Yangzhou Prefecture
Just when Jia Heng was discussing flood relief matters with the governor of Liangjiang, cabinet ministers, and the chief envoy of Jiangzuo.
On the bank of Slender West Lake, Qinyuan is where the Wang family is located.
There are many pavilions, pavilions and gardens, and the lights inside are brightly lit, emitting a blurred brilliance in the hazy mist and rain.
Colorful octagonal lanterns were hung from the eaves of the corridor, swaying in the cool summer night breeze, while the sound of silk and bamboo orchestral music, accompanied by Wu Wa's more and more colorful and waxy sounds, moved from near to far in the rain and mist. .
In the attic, there were crowds of people. Yangzhou salt merchants gathered together. Through the curtained stands, they could admire the music and dance being played on the stage opposite the attic. The dances were graceful and graceful.
Under the hanging painting in the nave, a three-foot-long blue chilong grows several feet tall. Wang Shouqi, the general merchant of Yangzhou salt merchants, is sitting on a pearwood Taishi chair, enjoying singing and dancing. He is nearly fifty years old, with gray hair, a rich face, and a body. Wearing a silk uniform, he had a smile on his face and a pair of walnuts in his hands.
The Wang family in Yangzhou has been a salt merchant since the early years of the Taizong Dynasty. During the Longzhi period, Wang Shouqi was awarded the rank of third-rank vassal officer for participating in political affairs due to his donations. A number of salt merchants below also had official titles due to their donations.
After the abolition of the Kaizhong law in the previous Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Chen and Han Dynasties followed the advice of Fan Zhen, the cabinet scholar at the time and the Minister of Household Affairs, and turned to the Gangyan method.
In the land of Huainan, the salt introduced by the merchants was compiled into ten lines according to the cross of "holy virtue transcends the ages, and the emperor's fan is surrounded by nine circles". In Huaibei, the fourteen words of "the heavenly cup celebrates the birthday of Qi Nanyue, the emperor's algae shines in the north star" are The salt introduced by the merchants was compiled into fourteen chapters.
During the Taizong period, the official-supervised merchant sales system was implemented. Later, Huizhou merchants gradually came to live in Yangzhou and gradually became wealthy on the banks of the Qinhuai River in Yangzhou. During the Longzhi period, the Supreme Emperor made several trips to the south of the Yangtze River and began to accept donations from salt merchants. He participated in military affairs, river construction, and celebrations in the north and south. All the donations were effective, and several general merchants were rewarded with official titles. As time changed, they gradually became the eight major merchants.
At this moment, on the left and right sides of Wang Shouqi, there were several other major merchants in Yangzhou, including Jiang Tong, Huang Rishan, Huang Cheng, Bao Zuhui, Ma Xianjun, Cheng Peili, Xiao Hongsheng and other Yangzhou salt merchants.
At this time, Huang Rishan put down the tea cup in his hand. He was nearly forty years old, with short eyebrows and narrow eyes, and a beard under his nose and chin. He said, "Everyone, there is abundant rain in Huaibei now, and floods are about to start. Some people from Jinling are here to buy food and rent ships, should we also get involved?"
Jinling Prefecture, which served as the capital before the reign of Emperor Taizu, not only had the Six Ministries of Nanjing, but also many officials who became official officials of the Han Dynasty lived and raised their families. Their families and relatives often operated grain, cloth and other livelihood supplies business in Jinling, Jiangzuo, Suzhou and Hangzhou. , transporting Jianghuai.
It can be said that industries related to people's livelihood are in the hands of the Jiangnan gentry.
Cheng Peili's face paused slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "The imperial court is in the north of the Yangtze River to fight against floods. For this purpose, it sent a cabinet minister and a military plane to the south. When the country is in crisis, it will definitely be hoarding goods and driving up food prices. Lei Lei, besides, Uncle Yongning is not easy to get along with, so we can’t get involved in this matter."
Yangzhou salt merchant specializes in salt transportation, and he makes a lot of money from this alone. There is really no need to be worried about the court at this time.
"Then just prepare some cars and boats and stop getting involved in this matter?" Huang Rishan asked.
Yangzhou salt merchants transported salt, and they had many boats, carriages and horses to transport grain, and the big shots in Jinling asked their family stewards and relatives to come over to borrow money.
"Lao Cheng, you must be frightened by Henan." Bao Zuhui smiled and said jokingly.
Wang Shouqi listened quietly to the conversation of several people, with thoughts in his eyes.
Cheng Peili glanced at Bao Zuhui, frowned and said, "Old Bao, do you know the background of this Uncle Yongning?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at Cheng Peili.
Not all Yangzhou salt merchants were concerned about the trends in the court, and even if they were, the extent of their knowledge varied.
Huang Rishan smiled and said, "Who doesn't know this? The Jia family, the Jia family of Ning Rong and Ning Rong, is also a famous family in Jinling. However, in the past ten years, some of the younger generations have been idle and have not been in high positions. "The reputation of the family has gradually declined. I didn't expect such a good person to have such a character appear again in the blink of an eye."
Xiao Hongsheng is a young man in his early thirties with good appearance.
Wenxiu, wearing a colorful embroidered shirt, looked less like a merchant than a scholar. She said, "As far as I know, this Yongning uncle is not a direct branch of the Jia family, but a branch of the Shenjing family." , later due to repeated achievements, until after the chaos was quelled, he became the most popular nobleman now."
Bao Zuhui said: "He is a martial artist, so he can't control us, right? Salt affairs are not military matters."
A sneer appeared at the corner of Ma Xianjun's lips and he said, "River affairs are not a military matter. Isn't this the governor of Donghe and Nanhe now?"
Cheng Peili shook his head, with a hint of worry deep in his eyes, and said in a deep voice: "This Uncle Yongning should not be underestimated. In March, there was so much chaos in the Central Plains, and this Uncle Yongning led the troops to quell it in one fell swoop and killed all the people in the Central Plains. Heads were rolling, and Quanzi came back from Kaifeng Mansion to do business, and chatted with some friends. During the military administration of Henan Province, Governor Yongning was very strict. He dismissed and impeached many officials. Now that Gao Bin is dead, he is the governor again. News came from the Hedao Yamen and Huai'an Prefecture that all corrupt river officials will be caught. This is a ruthless person who dares to use the knife."
Bao Zuhui frowned and said, "Didn't Mr. Shen, the governor of Liangjiang, just go to Huai'an Mansion? There are so many people in the Jiangnan officialdom. Even if he is a dragon across the river, he is no match for a local snake."
"I'm not very involved in the grain and rice business, so it doesn't matter if I don't get involved in these things. They're just petty profits." As Ma Xianjun said, he suddenly bowed slightly and lowered his voice and said, "It's just that this guy came to Yangzhou for business the day before yesterday. I heard that I visited the Salt Garden."
Cheng Peili said: "Yangzhou Yanyuan was originally the son-in-law of Rong Guofu. Uncle Yongning mobilized the soldiers and horses of the Jiangbei camp to support the floods in Huaiyang. It is appropriate to pass by Yangzhou and go to meet him."
"It's hard to say." Ma Xianjun looked worried, shaking his head and said, "This one still holds the title of Commander-in-Chief of Jinyi. After what happened last year, there may be people from Jinyi Mansion guarding the vicinity of Yangzhou Yanyuan."
Ma Xianjun was talking about the case of Lin Ruhai being secretly poisoned.
"Old Ma, why are you paying attention to those Jinyi Mansion?" Jiang Tong chuckled, his slightly narrow gaze a bit strange.
Paying attention to Yangzhou Yanyuan's defensive situation, what is it going to do? Could it be that the previous case was related to him?
Ma Xianjun frowned and said, "I also heard the salt transport envoy Mr. Liu mentioned it.
Liu Shengzao, the transfer envoy of the Huaidu and Huaihe Rivers, had an official residence of the third rank and was in charge of salt affairs, but he was subject to the control of the imperial salt inspector.
"I'm afraid that tigers can harm people's hearts even if they don't harm people." Huang Cheng's eyes became a little darker and he continued.
At this time, Xiao Hongsheng turned his attention to Wang Shouqi, who was smiling and said little, and asked, "What does Wang Shibo think?"
Ma Xianjun also said quickly: "Master Wang has been to the capital, and I think he knows the details of Uncle Yongning."
Several salt merchants in Yangzhou all looked at Wang Shouqi. Wang Shouqi was praised for his wisdom. He also had an unusual friendship with the Tian family because he had taken over the emperor who had passed through the Chonghua Palace in his early years.
Wang Shouqi twirled his beard under his chin with his hand and said in a pale voice: "This Uncle Yongning is not an easy person. Now he not only controls the capital camp, but also the Jinyi Mansion. He has great power and unscrupulousness. I heard that this holy family member in the capital is prosperous. , even several senior ministers in the cabinet have to avoid his sharp edges, so we don’t want to offend him.”
"Master Wang, don't forget, this one is related by marriage to the one from Yangzhou Yanyuan. Who knows if he will secretly help?" Huang Cheng said coldly.
Wang Shouqi smiled and said: "The matter of salt affairs has already been taken care of by Qi Ge. He re-bids for salt imports, divides distribution into districts, and gives up part of the profits to the imperial court. As for Lin Yanyuan, it will probably be promoted in the future." Enter Beijing."
Since ancient times, businessmen have not fought with officials. For example, in the Ming Dynasty, Shen Wansan was as rich as the enemy, and it was also difficult to end well. If the court's intention was very strong, it could only give some benefits to the court.
"What if they accept it without seeing it? Do you want to check the past accounts?" Huang Cheng asked with a slightly cold look.
At this moment, everyone present was shocked. This was a bad debt.
Some old accounts, since the eight major merchants had owed the Transportation Department on credit since Emperor Chongping came to the throne, amounted to tens of millions, which was a huge hole.
In fact, in the sixth year of Daoguang in parallel time and space, a huge deficit of more than 50 million taels was found in the Huaiyun Yunku, most of which was donated by salt merchants.
Misappropriation in the name of service.
According to Bao Shichen of the Tongcheng School during the Daoguang period: "Since the rise of the army in the Jiaqing year, the effect of the military and river projects has only been 23,4 million. However, in the sixth year of Daoguang's reign, the treasury items were inventoried, and the commercial debt amounted to more than 50 million. It can be seen that those who talk about repayment are all businessmen on the right and money on the left. It is also advisable to ask for permission to transfer the items of repayment to the arrears, recover them, and discuss them for verification."
Translation Translation... From the six years of Jiaqing to Daoguang, during the thirty years, in the name of repayment, the salt merchants owed tax money to the Huaihe Transport Treasury on credit, so that they could not clear the annual amount year by year and accumulated it year by year. down, resulting in huge losses.
Tao Shu, the governor of Liangjiang during the Daoguang period, once pointed out that the silver offered by salt merchants came from "the real money in stock", and the credit period was as long as fifteen or thirty years.
Tao Shu's staff mentioned, "In the tenth year of Daoguang's reign, an inventory of the funds from the Lianghuai treasury was found, and it was calculated that there was a loss of more than 70 million taels, which is calculated as three million taels per year. This means that the country has not collected a single tael from the Lianghuai for more than 20 years." Isn’t it ridiculous to use excuses to repay service?”
Wang Shouqi's expression suddenly changed, and he felt uneasy in his heart. He said, "It's all about old sesame seeds and rotten millet. Even if I want to investigate, there is no way to investigate. Even the officialdom in Liangjiang won't agree! The superiors won't agree either. !」
As he spoke, he raised his fingers to the sky.
The Supreme Emperor's six southern tours were euphemistically called, and he did not spend one tael or one cent of national money, because the silver was all delivered from the salt merchants and the three major weaving companies in Jiangnan.
"I have to guard against it, but I still can't speak with certainty now." Huang Cheng looked solemn and reminded, "Uncle Yong Ning is young, but he doesn't have so many scruples. I have inquired about some details. He used ruthless methods when he first started his career. He wiped out all the Sanhe gang members who made a living by transporting water. Later, in Henan, he put down the rebellion and purged the officials. Most recently, when he was the governor of Nanhe, he broke down families and wiped out families at every turn, causing bloody chaos. ! If he is allowed to interfere in the salt affairs, the consequences will be disastrous."
There was also a hint of worry in Wang Shouqi's eyes. He had found out more information from the capital, but at this time, people who were not in trouble were panicking.
"The dispute over the salt tax is almost over now. When someone from the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs comes to consult again, we will add several items of the salt tax and the court will collect more salt taxes every year." Wang Shouqi said.
Cheng Peili nodded and said, "That's what I mean too. We can't let this person go south. This person is really going to get violent and bring the same tricks from Beijing and Henan to Yangzhou. Even if both sides lose, he slanders himself, but Our century-old foundation in Yangzhou will also be destroyed."
In other words, try not to let the court use Yongning Bo.
Looking at the people who looked either fearful or thoughtful, Bao Zuhui snorted coldly and said, "I don't know what to be afraid of. He is a noble man of the imperial court, but he can also take plunder and cover up the sky with one hand? Besides, donating money every year, When did we salt merchants not rush to the front? If the imperial court leaves us, the people in Jiangnan will not even be able to take a bite of salt."
Wang Shouqi said: "It's not that he's afraid, but that he's temporarily avoiding the edge. He's gaining momentum now. Let's avoid him first. This Uncle Yongning is a martial artist, and he will eventually lead troops to fight."
According to his conversation with Qi Xiang's son, Uncle Yongning will eventually fight for those outside the pass. When he is defeated, his opponents will take care of him. At that time, Yangzhou was still the Yangzhou of their salt merchants.
Huang Cheng shook his head, feeling cold because he was afraid of wishful thinking.
Mr. Wang is still thinking about the old events of the Emperor Rulongzhi, but the Emperor still has a few years left. I heard that since the earthquake, the body of the dragon has been deteriorating. As for people, if you have wealth, you still have to hold on to it, or you still have to hold your life in your own hands. The most important thing.
At this time, Ma Xianjun's face was also covered with a layer of frost, and he felt a little wary. -..
...
Huai'an Prefecture, Hongze Lake Embankment
Time flies, and three more days have passed before you know it. After Jia Heng met with Shen Fang, the governor of Liangjiang, and Zhao Mo, the cabinet scholar, at the Hedao Yamen in Qingjiangpu, he did not stay longer in Huai'an Mansion, but went to Hongze. The lake is in charge.
At the same time, Dingfu dispatched from Jingying, Jiangbei Daying, and Huai'an Prefecture all supported the embankment and inspected the reinforcement of the embankment.
At this moment, the rain was pouring down, the sky and the earth were vast, the sky was dark, and the willow trees by the river embankment swayed their branches and leaves in the wind.
Surrounded by a large number of royal guards such as Liu Jixian,
, Jia Heng stood on the embankment, looking at the still rising water level in Hongze Lake. He was worried, and asked the gatekeeper who came from the Hedao Yamen side: "Can the Hongze Lake embankment withstand the rain?" ?」
As the rains gradually subsided in the northern provinces, the severity of the flood situation in Henan has also reduced a lot. The water level of the Yellow River continues to fall, lower than the warning value. The customs defenders and 30,000 troops from the Beijing camp came to support the Nanhe River and dispatched various places to rush to repair the dikes and weirs. .
With the support from the Beijing camp, the situation in Nanhe, which was originally precarious, gradually calmed down. However, the entire Jianghuai area was still raining heavily, and it seemed that the clouds had completely moved southward.
The gatekeeper looked back and said loudly: "Sir, Hongze Lake seems to be in danger of bursting its embankments. I'm afraid you need to make preparations early."
Jia Heng frowned and said, "Have you prepared early?" "Sir, I can't explain it in a few words," Guan Shou Fang said. Jia Heng nodded and said loudly: "Go to the hay shed to talk."
As they spoke, the two turned around and entered the thatched hut built on the embankment. It had wooden beams and thatched grass. The wind and rain outside hit the hut, making a "crackling" sound. The interior was simply furnished, with a bed, a table, and a few chairs. It is the residence of Jia Heng's governor.
At this time, the gatekeeper walked to the water flow map hanging on the wooden shed, pointed at the terrain on it, and said: "If the rain does not stop, the backflow of Hongze Lake will become more serious. Once the Hongze Lake embankment cannot bear it, Stay, if a rout breaks out, Baoying, Gaoyou, Huaiyin and other places are in danger of being annihilated, so you need to take precautions early."
Jia Heng said: "Then evacuate some people first and then make any calculations."
After saying that, he ordered the scribes on the side to copy the official document, and then used the seal to tell Liu Jixian: "Please write the document to Mr. Zhao Ge quickly and ask him to evacuate the people of Baoying County first."
After the arrangements were completed, the gatekeeper muttered: "Sir, if the rain continues like this, I'm afraid there will still be a breach of the embankment, so we need to prepare a flood discharge place in advance."
Gao Bin left a mess. Some of the dams simply could not withstand the volume of water, and as time went by, the risk of failure gradually increased.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment, looked fiercely, and asked: "Discharge the flood? Where else can we discharge the flood now?"
To the east of Hongze Lake are prosperous places such as Baoying and Gaoyou, which are important tax areas for the imperial court. They are densely populated and difficult to discharge floods. This is called embankment failure.
The gatekeeper pointed to the flow chart of the water area, with a solemn expression on his face, and said, "Sir, please see, the Huaihe River flows from top to bottom, with its two ends upturned and the middle low. Now Hongze Lake is overwhelmed and the water flow is not smooth. It would be better to discharge the flood in the middle reaches. A hole was opened in the middle of Wangjiaba and other places, and the water was stored in the depression. As the water flow from upstream decreased, the pressure on Hongze Lake suddenly eased. By the end of the month, the rainfall gradually decreased, and Huaiyang and other places were able to survive."
At this moment, the gatekeeper's strategy was the same as that of the previous river yamen, releasing floods in the middle reaches and protecting the lower reaches.
Jia Heng pondered for a moment and said, "This matter requires coordinating with the Governor of Liangjiang and the Chief Secretary of Jiangzuo to evacuate the people in advance. I will go to Huai'an Mansion immediately."
At this time, there was no Anhui yet, only the Chief Secretary of Jiangzuo and the Governor-General of Liangjiang were in charge. If the flood was to be released, advance coordination was needed.
"Sir, the situation is urgent and we need to do it as soon as possible." The gatekeeper said with his hands in hand. Jia Heng nodded without saying much, and then ordered Liu Jixian to prepare his horse.
