Lei Yue Longmen

Early the next morning, Cen Zhu took the list of merchants in Jiankang City, and each household went to ask for money.

First, they called together the most profitable salt merchants in the capital, saying that the emperor wanted to build a garden for the queen mother, and the treasury could not make ends meet. She planned to propose to the emperor to increase the salt tax by [-]% next year to raise money, so I came here to inform them.

These salt merchants were anxious when they heard it. The [-]% salt tax is not a joke. What profit can there be from this increase?They all cried poorly to Cen Zhuo.

Cen Zhuo had secretly communicated with two salt merchants who often dealt with, and they took the opportunity to ask whether they could donate money and crowdfund the Queen Mother to build a garden, so as to avoid the court increasing the salt tax?

When the other salt merchants heard this, they looked at each other for a while, and turned to look at Cen Zhu.

Cen Zhu made it difficult, "It's not impossible to donate money..." When everyone heard her tone, they immediately understood.

"It's just that the construction of a garden is not a small sum, and it must be carried out in at least three phases. Where is the salt tax increased, and there is full bank insurance every year?"

"This...how about you gather up the silver needed for the three phases and give an amount, we can see how much we can share, and just guarantee enough money."

Others have said yes.Cen Zhu pretended to be in a difficult situation, and pondered the feasibility of this matter, saying: "The calculation of these three periods will cost at least 800 million taels of silver. If you can afford it, donating silver is fine." Grain merchants They all turned pale with shock, and even the two salt merchants who had just cooperated with her "perform" were stunned, "Eight...800 million taels? This, this is too much!"

"That's right, my lord, even if we donate all of our wealth, it will still be less than 800 million taels!!"

"Hehe, maybe not? I don't know how much money you have?"

"Of course, 800 million taels is indeed too much. I was just joking with you guys just now." Cen Zhu waved his hands with a smile, and picked up the tea, "It doesn't take that much. 400 million taels will do. , this time it’s the real deal, no more and no less.”

"This..." These salt merchants looked at each other again, "This is also a huge sum of money, my lord, please reduce it!"

Cen Zhu looked unhappy, "Do you think this is a business deal? Can you still bargain?"

"This……"

"Hmph!" Suddenly an old salt merchant patted the table and stood up, "I have been selling salt for so many years, and I have never heard that the imperial court raised so much salt tax at once. Dare I ask this Mr. Cen, what do you think?" The imperial court wants to increase the tax by [-]%, do you have any evidence?"

Cen Zhu took a closer look, and found that the old man was dry, but he still had a lot of backbone, "May I ask who is...?"

"This old man is rich and talented, and he is the owner of the rich family's salt. This old man has been in business for so many years, and he has dealt with not one thousand, but eight hundred court officials, but he has never seen someone like an adult come to talk to a salt merchant with empty words and no proof. You lions opened their mouths. May I ask Mr. Cen, is he really wanting to repair the garden for the Queen Mother, or is he deliberately trying to blackmail our salt merchants?"

Many salt merchants have recalled, yes, such an important matter as the salt tax? Could it be that she said that the tax increase will increase the tax?Isn't it too funny?

Cen Zhu snorted, "Isn't it a long time since you came out to do business? It's no wonder. The director of the salt administration you dealt with was relegated to the local government just last year, and now the salt administration of the household department is in charge of the servant! Before coming out to question the official ?, it is best to check the resume of this servant first. This servant was also in business in his ancestors, and he also dabbled in the huge profits of the salt industry. Not to mention the salt tax increase of [-]%, even if it is increased by [-]%, the profit is enough for everyone here to be rich Yes. If you think that the tax increase suggestion made by me to the emperor is inappropriate, you can go to the emperor to sue! If the rich family doesn’t want to do this business, I can do it, and just don’t give me a reward in the future.”

Yanyin is a salt selling license issued by the Ministry of Households to salt merchants. You have to come to get it once a year. If there is no Yanyin in Yurui, you will be beheaded if you sell salt without permission.As soon as the other party heard that she was going to withhold salt, he immediately became impatient, "Old man... When did this old man say he doesn't want to do it anymore?"

"You didn't say it, but that's what I heard from you!" Cen Zhu suddenly became ruthless, and put down the teacup, causing everyone to tremble, "You don't want to do it, some people want to do it! In front of me What kind of old qualifications are you pretending to be? What kind of prestige is you playing? This official is not what you used to be? An official who has dealt with you, I will not accept your set!!"

Cen Zhu knew that this old man was so tough, there must be someone behind him.She can't care so much now, anyway, Li Pinghong said that he will take care of the courtiers.The old man has a backstage, and she also has a backstage, let's see who can overwhelm whom.

Then Fu Rong stopped talking. Seeing this, the other salt merchants hurriedly said: "My lord, calm down, calm down. Building a garden for the Empress Dowager is a festive event. Please don't make any tension. We just want to donate money."

Cen Zhu sneered, "It's still this man who is sensible and sensible. Building a garden for the Empress Dowager is a happy thing for everyone, and I don't want to make it difficult for everyone to step down. If you question my intentions, you don't have to To donate money, I did not force you to donate. Just like the emperor built a garden for the queen mother, it was the emperor's voluntary filial piety. This official proposed to increase the salt tax to raise money, which is also a voluntary share of the king's worries. If you voluntarily use the increase in salt tax If you want to share your worries for the emperor, that's fine, I can convey your kindness to the emperor, and the emperor doesn't care how you show your filial piety."

"No, no, we are willing to donate silver, 400 million taels, just 400 million taels, our Salt Merchant Chamber of Commerce will definitely raise all the money and do our filial piety for the emperor and queen mother."

The salt merchants are very shrewd, 400 million taels of silver is just cash, and it will be over after handing in this year.There is no deadline for increasing the 400% salt tax, and you will have to pay so much more money every year in the future. No matter how you look at it, it is a good deal to get together [-] million taels of silver.So one after another, they expressed their willingness to donate money.

Only then did Cen Zhuo pretend to be generous enough to make three phases of silver donation plans for them. In the first ten days, he first raised 60 taels of silver, the second phase of 140 million taels, and the third phase of 200 million taels, for a total of 400 million taels of silver. Raised within a year.Everyone has to issue a military order, and if they can't hand it in by the specified date, they won't be able to get Yanyin in the future.

It is said that after these salt merchants went back, the more they thought about it, the more aggrieved they felt, and they sued their backers one after another. Some of the backers jointly impeached Cen Zhu by Li Pinghong. As a result, the emperor fasted for three days, and no one saw him?The censors flocked into Hubu Lane again to find Cen Zhuo's theory, but Cen Zhuo was on vacation for three days and did not see anyone.

Three days later, Li Pinghong set off to visit Master Xuanhan at Qixia Mountain. Cen Zhuo deliberately set up a donation table at the foot of the mountain. The bank note "just happened" to be met by Li Pinghong.

Li Pinghong came over and asked what was this doing?Cen Zhu exaggerated: "As soon as these salt merchants heard that the emperor was going to build a garden for the queen mother, they all spontaneously came forward to donate money, and they all contributed their own strength to be filial to the emperor and the queen mother."

Li Pinghong was very happy, and commended the salt merchants on the spot. He wrote the eight characters "Loyalty and filial piety to the family, happiness and longevity" in his own handwriting, stamped with the imperial seal, and rewarded the salt merchant who donated the most, Fu Rongcai, and Every salt merchant who announces his donation will get an inscription from the emperor's imperial pen in return.The salt merchants were originally ungrateful or unwilling, but at this moment, Fang felt flattered, and kowtowed to thank the emperor for his kindness.

"Wait? On the day when the Fushou Garden is completed, everyone will go to drink in the garden. Everyone will be rewarded. If you don't get drunk, you won't return." Li Pinghong was really happy, and said to Cen Zhu, who was "good at making money", "Cen Shilang, I will The project of building the Fushou Garden is entrusted to you! You have to do it well for me, and don't disappoint my expectations."

This is the first time that Li Pinghong has announced in public that he will build the Fushou Garden. Some of the accompanying officials want to come forward? Dissuade them, but they are all stopped by others, "You don't want to die. Now is not the time to talk about this. Don't spoil his interest, or you will bear the consequences!"

Seeing that Li Pinghong was so happy, the attendants of King Dun also wanted to donate money to please him.Cen Zhu then quietly revealed to him about Li Pinghong's private donation of 10 taels of silver, and said: "The Emperor wants to be filial to the Empress Dowager silently, and he does not want to publicize it in advance. Apart from the ministers, no one else knows about civil and military affairs in the Manchu Dynasty. In fact, the emperor also wants to use this incident to test the loyalty and filial piety of his subjects, if His Highness King Dun can silently contribute to the construction of the garden, the emperor will be very happy."

Li Jingzhao was overjoyed, "Thank you Lord Cen for reminding me that after I return to the mansion, I will definitely send someone to send money. Well, I can't donate more than my father, so I can donate 9 taels."

Cen Zhu immediately shook his head and said: "That's not right, 9 taels of silver seems too deliberate, so the emperor will definitely think that His Highness has learned of the news that he donated [-] taels in advance, and deliberately avoids it, so he passively donated it. Sincerity. It is better to let the emperor think that His Highness is ignorant of the situation, and take the initiative to express filial piety. It is better to be a little 'overstepping', so as to show that His Highness did not know in advance."

Li Jingzhao thought it made sense, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Then the king will donate 5 to [-] taels, and even if he sells his money, he must be filial to his father and queen mother."

Cen Zhu shook his head again.

"Why, ten? Five thousand taels is not enough?"

"No, you can't donate more than the emperor. Donate more than the emperor. After all, you are still arrogating. The emperor may be unhappy."

"This... this doesn't work, that doesn't work either. According to Mr. Yicen, how much should this king donate?"

"As I see it, you can donate 9 taels of silver yourself, and then quietly donate [-] taels of silver for the emperor. In this way, the emperor can not only appreciate your filial piety, but also understand His Royal Highness's unwillingness to surpass the loyalty of his father. "

Fuck!Li Jingzhao instantly felt that it made sense, and suddenly understood why this Master Cen was able to rise to the top at such a young age.It was a brilliant idea, flattering and unrevealing.But he was a little hesitant. After all, ten to ninety thousand taels was not a small sum.

Cen Zhu saw his hesitation, and stepped up his blowing: "You think, the emperor himself only donated 19 taels, but when he looked at the donation book, his name was [-] taels, he must ask Where did the extra [-] taels come from? At that time, the minister will not say anything on purpose, and the emperor will definitely ask. At that time, the minister will tell the emperor about His Highness's filial piety, and say that His Highness intends not to let the emperor know If you do your own filial piety, the emperor will definitely be delighted! A mere [-] taels of silver will leave a very filial impression in the emperor's heart, isn't it a profit?"

Li Jingzhao was overjoyed, "My lord Cen is right. I will do what my lord Cen said. I would like to ask my lord to say a few words of kindness to my lord in front of the Holy One. After the matter is done, I will thank my lord Cen again."

"Your Highness is being polite. The purpose of asking you to spend money is actually to complete the task of raising money. I should thank Your Highness."

Sure enough, when Li Pinghong learned of King Dun's move, he praised King Dun's filial piety in front of the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.So much so that before the Mid-Autumn Festival, King Dun's limelight once overshadowed the two palaces of Donggong and Chengwang.With King Dun taking the lead, other princes and princesses also showed filial piety to the queen mother, and the civil and military officials were not far behind.

The largest donation Cen Zhu received was from Mrs. Zhou Hanshan in Northwest China, a total of [-] taels of silver.As soon as Mrs. Zhou entered Beijing, she drove to the Ministry of Household Affairs before she even rested on her feet. The government and the public were stunned for a while by throwing out such a large amount of money.

In less than five days, Cen Zhuo raised more than 200 million taels of silver, far exceeding the original expectations.Li Pinghong was very pleased, and felt more confident when welcoming the Queen Mother back to Beijing.When Empress Dowager Yan returned to Beijing, there were only two days left before the Mid-Autumn Festival.The emperor used a grand guard of honor to welcome the queen mother into the palace. The clinker, the queen mother refused to leave even Fengluan on the grounds that she was still ill, and insisted on staying in King Xiao's old mansion in Beijing. tower.

At this time, a little girl's comforting voice came from the carriage, "Grandmother, didn't you always think about Uncle Huang when you were in Weiyang? Now that Uncle Huang is here, why are you unhappy? Don't be unhappy? Don't worry, let's get out of the car together, shall we?"

When King Xiao died, his three sons were also gifted to death, leaving only a three-year-old daughter, who was brought up by the Queen Mother all the time.Now that he is ten years old, Li Pinghong doesn't like those eyes that look so much like King Xiao, but thinking that she is the heart and soul of Empress Dowager Yan, he has always maintained the relationship between uncle and nephew on the surface.Hearing her comfort the Empress Dowager Yan like this, I was quite relieved in my heart.

§Volume [-] Meeting the Dead in the Imperial Tomb§