One hundred thousand taels of silver for the big salt merchants in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions of the Ming Dynasty must be an exaggeration to describe it as a dime, but it is not far off.

The Ming Dynasty did not have specific data on the bottom of salt merchants, but according to the taxes of the Yongzheng and Qianlong dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, more than half of which came from salt affairs, the total family base of the salt merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the Ming Dynasty should not be less than 30 million taels.

The reason is that the tax collection in the Ming Dynasty was too far behind compared with the Qing Dynasty, and the local scholars and merchants were able to evade taxes and retain more profits.

So don't look at the low social status of merchants, the real suffering of the Ming Dynasty was the peasants who worked in the fields.

After Wang Zhidao and Shen Yichen reached a deal, they sent 30,000 taels of silver on the same day, as well as rice, grain, meat, and cotton yarn and stone worth 70,000 taels.

It can be seen from the transportation of stones, which are urgently needed for water control and reconstruction, that Wang Zhidao has a firm grasp of the success of this transaction, and has prepared silver goods early, waiting for Shen Yichen's offer.

When looking at the hundreds of ships crowded at the dock of Zhang Qiuzhen, Shen Yichen vaguely felt that something was wrong.

Shen Yichen thought that this business was his lion's mouth, and used a sky-high empty check to "sell" Zhang Qiuzhen's shop and real estate.

Now it seems that his offer has not broken through Wang Zhidao's reserve price, and it is still within his acceptable range, and it is even very relaxed.

To use a famous Internet saying in later generations, that is, it may be earned by his own blood, but Wang Zhidao will definitely not lose!

If you knew this, you should have made a tentative offer of 200,000 taels, and then wait for the other party to make a counteroffer, maybe you can get an extra tens of thousands of taels of silver.

It can only be said that in terms of business experience, Shen Yichen is far from being able to compare with a big salt merchant like Wang Zhidao.

Bian He beside him looked at the transport boat on the river that covered the sky and the sun, which was completely different from the "calculating" in Shen Yichen's mind, and he was more embarrassed at the moment.

Thinking that he hurriedly went out of Beijing to control the water in Shandong, facing the hungry and cold victims in the three provinces and eight prefectures, Shen Yichen can be said to have nothing, lack of money, lack of food and lack of people!

Now that the peak has turned around, the number of victims in Zhangqiu Town has exceeded 100,000, and hundreds of thousands of victims are rushing to the road, so there is no need to worry about the shortage of people. In addition, the imperial court's water conservancy and silver and the transactions reached with the merchants, the problem of silver money, rice and grain was also solved.

At that time, who would have thought that this young Yushi would really turn the tide and save the people?

"The proprietor, today, the people of Shandong finally have no worries."

Bian He sighed, he knew that the pressure of the shortage of money and food before, he almost couldn't survive the end of this month.

Listening to Bian He's emotion, Shen Yichen replied with a smile: "No, I'm still a little worried." ”

"Why?"

"The money has arrived, and the goods have to be snatched from others......"

After saying this, in Bian He's surprised eyes, Shen Yichen looked at Han Yong and Han Bin beside him.

"Han Qian, Han Qian always obeys orders."

"Humble duty!"

Hearing Shen Yichen's order, Han Yong and Han Bin immediately responded.

"Han Yanshi, you led 2,000 people from Tai'anwei to take over the washed out salt works on both sides of the Yellow River and the Qing River. If you encounter the obstruction of the salt transfer envoy, you will report the name of the official and punish the crime on the grounds of obstructing the great cause of river engineering! ”

"Yes, the subordinate obeys the order!"

"Mr. Han Qian, you led 1,000 Dongchang Guards, and coordinated with Master Chen to allocate more than 10,000 migrant workers to take over the Linqing Pass of the canal in the name of building Heti. In case of obstruction, the name of the official is reported for the same reason. ”

"The lower officials will not fail in their mission!"

Compared with the previous Shen Yichen order to destroy the homeless interception checkpoint, Han Yong and Han Bin still have some differences in their hearts. Now the double salary is paid and the daily food tube is full, and the entire Dongchangwei and Tai'an Wei officers and soldiers are up and down, but Shen Yichen is the first to look forward.

It is not realistic to let them rebel. Just let them do things, and there is absolutely no two words to point to where to fight.

"You have been working hard day after day, and in the future, if you succeed in controlling the water, this official will not forget the two credits."

"How dare the lower officials be greedy for merit, it is really an honor for us to be able to serve the Constitution!"

Han Yong and Han Bin answered, not only with compliments and politeness, but also with respect and admiration in their hearts.

In the past, when he worked in the local health center, the military family was discriminated against by all sides, and lived a precarious life every day, for fear that one day if there was a problem with the grain, the family would be ruined.

Now working under Shen Yichen, there has never been a situation of corporal punishment and abuse, and the champion has always been polite and respectful to the military households. And I can eat and dress myself every day, and I can also send some spare money home to buy some new clothes and bedding for my family.

This kind of day was really unimaginable before. In comparison, what is this little bit of hard work?

As for what kind of water control work, for Han Yong and Han Bin, it is not in the scope of consideration. In the water of the Yellow River in all dynasties, I have never heard of the big head soldiers being able to share the credit, and it is impossible for the imperial court to commend ordinary warriors.

"Go ahead, remember to tell me something."

"Humble resignation!"

After receiving the order, the two left quickly, but this scene was in the eyes of the officials of Yanggu County, and they tasted a different taste.

His party was deceived by Shen Yichen's title of champion prince, and thought that the literati leader should implement the principles of scholars.

As a result, judging from the performance during this period of time, Shen Yichen's style of acting is no different from that of a vulgar martial artist, and even more presumptuous, ordering the sergeant to rob in front of everyone!

I really don't know if this should be said to be that I didn't treat myself and others as outsiders, or if I completely let go of myself without scruples, anyway, the champion is really the only one to achieve Shen Yichen's fame.

Before the officials of Yanggu County could recover from their shock, they heard Shen Yichen continue: "Jiang County obeys the order. ”

"The lower official is here!"

Shocked to shocked, now hearing Shen Yichen's order, Jiang Pei almost reflexively stood up to receive the order.

Putting aside Shen Yichen's simple and crude methods in the past, as well as his maverick style, Jiang Pei said in his heart that he was also more willing to be appointed under him.

As a subordinate, don't you want to be a superior who has the courage to take responsibility and can do practical things?

From this point of comparison, Shen Yichen is much stronger than Meng Anwei.

"Now that the number of displaced people in Yanggu County has increased dramatically, how to settle and distribute, I hope that Jiang Xiancheng will lead all colleagues to do their best."

The reconstruction of Zhangqiu Town requires the requisition of 50,000 displaced people, and hundreds of thousands of displaced people will have to be resettled in Yanggu County in the future, which is definitely a huge challenge for Jiang Pei and other Yanggu County officials.

"Xiaguan and colleagues in Yanggu County will definitely live up to the trust of the Constitution!"

"Very well, let's go and do things."

Shen Yichen nodded with satisfaction, no matter how Zhang Qiuzhen's officials were before, they did look like parents now.

After arranging all the matters, Shen Yichen planned to go to Heti outside the city to inspect and see how the project was progressing.

These days, I am busy with money, and the matter of river engineering and water control is almost entirely handed over to Bian He and Chen Tao, the chief bookkeeper. Now that I have finally breathed a sigh of relief, it is time to shift my main energy to river work.

In two months, the spring flood season will be reached, when the Yellow River, Qing River, canals and other water flows will skyrocket. Shen Yichen not only had to ensure that the existing breach was plugged, but also that there would be no new breach in the entire embankment.

Otherwise, under the flood offensive in the spring and summer flood season, it will be difficult to reach the sky if you want to plug it, and it can be said that the success or failure of water control depends on the progress of the project in two months.

It's just that before Shen Yichen walked out of the city gate, he saw a large group of cars and horses galloping dust in the distance. In an instant, Governor Zhang Ji led a group of entourages and appeared in front of Shen Yichen.

"Zhang Futai came to Zhang Qiu Town, please forgive me for the inconsiderate etiquette."

Shen Yichen arched his hand to greet him, his tone was quite polite, but his heart was as cold as frost.

He probably guessed the purpose of the other party's trip, which was nothing more than to test whether he knew about Ma Huiguo's account book.

Zhang Ji couldn't care about the lives of millions of victims in Shandong, and now that it threatened his vital interests, he began to be extremely nervous.

This kind of person is in charge of one side, which is equivalent to the party that is in trouble!

"Shen Yanxian is really polite, and this official doesn't dare to be it."

Zhang Ji hurriedly returned the salute with a warm smile on his face, as if he had seen an old friend.

"This official is preparing to go out of the city to inspect the river work, I don't know if Futai has something important to come here today?"

Even if his heart is like a mirror, Shen Yichen still has to pretend that he doesn't know at all, and the later this kind of thing is, the better it will be for him.

"It's nothing important, it's just that I heard that a large number of homeless people have poured into Zhang Qiu Town recently, and the official is worried that Shen Yixian won't be able to keep busy, so he specially came over to help one or two."

"There is labor and Zhang Futai to bother, and the displaced people have been properly settled."

"Shen Youxian is really a capable minister, which makes us local officials ashamed, no wonder he can be valued by His Majesty."

"Zhang Futai praised, if there is nothing important, then the official will take the first step, please take care of yourself."

After saying this, Shen Yichen planned to leave.

I like to play dumb fans in circles, and I have to go to Heti to inspect the project, so I don't have so much time to talk to Zhang Ji.

"Shen Youxian, please slow down!"

Seeing that Shen Yichen was about to leave, Zhang Ji was a little anxious, his account was about his life, and he had to seek an answer.

"What else does Zhang Futai command?"

"It's not a secret, I recently lost an account book in Ma Shen's political room, I don't know if Shen Xian has heard of it?"

Zhang Ji got straight to the point, and after saying this, his eyes stared at Shen Yichen's face, wanting to find out the clues from his next change in expression.

"This official is in Zhangqiu Town, how can he know about the account book of Ma Zheng's political participation?"

Shen Yichen showed an unexpected look, without revealing the slightest flaw, this kind of introductory acting skills has been practiced countless times in Jingshi, Zhang Ji is really a little underestimated.

"This account book records the taxes, grain, and silver money of the political secretary, which is related to the taxes to be paid to the imperial court next year. The official was also sick and rushed to the doctor, so he came to ask Shen Yanxian, and I hope to forgive me. ”

didn't notice the change in Shen Yichen's expression, Zhang Ji immediately changed another set of words.

"Zhang Futai is anxious, the official can understand, or wait for the inspection of the river to come back, the official will post a notice to offer a reward, to see if the lost account book has been picked up?"

"Then thank you Shen Yanxian."

"Zhang Futai is polite, farewell."

With that, Shen Yichen turned around and left again.

Looking at the back of Shen Yichen leaving, Zhang Ji's eyes gradually became gloomy, and a staff member beside him leaned over and said, "The proprietor, Shen Yichen is very suspicious. ”

"I see."

Zhang Ji took the risk of telling the account book to see if Shen Yichen would have a slight change in expression.

But it backfired, and Shen Yichen was unmoved.

However, in certain cases, the lack of expression change is the biggest loophole!

Shen Yichen was quite uneasy with the Yamen of the Chief Secretary during this time, especially so far, the 200,000 taels of water and silver promised by the Chief Secretary have not yet arrived.

Theoretically speaking, when the Secretary for Political Affairs lost the account book when he participated in politics, Shen Yichen would definitely ask about the water conservancy bank. After all, if this kind of inexplicable thing happens suddenly, normal people will take it as an excuse for the chief secretary to transfer the money.

No matter how urgent the inspection of the river workers is, it can't compare to the 200,000 taels of real money at this time. But Shen Yichen didn't say a word, on the contrary, his expression was very calm and natural, which was the biggest abnormality.

"Proprietor, what do you do next?"

"You immediately go to King Lu's Mansion and tell the prince about the account book in Shen Yichen's hands, this matter can't be rushed, you have to think about it in the long run."

"Yes."

After Zhang Ji's staff received the order, he rode a fast horse and galloped towards the direction of Lu Wangfu.

Whether it is peace or martial arts, if you want to move the scarlet robe of Shen Yichen, you have to make the final decision by King Lu.

Shen Yichen, who was on the other side, didn't know that he had been seen by Zhang Ji as a flaw. There was no matter of recovering the money, it was purely that hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and rice grain had been recorded in the account in the past two days, which made him feel good and not so urgent, so he was naturally not in a hurry to ask for the account.

At the site of the riverbank where the embankment broke in Zhangqiu Town, it was already densely packed with migrant workers, who were intensively digging a new river channel, first draining the stagnant water in the low-lying places, and then blocking the upper breach.

Seeing Shen Yichen coming, Chen Tao, the chief bookkeeper, ran out of the crowd and hurriedly bowed forward.

But this time, before Chen Tao could kneel, Shen Yichen took the first step to hold his arm and said, "Master Chen will see this official in the future, and my mother needs to kneel and bow again, just make a bow." ”

"Constitution, etiquette cannot be abolished!"

Chen Tao also planned to insist that his eight-rank main book was too far away from Shen Yichen's official position, and he had to kneel and bow according to the "Daming Huidian".

"The official said that there is no need, this is an order."

Now that Chen Tao is the "chief engineer" of water control, talents should be given enough respect.

Moreover, the officials of Yanggu County have also been suppressed and rectified almost now, without the original kind of yang and yin, Shen Yichen plans to see that he will not have to bow down in the future.

"The subordinate obeys."

Faced with Shen Yichen's order, Chen Tao naturally did not dare to disobey his order.

"Master Chen, you come to tell this official how the water is being controlled now."

"Returning to the Xianxian, the tributaries of the drained river are now excavated for thousands of meters, and they will soon be connected to the downstream waterways, and the water in the depression will be drained in a few days."

"After the stagnant water goes out, the lower officials will immediately organize the people to block the breach, and the flooding of the Yellow River that has plagued Zhangqiu Town for half a year will end!"