"Huh?" Yunxi turned his head and looked at Yang Ren: Someone wants to report a major case of witchcraft?
"Did you ask him what he wanted to report?" Yunxi asked.
"Your Majesty, that man refused to talk to me and said that he would only speak out when he saw Your Majesty," the guard said.
"You have to see me before you tell me?" Yunxi asked, "What is that person's identity?"
"Your Majesty, he claims to be from the Li family, a merchant in Guangzhou, and his name is Li Guangrui." the guard said.
"Is it him?" Yang Ren said slightly surprised when he heard the name.
"Is this person very famous in Guangzhou?" Yunxi asked.
"Your Majesty, this person is a member of the Nanhai Li family, one of the three largest merchants in Guangzhou. He is also the eldest grandson of the eldest son. He was arranged to take charge of his family's business in Bao'an City. A few days ago, it was the former head of his family, Li Guangrui's grandfather.
On Li Xianming's seventieth birthday, he returned to Guangzhou City to celebrate his grandfather's birthday, and has stayed in Guangzhou City to this day." Yang Ren gave a general introduction. Of course, a large merchant like the Li family deserves Yang Ren's concern, even if Yang Ren doesn't know it
Whatever most people in his family are doing, they always know what the patriarch and the eldest grandson are doing.
"A merchant family," Yunxi pondered: "Yang Qing, does your servant recognize this person?"
"I know someone who recognizes him."
"Song Qingshu," Yunxi called Song Qingshu who was standing outside the house and ordered: "You and Yang Qing's servants who know Li Guangrui are walking together to see if the person who calls himself Li Guangrui is the same Li Guangrui. If so, declare
He will come to see you; if not, capture him and send him to Qian Minglin for interrogation."
Song Qingshu accepted the order and turned to leave the house. After a while, he returned to the house and reported: "Your Majesty, merchant Li Guangrui requests an audience."
Yunxi waved his hand, and Song Qingshu went out to pass the news again. After a while, a young man came in, faced Yunxi who was sitting in the middle wearing the emperor's uniform, knelt down and said: "Li Guangrui, a common man, has seen your majesty. Long live your majesty.
Long live!"
Yunxi did not immediately allow him to stand up, but looked at him carefully. He was wearing a light blue silk suit. The style was also the most common style for the rich children of the Ming Dynasty, but it looked extremely capable on him.
After a long while, Yunhe said: "Get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Guangrui knelt for a while before standing up.
"You said you had some important and confidential information related to the witchcraft case to report to me. What is it?" Yun He asked.
"Your Majesty, the common people know who is behind the witchcraft case and where one of them is." Li Guangrui said.
…
…
"..., I don't think this is appropriate." Li Jihu said to the person sitting in front of him after sitting on the chair and thinking for a long time.
"Master Li, you have to think carefully, there will be no store like this after passing this village." said a person in front of him. This man was not tall, very thin, with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and he was talking very arrogantly at this time. At first glance, he was not.
What a good person.
However, it can be heard from what he said that his status is higher than that of Li Jihu. If not, he would never dare to speak to Li Jihu like this.
But Li Jihu's expression remained unchanged, and he just said, "Mr. Gao, this matter is too important. Although I am the head of the family, I still have my father above me. I have to discuss this matter with my father before making a decision."
"It doesn't matter, Mr. Li is getting better and better, so we should discuss it with him. But this matter cannot be delayed for a long time. You have to talk to your old man about it as soon as possible. I will come to visit you again at this time tomorrow, and then a decision must be made."
The man said.
"I will definitely make a decision then." Li Jihu said.
The man stood up with a smile and said: "I also know that when people get older, they tend to look forward and backward too much. It is said that the older you get, the less courage you have. You and your old man should make it clear that this is a foolproof thing so that he does not have to
Worry."
"I understand. I will definitely tell my father clearly." Li Jihu said.
The man said a few more words to him and left Li Mansion. Li Jihu personally walked him to the gate.
After the man disappeared, the person who was accompanying Li Jihu to see him off said angrily: "Gao Jingde regards our family as his Gao family's bank. He actually wants so much money this time, and even more money."
Don’t show any shame!”
This person was Li Jihu's eldest son, Li Guangrui. The person he called Gao Jingde was an in-law of their family, the biggest backer in the officialdom, and the head of the Gao family where Gao Shunchen, the Minister of Punishment, belonged.
"He still wanted some face, so he didn't directly ask for money, but lied to our family about something that was foolproof, so we could shirk it for a while. If he didn't want any face at all, what could we do? We wouldn't just have to grow old.
Give him the money honestly." Li Jihu said.
Li Guangrui was silent. As one of the three major merchants in Guangzhou, the Li family has many people coveting their family's money. There is currently no official in their family. If they don't take care of a certain family, the family wealth will be divided up in a few years.
Almost exhausted.
Li Jihu and Li Xianming considered it over and over and felt that someone in the Gao family held a high position above the court and behaved in a measured manner on weekdays - which meant being restrained with money. Therefore, they married one of Li Jihu's legitimate daughters to Gao Jingde's concubine.
His wife took shelter under the Gao family.
But the Gao family has become more and more greedy recently. Every time they send someone to ask for money from the Li family, it used to be only 100 or 200 guan, but now it's at least 1,000 guan each time, and this time they want to deceive them even more.
Ten thousand dollars.
As one of the three major merchants in Guangzhou, the Li family is certainly very rich, but no matter how rich they are, they cannot afford to be so defeated. Besides, they are a business family, and they have to maintain a decent face on weekdays and don't have much cash. So, give him a fortune all at once.
Wan Guan also puts a lot of pressure on his own family.
"Father, how should we deal with this matter? We can't delay it any longer," Li Guangrui said. Gao Jingde had already told him to make a decision tomorrow, and they couldn't delay it any longer.
Li Jihu did not explain to him, but said: "Follow your father and I will come here." Then he strode away, and Li Guangrui quickly followed.
After a while, the two of them and several servants who followed them walked into Li Jihu's courtyard. Li Jihu sat down in the main hall and said to all the servants: "You all get out."
They bowed and left, and closed the doors and windows of the lobby tightly. They only lit a candle to make the dark lobby a little brighter.
Li Guangrui looked at his father who was sitting in his seat and was very puzzled by his behavior; but when he saw that Li Jihu had no intention of speaking, he did not dare to ask, and he also sat in his chair.
I don’t know how long it took, but Li Jihu estimated that it was already the beginning of Youshi, and when he couldn’t help but ask, the door suddenly opened, and a very tall man walked in and said: "Brother, the matter has been investigated clearly.