After hearing this, Ma Ziqiang sighed: "That's fine, let's just meet him."
So, not long after, You Qi's nephew Li Ji came to Ma Ziqiang, performed the courtesy of a junior, and said: "I have met Mr. Ge in my late life."
"Since my nephew is Mr. Chu Bin's nephew, there is no need to be formal."
Ma Ziqiang said with a smile and asked someone to serve tea to Li Ji. After asking Li Ji some gossip, he got straight to the point and said, "I wonder what my nephew has to say when he comes here?"
Li Ji then said: "There is a wealthy businessman in Songjiang who is related to Mr. Xu. He is engaged in large overseas business and has a daughter who is very good at poetry. Therefore, it is inevitable that his heart will be high. He said that he would rather be the concubine of a talented man than the wife of a banker. Therefore, the wealthy businessman Mu's talented uncle wants to offer his daughter as a concubine and give 20% of Haili to his uncle as a dowry. I wonder if the elder may have facilitated this?"
"If it can be done, the wealthy businessman will give half of the percentage to Mr. Ge as a gift of thanks for the coal, and another 200,000 taels of silver as a matchmaking fee for Mr. Ge."
After hearing this, Ma Ziqiang knew that this was a bribe for him and the Zhang family, and it was obvious that You Qi of the Zhang family was willing to accept the bribe, and he hoped that Ma Ziqiang would also accept the bribe, so it was not easy to refuse directly. , could only smile and said: "I hope this will come true!"
Li Ji was overjoyed, and after flattering Ma Ziqiang for a while, he left.
After Li Ji left, Ma Yi asked Ma Ziqiang: "Father, do we really want to accept this gift of half a percent of Haili and two hundred thousand taels of silver?"
Ma Ziqiang said: "Our family's profits are all obtained because of power, not because we should have it ourselves. Therefore, whether we should give it up is not up to us, but to the more powerful people." I have the final say, so I’ll keep it for now and talk about it after I return to Beijing. If I don’t accept it now, it will only scare the snake.”
"On the matter of You Qi, I will wait until my father returns to Beijing to ask Yuan Fu for instructions in person."
Ma Yi raised her hand and said yes.
Then, Ma Ziqiang said: "Go down and tell me that in three days, I will go to Huating to see Mr. Xu."
Ma Yi continued to say yes.
Three days later.
Outside Xu's house in Huating, there are already cars and horses on the road, and official boats are like a forest.
And Xu Jie led a group of officials and gentry out of the ten-mile pavilion to greet Ma Ziqiang.
"It's very serious to disturb the people, it's very serious to disturb the people!"
Seeing this, Ma Ziqiang first sighed to Xu Jie and other officials and said this, and then came over to salute Xu Jie: "Is the old gentleman always well?"
"You Lao Ge is always worried about me. I'm pretty strong, but my molars have become a little loose this year."
Xu Jie laughed and said, "The elder Ge cherishes the power of the people and will be a good assistant in the future."
"Ashamed!"
"I came to inquire about the people's sentiments under the orders of the Holy Order and Yuan Fu, and it was precisely because I came to inquire about the people's sufferings. Now that I see that the people in Jiangnan are prosperous, I am glad that the rejuvenation of the country is in sight!"
After Ma Ziqiang said a few words on the spot, he chatted with Xu Jie for a while, and then accompanied by Xu Jie, he went to Xu's house and performed the guest and host ceremonies. After the banquet, he and Xu Jie borrowed money from the study room. In the name of appreciating gold and stones, he talked about the real purpose of his visit to Xu's house, and said: "Old sir, the courtesy from the gentry of Nanzhi is too heavy!"
"As long as the world can be at peace, especially Nanzhi, and there will be no conflict, these gifts are nothing. They are just public opinion."
Xu Jie said with a smile.
Ma Ziqiang said: "It's just that Yuan Fu may not be willing to accept this public opinion, and the restructuring must continue."
"The system of our ancestors may not be that good, but if we keep changing it, we can easily become sinners for the ages."
Xu Jie suddenly suppressed his smile and said.
Ma Ziqiang bowed his hands and said, "That's what the old gentleman said."
Xu Jie then asked: "Did Jiangling tell Mr. Ge this time when he went south? Did Jiangling tell him what system he would change next?"
Ma Ziqiang answered an unexpected question: "I was about to ask Mr. Ge for advice!"
Xu Jie was startled and said with a smile: "I am an old man living in the forest. There is nothing to teach him. It is just the talk of the village. Talking to the old man in the pavilion will inevitably be suspected of discussing politics."
"The old gentleman is no better than others, not to mention this is not a public discussion on the forum, but a private chat."
Ma Ziqiang smiled.
Xu Jie said: "The ruler is Jiangling! I just want to know what system Jiangling will change next! Why, Gan'an refuses to reveal even a little bit to reassure me? At any rate, in the 32nd year of Jiajing, Zi Honglu called a roll I also have the power."
Ma Ziqiang smiled and said, "That's what the old gentleman said."
Then, the room became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
After a long time, Xu Jie had to speak: "That's why I dare to do this to you in private. You are different from Jiangling. You know how to be lenient in politics. If you know that you really need to reform the system, why not Just withdraw the factory guards and dismantle the military posts."
"You know how much factory guards disturb the people, and they cost a lot of money. Especially now that the number of factory guards has doubled, they are of no benefit to the country or the people."
"As for the military post, it is too redundant! Why should Yunnan, Guizhou and other Jisi areas need to build more military posts, which will make the chieftain uneasy and increase the number of soldiers?"
"The old gentleman's words will be transferred to Yuan Fu."
Ma Ziqiang replied.
Xu Jie was stunned for a moment, and then he had to put the teacup on the table and rubbed his temples: "I'm old! When I talk too much, I lose energy and feel dizzy. Please forgive me for being with me!"
Xu Jie said and asked his son Xu Kun to help him leave.
"Farewell, old gentleman."
Ma Ziqiang stood up and bowed.
After Xu Kun helped Xu Jie leave, he said to Xu Jie: "Father, how come this horse Tongzhou is half-performed and 200,000 taels of silver are thrown at it, but you can't even get a single word out of his mouth?!"
"How about we simply send someone to impeach him and let him serve as an official? I've never seen such a helpless person!"
"How can it be so easy to pry open the mouth of an elder?"
"If it can be pried open, can Jiang Ling let him into the cabinet regardless of past grudges?"
"It's enough to let him know what we mean!"
Xu Jie asked a few questions with a smile, and then said: "Don't even mention asking him to become an official. The emperor is not strong yet, and the ministers of science and education are not yet old enough to suppress the cabinet ministers!"
"yes!"
After Ma Ziqiang left the Xu Mansion, his face darkened, and after returning to the boat, he said to his son Ma Yi: "It's time to get down to business! Send me the "Di Bao" that I haven't read recently!"
Ma Yi handed over a stack of "Di Bao": "It's ready."
Ma Ziqiang raised his gold-encrusted kouji, read the "Di Bao" carefully, and said for a moment: "Gangfeng returned home with his mother's coffin, has he arrived in Nanzhi?"
With that said, Ma Ziqiang said: "The next person will disappear and go directly to Xianxia Pass to wait for Mr. Gangfeng! Send me a personal letter to him, saying that my father is waiting for him."
"yes!"
Xianxia Pass is the only way from Zhejiang to Fujian in this era.
If Hai Rui wants to return home quickly by water transport, he will go to Zhejiang, and then from Zhejiang to Fujian and back to Hainan, so Hai Rui will indeed pass through Xianxia Pass.
Ma Ziqiang waited for Hai Rui not long after he arrived at Xianxia Pass. When he saw Hai Rui, he went to the sea mother's coffin and bowed to her. Then he welcomed Hai Rui into his house with a smile and said, "Servant Although I was ordered to check the place, I couldn't see a single plowman in sight. They kept a close eye on me, so I had to rely on Hai Gong."
"I understand what Mr. Ge means. I have asked Mr. Ge about it, and I know some of the truth."
The wealthy gentry of Nanzhi did not dare to provoke Hai Rui, so this made it easier for Hai Rui to get in touch with the common people and investigate the real situation among the people.
Hai Rui, on the other hand, handed Ma Ziqiang a stack of Qianshan paper with various numbers of words written on it.
Ma Ziqiang asked Ma Yi to take it and hand it to him, and asked Hai Rui: "Let me tell you my own experience first. In my opinion, is it feasible to levy additional business taxes?"
