The Rise of Ning Mansion in Red Mansions

Chapter 50 The power of salt moves people’s hearts

The ancient city of Yangzhou, shrouded in mist and rain, is looming, like a beautiful woman, full of affection, which makes people's hearts intoxicated.

Fireworks fall in Yangzhou in March, the ancients do not deceive me!
The ancient city of Yangzhou is located at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Since ancient times, it has been prosperous in commerce and literary style.

There are luxurious gardens built by bureaucrats, gentry or salt merchants everywhere inside and outside the city.

When Jia Dai and his party arrived at Yangzhou Pier, although it was past the end of Youshi,
However, such a big movement has already alarmed the famous people in the city, especially those who have evil thoughts in their hearts.

In Yangzhou City, in a picturesque garden, several major salt merchants in Yangzhou gathered together, all frowning, waiting for the leader of the chamber of commerce, Huang Bingwen, to make up his mind.

Picking up the secret letter sent by the director of Shenjing, Huang Bingwen was even more panicked. Unexpectedly, Jia Dai turned out to be a lawless master.

There is no official rule at all, and he doesn't even care about the face of his relatives.

Now, Jia Dai's cavalry is stationed outside the city. If he is not careful, he will break into Yangzhou City and avenge Jia Min.

At this time, it was too late for Huang Bingwen to hide, so how could he dare to come forward!

However, he did not expect that the Jia family had declined and had fallen to the second-class family in Shenjing. How could he stand up for a woman and use a knife and a gun?

Wouldn’t it be great if we all make money together?

However, other salt merchants did not let go of Huang Bingwen's plan and came to his garden to teach him how to deal with it.

After all, it was the Huang family who always ate meat, and they followed behind to drink some soup and water.

Now that something happened, Huang Bingwen naturally had to take the lead.

Besides, it was Huang Bingwen's idea to drug Jia Min and Lin Moyu in the first place to intimidate the newly arrived Lin Ruhai.

Now, people follow the taste and come to the door, asking for an explanation.

Huang Bingwen wants to stay out of the matter?

How can it be!

"Brother Huang, that guy's official ship is parked at the pier, and he is impatient. You should bring out the charter!"

"In case Jia Dai goes crazy, I'm afraid we won't get anything good to eat!" Zhou Dewang said anxiously.

The Zhou family is now the third among the top ten salt merchants in Yangzhou. When Jia Ding just took charge of Ningguo Mansion, he sent people to pay homage to him in Shenjing with heavy gifts.

The Zhou family used to have secret help from the Jia family. During the seventy years since the founding of the Wei Dynasty, their family had been the leader of Yangzhou salt merchants for fifty years.

However, after the mutiny of the deposed prince, everyone saw that the third generation of the Jia family completely faded out of the political arena and remained silent for at least twenty years.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, with the support of the four princes and eight princes, the Zhen family in Jiangnan rose rapidly and seized the Jia family's share.

Huang Bingwen was accustomed to taking advantage of the situation, so he immediately took advantage of it. In just one or two years, he took advantage of the situation and won the head of the salt merchants association, becoming the first salt merchant in the world, and got the largest piece of the salt cake.

The Huang family has funded an academy in Yangzhou for generations, called "Donglin Academy", which is quite famous throughout Jiangnan.

Three years ago, since Zhen Yingjia took office as the academic administrator of Jinling Province, it was almost a piece of cake for the students of Donglin Academy to become a scholar and a successful candidate.

It can be said that Huang Bingwen is a man with two sides. On the one hand, he relies on the honorary to make profits, and on the other hand, he helps scholars to enter the official career, in an attempt to seize more profits from the honorable group.

Now it seems that Huang Bingwen's planning for generations has been watertight, more than half of it has been successful, and he has received generous rewards.

It means that you can't put your eggs in one basket, and you have reached a new level.

After listening to Zhou Dewang's instigation, Huang Bingwen looked disdainful and sneered:
"Brother Zhou, the person leading the army outside the city is Jia Dai, the Qilin'er of the Jia family."

Huang Bingwen glanced at the people present and continued:
"No one knows that your Zhou family has always been attached to the Ningrong Second Mansion."

"Two or three years ago, your family was the head of the Yangzhou Salt Merchant Association."

"Don't think that we are fools. In the past six months, you have secretly helped Lin Ruhai pay the salt tax and increase the assessment."

"In the past, we all paid the salt tax on time for Brother Zhou's sake, and we didn't dare to be careless at all." "Now that this has happened, should Brother Zhou take the blame and give me an explanation?"

"you……"

Zhou Dewang was furious after hearing this, pointing at Huang Bingwen and being speechless. He failed to steal the chicken, but was beaten upside down. He used the old almanac from the past to talk about things, but he inadvertently hit his weak spot.

Although the salt merchants felt that Huang Bingwen was shameless, what he said was reasonable. Someone had to take charge anyway, so why couldn't it be Zhou Dewang?
Besides, didn't he send someone to Beijing to pay a visit to Jia Dai at the end of last year?

That's right!
Don't worry about the two masters!

All the salt merchants looked at Zhou Dewang one after another, hoping that he would come forward and sent Jia Dai away.

Spring is here, and there are many Yangzhou thin horses on the Slender West Lake's painted boats, waiting for them to spend money like water.

"Master, that man has sent people into the city."

At this time, the housekeeper walked in quickly with an anxious look on his face, and the news he released was so shocking that it shocked all the salt merchants to the point where they could not sit still.

"How many people are there? Tell me quickly!"

Huang Bingwen was the first to react, staring at the butler and shouting.

"Uh... one, it seems to be Lai Sheng!" the housekeeper recalled.

"call……"

Only one person!

Everyone felt relieved immediately, and the flower hall became quiet.

For just a moment, it seemed like they had survived half a century.

However, Zhou Dewang felt a little disappointed. Why didn't Jia Dai just lead people into the city?
Which salt merchant in Yangzhou didn't support thousands of wealthy slaves at home?

What is enough for one person?
Soon, Zhou Dewang calmed down, fearing that he would be discovered, "Where did Lai Sheng go?"

"Is it the Yangzhou government office or the Yandao government office?"

The housekeeper glanced at Huang Bingwen and replied:

"neither!"

Everyone was confused after hearing this, and then heard the housekeeper say: "Lai Sheng went to Xinglin Street, invited the doctor and left the city."

The steward's words not only failed to clear up the doubts, but also made the salt merchants present even more puzzled.

According to rumors, Jia Dai had obtained Emperor Taikang's secret order, and under the guise of sending Lingnan back home, he secretly assisted Lin Ruhai in urging the salt tax to be paid with an iron fist.

But, now, he passed through the city without entering, and a large group of people were stationed at the dock?
Why is this?

Could it be that the news is false?
"Sir, the flying pigeon in Shenjing sent a message."

Not long after the housekeeper left, Huang Bingwen's personal servant came in, took out a note from the cylinder, carefully presented it, closed the door, and left.

Huang Bingwen frowned and took a closer look. He couldn't hide the smile at the corner of his mouth and said:
"Haha...it's a letter from Prince Beijing."

"The secret letter said, teach us not to worry, Jia Dai is one of our own."

"In a few days, the Supreme Emperor's dragon boat will go south and visit the south of the Yangtze River. Teach us to prepare well..."

The water-soluble letter came just in time, and it was no wonder that he took the largest share.

However, the cold light in Huang Bingwen's eyes flashed away, and he thought to himself: Let you be arrogant for a moment, and when both of you lose, that will be the day when we rise.

People die for money, and birds die for food. No one wants to share their hard-earned money with everyone, even nobles and civil servants.

(End of this chapter)