The Second Master of the Red Chamber

In the next few days, Jia Lian became even busier.

In addition to the large amount of property confiscated from the Zhao family and the Wang family that needs to be sold for cash and registered in the book, there are also prisoner's houses such as Wu Zhirong and the salt service system that need to be confiscated.

As Jia Lian expected, each of the officials he ordered to take down had a lot of money.

Although it can't be compared with the big salt merchants, if it gets out, it can still make many officials all over the world dumbfounded.

So much so that Jia Lian had to think about how to report it!
If there are too many reports, it is easy to cause turmoil in the government and the opposition.After all, most of the officials in Beijing only have 200 taels of silver plus a little welfare a year, and there are only a few who are really lucrative. This is why those ministers like to extend their hands to other places.

Once they know that they will be able to earn money that they could not earn in several or even dozens of lifetimes if they are released to other places for a few years. Not to mention the grievances in the hearts of the people, I am afraid that many officials will be born with the idea of ​​going out of the country to make a fortune.

In this way, it is not good for the court or the country.After all, as far as Jia Lian knows, there is no one in the world who can compete with Yangzhou Salt.

For example, several major weaving bureaus in the south of the Yangtze River, such as Water Transport.

If all the princes in the imperial court want to go to these places, people's hearts will fluctuate, which is very bad.

But if the report is missing, what about the huge amount of money? It won't be returned to those people whose homes were ransacked by him, right?
Keep it in your own hands?Not too good.

It seemed that he maliciously took kickbacks from the emperor and was a corrupt official, which was very hindering the justice of his trip.

It's not too entangled, silver is a good thing, only in the hands of an idiot who doesn't know how to use it, it will become a hot potato, and for him, these silvers will only become the building materials for his ladder to climb Qingyun Road.

In addition to sorting out wealth, Jia Lian will of course continue to investigate the sharp drop in Yangzhou's salt tax in the past two years.

After all, he also had to write an "investigative report."Emperor Ningkang may only care about the result, but this specific and detailed final report is for the ministers to read, so that he will not be speechless when they trouble him.

In the meantime, another small salt merchant, Feng's family, was unavoidably copied.It is said that it is a small salt merchant, and it is compared with those big salt merchants. In fact, in terms of the scale of the business and the strength of the family, it is not smaller than those business families.

The main reason for copying it was that the Feng family's reputation in the south of the Yangtze River was too bad, and there were several fatal cases in the Yangzhou government's filing.According to Zou Tong and others, it is almost all because of the injustices and mistakes deliberately covered up by Wu Zhirong and others.

In this era, there are countless injustices, falsehoods, and Jia Lian has seen and heard a lot, but this time it fell into his hands, so naturally he didn't say anything.Copy what should be copied, what should be killed, there is no mercy left.

This made the salt merchants nervous again.It was only after seeing the reason Jia Lian gave that he breathed a sigh of relief.

As a result, the remaining [-] or so salt merchants in Yangzhou City all carried out urgent formulation and declaration of family rules, strictly ordering the family children and servants, etc., to do any crimes, or do anything that is domineering.

The salt merchants who occupy half of Yangzhou City are like this, and other families naturally follow immediately, for fear of harming the fish in the pond. …

Even the common people, seeing the Caishikou that had been empty for a long time, killed people every day, and all the people who were killed were the big figures in Yangzhou City before. They didn't know that it was because of the imperial envoys from Yangzhou City.

So the common people clapped their hands and cheered. Some people who had grievances were still thinking about how to see Jia Lian, and asked the imperial envoy to make the decision.

Even those who hide traitors in their hearts, under this atmosphere, secretly gave up their thoughts of playing tricks.

All of a sudden, the law and order in the entire Yangzhou city was unprecedentedly good.And everyone who noticed this change could quickly find out the reason, because Jia Lian's reputation in the south of the Yangtze River was already astonishingly great, so it gave Jia Lian another wave of fame.

Jia Lian didn't care much about these small perspectives, and on the third day after he copied Wang's house, the salt merchants also came to invite him to a banquet as promised.

But it was not Zhou Boru and others who came to invite him personally.

"Pan'er pays homage to your lord, and I haven't seen you for a few days, your lord has become even more powerful and extraordinary."

"why you?"

"Master Zhou and the others know that Your Excellency is busy with business, and are worried that Your Excellency will forget about today's dinner, so they specially ask Pan'er to come and invite Your Excellency to attend the banquet at Wangjiang Tower."

Shen Pan'er smiled slightly, stepped forward and bowed again, "My lord, please."

Looking at Shen Pan'er, who was dressed in an apricot-yellow long dress, Tingting Niao Niao, charming and unfathomable, Jia Lian shook his head and smiled.

These salt merchants are very good at trying to figure out people's hearts. It is indeed more sincere to ask a beauty to invite him than to invite him in person.

Seeing her plain hand pointing at the BMW incense car, looking at him expectantly, Jia Lian thought about it for a while, and was willing to give her face, so he stepped forward and got into her carriage.

Sure enough, the inside of the beauty's carriage was full of fragrance, like the fragrance of jasmine and rosewood.

Before the beauty came in, Jia Lian took a good look at the decorations inside the carriage, and probably had some judgments about the style and hobbies of this Pan'er girl.

It's not elegant, I can only say it's not vulgar.

Sit down directly in the front seat and look at the beauty who also bent over to come in.

There was still some joy on her face, perhaps because she was willing to give up her luxurious car to Jia Lian and board her fragrant car.

And she herself is dressed in a neat dress, a lady's dress that doesn't fit the style of a lady's dress, and she slightly reveals her fragrant shoulders. With her beauty, she is already seductive, let alone when she bends over to come in, the two sides on her chest The layer of fabric hangs low, and with Jia Lian's frontal line of sight, it's easy to get a glimpse of some unrivaled scenery.

"My lord, you~~"

Shen Pan'er, who noticed the leak of spring, belatedly stretched out her hand to cover her chest, and glared at Jia Lian with a blushing pretty face.

However, Jia Lian only gave an inexplicable look. Seeing that he couldn't see anything, he shifted his eyes and set his eyes on the beauty's face.

This made the beauty a little embarrassed.

Sitting on the side stool, Shen Pan'er found that Jia Lian was staring at her. Finally, Shen Pan'er couldn't help but look up, "What are you looking at, what's wrong with Pan'er?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. Miss Pan'er is very beautiful. I like it very much, so I should pay more attention to it."

"Liar..."

Xu is the girl who changed the scene. She was relatively calm about such praise, and even deliberately smiled: "If you really like Pan'er, you won't drive Pan'er out that night."...

Jia Lian did not respond to such words.

Shen Pan'er glanced at Jia Lian, and said with a smile, "I heard that your lord has copied many salt merchants these days, and even beheaded many salt merchants who committed crimes..."

Jia Lian frowned, "Miss Pan'er also cares about this kind of thing?"

"Hehehe, the slave family doesn't care about these things, but the other sisters in the teaching workshop, as well as other sisters named Lou, are very concerned about the lord, and they are very happy and excited when they know that the lord has left Yangzhou.

I also heard that the slave family had performed at the master's Xingyuan, so they all came to Pan'er to inquire about the master's news. "

Yangzhou is one of the most prosperous prefectures in the entire south of the Yangtze River. If it weren't for her, the golden signboard of Nanjiaofang, she would not have been stationed in Yangzhou.Moreover, just because the salt merchants chose her and wanted to use her to curry favor with Jia Lian, Nanjiaofang was willing to let her out, which shows how powerful the salt merchants are in Jiangnan.

But it is these powerful salt merchants who can be said to cover the sky with one hand in Yangzhou, but in Jia Lian's hands, they are like dough. Turn around and doubly fawn.

This naturally shocked her, a Jiangnan Huakui lady who claimed to be used to seeing big shots.

Looking at Jia Lian's demeanor, it seems that after killing a few salt merchants, she reacted as calmly as killing a few chickens, which made her more convinced.

Thinking about it, this is the power and bearing that only real big shots have.

Thinking about it, looking at Jia Lian, he couldn't help but be cautious, eager, and resentful.

Facing such a beautiful woman, Jia Lian coughed lightly, and suddenly asked: "By the way, Miss Pan'er has been staying in Jiaofang these days? Those salt merchants, did you not make things difficult for you?"

It was only later that Jia Lian remembered that since those salt merchants were going to give Shen Pan'er to him, they presumably had already redeemed him.

It would be fine if he took it, but he confiscated it, and Shen Pan'er's ownership became a problem.Such a well-known courtesan who has been carefully cultivated by the teaching workshop is very valuable in itself, and if it is well packaged, the benefits it can bring to the Fengyue industry are incalculable.

Presumably, neither the Jiaofang nor the salt merchants would ignore such a treasure.

"Hehehe, my lord really wants those salt merchants to make it difficult for Paner?"

Shen Pan'er looked at Jia Lian, smiling.

"But don't worry, my lord. Since those salt merchants redeemed the slave family from Jiaofang and prepared to dedicate it to the lord, it naturally means that the slave family is already an adult. On that day, the slave family brought their own deeds and prepared to serve the lord constantly. Woolen cloth.

Who knew that the lord was so cruel and drove Pan'er out.

But Pan'er still has to thank you, now that Pan'er is in my own body, Pan'er can be regarded as a free body.It's just that Pan'er has no relatives and no reason, and has no other place to go, so naturally he can only settle down in the Muslim Square. "

Shen Pan'er spoke lightly, as if she was really free and could go wherever she wanted.In fact, if she hadn't been careful, she would have insisted that she was already Jia Lian's woman after she left Xingyuan that day. I'm afraid whether her deed of citizenship can still be kept on her body is another matter. …

Now Jiaofang treats her as a guest, and the salt merchants don't have the energy, or they dare not offend her, even for today's arrangement, they politely invite her to come and help.

This made Shen Pan'er feel more and more that leaning against a big tree was a good way to enjoy the shade.

Shen Pan'er intentionally said that she was wronged, just to arouse Jia Lian's desire for protection, but Jia Lian just replied after hearing the words: "That's very good."

Shen Pan'er kept her mouth shut, looking very unhappy, but only for a short time, she moved closer to Jia Lian, and said mysteriously: "Those old salt merchants have spent a lot of time trying to please your lord. .

Hee hee, there will be surprises waiting for you later..."

Seeing her talking time, her expression was very sly. Jia Lian couldn't help but smile, raised her hand to brush the hair on her forehead, looked at her cheek and smiled, "Surprise? Isn't Miss Pan'er the biggest surprise?"

Shen Pan'er did everything possible to lure Jia Lian, but when Jia Lian really did something, she was taken aback, flinched, and realized that she shouldn't, her face turned red, and she said embarrassedly, "What kind of surprise is this slave..."

He wanted to say something with a complicated expression, and when he noticed the place where the ship was changed, he immediately said: "Anyway, my lord will not be disappointed tonight."

After speaking, please Jia Lian get off the carriage.

Jia Lian thought that the place was here, but when he got down to look, he found that it was a small pier.

It was already dusk, and there were many boats, big and small, rippling on the not-so-broad river.There are many boats, colorful lanterns and flower baskets, and there are already actors and ladies singing and dancing. It is obviously a unique scenery in the south of the Yangtze River-the brothel industry carried by the river.

"Wangjiang Tower is in Beicheng. It only takes about a quarter of an hour to get there by boat from here. You can take advantage of this time to enjoy the scenery of the Little Qinhuai River in Yangzhou and relax by the way."

Looking in front of him, there are not only luxuriously decorated two-story boats, but also some small boats waiting beside them, which are obviously prepared for the extra guards around Jia Lian.

The other party was so attentive, Jia Lian also gave face, and only took Zhang Yong and a dozen people on board the blessing boat, and the others followed in small boats.

Just as the boat was sailing, suddenly there was a rustling sound coming from outside.

This voice is melodious and profound, and it is very quiet in the ears, just like the ripples of willow branches brushing the water in early spring.

Jia Lian, who had just stepped up to the second floor, couldn't help but stop, turned around and saw a small but exquisitely decorated boat sailing towards the river not far away.

On the bow of the boat surrounded by bamboo fences and colorful lights, a graceful woman stands leisurely.

The woman was dressed in a white shirt, her face was half covered with tulle, and she was holding a jade flute in front of the veil with both hands, and the faint Xiao sound came from this.

Although her face cannot be seen clearly at a glance because of the veil, it is not difficult to guess that this is another rare beauty just based on her posture and demeanor shown by her flute.

On the small deck behind her, there were two beauties in cool clothes, dancing silently to her singing.Strange to say, it was clear that the two dancing beauties were of superior stature and appearance, if they appeared alone at the grand event, they would probably be the beauties sought after by countless romantic talents. …

But at this moment, under the figure of the girl with the hole flute, the two dancing beauties looked dull.

At this time, this place, appearing in such a way, it is not difficult to guess that the woman at the bow will be a famous prostitute, and her reputation should not be low.

The Little Qinhuai River is not too wide, so the sudden appearance of this woman naturally attracted countless people who came out to have a good time to watch and speculate about her identity.

"This kind of figure, this kind of temperament, plus this kind of accomplishment in the hole flute, could it be that the girl in Tsing Yi has come to our Yangzhou?"

"How is it possible? What is the identity of the girl in Tsing Yi? She is a beauty who has won the No. [-] Oiran in Jiangnan for two consecutive times. According to rumors, she is determined to win this time. If so, the girl in Tsing Yi is the No. [-] Oiran in Jiangnan for three consecutive times. The lady.

This is rare in the history of the Oiran Contest.Compared with her, the other Huakui ladies in the south of the Yangtze River paled in comparison!I heard that even if the magistrates of the major prefectures hold literary conferences and want to invite girls in Tsing Yi to perform, the girls in Tsing Yi will not necessarily agree.

Don't even think about it, as a girl in Tsing Yi, if she came to Yangzhou, I'm afraid the whole Yangzhou city would be a sensation.How could it be possible for us to listen to one of the Dong Xiao for free on such a small boat? "

"That's right, it's rumored that if you want to listen to a girl in Tsing Yi, you need to prepare at least five hundred gold. If this is really a girl in Tsing Yi, then we'll be making a lot of money today."

"I also know that it's unlikely, but it really seems like it. Then tell me, besides the girl in Tsing Yi, who else in the world can have such a brilliant skill in the hole flute? Anyway, I think our Yangzhou City must not have such a skill." Lady No. [-] Oiran's..."

"..."

An excited voice suddenly sounded: "It seems that it is really a girl in Tsing Yi! Look, isn't the dancer behind us the number one little girl in Yichun Courtyard in Yangzhou City? The little girl is also very famous in our Yangzhou City The Huakui lady is gone, besides the girl in Tsing Yi, who else can make her condescend to dance with her?"

"Yeah, yeah, what you said, the other beautiful dancer seems to be Miss Wei Shishi from Suzhou City... I also met her at last year's Oiran Competition...Oh my God, this must be me How could there be three oiran ladies on this small flower boat at the same time, giving us music and dances for free..."

The conversations of scholars and Confucian scholars spread to Jia Lian's ears along with the sound of Xiao and the spring breeze.

The number one oiran again?This is the second time Jia Lian has heard of this name. Before that, it was Jiang Yun who was given to Zhao'er by him, and said that he had won this reputation.

Although Jiang Yun's appearance and figure can be called stunning, after all, he has already married as a woman, and he has passed away at a young age, and his youth is not in full bloom, so Jia Lian has never let Jia Lian feel the full charm of this first lady.

Hearing the discussion from the crowd around her, and looking at the half-covered woman with the flute, Jia Lian believed that she had to have such a figure and temperament to be worthy of the reputation of the number one oiran lady. .

For a moment, Jia Lian even wanted to order the boat to pass by, force the other party to take off his veil and let him see the true face of Lushan, and finally held back.Let's not talk about whether doing such a thing is a disservice to the scenery, just say that these flower boats, as well as the scholars and scholars along the river banks, will surely turn into flower protectors one by one at that time, crushing him ruthlessly.

Facing the angry fans at that time, it will be difficult to use any identity, so he, the imperial envoy, will definitely lose face.

Moreover, Jia Lian also caught a glimpse of Shen Pan'er's scrutinizing eyes with a smile that was not a smile, and realized that if the woman really had such a reputation as the number one oiran and suddenly appeared here, she might be the one Shen Pan'er was talking about. In other words, the salt merchants prepared a surprise for him.

Since the number one oiran is sought after by thousands of people, it is naturally expensive, but there is no doubt that the salt merchants have the power to dominate!
The flower boat carrying the beauties was traveling at a relatively fast speed, and soon passed the blessing boat, and the Xiao sound stopped.

Many people yelled across the river to play another song. Although they didn't get any response, many young masters still ordered their own flower boats to chase each other vigorously.

This kind of beautiful woman's song, which provokes the Quartet to respond and chase, is exactly the scenery often seen in the land of the south of the Yangtze River...