The invitations from the courtiers were still not sent out.
If Chu Qing hadn't said anything about merchants deducting taxes to support poor families, even the Ministry of Rites would have given it a bit of a thumbs-down. Not to mention that the minister would go there in person, at least a few subordinate officials would have been allowed to see what Chu Qing was up to.
As a result, Chu Qing made such a fuss, and now everyone is avoiding him like a snake or a scorpion, and no one dares to accept the invitation.
Chu Qing didn't care anymore. He handed dozens of invitations to the detectives and went to Tai'anfang to throw them to the doors of various mansions. He wanted to go or not.
As a result, on the second day, the auction was about to begin in the evening, and something went wrong again.
The courtiers did not show respect, and the merchants who had accepted the invitations did not come. They returned the invitations one after another with various reasons. They suddenly fell ill, broke their legs when they went out, and their children fell into a well and were unconscious. Eight of them were unconscious.
A ten-year-old mother got pregnant with ten twins in anger, a sixteen-year-old cow died and threw a brazier, etc. There were many excuses that could not be taken away.
In the main hall of Qianqiying Yamen, Jiang Yuesheng lost control in a rare moment and kicked a large vase to pieces. On the contrary, Chu Qing's face was as gloomy as water, but he did not get angry.
"How brave, these damn merchants..." Jiang Yuesheng swept down another wooden plate and said angrily: "Just a mere merchant, you won't even give me this little noodles, you're going to get tired of living!"
"Sir, what should we do?" Jiang Yuesheng looked at Chu Qing, only to find that Fu San was twiddling his fingers with a playful smile, as if calculating something.
Looking at Fu San, Jiang Yuesheng scolded: "You are still in the mood to laugh. If this auction house can't be run, where will the money come from to provide salaries to the brothers?"
Fu San lowered his head and looked at Chu Qing: "Master, you always said that you are incompetent...what is incompetence?"
Chu Qing was happy: "Incompetent and furious?"
"Yes." Fu San pointed at Jiang Yuesheng again: "Er Gou looks like this, is he the incompetent and furious young master you said, right?"
Chu Qing laughed loudly and nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Yuesheng yelled: "Fusan, you are still in a joking mood, maybe you have a way to make money!"
"I don't have one." Fu San retorted, "You have one?"
"Although I have no choice, I don't joke. No one can be as heartless as you."
Jiang Yuesheng took advantage of the opportunity to hurt Fu San, and proudly snorted at Fu San.
Fu San still had that playful smile on his face: "Twenty-five strings."
"What twenty-five strings?"
"Although I can't make money for the young master, I can still save money for the young master." Fu San pointed to the broken vase on the ground: "It was copied from the Zhang family and cost twenty-five guan. You broke it, young master."
If I deduct it from your salary, won't you save twenty-five dollars?"
Jiang Yuesheng: “…”
In Fu San's hands, Jiang Yuesheng never took advantage.
Chu Qing was too lazy to pay attention to these two teasers, with a look of hesitation on his face, and asked: "What time is it?"
"It's half past the time of Unity."
"It's six o'clock..." Chu Qing rubbed his eyebrows: "It's set to be seven o'clock, but no merchant is going."
This situation was unexpected by Chu Qing. The plan did not change quickly. Who would have thought that Wei Changfeng would tell him everything in the court, but the emperor even said that the court was dismissed.
The courtiers were unwilling to pay attention to him, and most of the merchants were members of aristocratic families or courtiers. The remaining few were in a wait-and-see mode, seeing that no one else would dare to go to the appointment.
But if the auction house cannot be established, and the first step cannot be taken, nothing can be done.
Chu Qing was unwilling to give in, really unwilling.
Everything was prepared, the venue, the goods, the book contract, but it turned out to be a big mistake...the customer didn't come, what's this?
Gritting his teeth, Chu Qing shouted: "Tie him away!"
Jiang Yuesheng was dumbfounded: "Tie?"
"In the name of investigating the case, he took the detective horse and rushed directly into the house of the merchants, saying...that the mare of the Dali Temple Shaoqing was pregnant. Tao Shaozhang came to Qianqi Camp to report the case. He suspected that the Dali Temple was inspecting the merchants before the merchants retaliated.
Regarding the matter, take them to the southern suburbs greenhouse to assist in the investigation."
Jiang Yuesheng was stunned: "This..."
"Just do it."
"Sir." Jiang Yuesheng was shocked: "This is impossible, absolutely impossible. If you really do this, Master Chen and the Emperor will not be able to protect you."
Jiang Yuesheng also spilled the beans in excitement. Fortunately, Chu Qing didn't care and didn't think deeply about why the emperor who didn't even say a word wanted to protect himself.
Jiang Yuesheng was really frightened, and he was not being alarmist.
There are so many merchants in the capital, and Chu Qing's targets are those fat sheep. There are at least seventy or eighty of them. Merchants are not taken seriously, but these merchants all have backers. How can they be kidnapped by so many people at once?
Outside the capital, countless courtiers entered the palace to report to the emperor.
"My lord, think twice before you act, think twice before you act, you can't say that you tied someone outside the city on the grounds of Tao Shaozhang's mare."
Chu Qing sighed: "Yes."
Jiang Yuesheng breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Yes." Chu Qing's eyes lit up: "Then give Tao Shaozhang a good beating and say that the young minister of Dali Temple was beaten and those merchants are suspicious."
Jiang Yuesheng was about to curse.
Is this a matter of reason? You can't kidnap someone for any reason. If he hadn't been following Chu Qing, he would have suspected that this guy was an undercover agent sent by the court officials and deliberately led Qianqiying to ride in the direction of Huangtanzi.
Run wildly.
"Sir." Jiang Yuesheng was about to cry: "Even if he is tied up, the auction will not be successful. It will not take a moment before the courtiers and aristocratic families who have gained the trust will go to the southern suburbs to ask for him."
"Stupid, then change the time and wait until the city gate is about to fall before tying the people out."
"Oh, my lord, let's not say that the courtiers can come and go on their own with their badges, but let's talk about the palace. What will happen once these ministers enter the palace to find your majesty?"
"What time does the palace gate close?"
"Hai Shi."
Chu Qing snapped his fingers: "Then wait until the palace gate is about to close and kidnap the person out."
Jiang Yuesheng wondered if Chu Qing had wind in his head and was speechless.
"Even if the courtiers don't go out of the city to ask for help, even if they don't go into the palace to complain to His Majesty, what about tomorrow? What will happen when they go to court tomorrow?"
Chu Qing chuckled: "Isn't there still the Supreme Emperor with me?"
"Can…"
"But what the heck, let's just take a gamble, and I think we have a good chance of winning."
"What to bet on?"
"Bet the emperor doesn't want to have a bad face."
Jiang Yuesheng was confused: "What do you mean?"
Chu Qing showed a confident smile.
According to his understanding of the emperor, this grandson should be an extremely shameless person. As long as he is shameless, then this matter will definitely be done. When the time comes, he will not need the emperor to support him. Tomorrow, the emperor will protect him.
"Go and arrange some people. When they are about to fall at the city gate, tie them out together."
"grown ups…"
"Big shit, do whatever you are told. Also, inform the adults in the Ministry of Revenue, as well as Mr. Ma, the Tao family, and General Tan, and tell them not to go. It's easy to get angry tonight. Tell them, don't do it.
Don't go, if I don't succeed, I'm still waiting for them to protect me. If you want to protect me, don't go tonight, and ask Mr. Fu not to go either, I'll find someone else to take care of me."
Jiang Yuesheng sighed heavily and could only go out to make arrangements with a look of despair on his face.