Although Kang Siding is a few years older than Zhao Sigong, he has been in charge of the family business for several years, but he regards the other party as a late-born junior, and in the face of Zhao Sigong's kind words and persuasion, he finally replied impatiently.

"My Kang family has its own money and grain shop, why should I keep gold and silver in your bank? Everyone is in the money and grain business, why does the court say that I have to save it?

What is the difference between taking real money and exchanging the paper issued by your bank and robbing it openly? I don't read much, but I've never heard of such an unreasonable law issued by any dynasty or generation.

Even if the emperor is Chrysostom, he has to be reasonable, right? I know that the shareholders behind your Shanxi Bank are all open, but there is no one behind my Kang family. If you have to rely on the power of the court to oppress my family, then let's touch it, I don't believe it, there is really no place to be reasonable in this world.

I'm not feeling well, so I won't talk to you, Brother Zhao. If you want to enjoy the scenery of my Kang's house, you can live as long as you like, and if you need anything, you can tell someone to do it. But if you want to talk to me about depositing money and gold, then don't blame me for chasing away customers. ”

After Kang Siding finished speaking, he got up and arched his hand at Zhao Sigong casually, turned around and wanted to walk to the back hall. Seeing this, Zhao Sigong had to hurriedly jump out of the chair, and said anxiously behind him: "Brother Kang, why is it like this, what is the difference between this gold and silver deposited in our bank and stored in your cellar?" If you want to use it, as long as you give it an order, will the little brother still embarrass you?

Such a decree of the imperial court is not operated by our bank shareholders behind the scenes, so you must not be misunderstood. Now that the drought situation in various parts of the Ming Dynasty is urgent, the imperial court confiscated the gold and silver of the people, just to try to get through the current difficulties.

Why would you be such a bird, do you really plan to touch a stone with an egg? At this juncture, if His Majesty is targeted, no one can turn around. ”

Kang Siding stayed in place for a moment, but in the end he didn't turn back, watching the other party's figure disappear into the passage of the back hall, Zhao Sigong couldn't help but shake his head and sighed.

Walking out of the dimly lit hall, the small courtyard in front of him suddenly lit up. Zhao Sigong, who was standing in the shadow under the eaves, looked up at the scorching sunlight in the sky, and finally said expressionlessly to the Kang family who was waiting on the side: "Prepare a horse for me, I want to go back to the city." ”

The subordinate first agreed, and then said: "Seeing that it is almost noon, does Master Zhao want to eat before going out?" At this time, when you go out, it's time to eat when you get to the city. ”

Zhao Sigong shook his head and said, "No need, you go and get ready, and by the way, I will inform all my companions." ”

The subordinate didn't say anything more, and retreated after a thousand calls to Zhao Sigong. Zhao Sigong's entourage, who was originally preparing to start a meal, quickly put down the chopsticks in his hand after hearing the notice of the Kang family, quickly walked out of the door, and went to pack his luggage.

It took less than 2 hours for Zhao Sigong and his party of five or six people to finally return to the east gate of Pingyang City. After entering the city, Zhao Sigong did not rush to find a restaurant to solve the problem of eating, but went directly to Pingyang Mansion.

After hearing that Zhao Sigong had come to ask for a meeting, Xu Rencheng, the prefect of Pingyang, hurriedly ordered the housekeeper to come out and lead him in, while he himself waited in front of the second hall.

The former governor of Puzhou, because he assisted Hong Chengchou in handling the task of resettlement of disaster victims in Shaanxi, was promoted to one level before Hong Chengchou left Shanxi and became the prefect of Pingyang.

When Hong Chengchou was there, the Shanxi gentry and wealthy businessmen who were offended by Xu Rencheng naturally did not dare to trouble him, and when Hong Chengchou was transferred to the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Puzhou gentry who were placed by Xu Rencheng at the beginning stared at him.

Xu Rencheng finally caught up with Wen Tiren's confidant Tang Shiji through the shareholders of Shanxi Bank, and only then did he reverse his difficult situation.

Under Wen Tiren's operation, Tang Shiji has become Han Yiliang's deputy, and according to the emperor's wishes, the Independent Commission Against Corruption will soon be expanded into the Ministry of the Interior, and its power will increase from supervising hundreds of officials to maintaining social order.

Wen Tiren naturally hoped that Tang Shiji would be able to take this opportunity to go to the next level, so he spent a lot of effort to let him inspect Shanxi alone, in addition to supervising Shanxi's disaster relief measures, it was to supervise the implementation of the coinage bill in the local area.

Although Gyeonggi vigorously developed new industries, the world's most profitable business shifted from the salt industry to the banking and cotton textile industries. The resulting transfer of social wealth has also changed from Shanxi and Anhui to Gyeonggi and port cities centered on Shanghai, Ningbo and Guangzhou.

However, the personal assets of Jindi businessmen are still in the forefront of the wealthy of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, if the coinage bill can open up the situation in Shanxi, Tang Shiji will naturally be in the emperor's heart.

I think that Han Yiliang was just a household department in the middle of the matter, just because he handled a Yangzhou salt case for the emperor, he immediately rose to prominence and became an upstart in the Ming Dynasty. Although Tang Shiji is older than Han Yiliang, his enthusiasm for being an official has not diminished at all.

At his age, it was obviously too late to seek any reputation for confronting the emperor, and to try to gain the recommendation and support of the gentry in the future, so as to be among the important ministers of the imperial court.

What's more, now this emperor has more control over personnel than several previous emperors, and if he offends him, he still wants to recover, I'm afraid there is really little hope. Famous people such as Wen Zhenmeng were finally forcibly pressed by the emperor to the position of the secretary of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites for retirement.

As for the younger leaders of the Restoration Society, they were even driven overseas. And those who are willing to do things for the emperor, whether it is the eunuch Cui and Feng Zhiliu in the past, or Han Yiliang, Ye Yuxuan, etc., have all been reused.

With these examples in front of him, Tang Shiji naturally hoped to take the opportunity to tour Shanxi and perform well.

After discussing with several shareholders of Shanxi Bank, Tang Shiji believed that if he wanted to implement the coinage bill, there must always be a person with enough influence to respond to the call of the imperial court, and the richest man in Pingyang, Kang, naturally became the best target.

This independent of Shanxi Bank, but has extremely strong financial resources, when Shanxi Bank opened a branch in Pingyang, it was almost run out by one of them. With him as a precedent, even if Shanxi businessmen are unwilling, they will have to pay for it.

Originally, this was a situation of hello, me, and everyone. Tang Shiji really didn't want to make a feud with the Kang clan at first, all he wanted was for the Kang clan to come out and set an example, so that others could follow.

Therefore, he also deliberately asked people to go to persuade him, but he never thought that he could talk about anything with this Kang Si Ding, even if he asked him to donate food and money, he gritted his teeth and agreed. But when he asked him to deposit the money in the treasury of the Shanxi Bank, he immediately turned his face.

After changing three or four batches of people, Tang Shiji finally couldn't hold his breath and came to Pingyang with Zhao Sigong to try to make one last effort.

In the second hall of the Pingyang Mansion, after listening to Zhao Sigong's complete report, Tang Shiji did not lose his temper, but calmly took a sip of the tea in his hand, and then said leisurely: "Since this Kang million is unwilling to be with my Ming Dynasty, then we don't need to leave any face." Since he doesn't want to be a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, Governor Xu, what do you think should be done next? ”

Xu Rencheng stood respectfully and listened to the conversation between the two, and when he heard the benefactor ask, he just mentioned it euphemistically: "The Kang family is easy to solve, but the Jiang family behind the Kang family may not be willing to stand by." ”

Tang Shiji smiled and said, "What time is it?" If you don't kill a few monkeys, how can you control the chickens everywhere. One door and three general soldiers, such a big pomp, the country treats the Jiang family so well, they still have to collude with the rebel party, that is to kill themselves. ”

Hearing that Tang Shiji had beaten the Kang clan into an anti-party, Xu Rencheng finally stopped hesitating, and bowed his hand to the benefactor and said, "Then the lower officials will go and pick up the people and arrest the anti-party clan." ”

Tang Shiji glanced at him and said unhurriedly: "As for those people under you, if the Kang clan resists stubbornly, I'm afraid you won't even be able to enter the Kang family village."

Let them sleep peacefully for another night, you take my film to the military camp in Pingyang, mobilize the garrison tomorrow to surround Zhuangzi, and then send people in to arrest the criminals. With the army on the side, the Kang clan's relatives will not take risks..."

When Kang Siding was tied up from home by the official, he looked incredulous. In his opinion, how could the imperial court be more unreasonable than the bandits and bandits, just because he refused to deposit gold and silver in the bank, he could send officers and soldiers to arrest him.

When Kang Siding was dragged out of the village, he couldn't stop shouting loudly, but under the deterrence of the officials and soldiers outside the village, the relatives of the Kang family closed their doors one after another, and no one dared to stand up for him.

When Kang Siding's family was brought to Tang Shiji outside the village, he finally realized that something was wrong, and shouted desperately to this court official: "I am really not guilty, how can the court treat me like this..."

Tang Shiji looked at him with a mocking expression and said, "In such a year of famine, what did you do with the Kang clan's accumulation of a large amount of money and food? I have sent to you several times to tell you the decrees of the court, but you have turned a deaf ear. You don't obey the laws of the imperial court, but you have secretly saved money and food, what else can you do except want to rebel? ”

Kang Siding's heart sank suddenly, and he hurriedly defended himself: "I am related to Jiang Xuan's general soldiers, how dare I rebel against the imperial court, my lord is afraid that he has misunderstood." ”

Tang Shiji nodded at him and said, "No wonder you, a businessman, dare to accumulate so much money and grain, it turns out that there are generals who lead the army to support you." In this way, your money and food are used to recruit troops and horses for Deputy Chief Jiang? ”

Hearing that this official was so far-fetched, Kang Siding didn't dare to go any further, so he had to beg for mercy: "The villain is willing to give money and food, and please raise your noble hand..."

Tang Shiji stared at him for a long time, and finally shook his head and said, "The matter has come to this, how can you turn back." You're going to be on your way. Come on, shut him up, take him down..."

(. = )