials flattered and fawned over the newly appointed prefect Zhao Wude, making him beam with joy. He had long forgotten his previous displeasure at being rejected by the Liu family.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Zhao Wude, his face flushed with alcohol, put down his cup and casually asked, "Gentlemen, I, Zhao Wude, have just arrived in Chenzhou. I've heard that there's a Liu family mansion outside the city. The owner was originally surnamed Liu, but recently changed his surname to Zhu. He owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and is quite wealthy. Does anyone know anything about this?"
Upon hearing this, the officials nodded in agreement, and the assistant prefect quickly said, "Sir, you are referring to the Liu family of Chenzhou, or rather, the Zhu family now. They are the richest family in Chenzhou, with a substantial fortune, but they are very low-key and never ostentatious."
Another magistrate added, "Yes, sir, this young master Zhu, although the richest man, has the people at heart and often does good deeds. Over the years, he has funded the construction of more than a dozen official roads in Chenzhou and built three stone bridges to facilitate the travel of the people."
"They also opened a welfare home to take in orphans and elderly people living alone, providing them with food and lodging; they also built two academies to support impoverished students. They have an excellent reputation and are widely praised among the people of Chenzhou."
The officials spoke one after another, recounting the good deeds Zhu Yao had done, their tone filled with admiration.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wude's eyes lit up instantly, and a greedy smile appeared on his face as he secretly plotted:
So, there's a lot of money to be made out of him!
He picked up his wine glass, downed it in one gulp, a calculating glint in his eyes, and his smile grew increasingly greedy.
This Zhu Yao is his first piece of fat meat in Chenzhou!
.....
As the welcoming banquet came to an end and the officials prepared to take their leave, Zhao Wude raised his hand to signal them to stay. His smile faded, and his tone became authoritative: "Please wait a moment, everyone. I, Zhao Wude, have just arrived in Chenzhou. The prefectural office is not yet fully prepared, and I am a little short of funds. I would appreciate your help."
He paused for a moment, then directly demanded bribes: "Each sub-prefect and assistant prefect shall pay five thousand taels of silver. The remaining officials shall pay according to their rank. The money shall be collected within three days and delivered to the prefectural office of Zhao Wude, without delay."
Upon hearing this, the officials' expressions changed instantly. The leading magistrate looked troubled and said cautiously, "Sir, this...this five thousand taels of silver is simply too much. Our daily salaries are limited, and it is really difficult for us to raise the sum within three days. Please grant us a few more days and reduce the amount accordingly."
Other officials echoed this sentiment, their faces full of difficulty, pleading with Prefect Zhao Wude to grant them an extension, their tone filled with helplessness.
Although they had some savings, five thousand taels of silver was still an astronomical sum for them.
Upon hearing this, the newly appointed prefect Zhao Wude's face instantly darkened, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He said in an icy tone, "What? I, the prefect, ask you for a little help, and you're making excuses? Do you not take me seriously?"
He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of suggestion: "Before coming to Chenzhou, I had already made thorough inquiries. Chenzhou has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests in recent years, with thriving commerce and prosperous people. As the local officials of Chenzhou, wielding real power, how could you possibly not be able to come up with this little bit of money?"
"Don't try to plead poverty with me, Prefect Zhao Wude. You must gather the silver and send it within three days. If you are even a penny short, or a day late, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
His tone grew increasingly stern, radiating an aura of authority that silenced the officials.
The officials, pale-faced, exchanged glances, seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. They could only bow and reply, "We obey your orders and will gather the silver within three days and deliver it to the yamen."
"Okay, go down."
The newly appointed prefect, Zhao Wude, waved his hand dismissively. His tone was indifferent, and only after all the officials bowed and withdrew did the displeasure on his face gradually fade, replaced by a hint of smugness.