After the twenty-four general merchants came out, they held a grand banquet at noon in the Gongdao Hall of the Guild Hall. Mr. Li had fun with the people, drank a few drinks, and then returned to the government office.
As soon as he sat down and read a few official documents, the officers and soldiers guarding the city gate came to report: "Today, the salt eunuch from Nanjing and his entourage entered the city."
After hearing this, Li You didn't pay much attention. The officials, sergeants, and eunuchs left behind in Nanjing used 400,000 kilograms of salt every year, some of which were related to the ancestral temples and mausoleums. The demand was even more picky, so it was not unusual for eunuchs to come to Yangzhou once a year to handle salt.
They came to deal with the Salt Transportation Department and had nothing to do with the local area. Li You relied on his status and reputation, and would not take the initiative to visit the eunuchs if nothing happened.
It is said that Nanjing is close to Yangzhou, and water transportation is convenient. The price of salt is extremely cheap, only about half of the wholesale price at Hankou Port, and only one cent of silver per catty.
Therefore, the profits of trafficking in salt to Nanjing are not high, and the general salt merchants are not very interested. What's more, the salt used by the government and the army is under internal supervision, and they take advantage of their power to give lower prices. No one wants to suffer this.
For many years, the use of salt in Nanjing has always been undertaken by Li You's cheap father-in-law Jin Wanwan. Jin's official colluded with Nanjing and smuggled hundreds of millions of kilograms of surplus salt every year. This is the official salt of Nanjing, which is very important to Jin Wanwan.
If it's a million dollars, it's natural to give it as a gift, and it doesn't matter if you offer it at a discount.
Let's not talk about it, but we said that Mr. Li has single-handedly settled the salt merchants and smoothly carried out the greeting business. His reputation in the city has become more and more prosperous, and the governor's office, salt transportation department, government offices, etc. have all fallen silent. For a while, Taishou Li
I feel that the world is peaceful and the oceans and rivers are clear.
It was the beginning of spring in March, and it was the custom of Yangzhou people to travel with hairpin flowers in March and April. Under the instigation of the whole family, Li You walked out of Gongchenmen with all his wives, concubines, children, BMWs, cars, and boats.
, go for an outing along the Slender West Lake to enjoy the spring.
At this time, Yu Wan'er happened to come from Gaoyou and joined the spring outing team. The year's plan was spring, and she came to discuss the salt transportation business with the Jin family this year. She caught up with the whole family's trip, so they went together.
There were no cunning fights and no tiring official duties. Li You was rarely in a relaxed and peaceful mood. He put down his official airs and showed the vitality of a twenty-year-old young man.
When I felt a little tired, I found a place with a good view, pulled up three brocade barriers, and circled an open space with only an opening facing the lake. I also spread out a blanket. The whole family sat on the ground, eating, drinking, talking and laughing.
Li You watched with great interest the fight between his two children. The eldest sister relied on her half-year-old physique to forcefully suppress her younger brother, while Li Dalang stubbornly resisted with all his strength. A pair of small bodies rolled into a ball on the soft blanket.
Yiyi screamed and couldn't tell who made it.
Mr. Li was afraid that the world would be peaceful. He sometimes cheered for his son and sometimes applauded his daughter. His irresponsible behavior made Guan Xiuxiu roll her eyes and separated the two children who were very happy.
Next to Mr. Li is Mrs. Yu. She spends less time together with Li You than others, so others will not compete with her for this position.
Yu Wan'er glanced sideways at Mrs. Ma who was whispering to Cheng Saiyu, and whispered in Li You's ear: "Please tell me, who is the fifth room?"
"If you come home, it will be you naturally." Mr. Li promised.
Mrs. Yu sighed and said: "We are really like people but have different fates. We in Yujia Village follow the master in front of the horse and behind the horse. Now it is not as comfortable as the Mazhuang."
In Mazhuang, Sizhou, under the strategizing of the clan leader, he accidentally helped Li Youping in a rebellion. After Mr. Li petitioned him to report his merits, he was pardoned by the court for being implicated in digging the embankment of the ancestral mausoleum, and was rewarded to Xuyi County.
With the number of acres of land and the preferential treatment of being exempted from taxes and servitude for fifty years, my life became more comfortable.
"Then the Ma family has a good life, and there's nothing you can do if you don't accept it. Your Yujia village has been moved to Gaoyou, which has avoided disasters every year. Isn't that okay?" Li You said with a smile.
"Farming depends on the weather. The slave family spent some money and went to the seaside salt farm to collect more than a thousand acres of reed land. This seems to be better than farming, which is more drought- and flood-prone."
Mr. Li nodded and said: "You have a good idea." Reeds are a necessary fuel for boiling salt and are equivalent to a means of production. They are considered hard currency in the salt field. It is indeed cost-effective to purchase reeds.
At this time, a middle-aged woman rushed in from outside the barrier and reported to Mr. Li: "There is a man outside who calls himself Yu Da. He said that he has urgent matters and wants to see Mr. Li."
Li You did know this Yu Da. He was Yu Wan'er's cousin. He was proficient in writing and had traveled around the world. He was alert and capable. Yu Wan'er found him and trained him.
Li You glanced at Mrs. Yu in confusion, and Yu Wan'er said: "Today, Jin Yuanwai will lead the stewards in Yangzhou to visit the salt eunuch to discuss matters. Since the slave family wanted to follow the master, he asked Yu Da to go instead of the slave family, but he didn't know
What happened again?"
The words "extremely urgent" were used. Something big must have happened. Li You looked at the blue sky and lamented that he couldn't get enough free time for half a day. After sitting upright, he ordered: "Bring him in."
Yu Da was brought into the brocade barrier. He didn't dare to look sideways, but his steps were very hurried. After greeting Li You, he said: "It's a big deal. Jin Yuanwai and other managers have been caught!"
Hearing this, Li You was shocked and said: "By whom?"
"He was captured by Zhou Huai, the salt eunuch! The young one escaped by chance, so he heard about this report along the way!"
Zhou Huai, the salt eunuch, works in Nanjing's Internal Affairs Bureau. He is a confidant of Wu Dayong, the coordinating garrison guard. He is an old friend of Jin Wanwan and often acts as a liaison. This time he came to handle the salt.
As usual, Jin Wanwan will inevitably bleed again.
That's why Li Youcai was shocked and confused. The two eunuchs, Yanyan Eunuch and Jin Wanwan, must have been in the same boat for many years. They were working together in collusion. How could they suddenly fall out with each other without any warning?
Besides, the salt eunuch is just a person in front of the stage, and his actions may not represent himself, but the guard eunuchs. Thinking of this, Li You shouted: "Please tell me carefully!"
It turns out that today, Jin Wanwan summoned all his subordinates to go to the mansion to visit Zhou Huai, the salt eunuch. Of course, his purpose was not only to deal with Nanjing's official salt, but also to discuss matters related to the trafficking of surplus salt this year. This was his understanding.
It goes without saying that it happens every year.
Yu Da continued: "After we entered the lobby, we sat down. After a while, the father-in-law sneered and said, I heard that Jin Wanwan has climbed to another high branch. I am very happy to congratulate you."
"At that time, dozens of sergeants suddenly appeared from all sides and surrounded us. The small position was close to the door of the house. Because I had practiced juggling tricks, I escaped from the lobby by relying on my skills, and then climbed out of the courtyard by climbing a tree.
We were able to escape, but Kim and six or seven other stewards were all trapped in the mansion."
From Yu Da's words, Li You noticed two important things. First, the eunuch sneered and said, "Jin Wanwan, you are climbing to another high branch." Second, there were dozens of sergeants.
"Husband!" Jin Baoer turned pale when he heard something happened to his father and couldn't help shouting.
Li You suddenly stood up and said, "My husband is here, so don't worry!" (To be continued)