As night falls, the lights come on.

In the northern suburbs of Yangzhou City, a luxurious garden adjacent to the Grand Canal, but in the lush garden of the verdant wrapping of the mountains, like a fairyland on earth, a luxurious dinner party is simply a bit 'extremely vicious' and 'lost its conscience', just in time.

"Mother, it's delicious. It's really delicious. Yue'er has never eaten so many delicious things, huh......"

An area of at least a dozen acres, pavilions, rockeries and flowing water of the artificial lakeside, several flower halls are like a fairy palace that stretches between the sky and water, even if it is winter at this time, but here I don't know what means are used, everywhere you can see all kinds of bright and verdant flowers, and everywhere you can see a large piece of glass installation and precious marble, but also the grade here has been raised to a new height.

In a self-service small flower hall, Yue'er was dressed as a little scholar, her stomach was bulging and her mouth was full of oil, but she still couldn't help but taste the exquisite desserts.

Next to him, Kong Xi, dressed as a scholar, is not much different, although he is pretending to be reserved on his face, he is also like gluttony, and he has never eaten so fiercely in this life.

is her identity, and she has never seen such a large, luxurious and unimaginably huge feast.

Fortunately, Kong Xi still had a trace of clarity, knowing that something would happen if she ate too much, so she said in a low voice: "Stinky girl, don't eat anymore, be careful and hold on." If you feel uncomfortable, wait for Uncle Xu to come to you, but you will be embarrassed. ”

"Yikes."

Yue'er came back to her senses suddenly, and she was reluctant to put down the pastry in her hand, and said angrily: "Mother, what should I do, I'm a little tired now, woo, I'm going to lose face in front of my uncle......"

Kong Xi couldn't help but be angry and funny, and doted on Yue'er's forehead, "Then don't eat any more, my mother will put these pastries away for you, and let's go to the garden over there to take a walk and eliminate food." ”

After the mother and daughter finished cleaning up, they just walked to the door of the flower hall, they had been on duty beside their mother and daughter for the past few days, and Zhang Taiping, who was in charge of their safety, hurriedly greeted them: "Son." ”

Kong Xi knew that this young man was her Xu Lang's henchman, and he was also very respectful to Zhang Taiping, so Shi Shiran saluted and said: "Master Zhang, Nu and Yue'er want to go to the garden for a walk, so they won't be taboo." ”

Zhang Taiping hurriedly said respectfully: "Childe, these gardens are fine, but it's best not to go to the main hall, my grandfather is now on duty in the main hall, and there are many big people......"

At the beginning, taking over the task of taking care of Kong Xi's mother and daughter, Zhang Taiping still had some thoughts in his heart, after all, this was really inconvenient.

But after thinking about it carefully, he suddenly became transparent!

I'm afraid that this is a beauty difference that many people can't ask for, and he Zhang Taiping can have such an opportunity, it is definitely the green smoke on the ancestral grave.

"Thank you Zhang Ye......"

Kong Xi had a plan in his heart, thanked Zhang Taiping, and took Yue'er into the fairyland-like garden.

Yue'er got used to it a little, and then quickly became cheerful, as if she had become a beautiful little butterfly in this garden, dancing.

And as Kong Xi also began to see the many scenery in this garden, he couldn't stop staggering.

This is the scene.

Compared with them, they are like dilapidated houses in the countryside.

People say that Yangzhou is rich in the world, she used to think that it was exaggerated, but at this time she understood, she was still too naïve.

With her realm, she couldn't understand the meaning of being rich at all, and her identity in the past couldn't reach this kind of place at all......

At this time, when she walked to the edge of a corridor, she saw two boys who were dressed like her whispering something.

After listening for a while, Kong Xi suddenly became clever, they were actually talking about this garden.

Kong Xi hurriedly grabbed Yue'er's little hand, didn't let her run around anymore, and pretended to wander around the garden senselessly, but she was secretly listening to it on the side.

"Brother Qian, this damn thing, I thought that our brother was already a number one person in Lunan, but when I came to this garden, I realized that we were like a goddamn flower! The two Huai salt industry is indeed worthy of its name! ”

"Brother Yuan, if you keep quiet, it's not good to be heard. It's normal to think about it. Those old Xi'er in Shanxi have been engaged in salt trading since the Jingjing, and the Wang family is the leading wealthy family, so it is not surprising that they have such a background. Perhaps, they have something better, they just don't want us to see it. ”

"I ...... Brother Qian, what do you mean? Could it be that this garden is not the best, and they have even better? ”

"Hehe, Brother Yuan, don't get excited. Jiangnan people are outstanding, far from what you and I can imagine. It's no surprise that there are better ones. Yangzhou is big, where are we going? ”

"I'm so ......"

Brother Yuan whispered a few words fiercely, but then his eyes couldn't stop shining, and he said in a low voice: "Brother Qian, we really have to thank the Marquis of Haicheng." If it weren't for the Marquis of Haicheng and his old man, how would we have the qualifications to enter the Lianghuai salt industry......

"That's it. The Marquis of Haicheng is definitely the best among the dragons and phoenixes......"

These two people are obviously 'second-generation brothers', and their speech is still relatively frivolous, and they are far from thorough, but for Kong Xi, they are shocked enough.

She really couldn't imagine that it was better than this garden, what was that? A true wonderland?

Although Yue'er is young, she is constantly blinking her big starry eyes, thoughtful.

Today's half-day experience is unforgettable for her!

I thought that the three-foot world in the small room was this world, who would have thought that when she really came out, she realized that this world was too vast, as vast as the sea.

It is no wonder that the sages said: "It is better to read ten thousand books than to travel ten thousand miles." ”

Seeing that the two of them had already looked over here, they were suspicious of their mother and daughter, Kong Xi didn't dare to stay here any longer, so he was busy holding Yue'er's little hand, leaving quietly, and going to the lake for a walk.

Stepping on the extremely comfortable cobblestones under her feet, Yue'er asked in a low voice, "Mother, where are we staying tonight?" Can you live in this garden? ”

"This ......"

Kong Xi was also a little undecided, and he didn't know how Xu Changqing arranged them, so he hurriedly warned Yue'er: "Stinky girl, you still want to be in Shu." Have you forgotten what your uncle told you? Let's go back to the barracks later. It's solid to live there. ”

"Oh. All right. ”

Yue'er was a little reluctant, but the hardships from childhood to adulthood had made her understand the trade-off, nodded obediently, and soon became cheerful again.

……

Just when Yue'er's mother and daughter were visiting the garden comfortably and comfortably, in the main hall, the wine banquet also reached its climax.

Headed by Shi Kefa, Ma Shiying, and Qian Qianyi, the three elders of the pavilion slapped Xu Changqing's sycophants like a tide, and his rhetoric was as brilliant as a galaxy.

Especially Qian Qianyi, the old guy, doesn't know what his face is at all, and he has praised Xu Changqing all over the sky, and he is already compared to his ancestor Xu Da.

Xu Changqing's face was a little hot, and he couldn't stop being ashamed, but he couldn't say it in his heart.

People, the roots of the ears are all smooth, even Xu Changqing is not exempt from vulgarity.

A wine banquet was almost perfect, and after the wine banquet, the three pavilion elders did not hold on to Xu Changqing anymore, but went back to rest with confidence.

At this level, there are many things, needless to say, too straightforward, Xu Changqing accepted their arrangement tonight, and stayed in this luxurious manor, which has already shown his attitude, and it also indicates many things.

At this time, Xu Changqing's journey was tiring, if they didn't know whether they were alive or dead, and they had to talk to Xu Changqing about government affairs, they would not know how to lift.

However, Shi Kefa and the others can leave in style, but ~~, led by Wang Fuchun, the owner of this garden, together with more than 100 salt merchants and Jiangnan gentry, are like sitting on pins and needles!

Xu Changqing came over this time, and it was not an exaggeration to say that he directly put the knife on their necks.

They had already suffered heavy losses in this Qing army's invasion, and if they did this again, it would really cost them their bloody lives, and they wouldn't be able to live.

"President Wang, this, how can this be born. Hou Ye has not expressed his position to us until now, this is not asking for people's lives. President Wang, you have to say something......"

The first to speak was a white and fat man, rich and rich, so that people could hardly tell his real age, but at this time, under anxiety, the wrinkles on his forehead and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes were much deeper, and his real age was faintly exposed, I am afraid that he would be in his fifties.

This person's surname is Qian, is a native of Anhui, and also serves as the president of the Suzhou Dongting Chamber of Commerce, although his industry is mostly in Suzhou, the family is a traditional salt industry, deep-rooted, the impact is not small, is a lot of pressure.

"President Wang, we are in such a hurry now, we are indeed rash. But, this thing, time is running out. We still have to find a way to meet Hou Ye. ”

The other followed.

This person's face is slightly darker, and his body is stronger, and at first glance he is a northerner, a member of the Shanxi royal family.

However, although he is a fellow villager with Wang Fuchun, and his surname seems to be very close hundreds of years ago, he is not a road, and he is deeper than the Wang family's foundation in Yangzhou, and he is the vice president of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce.

As the two of them spoke, others also followed, either this president or that president, all of them were big people who had to shake when they stomped their feet in Jiangnan.

As the saying goes, "If you take a peek, you can see the whole leopard." ”

At this time, the posture of Yangzhou salt merchants was, to some extent, just like some distribution in the court.

They are all grouped by the regionality of the same township and clan, and they are all huge community of interests!

It is mainly composed of Shanxi people, Anhui people, a small number of Central Plains people, and local forces in the south of the Yangtze River.

Behind each group, there is a jaw-dropping network of terrifying relationships!

To put it more bluntly -

After the Jingjing Dynasty, the capital was moved to Beijing and stabilized, but all the Jinshi and Juren in Lianghuai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Huguang, Guangdong and other places had nothing to do with them!

It may be too much to say that it is all in one net, but it is far from the same!

Even if you are a literati who are not with them, you can definitely talk to them and have sympathy for them!

Over the years, the salt merchants' funding for the children in Beijing is absolutely an astronomical amount that scares people to death.

All in all, in one sentence!

As long as there are people who enter Beijing and pass by from Yangzhou, including the surrounding areas, the salt merchants will offer rich red envelopes, treat them well, contact their feelings, and even send their daughters to the door.

They are the world!

However!

The world has changed, and the vicissitudes of life!

In the past few years, the Daming River has been declining, the literati have gradually drifted away, and the warriors have begun to appear on the stage of history.

This kind of change, the pace is really too fast.

Many people who are fast can't come back to their senses at all, and they have already changed the world.

Over the years, they are not unfunded warriors, but most of them are mainly local garrisons, and when a big change really happens, these local soldiers seem to be not enough.

In this seemingly inadvertent way, the fate of all of them is already in the hands of his young overlord-like hero!

What kind of exquisite person is Wang Fuchun?

I didn't want to ask to see Xu Changqing today and ruin Xu Changqing's mood.

But at this time, the matter was no longer controllable for him, so he could only grit his teeth and say: "Everyone, you can rest assured, I am going to see the Marquis of Haicheng now!" ”

"President Wang's ...... of Gao Yi"

"President Wang, please, ......"