Chapter 340 Regulations and Farce (please vote for me!)
A few days later, the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Department summoned the salt merchants to admit their nests, and introduced five thousand salt merchants, openly adopting the form of bidding.
This form is a bit like the bidding of later generations. Of course, like many biddings, the results are often "predicted" in advance by insiders.
A dozen big salt merchants stood outside the lobby of the Salt Transportation Department, chatting and laughing, waiting for the start of the acknowledgment.
This time the atmosphere was not tense, everyone had reached a tacit understanding in advance, and now there is only harmony.
But when everyone saw a tall and majestic figure appearing at the ceremonial gate at the head of the courtyard, the harmonious atmosphere seemed to disappear quietly.
This is the Salt Transportation Department, and industry affairs are very professional. The salt merchants don't think that Lin Tailai, a layman, can accomplish anything.
But even if you just see him being disgusting here, it still makes everyone feel uncomfortable.
Looking at Lin Tailai, there is also a fair and beautiful young woman behind him, and he is even more confused!
Could it be that Lin Tailai regarded this place as a garden for taking women on spring outings to enjoy the scenery? This is an insult to professionalism!
However, Zheng Zhiyan recognized this young woman as the wife of one of his former subordinates, Wu Deng.
Official Lin also walked up to the lobby and said contemptuously: "I told you not to waste your efforts, why didn't you listen?"
The salt merchants still "dare to be angry but dare not speak out", not because Lin Tailai has more followers than everyone else, nor because Lin Tailai can fight dozens of them each.
Official Lin was still saying: "What's wrong? You don't even dare to fart?"
In this world, there is still no shortage of people who are upright and dare to speak out.
When others remained silent due to cowardice, Wang Yuanwai, who was famous in Yangzhou for his righteousness and courage to fight, stood up!
Although he had been forced to pay out 5,000 yuan of salt and a daughter, Wang Yuanwai still did not bow to the evil.
"Lin Tailai! What are you doing here?" Wang Yuanwai stood out from the crowd and yelled at Lin Daguan: "According to the regulations, you are completely ineligible for admitting a nest. You have been rejected by the Transportation Secretary. You are not here today."
The qualification appears here!"
Lin Daguan pointed at the beautiful young woman and replied: "I am not here to participate in the nest recognition, but Wu Tian is here to participate.
She fully complies with the regulations and has found someone to act as guarantee, so what’s the problem?”
Upon hearing this answer, all the salt merchants were stunned for a moment.
Lin Tailai's operation was completely unexpected by everyone.
If Lin Tai comes to find a man as a cover, everyone can understand it, but what does it mean to bring a woman here?
Wang Yuanwai asked on behalf of everyone: "How does a woman's family qualify to be on the same level as me?"
Official Lin looked into the lobby a few times and explained casually:
"According to the regulations stated by Fei Yunshi, there is no such clause as only men are allowed and women are not allowed. Why can't women come to participate?"
Wang Yuanwai shouted: "In our salt industry, only men can stand here and participate in the nest recognition!
And you, Lin Tailai, only dare to hide behind women, which is simply ridiculous!"
Everyone silently praised Wang Yuanwai for actually daring to directly attack Lin Tailai personally. How dare he!
Official Lin retorted: "Since you said that only men can stand here, I have an idea.
If I kick your eggs to pieces now, you will no longer be a man, and then you won’t be qualified to participate in the nest recognition bidding, right?”
Everyone: "."
Do you, Lin Tailai, really want to do this, or is it just a matter of humiliation?
Wang Yuanwai was furious and seemed to have lost his mind. He shouted: "You are going too far! You really think that we salt merchants are all made up of mud!"
Wang Yuanwai and Lin Daguanren insulted and abused each other. A little further away on the courtyard wall, Wang Yuanwai's entourage and Lin Daguanren's entourage could not bear each other anymore, and suddenly they started fighting.
Then the fight spread to other people's followers, and it suddenly turned into a melee involving all the followers.
In fact, the number of followers brought into the atrium was only a small number, and it was impossible for the Salt Transport Department to let in too many followers. Most of the followers were at the gate and the front yard.
But after the fighting started in the atrium, it immediately spread to the front yard, so there was also movement from the front yard.
The fight broke out very quickly and completely out of control. The battlefields in the atrium and front yard became one, and it developed into a huge brawl involving nearly 200 people.
After the beating, some were exhausted and hid in the lobby. However, they were chased into the lobby and beaten again, causing the lobby furniture to be messed up.
Among the two hundred followers who participated in the fight, more than one hundred were brought by Lin Daguan.
Lin Daguan, who has always taken the lead, did not take action today. He just stood on the side and shouted seriously: "Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"
It wasn't until the Salt Transportation Department dispatched all the saltmen that the big fight, which gradually became one-sided, calmed down.
But at this time, the only people still standing at the fight scene were basically Lin Daguan's "housekeepers" who had experienced many battles.
At the same time, more than a hundred new men with Suzhou accents arrived outside the Yunsi gate. Perhaps they were tired from walking, so they stood outside the gate to rest.
Fei Yunshi appeared in the Yunsi Atrium, standing on the platform outside the lobby door, his face ashen.
Today's incident is simply a laughing stock if word spreads about it!
Looking at Fei Yunshi's extremely ugly expression, Lin Daguan, who had been told one trick after another, finally came to an idea.
It's too tiring to play tricks, so it's easier to just do it.
After understanding the idea, Lin Daguan became more enthusiastic towards others and greeted people loudly:
"Envoy! According to regulations, our followers fight each other. How should we deal with it?
I suggest that we all be evicted and prohibited from participating in the nest-recognition bidding."
Fei Yunshi was choked and could not speak, so Zheng Zhiyan, who had a close relationship with Fei Yunshi, had to stand up and accuse:
"Even if Mr. Wu Tian wants to participate in the bidding, what does it have to do with you, Lin Tailai? What reason do you have for showing up here?"
Lin Daguan said contemptuously: "You, Zheng Zhiyan, are asking questions knowingly. Wu Tian's family has a blood feud with you, Zheng Zhiyan. How could you not be on guard?"
So of course I was invited to protect the Wu Tian clan, and I’m guarding against evil people like you, what’s so strange about this?”
Zheng Zhiyan said again: "It's a joke for thousands of households to be willing to be humble!"
Official Lin responded calmly: "In ancient times, it was said that Zhao Kuangyin sent Jing Niang thousands of miles away, which has always been a good talk. I, Lin Tailai, also do good deeds and accumulate virtue. What's wrong with that?"
How can you be like you, Zheng Zhiyan, who has always been unkind for the sake of wealth, only knows how to do evil, and even destroyed the Wu family without even apologizing?"
Zheng Zhiyan: "."
It's okay for you, Lin Tailai, not to do human things, but you're just riding a horse and not saying anything to human beings!
When Zheng Zhiyan was speechless, Wang Yuanwai jumped out excitedly, "Lin Tailai! I'm not done with you!"
The salt merchants saw that the salt transport envoy was angry and stopped talking, but Lin Daguan turned a deaf ear to the word "shut up" and continued to shout:
"Envoy Yun! Just tell me whether Wu Tian meets the regulations or not! We two hundred righteous men who protect the weak women and children are still waiting for an explanation!"
Fei Yunshi took a few deep breaths, forced himself to calm down, waved his sleeves and ordered:
"We're done today! We'll wait for further notification of the time for the bidding!"
Nothing can be done today, I can only wait until the heat passes.
Officer Lin uttered a fragrant sentence: "An egg!" Then he turned around and left.
Zheng Zhiyan couldn't help complaining to Wang Yuanwai: "Brother Wang is too impulsive, why do you show off your strength and confront Lin Tailai?
After all, this is the home court of the Salt Transportation Department, and everything is decided by the Transportation Authority! We are not the masters, and we cannot do anything to stand up for the sake of those we don’t like!
Today's big event has been messed up like this!"
Wang Yuanwai murmured in his heart that his task today was to cooperate with Lin Tailai to cause a fight and disrupt the bidding process.
But he said angrily: "That Lin Tailai is so irritating, I can't bear it anymore and I don't want to bear it anymore!"
Zheng Zhiyan sighed when the good thing didn't come to pass. If he had followed the tacit understanding from the top to the bottom, he should have paid for the nest today and won the 5,000 new nest!
Wang Yuanwai comforted him and said: "It doesn't matter, it's just a few days late. When today's matter fades away, the Secretary of Transportation will definitely call me to bid and accept the nest."
As soon as the bidding starts, it's a matter of money, and since the chief officer is helping us, Lin Tailai can only do nothing.
Is it possible that Lin Tailai still dares to bring one or two hundred thugs with him to force the price down? What is the difference between that and robbing the Salt Transportation Department?"
Zheng Zhiyan nodded. This is indeed the truth. We can only wait a few more days.
In fact, Wang Yuanwai, who was assigned to do things, didn't understand. What was the point of Lin Tailai causing farce today?
A bidding process involving tens of thousands of dollars in revenue from the Salt Transportation Department cannot be canceled just because of a farce.
If we make a big fuss today, it will only be a joke for a few days and delay the process for a few days.
So, Lin Tailai's purpose is to delay time? But delaying time can't change the situation.
The crowd dispersed, and the aftermath was rippled.
Today's farce in the Salt Transportation Department has been circulating in Yangzhou City for several days and has become the hottest topic in the city.
Some current affairs commentators said that the fact that Lin Daguan did not kidnap the salt transport envoy showed that his dominance has declined.
A few days later, when the topic's popularity dropped slightly, the Salt Transportation Department hurriedly summoned the salt dealers to recognize the nest, intending to finalize the ownership of these five thousand nests as soon as possible.
Still in the lobby of the Salt Transportation Department, a dozen salt merchants gathered here again.
Official Lin lived up to expectations and appeared to protect the Wu Tian family.
Today, all the followers are not allowed to enter the Yimen. They all stand outside the gate and are guarded by hundreds of salt guards.
"Why do you still dare to come when the matter is only three?" Official Lin provoked the salt merchants unscrupulously, "Aren't you willing to show your shame?"
This time, no one responded to Mr. Lin, didn’t even look at Mr. Lin, and rejected all words and deeds that might cause disputes.
Don’t make any extra moves, just show your money! I don’t believe you, Lin Tailai, has more money than a dozen of our top salt merchants!
Fei Yunshi sat behind the public case with an expressionless face, while the clerk read the relevant documents nonchalantly.
After the scribe finished reading the document, Fei Yunshi was too lazy to speak and said directly: "Five thousand Yinwo, the base price is ten thousand taels of silver, let's get started."
Manager Sun, the leader of the Western merchants, said: "I will pay eleven thousand taels."
Wang Yuanwai also made a gesture and said loudly: "Twelve thousand taels."
Then Zheng Zhiyan, the official, said: "I will pay fourteen thousand taels."
The amount of money that seems like an astronomical figure to ordinary people seems to be just a number on this occasion. This is the financial strength of the top salt merchants.
However, other salt merchants were very considerate of Mr. Zheng and stopped raising prices. This was a tacit understanding in private.
But as long as Lin Daguan is present, if nothing unexpected happens, an accident will definitely happen.
Lin Tailai quickly explained, "Wu Tian is a womanly family, and it is not respectable to shout in public, so I raised the price on behalf of Wu Tian."
Zheng Yuanwai, who was determined to win, did not hesitate to increase the price, "Sixteen thousand taels!"
Official Lin did not hesitate and shouted: "Eighteen thousand taels!"
At this time, the bidding rhythm stopped slightly.
Officer Zheng stared at Mr. Lin angrily, "What are you shouting about, you poor guy? Do you have eighteen thousand taels of silver?"
Others secretly thought, could this Lin Tailai be maliciously raising the price?
Officer Zheng gritted his teeth and shouted fiercely: "Twenty thousand taels!"
At this price, it was already double the base price, but Zheng Yuanwai still couldn't give up the 5,000 new yuan.
Official Lin didn't hesitate at all and quickly followed up: "Twenty-two thousand taels!"
Everyone looked at Wu Tianshi next to Mr. Lin. After all, in name, the real bidder was Wu Tianshi.
But I saw that this beautiful young woman's face was pale and her whole body was shaking. She was obviously frightened.
Now the pressure came to Zheng Yuanwai again, but Zheng Yuanwai withstood the tremendous pressure and shouted: "Twenty-five thousand taels!"
As long as you can get 5,000 yuan, you can make it back after a few years of careful management without losing money!
In the sight of everyone, Lin Daguan slowly raised three fingers and shouted with astonishing momentum: "Thirty thousand taels!"
The lobby, which was originally quiet except for the shouting of prices, immediately seemed to explode, and everyone was in an uproar!
Everyone has the same idea, Lin Tailai is sick, seriously ill!
It’s understandable that you maliciously raise the price, but raising the price like this, besides cheating yourself, what’s the use?
I know you, Lin Tailai, want to cause trouble, but not like this!
Is it possible that the thirty thousand taels of silver you shouted out were drawn on the paper money?
Officer Wang was speechless. You, Lin Tailai, tried your best to delay time, but this is the result?
Can I start thinking about how to become truly independent after getting rid of Lin Tailai?
Zheng, who had been bidding, suddenly lost his anger. When he looked at Lin Tailai, he felt like he was looking at an idiot.
Asking for 30,000 yuan in two days to compete for 5,000 yuan, what is that but a fool?
The shipping envoy who had been silent until now shouted loudly: "According to the regulations, if the bid cannot be honored, it will be deemed as defrauding the salt transportation department to obtain tax money! The family property will be confiscated, and the court will be reported to the court for sentencing!"
Wu Tian's mind went blank because she was the one who was nominally bidding!
Could it be that Lin Tailai deliberately sacrificed himself to maliciously disrupt the official business of the Salt Transportation Company?
Anyway, I am just an insignificant little girl, so I won’t lose much if I sacrifice her.
Fei Yunshi suddenly felt that there was something wrong in what he said, and quickly added: "The accomplices will be treated as accomplices and will be punished together!"
Standing in the center of the whirlpool, Lin Daguan was extremely calm and said lazily: "I didn't say I wouldn't honor it. Do you all hope that I can't honor it?"
It seemed that the "thirty thousand taels" he just shouted was really just a number.
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