Published at 28th of March 2020 11:50:23 AM

Chapter 240

Gu Tingye gavea wry smile and said, We only have a few days to practice those soldiers . Its not like we know some magictricks . His Majesty is well aware of the exact details . Even so, it was still important to put up a front since this was the first time the new emperor came to review the troops .

In that case, you can be relaxed for a while? Minglan peeled a loquat for him while asking that with a smile .

While Gu Tingye was eating the sweet fruit, he saw Minglans fingers that were as white as the coconut milk moving flexibly in those golden loquats . He even felt that maybe her fingers were as sweet as the fruit . Thenheonlystared at her quietly .

What happened in theEstate?

Minglan raised her head to look at Gu Tingye with her face bulged and saidinan apologetic tone, I have wanted to tell you after you finishyour work .

Tell me . The man pinched her cheek and said gently, Tell me how serious it is .

Minglan bit her lips and finally told everything she had seen and heard during these days to him . While Gu Tingye was listening to her, his face turnedgloomier . At last, he finally couldnt bear it anymore and thumped on the table angrily . All the loquatson the table jumped due to his thump .

Minglan opened her arms right away to hold the fruitstogether . Then shelooked out of the door . Luckily, Xie Ang had already leda group of people to surround the room . Otherwise, she would still be afraid that she might beoverheard .

. . . Only after Meng and others reported all those things to me did I make up my mind . Iamreallyfurious . Minglanputthe loquats back into the small basket which had been knittedwithwhite jade bamboo while saying, Not only are the rents here twenty to thirty percenthigher thaninthe other imperialestates,butWu Guang always orders the tenants to do private work for him . He asksformoney from the tenants and orders them to work at every festival . Also, hes good at finding excusesto increase the rents . Those landlords haveeventaken advantage of their power to rape the tenants wives and daughters . They are animals! Wu Guang is just a steward, howdarehedoso many evil things!I, cannot tolerate this guy!

I even got scared when I heard those things . Minglan put the last fruit into the basket and said with a sympathetic look, In the coldest days of the year, the whole familyof the tenantsdidnt have any firewood and could only keep out the cold with a few pieces of clothes . Some of the tenants children diedfromcoldness . Some of the elders in their family died of hunger because the rents were so high and they wanted to save the food for their families . Even so, the men and the women in those families had to work in the farm every day .

They had to work when they coughed blood, or when they got chilblains all over their feet, or when their children cried bitterly in their rooms because they were cold and hungry . . . It was not that those tenants didnt want to fight back . However, Wu Guanggotsupportfromthe officials and alsohadthose ferocious landlords as his hatchet men . Those tenants were kept on a short leash and didnt know how to find an imperial censor to sue those evil stewards and landlords . After their revoltshad been suppressed for a few times, theywerebullied even more fiercely .

Minglans eyes were moist . She couldnt imagine those scenes . Right now, she felt herself burning with anger . She had never hated someone so much ever since shetransmigrated to the ancient times . Those women who were engaged in the schemes and intrigues might have their own difficulties due to the social system . However, a person like Wu Guang was just a lunatic! Minglan really wanted to execute all those stewards and landlords by shooting! One by one!

The look on Gu Tingyes face also turned gloomy and scary . He said to Minglan, I have heard of some of those things before, but I dont remember why I havent made time to deal with those bastards . The reason why I left more guys to youis that I want youtopunish thosepeople! Just tie them up and send them to the Ya Men(Chinese authorities government) .

After Gu Tingye had lost his temper, he exhaled and snorted, How dare he threaten his madam! I think heis tired of living! He has lived a comfortable life for so long! He has a relative in the department in the royal palace, so what? He really considershimself a nobleman? Our former emperor was so kind to them that they are used to putting on airs . The income of thisEstateis merely three tofive thousandounces of silver per year . Its only around twelve or thirteen years since Wu Guang took charge of theEstate, and the tenants have already owed theEstatetwenty thousand ounces of silver?! I never heard there were any disasters happening here . Ill see who dares to argue with me!

Minglan, with her head lowered, stayed silent for a long while and thensighed slightly, I would have done all the things you have just said if I could .

What are your scruples?

Not scruples . Its just . . . Minglan sighed gently, Years ago, my father had a classmate whose last name was Qiu . Uncle Qiu was certain that Third Prince could ascend the throne . But what has his sharp eyes brought to him? Uncle Qiu was putinjail a few years before Third Prince became a crown prince because he was impeached . After that, he died in exile . Third Prince didnt become an emperor and Uncle Qiu died for nothing . There are still no one reversing the verdict for the Qiu Family .

Gu Tingye gradually quieted down . The fight for the crown which had lasted for almost ten years nearly turned half of the capital upside down . There were countless civil and martial officials being involved . After those officials attacked each other by rakingupeach others past, even those onesthathad picked the right side might not come to a good end .

As he thought of that, he listened to Minglan quietly .

Minglan said in a lower voice, Better offend a man of noble character than offend a vile person . Although our former emperoris deceased, his imperial concubines and those eunuchs still have some influence in the palace . They might not be able to instigate any incidents . However, as long as they are still alive, they could still seize a chance to stab us in the back if they holdagrudge against us . After all, becoming open enemies and having no close contactare two different things .

In the Sheng Family, Old Madam Sheng always persuaded Sheng Hong with the words Minglan had just said . Unfortunately for Gu Tingye, he didnthaveany elders that he could rely on .

Gu Tingye closed his eyes . The cicada was chirping on the locust tree outside the window off and on, whichwasinthe same rhyme as Minglans anxious heartbeat . After a long while, Gu Tingye let out a breath with difficulty .

Your scruples make sense . What do you want to do now?

I dont know . Minglanshoweda confused look, Those evil guys deserve to die . I wish I could chop their heads off . However, there are so many restraints so I cannot punish them . I dont know what to do . However, I think, at least, we should drive them away first . Then thisEstatewill truly belong to us . If we keep those bastards, well be afraid that we might take the blame for them every day . By then I cant even sleep, so . . .

So?

Withherteeth gritted,Minglancontinued, Can we pay those tenants debts? We pay everything and send the bad guys away once and for all .

After saying that, Minglan checked the look onGu Tingyesface right away . He was stunned at first,andthen he started to ponder . Minglan was ill at ease . She knew that her proposal would cost him lots of money . The annual expense of a normal rich family was around five to six thousand ounces of silver . Butshe had just asked Gu Tingye to pay thirty or even forty thousand ounces of silver!

Whatwasmore, themoney was not fora title, or social contact or enjoyment . She did have askedtoo much from him .

Gu Tingye didnt say anything and only picked a big and fleshy fruit from the basket . Then he started to peel the loquat . After a short while, the bumpy pulp of the loquat showed up between the mans long fingers .

Before Minglan could react, that loquat was put into hermouth . Gu Tingye found herquite funny and poked her bulging face .

Good idea . He said smilingly, with a pleasant look, Ill give the money .

Before Minglan came back to her sense, he had already turned around and ordered Xiaotao to callthe guysover . Minglan then had to go to the inner room to listen to their conversation .

Hao Dacheng .

Im here . Master . A medium-builtsteward stepped forward and bowed to Gu Tingye .

Gu Tingye put one of his hands on the table, sitting straight and upright, Bring a group of people with you to guard Wu Guang andsevenotherpeople . Feed themwell, speak nicely to them, but dont allow them to step out of the room or contact anyone . Meng, I need you to be there too . If anyone dares to get outbyforce, show them your martial art!Watch them closely!

Hao Dacheng made an obeisance and answered in a loud voice . Gongsun Meng followed him cheerfully and left .

Gu Tingye nodded and turned to Tu Long, saying in a heavy voice, I need you to come back to our mansion and ask Sir Gongsun to write some name cards . Also, ask Tongpan Lv inShuntianPrefectureto send an assistant of county magistrate and a scholar . Then, ask Eunuch Xia to send two eunuchs here to fetch those people . At last, I need you to invite someone in the State Inspection Department to be our witness . Are three days enough for you?

Tu Long was a steady person . Then he also gave his obeisance andreplied reverently .

Master, what about me? Tu Hu got anxious waiting for his mission .

Hu, I need you to command someguysto guard thisEstate . If anyone dares to create a disturbance . . . Gu Tingye picked the satin handkerchief on the table to scrub his fingers, saying, My hatchet men are not for keepingup my familys appearance . Just dont kill anyone .

The white handkerchief in Gu Tingyes hands was tinted with golden color and suffused withthesweet smell of the fruit .

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