Quick Travel: From Beginner to Master

Half a month later, the guards who were inquiring about the news returned to Cui's house.

They found out some valuable news.

"Selling an official position to win a title? Our Crown Prince is really extraordinary." Ling Liang put down the military book he was studying and said with some surprise.

"Sir, these are the letters and account books of their transactions. We tried our best to make a copy. Please take a look."

After receiving the transaction evidence compiled carefully by the guards, Ling Liang scanned it ten lines at a time. Every expenditure on it was not small, and together they amounted to a huge number.

The prince was not the queen's biological child. His mother-in-law was an actress before entering the palace, and was one of the "lower people" in this era.

The theater troupe she was in accidentally got the opportunity to perform in the palace. The princess and concubine were so beautiful that the lustful emperor fell in love with her at a glance and forced her into the harem despite the objections of the officials.

It's a pity that the beauty was ill-fated, and the concubine who was favored by everyone passed away within two years after giving birth to the prince.

The emperor still attached great importance to the child of his beloved woman. In order for him to ascend to the position of prince in a legitimate way, the emperor asked the queen, who did not have a son and a half of daughters, to accept him as his son.

No one knows what the queen is thinking, but if the child is not her biological child, how can she really try her best?

Fighting for the dragon chair requires money, and the expenses of the East Palace also require money. Dealing with aristocratic families requires financial support. The queen will not lend a helping hand to him. The prince has no maternal clan to help him. Where does the real money come from to run all this? ?

The answer given by the prince is: collude with local officials, clearly mark the price for each official position within the sphere of influence that he can protect, and then the one with the highest price will get it.

The common people would not know that their Great Master Qingtian was probably an illiterate idiot, a local tycoon who had money and wanted power, or a businessman of all kinds who had money but felt it was not enough.

When these people sit in official positions, you can imagine the lives of the people. Exorbitant taxes, heavy labor, and blocked roads make it difficult for people to live a good life.

In order to achieve his own goals, the prince can really do anything. He is a talent in every sense.

The heart is cruel enough, and the methods are vicious enough.

Although he is criticized, this kind of person often has the last laugh, and rarely fails in what he wants to do.

Ling Liang put away the evidence and said, "When father goes to court, I will give the things to him. You have done a good job. Go to the housekeeper to collect the reward silver."

"Yes, young master. However," Shu Qing hesitated for a moment and asked for permission: "Mo Qi is still staring over there disguised as a servant. Do you want him to withdraw?"

"Let him come back."

It's dangerous to lurk in secret. He might be caught one day. He wants the prince's handle, and now that he has the handle, there's no need to let his subordinates take risks. The sooner Mo Qi comes back, the better.

Shu Qing's shoulders relaxed a little. He thanked the young master and left with his companions.

It was great that Mo Qi didn't have to stay there. They were almost discovered when they sneaked into the study to copy the account books last time. Mo Qi continued to hide in the house of the businessman surnamed Sun. He was worried that something would be exposed.

At that time, Mo Qi will be in danger.

Fortunately, the young master was kind, Shu Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and decided to better complete the tasks assigned by the young master in the future.

Ling Liang flipped through the account books and letters one after another, and slowly fell into deep thought.

He needed to use this incident to dampen the prince's spirit, and at the same time, he wanted to test the emperor's tolerance for the prince.

Buying and selling an official position is not a trivial matter that can be fooled by a joke. If you put it on others, it will cause you to lose your head.

If the prince is severely punished, then it is worth continuing to pull the pigtails. If the emperor treats the matter lightly, then it will be useless no matter how many reasons are taken, it will simply waste time.

Unless the prince makes a big mistake, such as rebelling against his father.

But this is clearly not possible.

The prince is a smart man, and smart people are used to judging the situation.

Although he is a prince, in the past dynasties, which prince has been as trusted by the emperor and as powerful as him?

The emperor loved his son very much, and if nothing else happened, he would definitely be the next emperor, so why rush?

When Master Cui came back from the next court, Ling Liang showed him the evidence collected.

He looked confused, "The prince actually did such a thing?"

Ling Liang: "It's absolutely true. Father should probably take a good look at the Prince's book. Their owner of Sunji Trading Company in Qingzhou donated a prefect's official position to him. This official position costs 38 taels of silver."

"It is the highest value transaction among the transactions made by the prince." Magistrate Cui turned to the page and continued Ling Liang's words.

"Zixing," Academician Cui took off his official hat and put it aside, smiling slightly proudly, "you might as well listen to the good news that my father sent someone to inquire about."

Ling Liang asked him very flatteringly: "What's the good news?"

"Do you still remember that the summer before last, there were frequent floods in many places in the south?"

"Remember, the rain that year was far greater than in previous years."

"Then do you know that two years later, the disaster area is still in a mess, and the victims have neither enough food nor clothing to keep them warm?"

Ling Liang was stunned, "Zixing doesn't know about this. Why is there no news?"

Academician Cui sneered, "Of course someone didn't want the higher ups to know and hid this matter."

"The imperial court allocated relief grain and other disaster relief materials, and specifically exempted the disaster-stricken areas from taxes for three years. My father said that the local situation was very bad, and that shouldn't be the case. Could it be..."

Ling Liang thought of a certain possibility and couldn't help but feel anger welling up in his heart.

"That's right, it's what you think," Master Cui sneered coldly, "The relief materials have been swallowed up, and the tax revenue for three years will still be collected."

"Who else but our good prince can keep such a big thing a secret?"

Cui Xueshi dusted off the thick pile of evidence that Ling Liang handed him, "Add the matter of buying and selling official positions, I don't believe it anymore, the emperor can still protect him."

"Suppress me, Mrs. Cui, and assassinate my son, little prince, little prince, you won't be so lucky this time."