Chapter 337: Scared Myself
Jin Yiwei worked very efficiently. At noon the next day, all the detailed information about Zhou Sichang and his family were submitted to Zhu Youjian.
"Let me go, corruption is rampant in the Ming Dynasty officialdom, but there is such a weird existence?" Zhu Youjian flipped through it and couldn't help being dumbfounded.
According to the information collected by Jin Yiwei, Zhou Sichang was indeed very clean. Although he lived in a large second-level house, the furniture was ordinary, and some of it was even old and damaged and could be used as firewood.
In addition to official uniforms and shoes, although Zhou Sichang and his wife usually wore clean and tidy clothes, most of them were patched, and their food was as ordinary as that of poor people. It is said that Zhou Sichang had to rely on the financial support of his wife Wu's natal family to survive. Gotta go down.
Who would have thought that a dignified fourth-grade official could live in such poverty?
To be honest, Zhou Sichang is indeed very incorruptible. Compared with the current officials of the Ming Dynasty, he is like a saint.
Zhu Youjian was stunned for a long time, and then he continued to look down. Zhou Sichang's two younger brothers were engaged in business and were from a wealthy family. He had a son and a daughter. The daughter died of illness a few years after getting married.
Because of his poor understanding, his son Yitong did not go to school. Instead, he learned business from his two uncles. He was busy with business and basically lived in the homes of his two uncles.
Zhu Youjian looked at it carefully again, and really couldn't find anything wrong, but he didn't know why, he always felt that something was wrong, but for a while he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
"Check carefully for me!" Zhu Youjian said coldly. Since Zhou Sichang can't find any problems, let's start with his two younger brothers, especially his son Yitong Yitong, and focus on the investigation.
"yes."
Tian Boguang accepted the order and retreated. After returning to the Jinyi Guards Office, he summoned a group of close men and made an explanation. Then he waved his men to go to work quickly.
Dongcheng District, West Street, Shen Lian, dressed as a dandy in rich clothes, holding a volume of "Da Ming Pao" in his hand, swaggered into Zuixian Tower, and under the guidance of the store clerk, he entered the Orchid Room.
A middle-aged wealthy businessman wearing silk satin was originally sitting in the private room. When he saw Shen Lian coming in, he quickly stood up to greet him, with a flattering smile on his face.
Zuixianlou is a famous high-end restaurant in the capital. It is luxuriously decorated and expensive. It is not something that ordinary people can afford. Shen Lian is here for something.
Although it is a private matter, it can also be regarded as a public matter, because this wealthy businessman of Huang Dafa is the downline of his development. If he encounters any trouble, both public and private, he has to help Huang Dafa solve the trouble.
In fact, Huang Dafa's troubles are not troubles, but that he thinks too much and complicates some simple things. He is inevitably suspicious and uneasy, and wants to ask Shen Lian for advice.
Not only Huang Dafa, but also all the businessmen had the same thoughts and uneasiness. The reason was that the Industrial and Commercial Bureau established by the emperor and the series of industrial and commercial management regulations promulgated made them think about things more complicated, and they were worried and even afraid. They all just wait and see what happens, waiting for others to take the lead.
Even though all the merchants in the capital had closed their shops and went on strike under the instruction of the Donglin Party members, every one of them was uneasy and in terrible pain.
They are in business, and if they are closed for a day, they will lose a day's profit. If they are closed for ten days and a half, the losses will be so great that it makes them feel heartbroken.
The wealthy businessmen with deep pockets have to bear the losses, but small businessmen like Huang Dafa can't bear it. They may go bankrupt, but they dare not open their doors for business, otherwise they will be punished by the Chamber of Commerce. They will also be ruined, and they may even die. Throw it away.
Huang Dafa couldn't hold on any longer, so he had to bite the bullet and ask Shen Lian for help. Of course, he was not alone, but a representative of more than a dozen small businessmen with a fortune like his.
"You... really make me speechless..."
After listening to Huang Dafa's narration, Shen Lian shook his head and smiled bitterly. It was originally a simple matter, but Huang Dafa and others made it more complicated and even frightened themselves. It really left him speechless.
"But...but the Chamber of Commerce..." Huang Dafa muttered for a long time, but couldn't hold it in.
After listening to Shen Lian's explanation, he understood the reasons and functions of the Emperor's establishment of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau. He felt relieved for a while, but he still felt a breath of relief that not only did not relax, but instead tightened even more.
"Chamber of Commerce?" Shen Lian was startled, and his heart suddenly moved.