Chapter 123: Bad guys, stop it, it’s all Qiu Shenji outside!
"Does this flying money have a tendency to circulate in the market?"
"No, only VIPs from the Chamber of Commerce can enjoy it. General shops cannot use it. The four major chambers of commerce regard this kind of flying money as a benefit and firmly hold it."
"Is the exchange procedure complicated?"
"It's not complicated. As long as you have a recommendation from the manager in the store and have more than a hundred gold, you can turn it into flying money."
After the three of them changed places to avoid the increasing crowds in Dongshi, Li Yan asked a few more questions about flying money.
Then he quickly realized that Feiqian at this time was still a pure exchange business and had not evolved to the historical version. It was more like the "White Deer Skin Coin" of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
During the period of Emperor Wu, the treasury was empty due to years of fighting with the Huns. In order to solve financial difficulties, while minting "three baht coins" and "platinum coins", a white deer skin coin was issued.
It is made of white deer skin from the palace. It is cut into one piece with a square foot and painted around. It is very beautiful.
But no matter how beautiful the skin is, one piece is actually worth 400,000 yuan, which is too much to rob.
However, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used state power to endorse the White Deer Skin Coin, making it a sharp weapon for cutting leeks. The core logic of the virtual currency of later generations is similar.
Today's flying money is equivalent to the white deerskin coins between the four major chambers of commerce. It is endorsed by their business reputation, so that a piece of paper can be worth hundreds of gold, and even has the function of being circulated in other places, with endless potential.
Zhang Yang earned so much money by selling elixirs that it was impossible to carry it in a bag alone. It was very inconvenient to carry such a large amount of money. If it was exchanged for flying money, it would only be a few pieces of paper. Of course, it could be stored at will.
.
So how did Zhang Yang, as a scholar from outside the state, go through the procedures and exchange cash for flying money? This is a key clue.
Li Yan kept a calm expression on his face and continued to listen.
Rong Niang said: "The Dou family has a huge advantage in flying money, and it has begun to circulate to other places. On this condition, the Xiao family and the Xie family gave up the Jiangnan specialties they previously controlled. The Dou family gradually became a dominant family.
The Li Chamber of Commerce has been dissatisfied with the trend. Recently, it has been openly and secretly fighting with the Dou family. Based on reports, the Chang'an County government has sealed many Dou's shops..."
Hearing this, Li Yan was surprised: "Chang'an County government sealed Dou's shop?"
Are the Guanlong clan being bullied on their own territory?
Rong Niang said: "The team was led by County Lieutenant Li Qiao. There are problems with the accounts of Dou's shops."
Li Yan nodded slightly: "I see..."
Li Qiao came from the direct line of the Li family in Zhao County. He was of rare talent and was admitted as a Jinshi at the age of twenty.
It was not enough for this talented man to pass the imperial examination in the regular subjects, so he also took the imperial examination. After successfully winning the examination, he jumped up the rank and became the captain of Chang'an County, and was assigned to Hucao.
This man's talent and learning were truly outstanding. Later, during the Wu and Zhou Dynasties, he and Su Weiwei became leaders in the literary world, and were called "Su Li". Currently, at the age of twenty-six, he is serving as a county lieutenant in the capital, and he has a bright future.
Interestingly, Li Qiao was in charge of Hucao, more than fifty cities and towns on the left half of Chang'an City, and shop taxation fell within his scope of work.
When the two major chambers of commerce, the Li family and the Dou family, started to fight, Li Qiao would certainly not be polite.
Li Yan was very curious about this: "After Li County Lieutenant came forward, how much tax did Dou pay?"
1.341 billion?
Rong Niang said: "Mr. Dou is not prepared to pay even a penny."
0!
Li Yan raised his eyebrows: "The transaction tax in various cities is very low. Compared with Dou's profit, why not make up for it...is it because this hole cannot be opened?"
Halfway through the question, he responded.
The Tang Dynasty was an agricultural society, and taxes were generally based on agricultural taxes and less on commercial taxes.
For example, Hu merchants in the West City came all the way to do business in Dachang, and were charged customs tax and foreign business tax. Local chambers of commerce like the East City pocketed all the huge profits.
This resulted in a culture where scholars, peasants, industrialists, businessmen, high-ranking officials and nobles all believed that doing business was a lowly profession and was looked down upon by others. However, they secretly engaged in business in various ways and took advantage of the low business tax policy to gain the greatest benefits.
Collect taxes?
Go find those who farm, haha, what kind of tax do the rich charge?
Even if it's just a drop in the bucket, we won't hand it over. This gap must not be opened!
Li Yan thought thoughtfully: "In addition to taxation, what other means were used in the confrontation between the two chambers of commerce?"
Rong Niang said: "There are fugitives hiding within the Dou Chamber of Commerce, and Dali Temple is investigating."
That was Li Qianru's business. Li Yan said: "Why does the Dou Chamber of Commerce hide fugitives?"
Rong Niang said: "I didn't hide them intentionally. These fugitives were gangsters in the market and defected to Manager Dou. Manager Dou always likes to associate with brave people. Later, when the incident happened, he also protected them and hid them from being caught."
The government took it."
Li Yan said coldly: "Just a businessman, how brave!"
Rong Niang explained: "The head of Dou is Dou Decheng, the head of Dou's Chamber of Commerce. He is the younger brother of Prime Minister Dou Zuo. His eldest son washes horses for the prince, and the internal guard Dou Jiyi is envoy."
Li Yan suddenly realized: "It turns out it's him..."
Dou Zuoxiang is the former prime minister Dou Dexuan who died five years ago.
According to the blood relationship, Dou Dexuan's grandfather was the direct brother of Li Yuan's wife, Empress Taimu, and Li Zhi's uncle. Dou Dexuan and Li Zhi were cousins. Dou Dexuan's younger brother Dou Decheng was also Li Zhi's cousin.
Of course, the real situation cannot be calculated like this.
Otherwise, due to the marriage relationship between aristocratic families, the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty would be related to the emperor at any time. Once the court meeting was held, all the people standing below were relatives of the emperor~
Even so, it was rare for a prime minister's brother to hang out with people who danced with guns and sticks. It was not surprising that Li Yan thought that Dou Jing had brought Peng Botong with him and finally introduced him to him.
He asked: "So, do you have some clues about the traces of those fugitives?"
Rong Niang said: "In a few uninhabited towns in the south of the city, Manager Dou is planning to wait until the news has passed before letting them out."
Li Yan nodded slightly: "Even after finding out such a thing, it seems that most of the Dou Chamber of Commerce has been wiped out by you. What about the sale of pills?"
Rong Niang said: "That is the core business. It is personally presided over by Manager Dou. Except for two or three close confidants, the other managers are not aware of it. The pills sold are also supplied to a very small number of powerful people."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Li Yan wondered: "Selling elixirs is not a shameful thing, so why is it so mysterious?"
Rong Niang shook her head: "We don't know yet, we are investigating..."
The above information is obviously not the work of Rong Niang alone. The Meihua Internal Guard must have sent in many spies before and after, silently collecting and summarizing it.
Even so, the sale of the elixir cannot be confirmed, which shows that Manager Dou is taboo about this.
Li Yan turned his head, feeling a little regretful that there was no such fat figure.
Otherwise, you can ask him for his opinion, and you will be told that there must be something fishy about this matter~
Di Renjie: "..."
At this moment, Li Yan frowned, and after a moment Ming Chongyan also looked over, and together they took Rong Niang and hid in a corner.
Not far away, I saw a large group of people approaching. Officials from the City Department followed them, nodding and bowing, and walked together to the gate of the Dou Chamber of Commerce.
"The Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple?"
Li Yan saw that two of the leaders were acquaintances.
One is Song Ci, a member of the Ministry of Justice, whose name has been blinded in vain, and the other is Li Qianru, the prime minister of Dali Temple, who is a lackey in reserve.
Not only the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, but also the Chang'an County Government were dispatched. A group of Zaoyi Wuhou were obviously deployed by the County Government.
The leading official was less than thirty years old. He was dressed in a green robe and sat upright on a horse. He looked very official and powerful. Li Yan nodded secretly.
He's wearing a green robe at such a young age, he's not bad at all!
There is no doubt that this is Chang'an household Cao Li Qiao. The three major departments of the Criminal Department, Dali Temple and Chang'an County Yamen joined forces to attack the Dou Chamber of Commerce.
The headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce was alerted, the luxurious door opened, and a dozen wealthy slave-like people came out surrounded by a rich middle-aged man.
A businessman with a supposedly humble status, with his hands behind his back, looked coldly at the approach of a group of officials.
Of course, when all the officials arrived, the middle-aged man still walked down the steps, saluted in white and bowed: "Dou has seen you all, and I wonder what important business you have come here so early in the morning?"
Li Qiao spoke, and his young voice was deliberately rich: "Mr. Dou, we have received a tip that there is something illegal in the Dou Chamber of Commerce, and we are here to investigate!"
Dou Decheng straightened up, half-smiling but not smiling: "Have you received too few reports from County Lieutenant Li these days? This is under the rule of Wannian County, and County Lieutenant Li has worked so hard. He is really conscientious. Please show me the documents!"
The county captain didn't even call him by his honorific title, and just slapped him hard. It was obvious that the two sides were at loggerheads.
Of course, Li Qiao was not polite. He sat high on his horse and waved his hand. An official immediately came forward and handed over the document: "Mr. Dou, please take a look!"
Dou Decheng took it and didn't take it seriously at first, but when he looked at the three-chapter seals of Chang'an County Yamen, Punishment Department and Dali Temple, his face couldn't help but froze. After looking at it carefully, he suddenly coldly snorted: "Absurd! The new scholar has been poisoned.
What do you have to do with my business relationship?"
Li Qiao looked at Li Qianru.
Li Qianru waved his hand, and the Dali Temple Recorder immediately came forward and handed over a piece of delicate paper: "Master Dou, look at it, what is this?"
Dou Decheng took it and his expression changed: "This is flying money from my chamber of commerce, but just for this reason..."
"enough!"
Song Yuanwai got impatient and waved his hand: "Go in and search. Whether you are innocent or not is up to us to judge!"
…
Seeing a group of officials rushing in, Li Yan's face darkened.
There are also capable people in the Dali Temple of the Ministry of Punishment, who followed the Feiqian line.
But based on a piece of vague evidence, they rushed to the door. It was more like avenging a private vendetta than investigating a case.
Use official power to conduct commercial struggles.
Ming Chongyan also looked grim and said: "Li Jiyi, when Pindao first sneaked in, he found that cloud pills were hidden deep in the warehouse. That is key evidence and must not be destroyed, otherwise it will be impossible to prove it."
Li Yan was about to take action when he looked into the distance again and said with a smile: "Don't worry, the man is here and justice will be done!"
Ming Chongyan and Rong Niang looked over.
Then they saw Qiu Shenji walking towards him with a step as if he didn't recognize his relatives, leading a group of internal guards.