Fang Jun's return to Huating Town and the news of the upcoming operation of the City Bo Division spread all over the south of the Yangtze River with the autumn wind and autumn rain.

All the Jiangnan scholars were a little at a loss - didn't the emperor already issue an edict ordering Fang Jun to return to the capital to report on his work? Before, you just hid overseas, and you will not be subject to the king's life abroad, but now when you return to Huating Town, you don't go back to Chang'an as soon as possible, this is tantamount to blatantly disobeying the emperor's order, are you looking for death?

Of course, what everyone is worried about is not whether Fang Jun will die or not, but the upcoming operation of the city!

Fools know that as long as the city is in operation, it is equivalent to cutting meat on the bodies of wealthy families and wealthy merchants, and the huge profits of maritime trade in the past have to be cut off and filled to the imperial court, just like eating half of the fat in the mouth and spitting out half, who can want to?

I thought that the joint suppression of the family gate valve had made the emperor back down, so Fang Jun was recalled to Chang'an, and the city boss naturally stopped.

But who knew that this mallet actually disregarded the emperor's order and disrespected the decree......

The monarchy in these years is far from the peak of the Ming and Qing dynasties, even if it is to resist the decree, it will not be dismissed and imprisoned without saying a word, but in the end it is also disobeying the emperor's order, how can this mallet be so inappropriate?

The Jiangnan Shi clan was collectively confused, and they didn't know what to do.

Fang Jun's official letter has been issued, summoning all the businessmen who operate the sea trade to go to Huating Town to participate in the opening of the operation of the Municipal Shipping Division, and sign the "Municipal Shipping Division Management Regulations". Only by signing this regulation proves that you resolutely support the system of the municipal shipping department can you have the qualifications for maritime trade, otherwise operating maritime trade privately is smuggling, and it must be severely cracked down......

To go or not to go, that's the question.

went, that is, standing on Fang Jun's ship, and getting the right to operate the sea trade also meant that he was willing to be cut by the imperial court and take away part of his interests.

If you don't go, it's against Fang Jun, the royal sailors composed of hundreds of warships still have new warships laying keels and launching sea trials every day, so that a force that sweeps the ocean will become a noose around the neck, once the private operation of sea trade is discovered, the consequences are unimaginable.

The Jiangnan Shi clan didn't know what to do at all, so they could only hope for the game between Guanzhong Gate Valve and Fang Jun.

Although everyone belongs to different camps, but since the founding of the Tang Dynasty for so many years, there has been more and more commercial cooperation, especially the hugely profitable maritime trade transactions, in which the Guanzhong Gate Valve and the Shandong family have a piece of the pie, and no one wants to leave it behind.

And everyone is keenly aware of Fang Jun's true intentions, once the city is operating well, they will write to the imperial court to ask for industrial and commercial tax......

If everyone can tolerate the tax of the Municipal Shipping Division, it is equivalent to giving His Majesty Li Er a face to support His Majesty the Emperor's great cause of the Eastern Crusade, then the establishment of the commercial tax is absolutely unacceptable!

Since ancient times, there have been various types of taxes related to Tianjin, miscellaneous taxes, and forced labor, but there has never been a formal industrial and commercial tax!

Fang Jun's commercial tax reform plan proposed in the government hall has already flowed out of the outside world, and all taxes on Guanjin should be abolished, and the shops should pay taxes in proportion to the trade quota!

Could it be that Datang wants to set a precedent that has never been seen in the past dynasties?

Once the new commercial tax is established, the family gate valve under the whole world will suffer a cruel blow, which is equivalent to a 10,000-point critical attack, and the annual income will be lost at least one to two percent, who can stand this?

Therefore, now it must be all the Shi clan gate lords to unite and severely resist Fang Jun!

*****

The other scholars were still considering whether to participate in Fang Jun's invitation, but the Yangxian Zhou clan was completely confused.

In the Jiangdong region during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the two wealthy families in Jiangdong who were known for their military strength were the Zhou and Shen families. The Zhou family came from the Three Kingdoms Poyang Taishou Zhou Yi, the fourth dignitary, one family and five marquis, and the Shen family came from the Three Kingdoms Danyang Taishou Shen Ying, all of whom were generations of hairpins and full of ministers.

Therefore, people at the time called: Jiangdong's pride, Mo Qiang Zhou Shen.

However, in the last years of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Jiangdong was turbulent, and the two major families died down one after another, and the northern scholars who crossed to the south gradually gained a firm foothold. After the Jin Dynasty crossed to the south, the Jiangdong culture began to change from fierce to civilized, which was actually the reason why the northern culture replaced the original Jiangdong culture.

The Zhou and Shen clans gradually abandoned the military force of the past and turned to outstanding achievements in business and academia.

On the ninth day of the winter month of the fourteenth year of Zhenguan, Yangxian County on the west bank of Taihu Lake.

Yangxian is located in the west of the secluded Taihu Lake, sitting and watching the ups and downs of the Tianmu mountains, the residence of the beautiful mountains and rivers, the blessed land of the paradise, the collection of heaven and earth aura breeding, gathering the essence of the sun and the moon baptism, since ancient times it is the land of rich and beautiful fish and rice.

It was rainy and the sky was dark.

Before nightfall, the sky and the earth were hazy, and the light rain was carrying a cold chill, wrapped in the cool breeze blowing from Taihu Lake, passing through the beautiful purple bamboo forest in the courtyard, and pouring into the main hall of the ancestral house of the Zhou family.

The slender maid removed the pole that held the window and closed it to keep the fine rain and cold air out.

The smooth floor was covered with thick cushions, and the atmosphere was dreary for four people at a table each.

The flickering candlelight flickered gently, and from time to time a little light burst out, reflecting the four nervous and resentful faces......

The old man in the middle of the first place was about sixty years old, with a square face and a thin face, and his eyes flickered with candlelight, and he had a majestic momentum that was not angry but majestic.

It is Zhou Boxian, the head of the Yangxian Zhou family.

The handsome maid in Tsing Yi and with a beautiful posture served the fragrant tea, hung her head slightly, placed the tea vessel on the table in front of Zhou Boxian with her slender hand, bowed lightly and exited the main hall, and gently closed the door.

Zhou Boxian lifted the purple clay pot and slowly poured a cup of tea.

This is the black tea produced by Yangxian, the shape is tightly knotted, the color is dark and moist, and the fragrance is leisurely, that is, if the shore is Zhi Tinglan, compared with the Longjing that is now famous at home and abroad, it has a warm and mellow fragrance.

Taking a sip, Zhou Boxian said indifferently: "Let's talk about it, how to deal with this matter." ”

A middle-aged scribe sitting on his right hand said angrily: "That Fang Jun is too deceitful, it is simply unreasonable!" If you don't believe it, doesn't this Tang Dynasty have a royal law? ”

A middle-aged man of similar age across from him sneered: "Wang Fa? Fang Jun is the king! Jiangdong, this one-third of an acre, that is the back garden of others, Suzhou Thorn History is like a dog cub shaking his head and tail in front of him, even if you sue Suzhou Thorn Shi Mansion now, believe it or not, the surname Mu can even bite you back and falsely accuse the court officials? ”

The middle-aged scribe is Zhou Boxian's own brother, Zhou Shuxian.

This person is proficient in Confucian classics, and his literary name is very prominent in the Jiangdong generation, but he is a little pedantic and has to be reasonable in everything.

Hearing this at this time, he glared at his younger brother Zhou Jixian opposite, and said angrily: "I don't believe that Fang Jun can cover the sky with one hand?" The Son of Heaven is wise, he will be able to enforce the law impartially and discerningly, and he will set off for Chang'an early tomorrow morning, even if it is blood-spattered Suzaku Gate, he will also give our Zhou family a justice! ”

Zhou Jixian retorted: "Justice? Fair fart! At the beginning, Zhang Liang sent someone to send a letter over, but according to my meaning, he simply ignored him, but what did you say about receiving the grace of people's dripping water, and you should repay him with a spring...... What kind of goods is that bright, you don't count it in your heart? Not to mention that the so-called kindness in your mouth back then was just a matter of Zhang Liang's words, let's just say that now he, a chief administrator appointed by the imperial court, is held hostage by Fang Jun and a yellow-mouthed son and has no choice, so why do we have to support him from the Zhou family? Well, Fang Jun's family detained our people and goods, and charged us with smuggling and selling weapons to the enemy, which is to behead and exterminate the nine clans! ”

Zhou Jixian was very excited, and his words were inevitably disrespectful to this pedantic brother. It's no wonder that he lost his manners, anyone who was pressed on the head by such a big crime couldn't help but complain a few words in a panic.

Zhou Shuxian became more and more annoyed, glared and shouted: "A gentleman receives the favor of others, and he should repay him by connecting the grass and connecting the rings, if he falls into the well and is treacherous, how is it different from a beast?" Something disdainful! ”

Zhou Jixian sneered: "Okay, if you want to be a gentleman, you can do it yourself, but now you have abducted the entire Zhou family, what's the matter?" ”

Uncle Zhou was choked a lot, and he couldn't say anything like "one person does things and one person does it". The family bloodline, lips and teeth depend on each other, but it's not that you can give it up if you say it's gone, if you do something wrong, then the whole family will suffer......

But he was not angry in his heart, and said to himself: "That Fang Jun is just scaring people, I don't believe that he really dares to do anything to our Zhou family!" Yangxian Zhou's family is a century-old wealthy family, can he still frame us with one-sided words, and really wipe out the family? ”

Zhou Zhongxian, the second child who had been wandering around and seemed to be outside the wandering things, interjected leisurely: "I think at the beginning, the Gu family probably thought like you......"

Zhou Shuxian was speechless.

The Gu family is not far away, who dares to say that Fang Jun will not dare to take it seriously, and who dares to say that today's Zhou family will not become the second Gu family?

The mallet went crazy, and the sky dared to poke a hole......

Zhou Ji seemed to be supported by the second brother, and suddenly became angry, and shouted at Zhou Shuxian: "That Fang Jun suppressed Zhang Liang, just to show all the Jiangnan scholars, so that everyone can see clearly who is the person in Jiangnan!" Now that our Zhou family is blatantly supporting Zhang Liang, that is, it is clear that he is against Fang Jun, that is, to embarrass Fang Jun, do you think that guy will really kill us, and come to knock the mountain and shock the tiger, kill the chicken and make an example? ”

Uncle Zhou's face turned blue and he kept his mouth shut.

At the beginning, the Zhou family received Zhang Liang's favor, and today Zhang Liang is in trouble, and the Zhou family naturally wants to repay the favor, this is Zhou Shuxian's principle of life, even if he dies, he can't be made to bow his head for it. But now the entire family is facing a threat, Fang Jun's butcher's knife has been raised high, as long as the crime of financing the enemy and selling weapons is implemented, it will be a huge disaster that will affect the whole family.

In this case, Zhou Shuxian did not dare to stick to his principles.

The Zhou family's century-old wealthy family and generations of hairpins are going to perish under the gentlemanly demeanor of repaying kindness?

Should we stick to our principles, maintain the reputation of the Zhou family for repaying kindness, and then be slaughtered by the devil, or give up the so-called benevolence and morality and preserve the glory of the family's bloodline?

Zhou Shuxian didn't know what to do.

Zhou Boxian, who had been silently listening to the arguments of his brothers, sighed softly, swayed the teacup in his hand, felt the warmth of the tea passing through the teacup to the palm of his hand, and sighed and said: "Third brother, I only ask you one thing, since the official letter from Huating Town arrived at the Zhou family, what did Zhang Liang say?" ”

The corners of Uncle Zhou's mouth twitched, speechless.

Because the Zhou family helped Zhang Liang get out of trouble, Fang Jun targeted him and decided to retaliate, but what did Zhang Liang do? Pulling the Zhou family into the water, he just made a fuss in Huating Town, and then died down without any movement......

Zhou Jixian slapped his thigh and said angrily: "This bastard, he was so scared by Fang Jun that he broke his guts!" Pushing our Zhou family into the water to bear Fang Jun's anger, he himself sat firmly on the Diaoyutai like a nobody, what kind of thing is this done by people? Third brother, you still keep saying that kindness will be repaid, benevolence, righteousness and morality, you talk about benevolence and righteousness to others, but people treat you as a fool! This kind of person is not even as good as a turtle, what do you care about him? ”

The words are not rough.

Uncle Zhou wanted to speak and stopped, but finally lowered his head and sighed helplessly.

Zhang Liang is really not authentic in this matter, but he Zhang Liang is unrighteous, how can we be virtuous?

But in the face of the crisis of the survival of the family, he couldn't say such words.

Zhicheng gentleman, he should only hide in a small building to do learning, and in this filthy and filthy world, he will definitely not be able to eat......