After all, he is also the successor that the family has fully cultivated. Yan Xicheng is still outstanding in terms of execution and social skills. Early the next morning, he followed the arrangement of his grandfather Yan Wenda and sent the invitations to several families mentioned by the latter.
Long hands.
The patriarchs of the Yang, Zhu, Yu, and Zheng families received the invitation and listened to Yan Xicheng's relay of his grandfather's intention. They all expressed their opinions on the spot without hesitation that they would attend the banquet on time in the future and would not tolerate a reckless man.
With the support of officials, he can do whatever he wants on Jingdong East Road.
However, Yan Xicheng was sent away on the front foot, and Zhu Hongrui, the patriarch of the Zhu family, quietly went to the Zheng family.
"It happened that" Yu Wenkui, the head of the Yu clan, also came to have tea with Zheng Bai'en, the head of the Zheng family. The three of them chatted casually for a few words, and soon, they tacitly led the conversation to the banquet that was about to be held by the Yan family.
"I and Brother Wen Da are close friends. I have to give him some face." Zheng Baien put down the tea cup and shook his head helplessly as he said, "But, how can I put it, I don't think that he is like this?"
This time I acted wisely. The man surnamed Han is just eager to make contributions and repay the emperor's favor. Just let him take one step. This kind of person is like a storm on the sea. It comes and goes quickly. Why should we?
Do you want to argue with him for a while?!"
"Isn't that right? The person named Han is the wind, and we are the grass. He is strong and he is strong. When he leaves, our family will still have the final say in Qingzhou? Alas - Lao Yan, neither
You know what kind of cramp you have, so you have to compete with him?" Yu Wenkui not only cooperates closely with the Zheng family in business, but also holds almost the same views on the matter at hand as Zheng Baien.
"I have talked with Brother Wenda, but he always feels that his eldest son is the real power magistrate, and his rank is higher than the punishment. He should not bow his head easily and lose face." Zhu Hongrui thought and got close to the two of them.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come all the way to discuss with Zheng Baien, "But he didn't want to think about it. The man surnamed Han is gaining power in front of the officials, and his eldest son is far away from Bianliang! Alas, others are like this. When they get stubborn, a hundred heads
Even an ox can’t pull it back!”
"Then tell me, if he proposes to increase the price of rice and salt, will the three of us follow suit?" Seeing that Yu Wenkui and Zhu Hongrui basically had the same idea as his own, Zheng Baien grabbed the teacup again, lowered his head to sip water, and discussed in a low voice.
.
"You must follow! This is what makes people uncomfortable!" Since he came here to discuss countermeasures, Yu Wenkui did not hide anything and decisively expressed his point of view, "Yan, there are more than one pair of juniors in the Yang family.
We got married. The Yan family proposed to increase the price of rice and salt, and Yang Xiuwen, the old guy, would definitely be the first to support it. And the two of them control 70% of the rice and coarse salt on the market, so our three stores can’t
Hey, how many days can you hold on?"
"The key is that most of the ships heading to Goryeo are at the disposal of the Yang family. If the three of us don't give brother Wenda this face, I'm afraid we will lose a lot of money on sea goods!" Zhu Hongrui
He also made a grimace and expressed his position sadly, "And if we draw a clear line with the Yan family now, it will definitely increase Han Tixing's arrogance. Who knows, after that guy has tormented the Yan family, he will point the knife at it again.
we?"
"I think so too. We must let Han know that if we are forced to panic, there are many ways to embarrass him." Zheng Baien put down the teacup again and nodded lightly, "As the saying goes, a big tree will wither.
Zhi. After so many years, who can guarantee that my nephews and servants have not done anything that violates the law!"
"Yes, if you don't check it, if you check it carefully, everyone has shit under their butts. So, even if it is to protect ourselves, we have to make progress and retreat together with the Yan family!" Yu Wenkui immediately took over the conversation and shouted loudly
Summarize.
However, after a brief pause, he quickly added, "But how to keep up, you need to have a certain degree of control. What I mean is, just stop at it. After the spring, there will be no supply, and in previous years, the price of rice would have to rise by 30 to 50%.
It will even double occasionally. Our salt price can be kept in line with the Yan family. As for food, it should be doubled. No matter how high it is, we would rather close down and stop doing business than make this illegal money!"
"I agree with this!" Zhu Hongrui thought for a while and nodded vigorously. "There are nephews and servants in the family who are negligent in discipline. It is an unintentional mistake. Even if someone finds out in the future, we can still get away with it. But while we are still young,
Raising food prices is a serious crime in any dynasty or generation. We can't risk the whole family's future just to deal with someone named Han!"
"Well, what you two said makes sense!" Zheng Baien slapped his hands on the table and concluded loudly. "If you don't eat salt, you will have no strength at most. Besides, Qingzhou is less than two hundred miles away from the sea, so you can't afford salt. So you can get some seawater and go home.
We can survive secretly, but if we don't have enough food, we will definitely starve to death. If Yan takes the lead, we have to follow. However, the bottom line for the three of us is not to do evil!"
"Yes, only follow half, have a bottom line and don't do evil!"
"Don't do evil and accumulate virtue for your descendants!"
After listening to his conclusion, Yu Wenkui and Zhu Hongrui also raised their hands.
The three of them were all old foxes who had seen strong winds and waves. They quickly reached an agreement based on their own interests.
"In addition, I think we can't just stick to it. We have to find a way to find out clearly what the person named Han wants to do. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemies can we deal with it calmly!" Now that they have reached an agreement, Zheng Baien will not continue to waste time on the same topic.
More saliva. After thinking about it, he suggested in a low voice.
"The problem is, that guy doesn't do things according to common sense at all. Like this time, everyone clearly put the opportunity to make meritorious deeds right under his nose, but he just didn't do anything!" Zhu Hongrui grimaced again and responded in a low voice, "Those under him
It is said that the big-headed soldiers are all indebted to him for saving their lives, and every one of them can't get in! I haven't been thinking of anything these days, but no one is willing to even take the silver beans!"
"That guy is alone. He doesn't trust the original people of Ti Xing Division at all. Now, the only people in Ti Xing Division who can talk to him are the confidants he brought with him, and his brother-in-law Dou Sha!"
Yu Wenkui thought for a while and added with a frown.
"Then think of a way to get in touch with his brother-in-law first. Whether it's women or money, everything goes to his liking!" Zheng Baien gritted his teeth and made a decision in a low voice, "I will pay for the money alone, and you two will help.
Come up with a few juniors who are discerning and eloquent, and support his brother-in-law together!"
"Difficult!" Zhu Hongrui still had a grimace on his face and shook his head repeatedly, "I sent someone to try it. Han Qing's brother-in-law Dou Sha, despite being from a small family, has a very high vision. And he admires him very much. He would rather
He refused to accept the benefits that were delivered to him, and refused to do anything to disgrace his brother-in-law!"
"We don't want to go against his brother-in-law!" Zheng Baien frowned and added in a low voice, "We just want to be correct."
"If you only want a word of accuracy, why not give up those conventional methods!" Yu Wenkui's eyes suddenly lit up and he suggested in a low voice, "Don't rush to give money to women, find a few people of similar age to accompany that Dou Sha.
.I heard that he is only sixteen years old, and he must be very bored at times. He must be very happy to have someone to make friends with him and play with him!"
"Then don't be too busy asking for information from him, let alone hide your identity. Simply send the younger generation of the family to go out and make friends with him!" Zheng Baien was immediately reminded and quickly added again, "Let Han Ti
Xing, just see the goodwill of our family. If he doesn't want to put everyone on Jingdong East Road in danger, sooner or later he will draw a road and ask us if we are willing to accept it!"
"This is a good idea!" Zhu Hongrui's face softened a little, and he nodded slightly. Then he looked at Zheng Baien and Yu Wenkui, and continued to lower his voice and reminded, "Your two families don't have much to do with the Chunyang Sect.
Right? I feel that he will not give us any room for negotiation when it comes to the Chunyang Sect. As long as we get involved, we will definitely pursue him to the end."
"Don't worry, who is a good person?" Zheng Baien curled his lips and shook his head with a sneer.
"We are all from a scholarly family. Who dares to have an affair with Chunyang Cult? I will be the first to break his legs!" Yu Wenkui gritted his teeth and whispered harshly, "As for the servants below, I will break his legs first!"
After you go back, immediately clean up the house yourself. If you find someone, drive him out and never give him a chance to cause trouble to the family!"
"That's good, that's good. Our Zhu family has only been extorted by the Chunyang Sect for a few stones of food. There are no direct descendants or nephews in the family who are walking with the Chunyang Sect." Zhu Hongrui let out a long breath and said repeatedly
nod.
The three of them looked at each other and smiled, and reached an agreement on the second topic. Then they each refilled their tea soup and drank it slowly.
"I think about it, the Yang family may not be able to clean themselves up so easily!" Zhu Hongrui was obviously a pessimist. After drinking a few sips of hot tea, he began to worry again. "Their family has controlled maritime trade for many years. Chunyang Sect initially
, it was spread over Dengzhou Port."
"Remind that old guy named Yang to be our friend. As for what he does, we have no control over it!" Zheng Baien was originally at odds with Yang Xiuwen, the patriarch of the Yang family, so he gave the answer without even thinking about it.
.
"Well, remind him, let's put his mind at ease. Whether he listens or not is up to him!" Yu Wenkui immediately nodded in agreement.
Zhu Hongrui listened and nodded. Immediately, he began to worry about another matter, "There are also brother Wenda, his housekeeper and book boy, but they have been arrested for a while.
You have to remind him to do the cutting early to avoid being taken advantage of!"
"What, have those two evil slaves confessed?" Zheng Baien was obviously the backbone of the three, and he immediately frowned and asked about the situation in a low voice.
"Not yet. It is said that the person named Han did not interrogate these two people at all." Zhu Hongrui thought for a while and responded in a lower voice, "However, the Liu family brothers and sisters and Luo Huaisheng both lived in the Crane Control Department, and the person named Han was arrested.
Someone was sent to protect Tuantuan. With the accusations made by the Liu family brothers and sisters and Luo Huaisheng, it doesn't mean much for those two evil slaves to confess or not. Especially for Yan Guanshi, if Yan Wenda doesn't clear up the matters about him as soon as possible, he will fall into the trap sooner or later.
big trouble!"
"Big trouble?" Zheng Baien frowned more and more, and his voice became lower and lower, "You mean, in addition to occupying the Liu family's property and killing Liu Xiucai, Yan Guanshi also committed other serious crimes? He won't
We have really colluded with the Chunyang Sect. In that case, we have to discuss the matter of advancing and retreating together with the Yan family!"
"It's not the Chunyang Sect. Lao Yan himself was the prefect of Henan. He doesn't like the connections of the Chunyang Sect!" Zhu Hongrui quickly looked around and his voice became as thin as a gnat, "You two
Haven’t you heard? In recent years, the Yan family’s most profitable income is not sea trade, grain and coarse salt. They also sell people!”
"Aren't they just Silla maids? What's the big deal? The Yan family has been doing this business since the previous dynasty. Silla women can't afford to eat. If they come to us, they won't starve to death. Although Silla is now called Goryeo
, Women are not all the same!" Not liking how he was always mysterious, Yu Wenkui frowned and scolded.
"Ah, my old brother, if they are Silla maids, do I have to tell you two?" Upon hearing this, Zhu Hongrui immediately called out in a low voice, "It's the other way around, selling the women and children of the Song Dynasty to Goryeo, and even
Go to Daliao. Especially the latter. It is said that the officials' families are proud to raise our maids and book boys from the Song Dynasty. However, among the girls and boys in the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun, few are literate and their looks are not as good as ours.
The water spirit on the side. So..."
"Hiss—" before he could finish his words, Zheng Baien and Yu Wenkui both changed their expressions, and one of them grabbed one of his arms, "Who did you listen to? You can't say this nonsense. Sell it.
When people from the Song Dynasty go to work as slaves for the Khitans, they are not afraid of humiliating their ancestors?!"
"The money paid by people in the Liao Kingdom is so high! My two old brothers sailed from Dengzhou to Silla and to the Liao Kingdom. The distance is about the same." Zhu Hongrui grinned after being caught, but he still spoke in a very low voice.
Added, "In the beginning, I just bought children from poor families who couldn't get rid of the pot, taught them how to read for a few months, and then sold them to the Liao Kingdom. It was considered to be a good deed. I worked as a maid and a book boy, and at least gave the children a way.
But later, the nobles from the Liao Kingdom offered higher and higher prices, and put forward various conditions in terms of age, appearance, music, chess, calligraphy and painting. The more they knew, the more they could sell for sky-high prices. They were strict
It would be difficult for a family to meet the qualifications when buying a child from a poor family. Therefore, they can only search in Yangzhou, Hangzhou and Suzhou, where there are many scholars and the children will grow brighter. As for the children, the parents thought that they could not get rid of the trouble and sold them.
Whether it was kidnapped or robbed, it’s hard to say!”
"Who did you listen to? The Yan family, the Yan family is a harbinger of the times. How can you do such immoral things?!" Knowing that Zhu Hongrui might be telling the truth, Zheng Baien and Yu Wenkui,
But he refused to believe it and kept asking questions with a livid face.
"There was a runaway slave in his family who escaped to my house last year. Seeing how pitiful that man was, I secretly sent him to Hebei to join the army!" Zhu Hongrui gritted his teeth and responded with a lot of worry, "The cause of Liu Xiucai's death
, it may not be that the Yan family took a fancy to the dozens of acres of irrigated land. It was just that they accidentally learned the secrets of the Yan family and were silenced. I didn’t know that Manager Yan was in charge of this matter.
Others in the Yan family are in charge, and I don’t know how much of the Yan family’s direct descendants are involved. However, I can guarantee that when Manager Yan kidnapped the Liu family brothers and sisters, he definitely planned to put them on a ship and sell them to the Khitan!"
