When the people around heard that, they were happy. The emperor was interrogating the case personally and they could even listen in. This was something that they might not encounter even once in a lifetime. Therefore, they all quieted down and gathered their children.
Then, someone brought a stove over. The several families gathered around the stove to warm themselves while waiting to see what Fang Kong would say. This was a big piece of news. If there was a storyteller, he could even say something like "The Downfall of a Provincial Governor" or "Yuan Zhou, the same sky, but different face" and so on.
"Sit." Li Longji sat down first. His chair was naturally different from other people's. He ordered Fang Kong.
"This sinner doesn't dare." Fang Kong looked at the stool beside him and continued to kneel there.
"Then I'll let someone else interrogate you. What if you melt the snow? Can the children still make a snowman? "Li Longji was still in the mood to joke.
When he said that, Pan 'er remembered that the snowman was not finished yet. She pulled Xiao Bei's clothes again and said, "Xu Ren, Tu Xu Ren."
"Good. You want to make a snowman, right? Make one now. Now, no one will disturb us. We can't even make a snowman secretly. You have to force me to reveal my identity. Do you think it's easy for me? "
If Xiao Bei did not go to Fang Kong, how would he be interrogated? He pulled Pan 'er and walked toward the snowman that was still a little bit away from completion.
No one disturbed her. Moreover, everyone stopped what they were doing. Who dared to continue making a snowman in front of the emperor? In the entire Tang Dynasty, only she dared to do so. If Li Longji was not busy, she would even ask Li Longji what the snowman was and ask him for advice.
As a result, in this solemn occasion, the 11 children were busy. Laughter could be heard from time to time.
Fang Kong finally sat down. He lowered his head and told the story in detail. Someone beside him was in charge of recording.
Fang Kong said that he rose from the county magistrate step by step. He rose from the seventh rank to the fourth rank in 15 years and became the Provincial Governor of a province, the Provincial Governor of Yuan Zhou.
But when he sat in this position, he found that he could not smoothly pass down his orders. He was either dissuaded by the departments or told by the county officials that it was difficult.
As a result, he did nothing as the Provincial Governor for the past year. All he did was deal with trivial matters. It was impossible for him to carry out policies that benefited the people.
Furthermore, he had also taken on a lot of responsibilities for his subordinates. Last year, he had actually failed to pass the evaluation. If this were to happen again this year, his official position would be over.
Just as he was feeling frustrated, an opportunity came. Someone came to him and said that they could help him get some political credits. What he had to do was very simple. He just had to admit that a residential area was going to be built with the support of the state government.
It was so simple, and this part of the house was not only for living, but there was also a lake in the middle for people to play in. There were also other auxiliary facilities, such as a supermarket, a hospital, a school, and so on.
This achievement seemed to come too quickly, so fast that Fang Kong couldn't believe it. However, when he asked about the other party's identity, he couldn't help but believe it, because the other party's surname was Wan. This surname was nothing, but what was truly awe-inspiring was that this person was ranked 77th on the top ranking list of billionaires.
Fang Kong understood very well that those who could enter this ranking list were all amazing people. In reality, no one was poor, and they could easily take out hundreds of thousands of strings of cash.
Although the most amazing person in the world was not on this ranking list, but outside of it, it was impossible for that person to come personally to help a small Provincial Governor like him.
Just like that, Fang Kong's heart was filled with anticipation and uneasiness, and he chose to believe the other party for the time being. He wanted the other party to give him something concrete, such as money or a detailed plan.
He didn't have to wait too long. After the spring of this year, when the spring plowing had just ended, and when there was a lot of free time, the other party found people from Zhengzheng Construction Group and started to build the houses on that piece of land.
He went to take a look and stayed there for a few days. After confirming that Zhengzheng Construction Group was real, he felt even more relieved. Thus, he listened to the person surnamed Wan and sent an order to the Provincial Governor, saying that this group of buildings was jointly developed by the government and Zhengzheng Construction Group, and that the people could live there.
When summer came, because it was only a one-story house, the work was done quickly. Zhengzheng Construction Group finished building the outermost circle of houses on the land, and the quality was not to be questioned. Zhengzheng Construction Group even gave them a matching drainage system, and according to the plan, they built a methane pool for every ten houses.
Just as Fang Kong was feeling happy, the people from Zhengzheng Construction Group left, leaving a large area in the middle without houses, and even more so beside the lake.
Why did they leave when they weren't done yet? It was a political achievement project, and he was counting on it to make his evaluation reach 'good' this winter. If they left, wouldn't he be 'good', and could only go down?
He could only look for the businessman surnamed Wan and ask him what was going on. The other party calmly said that the flow of funds was inconvenient, so it was temporarily impossible. He would wait until tomorrow, and he would definitely be able to provide the money next year.
The Wan guy could wait, but he couldn't. He didn't know where he would be next year, so he could only treat the other party to a meal and confide in him about his difficulties.
When the Wan guy heard this, he was also worried, but he also helplessly said that he really couldn't take out the money.
After a few more meals, the other party finally helped him think of a way. The money couldn't be taken out for the time being, but they could find other ways to borrow money, such as the Great Tang Bank.
Fang Kong went to help with this matter, and the result was needless to say. The Great Tang Bank sent people to look at it, and after looking at it, they said that it was impossible. This project was not profitable, and if they really gave a loan, the bank would leave behind unsold houses and not do it.
The Great Tang Bank was not expensive, and the local government was not in charge. If they said that they couldn't take out the money, then they definitely wouldn't. Fang Kong was worried again.
Just as he was worried for two days, the Wan guy came again, and he looked very happy. He said that there was another way, and that was to borrow money from the people. Although the interest was higher, he could still lend it out.
Then lend it, hurry up and go. Fang Kong urged at that time.
However, the Wan guy said that he couldn't lend it out, because he couldn't even pay the monthly interest. What if he lent it out? His property had already been mortgaged to the bank, and the money could be used for other things.
Fang Kong was angry. Since you can't lend it out, why are you so happy? Just as he was about to question him, the Wan guy said again, and this time, he said a very good idea.
Since the people couldn't lend it out directly, they could change it a little. Yuan Zhou had a large forest under the control of the government, and the government couldn't use such property to borrow money from the bank. But if it became a person's property, the bank would pay for it as a mortgage.
Therefore, they changed the idea slightly. First, the government issued a certificate of sale, saying that the forest belonged to a person, and this person would be the person who borrowed money from the people.
He could use the forest to borrow money from the bank, and then take out the money. Part of it would be used to continue the construction of the land, and the other part would be used to continue borrowing money from the people. This way, they wouldn't have to pay him or the bank any interest.
The bank's interest would be paid by the person who borrowed money from the people, and the rest of the money would be lent out. If he earned a lot, he could even take out a part of the money to help the government repair the houses, buy some office supplies, and provide benefits for the people in the government.
Fang Kong understood the other party's meaning. The so-called benefits were money, and he should be able to get the majority of it. After thinking about it again, he gritted his teeth and gave up the large area of mountains and forests. He didn't take a single copper coin from them.
He only needed to wait for the land to be completed before he bought it back. With this clause in the contract, everything seemed to be perfect. They were very impressed with the Wan guy for being able to use such a method.
"And then, the Wan guy didn't build the houses, but followed the person who borrowed money from the people?" Li Longji asked when he heard this.
The surrounding people were all dumbfounded. So this was actually possible? The Monopoly Ranking List was indeed extraordinary. He had played a lot of tricks in the beginning and left with the money in the end. Impressive.
While everyone was admiring, a woman's voice rang out from not far away, "That's impossible. If that was the case, he wouldn't be able to enter the Monopoly Ranking List."
Everyone looked over and saw a man and a woman. They were very young, and the woman was beautiful while the man was handsome. When they stood together, they looked like a golden couple. The man seemed to be still sleeping and was yawning.
"Cuckoo, why are the two of you here? Aren't you going to sleep? "Li Longji asked when he saw the two of them.
"I've slept for more than two hours, so I can't sleep anymore. I'll sleep for a while after lunch. Otherwise, I'll be awake at night. This Wan guy's calculations are pretty good."
Wang Juan rubbed her face with her hand and yawned as well. She asked Fang Kong, "Did he start building that place again, but not with Zhengzheng Construction?"
Fang Kong nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, Lord Wang is right. He found a group of people to work on the houses, but they weren't from Zhengzheng Construction. When I asked him, he said that Zhengzheng Construction couldn't find the time at the moment and had to deal with it first. Otherwise, when Zhengzheng Construction came, it would be next year before they finished building the houses."
"That's right. In the end, he finished building the houses very quickly. Then, he realized that no one was willing to move in, so he asked you to make a compulsory order. He said that if the officials guaranteed that they would live a better life, so you did. In the end, you received a large sum of money, right?"
Wang Juan asked again. Zhang Xiaobao didn't have any intention to speak. This case was too classic, so classic that he didn't want to play with it. At that time, the officials had already learned to be smart. If they wanted to use this to cheat money, they would die of exhaustion.
"Yes, yes," Fang Kong continued nodding, "He sold the land for a very high price, then took the money and ran away. My mountain and forest belonged to the private bank. When the people realized that the quality of the houses they lived in wasn't good, they said that the officials lied to them and that it wasn't built by Zhengzheng Construction.
Just as I was fretting, the people from the various departments criticized me and said that they would help me think of a solution. They told me to come out and take a stroll so that the angry commoners wouldn't destroy the yamen. I listened to them and came out with money. Some of the money in the yamen was given by that Wan guy. "
After Wang Juan heard this, she sighed and looked at Zhang Xiaobao.
"Why are you looking at me? It's not like I cheated. My methods are too bad. Why would I use such a method? That's scolding me. The private bank can't return the land. These are two different things. The private bank followed the normal procedures. There was no mistake in the review process, so naturally, the money should be released. "
Zhang Xiaobao thought that Wang Juan was blaming him and hurriedly tried to avoid it.
"I'm not talking about you. I'm saying that liars really cheat people. It's impossible for all the officials to be smarter than the liars. It's normal to be cheated. Don't the officials want some political achievements? How difficult is it?"
Wang Juan continued.
Zhang Xiaobao continued to refute. He knew that Wang Juan was talking about him. Back then, his methods of deception were even more subtle and incisive. "You can't say that. First of all, Fang Kong cares too much about his official position. He's afraid that he'll fall from the position of provincial governor.
Second of all, he was not capable enough. He was actually taken over by his subordinates. What's the point of being an official? If it were me, I would have gotten a rope and found a good place.
Of course, the local officials of Yuan Zhou were even more foolish. In order to send Fang Kong away so that they could have more time to continue doing bad things and then push all the blame to Fang Kong, they couldn't have sent him to Jili Province.
Don't you know that we are in Jili Province? The probability of being discovered will increase. Look, as expected, he was caught by Xiaobei. Now, no one can escape. Let's all be unlucky together.
As for that guy surnamed Wan, I have to check whether he is a fake. Maybe he is not in the ranking list, or maybe his position is higher on the ranking list and he is just using someone else's name.
His childish actions were a provocation to me. Look at how capable he is. He knows how to deceive others, and he even played many tricks that he thinks are amazing. There's no need to talk about me. Let's just talk about someone with your intelligence … "
"What's wrong with my IQ? Is it lower than yours? "Wang Juan couldn't accept it.
"You're wrong. I'm not talking about IQ. You're better than me, okay? I'm talking about experience. Yes, experience. With your experience, if you want to cheat money, you're better than him." Zhang Xiaobao immediately changed his words.
Wang Juan rolled her eyes at Zhang Xiaobao and stopped asking about IQ. She asked, "Then what should we do?"
Li Longji also looked over and waited for Zhang Xiaobao to say something.
"What should we do? Do what you need to do. Investigate Fang Kong. Don't let any of his subordinates go. Also, don't forget about that person who borrowed money. After all, he has signed the contract. If he runs away, we will issue a warrant for his arrest, "Zhang Xiaobao said.
"What about that swindler surnamed Wan?" Wang Juan asked.
"What evidence do you have to prove that he cheated? Is there a contract? If there is, he didn't follow the contract. Then he cheated and we have to catch him. If there isn't, we can only say that he bribed people. Similarly, we have to find evidence for bribing people. "
Zhang Xiaobao spread his hands.
Fang Kong admired Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan from the bottom of his heart. Look at them, they could guess the ending just by listening to the beginning. When he saw Zhang Xiaobao talking about evidence, he interrupted.
"No, there is no evidence. Even if he bribed people, there is no evidence because he didn't give the money to us directly. Instead, he said that he would give it to the government for public welfare. However, he didn't ask for the receipt, and we didn't give it to him because we knew what was going on with the money."
"See? The matter is very simple. He didn't cheat or bribe people. Otherwise, show us the evidence." Zhang Xiaobao's words sounded like sarcasm.
"Then what should we do? We can't let him get away with it, right? "Wang Juan asked again.
"There's nothing we can do. If he can cheat, that's his ability. Unless he cheats again and someone catches him, we can't convict him. Of course, you can find him, tie him up, and interrogate him. He might admit to all kinds of crimes if you really want to start with this."
"Forget it. If we start with this, there will be a lot of false and wrongful cases. I'll listen to you. Forget it. As for how the imperial court will do it, we don't have to care."
Wang Juan said helplessly.
When the people around heard this, they also couldn't think of any good ideas. If there was someone to blame, it was Fang Kong. He didn't have the ability, and in the end, he lost the land in the manor and even harmed the people. Hearing his words, they felt pity for him, but also felt that he was even more hateful.
Xiao Bei, who was building a snowman, also heard her brother and sister's words. She turned around to take a look, then turned back to continue building. She didn't believe that her brother would let that person go. She just didn't want to alert the enemy.
Li Longji waved his hand: "Hand it over to the Supreme Court. Arrest all the officials of the province. Don't let a single one of them go. Xiao Bao, come with me."
Fang Kong was taken away. Someone would help send his son back to his home, and at the same time, give him protection.
Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan followed Li Longji to the dining hall, intending to find a quiet place to talk. The others were busy again. Each of them felt that they didn't waste their money. Not only did they see the emperor, but they also listened to an extremely mysterious case. Before coming here, they didn't even dare to think that they would have such a fortuitous encounter.
Xiao Bei and the others began to build the second snowman. The first one was already done. It was very beautiful and exquisite. It even wore a red scarf and a small cap. Its big eyes seemed to be able to speak because of Xiao Zhu's drawing.
Although they had only captured one of them, there were still some bold ones. A little girl about Xiao Bei's age ran over from afar. She circled the first snowman twice before she moved closer to Xiao Bei and said, "You're so amazing.
Even the officials are afraid of you. You're even better at building snowmen. Can you help me make one? Why don't you bring me along? I won't cause any trouble. Really, if you don't believe me, pinky promise. "
Xiao Bei agreed readily. She brought another person along to play and even pinky promise. She was like a completely different person compared to when she was talking to Fang Kong.
In the end, more children ran over and joined in building snowmen. This was especially true for the dozen children who came from Lu Zhou. They surrounded Xiao Bei and the others and kept talking.
At this moment, Li Longji and Zhang Xiaobao found a small room and sat down. Zhang Xiaobao ordered two bowls of hot soup and drank with Wang Juan.
After they finished half a bowl of soup, they stopped to rest. Li Longji said, "Xiao Bao, how should we deal with that Wan guy?"
"We still don't know what his surname is. Let's find him first. A person like him will definitely do it a second time. When he sees that nobody is condemning him, he will continue to look for opportunities to make his move. I'll wait for him to make his move. If I can't make him bankrupt, I'll write Zhang upside down."
Zhang Xiaobao placed his hands on the bowl as he spoke.
Wang Juan chimed in, "That's right. If we don't deal with him, more people will be willing to take the risk. Who in Great Tang dares to be a swindler? We'll spoil them. "
Li Longji liked to see how confident Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan were. He agreed, "I have the same intention as well. What about the people who were forced to buy houses under Yuan Zhou's coercion?"
"Since they bought the houses, they can just stay there. It's not like they lost anything. It's just that the quality of the houses is slightly lacking. They just need to be renovated and strengthened. If anyone doesn't want the houses, I'm willing to add 5% to the original price."
Zhang Xiaobao said nonchalantly.
"Xiao Bao, if you can add 5% to the purchase price, I'm willing to add 10%. I believe in you. I reckon the property prices there will rise greatly after they find out that you're interested in purchasing them."
Li Longji said with a smile.
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