Time Travel: The Useless Prince, First Destroy the Princess

Chapter 122 Shangguan Mi's Unfortunate Fate

When I returned to the disaster relief agency, I yawned twice as soon as I entered the door.

Du Zheng hurried down.

"Your Highness, do you want to rest for a while?"

Judging from the look on Liu Zhao's face, Du Zheng thought that he was probably out playing with women!

Who says she is young?

But it seems that he didn’t bring any women with him!

Are you still going to brothels?

This?

Du Zheng didn't dare to think about it anymore!

"No, how are things going?"

Of course, Liu Zhao didn't know what Du Zheng was thinking.

"Things are starting to get better. Some of the troublemakers have been arrested and are currently on trial!"

"Okay! Then I'll trouble you, Master Du!"

Liu Zhao said politely.

"Your Highness is too polite!" Du Zheng had to be more humble.

"However, after verification, it turns out that this situation didn't happen in all counties, such as Hongnong County! The disaster relief grain has been distributed in an orderly manner according to plan!"

This is good news.

"Okay then! Let me see!"

Liu Zhaozhen was a little surprised that the disaster relief grain in Hongnong was distributed so well.

No mistakes?

"Yes!" Du Zheng handed the file in his hand to Liu Zhao.

A name caught my eye.

Shangguan Mi!

Isn’t this the Shangguan Mi where I stayed overnight?

There are not many double surnames, and since it is Hongnong County, the probability is even higher that it cannot be wrong.

I carefully read the situation description next to it.

"Shangguan Mi of Hongnong County, a filial and incorrupt official, was robbed while escorting disaster relief grain. He defeated the bandits, captured a hundred of them, and brought them to the government!"

This is interesting!

I didn’t realize Shangguan Mi had such ability!

Others were robbed and killed, but he not only survived but also captured the robbers.

"Master Du, what's going on? They were all escorting disaster relief supplies, so how come he's fine?"

Du Zheng took one look and said, "Your Highness, Shangguan Mi is not only a filial and honest official, but also a skilled warrior. He can be said to be both civil and military! The men he escorted with the grain were all strong men he recruited with his own money, and they all have martial arts skills!"

"Oh!" Liu Zhao nodded.

I have personally witnessed Shangguan Mi's literary level, and it is actually very ordinary.

But I didn't realize he had any martial arts skills.

How could he organize a group of people with martial arts skills to transport disaster relief supplies?

Liu Zhao felt a chill in his heart. Did he know in advance that someone was going to rob the grain?

Or is he the mastermind, making a profit from it?

This is not without reason. Seeing that his family is well-off, it seems that he doesn't do any business.

Running so fast that morning?

Are you really planning to rob food?

Then, you deserve to die!

"This guy is quite capable! Have you checked his background?"

Liu Zhao asked.

"Your Highness, this man is a well-known figure in Hongnong County. He has been recommended many times for official appointment, but he has refused! What a pity!"

"Oh! He paid for the transportation of food supplies himself. He seems quite wealthy!"

"Your Highness, you don't know that this man has tons of money! He treats gold like beans!"

"what?"

I heard the gangster say that in the restaurant that day, but I didn't believe it.

But now that Du Zheng said it, I have to believe it!

"Your Highness, you may not know that this man's father was named Shangguan Kai. He served as the governor of Yizhou in the previous dynasty and later died in office!"

"How can a prefect have so much money?"

"Your Highness, Yizhou silk is the best in the world! When Shangguan Kai was in office, Yizhou silk was sold throughout the country, and the profits were considerable!"

"By taxation?"

Liu Zhao was still puzzled.

The selling price of silk will only cause the government to collect more taxes. There must be other ways.

"Taxation is only one of the reasons. Shangguan Kai also established a government-run silk business, exclusively purchasing Yizhou silk and selling it elsewhere at a hundred times the price, generating hundreds of millions in profits!"

"So it's a monopoly business, no wonder!" Liu Chao muttered.

Isn't this just abusing one's power for personal gain?

"Your Highness, Shangguan Kai has made a lot of money during his tenure, so he is not greedy or takes advantage of others. He is an honest official!"

"Don't be greedy or take advantage of others. We are the sole operator of the silk business. With such lucrative profits, is there any need to be greedy?"

Liu Zhao disagreed.

"Your Highness is right! Yizhou silk is the best in the world, but it is also thanks to him!"

"Thanks to him? Tell me about it." Liu Zhao was really interested in this topic.

This is a very rare phenomenon in the ancient officialdom!

"Before he went to Yizhou, although Yizhou produced silk, the quantity was extremely small, and there was no ability to transport it to other places for sale!"

"After he arrived, he discovered that Yizhou was a suitable place for sericulture. The silk woven in Yizhou's climate was extremely tough, so he tried his best to persuade the people in Yizhou to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms!"

“He’s a talented person!”

Liu Zhao had to admit it.

"And they organized the people and soldiers to work day and night to repair the road from Yizhou to Liangzhou!"

“Were there no roads before?”

Liu Zhao was puzzled.

"Of course there was before, but the mountain roads were so rugged that horses could hardly travel! After he took office, he widened the roads, allowing Yizhou silk to be transported to other places and even exported overseas!"

"That's amazing!" Liu Zhao exclaimed in admiration from the bottom of his heart when he heard this.

"During his tenure in Yizhou, the people's income increased dozens of times. Bandits were eradicated, and the people praised him. Even today, there are temples in Yizhou dedicated to his statue!"

"What then?"

"Later, when our Great Jing Dynasty was established, Shangguan Kai toned down his influence and bought land all over Sizhou. The story of him drying his gold was just a rumor, but the Shangguan family's wealth was a fact!"

"How come Liu Yan didn't touch such a rich man?"

Although Liu Zhao had this question, he did not ask it.

"So Shangguan Mi is just going to sit around and eat up all the money he has left?"

Liu Zhao asked a different question.

"That's not the case. Shangguan Mi was fond of reading poetry and literature, and he was also a martial artist. He was truly a rare talent. However, Shangguan Kai died in office for some reason, and he gave up the idea of ​​entering the government ever since then!"

Before Liu Zhao could say anything, Du Zheng continued, "There are rumors that Shangguan Mi fell in love with a talented woman from Luojing when he was young! Perhaps his reluctance to enter the government was also related to this woman!"

"A talented woman from Luojing? Who?"

It can’t be that Deng Yi!

But then he realized in an instant that Shangguan Mi was already in his thirties, while Deng Yi was only sixteen or seventeen years old.

Absolutely impossible!

"This woman's name is Cai Wei. Her father, Cai Yan, was once an imperial censor in the previous dynasty. He later offended the last emperor, Wei Hao, and was imprisoned and executed. Since then, this woman has disappeared! She must have gotten married!"

"Could it be that Cai Wei was the one Shangguan Mi was thinking about that day?"

"He's still a lovesick person!"

Liu Chao said.

"Yes, he's a love-struck couple!" Du Zheng smiled. "But I heard they're doomed to fail!"

"Bad fate?"

"These are just rumors. Cai Wei has already been betrothed to someone else, so how could she be developing a relationship with Shangguan Mi?"

"That's it!" Liu Zhao couldn't help but sigh.

This is how it is in this era. Once a woman is betrothed to someone, she no longer has the power to choose.

"Then, Lord Du, I'll leave the matters here to you. I plan to go to Hongnong and meet Shangguan Mi!"

"Your Highness, there are many bandits on the road. It may not be safe!"

"Ma Zhuang is here, and no one knows me, so it's okay!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Du Zheng doesn't have that much time to accompany Liu Zhao, so it's just as well.

So he arranged for several people with strong martial arts skills to follow Liu Zhao to Hongnong County.