The big war is imminent, and he wants to bring a group of ruffians to fight with the smugglers, Zhang Daring no longer dares to accompany Han Xiufeng to keep the New Year, and gets up to say goodbye and go back to prepare for the investigation of the smugglers.

People are going back to do business, Han Xiufeng did not stay, just sent Zhang Daring out of the second hall, Xu Lequn also gave up: "Master Han, why don't you rest early, keep the rest of the wine and eat it after the matter is completed, and Xu will definitely accompany you to drink happily when the time comes, and you will rest when you get drunk." ”

At this juncture, Han Xiufeng didn't want to stay up late, and couldn't help laughing: "Mr. Xu, you love to hear what you say!" I borrow your auspicious words, after the matter is completed, this official will definitely hold a big celebration banquet, please come to eat the celebration wine together! ”

"Even if Master Han is not invited, Xu will be uninvited."

"Mr. Xu, where is this, anyone can not be invited, but not Mr. Xu, go, the official will send you."

"I can't help it, Master Han, please stay."

……

Sent Xu Lequn away, and there were sporadic firecrackers outside.

Han Xiufeng followed Pan Er into the lobby, toasted the soap bow soldiers who were on duty in Chinese New Year's Eve and the two green battalion soldiers invited by Su Jueming from Taizhou, and then took the red envelopes prepared earlier from Zhang Shiheng's hand, and gave everyone happy money one by one.

Chu Chenggui and the others did not expect that the inspection master would not only manage the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner but also give out rewards, although the money is not much, and one person only has eighteen wen, but this is the first time in the inspection department. The previous inspectors not only did not take care of the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, not only did they not give out rewards, but they had to make up money for filial piety.

One by one, they were excited and rushed to thank them.

Han Xiufeng returned the remaining few red envelopes to Zhang Shiheng, and said apologetically while motioning for them to sit down: "Xiufeng is an honest official, has many rules, and restricts his subordinates tightly, and the big guy has been wronged. For the New Year, the big guy wants to be on duty in the yamen, so he can only send some reward money to apologize, at least after the big guy goes home tomorrow, he can give his baby some New Year's money. ”

"Master Han, what are you talking about. You are a clean official, you are a good official, and the small one can be an errand under you is a blessing that you have cultivated for eight lifetimes, and you are not wronged at all. ”

"Yes, Master Han, we are not wronged, although you have less money for your errand, you can go out and have face!"

"Face?" Han Xiufeng smiled dumbly.

"What a face!" An archer said embarrassedly in an official dialect with a local accent: "Master Han, you can straighten your waist when you are a small errand, and you are not afraid of others poking your backbone in the back wherever you go, and you are not afraid of your neighbors talking nonsense." ”

"That's right, this is Qingsheng Lian, Lian Shengwei." Han Xiufeng smiled, and then changed the conversation: "But the big guys are all old and young, and they can't just save face but let the mother-in-law and the baby drink the northwest wind." The official put his words here, as long as you do a good job, the official will not only let you have face, but also let you have the inside. ”

"Master Han, what's the matter?"

"You'll know in a few days, then eat, and for the New Year, you must eat and drink well."

As they were talking, Li Xiucai and Yu Youfu bypassed the Yimen and walked into the yamen.

Han Xiufeng asked Zhang Shiheng to stay in the lobby to accompany a group of soap archers, and he himself and Pan Er brought Li Xiucai and Yu Youfu to the second hall, and beckoned them to eat and drink while talking about business at the half-eaten banquet just now.

"Master Han, the news of the Lord of Taiwan is really true, I don't know if I don't go back to inquire later, this investigation is really shocking, Bao Daijie and other three businessmen in Fu'an actually hoarded millions of catties of salt from the Yamen of the Salt Division! Not a single pound of salt entered the public wall, and it was all hidden in the stove near the salt pavilion. ”

"And now?"

"It's shipped." Li Xiucai finished eating the food in his mouth, put down his chopsticks and said, "I didn't expect them to collude with Yizhen's gang of private lords and sell all the salt to Yizhen's private lords." A total of twenty-eight ships were loaded, to say the least, three million catties. The smugglers' salt boats were all hidden in a port connected to the Sugar Fangtang River, although the port was not far from Fu'an Town, but there was no one in a radius of seven or eight miles from that port, and if it wasn't for the accidental encounter of a fisherman, it would not be so easy to find out their whereabouts. ”

"Sugar Cube?" Han Xiufeng looked up and asked Pan Er to bring the map.

Li Xiucai didn't care about eating any more, helped clean up the table, pointed to the map that had just been spread out, and said: "They are hiding here, I don't know what they are waiting for, as far as I know, they have been hiding in the port for several days." ”

Han Xiufeng didn't say anything, thinking that they were waiting for Xu Lequn's news, Xu Lequn didn't say anything, they didn't dare to set off easily, and Pan Er asked in a low voice: "Mr. Li, from the map, Fu'an is also full of rivers, it's nothing if they don't move, if they leave, which river do you think they will take?" ”

"There are a lot of rivers in Fu'an," Li Xiucai pointed to the map, "and if they want to transport salt out, they must pass through Fu'an Town, which is surrounded by water, the Tian River in the south and the Kushiba River in the west, the Fuyan River in the north and the Fangtang River in the east lead to the sea." There are also two north-south streets in the town that lead to the Tian River, one is called the Xinyi River, the other is called the Jingxian River, every time the market, the Tian River is full of boats from the south to the north, and the east to the west, I don't know how they plan to cross the pass of Fu'an, but as long as they hold a few estuaries leading to the Kushiba River, they can't run away. ”

Yu Youfu raised his head and smiled: "After all, they are going to enter the Kushiba River, and it is impossible for us to go to Fu'an to investigate." ”

Han Xiufeng stared at the map: "Mr. Li, is there anyone staring at those estuaries?" ”

"Master Han rest assured, all the late students have been arranged, and the late students in other places don't dare to guarantee the ticket, but in Fu'an, they don't want to slip away under the nose of the late students." Thinking that if he could take down these private tyrants, he would not only be able to make a windfall and even get an official position, Li Xiucai was excited.

Han Xiufeng thought about it and asked, "Mr. Li, which direction do you think they will go in when they enter the Kushiba River?" ”

"It must go south, it must go to our side, how can they smuggle salt out without going through the salt river."

"From us Bentaizhou?"

Li Xiucai muttered: "It depends on where Yizhen's gang of smugglers plan to sell salt, if they plan to sell it to Suzhou, Zhenjiang, Jiangning, Wuhu, Jiujiang and other places, they will definitely not go far west, because the further west they go, the tighter the investigation, even if it is transported smoothly to Taizhou, they will not be able to pass through Taiba." Nine times out of ten, it will turn into the small river from Hujiaji to Baimi, and go south into the river along the small river at the junction of Rutai and even Yehe. ”

Han Xiufeng asked: "Is it possible to sell it to Huai'an, Xuzhou, Huaibei and even Shandong?" ”

"Unlikely."

"Why is it unlikely?"

Li Xiucai said in an almost affirmative tone: "Master Han, you must have heard of Lord Tao Shutao, the governor of Liangjiang during the Daoguang period. That is to say, the yamen of the prefectures and counties of the three places in Huaibei can send salt to the bars, and the merchants and people of those states and counties can lead them to the salt fields to buy salt. There is no general merchant and transporter layer by layer, and the salt merchants who go to Huaibei to buy salt do not have to donate the same as those salt merchants in Yangzhou, and the price of salt is not as expensive as our Huainan salt farm, although it is as profitable to smuggle it there, but the profit is not high. ”

"Ticket salt law, this is good governance, why not implement it in Huainan?"

"Yunsi Yamen is in Yangzhou, there are so many salt merchants in Yangzhou, and there are so many people in the entire Yangzhou Mansion who live on salt. Li Xiucai paused, and then said: "Master Han, just now I said that the smugglers can't make much money by selling salt to Huaibei Sanchang, and even if they want to go to Huaibei Sanchang, they don't need to come to us to buy salt, they can go directly to Huaibei Sanchang." ”

Han Xiufeng realized that Xu Lequn's group of salt lords and the group that asked Zhang to deal with it were taking the same route. It is almost certain that Xu Lequn not only intends to let the group coming up from the canal give them cover, but also intends to borrow a knife to kill people, and let the Yamen of the Maritime Security Inspection Department help him take down his opponent, so that their salt can be sold at a good price after it arrives at its destination.

Han Xiufeng didn't want to be played by the surnamed Xu, so he raised his head and said: "Mr. Xu, you may not be familiar with the Xu Lequn who came to the Yamen with Su Jueming a few days ago, and I don't know his details, but I can be sure that he is not Bao Daijie's person, or the leader of Yizhen's gang of private tyrants." ”

"Ahh Li Xiucai was taken aback.

"Mr. Li doesn't need to worry, I knew that he was not good, so I could only stabilize him, and the yamen didn't dare to act rashly, but the state yamen had already made arrangements. After you are full, you go to the post shop with Shiheng, Master Zhang's family Zhang Si is waiting for you, how to investigate these private tyrants next, you discuss it with Zhang Si. ”

I knew that the inspection master in front of me was not simple, but I didn't expect him to arrange it quietly, the more Li Xiucai thought about it, the more excited he became, and he couldn't help asking: "Master Han, what about you?" ”

"The surname Xu is in the town, and he didn't go back for the New Year, if he guessed correctly, he was inquiring about the news, the more I can't act rashly at this time, I can only stay in the yamen and do nothing, I can only stabilize him like this."

"It's still Master Han's thoughtfulness, if he is suspicious, those private tyrants will not dare to move easily."

"That's it, you hurry up and eat, hurry up and go to the post shop after eating, if there is anything, I will send someone to find you."