Picturesque Rivers and Mountains in the Red Chamber

Chapter 326 5.8 Killing the Squire and Looting People’s Wealth
Volume [-]

5.8 Harm the gentry and plunder people's wealth

As everyone in Jiangnan knows, the power of the "Eight Families of Salt Merchants" is deeply rooted in Yangzhou, and any one of them is a strongman that local officials must be careful about. Although they are businessmen, each of them has lost many merchants. The aura is just like their luxurious mansion. No one above or above the line can escape the crime of "violation of regulations" and "transgression".

However, in the early morning of today, May 29, the entrance to Huang Zhiyun’s Huang family mansion was obviously a little too lively.

"The common people have seen Mr. Lin!" Even Huang Zhiyun, who is old and cunning, can only carry his luggage when he is surrounded by more than 300 people. He even claims to have returned to "the common people". No matter how good the salt merchant is, he is still a merchant, and his family cannot After the imperial examination, you are not allowed to be an official. In front of officials, you can only call yourself like this, "I didn't know you were here today."

"Huang Zhiyun, as a general salt merchant authorized by the imperial court, you don't want to repay the favor of the imperial court. You actually dare to sell private salt, fish and meat. The amount is extremely huge and the impact is extremely bad. Today, I will confiscate your home. Arrest, to uphold the country's laws and to clarify the situation!" Lin Ruhai's expression was cold and his tone was rude.

"Mr. Lin, as the saying goes, 'If you want to impose a crime, there is no excuse for it'!" Huang Zhiyun's expression changed drastically, but he still wanted to rescue him, "Even if we don't mention that the grassroots people have been in Yangzhou for many years, building bridges, paving roads, and helping the poor almost every year, for so many years, He worked hard to manage the salt affairs for the court, and the annual salt tax money was never less."

"This is" Zhou Yang interrupted his chanting angrily, pointing to the Huang family's mansion, which covers an area as large as the prince's palace, and said, "The result of your hard work? Then I have to say, I also want to work so hard - -Okay, now that we have reached this point, you might as well leave some dignity for yourself, at least if word gets out in the future, everyone can still say that you, Huang Zhiyun, were a decent person when you died!"

"Hmph, Mr. Lin, even if you are determined to slander me, don't forget that there is a saying in this world that 'the government forces the people to rebel'!" Seeing that there was no room for rescue, Huang Zhiyun no longer had the same demeanor as before, and suddenly After waving his hands, a large crowd of people gathered in the Huang family courtyard, "Aren't you two afraid that the fish will die and the net will break?"

"Is that so?" Zhou Yang touched his chin, as if he was really thinking. Just when the Huang family was breathing a sigh of relief, he suddenly waved his hand, and a spear general flag behind him rushed up in two rows, blocking the block easily. The gate of the Huang family was dead. If Huang Zhiyun hadn't run fast under the cover of his servants, he would have been stabbed to death among the first batch.

Naturally, the flag of the matchlock gun followed closely behind. The matchlock had already been lit and the firearm loaded with powder was placed on the shoulder of the spearman. He fired fiercely at the Huang family guard who still wanted to attack, easily scattering their troops. After the enemies inside the gate were repulsed, they got out of the way, and more than 300 salt patrol censor Yamen Yanding rushed in howling.

"The power of firearms is really too much for the body!" Looking at the corpses all over the courtyard, Lin Ruhai was really shocked-everything is the same, the lethality of "heard" and "seen with my own eyes" will never be in the same place noodle.

"Master Lin, there will be no problems with the Huang family." Hearing the various discordant sounds coming from the courtyard, and even the screams of the female family members, Zhou Yang knew that some of these salt men must be dishonest. But he didn't ask, what about "not harming the family", what about the people who were oppressed by the salt merchants, "Dongfang's manpower is still a little thin at Wang Yinggeng's side, I will take people over to take a look."

"Thousands of families in the East don't let their men go, so they won't be slower than us!" Lin Ruhai nodded with a smile and watched Zhou Yang lead the people away.

Facts also proved that Lin Ruhai's thinking was correct. Although Dongfang Bing only brought a matchlock flag, less than two hundred salt soldiers and a dozen secret guards, she took all three infantry cannons with her. Just the aura of the black hole scared most of the morale of the Wang family guards. After just one round of bombardment, the remaining problems were left to Yan Ding.

"Dongfang, I've overfulfilled my task, right?" When Zhou Yang brought people over, all he saw was the chaotic scene in the Wang family yard and Wang Yinggeng's body lying at the door. He didn't bother to care anymore. , but joked with Dongfang Bing, who was carrying the matchlock gun flag, "I don't know where His Highness is?"

"Three major salt merchants, even if they are ranked low, plus six small salt merchants, it is not difficult to get 1000 million taels of cash." Dongfang Bing ignored him, but habitually brought the topic back. "As for the properties, houses, shops and other things that cannot be moved, they can be handed over directly to the Ministry of Household Affairs for processing. I think there should be no obstacles in the court."

Zhou Yang:.
"Also, if we only attack the Bao family, it stands to reason that the salt merchants will not use too radical methods. The assassination with poison last night should have been done by a certain family; but now we have taken down three families at once. If they don't take some measures, even the top two Jiang family and Huang family will be worried about them." Dongfang Bingbing said coldly.

"Who made them so rich? It's enough for everyone in the world to know, but they still earn dirty money." Zhou Yang said disdainfully, "If they all have grievances, those who spend their whole life throwing their flesh and blood on the salt, age Who should the kitchen owner, who was blinded by the brine, go to to express his grievance?" "What about you?" Dongfang Bing glanced at him sideways, with a cold tone, "Princess got the salt road from the second room of the Xue family. , I still don't know what "out of stock" means. From the beginning, it was only near the capital, and now it occupies the entire Gyeonggi area and covers the north of the Yellow River. The Xue family's salt ships have never been enough.

I'm afraid it's hard to explain such a large output with just "the salt farm of the vassal state"?I don’t know about other places, but I know a little about Korea. Their own salt fields may not be enough to eat, so how much can they exchange for silver?How many kitchen households should risk their lives for such a huge amount of salt? "

"Don't worry, I don't have a stove in hand." Zhou Yang smiled and didn't pay attention to the girl's question. Salting the salt is just a laborious job and does not require life. "It's not very convenient now. It depends on the situation that day. I'll take it with you." If you go out and take a look, you will understand where I get such a huge quantity of salt."

"Really?" Dongfang Bing said in a clear tone. As a young lady from the Weiyuan Marquis Mansion, she didn't have so much affection for the people or even her subordinates. She just mentioned it casually and said, "Let's go. The rest I’m sure Mr. Lin will take care of the next thing, but I don’t know what methods these undead people will use next.”

"It doesn't matter." Zhou Yang looked at the already smoking Wang's mansion, "I've sent back the news a long time ago, presumably the reinforcements led by Yuan Xiu and Zhao Tong will be here soon, you remember to make up the formalities; as long as I The main force of my subordinates come here, and it’s fine if these salt merchants don’t do anything, but if they have a little bit of trouble, I can guarantee to send them to reunite with Bao’s, Wang’s and Huang’s families!”

At the same time, the imperial palace in the capital and the imperial study room.

"Your Majesty, this is yesterday's news." Dai Quan directed the young eunuch to carry two wooden boxes into the study, "I picked out all those commonplace things like greetings and greetings and put them aside. I only have these in my hands. There is something wrong, please take a look at it, Your Majesty; are the things in the box stored according to the rules?"

"Save it!" Emperor Yonghe glanced at the two wooden boxes, frowned and waved his hand, casually opened the top memorial, his brows furrowed even more tightly, "Another memorial to impeach Lin Ruhai?' The country gentry, plundering people's wealth, living in a fish and meat village, the people are all suffering', huh, it's still these bad things."

"Your Majesty, more than [-]% of the top [-]% of the folds I gave you are like this." Dai Quan arranged for the study to be cleared and then knelt down and said, "I don't want this, but this kind of folds has the largest number. According to the rules, it is Your Majesty."

"Okay, you bitch slave, I don't know yet. Move an embroidery stand by yourself, roll it aside and sit down." Emperor Yonghe waved his hands impatiently, laughed and cursed a few words, then lowered his head to look at the fold. Unfortunately, the more he looked at it, the darker his face became. It was ugly, and finally he threw a memorial on the ground, "These idiots who don't know how to die, really think that I don't know what they are doing?
Are they trying to impeach Lin Aiqing?They impeached me and touched their money bags!Do you really think that I don’t know anything about where they get their money and where they get their shares?Now I think of "murdering the squire". The annual salt tax is less than 300 million taels. Do you really think that I am the trash like those in the previous Ming Dynasty? "

"My lord, please calm down!" Dai Quan, who had just run away with the embroidered pier and hadn't even sat on his buttocks, scrambled and knelt down in front of the Yonghe emperor's case, "Isn't these things like this all the time? ? Seeing Yin Zi is closer than my own father, and I heard that Lord Lin has cleaned up the Bao family in the eight families? When the booklet over there is delivered, it will be easier to come to the emperor."

"Yes, Lin Aiqing is indeed a rare understanding person." Emperor Yonghe nodded, and then continued to flip through a few more books. After all the impeachments were finished, he pushed them to the floor in front of him, "These are also specially Keep it and put it together with the previous ones. I can’t wait to see these things that don’t know how to die.”

"Your Majesty, calm down, the Zhou Dynasty is..."

"You're a sinner if you don't say anything - don't read it, otherwise you'll be pissed to death by those things - go to Concubine Rong's place tonight." Emperor Yonghe said a few words angrily, then threw the book in his hand on the imperial case, After thinking about it for a while, he changed his mind, "Forget it, let's go to Fengzao Palace and rest for now!"

"I obey the order!" Dai Quan's expression changed, and then he bowed out without leaving a trace.

(End of this chapter)