In the southwest corner outside Yangzhou City, on the North Lake of Lotus Pond and Zhongchang Island on the east bank of the Erdao River, there is a building with water in front and back. Across the water to the west, you can see the winding hills of Shu, and across the water to the east, you can see the river bank outside the south city of Yangzhou. Planted peach and willow trees in the garden. This garden occupies a good piece of land, with willow shadows, water shadows, and mountain shadows all around. It is trance-like, poetic and picturesque, so it was named Shadow Garden by Dong Qichang, a layman in Xiangguang.
The owner of this film garden, whose surname is Zheng and whose name is Yuanxun, is one of the most famous people in Yangzhou City today. He was a Jinshi in the 16th year of Chongzhen's reign and the second son of the late Zheng Zhiyan, a great salt merchant. The Zheng family salt merchant belongs to the Huibang salt merchants. Although it is not ranked among the general merchants, it has a rich net worth and is not among the eight major merchants. And because of the emergence of Zheng Yuanxun, the Jinshi Duke (this was a Jinshi with extremely strong mobility, he was already a famous scholar in the southeast when he was still a candidate, and he had friends all over the Huaihe River and the Three Rivers), the Zheng family salt merchants' status in Yangzhou became even more transcendent. It does not bear the responsibility of the general merchant, and the benefits and influence it receives are not under any general merchant.
So tonight, the most prominent figures in the Yangzhou salt industry gathered in this movie garden to discuss how to deal with the unkind nephew of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Cixiang.
The person hosting this party tonight is not the owner Zheng Yuanxun (Zheng Yuanxun is an official in Beijing), but his eldest brother Zheng Yuanhua.
In an attic where you can see the winding hills of Sichuan and the whirling peach and willow trees at the same time, the eight general merchants, plus one Zheng Yuanhua, plus an old farmer named Zhou, gathered at a table and were drinking and chatting.
Why is there someone who looks like an old farmer? Because this old farmer is a relative of Zhu Cixiang. He is the father-in-law of Emperor Chongzhen. The younger brother of Zhou Guozhang is named Zhou Fugui. He was originally a farmer, but he became rich because of his cousin Zhou Kui. Now he is also a salt merchant.
Ten salt merchants gathered at the table, and of course they had to discuss how to deal with Zhu Cixiang, a young man...
"It's true that the young master opened eight general merchants as soon as he came to Yangzhou. He is not afraid that the salt industry will collapse and the people in the world will have no salt to eat!"
Worrying that the people of the Ming Dynasty had no salt to eat, Zhou Fugui, who looked like an old farmer, had a wrinkled black face full of simple worries.
Zheng Yuanhua, who was shaking a folding fan with an elegant demeanor and looked more like a scholar than a profiteer, smiled and asked: "Brother Fugui, you are a relative of the emperor, so you must know more than idle people like us..." Why don't you tell us how much His Highness Kunimoto wants? If we can get it together, we can send the money to His Highness as soon as possible to avoid the hassle."
Zhou Fugui smiled and looked at the eight major salt merchants present. They had just lost their position as salt generals and could no longer control the salt affairs. They were somewhat depressed. After hearing Zheng Yuanhua's words and being glanced at by Zhou Fugui, they all reacted immediately. When they came over, they all agreed.
"Yes, yes...as long as I can get it, I will do my best to serve you."
"Yes, as long as I can restore my status as general merchant, the money will be easy to come by."
"His Royal Highness Kunimoto needs money, and I will repay the favor!"
"I'm also willing to pay."
"How much you want to pay depends entirely on Brother Fugui's words."
"I mean the same thing."
"I also have this intention..."
"Exactly, exactly so..."
The eight general merchants all nodded hurriedly, and it seemed that they all had made up their mind to save money and avoid disaster - going against His Highness the Great Nephew was not something that salt merchants could do.
Even during the Wanli period, the landowners and merchants in the southeast resisted the mineral tax and the loom (loom) tax at one time and caused a scene of great joy, but in fact it was not about how powerful they were, it was entirely about the power of the people who collected their money. Too small - these tax resistance incidents, on the surface, seem to be caused by profiteers opposing the court. It seems that the profiteers from Jiangnan are so powerful that they have made the court lose its temper. But in fact, it was the eunuch group that Emperor Wanli relied on that was fighting against the scholar-bureaucrat group in foreign dynasties.
For example, when the Zhihu people in Suzhou were in trouble, Zhu Xieyuan, the prefect of Suzhou, refused to send troops to suppress it. He watched helplessly as the Suzhou people smashed the tax superintendent's office and drowned six or seven members of the tax superintendent Sun Long (eunuch) into the river. That Zhu Xieyuan was a ruthless man who suppressed the She'an Rebellion in Sichuan. If he was willing to take action, wouldn't Orihu of Suzhou have to attack every second?
Emperor Wanli was not resolute in the fight against taxes in Jiangnan. Although he sent eunuchs to collect taxes, he did not give the eunuchs any soldiers. If he sent thousands of eunuchs and cavalry to follow, then Orihu of Suzhou Do you really dare to launch an armed uprising?
In fact, Emperor Wanli didn't really trust the eunuchs in the inner court, nor did he really want to severely crack down on the scholar-bureaucrats in the outer court. Moreover, he was not sure how rich the profiteers in Jiangnan were? Maybe the people in Suzhou are really poor and have long been in dire straits? If you push too hard, what should you do if a civil uprising breaks out?
This Emperor Wanli was actually a confused emperor who didn't know anything about military affairs, finance, or the situation in the world...
But now Zhu Youjian is not confused. He knows that Southeast is rich, and he even knows that Zhu Cihong can make money!
Moreover, Zhu Cihong, who was sent by him to make money, was not comparable to eunuchs like Sun Long... Now all the military and political power in Huaidong Province is in the hands of Zhu Cihong! If anyone dares to cause trouble, Zhu Cixiang can mobilize his own troops to suppress it without going through others.
So all these Yangzhou salt merchants can do is pay.
Zhou Fugui stretched out three fingers and said with a smile: "It's 300,000 for a family... Oh, the Zheng family can give 150,000. It's a total of 2.55 million taels of silver. If the father-in-law comes forward, he can always deal with it." It was in the past. How about it, can you get out?"
"Let's go out!"
"Of course!"
"It's all up to Brother Zhou to make the decision..."
Of course, the eight salt bosses and Zheng Yuanhua didn't dare not give up the money, and all of them had their chests slapped on the spot, so...a total of 550,000 taels of silver was wasted the day after Zhu Cixang arrived in Yangzhou. It was placed in the back garden of the Huaidong Governor's Yamen where he lived.
Why is it 550,000 taels? Shouldn't it be 2.55 million taels? Then you have to ask Zhou Guozhang...
"Great nephew, here are 550,000 taels of silver, which were raised by the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou and the Zheng Family Salt Company... Do you think this is enough? Can you give grandpa some face and let them go?" Zhou Kui, who was in his sixties and well-maintained and looked at least fifty years old, was pointing at the open leather boxes that filled the entire yard and talking happily to Zhu Cihong.
Zhu Cixiang looked at the silver in front of him, and he really couldn't laugh or cry... Well, they have collected 2.55 million taels, so you just give me 550,000 taels. Doesn't your heart hurt? You haven't even become Jiading Bo in your life, and you have been left in the south of the Yangtze River by Chongzhen for so many years. Don't you know how to reflect on it?
"Grandpa," Zhu Cixiang said with a deadpan smile, "They misunderstood Gu. Gu is the foundation of the country, and the whole world will be Gu in the future. How could Gu be greedy for a mere few hundred thousand taels? Take this money. Go back and give them back... Gu will not take back his life!"
"Great nephew, you don't even listen to grandpa's face?" Zhou Kui looked very unhappy.
Zhu Cixiang shook his head and said: "How can we abolish public affairs for personal reasons in national affairs? Grandpa should stay less involved in these!"
Zhou Kui's face darkened, "What if it's your mother's intention?"
Zhu Cixiang glanced at Zhou Kui, "My queen mother?"
"That's right!" Zhou Kui nodded, took out an envelope, and handed it to Zhu Cihong with both hands.
Zhu Cixiang took the envelope, took out the letter paper inside, unfolded it and read it. It is indeed a letter written by Zhou Hou. The content of the letter actually has nothing to do with the salt policy. It is just that Zhou Hou asked Zhu Cihong to take care of Zhou Kui's grandfather... and if possible, make arrangements for a few cousins.
In this life, Zhu Youjian was a bit cold towards Zhou Kui's family. Not only did he not appoint Zhou Kui as Jiading Bo, but he also did not grant officials to Zhou Kui and Zhou Kui's sons. Those few people are all white men in civilian clothes, and they don't have any official position, so they are really a bit shabby. Hou Zhou mentioned it to Chongzhen several times, but Emperor Chongzhen ignored it at all, so he could only ask Zhu Cixiang to find a solution.
