The moon is in the window.
Around the time of the Double Ninth Festival, the night air was already quite chilly. It was a quiet time when people fell asleep together, but Mu Zaohua tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
On the other side of the room, Chen Sanni called to her: "Sister Zaohua, aren't you sleepy? Then let's get up and count the money?"
"good!"
Mu Zaohua jumped up but did not light the lamp.
Usually, Mr. Wu distributes lamp oil. The more generous Mr. Wu is, the more Mu Zaohua feels that she should be sensible and save money for him.
The two women gently poured the money they had saved over the past four months on the ground.
There was a patch of moonlight there, which made the silver shine brightly and also illuminated their joyful hearts.
Chen Sanni said happily: "Almost six taels! I can actually get so much money in my life."
Mu Zaohua scolded her: "How old you are, only in this life. With Miss Zheng and Mr. Wu, we will have sixty taels or six hundred taels. Even my husband's family will not dare to look down on us."
Chen Sanni said: "I don't want to get married. Although Miss Zheng said that if she gets married, she will be assigned other jobs. But I still want to be on special duty all the time. Look at me going down to the river to fish for sacks this time to expose that... For those who defrauded me of insurance premiums, Miss Zheng gave me a special salary of two taels of silver. The money in my dear little jacket bag suddenly increased by 30%."
As she spoke, she put the silver into the bag. She just put two coins in it, but they fell back to the ground.
Please enjoy it again.
Chen Sanni moved around and arranged a dozen pieces of broken silver into various patterns. They were shining like stars and she was very happy to see them.
Mu Zaohua had already collected more than five taels of her silver and hid it.
Miss Zheng gave them one tael of silver every month, and they lived in a small tile-roofed house rented by Wu Bangdang. It had a stove, and they used firewood to cook. They saved more and saved more than three taels in four months.
This time Mu Zaohua pretended to be a prostitute to find out Zhou Hu's banknotes, and she also received a special salary of two taels.
Mu Zaohua turned her head and said to Chen Sanni, who was still staring at the money and giggling: "I thought your special salary would be more than mine. After all, you went to the bottom of the river in such cold water."
Chen Sanni said "Ah" without raising her head, and said casually: "This is nothing. Miss Zheng told me that those women in North Korea are even more powerful."
Mu Zaohua got on the bed, hugged the quilt, and asked curiously: "How can you create a powerful method?"
Chen Sanni said: "Miss Zheng said that the North Korean pearl divers can hold it in the cold sea for a long time without losing time in digging beads, but the men can't. Although the men are strong, they can't stand the cold." . After those men marry their wives, they expect them to go to the sea to dig beads to make money, so Sister Zaohua, look at the benefits of getting married."
Mu Zaohua curled her lips.
She thought to herself, I still want to get married, but I can't tell you about the person I like, for fear that you will laugh at me for daydreaming.
Mu Zaohua paused and then asked: "Sannier, when you went to receive the special salary from Mr. Wu, was Miss Zheng there?"
Chen Sanni said: "Yes, Mr. Wu even praised me to Miss Zheng."
Mu Zaohua suddenly felt something strange in her heart. When she went to get the money, she also saw Zheng Haizhu sitting and drinking tea with Wu Bang Bang. In this way, the two of them talked for a long time in Wu Bang Bang's inner house.
"Sannier, do you think Miss Zheng and Mr. Wu are a good match?"
"Ah?" Chen Sanni was stunned, then chuckled, "How can a female proprietor like her shopkeeper? What the troupe sings is that a rich man likes a girl from a poor family."
Chen Sanni said, finally yawned and picked up the stars in the moonlight.
"Sleep, Sister Zaohua, Mr. Wu will teach us how to use a dagger tomorrow."
Mu Zaohua responded in the darkness, turned over and looked out the window.
When Wu Bang Bang teaches fighting skills, he teaches both male and female intelligence agents step by step.
Mu Zaohua thought with longing, that means Mr. Wu will also hold my hand.
I wonder if Mr. Wu also taught Miss Zheng this way?
Only that silly girl Chen Sanni would think that the descendants of famous generals like Master Wu were really just Miss Zheng's subordinates.
…
The two boat bosses who cheated the insurance company were reported to the county government by Zheng Haizhu. After being punished and paraded in public, Zheng Haizhu took Tang Ayuan and Zheng Shoukuan to deliver Double Ninth Festival cakes to the boatmen of various gangs one by one at the docks.
"Xiao Guzi, how can I bother an old man I know well to help me investigate? If only the boatman's brother, who can't bear to deceive and deceive, informs us, our trading company will not ask others to take advantage. So in the future, we still have to rely on Dear brothers on the water, please help me, this is our shopkeeper Tang, he and my nephew have something to discuss with the brothers in detail."
Zheng Haizhu finished his words with a smile, leaving shopkeeper Tang and Shouguan to tell the ship boss to help sell shipping insurance shares, and then went to do more important things.
She was going north with Bond Wu.
In the past few days, the Hangzhou brocade and other goods sent by Mao Chengbei to escort arrived in Zhenjiang by water, and were picked up by Zheng Haizhu.
The person who pledged the goods was a personal attendant named Xu San who Mao Wenlong used for his son on his business trip.
When Mao Wenlong kidnapped Zheng Haizhu and went to the island to please Yan Siqi, Xu San was also there and knew that this Miss Zheng had a good relationship with Yan Siqi and the Mao family.
Xu San had already followed Mao Wenlong to pledge the goods once before, bribed the navy in Dengzhou, and went to sea smoothly.
However, this time, it was not so comfortable.
"Miss Zheng, after we got on the canal boat from Hangzhou, the two major banknote checkpoints in Hangzhou and Suzhou, as well as the tax cards that popped out of every nook and cranny, took us a total of almost two hundred taels of silver. Come on, mother, now Xu San When I saw those tax collectors in soap robes, I felt like my hair stood on end. When I followed Mao to defend the slave Tatars, I was not so scared."
At the Zhenjiang pier, Xu San took out the tax deed and complained to Zheng Haizhu.
Zheng Haizhu smiled and comforted him: "Doing business is sometimes more difficult than fighting. You have to get used to it. Previously, Mao Guards had a survey from the Ministry of War. You were not exploited that time, right?"
Xu San nodded: "Yes, the five hundred gold that the girl lent to the guard on that trip was converted into four to five thousand taels. We bribed the navy in Dengzhou to let it go, and spent one hundred taels of silver. This time not only did Hang Jinhangluo Tea, Mr. Chengbei also collected a lot of rice, and the boat we hired was bigger. The tax collectors at the customs all valued the boat based on the size of the cabin, and there was no official survey to ask for permission, so we suffered a huge loss. .”
Zheng Haizhu signaled him to calm down, turned around, walked a few steps, and called Wu Bond to come over.
"Xu San, this is Mr. Wu, a man of great fame. Let's go to Liaodong together."
Xu San's eyes lit up, he said "ha" and said happily: "That's great. For a distinguished master, the court doesn't seem to collect taxes."
…
The ship set sail from Zhenjiang and soon arrived at Chaoguan, Yangzhou.
The Imperial turban on Wu Bondang's head was indeed useful. The tax collector took a quick look at it and saw that although Wu Bondang was only in his twenties, he was well-dressed and well-mannered. He thought he was a son of an official, so he did not create any difficulty and signaled for him to let him go.
After exiting the customs and driving on the open river, Zheng Haizhu broke off a piece of osmanthus cake bought from a vendor at Yangzhou Wharf, handed it to Wu Bangdang, and said with a smile: "There are three banknote checkpoints in front of us: Huai'an, Xuzhou, and Jining. Okay, okay." , on this trip alone, the three hundred taels you spent on the Imperial College will be repaid. When the goods are sold, I will give you the banknote."
Wu Bondang pursed his lips and did not join in the fun or refuse. He just ate the sweet-scented osmanthus cake leisurely while looking at the bustling scene of hundreds of people on the canal.
For a person with his temperament, it is not difficult to hide the attitude of "as long as you are happy".
Behind them, Mu Zaohua was emerging from the cabin.
Mu Zaohua and another male intelligence agent Li Daniu were brought north by Zheng Haizhu's name.
One is Zheng Haizhu's maid, and the other is Wu Bang Bang's servant. To outsiders, they look like the most ordinary master-servant home. They will not arouse suspicion when they leave the ship with better privacy and return to the land to walk.
Mu Zaohua was elated after being selected by Zheng Haizhu.
The opportunity to gain experience was rare, but what made her even more happy was that she could travel with Mr. Wu.
"Miss Zheng, Mr. Wu, the cabins are all packed."
It was already past the beginning of the year, and the late autumn night fell very early. The water on the deck was cold and cold. A few people got into the cabin, ate the noodle soup prepared by the boatman, and then went to bed.
"Zaohua, I don't need this, you can use it."
Wu Bondang leaned out from his cabin and handed a Tang Pozi to Mu Zaohua.
Zheng Haizhu praised: "Oh, Zaohua is so thoughtful, she even brought this with her."
Mu Zaohua blushed, and while taking the Tang Pozi from Wu Bang Bang's hand, she hurriedly got into Zheng Haizhu's cabin, took out the same one, and explained: "The autumn in the south of the Yangtze River is cold and the north of the Yangtze River is cold. I'm afraid that the boat is simple and frozen. The girl and the boy."
Wu Bondang nodded to her kindly: "It's a good thing that intelligence agents are careful. You should rest early."
A night of silence.
Zheng Haizhu slept very well in the gentle embrace of the river.
Unexpectedly, when we arrived at Chaoguan in Huai'an the next day, the Confucian scarf on Wu Bondang's head was no longer working.
…
In front of Huai'an Shuiguan, there were sounds of pleading and angry curses one after another.
Five or six tax collectors in soap robes jumped up and down, constantly reporting tax and silver figures that dissatisfied the cargo owners on the ship.
"Don't accept? If you don't accept, go and sue me in front of the Lord Long Live. Damn it, I am fighting with you in the cold wind, not for the purpose of Long Live, for the quota of the Ministry of Revenue, and for the great Ming Dynasty."
Among the tax collectors, one looked like the leader, with a sallow face, a rat beard, and a mouth full of buck teeth, and he reprimanded those who tried to resist in a righteous manner.
When it was finally the turn of Zheng Haizhu's merchant ship, Mouse Beard's eyes lit up.
This ship is not small, and the male and female servants on board are also neatly dressed and have plump faces. They should come from a respectable and wealthy owner.
A big tax can be collected.
Mousebeard and his little tax collector jumped onto the deck.
Xu San went up to him and said with an attentive smile: "Master Dui, our young master is a supervisor of the Imperial College."
Rat Beard raised his chin, glanced sideways at Wu Bangdang, who was standing with his sleeves behind Xu San, and let out a sigh.
"What? A student from the Imperial College didn't study hard, so he was tricked by profiteers based on a scarf?"
Rat Beard’s words are not groundless.
On the canal, some clever merchants will observe the passenger ships on the water when they approach the currency check. If they see guests dressed as scribes, who are probably famous, they will take the initiative to strike up a conversation, pay them a few taels of silver, and beg them. Move to your own merchant ship.
Due to the rules of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, scholars with a good reputation, even if they were just scholars, were exempted from land tax and corvee labor, and by the way, they would also be allowed to pay taxes and pay taxes from various places.
However, in recent years, the national treasury has become increasingly difficult, and the Ministry of Revenue has simply implemented a quota payment system for banknotes in various places. No matter what goods are actually transported by ships and how much they transport, the money turned over by banknotes every year must not be less than the quota.
Huai'an is not as prosperous as Yangzhou and Hangzhou, but Huai'an Chaoguan has to turn over 80,000 taels of silver to the Ministry of Household Affairs this year.
This figure, plus the 30% ratio of corruption at all levels in Huai'an, means that the tax collectors will have to collect 120,000 taels of silver this year.
We can't collect the ships carrying grain and military pay, we can't collect the tributes sent by local governments to various ministries in the capital, we can't collect the private ships of current officials, and we can't collect the ships of the gentry. Do we have to take the ships of ordinary merchants and collect them ruthlessly?
However, in the past few months, the Wenxiang Cult broke out in Shandong, which affected Chiyu. There were also fewer merchant ships passing through Xuzhou and Huaian Chaoguan.
Finally, things have become a bit calmer since autumn, and there are more boats.
The official in charge of Huai'an Chaoguan did the math. Damn it, for the remaining two months, you have to collect 1,500 taels of silver every day in order to complete the household department's quota collection and the boss's embezzlement quota at the same time.
Therefore, the grassroots tax collectors like Mouse Beard are currently implementing the policy that as long as they are not traveling together to Beijing to take the exam, they will still collect taxes to death from those who are alone.
Therefore, Mousebeard ignored Wu Bond who came up to discuss with him and only waved his skinny arm.
The follower immediately jumped into the warehouse, stretched out his head and reported in a moment: "The cabin is spacious and the goods are full. The tax is 400 taels."
Xu San was shocked. He quickly stuffed the money into Mouse Beard's hand and exclaimed: "Master Tax, this, this can't be done. Our goods only cost two to three thousand taels of capital and four hundred taels of tax silver. Isn't that right?" Eight taxes and one tax? When has our Ming Dynasty ever collected such a high tax? Don’t be kidding, tax master."
"Who are you kidding?" Mouse Beard threw the few taels of silver on the deck and said sternly, "The imperial court needs money everywhere now. If I don't take it from your business pockets, how can you expect money to fall from the sky? ? Stop talking nonsense. If you don't pay the tax, don't even think about our Huai'an banknote. If you delay and block the customs, even if you, the prison master, can't be detained, the other people on the ship will have to do it without the turbans of the Imperial College. Let me spend the night in jail."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a young woman wearing an embroidered armor and a gold-woven horse skirt coming out of the cabin and walking slowly to the deck.
Zheng Haizhu stopped in front of the tax collector, bowed slightly, and said calmly: "No matter how angry the tax collector is, he can't delay this ship to Jining."
Mouse Beard saw that the woman's outfit from head to toe was more luxurious than the Hu Ling dress of the young man next to him. When he started to speak, two eyes were directed towards her. There was no shyness and avoidance of an ordinary woman, so he immediately put back his arrogance. Go a few points.
He only asked in a cold voice: "There are many ships going to Jining. Why, is there anything valuable about your ship?"
Zheng Haizhu said: "The ship is not expensive, but there are some things on the ship that are not light."
As she spoke, she walked to the end of the warehouse and said to the tax collector who was still standing by the warehouse: "Little brother, open those fir boxes and see what they are."
The tax collector opened it in confusion, turned to Mouse Beard and said, "Boss, it's a lantern."
Mouse Beard stared at Zheng Haizhu: "What about the lanterns? The merchants who transport the lanterns to sell them still have to pay money."
Zheng Haizhu said tepidly: "These lanterns are made by our family. They are not sold, only given away. We will disembark in Jining and then send the lanterns to Prince Lu's Mansion in Yanzhou to congratulate the princess on her birthday."
