It is true that the Fan family was sealed by the Jin Yiwei, but as the head of the Fan family, Fan Yongdou was not imprisoned.
Today, he is still staying in his mansion, but he can't go anywhere except this mansion.
All the familiar people around him were driven away by the Jinyi guards. Fan Yongdou, who once opened his mouth and stretched out his hands when he came to eat, now had to do it by himself even if he even got a mouthful of food. It seemed that the Jinyi guards had no intention of starving him to death, so he was imprisoned.
In this small courtyard, there is no shortage of rice, flour, grain and oil. He may not be able to finish all the things stored in the kitchen even if he eats them for several months.
The day after he returned to his old house a year ago, the Jinyi Guards came to the door. A Jinyiwei Qianhu led a team of hundreds of people, and there were even officials from the local government outside the mansion. The Fan family took care of them.
Some of the servants were guarding the house. However, after the visitor revealed his identity, Fan Yongdou decisively asked all the servants of the Fan family to put down their weapons and not resist.
He would not give Jin Yiwei a reason to kill him.
After that, he was imprisoned in this small courtyard. During this period, the Qianhu from Jinyiwei came several times, and without exception they asked him about the hiding place of some of the Fan family's assets outside. It was apparently a store, a business, a warehouse, something like that.
Yes, Jin Yiwei doesn't need to trouble anyone. However, if Fan Ji still has some undisclosed properties in the local area, then he has to ask Fan Yongdou, the head of the family.
Fan Yongdou was quite cooperative. Whenever the Jin Yiwei Qianhu asked, he told the other party without any secret. He also told the local officials who had friendship with him, Fan Yongdou, and the officials who looked after his properties one by one.
He believed that as long as Jin Yiwei checked carefully, he would know that he did not lie at all about these things.
Maybe his words had an effect, or maybe Jin Yiwei is busy taking over and sealing up his property. These days, no one has made trouble for Fan Yongdou, but he is a little bored staying alone in this small courtyard.
Of course he didn't know that at the beginning, Jin Yiwei Qianhu Zuguo was quite happy with what he confessed, and reported the things he confessed one by one to Luo Yangxing, the commander of Jin Yiwei who had been watching what happened here.
, However, as Fan Yongdou confessed more and more things, involving not only local government officials, but also military generals in the important nine-border town, Luo Yangxing urgently gave Zu Guo
An order has been issued - be under strict supervision and no further interrogation is allowed!
As for whether Fan Yongdou would be escorted to the capital, or whether the capital would continue to send people down, Luo Yangxing did not say, and Zu Guo did not dare to ask.
Now even a fool has begun to understand that what Fan Yongdou confessed to those people is a big deal. These officials and generals are located in every town in the three provinces. It is not a big deal to take down a Fan family, but pulling up this carrot belt
The mud that came out was enough to bury Zu Guo alive.
Even the commander above him may not be able to handle this matter.
The spring breeze in February is like scissors, but if you ride a horse and gallop hundreds of miles in this wind, then the spring breeze is either scissors or a machete.
When a group of Jin Yiwei dismounted outside the gate of the Fan family, Xu Yingyuan, who was surrounded by them, felt that his face was almost numb, so that when the Jin Yiwei who opened the door and walked out saw him, he looked frightened.
, he was really helpless.
Who doesn’t know that he, Xu Yingyuan, is the best person to talk to as the Chief of Ceremonies? Although a mere Jinyiwei Qiantai is not worthy of his smiling face, but he, Xu Yingyuan, is in charge of inspecting thousands of Jinyiwei that may be worth millions in the Fan family.
When you meet someone, you're going to make a fool of yourself!
Wouldn't that be a problem with Yin Zi?
"The news from Beijing is that Eunuch Xu will personally deal with these profiteers of the Fan family. I thought it would be a while yet, but I didn't expect Eunuch Xu to arrive so soon!"
"Go in and talk!" Xu Yingyuan said expressionlessly: "It's too cold outside. After such a long journey, our bodies feel like they're about to fall apart. We need to take a good rest first!"
"Yes, yes, yes, take a rest, take a rest, give Eunuch Xu a drink and a place to stay. I have arranged everything for you. Please come with me!"
Although Jinyiwei Qianhu said cautiously, he looked panicked, but he felt extremely relaxed in his heart. The superiors finally sent a big guy to take charge of this matter. He could just make some money in peace and quiet, and he would never have to face him again.
This is a hot potato for Fan Yongdou.
"Except for you, has Fan Yongdou not had any contact with outsiders?" Xu Yingyuan asked as he walked.
"Absolutely not. Even the people guarding him are monitoring each other and are not allowed to talk to him!" Zu Guo chuckled: "This man's wealth is huge. This wealth is so touching. Even our own brothers may not be able to match it.
To be able to withstand his bribery, a humble official must be on guard against this kind of thing!"
"Oh!" Xu Yingyuan nodded: "Forget it, prepare a table of drinks, and our family will go to his place to catch up with him. We still met him a few times in Shaanxi that day!"
"Okay, everything is as ordered by the father-in-law!"
A moment later, Xu Yingyuan stepped into the remote courtyard and stood at the door. He looked at Zu Guo and his subordinates behind him. Zu Guo and these people immediately stopped in awe.
Xu Yingyuan nodded and walked in.
"Is it you?"
Fan Yongdou looked at Xu Yingyuan who walked in, and seemed slightly surprised: "I thought it was Luo Yangxing who came in person, but I didn't expect it was you, Eunuch Xu. Say goodbye to Yan'an Mansion. Is Eunuch Xu now promoted?"
"Commander Luo, the attendant is busy with work. For such a trivial matter, I have no choice but to do this for me, the unlucky guy who works as a handyman in the Ceremony Supervisor!"
Xu Yingyuan sat down, gestured slightly to the other party, and started to use the food and wine on the table. Fan Yongdou was stunned for a moment, and then moved his chopsticks without any politeness. Thanks to Xu Yingyuan, he hadn't eaten for a long time.
It's time for a serious dinner.
The two of them seemed to be hungry ghosts. After filling their stomachs, they straightened up from the table happily.
"Looking at the state of your place, there must be no hot tea to drink!" Xu Yingyuan burped inconspicuously: "Should I ask them to bring some in?"
"That's the best!" Fan Yongdou said with a smile, not treating the other party as a person coming for interrogation.
After a while, the food and wine were withdrawn, and the two of them sat face to face, each with a cup of hot tea in front of them.
"By the way, Lao Fan, how much money do you have?"
The two drank tea in silence until Xu Yingyuan broke the silence.
"Isn't it hard for me to answer this?" Fan Yongdou smiled: "However, how much money I have is not mine now, it should all belong to the imperial court now!"
"Don't talk about this!" Xu Yingyuan shook his head: "We are not outsiders, and we don't need to look at those careless people. It is His Majesty's order to deal with you now. No one can protect your Fan family, even if you are involved in such a
If a large number of people come out, these people will certainly be unlucky, but your Fan family still can't escape!"
"Since I am already certain to die, it seems meaningless for my father-in-law to ask me how much money I have. No matter how much money I have, can it buy my life or the lives of my entire Fan family?"
"That's hard to say. Just give me a number and I'll think about it to see if it can be done." Xu Yingyuan smiled and said, "It can't be done. I, Xu, have a friendship with you and I'll treat you to a meal.
The meal is considered as a farewell, so I’m sorry to you..."
Fan Yongdou looked at the other party. He didn't quite believe what the other party said. He knew his own situation best at the moment. The Jin Yiwei had closed the door. At this time, asking him to pay for his life with money was most likely a means of extorting money from him.
.
At least, he would do the same thing if he were the person sitting across from him.
He has seen this method before to squeeze more money out of a dying person and give him a false hope.
"It's probably not possible to buy your whole family's lives!" Xu Yingyuan confirmed him: "However, buying your life is negotiable!"
"That's as much money and as many farms and shops as Jin Yiwei can seize!" Fan Yongdou wanted to say.
"How about you think about it again, think about it again!" Xu Yingyuan looked at him, "Let's not talk about frivolous wealth. Apart from these, don't you have anything else valuable in your Fan family that can buy your life?
?”
Fan Yongdou thought for a moment and slapped his thigh: "By the way, in addition to that, my Fan family still has some shares in the Sihang Trading Company in the capital, and my Fan family still has a few ships in the Sihai fleet.
! The total of these seven, seven, eight, and eight, should be hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, which is probably enough to buy my life. However, these should not be counted, the government should have sealed it long ago! "
"Old Fan, it's boring for you to say that!" Xu Yingyuan sighed: "Those things you did in the past will happen sooner or later. If you can't think clearly about this matter, then we have nothing to say. You are here today.
, that’s when your retribution has arrived. Now that you have created a life for yourself, I, Xu, am also running for your life. If you pretend to be confused because you understand, it will be really difficult for Xu!”
"Is the imperial court really interested in this thing from the Fan family?" Xu Yingyuan was stunned and pondered thoughtfully.
"Don't you know where the incident happened in your Fan family?" Xu Yingyuan said: "Jiang Wan is domineering, and it is easy for the court to take your property. However, these things have to be taken from his hands. Now the Liaodong Dusi army is out to resist foreign aggression.
, if you don’t want to stimulate him, it’s better not to stimulate him!”
"I really have no say in this matter!" Xu Yingyuan smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It seems that whether I can survive or not really depends on Mr. Jiang. If Mr. Jiang agrees to this matter, I, Fan Yongdou, will naturally not say anything.
However, if Mr. Jiang disagrees, even if I agree, it’s the same as not saying anything!”
"As long as you say this, that's all!"
Xu Yingyuan nodded and said hello outside. Then he heard footsteps outside and someone walked in.
"He said he agreed, Mr. Xu, what do you think?"
"Did Eunuch Xu have the final say in this matter?" Xu Xianchun walked in, smiled at Fan Yongdou, and then said to Xu Yingyuan.
"I, Xu, can come here, and you, Master Xu, can come here. This is enough to explain the problem!" Xu Yingyuan's face turned slightly cold: "Luo Yangxing has asked his Jin Yiwei to cooperate with me. If this is the case, do you still have doubts?
I ask for your Majesty’s imperial edict!”
"The Fan family's shares of Sihang Trading Company can be transferred to the internal treasury, but the internal treasury can only send people to check the accounts and cannot interfere with the operation of the commercial bank!"
Xu Xianchun said: "As for the Sihai fleet, we can't talk about it. Now the Sihai fleet is responsible for the task of raising grain and grass supplies for Liaodong Dusi. Everything is based on the needs of Liaodong Dusi. It doesn't matter whether it makes money or not. At this time,
We will never send those ships to the imperial court!"
He looked at Xu Yingyuan: "Besides, the imperial court may not be interested in those merchant ships!"
"How many ships?" Xu Yingyuan looked at Fan Yongdou and asked, "How many merchant ships does your Fan family have in the Sihai fleet?"
"Four ships. However, the original plan to have two more ships join the fleet after the year is obviously impossible!" Fan Yongdou replied. He was no longer able to get involved in the conversation. The two in front of him
People each represent the person behind them, and Fan Yongdou and his entire Fan family are just pawns played by the people behind them.
"Of course the imperial court looks down on these broken ships!" Xu Yingyuan pondered for a moment and said: "However, what the imperial court wants is this status. The imperial court can not only get rid of these four ships, but can even send out four more ships to join the four seas.
The fleet is at the disposal of Sihai Commercial Bank!"
"Don't interfere in the operation of the fleet, don't send spies everywhere to spy?" Xu Xianchun said with a smile: "Is there such a good thing in this world?"
"It's such a good thing!" Xu Yingyuan nodded and said: "There are only four ships. If Mr. Jiang feels it is inappropriate, the court can send no one, but..."
"But what?"
"However, how much money these ships of the Fan family have made in the fleet this year, then how much money must the four ships of the imperial court bring back. Sihai should be able to check this account!"
Xu Yingyuan said: "Such conditions shouldn't be too harsh!"
Xu Xianchun sighed and looked at Fan Yongdou: "Shopkeeper Fan, it seems that your life is really not cheap!"
Fan Yongdou smiled bitterly. With his knowledge, he could naturally understand the meaning of Xu Yingyuan's words. This meant not only taking away everything the Fan family owned on the land of the Ming Dynasty, but also the nominal shares of the Fan family on the sea.
He had to continue to earn money for the court.
And this money was earned through hard work by Sihai Trading Company and Mr. Jiang. The court did nothing and just waited for the money to be collected every year.
"Fan Yongdou committed suicide out of fear of crime, and the entire Fan family was exiled to Liaodong! There is no Shanxi Fan family anymore, and there is no Fan Yongdou in the world!"