After leaving the governor's yamen, the officials dispersed, but Yao Fengan and Cui Bangdao came together.

"The surname Wu is crazy, we have to find another way, otherwise it will be a dead end!" Cui Bangdao couldn't help but say, he didn't have any respect for Wu Guorui.

Yao Fengan nodded at this time, and then said, "I see ...... I have to inform Huang Ge Lao of this matter as soon as possible! ”

Cui Bangdao was stunned for a moment, and then nodded as well.

Wu Guorui in the southeast is the pillar of Huang Yucheng's faction, and in such an important place, the second division of the domain is naturally Huang Yucheng's person.

"If this tax is really so easy to collect, does the emperor still need Huang Ge Lao?" Yao Fengan said with a grim expression.

There was too much information revealed in his words, but Cui Bangdao was not good at saying anything.

…………

As time passed, the pressure exerted by Chen Xiaoting increased.

From the very beginning when Tan Zengqing was taken away, to the Tan Mansion being brought one after another, the terrifying atmosphere wafted in Nan'an City.

Except for the four major families, most of the wealthy families moved out of the city when they saw this situation.

After a few days, they still have not been able to unite their forces, but they have to guard against the hired workers below.

Not only that, but under the instigation of Chen Xiaoting's rumors, these wealthy families have also caused contradictions with each other, and it is even more difficult to unite with each other.

In fact, these wealthy families have never been monolithic, and they have many differences in interests with each other.

In the past, there were four major families pressing on it, and they could barely maintain peace with each other, but now it is normal for this situation to be wary of each other.

And the situation outside has all reached the ears of Liang Jirong and others, which has brought them tremendous pressure.

And with the further passage of time, in addition to continuing to arrest people in Tan Mansion, Chen Xiaoting also began to arrest people in these three families.

Almost every day, these four major families are in the middle of a chicken, fly and dog jump, and the high-level members of the family are being imprisoned one after another.

Liang Jirong fell ill and was lying on the bed at the moment, with his sons next to the bed.

"Father, you have a good rest first, you don't have to worry about other things!" The eldest son, Liang Zhiyuan, said in a deep voice.

As the successor of the family, he is also deeply worried about the current situation, but he is locked up in the palace and cannot interfere.

"Chen Xiaoting, he doesn't dare!" Liang Jirong said in a deep voice, but his expression was not so firm.

What if Chen Xiaoting is a madman? The emperor gave him a death order, maybe he would be forced to do nothing!

In such contradictory thoughts, Liang Jirong has always been tormented.

"Master, it's not good......"

At this moment, there was an exclamation from outside, which made everyone in the room nervous.

"What happened?" Liang Zhiyuan turned around and asked, his eyes full of coldness.

He knew that he was the chief steward of a salt factory below, responsible for about 30% of the Liang family's salt industry.

"Young master, those mud legs down there are reversed, these bastard things...... Robbed our salt farm! The steward said with trepidation.

Hearing this, even Liang Jirong, who was lying on the bed, sat up directly at this time.

"How dare they?" Liang Jirong said angrily.

The head of the house was so angry that the steward knelt on the ground with a thud, and then said, "Master Hui, it was the untouchables from outside who did it, and it was just last night...... I'm afraid there are more than 200 people! ”

"How much was lost? Can you report to the government? Liang Zhiyuan then asked.

"The subordinate made a rough inventory, and the losses added up...... I'm afraid it's three thousand taels! ”

Speaking of this, the steward continued: "The villain reported to the official last night, and after the people from the government came to see it, they said that they would check it when they went back!" ”

"Check? How to check? A county government still arrests all those riotous people? Liang Jirong was very dissatisfied.

And the most important thing is whether these riotous people are being used by people with ulterior motives, or whether they are well driven

You must know that his Liang family can block the way of many people, and when they are so worried about internal and external troubles, coupled with those rumors outside, it is difficult to say that someone is not deliberately engaging with them.

Chen Xiaoting didn't dare to really kill the four major families, Liang Jirong was seventy percent sure of this, but dying in the hands of his peers, this possibility was not ordinary.

Seeing his father's thoughtful expression, Liang Zhiyuan said to the people around him: "Retreat!" ”

After the others left, Liang Zhiyuan spoke: "Father, Chen Xiaoting has put the whole house under house arrest, and we can't do anything!" ”

After he finished saying this, Liang Jirong did not respond, but lay back on the couch and looked at the carved beams and paintings on the roof.

After a long while, Liang Jirong spoke: "Son...... The family has come to this point step by step, do you say there is still a need to take risks? ”

The so-called risk is to bet that Chen Xiaoting will not dare to make a dead hand, and that other families will not dare to go too far.

Liang Zhiyuan was stunned for a while, and then said solemnly: "Our Liang family has been inherited for more than 100 years, and several generations of family heads have overcome obstacles to have the grand occasion of the first one in Jiangnan today!" ”

Hearing this, Liang Jirong shook his head and said: "Don't talk about the first one in Jiangnan, in the eyes of many people, we are just fat sheep!" ”

That's right, although he is the head of the wealthy family in Jiangnan on the surface, he is too replaceable, after all, his Liang family's current status is a matter of more than ten years.

"So you mean, we shouldn't take the risk?" Liang Jirong asked.

Liang Zhiyuan said: "Only those chess pieces who don't have a chance will take risks, but our family is already a chess player among the wealthy families, so why bother to play in person like a chess piece?" ”

Liang Jirong nodded, in the final analysis, he was afraid, so he agreed with this remark.

The Liang family has finally come to this point, if he is defeated in his hands, then he is the real sinner.

I only heard Liang Zhiyuan continue: "Also, Huang Ge is old, and he can't do it for long in the position of first assistant!" ”

Liang Jirong was suddenly taken aback when he heard this, yes...... If Huang Ge Lao is not there, there will be no basis for the so-called taxation to exist, and the tax will still have to be paid at that time.

To put it simply, only the more difficult the process of taxation, the more the emperor needed Topaz and his family to get him silver.

Therefore, Huang Yucheng acquiesced to these people's tax resistance in order to highlight his value, but when he retreated, these relationships did not exist.

Perhaps now with the momentum of Chen Xiaoting, it is a rare opportunity to change course.

"So what my son means is nothing more than paying twenty or thirty thousand taels of silver to the court every year, it's better to be safe!" Liang Zhiyuan said in a deep voice.

The room became calm again, and after a while, Liang Jirong said: "You have a sense of the overall situation, and you can see farther than your father, after this incident...... The family is up to you! ”

Hearing this, Liang Zhiyuan's heart blossomed, and his father's words could be said to be his dream.

But he still said cautiously: "The father's words, the son is terrified, this family is still under the care of the father, so that he can continue to move forward!" ”

Liang Jirong just smiled at him, he really knew too well what kind of people the following sons were.

But since the eldest son is willing to continue acting, Liang Jirong will not expose it, and it is always good for the father to be kind and filial to the son.

"Go and tell the people of the brocade guard outside, and just say...... Let's invite them to come to the house, drink tea and listen to the play! Liang Jirong said in a deep voice.

Liang Zhiyuan nodded and said, "Son, let's go!" ”

Then he got up and walked out of the room, and when he was out of the door, the solemnity on his face faded, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

This home, the future is his!