Chapter Eleven: The County Magistrate's Downfall

  Xiao Fan soon waited for another unlucky servant.

  Suddenly rise, fly pounce, press down...

  The man choked back tears of humiliation and terror, telling Xiao Fan everything he wanted to know.

  The people below said a lot, but in short, there is only one sentence: The Chen family encountered trouble today.

  This trouble is really not small.

  A big business family cannot just focus on doing business, more importantly, they need to maintain a good relationship with the local government, move them with emotions and entice them with benefits, so that the business can last long and prosper.

  The Chen family is no exception.

  The Chen family was able to do such a big business in Jiangpu County because they had good relations with the county magistrate and all the officials below him. However, the biggest backer of the Chen family was still Zhang Shide, the county lieutenant of Jiangpu County. This backer Zhang was not entirely bought out by the Chen family's silver. Chen Si Liu was quite good at operating, and he somehow managed to establish a relationship with Zhang Shide that year, and their relationship was very strong. For official matters, Zhang Shide unconditionally supported the Chen family, which is why the Chen family became rich merchants in Jiangpu County so smoothly.

  But relying on the mountain is not possible for a lifetime, and Zhang County Magistrate cannot be a county magistrate for a lifetime. As people get older, they have no hope of promotion, and under the eyes of Emperor Hongwu, who hated corrupt officials the most in history, they dare not be greedy for money, let alone bully the common people. The best choice is to retire and return home. So Zhang County Magistrate resigned.

  A few days ago, the Tianfu government approved Zhang County's letter of resignation. Zhang County then packed up his family and all the big and small things in his house onto several horse-drawn carriages, and without any worries, returned to his hometown in Changzhou Prefecture, where he lived out his remaining years in peace.

  The most powerful backer has stepped down, which is not a big trouble for the Chen family. After all, the Chen family has been making connections and arrangements over the years, so losing one backer will not have a significant impact.

  Trouble is brewing, and the Tianfu government quickly dispatched a new county magistrate. This new county magistrate, surnamed Cao, arrived in Jiangpu County yesterday. As it happens, Chen's family is also unlucky. Chen Siliu's only son, Xiao Fang's nominal younger brother-in-law Chen Ning, was having dinner and drinks with friends at the Jinyulou in Jiangpu County yesterday. He got into a dispute with another group of customers over the last available elegant room, and both sides started arguing. Since the other party was dressed casually, Chen Ning, who was enraged, kicked him hard without caring about the consequences.

  The one who was kicked was none other than Cao Yi, the newly appointed county lieutenant of Jiangpu County.

  Cao Yi felt quite indignant, having just taken office with a flourish, his buttocks had not even warmed the seat when he was kicked by a lowly merchant's son. How could this dignified eighth-rank official of the imperial court save face?

  As a court official, Cao Yi certainly couldn't afford to get into a fight with Chen Ning in public like a ruffian, so after being kicked, he didn't say anything and returned alone to the government hostel.

  After the investigation results came out, it was confirmed that the person who kicked him was Chen Si Liu's only son Chen Ning. Moreover, the Chen family did not have a strong backing in the Jiangpu government. Today, Cao Yi sent someone to the Chen residence to convey a message: Beating an official appointed by the imperial court is a serious crime. However, I, Cao Yi, will not arrest your only son, nor will I smash your door. Your Chen family is the richest in Jiangpu, right? You've reached the pinnacle of wealth; prepare to close up shop and go bankrupt. I want the Chen family to be completely ruined.

  Chen Siliu was shocked and pale after hearing the message, and he hastily called Chen Ning to ask for details. He finally knew what had happened from start to finish. Chen Siliu panicked, slapped Chen Ning several times, then quickly prepared a few large envelopes of silver and expensive gifts, and brought Chen Ning to kneel at the door of Cao Yi's bedroom in the official residence to apologize.

  After kneeling for a long time, Cao Yi's gate was tightly closed and didn't even bother to respond to Chen Jia's father and son. Instead, an old servant was sent out with a message: hurry up and close all the shops of Chen family in Jiangpu County, otherwise Cao Xiancheng will personally go to each shop to clean them up.

  Chen and his son only then realized that the situation was serious, and they returned to their mansion in a state of panic, beginning to rack their brains for a solution.

  The inferiority of merchants lies in this: if they have a good relationship with government officials, everything will be easy to say and everyone will make a fortune together. However, if the merchant offends the official, it's a big deal. As the saying goes, "a county magistrate can destroy a family, and a governor can exterminate a clan." Even if it's just a small county lieutenant, he can make a humble merchant's family disappear with just one word, unless you have an even more powerful backer behind you.

  After Zhang Xiancheng retired, the Chen family basically had no stronger backing.

  He stuttered and told everything he knew, then looked at Xiao Fang with tearful eyes, hoping that this crazy husband would let him go.

  Xiao Fan magnanimously waved his hand, and the servants were like prisoners who had been granted a great amnesty, stumbling and staggering away in tears.

  Xiao Fan shook his head and sighed, having spent the whole day wandering around the streets. He couldn't believe that in just one short day, the Chen family had gotten themselves into such big trouble. If Chen Si Liu couldn't come up with a way to resolve the crisis, it was likely that the Chen family would be destroyed within these few days.

  At the same time, Xiao Fan also had a few touches, originally in this era, money is not omnipotent, power is omnipotent. The superior's light and casual words can easily make a wealthy person go bankrupt, power... is indeed a good thing!

  The Chen family is in crisis, which is not good news for Xiao Fan, whether he likes the Chen family or not. After all, before sufficient preparation, Xiao Fan cannot leave the Chen house at present. If the Chen family falls, Xiao Fan will also be affected. At present, the relationship between the Chen family and Xiao Fan is one of mutual harm.

  So the Chen family cannot fall! At least not before Xiao Fang Niub's departure from the Chen house to start his own business!

  Xiao Fan couldn't help but sigh, things in the world are always so helpless. He had never liked the Chen family from the bottom of his heart, yet at this moment he didn't wish for their downfall either. This was indeed a paradox that conformed to logic yet left one entangled.

  I don't know if I can help the Chen family get out of trouble?

  If I can resolve the Chen family's crisis myself this time, I suppose they will look up to me a bit more in their eyes, and my days at the Chen Mansion may be better than before.

  And helping the Chen family this time, it's considered repayment for the Chen family raising him for four years, and in the future when he leaves, he can do so with a clear conscience.

  Xiao Fan made up his mind in secret.

  The front hall of Chen's mansion.

  The light in the hall was dim, and two red candles flickered faintly in the gentle breeze. Chen Siliu sat silently on a red wooden armchair, his face pale and defeated, as if he had aged decades overnight. His stout body trembled slightly, like a plump duck shrinking from the stormy rain, his expression pitiful yet comical.

  On a winter day, the cold wind blew into the front hall, and the blue-flowered Jingdezhen porcelain teacup on the low-legged tea table trembled slightly. Chen Si's eyes were dull as he stared blankly outside the front hall, mechanically picked up the teacup with a zombie-like movement, and slowly sipped a mouthful of tea.

  The Longjing tea that used to be sweet and fragrant before the rain now tastes extremely bitter, just like his current mood.

  "Master, the steward is back!" a servant reported from outside the front hall.

  "Quick! Quick, call him in!"

  Chen Guan's family walked in with heavy footsteps and a flustered expression. Before Chen Siliu could ask, Chen Guan's family trembled and reported: "Master, things are not going well. The humble one followed your orders, added 2,000 taels of white silver to the gift list, and went to deliver it again. However, that Cao County Cheng didn't even look at it, tore up the gift list in front of me, threw it on the ground, and told me to get out. He also said... he also said..."

  "Chen Siliu's face turned pale as he asked: 'He... what else did he say?'"

  "He said... that all of our Chen family's shops must prepare the account books for all these years, he suspects that our Chen family has been evading business taxes for many years. Tomorrow, he will bring the county government's chief accountant, Mr. Xie, and Liu the captain, along with a group of yamen runners to investigate our Chen family's accounts. If it is discovered that the Chen family has evaded business taxes, you will be handed over to County Magistrate Li for punishment. All of the Chen family's properties... will be confiscated!"

  "Clang!" Chen Si Liu's teacup fell to the ground, making a crisp shattering sound.

  Chen Si Liu's face turned deathly pale, and he sat back heavily in his chair, muttering: "The Chen family... is finished!"