Chapter 50: The Great House Search Operation

  Lan Weiwu stabbed Yang Nengge to death with one knife and understood that he had no choice but to rely on Li Zhen.

  Just killing Yang Nengge is enough to sentence him to death. So Lan Yuwen changed her mind and decided to be loyal to Li Zhen. As the saying goes, "in its position to plan its politics", Lan Yuwen quickly changed roles and thought for Li Zhen everywhere, and respectfully said: "Report to your lord, I have something to report."

  Li Zhen waved his hand and said: "Speak!"

  Lan Weiweng said with great respect: "During Yang Naiwu's tenure as Shanghai Daotai, he colluded with foreigners to sell opium and amassed a huge fortune. According to my humble estimate, Yang Naiwu alone accumulated no less than one million taels of silver. If we add the jewelry and land deeds owned by Yang Naiwu's concubines, the total amount is estimated to be no less than 1.5 million taels of white silver."

  "Hiss! Hiss!"

  Li Zhen took a few deep breaths, his heart heavy with emotion.

  A small Shanghai Daoist, actually has such a thick and huge family background, it's really shocking to hear. Li Zhen can still keep calm, but Yang Banhou was scared stiff by the numbers spoken by Lan Yuwen. After Yang Banhou recovered, he felt an overwhelming anger in his heart again. A Daoist actually extorted so much money, how many ordinary people were harmed!

  Yang Banhou looked at Yang Neng's already cold corpse, his fists clenched and his knuckles cracking. His gaze shifted to Lan Xueyan, who was standing with her head slightly bowed, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes, as if he were staring at prey.

  Yang Banhou's eyes turned red, and he was on the verge of exploding.

  "Ah!!"

  Lan Wei was so frightened that she cried out in alarm, very afraid that Yang Banhou would suddenly kill someone.

  Li Zhen said in a low voice, "Ban Hou, Yang Nengge's case is not the only one, there are many such cases. Moreover, if a small Daoist like this can be so corrupt, then high-ranking officials like the Governor and Provincial Military Commander will be even more so. Now the Qing Empire is short of money, the national treasury is tight, but the lower officials are getting fatter and oilier. We'll slowly clean up these parasites of the state, don't rush."

  Yang Banhou retracted his killing intent and no longer targeted Lan Yunwei.

  "How terrifying! How frightening!"

  Lan Weiwen muttered to herself, and seeing Li Zhen's inquiring gaze, she knew that her affairs could not be hidden. At this point, Lan Weiwen said: "Your Excellency, I am a low-ranking official following Yang Nengge, with little share of the spoils, and my family has saved 300,000 taels. This time Your Excellency arrived in Shanghai, I will offer all the money I earned to you."

  Li Zhen saw Lan Weiwen's obedient report, felt satisfied in his heart, and waved his hand saying: "Since you are loyal to me, don't touch the family's money, I won't take a single penny from you."

  "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

  Lan Wei let out a sigh of relief and felt incredibly relaxed.

  Li Zhen continued, "Don't rush to thank me. Since you said that Yang Nengge's family is wealthy, with at least 1.5 million taels of silver, then take the soldiers to the Yang mansion and confiscate all the ill-gotten wealth from Yang Nengge. As for the servants in the Yang mansion, give them some compensation and disperse them."

  Li Zhen paused for a moment and then said: "As for the specific amount of silver, I hope it won't be spread around."

  "Yes, I understand!"

  Lan Weiwen bowed and replied: "Sir, don't you think it would be better to send someone with me?"

  Li Zhen said: "You just select soldiers in the camp, I believe you."

  Lan Weiyun didn't expect Li Zhen to trust him so much, and a inexplicable sense of emotion rose in his heart, making him even more determined to gain Li Zhen's trust. Lan Weiyun respectfully bowed to Li Zhen before exiting the main tent.

  Li Zhen ordered: "Ban Hou, have the soldiers drag Yang Nengge's body away and bury it."

  "Yes!"

  Yang Banhou ordered his soldiers to drag Yang Neng down and have someone clean up the bloodstains.

  Yang Banhou said in a low voice, "General, involving over 1 million taels of silver, you only let Lan Weiyun go collect it alone. Isn't that a bit rash? If Lan Weiyun embezzles some money or runs away with the money, won't we suffer a huge loss? We captured British and French soldiers and negotiated hard to get 800,000 taels of silver. Now we can get 1.5 million taels, but if it's embezzled by Lan Weiyun, it would be a double loss of men and money."

  Li Zhen shook his head and said, "If Lan Weiwen has absconded with the money, that would be murder and robbery, an even more serious crime. Lan Weiwen is a clever person, he won't run away. Moreover, if you suspect someone, don't use him; if you don't suspect someone, then use him. He will complete his task."

  Yang Banhou saw Li Zhen's resolute attitude and stopped trying to persuade him.

  ……

  Time passed, and the sky gradually turned dark.

  In the camp, a cold wind was blowing, but the central military tent was still lit with flickering lights. Li Zhen, Huang Shi Hai, Yang Ban Hou and Huang Hu were all inside, waiting together for Lan Yuwen. However, as time passed without any sign of Lan Yuwen's arrival, Huang Shi Hai and Yang Ban Hou grew anxious. Huang Hu furrowed his brow even more deeply, worriedly saying: "General, I'll take some men to go look, see where Lan Yuwen has gone."

  Li Zhen shook his head and said, "No need, I believe in Lan Weiwen."

  After a moment, Blue's voice came from outside the tent: "Sir, I'm back."

  The tent door curtain was rolled up, and Lan Weiyan entered the tent.

  At the same time, a soldier carrying a box walked in behind Lan Weiwen.

  The soldiers put the boxes on the ground and retreated. Lan Yunwen pointed to the boxes and said in a low voice, "Sir, there are twelve boxes here, totaling 1.8 million taels of white silver."

  "1.8 million!"

  Li Zhen took a deep breath, and his heart couldn't help but beat faster. He asked in a low voice: "County Magistrate Lan, you previously said 15 million, now it's become 18 million, definitely with great effort. You have made a great contribution, can't not be rewarded. After the silver is stored and registered, take out 100,000 taels of silver from the treasury, this is your reward."

  "Thank you, sir!"

  Lan Weiwen didn't expect to get paid for moving house, she was delighted.

  Huang Shi Hai and Yang Ban Hou both swallowed their saliva, this wealth came too easily.

  A trip is worth 100,000 taels of silver.

  However, the two also knew that this was Li Zhen's trick to win over Lan Weiwen and didn't take it to heart. But for Yang Banhou and Huang Shihai, they had seen a lot of big scenes, but hadn't seen such extravagance before.

  In short, one million two silver flew away.

  However, the two had never seen such a lucrative business. They captured hundreds of foreigners and earned 800,000 taels of silver. They sent people to confiscate property and confiscated 180 million taels of white silver, which was even more severe.

  Li Zhen smiled and said in a gentle voice, "Wei Wen, as long as you follow me and do things right, don't embezzle or bend the law, and complete your tasks diligently, I absolutely won't let you suffer. You won't lack official rank, wealth, or women."

  "Bang!"

  Lan Wei knelt on the ground, knocking her head against the earth, saying: "Your humble servant vows to die in loyalty to Your Excellency."

  "Get up, no need to kneel. Here, we don't use kneeling, nor do I like people kneeling. You serve me, you are my subordinate, but absolutely not my slave, this point must be clear." His gaze shifted, Li Zhen looked at Huang Shi Hai and others, saying: "You are the same, don't use kneeling as a ritual."

  "Yes!"

  Huang Shi Hai and Yang Ban Hou responded in unison, while Lan Wei Wen was so moved that she stood up with tears streaming down her face, looking extremely excited. He even had the idea of "dying for a friend who understands him" and felt that he had met a wise lord.

  PS: Monday explosion, first update. Monday is also the time to rush up the rankings, it's very intense and easy to be bombed with chrysanthemums, so please collect and throw flowers, let's kill our way up together, thank you everyone!