On the Huangpu River, on the deck of a passenger ship.

Cao Hao and Cheng Mengxing stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the river view.

Not far away, a few ships stopped; In the distance, there are vanishing ship masts. Cheng Mengxing looked at the scenery in the distance and groaned in his mouth.

Cao Hao heard vaguely, turned his head, and asked with a smile, "Brother Wu Qiao, has you got a good sentence?" ”

Cheng Mengxing waved his hand, and said with a bit of self-deprecation: "If you say words between flowers, you can't pinch it casually for your brother, but now I don't dare to offer it when I look at the Yangtze River entering the sea." Forty is not confused, and the master is honest and does not deceive me. ”

Seeing him like this, Cao Hao stopped talking, looking at the green grass on both sides of the strait, and felt novel.

When I was in the capital, walking on the official road of the Forbidden City, walking in Longfu Temple, Dongdan Archway, and Gulou Street, looking at the same red and yellow walls as hundreds of years later, Cao Hao was still suddenly aware of something. After all, three hundred years later, some traces of history are still there.

On the Huangpu River, Shanghai three hundred years ago did not have the prosperity of later generations.

Dreams are also non-yes.

Just as Cao Hao was concentrating, he heard a commotion from the shore.

Cao Hao and Cheng Mengxing listened and looked at the shore.

I saw more than a dozen servants with knives hanging from their waists, and the fierce officers pushed and shoved a few people to the side of a ship.

Wang Lusheng was on the side of the ship, listening to a few stewards replying, he also heard the movement, and looked at it for a while, but he couldn't help frowning.

He walked to the bow of the boat and said, "Master Cao, Master Cheng, it seems that I have to get off the boat and take a walk, that boat is the boat of the Fan family in Guangzhou." His family has a business house in Guangzhou, and he has also had contacts with the Wang family in recent years. Although I don't know what it is, I can't stand by and watch it when I encounter it. ”

Cao Hao was naturally speechless, and watched Wang Lusheng take people off the boat.

Although those who can be officials in this kind of tariff yamen have backgrounds, Wang Lusheng hangs the banner of the Internal Affairs Office and has the identity of half an imperial businessman, and ordinary people will not be embarrassed for him, so Cao Hao is not worried.

At this time, the servants over there had already boarded the ship, and many servants and boatmen came down from the ship one after another.

Seeing this, Cheng Mengxing couldn't help but shake his head, and said to Cao Hao: "It is said that the tax officials are like tigers and servants are like wolves. ”

Cao Hao listened and said: "Since he is a businessman in Guangzhou, if he often runs the Yangtze River waterway, he should also be familiar with the checkpoints, how can he still have extraneous branches?" ”

Cheng Mengxing glanced at Cao Hao and said, "Not everyone has the family background of the Wang family, and not everyone has a big backer. This tax collector, I dare to say, I don't know if there are other strengths, but this recognition of people's eyes is the most vicious. Who can hold it, they know it in their hearts. In addition, if you can make up for this lack, which one has no master behind it? They are all here to hold silver, and the kung fu of bullying the soft and fearing the hard is the most powerful. ”

In the end, it is the descendant of the salt merchants, and Cheng Mengxing also knows about these bends.

When Cao Hao heard this, his heart moved, and he asked: "Now the Yangtze River Customs, which master's disciple is it?" ”

Cheng Mengxing said with a smile: "Which one else can it be?" Forty-seven years after Kangxi, the customs here is the shortage of the eighth elder brother and the ninth elder brother. Speaking of this, he lowered his voice and said, "The eighth elder brother had a good reputation during his lifetime, and the fourteenth elder brother is now raising his eyebrows in the northwest, thanks to the supply from Jiangnan. The Yangtze River Customs, even if it can't account for half of the income over the years, accounts for 30% of it. ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he only felt heavy in his heart, looked at Cheng Mengxing and said: "Monopolizing for twenty-three years, there is no one else to share a spoonful of soup?" ”

If he is not mistaken, before the Kali case was discovered, Li Xu was also the chief of the Yangtze River Customs. Later, due to the Kali case, he was affected and was dismissed from several part-time jobs, including the lack of customs.

I heard that after the Kali case was completed, Li Xu also had an excerpt, and took the initiative to ask to retake this position to share the worries of the emperor's master, but in the end, I don't know why.

Cheng Mengxing seemed to understand why Cao Hao asked so much, and he didn't say anything, nodded and said, "It's all these two elder brothers." This tariff yamen is not idle. Others are missing a term of three years, but this tariff yamen is a little a year. If nothing else, it is accounting, if it is not from the same system, how can there be no mistakes? ”

Cao Hao listened, and could only stroke his forehead.

Not to mention the side, just relying on Brother Jiu to make money in Jiangnan like this, it will be a dead end in the future. His fate has not changed because of the early death of the eighth elder brother.

Even Cheng Mengxing, a merry man who thinks about beautiful lyrics and songs, knows this, which is not a secret in Jiangnan.

Why Kangxi acquiesced, Cao Hao didn't know; He didn't care about Brother Jiu, he only knew that when he was investigated, the Li family had one more crime.

The Li family is already a shipwreck...... Cao Hao guessed correctly, not long after Wang Lusheng got off the ship, he really solved the matter.

The Internal Affairs Office is under the jurisdiction of the sixteenth elder brother, and the sixteenth elder brother is the elder brother who is unable to compete for the storage position, but he has to be valued by Kangxi, even if the ninth elder brother is there, he must give the sixteenth elder brother some face; The disciple of the ninth elder brother is naturally obedient.

Wang Lusheng's face was not good-looking, and when he returned to the boat, he complained a little and said, "Where is this official?" Same as bandits. It is said that because of the use of troops in the northwest, the imperial court increased taxes, and the tax of 6,000 taels of silver was increased to 16,000 taels! The Fan family didn't have so much silver on the ship, so they wanted to detain the ship under the pretext of 'resisting taxes'. This is their usual trick, if they really deduct the ship, unload the cargo, and want to ask for it back, it will be even more difficult......"

"Sixteen thousand tax silver, what goods are on board?" Cao Hao asked with a little curiosity.

The Fan family's ship is not far from here, and it doesn't look as good as the cargo ship hired by the Wang family.

"Silk and Matsue cloth. The Fan family is a foreign company, the ship belongs to theirs, but the goods on the ship are others. If it is really detained, the loss will not only be a ship or a shipwright, but also half of the reputation. Wang Lusheng replied: "I just asked the housekeeper of the Fan family, they have run this line several times, they are all familiar, thinking about it, this time the second young master of the Fan family escorted the boat." I didn't expect to dare to go to the customs to change the chief officer, but this time I came with a spicy hand. They gave five hundred pieces of silver for their filial piety, but they didn't get into the eyes of the official. I estimated that I was bullying the young master of the Fan family and wanted to swallow the ship. I had the name of the Internal Affairs Office here, and I begged for a long time before I agreed to let the Fan family release the ship after paying the full tax and silver. ”

While speaking, Wang Lusheng turned around and instructed Guo Quanyou: "Just looking at the appearance of the Fan family's housekeeper, the silver money is not enough, so go and exchange five thousand taels of silver first." Ask them if they are enough, if they are not enough, and if they are not enough, they will come back. ”

Guo Quan bowed down and answered, and went down to the account room to exchange the money without mentioning it.

Cao Hao knew in his heart that "the use of troops in the northwest to increase taxes" was just a pretext. Otherwise, this cargo ship will add 10,000 taels, and there will be millions of inputs in a month, Kangxi will not have to worry about the lack of silver in the household treasury at all, and there will be no cargo ship sailing on the Yangtze River...... * For a while, the second young master of the Fan family came over with the housekeeper to thank him in person.

But he was eighteen or nineteen years old, and he looked a little weak, and I don't know if it was because he was frightened, but his face was very pale. If it weren't for the old housekeeper's support, he would faint at any time.

When Cao Hao saw it, he rolled his eyes in his heart. Didn't the Fan family send such a child out with "bully me" on his face?

Seeing this, Wang Lusheng frowned and said: "Since Shi Shenxian's nephew is not well, he should be a good student, why is he still tossing?" ”

Fan Shishen had already pushed away the butler's support, took two steps forward, and was about to kneel.

How could Wang Lusheng bear it, while blaming "what is this doing" in his mouth, he held Fan Shishen's arm with a palm-sized hand.

"If there is no help from the seventh uncle, the nephew will become a sinner of the Fan family." Fan Shishen said with a little gratitude: "Seventh Uncle is very gracious, and my nephew is unforgettable." ”

Wang Lusheng was a little embarrassed, waved his hand, and said, "It's just a gesture, it's really not worth anything." If the virtuous nephew mentions it again, it seems to be an outsider. ”

Fan Shishen thanked him this time, then took an object from the housekeeper's hand, and presented it to Wang Lusheng with both hands: "Seventh uncle, this is the note written by the little nephew, and it is the five thousand taels of silver from the relationship party." Uncle Seven knows that in our family, there are uncles and brothers, and nephews are weightless. So on this note, in addition to the name of the nephew, there are also two stewards who accompany the ship. ”

Wang Lusheng frowned at first, after all, Lu people are bold, and he is a big businessman with strong family resources, and he pays attention to the word "faithfulness". For the sake of the friendship between the two families, helping the Fan family is a righteous anger. The Fan family sent an IOU, although it was in line with the gentleman's way, but in the end it was a little alienated and stingy.

However, after listening to Fan Shishen, he sighed in his heart, and his unhappiness disappeared, and he ordered someone to take the note.

"Last time, I saw you, although you weren't as strong as the others, but you were fine. Why is it that your father is willing to send you out when you are sick now? Wang Lusheng said with some questions.

Fan Shishen listened, blushed and said: "Seventh uncle, my nephew went to Jiangning by land, and then joined his own fleet, but he didn't expect to be seasick. After a few days, it became like this. It's not in the way, it's already better than the previous days. ”

Wang Lusheng didn't expect this to be the reason, after all, the Fan family's fleet is also famous. Not only does it run river transportation, but it also mainly runs sea transportation.

Wang Lusheng patted Fan Shishen on the shoulder, not knowing how to persuade him.

The children of the Fan family, if they can't get on the boat, they are waste materials. Fan Shishen is a concubine, there is no hope of inheriting the family business, if he can't even do the errand of the boat, it will be more and more difficult to gain a foothold in the family.

After Fan Shishen got on the boat, he saw Cao Hao and Cheng Mengxing.

These two people, one of whom was born in a family and has been in office for many years, and the other who is honorary in Jiangnan and an official in Hanlin, both have a bit of wealth and dignity. When Fan Shishen saw it, he always felt a little weird. These two people don't look like businessmen, and they are on the Wang family boat for some reason.

At this time, Wang Lusheng also remembered that he hadn't introduced Cao Cheng and the others yet, so he hurriedly turned around and said to the two: "Master Cao, Master Cheng, this is Fan Shishen, the nephew of my Fan family." ”

Speaking of this, he said to Fan Shishen again: "These are my two friends, Cao Ye in the capital and Cheng Ye in Yangzhou." ”

Wang Lusheng said "friend" in his mouth, but there was a lot of respect in his words. Coupled with the introduction of the young Cao Hao first, and then Cheng Mengxing, Fan Shishen also saw that these two people have identities and respect Cao Hao.

He bowed down and bowed, and his mouth was very respectful.

Wang Lusheng saw that his complexion was really ugly, so he said a few words of greeting, and sent him back to rest first.

Looking at Fan Shishen's background, Wang Lusheng hesitated for a moment and said to Cao Hao: "Master Cao, is there any seasickness medicine prepared for the fifth master last time?" If you go to sea, even if you go to Quanzhou to replenish, it will take more than half a month. This Fan Ershao is like this, I'm afraid I won't be able to stand it......"

"There are quite a few. However, it is not known how effective it will be. After all, the sea is not as bumpy as the canal and the river...... "Cao Hao said.

Wang Lusheng frowned when he heard this, Cheng Mengxing saw it, and said with a smile: "If the prince is really not at ease, please invite the young master of the Fan family to come to our ship." We have a comfortable boat, a good cook, and two good doctors to follow. Even if you get seasick, take care of it, and it should be okay......"

(To be continued)