Prime Minister of Great Qin

Chapter 99 Insatiable Greed! (seeking subscription)
It rained and greeted the cold.

After a few autumn rains, the world is getting cooler.

Not long after the end of the Shangjihui, someone in the city suddenly reported and exposed the officials' violation of orders. For several days in succession, hundreds of officials, big and small, were imprisoned in Xianyang.

Xianyang was in an uproar.

a time.

People at all levels of government are in panic.

In the streets and alleys, people commented from time to time, discussing what the court did this time.

East of the city, Shangshangfang.

In the central area of ​​Changyang Street, there is a tall pavilion with several overlapping courtyards.

The residence is extremely luxurious.

now.

In a large mansion, an old man with white hair and no crown was sitting on the mat. His face was neither sad nor happy, and no one could see his emotions, but his eyes looked at the door from time to time, as if he was expecting something.

There were quite a few middle-aged people sitting in the room, all of them were frowning, as if a catastrophe was imminent.

Just when the atmosphere was stagnant, there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside the house, and everyone hurriedly followed the prestige, only to see a middle-aged man in a red brocade coat with a white jade pinned around his waist, walking quickly into the room.

The crowd gathered together in a clatter.

"How is brother Zhong?"

"Did the imperial court find out about us?"

"Did the officials who went in tell us?"

"."

People around asked in a hurry.

Feng Zhen ignored the people around him, strode towards the white-haired old man, bowed and said, "Father, this time things might be a little difficult."

A word fell.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

The white-haired old man's eyes were slightly cold, he looked around indifferently, knocked the ground with his bamboo stick, and said coldly: "Is the old man still alive? What's the big deal?"

"My Feng family has not gone through any storms these years?"

"For the matter of the imperial court, you can scare you like this before you even write off your horoscope?"

Everyone lowered their heads, but they didn't dare to argue.

Then the white-haired old man looked at his eldest son and said in a deep voice: "Now tell me all the news you have heard."

"Be sure to be specific."

Feng Zhen nodded, took a deep breath, and said in a concentrated voice: "Father, the situation may be different this time. I just found out that the government seems to have found us in the past few days."

"Officials who have been in contact with us have been impeached and imprisoned in the past few days."

"And the management is very strict. I have made several inquiries, but I have not found much effective information. However, I have secretly communicated with several other companies. Most of the officials involved in the accident this time are very close to Yantie."

"Before a few officials were arrested, there was secret news that the DPRK and China were investigating salt and iron merchants."

"I worry"

"This time it's aimed at us."

Feng Zhen's eyes were full of worry.

The white-haired old man's eyes were cloudy, and after a little pondering, he shook his head and said: "I don't think it's that simple. Our Feng family is a merchant. Since the late Zhou Dynasty, the status of merchants has been getting lower and lower. If the government wants to target us, there is no need to do this." The worst policy."

"Go straight to the door and arrest him, what can we, Feng, do?"

"Then what does father think the government intends to do this time?" Feng Zhen asked curiously.

The white-haired old man Feng Dong shook his head and said in a concentrated voice, "I can't guess."

"This time, the government is very strict and does not allow prying eyes from the outside world. I am afraid that a careful plan is doomed. Right now, we, the Feng family, can only watch one step at a time."

"Then what should we do now, father?" Feng Zhen asked.

"Wait."

"Wait?" Feng Zhen frowned.

Hearing this answer, everyone shouted anxiously.

"Father, can this also wait?"

"This is related to the fate of our entire Feng family!"

"If the government really attacks us, wouldn't we be waiting for death if we wait like this?"

"."

Feng Dong sneered, and said indifferently, "What do you know?"

"As the saying goes, when soldiers come to block, water comes to cover up."

"This is an ancient method."

"Now the government's situation is unclear, and if they act rashly, they will only make mistakes in a panic. Moreover, if the government really wants to kill us, can our Feng family still survive?"

"Although Great Qin is in decline."

"But we didn't offend either!"

Feng Dong's voice was not loud, but it was loud.

He has been in charge of the Feng family for decades and has a high prestige in the clan.

After thinking about it for sure, Feng Zhenning said: "Father, I can understand that my brothers are worried. It's just that I can't figure out the government's attitude this time, and I really feel a little uneasy."

"If the government is for money."

"I, Mrs. Feng, are naturally not afraid of this."

"I have been running Guanzhong for more than ten years, and I, Feng, have accumulated a lot."

"I'm afraid that the government is not only looking at money."

"I still want to die!"

"Judging from the investigations in the past few days, the government has obviously noticed us, and the officials who have close ties with me are basically in prison. It is impossible for them to hide it for me."

"It's only a matter of time before my Feng family gets involved."

"It's just that we need to find out what the government thinks of us now. If we only find out those officials and find us by the way, then maybe it's easy to say. If not, I, Feng, may have a hard time saying it."

Feng Zhen was worried.

In the past few years, with his father Feng Dong's poor health, the business of the family has basically been handed over to him. He has to walk around from time to time, so he has a deeper understanding of Daqin's current situation.

Today, there are signs of turmoil in the world.

The first emperor has been so happy and aggressive in these years, and the world is full of complaints. In addition, the first emperor has become more and more fatuous in the past few years, and the killings have become more and more frequent.

If you don't keep it clean, it will fall on your own head.

Why is he not afraid?
Although Feng Dongnian was old, his mind was still calm. After a moment of contemplation, there was a gleam in his eyes, and he said decisively: "I, Feng's, will not have any accidents."

"Father, why is this?" Feng Zhen asked suspiciously.

Feng Dong knocked on the desk, his eyes gleaming sharply, and said: "The officials who have close contact with me, Feng Shi, have been in prison for a long time, if the government is really waiting for Feng Shi or merchants to come here for me, You guys can still talk here right now? I'm afraid they've been arrested and thrown into prison long ago."

"So the purpose of the government is not to kill people."

"Be rich!"

"And the picture may not be small."

Feng Dong snorted coldly, and said indifferently: "You mentioned earlier that there was a private message that the government was secretly investigating the matter of salt and iron merchants. What kind of troublesome existence are our merchants? Can the court secretly investigate for ten and a half months?"

"This news may have been deliberately released by the government."

"Just to make us panic."

"Use this to ask for a price!"

"Now Daqin is no better than in the past. With the increase of the people's tax every year, it is already on the verge of the limit of the head of Guizhou, and the local people are full of complaints."

"So the government set their minds on us."

"Trying to take money from us."

"Everything the government is doing right now is just a bluff to make us intimidated, and then seek more money, and even the government's investigation is mostly the money and food of our major merchants."

"The government only wants money?" Feng Zhen was a little surprised.

Feng Dong smiled and stroked his beard and said: "It should be like this. The government can indeed kill people, but how can a dead person be worth more than a living person? My Feng family has indeed been mainly engaged in salt business these years, but there have always been loans to Qianshou and hoarding money behind the scenes. Food, fields, these are not noticed by the outside world."

"Although I, Mr. Feng, acted covertly, in the eyes of the government, I can see clearly."

"However, the government doesn't know where the land deeds, title deeds, and borrowed coupons are hidden, and the government doesn't know how much I, Feng, have profited from it."

"The government is short of money."

"If my Feng clan is killed, the government will only get a few hundred gold on the books, but the government will not get any of the tens of thousands of gold that my Feng family has privately hidden."

"In the eyes of the government, killing people is obviously not worthwhile."

"However, with the current situation, I, Mrs. Feng, would spend a lot of money if I wanted to retreat completely."

"How much does father think we will pay?" Feng Zhen asked tentatively.

Feng Dong's eyes were cloudy, but he didn't speak. He glanced at the people in the hall, pondered for a moment, and said in a concentrated voice: "At least a thousand gold."

"So much?" Feng Zhen was a little startled.

Right now, one piece of gold in Daqin is about 444 yuan, and a thousand pieces of gold is worth four hundred and ten thousand yuan.

Feng Dong frowned, and said in displeasure, "Zhuzi, do you only see such petty gains? Is there a lot of gold? If I'm not afraid of being too ostentatious, I even want to donate six thousand gold, ten thousand gold!"

Feng Zhen was taken aback.

I don't know why.

Feng Dong snorted coldly and said: "The world is tired today, there are signs of riots in Kanto, and it is only a matter of time before the world becomes chaotic. My Feng family has entered Qin from Qi for more than ten years, and I have already taken root in Qin."

"Right now, the Daqin government is in a difficult situation, and they have all set their minds on us. Doesn't this prove one more thing?"

"What's the matter?" Feng Zhen was a little confused.

There was a hint of greed in Feng Dong's eyes, and he said fiercely: "The bottom has no money to collect!"

Feng Zhen's expression froze.

Immediately, he seemed to understand something, with excitement in his eyes, he bowed and said, "Father has a unique vision, but I am short-sighted in the end, and I was so greedy for such small profits that I almost missed this fat and big profit."

"It's not true."

"Father taught that."

Seeing Feng Zhen's reaction, Feng Dong nodded in relief.

Now that the government is relying on plundering merchants for money, does that mean that the bottom line has no money to collect?
There is no money and food at the bottom, but the Feng family has money, so they can borrow money and let Qianshou use the fields and houses as mortgages.

The longer Da Qin lasted.

The more benefits Feng will gain from it.

Right now, his Feng family owns part of the salt pond. If he can acquire a large amount of land while the world is still in chaos, even if the Great Qin Dynasty falls in the future, his Feng family will still be safe and sound.

Even in troubled times, he can seek an official position.

Isn't this more meaningful than a thousand pieces of gold?

Feng Dong looked at the people in the house, and ordered: "During this time, let the people in the clan calm down a bit, don't touch those behind-the-scenes matters, and release the loan a little bit slowly."

"Don't associate with people from the government anymore."

"Go and collect more money and food, and clean up the account books."

"The government wants money, just give it."

"As long as the government is satisfied, it doesn't matter if you have more money or less money. If you lose money, you can earn more, but if you lose people, you will lose everything."

"Did you hear clearly?"

　Tomorrow, I will finish all this small climax.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)