The Red Mansions

Chapter 770 Shen Fang: The lucky minister is in power...

Yamen of the governor of Liangjiang, study in the back hall

Shen Bing was wearing an official robe without black gauze, sitting behind the desk, listening to the master secretary Bai Sixing finish his narration, his old sunken cheeks slowly drooped, he was silent for a while, and sighed: "Prince Taibao, how many civil servants have worked so hard , Diligent in the affairs of the king, throughout his life, it is rare to be awarded this official title, but it is obtained by a child, how unfair the heavens are."

"Dong Weng, speak carefully." Lu Chaoyun's complexion changed slightly, reminding him.

This is the words of resentment, combined with being dismissed and retained, if it is heard by interested people, it will make a big fuss.

Shen Fang said in a low voice: "The lucky ministers are in power, but the loyal and upright people are excluded and suspected, that's all, that's all, let's not talk about it."

Bai Sixing persuaded: "Dong Weng, the two lords Jiang and Meng of the Ministry of War and the officials of the Metropolitan Procuratorate have frequently impeached Yongning Bo in the past few days, saying that Yongning Bo has a heavy army and is in danger of endangering the country. Xu Shi waited for public opinion. It is unknown if there are other changes."

Shen Fang said: "The remnants of the Jurchen forces are still drifting overseas, and they can invade at any time. How could the imperial court transfer Jia Heng's son away? Those people still don't understand."

People in the Jiangnan officialdom didn't understand that this would only strengthen the palace's desire to let Jia Heng's children mess around.

Lu Chaoyun said: "What's the plan for the platform?"

Shen Fang pondered and said: "Now the autumn grain is called for payment, and the millet is transported from the south to the north. First, help the court take care of this matter. For the rest, watch the fire from the other side and watch the changes. At the moment, it is better to be still than to move."

He is now dismissed and retained, if there are any mistakes and omissions, the two crimes will be punished together, and he will be dismissed from office.

Bai Sixing nodded, and said: "Dong Weng, Yangzhou Wang Shouqi's side also has some clues recently. It is said that the Salt Transport Department has lost more than 2000 million taels since the Chongping period. Yongningbo is pursuing the payment from the eight general merchants in Yangzhou. The stolen money is used to make up for the shortfall, it is reported that the family wealth of the four general merchants in Yangzhou has already begun to be counted by the guards of the Jinyi Mansion."

As a staff member of Liangjiang Governor's Yamen, he has a wide range of information channels.

In fact, in the past seven days, apart from rectifying the military affairs of the Jiangnan camp, Jia Heng also began to count and check the shops and industries of the four general merchants of the eight general merchants in Yangzhou.

The four general merchants of Ma, Cheng, Huang, and Bao were all confiscated because of collusion with the Eastern Captives. They then waited for the order of the palace, or waited for the fleet of Jinyang's Ministry of Internal Affairs to arrive in Yangzhou.

"The four major general merchants are famous all over the world. How much money do they have?" Shen Fang asked curiously.

Bai Sixing explained: "The four families have been rich for decades. If they sold all the property in the family, I dare not say too much. There should be tens of millions of taels."

Shen Fang frowned, and said in a low voice, "There are so many?"

He has always known that the salt merchants are rich, but he never thought that these people are so rich, they are really rich!
Bai Sixing said: "Since the Taizu Dynasty, when the army of the Northern Expedition was benefited from salt, the Wang family established the Jiangnan Salt Administration, and then the Huaihuai Capital Transshipment Department was established, and the Salt Administration was changed to a general merchant. The Wang family has enjoyed salt profits for nearly a hundred years. As far as the students can see, the wealth of the Wang family alone is probably 3000 to [-] million taels, as for the other families, although they made frequent salaries during the reigns of Taizong and Longzhi, they have accumulated considerable wealth over the decades."

In the parallel time and space of the Qing Dynasty, according to Li Cheng’s record in his book "Huaihe Beiyao" in the second year of Daoguang: "I heard my father said that tens of millions of people who enriched the capital of Huai merchants decades ago, followed by Millions."

In other words, the wealth of the eight general merchants in Yangzhou is in the tens of millions, and it is nothing more than a question of tens of millions. This is the basic respect for the industry of salt merchants.

However, what Jia Heng previously pursued from the eight general merchants in Yangzhou was the deficit accounts of the salt transportation department from the first year to the 15th year of Chongping, not all the property of the salt merchants.

In the past 15 years, after Liu Shengzao's incomplete confession, the eight major salt merchants used the new to borrow the old, and the credit deficit was 2000 million taels. During the reign of Longzhi, the Han Dynasty was strong and prosperous, and the supervision atmosphere of the Lianghuai salt affairs was the most relaxed.

In other words, among the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou, except for the century-old family like the Wang family, whose strength is unfathomable, the land, real estate, and shop industries of the other several families after the house raids add up to tens of millions of wealth.

This is the hard work of three generations (three to 40 years) of the family. You, Kong Yiji, who can't take off his long gown, how can you compare with others?
Therefore, it gave people an illusion that it didn't seem too much, it was just a rough statistics from Liu Shengzao's confession.

The remaining four salt merchants, although they feel pain in filling the shortfall of 2000 million taels, and each of them pays back 500 million taels, almost draining the money on their books, but the whole has not yet reached the point where the sky is falling, so, In fact, secretly rejoice.

Because Guo Shaonian, the envoy of salt transportation during the Longzhi period, was still at large, the old account of the Longzhi dynasty's frantic embezzlement of salt assets is hard to find now.

As for Jia Heng's plan, it's not that he doesn't investigate, and if he finds out a sum later, he asks for a sum.

Telecom fraud also pays attention to the small first and then the big, but suddenly discovered that it was impossible to withdraw cash, and it was cheated of tens of millions.

In the flower hall in the backyard of Zhen's family, they were also discussing the imperial decree that Jia Heng received today.

As time passed, the entire Jinling officialdom was discussing this matter hotly. As Jia Heng said, it poured cold water on the officials of the six Nanjing ministries who had previously enthusiastically impeached.

Zhen Yingjia was dressed in filial piety at the moment, with a solemn face, sitting on a grand teacher's chair in the hall, next to her second younger brother Zhen Shao and third younger brother Zhen Xuan.

As for Zhen Zhu, since the burial of Mrs. Zhen, Zhen Zhu, who blamed himself, locked himself in the house and ignored the outside world.

The three of them looked at each other after listening to the servant finish the imperial decree that was hotly discussed outside.

Zhen Yingjia's slender eyes saw emotion, and said: "As expected, those impeachment memorials are just a breeze blowing on the face, this is the prince Taibao who is not yet 20 years old, the future is limitless, no wonder mother wants to give him the fourth girl... "

Saying that, there is a little bit of complexity in my heart.

At that time, his Zhen family was not a noble family, no matter how others attacked the Zhen family, it still persisted, and the grace of the gods did not fade.

Even if he was the Son of Heaven when he was hiding in his mansion... Well, who would have thought that King Yong back then has now become the Ninth Five-Year King of Yuji Tianxia?

Zhen Xuan pondered and said: "Brother, I think one has to have military merits. If he has made meritorious service to the country, the views of our family in the palace in the past will gradually change."

Zhen Shao put down the teacup, and said in a deep voice: "It's a pity for the fourth brother, the opportunity is once in a thousand years, if he made contributions in the battle of Jiangkou, he would not be here today."

If he was in command of the navy that day, he would not have allowed the bandits to wreak havoc between the rivers and seas. Today, he is the one who has been promoted to rank, and the calamity of the Zhen family will gradually be resolved.

Zhen Yingjia twirled his beard with his hands, his eyes showed hope, and said: "Now let's see how Qing'er's trip to Ningguo Mansion will go, and whether she can persuade Ziyu to let my second brother recover from your feelings in the name of military affairs."

Chen Han summed up the classics of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and inherited the old system of the Ming Dynasty. After the death of their parents and relatives, all officials must hear the funeral and mourn, and report to the court in time, otherwise they will hide the funeral. Therefore, the emperor will regain his love for his favorite ministers after three or five months of filial piety.

Ordinary officials naturally do not enjoy this treatment. They are often military and political officials and central ministers with heavy weights and heavy tasks who cannot be separated for a moment. , unwilling to win back.

On the contrary, it was praised by people of the time.

For example, Li Shouzhong, who used to offer wine to the Nanjing Guozijian, Ding You had been in mourning for three years.

Zhen Xuan was worried, and said in an uncertain tone: "Brother, will Jia Ziyu agree? When the old lady was there, he didn't want him to take care of her, but he didn't say anything."

Zhen Yingjia said: "I can only say try, this time I brought Xi'er there, if my mother's last wish can be fulfilled, it will be a worthwhile trip."

If the Zhen family felt that Mrs. Zhen insisted on sending Zhen Xi to Jia Heng as a concubine, they were a little unhappy in their hearts.

Now that Mrs. Zhen has left, the Zhen family can no longer control the sense of panic and resentment towards Zhen Zhu, but they feel that it is not unacceptable.

Zhen Xuan sighed and said, "Whether you can help or not, if Xi'er can pass, you can always leave a trace of love for our family."

This is actually the plan of Mrs. Zhen and Zhen Xuan. The fetters between the big families, in the reality that commercial cooperation is not as common as in the industrial society, are in-laws.

Even in later generations, why not?
Otherwise, where did the four families of Jia Shi Wang Xue come from?
Zhen Shao said in a low voice: "Now that the Jiangnan camp is being rectified, there are no vacancies for the five commanders. In my position, if I can make great contributions, it is not impossible to make further progress in the future."

Zhen Xuan's eyes flickered when he heard the words, and said: "What brother said is right, Jia Ziyu can't stay in Jiangnan forever, and when he returns with honor, brother may take over the Jiangnan camp."

When it comes to the end, it is inevitable that my heart will be ups and downs.

The Zhen family's business is actually managed by the third master of the Zhen family, and he donates all the profits he gets every year to Zhen Qing.

Jia Heng actually saw this, and declined Zhen Qing's request.

Zhen Yingjia said: "It's too wishful thinking, even if it's in the palace, it won't let my Zhen family act as the agent of Jiangnan Daying."

Zhen Shao nodded, with piercing eyes and said: "What brother said is not bad, unless you have made great achievements."

For example, he captured the Jurchen prince, such a great achievement.

……

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Ningguo Mansion

Jia Heng sat down, Daiyu, Zhen Qing, Zhen Xue and Yingying Yanyan were all sitting not far away, Zhen Xi, with a palm-sized face flushed, was sitting beside Zhen Xue, stealing eyes from time to time. Looking at Jia Heng, he pursed his lips, as if there was still that reddening breath between his lips and teeth.

After dinner, Jia Heng said: "Sister Lin, I'll go to the study to look at the official documents first. You and Sister-in-law You will accompany the princess and Xinxin to talk."

Daiyu said softly: "Brother Heng, go and do some work. It will be good if my sister-in-law and I stay here."

Jia Heng nodded, got up and went to the study room. Not long after he sat down, he saw Chen Xiao entering the study room with a stack of books with dark blue covers in his hand.

"This is the account book for chasing the payment of the Jiangnan Daying soldiers these days, and the first batch of 200 million taels of silver collected by Wang Shouqi from Yangzhou and the other four families has been handed over to Lin Yushi of the Salt Transportation Department. I'm trying to find a way to borrow, and if I sell too many fields and houses at once, it's easy to fail to sell them at a good price, so I would like to ask the Jinyi Mansion for some time." Chen Xiao said, and delivered the two books in his hand.

Jia Heng took the two books, flipped through them briefly, raised his eyes and said: "The silver can be paid back slowly, 200 million taels of silver is enough for the entire army."

"Furthermore, after Liu Jixian's accountant's inventory, the property of salt merchants such as Ma's family and Cheng's family was preliminarily checked at 5000 to [-] million taels, but many farm houses, antique calligraphy and paintings cannot be sold for silver in a short time. "Chen Xiao took another book, handed it to Jia Heng, and said in a clear voice.

Like the previous house raids, these goods are only the amount of gold and silver on the books, not that there is so much silver in cash, but a rough valuation of several fields, houses, gold, silver and jewelry.

However, compared to ordinary people, the valuations are made by the market prices of garages, and the experts in Jinyi Mansion's house raids are more accurate in their valuations.

Jia Heng said in a cold voice: "When the Ministry of Internal Affairs comes over, let them sell it off slowly. The four families have 5000 million taels, which is almost equivalent to the income of the national treasury for two or three years."

Chen Xiao said in a low voice: "This is the savings of several generations of major merchants."

"It's all ill-gotten gains, stealing the country's money for your own use, and now it's time to use it for the people." Jia Heng said indifferently.

Chen Xiao took a cup of tea, took a sip, and asked, "When will the discussion on salt affairs be held?"

Jia Heng murmured: "Tomorrow, I will be in the government office of the Ministry of Household Affairs. It happens that all the staff are here. Let's make a regulation in advance."

Today, the reform of Yangzhou's salt affairs has also begun. He actually has two options in his mind, one is the monopoly of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the other is the bill and salt law, which is the reform plan of Tao Shu, the governor of Liangjiang during the Daoguang period.

Both have advantages and disadvantages, but there is one thing in common, which is to save money and increase efficiency, reduce floating costs, and reduce moth erosion inside the system.

Just when Jia Heng was deep in thought, he suddenly heard Zhen Qing's voice from outside the house, even a little coquettish: "Brother Heng is in the study?"

Chen Xiao frowned, looking worried, and said in a low voice, "I really don't have a long memory at all."

Jia Heng looked at the girl with a clear face and sullen eyes, gently took the girl's slender hand, and said warmly: "Xiaoxiao, she hasn't come here for seven or eight days after all, you should show some consideration for her."

He doesn't really care, the main reason is that Zhen Qing has a big addiction and needs, and he can't ignore it.

Under Chen Xiao's slender eyebrows, the cold eyes were replaced by a hint of shame, and he said coldly, "Don't wait too long."

Every tossing is tossing for most of the day, which makes people upset.

While speaking, the girl left the study with a clear face.

After a while, accompanied by bursts of fragrant fragrance, Jia Heng looked up and saw Zhen Qing in a plain skirt entering the room, her seductive face faded by three points, and her pure and charming face appeared. With a curious look, he asked, "What were you talking about in the room just now?"

"It's nothing." Jia Heng gathered the books together, looked at Zhen Qing, and asked softly, "Sister Xi'er, is she okay?"

Just now, he took a special look at Zhenxi, but saw that the girl was absent-minded, and also a little shy. It was obvious that what he had done earlier made the girl uneasy.

"She's fine, she's talking to sister Xue'er and your cousin." Under Zhen Qing's slender eyebrows, her beautiful eyes were rippling, she approached, took Jia Heng's hand, her beautiful eyes smiled, and asked: "Your cousin Do you like you?"

Jia Heng took Zhen Qing's hand, made her sit in her arms, put her hair next to the beauty's bun, sniffed the fragrance of her hair, and asked, "Where do you see this?"

Zhen Qing smiled and said, "When you were talking and when you came back, your eyes almost hung on you. The little girl doesn't know how to hide her admiration."

Jia Heng was speechless for a while, and said softly: "Why don't you? That look is like a wolf and a tiger, as if it wants to eat me, and I'm not afraid of being seen."

Zhen Qing: "???"

What was the bastard talking about?Besides, she just likes him, what's wrong?
"She is Lin Ruhai's daughter?" Zhen Qing suppressed her embarrassment, blinked her phoenix eyes, and asked instead.

Jia Heng said softly: "She is Uncle Lin's only daughter."

In fact, he didn't want to talk too much about Daiyu with Zhen Qing, he was worried that Zhen Qing would be even more jealous.

Zhen Qingyan's cheeks gradually turned red, and she said doubtfully: "Then you still provoke the little girl? The fifth prince of the Lin family, Lin Ruhai came from a noble family, can his daughter be your concubine?"

This is different from her Zhen family, even if she doesn't want to admit it, her Zhen family is neither a scholarly family nor a duke's family.

"I have my own way." Jia Heng whispered, not wanting to continue talking, but leaned closer to the beauty's cheeks, gently holding her moist lips, and after a while, looked at the blushing face that was covered with no makeup Go up, and said in a clear voice: "Qing'er, when we get to Beijing, let's hold back for a while. Fortunately, it was Xi'er who bumped into me today, not someone else."

In fact, he still listened to Chen Xiao's reminder.

Zhen Qing put her arms around Jia Heng's neck and snorted softly, her beautiful eyes like water were charming, she asked in a low voice: "Then what should I do if I miss you?"

Jia Heng said: "Be patient."

Zhen Qing: "???"

Jia Heng said: "I don't know why you have such a big addiction, thinking about those things all day long."

Zhen Qing spat softly, her jade face was hot as fire, she said angrily, "It's not you! I was not like this before, it's not because of you bastard."

She didn't know why, since she met him, she didn't realize it at first, but gradually found that he seemed to be poisonous, and she wished to be entangled with him every day.

Zhen Qing suppressed the strange thoughts in her heart, thought for a while and said: "Sister Zhenxi is at your house now, it should be easier for me to find you in the future."

Jia Heng buried his head in the moon, and said vaguely: "When you get to Beijing, you can't come here every now and then, just come once every half a month."

"Half a month..." Zhen Qingxiu frowned, her phoenix eyes were clearly dissatisfied, she suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about sister Xue'er?"

Jia Heng was stunned for a while, but did not answer.
I still feel a little uncomfortable for a while, is this not trying to cool off?

Zhen Qing's cheeks were as white and greasy as snow, but she sneered and said, "Xin Xin is in your house, so she can be separated from time to time?"

Jia Heng said softly: "Xue'er, it's actually not good for her to come here often. When I get to Beijing, I'll be the center of attention. Just be careful."

Zhen Qing was about to say something, but suddenly she frowned, and let out a grunt from her nostrils. Looking back, her long and narrow beautiful eyes were angry, she bit her lower lip with her white teeth, and said, "You... now, Xi'er, who looks like a younger sister by four or five points, has also followed you, and you are getting more and more satisfied, I'm afraid... in a daze, you can't tell who is who."

After getting along with each other for a long time, especially when it was sunny and snowy, I already knew some weird thoughts of the man.

"I told you a long time ago, Xi'er is still young." Jia Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly said to the concubine Yao, with a straight face, thought for a while, and then asked: "Such a big thing happened here in Jinling. Son, does the King of Chu have a letter from his family recently?"

"You bastard, you're carrying him again." Zhen Qing trembled when she heard the words, and said angrily, but after a while, she still replied: "In Beijing... it's not easy for him to come here, so someone handed over the letter , asking about the situation."

Jia Heng's mind was moved, and at this moment he was also curious about what family letter the King of Chu wrote to his concubine, and asked: "What did the King of Chu write in your family letter, did you ask about the Zhen family's affairs, or Mention Jiangnan Camp?"

"You...do you still want me to read the letter to you?" Zhen Qingfang was very ashamed, and said angrily, this bastard was thinking about something shameless, even though she couldn't guess it at first, but the subtleties The change in time also gradually became clear.

Beads of sweat gradually oozed from Jia Heng's forehead, and the stern eyes under his sword eyebrows changed drastically, and he said with a strange expression: "It's just...to avoid being bumped into again."

Zhen Qing: "..."

Sure enough!So calling your brother Heng like a younger sister is not what you want?

Do you want her to read... Seeing the words is like meeting, the concubine has been going south for ten months?

Ah, what is she thinking?This bastard, she was turned into a bad woman by him.

After a while, Zhen Qing frowned and frowned, and changed the subject, but her voice trembled slightly, and asked: "Then...how can I tell my father and second uncle when I go back?"

Jia Heng turned to hug Liren and said: "Well, wait for a while to see if there is any war. Even if the situation is restored, your second uncle's minor achievements will not change the overall situation, but it is better than nothing."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Qing hugged Jia Heng's neck tightly with both hands, her heart filled with sweetness, and said happily, "Zi Yu, I knew you wouldn't be so cruel."

"I'm just being cruel if I don't help you?" Jia Heng frowned.

Zhen Qing hurriedly put her arms around Jia Heng's neck, and said in a trembling voice, "You...you are going to die."

Jia Heng settled down, and said: "However, don't have too much hope. No matter how much your second uncle struggles, at most he can keep his lineage. No one else can keep it."

Zhen Qing's delicate body trembled slightly, her jade cheeks and her neck were rosy red, her pink lips seemed to be parted, and she said, "Yes."

Jia Heng's voice became more anxious, and he frowned: "Stop talking, hurry up, don't let anyone bump into you again."

Xiaoxiao's warning is still useful.

Zhen Qing's beautiful eyes were tightly closed, she pursed her cherry lips, and let Jia Heng pester her to death.

……

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(End of this chapter)