Soon, the sedan chair and accompanying personnel were arranged to take Xu Song to stay in another courtyard. Xu Dai looked at Xu He coldly from time to time while arranging the personnel and teams to send his eldest brother to rest.
He had very complicated feelings towards Xu He. He knew that his eldest brother always had a very accurate eye for people, and he could also tell the strengths and weaknesses of the children in the family at a glance.
Since he is so optimistic about Xu He, there must be a reason for him.
From the initial hostility towards Xu He, I began to slowly accept this young sect disciple.
Especially today, he discovered for the first time that Xu He was not only good at poetry and prose, but also had a good grasp of all the examination items in the Zhiyi and imperial examinations.
He is a scholar. Although he was imprisoned under the influence of his father, he still studied seriously when he was young.
Regarding Xu He's performance today, in his opinion, with good training, another Jinshi will be born in the family.
And this is already the third consecutive generation of Jinshi from the Xu family in Hailing.
At that time, the father and son Jinshi memorial arch built by the imperial court for the Xu family will become the three Jinshi memorial arches for ancestors and grandchildren.
What an honor is this? Moreover, the Xu family will prosper for at least another thirty years.
But it was him, the hope of the Xu family's future, who made his son so miserable.
He knew that all this was not Xu He's fault, but after all, he could not identify with this little eldest son as unreservedly as his elder brother did.
Xu He knew that he was not welcome, so he supported Xu Song's sedan and walked out of the door.
When the Xu family's team walked out of Fenghuang Dun, Xu Song sighed in the sedan chair: "Xiao He, Xu Luan has been spoiled by his father since childhood. He is full of faults. Don't take it to heart."
Xu He was a little moved when he heard this, although he knew that Xu Song was afraid that he would be separated from the Xu family, so he comforted him.
The angry shouting at Xu Luan just now was also intended to be a show.
"It seems that uncle really values me!" Xu He thought to himself.
Xu Song added: "I have received news that the eunuch who came to Hailing this time is named You Xiao. He is the godson of Wang Ji, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony."
Xu He asked: "Uncle, does Wang Ji prefer the crown prince or the king of Qi?"
Xu Song heard this and said happily: "Now your mind is a bit like an official's mind!"
It is said that where there are people, there are rivers and lakes, and no one can stay out of the situation. Xu He still understands this truth.
Xu Song said: "At present, this Wang Ji is not like anyone else. I heard that he is loyal to His Majesty and leaves everything in the palace to his own devices."
"So, who's the representative of You Xiao who came this time?" Xu He asked tentatively.
Xu Song in the sedan did not answer. Xu He thought he was asleep, but after a long while, Xu Song said quietly: "It doesn't matter who he is, let's see what he plans to do when he comes to Hailing!"
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At this moment, in the painting boat at Slender West Lake in Yangzhou.
Wang Hengyuan sat at the bottom, and said respectfully to a middle-aged man with a white face and no beard in the main seat, wearing a lake blue straight jacket: "Mr. Tingyang, Mr. Songjiang Shenge just came to Yangzhou to summon us a few days ago. It is said that the Shen family intends to intervene in the official salt business and wants us, the larger salt merchants, to transfer part of the salt supply to the Shen family."
The middle-aged man named Mr. Tingyang smiled coldly and said in a sharp and unpleasant voice: "Mr. Shen Ge is a man who knows how to save a family. Most of Songjiang belongs to their family, and he still wants to get involved in the salt industry. Really?" It tastes great!”
Having said this, he touched his well-maintained nails and asked with interest: "Then how did you get back?"
Wang Hengyuan said respectfully: "I am working for His Majesty, and I don't have to give anyone face!"
Upon hearing this, Mr. Tingyang high-fived and said with a smile: "Okay, you are very good. If I can become the salt tax eunuch this time, it will definitely benefit the Wang family."
Wang Hengyuan quickly bowed and said: "Thank you, Eunuch You, and please Eunuch You, please say more good things about our Wang family in front of our ancestors and Your Majesty."
After saying that, he clapped his hands, and immediately a servant came in with a tray outside the cabin. On the tray was placed a full five thousand taels of money orders issued by Shanxi merchants on the Hui Ju Feng Yin Hao.
Eunuch You is the eunuch Bingbi who is the eunuch of ceremony in Xu Song's mouth, and Youxiao is the godson of Wang Ji, the eunuch who holds the seal.
Although You Xiao's status in the palace was second only to Wang Ji, He Xian and Wang Mian, and he was the fourth eunuch in the palace, he had been working in the Forbidden City and rarely saw such a large bribe.
When he saw the money order, he suppressed his excitement and pretended not to care. He picked up the money order with two fingers and looked at it: "The Huijufeng money order of five thousand taels is payable on arrival. Master Wang is such a generous handiwork!"
Wang Hengyuan just thought that he looked down on this little money, and said tremblingly: "This is a little thought from my father. Anyway, my father-in-law will have to supervise taxes in Hailing for a period of time, so he will naturally give it to me after showing his filial piety!"
You Xiao sneered: "Are you afraid that I won't be able to handle the salt tax?"
Wang Hengyuan quickly bowed and said, "I don't dare. Eunuch You is here on His Majesty's orders. Who dares to resist?"
You Xiao nodded and said: "Let me tell you the truth, before the Sa family left the palace, His Majesty told me that the salt tax must be collected from the inner treasury in the future..."
Wang Hengyuan nodded quickly before he finished speaking: "Yes, every mountain, every river, every plant and every tree in the world belongs to your Majesty!"
You Xiao was very satisfied with his attitude: "So, as long as the salt tax is collected into the inner treasury, it will naturally be taken care of by us, His Majesty's servants. At that time, how much salt your Wang family wants is not something our ancestors can say. thing?"
"But!" Before Wang Hengyuan could express his thanks, You Xiao changed the topic and said, "If the salt tax revenue is only returned to the inner treasury, Your Majesty will not ask me to come over, the eunuch Bingbi, the chief ceremonial officer. Do you understand?"
Wang Hengyuan's heart trembled and he asked: "Excuse me, father-in-law, what other wishes does your Majesty have?"
You Xiaowen said: "Your Majesty is practicing Taoism, and you pity the common people in the world for their difficulties. You don't want to increase taxes on the people, so the Taoist temples in the palace have been suspended. We slaves feel so sad when we see Your Majesty wronging us so much!"
Wang Hengyuan was silent.
You Xiao continued: "So our ancestors thought that the lead of the batching laboratory would be burned anyway, so they might as well batch out more salt and let everyone buy it, and then I could recruit stove households. , buy the remaining salt in their hands and sell it, so won’t there be money for the Taoist temple in the palace?"
Wang Hengyuan's back was soaked with cold sweat after hearing this.
This emperor... no, these eunuchs are so ruthless. They collect taxes, distribute salt indiscriminately, and monopolize private salt. They want all the ways to make money in salt, and they look so ugly!
You Xiao said with a smile: "So, Hengyuan, the matter of salt introduction and salt tax is still okay. The Sa family is only worried that the kitchen households are unwilling to hand over the private salt for profit. Your family is a salt merchant, and there are many ways here." You know all the ways, but can you teach me?"
Wang Hengyuan thought for a moment and then replied: "The Lianghuai Salt Fields in Hailing, Nantong Prefecture, and Rugao are the most densely populated areas. As long as you find highly respected people in these three places to recruit wealthy kitchen households, it will be easy to persuade them."
Speaking of this, You Xiao's eyes lit up: "Are you talking about the family of Xu Song, who became an official?"
Wang Hengyuan nodded.
You Xiaoqu tapped his finger on the table and muttered: "But the Sa family has no relationship with Xu Song, so they came to the door rashly..."
Wang Hengyuan smiled and said: "I happen to know a kid named Xu He, who is the head of both the county examination and the government examination. He is a junior of the Xu family in Hailing. It's better to pass him..."
You Xiao nodded with satisfaction: "Then it will be troublesome for Hengyuan!"
