Chapter 578: All forces in T-shaped volume, private salt dealers
“I didn’t expect that the first guest I met after arriving in Yangzhou was a stranger. He didn’t even know anything about it. I don’t know if I was derelict in my duty or if I was ignorant.”
Feng Ziying smiled and looked at the majestic and powerful man in front of her, and nodded slightly.
Wearing a light brown cotton robe, covered with a brown-red vest of the same material, the thick arms are powerful, but the fingers of both hands are thick and dark, the leopard's head is ringed with eyes, and the beard is thick and fluttering.
If you say this guy is a general in the army, no one will doubt it, but if you say he is a businessman, almost no one will believe him.
The visitor smiled bitterly, cupped his fists and saluted, "I know it's a bit reckless to meet Mr. Feng in this way, but I also know that if it weren't for this, it would be difficult for me to step into the Lord Feng's house."
Gong Xie? Feng Ziying somewhat admired how well-informed this guy was, and he actually knew that he was working next to the Yamen of the Salt Transport Department in Lianghuaidu.
You must know that it has been less than two days since I took possession of this courtyard. I just finished cleaning it yesterday and put in some necessary office items. There are not many people in the Yamen who know the transfer of salt from Huaidu to Huaidu. But I knew it.
This guy actually used the word "gong" to describe him. Although it is a bit nondescript, he undoubtedly knows his purpose and intention here, and there is a sense of flattery in it.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, Gongshi could not be used by just any department. In many cases, it referred to Wenyuan Pavilion. Of course, the Six Ministries could also use Gongshi, but other departments, such as the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Dali Temple Office, did not. Will use the word "gongshi".
Not to mention the yamen such as the local administrative envoys, the punishment and inspection envoys, and the general command envoys.
“Haha, am I so precious on this side?” Feng Ziying laughed dumbly.
"I have also inquired about how many people want to meet adults in the capital city. Even though we, the wealthy merchants from the south of the Yangtze River, have lots of posts in the concierges of your mansions, there are only a handful of people who can meet with you. Wang is self-aware, no matter what. If you dare to hope, you can only wait for the opportunity in Yangzhou."
This guy is also honest.
In the capital city, Feng Ziying basically didn't see any merchants, whether they were Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants, or Dongting merchants.
Except for Long You and the Jiangyou Anfu merchant, who had other arrangements and therefore met him specially, everyone else only left a message and would not see him for the time being.
"Well, since you have met me, you can tell me why you came." As soon as Feng Ziying finished speaking, Wang Wenyan flashed in from outside the door, but his face was a little nervous.
Feng Ziying was a little surprised. Wang Wenyan was not such a reckless person. There was actually a man in well-dressed clothes following behind him, who seemed to be a figure from the Qiu Shui Sword Sect.
Seeing that Feng Ziying was okay, Wang Wenyan breathed a sigh of relief and then whispered beside Feng Ziying.
The strong man just smiled bitterly when he saw this situation, but did not act abnormally. On the contrary, the man from the Qiushui Sword Sect held his sword with his hand and stared at the opponent. With that look, he would take action if there was even the slightest movement. .
Wang Wenyan whispered in Feng Ziying's ear. Feng Ziying frowned slightly, but in the end it seemed that she did not adopt Wang Wenyan's suggestion and shook her head.
Wang Wenyan was a little anxious and whispered a few words, but in the end Feng Ziying refused.
Seeing that he could not change Feng Ziying's attitude, Wang Wenyan was helpless. In the end, he could only signal the man in well-dressed clothes to stand behind Feng Ziying to prevent any unexpected events.
It was the fierce man who smiled bitterly and took the initiative: "Master Feng, it seems that you already know the origin of so-and-so. Yes, so-and-so is Wang Jiuyu of Suzhou."
"You're honest." Feng Ziying also smiled, "I just can't figure out why you came to Yangzhou? I don't care about the salt affairs, and the Suzhou salt affairs are under the jurisdiction of the salt envoys of the two Zhejiang provinces, right? Aren’t you afraid that I will throw you into prison directly?”
The salt affairs of the Great Zhou Dynasty followed the Ming system. Although Suzhou, Songjiang, Zhenjiang and Changzhou belonged to Nanzhili, the salt affairs were under the jurisdiction of the Salt Transport Department of the Zhejiang and Zhejiang Provinces and not under the jurisdiction of the Salt Transport Department of the Huaidu Capital. , so Feng Ziying was very curious about why this person came to find her.
Even if he found out that he and Lin Ruhai had a son-in-law relationship, it would be impossible for the two Huaihe salt inspection censors to interfere in the two Zhejiang salt affairs. Lin Ruhai didn't have that much face.
This Wang Jiuyu is not a simple figure. He is the largest salt lord in Songjiang, Suzhou, Changzhou, Guangde, and Ningguo. He spans the two Zhejiang and Huaihe Rivers and is under the jurisdiction of the Salt Envoy Si Yamen. He is also a powerful figure, but this man is He rarely shows up, and not many outsiders know about it. More often, a few of his subordinates such as Zhu Lingjun, Zou Risheng and others show up.
Yang He teamed up with Long Jinwei to set off a storm of salt purges in the two Zhejiang provinces the year before last. The salt inspectors in the two Zhejiang provinces eventually changed their positions, and many local officials were also dismissed.
Although Wang Jiuyu is not on the wanted list, his subordinates Zhu Lingjun, Zou Risheng and others have become the targets of Long Jinwei's arrest. Another leader, Lu Huiyun, was captured by Long Jinwei, but has been detained in Suzhou Prison for many years because of the complexity of the case involved. , has not yet been finalized.
This guy actually dared to come to see him so boldly, and he didn't seem to be afraid of him being caught and brought to justice. Feng Ziying was somewhat impressed.
"Your Excellency is not an official of the Ministry of Punishment, nor an official of the Zhejiang Prosecution and Prosecution Department. Dealing with a character like Wang is just a matter of one sentence, but it has no meaning for your trip to the south of the Yangtze River. Your Excellency does not need a mere Wang." If a man’s head is attached to seek fame, what does Wang have to fear?”
Wang Jiuyu said calmly: "As for the salt matter that your Excellency mentioned, when Wang came to see you this time, it was not what you thought."
"Oh?" Feng Ziying asked in surprise: "It seems that Mr. Wang is here for something good. Let's talk about it. I am curious about what Mr. Wang wants from me."
The fierce man hesitated to speak, but glanced at the other two people in the room.
Feng Ziying thought for a moment and said, "Wen Yan, you go out first."
“Sir!” Wang Wenyan frowned.
"It doesn't matter. If Mr. Wang really wanted to do something detrimental to me, he would have done it before. Besides, I am not a white-faced scholar..." Feng Ziying smiled proudly.
Wang Wenyan then remembered that his future boss also had a martial arts background and was a battle-hardened man. He had also ventured into the grasslands alone during the suppression of rebellions in Western Xinjiang. How could he dare to make such a big statement if he didn't have two brushes?
Seeing Feng Ziying’s firm attitude, Wang Wenyan could only compromise.
He also knew that Wang Jiuyu was willing to take the risk to see Feng Ziying because there must be something particularly important, and he even had a hunch that Wang Jiuyu was just a superficial person, and there might be greater forces behind him.
However, in order to prevent unexpected events, he still arranged for the Qiushui Sword Sect's people to be not far outside the door, just in a position where they could not hear the conversation between the two, but could see them.
If there is really any change in Wang Jiuyu, as long as Feng Ziying can delay it for a little while, the responder will be able to arrive.
With only two people left in the room, Feng Ziying said: "You can speak now."
Nodding, Wang Jiuyu also knew that Feng Ziying's time was precious, and being able to give him such an opportunity was already an act of mercy. He did not beat around the bush and said directly: "I heard that I came here to raise military funds for the imperial court. I don't know if this is possible." thing?"
Feng Ziying picked up the tea and took a sip. She glanced at the other party lightly, but said nothing for a while.
The other party’s news is not a fallacy.
In the final analysis, whether it is setting up a bank, collecting royalties, or even preparing for mortgage customs duties, it is all about raising money, and it must be raised through various channels in a short period of time.
Of course, for Feng Ziying, raising money is important, but it must be done in accordance with certain rules. There must be no overt grabs such as donations or apportionments. This would not only be insulting to politeness, damage the prestige of the court, but more importantly, break the court's rules. If it is controlled, the harm will be greater in the future.
Seeing that Feng Ziying didn't answer anything, Wang Jiuyue scratched his head in disbelief.
He is a salt lord, how has he ever dealt with a civil servant like Feng Ziying?
In the past, he only dealt with people in the inspection department. If he had no choice this time, he would not do this. It would be just a joke.
If someone had not given him repeated assurances and explained the reasons, he would never have been willing to go through this. Even the previous words were specially taught by someone.
“Well, I was entrusted by someone to ask about the reclamation in the east.” Wang Jiuyu swallowed his saliva and said dryly.
Eastern expansion?
Feng Ziying was greatly surprised that this private salt dealer actually wanted to ask about the reclamation in Dongpan. Could it be that this guy wanted to change his career and follow the example of Longyou and Anfu businessmen in making long-term investments to play reclamation?
The matter of reclamation in Dongpan is not a secret. Longyou merchants and merchants in Anfu, Jiangxi have already seen it. They mentioned the reclamation in Dongpan and made the imperial court's attitude towards reclamation in Dongpan clear.
This cheered up the spirits of Longyou and Anfu, a group of businessmen. They were suppressed by the local government for their land reclamation in Yao'an, Yunnan, but this time it was the imperial court who took the initiative to ask them to assist in the land reclamation, and offered good conditions. This is also Let them be overjoyed.
Dongfan is no stranger to Longyou merchants, but they have never thought of crossing the sea to cultivate land before. Moreover, although the land of Dongfan is not far away, it is across the sea, and the local mountain people have tough folk customs. , if you want to reclaim land there, you must conflict with these mountain people. This is different from reclaiming land in Yao'an, Yunnan. Without the support of government force, reclaiming land is impossible.
Moreover, the matter is so large that it is also a challenge with risks and opportunities for businessmen. They also need to do some research and understanding before making any decisions.
Unexpectedly, this group of private salt dealers also wanted to open up land, which was really a blessing. Feng Ziying looked at each other suspiciously, feeling a little incredible.
(End of this chapter)