A row of mighty soldiers pressed their waist knives in their hands, strictly guarding the gate of the museum, and under the giant-like Li Wei behind him, Jiang Zan looked around coldly. The aura of the camera matched the official uniform on his body, and the crowd gathered in front of the gate suddenly quieted down.

"I, Jiang someone, am on an errand and abide by the law, who said that I was indiscriminately assigned!?"

Jiang Zan asked in a deep voice, and the crowd raised their hands one after another, pointing to the scribes who were huddled in the office building.

"How daring! Someone's coming! ”

Jiang Zan's face was black, and several soldiers came up, each with a thick wooden stick in his hand.

After the words didn't come out, Jiang Zan turned around and said in a deep voice to those scribes: "You guys are going to make trouble, I've seen this situation now, if you don't want to be beaten and lose your job, you have to give up your wealth." If you are willing to share the money with the merchants, I will help you to cover this evil, but if you are not...... Hum...... Hurry up and decide, otherwise the board will come down and everything will be too late! ”

This time he beat and pulled, and the scribes all turned miserable. If Li Wei wants to be here, he will only clap his hands and admire, this Jiang Zan really deserves the style of a capable official, and he wants to come to Li Wei's skill to do things, and he also learned it from Jiang Zan.

Seeing that the scribes' eyes were flickering, they already had the heart to retreat, and the one who was about to speak to the desk, another younger scribe shouted angrily: "My father and uncle were killed by Yang Chun, and the family was also defeated, so I pointed to this rice bowl and passed the day, but if you want me to compensate, I can't even live it." If you want to fight, you can open the revolution! This money is yours! Don't put on a bodhisattva face, think you're doing good deeds! ”

Someone came out, and the other scribes also responded, Jiang Zan had a hideous face, and spit out a word fiercely: "Fight!" ”

The sound of crackling and crackling sounded, Jiang Zan turned around and said loudly: "This matter is all the work of greedy officials!" I've cleaned it up for everyone, what ...... this tax money do?"

The crowd shouted, "Down!" Down! ”

Jiang Zan nodded: "The drop is definitely down, that is, the score is clear, so let's discuss a few people who can talk about things." ”

Without discussion, Peng Xianzhong and a few people stood up, and then were taken into the office.

The hustle and bustle began at the beginning of the day, and when Peng Xianzhong and a few people came out, it was already early afternoon, and there were more and more people outside the museum, not counting the local people, there were already two or three thousand people.

Thousands of people stared at Peng Xianzhong and the others, and before anyone else could speak, Peng Xianzhong suddenly laughed: "Commissioner Jiang...... We want to get rid of our money, and then I advise you to pay for it! Since I, Peng Xianzhong, am entrusted by everyone to speak for everyone, I will never do such an ambiguous thing! ”

Among the several businessmen who were with him, some of them were pale, but they wanted to speak out against it, but they were drowned out by the tide of voices.

"Young Master Peng is a good person!"

"Commissioner Jiang is a liar!"

"The officials are all snakes and rats!"

"Don't pay! They just want to drain all the money we have for the New Year! ”

The crowd was indignant, at the gate of the hall, Jiang Zan's face was pale, his eyes were almost melting Peng Xianzhong's figure, he stopped Li Wei, who was gritting his teeth and was about to rush forward, and said hatefully: "Peng Xianzhong, are you trying to confuse the public to make trouble?" ”

Peng Xianzhong was also heartbroken by that gaze, but suddenly there was a familiar figure in the corner of his eye, it was Li Xian, who was watching from the back of the crowd with Duan Hongshi, nodding slightly to him, Peng Xianzhong's heart suddenly calmed down.

"Confusion? Then Member Jiang will repeat what he just said to us. ”

Peng Xianzhong sneered, this Jiang Zan is really good at doing things, pulling these leaders in and encircling them, and then using their hands to suppress others, this is the strategy of disintegration. No wonder Li Shi asked him to pull up these representatives first, and replaced them with others, maybe he was bought by Jiang Zan.

"Change a group of people who can talk! Don't be greedy! ”

Jiang Zan ignored Peng Xianzhong's rhetorical question, and greeted the crowd like this, but what he got was a roar, who would believe others at this time?

"The official is kind, but he doesn't want to ...... Bastard! This official is ordered by the imperial court to collect the customs silver! This official is the ...... of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Jiang Zan was annoyed, and finally lost his patience, but when he said this, a bunch of melons and fruits were thrown over, so angry that he flicked his horseshoe sleeves and went straight into the hall.

"Clear!"

"Burn the door and close the door!"

People finally couldn't help it and wanted to close the door and do it, Peng Xianzhong stood up again, "Everyone calm down!" Breaking through is against the imperial court! This is not to be done! Everyone will have to do business in the future, and they will have to make a living, don't be so reckless! ”

The merchant with a Hunan accent shouted: "Believe in the imperial court!" I'm sure I'll give us an explanation! ”

The crowd that was about to rush towards the river bank turned back, which is true, regardless of whether it is a crime to break through the level, and if you don't get the circular ticket for receipt, it will be a big trouble to go to the next level.

"But what can they say!?"

Quite a few people asked.

"They didn't say it because we don't have a charter, or let's negotiate an explanation first!?"

Peng Xianzhong shouted.

"Yes, let's set the charter first, and then discuss it with the official!"

"That's right, so many people, messy, there must be a charter."

Everyone agreed, Peng Xianzhong let out a sigh of relief, things could finally progress to this stage, he quickly took out a stack of papers, stretched out his hand and beckoned people.

"This guy ......"

Li Yan in the distance covered his face, this is too obvious, fortunately, no one from Jiang Zan saw it, otherwise he would have been convicted of planning in advance.

"This son can be of great use, this little section is nothing, just mention it."

Duan Hongshi didn't care, but praised Peng Xianzhong.

"How did you come up with such a surname Peng!?"

In the hall, Jiang Zan frowned and said hatefully.

"The surname Peng is a local, and behind it must be that Li Shi!"

Li Wei never forgot Li Xi, although it was groundless, but in one sentence.

"Stop! How could Li Xian, a local snake, collude with these businessmen? ”

Jiang Zan is capable, but his vision is not so thorough after all, and Li Wei is even less conscious, no longer entangled in Li Shi, so he only asked: "What about now?" ”

Jiang Zan: "Just wait for Li Zhushou, with his step, lower the silver and calm the hearts of those people, this matter can only be like this, and ...... I still have a hand, and most of them are already on the way. ”

In the afternoon, Li Zhushou came, brought two or three hundred officials to practice Yong, beckoned Liu Xingchun to protect the office together, and then came in to see Jiang Zan.

"Brother Jiang, this is ...... That's all there is to it. ”

Li Zhushou's face was very ugly, he couldn't control how to collect money from the tax customs, but thousands of people had gathered, and there were faint signs of chaos, and the culprit was this guy.

"If you have any regulations, just explain them, and the county will be easy to deal with."

He was asking Jiang Zan to ask for the bottom line, although he was annoyed, but after all, everyone was doing things for the imperial court, and now this matter must be settled as soon as possible, and he must also be Jiang Zan's ladder down the wall.

Went out with Jiang Zan's conditions, met with Peng Xianzhong and other representatives, and got a document, Li Zhushou was surprised, he subconsciously turned his head to look around, and saw Li Xian and Duan Hongshi in the distance smiling and nodding at him, and suddenly shuddered.

"If it must have been done by these two immortals, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse......

Li Zhushou muttered, but he thought that he would not harm himself, so he could only bite the bullet and return to the office with this document.

"It's ...... What do you mean? ”

Jiang Zan flipped through the paperwork, his eyebrows kept twisting and didn't come over, he didn't understand.

"It's okay to open up these scribes, they have to clean them up, but the tax and silver collection is the responsibility of the tooth people agreed upon by the tax customs and their merchants, what does this mean?"

Li Wei asserted without thinking about it: "There is a conspiracy!" ”

Li Zhushou coughed, he was very uninterested in this big man, and told his understanding: "Maybe they don't want to be at the mercy of the scribe, so they want to let a trustworthy tooth person check the valuation and set the fee together." ”

Jiang Zan snorted: "The tooth man is a role that can't be put on the stage at the tax customs, how can he be on an equal footing with the court officials, and negotiate with the tax customs as if he was doing business?" This is not possible! ”

He subconsciously wanted to deny it, of course, with the original surname of the court official, he wanted to deny anything on this document.

Li Zhushou didn't think there was anything wrong: "The imperial court has always relied on the tooth people to run business, isn't Guangzhou Foreign Bank a tooth people?" Tax gatekeepers abound, but they are not included in the economic system. With the tooth man, the operation can be much more calm. ”

Jiang Zan still shook his head and only agreed to deal with the scribe, Li Zhushou secretly gritted his teeth and went out with this condition.

"It's a pity that I'm just an idle official...... If I am the government, or even the governor, how can I allow these ant people to make conditions with me, hum! ”

Li Zhushou's back disappeared, Jiang Zan smashed his fist on the desk, Li Wei also felt the same way, panting.

After a while, a shout sounded outside: "Toothless man, don't pay!" ”

Li Zhushou ran back with his head in his hands, there were still a few vegetable leaves hanging on his winter hat, and his face was embarrassed: "Brother Jiang, if you don't say anything, I can't be this person." ”

Jiang Zan's old god is here: "It is a matter of the face of the imperial court and the tax and customs system, this committee member ...... Won't be afraid of mobs! ”

Li Zhushou's face turned red, he stomped his feet fiercely, and said goodbye.

"Can he really carry it, can he see through something?"

Li Xi was a little worried.

"I haven't fully understood what you are doing, although Jiang Zan has a lot of means, he is not an expert in business, and it should only be for face."

Duan Hongshi comforted him.

"That'...... You can only tear your face. ”

Li Xian regretted it, and gestured to Tao Fu, who was following Peng Xianzhong in front, Tao Fu nodded, and then muttered to Peng Xianzhong, Peng Xianzhong nodded again.

"Come out and talk!"

In the crowd that was still waiting for the results, someone finally couldn't help but shout again, and drove these thousands of people again.

"Where did you learn this kind of coercion?"

Duan Hongshi asked, although he had participated in the formulation of this plan before, but the actual work still depended on Li Shi, and he was very surprised by Li Shi's familiar control.

"This ...... One dream for three hundred years, you can learn anything. ”

Li Xian said perfunctorily, thinking that he was a reporter in his previous life, and he had seen a lot of this kind of trouble, and he was very familiar with it.

"But...... It's also easy to go overboard......"

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the boatmen who were already dizzy with hunger and full of anger rushed towards the office, and the twenty or so were said to be the soldiers of the Admiral of the Nine Gates, although they were not able to use their knives, but they were extremely fierce when they moved their fists and feet, and immediately beat several boatmen to the point of spurting blood from their mouths and noses.

"Kill these dogs!"

The boatmen finally got angry, and hundreds of people rushed up, so frightened that the soldiers also retreated back to the office.

"Let me chop up these mobs!"

In the hall, listening to the sound of slamming the door, Li Wei roared, as soon as the door opened, he was so frightened that he immediately followed everyone to block the door with his back, no matter how fierce he was, how could he withstand hundreds of people?

"Don't be afraid, they should have arrived, too."

Jiang Zan is still steady.

Outside the door, Li Zhushou's official Lian Yong, as well as Liu Xingchun's patrolmen, were all blocking, occasionally grabbing a few people who lit fire and pulled knives out of the crowd, and other actions were like acting.

The commotion was on the heights, the sound of horses' hooves sounded, and a large group of men and horses came from the east.

"Get out, I've got some soldiers."

Jiang Zan sighed, and said coldly, at this time, the crowd also retreated in panic, and saw one or two hundred horses rushing in, and there were infantry teams rushing in the distance, at least no less than four or five hundred people.

"This official doesn't want to use force, as long as you pay the money, what happened just now, this official will not pursue it! Even...... This officer will grant you all the scribes as you ask! ”

Facing the crowd, Jiang Zan raised his head and shouted, full of tone that the matter was over.

"That Thousand ......"

Seeing that there was no movement in the crowd, Jiang Zan beckoned to a thousand generals on the horse, wanting to call him to lead the troops to drive people away.

"Huh? What the? Bandits approaching!? ”

Immediately, it was Zhang Ying, pretending to listen to the report of his subordinates, and then bowed his hand to Jiang Zan: "The military situation is important, I will leave first!" ”

Whoa...... The green battalion soldiers came and went quickly, only leaving a cloud of smoke and dust, Jiang Zan's hand was still in the air, and his whole face was already pale.

"There are bandits!? Liu Xingchun! Suppress bandits with this county! ”

Li Zhushou also shouted, and the official Lian Yong Patrol or something also hulala and withdrew.

"These bastards! They...... They're in the same league with these people! ”

Li Wei was so angry that his eyes bulged, and Jiang Zan covered his chest for a while before he gasped.

"Toothless people, don't pay!"

The crowd continued to shout, and Jiang Zan's tensed shoulders slowly collapsed.

"Li Shi!"

Suddenly seeing the crowd, Li Xianzheng smiled, Li Wei's teeth clenched, Yao Yao stretched out his palm, grabbed and grasped, as if he wanted to chew him in his mouth.

"You must have done it! I want to be an official! Be a big official! I'm going to get rid of you! ”

Li Wei swore in the gambling curse, and Li Xi plucked his nostrils and returned a middle finger.

On December 21, the 51st year of Kangxi, later generations of scholars remembered this date and recorded it as a milestone in time. Because on this day, a document of the "Hun Huan Tariff Agreement" was signed and came into effect, which was the original source of the Chinese commercial capital moving towards reading power and driving the entire historical trend, Li Shi, as an advocate and promoter, pressed the Manchu officials to sign this customs treaty as a victor.

Of course, this statement is only known to the general public, and the actual situation is that Li Xi has never met and spoken to Jiang Zan from beginning to end, and what kind of agreement is just that Jiang Zan stamped a private seal on the document that Peng Xianzhong took out. And that document has nothing to do with the reading power of capital, there are only two contents, the Kaige scribe, and the tooth person's endorsement.

Although the latter article is only four words, it is the focus of contention between the two sides, but in the spirit of making enough money, Jiang Zan did not insist that it must be reported to the imperial court and the terms of the tooth person designated by the household department, but by both the tax customs and the merchants, and this is only the tax customs its own affairs, so everyone just tacitly agrees.

At first glance, this seems to have not changed much from before, but the scriveners who were fired were retained by shouting to the desk: "Let's change the owner", and things have gone a little sour.

"This is a small step for the reading power of capital, and it is also a big step on the road to the collapse of the Manchu court."

Li Shi commented on this "customs contract".

(To be continued)