Wang Changshi left the main hall and returned directly to the signing room where he usually worked in the palace.
"Several of you, Your Highness has agreed that I will take over the task of guarding the city of Jinan City. I will need your assistance in the future." Wang Changshi looked at the wealthy squires of Jinan City with a smile in the room.
These people are all wealthy and well-established people in Jinan City.
"Congratulations to Chang Shi. I believe that if Chang Shi comes forward, he will be able to protect Jinan City and the people in the city." Zhang Yuanwai was very happy.
Unlike the prefect in the yamen, the vassal prince in Jinan City would stand side by side with local squires like them because they had common interests.
Wang Changshi waved his hand gently and said: "Things are not as simple as you think. The current situation in the city is not easy to defend Jinan City even if I can represent His Highness. In short, it is very troublesome."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanwai asked: "Since you have come forward for a long time, who in the entire Jinan city dares not to give face to His Highness?"
"Of course no one dares to deny it to His Highness, but there will always be things that go against the will and the consequences. If you want to defend Jinan City, you can only start with the defenders in the city. But those Qiu Ba are very practical and don't give them any benefits. I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to defend the city honestly." Wang Changshi said while looking at the squires in front of him.
As his words fell, the room suddenly became quiet.
How could these people not understand the meaning of Wang Changshi's words?
Obviously this is asking for benefits from them.
But each of their families had just taken out five thousand taels of silver and sent it to the magistrate's office. The people in the palace wanted more money. No matter how much money they had, they would not be able to extort like this.
"What? Do you need me to make my words more clear?" Wang Changshi's eyes swept over these people one by one, with obvious displeasure on his face.
At this time, Zhang Yuanwai stood up and said: "Chang Shi, do you think we should defend Jinan City first before talking about other things?"
"You think it's what you and I want. It's what all the defenders in Jinan City and you want. Of course, if you don't want to, I don't care. In the end, if Jinan City is broken by tiger thieves outside the city, you can't Don't regret it, but even if you don't have enough property for others to grab, you might even lose your life." Wang Changshi sneered.
When Zhang Yuanwai heard these words, his eyes twitched.
The other party's words were no different from what they heard in the prefect's Yamen. They were all threatening them with the tiger-shaped flag army outside the city.
But it really worked, because they were really afraid of the tiger-character flag army entering the city.
"I wonder how much Chang Shi needs? If it's not too much, we will try our best to make it together." Zhang Yuanwai politely discussed with Wang Changshi.
He decided in his heart that if the other party didn't ask for much, he wouldn't mind supporting the other party with one or two hundred taels.
When Wang Changshi saw these squires relenting, a smile appeared on his face, and he said: "I know that you are willing to make your own contribution to guarding Jinan City. As for how much support you plan to support, I don't have many requirements, and Taking a few thousand taels is nothing to you."
Oops!
As soon as these words came out, the faces of Zhang Yuanwai and others turned ugly.
I just took five thousand taels, and now I want several thousand more taels. I really treat them as a bank.
"Is this too much?" Zhang Yuanwai looked at Wang Changshi in front of him with an ugly expression.
In order to defend the city of Jinan, he would need to lose tens of thousands of taels of silver, so he might as well let the people from the Tiger Flag enter the city. At worst, he would use the tens of thousands of silver to buy the lives of a whole family.
Wang Changshi said disapprovingly: "It's not much at all, that's it. The palace has to provide some, otherwise it won't be enough. There are so many defenders in the city, and there won't be much left if we really want to distribute it to everyone."
"No, no, it's too much. We really can't bear it." Zhang Yuanwai began to complain.
I didn't believe Wang Changshi's lies at all.
With so much money, it would be lucky if half of it fell into the hands of the city's defenders. The rest of the money would only be squandered by these officials.
"Is this still much?" Wang Changshi said unhappily, "As long as the tiger thieves don't retreat for a day, this money will have to be taken out continuously. If it really takes two or three months, think about how much money is needed. "
No one spoke.
Even Zhang Yuanwai stopped talking.
Defending Jinan City is a matter for the government. Even if local squires like them don't pay any money, Jinan City officials must contribute to guarding Jinan City.
Now that they promised to provide money to help the government defend the city, it has become an excuse for Jinan City officials to blackmail them, the squires.
Everyone has their own little ninety-nine, and no one is willing to use their own money to fill this bottomless pit.
"No one is willing to let it go. Anyway, if Jinan City is lost, it won't have much to do with me. At worst, I will escape from Jinan City and become an official somewhere else." Wang Changshi leaned on the back of his chair and crossed his legs.
Zhang Yuanwai looked at the others, and finally he stood up and said: "Five hundred taels, each family can take another five hundred taels at most. If Chang Shi thinks it's not enough, then forget it. We will wait at home for the tiger bandit army to break through." city."
"Five hundred taels is a drop in the bucket for defending the city." Wang Changshi's face sank. However, when he noticed the determination on the faces of these squires that they would break up if they disagreed, he immediately understood that these five hundred taels might be a drop in the bucket. This is the bottom line for people like them.
Thinking of this, his demeanor changed and he said: "That's all, you shouldn't have contributed to this matter in the first place. Each family can contribute five hundred taels as a sign of loyalty, so be it!"
Although the five hundred taels of silver from each family did not meet his expectations, it was better than getting nothing in the end. At any rate, he could still get several thousand more taels of silver into his pocket.
Whether it was the money these squires would take out or the money taken out from the palace, he had no intention of using it on the defenders in the city.
In his opinion, Qiu Ba's defense of the city was his fair share, and there was no need to get an extra piece of silver.
"Chang Shi is indeed a good official who is devoted to the people. With Chang Shi coming forward, I believe that Jinan City will be able to be defended. We first congratulate Chang Shi on his successful defense of the city and his meritorious service." Zhang Yuanwai even said several good things to Wang Changshi.
As long as the city of Jinan can be defended and the family property of these people can be saved, it will be treated as if the family has lost another five hundred taels.
"That's it. I have to go to the magistrate's office. Then you can gather all the things and send them directly to my house!" With that said, Wang Changshi stood up from his seat.
Zhang Yuanwai's mouth twitched when he heard this.
The other party didn't try to hide it at all and just gave away the money.
But in order to defend Jinan City, he had to suffer this humiliating loss. Who allowed Jinan City to be besieged? The only thing the big families living in the city could count on was the government.
(End of chapter)
