Chapter 306 How much wealth did Wang Lin steal from Yangzhou?
Chapter 306 How much wealth did Wang Lin kidnap from Yangzhou?
This official residence of the Yangzhou magistrate's office is actually much larger than Wang Lin's Bohai County Prince's Mansion in Qingzhou.
Typical Jiangnan garden architecture, the mansion has gorgeous furnishings, various luxury goods, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and countless more.
How could a fourth-grade official have such financial resources? He was only supported by salt merchants.
The prosperity of Jiangnan and the wealth of salt merchants can be seen from this.
Each family received the invitation. Although they were frightened and hesitant, they all came in the end.
Except for Song Qinan, the head of the Song family, all the other heads of the family brought no less than one or two hundred master guards to the banquet.
The banquet was held in the flower hall of Wang Ping, the prefect of Yangzhou.
Wang Lin stood quietly at the entrance of the hall, greeting Jiang Chun and others who came to the banquet one by one.
Wang Lin has a gentle attitude, wears a python robe and a golden crown, is gentle and elegant, and does not have the legendary authority.
After the heads of each family took their seats, Wang Lin stood up and said with a smile: "Everyone, I have been ordered to inspect the south of the Yangtze River, mainly focusing on the two Zhejiang provinces, but also taking into account the salt courses in the Huaihe River."
"The Xu family in Yangzhou was involved in the conspiracy of Qian Zhongshu on the Liangzhe Road and corruption and perverting of the bill. I have found out and the evidence is conclusive, so I led the army to attack Yangzhou to arrest the Xu family and bring them to justice."
Jiang Chun clasped his fists and said: "Your Majesty, I'm Jiang Chun from the Jiang family. Jiang dared to ask the prince for advice. The Xu family was arrested by the government for being involved in the case. Jiang and others did not dare to ask, but we salt merchants have always been lawful in Yangzhou and operated legally, but they have never
It violates the laws of the Song Dynasty. I wonder what your prince’s intention is in gathering us here?”
Yan Qing yelled angrily from the side: "How dare you talk to the prince like this!"
Wang Lin waved his hand: "Master Jiang, don't be nervous. I invite you all to come. We have something to discuss."
Wang Lin stood up and looked around at everyone and said calmly: "The Xu family was involved in the case and raised troops to resist this time. It has become a rebellion. I have already killed Wang Ping, the prefect of Yangzhou. As for the Xu family, I will kill him all over the family!"
"A mere salt merchant was able to support thousands of private soldiers, and he also commanded the court officials at will like servants... This was the Yangzhou of the Song Dynasty, not the salt merchant's Yangzhou. I had to get rid of him to set an example!
"
Jiang Chun and others took a breath of cold air.
Wang Lin added: "The Xu family's share of the salt industry, holding the Emperor's Sword alone, was awarded gold medals, and was taken on behalf of the Salt and Iron Department of the Ministry of Households! But the salt class is the most important thing in our Song Dynasty. In order to ensure the stability of the salt tax in Jiangnan, we
I am determined to seize the salt from the Xu family and distribute it equally among the families in Yangzhou, what do you think?"
Cheng Yizhou, the head of the Cheng family, suddenly stood up and said, "Is what the prince said true?"
Bai Yulin hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile and said: "Your Majesty, the Xu family is the first of the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou and has the largest share. Will Your Majesty really divide the Xu family's share among seven other families like me?"
Wang Lin: "I am the king of the Song Dynasty, patrolling on behalf of heaven, how can I just talk nonsense?"
The heads of the seven families looked at each other quickly, feeling a touch of ecstasy in their hearts.
The Xu family's share is so huge. If the Xu family's share can be divided up, it will be a huge benefit for each family.
But how could Wang Lin be so kind-hearted that he not only left seven of their families alone, but also gave them such a large piece of meat to eat?
To be honest, Jiang Chun didn't believe it for the first time.
Jiang Chun sat there and said softly: "The prince must have some conditions. Why don't you make it clear so that I can feel at ease?"
Wang Lin laughed loudly: "The head of the Jiang family is really extraordinary and has unique vision. No wonder I heard in Hangzhou that the Jiang family has quite a lot of contacts with officials from various states in Jiangnan. It is said that if the Jiang family shakes, all the high-ranking families in Jiangnan will tremble.
Big business!"
"With just one letter from Xu Lan, the Yangzhou magistrate can send troops to rescue him. If he were the head of the Jiang family, he would be no exception."
Jiang Chun's face froze.
Everyone can hear the sarcasm and some hidden threat in Wang Lin's words.
But Wang Lin didn't give him a chance to defend himself, and said directly: "You can't give salt for free. This is the regulation of the imperial court. I believe you all know better than Gu.
In addition, Gu led an army to Jiangnan to eliminate corruption and quell chaos. These tens of thousands of soldiers were eaten by horses, which cost a lot. The officials allowed Gu to raise it on his own, but Gu really didn't want to disturb the place, so..."
As soon as Wang Lin finished speaking, Jiang Chun and others' expressions changed, and they felt hatred in their hearts.
Is this simply a blatant rip-off!
Jiang Chun suppressed his dissatisfaction and said calmly: "Your Majesty, although my Jiang family has been operating in Yangzhou for many years and has made some profits, they have also purchased properties and cannot come up with much cash at the moment... However, since Your Majesty,
I have already spoken, and my Jiang family is willing to donate one hundred thousand dollars in military support, and I hope that the prince will accept it."
Wang Lin's expression remained unchanged, but he sneered in his heart: One hundred thousand dollars? Send away the beggar?
Wang Lin said calmly: "What are you talking about, Master Jiang? Funding the imperial officers and soldiers is purely voluntary for the salt merchants and cannot be forced. Since the Jiang family's financial resources are tight, it is inconvenient for Gu to force others to make things difficult for him."
Wang Lin turned to look at the other six people: "In that case, the Xu family's salt quota will be divided among you and the other six families."
Jiang Chun's expression suddenly changed. Did he directly eliminate the Jiang family?
Jiang Chun stood up and said, "What do you mean, Your Majesty? The Xu family's share of salt imports, why don't I, the Jiang family, have a share?"
Wang Lin slowly turned his head to look at Jiang Chun, with a hint of indifference at the corner of his mouth.
These Yangzhou salt merchants are greedy beyond imagination.
Wang Lin asked curiously: "Why does the Xu family's share have to be your Jiang family's share? I don't understand. Please tell me, head of the Jiang family."
Jiang Chun sneered: "What the other six families have, my Jiang family cannot do without. Otherwise, the Yangzhou Salt Industry will really be in chaos."
Wang Lin wondered again: "Jiang Chun, where did you get the courage to threaten Gu?"
Wang Lin slapped the table and stood up. The green-glazed tea cup on the table fell to the ground and shattered: "Take it down and kill it!"
The two tiger guards stepped forward and drew out the plain knives from their waists. Without waiting for Jiang Chun to protest, they raised the knives and chopped off Jiang Chun's head. Red blood spurted all over the ground.
Cheng Yizhou and others were so frightened that their faces turned pale, but they did not dare to move where they sat.
"Don't think that I am trying to rip off your salt dealers, but... you have amassed huge profits, harmed the local area, and committed countless evil deeds, but I am thinking of you for the many years of running salt courses for the state.
, I deliberately opened the door to give you an opportunity to change your past mistakes and make amends."
"All the salt merchants are as rich as the country... Think about it, if you take national policies and people's livelihood as huge profits, the imperial court will get very little wealth, but you have a lot of money to eat, and your mouth is full of oil. You are like a solitary general, and you are reported to the imperial court.
, will you all have a good ending? Your family will be confiscated and all your family assets will be put into the national treasury, and everything will be reduced to nothing!"
"What I gain is not for personal gain, but for military supplies. Of course, I don't want to hide it from you. The official family is short of internal treasury. This time I came to Jiangnan, I also got the official's secret order... What to do, you can think about it yourself.
"
"Xiao Yi, if you order people to investigate the Jiang family, they must be strict and quick, and no one will be missed!"
Wang Lin shouted coldly.
…
It is impossible to eradicate all eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou.
Although the seven families except the Xu family are not good people, they can even be said to have done evil and harmed the place for hundreds of years.
However, salt merchants are related to salt tax, and salt tax is related to wealth. Once there is turmoil, the Song Dynasty's already stretched treasury may not be able to sustain it for even half a year. How to prepare for the war against the Jin Dynasty?
Therefore, Wang Lin decided from the beginning to eliminate the Xu family and kill the chickens and scare the monkeys.
But we cannot let these salt merchants off so easily.
They have to bleed hard.
Facts have proved that to deal with this group of Yangzhou salt merchants who are unscrupulous, sinister and vicious, and do all kinds of evil, you can only be more ruthless, ruthless and ruthless than them.
Wang Lin doesn't mind if someone jumps out again, he will show no mercy, even if he continues to kill people in Yangzhou.
After the Tiger God Guard returned Jiang Chun's head to the family, the Jiang family immediately selected a new patriarch to take charge of the overall situation.
Cheng Yizhou offered to contribute two million yuan to the Cheng family, and the other families had no choice but to follow suit.
Although two million is a huge amount, for these salt merchants, it will only break their muscles and bones, but it will not shake the foundation.
But Wang Lin also knows the truth of giving up when something is good.
The income of the seven families was 14 million guan. Including the proceeds from the seizure of the Xu family, it is estimated that it will be at least 20 million guan.
Plus the income from Hangzhou...
He finally understood why emperors of all dynasties liked to punish corrupt officials every once in a while.
Wang Lin was excited. His long-planned plan to expand the Fuhu Cavalry finally had the capital, but he didn't know how many horses Murong Wan'er could bring back this time.
Qingzhou's 10,000 cavalry may seem like a lot, but when you think about the great cause of resisting the Jin in the future, most of the Jin's troops and horses are cavalry. These 10,000 cavalry alone cannot compete with the Jin's soldiers.
…
There was no suspense, Wu Song led the tiger guards to attack the Xu family manor, and slaughtered all the Xu family members, not as good as the side branches.
Rivers of blood flowed out of Xu's manor outside the city, and the Yangzhou salt merchants remained silent.
Yangzhou was shocked.
No one knows how much property Wang Lin confiscated from Xu's Manor. Anyway, it took the Tiger Guard almost a day and a night to burn Xu's Manor to ashes.
The Tiger Guards, who had already been prepared, escorted hundreds of fully loaded carts back to Hangzhou by land.
As for the mansion, land and shops accumulated by the Xu family over the past century, Wang Lin ordered the Yangzhou magistrate Xue Dafeng, who acted as Yangzhou magistrate, to dispose of them in accordance with the law, and all the proceeds were compensated to the people of Yangzhou who had been persecuted by the Xu family in these years.
The people of Yangzhou cheered loudly.
The sixth day of the first lunar month of the second year of Xuanhe.
Wu Song led most of the Tiger Guards to return to Hangzhou by land, while Wang Lin took the Ninghai Navy ship and slowly headed for Hangzhou along the river.
It was also on this day that Bangyuan Cave in Qingxi County, Muzhou.
A man named Fang La ascended to the position of leader with the support of thousands of Mingjiao believers around him, and his daughter Jinzhi was made a saint.
The sky's glow is spreading on the Grand Canal, and there is a slight north wind on the river. Wang Lin, Gu Qingchuan and others are sitting in the front hall of this gorgeous boat, talking and laughing, admiring the beautiful scenery on both sides of the river.
.
A group of wild geese flew across the sky in the sunset.
Wang Lin suddenly frowned, and an extremely complex and indescribable feeling of palpitations suddenly appeared in his heart.
My feet suddenly shook violently!
With a loud bang, all the furniture and furnishings in the front hall slid diagonally to the floor, and there was an even louder bang. Wang Lin grabbed the hall window on the side and saw a wave of water rising on the river.
There were huge waves, and the ship was rocking and rushing toward the shore that seemed to be cracking!