Shen Tang tapped his fingers on the tea table and closed his eyes slightly in thought.
"Are you really seeing this with your own eyes?" He said and took out a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and pushed it out, with a sincere expression, "Oh, brother, I don't know, the little girl's parents only have one daughter, and she has worked hard all her life in the grain store business. There is no son to inherit, and the elders in the clan covet him, trying to force his parents to adopt his young grandson. How can you think this is reasonable in the world? If the family property is not given to the daughter, it will be eaten up by others? The elders even bring the clan members to the door to force him, and the little girl is very We need to make this deal so that they can take a look..."
The tea guest is a man.
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with what the elders did.
She didn’t say anything, but her true thoughts were revealed on her face.
Without waiting for him to speak, Shen Tang moved himself out. His pretty face was full of anger and unwillingness, and he gritted his teeth and said: "The current kings are all women. If we follow the elders' wishes, will the king also have to adopt him?" A younger brother’s Zen position?”
As soon as the tea guest heard this, his expression changed. He waved his hands and said, "Don't speak ill of the saint. Are you willing to die?"
His reaction was a little extreme.
Shen Tang said in confusion: "I heard that the Lord of the country has a kind and gentle temperament, how can he take someone's life just because of these two remarks? Besides, there is no word for a little girl to be disrespectful."
Seeing that no one was looking around, the tea guest breathed a sigh of relief. He grasped the broken silver in his hand and felt a sense of security: "...Oh, what do you, a foreigner, know... I have already said everything I can say. I did see it with my own eyes. The ghost climbed out of the cemetery, carrying a guiding lantern and scattering paper money to go to the county granary. In the land under your feet, don't say anything about the king, that person..."
As he spoke, he looked around again, leaned closer to Shen Tang and whispered.
"I heard that that man was no different from those stupid kings in the past. He killed more people behind his back." Shen Tang gave the tea guest seven or eight pieces of silver one after another, which was enough for his family to eat for a long time. He looked at Shen Tang's His eyes were a little more eager.
Take people's money and eliminate disasters with them.
It's cost-effective to spend some time talking about something that everyone knows.
The smile on Shen Tang's face faltered, and the disguised courtiers bent down to drink tea one after another, wanting to bury their faces in the crude tea cup.
“Buddha’s mouth is like a snake’s heart? I’ve never heard of it…”
She admitted that she had killed a lot of people behind her back, but she dared to pat her chest and say that every head was justified. There are rules in troubled times. She doesn't hold accountable what she has done in the past, but Kang Guojian still plays with the "hidden rules" of the Tu emperor. Is there anything wrong with her blowing people's heads off? It's so insulting to compare her to that trash!
The tea guest looked like he had seen through everything.
He sighed and said, "That's what she's used to doing to save face."
Shen Tang nodded as if he was really being taught.
She pushed out another piece of broken silver under the eyes of the tea guest. The officious official was watching the fun while counting in his mind how much silver Shen Tang had given him. Doctor Kurabe whispered to his colleagues: "This must be seven or eight taels, right?"
In the whole court, who knows how stingy the ruler of the country is?
Although she has never paid a hundred official salaries in these years, I have never heard of her giving anyone a penny in reward. Even the daily pocket money she paid for her previous tours across the country was still the same as Chu Xiangning's.
The source of this gossip is reliable.
The official who provided the information was at the scene and heard clearly.
Qi Xiang sighed and unpacked his purse: [Isn’t this a banquet hosted by the Lord? 】
【You pay the bill and I treat you, why doesn't it count as a banquet? Do you have to pay for the banquet? Sigh, it’s not like you don’t know that I’m so poor that I don’t have a penny... I’m really curious as to how much money Hanzhang overdrafted me... Is this the third year? 】
Qi Xiang said: "My money is also tight." 】
The king tutted: "Who asked you to raise so many cats?" 】
The official did not dare to continue listening to the subsequent conversation.
But the matter spread.
The courtiers' gossip fire burned brightly.
How could this matter be without the Yushitai?
A stupid young man stood up.
You need to know that the expenses in a cat slave’s house are like running water.
Luckily, Qishan has a daughter who is a good housekeeper. Qi Miao was studying medicine at the medical office while managing the household income tax, so that the accounts would not be in deficit every month. Of course, there is no fear of deficit, because Qi Yuanliang will misappropriate the budget of the Gods Association to balance the accounts.
This matter has always been a secret unknown to outsiders. A group of important officials knew there was something fishy going on, but outsiders didn't. This Yushitai Lengtouqing did some calculations in private and found that the money Qi Xiang spent on hundreds of cats every year was actually ten times his salary!
The Yushitai has always been known for its reports.
Lengtouqing then played the prayer for good deeds.
Suspect Qi Shan for corruption and bribery!
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty hesitated and hesitated, and Qishan himself was also stunned.
That day, the imperial censor Gu Chi coughed loudly.
As that piece of gossip spread, in addition to Shen Tang's stinginess and poverty, there were also speculations about her relationship with Qi Xiang and Xun Zhen, the Minister of Household Affairs. From the dialogue analysis, the reason why the king is so stingy is because she gave all her money to Xun Shangshu, and when she ran out of money, she borrowed money from Qi Xiang. Qi Xiang couldn't afford to raise so many cats on his own salary...
So the question is—
What is the relationship between these three? ? ?
Coupled with the emperor's connivance to the imperial censor, everyone singing in the court was in tacit understanding, as if they had a tacit understanding. Prime Minister Chu is fond of female celebrities. Eyewitnesses saw Prime Minister Chu’s things appearing on the king’s body... The king’s king even stayed with General Bai...
The officials are well-informed and feel it is very confusing.
The chef from the Ministry of Food and Drinks came over to share the gossip, but he didn’t have the guts to speak directly. His lord’s ears were more sensitive than a dog’s. He wrote on the table with his fingers dipped in tea: “There is a rumor that the lord spends his whole life spending time on one man. Pass money.”
The eyes of my colleagues at the same table lit up.
"who?"
The doctor of the Department of Food and Drinking said: "Prime Minister Chu."
“How much did it cost?”
“Three liang!”
Several people secretly took a breath.
Some people who were brave even secretly looked at Chu Yao's face.
Chu Yao's energy is not on these people. He is now the accountant beside Shen Tang. He curiously approached the tea guest and asked: "Is he always good at saving face? Where do you start talking about this?"
He has always hated to see others say bad things about Shen Tang.
There was also a hint of coldness in his eyes.
The tea guest did not notice it.
A pair of eyes stared straight at the money Chu Yao took out, and he hurriedly grabbed it while opening his mouth and pouring it out.
"How many people have been arrested and killed by the local government? I remember that just half a year ago, a crazy woman from Niu Er's family got sick and went to the streets to say that the saint was a promiscuous person who deserved not to have a son. The next day, the man's head was cut off and hanged At the gate of the city, the belly was opened, the uterus was hung outside, and the whole body was naked... Sigh, thinking about that scene will make you have nightmares for several nights." The tea guest looked like he couldn't bear to remember it.
In an instant, the station became quiet.
The original whispers disappeared completely, took a breath, and then resurfaced one after another, fearing that the tea guests would find out the clues.
Shen Tang lowered his eyelids: "What else?"
The tea guest took a sip of tea to soothe his throat.
He continued to point out: "I have some difficulties even though I am thinking of you. I have to collect grain and do business in Jinli County. For the sake of your sincerity, I will reveal more. If local merchants want to do business, they have to borrow money." Official debt... If you don’t borrow official debt, you can’t even think about doing business in this area! Official debt, you know what official debt is, right? If you meet me today, if someone else, tsk tsk, takes out the gold, they may not follow you. Tell the truth."
The inn was quiet for another moment.
The tea guest reacted.
Looking around, I saw that everyone was chatting and laughing as usual, and no one paid attention to this corner. Was it his hallucination just now? Shen Tang asked curiously: "Official debt is used to make money?"
The tea guest asked: "Have you never heard of official debt?"
Shen Tang shook his head.
She really didn’t lie this time, she really didn’t know.
The tea guest gave her some advice: "The so-called official debts are the debts lent by officials! Generally speaking, it is a rule of law. When merchants do business, they go to the officials to borrow principal and use the money to do things. In business, you make money and give it to others with interest.”
Shen Tang understood eighty-nine points of this process as soon as he heard it.
You still have to ask clearly: "Here, there is one thing that I don't understand. Since it is a merchant doing business, how come there is no money on hand?"
Going out nine times and returning thirteen times, isn’t this usury?
Shen Tang rubbed the tea cup with his fingers, murderous intent filling his eyes.
When the tea guest heard this, he immediately laughed out loud: "That's the truth, but the lady is a businessman, and businessmen can't be so rigid in their work. Official debts are borrowing money on the surface, but secretly they are looking for a backer. If you don't borrow official debts and have no backers, you still want to keep your business stable? You have a batch of goods to send out, and people are checking you and fines you for the sake of excuse! Deduct your goods! Take your skin off!"
The station was eerily quiet again for a moment.
Shen Tang paused while stroking the tea cup.
The tea guest continued to mock: "In the early years when the world was in chaos, there was a risk of being robbed when going out for business, but at least there were not so many ways. Alas, nowadays, there are not many bandits on the road, and everyone has changed their appearance. The government office is here..."
Shen Tang grabbed the tea cup and pursed his lips in silence.
The tea guest mistakenly thought that she did not know these things in the boudoir before, and for the sake of the broken silver, he persuaded her: "Ms., doing business is a science just like being a human being. If you want to do a good job in this business, let The elders in the clan have nothing to say. Heed my advice and find a way to find a supporter. Without a supporter to look after you, you won't be able to harvest much food here. Even if you do, the unscrupulous people below will always bully other places. People. When I hand over food to you, it’s short of a pound or a pound of grain, or it’s filled with sand and gravel, or it’s even pissed.”
Shen Tang exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Listening to what you say is better than ten years of reading. The little girl can't say anything to let outsiders deprive her of her family, let alone let them **** the family property. Where can I find the backer for the official debt you just mentioned? I heard you speak clearly and clearly. It’s about knowing the way.”
Official debt is a disguised form of bribery.
Shen Tang is very strict in this area.
There are patrols and censors in various places to keep an eye on it. Over the past few years, fewer and fewer insects have been caught. She thought that these people were afraid of being killed by her, but now it seems that is not the case. These insects are clearly hiding in a more subtle manner, haha.
The ghost steals food, and the official debt is supported...
It is difficult to say that there is no relationship between the two.
Jinli County really gave me a big surprise.
The tea guest came forward and showed Shen Tang a clear path.
"...You go north. There is a river a few miles away. Along the river bank, you will find the Qujianghu in Jinli County. If you see a flower boat with a red flag docking, go over and nod. The first sign I’ll tell you who to look for…”
Shen Tang raised his eyebrows: "Is that okay?"
The tea guest smiled and said, "It depends on luck."
Shen Tang was a little angry: "Does this still depend on luck? Although I didn't give in to the top cards, I also knew that their prices were high. I spent money to find someone, but in the end I didn't even touch the threshold. Isn't this being taken advantage of? Are you like this? Sis, are you trying to trick me?"
The tea guest explained: "It depends on your luck to encounter a flower boat."
That flower boat doesn’t often dock.
Shen Tang asked many more details.
The tea guest knows everything for the sake of money.
Seeing that it was getting late, Shen Tang had to set off again.
He walked to the door of the inn and got on his motorcycle. He glanced into the house and whispered softly: "Go and send someone to check on this tea guest."
The other party knows too much.
It happened to be able to solve her doubts.
She wanted to know who the other party’s master was behind his back.
Shen Tang quietly took people to Zhechong Mansion again.
The chief of Zhechong Mansion is a strange-looking female general. Because of her outstanding performance in the attack on Kunzhou and her contribution in suppressing the rebels, she was promoted to the position of Captain Zhechong of Jinli County. She had never seen Shen Tang's face, and Shen Tang did not reveal his identity to her - none of these people could be trusted until the matter was found out - he only said that they were sent to investigate the "ghost food theft case" and the "supervisory censor's disappearance case" ".
The Captain Zhechong's reaction was flawless.
When Shen Tang showed off his token, he answered all questions.
When she mentioned Qu's glamorous activities, she glared angrily and scolded: "How could there be such a shameful thing? Those old madams are really disgusting!"
Qujianghu is an iconic location in Jinli County.
The scenery here is pleasant, and local literati and flirts like to hang out here. Over time, many industries have spawned, such as the red light industry, where beautiful and young flower girls work on flower boats to entertain customers. It is said that when there are the most flowers here, there are more than a hundred flower boats gathering on the lake.
Every night, music and singing continue.
However, that was all in the past.
Since Kunzhou was completely captured by Shen Tang, they have been constantly cracking down on related industries. nearby government soldiers have been practicing by the lake every now and then, inspecting flower boats when they see them, and occasionally conducting raids. Customers who are caught will be thrown into jail for a few days. Once the number of severe beatings is too high, Qu's Jianghu flower boat business will not be able to continue. The madams gritted their teeth with hatred, and once resisted, they asked Hua Niang to bribe the chief of Zhechong Mansion with women's sex, in order to drag him down, but who knew that the chief was a woman, and kicked the iron plate.
Lieutenant Zichong was not used to it either.
beat the old bustard until his skin and flesh were torn apart, and paraded him through the streets.
Since then, it has calmed down.
Qujianghu Flower House began its transformation.
No longer engaged in flesh and blood business, only playing piano and singing for customers.
Several surprise inspections found no problems.
In the past, the flower girls were more conservatively dressed than the others, and the songs they sang were not too frivolous, and the guests on the flower boat were all well-behaved. Captain Zhe Chong thought these people were honest, but he didn't expect that they were selling dog meat with a sheep's head, just to make fun of her!
Shen Tang asked some more questions about the supervisory censor Zheng Yu.
The strange thing is that Captain Zhechong didn’t know about this.
Zheng Yu never came to Zhechong Mansion to move reinforcements.
Shen Tang tapped his finger on the table.
"There are some things that I need to ask the captain to cooperate with." She wanted to go on the flower boat to find out what was going on, but she always felt that Zheng Yu's whereabouts were unknown, and maybe it had something to do with the flower boat. There are so many problems in Jinli County, Zheng Yu probably found out something and was silenced.
Zhe rushed to the captain and saluted: "This is a matter within the scope of the official duties."
Shen Tang quietly sneaked back to his temporary room.
Someone is waiting inside the house.
Shen Tang sat down and drank tea: "Who did the tea guest meet?"
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