Chapter 39

Yangzhou City, Changchun Garden.

While listening to the little song, Zhang Fangyong, who was checking the account book, felt that he could marry eight more concubines.

The profit in the first half of the year increased by another 50,000 taels. Selling salt in the Great Dayu is really lying down and making money.

Building gardens, holding banquets, raising thin horses, can't spend it, can't spend it at all.

"Old master, you are distracted!"

The concubine singing the song stuck to him and threw herself into his arms, pulling Zhang Fangyong back to reality.

Forget it, don't marry concubines for the time being, health is still important.

The twenty-odd charming concubines in the house are already busy enough, and there are many lovers outside, so adding more people really can't stand it.

Just about to open his mouth to appease the beauty in his arms, a group of uninvited guests suddenly broke in, overturned the retainers on duty, and scared the maids into a scream.

"Who are you people, don't you know what place this is?"

Zhang Fangyong asked angrily.

As a famous big salt merchant in Yangzhou, even if the prefect saw him, he would be polite, and the yamen runners and soldiers below were driven by him.

This is the charm of money.

Although he cannot directly control power, it does not affect him enjoying the benefits brought by power.

From the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, down to the peddlers and small clerks in the yamen, they have all taken his money.

There are countless scholars who have accepted his funding, and many of them have entered officialdom.

It seems that he is just a salt merchant, but the actual relationship network has long penetrated the center of power.

In the territory of Yangzhou, there are few people who dare to make things difficult for him.

"Naturally, I know.

We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, never go to the wrong place when handling cases!"

During the conversation, several soldiers rushed up and pressed Zhang Fangyong to the ground.

"Stop!

I am a good friend of your South Town Commander Liu, you must have made a mistake..."

No matter how Zhang Fangyong explained, the soldiers who did it ignored it and tied him up at the fastest speed.

In the blink of an eye, the entire Changchun Garden was raided, and everyone was reduced to prisoners.

At almost the same time, the salt merchants who could make a name for themselves in Yangzhou City fell into the net one after another.

The big move of the Embroidered Uniform Guard soon attracted the attention of the Prefect's Yamen.

The Yangzhou Prefect Hao Xingfeng, who received the news, was stunned on the spot.

The imperial court took action against salt merchants, and he didn't receive any news at all!

The last time the imperial court rectified the Lianghuai Salt Transport was three years ago.

At that time, due to opposition from all sides, only the Salt Transport Censor who was seriously derelict in his duties was dismissed, and there was no big move.

This time the situation is obviously different, not a single wind was received, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot took action to arrest people.

Reason tells him that measures must be taken to stop it, otherwise something big will happen.

Facing the factory guards head-on, he is a civil official and not that reckless.

Moreover, this group of clerks in the Prefect's Yamen had soft legs when they saw the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so how could they have the courage to stop people from handling cases.

"Secretary Zhu, you immediately send someone to notify the Salt Administration Yamen, I hope it's not too late!"

Hao Xingfeng said with a solemn expression.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot are famous, and Hao Xingfeng has no bottom in his heart whether the Salt Administration Yamen can stop their actions.

But there is no way, who let him not resist the temptation and took the salt merchant's money.

"My lord, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot took action together, which means that the imperial court has reached the point of being unable to tolerate the Lianghuai Salt Administration.

The Salt Administration Yamen is probably also unable to protect itself.

At this point, we must consider the way back.

The factory guards caught the salt merchants by surprise, but they didn't collect few desperate people in private.

Now that the knife is on the neck, these people are likely to take risks.

Moreover, these salt merchants are just pushed to the front desk, and there are not a few aristocratic families who rely on the salt industry to eat.

The imperial court wants to cut off their interests, and they probably won't be reconciled.

Once the trouble is made, Yangzhou Prefecture will definitely bear the brunt, and we are in big trouble!"

Secretary Zhu's analysis made Hao Xingfeng feel even more bottomless.

In the Great Dayu Dynasty, the problem of corruption still has room for maneuver.

Once a large-scale rebellion occurs, he, the parent official, is really finished.

"Notify first!

By the way, send someone to tell the Provincial Administration Commissioner and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner that if I am finished, they can't run away either."

"Immediately return to the Thousand-Household Office, select some trustworthy people from the Five-City Military Command, and prepare to rush to the south!"

Just returned to the Marquis's mansion, before he had time to change his official uniform, Li Mu was stunned by his uncle's words.

The imperial court checks military fields, the most need to pay attention to is the Northern Frontier, how can it suddenly run to the south.

"Uncle, has there been a change in the south?"

Li Mu asked suspiciously.

Under normal circumstances, even if there is a change in the south, the imperial court sends an imperial envoy to the south, and it is not the turn of the Five-City Military Command.

"There is no change in the south, there is a change in the Lianghuai Salt Administration.

The Emperor promised to give up pursuing the responsibility of the nobles in the military field loss case, but needs our support for his reform of the Lianghuai Salt Administration.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot have already taken action, and the Emperor is worried about causing changes, so he decided to mobilize troops from the capital to stabilize the situation.

The Five-City Military Command has rich experience in handling cases and maintaining local public security, and is also among the mobilization."

After listening to Li Yuan's explanation, Li Mu instantly understood.

What military field investigation case, it is purely a cover, Emperor Tianyuan's real goal is the Lianghuai Salt Administration.

Borrowing the defeat in Liaodong to involve the military field case is completely a coincidence.

In order to get out, the nobles chose to conduct political transactions with the Emperor, so the previous things were written off.

Dead friends, not dead Dao.

Even if the nobles and salt merchants have interest dealings, at this sensitive moment, everyone will break their wrists to survive.

It is estimated that in private, Emperor Tianyuan also gave the nobles hints that after reforming the salt administration, they would be allowed to enter and get a share.

After all, in the era of valuing civil and despising military, even if the noble group made money from the salt merchants, they only picked up some leftovers.

After the combination of the big stick and the sweet date, the nobles are obviously unable to hold on.

Looking at his uncle's state, it is clear that he was persuaded by the Emperor and is ready to do a big job.

The capital camp has been transferred, and it is no longer a simple political struggle, but a preparation for armed rebellion suppression.

"Uncle, don't worry, I will do it immediately!"

Li Mu guaranteed on the spot.

As the richest group in the Great Dayu, the Lianghuai salt merchants have long penetrated every corner of the local influence.

To take action against them, the local government yamen must be unreliable.

Wanting to replace them to manage the place, sending a few civil officials over, simply can't play a role.

It is estimated that before reporting to the yamen, they were sent to see King Yama by others.

Doing this kind of cleaning up the local work, the Five-City Military Command without interest entanglement is undoubtedly the best choice.

Especially when facing local big families, hearing who and who is in the family, the morale of civil officials is a step lower first.

The children of nobles don't have this concern, even if they pull out a pile of names, they don't necessarily know who they are.

It doesn't matter if you offend people, anyway, you are a passerby and won't stay in office for a long time.

(End of chapter)