Twenty-two, the strategy of sending charcoal in snowy weather

  From Zhu Yuanzhang's current understanding of the second young master, he is completely a waste, doing nothing all day, impulsive, childish and foolish. And through Ma Qianjiu, it can be seen from the side that the big young master must be a clever and capable person, otherwise there would not be someone as steady as Ma Qianjiu under his command.

  Among these two people, choosing one to stand on the team really doesn't require thinking, he knocked down the two gatekeepers with one punch, which is equivalent to announcing that he will stand on the side of the young master from now on.

  "Zhu Ba, did you hit someone?" Two house servants were lying on the ground, their heads still spinning.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was too lazy to bother with them, so he pulled on Ma Qianjiu's sleeve: "Hurry up and find Second Master."

  Two people walked into the backyard, and Zhu Yuanchang felt a sudden change in the scenery. The backyard of Ma's house was quite well-built, with a round arch door on the east and a small pavilion on the west. A winding path made of pebbles led through the flowerbeds, looking very elegant. There were also several ponds in the garden, but unfortunately, the water level was low, almost exposing the bottom. In a year of severe drought, it was already difficult to maintain some water in the pond, let alone have a high water level. The garden originally had many plants and flowers, but they all showed signs of withering due to lack of water.

  The two family guards who were just knocked down by Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly shouted loudly from behind: "Zhu Ba is breaking into the inner courtyard... Everyone come quickly... Zhu Ba is breaking into the inner courtyard..." In fact, Ma Qianji should also be held responsible for breaking into the inner courtyard, but the family guards did not dare to offend him, so they omitted his name and made it seem like Zhu Ba was acting alone.

  These loud shouts echoed far and wide in the quiet afternoon courtyard, spreading in all directions, followed by a burst of exclamations. A house servant guarding the yard angrily shouted: "The manager of the side yard is really insignificant? Dare to come to the inner yard to make trouble?"

  The maid exclaimed: "Has Zhu Ba Ge arrived? Oh no, I just woke up and haven't even washed or dressed yet. If he sees me like this, he'll dislike me."

  Another voice followed and said: "Zhu Ba Ge has long rejected you, don't be self-righteous..."

  Then there was the voice of an old woman saying: "Third Miss, a man from outside has entered the inner courtyard. As a female family member, you should withdraw..."

  Then there were many light, heavy, and hurried footsteps ringing out in all directions. There were those of the family's men, the maidservants, and even the wives...

  Ma Qianjiu led Zhu Yuanzhang to a small, one-story wooden building in the flower garden. The building was made of high-quality sandalwood and painted with deep red and black lacquer. White paper covered the windows, and lanterns hung from the eaves, although they were not lit since it was daytime.

  Several family members rushed over to block them, but Zhu Yuanzhang didn't bother with them and simply dragged and threw them into the flower bed and pool. When they arrived at the front of the small building, Ma Qianjiu was anxious and angry, and also had a grudge against Second Young Master, so he didn't even announce their arrival, and instead pushed open the door and rushed in, with Zhu Yuanzhang closely following behind him.

  Only to see the second young master sitting up in bed, with a dazed look in his eyes. It turned out that he had also been woken up by the noise in the courtyard. He muttered: "Zhu Ba, this killer really doesn't know what's good for him, breaking in during my nap, is he trying to get himself killed?"

  Next to a small bed where a maid was sleeping, a maidservant with two braids got up and hastily rushed to the side of Second Young Master, not even noticing Ma Qianjiu and Zhu Yuanzhang standing beside her, busily helping Second Young Master put on his clothes, buttoning buttons.

  Ma Qianjiu took a step forward and arrived at the bedside of Second Young Master, lowering his voice and saying hastily: "Second Young Master, I've come to inform you that something big has happened. This morning, County Magistrate sent people to arrest all villagers from Xiguan Village."

  "What's the big deal if the villagers of Xigou Village are taken away? It has nothing to do with us anyway!" The second young master was still in a daze, not fully awake, and muttered discontentedly.

  Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and reminded, "All the villagers in Xigou Village are 'guizhu' under our Ma family's name, in other words, all the land in Xigou Village is written under our Ma family's name on the deed."

  The second young master sneered: "What's the big deal? Even if County Magistrate Chen arrests a few of our family's servants, it's not like it's a huge loss. At most, they'll get a beating and be let go. If things really escalate and they're killed, our family won't suffer any great losses."

  "Ah, my Second Master, how can you still be so confused after hearing this?" Ma Qianjiu said with a heavy heart: "The situation is very serious now. These villagers were caught and taken to the government office, and after being beaten with several boards, they would have confessed everything about 'Ji Gui' (a form of tax evasion). Although everyone is doing it, 'Ji Gui' is something that can't be made public. If we speak lightly of it, it's just a matter of willing buyers and sellers, reasonable and lawful, without any guilt. According to the usual rules, it's just a clever way to avoid taxes, with some fines and penalties. But if we speak heavily of it, it's colluding with evil people, deceiving the imperial court, and confiscating property and destroying families. The officials' words are like two knives, whether they judge lightly or severely depends on their mood."

  The second young master was stunned for a moment and said vaguely: "My father also served as an official, who dares to convict me of the Ma family with such a small crime?"

  "Alas... it's clear that they're going to use this trick on the Ma family, why are you still staying...?" Ma Qianji felt a bitter taste in his mouth and hastily called out: "Second Master, please wake up quickly! The old master has been retired for many years and no longer has any connections in the imperial court... we're now no different from ordinary people."

  Young Master Ma sat for a while, his brain not used to thinking about serious matters for years, and when he needed it, he found it empty and couldn't turn around for half a day: "Is it really that serious?"

  "Even if it won't be a case of wiping out the entire family..." Ma Qianjiu said with a bitter smile, "I'm afraid we'll still suffer no small loss."

  "What's to be done?" asked Second Master.

  Ma Qianjiu was so angry that his lungs were about to burst: "We came to find you, just wanting you to take charge, now what should we do? I'm really... Alas, if the young master were at home, he would definitely have a way to resolve this crisis."

  Second Master said in a daze: "I really don't know what to do, Ma Qianjiu, aren't you my brother's trusted aide? You're always full of tricks, think of something quickly!"

  Ma Qianjiu sighed and said, "What can I do? If there was a way, I wouldn't be rushing into the inner courtyard like a headless fly."

  Second Master turned his head to look at Zhu Ba: "Huh? How come you're also here?" He hurriedly asked this guy who hadn't noticed Zhu Ba was present, and didn't know what he had been looking at: "You seem to be called Zhu Ba......hmm......I remember you're a person with ideas, you tell me, what should we do?"

  Zhu Yuanzhang had a plan in mind, but he didn't want to say it now...

  To know the wisdom of clever plans, the biggest taboo is to reveal them too quickly. Any plan that comes too fast and too easily will be suspected by superiors as to whether it's feasible! Even if the plan is adopted and successfully implemented, superiors will think that the plan came easily, didn't require much brainpower, and isn't worth a big reward. As a result, one's achievements will be taken lightly and forgotten.

  To be a good advisor, to be valued as an advisor, the best way is to intentionally hide your true thoughts, pretend to think deeply, and when everyone else can't come up with a solution, you suddenly offer a brilliant plan like a timely snowfall, turning clouds into rain, only then will your superior remember the great contribution you made.

  At this moment, it was obviously not a good time for Zhu Yuanzhang to come up with his own solution. He shook his head and deliberately said: "My vision is shallow, how can I have any good ideas? This matter still depends on Manager Ma and Second Master to make decisions."

  The Second Master and Ma Qianjiu racked their brains, thinking desperately. Zhu Yuanzhang also pretended to be deep in thought, thinking along with them.

  After a while...

  "Right, you said it's okay like this?" The second young master suddenly said: "We secretly alter the land deed of Xigou Village and change those villagers' contracts as well. We'll make a fake contract and say that those villagers are not our family members at all. Then County Magistrate Chen will have no way to deal with us."

  Ma Qianjiu smiled bitterly and said, "Second Master, you are forging documents. This might work when we're dealing with the mud-legged ones in court, but if we do this to County Magistrate, we'll be handing him new evidence of our crime. We'll be punished for two crimes at once, and die even faster."

  "Uh..." Second Master was silent.

  After a while, Ma Qianjiu slapped his forehead: "Let's do this, hurry up and prepare the heavy gift, send it to the county magistrate's mansion, ask him to show mercy and let us off this time."

  "Good!" Second Master shouted: "This is a good idea. With money, you can make the devil push the mill... Don't worry that Chen won't take the bait."

  "Only afraid it won't work... We have money, doesn't the Zhang family of Cheng City have money too? If my guess is not wrong, the Zhang family of Cheng City has already taken the lead in sending a heavy gift to County Magistrate, and only then will he take action against our family. Now sending money to his door may not be useful, and suddenly provoking his sneer."

  "As long as the money we send is more than what Zhang's family from Cheng City sent, that's all that matters." Second Young Master shouted.

  Ma Qianjiu sighed and said, "Second Master, Zhu Ba is right. If it weren't for the last 'Guì Jì' not becoming the county magistrate, he wouldn't have taken drastic measures. At that time, he was still testing us, and sending money could still salvage the situation. Now it's too late. Even if we send more money than the Zhang family, we must consider the county magistrate's face. If he accepts one family's money and suddenly turns to another, the nickname 'wall grass' will be hard to shake off. Where would his face be in the officialdom? This path of the county magistrate, we absolutely cannot take it from now on."

  The two of them hugged their heads and started thinking again, but no matter how hard they thought for half a day, they couldn't come up with a solution. Time was passing bit by bit, and both of them were getting anxious, especially Ma Qianjiu, whose breathing was getting more and more urgent... Time was pressing, the villagers of Xigou Village had been taken away early in the morning, and judging from the time, they must have already been interrogated by County Magistrate. A few slaps on the board, a show of the official's authority, and it's likely that even if they had worms in their stomachs, they would have confessed everything clearly... It wouldn't be long before County Magistrate got his hands on concrete evidence and came to cause trouble for the Ma family... Now was the most critical moment... But he just couldn't think of a good solution.

  Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the time had come, and the opportunity to send charcoal in the snow had arrived! He lowered his voice and said seriously: "I thought of a way, I don't know if it will work."

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