After the reception banquet, Jia Lian didn't care what the reaction of the salt merchants and the Yangzhou government would be. He still stayed quietly at the Salt Patrol Yamen, checking the files, sorting out the past salt administration accounts, and sending people from time to time to report relevant personnel and the salt administration
The officials took him to the Yushi Yamen for interrogation.
He acted in a business-like manner, clearly trying to threaten the salt merchants into submission.
With this behavior, even the people around him began to wonder if Jia Lian had also been blinded by greed and had forgotten his original intention of coming to the south of the Yangtze River.
In the temporary office, Liu Xianglian handed the newly learned news to Jia Lian, who was sitting at the top. She couldn't help but ask: "Master Hou, if those salt merchants agree to your terms, will Master Hou really want to let them go?"
Pass them?"
Liu Xianglian was in the camp at the time and heard the confrontation between Jia Lian and the salt merchants.
Although the smuggling of salt merchants violated national law, it is understandable that the court gave a lenient punishment in order to stabilize the salt administration. Therefore, Liu Xianglian could understand that Jia Lian ordered the salt merchants to hand over three million taels of silver to replenish the national treasury.
But there was always doubt about Jia Lian's request for one million taels of silver from the salt merchants.
One million, what kind of amount is that? You know, only ten thousand taels of silver, all converted into gold ingots, that's a box full.
One million taels, that’s one hundred boxes of gold!
One hundred boxes of gold, just thinking about it makes people feel unreal.
Think about the Xue family, as a top imperial businessman well-known in the north and south, and known to the world as having a fortune of millions.
Jia Lian's one breath is equivalent to asking a Xue family to come out??
The Xue family only had a millionaire, but what Jia Lian asked for was real gold and silver! Even the Xue family would not be able to get so much money.
The key is, Jia Lian actually asked for such a huge amount of money in public without any cover-up, so he was not afraid that the salt merchants would give in temporarily and sell him to the court? No matter how much the emperor trusted Jia Lian, once he really knew about Jia Lian
His appetite is so huge, I'm afraid he'll feel chilly.
Therefore, Liu Xianglian did not understand Jia Lian's behavior.
Jia Lian looked down at the Di newspaper in his hand and shook his head: "They won't agree."
Liu Xianglian was stunned, "Why is the Marquis so sure? No matter how well they cover up their illegal salt sales, as long as you continue to investigate, you will always find out the real evidence. Even if they have great backgrounds, the Marquis will have His Majesty's support."
, naturally they can also be punished according to national law.
My subordinates can't figure out what other options the salt merchants have besides agreeing to the Marquis's request."
"I don't know how to do it, but I know that they must be reluctant to take out these four million taels! Haha, four million taels, even I can't imagine how much money that is. Maybe they can only manage the treasury
Those officials can have an idea in mind.
Do you think those salt merchants who value money more than their lives would be willing to hand it over easily? Impossible, it would make them feel distressed and unable to sleep for ten years."
Hearing Jia Lian's determination, Liu Xianglian couldn't help but said: "Since you understand, why do you still take the initiative to make such a request?"
Jia Lian only raised his head at this moment, glanced at Liu Xianglian, smiled enigmatically, and gave no explanation.
He could see that Liu Xianglian seemed docile, but in fact she was very arrogant. She was afraid that she had not yet respected and surrendered to him, the Marquis, from the bottom of her heart.
"Counting the time, they should have arrived." Looking at the sky outside, Jia Lian stood up with a smile and said to Liu Xianglian: "Let's go out and have a look. Maybe you will know why I did this soon.
"
…
"I hold the humble position of Yangzhou garrison Gao Kui, please see the Imperial Envoy."
In a side hall in the front yard of the Yanxunyan Censor's Yamen, Yangzhou guards and three thousand generals sat down to pay their respects to Jia Lian.
"I wonder what the imperial envoy's orders are for summoning men of humble rank to come?"
Guard Gao Kui was a little worried, so even though Jia Lian looked kind and took the initiative to make friends with him, he couldn't help but ask.
As the imperial envoy to supervise the salt administration, Jia Lian should instruct the prefect Wu Zhirong and others when there are matters, but he summoned them alone, and his intentions are somewhat unpredictable.
"It's not a big deal..."
Jia Lian looked at Gao Kui and others in front of him with a smile. Yangzhou is a large government, so it has a standing army of nearly three thousand, and its garrison is also at the fourth level, which is on the same level as the prefect.
Of course, Yangzhou garrison is under the command of the governor of Jinling and is only in charge of Yangzhou's military affairs. And Yangzhou is a stable state capital in the mainland. In terms of power, the garrison is much lower than the prefect.
"It's just that I have been inspecting the salt administration in the past two days and found that there are many shortcomings in it. I want to make drastic rectifications in accordance with His Majesty's will, but I am afraid of disturbing the tranquility of Yangzhou City. Therefore, I have called you here for only one thing.
, that is, in the next time, let you and others strengthen the defense of Yangzhou City, and do not let some people with ulterior motives disrupt the security of Yangzhou City."
Although Jia Lian said this with a smile, Gao Kui and others were still a little strange.
The most powerful people in Yangzhou City are not the princes of the government, nor the few great scholars from the central government who returned to their hometowns after serving in the central government, but the big salt merchants who own the major estates in Yangzhou.
This is well known to the entire Yangzhou officialdom.
Jia Lian came here just for the salt policy. At this time, he told them that he wanted to rectify the salt policy. He also said that because his behavior might endanger the tranquility of Yangzhou, he wanted them to strengthen the defense of Yangzhou City...
Could it be that Jia Lian or His Majesty the Emperor is really going to take action against those salt merchants?
Not daring to express his inner thoughts, Gao Kui clasped his fists and said, "Maintaining the stability of Yangzhou City is the responsibility of Bei Gong and others. I just don't know what exactly you want Bei Gong and others to do?"
"It's hard to say exactly what to do, because I don't know yet who are the loyal and patriotic people in the city and those who have ulterior motives.
Therefore, Gao Shouwei and several Lords of Qian might as well stay in my office for the time being. In this way, even if there is any accident, I can dispatch a few adults to assist in time. I wonder what the adults think?"
"this……"
Perhaps because they were military attachés, several people immediately understood what Jia Lian meant, which was to put them under house arrest.
"Why, are the adults unwilling to assist me in doing things for His Majesty? Or do the adults have any concerns? For example, they have secretly colluded with the salt officials and salt merchants, so they are worried that they cannot go out to inform them?" Jia Lian
asked with a smile.
Gao Kui turned his face aside and immediately knelt down and said: "My lord, I am wronged. Although I and others are stationed in Yangzhou City, they are only responsible for city defense and extermination of bandits within their jurisdiction. They have absolutely nothing to do with the salt government, let alone salt merchants."
What's the connection between them..."
Gao Kui's heart trembled. The situation in front of him was obviously that Jia Lian was going to attack the salt merchants. At this time, even if he had friendship with the salt merchants, he would not admit it until death.
Gao Kui was like this, and several other presidents also immediately knelt down to express their gratitude.
Seeing that Jia Lian was still looking at them carefully, Gao Kui immediately said with interest: "I am humble and willing to work hard for you, and I am also willing to obey your arrangements and wait for your orders in the camp."
Jia Lian then smiled and said, "In that case, please rest in this courtyard first. As long as you don't leave this courtyard, if you need anything, please feel free to mention it to me and my guards. You're welcome."
After saying that, Jia Lian raised his feet and left.
Gao Kui knelt and turned around to watch Jia Lian leave, then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, looked at each other and stood up with his three subordinates.
He walked to the door and looked outside, and found that there were indeed more than a dozen guards with swords and armor standing outside. Even the two guards who came in with him were nowhere to be found. There was no trace of Gao Kui.
Understand the meaning.
"Sir, we..."
"What about us? Didn't you listen to the imperial envoy and asked me to wait here for orders? Don't blame me for not reminding you. We are now at a critical moment of life and death. Without my orders, if anyone dares to make any small moves, it will cause trouble.
Everyone, don’t blame me for not being polite!"
"Yes, I don't dare to do it if I'm in a humble position."
At this time, although Gao Kui was a little nervous, he showed no fear.
Since Jia Lian put them under house arrest here, it means that they are not in danger. What is dangerous is those people outside who are not qualified to be under house arrest.
Of course he also knew why Jia Lian put them under house arrest, but he was worried that as military attachés in Yangzhou City, they had been bribed by the salt merchants. If Jia Lian attacked the salt merchants, leaving them outside would endanger his own safety.
Inviting a few of their leaders into the camp would naturally effectively eliminate the potential threats posed by the more than 2,000 officers and soldiers under his command. They could also be used to command those officers and soldiers.
I couldn't help but sweat for those salt officials and salt merchants. Jia Lian had already reached this level and saw how determined his attitude was.
Aren't those salt merchants so wealthy and cunning? Why didn't they win over Jia Lian well, but instead offended him?
Thinking of what Jia Lian might do, Gao Kui felt faintly happy in his heart.
In fact, as the highest-ranking military attache in Yangzhou City, he did benefit from the salt merchants...
But too little!
At least, it is much less than the prefect Wu Zhirong, and even the co-prefects (Fu Cheng), Tongpan and others below the prefect.
There is no way, this is Jiangnan where singing and dancing are flourishing, all civil servants have the final say, and the status of their military attachés is infinitely low. Even the famous non-commissioned officers in a place dare to ignore their existence, let alone those salt merchants with great hands and eyes.
Already.
But there is nothing we can do about it. The military does not interfere in government affairs. This is an iron rule.
Since these big soldiers pose no threat to the salt merchants, they naturally don't need to pay too much attention to them. They just need to give them some benefits and prevent them from being too unbalanced.
This kind of distribution of benefits that did not match his rank naturally made him a little dissatisfied over the years. Therefore, seeing that Jia Lian had the intention to take action against the salt merchants, he felt a little happy.
He is not worried about being implicated by the salt merchants at all, because he is indeed not qualified to interfere in the salt administration, and naturally he will not be involved in any big way. Some of the benefits he gets are just the kind that go in with the left hand and go out with the right hand. As long as the salt merchants
If you don't tell yourself, who can know?
As for the salt merchants who would take the initiative to confess, he was not too afraid. Because he knew very well that in the eyes of the court officials and the powerful people in the capital, these salt merchants were really not that big of a figure. They could be comforted when needed.
If it is useless, or if it is punished by the court after making a mistake like now, it will be nothing.
The bite of a drowned dog is naturally no threat. As long as you do things for Jia Lian properly, I believe that Jia Lian is unlikely to take action against them without any evidence.
Gao Kui thought so, and the other Qianzong bosses were similar. In fact, even if they had other plans, what could they do now?
Everyone is under house arrest here, how can we still expect the brothers below to risk rebellion to save them? That is the real courting of death.