After the reception banquet, Jia Lian didn't care what the reaction of the salt merchants and the Yangzhou government would be. He still stayed quietly at the Salt Inspector's Yamen, checking the files, sorting out the past salt administration accounts, and from time to time sending people to report relevant personnel and salt administration officials. The officials took him to the Yushi Yamen for interrogation.
He acted in a business-like manner, clearly trying to threaten the salt merchants into submission.
With him like this, even the people around him couldn't help but start to wonder if Jia Lian was also blinded by greed and forgot his original intention of coming to the south of the Yangtze River.
In the temporary office, Liu Xianglian handed the newly learned news to Jia Lian, who was sitting at the top. She couldn't help but ask: "Master Hou, if those salt merchants agree to your terms, will Master Hou really want to let them go?" Pass them?"
Liu Xianglian was in the camp at the time and heard the confrontation between Jia Lian and the salt merchants.
Although the smuggling of salt merchants violated national laws, it is understandable that the court would give them a lenient punishment in order to stabilize the salt administration. Therefore, Liu Xianglian could understand why Jia Lian ordered the salt merchants to hand over three million taels of silver to replenish the national treasury.
But there has always been doubt about Jia Lian's request for one million taels of silver from the salt merchants.
One million, what a number is that? You know, if you only have 10,000 taels of silver and exchange them all for gold ingots, that's a box full.
One million taels, that’s one hundred boxes of gold!
One hundred boxes of gold makes people feel unreal just thinking about it.
Think about the Xue family, as the top royal merchants famous in the north and south, everyone said that they have millions of assets.
Jia Lian's one breath is equivalent to asking a Xue family to come out? ?
The Xue family only had a millionaire, but what Jia Lian asked for was real money! Even the Xue family wouldn't be able to get so much money.
The key point is that Jia Lian actually asked for such a huge amount of money in public without any cover-up. Wasn't he afraid that the salt merchants would temporarily give in and sell him to the court? No matter how much the emperor trusted Jia Lian, once he really knew that Jia Lian's appetite was so big, he would probably feel chilled.
Therefore, Liu Xianglian did not understand Jia Lian's behavior.
Jia Lian looked down at the Di newspaper in his hand and shook his head: "They won't agree."
Liu Xianglian was stunned, "Why is the Marquis so sure? No matter how well they cover up their illegal salt sales, as long as you keep investigating, you will always find out the real evidence. Even if they have great backgrounds, the Marquis will have His Majesty's support." , naturally they can also be punished according to national law.
The subordinates couldn't figure out what other options the salt merchants had besides agreeing to the Marquis' request. "
"I don't know how to do it, but I know that they must be reluctant to take out these four million taels! Haha, four million taels, even I can't imagine how much money that is. Maybe they can only manage the treasury Those officials can have an idea in mind.
You think those salt merchants who value money more than their lives would be willing to hand it over easily? Impossible, that would make them feel so distressed that they could not sleep for ten years. "
Hearing Jia Lian's determination, Liu Xianglian couldn't help but said: "Since you understand, why do you still take the initiative to make such a request?"
Jia Lian only raised his head at this moment, glanced at Liu Xianglian, smiled enigmatically, and did not explain.
He could see that Liu Xianglian seemed docile, but in fact she was very arrogant. She was afraid that she had not yet respected and surrendered to him, the Marquis, from the bottom of her heart.
"Counting the time, they should have arrived." Looking at the sky outside, Jia Lian stood up with a smile and said to Liu Xianglian: "Let's go out and have a look. Maybe you will know why I did this soon. "
…
"The humble position of Yangzhou garrison is Gao Kui. See you as the Imperial Envoy."
In a side hall in the front yard of Xunyan Censor's Yamen, Yangzhou guards and three thousand generals sat down to pay their respects to Jia Lian.
"I wonder what the imperial envoy's orders are for summoning men of humble rank to come?"
Guard Gao Kui was a little worried, so even though Jia Lian looked kind and took the initiative to make friends with him, he couldn't help but ask.
As the imperial envoy to supervise the salt administration, Jia Lian should instruct the prefect Wu Zhirong and others when there are matters, but he summoned them alone, and his intention was somewhat unpredictable.
"It's not a big deal..."
Jia Lian looked at Gao Kui and others in front of him with a smile. Yangzhou is a large government, so it has a standing army of nearly three thousand, and its garrison is also at the fourth level, which is on the same level as the prefect.
Of course, the Yangzhou garrison was under the command of Governor Jinling and was only in charge of Yangzhou military affairs. And Yangzhou is a stable state capital in the mainland. In terms of power and authority, its defense is much lower than that of the prefect.
"It's just that I have been inspecting the salt administration in the past two days and found that there are many shortcomings in it. I want to make drastic rectifications in accordance with His Majesty's will, but I am afraid of disturbing the tranquility of Yangzhou City. Therefore, I have called you here for only one thing. , that is, in the next time, let you and others strengthen the defense of Yangzhou City, and do not let some people with ulterior motives disrupt the security of Yangzhou City."
Although Jia Lian said this with a smile, Gao Kui and others were still a little strange.
The most powerful people in Yangzhou City are not the princes of the government, nor the few dynasty scholars who returned to their hometowns from the central government, but the big salt merchants who own the major estates in Yangzhou.
This is well known to the entire Yangzhou officialdom.
Jia Lian came here precisely for the salt policy. At this time, he told them that he wanted to rectify the salt administration, and that because his behavior might endanger the tranquility of Yangzhou, he asked them to strengthen the defense of Yangzhou City...
Could it be that Jia Lian, or His Majesty the Emperor, is really going to take action against those salt merchants?
Not daring to express his inner thoughts, Gao Kui clasped his fists and said, "Maintaining the stability of Yangzhou City is the responsibility of Bei Gong and others. I just don't know what exactly you want Bei Gong and others to do?"
"It's hard to say what to do specifically, because I still don't know who are the loyal and patriotic people in the city and those who have ulterior motives.
Therefore, Gao Shouwei and several Qian Zong adults might as well stay in their official residence for the time being. In this way, even if there is any accident, I can dispatch a few adults to assist in time. I wonder what the adults think? "
"this……"
Perhaps because they were military attaches, several people immediately understood what Jia Lian meant, which was to put them under house arrest.
"Why, are the adults unwilling to assist me in doing things for His Majesty? Or do the adults have any concerns? For example, they have secretly colluded with the salt officials and salt merchants, so they are worried that they cannot go out to inform them?" Jia Lian asked with a smile.
Gao Kui turned his face aside and immediately knelt down and said: "My lord, I am wronged. Although I and others are stationed in Yangzhou City, they are only responsible for city defense and the extermination of bandits within their jurisdiction. They have absolutely nothing to do with the salt government, and they are even less likely to have anything to do with the salt merchants. What's the connection between them..."
Gao Kui's heart trembled. The situation at hand is obviously that Jia Lian is going to attack the salt merchants. At this time, even if he has friendship with the salt merchants, he cannot admit it to death.
Gao Kui was like this, and several other President Qian immediately knelt down to express their gratitude.
Seeing that Jia Lian was still looking at them carefully, Gao Kui immediately said with interest: "I am willing to work hard for you, and I am also willing to obey your arrangements and wait for your orders in the camp."
Jia Lian then smiled and said, "In that case, please rest in this courtyard first. As long as you don't leave this courtyard, if you need anything, just ask me and my guards. You're welcome."
After saying that, Jia Lian raised his feet and left.
Gao Kui knelt and turned around to watch Jia Lian leave, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looked at each other and stood up with his three subordinates.
He walked to the door and looked outside, and found that there were indeed more than a dozen guards with swords and armor standing outside. Even the two guards who came in with him were nowhere to be found. Gao Kui was not there at all. Understand the meaning.
"Sir, we..."
"What about us? Didn't you listen to the imperial envoy and asked me to wait here for orders? Don't blame me for not reminding you. We are now at the critical moment of life and death. Without my orders, if anyone dares to make any small move, it will cause trouble. Everyone, don’t blame me for being disrespectful!”
"Yes, I don't dare to do it if I'm in a humble position."
At this time, although Gao Kui was a little nervous, he showed no fear.
Since Jia Lian placed them under house arrest here, it meant that they were in no danger. What is more dangerous are those outside who are not eligible for house arrest.
Of course he also knew why Jia Lian wanted to put them under house arrest, but he was worried that as military attachés in Yangzhou City, they would be bribed by the salt merchants. If Jia Lian attacked the salt merchants, leaving them outside would endanger his own safety.
Inviting several of their leaders to the camp would naturally effectively eliminate the potential threats posed by the more than 2,000 officers and soldiers under his command. You can also use them to command those officers and soldiers.
I couldn't help but sweat for those salt officials and salt merchants. Jia Lian has reached this level, seeing how determined his attitude is.
Aren't those salt merchants so wealthy and cunning? Why didn't they win over Jia Lian well, but instead offended him?
Thinking of what Jia Lian might do, Gao Kui felt faintly happy.
In fact, as the highest-ranking military attache in Yangzhou City, he did benefit from the salt merchants...
But too little!
At least, they are much less than the prefect Wu Zhirong, and even the Tongzhi (Fu Cheng), Tongpan and others below the prefect.
There is no way, this is Jiangnan, where singing and dancing are flourishing, all civil servants have the final say, and the status of their military attachés is infinitely low. Even the well-known members of the local government dared to ignore their existence, let alone those salt merchants with great hands and eyes.
But there is nothing we can do about it. The military does not interfere in politics. This is an iron rule.
Since these big soldiers pose no threat to the salt merchants, they naturally don't need to pay too much attention to them. They just need to give them some benefits and prevent them from being too unbalanced.
This kind of distribution of benefits that did not match his rank naturally made him a little dissatisfied over the years. Therefore, seeing that Jia Lian had the intention to take action against the salt merchants, he felt a little happy.
He was not worried at all about being implicated by the salt merchants, because he was indeed not qualified to interfere in salt affairs, and naturally he would not be implicated in any big way. Some of the benefits obtained are just the kind that go in with the left hand and go out with the right hand. As long as the salt merchants don't tell them themselves, who can know?
As for the salt merchants taking the initiative to confess, he is not too afraid. Because he knew very well that in the eyes of the court officials and the powerful people in the capital, these salt merchants were not really important figures. They could be comforted when they needed to be used, but once they were useless or made mistakes like now, they would be punished. Punishment by the court means nothing.
The bite of a drowned dog is naturally not a threat. As long as they do things well for Jia Lian next time, I believe that Jia Lian is unlikely to take action against them without any evidence.
Gao Kui thought so, and several other Qianzongs thought the same. In fact, even if they have other plans, what can they do now?
Everyone is under house arrest here, how can we still expect the brothers below to risk rebellion to save them? That is the real seeking death.
(End of chapter)
