Chapter 345 Secretly Gambling

Li Zicheng has always been a decisive person, as long as he wants to do something, he will never hesitate. After determining that there would be no major battle near the Nijiang River, he quickly transferred Li Yan and Lu Weiliang back and began the next step. Following the Battle of Tongling, after a few days of calm, Nanzhili rose again.

On November 14 of the third year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng took Liu Zongmin as the vanguard and stormed Nanling City, the capital of Ningguo. Now the main force of the Beijing camp is in Wuhu, the army of Xuanfu is in Luzhou Mansion, and the strength of Ningguo Mansion is limited, and the combat strength of soldiers and horses is uneven. In just half a day, under the siege of 20,000 peasant troops, Nanling City fell. After taking Nanling, Liu Zongmin made meritorious contributions, and actually bypassed Xuancheng and went straight to Ningguo County in the southeast.

Liu Zongmin is a dangerous move, but he really made him bet right. The more than 3,000 guards in Xuancheng didn't dare to go out of the city to stop them, so they watched Liu Zongmin's vanguard army swaggering around. On November 17, 10,000 peasant troops stormed Ningguo County. Ningguo County has less than 2,000 soldiers and civilians, where is the opponent of the peasant army? It's ridiculous to say that Ningguo County lasted less than an hour before it was breached.

After Liu Zongmin took Ningguo County, he didn't wait for Li Yan's soldiers and horses to arrive, nor did he rest, and quickly led his troops to Tianmu Mountain.

Tianmu Mountain, Tianmu Mountain, the ancient gods are in Lin'an. From the moment the footsteps of the peasant army set foot on the West Tianmu Mountain, it means that the peasant army has stepped into the boundary of Zhejiang. The peasant army pointed directly at Zhejiang, and for a time the world shook and Hangzhou was in chaos.

Zhejiang is a very special existence for the whole Ming Dynasty. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Su Yang and Zhejiang have almost topped one-third of the Ming Dynasty's taxes, and the prosperity of this place is no worse than Su Yang. Although taxation in Jiangnan has been a big problem in recent decades, it is precisely because of this that it is the lifeblood of Qingliu Baiguan. The imperial court has a fixed procedure for collecting taxes, and the officials of the Qingliu have a way, but in the face of the rogue, there is no way.

The rogues don't tell you any reason, let alone care about the procedure, they will rob without any scruples. This is Zhejiang, let the rogues loot, half of the south of the Yangtze River will collapse. At this time, the officials of Nanzhi were really anxious. At this time, they can't take care of a lot, no matter what kind of soldiers and horses, as long as they can keep Zhejiang, they are willing to bear any price.

The Sixth Department of Nanjing was busy with a pot of porridge, not only busy with dispatching troops, but also busy pacifying the people. Now the gentry of Nanzhili are extremely disappointed in Nanjing, and before the fall of Tongling, they were panicked at best. But now, the rogues have all hit Tianmu Mountain, and one hand has reached Zhejiang, which is a real threat. Almost all of the gentry and magnates in Nanjing have interests related to Zhejiang, especially those rich merchants, Zhejiang is really going to go wrong, silk, porcelain, and tea, all of which will be affected. This is not the most important thing, the most fatal thing is salt, the eight major salt farms in Zhejiang, which manage the food and drink of millions of people in several southern provinces.

Liukou has just laid down Tianmu Mountain, and the price of salt in Nanjing, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangdu and other places has risen. Those who have a sense of crisis have begun to buy salt in large quantities. This is just the beginning, once the rogue really ravages Zhejiang, affecting the operation of the salt farm, the price of salt will inevitably soar. At that time, no matter how rich you are, you may not be able to buy salt.

At this time, the price of salt soared, but it was different from the deliberate hoarding of salt merchants, which was really caused by the lack of salt. It's better for salt merchants to deliberately hoard goods, at least there is still salt, and now, the major salt merchants are worried to death. Shui didn't expect this situation before, not to mention that the Liukou hit Zhejiang, even if it hit Luzhou Mansion, it felt a bit fantastical. Therefore, the salt merchants did not deliberately stock up, and now they have reacted and want to stock up, but it is a little late.

Salt can never be broken. Of course, salt merchants do not consider people's livelihood issues, but from their own vital interests. Salt merchants sell salt every year by salt and shore, these are a number, annual settlement, in order to get the corresponding share, salt merchants desperately grab salt and shore, just count on the back to sell salt. The rogue is raging in Zhejiang, and the supply of salt farms is cut off, and it is not much more, as long as it takes a month, the losses of the salt merchants will be very large, and even the cost of a year will not be recovered.

This seems a little ridiculous, isn't the official salt trade a huge profit? Similarly, the official salt trade is a huge profit, but correspondingly, it is not easy to get the salt and the shore, and if you want to get a share from the salt department, you must pay a great price. Salt merchants spend 10 months of the year recouping their costs, and the remaining two months are the ones that really make money. Don't look at only two months to make money, but every month is tens of thousands of taels of income. Because of this, it is said that official salt is profitable, but in the same way, if you can't get salt for two months this year, then you will definitely not make any money.

Of course, it is easy to make money, just raise the price of salt, but the official supervision and strict control of salt prices mean that the price can be raised? In normal times, everyone relies on relationships, collusion between officials and businessmen, and it is okay to raise prices slightly. Now that the bones dare to raise the price, the people's resentment is boiling, and the court will kill the people in order to appease the people.

Wealthy merchants in Suyang and other places gathered, mainly salt merchants and weavers, among which salt merchants can be described as the mainstream of merchants. The four major salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, Wu, Yang, Xu, and Xiao, are all concentrated in Yangzhou and Nanjing. Yangzhou and Nanjing are only separated by a river, so after Liukou went south to Tianmu Mountain, all the major salt merchants went to Nanjing to put pressure on the imperial court.

The salt merchants were also forced, and if they couldn't repel the rogues as soon as possible, the salt merchants would lose all their money. The official salt business means huge profits, and it is also very stable compared to other businesses. Because of this, the annual investment of salt merchants is also astronomical, and it is definitely not comparable to other industry merchants. It is common for salt merchants to go to the salt transportation department to get a share, often millions of taels. Take this year as an example, in order to win the diversion of Yangzhou Mansion and Suzhou Mansion, the Xiao family and the Xu family added the purchase of salt quotation, one family was nine million taels and the other was seven million taels.

Such a large sum of money, if it is folded, Rao is a big family like the Xu family and the Xiao family, it will also hurt the vitality. If the rogue tosses for half a year and the official salt business plummets, then the more you invest, the more you lose, so the most active pressure on the imperial court must be the salt merchants, and the leaders are the Xiao family and the Xu family.

Recently, because of the epidemic, Xiao Ruxue got a large number of medicinal materials from Henan Mansion, which made the Xiao family take advantage of this shareholder to make a windfall. But before he had time to rejoice, there was an incident of Liukou entering Nanzhili, and the joy brought by the reselling of medicinal materials was washed away in an instant. Xiao Zhenlin, as the head of the Xiao family, naturally wanted to come to Nanjing in person to put pressure on such a major event as the imperial court. Xiao Ruxue also came here, and at this time, Xiao Ruxue's mood was very bad.

Xiao Ruxue followed her to Nanjing, but she didn't come to talk to those court officials, she came for others. There are some things that others don't know, but she knows.

Since the soldiers and horses of Xuanfu arrived in Luzhou Mansion, the two virtuous helpers of the Tiemo family quietly entered Nanjing City. Although this matter is secret, it is not difficult for Xiao Ruxue, who is attentive to these two women, to know.

The gentry and magnates of Nanzhili all set their eyes on Tiemo, but they didn't know how terrible the two women Hai Lanzhu and Chang Minyue were. Liukou entered Nanzhili, to say that Tiemo didn't know at all, it was purely a deception, in Xiao Ruxue's opinion, Liukou was deliberately put into Nanzhili by Tiemo. Now that the rogue has hit Zhejiang, I have to ask the two women how this matter should end.

After entering Nanjing City, Xiao Ruxue asked the servant to drive the carriage to the bank of the Qinhuai River, and the servant was very puzzled, "Miss, don't we follow the master of the family to the Salt Transportation Division?" ”

"No, go to Nuan Xin Pavilion!" Xiao Ruxue frowned, looking preoccupied. From the beginning, she had different ideas from her father Xiao Zhenlin. She felt that it was not a good way to find the Salt Transportation Division at this time and put pressure on the imperial court.

What good way do the officials of the Sixth Department of Nanjing have? If they could get rid of the rogues, would they have to wait until now? So, it's useless to find those sub-officials, and it's even more useless to put pressure on the Salt Transportation Division. At this time, the only thing that can really reverse the situation of Nanzhili is Tiemo. Recently, this guy has been almost hidden behind the scenes, hiding in Luzhou Mansion and doing nothing, which is too abnormal.

Nuanxin Pavilion is a very famous restaurant on the bank of the Qinhuai River, because this restaurant is located in the middle of the Qinhuai River, and there are more than a dozen goulan painting boats on the left and right, and the business is naturally very hot. Nuanxin Pavilion is a collection of restaurant accommodation, reaching out to welcome guests, and even many Nanjing gentry will come here to stay here for two days every month.

The haze of war hung over the south of the Yangtze River, and the entire Nanzhili panicked. But on both sides of the Qinhuai River, it is another side. After nightfall, the lanterns on both sides of the strait are hung high, although it is cold in winter, the painting boat is no more, but there is still a beautiful sound in the hook column, the music is continuous, the passers-by are smiling, and there is a prosperous scene on the long street. A long river, a scene of joy, as if the haze outside has nothing to do with here.

A window in the private room on the third floor of Nuanxin Pavilion was slightly open, and the cool breeze was blowing, and two women with flowery faces and moonlight looked at the window, looking at the night view of Qinhuai from afar. There was a constant sound of silk and bamboo on both sides, occasionally accompanied by the melodious singing of the girls, but the two women frowned slightly, without the slightest joy. After a while, one of them closed the window and sighed softly: "I finally know why the ancients sighed, the merchant girl didn't know the hatred of the country, and she still sang the flowers in the backyard across the river." Isn't that what this is all about? ”

Tonight, Hai Lanzhu really experienced that kind of artistic conception, and what kind of helplessness would it be to write such a poem? Of course, this has nothing to do with her, and it seems that the more she does this, the better it will be for her.

Chang Minyue sat at a low table and filled it with a cup of hot tea. I just wanted to take a sip, but I turned my head and covered my mouth and nose with a handkerchief and sneezed. The second daughter has lived in the north for a long time and is not afraid of the cold, but she is a little uncomfortable with the wet and cold climate in the south. Within a few days of coming to Nanjing, Chang Minyue contracted a cold, but fortunately it was not serious.

Taking a sip of tea and warming her body, Chang Minyue smiled faintly: "Sister, don't worry about the ancients, let's think about what to do next, do you want what price to get?" ”

Hai Lanzhu thought for a while, smiled slightly, and scratched his hand in the air, "It's not the time yet, what price you want, it depends on how much movement Zhejiang can make." Now if you look for those people to increase the weight, I'm afraid they will take us for fools. However, the business here is really attractive, and the money here is much easier to make than in the north. ”

"Yes, how else to say that Jiangnan raises people?" A hint of helplessness appeared on Chang Minyue's delicate face. The leather trade business is also profitable, it can be said that the leather trade business holds up the Jin merchants, but think about the fur trade, take a trip to Kulenurg, and half of the ten people are left. Fur profiteering, that's a desperate fight. It's like this business in Jiangnan, which is also a profit of one million taels a year, and the rich businessmen in Jiangnan make money by lying down at home, which is like the business in the north, which is scared.

Perhaps it is precisely because Jiangnan is full of profits and life is nourishing, so Jiangnan businessmen join forces to resist the inflow of external forces. For decades, the merchants of the Northland tried to find a way to get their business south, but all of them failed here. It is because the government and business in Jiangnan are integrated and unanimous with the outside world, and there is no reason for the northern businessmen to succeed?

This time, Chang Minyue wanted to stretch out her hand.

The troubles in Nanzhili are a disaster for Jiangnan businessmen, but for her Chang Minyue, it is an opportunity.

The two chatted for a while, and then a maidservant knocked on the door, "Two young ladies, the eldest lady of the Xiao family asks to see her, and she is downstairs now." ”

Hai Lanzhu was stunned, but she wasn't too surprised, Xiao Ruxue knew that they were in Nanjing City, which was normal. Xiao Ruxue is a very shrewd woman, I am afraid that when the rogues broke into the Luzhou Mansion, she would have noticed it. put down the hot tea in his hand and smiled at Chang Minyue: "Sister, I want to come to Miss Xiao this time to ask us about the guilt!" ”

Chang Minyue smiled, "Xingshi asks for guilt? So what? As long as there are enough benefits, what can Xiao Ruxue do, she will still cooperate with us. She, asking for guilt is false, but asking for favor is true. ”

Hai Lanzhu nodded approvingly, she agreed with Chang Minyue's opinion. If Xiao Ruxue really asks for guilt, she won't come alone. If you really ask about the crime, it is estimated that the outside of Nuanxin Pavilion is already crowded with Jiangnan businessmen at this time, and those officials of Nanzhili will also unceremoniously rush up to ask for an explanation.

Soon, Xiao Ruxue went upstairs, and she and Hai Lanzhu were also familiar with each other, so after meeting, she asked directly with a cold face: "Two ladies, may I ask what your intentions are?" Master Chen Bing didn't move forward, don't talk about the fact that the rogue invaded Zhejiang, it has nothing to do with you. ”

What does Tiemo do, these two women must be the first to know, if there is any conspiracy in it, can Hai Lanzhu and Chang Minyue not know?

Xiao Ruxue sat at the table, her face cold. Hai Lanzhu and Chang Minyue looked at each other and smiled, Chang Minyue helped fill a cup of tea, and said softly: "Since Miss Xiao is here, then we won't hide it from you, Liukou went to Zhejiang, and it does have something to do with us." So, how are you going to stay? Tell those officials in the palace to arrest us? ”

Chang Minyue admitted very simply, and answered more bluntly. But the more this happened, the more confused Xiao Ruxue became, and she didn't know how to answer for a while.