"If you don't want people to hear, it's better not to speak; if you don't want people to know, it's better not to act!" Zhou Fugui summoned more than twenty wealthy and influential families from Houqiu County to his side and reprimanded them, "Do you really think I, the governor, am unaware of your actions?"
In times of chaos, with frequent wars, widespread devastation, and the suffering of the people, life was indeed difficult for most. Yet, no matter the era, there were always those who, appearing respectable in public, engaged in despicable acts behind the scenes. They oppressed the common folk, preyed on the villagers, extorted the meager wealth of the impoverished, and hoarded the food that sustained them. Some even colluded with officials and barbarians, forming a vile alliance, setting up private prisons, and crushing the populace with every imaginable evil. Their own lives were exceptionally extravagant and comfortable.
Zhou Fugui could easily gather information about such matters; a little inquiry would reveal the general situation.
But what could Zhou Fugui do to them at this moment? He was utterly helpless.
In times of chaos, there were too many injustices and infuriating deeds. Even with extraordinary abilities, Zhou Fugui could not attend to them all, nor could he act as a champion for everyone or right every wrong. Moreover, as the newly appointed Chief Clerk of Donghai Commandery, Zhou Fugui's primary concern was "stability." Therefore, he could only urge these wealthy families, influential figures, and gentry of Houqiu County to exercise some restraint. What else could he do? Eliminate them all? He feared that before he could eliminate them, Donghai Commandery would descend into utter chaos, and Zhou Fugui, the Grand Governor of Donghai and Prefect of Donghai Commandery who had only been in office for two days, would be forced to retreat with his troops, perhaps even leading to more severe consequences.
The Xu and Huang families of Donghai Commandery were also among the wealthy, influential, and powerful in these chaotic times. However, they were not excessively so. The Huang family, in particular, prioritized righteousness and understood that a combination of benefit and principle was the key to long-term strategy.
"Oh, what is it that the Grand Governor knows?" a wealthy man surnamed Cao asked with a light chuckle, "What we do is out of helplessness."
"Precisely, precisely, Master Cao speaks wisely!"
"Grand Governor, we are merely trying to make a living!"
"Living in chaotic times, who doesn't have their difficulties? Is the Grand Governor trying to intimidate us?"
"If you frighten us, who will guide you when you quell the rebellion?"
"The Grand Governor has a mighty army, but can't we simply avoid you? If we hide deep in the mountains and forests, it won't be easy for the Grand Governor to find us, hehe!"
"..."
The more than twenty wealthy and influential families chimed in with their agreement.
The Cao family was also a prominent clan in Donghai Commandery. If pushed, they dared to fortify their estates or strongholds and confront the officials. With the advantage of being local landowners, they felt emboldened. Their words carried a veiled threat towards Zhou Fugui.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fugui's anger flared. He clenched his fists, wishing he could immediately execute them all, then attack their estates and distribute their wealth to the poor. However, his reason prevented him from taking such action.
"Cao Rushan, is it?" Zhou Fugui, unable to come up with a way to deal with them, found Huang Daimei speaking up. "Your name contains the character 'shan' and you are known as 'Great Benefactor Cao.' You are outwardly a benevolent philanthropist who makes a living from collecting rent and doing business. Yet, in secret, you collude with mountain bandits and horse thieves, engaging in unsavory acts like kidnapping, extortion, and bullying women. Am I mistaken, young master?"
"Who are you?" Cao Rushan, his sore spot touched by Huang Daimei's words that revealed his true nature, became enraged and pointed at Huang Daimei, asking shrilly.
He was over fifty years old, yet his voice became unusually sharp when angry, making one doubt if he was an eunuch...
"Swish!" Huang Daimei, mimicking her second elder brother, took out a golden floral fan, opened it, and gently fanned herself while speaking indifferently, "Tan Lu Lan Shan has a wicked appearance, but the Huang family upholds righteousness as paramount!"
"Huang Family's Yi Qing?" Cao Rushan was startled by this and his arrogance immediately deflated...
These wealthy families, influential figures, and gentry like Cao Rushan might not fear the government or officials, but they had to fear the Huang family of Donghai Commandery and the Yi Qing Society. They harbored both hatred and jealousy towards them, yet were utterly terrified.
If they angered the Huang family, they would not play by the rules. If they angered the Huang family, assassins could be dispatched to exterminate their entire families. Escape? Could they escape the grasp of the Huang family, who were like the uncrowned rulers of Donghai?
It could be said that while the government or officials might punish them, the Huang family could desecrate their ancestral graves...
"Haha, Young Master Huang San... I mean, Young Master Huang Er, there's no need to say it like that. Isn't that showing too little respect to Master Cao?" Zhou Fugui glanced at Huang Daimei and then, with a hint of smugness, laughed, "Living in chaotic times, Master Cao is somewhat helpless, isn't he? Master Cao... sir?"
After speaking, Zhou Fugui winked at Huang Daimei, who responded with an eye-roll...
"Young Master Huang Er?" The wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County cursed inwardly upon hearing this. She was clearly a woman, yet he called her Young Master Huang Er? What a corrupt official, trying to deceive people like this! Bah, adulterous couple!
They were all worldly and experienced individuals, how could they not see that Huang Daimei was a woman? However, this made them even more fearful. The reason was that Huang Weilun, the leader of the Yi Qing Society, doted on his "good daughter" immensely... But how had this barbarian Grand Governor gotten involved with Huang Daimei? The wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County were utterly perplexed.
In broad daylight, the two of them were exchanging meaningful glances and singing each other's praises. They were practically on the verge of hugging each other in public. If this wasn't a liaison, what was it? If they weren't an adulterous couple, what were they?
"Grand Governor, what do you think we should do? We will comply," as the saying goes, one thing overcomes another. Zhou Fugui could do nothing to them, but the wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County couldn't afford to offend the Huang family or the Yi Qing Society. Thus, Cao Rushan had no choice but to bow his head and concede.
"Promotion and wealth, prosperous families, even ennoblement as marquises and prime ministers, who wouldn't desire them?" Zhou Fugui glanced at the disaster victims voraciously drinking porridge and rice and said, "I, the governor, am no exception. But what is the most important thing for prosperity? It is people. If all the people are dead, who will you find to prosper with? Can you conjure wealth out of thin air? If you drain the pond to catch fish, the pond will be empty, and there will be no fish. Do you truly not understand this principle?"
"Grand Governor, I donate three hundred dan of grain!" As soon as Zhou Fugui spoke, how could Cao Rushan and the other wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County not understand his intention? Zhou Fugui was practically asking for it directly, reaching for their purses... And if they didn't contribute some grain today, it seemed this hurdle could not be passed. Thus, Cao Rushan declared loudly, as if afraid no one would hear...
Three hundred dan of grain was a drop in the bucket for the Cao family, but Cao Rushan still felt an intense pang of pain, his plump flesh trembling incessantly, as if his flesh were being cut.
"I donate two hundred dan of grain and a bolt of white silk!"
"Bravo!"
"I donate one hundred dan of grain and a hundred catties of meat!"
"Bravo!"
"My family is poor. I have over a hundred able-bodied men who can do odd jobs for the Grand Governor?"
"Bravo!"
"..."
Since the prominent Cao family of Houqiu County had conceded, the wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County had no choice but to follow suit, donating money, goods, and manpower. As the wealthy and influential families made their pledges, the disaster victims, while drinking their porridge and rice, cheered loudly.
As the disaster victims cheered, they also felt greatly curious. They were curious as to how the Grand Governor Zhou had managed to extract such wealth from the normally stingy wealthy and influential families.
The wealthy, influential, and gentry of Houqiu County donated not a great deal of money and goods, but it could alleviate their immediate pressing needs.
............
"Gently, the Grand Governor is already asleep..." Huang Daimei acted as if she were one of them, speaking softly before taking the tray from Pi'e.
On the tray was a bowl of thick porridge, two small dishes of appetizers, and a pot of steaming hot rice wine.
"Oh, oh..." Pi'e nodded hurriedly at this, then asked in a low voice, "The master is asleep? This... the master hasn't eaten yet, what should we do?"
Pi'e felt that he had already greatly slowed down his movements, but his plump, large body still made a "thump-thump-thump" sound as he walked. Hearing this, he simply stopped walking. He felt his voice was already very low, but to others, it still sounded like thunderous roars...
Huang Daimei did not consider herself an outsider, and neither did the guards like Pi'e treat her as one... Whether she was the Grand Governor's future concubine, a lady-in-waiting, or a maid, she was still the Grand Governor's woman, wasn't she?
However, if Huang Daimei knew the thoughts of the guards like Pi'e, she would certainly be extremely embarrassed and angry, or fly into a rage and draw her sword, or dispatch countless assassins to give Zhou Fugui no peace...
"What a mighty man!" Huang Daimei, who was nearly her full height, had to stand on tiptoe to take the tray from Pi'e, sighing inwardly.
Huang Daimei then glanced at Pi'e, signaling him not to speak further, lest he wake Zhou Fugui. She then carried the tray towards the inner hall.
Inside the hall, Zhou Fugui was slumped over a low table, his eyes closed, a cloth covering his face. His well-defined lips were slightly upturned, smiling in his sleep, as if dreaming of something pleasant...
On the low table were haphazardly piled up military orders, tokens, official documents, brush, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Yanping Lianghou, General Jianzhong, Grand Governor of Donghai, Prefect of Donghai, Zhou Fugui was exhausted!
After breaking through Donghai Commandery City and failing to pursue the rebel leader Murong Hong, he had barely rested for a few days before an epidemic broke out in Donghai Commandery. Thus, Zhou Fugui, without a moment's rest, rushed to prepare grain and medicine, gather manpower to combat the epidemic and rescue the disaster victims, and then personally went to Houqiu County to quell the unrest. After all this, Zhou Fugui was utterly exhausted, his stomach empty, yet he fell into a deep sleep without regard for anything else.
Huang Daimei gently placed the tray aside, took a fur robe, and draped it lightly over Zhou Fugui. She then knelt on the ground, watching Zhou Fugui sleep, admiring his "magnificent" sleeping posture.
"Yingying!" After an unknown amount of time, as the candles in the room were about to burn out, Zhou Fugui suddenly shouted and woke up from his dream, his face covered in sweat.