Chapter 732: Hongmen Banquet

Because Guangdong is located in the South China Sea, it is convenient to go to the West, but it is extremely inconvenient to go to the East, so it is now called the opening of the port, but in fact, it has not issued a citation, and the merchants can still sit still. However, when he heard that the original supervisor of the wharf was in charge of valuation, taxation, etc., and so on, Zhang Qian was suddenly dismissed, and Zhang Yue even let out that the city port department was under the political secretary, and from now on this wharf was jointly managed by the government secretary and the city port mansion, these people were suddenly a little confused.

From the Yongle period to the present, the three major cities in the world, therefore, nominally, Zhejiang merchants, Fujian merchants, and Guangdong merchants are naturally divided into three parts of the world. However, the share of Cantonese businessmen in the Guangzhou port company is not absolute. Fangshi Street, an acre of three-point land, sits on 32 merchants, of which the Hui merchants and Fujian merchants account for one-third. And now that maritime merchants have become a livelihood, these thirty-two families are naturally everyone competing for the lead, and the channels behind them are looking for backers, as for those who have already had backers, they have done everything possible to ask for a "talisman", but who would have thought that such a big stick would be smashed down suddenly.

Although Zhang Qian said that he and Zhang Yue were waiting for these businessmen on the Caiyun Tower, but Shinong was the last businessman, and Zhang Qian put down his cruel words before, so no one dared to let the two big men wait. Early in the morning, as soon as Caiyunlou opened, several merchants came in together, followed by people arriving one after another. By the time it was three o'clock, all the thirty-two families had arrived, and the floor was full. There are also fine people who quietly run to the shopkeeper to settle the day's accounts, and then patiently sit together according to the usual relationship, drinking tea and eating snacks and waiting.

On the square table in the corner of the wall, Chu Fatzi shook his fan and said, "Brother Wu, fortunately, you reminded me before, otherwise if you send filial piety to Qin Huaijin according to the example of previous years, all this money will be wasted!" Don't look at those people who are sure right now, but don't mention how painful it is in your heart! and Xu Zhengping, who occupies a table alone, tsk, what about a big family, he actually wants to take advantage of the flood to make money, but the result is good, stealing chickens is not a loss of rice! ”

When he said this, the other three people at the table immediately echoed him, and the two people sitting close to each other also nodded. Wu Jingxi, who was sitting in the center, was proud, and smiled as soon as he stroked his beard: "That's also a fluke." I got to know Lord Wang, who was the salt envoy of the two Huai capitals, through several layers of relationships, so I got some inside information. It's just that he was able to make a good deal with the government by relying on the previous grain matters, but it was still thanks to Brother Yue of Wuyue Commercial Bank! ”

For Wuyue Commercial Bank, these three tables are naturally no strangers, but it is the first time they have seen this low-key principal. At this time, Qi Qi turned his head to look at the other party, and Chu Fatzi smiled and said: "We have a lot of food in stock, but I didn't want to hoard Juqi, originally I was suspicious of Brother Yue's words, but I didn't expect to follow to see the old man, not only did I not lose money, but I also took the opportunity to make a lot of money." Where do you find things that make money and sell well? But ......"

Remembering that it was easy to hear the news that Du Si sent troops to arrest people before, his heart was hot, and he suddenly lowered his voice: "Now our biggest advantage is to take the lead." The people on the wharf were cleaned up, although I don't know where Mr. Zhang and Mr. Zhang found people to fill the vacant seats, but I heard that the government issued an announcement yesterday to recruit people to repair the port. If we can insert our own people into it, this is the real benefit! ”

"Come on, there were only so many people on the dock before, do you dare to play greasy again? Father-in-law Zhang has already put down such cruel words, don't look at our money, fabricate a crime from above, and we will have nothing in the blink of an eye. The boss of the Xu family is sitting there alone, do you think he is putting on a show? Phew, that's everyone is afraid of getting involved with this idiot and making such black money, and when that time comes, he will definitely be the first to send him down! ”

A few people here were talking, but Qiu Guoyong just drank tea unhurriedly, and slowly tasted a piece of dim sum in his hand. Previously, Lao An had mentioned that Jiu Niang, the daughter of the Qiu Fang family in charge of the kitchen, had been recommended by Chu Fatzi to work and live in this Caiyun Building, and in addition to emotion, there was also indescribable sourness in his heart. Because of the cost savings, almost all the subordinates in the family have been cleaned up over the years, but now that I think about it, the money sent out has not even made a splash.

They are really confused, how powerful are the nobles in the Yongle period, and even the nobles can't do things, let alone the lieutenants?

"Grandpa Zhang of the Admiral City Bosi has arrived! The political envoy Zhang arrived! ”

Hearing a loud singing from below, the merchants sitting all over the building suddenly stood up in unison and knelt down one by one. A certain merchant who happened to be at the top of the stairs had the courage to peek at a glance, only to see that Zhang Qian and Zhang Yue were actually wearing the same red woven gold silk silk silk unicorn suit, the brocade unicorn on the chest and the crane on the two sleeves were swaying. In a trance, he thought that these were two identical people. It wasn't until there was a rude voice from above that a group of people got up unevenly, and more people saw what the two were wearing. The eunuch gave the unicorn suit at every turn when he went out of town, but it was the first time he had seen Zhang Yue. Only those who really inquired with the strength of death remembered that during the Yongle period, Zhang Yue seemed to have been given a unicorn suit.

It's just that the two people above didn't answer the question in their hearts. After sitting down, Zhang Yue was not polite, and said straight to the point: "You are all merchants who receive goods on the street of Fangshi, and today I and Grandpa Zhang invite everyone to come, first, to report the results of the previous inventory of the town's wharf." People have been driven out, but you must know in your hearts that if you really follow the law of Da Ming, there should be dozens of more heads hanging on the streets of Xicheng in Guangzhou! ”

The sound with a chill was like a cold wind, and I don't know how many people were stiff and couldn't move. After waiting for a long time, everyone who had already raised their hearts to their throats waited for Zhang Yue to speak again.

"I know what reputation has been given to me in the market. I'm not a murderous person, and I don't want countless heads to fall everywhere I go, so I agreed with Zhang's father-in-law's disposition, but I was just expelled and never allowed to enter the dock again, and the merchants were not allowed to take them in. Valuation and taxation were originally a regular item of the imperial court, and if it was only relied on by the city and the city mansion to send people, I am afraid that you would say something unfair. So, I'm here today to announce a few new orders. ”

The previous warning made everyone's hearts shrink, and the two words of the new order just now made everyone's hearts tighten. At this moment, dozens of pairs of eyes fell on Zhang Yue, even Qiu Guoyong was no exception. He didn't even notice that a guy next to Zhang Yue was staring at him, and his eyes were almost never taken away.

"First, since the imperial court has not forbidden private ships to go to sea, then, a maritime merchant is a maritime merchant, and a merchant is a merchant. If there is a transgression of the boundary, even if the maritime merchant's citation is sent down at that time, the government will definitely take it back! ”

Speaking of this, Zhang Yue took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then glanced at everyone again: "Second, the matter of valuation, in the future, it will no longer be the Shibo Division or the Shibo Mansion to have the final say." Set up an official tooth bank, and each maritime merchant only needs to pay a deposit of 1,000 yuan, and can send one person into the industry, not more than one person. However, whenever a ship docks, whether it is a domestic ship or a boat, the official tooth bank will send someone to verify the goods, and the clerk of the city ship mansion will evaluate and collect taxes, and the city ship department will ask a third party to audit the accounts every year, and if there is a deserter, the previous capital will be confiscated and the fine will be ten times. In the past, although there were alliances in the streets, they were all scattered, so you should set your own specific regulations. ”

This second one was a big surprise to everyone, and the upstairs became more and more silent. Zhang Yue didn't wait for everyone to answer, and looked at a corner again: "This department only mentions these two items for the time being, and you can discuss the next things yourself." But there is one thing that is digressive, but now it has to be mentioned. After the first flood, there were profiteers hoarding Juqi to raise the price of rice, and the company thought that the affairs after the disaster were complicated, and they wanted to appease people's hearts, so they did not deal with it. was supposed to wait for him to repent and reform after he was announced, but who knew that according to the judges, a big case had just been reported! It turns out that this is not only a grain merchant who made a fortune from the disaster, but also a trafficker who sold the people of our dynasty who were displaced by the disaster overseas! Raising the price of food is nothing but a profiteer's act, but this human trafficking is intolerable! ”

Everyone who had already settled down was suddenly shocked, and those who knew the details immediately turned their heads, and saw that although Xu Zhengping's butt was next to the chair, his body was already a little trembling, and his face was blue and white for a while, and he didn't understand that someone was going to be unlucky this time. Because the Xu family thought that there was a backstage, they were very domineering, and everyone was happy to see the jokes, but no one was born.

"Xu Zhengping, is there something wrong with what we said?"

This sudden roll call suddenly made Xu Zhengping jump. When he stood up, he saw that there was no one around him to speak for him, so he had to bite his tongue vigorously and force himself to calm down, so he bent down deeply and said, "My lord, the grass people don't know what you mean. The grass people have always only done serious business, and the Qianguo Gong of Yunnan and the Yuanhou of Guizhou Town all have business dealings with the grass people. ”

"Qianguo Gong? Marquis of Zhenyuan? ”

Zhang Yue repeated these two words, and then laughed: "Which noble you do business with, it's none of my business." Are you thinking that the Yuanhou of Qianguo Town has worked hard to guard the border, and if you are involved, you can be safe and sound, right? You don't want to think about it, what kind of person is the Yuan Marquis of Qianguo Gongzhen, at most you are a market merchant who has some connections with the deacons and domestic slaves of the two prefectures, is it possible that you dare to implicate these two top nobles in the crime of privately leaving the country! Come on, go and ask the commander to make Lord Li, and press the envoy Lord Yu! ”

Du Commander made a lot of money from Li Long's previous post-disaster peace, although it was not as good as the benefits of a few thousand taels of gold, but the money came cleanly, and Zhang Yue promised to put an end to his blackmailing of the merchant's gold, and he was temporarily satisfied; And according to the inspection envoy Yu Liang got the real list of bribes confessed by Qin Huaijin, and immediately played a copy together with the imperial history, although there is no clear reply in the imperial court now, but someone in the capital has already given him a message, and the big man of the Metropolitan Procuratorate appreciates him. Now Li Long has made a lot of money from that night's confiscation, and Yu Liang sees that he can solve a big case, so both of them are complacent.

At this time, they went upstairs one after the other, and when they saw the identical unicorn white clothes on Zhang Qian and Zhang Yue, both of them showed envious expressions. After all, Yu Liang boasted of being a clear stream, and soon woke up, so he arched his hand to Zhang Qian and Zhang Yue with a smile, and then stood beside Zhang Yue, and lightly pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve: "This department is in charge of the provincial punishment, if it weren't for Lord Zhang's reminder, I almost missed a big case." In the past three years, the Xu family has sold a total of 345 children from good families in eastern Fujian, western Guangdong and other places, with an average of more than 100 people per year, which is really unheard of! Master Li, after all, you went to the raid, and you can talk about it too. ”

The burly Li Long was wearing a big red silk robe with a plate collar and a small lion complement on the right side, with a flower rhino belt around his waist, but he did not wear a black gauze hat on his head, but a beam crown with an agate top. He glanced coldly at Xu Zhengping, who was trembling like chaff, and then opened his mouth like a bell.

"The company had to report that there was an adulterer in a house in Foshan Town, so he personally led 200 elite soldiers to investigate, and rescued 23 men and women in one fell swoop, including three traitors who were arrested and killed on the spot. Now the prisoners have been handed over to Master Yu and sent to prison. It has been more than a year since the division was transferred from Xining here, and this is the first time that it dares to confront the officers and soldiers of the imperial court in broad daylight. It's just daring! ”

His voice was already loud, and this roar made everyone's ears buzz. The commander of the envoy is in charge of the garrison of Tong Province, and does not care about government affairs, the merchants have never dealt with this before, and even when they learned that the commander of the capital took the risk of lending the grain of the guard, they just thought that Zhang Yue just used some method to move the commander of the capital - after all, many people know that this commander who also started in Jingjing hated nothing more than not having a title, and it had little to do with the Zhang family, so there was no need to buy Zhang Yue's account at all. However, now this person's attitude is clearly on the same line as Zhang Yue, how is this possible?

Plop –

After all, Xu Zhengping couldn't withstand this wave of surprise attacks, and suddenly collapsed to the ground, muttering and squirming his lips in vain, but no one could hear what he was saying. It wasn't until two pairs of big hands passed through his back and lifted his arms that he suddenly woke up, kicked his feet twice and found that he couldn't break free, and hurriedly shouted: "Lord Xiao Zhang, Guangxi Datengxia is still using soldiers, I am the brother-in-law of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and I have a lot of subsidies for food, if you take me, what is wrong with the soldiers over there, and what do you use to explain to the court!" ”

"Shut his mouth!"

Zhang Yue slapped the handrail fiercely and commanded sharply. When the shouting turned into an unspeakable whimper, and the figure was dragged out, he gave everyone a cold look.

"Everyone, I have just said that I don't want to make trouble in the city everywhere I go, so please introspect yourself and don't do anything that violates the laws and regulations of the imperial court, naturally there is a chance to make money every day!"

Gu Xingzu, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, is the chief soldier, and he will collect troops and return to the dynasty when he quells the Yao Rebellion, but he is in Guangdong, what does it matter?