Gu Huai could only relent, but how to fill out the official letter was a problem.
You can't fill it with salt. If you have it, you have to hand it over, but if you don't fill it with salt...
The salt they hid in the salt field either went undiscovered, or had to be moved to another hiding place.
Yang Heshu predicted their predictions and deliberately forced them to make a choice. He got into the trap he made. As soon as they moved, Yang Heshu received the news.
The last time the prince left, he had left a lot of people behind. He put some people on the bright side, and hid some people in the dark, and now he used them all.
The operations at each salt field had not yet stopped. The purchasing officials who had been staying at the inn and refused to leave received a letter from their superiors. They saw that they were asked to go back and there was no need to purchase official salt in Jiangnan. They immediately collected their luggage and took their people with them.
He left without even saying a word to the Salt Transport Department in Jiangnan.
Other procurement officials who had not yet received the letter watched them leave with envy.
As a result, within two days, two more letters came, and the next day, another one came...
The procurement officials left one after another. The Salt Transportation Department was busy quietly transferring official salt and did not notice at all. In the end, the Gu and Lu families felt that they had been quiet recently and wanted to smooth out their relationship with the Salt Transportation Department.
People who wanted salt didn’t come to the door for a long time.
Lu Binghua didn't pay attention, but Gu Huai couldn't help but ask a few more questions. The servant went to the inn to take a look, and his face changed greatly. He ran back and said to Gu Huai: "Lang Jun, most of the adults in the inn have left. Now
There are only three adults left inside."
When Gu Huai heard this, his face darkened and he couldn't help but sit up straight, "Can you tell me where you went?"
"I heard he went back."
Gu Huai had a bad premonition in his heart, "Ask the people who stayed. They live together and they will definitely know the reason."
"yes."
The three people who stayed behind really knew it, even if they didn't say anything, the people who came to buy salt left one after another, and many of them had relaxed faces when they left, so the three of them could guess some of it.
The reason why the three of them did not leave was that two of them had not received the letter. Their official offices were too far away from Jiangnan, and it would probably take some time before they received the letter;
The other received the letter, but asked him to continue to stay in Jiangnan. There was no need to buy salt at a high price, just stay there and not worsen the relationship.
As soon as he heard it, he understood that his boss had a backer, but the backer had not yet been decided.
After asking for some information from other buyers who had already left, the three of them guessed that the imperial court was mixing salt for them from other places, and it seemed that there was a lot of salt, which could completely replace the official salt from Jiangnan. They had already left.
Those purchasers from the state capital have already received the salt.
But why did they tell Gu Huai this?
Do you really think that they are very happy to beg their grandfather and grandma during this time?
So when the servants of the Gu family came to inquire, they still looked so arrogant, and the three of them didn't look down on him at all.
Servants of the Gu family:...
They could only change their attitude, bend down to please and smile: "Young man Wu Zang made the adults laugh, but he was really curious, didn't those adults come to buy salt? Why did he leave without buying any salt?"
"
The three of them ignored him.
Servants of the Gu family:...
He got lucky and could only say: "I heard that three adults want to purchase two carts of salt. Although the younger one is a servant, he is a native of Wu County and has some connections..."
The three of them continued to ignore him. Huh, who cares? Well, they do care, but he is just a servant. Once the news is given, people will turn around and forget about you.
They want the real reason to give salt. They had given it to them before when they made such a big fuss.
Their official positions are low, with ninth rank in Xiazhou, and only eighth rank in Zhongzhou and Shangzhou. Even if they are angry, they have to tell the superior first, and then the superior will write a letter of impeachment. It takes a lot of time to go back and forth.
And during this period of time, they are the ones who are the most angry. They are angry almost every day. Hmm, they are only at the eighth or ninth level, but don’t they have a temper?
The three of them succeeded in driving away the servants of the Gu family, finally letting out a bad breath.
One of them sneered maliciously: "The eldest son of the Gu family still wants to be as famous as the eldest son of the Yang family, and he doesn't even think about whether he deserves it."
"It's just that at about the same age, Mr. Yang has made great achievements, but he doesn't even dare to take the imperial examination, and he is still known as the son of aristocratic family." Another person said: "What a good man. Even if he doesn't become an official and serve the king and the people, at least he won't
Manipulating the salt policy harms all people in the world."
He gritted his teeth and said: "Now is the busy time of spring. Everywhere is busy, and the people have to waste their energy. If there is no salt to eat, they will be weak within a few days of going to the fields, not to mention that if they don't eat salt, they will get sick. In this way
How can someone who only controls the salt policy for his own selfish desires deserve to be compared with Mr. Yang who dares to fight against smallpox?"
This is the inn in Yangzhou. Even if Gu Huai doesn't pry specifically, his ears and eyes will convey these words to his ears.
Embarrassment flashed across Gu Huai's face, but he quickly calmed down and said expressionlessly: "If you ask me again, I don't care what method you use, I must know the reason why those people left."
The servant responded, bowed and retreated.
Naturally, these words didn't just reach Gu Huai's face. The owners of other families also heard it. Lu Binghua couldn't help but sneer and said to his left and right, "I wonder what Gu Huai's expression would be like when he heard this?"
This is Lu Binghua's study, and the people on the left and right are his confidants. They are not afraid of people spreading the news, so the people on the left and right also laughed, and then asked: "Why do you think those people left?"
"Why else?" Lu Binghua sneered: "People can't live without salt. Salt is the same as food. You can't live without it. They are gone now, which means they have salt."
"Where did they get the salt? The imperial court stockpiled it in advance?"
Lu Binghua's eyes were deep and suspicious, "It seems that the imperial court has been prepared for a long time. They must have stocked up on salt from other places in advance, but there are countless salt farms in the world. If they want to stock up on salt, they must make other people eat less salt, or they must eat less salt.
No salt.”
"Hmph, if we say that we manipulate the salt policy to harm the people, how can they be better off?"
"Then this matter..."
"We don't care," Lu Binghua said: "The salt fields in Jiangnan are the largest. I don't believe they can stock up on salt for one quarter to replace the salt produced in Jiangnan. They can also stock up on two quarters, three quarters, or even one year? Who is competing?
The heart is more ruthless and the spirit is calmer."
"You think Gu Huai doesn't know such a simple truth? But he still sent people to ask questions. He just wants to know where the court's salt comes from, and he wants to find a way to cut off their escape route so as to force them to make a decision as soon as possible."
After all, it would not be good for them if this matter was delayed for a long time.
Just as they were thinking a lot, Yang Heshu sent someone directly to the inn to take the three purchasing officers into his mansion.
He said to the three of them: "If you want to wait for the letter, just wait here. We won't stay at the inn for the time being."