Fan Xian didn't kill Hu Jinlin for a simple reason: the C Workshop had always been jointly managed by the Internal Treasury and the Third Bureau of the Overwatch Council, specializing in the research of military equipment and ships. The Third Bureau was composed of Fan Xian's fellow disciples, making them most knowledgeable about the situation in the C Workshop. Hu Jinlin was obsessed with studying the blueprints left behind by the Ye family's matriarch, and was a man of few words and dull character. Although he had pocketed a considerable amount of silver, he had not committed acts that Fan Xian couldn't tolerate, such as seizing land and bullying women, making him more deserving of mercy than the masters of the A and B Workshops.

Of course, the most crucial reason was that Fan Xian didn't want to kill him, which implicitly indicated that he was not a paragon of virtue.

The master of the C Workshop was taken away, leaving behind many treasurers within the workshop. These people looked at each other, uneasy from the beginning of the strike, but still somewhat confident. It wasn't the first time the treasurers had confronted officials from the Ministry of Revenue; in the past, as long as their demands weren't excessive, the matter would always be resolved peacefully. In their view, wanting to protect the money they had embezzled over the years was a reasonable request.

However, no one expected the new imperial envoy to be so ruthless. After clarifying the nature of the Internal Treasury and presenting the four old Ye family stewards, the treasurers knew that all their trump cards were useless in the face of this young official.

At this moment, the treasurers were like chickens waiting to be slaughtered, only to see how many Fan Xian wanted to kill.

Before long, with Su Wenmao's nominations and accusations, three more treasurers were dragged out of the crowd. These three had committed numerous misdeeds in the past and were secretly colluding with officials in Suzhou Prefecture. Their actions had violated countless Qing laws, deserving to be killed sixteen or seventeen times over.

Fan Xian took the file from Su Wenmao and glanced at a treasurer who had wet his pants and could barely stand. He frowned and said, "Is it true you married twelve concubines?"

The treasurer was too terrified to even nod.

Fan Xian shook his head and said sarcastically, "Marrying twelve concubines only proves that you have money and strong confidence in the bedroom. But nine of the twelve concubines were forcibly taken, which is outrageous. You seize people's wives and kill their husbands? ... Impressive, you're even more arrogant than the most famous playboys in the capital."

The other two treasurers had committed sins other than these romantic scandals, but they also deserved to die.

Fan Xian waved his hand.

The Overwatch Council officials dragged the three treasurers out again. With three sounds of knives, three screams, three lives were taken.

……

……

The officials of the Overwatch Council and the soldiers stationed by the workshop were able to remain calm even after killing, but the officials of the Internal Treasury's Ministry of Revenue couldn't bear it any longer. They were sweating profusely, and some felt nauseous from the bloody smell inside and outside the workshop.

The vice minister, Ma Kai, was still relatively calm, but sweat was pouring down his face. He pitifully approached Fan Xian and whispered, "Your Excellency, the Internal Treasury will open its doors for bidding in a few days. Killing is inauspicious, killing is inauspicious..."

He couldn't bring back those who had been killed, but Ma Kai feared that Fan Xian would fly into a rage and continue killing.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "Minister Ma, don't worry. Six years ago, when my... Princess Royal Chang visited the Internal Treasury for the last time, how many treasurers did she kill?"

He held up his thumb and little finger and said, "Six. This official is a junior and naturally won't kill more. Five have already been killed, that's enough."

Hearing the word "enough," the officials behind him felt relieved, while the treasurers in front of him were overjoyed, but everyone was frightened by the five bloody heads. Only Su Wenmao was slightly surprised before suppressing his displeasure and saying nothing.

Vice Minister Ma Kai frowned, thinking that the imperial envoy's words had a hidden meaning. The princess royal killed six, but he only killed five... If there were any problems with this matter in the future, and the censors accused him of violating the law and killing people indiscriminately, there would be something to say about it. It seemed that this imperial envoy, although young, was very meticulous. He couldn't miss the opportunity that his relative, Ren Shaoan, had worked so hard to set up for him.

After considering this matter, Vice Minister Ma Kai solemnly agreed to Fan Xian's subsequent appointments and measures without any hesitation or resistance. Although some officials of the Internal Treasury's Ministry of Revenue were displeased, they couldn't object since the minister and vice minister had made a decision.

In Fan Xian's plan, the masters of the three major workshops were either dead or imprisoned, creating vacancies for the three most important positions. The three old Ye family stewards would temporarily take over, while the "traitor treasurers" who had reported their colleagues' crimes to the Overwatch Council in the past two days would serve as deputies, making up for the fact that the old stewards had been away for twenty years and were somewhat unfamiliar with the Internal Treasury.

Killing people first, then inserting spies, this arrangement stabilized the team of treasurers. The "traitor treasurers" only needed to guard against the treasurers below them deliberately finding fault with them, so they had to be extra careful when doing things. Once the team was established, these deputy masters would be particularly ruthless, staring at their subordinate treasurers, creating a balance that would hopefully reduce the things that Fan Xian didn't want to see.

"The three-day order, there's still half a day left," Fan Xian said. "Those who haven't died, spit out the money, explain the accounts clearly, and write a confession of the things you've done... Don't look at me, I know you can all read. Go back, some people's workshops are hundreds of miles away. If you don't hurry home to raise money and go back to work, are you planning to stand here and become clay figures?"

His voice gradually turned cold. After saying these words, he walked out of the workshop, escorted by the terrified gazes of the treasurers.

The soldiers led by Ye, the adjutant general, gradually dispersed, and the officials of the Overwatch Council returned to their positions. The spies placed in the workshop were still unknown, and the officials whispered among themselves, not knowing what they were saying. The workers watched a great show, and the treasurers became particularly honest and fearful after being taught a lesson with blood and fire.

The heavy rain outside the workshop gradually stopped. The riotous strike at the Internal Treasury ended absurdly and nonsensically under Fan Xian's knife and the old faces of the stewards.

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The treasurers and officials returned the embezzled funds very smoothly. After reviewing each case, Fan Xian lightly raised his noble hand, leaving some face for those who hadn't concealed too much and not completely squeezing out everyone's wealth. Serving as an official was for wealth; if everything was plundered, the Internal Treasury officials would be superficially obedient but would definitely harbor resentment, making them extremely lazy in their work.

But even with this kind of open-handed plundering, the Ministry of Revenue's three-day order still recovered a huge amount of money. Even Fan Xian, who came from a wealthy family and had seen many scenes in this life, was still shocked by the number on the account and took a cold breath!

He vaguely regretted it in his heart. This matter had caused such a commotion that it was impossible to hide it from the capital. Under public scrutiny, the recovered money, after paying back the wages owed to the workers over the years, would have to be deposited into the Internal Treasury's special account, and he would not be able to transfer it privately.

If he had known that the treasurers were the fattest corrupt officials in the world, Fan Xian might not have launched this clearing action. Instead, he would have directly sent the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council to act as thieves, seizing all the silver notes and other things into his private hands, except for the land deeds and the like.

He was in need of money right now. If he had this large sum of money, he would no longer need help from the north, avoiding some new troubles in the process. More importantly, it would allow his father to stay out of it, preventing him from being implicated in the upcoming bidding.

Speaking of Haitang, after the labor riot that day, Fan Xian returned to the mansion and complained to the girl at length. Besides being righteous, he analyzed the current situation in detail, warning her that the Qing Emperor probably already knew that the two of them were together. If she dared to go to the workshops to spy in front of the Tiger Guards, he might not be able to stay in the Internal Treasury for more than two days, and if he couldn't stay in the Internal Treasury, how much more money would Northern Qi have to pay each year?

Haitang was somewhat innocent, thinking that she was just bored and wanted to take a stroll, but how did it involve some conspiracy?

Fan Xian was somewhat suspicious. He no longer mentioned the matter on the surface, but he still felt uncomfortable in his heart.

Fortunately, the Internal Treasury's affairs gradually got back on track, and this process only took a few days. It must be said that Fan Xian's cold-faced killing during the labor riot deeply shocked everyone, and the return of the old stewards and Fan Xian's clever arrangements all played a huge role.

The workers regained their wages after years of labor, and the girls who had been seized returned to their homes. A joyful atmosphere was rising throughout the Internal Treasury.

Amidst the joy, there were also some discordant notes. Although Fan Xian was extremely meticulous and had guessed some of it early on, using the power of the government to suppress the occurrence of those bitter stories, the Qing people's own stories were always extremely complex and trivial. The people looked at those women unfavorably, but the women were used to living a happy life with the minor treasurers, and they were somewhat uncomfortable with the sudden change in circumstances.

The treasurers were not the type to engage in midnight escapades, so there were not many cases of forced marriages of concubines. However, although there were not many cases, they involved matters of men and women, which had a very bad impact on the people. Fan Xian was distressed, but he didn't have any good solutions. Even an honest official couldn't settle family affairs, and he, as a cruel official, wasn't much better, so he had to let it go.

However, these were just minor episodes. On a larger scale, the authority of the new minister of the Internal Treasury's Ministry of Revenue – the imperial envoy Fan Xian – had been established, and he had firmly forged an image of being upright, incorruptible, and wise in the hearts of tens of thousands of grassroots workers in the Internal Treasury. Now, he no longer needed the Eighth Bureau to help him. With his literary reputation, martial reputation, and official reputation flowing smoothly, Fan Xian was already familiar with such methods.

The Internal Treasury gradually became calm.

But the labor riot was over, and Fan Xian's plan had just begun. He had beaten the snake to scare the others. Now that one head of the two-headed snake had been severely beaten to death, the other head, wounded, would naturally begin to move.

"Is there any new news from Ziyue?" Fan Xian sat in his chair, squinting at the court report that had arrived today, and asked casually.

Su Wenmao replied, "Not so fast. According to your instructions, even if those officials from Xinyang send the news out, it will take at least a month for it to go back and forth."

Fan Xian sighed, "The censors in the court are too slow."

Su Wenmao smiled wryly, thinking that there was no one in the world like the commissioner, waiting for the censors of the Censorate to impeach him. Only someone with a strong background like him could sit so securely.

"We can't wait any longer. Arrest those people tomorrow," Fan Xian said.

The objects of these words were, of course, the confidant officials left in the Internal Treasury by Xinyang. At the beginning of the three-day order, these officials secretly provoked the treasurers' emotions, inciting them to resist Fan Xian. After Fan Xian used bloody methods, these officials were overjoyed, sending memorials out overnight, reporting to the Princess Royal Chang's faction officials in Kyoto.

Fan Xian allowed the treasurers to collude with each other within three days, eventually forming a strike to force the palace, in order to make the Internal Treasury's boils grow fuller, to see who was behind the ghost. Before and after, the Overwatch Council's secret agents were very vigilant, watching the many officials in the Ministry of Revenue. These people had no way to escape the net that Fan Xian had laid.

"Let's do it," Fan Xian said with a wry smile. "We're all leaving soon, we can't let them stay here and eat gruel."

Su Wenmao responded, then asked in confusion, "Your Excellency, why didn't you cover up the news more tightly at the beginning? After all, this labor riot has caused a stir. If the Xinyang side makes some moves, your Excellency's days might not be... too easy."

Fan Xian fell silent, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of the chair. This was a common expression of his when he was thinking. After thinking for a while, he decided to explain more to his confidant. He looked up and explained, "The Internal Treasury is divided into two parts. The workshop is the foundation, and the merchants who sell abroad are the hands and feet. If I want to cut off people's hands and feet, I must first secure the foundation. And I'm not used to planning situations that take too long, so I chose to force the people in the Internal Treasury to react excessively. In this way, I can use heavy means and find an excuse to drive out the officials from Xinyang."

Su Wenmao nodded, but thought that this didn't explain his previous question. He just looked at the commissioner's expression and knew that he had his own reasons, so he listened patiently.

"I want to force the enemies in the Internal Treasury to take action," Fan Xian said with a smile. "Isn't Princess Royal Chang waiting for me to force them? With her eyes and ears in the court and the palace, how could she not know that the old stewards came to Jiangnan with me? And she has never told the officials in the Internal Treasury about this, obviously because she doesn't want those officials to be afraid to... bravely stand up because they know my bottom line. Just imagine, if everyone knew that the old gentlemen of Qing Yu Tang were with us, where would this labor riot have happened?"

"Of course it wouldn't have happened," Su Wenmao frowned and said. "If they knew that your Excellency was accompanied by the old gentlemen of Qing Yu Tang, the treasurers would have lost all their trump cards and wouldn't have dared to say anything. But the problem is... why did Princess Royal Chang hide this news, waiting for the Internal Treasury officials to collude secretly, thereby giving your Excellency a good opportunity to establish authority? If she had explained it clearly in advance, the treasurers would have been much more honest, and the officials from Xinyang would have calmed down, not giving us a reason to grab them."

Fan Xian shook his head and sighed, "This Princess Royal Chang stands much higher than ordinary people... True, this time she seems to have given me an opportunity to establish authority, and even allowed me to shock the officials of the Internal Treasury... But, in the means of handling this matter, I have to rely more on the personnel and power of the old Ye family, I have to kill people to establish authority, and the means will appear more fierce and unscrupulous."

He continued to explain, "When I first entered the Internal Treasury, I killed five treasurers. When this is reported to Kyoto, the court will definitely not have a good evaluation of me. As for using the old stewards to manage the Internal Treasury, it will touch the taboos of some people in the palace. Princess Royal Chang is covering this pot, waiting for it to boil, seemingly letting me eat it, but in reality, she intends to burn my mouth."

Su Wenmao said worriedly, "That's true. The words you said on the day you handled the labor riot seemed to have touched some taboos."

Fan Xian smiled and said nothing.

Su Wenmao's face was full of solemnity, "After the labor riot, the killing of people, and the old stewards are reported back to Kyoto, no matter what, the court will reprimand your Excellency. At the lightest, it will be that you act rashly and carelessly, and are not..."

He stopped speaking, but Fan Xian smiled and continued, "Unfit for great use? To put it more severely, they can secretly accuse me of having different ambitions, still remembering the Ye family's past, how, how."

Su Wenmao was stunned, immediately understanding what Commissioner Fan was most taboo about in this life, and couldn't help but take a cold breath. Only now did he finally feel the Princess Royal's methods. The other party hadn't done anything at all, just secretly helping Fan Xian hide the news of the old stewards' southward journey, and could put the adult on an extremely dangerous volcano.

"Since your Excellency is aware of her plan... you should have brought out the old stewards in the first place, and acted more cautiously." He boldly advised Fan Xian.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "Princess Royal Chang calculated that I had to intensify the conflict in order to quickly take over the Internal Treasury. As for the aftermath, I simply can't take care of it right now, so on this point, even if she watches coldly in Kyoto, I have to do it."

He sneered and said, "As for the confidant officials in the Internal Treasury being dug out by me... she probably knows that with the help of the Overwatch Council, these people will not be able to play any role in the next few years. On the contrary, they will bring her some unwanted troubles. Since they are already useless people, why would she care about their life and death? They are just a few discarded pieces, just causing me some trouble before they die. Since no matter how she acts, it's impossible to prevent my full takeover, Princess Royal Chang is certainly willing to see my takeover bring some trouble, bringing some hidden worries for the future."

The so-called hidden worries in these words are naturally the nobles in the palace's perception of Fan Xian. Perhaps certain subtle changes will occur because of the Internal Treasury's affairs. The cold-blooded side shown by Fan Xian in handling the Internal Treasury's affairs, he did not know whether it would touch Empress Dowager's sensitive nerve, whether it would make the Empress and Crown Prince associate with the Ye family in those days.

And association, like a poisonous snake, devours people's souls. Before Fan Xian has enough ability to deal with them, perhaps they will be vigilant, the Empress Dowager, the Princess Royal, and the Empress, this group of women in the harem, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, this pair of happy rivals, if they unite again because of Fan Xian's existence, if the Emperor has some doubts about Fan Xian.

Princess Royal Chang should laugh, Fan Xian should cry.

And in the Internal Treasury's case, with the stewards in hand, he has the world, Princess Royal Chang must accept this fact, so she just wants to get some benefits from it.

"What should we do next?"

Fan Xian lowered his head and said lightly, "It's nothing. According to Dean Chen Pingping's words, Princess Royal's vision is still limited to a palace, if the Censorate really impeaches me this time, she might suffer a loss."

Su Wenmao looked at him incomprehensibly.

Fan Xian raised his head, a confident smile on his face, "Since His Majesty gave me the old stewards, it means that in the short term, he believes in my loyalty. I went to Jiangnan to take over the Internal Treasury, damaging the Princess Royal's face. If the Princess Royal remains silent at this time, then that's it. If I handle the Internal Treasury improperly, the Kyoto officials will attack me as a group, His Majesty... might become suspicious. As for the old Ye family's problem, it won't have much impact on me."

"I want the Internal Treasury to boil quickly. Princess Royal likes me to use fierce fire, but I... hope that she secretly helps me use fierce fire," Fan Xian said with a smile, "Although I act presumptuously in the Internal Treasury, there is a lot to be suspected, but I haven't deliberately concealed it, His Majesty naturally believes in my sincerity, and the Princess Royal, although watching coldly, secretly schemed, this is so-called insincerity."

He finally explained, "Any calculation of power and strategy, in the final stage, is just looking at His Majesty's mood and intimacy, and I have always been sincere to His Majesty."

He did not know if this sentence was to persuade Su Wenmao, or to deceive himself, but in this battle, Fan Xian knew that the son-in-law must achieve victory, and as the son, he must also achieve victory.

After the Emperor had set up the Second Prince as an enemy for the Crown Prince, he had now successfully set up Fan Xian as the strongest whetstone.

Princess Royal Chang only saw the rise of Fan Xian, bringing pressure to the two princes and the Empress Dowager in the palace, but she did not see clearly that this pressure itself was secretly cultivated by the Emperor of Qing, this -- was what Fan Xian had previously said through Chen Pingping's mouth: Princess Royal's vision still has limitations.

Not historical limitations, but butt limitations, she is after all not sitting on the dragon chair, the monarch with a world view.