I

Chapter 928 – 924【Middleman】

Chapter 928 924 [Middleman]

There are quite a few officials who have gone out from the Shanghai Shipping Department, one is the third-rank left servant, and the other is the fifth-rank doctor. These are still only central officials, and there are still five local officials from the third rank, the fourth rank, and the fifth rank.

Shanghai Shipping Department was established relatively late, how many officials should go out of the first Guangzhou Shipping Department?

What about other municipal shipping companies?

In the interrogation room, Cao Benshu knocked on the table twice: “Please explain everything.”

Du Xingxue said: “At the beginning of the opening of Shanghai Port, Mr. Wu Ge (Wu Yingji) was in charge. At that time, the investigation was relatively strict. Mr. Wu Ge was just reused by the emperor, and he only wanted to make meritorious service. , Mr. Wu Ge was promoted, and the head of the Shibo Department was also replaced by Xiao Qifeng.”

Xiao Qifeng is a scholar of Yongyang Town, Zhao Han raised troops in Wuxing Town, and the second expansion site is Yongyang Town.

The tablets of the first batch of sacrificed martyrs of the Datong Army are placed in the Xiao Family Ancestral Hall in Yongyang Town. This Xiao Qifeng can definitely be called a Conglong hero, a proper official of the court and middle school.

Du Xingxue continued: “When Xiao Qifeng took office, he was relatively honest as an official. But his son Xiao Jingzhang was dragged into the water by Wu Wengang, a sea merchant. Xiao Jingzhang is just a **** who doesn’t like reading or being an official. He was hanging around in Shanghai when he was seven years old, and he loved to compare himself with the young master of the wealthy businessman’s family. This guy got Wu Wengang’s money, and he evaded taxes with a few officials. After the matter was revealed, Xiao Qifeng was worried about his official title, so he helped his son take the money. The case was suppressed.”

“The case will be suppressed if he says so?” Cao Benshu asked.

Du Xingxue said with a smile: “The amount at that time was not large, and Xiao Qifeng knew many nobles, so the officials in charge of investigating the case turned a blind eye and closed their eyes, ordering Wu Wengang to pay back the tax and then quietly uncovered it. For a small Case, why offend Conglong Zhichen who came from Yongyang Town?”

Cao Benshu asked: “Is Xiao Qifeng being dragged into the water like this?”

Du Xingxue said: “Not yet. His son, Xiao Jingzhang, beat people into cripples because of jealousy. Wu Wengang helped settle the case with the victim. Afterwards, Wu Wengang invited Xiao Qifeng to a banquet. Going to the appointment. Wu Wengang entangled the Xiao family father and son, and sent Wenwan and women, and once came and went, they were colluding.”

“Wu Wengang didn’t just evade taxes, did he?” Cao Benshu asked.

“Of course more than that,” Du Xingxue said, “Wu Wengang opened a bank, and all the dirty money collected by corrupt officials in Shanghai is stored in Wu Wengang’s bank. Moreover, without an access certificate, it is impossible for the imperial court to find out the stolen money. With this, Wu Wengang’s The bank grew rapidly, and many merchants turned to Wu Wengang for loans. Wu Wengang also took the opportunity to buy shares in many companies, there are about a dozen maritime trading companies, and Wu Wengang has shares in them.”

Cao Benshu asked again: “Why are all these criminal accounts in your hands? What do you do?”

Du Xingxue said: “I was originally from North Zhili, and my family fled to Shandong. Shandong was in chaos, and I continued to flee south. My father and brother died of illness one after another on the way. My father had some friendship with Xuanhu Gong (Xu Guangqi) in the early years, so I took him with him. The family came to Shanghai. At that time, the Xu family was ordered by the court to separate and relocate, and the descendants of Xuanhu Gong were busy dividing up the family property. How could they take care of those who defected to us? There was not even a caller. I was almost hungry at the time Dead on the street.”

“Continue to talk.” Cao Benshu said.

Du Xingxue said: “At that time, Shanghai County expanded its recruitment of officials. I planned to be a small official. I suddenly fell ill a few days before the exam. After I recovered, because I knew Thai and Western mathematics, the primary school in Shanghai had not been opened for a few years at that time. Many wealthy businessmen I was looking for a teacher to give my children extra lessons, so I applied for a teacher from Wu Wengang’s family.”

Cao Benshu said: “Being Mr. Xixi is just a temporary act. Why didn’t you go to examine officials later?”

Du Xingxue explained: “Both my father and brother died of illness, and I was the only one to take care of my mother. I was too busy working as an official in the new dynasty. How could I have time to take care of my mother at home? In addition, the older my mother was, the more illnesses became more. He also died of illness, and the house was a mess. Alas… Anyway, it’s very annoying, and I don’t have time to do business.”

Cao Benshu asked: “How did you get in touch with Xiao Qifeng?”

Du Xingxue said: “When I was teaching at Wu Wengang’s home, I had a good relationship with his son, and… seduced his daughter. Raw rice was cooked, and she was pregnant. He didn’t want to lose face, so he held his nose and confessed. gone.”

“This guy is really a bad guy, and he can do such things.” Cao Benshu couldn’t help but sigh.

Du Xingxue continued: “Later, I deliberately made friends with Xiao Jingzhang and acted as a dog’s leg to Mr. Xiao. Through Xiao Jingzhang, I got to know Xiao Qifeng and worked hard to show my talents. Sure enough, I was appreciated by Xiao Qifeng. Qifeng, leave the Wu family to do business on my own. Alas, I am really not good at doing business, the business company I opened in partnership with Mr. Xiao closed after only one year of operation. “

Cao Benshu said: “With the Xiao family as the facade, how can the business company lose money?”

Du Xingxue smiled wryly: “Young Master Xiao has too many cronies and friends, so he stuffs people into the trading company from time to time. He has a good face, and many goods are sold to our trading company at high prices because of his friendship. In the end, it was the friends that Young Master Xiao stuffed in. Qian fled overseas, and two cargo ships were also missing.”

Cao Benshu sighed: “Young Master Xiao, it’s really hard to describe.”

Du Xingxue said: “After that, I stopped doing business. Xiao Qifeng and Wu Wengang also had a rift, so I took the opportunity to be their middleman. I handle all the stolen money from the Shibo Department, and part of it is deposited in Wu Wengang’s Part of the money bank was distributed from Chen Xianchun’s hands to fellow officials. Chen Xianchun had only been doing this for five years, and before him, there was a man named Zhai Shirang who died of illness after being transferred to Shaanxi.”

Cao Benshu asked: “That Zhai Shirang, did he really die of illness, or was he murdered?”

Du Xingxue shook his head: “I don’t know, but he should have died of illness. He left the Shibo Department long ago and went to Shaanxi to be a local official. There is no need for Xiao Qifeng to send someone to kill him.”

Cao Benshu asked again: “After Xiao Qifeng was transferred from Shanghai, is he still taking the stolen money from the Shibo Department?”

“I have been taking it all the time,” Du Xingxue said. “This kind of thing can’t be stopped. Even if he wants to stop, the maritime merchants involved in the case will continue to send him money. Moreover, the shipping department of other ports also have I guess most of the confidantes he promoted also received money. The dirty money he has embezzled over the years, if not one million, is probably three to five million.”

Cao Benshu asked again: “Chen Xianchun and his son, did you kill them?”

“No,” Du Xingxue explained, “Zhai Shirang, who has died of illness, and this Chen Xianchun, what they did, they must die once the case happens. It was agreed a long time ago that if they die, the case will be closed. But Chen Xianchun was afraid of death and refused to commit suicide for a long time, so I had no choice but to persuade him personally.”

Cao Benshu asked: “If you persuade them, will they die?”

Du Xingxue said: “Of course we have to make a painful statement. If they don’t commit suicide, they will definitely die if the case finds out. And even if they are beheaded, there are too many officials involved, and his family will be worse than death. If they commit suicide , Xiao Qifeng and other officials will take care of their families afterwards. Even if the whole family is exiled, they can quietly send the money, and when the news passes, they can slowly move back from the place of exile.”

Cao Benshu couldn’t understand one more point: “Those account books are so important, why are they all placed in the study? If you are afraid of being found out in Datong Bank, you can dig a big hole and bury them. And after I brought someone to the door, you actually Plead guilty immediately.”

Du Xingxue sighed: “Oh, I’m tired. There are more and more officials and merchants involved. As a middleman, I can’t sleep all night. And that stupid son of Chen Xianchun always drives a big carriage around the market, afraid People don’t know that his father is a corrupt official, sooner or later he will be severely investigated by the court. Also, if Xiao Qifeng can escape this calamity, when the news passes, I guess I will be silenced.”

“You can escape overseas.” Cao Benshu said.

Du Xingxue said: “My mother, wife and children are all being targeted by Wu Wengang. He also asked his daughter to take her grandson back to her natal family to visit relatives. Now my wife and children are being guarded at Wu’s house. My mother is almost seven years old. Ten years old and sick all over again, how can he stand up to the waves?”

Cao Benshu stared at Du Xingxue for a while, and always felt that it would not be so simple. Du Xingxue must have something to hide.

“The Secretary of Shibo experienced Fan Hongjing, did you send someone to kill him?” Cao Benshu asked.

Du Xingxue shook his head: “It wasn’t me, nor an official. The murderer was my father-in-law, Wu Wengang. Fan Ching was very smart, and he suspected that Wu Wengang was deeply involved in the case through clues. He pretended to accept bribes, and purposely made friends with Wu Wengang.” , and often inquired about some inside stories. Wu Wengang murdered in a fright, Wang Cai and Chen Xianchun dealt with the aftermath, and cremated the body according to normal death, for fear that the government would send someone to do an autopsy.”

Cao Benshu asked again: “Aside from the murder of Fan Jingcheng, is there any other murder case committed by Wu Wengang?”

“Yes,” Du Xingxue said, “Six years ago, there was an official in the Shipbuilding Department who didn’t want to accept dirty money and didn’t trust Shanghai officials, so he quietly went to Nanjing by boat to report. He fell into the water and drowned on the way…”

“This is a loyal minister and righteous man, write down his name.” Cao Benshu said to the interrogation recorder.

Du Xingxue said: “I forgot the name of this official. I really can’t remember it for a small official.”

Officials are not petty officials, but an official position, and those in the Shibo Division start from the ninth-rank petty officials.

Cao Benshu was furious: “The murder case is a big deal, and it’s killing an official. Isn’t his name worthy of you to remember?”

Du Xingxue remained silent.

…

Far away in Luzon.

A few years ago, a rich man called Du Xingmin came. He claimed to be the son of a wealthy businessman in Shandong, and because he had a falling out with his elder brother over the division of the family property, he took his wife and children away overseas.

Du Xingmin did not develop in Manila either, but settled in a small village. He also spent money to buy land, raised a few Japanese wanderers, and bought native captives from the government as tenants.

Now there are hundreds of acres of land, and taxes are paid according to regulations, and the excess land is willing to pay step-by-step taxes.

What’s even more weird is that the tablets enshrined in his house are all white boards, without the name of the deceased written on them.

He has a wife and two concubines, four sons and two daughters. There is a concubine’s room with a son who lives alone in another courtyard. This concubine’s room and Du Xingmin seem to be close, but in reality they keep a distance, as if they are sister-in-law.

(end of this chapter)