There are two people in the study, drinking and listening to the wind outside the house.

In a blink of an eye, the sky was dark and it was already night, and Wu Xiuxiu had scalded five cups of wine in a row, and Guo Ye and Guan Jiu drank it all to the bottom.

After drinking, Guo Ye remembered the intention of Guan Jiu Jiu today, and asked: "Okay, it's time to talk about business after talking about it." You are looking for me today, but for the sake of the collection of salt tax at the end of the year? ”

Hiccup~

Guan Jiujiu's chest straightened up and hiccuped, touched his hot red cheeks after drinking, and smiled embarrassedly: "Excuse me, my lord, the student lost his temper after drinking." ”

Guo Ye waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, let's get down to business." ”

Guan Jiu nodded in response: "Exactly, last time, the students were ordered by the adults to dismiss the guards recruited by the Zhang family in the Yanyun Yamen. Now that the year is about to end, it is necessary to collect salt taxes from the major salt farms and major salt merchants in Yangzhou. Therefore, the students came here this time to borrow some manpower from the adults to respond to the emergency. ”

Guo Ye bowed slightly, in order to let Guan Jiujiu completely control the salt transportation yamen, he had come down to dismiss all the salt transportation guards recruited by the Zhang family privately, there were thousands of people.

According to the establishment set by the imperial court, the Yanyun Yamen now only retains the establishment of 500 people.

Although with the collapse of the Zhang family, both the large and small officials in the salt transportation yamen and the salt transportation escort team composed of 500 people have changed the direction of the wind and have been completely collected by Guan Jiu.

However, there are nearly dozens of large-scale salt farms approved by the government in Yangzhou alone, not to mention nearly 100 other small and medium-sized salt farms. Moreover, there are countless salt merchants who are in charge of the salt introduction of the government, and there are hundreds of people.

The salt tax in Yangzhou was collected from these hundreds of major salt farms approved by the government, as well as from these hundreds of salt merchants.

If it was a convoy of only 500 people, even if all the officials in the salt transportation yamen were sent out to collect the salt tax, it would be overstretched, and they would not be able to keep busy at all.

Moreover, the owners of these salt farms and hundreds of salt merchants are cunning and cunning merchants, although the official salt is profitable, but they are eager to pay less than a penny of salt tax, so they often like to evade taxes, and even secretly make fake account books to deal with things, trying to get by.

Otherwise, with the prestige of the Zhang family in Yangzhou, they would not have been forced to recruit thousands of people privately and expand the salt transportation escort team.

Of course, the Zhang family also planned to use the gimmick of expanding the salt transportation escort team to reduce it to their own personal armed forces and thugs.

Now that the New Year is approaching, the busiest time for the salt transportation yamen is coming, and Guan Jiujiu borrowed someone from himself to help with the emergency, which is also reasonable.

Immediately, he nodded and responded: "It's no problem to borrow someone, tomorrow I will inform Liu Zhenxuan and ask him to transfer a thousand people from the Zhichong Governor's Mansion to help collect the salt tax." ”

Guan Jiu was overjoyed when he heard this, and thanked him again and again: "My lord is wise, with the 1,000 people transferred by Liu Duwei, it can be regarded as a great help to the students. ”

Guo Ye raised his hand again and said: "Don't be busy thanking, as long as you catch up with the Yangzhou salt tax before the end of the year, and collect it without a penny, it will be the best thank you to me." Also, after the New Year, I will allow you to recruit another 500 people in the name of the Yanyun Yamen, and all the money will be taken from the accounts of the Yanyun Yamen, and I will report this matter to the imperial court when I go back, it should not be a problem. ”

Guan Jiujiu couldn't calm down now, the establishment of 500 Yanyun Yamen escorts, and it was the real establishment approved by the imperial court to eat official food, which was not a small amount, it was completely large.

And this is completely a great benefit that adults give themselves to buy people's hearts.

As long as you allow yourself to expand the escort team, isn't that just throwing five hundred places into your own hands and letting yourself be the master?

At that time, how many people will break their heads and want to go inside? As long as you enter the escort team, it means that you have a long-term meal ticket, and it is a meal ticket for the imperial court.

Guan Jiujiu looked excited, his red face became even more ruddy, and he thought even more beautifully in his heart, two days ago, he happened to take a fancy to a little widow, if the little widow's younger brother was also arranged into the Yanyun Yamen, wouldn't this little widow still throw herself into her arms and not be at her mercy?

As soon as he thought of this, he was so beautiful that he was bubbling again~

"Ahem......"

Guo Ye deliberately coughed twice and interrupted Guan Jiu, who was full of lust, where could he not see Guan Jiu's eyes glowing obscenely?

Immediately, he knocked on the side and woke up without moving: "Lao Guan, the Yanyun Yamen is in your hands, and naturally everything is up to you." However, there are also some things that you need to pay attention to, and it never hurts to follow the rules, so don't get dazzled by something for a while, and end up too much! Can you understand what this official means? ”

Although the last sentence was said casually, listening to Guan Jiu's ears was tantamount to thunder rolling in the sky, as if he had been empowered.

Guan Jiu secretly complained to himself, it was really the end, and this sneaky and careful thinking was seen by the adults.

Then he smiled awkwardly again, gave a thumbs up and complimented: "My lord, you are really like a torch, and the students are really invisible in front of you." Hehe, students will definitely remember the teachings of adults, and they will never embarrass adults. ”

Guo Ye listened to Guan Jiu's statement, smiled heartily, and said: "Don't be so nervous, Lao Guan, I will always rest assured if you do something." Okay, it's not early, hurry back and rest, tomorrow Liu Zhenxuan will send those 1,000 people to look for you. ”

Guan Jiu Jiu sighed and hurriedly stood up, gently brushed the official robe on his body, and turned around and walked towards the door of the study.

As soon as he walked to the door, he suddenly stopped, turned his head and asked, "My lord, will we also follow the example of the Zhang family in this year's salt tax, secretly intercept a part, and then escort a part of it to the Chang'an household department?" ”

Guo Ye was slightly stunned after hearing this, and pondered......

In the end, he raised his head suddenly, and refused righteously: "Lao Guan, the salt tax has always been the foundation of filling the treasury, and it is not my Guo Ye's private property, so we can't ask for this kind of silver." Moreover, now that Datang seems to be strong, the treasury is empty, and we can't keep this silver. Besides, this year is our first year in Yangzhou, how many pairs of eyes are staring at Yangzhou in Chang'an, do you know? No, no, this kind of silver must not be stretched out, and if you stretch out your hand, you will definitely be caught. How much should it be, you can't keep half a penny privately, and send me to the Chang'an household department for a lot of money, do you hear? ”

Guan Jiu saw that Guo Ye said so boldly and righteously, his face couldn't help but panic, once upon a time, he Guan someone was also Kong Chengren Meng said righteousness, how did he get it today? A little bit of silver is lost, and even the money of the treasury is remembered?

So, his expression was dazed, and he said, "Adults and rest assured, the students have all taken it to heart." The students looked at the Yanyun Yamen for the adults, and they would never fail to live up to the trust of the adults. ”

After saying that, he flicked the sleeves of his robe, strode out of Guo Ye's study, and left the Assassin's Mansion with stars and moons.

Not long after Guan Jiu left, Guo Ye yawned three times in a row, and sleepiness slowly came up.

He stretched his waist and walked out of the study, heading to the bedroom to get ready for bed.

The night is thick, but the moonlight is also the time to be sultry.

When I got to the outside of the bedroom, I found that there was enough candlelight inside, and the lights were still on.

He couldn't help but wonder, could it be that it's all this hour, Xiuxiu hasn't slept yet, and has been waiting for me?

I couldn't help but feel a pain in my heart, and secretly said, I really wronged her.

Suddenly, he pushed the door open and entered, making a creaking sound.

As soon as I entered the room and looked towards the bed, sure enough, the brocade quilts were stacked neatly, the curtains were still hanging from side to side, and Xiuxiu was sitting on the edge of the bed reading through the candlelight.

Guo Ye immediately stepped forward and asked with a little reproach: "Xiuxiu, why don't you go to bed at such a late hour?" Don't stay up all night waiting for me in the future. ”

Wu Xiuxiu quietly put down the books in her hand, raised her elegant and chic cheeks, looked at Guo Ye with blinked eyes, and asked playfully: "Husband, the New Year is approaching, should we consider going back to our hometown in Longxi to worship our ancestors and visit the old lady?" You are busy from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, and you have to go back to reunite with your family in this Chinese New Year's Eve, right? ”

"Uh......"

Guo Ye was embarrassed for a while, it turned out that there was something waiting to be discussed with me?

He suddenly had an embarrassment of expressing his wrong feelings, so he had to quickly change the topic to cover it up, and muttered: "It turns out that Xiuxiu is homesick?" Yes, going home for the New Year is a big deal, and I haven't seen my mother for a long time, and I haven't seen Zhenniang and Zhiru for a long time. ”