Fan Zehao took them and looked at them carefully. It was just as his wife had said, all owed to the villagers. He could understand this, having been at war for two years, and Antai Prefecture was within the war zone.
"The account books have been burned to ashes, and I can do nothing about the IOUs you have presented. I will not concern myself with these debts. Whoever owes you, go find them. Those who disagree can go directly to the Emperor."
He had spoken those words against his conscience at the time to trick them into revealing these lists of debts.
Now, they thought they could use the lack of evidence to deal with him. Little did they know, he was counterattacking with the same tactic.
Fan Zehao didn't give them a chance to speak and continued, "From today onwards, I am the master of this fiefdom. If anyone, during their tenure, fails to pay taxes on time, dares to oppress the common people, extort their earnings, or accept bribes, unless I find out, the penalty for any confirmed violation will be death without mercy!"
"I am not some civil official who will negotiate with you. I am from the military and always act decisively. I will manage you with the same methods I use to manage soldiers. Don't harbor any侥幸. Those who are capable will be appointed, and those who are not will resign. I will give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to consider."
Four out of the five prefects were sweating profusely, their faces ashen. With a bitter expression, they faced Fan Zehao and said, "Your Highness, these outstanding debts have all been duly taxed. If they are not repaid, won't those people cause trouble at the prefecture office?"
The first to speak was Qian Lai, the prefect of the inner city. The day before yesterday, he had patted his chest and assured the head of the Ji family that the Prince would repay the money, even if not in cash, then at least through tax reductions.
Now, not only had his plan backfired, but he had also lost money. He had already received a considerable sum from the head of the Ji family!
Feng Yan quickly stepped forward to speak, "Your Highness, acting this way is truly unreasonable. If those people come looking for trouble, how can I... how can I manage the prefectures under my jurisdiction?" He spread his hands, looking troubled.
"Indeed, Your Highness. This is not a battlefield where the strongest prevails. Everything requires evidence!" Xiao Qinghe, the prefect of Qingjiang Prefecture, his face flushed, also joined the persuasion.
As for Ning Hong, the prefect of Songling, his lips trembled violently, and his face was as pale as paper. He could no longer speak, and his hand kept wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Antai Prefect Shi Lei, on the other hand, stood with his back straight, his face not flushed and his breathing steady, standing there like an old monk in meditation.
Fan Zehao sneered, "You talk about evidence. Then show me the evidence that I owe it?"
Several people opened their mouths, then closed them again.
Feng Yan, with his sharp mind, immediately said, "There is evidence. When the taxes were owed, we prefects signed IOUs!"
"Yes, yes, that's right!"
It was as if a word had awakened them from a dream. The others nodded, their faces showing surprise. But their joy lasted less than half an hour before it was extinguished by Fan Zehao's words.
"Since you owe it, then you shall repay it. If one year's salary is not enough, then ten years. If ten years is not enough, then a lifetime. If a lifetime is not enough, then your sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons will continue until it is repaid. I never asked you to sign any IOUs!"
The four looked at each other. Let them repay?
Who had ever heard of spitting out money that had already been swallowed?
Feng Yan opened his mouth, about to speak, when Zhao Jiaqi intercepted him, "The crime of deceiving the emperor leads to the extermination of nine generations. Deceiving a Prince, though not leading to the extermination of nine generations, is enough for fifty military rod strokes. You won't die, but you will be paralyzed and confined to bed for life. I believe, sirs, that none of you wish to be the one who deceived the Prince!"
Feng Yan, who had his mouth open, immediately changed his tune, shaking his head vigorously, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. The account books were indeed burned!"
He had intended to say that there were backups of the account books, but he had forgotten for a moment. However, the Princess Consort's words extinguished his last glimmer of hope.
"Have you thought about it? Can you handle the position of prefect? If you can, then stay. If not, leave immediately!"
The position of prefect was a lucrative one, with considerable power. They naturally would not give it up so easily.
Not one of the five backed down. Fan Zehao's lips curled into a mocking smile, "If that is the case, then you may return. Handle this matter properly and withdraw."
The five bowed and withdrew. Walking on the pebble-paved path, their legs felt weak. As they walked, they all complained to Qian Lai, "Why did you come up with such a bad idea? Now, how do we explain this to them!"
Qian Lai retorted, "Can you blame me? It's all because you were greedy. Writing down a million taels was one thing, but you had to make it so much more. Did you really think he was a wealthy man?"
Shi Lei glanced at them. They were all people who were never satisfied. He couldn't be bothered with them. This time, they had truly encountered a tough opponent. Let's see how they would explain themselves.
The four looked at Shi Lei, who left separately and seemed out of place. In the end, they all quietly closed their mouths. Privately, the few of them went to Qian Lai's residence to think of a countermeasure.
The Prince's mansion had no money, and Zhao Jiaqi did not have much silver on hand, but it was enough to pay wages. Once construction had started, there was no turning back. Since it had already begun, they couldn't abandon it halfway.
Xiao Ce, knowing the whole story, had to admit that Fan Zehao's handling of the situation was quite ruthless.
However, against a ruthless person, normal means were truly ineffective. This was the so-called "beating a master with a cudgel."
"Xiao Ce, go to the army camp and station troops outside the city. If anyone causes trouble within the city, arrest them without question and throw them to the trade city. Let the troublemakers be free laborers. I will take responsibility for any incidents!"
Fan Zehao pondered for a moment and made thorough preparations for the possible events. As long as someone dared to cause trouble, he would not be lenient.
He had thirty thousand troops anyway, so dealing with them would be no trouble.
Zhao Jiaqi frowned, "What if these people cause a market closure? Then the various prefectures will have no grain to sell, and the shops will all close, what then?"
Fan Zehao's lips curved into a wicked smile, "If they dare, then I will directly confiscate the shops and arrest the troublemakers. I will take this opportunity to thoroughly clean out the rats and vermin within the prefecture, killing one to warn a hundred. Let's see who dares to be the first bird!"
Seeing that her husband had made up his mind, Zhao Jiaqi said no more.
However, she still had to guard against the possibility of a market closure, so she made two contingency plans. She found Sheng Ge and the others and had them go to various prefectures to buy large quantities of grain. If it couldn't be used, then it would be limited purchase.
The official ships were fast, taking only three to four days to reach nearby places. This way, even if the market closed, they wouldn't have to worry. As for salt, it was fortunately still under government control, so there was no need to worry.
For three consecutive days, there was no movement. Zhao Jiaqi thought that there would be no trouble, but as soon as this thought arose, she was instantly proven wrong.