The air froze.

All of them had their smiles on their faces, and their faces seemed to be suddenly glued to them, as if they were carved in wood.

The faces of the two wealthy merchants turned white, and they maintained the action of arching, and their eyes were stunned and full of fear.

No one spoke, the needle drop could be heard in the room, and the sound outside the window suddenly became harsh, and the sound of pedestrians, wheels rolling of vehicles, wind blowing flags, and even a bird stopping on the roof of a house and stepping on tiles could be heard.

Li Dingguo and Li Tingyu still sat upright with expressionless faces, their hands on their knees, but their eyes were like electricity, stabbing at the four people opposite.

Wang Huan smiled and picked up the teacup.

Jiang Hao frowned slightly, looked at the two fat businessmen who were stationed quietly, and said strangely: Hasn't Wang Huan always been in the southwest? Why is it clear that Emperor Shunzhi feasted Shanxi Jin merchants in Beijing? You must know that at that time, this matter was not a guest in a restaurant in Yangliu Hutong, but in the Forbidden City, except for the eight major Jin merchants, there were no other Han people, how did Wang Huan know?

muttered in his heart, but he immediately reacted on his lips, snorted, and said loudly: "Liang Guogong really has his hands and eyes to the sky, and these things are clear, in fact, this is not surprising, and it is not to blame the two heads of the family. The Tartar Emperor made a means, asked a few Jin merchants to eat, and took the opportunity to win over, this is a means to divide our Han people, the grandfather is wise and brave, and he must be able to see that this is the Tartar's trick. ”

The two businessmen woke up like a dream, quickly left their seats and knelt down, and said in a panic: "Jiang Zongbing is very right!" At the beginning, I couldn't help myself, if I didn't go, my life was still a trivial matter, the whole family would be slaughtered, the Tartars were unreasonable, and one did not go well to the family and wiped out the family, although we were concerned about the court, but had to deal with it perfunctory, please forgive me! ”

This seat has both red and white faces, and the voice is full of emotion, to convince people with reason, and those who don't understand will naturally be deceived.

Wang Huan smiled faintly, stretched out his hand to help, and the two businessmen stood up by borrowing the donkey from the slope and sat down in a dignified manner.

With Jiang Hao's help to reason, presumably Wang Huan will not be entangled, people are under the eaves, and they have to bow their heads, there are few officials in the entire Ming court who do not surrender, and the two businessmen were invited to dinner by the Tartar Emperor, who dares not to go? If you are Wang Huan, you must also go.

Sure enough, Wang Huan nodded and sighed: "A few people are right, I naturally understand the hardships of the two family heads." In the wolf's den, where can you tolerate blood, gallbladder and loyalty? The husband can bend and stretch, as long as the heart is good, of course they are all righteous people. Come, everyone, we drink this cup to the fullest, for the recovery of Shanxi, from now on the sun and the moon, Langlang Qiankun back to Shanxi! ”

Jiang Hao raised his glass and praised: "Good! Grandpa Guo said very much, we are waiting for the recovery of Shanxi and the eternal prosperity of the Ming Dynasty! ”

The air was warm again, and everyone raised their glasses, touched each other, and drank a full glass of wine.

Since ancient times, China has paid attention to the culture of wine, and it is said that there is no banquet without wine. If you don't drink when you talk, you always feel that something is missing, and when you drink alcohol, it's easy to talk.

Say some flattering words without nutrition, get rid of the embarrassment just now, after three rounds of wine, hot dishes come up one by one, the delicacies of the mountains and seas, the dazzling, are extremely rare dishes, in the context of the siege of Datong for a long time, full of devastation, Jiang Hao can get such a good thing, it is also extremely rare.

Wang Huan tasted the dishes and said sincerely: "Mr. Jiang has a heart, these dishes, needless to say in the south of the Yangtze River, are nothing in the rich land, but in Datong, the north, they are very rare." ”

The corners of Jiang Xuan's mouth grinned, and he stroked his beard and said: "The prince of the country praises falsely, Jiang doesn't dare to be!" However, the prince appreciates his face, and the people below naturally have to be careful, and they don't hide it, Jiang Mou has been honest and honest all his life, where can he prepare this delicacy that costs a lot of money? Today's table of dishes was prepared by the two heads of the family. ”

Wang Huan: "Oh? With a sigh, he looked at the two of them with interest.

The two Jin merchants suddenly felt that there was light on their faces, and they arched their hands again and again: "Where and where, can you invite the grandfather of the country, the villains are shining, although Datong is remote, but it is the hub of the north and south, the north goods are transported to the south, and the south goods are north, more or less accessible, not the villains boast, Jiangnan has, Datong has, but Datong has, Jiangnan may not also have!" ”

Jiang Hao said with a smile: "Guogong, Jin merchants are hardworking and hardworking, suitable for doing business far and near, and reach the world with integrity, not inferior to Jiangnan salt merchants and Suzhou and Hangzhou hawkers. ”

He approached Wang Huan and said in a voice that was deliberately lowered but full of people at the table could hear: "I heard that Guogong has a way of doing business, there are big plates in the northwest and southwest, and the tax and financial resources are the highest at home and abroad, even the imperial court in the south, a year's income is not worth a business house in Guogong, if Guogong has the heart to operate here, these two people are my Jiang family's henchmen, familiar with the land, well-connected, and can help Guogong." ”

The others at the table pretended not to hear and looked up at the sky, but everyone was laughing.

Wang Huan: "Oh! With a bang, he looked at the two of them again.

The two Jin merchants raised their glasses, stood up, and toasted Wang Huan.

After a drink, Wang Huan laughed, and asked Jiang Hao in a deliberately low voice that could be heard by everyone at the table: "Lord Jiang recommends it so much, I'm afraid I also have a part in it, right?" ”

Jiang Hao smiled and said nothing, waving his hand again and again.

Wang Huan tilted his head back, held the cup and said with a smile: "Lord Jiang, I heard that when the Tartar Emperor had a banquet, a total of eight Jin merchants went to Beijing, but now there are only two people here, and the others did not come, isn't it obvious?" ”

Jiang Huang was stunned, his complexion changed slightly, and he immediately recovered, and Chang Se said: "The prince of the country does not know, as the so-called Tao is not the same, there are many merchants in Jin, there are always impurities mixed in it, as the saying goes: there are a hundred people, all kinds of colors." Although my Jin people are based on benevolence, righteousness and integrity, there are some scum who are not angry! Guogong said it well, why did you only bring these two here? There are twists and turns. ”

He also said: "On the day I went to Beijing, there were eight families of Jin Shangfan, Wang Xiao, Jin, Wang Da, Liang, Tian, Zhai, and Huang, all of whom were among the top wealthy businessmen in Shanxi, and the eight almost monopolized the entire business in Shanxi. ”

"The eight have their own strengths, and they are the leaders of various industries, and the people behind them are, of course, enough to support their family business, Jiang is not talented, and Fan, Wang Xiao have some origins, so they take care of it every day, but Jiang is clean and self-conscious, and will never reach out to be corrupt, which can be imitated by the national government, and everyone in Datong knows."

Wang Huan nodded and said, "Master Jiang's upright name is known to everyone. ”

This sentence doesn't sound very right, but Jiang Hao doesn't care about it, and then says: "Because of this, Jiang has been urging the Fan family and the Wang Xiaojia to never do anything about connecting with foreign enemies and betraying the country to seek glory, so although the two of them are pursuing profits, they have never stepped on the red line and have no dealings with the Tartars." And the other six are different, they sell ironware, grain and grass, cloth, herbs and other forbidden goods to the north, in fact, they are sold to the Tartars! The pursuit of huge profits, even the ancestors don't want it, their hearts can be punished! Jiang said this today, just because he can't get used to this kind of traitor, no matter what forces are behind them, Jiang Mou must speak up and announce this situation to the country! ”

"Oh?" Wang Huan was surprised: "There is such a thing? ”

"It's true!" Jiang Hao said aggressively: "If it weren't for this, where would the Tartar Wilderness Villager come from to be armed with iron weapons?" Where did the herbs come from to heal the wounded soldiers? There is not so much military ration to sustain the southern invasion of the army! ”

Wang Huan slapped the case and shouted angrily: "If this is the case, these people should be beheaded!" ”

Jiang Xuan, Jiang Xuan, and two Jin merchants stood up together, bowed to Wang Huan and said, "This matter is true, please check it out!" ”

Wang Huan slapped on the table, banging, and the momentum was very strong, but I don't know why, Li Dingguo and Li Tingyu, who were sitting next to them like wood, did not react, and what was even more strange was that the corners of Li Tingyu's mouth actually showed a smile.

It seems that he can't hold back and wants to laugh out loud.

Under the table, which no one could see, Li Dingguo reached out and twisted Li Tingyu's thigh to stop his laughter.

Wang Huan sat upright, nodded, took out a stack of papers from his arms, sighed, put it in the middle of the table, and said: "However, coincidentally, I also received some reports, some Shanxi officials and gentry jointly signed a letter, reporting that the Fan family and the Wang Xiaojia were colluding with foreign enemies, colluding with Tartars, and selling prohibited goods out of the customs. ”

Jiang Jiu's eyes bulged out all of a sudden.

(End of chapter)