Yangzhou Pier is very lively. There are passenger ships and caravans carrying goods. People are coming and going. Not far from here is a row of small vendors. Most of them are running small businesses, including making steamed buns and steaming buns. There are fried dough sticks and noodles, so it’s so lively.
This morning, someone suddenly came to the Salt Patrol Yamen and blocked the dock, which caused a lot of noise. The people watching saw five ships of salt and swallowed their saliva.
This thing is hard currency here. This boatload of salt is about the same as a boatload of silver. Five boatloads of silver, how can they not be tempted?
Not long after, Lin Ruhai was escorted by the government officials to the dock. He first asked someone to check whether there was any problem with the salt on the ship and whether anything was missing. Then he met the twenty or so people on the ship.
When he saw these twenty or so people, he finally understood why the previous government servant had such an expression. He looked at the twenty or so strong men in front of him as if he had seen something dirty. His mind was also a little unclear, and he couldn't figure out the reason for a while. In desperation, he had to send people to take these strong men back to the government prison.
After that, they sent people to unload the salt from the ship and transported it all back to the Yamen warehouse.
The news that there was salt in the Yamen spread throughout Yangzhou City in less than half an hour. When the merchants who had bought salt heard that Lin Ruhai had salt, they all felt as if they were being chased by a mad dog. Lin Ruhai rushed over screaming, and as soon as Lin Ruhai returned to Xunyan Yamen, he was blocked by those people.
"Master Lin!! Our Li family will purchase 20,000 tons this time! This is the deposit!!"
"Master Lin!! Our Xu family has purchased 30,000 Dan!! This is the deposit!!"
...
When they saw the salt, these people seemed to be crazy and almost blocked the gate of the Salt Patrol Yamen. In fact, this is not their fault. In the Jiangnan area, official salt is sometimes not available, and private salt sales are extremely rampant. It stands to reason that the price of private salt should be cheaper than official salt, but in recent years, official ships transporting salt have often had accidents, and official salt has often been out of stock. As a result, the price of private salt has exceeded that of official salt. They Sometimes, in order to attract customers, these salt-savvy people often endure the pain of going to salt sellers to buy some private salt at a high price.
So whenever an official salt officer comes to the Salt Patrol Yamen, don't they act like crazy!
Seeing these people, Lin Ruhai was one of the first and second largest, but he did not drive them out. After all, he still had to get money for Emperor Mingkang! He, the flower hunter, is not as pedantic as Jia Zheng. Although they are both scholars, their level is far beyond what Jia Zheng can compare with.
Jia Zheng only knew about ordinary things, not ordinary affairs, but Lin Ruhai was different. He really understood this reading. Not only was he extremely sophisticated in human affairs, but he also had a lot of knowledge in ordinary affairs. Otherwise, he would not be able to deal with those businessmen who are as cunning as foxes. .
Talking around with these people, he didn't send the last person away until night. Looking at the thick pile of banknotes on the table, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. When would he have to deal with this yellow and white thing? He had to deal with it, but when he thought of Emperor Mingkang's instructions, he still endured it.
There is a saying among their scholars, "Eating the emperor's salary is the only thing to be loyal to the emperor!" He was favored by Emperor Kangxi of the Ming Dynasty and was promoted to such a prestigious position as the inspector of salt inspection. Why couldn't he do his best?
Speaking of which, Lin Ruhai was a former concubine, and was chosen by Emperor Mingkang when he first opened an enke after he succeeded to the throne. He can be regarded as a confidant of the current saint.
Returning to the table, he took a sip of tea, ordered the kitchen to make dinner, ate a little casually, and then returned to the study. He thought about today's events, and his eyes became a little wandering.
Not long after, he summoned a servant from the government office. He was the one who arranged for the twenty or so strong men today, and he was also responsible for the subsequent interrogation.
"Wang Wu, how are things going? Have all those people been recruited?"
Wang Wu scratched the soap hat on his head and said with some regret: "Excuse me, my lord, these guys are doing whatever they can. The brothers have used all the methods they can, but the results are average. As soon as they mention the previous incident, they Their minds would become very unstable and they would start talking nonsense. They only said that it was a young boy who asked them to do this! If you ask anything else, you won't be able to find out anything!"
"Also, according to the investigation by my subordinates, these people are members of the Salt Gang. The Salt Gang has deep roots in Jiangnan. If it is not handled properly, it may cause an uproar!"
When he heard the word "Yan Gang", Lin Ruhai's eyes suddenly narrowed, and the veins emerging from the hand holding the Eight Immortals Chair could be seen due to the exertion.
"I know!! You go down first!!"
After a long time, Lin Ruhai waved his hand and asked Wang Wu to retreat. Looking at the burning candles on the table and listening to the crackling lights from time to time, Lin Ruhai fell into silence for a while.
The Lin family has few heirs, his first wife passed away at a young age, and his son who died young, the congenital Daiyu, is all related to those bastards.
This was discovered a few years ago when he was investigating the traitors in the house. At first, he did not expect that those people were so bold and dared to put their hands into his own home.
Afterwards, according to his investigation, he found out that the mastermind behind the incident was the Salt Gang.
Now that he heard this name again, he almost couldn't hold it back, but thinking about the man behind the Yan Gang, he forced himself to suppress the evil fire in his heart.
He took a deep breath for a long time, as if he wanted to spit out the anger in his heart.
At this moment, he suddenly heard a voice coming into his ears.
"Master Lin, have you received the salt for the five ships?"
Lin Ruhai suddenly raised his head, feeling startled, but found that an extra figure had appeared in the study at some point.
He first took a look at the person in front of him. He was a half-year-old boy, not much older than his daughter, and his appearance was not bad, but there was a trace of calmness in his eyes that did not suit his age.
Then he glanced outside the door. The boy who usually followed him had already disappeared.
Discovering this situation, his expression changed slightly. He did not yell, but asked calmly: "Who are you? What does it have to do with what happened during the day? What is the purpose of coming here tonight?"
The person who came was none other than Jia Qi. He smiled and said, "You are indeed a person who has been able to stay in the history of salt patrol for more than ten years. Your Excellency, your character is really remarkable! If it were the prefect's Yamen I’m afraid that the old man is dead now!”
…
