Chapter 701 Song's mother celebrates her birthday

Since yesterday, the city of Jiangning began to be full of cars and horses, all kinds of luxury carriages with the signs of the major families in the south of the Yangtze River openly and secretly entered the city, the city was overcrowded for a while, and the major inns were all full???

In fact, all the major families have family mansions in Jiangning City.

Wuxing Shen, Yixing Zhou...... Shenlongwei is now detected, and the representatives of the ten major families in total seem to have made an appointment, and they all choose to come to Jiangning at this moment, and there are some signs of undercurrents.

Luo Yong hurriedly entered the county king's mansion and went straight to Kong Sheng's study.

In fact, Kong Sheng had already gotten the news from Mu Changfeng. The Jiangnan family has come to Jiangning, which must be extraordinary. Kong Sheng didn't even have to think about it, he knew that these big families were all coming for him, and behind the scenes or simply organizing them on the surface, it must be Song Ning and the Song family.

Of course, Yang Qi also has this energy. But the current Yang Qi obviously wouldn't do such a thing. At least, he realized more and more that Kong Sheng was unshakable at all, and as Kong Sheng's father-in-law, he had no second choice other than to stand firmly with Kong Sheng.

Yuan Chao was also in Kong Sheng's study.

Yuan Chao came to report the results of the investigation of the Yancao in the south of the Yangtze River in the past few days. As Kong Sheng judged, the loss of salt in the south of the Yangtze River is serious, and at least more than one-third of it is missing. Of course, the accounts of Yancao were all controlled by the Yancao officials of Song Ning, and the results of Yuan Chao's investigation were calculated according to the total amount of taxes paid by the Jiangnan government and the share of taxes paid by the local yamen in Jiangnan to carry the salt cao of the imperial court.

At present, the total revenue of the Datang treasury is only about 10 million yuan, and the two wealthy provinces in Jiangnan and Shannan contribute almost forty percent...... According to specific calculations, at least 500,000 yuan worth of salt is lost every year. And Song Ning has been in office for seven years in Jiangnan Yancao, so if these are all greedy for ink by Song Ning, the Song family will already be rich and rival the country, and has a wealth that no Jiangnan family can compare.

But Kong Sheng asked both Shenlongwei and Yuan Chao to check the details of the Song family's property. The Song family owns a large number of fields and products in various parts of Jiangnan, and also has a trading business under its name, but this is at most comparable to the ordinary wealthy families in Jiangnan, and even less than the Yixing Zhou family and the Wuxing Shen family. So, where did all the lost salt go, and whose pockets did it go into?

All kinds of indications show that in addition to the major wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River, especially the Wuxing Shen family, a large number of lost salt cao have infiltrated into Beijing through various secret forms, if Kong Sheng is not mistaken, including the crown prince Li Yu, many important ministers in the court are inextricably linked with the interests of the Song family.

This is Song Ning's greatest confidence.

Simply taking down the Song family will not help. As long as the Song family is moved, it is equivalent to moving the powerful people in the DPRK and China behind the Song family. Kong Sheng didn't make a move for a long time, and this is where he was afraid.

Shenlongwei even appeared, and there were people from Chang'an. Many powerful families in the DPRK and China also secretly sent their own representatives to check the movements in Jiangnan openly and secretly. After all, the interests of Jiangnan Yancao are too great, and they affect the hearts of too many people.

"The king of the county, the Yancao officials under Song Ning's command have serious private settings, and there are at least more than 3,000 people at the moment. According to the thorough investigation of the last general, the Yancao army had no less than 5,000 people in the battalion. The last general was very suspicious that Song Ning had embezzled the imperial court salt and used this wealth to privately expand the army and raise troops, in an attempt to misbehave. Luo Yong hesitated for a moment, but still said directly: "King Jun, unless it is the Jiangnan army that mobilizes Yang Envoyjun, otherwise, it is difficult to take Song Ning with the Jiangning Iron Cavalry Battalion and Shenlongwei alone." Song Ning's Yancao army has been moving frequently in the past two days, and it is obviously prepared. ”

"Or, use ......," Rayong said again.

Yuan Chao was silent on the side. He just acted according to orders, as for how to start, that was something that Kong Sheng considered, and he didn't want to get involved.

What Luo Yong wanted to say was whether Kong Sheng used the artillery used in Deqing County last time. In Luo Yong's opinion, if Kong Sheng used artillery, no matter how many people Song Ning had, it would be useless.

Kong Sheng smiled, waved his hand, and shook his head again.

If Song Ning is to be moved at this moment, no matter whether he has conclusive evidence or not, Song Ning will definitely resist. And even if he ordered Yang Qi's Jiangnan Army to cooperate, it might not be able to achieve the effect. The Jiangnan official army and the Yancao official army will fight and spread to Chang'an, and the imperial court will definitely become a pot of porridge, and he will obviously become the target of the public.

As for artillery, Kong Sheng naturally will not use it lightly. For Kong Sheng, the greatest value of artillery lies in deterrence. Once you use too much and too often, the deterrent effect will be weak. Moreover, it can be used against civil unrest, because the other party is a rebellion, but the Yancao army is also an official army after all, and the use of artillery against the Yancao official office will cause suspicion in the imperial court.

"Rayong, don't be impatient. Continue to order Shenlongwei to investigate thoroughly and strive to obtain substantial evidence. The stakes are very high, and we must not be in a hurry, and we must take a long-term view. Okay, stand down, I have my own opinions. Kong Sheng waved his hand.

Luo Yong and Yuan Chao quickly exchanged a complicated look and retreated silently. In the eyes of the two, Kong Sheng actually has a taste of riding a tiger, and if he does not move the Song family, his authority as the king of Jiangning County will be trampled under the feet of the Song family, and the new land reform policy led by Kong Sheng cannot be continued at all. But if you want to move the Song family, you can move the whole body, Song Ning and the Song family are tied up with the interests of the major families in the south of the Yangtze River, and there are many important ministers in the court and the central government standing behind them, and even Li Yu, the prince of the East Palace.

What's more, Kong Sheng has been deposed from military and political power by the emperor, and he is not qualified to mobilize Yang Qi's Jiangnan army. On the bright side, he is not even qualified to meddle in the military and political affairs of Jiangnan. In short, he now has no reason to move Song Ning and investigate Jiangnan Yancao.

Kong Sheng slowly got up and walked out of the study. Standing in the courtyard, he looked up at the clear blue and cloudless sky. In the blink of an eye, it has been several months since he returned to Jiangnan, and it is the beginning of autumn at this moment, and the weather is getting cooler.

Mu Changfeng silently appeared behind him and said softly: "Brother, are you waiting for news from Chang'an now?" ”

Although Mu Changfeng is a native of Jianghu, he has stayed by Kong Sheng's side for a long time, and he also knows Kong Sheng's methods and thoughts quite well. He knew that Kong Sheng was not afraid of Song Ning at all, and he did not move the fatal blow for a long time, and the fundamental factor was still waiting for the emperor's movement.

Kong Sheng nodded and smiled: "Yes, Brother Mu, I have asked someone to forward the great positive text of the abolition of the Juntian Order to promote the new policy of land reform to the emperor, with my understanding of the emperor, he may not like me to offend the family in Jiangnan and make a lot of trouble, but he will definitely not underestimate the huge benefits brought to the imperial court to the treasury." The thieves rebelled for many years, the imperial treasury was empty, and the people's livelihood withered. The poverty of the court is unimaginable to the world......"

"Therefore, the emperor will eventually try to allow me to try out the new policy in Jiangnan, and he wants to see if I can increase the revenue of the national treasury. As for the interests of these local tyrants and inferior gentry in Jiangnan, the emperor will not really care about it at all. The wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River are no better than those big families in the Central Plains, and the children of those families occupy high positions in the imperial court, and it is more difficult to move them than to ascend to the sky. But in Jiangnan, there is not such a big resistance. ”

"I reckon that the decree should have arrived in these two days. And ......" A warm smile appeared on the corner of Kong Sheng's mouth, Su Wu and Ji Guo arrived in Jiangning one after another, and Li Tong, the marriage envoy, should also arrive.

Before he got married, he wanted to take down the Song family and set the situation in the entire Jiangnan. To do this, he needs power. Further powers.

At this moment, Wu Xian hurriedly came to report, his face was a little complicated: "King of the county, Song Ning sent someone to send an invitation, saying that he will hold a birthday banquet for his mother in Wangjiang Tower tomorrow and invite the king of the county to attend." And it is said that the people from these wealthy families in Jiangning City came to celebrate Song's mother's birthday. ”

Kong Sheng sighed and shrugged: "Tell the person who came, just say that this king will go to the banquet on time to celebrate the birthday of the old lady of the Song family." ”

Wu Xian hesitated for a moment, but still said indignantly: "King of the county, this Song Ning is really arrogant, his mother's birthday, there was such a big movement, the king of the county and Yang Yuanjun were actually among his invitations, it is simply ...... The king of the county, the last general thinks that there is no good banquet, this person is ruthless and vicious, in order to prevent it, the king of the county should not pay attention to it! ”

Kong Sheng laughed: "Wu Xian, my mother celebrates her birthday and invites me to drink, how can I not go?" You and I can come and go freely among thousands of troops, let alone a banquet of the Song family? Afraid of what? Go, why not! ”

Song Ning not only invited Kong Sheng, but of course also gave Yang Qi an invitation. He even heard that Princess Ji Guo and Xixi Suwen were in the Yang Mansion, and he also sent invitations to the two daughters.

If Yang Xue doesn't want to go, Su Wu doesn't care, she has no interest in Song Ning's local salt officials, and she is too lazy to add glory to Song Ning's mother's birthday. As for Ji Guo, she had just heard from the two girls that Kong Sheng and Song Ning were mortal enemies, and that behind Song Ning was standing Li Yu, the prince of the East Palace, she was a little interested: "Xue Ruo, Su Wan, do you think Kong Lang will go to the banquet?" ”

Yang Xueruo was silent for a moment before she said softly: "Kong Lang is not a rude person, since Song Ning invited him with courtesy, I think Kong Lang should go." ”

"You Han people are just bored, and you have to drink, feast, sing and dance at every turn, and waste a lot of food. Song Ning is just a fourth-grade salt official, and his mother's birthday has shocked so many people, which is really ridiculous. Anyway, I don't want to go, I want to go to you. Su Wan pursed her lips.

Ji Guo smiled: "Sister Su, although Song Ning is of low grade, Jiangnan Yancao is related to the fortune of the Tang Dynasty, this person has been operating Yancao in Jiangnan for many years, and he must have strong power." Since he is the prince's person, then, it's a bit interesting, I want to go to Wangjianglou to have a look - by the way, Xueruo, I heard that Kong Lang became famous in one fell swoop on the Wangjianglou Poetry Club? ”

"Yes, princess, Kong Lang used to make peerless masterpieces on the Wangjianglou Poetry Club, and he was famous in Jiangnan." Yang Xue Ruoqiao's face was slightly red, and she fell into the memory: "The smoke cage is cold and the moon is long and sandy, and the night is close to the restaurant in Qinhuai." The merchant girl doesn't know the hatred of the country, and she still sings the backyard flowers across the river. This is Kong Lang's masterpiece, when the Jiangnan was singing and dancing, Kong Lang was already concerned about the people of the world and wanted to serve the imperial court. ”

"The Han Emperor is heavy on the country, and Yuyu has been unable to ask for it for many years. The Yang family has a girl who has just grown up, and she is raised in the deep boudoir. It is difficult to give up the natural beauty, and once chose the king's side. Looking back and smiling, the six palaces have no color,......" Yang Xueruo chanted softly, "Kong Lang sang the song of long-term hatred in the world, that is, at that time, the wind and clouds met and blurted out, and now that I think about it, that scene at that time made Xueruo unforgettable for the rest of her life." ”8