Evening.

There was a lot of traffic in front of the entire Yushi Yamen, and the whole Yangzhou City, and even the big people in Jinling City rushed over.

Outside the door, the old housekeeper of the Lin family took Jia Rong and Jia Lian to receive the guests, and Jia Zhu accompanied Jia Hui to receive close officials and old relatives in the main hall.

As for the two brothers of the Shi family, they were originally guests, and they represented the two marquises, of course, they had to be in the main hall.

"Ahem, grandpa, the last time I saw you... Ahem, ahem... Lao Ningguo's 60th birthday banquet... Ahem, it's been eight years in the blink of an eye..."

A wealthy middle-aged man sat on the right side, brushing his beard and looking at Jia Hui with a complicated complexion and sighing, and behind him stood a tall and sturdy young man, who was also a handsome young man, but the whole person had an indescribable "stunned" atmosphere.

This is Ziwei Sheren, the imperial merchant Xue Qin and Xue Pan father and son.

A few days ago, when Jia Hui's birthday invitation was sent to Xue's house in Jinling City, Xue Qin decided to set out with his family and go north to Yangzhou.

The Xue family's big backer is finally back!

As an imperial businessman, the Xue family naturally has the support of the palace. But he is not the only emperor and merchant, and naturally he is also intrigued, each with its own faction.

For example, the Xue family was born in Jinling, and he is the imperial merchant of the Jinling family.

When the Xue family fought the world, they also contributed to work, and only after the founding of the country defeated countless merchants around Jinling and obtained the signboard of imperial merchants.

But it's not that you can sit back and relax after getting the Huangshang brand, and countless businessmen around Jinling are staring at this brand!

As a result, the Xue family took refuge in their relatives and formed an interest group called the "Jinling Four", and became the money bag of the small group, responsible for the logistics of the small circle.

After having a de facto backer, with the power of the Jia Shi family, the Xue family sat firmly in the position of the emperor and businessman.

Until five or six years ago, the Xue family's seat was stable.

Then, the coup d'état that changed everyone's fate came.

The biggest backer, the Jia family, was beaten half to death, and the Wang family was earlier, after the death of Uncle Wang, there has been no improvement.

That is, the Shi family is still supporting the stalls of the four major families, but the Xue family and the Shi family have not been married for several generations!

The most important thing is that the historian has his own close merchant family!

My body has also suffered a serious illness because of a series of blows, and my body is getting worse day by day.

I really don't have that much time to find a new backer!

originally thought that from now on, the Xue family would also be lonely, but he never expected that Jia Hui and Jia Jinyu, the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion House, supported this situation facing collapse.

Reunite the Jia family, befriend the historians, and manipulate the Wang family, just last year, the Xue family received the material comprador qualification given by Jia Hui for the entire Anxi Protectorate in the Jiangnan region!

The grace of recreation, how to repay!

Xue Qin decided to tie Jia Hui to him as a dog!

"Haha, Uncle Shi doesn't need to be like this, we are old relatives, so we should support each other!"

Jia Hui gently tapped the palm of his hand with the folding fan in his hand and said with a smile.

"Xue Sheren, don't live up to the love of the court and the love of your grandfather!" The Yangzhou prefect on the side also said with a smile.

"That's nature... Ahem... If I, Xue Qin, have a hint... Ahem, ahem... A hint of sorry for the royal and grandfather's place... Ahem... I will let Xue Qin be hit by five thunders from the sky! ”

The imperial court, what imperial court? Although my Xue family is on temporary duty in the household department, what they receive is the imperial grain from the inside, and the glory and wealth are given by the royal family and the Jia family, what does it have to do with the imperial court?

Jia Hui smiled slightly, this Xue Qin is really good!

"What disappoints my love, I'm sorry I came! It's all about sharing the worries of the court, isn't it? "The scene still has to be said.

Everyone who was doing it hurriedly flattered, and Jia Hui, who was boasting, kept laughing.

"General, the salt merchants have arrived!" Hu Jiu, a personal soldier, walked over and said in Jia Hui's ear.

"Well, let them in."

Hu Jiu took the order and turned away.

The officials in the audience were silent in their amusement.

Anyway, everyone knows what the Metropolitan Governor is doing for staying in Yangzhou for so long and holding such a big birthday banquet for himself. Isn't it just to get rid of these salt merchants and support his aunt and uncle?

He is a small magistrate, as long as he entertains the governor, they can't afford to mess with the rest.

Let's sit on the shore and enjoy the battle between the raptor and the snake in the crossing!

Hopefully, the salt merchants will hold out a little longer.

There was a commotion outside the door, and then there was a sudden silence.

A group of people dressed in gauze robes and linen tunics, and wearing six-in-one hats, walked in.

In the 100th year of the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty, the clothing system formulated by Taizu gradually collapsed, and the clothing was no longer distinguished by the farmers and industrialists, but by the amount of money to determine the clothing.

In particular, the whole family of merchants wore gold and silver, and wore red brocade, seriously violating the dress etiquette system.

Of course, so far, no one has dared to trespass the robe wearing the dragon and phoenix pattern.

But the atmosphere is the atmosphere, the rules are the rules, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they still dress according to the costumes in the "Huidian" promulgated at the beginning of the dynasty.

For example, a merchant is not allowed to wear silk.

This rule is not reasonable or unreasonable, but this is a trivial matter, and the most important thing is not to let the Metropolitan Governor find the slightest fault.

Even if they all have fame, but businessmen are businessmen, it is better to be careful, after all, for the convenience of doing business, their household registration is all merchants.

It's not that I don't want to be a Confucian household, but only merchants can participate in high-level business activities such as sea trade, and a family can only have a business license such as a sea trade brand, and only recognize the actual person in charge!

How can the pervasive embroidered clothes not find out who is the king and who is the minister?

The person in charge is a merchant, and the whole family can use this brand, and the person in charge is not a merchant? I'm sorry, but this can only be used by a person who is a merchant of this lord's lineage.

Despite all the loopholes, Daqi is still using various ways to limit the power of merchants, and it is constantly updated.

That is to say, the Great Qi Wude is abundant, and it can be played, and it has long been abandoned by the people from all walks of life supported by businessmen.

Since you can't resist, you can only be a good citizen by the rules.

So they all wear tunics made of robes and midcoats made of cotton and linen today in a blend of cotton and linen. None of this is arrogance.

Led by a man wearing a navy blue robe, he paid a big salute.

"Students, etc., see the Grand Duke! May the Metropolitan Governor have this day every year, and every year there will be this day! ”

This group of salt merchants all have a reputation for being a talent, and a very small number of them even have a reputation for making a name for themselves, so they can naturally call themselves students.

A standard of civilians greeting the superior makes people unable to find fault.

"Haha, the one who comes is a guest, no courtesy!"

In front of the public, stretching out his hand not to hit the smiling person, Jia Hui still abides by a little rule.

"Students are waiting for the Governor of Xie!"

The salt merchants got up and stood where they were.

"You should be Bai Yan, President Bai, right?" Jia Hui looked at the man at the head and said.

"The Metropolitan Governor raises love, and the student is Bai Yan!" President Bai looked deferential and bent down to bow.

Jia Hui looked at them with a smile.

"The price and supply of salt in Daqi are so stable, everyone, you are indispensable!"

"Most of the governors are too famous, this is what we should do!" Chairman Bai still replied respectfully, but there was also a hint of pride in his expectations.

"Well, even over the years, the salt tax collected has been getting lower and lower, and I don't know what it is..."Jia Hui still looked at President Bai in front of him with a smile.

The lobby, where there was still some conversation, fell silent in an instant, and everyone present looked at the Metropolitan Governor on the main seat in surprise.

Started to get into trouble so early? How can it be so straightforward?

"It's... Over the years, there has been too much rain, often washing away the salt pans, and all at once the salt in the entire pool is destroyed, which is also no way! ”

President Bai didn't expect Jia Hui to ask so bluntly, and he lost his sense of proportion for a while, and the reason he said was a bit far-fetched.

Jia Hui still looked at him with a smile, and the hypocritical smile and the indifferent eyes made the white man who faced Jia Hui feel numb.

"I see, is this the case?" Jia Hui smiled more and more happily.

"It's... It's..."Bai will break out in a cold sweat.

"Alright, President Bai, since you're not sure, forget it. The way you look makes me feel like I'm just trying to judge, hehehehe..."

In President Bai's ears, Jia Hui laughed very madly, making his scalp tingle.

Jia Hui suddenly stopped laughing, glanced at President Bai expressionlessly, his thumb and index finger were used at the same time, and he instantly opened the folding fan to cover his face, and a bamboo core black folding fan was sprinkled with gold.

Without waiting for everyone present to react, he quickly closed the fan again, and a hypocritical smile reappeared on Jia Hui's face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's not too early, come, gentlemen, please take your seats..."

In the contempt of the Yangzhou officials, the salt merchants followed the little servant out of the main hall and came to the banquet in the front yard.

。。。。。。

Backyard.

Aunt Jia Min is chewing the latest tongue in Yangzhou City with the noble ladies.

The old lady of the Lin family also looked at the ladies who were talking with a kind face, but if you look closely, you will find that the old lady is pricking up her ears and listening carefully to the latest information exchange.

"Sister Yu, let me tell you......"

"Really? I've heard ......."

"Tut-tut, I didn't expect it, I heard that such a serious person on weekdays, how could he ......"

In the words of the noble ladies, countless people were ruined in just a moment...

"Really? Did my niece really ask my eldest nephew to bring her food in the middle of the night? Jia Min's eyes immediately widened from the original drowsiness, staring at the noble lady who was talking about her nephew and daughter-in-law, her eyes were full of curiosity.

The lady pretended to look to see if anyone was eavesdropping, and then she turned her head and continued:

"Yes, yes, listen to my sister, who is the daughter-in-law of the family of the household Lu Shilang, she heard the voice of a man next door in the middle of the night, which came from your niece and daughter-in-law's room, and she was so frightened that she didn't dare to move, and she came for several nights in a row!

Later, I got used to it, so I listened boldly for a few nights, it turned out that your nephew and daughter-in-law didn't eat enough during the day, so she asked the governor to buy food for her everywhere, and sent her food in the middle of the night! ”

"Hehehe... I didn't think that Sister Hui was so eccentric, Brother Hui is really, the soul has been taken away by Sister Xu, one dares to ask for it, the other dares to give it, but this little couple is really affectionate..."

"But it's not, it has to be the governor of the capital, if it is replaced by someone else, I'm afraid, I will dislike my fiancée's large amount of food, right?"

"Hehe, it's my nephew!"

……

"Ahh Jia Hui, who had just drunk a glass of rice wine, sneezed inexplicably.

"Governor, it doesn't matter, does it?" The officials accompanying him looked at Jia Hui worriedly.

"None... Nothing! Come on, keep drinking! ”

Jia Hui, who was drinking with people in the front yard, didn't know that he and Li Kun and his wife had become famous in the circle of ladies in Daqi in an unexpected way.

(End of chapter)