It was mid-March, and the breath of spring had already swept across the entire land from north to south. Whether it was the northern capital of Shangjing or the southern capital of Qing, both were enveloped in a vibrant and prosperous scene. In the Jiangnan region, green waters rippled, verdant hills nestled among each other, and the tender green shoots of willow trees along the river painted a picture of vitality.

The Internal Treasury was located in the southwest of the Jiangnan Road, and naturally could not escape the blessings of nature. In just a few days, lush green grass and pale pink flowers sprouted along the riverbanks and both inside and outside the workshops, embellishing the originally somewhat dry official residences and workshops, softening the rigid and cold atmosphere.

Amidst this peaceful scene, officials heading to the yamen for duty wore beaming smiles and bowed respectfully at the entrance. The bloody storms had passed, and tomorrow the Imperial Envoy would return to Suzhou to preside over the opening tender for the Internal Treasury's New Year. The officials of the Internal Treasury Transport Division were all in high spirits.

Opening the yamen for official business, Fan Xian sat in the central position and briefly explained the future arrangements. However, as there were no confidants among these people, he naturally spoke in general terms, such as the arrangements for each workshop and reiterating the regulations specially revised by the imperial court for the Internal Treasury, in addition to the Qing laws, which must not be violated!

Whether it was wages or salaries, they must be paid in a timely manner, and daily security and defense work should be even more vigilant. The officials listened to the Imperial Envoy's words and responded accordingly. With the five heads displayed as a warning, no one would be foolish enough to contradict him openly.

Fan Xian arranged for Su Wenmao to stay behind, but since he did not hold an official position in the Transport Division, he temporarily transferred his jurisdiction to the Fourth Bureau, where he and Shan Da jointly led the officials and spies of the Supervisory Council in the Internal Treasury.

The officials knew that after Fan Xian finished presiding over the opening of the Internal Treasury in Suzhou for the New Year, he would settle in Hangzhou. This was a rule that had been in place for many years; the Transport Commissioner would not reside in the Internal Treasury. As a result, Su Wenmao, who was staying in the Internal Treasury, was equivalent to the Imperial Envoy's representative, and they could not afford to treat him lightly. Therefore, everyone quickly stood up to greet Su Wenmao.

Just as everyone was getting along well, Fan Xian frowned slightly and said softly to the Deputy Commissioner, Ma Kai, beside him, "I will do what we discussed last night."

This was a superficial show of respect to the deputy commissioner, but Ma Kai wore a bitter expression and shook his head repeatedly.

Ye, the adjutant-general sitting to Fan Xian's right, had a flash of surprise in his eyes. He wondered what the Imperial Envoy was going to do, as he had not been informed. His question was soon answered.

Su Wenmao walked to the front of the hall with a forced smile, cupped his hands to the officials, returned the greeting, and said softly, "It has now been verified that some officials in the Internal Treasury Transport Division have been engaging in improper activities, inciting unrest among the treasury clerks, and shaking the foundations of the Internal Treasury... Gentlemen, forgive me."

As the words "forgive me" left his mouth, seven or eight officials from the Supervisory Council emerged from the side of the yamen, impolitely asking the officials who were originally seated to leave their seats and rudely removing their official hats.

The officials were furious, pushing back and shouting, "How dare you!"

The other officials of the Transport Division were relieved to see that they were not the targets, but they were deeply aware of the Supervisory Council's methods. All the civil officials of Qing had a natural alliance against the Supervisory Council, and they quickly stood up and said solemnly to Fan Xian, "Sir, what is the meaning of this?"

In fact, everyone was not stupid, and they certainly knew that the officials whose hats were being removed by Fan Xian were all confidants of the Eldest Princess of Xinyang who had been placed in the Internal Treasury over the past decade. The Imperial Envoy's move was simply to uproot the foundations of his predecessors and replant his own saplings. However... since it concerned the dignity of officials, and people were being seized so fiercely in the yamen hall, the officials' faces were losing face, and they could not help but argue with Fan Xian.

Fan Xian glanced at the officials and said gently, "Everyone, there is no need to be suspicious, but there is also no need to plead for mercy. I am determined to take down these officials."

Ye, the adjutant-general sitting to his right, looked somewhat embarrassed. He glanced at the Deputy Commissioner, Ma Kai, and found that although he could not hide his embarrassment, there was no shock in his eyes. He must have been informed by Fan Xian last night. Thinking of this, Ye's mood began to become depressed, and he said in a muffled voice, "Sir, these officials have been serving in the Transport Division for a long time and have always been disciplined and law-abiding. To take them down like this... I'm afraid... it's a bit unreasonable."

Fan Xian glanced at him, smiled, and said, "Disciplined and law-abiding? I'm afraid not."

Ye, the adjutant-general's face darkened slightly, and he said, "Even if there are occasional improprieties, your Excellency's three-day order has been issued, and these officials have already acted according to your Excellency's instructions. If there is a clear statement that there will be no punishment for past offenses, then there should be no punishment."

Fan Xian lowered his head, knowing why this Adjutant-General Ye and the other officials present were jumping out today to oppose him. The reason was actually very simple. Last time when suppressing the treasury clerks' strike, this adjutant-general knew that he could not stop his methods at all, and the accusation he used to suppress him was big enough. If the Internal Treasury stopped working for a day, the imperial court could not afford the losses. But this time, arresting these officials had touched everyone's most sensitive psychological defense line, fearing that this Imperial Envoy, who was also the head of the Supervisory Council, would use this as an excuse to weave a large net and overturn the entire Transport Division, harming themselves.

For Ye, the adjutant-general, his family was now being heavily pressured by the emperor, and Ye Ling'er's relationship with the Second Prince had already shown signs of leaning in that direction. Although Ye, the adjutant-general, had never received any secret letters from the Ye family in Dingzhou, he was clear at this time that Fan Xian's arrest of people today was to completely empty out the Eldest Princess's confidants in the Internal Treasury. He subconsciously wanted to retain something for the Eldest Princess's side - if Fan Xian was allowed to become too powerful in the Internal Treasury, Ye, the adjutant-general, was worried that his future days would not be easy.

Fan Xian did not explain anything, but took out a dossier from his arms and handed it to Ye, the adjutant-general.

Ye, the adjutant-general, was slightly stunned. He took it and looked at it carefully, and his face gradually darkened. He saw that the dossier was full of all the shady and illegal acts of the officials who had been arrested today, and the key point was that the charges on it were not related to so-called bribery but directly accused these officials of playing an inglorious role in this labor unrest. All the evidence, and even the testimony of the treasury clerks who had turned against them, were clear. For example, which official had said what to which treasury clerk at what time, with the location and people written clearly. The attacks were extremely ruthless and accurate, truly the superior methods of the Supervisory Council.

Looking at the evidence in the dossier, the adjutant-general could not help but feel a chill in his heart, thinking about how this Imperial Envoy had only been in the Internal Treasury for a few days, but he had investigated all the details of the Transport Division so clearly? And how did the people of the Supervisory Council know so clearly about the secret conversations between those Xinyang confidants and the treasury clerks? Could it be that there were spies of the Supervisory Council among the treasury clerks themselves? At the thought of this, Ye, the adjutant-general, thought of the terror of the Supervisory Council in the legends, those spies who had already been described as nocturnal vipers who could infiltrate anywhere. He could not help but start to worry about himself. Could it be that there were also eyes and ears of the Supervisory Council in his own residence?

However, as the adjutant-general in charge of all the defenses of the Internal Treasury, he was not very afraid of the Supervisory Council. First, he himself was a third-rank official, and the Supervisory Council did not have the power to investigate and arrest him without an imperial decree. Second, as a member of the military, regardless of faction, the Supervisory Council had to show some respect in light of the powerful strength of the Qing military. In the labor unrest, Ye, the adjutant-general, felt that he had performed well enough. Today, since it genuinely involved the Eldest Princess's face and the affairs of the princes in the capital, he suppressed the unease in his heart and stood up to Fan Xian, saluting him and saying earnestly, "Sir, this..."

After all, he was a general, and he did not know how to organize his words for pleading. Fan Xian looked at him with a smile, shook his head, and said, "There's no need to plead."

Ye, the adjutant-general, was panicked because Dingzhou had not sent any news, and he did not know how to choose a side, which had put him in the current dilemma. But Fan Xian had made a move first, and he gritted his teeth and forcibly mustered his courage, saying, "But sir, these officials are all officials of the Transport Division. I don't know if you want to take them down as the Commissioner of the Transport Division or as the head of the Supervisory Council?"

He said in a low voice, "Sir, even if the Imperial Envoy is arresting people and the evidence is solid, it will still take many days to open a court and hear the case. And the Internal Treasury is about to open."

Fan Xian glanced at him, somewhat surprised by his courage. After thinking for a moment, he understood a little. If he wanted to take down these officials, the method he used would be very important. If he was investigating the case as the head of the Supervisory Council, then it would cause debate in the court when it was reported back to the capital. The elders in the court would probably think that he was targeting the Eldest Princess. If he was hearing the case as the Commissioner of the Transport Division or the Imperial Envoy, then the time could not be delayed.

But who was Fan Xian? How could he care about the discussions in the capital? He said with a smile, "Adjutant-General Ye, don't worry too much. I have always believed in the Qing laws and would never act recklessly. To be fair, I will not personally try the case of these officials I have arrested today."

Ye, the adjutant-general, was slightly stunned, thinking that as long as you don't personally try the case, no matter who goes to try it, they will have to look at the direction of the capital. With Fan Xian's promise, he could explain it to the capital. He then retreated in a daze, only curious about whether Fan Xian was not going to try the case personally, then was he planning to keep these officials locked up in the Internal Treasury? This... couldn't go on forever. The imperial court would always send a memorial to inquire.

"I will take them with me on the road," Fan Xian said. "The Internal Treasury is also under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Although it has never had too much contact with the officials in the court, it is still under the jurisdiction of Jiangnan Road in terms of rules."

He looked at the many uneasy officials below the hall and comforted them, "I know what you are worried about. Please rest assured, I am not a person who holds grudges and seeks revenge. As I said to the adjutant-general earlier, to be fair, I will not personally interrogate these people, but... hand them over to the Governor of Suzhou."

He smiled and said, "With Governor Xue trying the case, I think you will no longer have any doubts." He looked at the Eldest Princess's confidants who were still confronting the officials of the Supervisory Council in the hall, and a hint of anger flashed across his lips, and said, "When did arresting people become a game of eagles catching chickens?"

Su Wenmao's face was slightly red, and he glared fiercely at his subordinates. The officials of the Supervisory Council were greatly ashamed. Several of them stepped forward and used Foshan Shadowless Kicks to kick those Internal Treasury officials who were still shouting about being wronged and refusing to submit to the ground, and firmly tied them up.

The officials in the hall could not help but shake their heads. They wanted to persuade the Imperial Envoy to save some face for the officials, but when they thought of Fan Xian's previous performance of being gentle at one moment and cold at the next, they were shocked by that gentle ruthlessness and unpredictable mood, and they did not dare to say more to plead for mercy. As subordinates, they were not afraid of their superiors being harsh, but they were afraid of their superiors being unpredictable, not knowing when they would bring out that knife again.

Fan Xian's last opening of the yamen in the Internal Treasury ended here. After the meeting, he left Deputy Commissioner Ma Kai behind. The two of them were in the garden behind the yamen, enjoying the atmosphere of spring while talking about things that carried the肅殺 of autumn.

"Don't blame me for being too ruthless," Fan Xian rubbed his dry eyes and said, "Since they dared to make moves when I first took office, don't blame me for taking down their official hats."

Ma Kai smiled bitterly. Although in name he and Fan Xian were deputy and commissioner, and it seemed that their ranks were not that different, he knew that in reality, the power in the hands of this young master in front of him was shockingly great, even more terrifying than that of the princes. Therefore, when Fan Xian discussed with him last night about clearing out the Eldest Princess's confidants in the Internal Treasury, although he expressed a little worry and tried to defend those officials, he did not dare to openly oppose him.

And today, Fan Xian once again left him behind alone and said such sincere words in front of him. Ma Kai knew that the other party was preparing to cultivate him as a confidant. While secretly delighted, he was also a little worried. After all, no one knew who would win between this young master in front of him and those masters in the capital in the years to come.

The court officials were also extremely sensitive to the ownership of that dragon chair. Although it seemed that the Crown Prince would of course inherit the throne, the Emperor's performance in the past two years seemed too strange, so no one dared to fully believe it. If the Second Prince were to inherit the throne... as everyone knew, Commissioner Fan and the Second Prince were not on good terms. And if he wholeheartedly followed Commissioner Fan, he would not have a good end if the Second Prince inherited the throne in the future.

This was the aspect that Ma Kai had been secretly worried about. But he also knew that although officials in the officialdom should be able to please everyone, the most taboo thing in the important issue of choosing a team was to be a fence-sitter. Today, on Fan Xian's last day of leaving the Internal Treasury, he talked to him again, of course wanting him to state his position.

Ma Kai had been thinking all night last night, so he was not flustered. He said calmly, "What your Excellency has discussed is what I wish to do. I will immediately write two documents, one to be sent to the Chancellery and the other to be sent to the Governor's Office in Suzhou by fast horse. Please... rest assured, your Excellency."

When Fan Xian heard this, he knew that Ma Kai knew how to tie himself to his thigh, and even did not hesitate to use these two documents to share the verbal attacks that Fan Xian might receive, and to show his camp to the people in the officialdom... He had made up his mind. He looked at Ma Kai gently and said, "Ma, you are conscientious."

Ma Kai responded with a smile, "As the Deputy Commissioner of the Internal Treasury, it is my duty to investigate and arrest subordinate officials. It is my dereliction of duty that they have caused trouble this time."

Fan Xian laughed. After a long while, he spoke again and said, "I wonder if you think my handling of today was appropriate?"

After thinking for a moment, Ma Kai respectfully replied, "Your Excellency is far-sighted and has made a wise decision. Officials are not like treasury clerks. They cannot be killed or tortured at will. If the case is tried in the Transport Division, it will take too long and it will easily cause controversy. Your Excellency will take these criminals to Suzhou tomorrow and hand them over to Governor Xue for interrogation. Governor Xue is a pillar of the country, with a prestigious reputation and great expectations. He will definitely be able to try this case fairly for the imperial court and give His Majesty an excellent explanation."

Fan Xian secretly praised him. This deputy commissioner had indeed guessed his thoughts clearly. Of course, Fan Xian had to find a way to clear out the Xinyang confidants in the Internal Treasury. Although the labor unrest this time had given him an excellent excuse, it would not be appropriate to do it entirely by himself. Since it involved palace nobles such as the Eldest Princess and the princes, throwing this hot potato to that ultra-grade official was a clever move. First, the Governor of Jiangnan Road had the authority to manage this matter. Second, although Xue Qing might scold him secretly, as a frontier official, his position was different, and he was not very afraid of the Eldest Princess far away in the capital. Instead, he would be somewhat wary of Fan Xian, who was deeply in the hinterland of Jiangnan. Weighing the two sides, Xue Qing should be very clear about what he should do.

"Before coming, Shaoan mentioned to me that this cousin was quite talented in helping the world. After spending these days together, it seems that Shaoan did not exaggerate." Fan Xian changed the topic with a smile, and began to use Ren Shaoan, the go-between, again to bring the two closer.

Ma Kai said with a smile, "Two years ago, when the supervisor entered the capital, he became friends with Shaoan at first sight. When Shaoan wrote letters, he often mentioned that you were amazingly talented and would definitely become a minister who would help the world in the future."

The deputy commissioners talked happily, exchanging compliments and flattery, and agreed on a set of rules for the Internal Treasury in the future in their words. Then they bowed their hands and said goodbye.

Seeing Ma Kai's slightly bowed figure as he sent him to the garden gate, Fan Xian blinked his eyes. It seemed that there were indeed many powerful people in the court, but those people always had fewer blessings from their previous lives than him, so they did not have many opportunities to display them. With today's matter settled, the Internal Treasury would be fine, and he also felt relaxed. Moreover, the work of stuffing confidants into the Transport Division would gradually unfold in the middle of the year. With Ma Kai's help, this matter would be very smooth.

At this time, Fan Xian was just a little unable to guess what exactly made Ma Kai choose him instead of the legitimate prince - it certainly could not be influenced by the close relationship between Ren Shaoan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and himself.

In fact, the reason for Ma Kai's defection was very simple: because of the relationship between the Third Prince and Fan Xian, he made a big bet concerning his future career and the rise and fall of his family. He... put all the silver on small!

……

……

After sending off Deputy Commissioner Ma, he welcomed Shopkeeper Qi. Fan Xian seemed particularly busy on this day before he was about to leave the Internal Treasury. Qi Ye was the leader of the four shopkeepers who accompanied Fan Xian on his trip to the south. Now he was already a director of Qingyu Hall. He had been making money for the Fan Mansion for many years, and he got along very well with Fan Sizhe. He was also very familiar with Fan Xian, so some things that he did not even dare to probe other shopkeepers about, Fan Xian could say directly in front of him.

The old and the young leaned together and whispered, always about the management and production problems of the Internal Treasury in the future. Fan Xian knew that he was an amateur in production management, chemistry, and physics, so he delegated all the power in this area to Qi Ye. He did not have many advantages, but one was that he did not doubt the people he used. Now in the Internal Treasury, it was like this, and it was the same in Kyoto in the past. Whenever it involved planning a conspiracy, it was all handled by that young Master Yan in the Fourth Bureau. Fan Xian absolutely believed in the other party's professional ability and would not foolishly point fingers.

After confirming all the matters, Fan Xian felt relieved. In those years, the old Ye family was so prosperous. Now, under the hands of the shopkeepers, they would definitely be able to gradually reverse the problems of poor management, output quality, and quantity of the Internal Treasury in recent years. As long as they could sell more silver, they would have given the emperor a preliminary explanation. This was what Fan Xian was currently more concerned about.

"The matter of owing wages can no longer happen," Fan Xian sighed with a frown. "Please take care of the quality of the goods."

Qi Ye glanced at him, a little puzzled as to why the supervisor had been thinking about wages all along, of course, he could not figure out the reason. Today, the spring was full of the garden, and the old shopkeeper looked at Fan Xian's handsome face, and he was a little distracted. He thought to himself that although the young master and the young lady did not look very similar, they were both the most refined people in the world.

- Now the young master has finally regained the Ye family's property, although he is only managing it on behalf of the family. The old shopkeeper was still a little unbearable with emotion, and his heart was sighing, but his expression was well concealed. The reason why he wanted to conceal it was because nearly twenty years of house arrest in Kyoto made these old shopkeepers clear that some things could only be done, but not said. Any signs of it would bring unnecessary trouble to the young master.

"I was thinking of asking you to go to Northern Qi to help the second one..." Fan Xian did not notice Qi Ye's psychological activities and said with a wry smile, "I didn't expect those eunuchs to keep following us, and the palace is watching very closely, so I had to let you come to the Internal Treasury as well."

Qi Ye said with a smile, "The eunuchs are very kind to us now because of your face. The Second Young Master is born to be a business material, so you don't have to worry. As for the Internal Treasury... you should also know that I really want to come back and take a look."

Fan Xian was silent. After a long while, he said, "Su Wenmao is here. If you old men have any discomfort, or if anyone dares to raise his eyebrows at you, tell him, I have told him... Since we have left the capital, we can't be bullied anymore."

Qi Ye was moved, but he did not say anything.

A gust of wind blew over, and the tender green leaves on the green trees in the yard had not yet grown firmly, and they were blown down. Fan Xian gave a soft sound, and casually grabbed one in his hand, looking at the fresh green broken point, and frowned for a long time.

After a long time, he asked softly, "Can the craft... be copied?"

Qi Ye's body trembled slightly, and after a long while, he shook his head: "It's a dead rule, it can't be put into words, it can only be passed down by word of mouth."

Fan Xian said: "The drawings can't be passed down by word of mouth."

Qi Ye shook his head and said: "The watch was tight before, and now I don't know where they are."

Fan Xian thought for a while, and a smile appeared on his face: "Come to Hangzhou and tell me about it in a few months, I have a good memory."