Lu Gang smiled again and said: "Yan Dutong, don't get me wrong, I did not investigate your house, but we have learned that many high-ranking officials and wealthy families are like this, so guessing that your house is also like this is just a guess, there is no
Evidence, please don’t blame me if you guessed wrong!”
Yan Xin stood up and clasped his fists and said: "Anyway, I want to thank Special Envoy Lu for the clues he provided. I promise Special Envoy Lu that the Plum Blossom Guards will not harass newspapers and teahouses!"
He saluted, turned around to leave, and when he reached the door, he hesitated and asked, "You must have nothing to do with the Western Army?"
Lu Gang said calmly: "There is no need for us to do such despicable things and ruin our reputation."
Yan Xin smiled awkwardly, clasped his fists in salute, and walked away quickly.
Lu Gang looked at his back and walked away, shook his head, and ordered the people around him: "Get the car ready and go to Changfeng Tea House!"
Not long after, Lu Gang rode a carriage to the Changfeng Teahouse. It was almost noon, and the street was as hot as a fire, but the teahouses were full of tea drinkers. There were ice cubes placed in the walls of the Changfeng Teahouse.
It's very cool and full of people from morning to night.
The imperial court also knew that Changfeng Tea House was an intelligence station for the Western Army. The two parties signed an agreement that the existence of the intelligence station was limited to collecting public information and did not involve secrets, assassinations, arson and other vicious incidents. Similarly, the intelligence station in Lin'an in Jingzhao was also safe.
The intelligence station opened the Changfeng Teahouse to collect public intelligence, understand public opinion, and grasp the social dynamics of the Song Dynasty. Making money is not important, so if you only order a cup of tea, even if you sit there for a day, the teahouse will not chase people away.
The teahouse was full of customers, and all the seats were occupied. Several waiters were busy running around, except Bai Yuxuan. Hu Yun had reserved this elegant room. If it was full of guests, this elegant room would also be occupied.
The lock will not open.
Lu Gang came to Baiyuxuan and found that Wang Mu had arrived first. Lu Gang sat down and said with a smile: "It's such a hot day, I thought Brother Shaofu wouldn't come."
After getting along for a long time, Lu Gang and Wang Mu gradually became familiar with each other, and they were not as stiff as before.
Wang Mu smiled slightly and said: "I want to have lunch too! If you don't come, you will starve."
Lu Gang chuckled, "Me too, I'm used to coming here for lunch every day. If I don't come, I feel like I haven't done anything."
The waiter came and served them food. They ate and ordered tea. Lu Gang took a sip of tea and said, "Yan Xin came to see me this morning."
Wang Mu smiled slightly and said, "But for personal reasons?"
"Brother Shaofu, how do you know?"
Wang Mu shook his head, "The entire Plum Blossom Guard is searching for illegal salt and is very worried. Apart from that, I can't think of anything else that Yan Xin has to do?"
Lu Gang sneered and said: "He is indeed about the proliferation of private salt, but he actually asked us to stop selling salt in the Jiangnan area."
"He suspects we did it?" Wang Mu asked in surprise.
Lu Gang spread his hands and said, "What do you think they are here for?"
Wang Mu thought for a while and said: "But it is normal for them to be suspicious. It has created a financial crisis for the imperial court, and we are indeed the biggest beneficiaries."
Lu Gang said calmly: "We didn't do it, so we have to speak clearly. There is no need to take the blame for others."
"That's right. We no longer need to do such a thing. I heard that His Highness is patrolling Fujian Road now?"
Lu Gang was surprised: "How did you know?"
"There were businessmen talking just now!"
Shopkeeper Dong An walked in with a smile, "Businessmen are often the first to know this kind of news, and they have the best information."
Lu Gang nodded, "His Royal Highness is indeed inspecting Fujian Road, but it should be over now. The reason for blocking the news is that he is worried that the imperial court will jump over the wall in a hurry. After all, he is not in Jingzhao, and many things are difficult to guard against."
Dong An sat down and said again: "Zou Shuan came here this morning and said that something happened in the palace."
Zou Shuan is the scoundrel who just became the Plum Blossom Guard Yuhou, the brother of Yan Xin’s concubine. He was bribed by Dong An and became the spy of the intelligence station. A few days ago, the intelligence station paid for him, and in
Under Yan Xin's arrangement, he entered the palace and became the plum blossom guard Yuhou, secretly monitoring the palace maids, eunuchs and palace guards.
"What news?" Lu Gang asked.
"The emperor and the queen mother had a falling out."
"Why?"
"I heard that Wanyan Zongxian of the Jin Kingdom had died. The Queen Mother wanted to bring Wanyan Zongxian's two sons to Lin'an and make them kings. Of course the emperor refused to agree, and the two fell out."
Lu Gang frowned, "It's not that simple, right?"
Wang Mu smiled and said: "I also heard a piece of news. It should be the other half of this matter. It was because of the financial constraints of the imperial court. The imperial court wanted the emperor to take some of the money out of the inner treasury. The emperor refused, so he ran to find the queen mother.
, asked the Queen Mother to spend two million dollars, but the Queen Mother refused. I guess the Queen Mother wanted to take the opportunity to get the two sons back from Beidi, so she used this as a condition for providing money."
Dong An smiled and said: "That's right, but this matter is a scandal! How could the emperor agree?"
Lu Gang thought for a moment and said, "We can work around it. For example, instead of being in Lin'an, we can arrange it in Jiangning Mansion or Pingjiang Mansion. I think as long as the emperor can get the money, he might agree to the change."
Wang Mu pondered for a moment and said: "Special Envoy Lu asked, should the Beijing News publish this matter?"
Lu Gang smiled slightly and said: "You can publish it, but you have to wait until the rice is cooked. If you do it too early, you will alert the snake."
Wang Mu and Dong An looked at each other and realized that Lu Gang looked more and more like Hu Yun.
Yan Xin's mansion is located in the west of the city. At this time, Yan Xin was furious and beat the second housekeeper with a whip. He beat the thin housekeeper to the ground and screamed. Finally, his wife Wang persuaded her husband to stop him, and it would be troublesome if he killed him.
How could Yan Xin not be angry? The second housekeeper was responsible for purchasing ingredients. He bought 70 cash per pound of private salt, but was billed 300 cash per pound. He stole 240 cash per pound. He bought a lot of salt in half a year.
One hundred catties of money, how much money did he embezzle?
This is just salt, there are other ingredients, all of which are the most expensive, and it makes Yan Xin go crazy.
He grabbed the second housekeeper by the collar and said fiercely: "How much money you have stolen from me, spit it out without leaving anything, or I will chop off your head and use it as a urinal!"
"I hand it over!"
The second housekeeper cried and said, "I will hand them all over."
"Also, tell me honestly, where did you buy the salt?"
"Yes, yes." The second housekeeper was too timid to say.
"If you don't tell me, I will treat you as a private salt dealer!"
"I bought it from Feng Kee Dry Goods Store."
"What?"
Yan Xin was startled and asked anxiously: "But Feng Daji's dry goods store?"
"Exactly!"
Yan Xin took a breath, who is Feng Daji? Everyone in Lin'an knows that Concubine Feng De's father was named the king of Guangling County, and his maternal relatives actually sold private salt. No wonder private salt suddenly became rampant in Jiangnan, and it was indeed related to the powerful. This is called
How does he check?
At this time, one of his subordinates ran into the gate and said: "Du Tong, the emperor sent someone to announce the decree and summoned Du Tong to the palace!"
Yan Xin nodded and said to the chief steward: "Lock this guy up and make him spit out all the money. Otherwise, he will be sent directly to the Plum Blossom Camp and will be punished as a collaborator!"
