Chapter 61 Father Travels a Thousand Miles Away and His Son Worries

Before taking up his post, Deng Qianqiu decided to train his father.
First of all, he was seriously warned that when delivering money and grain in the county, he must not use a blank seal. No matter how troublesome it was, he must not run to the Ministry of Revenue to verify the amount of money and grain with a blank paper with a seal just to save trouble.

You know, because of an empty seal case, almost all the county magistrates in the Ming Dynasty were killed.

Secondly, we must not embezzle money and grain now, our son has money.

After being warned again and again, Deng Jian looked at Deng Qianqiu with strange eyes: "Qianqiu, this time, since I have been appointed as the magistrate of Jiangning County, I am here to clarify the administration of Jiangning and benefit the people. You don't have to teach me these things. As a father, I have my own ideas."

Deng Qianqiu then realized that his father was not as simple as he had thought before. He felt a cold aura from Deng Jian.

Deng Jian smiled and said, "Son, you have grown up. Your father can finally put his mind at ease. From now on, even if your father is no longer in this world, you can take care of yourself."

Deng Qianqiu couldn't help but frowned and said, "Dad, why do you say such things..."

Deng Jian said earnestly: "Well, it's time for me to do what I want to do as a father."

Deng Qianqiu scratched his head, and then he remembered something, so he said, "I heard some gossip, no no no, it's called rumors."

Deng Jian raised his eyebrows and asked, "Rumors?"

Deng Qianqiu said, "I heard that Liu Ji, the county magistrate of Jiangning County, was originally going to take over as the county magistrate. But who would have thought that the emperor would appoint Dad to be the county magistrate? I heard that Liu Ji has many connections, and he has already racked his brains to get the position of county magistrate. He is also from Huaixi and has many connections. Now that Dad is the county magistrate, he, as an assistant official, may not be convinced. Dad should be careful to guard against him."

Deng Jian nodded, and he took Deng Qianqiu's words to heart, so he said: "It is indeed worrying that you have just entered the official career and have taken on such a key position. Your father will try to be careful."

After more than a month, the weather started to get colder and colder. After a heavy rain, people had to start wearing coats to keep warm.

Early winter is approaching.

Deng Qianqiu was bored. He felt like he had become an idler in the capital, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to guard the gate. This was ancient times, and the heat island effect was not as serious. Once night fell, the wind was so cold that he could not find a good place to sleep.

So, in this boredom, he went to the Jiangning County Government Office to look for Deng Jian.

He heard a lot of things. After his father took office, he immediately began to lay off some irrelevant personnel and started to check the situation of the county treasury. He was very resolute and decisive. Of course... he didn't know how many people he offended.

Deng Qianqiu then realized that his father was now like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins. He had completely exceeded the limits of his imagination, which made Deng Qianqiu begin to doubt his life.

"father."

When I saw Deng Jian, I noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with his expression.

Deng Jian was still very happy to see his son. He smiled and said, "Qianqiu, why are you here?"

Deng Qianqiu said: "I was on my way and just happened to come and take a look."

Having said that, he sat down in Deng Jian's residence.

"I heard that Dad did a lot of things while serving in Jiangning. A new official starts with three things to do."

Deng Jian poured his son a cup of hot tea and said, "This is nothing. This is just the beginning. There is still a lot to do next."

Deng Qianqiu took the teacup and took a sip of hot tea, and immediately felt that the cold air that had just been brought in from outside had been dispelled.

Seeing Deng Jian's expression was a little subtle, he couldn't help but say, "Dad, you seem to have something on your mind."

"Hmm." Deng Jian did not deny it.

Deng Qianqiu continued, "We are one father and son. Even if we commit a crime, we will lose our heads together. We will prosper together and suffer together. Dad, don't keep anything in your heart."

Deng Jian finally calmed down, looked at Deng Qianqiu deeply, and said, "To be honest, my father's seal is lost."

Deng Qianqiu was stunned when he heard this: "Official seal?"

The county magistrate lost his official seal, which is a capital crime under Ming Dynasty law!

Therefore, any county magistrate would keep it properly. Deng Qianqiu didn't believe that Deng Jian didn't understand this principle. So the only possibility was that it was not lost at all, but stolen.

The person who stole the official seal wanted to put Deng Jian to death.

Deng Qianqiu asked: "When was it lost?"

"I didn't notice it last night. The last time I saw it was the day before yesterday."

Deng Qianqiu shuddered. "Father, who do you think did this?"

"It's not confirmed yet..."

"It must have been stolen, Dad. They want your head. They are so vicious. We can never let it go! Once this matter gets out, Dad's head will be in danger."

And his life is also in danger!
Deng Jian took a deep breath and said, "Actually... I know who is most likely to be the one, but... I have no evidence, so I can't do anything about him."

Deng Qianqiu immediately thought of someone: "But what about the county magistrate Liu Ji?"

Deng Jian actually showed an unexpected calmness: "You were right at the beginning. Because I served as the county magistrate, I did block his path to promotion, which made him bear a grudge. Moreover, after I took office, I started to check the treasury and found some clues. A lot of money and grain that passed through his hands did not match. Originally, your father wanted to investigate it thoroughly and then punish him for the crime of corruption and abuse of power, but who would have thought..."

Deng Qianqiu gnashed his teeth and said, "This bastard, why would I fight him?"

Deng Jian calmly persuaded Deng Qianqiu, "Now is not the time to act rashly. I'm afraid the theft of the official seal will happen in the next two days. It's useless to fight him now. The most urgent task now is to find the official seal."

Deng Qianqiu gradually calmed down at this time. He thought for a moment and said, "I have a way, but... I need a helper, Dad... I understand now that sometimes you can't avoid things. We can't let others bully us." Deng Jian's spirits improved a lot and he asked hurriedly, "What method?"

…………

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

He should also hurry into the hall and pay his respects.

Zhu Yuanzhang was writing and giving military orders to Xu Da.

He looked up and asked, "What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Your Majesty, Deng Qianqiu..."

"Deng Qianqiu?" Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly moved: "What happened to him? He was lazy again during the night shift and finally caught a cold?"

Ye Gai shook his head first: "During the day, for some reason, he went around the Yiluansi to inquire about Your Majesty."

"Inquire about me?" Zhu Yuanzhang put down his pen and frowned. "Why would he inquire about me for no reason? Could it be that he has discovered my identity? This guy is usually very smart, so it's not easy for him to discover it now."

She also forced a smile first: "I think he should know that your majesty is not an ordinary person, but no matter how smart the people in this world are, I am afraid they will never think that you are your majesty, and the same is true for Deng Qianqiu."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright, lost in thought: "Maybe... he encountered some difficulties?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and said, "Let's go and see what kind of troubles the son of the Jiangning County Magistrate might encounter."

……

Sure enough, Deng Qianqiu did not sleep tonight, but looked around nervously.

Deng Qianqiu was overjoyed when he saw Zhu Yuanzhang. He ran over and shouted, "Brother, you are finally here. I have been looking for you everywhere. If I can't find you, I will have to go find the King of Jin."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned: "Prince of Jin?"

Deng Qianqiu said to Zhu Yuanzhang frankly: "I have encountered a great matter now, and I must have a brother I can trust to work with me. The King of Jin is loyal, but he is not reliable. I am worried that he will add fuel to the fire before the matter is completed. After thinking about it, I can only ask you for help."

It was the first time that Zhu Yuanzhang saw Deng Qianqiu so panicked. Hearing his trust in him, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.

His expression became more serious: "What happened?"

Deng Qianqiu swallowed his saliva and said hesitantly, "Have I ever told you that my father has become rich and is now the magistrate of Jiangning County..."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

Deng Qianqiu continued, "But...he is facing a huge difficulty now. My father is like me. He is upright and hates evil just like me. We are simply made from the same mold."

Zhu Yuanzhang was not a patient man, and angrily asked, "Can you please speak directly?"

"Because of this, my father offended someone, and now... his official seal is lost."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhu Yuanzhang's face changed immediately.

He stared at Deng Qianqiu and said word by word: "Do you know what a serious crime it is to lose the official seal?"

Under Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze, Deng Qianqiu felt a little frightened for no reason and said, "I know...I know."

"Not only is this a capital crime under Ming law, it is also an unforgivable crime in the imperial edicts issued to the world. Once the seal is lost, it is like losing land. Even if the emperor wants to show leniency, he cannot escape the blame."

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed a little anxious. The county magistrate, who had just taken office, was charged with a capital crime.

Thinking of this, he seemed to be filled with a bloody smell all over his body: "Your father is so confused and careless? Doesn't he know the consequences at all?"

Deng Qianqiu smiled bitterly and said, "Ah...my father is like this, he is not very smart."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was filled with murderous intent: "If anyone steals the official seal, even if I kill all three of his clans, it will not be enough to quell my hatred."

Zhu Yuanzhang then came to his senses and asked, "Why, do you want me to help find someone to speak well of your father and save his life?"

Deng Qianqiu shook his head: "No, I want to get the official seal back."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "Get it back? Do you think the person who stole the official seal would be so foolish? Since he stole it, he must have known what crime it was. He must have hidden it long ago, and no one can find it. Unless you tie up his entire family, boil them in oil, and interrogate them carefully, he will never say a word. But... how can we kill his entire family without any evidence?"

Deng Qianqiu said: "Actually, I have a solution, so I came to ask for your help. Actually, this is a simple matter. All I need is a hand."

"Hmm?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Deng Qianqiu and seemed to realize that Deng Qianqiu was not joking, so he asked, "Can you really find it?"

Deng Qianqiu said firmly: "I guarantee it with my life! Well, time is running out, let's do it tonight. Brother, you helped me with this, and we will be brothers for the rest of our lives."

A few characters "川" (Chuan) suddenly appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's forehead: "..."

…………

I recommend two books. The first one is: My Uncle is Zhu Di, the work of Big Eyes Little Goldfish, Tiger Brothers.

The second book: 1978: My Golden Age (a novel by a wealthy man of that era).

(End of this chapter)