The 2,000-mile Grand Canal is not only flowing with turquoise water, but also the blood of the empire, with grain from the south to the north, millions of stone of grain every year, and countless silk and satin, which maintains the Youwo life of the high-ranking officials and dignitaries of Beijing, and also maintains the bold words of the Son of Heaven to guard the country.

Around the canal, a powerful interest group was formed, from the people along the coast, to all kinds of Caokou gangs, to the canal yamen, gentry and wealthy merchants, weaving into an impenetrable net.

It's like the moon is cloudy and sunny, and nothing can be prosperous for a long time. As the maintenance cost of the canal is getting higher and higher, the capacity cannot be increased, and the demand for north-south cargo transportation has increased exponentially, not only Tang Yi, but also many people have seen the need to change the transportation of the canal.

The difference between Tang Yi and these people is that he proposed a solution, that is, to keep the existing traffic unchanged and transfer the excess part to sea transportation.

This plan was immediately supported by the majority of the people, and with the implementation of the entire plan to open the sea, Tianjin became a gateway and a test field.

Just like any reform will touch vested interest groups, no matter how careful Tang Yi is, the impact will be there, and it is not small.

Wu Tiancheng said to Tang Yi: "Although the regulations on the volume of transportation remain unchanged, this is only the volume of grain, and as for the merchant ships traveling between the north and the south, the imperial court cannot control it." Although it is safe to take the canal, the speed is extremely slow, there are many checkpoints, and the freight is high, and everyone has been miserable for a long time. According to my survey in Jiangnan, more than half of the merchants want to ship goods directly from Tianjin to Beijing by sea. The government's grain ships are just to support the livelihood of the canal workers, and the real oil and water are the merchant ships, do you think they are not in a hurry?"

"Not only that, the current Tianjin Sanwei is built next to the canal, and if the sea is opened, the city will be expanded. The wharf must have prospered, and the Lu Taibao directly encircled all the land at the wharf, and also recruited workers on a large scale, requisitioned the account clerks, and the people who originally pointed to the canal to eat all ran to the port. If you want me to say that Lu Taibao has been in the capital for a long time, he thinks that as long as he has power in everything. If you press one level at the first level, you can get things done, but the place is different from the Jingshi, there are strong and powerful people in the place, there are gentry, there are gangs, and there are clans. It's going to be backfired. ”

Tang Yi smiled, "Listening to this, you are very clear, tell me, what forces are involved, are they monolithic?" ”

Wu Tiancheng hurriedly raised his thumb and exclaimed: "Master just saw blood for a while, and he really didn't hide it." Four or five years ago, wine and furniture were sold. We have contacts with the merchants along the line, and after the establishment of the traffic line, the seventh master and we have worked hard. According to your instructions, it mainly operates three lines, along the river and along the river. Coastal. Up and down the canal, I don't dare to say that the door is clear, and I also make it seven, seven, eight, eight. At present, the one who is rushing to the front in Tianjin is the Wenxiang Sect, and the Wenxiang Sect has three major helps. ”

Wu Tiancheng grabbed the water cup, moistened his throat and said, "This first strand is the Cao Gang." They make a living from the canal, and they are worried that in the future, the sea will become more and more developed, and their rice bowls will be smashed. The second group is the local gentry in Tianjin, most of them also have industries around the canal, such as money villages, inns, warehouses, etc., the rise of shipping, they are not only worried about the loss of interests, but also want to eat the interests of shipping, and follow the coaxing, but also to wait for the price to sell. ”

Tang Yi nodded, he actually had speculation, but he didn't have Wu Tiancheng's personal experience and said it so clearly.

"As for the third unit, this is the trouble point, mainly because of the military households and hereditary generals of Tianjin Sanwei." Wu Tiancheng said: "Originally, there was no harm to them in opening the sea, but the bad was bad for some officials of the imperial court. ”

"What's going on?" Tang Yi asked curiously.

"That's right. When the news of Tianjin's opening of the sea came out, some people expected that Tianjin's land prices would rise, and some high-ranking officials and nobles of the imperial court forced the commanders of the three guards in Tianjin, commanding the same knowledge, commanding the servants, and thousands of households and others to transfer all the land and property of the guards to them, and even turned the military households into tenant farmers and cultivated for them. Wu Tiancheng said sneeringly: "These adults are also used to being uncles, they think that these military leaders are all sesame mung bean big officials, and they are not worth mentioning." But don't forget, the military leaders have lived in Tianjin for one or two hundred years, with deep roots, and there are three relatives and six ancestors everywhere. And over the years, the military leaders have swallowed all the fields that can be swallowed, who is willing to cut meat from themselves, no, as soon as the incense sect instigated, they also made trouble. ”

Tang Yi finally knew it, and said with a smile: "Tiancheng, what you said is the Tao, what should you do if you deal with it?" ”

"I, of course ......" Wu Tiancheng swallowed back the words and said with a smile: "How do I understand, or Master, you are strategizing, and the disciple will do some errands!" ”

"Hmph, you'll be slippery!"

Tang Yi stabbed Wu Tiancheng and said angrily: "Go and see if the food is delivered, eat something, and be busy again." ”

"Hey!"

Wu Tiancheng ran out, and at this time, the maid in plain clothes had already prepared wine and food, and in particular, she prepared a large pot of chicken soup and duck tongue soup.

When the dishes were ready, she didn't rush to retreat, but hid outside the door and looked secretly. She is very similar to appreciating Tang Yi's wild and funny way of eating, when she is cooking, the sound of snorting and snorting keeps ringing in her ears, and the more she thinks about it, the more ridiculous she feels.

It's just that this time she is destined to be disappointed, Tang Yi is sitting on the side, eating slowly, no more or no less with each chopstick, and the tableware definitely does not make a sound, from beginning to end, she looks like she has been strictly tutored. Seeing that the plain-clothed maid tightened her nose and secretly disdained: "Hypocrisy, pretending to be garlic, even if you pretend to be like it, you can't deceive the girl!" The little girl seemed to know some great secret, for fear of letting Tang Yi see it, so she slipped away quietly.

Before Tang Yi and Wu Tiancheng finished eating, Lu Jun rushed over.

"Lord Tang, the people from the Smelling Fragrance Sect are here."

"Hmm!" Tang Yi smiled: "You go first, I'll arrive later." ”

As soon as Lu Jun left, Tang Yi said to Wu Tiancheng: "According to the method we discussed, you go to those people immediately, talk to them, and agree to come down first no matter what they want." ”

"Obey, by the way, Master, the strength of the Smelling Fragrance Sect itself is not weak, and I also heard a secret." Wu Tiancheng lowered his voice, "Master, don't die, as far as I know, the gentry in some places are in tandem, it seems that there are people in the court who are agitating, if there are more dead people, they will first write ten thousand words of blood, and then the impeachment will follow." ”

"I know, it's clear that it's a set, but I still got in, and my life is hard!"

Tang Yi sighed, left the pavilion, and under the escort of a team of cavalry, he came to the yamen of the original Tianjin Jinyi Guard. Huo Jiangong was waiting here, and carefully invited Tang Yi in.

All the way to the top of the hall, I saw Lu Bing with a gloomy face, sitting in the middle, on his right hand, there were three people, the leader was a little old man, with a sparse beard, a pair of eyes full of shrewdness, the other two, one was a big man in a strong suit, full of rat meat, Kong Wu was powerful, and the other was a young man, less than thirty, Si Swenwen.

Tang Yi walked in, saw the little old man stand up, and hurriedly said with a smile: "I think you are the first six-headed Kui Yuan in the history of my Ming Dynasty, the new Shuntian Patrol, and the bachelor of Hanlin Tang Yi and Master Tang?" The little old man is polite! ”

Tang Yi smiled contemptuously, "Yes, I also know that I will find out the identity of my official first, and I know that I will not be defeated in a hundred battles." But the official is not interested in you at all, do you know why? Because you are not worthy! Don't think that cats and dogs dare to jump on the table to be big, if you have brains, you should know your weight, stop as soon as possible, and save a dog's life, otherwise, hum, I'm afraid I can't even find a place to bury it! ”

I felt strong and arrogant enough to hear these words, and Lu Bing was so addicted to hearing them that he ran away a lot of stuffiness in his stomach.

The big man on the other side gritted his teeth and was about to have a seizure, but the young man held him down.

The little old man said with a smile: "Lord Tang, compared to you, of course we are not worth mentioning, and it is not wrong to say that we are cats and dogs." But don't forget, the best living in the world is weeds, no matter whether it is drought or flood, rain or shine, they can live. Unlike peony chrysanthemums, which need to be taken care of, they don't necessarily die at some point, don't you say? ”

Tang Yi's face changed, and he said angrily: "Don't quarrel with this official, say, what do you want?" ”

"Crisp enough, good!" The old man said proudly: "Lord Tang, Lu Taibao, Xiao Lao'er heard that the imperial court is going to set up a money bank to be responsible for the transaction of opening the sea, but is there such a thing?" ”

"That's right." Tang Yi replied.

"Well, we want seventy percent of Qianzhuang's dry shares, as long as the dry shares are given, we will help open the sea, we want people, money and money, and there is no ambiguity. Adults just collect cashiers, there is no such easy thing in the world, the little old man just doesn't understand, what are you hesitating about! ”

"Phew!"

Tang Yi slapped the table and stood up suddenly, "Toad yawns, you guys are so angry." Tianjin opens the sea, tens of millions of materials every year, millions of gold and silver, you account for seventy percent of the shares of Qianzhuang, and you can get hundreds of thousands of dollars just by lending, do you think this official can agree? ”

The little old man did not show weakness, "Lord Tang, you can't just watch the thief eat meat without watching the thief being beaten. Open the sea to the boatman, to Liba, to the bookkeeper, to the sea ship, these small people can do it. Besides, it is not an easy thing to collect taxes, as long as you give us the money, not a penny of tax and silver will be handed over to the court. You have made meritorious contributions, promoted and made a fortune, and sealed your wife and son, the little ones are not envious at all, you must always leave some soup and water for the little ones! ”

Lu Bing rolled his eyes angrily, "What do you want is soup and water?" You are eating meat and gnawing bones, so let this seat drink soup, okay! ”

"That's it, three out of two percent are still negotiable, and seventy percent are not negotiable!" Tang Yi said casually.

"That's good, it's going to be thirty percent!" The young man suddenly stood up and said with a smile: "Lord Tang, you have to count when you speak, Tang Liushou can't go back on his word?" ”

Tang Yi was dumbfounded for a moment and didn't know how to answer. (To be continued.) )