Even though Fang Jun blocked the road and carried out arrests as soon as he forcibly took over the Hedong Salt Pond, the huge salt pond extended in all directions, so it was naturally impossible to miss everything. Su Dingfang led the navy to enter the salt pond and arrested all the salt farm officials.
Still leaked.
By noon, the Hedong family received news one after another.
Hedong is shocked!
Although the "Three Surnames of Hedong" of Xue, Pei and Liu are not as impressive as the "Five Surnames of Seven Sects", they are rich in wealth and strength because they are located in Hedong with fertile farmland and salt ponds that produce huge profits.
It is solid, connecting other Hedong families to advance and retreat together, forming alliances, and occupying the land of Hedong cannot be underestimated. All dynasties have tried their best to win over it but are unwilling to conquer it, because its tyrannical strength is indeed feared.
This created the transcendent status of the Hedong family. Throughout the ages, every time there was great chaos in the world and wars were everywhere, except for a few periods such as the late Han Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, they were able to ensure safety and security, and then they were able to make ends meet and preserve their strength.
70% of the confidence we rely on lies in the salt ponds in Hedong.
If we lose control of the Hedong Salt Pond now, it will be equivalent to cutting off the foundation of the Hedong family's survival. How can this be done?
The large and small aristocratic families in Hedong heard the news and gathered at the Xue family's ancestral home in Fenyin County that night to meet with the family leader Xue Mai to discuss how to take back the salt pond.
…
It was still the same bamboo hall. Xue Mai and Xue Shou, the only remaining elders of Fenyin Xue clan, were sitting on their knees behind the table, slowly sipping tea with solemn expressions.
What happened in Yanchi will be reported in detail.
At the end, Wang Fukiao said angrily: "The Zheng family in Xingyang is so shameless. Although Zheng Rentai did not show up, he sent his son to follow Fang Junan. He came and left as soon as he was called. It is very likely that he would break the original oath and steal the control of the Hedong Salt Pond.
Quan, if that's the case, we will be driven away by it, and there will never be any hope of returning to the salt pond!"
In his opinion, when things have come to this, there is no need to have extravagant hopes of taking back the salt pond. Thousands of troops stationed in the salt pond will definitely cause a sensation in the world. How can Fang Jun or the central government withdraw their troops at this time and lose face?
It is better to bow down and stay calm at the worst time to gain more benefits.
After all, compared to being completely driven out of the salt pond, it is not unacceptable to lose the ownership of the salt pond but get the official position of "Salt Questioner"...
Xue Mai frowned his snow-white eyebrows tightly, and his wrinkled face was solemn and hesitant. After a long time, he breathed out softly and said slowly: "I have heard for a long time that Fang Jun is arrogant, unlearned and willful. Now I realize that he is quite...
His father's style, look at this conspiracy, it immediately shattered the originally solid alliance of our Hedong family. Everyone is selfish. You surrendered to the three surnames and were unwilling to lie dormant. Now you finally have a relationship with us.
How can we give up the opportunity of three surnames standing side by side or even beating each other? If I say at this moment that I would rather live in pieces than in ruins, will you abandon your oath and switch to Fang Jun's command?"
Wang Fukiao was startled and said hurriedly: "How dare you have such treacherous thoughts? The Hedong family has branches connected with each other, and they are connected by the same spirit. They are both prosperous and destructive. They should advance and retreat together, complement each other, and never backstab each other."
Hedong is the Hedong of the Hedong family, but the Hedong family is a Hedong family with "three surnames". Whoever dares to betray the covenant and switch to Fang Jun's command to serve as the "salt envoy" must be prepared to withstand the full revenge of the three surnames Xue, Pei and Liu.
, no one can resist it.
But if all the Hedong aristocratic families except the "three surnames" choose to join Fang Jun, and then take turns to serve as the "salt envoy" to take control of the salt pool, then even the "three surnames" will not be able to retaliate one by one.
Xue Shou's temper was more violent, not as gentle as his brother's. He snorted angrily: "As long as we are united, it will be useless to let Fang Jun do all his tricks. It is impossible for the Zheng family in Xingyang to collect all the salt ponds."
We need more manpower, and when the Yanchi shutdown continues indefinitely, Fang Jun will have to kneel down to beg us to resume work!"
How big is the Hedong Salt Pond? It usually requires at least five to six thousand manpower. Not only the salt collectors but also the peasants need skilled manpower, and the management personnel in various places must have rich experience. This cannot be done by hastily pulling together a team.
Yanchi resumes work and production.
Not only the Zheng family in Xingyang could not do it, but no other family or family had such ability.
Wang Fijiao reminded: "Others may be helpless, but Fang Jun is different after all. The Huating Town Salt Farm was founded by him, and its scale is not as large as the Hedong Salt Pond. He can completely mobilize experienced management officials from there to come to the salt farm, and then
With the cooperation of the Zheng family in Xingyang to recruit skilled salt workers and civilian husbands, it may not be impossible to resume work and production... After all, there will always be people who are willing to follow after the success."
You also said that the Hedong family is not monolithic. For you, the "three surnames of Hedong", you want to have complete ownership of the Hedong Salt Pond, but for some other small families, this does not matter at all.
When the "Three Surnames of Hedong" controlled Yanchi, I gained so many benefits; by being attached to the center of the imperial court, I could still obtain so many benefits, even more than that. Why should I still follow you, "Three Surnames of Hedong"?
?
Not to mention anything else, just "taking turns as salt envoy" can make a certain small family control the salt pond and lead Hedong within a certain period of time. What kind of status improvement is this?
Some people will definitely be moved.
By then, the so-called "Hedong Family Alliance" will collapse on its own.
Xue Shou looked at each other angrily: "How presumptuous! Are you threatening the Xue family? Not to mention you, even if your father is still alive, I would not dare to be so rude to the Xue family! Hedong is the Hedong of the three surnames of Hedong, not you and others.
Hedong!"
Is this an attempt to put aside the "Three Surnames of Hedong" and a group of small nobles defect to Fang Jun to chase the so-called "Salt Representative"?
Simply ridiculous!
A group of poor people who have settled down and attached themselves to the three surnames of Hedong have been able to survive every turmoil in the past. Not only is it not like kindness, but now they are stabbed in the back because of profit?
The Hedong family cultivates and inherits family traditions, but the books of loyalty and righteousness are all read into the dog's belly?
Wang Fukiao had no choice but to spread his hands and said: "This is not an alarmist statement, but it is what is most likely to happen at the moment."
Xue Shou said flatly: "This will not happen. As long as you persist, even if the salt works resume work, it is impossible to restore production. By then, the salt reserves in various places will be exhausted, and the situation will be violently turbulent. Fang Jun will have no choice but to come and beg us."
Wang Fijiao said: "Fang Jun has a new salt-making technology that can greatly increase production. As long as the Zheng family in Xingyang can help him recruit enough manpower, we may not be needed."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Xue Shou's eyes widened: "The current salt-making technology has been the culmination of hundreds of years of salt-making experience and has not changed for two hundred years. Why does Fang Jun dare to utter such wild words to innovate it?
?It’s just lies and cunning, you dare to believe it!”
this is the key of the problem.
If Fang Jun doesn't have new technology to significantly increase production, then as long as Hedong Family sits firmly on the Diaoyutai and watches Fang Jun's efforts, in the end, it will have to stop because the salt reserves in various places have been exhausted, and in turn beg Hedong Family to resume work.
Production has resumed and negotiation conditions have been significantly relaxed.
On the contrary, if Fang Jun can really come up with new technology, it will be a disaster for the Hedong family. They will never be able to profit from the Hedong Salt Pond, let alone regain the ownership rights.
Yes or no?
No one knows.
Wang Fukiao shook his head and tried to persuade him: "What if there is? Then it will be an abyss for our Hedong family. Without the benefits of the salt pond, the Hedong family has plummeted, but the Zheng family in Xingyang has just risen. One is declining, the other is rising, how can we survive?"
He wanted to be qualified as a "salt envoy", but he also didn't want to completely fall out with the "three surnames", so he tried hard to persuade Xue to accept Fang Jun's conditions, but Xue Shouzhi was far more stubborn than him.
He knows that the situation is unfavorable but refuses to bow his head. He does not know how to seek changes. He is old and confused.
But it just so happens that a group of old fools who are clinging to the past and unable to see the times are in charge of the power of the clan. They watch helplessly as they bring the once prosperous clan into a ditch, but they are unable to change it.
Xue Shou dismissed it: "What about the Zheng family in Xingyang? I immediately ordered the Hedong family to gather their soldiers and put pressure on Fang Jun! Although Fang Jun has thousands of troops, I don't believe that he really dares to provoke a war. I will completely force him to do so."
Oppose the Hedong Family!"
Wang Fijiao was speechless. Facing such a stubborn old fool, what else could he say?
Xue Mai, who had not spoken much for a while, frowned and shouted: "Are you confused? His Fang Jun doesn't dare to force us to rebel, how dare you rebel?"
Xue Shou retorted: "Are we waiting for death? The three surnames in Hedong have been glorious for hundreds of years. Even Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty wanted to care for us, and Emperor Taizong also comforted us with gentle words. I have never been so cowardly!"
Xue Mai sighed: "You keep saying 'Three surnames in Hedong', then let me ask you, when the situation has reached this point, why did the Pei and Liu families send people to discuss countermeasures?"
Xue Shou was stunned: "..."
Only then did he remember that until now, the Wenxi Pei family and the Jie County Liu family were sitting still and silent, watching the situation develop out of control without realizing it.
Something is wrong. Could it be that Fang Jun bribed him?
Xue Mai ignored the dumbfounded Xue Shou, looked at Wang Fijiao, and asked, "Do you know why the Pei and Liu families stood still?"
Wang Fijiao said respectfully: "I don't know what they think, but I thought about the reason on the way here today. I think it's just a change of heart."
"You bastard, please make it clear if you have anything to say. Wang Zhongyan is a scholar and an incomparable intelligent man. How could he give birth to such a dull and slow son like you?" Xue Shou puffed his beard and glared.
Wang Fukiao was used to the old official's bad temper, so he relented and explained: "The so-called change of course is just a change in the way of obtaining benefits. The benefits obtained in the past in Yanchi are completely given away, and the corresponding benefits are obtained from other places.
Compensation, such as retreating and advancing, may ensure a balance of interests."
Xue Shou still didn't understand: "Where to get it?"
Wang Fukiao glanced at Xue Mai, who frowned and said nothing, and said cautiously: "Maybe... become an official? Two consecutive mutinies, the world's nobles suffered a heavy blow, and there were several waves of purges in the court. Most of the high-ranking officials were noble.
There are only a few descendants of clan and aristocratic families. Perhaps the Pei and Liu families want to take this opportunity to gain the support of the central government in their official careers, and recruit many of their children to join the central government?"
Times have changed, and the cornerstone for the survival of aristocratic families is no longer to monopolize various resources and seize national interests, but to take on higher official positions and participate in the management of the country through another way to protect family interests.