When the royal driver arrived in Yangzhou, Cai Anfu, the envoy of the two Huai salt transports, and Yan Yi, the prefect of Yangzhou, led Yangzhou officials to greet them at the dock and welcome the holy driver stationed in His Majesty Yangzhou.

Zhu Youzhen sat on the deck of the imperial boat, and Cai Anfu and Yan Yi bowed and saluted. Everywhere he went, it was his duty to meet with local officials, but many times Zhu Youzhen did not show up in person, and the officials kowtowed to the dragon boat on the shore.

After the local officials finished saluting, Zhu Youzhen said a few words casually and let them go down. For these magistrates who were destined to be taken down, Zhu Youzhen really couldn't raise his interest and perfunctory.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Your Majesty has been working all the way, and the dragon body is tired, so you have decided to rest in Yangzhou for a few days, has the palace in Your Majesty been arranged?" Hong Chengchou asked. As the commander of the march, he had to worry about everything.

"Already, it has been arranged, it's in the bamboo garden by the Slender West Lake, and the scenery is very good." Yan Yi's face suddenly turned pale, and he said tremblingly.

The emperor passed through Xuzhou and Huai'an without entering, so that he was lucky, thinking that the emperor did something to Shandong officials, but it was because some people rebelled. Yangzhou is extremely peaceful, and it is impossible for the emperor to make a move on Yangzhou officials, or even stop in Yangzhou, just like passing through Yangzhou Huai'an. However, he didn't expect the emperor to really want to stay in Yangzhou, which made him not panic.

Not only Yan Yi, but the other officials behind him also turned pale one by one, as if the sky was about to fall.

"It's best to be proper, let's disperse, Yan Fuzun will stay and cooperate with the royal camp." Hong Chengchou commanded.

"Yes." Cai Anfu and other officials of the Salt Transportation Department left, leaving only Yan Yi with the officials of Yangzhou Prefecture.

The holy driver went to Zhuyuan, and the tens of thousands of entourage of the fleet also had to disembark and land, which was naturally extremely cumbersome to arrange. Hong Chengchou coordinated and commanded the officials of Yangzhou Prefecture, running before and after arranging, and was busy until it was dark, and everything was done.

As the emperor, Zhu Youzhen naturally didn't have to worry about these trivial matters, he rested in the room for a while, and then took Wang Chengen and other attendants to stroll in the bamboo garden, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Yangzhou. This Yangzhou garden is really beautiful, a mountain and a stone, a grass and a tree, it looks so stylish. Although there is also a large area of imperial gardens in the palace, and there is also a large lake in the West Garden, compared with this Yangzhou garden, the magnificent atmosphere is far more than this Yangzhou garden, but the charm and delicacy are far inferior.

"No wonder Emperor Yang of Sui lingered in Yangzhou, even ignoring the rivers and mountains, this beautiful scenery of Yangzhou is really good." Zhu You sighed.

Wang Chengen was about to introduce another wonderful feature of Yangzhou to Zhu Youzhen, such as the world-famous Yangzhou thin horse, but when he heard Zhu Youzhen mention Emperor Yang of Sui, he decisively closed his mouth.

"Shandong and Henan are full of displaced people, and the people are waiting to be fed, but this Yangzhou city is so full of flowers like paradise, and it is also in Daming, why is it so different! Otomo, do you know why Yangzhou is so prosperous? Zhu Youzhen asked.

Wang Chengen smiled and said: "The old slave knows something, this Yangzhou City is the place where the two Huai Salt Transportation Divisions are located, and the sea salt produced in the two Huai salt places are hoarded here and sold to the provinces and capitals, so there is such a prosperous scene." ”

Zhu Youzhen sneered: "The prosperity of Yangzhou is due to the accumulation of countless people's fat and ointment, and I don't know how many white bones are buried under the beautiful garden!" ”

Early the next morning, Hong Chengchou came to see him, saying that it was the three major salt merchants in Yangzhou who wanted to see His Majesty.

Zhu Youzhen sneered: "I'm gone, Da Sima, you can meet these rich salt merchants on my behalf, you know what to do." ”

Hong Chengchou nodded: "The minister understands." ”

Hu Million, Lin Wanpeng, and Zhou Fengchun were led to the flower hall, and when they saw Hong Chengchou sitting at the coffee table, they quickly knelt down and saluted.

Hong Chengchou didn't even look at them, but said lightly: "Your Majesty is tired, what do you have to tell the official." ”

The three of them glanced at each other and pushed Hu Million as a representative.

Hu Million said cautiously: "Your Majesty passed through Yangzhou on his southern tour, and I can see the face of the sky, and our businessmen are really happy. However, we also heard that there were many people in Henan who rebelled, and Wen Ge went to Henan to pacify the chaos. Over the years, the provinces have suffered a series of natural disasters, and the people have lived a very hard life, so I have earned some money by making salt, and I think that if I have money, I can't be unkind to the rich, and I should also care about the people, so after discussion, I am willing to give one million taels of silver to help the court for disaster relief. ”

"Oh?" Hong Chengchou finally raised his head and glanced at Hu Million and the others in surprise: "It's rare that you salt merchants don't only make money, but they also think about the people who are suffering. ”

"That's as it should be, as it should be." Hu Million and others laughed.

"But," Hong Chengchou changed his words, "Yangzhou salt merchants are rich in the world, and the silver you earn every year is not more than 10 million, so do you take out this bit of silver to fool Your Majesty?" ”

"Ahh Hu million people were shocked. A million taels of silver, where is the missing? The imperial court's annual salt tax was only two million taels.

"At present, the imperial court is short of money, and Your Majesty is also short of money, and you salt merchants earn a lot of silver every year by relying on the nest book issued by the imperial court, and you should contribute at this time. So I will give you three days, and you will raise twenty million taels of silver. Hong Chengchou said again.

A few people gasped, 20 million taels of silver, your surname Hong really opened this mouth!

After the abolition of Liao, the annual income of the state treasury was only more than 2 million taels of silver, plus more than 4 million stone grain. Twenty million taels of silver, equivalent to the income of the treasury for several years!

Although a few people have money, where can they get so much? Loot all the silver of the salt merchants in Yangzhou City, maybe there may not be so much, after all, the silver is to flow, although their salt merchants make money, they also need the principal, and they need a lot of silver to bribe the officials of the salt transportation department, and even bribe the court bigwigs.

"Lord Hong, 20 million taels is too much, even if you copy our house, you can't take out so much." Lin Wanpeng smiled bitterly. Where is this asking for money, it is clearly to raid the house!

"Then I copied it and saw if there were so many." Hong Chengchou said lightly.

"Don't joke adults...... Hu Million was about to distinguish when a soldier suddenly broke in, pressed the three of them to the ground and tied them up.

"My lord, what crime have we committed?" Lin Wanpeng shouted angrily.

They came to send money to the emperor, but they didn't expect to be arrested and raided their homes, where is there such a reason in this world?

"Lord Hong, I am a distant relative of the father-in-law, you can't arrest me!" Zhou Fengchun shouted.

Hong Chengchou waved his hand, and the soldiers pulled these people down.

"What crime was committed? You have too much wealth, and that is the greatest sin. Hong Chengchou muttered.

On that day, the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard rushed into various gardens in Yangzhou and seized the homes of Yangzhou salt merchants one by one.