Seeing his father so disgraceful, Feng Zhen suddenly felt something bad in his heart. He quickly moved over, and when he saw the content on the bamboo slips, his expression also changed.
Ji Heng sat calmly.
It was as if he had done nothing.
a long time.
Feng Dong took a deep breath, with a hint of fear in his eyes. He held the bamboo slips tightly in his palms and shouted angrily at Feng Zhen: "I have not cared about the affairs of the clan for several years, and you are going to do this for me?"
"Are you still trying to show favor to the eldest son?"
"This is really unreasonable!"
"What kind of noble status does the eldest son have to value your six thousand gold?"
"I don't think about doing business well all day long. I just think about making small moves behind my back, trying to please the government. Although we are businessmen, we also have backbone. How can we know the law and break it?"
"absurd!"
Feng Dong shouted angrily.
Feng Zhen's face turned red, but he didn't dare to talk back.
When Feng Dong's anger subsided, Feng Zhencai said with an unjust expression: "The child has always been engaged in business and never dared to do anything other than business. He must be one of those incompetent boys in the clan. Hearing what the eldest son saw, he gave birth to the child. Such infernal ideas.”
Feng Dong looked at Feng Zhen coldly and apologized to Ji Heng: "Thank you, Mr. Zhong, for informing me. If I hadn't known about it until now, there would have been such an unlearned and unskilled person in our clan."
"It's simply a disgrace to our family."
"I'll go down and discipline him strictly."
"I will also give an explanation to the government. This person has ruined my family history and my reputation. I, the Feng family, will never tolerate his sinister intentions and vicious thoughts."
"Please give me a warning, eldest son."
Feng Dong's face was livid, and anger was almost coming out of his eyes.
He was obviously very angry.
Although Feng Dong is old, he is still not faint.
Donating money can be done in private, but cannot be acknowledged in person.
Not even allowing myself to admit it.
He was the head of the Feng family. If he admitted it, he might not be able to afford it, so he quickly thought of a countermeasure and quickly distanced himself from the matter.
Otherwise, if you are hated by the eldest son, you may have endless troubles in the future.
Ji Heng looked at Feng Dong and his son coldly, half-smiling but not smiling: "What the Feng family leader said is true. It is true that in a large family, there will be a few unlearned and unskilled people."
Hear the words.
Feng Dong was not happy but was surprised, and said bravely: "Thank you, Mr. Zhong, for your understanding."
"It's because I've always been incapable of discipline."
"As I get older in the past few years, I don't have much energy to discipline the clan anymore. The eldest son has been running business outside for a long time. This is why the opportunistic people in the clan took advantage of the loopholes, offended the eldest son, and made you laugh."
"I'm really ashamed."
"It's just that the eldest son asked me to come here this time, why exactly?" Feng Dong did not dare to continue on this point. He was worried that if he continued talking, it would be difficult to reconcile, so he quickly changed the topic.
Hear the words.
Ji Heng sat solemnly and became serious in speech.
He gently tapped a pile of bamboo slips in front of him and said in a solemn voice: "The eldest son invited Feng here this time because he really wants to discuss an important matter."
"I won't say any more nonsense."
"Get straight to the point."
"The government is ready to take back the salt pool and salt well in Feng's hands."
One word fell.
There was silence all around.
Feng Dong, who was smiling apologetically, suddenly changed his expression.
Eyes full of shock and disbelief.
He took a deep breath and confirmed: "Mr. Zhong, are you kidding? Yanchi Salt Well?"
Ji Heng said in a deep voice: "It is a matter of national importance. Do you think I dare to joke?"
Said.
Ji Heng pushed the bamboo slips he was tapping on his fingertips a little outward, and then waved his hand, signaling the clerk to take the stack of bamboo slips over.
soon.
Feng Dong got the bamboo slips.
Without any hesitation, he opened the bamboo slip directly.
There aren't many words on it.
It simply says 'official property, official collection, commercial transportation, merchant'.
However, when he saw the words "official property" and "official receipt", Feng Dong's face was as gloomy as water. He knew that he had miscalculated this time. The reason why the eldest son did not accept the six thousand gold was not because it was too little.
But he had other plans.
But this is absolutely unacceptable to Feng.
Salt ponds and salt wells are chickens that lay golden eggs. Although the money comes in faster than loan money, the advantage is that the water flows steadily and the money comes in steadily.
People are powerless without salt.
It was by selling salt that he, Feng, was able to accumulate so much money.
No more salt ponds.
The Feng family was cut off from a long-term financial source.
If something happens in the future, my career may be cut off in an instant.
Feng Dong put down the bamboo slip tremblingly and asked, "Mr. Zhong, please forgive me for my dim eyesight, but I can't see clearly what is written on this bamboo slip. Can Mr. Zhong tell me something?"
Ji Heng said calmly: "There are only eight characters in it."
"Official property, official collection, commercial transportation, traders."
"The government has decided to nationalize all salt ponds, salt wells and iron mines across the country. From now on, merchants will only be responsible for transportation and sales. Salt and iron production has always been time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it has been criticized by merchants over the years. The imperial court is With this in mind, we decided to nationalize it in order to reduce the burden on you."
"I believe Mrs. Feng can understand the court's good intentions."
"also."
"While you were attending the meeting, the imperial court had already sent people to take over. Now that the administration is almost over, you don't need to say anything more. From now on, the production and collection of salt will be decided by the imperial court. You are only responsible for buying salt from the imperial court, and then Just transport it out and sell it.”
"First of all, it saves you manpower and financial resources."
“Secondly, it can also maximize merchants’ sales.”
"This is what the court should do!"
Ji Heng sounded like the court was thinking about the merchants.
But when Feng Dong heard these words, he wanted to tear Ji Hengsheng apart.
That's a chicken that lays golden eggs!
In the past, whenever Feng was short of money, he could easily earn a lot of money by simply controlling his output, raising the price of salt, and then selling it privately at a lower price.
No more salt ponds.
Then you really can only earn money for traveling.
Feng Dong suppressed the anger in his heart and gritted his teeth and said: "Mr. Zhong is joking. I, Feng, have been running the salt pond for nearly ten years. I am very familiar with the matters related to the salt pond. I don't dare to ask the court to take over. It is better for Feng to do this by herself." Come take the responsibility.”
"This is not because I, Feng Dong, want to refuse, but because it concerns the livelihood of hundreds of people in the Feng family. I really dare not agree easily. Please forgive me, Mr. Zhong, the eldest son."
"Master Feng's words are wrong." Ji Heng suddenly laughed and said with emotion: "The court has decided on this matter and no changes are allowed. This is not my attitude."
"But the imperial court!"
"Court?!" Feng Dong suddenly felt a surge of unknown anger, but the situation was stronger than his own, so he could only suppress his anger and said: "I don't know why the court would have such thoughts?"
"If the imperial court needs money and food, I, Mrs. Feng, am willing to donate all my family property to relieve the imperial court."
"It's just that I, Feng Dong, really don't know why the imperial court insists on taking away the livelihood of merchants like us. Although the salt and iron business is very profitable, it also consumes a lot of time. We merchants have never lost a penny in business tax in the past. Why? Is the imperial court going to wait for me like this?"
"I want to know the reason."
"The reason?" Ji Heng sighed and said slowly: "Since you want to know the reason, then I will tell you that if you, the Feng family, run your business, the court will have no intention of touching you. But that's what you are wrong about. Mrs. Feng has thoughts that she shouldn’t be with.”
"I would like to hear the details." Feng Dong said with a gloomy face.
Ji Heng sat upright, not smiling at all, even very serious, and said slowly and calmly: "Some time ago, the imperial court arrested many officials."
"You must have heard about this, right?"
Feng Dong's face darkened.
There was already an ominous premonition in his heart.
Ji Heng continued: "During the trial, the government found that these officials are closely related to you salt merchants and iron merchants, and they have even merged with the government and businessmen."
"That's the only news I've heard so far."
"The money confiscated from the homes of these officials has reached millions. This figure is really shocking and heartbreaking."
"The merger of government and business is very harmful to the world."
"The court has to guard against it."
Feng Dong disagreed and retorted: "Mr. Zhong's words are biased. We merchants have a low status. What can we do in the face of powerful officials? In the end, we can only use money to eliminate disasters."
"I refuse to accept such a crime."
Ji Heng raised his forehead slightly and said unhurriedly:
"In recent years, you have used bribes to carry out large-scale activities in Guandong. With the power of officials, you have acted arbitrarily, eliminated dissidents, punished other merchants, and then achieved a monopoly on salt and iron."
"The current fatigue in Guanzhong has a lot to do with you."
"You salt merchants secretly collaborated together and took the opportunity to raise prices during the Guanzhong Dasuo Period and the Lishan Rebellion, and sold private salt on a large scale, thereby making huge profits."
"How much of the six thousand gold you gave to the eldest son was left over from paying business taxes?"
"If you are just pursuing profit, the imperial court will not ask for it. If you want to blame, blame it on you businessmen who are too greedy. Not only do you plunder the people's wealth, but you also try to get your hands on the government's power."
"If it were just officials asking for it, the court wouldn't be so angry."
"But you are a bit unwilling to restrain yourself. Not only did you take the initiative to pay bribes, but what's more, after some officials clearly refused, you even created conditions to pay bribes."
"This time the government found hundreds of officials."
"shocking!"
“It’s not just one or two people, it’s a whole lot!”
"Perhaps you feel in your heart that the imperial court is making a fuss and making a fuss out of a molehill, but I can tell you clearly that the imperial court has already tolerated you."
"You have no choice this time!"
"I know that you and your son don't take this statement seriously at all."
"But if I say one person, you will understand."
"Lu Buwei!"
Hear the words.
Feng Dong's expression changed with surprise.
Ji Heng sneered: "You know Lu Buwei, right?"
"The former Prime Minister of Great Qin."
"he died!"
Feng Dong seemed to realize something, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, white sweat overflowed from his forehead, and for the first time, a look of fear appeared on his face.
The room was silent.
Feng Dong's rapid breathing was clearly audible.
Ji Heng glanced coldly and said in a cold voice: "Great Qin does not need a second Lu Buwei."
"I, Mr. Feng, never dared to have this idea." Feng Dong said hurriedly.
Ji Heng said: "Small business depends on the people, medium business depends on the country, and big business depends on the government. Now you have all got your hands deep into the government. Does it really matter whether you have this idea?"
"Merchant has the ability to become the second Lu Buwei."
"This is your sin!"
(End of chapter)
