Chapter 361 Cao Yi: If you want to die, pay back the money quickly
After Zhao Xu returned to Da Nei, he first went to Qingshou Palace to pay his respects to the two palaces.
When he arrived, there were already guests at Qingshou Palace.
It is Cao Yi, the prince of Jiyang County, the prototype of Cao Guojiu, who is said to be one of the Eight Immortals in modern times.
Cao Yi is indeed a lucky person.
In his life, there was no wind and waves, and he was extremely wealthy.
Even when Wang Anshi carried out the political reform, no one dared to touch a hair of the Cao family.
Because everyone knows that if you offend the Gao family, the officials may laugh it off, but if you offend the Cao family... then wish yourself good luck!
"I respectfully ask the official and his family for blessings!" Cao Yan saw Zhao Xu and immediately saluted.
Zhao Xu quickly asked someone to help the elder: "Uncle, there is no need to be polite!"
He also stepped forward, helped Cao Yi and asked him to sit down again.
This deeply moved Cao Yi: "The officials really love their veterans so much..."
"We are all one family, uncle, there is no need to be so formal!"
This moved Cao Yi so much that he even said he didn't dare.
However, Zhao Xu pretended not to know and asked: "Why did my uncle come into the palace today?"
Cao Yi sighed and said: "The old ministers were not strict in discipline, which led to the former servants actually doing evil outside under the banner of the Cao family..."
"The old minister was frightened, so he went to the palace to apologize to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and Your Majesty..."
As he said this, he stood up and knelt down to thank him.
How could Zhao Xu let him do such a thing? He stopped him with a little force: "Uncle, I have already said that we are all one family. In this palace, there is no need to be formal..."
"And I have already investigated this matter clearly..."
"It's true that the Cao family abandoned their servants, chased money and silk, were greedy for profit, and made their own decisions..."
"It has nothing to do with the Cao family!"
Cao Yi immediately sighed: "The officials are benevolent and sage, the officials are benevolent and sage!"
Zhao Xu smiled, how could he not know that the Fan family was actually the agent of the Cao family to seize property.
Otherwise, how could a mere old servant of the Cao family be so prosperous in Bianjing City and still use the name of the Cao family to scare people?
The Cao family is neither blind nor deaf!
…
Send Cao Yi away.
Empress Dowager Xiang took Zhao Xu's hand and asked softly: "Sixth Brother was patrolling the city today and found Bianjing merchants invading the wall of the Ring Road?"
Zhao Xu nodded.
The Empress Dowager nodded thoughtfully. She already knew about the invasion of the streets by merchants in Bianjing City when she was still in her boudoir.
Naturally, Empress Dowager Xiang also understood that anyone who could invade the streets openly was not an ordinary person.
So, he asked the Queen Mother: "Didn't the banquet official and the accompanying ministers say anything?"
Zhao Xu said: "All the ministers have suggestions..."
"For example, Fan Shidu said that those who invaded the street were not ordinary people, but princes!"
"Cheng Shushu also said that the relatives and ministers should be content to receive the favor of the country and the support of the common people..."
Naturally, Zhao Xu would not conceal these details.
The two palaces listened and looked at Zhao Xu.
The Empress Dowager asked: "How did the officials respond?"
Zhao Xu smiled and did not answer directly. Instead, he pretended to think for a while and then said: "Sun Chen believes that as long as the righteousness is maintained, as long as the righteousness is maintained, as the master of the people, he should be forgiven for his occasional small mistakes!"
Regarding this matter, there is no need for Zhao Xu to act in front of the two palaces.
After all, his personality in front of the two houses is - smart, precocious, decisive, filial and affectionate.
Therefore, it is normal for Zhao Xu to favor the Gao family, the Xiang family and even the Cao family.
But what do other families count?
Is it also worthy of the Gao family and the Xiang family?
If Zhao Xu acted foolishly in front of the two palaces, he would be too stupid, and it would also damage the good relationship he had finally established with the Gao family and the Xiang family.
Sure enough, the Empress Dowager nodded happily and said, "The officials are right to think so!"
The Queen Mother even breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since Sixth Brother knows clearly in his heart, the Queen Mother will feel relieved!"
Zhao Xu smiled, held the hands of the two palaces, and said: "Sun Chen knows the principles of distance and distance between the mother and the queen!"
"Family is family, outsiders are outsiders!"
Both palaces laughed.
"This child is really good..." the Empress Dowager thought with great satisfaction.
You can distinguish between the important and the important, as well as between the close and the distant.
It’s really good!
Zhao Xu laughed, but in his heart, he had other ideas.
"Mother...mother..."
"From now on, if Gao Gonghui, Xiang Zonghui or Gao Zunhui cause trouble outside... When the government and the public impeach me, I will go my own way and protect them..."
"You two, don't stop me!"
…
When Cao Yi returned home, it was already night.
In early spring, thousands of houses are lit up in Bianjing City.
His descendants welcomed him home.
"What do the officials say?" Cao Huan, Cao Yi's youngest son, asked.
Cao Yi glared at him angrily.
Because the Fan family followed Cao Huan's path.
"Of course officials are tolerant and won't care about such a trivial matter..."
Cao Huan let out a long breath.
However, Cao Yi called Cao Ye to his side and asked: "Ye'er, what did the officials and ministers say today in Qionglin Garden?"
Cao Ye then briefly explained what happened today.
After hearing this, the Cao family members were all overjoyed and called Shengmingzi the Son of Heaven. He was worthy of being a descendant of Renmiao.
At this time, Cao Yi thought of Zhang Maoze, who was said to have gone to dedicate the mausoleum of his eldest sister Ci Shengguang.
"Huan'er..." Cao Yan called softly.
"Sir..." Cao Huan stepped forward immediately.
"You should go to the Fan family overnight...tell the Fan family and ask them to pay back all the money and interest they owe the government immediately!"
Cao Huan was stunned: "Sir!!"
"Go quickly!" Cao Yan waved his hand and said, "Go immediately! Tomorrow, the Fan family must pay back all the money they owe. If he can't pay it back, I will pay it back for him!"
Only then did Cao Huan finally realize the seriousness of the problem.
But how could he bear it?
Since the sixth year of Yuanfeng, the Fan family has owed money to the government for white money, glutinous rice money, and commercial taxes owed by various foot shops. After including the interest, the total adds up to more than 50,000 guan, almost 60,000 guan!
This is an astronomical figure.
If the Fan family handed over the money, it would be almost over.
Therefore, Cao Huan could only look at his father helplessly.
The other Cao family members were also panicked.
The Fan family's money is, in a sense, also the Cao family's money.
This is to dig out their flesh! Can they not feel pain?
"Sir, you have to give me a reason, right?" Cao Huan asked weakly.
"This is the money for their lives!" Cao Yi said directly: "Go and ask, is the life of their whole family worth the fifty or sixty thousand yuan?"
"Besides, this money is the money he owes the government!"
"Paying back debts is a matter of course!"
"If the Fan family refuses..."
"I will pay this money for them. If there is anything going on in the future, just don't say it has anything to do with my Cao family!"
The Cao family were immediately stunned.
"Why is this so?" Cao Huan lowered his head and said.
Now all the city affairs are gone!
In the eyes of the Cao family, the money they borrowed from Shiyiwu in the past was their own money.
Why should I pay back the money I borrowed based on my ability?
What's more, you actually have to pay back the interest?!
Cao Yi didn't bother to explain to him, so he just asked: "Are you going? If you don't go, get out!"
Cao Huan had no choice but to bow: "No!"
Then he walked out the door reluctantly.
Cao Yi looked at his son, shook his head, then looked at Cao Ye who was kneeling in front of him, and finally smiled: "Ye'er, you accompany me to the study..."
Now, the hope of the Cao family rests entirely on this grandson.
He needs to be educated well!
…
Cao Huan rode out the door and came to the street.
He was a little annoyed.
"That money was forcibly allocated by the city's business..."
"Now, the official benevolence and sage have deposed the city's Yiwu..."
"Unpayable debts are a matter of justice to the human heart!"
"Why?"
But there is no other way. In the Cao family, Cao Yi is God!
Not obeying his orders is unfilial.
Moreover, the old father was indeed angry just now.
He could only ride a horse to Fan's house.
When the Fan family saw Cao Huan, they immediately welcomed him in.
"Today's matter, I have to pay a visit to the young master in person..." The master of the Fan family, Fan Sheng, the former servant of the Cao family, fawningly held the horse for him.
Cao Huan got off his horse and entered Fan's house surrounded by Fan family members.
Fan Sheng immediately took his whole family, knelt in front of Cao Huan, kowtowed and said, "I did something wrong this time and caused trouble to the young master and the old master!"
Cao Huan sighed and said to Fan Sheng: "Old Fan... This time my father entered the palace in person and apologized in front of the two palaces..."
"Death penalty... capital crime..." Fan Sheng immediately kowtowed.
"My father just came home and summoned our brothers... and scolded us..."
"I came here this time with my father's order..."
Fan Sheng raised his head and listened to Cao Huan: "My father told you to go to Kaifeng Mansion tomorrow to pay back all the waste money, glutinous rice money and interest owed to the Yiwu over the years..."
Fan Sheng's eyes widened with disbelief on his face.
White grain money is the name of the money that wine merchants have to pay for using the white grains left over from wine making to make vinegar.
Nowadays, it has gradually become a tax similar to business tax - because the government doesn't care what you did with the distiller's grains in the end? Anyway, they collect money on a per day and per store basis.
Although there are few, there are anywhere from a hundred to hundreds of foot shops under every main store in the capital.
With so many stores, the wasted money they have to pay together amounts to a huge amount of money. Taking Fan Jiazheng Store as an example, over the course of a year, the wasted money can often accumulate to thousands of dollars.
As for glutinous rice money?
This is the product of the Market Yiwu. At that time, Lu Jiawen implemented the Market Yiwu Law, which mandated that all merchants must obtain goods from the Market Yiwu when conducting transactions in the market.
Among them, glutinous rice, the most important raw material for wine making, has become the largest controlled material in Yiwu in Bianjing City.
Can I buy glutinous rice?
You have to borrow money from Shiyiwu to buy it!
As long as you borrow money from the market, you will be charged an annual interest rate of 20%.
For businessmen without background, this is naturally a huge burden.
But for businessmen like the Fan family who have backing, it is no more than sending money.
Because they can always default, and if they delay, the court will reduce the interest.
In the end, you may even only need to pay back part of the principal.
The abolition of the Market Change Law made the Fan family even more excited.
You don’t have to pay back the glutinous rice money you owe now!
After all, if the market affairs are gone, who would dare to ask for debts from the Fan family?
Now, the Cao family came to tell him - he must pay back! And he must pay back immediately! Even the interest must be paid back!
this……
Fan Sheng simply couldn’t accept it!
That’s tens of thousands!
Stacked copper coins can form a mountain.
"Young Master..." Fan Sheng showed a smile that was uglier than crying: "Young man, where are you going to find this much money in such a hurry?"
Cao Huan sighed: "This is my father's order!"
"My father said that this is the money your family has worked hard for! If your family cannot pay off the money before sunset tomorrow...then my father will pay off the government's debts himself..."
"It's just that when your family arrives at Salmon Island, don't say that they are the old servants of my Cao family..."
Fan Sheng shivered.
He knew that this was the most severe threat and order.
With the wealth his family has accumulated and the quota in the main store.
As long as the Cao family refuses to protect them, the whole family may have to stay in jail tomorrow night.
"Why is this so?" Fan Sheng cried on his knees.
He probably won't be able to raise so much money even if he sells everything!
He couldn’t bear it either!
Cao Huan looked at it and could only say: "I also said this in front of Father..."
"However, your Excellency reprimanded me..."
"Just take care of yourself!"
Note: In the Northern Song Dynasty, in Bianjing, Luoyang, Damingfu and Hezhongfu, the system of quequ wine was implemented.
The so-called Quequ means that the government monopolizes the distiller's yeast, and then limits and prices the distiller's yeast.
At the same time, if private merchants want to participate in brewing, they must agree to the government's quotation and accept the quota of distiller's yeast allocated by the government.
This is the origin of the seventy-two official stores in Bianjing City - each of these official stores is a real wealthy businessman.
Because they share the Northern Song Dynasty government's quota of 1.5 million kilograms of distilled yeast every year - this was the quota in the last years of Yuanfeng. In the Jiayou era, the official liquor quota was as high as 2.4 million kilograms!
But, these people are just thieves.
They bought Jiuqu, the best wine made from Jiuqu, and sold it at a high price in their own restaurant.
As for ordinary and low-quality jiu koji, the wine brewed is distributed to various other people, usually by their own chosen brewers.
The hotels run by these people are foot shops, which are generally very small.
In foot shops, people often come and go, even squeezing into one of the seventy-two regular shops.
PS, the so-called seventy-two genuine stores is just an adjective.
There were not necessarily only 72 genuine stores in the Northern Song Dynasty, nor were there necessarily any.
