The restaurant owner first looked at Butler Chang Shi and then at Hu Mingyi, with a hesitant look on his face.
Based on the current situation of the Yang family in the General Town Office, he did not dare to offend the people in the Prince's Palace, nor did he want to offend the people in the Governor's Yamen. Both sides were people he could not afford to offend.
"I won't ask for more from you. I will give you one hundred taels of silver as a donation for your restaurant." Hu Mingyi didn't care whether the restaurant owner wanted it or not, so he had the box brought by the servant directly placed on the counter.
The restaurant owner looked bitter and said with a wry smile: "Since the bandits appeared outside Datong City, the business of the small shop has been getting worse day by day. One hundred taels of silver is too much, and I can't even get it out even if I want to. ah!"
"Then how much do you plan to give?" Hu Mingyi looked at the restaurant owner.
The restaurant owner thought for a moment.
Thinking that the other party was from the governor's Yamen and would not give him even one tael, he said, "How about twenty taels?"
"You're sending beggars away. Believe it or not, the governor's office immediately closed down your restaurant." Hu Mingyi's face sank.
The Prince's Palace was able to use Yang Guozhu's people to blackmail the restaurant owner, and their governor's office even had the ability to use Yang Guozhu as an excuse to seal down the restaurant.
This is something Dai Wangfu cannot do.
Facing Hu Mingyi's threat, the restaurant owner looked bitter.
In the past, when Yang Guozhu was still in charge of the general town office, this kind of thing would never have happened. Even the Prince's Palace would not dare to take advantage of his restaurant.
"Mr. Hu, your quote is one hundred taels. Don't you think it's a bit too much? In my opinion, twenty taels is quite a lot. At worst, I'm afraid I'll be short of money if I go to a few more shops." Chang Shi Butler Stand up for the restaurant owner.
Although the restaurant owner has not agreed yet, in his eyes, this restaurant is already the property of Dai Wangfu. Even if Yang Guozhu comes back alive, no one can take back what Dai Wangfu has eaten.
Hu Mingyi looked at the supportive housekeeper Chang Shi and said, "All the money raised will be used to defend the city as a soldier and to resist the bandits outside the city. Are you willing to help him with the money he lacks?"
"Guarding Datong City is a matter that your yamen should take responsibility for. Why should the Prince Dai's Mansion provide this money?" Butler Chang Shi shouted when he heard that he wanted to make up the difference of eighty taels.
Hu Mingyi said coldly: "Don't forget that Prince Dai's Mansion is also in Datong City. Once Datong City is invaded by bandits, Prince Dai's Mansion will also not be able to escape."
"What do you mean? Do you still dare to ask us to raise funds for the palace?" Butler Chang Shi's face sank, and his words became rude.
Hu Mingyi snorted contemptuously and said: "You are just a servant. You can't make the decision for the Prince's Palace. If you were your master, Shi Changshi, it would be about the same."
"You!" Butler Chang Shi looked very ugly.
Hu Mingyi stopped talking to each other, looked at the restaurant owner behind the counter, and said: "The silver donated by the restaurant is used to guard Datong City, and it is also good for you. One hundred taels of silver is not a big deal for a restaurant like yours." many."
He looked at the furnishings in the restaurant.
Sipifang is the most prosperous street in Datong City. This restaurant is the largest restaurant in Sipifang. It is backed by the general town office and the business is very good.
"Sir, I don't dare to expire. I really can't afford so much money." The restaurant owner said with a bitter look on his face.
Ever since the news of the bandits attacking Gaoshan City and Settlement City reached Datong City, the business of the restaurant has been declining day by day.
Now that the gangsters were bombarding Datong City, he was ready to close his shop, but before he could get to the door, people from Dai Wang's Mansion broke in and tried to seize his restaurant.
Later, some people from the governor's office came to the restaurant to collect donations.
But he knew that there were very few customers in the restaurant today, and the money in the account had been taken away by the Yang family a few days ago.
"How much can you offer?" Hu Mingyi saw that the other party really seemed unable to offer hundreds of taels of silver, so he took a step back and let the other party tell him the number.
As for not taking one tael of silver, that's definitely not possible.
Since he brought people to the restaurant, he couldn't leave empty-handed.
"Thirty, no, fifty taels." The restaurant owner stretched out his hand and flashed the five fingers of his right hand in front of his eyes.
Hu Mingyi didn't want to waste time here anymore, so he nodded and agreed: "Then take out fifty taels!"
The main target of fundraising is the rural gentry in the city. For shops like restaurants, the amount of money raised is only a small amount, so it is not worth wasting time here.
It was cut in half from one hundred taels, leaving only fifty taels. The restaurant owner secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If he can send someone from the governor's office away with fifty taels of silver, it's not a loss for him. If the restaurant is really sealed by the governor's office, then it will be a real loss.
He asked the clerk to go to the account and return fifty taels of silver, and he respectfully handed the money to the governor's Yamen officer.
"Let's go to the next house." After collecting the money, Hu Mingyi called the surrounding officers to leave.
He didn't care at all whether the restaurant fell into the hands of Prince Dai or was saved by the Yang family.
For him, raising money and defending Datong City are the most important things.
Coming out of the restaurant, Hu Mingyi got on his horse.
A guard next to him looked at Hu Mingyi on horseback and asked, "Sir, where should we go next?"
"You guys, go to the shops along the street and ask their shopkeepers to collect donations." Hu Mingyi pointed at the guards and then said, "The rest of you are following me."
As he spoke, he lightly tapped the horse's belly with his feet, urging the horse to move forward.
The few officers who were ordered to go to various shops to collect donations all had happy faces.
This kind of job is a good job for them. As long as they don't offend the merchants with powerful backgrounds, everyone can get a lot of benefits from it.
Moreover, with the banner of the governor's office, there are not many shops with a larger background than the governor's.
Hu Mingyi rode in front, followed by the police officer who trotted behind.
After turning left and right, he came to the door of a large house.
The red lacquered wooden door has a large door plaque with two gilded characters written on it: Zeng Fu.
"Go and call the door!" Hu Mingyi pointed at the door of Zeng Mansion.
A servant came out from behind him, ran up the stone steps, came to the wooden door, stretched out his hand and knocked on the knocker of the wooden door.
boom! boom!
The door knocker knocked on the wooden door several times, making a dull sound.
Not long after, footsteps came from the door.
The officer who knocked on the door stopped.
With a creaking sound, the wooden door was opened from the inside, and an old man's head was revealed.
Although the title of Dai Wangfu is useful, it may not be so useful for the staff around the governor. After all, he is just a servant of Dai Wangfu. He is not even a servant of Dai Wangfu. He can only be regarded as the chief of Dai Wangfu. The servants around Shi.
"Shopkeeper, have you decided how much money to donate? Let me tell you, this money will be used to defend the city." Hu Mingyi ignored the housekeeper in Chang Shi's house and just looked at the restaurant owner behind the counter.
