While Han Jiang was fighting tooth and nail with the Marquis of Yangzhou and the salt merchants, Cao Bin had already arrived at Yancheng, Chuzhou.
The imperial court set up more than a dozen large-scale salt farms in the north and south of the Huaihe River and along the coast. Each state had a salt supervision department, and the Yancheng Salt Supervision Department was the most important one.
This time Cao Bin came by sea and did not notify the local officials. Therefore, it was not until he led his team into the city that the "Duyan Case" officials sent by the local Yanguan, Zhizhou and Han Jiang came to greet him in a hurry:
"It is a great honor for us, Lord Marquis, to visit Yancheng. I have prepared a banquet for you, please be sure to appreciate it."
Seeing these people sweating profusely and looking happy, Cao Bin didn't care how sincere they were, jumped off his mount, thought for a while and said with a smile:
"I have never paid much attention to vulgar etiquette, so you don't need to bother. However, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I plan to hold a grand banquet in Yancheng to spend a good night with the people."
"You go and gather the local village elders, squires and officials at all levels, and ask them all to come to my place for a banquet...Okay, let's arrange a spacious place for me to stay first."
When several local officials heard this, they couldn't help but look at each other. They didn't know what Cao Bin was going to do. They couldn't help but feel uneasy in their hearts. However, they didn't dare to refute and said quickly:
"Master Marquis, please come with me. The Wu family has built a new manor of dozens of acres, which is suitable for Master Marquis. I will ask them to borrow it..."
After arriving at Wu's Manor, after the entourage had been arranged, Cao Bin directly sent the local officials away, leaving only the "Duyan Case" officials.
Cao Bin took a sip of tea and asked:
"Tell me, what difficulties did you encounter in rebuilding the salt farm?"
The "Duyan Case" official was assigned to Yancheng by Han Jiang. He was originally a subordinate of the Third Division and could be considered one of his own. He would not be completely complicit with the local officials in a short period of time.
When the official heard this, a bitter look suddenly appeared on his face:
"It's too difficult, Lord Marquis!"
"Since I came to Yancheng after being demoted from the official position, not only did the people resist fiercely, but even the local officials secretly rejected me. In addition, there were also gangsters and bandits who sabotaged and caused trouble."
"Even Mr. Han personally came to Yancheng to exterminate hundreds of rioters and bandits, but there was no progress."
"The lower official suspects that Yancheng officials have colluded with cronies in order to prevent the imperial court from rectifying Yancheng's salt affairs."
Cao Bin pondered for a moment and said:
"In other words, you haven't accomplished anything?"
When the official heard this, he quickly said with a mournful face:
"Master Hou, please forgive me. It's not because I didn't try my best. In fact, gangsters come and go without a trace. I'm in Yancheng, and I can't even save my life and property..."
He indeed felt that he was wronged. Facing the iron-barrel-like local forces in Yancheng, even Han Jiang, a serious imperial envoy and the head of the Salt and Iron Department, was powerless. He was an official of the "Duyan Case" and didn't even have many subordinates, so what could he do?
Cao Bin glanced at him, waved his hand and interrupted:
"Okay, don't complain in front of me, I don't care about your messy difficulties."
"I will leave it to you to handle the Mid-Autumn Festival Night Banquet. If it is done well, it will be regarded as a crime and meritorious service. If it is not done, you will be punished for two sins."
The official said "Ah":
"Master Hou, what about the money for the banquet?"
Cao Bin glanced at him and said:
"You figure it out on your own. Damn it, do you even need to ask? There are many people rushing to take pictures of my flattery!"
The official was speechless. Of course it would be a banquet, but if you want to entertain the local squires and village elders, how many people will you need?
And it's no better than giving money directly to a woman, it's hard for you to remember other people's kindness.
What's more, everyone can guess that the purpose of this Mid-Autumn Festival Night Banquet is to solve the problem of the salt field. It would be a thank you to those people if they don't cause trouble. You still want them to pay, because you are afraid that no one will be willing to do such a thing.
However, he did not dare to shirk it, so he could only persuade him tactfully:
"Master Marquis, the problem in Yancheng is very serious. I'm afraid it won't work just by relying on the pressure of the general trend. Master Han has already tried it."
"Master Han said that the salt field should be planned slowly, and only by dividing and disintegrating the officials and gentry in Huaidong can we achieve results..."
Cao Bin glanced at him, waved his hand and said:
"That's Han Jiang's idea, but I don't have that much time to spend the New Year with them."
"You don't have to worry so much, just follow my orders."
The official had no choice but to bow deeply and bow down.
He also knew a little about Cao Bin's methods of doing things, and he just hoped that Cao Houye would not force Yan people and officials too much.
Otherwise, it would be over if he caused a big chaos. Even if he used force to quell the situation afterwards, he would still be recorded as a crime by the court.
Not long after the official left, Sister Yang walked in with an unhappy face and said:
"Cao Lang, the head of the Wu family has just sent a troupe of entertainers, saying they are the troupe of the oiran ladies in this city. Do you want to accept them?"
Cao Bin pulled her into his arms and teased:
"Eighth sister is suffering from pantothenic acid?"
The eighth sister rolled her eyes, pouted and said:
"She's just an oiran. I don't care. So what if you accept her? I'm afraid that you'll indulge in drinking and debauchery and delay political affairs."
"I think Han Jiang is useless. If he can't withstand the pressure from the court, he may hinder Cao Lang's plan."
So far, although the wives and concubines in Cao Bin's family are still in harmony and have not shown signs of fighting among themselves, Cao Bin still attaches great importance to the atmosphere of the family. He will not easily bring people into the family unless necessary. Therefore, for the eighth sister's words Not impressed.
He just commented on Han Jiang:
"Han Jiang still has some talents. He comes from a family of officials. He is a decent man, brave in times of danger, and behaves like an elder."
"The salt affairs cannot be rectified quickly. It's just that he has a lot of worries and doesn't have the courage to act harshly."
As he spoke, he smiled and said:
"This time my husband has forced him into a desperate situation. He can't do anything if he doesn't want to, so don't worry."
"Besides, I already have most of the information inside and outside Huaidong. Even if Han Jiang can't handle the Marquis of Yangzhou, it won't affect my husband."
No matter what you do, it will always be difficult at the beginning. As long as you go in the right direction, it will only get smoother and smoother from now on, and the same goes for being an official.
When he first entered the officialdom, Cao Bin had nothing, so he was naturally blind. Now he not only has the "Swallow" who has the world's intelligence, but also has the green forest forces that span the rivers and lakes. He has the power to coerce one party, and it will naturally be much easier to do things. .
What Han Jiang worked so hard to do, he could do it easily, just like those troublemaking gangsters. To him, he couldn't even count scabies as a disease.
His mind was not entirely focused on Huaidong, but on the changes in the capital...
On August 15th, the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, hundreds of people and officials gathered at the Wu Manor.
Unlike the officials, the elders and squires in the village were extremely excited. Although they were somewhat concerned, they were more surprised that the imperial envoy entertained them. For officials of Cao Bin's level, it might be difficult for them to meet him. Let alone being invited to a banquet.
Although there are some officials who are close to the people at this time, there are definitely not many...
