The five master craftsmen in charge quickly stood up and said, "Thank you for your concern, sir. We are not short of money either."
Wang Junlin had a gentle face and said in a joking tone: "It's true of you. Since you are not short of money, why do you deduct the wages of salt workers and salt slaves?"
Everyone was immediately shocked, but looking at the expression on the governor's face, and then thinking that the governor had received Lu's two carts of money, a thousand acres of fertile land, and 10% of the salt bank's shares, it was obvious that this was a joke!
However, although they thought that the prefect was joking, Dong Kang and the five chief craftsmen did not dare to neglect, and quickly said with a smile: "Sir, there is no such thing, there is no such thing!"
Wang Junlin's expression suddenly turned cold. He looked at Dong Kang coldly and said: "Master Dong, I hate people lying to me the most. Four officials including Lu Jiandong from Changxiang County refused to tell me the truth at that time, so I
The officials then chopped off their heads."
Everyone's expressions changed when they heard this. Dong Kang and the five master craftsmen were even more excited. Wang Junlin didn't wait for what the six people said, and said with a dissatisfied look on his face: "It's true of you that the salt industry is such a big deal."
I have already acquiesced. What a big deal it is to deduct money from salt workers and salt slaves. Do you need to panic in front of me? To be honest, I really hate others lying to me."
Then Wang Junlin asked again: "Mr. Dong, I want to ask you one last time, have you withheld the wages of salt workers and salt slaves?"
Wang Junlin made his words so clear that Dong Kang thought that this person was indeed difficult to serve, but he didn't take it to heart. After all, judging from the legendary deeds of Wang Junlin, it was reasonable for him to have a strange personality and be moody.
Besides, even if Dong Kang is a fifth-rank official, and Wang Junlin wants to kill him, he will probably have to get the court's consent. But facing Wang Junlin's naked threat just now, and with the examples of the four people from Changxiang County, he won't be afraid.
How strange!
So Dong Kang hesitated for a moment and then said with some embarrassment: "Um... Sir, there are indeed cases of depriving salt workers and salt slaves of salt workers in the salt field."
Wang Junlin nodded calmly and said with some confusion: "Master Dong, I see that you are not a person who is short of money. How could you do such a shameless thing?"
Dong Kang smiled awkwardly and looked at the five master craftsmen in charge. The five master craftsmen in charge said quickly: "Sir, the salary of the master craftsmen like us is a little lower. In order to supplement the family income, some salt workers and salt slaves have indeed been deducted.
Money. But don’t worry, sir, since you mentioned this matter, we will no longer do these things."
"Oh...I see." Wang Junlin said with a smile: "That means only the five of you are short of money."
The five master craftsmen in charge looked embarrassed, and one of them said: "No, the young master craftsmen below are also short of money, and sometimes they also deduct money and food from salt workers and salt slaves."
Wang Junlin nodded, but his expression suddenly turned cold. He suddenly turned to Qian Zhengkuo next to him and said: "Qian Zhengkuo, according to the laws of the Sui Dynasty, the salt works deduct wages and food from salt workers and salt slaves. How to punish them?
ah!"
Qian Zhengkuo felt something was wrong, and he didn't want to tell the truth at this time, but the problem was that Wang Junlin had already said it just now, and anyone who lied to him would have his head chopped off. He hesitated for a moment, and then said truthfully: "
Sir, according to our laws of the Sui Dynasty, salt field officials or master craftsmen deduct the wages of salt workers and salt slaves. For minor cases, they will be fined silver in addition to making up for the withheld wages. For serious cases, in addition to this basis,
He will also go to jail."
At this time, everyone finally felt that the situation was different from what they imagined, and their anger became weird. Wang Junlin nodded and said: "I heard that in recent years, there have been several cases of salt workers and salt slaves being killed because of
I was exploited so much by the master craftsman that I got into trouble a few times, but is this the case?"
The officials were stunned. In recent years, due to excessive exploitation by the master craftsmen, the salt workers and salt slaves were desperate. They did have troubles several times, but each time the salt workers killed a few people and suppressed the matter.
, this matter has been kept hidden from the county government above by the salt field. I didn’t expect the prefect to already know about it within a month of arriving in Fanyang County.
Moreover, this ordinary deduction is actually a trivial matter, but if something happens, it will be different. The culprit who caused this incident is enough to lose his head.
Dong Kang hurriedly stepped forward. No matter what Wang Junlin was thinking at this time, he would try his best to put in good words for several master craftsmen. He said with a smile, "Reporting to your lord, the troubles caused several times were all because the return of funds was a little slow at that time."
, wages were only paid a few days late, but those untouchables actually took the opportunity to cause trouble, affecting the normal production of salt in the salt field and causing irreparable losses to our Fanyang County tax revenue. Therefore, after the officials and others discussed it, they sent salt guards to suppress it.
After some investigation, fortunately not too many lives were lost, so I didn’t rush to report it.”
Wang Junlin naturally didn't believe the nonsense Dong Kang said. According to what Xu Xiaohu said last night, the several troubles were not due to late wages, but to the fact that the master craftsmen drained too much of the wages that had been paid and were filled with anger.
Next, public anger gradually arose, and the salt workers and salt slaves couldn't even have enough to eat, so they started to cause trouble. Dong Kang and others did not want to offend the master craftsmen supported by the Lu family behind them, let alone use money to make up for the debt.
, so he pretended to be deaf and dumb until the matter became serious, and then sent salt guards to suppress it.
Wang Junlin frowned, his face darkened, and he said: "The salt in the salt field is obtained by the hard work of salt workers and salt slaves, but you often drag the salt workers and salt slaves away from their wages, so how can the salt workers and salt slaves still have any income?
How much enthusiasm do you have to do things? Even if you do things, how can you put your heart into them? In the end, not to mention the reduction in tax revenue in the county, won’t we all suffer?”
Officials repeatedly claimed that this was true and said that there would never be any more unpaid wages to salt workers and salt slaves in the future.
It's just that the faces of the five chief craftsmen are getting harder and harder to look at.
"Just talk nonsense." Wang Junlin shook his head and sighed: "I won't tell you whether you will delay wages in the future. I think it is better to settle the wages owed to the salt workers and salt slaves first!"
The whole place suddenly fell into dead silence.
At this point, Wang Junlin's true face was gradually revealed, and Dong Kang and others did not dare to say anything more. You must know that there are forty to fifty thousand salt workers and salt slaves in the salt field, and the wages and wages that have been withheld over the years are not small.
Although the amount has not been calculated, it is still more than 100,000 taels of silver.
Under the silence, everyone's eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, turned to the five master craftsmen with extremely ugly faces.
"However, since this amount of money is not a small amount, I will give you two days to make up for the wages that were previously withheld." How could Wang Junlin care what the five master craftsmen in charge thought at this time? He came to the salt field for two days.
The first purpose is to test Lu's attitude. Last night, Lu Youwei came in person. After a conversation, this purpose was successfully achieved, and there were other gains. The second purpose was to win over these tens of thousands of people.