As the sun set, Pang, who hurried back to Qingzhou after inspecting the Lingshan Guards, had just arrived at the capital command office when he saw a green sedan parked in front of the mansion. There were four sedan bearers sitting on the stone steps at the door.
Waiting while smoking a dry cigarette.
Pang Gang called the sergeant guarding the gate and asked, "Are there any guests in our house?"
The sergeant replied respectfully: "Sir, it's Magistrate Wei who's here for a visit. He's been here for almost half an hour. He's now serving tea in the lobby and waiting."
"Oh, Wei Tong is here?" Pang Gang was slightly surprised. The old man had seen him as if he was a plague god, and was afraid to avoid him. Why did he have the leisure to visit him today? Could there be something urgent?
?
Pang Gang walked to the lobby with doubts. As soon as he entered the lobby, he saw a thin figure sitting at a table slowly sipping tea. He seemed content and content. When he heard a hurried voice coming from outside the door,
He slowly raised his head when he heard footsteps. This person was Wei Tongnian, the prefect of Qingzhou.
Today, Wei Tongnian is wearing a golden crown and black gauze, a crimson fourth-grade official robe, a skylark patch on his chest, and a solemn look on his thin face. Seeing Wei Tongnian's outfit, Pang Gang knew that it must be official business.
As soon as Pang Gang entered the door, he smiled at Wei Tongnian and cupped his hands and said, "Hey, Mr. Wei, you are a rare guest. You haven't been here for a long time."
When Wei Tongnian saw Pang Gang entering, he stood up, squeezed out a smile on his face, and said, "Mr. Pangda, I have taken the liberty of visiting today. I hope you won't be offended."
"No, Master Wei, you're so polite." Pang Gang walked to sit next to Wei Tongnian, and soon a servant came up to serve him tea. Pang Gang was already thirsty after a long day's work, so he didn't care about picking up the tea cup.
The tea was too hot, so I picked up the cup and drank it.
After drinking the tea, Pang just wiped the tea residue from the corner of his mouth and said to Wei Tongnian with some embarrassment: "Master Wei, what do you want to do with your visit today?"
Wei Tongnian silently watched Pang Gang finish his tea, and then said calmly: "It seems that Mr. Pang is very busy these days?"
"There is no way." Pang Gang shook his head and said: "The defenses in Qingzhou, Laizhou, and Dengzhou are all in ruins, and they all need to be redeployed. If so many things are handled earlier, I will be able to rest assured."
Wei Tongnian looked at Pang Gang with a somewhat complicated expression, took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to him. Pang Gang finally took a look and found that it was an official document from the Zhejiang Governor's Yamen. It said that there had been a lot of people in recent times.
A large amount of illicit salt was released into Zhejiang and other places, resulting in a sharp drop in salt prices in Hangzhou and other places, damage to the interests of salt merchants, and a sharp decline in the court's salt tax. Moreover, the Hangzhou governor's office has found out that these illicit salts flowed out of Qingzhou Prefecture, and demanded
The Qingzhou Prefecture will strictly investigate this matter, otherwise they will report it to the court and demand severe punishment from the court...
After reading it at a glance, Pang Gang put the envelope on the table with a scornful smile, and said with a playful smile: "These people, knowing full well that those private affairs are handled by my own officials, yet they sent the official documents to you.
He really gave me face."
Unexpectedly, Wei Tongnian, who had not expected Pang Gang to bluntly admit that he was selling illegal salt, was stunned. He glanced at Pang Gang with a complicated expression and said softly: "Pang Gang, they are trying to save face for you! You'd better let it go as soon as possible.
, if those salt merchants are offended, they will really bring this matter to the emperor, and then there will be trouble."
Pang Gang did not answer but asked: "Master Wei, if I stop transporting illegal salt to Zhejiang, do you think those salt merchants will just stop?"
Wei Tongnian hesitated for a while before saying, "As General Dingyuan, he holds a high position. If you stop here, I believe they won't go too far."
"Haha..." Pang Gang smiled disdainfully: "It is simply impossible to expect those salt merchants who are greedy for money to keep their word. What they do is just a delaying tactic. Do you dare to fight me?
I bet, as long as this period of time is delayed, the memorial to impeach me will fly to the emperor's desk like snowflakes. The reason why this official letter is sent now is just to quarrel with us and distract us. Its real purpose
I still want my own salt farm."
Wei Tongnian asked quietly: "So, the rumor that your Excellency opened a salt farm privately to refine salt is true?"
Pang Gang just smiled and said nothing, with a look that you know. Pang Gang also knew that the secret of his refined salt refining technology could not be kept secret for a long time. After all, a place like Qingzhou that originally relied on imported refined salt from other places suddenly poured out a large amount of refined salt.
, and even sold to neighboring provinces. Anyone who is not mentally ill will know that there must be something fishy in it, and it will only take a short time to find it on himself. But what Pang Gang didn't expect was that those salt merchants had such magical powers.
Guangda can exert pressure on itself through the governor of Zhejiang.
Seeing Pang Gang's calm expression, Wei Tongnian seemed to understand his thoughts, and said in a lecturing tone: "I know that you will inevitably be complacent when you suddenly ascend to a high position, but you can't be famous for a hundred days without a thousand people."
Things are going well, especially in officialdom. If you go around provoking political enemies and establishing rivals like you, you will suffer big losses in the future."
Listening to Wei Tongnian's eloquent lectures, Pang Gang couldn't help but feel a little depressed. In the past, he was just a fifth-rank Qianhu, but now he has become the third-rank Dingyuan General of the imperial court, guarding the East Road and the three states.
, to be lectured by this old man whose rank is lower than his own, is there any justice in this world?
Not to mention the depression in Pang Gang's heart, let's talk about Wei Tongnian's evil fire. He lectured Pang Gang incessantly, and he was not allowed to refute at all. He kept talking for two moments before he stopped.
.
When Wei Tongnian stopped to take a sip of tea to moisten his throat, he realized that it was inappropriate for him, as a fourth-grade official, to reprimand a third-grade Shangguan like this. An official with a slightly worse temper would definitely follow suit.
He turned his back.
Wei Tongnian also knew that his behavior was inappropriate, but he just couldn't suppress the evil fire in his heart. This Pang Gang was already a married man, but he was still flirting with his precious daughter, trying to control his daughter's relationship with him.
?And he has gradually received some news these days, all about the Qingzhou capital commander's office selling illegal salt, which has aroused serious concern in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. His precious daughter once asked him to remind Pang Gang to be more careful.
, those salt merchants are all a group of people with great powers. This time Pang Gang has violated their interests, and they will definitely not let it go.
Wei Tongnian originally didn't want to get involved in these nonsense, but he couldn't help but Wei Man Ting kept whispering in his ears every day, no, today he came to the capital commander's Yamen in the name of delivering a letter to give this daring guy a beating. But in
After meeting the real master, Wei Tongnian, who originally wanted to give him some good words, finally couldn't hold back the nameless evil fire in his heart and immediately gave Pang Gang a lecture.
Pang Gang actually knew very well why Wei Tongnian spoke to him in this tone, and thought to himself: "Isn't it just that I have met your daughter a few times? I haven't even held your daughter's little hand, and you rushed at me
Why are you so angry? If it weren't for your good intentions, I would have turned against you."
After thinking for a while, Pang Gang still said kindly: "Master Wei, I appreciate your kindness, but you also know that I need money everywhere. If I don't sell private salt, where will the money come from? The salary of sergeants,
How to buy weapons, armor, farm tools and cattle? People in Zhejiang kept saying that their officials were selling private salt and damaging the national salt tax. However, the salt tax paid to the imperial court by several coastal provinces the year before last year was only a few thousand taels of silver. I'm afraid that this amount of money was enough.
Isn’t it enough for them to pay a Qinghuan to bud? It’s almost enough to deceive a child. In fact, what they lose after Qingzhou’s refined salt is sold is just the interests of the salt merchants. Now they are using the name of the governor of Hangzhou
Come and suppress me, haha... If that's the case, then let's come over and see if I'm afraid of them!"
Hearing Pang Gang's decisive tone, Wei Tongnian couldn't help but feel a headache. He knew very well that the man in front of him looked very harmless in front of him, but he was such a good person that he really annoyed him.
He can definitely do some amazing things.
Just when Wei Tongnian didn't know how to persuade this stupid young man, Pang Gang dropped an even bigger bomb, "Master Wei, I plan to send troops to North Korea in a few days to save the Lee Dynasty in North Korea."
"What?" Wei Tongnian was so shocked by the news that his mouth was wide open and speechless.
"You...do you know that mobilizing troops without permission from the Ministry of War and an imperial decree is a serious crime of beheading!" At this time, Wei Tongnian was so frightened that he could hardly speak.
"I know!" Pang Gang looked nonchalant: "But as long as we don't tell anyone, who will know?"
Wei Tongnian just wished that he was so mean today, that he came here to listen to this guy talking about such nonsense. He would have to bear the responsibility if the incident came to light in the future.
"Don't worry, only you and I know what I said today, and no other person will know. A few days ago, North Korea's special envoys came to my house to ask for help. Now they are forced to Kyoto by 50,000 Qing soldiers. If our Ming Dynasty does not send troops to rescue them,
If so, North Korea would have completely surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.
"I know these truths better than you, but if the court blames them, they won't listen to your explanation." Wei Tongnian was angry. This Pang Gang was also bold in doing things. He made the decision on his own about such a big thing as sending troops to North Korea.
Cutting his head nine times would not be an exaggeration.
"They will, I guarantee that." Pang Gang said with a smile from the side, a faint smile flashed in his eyes, and he did not forget to add in his heart, "If they don't understand, I will use other methods."