[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

"Yi'er, those subordinates around you are so disgraceful! What did they do! They are not big or small! Why did they attack the house?" Mrs. Zhang was furious. people.

Chen Yi frowned and said, "Mom, I asked them to do it."

Mrs. Zhang couldn't help being taken aback, and said: "Yi'er, are you confused, or is there some misunderstanding? How can you treat your own people like this? You should let them go quickly."

Chen Yi couldn't complain if he wanted to. He fell into this situation, and he indulged his mother's actions in a foolish way. He didn't support Xie Wanying, because she didn't have the opportunity to manage the family.But I think the Xie family is an official family in this dynasty, so it is not unreasonable to pass on so many generations.

Chen Yi said: "Mother, forgive me for not obeying my orders! From today on, this family, I have the final say, unless I'm expelled from the family, then I can't wait!"

Mrs. Zhang and the nuns present were taken aback, and Aunt Zhang exclaimed even more: "Master, what's wrong with you, how can you disobey your wife?"

Chen Yi glanced at her: "Get lost!"

Aunt Zhang couldn't help crying, "Auntie~~"

Mrs. Zhang stood up, took a step forward, and said angrily: "How dare you be unfilial? Do you still want to be an official?"

Chen Yi said sadly: "My life is almost gone, why should I be an official? I have worked hard outside, and you are holding me back like this? Am I giving you less to eat, or less to use? How many people have I introduced? The business is given to you, are you not satisfied with these? There are those who seized the fields to seize the fields, those who tortured people to death, and those who stole people’s shares to steal money. There are also voices representing the empress. I don’t even have room for excuses for what you have done No! Even if I become a Pingzhang and make great achievements, I will not be able to pay off your crimes!"

Mrs. Zhang's face was pale, she took a step back, fell on the seat, and said: "Yi'er, why do you say that, everything in the future will be yours, you saved the empress, what a credit you are, even if you are a marquis It made it. Everyone in the world said that the empress is the only one who is favored, and the emperor disperses the harem for her, and the emperor regards the empress as his life/root. We owe this to the heavens! The empress must remember!"

"Enough!" Chen Yi shouted, "What a great contribution! How many loyal ministers and righteous men died fighting for the country and the people, and they haven't been appointed as marquises yet, how can it be my turn! You keep saying that you are saving lives, we are a merchant, I The young man did not pass the imperial examination and was in a high position. With the grace of the royal family, I married the daughter of an aristocratic family, which allowed us to change families. Isn't the queen giving us enough? I am not satisfied, but I can't do these things you do! One by one, you are driving me to death!"

Aunt Zhang said: "Master, why do you say that? From the beginning to the end, my aunt valued you most!"

Chen Yi: "Get out!"

Aunt Zhang wanted to say more, but Chen Yi asked a guard to come up. Aunt Zhang didn't dare to have any contact with the outsider, screamed and left the room by herself.

Mrs. Zhang said: "Are you blaming me? I have worked so hard, but for whom?"

Chen Yi said: "Don't lie to me anymore, and don't lie to yourself, you are for yourself! You are not for me!"

Mrs. Zhang cried with tears in her eyes: "God, why are you so unfilial! My son who was conceived in October is going to kill me, a mother!"

Mrs. Zhang didn't wait for Chen Yi's begging for mercy, but heard his mournful and painful wailing loudly, then walked out of the house crying and laughing, and ran into Father Chen who came back, but he ignored him.

Chen Yi can now understand what it was like for Xie Wanying to stay at home for those three years. He was still the pillar of the family and his own son.Xie Wanying didn't even have the support of her husband, but stabbed her in the heart.She also wanted to restore this situation back then, but she was powerless. No one helped her, and she had to be tortured by her mother.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry for you, and I'm sorry for myself!"

But this kind of regret is too late, there is no regret medicine in the world.

Chen Yi personally took care of the family affairs, starting with the slaves of the three families, escorting them to the government office to clean up the house.Chen Yi understood that he was a member of the Chen family, and there was only one chance to avoid the disaster of family raiding and extermination.And what happened to Mrs. Zhang also made him disheartened.

Prefect Xie also received a secret order from Jin Yiwei to openly try the case of the Chen family and return the peace to the people in Hangzhou.Prefect Xie also received a letter from Xie Wanying, and learned that Chen Yi had already divorced her, and that the two families had no relationship, so he would not be afraid of her.But he also knew that it was the queen's attempt to protect him once Chen Yi came forward to destroy the Qing Dynasty righteously, and the red line for this attack was also drawn.Prefect Xie couldn't help but lament the dramatic rise and fall of the Chen family, it's only been a few years.Therefore, sometimes it is not necessarily a good thing to say that a person has great luck for nothing.

Starting from the trial of the three noble slaves, some relatives of the Chen family were imprisoned, even Chen Yi's younger brother Chen Yuan was involved in the case, and finally there was the case of Mrs. Zhang's champerty and extortion.Although she didn't know that the interest rate of the slaves was [-]% higher than what she knew, there were slaves who forced people to death.

Chen Yi knelt in front of the hall to plead guilty for his mother. He had been an official in Sichuan for a long time and didn't know anything about his hometown, so he also solemnly apologized to the people.Although many victims hated the Chen family deeply, but when Chen Yi came back to kill his relatives righteously, the people felt that he was implicated by his relatives, so they didn't hate him very much.

Those slaves who committed crimes were just from humble origins, and they were dragged directly to Caishikou at noon to report their crimes to the people and behead them.Mrs. Zhang was involved in the crime and indirectly killed her, and she was sent to the frontier.A brother and a cousin of the Zhang family's natal family were civilians, but they were suspected of committing crimes in the name of the queen.The Zhang family of the two rooms was ransacked. The men in the family were sent to the frontier with cheap registration, and the women were sold with cheap registration.

Chen Yi's younger brother, Chen Yuan, bullied the city and sent him to the frontier.Chen's father didn't have any serious crimes directly. He was mainly responsible for Chen Yi's reasonable business, but he knew some things and didn't deal with them.

The rest of the Chen family involved more than a dozen people, large and small, who were involved in crimes, and all those directly related were dealt with.

Another government servant copied out the illegally obtained property of the Chen family and related people. The victim can apply to the government office with evidence, and it can be returned after the investigation is clear.

The Chen family, which had been proud for several years, fell like this. Although Chen's father had no direct major crimes, he suddenly aged ten years.

It took nearly a month to try the people, one case after another.

After the new year, Mrs. Zhang, Chen Yuan, and some people from the Chen family, Zhang family, and Chen Yuan's wife's family who were going to be sent to the frontier also left the prison.

When Chen Yi came to see him off, Mrs. Zhang and Chen Yuan came forward with shackles on their hands as if they had seen life-saving straws.

"Yi'er, save mother! How can you ignore mother!"

Chen Yi said: "I went to North Vietnam and lived a good life. I also said hello to my old colleagues there. As long as you don't commit crimes, they will not make things difficult for you. A Yuan can do some small business."

Chen Yuan begged in a panic: "Brother, please help me! I don't dare anymore! I know I was wrong!"

Chen Yi knew that they were dispatched to North Vietnam, and it was the empress who saw him as extrajudicial. Otherwise, if they were dispatched to Liaodong, Biancheng, and Yili, Chen Yi, as an officer in the new army, would have no way to get through the joints.

The governor of North Vietnam is Duan Zhi, and the commander of the garrison is Sun Fang, both of whom are friends.

Chen Yi said: "It is an extrajudicial favor for you to survive. Remember not to use my name to think that you can get special care. I can only protect you from being bullied for no reason."

Mrs. Zhang heard that Chen Yi couldn't pick her up, her heart was full of resentment, and she said: "It's a good family, and it's broken up. General Chen Yi, Chen, what kind of official are you? You can't even protect your mother and brother! You sent your uncles to the guillotine! You dreamed back at midnight, aren't you afraid that they will come looking for you!"

Mrs. Zhang rushed forward to beat Chen Yi, but Chen Yi let her do it. Chen Yi said: "They forced so many lives to death, are they afraid that those wronged souls will come to them? Mother, are you afraid that those people will come to you?"

Mrs. Zhang has been in the limelight for so long, how can she be reconciled to it when things go away for a while?These resentments turned into hatred.

"I never thought that the empress would be so ruthless..."

Father Chen stepped forward and slapped him across the face, scolding: "Stupid woman! Haven't you harmed my son enough? How could I marry such a stupid woman like you!"

Chen Yi looked at Chen Yuan and said: "Start from scratch in Beiyue. Don't listen to your mother. My mother is foolish and misleads others and yourself. If you behave well, Beiyue will have a chance to recover. You are still young, and you still have children. Remember Don't break the law again."

At this time, Chen Yuan had no choice but to agree with tears. Chen Yi secretly stuffed some banknotes for him, and also handed him a letter of introduction.

"I went to North Vietnam to find a chance to meet Governor Duan." Chen Yuan couldn't help but look at his elder brother with a glimmer of hope.

However, Chen Yi still explained again: "Don't listen to your mother, if she wants to make trouble, let her make trouble, as long as it doesn't short her for food and drink."

Chen Yuan nodded, not daring to forget.Chen Yuan has also been in business for many years, and also assisted Chen's father in handling affairs. He still has some ability, but his greed is too much, and he is guilty of dominating the market.

There was only so much Chen Yi could do. Under the escort of the yamen servants, a group of people left Hangzhou and went to North Vietnam by boat.

The Chen family is already empty, only the old lady and Chen's father are still there, and the rest of the Chen family's real estate has been sold.

Before he set off to return to Shu, he was ordered by the Queen to transfer him to Beijing as the "Deputy Director of the Preparatory Committee of the Great Zhou Royal Military Academy" with the rank of second-class general.

Chen Yi knew that this was a new opportunity, but at the same time, he also showed that the empress removed him from the original Sichuan high-level system, breaking the foundation of his previous management for many years.This is a punishment for him, but it is also an opportunity for him.

Chen Yi only felt mixed feelings, and he couldn't tell whether he had any complaints against the queen, but he was in awe, and he would never let go of this new opportunity.

An ancient man, who has been an official, never wants to become a commoner again.A businessman, who has been an official, absolutely does not want to be a merchant who is looked down upon by others.Some of the official families did not have shops under their hands. They took advantage of the interests of the landlords and merchants, but they were not merchants, but high-ranking officials.Officials also have the preferential treatment of tax-free land, a better advancement for future generations, and greater commercial interests.

He is over [-] years old, and after going through ups and downs, storms, and waves, he will also think deeply about how much he has experienced under the Queen's hand for more than ten years.But just like her background, to climb to that position, apart from her luck, she is the only one in the world with unparalleled intelligence and steadfastness of heart.He thought he had learned it, like her double-entry accounting method, or the method of uniting friends and organizing work, but in fact, he was far from learning the deep-seated things.