Fifteen thousand taels is not a small amount. To be able to give away such a huge sum of money with just one mouthful shows that this guy's family is extremely wealthy, and it also confirms the judgment of His Royal Highness from the side.
Each of these Shanxi merchants has made huge profits from selling furniture with Donglu. Each family has an income of at least 100,000 taels a year, and most of them will not pay taxes. After taking into account various costs, the rest Some are pure net profits.
Not to mention fifteen thousand taels of silver, even if it cost them 150,000 taels of silver, the suspect in front of him could still get it with gritted teeth. It was obvious that he didn't feel that he was worth the price.
Many misers are unwilling to part with their wealth even when they are at the end of their rope. The "Huangdou Gong" of the current dynasty is the most typical example. Presumably, Wang Dengku has not known the story of "Huangdou Gong"...
At first, when Lu Yi saw the other person being escorted back by the Jinyi Guards, his expression was still calm, but his eyes kept moving around. He was sure that this guy was definitely not a kind person, and he would soon make him look good.
"No! No! Cao Min is just honoring the officer wholeheartedly, and is definitely not offering bribes. This is human nature, and I am sure you will understand!"
Wang Dengku concealed his actions in a dignified manner, because in the officialdom, sending money to his superiors was considered "filial piety."
It happens among fellow villagers, among teachers and students, even more among superiors and subordinates, and it is common among officials and businessmen.
Where merchants in the Ming Dynasty do not pay taxes, they must first collude with the local government. Otherwise, wouldn't they be seeking death?
Businessmen all over the country are evading taxes, which shows that this kind of behavior has long been widespread and is by no means a special case.
"Filial piety? Haha! That's good! Do you know how many people I have brought with me this time? A total of five hundred people! If Mr. Wang only showed filial piety to me, what should my subordinates do?"
Lu Yi was going to dig a hole for this guy to see how much money he could cough up, and also let the Jinyi guards present see the Shanxi merchant's property.
"...Cao Min...I would like to offer another fifteen thousand taels to honor all the officials!"
Wang Dengku cursed in his heart that this guy actually used "bribery" to blackmail him. Just now he thought he had met an upright official, but he didn't expect it was just a sanctimonious thing.
Since the other party thinks it's not enough, he can double the hush-hush fee. Aren't the Jin Yiwei from the capital the same as those from Datong Mansion, but they have a bigger appetite.
Wang Denku felt a sigh of relief in his chest at the thought of giving thirty thousand taels of silver to these eagle dogs, but as long as he kept the family business, it was worth it, and he could earn it back in a few months.
If one day, the Qing army could enter the pass, he would definitely ask the Great Khan to send troops to kill all these hawks and dogs, and it would be best if they all suffered a bad death.
"Oh? That's thirty thousand taels? Mr. Wang is really a generous person! But in my opinion, according to what is written in the account book, Mr. Wang's wealth is as high as one million. Brothers and I finally came to Datong, and Mr. Wang only It’s a bit too much to spend a mere thirty thousand taels to do something half-heartedly, right?”
It is said that each of the seven nobles in the capital who saved their family's wealth took out no less than 100,000 taels of silver.
But you only gave out 30,000 taels, which is less than half of the family wealth. Can you treat Jin Yiwei as a beggar?
If this matter reaches Sheng Cong, wouldn't it become a joke?
Not only would he lose face, but Wang Shide would also be very angry.
The Shanxi merchant in front of him not only openly resisted orders, but also acted as a Tonglu. Even when he was about to die, he was still extremely stingy. He was really a short-sighted person.
"Cao Min is stupid, I hope you can open your mouth, and Cao Min will feel better!"
Not satisfied with thirty thousand taels, Wang Dengku was really sulky, but due to the situation, he still had to continue talking with this Jin Yiwei.
The other party's appetite is really too big. If he takes off this flying fish suit, he will be no different from a bandit, a hundred times more than Wang Pu.
Wang Pu established himself as king in Datong, treated himself politely, entertained himself well, and never did anything out of the ordinary. How can you eagles and dogs, relying on someone's support, be able to do evil in Datong?
"If Mr. Wang wants his whole family to be safe, he must come up with this number!"
Lu Yi stretched out his index finger to let the other party see clearly.
"One hundred thousand...two???"
Wang Dengku couldn't help but stare, and called out the specific amount in disbelief.
"Hmph~!"
Lu Yi chuckled and shook his head. It was obvious that the other party's guess was not consistent with his answer.
"……you……"
Since he didn't guess correctly, Wang Dengku suddenly thought of a larger amount, which was completely beyond his imagination.
"Listen to me! One million taels of silver! Not even one tael less!"
Lu Yi put away his relaxed expression, put on a stern expression, and reported the final price through gritted teeth.
He concluded that the other party could not afford this huge sum of money, and even if he really had so much money, he would not be willing to dedicate it to himself.
"You... don't try to deceive me that there is no one in the court... When we get to the capital... I will be safe and sound!"
The other party made it clear that he wanted to occupy his family wealth, and Wang Dengku no longer gave in.
It's not like he doesn't have insider information in the court. As long as his family operates properly, he can still get out of Jinyiwei's prison.
"Are you safe? Humph! Do you, a profiteer, know how His Highness the Crown Prince gave the order?"
Lu Yi just wants to kill the opponent's majesty. Even if there is someone in the court, he can only watch you being executed.
"Wang is all ears!"
Wang Dengku still doesn't know what the prince thinks of him, so he can understand it by listening to it. Through the spies installed in the capital, the merchants in Shanqian already knew that the prince was supervising the country, but they had not yet gotten the prince's views on the merchants.
"Now that things have come to this, I feel free to speak out. His Highness is already well aware of your behavior, so he ordered me to treat your family members... There are only four words! It is not to kill them all, but to leave no chickens or dogs behind!"
"Leave no chickens or dogs behind" means that His Highness the Prince already hates Shanxi merchants to the core. Not to mention people, even a chicken or a dog raised by Shanxi merchants will be killed.
Except for large livestock such as mules, oxen, horses, and donkeys that can be used to pull carts, no breathing thing can survive!
These Shanxi merchants were then made into human skin lanterns and given to other merchants, which were hung in their respective houses so that their colleagues could understand the consequences of tax evasion and treason, and see who would dare to do this in the future.
A certain prince specially ordered to rush to Shanxi to search for Shanxi merchants Dongchang and Jinyiwei. As long as they were related to Shanxi merchants within the nine tribes, they were not allowed to slip through the net and they were arrested together with their servants.
Only those who can tell the location of gold or storage that is not written in the account book can be pardoned. Otherwise, they will be dismissed. If they privately accept silver from Shanxi merchants, their guilt will be the same as that of Shanxi merchants.
Whether one is being skinned or the other party is being skinned, all the vassals in charge can easily make decisions and will supervise their colleagues very consciously...
"Hahahaha~! Don't scare Cao Min, sir. Will His Royal Highness despise us and other Shanxi merchants? If we are executed, who will supply the northern army with food?"
When Wang Dengku heard the words of the leader of the Jinyiwei, instead of being afraid, he laughed loudly. As long as he held on to the talisman of military rations, neither the emperor nor the prince dared to act rashly.
If Shanxi merchants had not traveled thousands of miles to transport grain from the south, the border troops as far away as Shaanxi would have starved to death, and they would still be able to guard the border and protect Min.
The prince is only ten years old, but he is still young. If he can issue an imperial edict, he must have been deceived. Do these treacherous sycophants know that before the troops and horses are moved, food and grass go first?
Seeing that this guy was so confident, Lu Yi responded with a chuckle: "Your Highness has spoken beforehand. Merchants from Shanxi are like leeks. If you cut off one stalk, another will grow. You can go on your journey with peace of mind!"
The prince regarded the merchants of Shanxi as nothing, but as the emperor, he didn't need to think too much. After all, the steel knife on his waist was so sharp that it was not used for chopping firewood...
"If the prince treats merchants like us like this and makes everyone feel discouraged, who will dare to serve the emperor in the future?"
Wang Dengku was still proud of his achievements and was not afraid that the prince would do anything like crossing the river and demolishing the bridge. As long as there were hundreds of thousands of troops in the north, Shanxi merchants would still be needed to transport food for the court.
"Knowing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has executed you all and wants to support a new group of big businessmen, my colleagues may not be happy yet, right? Are they disheartened? Everyone is about to celebrate, right?"
Lu Yi didn't understand the business of merchants, but based on his own understanding, he thought that they were similar to the Jinyiwei. If his colleagues were punished, they would be vacated, and the vacancy meant that he had the opportunity to fill the vacancy.
Just because Luo Yangxing and others were punished, a large number of vacancies appeared in the middle and high-level positions of Jinyiwei. If you make some achievements and let your boss see them, you can make up for the position of 100 households. If you work harder this time, the position of 100 households will be At your fingertips.
Those merchants must be many times more treacherous than me, and they will think twice when they see some feng shui grassland. When these Shanxi merchants are executed by the court and announced in the newspapers, a large number of merchants will go to Beijing to offer themselves to His Highness the Crown Prince. .
How difficult do you think it is to transport food to the northern frontier?
At that time, the prince decreed that the direct transportation by sea would save at least five hundred miles of land transportation.
Once it arrives in the capital, it will be transported westward. Wouldn’t it be a more effective way to get twice the result with half the effort?
Due to the existence of this group of Shanxi merchants, there were many disadvantages in transporting grain.
After he is rectified, His Highness the Crown Prince will rectify it.
Lu Yi didn't understand these things, he only heard them from a certain prince.
So Wang Dengku used this move to counterattack him, which was a miscalculation.
"..."
Wang Landing also thought about the possible consequences, and suddenly felt shuddering, and cold sweat began to flow down his back. What the leader of the Jin Yiwei said might really come true.
There are definitely not a few peers who are eyeing this big deal. If he and several other companies had not formed a monopoly, they would have come to fight for it like wolves.
But no matter what, Wang Dinglun didn't believe that a child of only ten years old would kill hundreds of people in his family. It must be a trick of a treacherous person in the court.
"Since there are people in Mr. Wang's court, it will be easy to handle. When we get to the capital, I will take a good look at who will come to rescue Mr. Wang. I can just catch them all!"
Who dares to stop the person the prince wants to kill?
So far, less than five people have escaped from Jinyiwei's prison!
If you don't believe in evil, you can go in and give it a try. Considering that your family wealth will probably go straight to the underworld...
It is a well-known fact that the imperial court is short of money. After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was exempted from three salaries, the side salary exceeded 10 million.
The prince doesn't even intend to let go of the vassal king. Will he let you and other scoundrels who eat both inside and outside?
Lu Yi wanted to tell this guy directly, if you can escape from prison alive in your lifetime, I can personally take care of you!
But I still didn't say it, not because I was afraid that this guy could escape and ascend to heaven by chance, but because I would never have this chance again.
The Ministry of Household Affairs has already reserved the wealth of Shanxi merchants, and even the escorting officials came with the army.
The suspects will all be sent to prison, interrogated one by one, and then they will be lanterns...
"Master, don't regret missing this opportunity!"
Wang Dinglin also felt that it was time to break up, so he directly issued an ultimatum.
Unlucky for me, I hit a stumbling block today. This bastard Jin Yiwei is really unlucky.
It seems that when you get to the capital, you really need to find an old friend to smooth things over. It will cost a lot of money. To get yourself out of prison, you need to pay at least tens of thousands of taels, or even one hundred thousand taels of silver.
But for him, money is not a problem. As long as he has the ability to rescue himself from prison, the Wang family will definitely make him happy.
"Regret? I'm afraid someone will regret it then!"
Lu Yi glanced at Wang Denku with a half-smile, and then looked at Gao Xiaosong. Now he was supported by the Crown Prince. If Long Live Lord hadn't returned from the fairy world, would there be anyone in the world who would be more hardened by the Crown Prince?
Now that the Chief Assistant is almost becoming the father-in-law of His Highness, and the seven ministers have supported many of His Highness's decrees, Lu Yi really can't think of anyone else who dares to openly oppose the Crown Prince.
If such people really exist, they are seeking their own destruction.
The rebellion in Beijing was so violent that it was suppressed by Zhen.
Wang Pu established himself as king in Datong, but was annihilated by the army.
A mere dozen Shanxi merchants dare to overestimate their own capabilities and attempt to challenge the Crown Prince's authority, so your whole family will suffer a terrible death!
Lu Yi asked his men to take Wang Deng to the treasury and put him under good supervision. Then in front of everyone in the Wang family, he announced that as long as he could name a place where gold was hidden or where things were stored, his parents, wives, concubines, and children would be pardoned.
Otherwise, give them a warning first - their wives, concubines and daughters will be sent to the army immediately!
Although the casualties of the counter-rebellion army were relatively small, hundreds of people died in the battle and thousands of others were injured.
The wounded soldier can only admit that he is unlucky, and the pension money can be a little comfort. It would be better if he could be accompanied by a woman.
If Yang Wenyue had not led many generals to inspect the whole city after the city was broken, the soldiers below would have started to enjoy themselves long ago...
Now that the Governor has allocated five hundred soldiers to Lu Yi, he must also show his favor to Yang Wenyue.
According to the highest instructions of a certain prince, Lu Yi had the authority to punish all the female dependents of Shanxi merchants in the city.
Moreover, we must establish our authority in front of these resisting domestic servants and completely destroy their last psychological defense line.
"You're not even talking about it, are you? Come here! Get that! That! And that! Get them all to me!"
Lu Yi pointed at three trembling women one after another. After the feudal lord caught the target, Lu Yi stretched out his hand to lift the woman's chin and inspect her face.
"Haha, the looks are pretty good, not worse than those from Jiaofangsi!"
The twenty-year-old woman in front of her was so frightened that she began to cry, but she did not dare to cry out, but the crystal tears quickly slipped down her pink and white cheeks one after another.
"...Still don't say anything? That's fine!"
Seeing that everyone was still silent, Lu Yi knew that he had to give these bastards a warning, so he called to the guerrilla Liu Jun standing in the distance.
"Brother Liu, what do you think of this girl?"
"She is beautiful, but I don't know what Brother Lu means?"
"Brother Liu can rest assured that he is within his authority!"
"……really?"
"How dare I tease Brother Liu?"
"Then it's better to be respectful than to obey! Thank you! Thank you very much!"
