bastard seizes tang

Chapter 368 Luoyang Boat Tour
Two days later, Li Ke's official ship passed through Chuzhou, and there was already news from Songzhou. Fang Jichang ordered people to pass the news overnight and sent it to Li Ke's official ship.

"Your Highness, the matter at Suiyang Ferry has some clues." Li Ke was resting in the boat, Wang Xuance took the news he just received, went to Li Ke's cabin, and said to Li Ke.

Hearing this, Li Ke raised his hand, motioned for Wang Xuance to sit down in front of him, and asked, "Let's listen."

Wang Xuance sat down in front of Li Ke, and said, "The special collection of onshore taxes for merchant ships in Yangzhou is a document issued by the Municipal Government of Songzhou."

Li Ke asked: "What is the relationship between the Yangzhou Merchant Ship and the Songzhou City Police Department? After this incident, there must be others who are fueling the flames. Has the person behind this been found out?"

Wang Xuance replied: "What Your Highness said is very true. According to the results of our own investigation, the trip of the Songzhou City Command Office must be related to the dispute between the Yangzhou and Luoyang shipping companies."

"Let's hear it." Li Ke continued to ask.

Wang Xuance replied: "Since the completion of the Grand Canal at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Luozhou and Yangzhou have been divided into north-south water transportation fortresses, relying on each other. Yangzhou ships sail in the Tongji Canal and Yongji Canal in the north, and Luoyang ships sail in Hangou and It is not uncommon to sail on the Jiangnan River, which can be regarded as interacting with each other.

However, since His Royal Highness built the Yangzhou Water Line last year, and since the entire Yangzhou and surrounding states and counties ship lines and ferry ports have been integrated, the entire Yangzhou Ship Line has been broken down into pieces. Regardless of the business of leaving or entering the port, if they pass through Yangzhou, they are all transshipped by the Yangzhou Ship Line. Luozhou The ship suffered considerable losses.The Luozhou shipping company fought against the Yangzhou shipping company, and then came up with this method, colluding with the Songzhou Municipal Order Office, and exclusively collecting shore taxes for merchant ships in Yangzhou. "

After hearing Wang Xuance's words, Li Ke immediately understood.It's no wonder that the Songzhou Municipal Office only collects shore tax for ships coming from Yangzhou. It turned out to be for this reason.

In the middle of last year, under the urging of Li Ke, the Yangzhou Water Shipping Company was established, and all the shipping companies in Yangzhou were integrated into one place. It was already powerful, and with Li Ke's secret support, in just half a year, the huge Yangzhou, all The waterway transshipment business has been arbitrarily cut off by the Yangzhou Shipping Company, and no one else can follow up and intervene.

Yangzhou is the fortress that connects Hangou and Jiangnan River. Once Yangzhou is cut off, the business in the southeast will no longer be owned by the Luozhou Shipping Company, and the Luozhou Shipping Company will suffer heavy losses.

It was also to deal with Yangzhou's water line, and Luozhou's ship line came up with such a method. If Yangzhou's water line cut off Yangzhou, they cut off Songzhou. When the quasi-Yangzhou ships docked, the Yangzhou ships would not be able to go north, and it could be regarded as a return to the city.

It's a pity that although the Luozhou Shipping Company had a good plan, they had no choice but to meet Li Ke. Li Ke threatened Fang Jichang to submit, and even set up a special place at Suiyang Ferry to hand over to Yangzhou. The road to live in Yangzhou Caoxing has instead become an enclave of Yangzhou Caoxing in Henan, and it has become a springboard for Yangzhou Caoxing to break into Henan.

Li Ke asked: "Have you found out? Is there any involvement of Wei Wangfu or Luozhou Metropolitan Governor's Mansion behind this incident?"

If it's just a boat company in Luozhou, Li Ke naturally doesn't take it seriously, and if you provoke him, you will provoke him, and you can't offend Li Ke, but if there is Li Tai's shadow after this incident, then Li Ke will need much more Be a bit more cautious, and you need to be more careful in your actions.

But Wang Xuance smiled, but said: "Does Your Highness think that with Wei Wang's temperament, he will participate in this matter?"

Hearing this, Li Ke was taken aback for a moment, and then laughed out loud.

Although what Wang Xuance said was a bit blunt, it also made sense. Li Ke followed martial arts, while Li Tai followed literature. Keen to nest in the mansion every day, and write books with those literati, and because of this, Li Tai is also quite favored by the Shandong family who is the main writer.

Li Tai is completely different from Li Ke. Li Kehai is a hundred rivers, and all those who can and should be used are included in his bag. However, Li Tai prides himself on his literature and threatens to be the Wenzong of that generation. How could the children of a prestigious family hang out with those local people of all schools and schools.

Wang Xuance went on to say: "People in the mansion found out that this matter must be related to the Meng family boat company at the Xiaopingjin Ferry in Luoyang."

"Meng's boat company? What's the details of this Meng's boat company?" Li Ke asked with a slight frown when he heard an unfamiliar name.

Wang Xuance said: "The Meng family ship company can also be regarded as a local power in Luoyang. Luoyang has two major ship companies, the Meng family and the Deng family. These two companies are in charge of the two largest ferries in Luoyang: Xiaopingjin ferry and Mengjin ferry. The Tongji Canal is transferred to Henan, and the Deng family ships are in Mengjin, and the main Yongji Canal is transferred to Hebei, each of which has its own division."

Li Ke heard the words and said: "In this way, the Meng family boat company still has some influence in Luoyang."

Wang Xuance replied: "That's right, the Meng family is the second generation in the water transfer business, and they are quite powerful in Luoyang. Even if the people from the water department's yamen see them, they have to give way. This time in Yangzhou The business was cut off by the water bank, and the Meng family shipping company suffered the most, that's why this matter happened."

Li Ke tapped his knuckles on the ship's wall a few times, and asked, "In such a huge Eastern Capital, we can't just go with these two ships."

Wang Xuance said: "There are more than ten boat companies in Luoyang, there are quite a few, but most of them are attached to the Meng family and Deng family, so it is difficult to make a fortune."

Li Ke thought for a while, then smiled and said, "That's all right, the so-called 'all the prosperity of the world is for profit, and the world's hustle and bustle is all for profit', as long as they can make them see the benefits, they can naturally be used by the king. "

Hearing Li Ke's words, Wang Xuance asked, "Your Highness wants to take advantage of the Yangzhou Caoxing Company to attack the Meng family's shipping company?"

Li Ke nodded and said: "That's right, it's definitely not my king's intention to integrate the Yangzhou shipping company and cut off Huainan. What I want is to use the Yangzhou water bank to monopolize the water transport of the entire canal. Luoyang is located in an important place, so I naturally want to bring Luoyang Water Transport under my command." .”

Li Ke intends to take advantage of the canal water transportation, and then take control of the two capitals, so as to control the abundance of salt and grain in the two capitals. Luoyang is in the middle of the canal, so Li Ke naturally wants to take Luoyang water transportation.

Li Ke was thinking about this matter in his mind, and remembered Fang Jichang from Songzhou, so he asked Wang Xuance: "Sir, what should Fang Jichang do? Can you let me know and use his hands to deal with the shipping company?"

Wang Xuance thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "There is no need for this matter. Firstly, His Highness should not intervene too much in the matter of Yangzhou Caoxing. Secondly, Fang Jichang is old and may not act properly. He just wants to be confused. Officer, let him be confused."

Li Ke heard the words and said with a smile: "It's the same. You don't have to doubt the person you use, and you don't need to be suspicious. Fang Jichang himself can't be trusted by the king, so let's just let it go. The Yangzhou Caohang should come forward on this matter."

Wang Xuance agreed: "What Your Highness said is very true, but this matter should be done sooner rather than later, Your Highness needs to do it as soon as possible."

Li Ke said: "That's right, you can arrange it. After the king arrives in Yangzhou, he will meet the three principals of the Cao Bank."

(End of this chapter)