Zhang Liangyu invited Fang Huizhen to their home for a banquet.
The banquet was very simple and was arranged in the water pavilion in the courtyard of the mansion.
There was no big fish or meat to eat, just a few small snacks and hot wine.
The waterside pavilion has an exquisite scenery, with peach blossoms and willows on the banks, which embellishes the elegance of Jiangnan to the fullest.
Fang Huizhen was not in the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery around her, but looked solemn.
The water pavilion is located above the pool, with ventilation in all directions. The surrounding environment can be seen at a glance, and there is no one above or below.
This is the best place to discuss important matters.
"Mr. Meng Ming, please sit down!"
Fang Huizhen knelt down on the futon, feeling quite uneasy in her heart, not sure who Zhang Liangyu was from.
Southern Tang?
Or Dazhou?
Although everyone has now boarded Luo Youdu's pirate ship, who knows what his actual thoughts are.
Zhang Liangyu did not persuade him to drink. After sitting down, he looked at Fang Huizhen and said: "Mr. Meng Ming, our Zhang family has decided to put the chips on Da Zhou. Regardless of whether Luzhou can be defended... it is best if it can be defended.
, if you can’t hold on any longer, you will move your family to the Central Plains to find a suitable place to establish yourself again.”
Fang Huizhen suddenly felt relieved, and then sighed with emotion at Zhang Liangyu's courage.
The Zhang family is the head of the three surnames in Luzhou. It has a history of more than 600 years in Luzhou and is deeply rooted.
It's not easy to make this kind of decision.
Fang Huizhen sighed: "Brother Meng Zhi is so courageous."
Zhang Liangyu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "This has nothing to do with courage, but that Xianggong Luo is too sophisticated. He boarded his pirate ship and can no longer get off. Mr. Meng Ming is a scholar, so he may not have noticed the changes in Luzhou. Today's Luzhou
It is no longer under our control. Believe it or not, sir, if there is any change in my Zhang family, Xianggong Luo can immediately find out the details?"
Fang Huizhen asked: "Is the influence of Huaiyan really that big?"
He didn't know the details, but the changes in Luzhou these days were also before his eyes.
Bo Zheng forced the people of Huainan to the point where they could no longer survive, so Luo Youdu encouraged him to obtain a large amount of coins from Luzhou merchants and purchase Huaiyan salt in Luzhou.
The people who suffered from salt were so happy that they sold the Huai salt that the imperial court forced them to conquer to Luo Youdu.
It is said that in just a few days, Luo Youdu collected 80,000 husks of Huai salt.
Eighty thousand dendrobium!
Ten liters is equal to one dou, and ten dou is equal to one dendrobium.
Under normal circumstances, the people of Luzhou cannot eat so much salt in ten years. Now, one Luzhou actually collects 80,000 dendrobium salts.
The harm of this Bo Zheng can be seen clearly.
Fang Huizhen always knew that Bo Zheng harmed the people, but he really didn't know that he actually harmed the people to this extent.
Zhang Liangyu nodded and said: "Xiangong Luo has grasped this point to death. Now he has tied the interests of businessmen and the people to his own rise and fall. If he is here, the people of Luzhou will be safe.
Merchants in Luzhou can make a lot of money. If he is not here, the people of Luzhou will go back to the past, and the merchants will lose everything. He has used Bozheng to win the hearts of the people and merchants."
"Not only them, my Zhang family is also excited, and is collecting Huai salt through various connections. Now only Luo Xianggong can transport the Huai salt to the Shouzhou military camp by waterway, and to the Central Plains through the Xiacai pontoon. He has grasped the lifeline of making money.
, we are all counting on him to bring us wealth.”
"Although I am the head of the Zhang family, I may not be the head of the whole family in the face of interests."
Fang Huizhen looked shocked and burdened, and sighed: "Who can withstand the temptation of this control of interests? My family has no money, otherwise I may not be able to withstand this test."
Zhang Liangyu smiled bitterly and said: "I'm afraid Mr. Meng Ming hasn't noticed the problem yet."
Fang Huizhen said solemnly: "Brother Meng Zhi, please give me some advice."
Zhang Liangyu said: "What the merchants do, we three tribes in Luzhou can also do. Why did Luo Xianggong never mention Huaiyan when he summoned us? Judging from the current situation, he is not opposed to us sharing a piece of the pie, but he doesn't
Give the bulk to us and distribute it to that group of merchants."
"I was still aggrieved before, thinking that with the strength of my Zhang family, could it be that I am not as good as a group of merchants? Give the Huai salt to me, the three tribes of Luzhou, and keep it safe. Everyone in Luzhou will obey my orders."
"It wasn't until recently that I became aware of Luo Xianggong's thoughts. The remaining salt in Luzhou has almost been harvested."
"Salt is useless if you have too much of it, but you must eat it."
"Businessmen have begun to use their previous channels to collect salt from other state capitals and counties."
Fang Huizhen also understood, with a look of shock on his face.
This is not collecting salt, it is clearly promoting the benevolence of Zhou Dynasty.
Once word of the situation in Luzhou spread to surrounding areas, both ordinary merchants and wealthy families would hoard Huai salt and welcome Master Wang.
If it really gets to that point, wherever Luo Youdu's army goes, it will be where people's hearts want it to be and will be invincible.
Zhang Liangyu said: "What does Mr. Meng Ming think of Luo Youdu?"
Fang Huizhen's throat was a little dry, so he drank a glass of wine, and after a while he said: "The name Zhuge is well-deserved."
Zhang Liangyu said again: "How does the Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty compare with the Lord of the Tang Dynasty in the south of the Yangtze River?"
Fang Huizhen smiled bitterly: "How can fluorescent light compete with the bright moon?"
Zhang Liangyu sighed with emotion: "That being the case, what is there to hesitate about? A pirate ship that cannot get off is not a pirate ship. As long as it can reach the shore smoothly, it is an official ship."
Fang Huizhen took a long breath and said: "Brother Meng Zhi, no need to say more, I have also been worried about this matter recently. The people of Jianghuai Province have suffered from tyranny. Should we, the scholars, ask for orders for the people, or abide by the way of ministers?"
"After talking with Brother Meng Zhi today, I finally understood the words of the sage Xunzi. The king is a boat; the common people are water; water carries the boat, and water overturns the boat. If the king is unethical, we naturally cannot
Sit back and watch the people fall into misery. Now Luzhou is out of trouble, but the people of Hezhou are still trapped under tyranny. I should write a book to my nephew Wu Han and let him welcome Master Wang."
A cultured person is a cultured person, and he must find a good reason and excuse to surrender.
Fang Huizhen had a friendship with Wu Han's father Wu Shenli as classmates in his early years, and they were brothers. Later, when Wu Shenli was crossing the river, he accidentally fell into the water and died.
Fang Huizhen was grateful for the friendship back then and took Wu Han to Luzhou to raise him.
Wu Han was fond of martial arts since he was a child and did not like studying, so Fang Huizhen found a gun and stick master for him and raised him to become a talented person.
The two are called uncle and nephew, but they are actually the same as father and son.
Today, he is the official residence and defense envoy of Hezhou, responsible for the military affairs of Hezhou.
Zhang Liangyu laughed excitedly and said, "Mr. Meng Ming, drink this cup to the full!"
He has placed his treasure on Luo Youdu, and now that he has made such a great contribution, the benefits will be huge.
Fang Huizhen had a hint of helplessness and a hint of joy in his eyes, and said: "Drink this cup to the full!"
Zhang Liangyu's confession today was obviously due to Luo Youdu's arrangement and he was forced onto the pirate ship.
If you don't follow this, the whole family will suffer.
At this point, we can only get on the boat and go all the way to the end.
What's more, deep down in his heart, he felt that the Great Zhou Dynasty had more prospects than the Southern Tang Dynasty.
I just can't really decide which side to stand on at the moment.