Xue Poye was currently in the Lu Mansion, in the elegant hall at the west corner of the large courtyard. With his hands behind his back, he looked at the people in the courtyard through the half-opened window and the different expressions of the merchants.
Naturally, he also saw Mr. Qiao and Fang Xiaohu, and saw their short and insincere conversation.
The fire in the elegant hall was strong, just like summer, indescribably warm and comfortable, and He Ruhui was twirling his beard, standing next to him, watching those wealthy merchants sitting in the open air in the cold winter, He Ruhui
There was a hint of excitement in his heart, and he really admired the Master's tricks.
"How much did Mrs. Fang bring out?" After a long time, Xue Poye rubbed his sore eyes and asked lightly.
He Ruhui immediately walked to the table in the hall, took out a book, opened a page, and gave it to Xue Poye, who took it. The book was brand new and clean, with only one short line written on it.
"Hangzhou, Lu Tianding, donate 10,000 taels of silver, accepted!"
He Ruhui stroked his beard and said, "The official talked with Mrs. Fang personally, and she voluntarily donated ten thousand taels."
Although ten thousand taels is not a large amount in the Lu family, it is not a small amount anywhere.
But Master Xue, the Minister of Household Affairs, frowned when he saw this line of words. He looked at He Ruhui displeased and said slowly: "Master He, you are the parent official of Hangzhou. You should know the business conditions of Hangzhou, and you should know the business conditions of Hangzhou."
Knowing the wealth of the Lu family, this ten thousand taels of silver is not even a fart to the Lu family. Doesn't this mean that the Lu family will beat us up after farting? You also know that this fundraiser,
There are some problems in the imperial court. His Majesty the Emperor has been lamenting all day and night. We, the ministers, have to share the worries of His Majesty. If we collect this huge amount of money, it will not only add more trouble to His Majesty." Having said this, Xue Poye was very rude.
Throwing the booklet on the ground, He Ruhui was so shocked that he knelt down and kowtowed: "The lower official knows the crime, the lower official knows the crime!"
Xue Poye raised his hand and said earnestly: "Master He, please get up first!" Seeing that He Ruhui was trembling with fear, he said, "Master He, you know, I don't have any objections to you. It's just that today we are collecting donations and convening
All the merchants in Jiangnan who are on the market are worth millions. This is the Lu family in Hangzhou. If even their family only spends a mere ten thousand taels of silver, how can other merchants take more? The Lu family is ours.
The benchmark is one of our fund-raising targets, and if you can't even win it from them, then you and I will have failed in our mission."
He Ruhui finally understood what Mr.
Xue Poye showed a smile and said: "If you, sir, come forward, you must be able to capture it."
He Ruhui bowed and was about to turn around and go out when Xue Poye suddenly asked: "Master He, do you know what number to talk about?"
He Ruhui said hurriedly: "Master Hou, please give me some instructions!"
Xue Poye pondered for a moment, stretched out a hand, and said with a smile: "For the Lu family, this is not a difficult task." He Ruhui looked at Xue Poye's five fingers and was slightly surprised.
Ten thousand taels was really not a small sum. It was enough for the Lu family to drink a pot. They immediately accepted the order respectfully.
A gust of cold wind came in through the half-opened window, but it did not destroy the warmth in the room. Xue Poye picked up the fragrant tea on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and told Yu Linwei at the door: "All the rich men, please
If you are thirsty, please go down and give everyone a cup of tea."
…
…
The businessmen drank cup after cup of tea. The cold air forced them to use the temperature of hot tea to increase their body heat. Some people were shivering from the cold and regretted wearing less clothes.
Although Mrs. Qiao is old, fortunately, he is well prepared and wears thick clothes. Coupled with the hot stove sent by Yu Linwei, it is not too cold.
"Has the Lord Assistant arrived already?" Fang Xiaohu saw Yu Linwei delivering the heater to Mrs. Qiao. He immediately understood something in his heart and couldn't help asking coldly.
The Yulin Guard is a royal soldier. Even a small soldier cannot take a businessman seriously. He said calmly: "Your Excellency is still handling official business. Please wait a moment."
"When?" someone shouted immediately.
"That's right, the minister should show up and let everyone stay in the yard. Wouldn't it freeze to death?"
"To put it bluntly, isn't it just a matter of raising donations? We need to raise donations, and we should do what we have to do. We can't waste it like this?"
The merchants who were suffering from the unbearable cold were very dissatisfied. These people lived a life of fine clothing and fine food. Even when they were sleeping, their quilts were lifted and the toilets were flushed when they pooped. How could they bear such a crime?
Habayashi Wei said, "Which is more important, your affairs or yours?" and left quickly.
Mr. Qiao had a smile on his face, took a sip of wine, and hummed a song as he leaned on the big chair. If anyone could hear clearly, they could tell that the old man was humming the "Hang Tune" created by Xue Poye.
Just those pop songs.
Some businessmen really can't sit still, so they can only stand up and move around in place to circulate the blood in their bodies and increase some calories.
Some businessmen wanted to call their servants to find some heaters, but when they looked around, they could see no servants. Instead, they could vaguely see many officers and soldiers hiding in the corners around, and there were even some people in the middle.
The Habayashi Guards of the Royal Guards.
"Are you trying to force us?" Some businessmen immediately became alert.
Xue Poye didn't wait too long, He Ruhui came back in a hurry and reported: "Master Marquis, after repeated persuasion by my subordinates, Mrs. Fang is finally willing to donate 50,000 taels of silver to the court."
Xue Poye stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "I said that there is nothing impossible that Master He can do if he takes action."
He Ruhui's face looked ugly, but he still managed to smile. He suddenly knelt down and said, "I'm the official... I'm begging you to do something for me."
Xue Poye sat down on the chair and said leisurely: "If Mr. He has any difficulties, just tell him. If I can solve it, I will do my best to help."
He Ruhui said hurriedly: "In the future...if the Crown Prince pursues...the investigation, I hope you can say a few good words to me...!" He looked worried, and the muscles on his face even twitched.
.
Xue Poye only glanced at him and understood what was going on. He must have offended Mrs. Fang by sending him to "discuss" the silver donation this time. And He Ruhui was obviously worried that the prince would make a comeback and would pursue him when the time came.
The small prefect of Hangzhou could not afford to suffer the crime.
Xue Poye understood more clearly that He Ruhui had thrown everything into his sect, so he was so afraid of the crown prince.
"Master He, how did you persuade Mrs. Fang?" Xue Poye approached with a smile and asked: "That woman is very shrewd, how can she come up with fifty thousand taels of silver so easily?"
A stern look flashed in He Ruhui's eyes, and he said respectfully: "Thank you, Lord Marquis, I didn't do anything. At first, the lady gave out excuses. Later, I told her directly that... the Crown Prince didn't do anything."
If she can't come up with 50,000 taels, I'll make her lose 500,000 taels. Then this bitch... hehe, that's why she agreed to give out the money."
The people did not fight against the officials, and businessmen were untouchables. The Fang family had no backers, so they were naturally afraid of the threats from the officials.
Xue Poye and He Ruhui looked at each other, and suddenly, they both burst out laughing, very gloomily.
"Power is such a good thing!" Xue Poye thought sincerely.
…
The merchants finally waited for the people from the government, but unfortunately the minister had not come out yet. The one who came out was He Ruhui, the governor of Hangzhou. At first glance, he was the greedy He Ruhui.
"Everyone has been waiting for a long time, everyone has been waiting for a long time!" He Ruhui smiled and held his fists, looking very kind: "Master Xue is dealing with important matters. I was sent by Master Xue to greet you. Thank you for your hard work."
Sitting down carelessly on the chair brought by the official, He Ruhui twisted his big buttocks to make himself more comfortable, and then slowly said: "As you all know, Mr. Xue, the Minister of Household Affairs, made a special trip this time.
I came to Hangzhou to raise donations. Now that there are so many natural disasters, the Holy One cares for the people and stays awake day and night. We, the people, should share the sorrow and relieve the suffering for the Holy One, don’t you think?"
The businessmen looked at each other, but no one wanted to be the first to agree.
He Ruhui chuckled twice and continued: "Speaking of which, you are able to make a lot of money because the country is peaceful and the people are safe. As the saying goes, 'How can we have a home without a country'? You are deeply blessed by the country.
The family is well-endowed. Is it not difficult to donate a certain amount to the national treasury?" He shook the book in his hand and said loudly: "This is a donation book. All the money you donated will be recorded one by one. In the future, we will discuss your merits.
It's all recorded in this booklet." After saying that, he opened a page and read loudly: "Hangzhou, Lu Tianding, fifty thousand taels, accepted!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there were exclamations all around. Although everyone thought that there would be bleeding today, they only thought of donating a few thousand taels of silver at most. Who would have thought that this fire would be worth 50,000 taels.
There was a discussion.
Although Mr. Qiao remained unmoved and kept his smiling face, Fang Xiaohu had already frowned, and his eyes were full of resentment.
During the discussion, Fang Xiaohu coughed twice, and saw a Yangzhou merchant behind him suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Sir, since the founding of Dachu, there has never been such a fundraising precedent. This time, even if the Holy
I mean, ordinary people don’t dare to say anything. It’s just that since ancient times, the so-called donation of money should always be voluntary. How much to donate depends entirely on everyone’s decision. There won’t be any amount for this donation?”
He Ruhui said calmly: "Even if it's a fundraiser, it's naturally up to you. Donate more or less, and we, the errands, can't control it."
The merchant immediately said: "In other words, even if I donate one tael of silver, the government won't say anything more?"
He Ruhui glanced at the merchant coldly, nodded and said: "That's right, hehe, please donate a couple of silver and give it a try." He suddenly stood up, clapped his hands, and several officials immediately came out from the side.
, carrying a big table and placing it right in front, while several guys dressed as accountants were sitting in front of the table, pretending to be taking notes.
The merchant glanced at Fang Xiaohu and saw that Fang Xiaohu nodded slightly, so he walked over, threw down a tael of silver, and said: "Yangzhou Lin Tao, donate a tael of silver!"
Someone immediately put it away, and the accountant also wrote down the name and the amount of the donation.
Lin Tao chuckled, clapped his hands, and was about to leave, but heard He Ruhui say coldly: "Mr. Lin, don't leave in a hurry. When everyone has finished donating, the minister will hold a banquet and eat before leaving.
"
"No need." Lin Tao said: "After donating the money, it's time to leave."
He Ruhui shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, the Minister, invites you to a banquet. This is on behalf of the imperial court. If Mr. Lin leaves now, he will not give the imperial court face." He said in a cold voice: "Master Lin, please sit down first. Your Majesty, the Minister, will turn around and return the favor."
I want to thank Mr. Lin for donating a couple of silver to the imperial court."
Lin Tao looked around and saw that the officers and soldiers and the Yulin Guards were all wearing iron armor. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. Under He Ruhui's cold gaze, he involuntarily returned to his seat.
He Ruhui glanced at the merchants and said calmly: "I have made it clear today. Your Excellency, the Minister, came to Hangzhou to raise donations. The amount of the silver has been determined. If the amount is not reached, the Holy Master will definitely punish the Lord.
Before that, I'm afraid the minister will blame me, so... Hey, everyone, don't come and donate a tael of silver, lest you lose a big thing for a small amount." After saying that, he ignored everyone and left with his hands behind his back.
The businessmen standing there were stunned.
***, today seems not to be a good day!
Xue Poye put his hands behind his back and stood quietly by the window watching everything happening outside, with a weird smile on his lips and a look of confidence on his face.
Of course, he understands that he can only succeed in this fundraising and cannot fail, and he also understands that if he wants to succeed, he will definitely offend many people. However, if he wants to maintain a weight in the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor, no matter what means he uses, the businessmen must be honest.
Take out the money.
"Master Hou, these guys are all pretending to be stupid." He Ruhui returned to the elegant hall and immediately said with hatred.
Xue Poye said calmly: "If they don't pretend to be stupid, then something is wrong. They are businessmen after all, and they are the most difficult group of people to deal with among human beings."
"Then... what should we do?" He Ruhui frowned and said, "We can't put a knife on their necks and force them to take money. If they can become big businessmen, they will have more or less imperial influence behind them.
Provoke and coerce them, and when the officials behind them present a document to the Holy One to impeach us, then...that will not be good."
Xue Poye shook his head, with a slight smile on his lips, and said: "Don't forget, they are businessmen and rich people. What rich people are good at is enjoying. Once the carved buildings are warm in winter and cool in summer, they
Even if I can pretend to be stupid again, there will be times when I can no longer pretend.”
He Ruhui seemed to have some realization, he extended his thumb and said: "High, it is really high!"
Xue Poye looked at Mr. Qiao and asked, "Can the old man hold on?"
"Don't worry, Lord Marquis. I have sent people to deliver several heaters. The fires in them can be changed at any time, so that the old man will not freeze." He Ruhui said immediately.
“Very good!”
He Ruhui immediately said with a smile on his face: "I will accompany you as a lower official, I will accompany you as a lower official, but the Marquis must be merciful." He immediately ordered people to bring wine and food to play chess, and then sipped wine and ate side dishes in the elegant hall.
, played Go.
Fang Xiaohu sat in a chair, his body shaking slightly. No matter how tightly he was dressed, the cold wind could still find its way in through the gaps in his clothes, and the feeling of coolness became stronger and stronger.
The businessmen were all huddled up, and many were shivering from the cold.
On the other hand, Mr. Qiao was surrounded by three or four stoves, which were very warm. The old man was drinking wine and eating peanuts, and he was very happy. Several merchants around him were also able to enjoy the benefits of the stove.
Heating.
Everyone knows that today we have met a powerful character. This Minister of Household Affairs does not show his face, and just ignores everyone, without giving everyone a chance to argue.
What a sinister character.
Time is passing slowly. Although some people in the crowd are cursing quietly, even they themselves understand that these curses will not help the current situation. On the contrary, talking too much will cause the body's heat to be lost faster.
Some people couldn't bear it and donated money in the past, and some even donated five thousand taels. However, the accountant stepped on the stove, collected the money, and recorded the accounts, but made no other remarks.
The merchants have keenly sensed the intention of the Lord Chamberlain. It seems that the Lord Chamberlain wants everyone to bleed profusely today. If the amount of blood does not meet the requirements, I am afraid that everyone will have to sit down in the ice and snow.
The Lu family's fifty thousand taels of silver is a benchmark.
The officers and soldiers did not force or rob, they just treated everyone indifferently. The purpose was to let everyone pay for it obediently. When the time came, it would only be voluntary, and the government officials did not even show their swords.
"What a great minister!" Fang Xiaohu's voice was colder than the cold wind. He turned to look at Mr. Qiao and said calmly: "Old man, you and I represent the interests of the merchants in Suzhou and Yangzhou. We can't hand it over to everyone just because of the imperial court's donations.
It’s the money that everyone has worked so hard to earn. Old Master, shouldn’t we think of a way?”
Old Mrs. Qiao moved his body slightly. He was feeling very warm, but he had been sitting for a long time and his body was a little numb. He sighed softly, "Mr. Fang, I don't have a good brain. I really can't think of this method at the moment."
.You have also seen that if we don’t take out this money, we will never get out of this courtyard. What else can we think of? If we want to talk, we have to meet someone, but the Lord Assistant is still dealing with official business, and it seems that he has no time to talk to us.
.”
"We can't let everyone just sit here and freeze!" Fang Xiaohu said bitterly: "How much money does he want?"
Mr. Qiao shook his head and said: "It's not how much money he wants, it's the court. Mr. Fang, you should know better than me. The court's appetite has always been huge. If we can't feed the court, how can the court let us eat enough?" What he said
It's quite mysterious. If among these merchants, who knows the imperial court's appetite best, the Fang family, as the crown prince's treasury, definitely knows it better than anyone else.
Fang Xiaohu's face was ugly, he frowned, looked at the lazy accounting gentlemen, and snorted coldly.
The crown prince's loss of power has already made the Fang family feel a serious crisis. Therefore, the Fang family tried their best to maintain a peaceful state during the period when the prince was under house arrest.
Of course they were afraid that someone would make a speech in front of the Holy Father and depose this prince's foreign treasury.
Even though the Fang family's wealth is astronomical, as long as His Majesty the Emperor says a word, it will soon be completely ruined. At this time, the Fang family does not want to offend any court forces and cause disaster.
What's more, the Fang family also knows that the minister this time is the minister who is recently favored by His Majesty the Emperor. For such a character, it is impossible to clearly identify the enemy.
Although Fang Xiaohu wanted to tear Xue Poye into pieces.dd