evening.
There was a lot of traffic in front of the Yushi Yamen, and big shots from the entire Yangzhou City and even Jinling City rushed over.
Outside the door, the old housekeeper of the Lin family took Jia Rong and Jia Lian to receive the guests, while Jia Zhu accompanied Jia Hui to receive close officials and relatives in the main hall.
As for the two brothers from the Shi family, they were originally guests and represented the two marquises, so of course they had to be in the main hall.
"Ahem, sir, the last time I saw you was... ahem... at old Ningguo's 60th birthday party... ahem, it's been eight years in the blink of an eye..."
A rich middle-aged man sat on the right side, stroking his beard and looking at Jia Hui with a complex expression and sighing. Behind him stood a tall, strong young man, who was also handsome. He just had the feeling of saying no. The "dumb" air came out.
These are the father and son of Ziweishe, the emperor merchant Xue Qin and Xue Pan.
A few days ago, when Jia Hui's birthday invitation was delivered to the Xue family in Jinling City, Xue Qin decided to set out with the whole family and go north to Yangzhou.
The Xue family’s great backer is finally back!
As the Xue family was an imperial merchant, they naturally had the support of the palace. But he was not the only one among the imperial merchants. Naturally, they were also scheming and each had their own factions.
For example, the Xue family was born in Jinling, and he was an imperial merchant from the Jinling family.
The Xue family also worked hard when they were conquering the world. Only after the founding of the People's Republic of China did they defeat countless merchants around Jinling and obtain the title of Imperial Merchant.
But it doesn't mean that you can sit back and relax after getting the Huangshang brand. Countless businessmen around Jinling are staring at this brand!
As a result, the Xue family joined their relatives and formed an interest group called the "Four Jinling Families". They became the purse strings of the small group and were responsible for the logistics of the small circle.
After having a real backer and relying on the power of the Jia and Shi families, the Xue family was able to secure its position as an imperial merchant.
Until five or six years ago, the Xue family's seat was secure.
Then came the coup that changed everyone's destiny.
The Jia family, the biggest backer, was beaten to death, while the Wang family had not improved much earlier, since Uncle Wang passed away.
That is to say, the Shi family is still running the business of the four major families, but the Xue family and the Shi family have not been married for several generations!
The most important thing is that the Shi family has a business family that they are close to!
My own body also became seriously ill due to a series of blows, and my health became worse day by day.
I really don’t have that much time to look for a new backer!
I originally thought that the Xue family would be lonely from now on, but I never expected that the eldest son Jia Hui and Jia Jinyu, the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion, supported this situation that was facing collapse.
After reuniting the Jia family, making good friends with the historians, and controlling the Wang family, just last year, the Xue family received the comprador qualification of the entire Anxi Protectorate in the Jiangnan region from Jia Hui!
How can we repay the kindness of rebuilding!
Xue Qin decided to tie Jia Hui to him and use him as a dog!
"Haha, uncle Shi, there is no need to be like this. We are old relatives, so we should support each other!"
Jia Hui gently tapped the palms of her hands with the folding fan and said with a smile.
"Xue Sheren, please don't let down the love of the imperial court and the love of your father-in-law!" The Yangzhou magistrate on the side also said with a smile.
"That's natural...ahem...if I, Xue Qin, have even the slightest...ahem...a little bit of feeling sorry for the royal family and the prince...ahem...I, Xue Qin, will be struck by five thunderbolts from the sky!"
The imperial court, what imperial court? Although my Xue family holds a temporary position in the Ministry of Household Affairs, what I receive is royal food from internal funds. Our glory and wealth are given by the royal family and the Jia family, so what does it have to do with the imperial court?
Jia Hui smiled slightly, Xue Qin is really on the right track!
"Why do you live up to my love? I'm sorry that I came here! Isn't it all for the sake of the imperial court?" I still have to say what was said in the scene.
Everyone who was doing it quickly started to flatter him, and Jia Hui kept laughing with the praise.
"General, the salt merchants are here!" Soldier Hu Jiu came over and whispered in Jia Hui's ear.
"Well, let them in."
Hu Jiu took the order and turned around.
The officials below were sensible and remained silent.
Anyway, everyone knows why the Governor stayed in Yangzhou for such a long time and why he held such a big birthday banquet for himself. Wasn't it just to get rid of these salt merchants and support his aunt and uncle?
He is just a small local official. He only needs to entertain the governor well, and they can't afford to offend the rest.
Sit on the shore and enjoy the battle between the fierce dragon crossing the river and the local snake!
I hope the salt merchants can hold on a little longer.
There was a noise outside the door, and then it suddenly became quiet.
A group of people wearing gauze gowns, linen jackets, and six-in-one hats walked in.
A hundred years after the founding of the Qi Dynasty, the clothing etiquette established by Taizu gradually collapsed. Clothing was no longer distinguished by scholars, farmers, industry and merchants, but by the amount of money.
Especially businessmen, their whole families wear gold, silver, and red brocade, which seriously violates the dress etiquette.
Of course, so far, no one has dared to wear robes with dragon and phoenix patterns.
But the custom is the custom and the rules are the rules. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they still dress according to the costumes in the "Hui Dian" promulgated in the early period of the dynasty.
For example, businessmen cannot wear silk.
Whether this rule is unreasonable or not is another matter, but it is all a trivial matter, and the most important thing is not to let the Governor find any faults.
Even though they all have fame, businessmen are businessmen, so it's better to be careful. After all, for the convenience of doing business, their household registrations are all merchants.
It’s not that I don’t want to be a Confucian household, it’s because only merchant families can participate in high-end commercial activities such as sea trade. A family can only have a business license such as a sea trade brand, and only the actual person in power is recognized!
How could the pervasive embroidered clothes not reveal who is the king and who is the minister?
The person in power is a merchant, so the whole family can use this brand. The person in power is not a merchant? Sorry, only people of this merchant's lineage can use this.
Despite all kinds of loopholes, Daqi is still using various methods to limit the power of merchants, and is constantly updating it.
That is to say, Da Qi had abundant military virtue and could play well. If it were the former Da Liang, it would have been destroyed by various people supported by businessmen.
Since we are unable to resist, we can only behave and be good citizens.
So today they all wear outer robes made of cloth and middle coats made of cotton and linen. These are not tyrannical.
Headed by a man wearing a navy blue gown, he paid homage.
"Students, please see the Grand Governor! May the Grand Governor have this day every year, and this day every year!"
These salt merchants all have the reputation of being scholars, and a very few of them even have the reputation of being a scholar, so naturally they can call themselves students.
It was a Daqi-standard commoner's birthday greeting to a superior, which made it hard for people to find fault.
"Haha, you are a guest, no courtesy!"
In public, Jia Hui still abides by some rules and does not hit anyone with a smile.
"Students are waiting to thank the Governor!"
The salt merchants stood up and stood where they were.
"You should be Bai Yan, President Bai, right?" Jia Hui looked at the leader and said.
"The Governor is very fond of you, the student is Bai Yan!" President Bai bowed down with a respectful look on his face.
Jia Hui looked at them with a smile.
"The price and supply of salt in Daqi are so stable. You all have contributed a lot to this!"
"The Governor is overly complimentary. This is what we should do!" President Bai still answered respectfully, but there was also a hint of pride mixed in with his expectations.
"Well, over the years, the salt tax collected has been getting lower and lower. I don't know what to say..." Jia Hui still looked at President Bai in front of him with a smile.
The lobby, where there were still some conversations, fell silent for an instant, and everyone present looked at the Grand Governor on the main seat in surprise.
Are you starting to get angry so early? Why is it so straightforward?
"This...in recent years, there has been too much rain, which has often washed away the salt fields. All the salt in the pond has been destroyed in one fell swoop. There is nothing we can do about it!"
President Bai did not expect that Jia Hui would ask such a straightforward question. He lost his sense of proportion for a moment and his reasons were a bit far-fetched.
Jia Hui still looked at him with a smile. The hypocritical smile coupled with the cold eyes made President Bai's scalp tingle when he faced Jia Hui directly.
"So that's it? Is it actually like this?" Jia Hui smiled even happier.
"Yes...yes..." President Bai broke into a cold sweat.
"Okay, President Bai, since you're not sure, let's forget it. The way you look makes me want to interrogate you, hehehehe..."
In President Bai's ears, Jia Hui laughed so horribly that it made his scalp numb.
Jia Hui suddenly stopped laughing and glanced at President Bai expressionlessly. He used his thumb and index finger at the same time to open the folding fan to cover his face. It was a folding fan with a black bamboo core and gold sprinkles.
Before everyone here could react, they quickly closed their fans and the hypocritical smile reappeared on Jia Hui's face.
"Everyone, it's getting late. Come on, gentlemen, please take your seats..."
Under the vague contempt of Yangzhou officials, the salt merchants followed the servants out of the main hall in despair and came to the banquet in the front yard.
. . . . . .
backyard.
Aunt Jia Min is chewing the latest tongue in Yangzhou city with the ladies.
The old lady of the Lin family also looked at the ladies who were talking with a kind expression, but if you look closely, you will find that the old lady is pricking up her ears and listening carefully to the latest information exchange.
"Sister Yu, let me tell you..."
"Is that true? I heard..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn't expect that such a serious person, who I usually hear, would..."
In a few words from the noble ladies, countless people were ruined in just an instant...
"Really? My niece-in-law really asked my eldest nephew to bring her food in the middle of the night?" Jia Min immediately opened her eyes wide from her drowsiness, staring closely at the person who talked about her nephew-in-law. Lady, her eyes are full of curiosity.
The lady pretended to check whether anyone was eavesdropping, then turned around and continued:
"Yes, yes, my sister who is the daughter-in-law of Mr. Tobe Lu's family said that she heard a man's voice next door in the middle of the night, which came from your nephew's wife's room. She was so scared that she couldn't move. I didn’t dare to move, and I kept coming for several nights!
Later, I got used to it, and I boldly listened to it for a few nights. It turns out that your niece-in-law didn't have enough to eat during the day, so she asked the governor to buy food for her from everywhere and deliver it to her in the middle of the night! "
"Hehehe... I never imagined that Sister Wan could be so quirky, and so was Brother Hui. His soul had been lured away by Sister Wan. One of them dared to take it, and the other dared to give it away. However, this young couple still It’s so loving…”
"Isn't that right? He has to be the Grand Governor. If it were anyone else, I'm afraid he would dislike his fiancée's big appetite, right?"
"Hehe, he is indeed my nephew!"
…
"Ah sneeze!" Jia Hui, who had just drank a glass of rice wine, sneezed inexplicably.
"Captain, is it okay?" The officials accompanying him looked at Jia Hui with worried faces.
"No...nothing! Come on, come on, keep drinking!"
Jia Hui, who was drinking with others in the front yard, didn't know that he and Li Wan had become famous in the circle of Daqi ladies in an unexpected way.
(End of chapter)
