bastard seizes tang

Chapter 373
Yangzhou, Linjiang Palace, side hall.

"Grassmen pay homage to Your Highness." In the side hall, Li Keduan sat at the head of the hall, and the three principals of the Yangzhou Water Bank, Zhao Rui, Sun Ran, and He Qing, who were in charge of the three major ferries, were standing at the bottom of the hall, bowing down to worship.

Li Ke raised his hand and said, "Since the three of you are here, please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The three of them responded in unison, and sat down on the left and right sides in front of Li Ke, with their hands on their knees, as if listening to teachings.

Li Ke raised his head, looked at the three people in front of him, and asked, "I'm not in Yangzhou for two months. How are the principals doing well? How is it compared to before?"

The three quickly replied: "Thanks to His Highness's care, I'll share the business on the waterway with each other, and I'm doing pretty well. The monthly profit is more than [-]% higher than before."

Li Ke nodded and said: "That's good, the king is the host. The original intention of setting up this Yangzhou water bank is also to integrate all the water banks in Yangzhou and spread out the business."

When the three of them heard the words, they followed Li Ke's words and said flatteringly: "Your Highness is wise, but what you see is far beyond our comparison."

Li Ke heard the three people's flattery, but his face was not full of joy, and he said instead: "I'm afraid what you said is not all the truth."

The three of them didn't know what Li Ke meant, but when they heard Li Ke's words for the first time, they seemed dissatisfied with them, and they suddenly became a little panicked and uneasy.

Zhao Rui was the first to speak, and quickly asked: "The grass people don't know what His Highness means?"

Li Ke said: "Don't you all know about the Suiyang ferry in Songzhou?"

Suiyang Ferry increased the onshore tax of Yangzhou merchant ships, so that all Yangzhou merchant ships that pass by Suiyang will lose at least [-]% to [-]% of their profits for each trip, and Suiyang is the only place for Yangzhou merchant ships to go north. Naturally, there will be a lot of losses if one or two go away, and it is impossible for these principals to be unclear.

Among the three, Sun Rang, the head of Guazhou Ferry, is the most anxious, and he also does the most business in Songzhou. When Li Kezhi's words fell, Sun Rang said anxiously: "How can the grassroots not know about this, but this Songzhou prefectural government is too deceptive. Together with the Meng family in Luoyang, we will collect the shore tax for our Yangzhou shipping company."

Li Ke looked at Sun Rang's slightly agitated appearance, and said with a smile: "So you are not a fool, and you still know something."

Li Ke couldn't tell whether he was praising him or hurting him. After hearing Li Ke's words, Sun Rang showed a blush on his face, and he didn't know how to reply Li Ke's words.

Li Ke looked at Sun Rang's appearance and asked, "Since you know the Meng family's boat business, you should also know their details."

Sun Rang replied: "That's natural. Meng's boat company often sails in the Hangou section of Yangzhou. It has a little disagreement with us and sometimes friction, but this time it is too ugly. Meng's boat company The principal, Meng Ke, relied on his uncle's relationship to levy an onshore tax for merchant ships in Yangzhou."

Li Ke listened to Sun Rang's words, and asked curiously: "Oh? The Meng family has such a relationship with the Songzhou government office?"

Sun Rang explained: "Wei Zhongcheng, the city magistrate of Songzhou Municipal Office, is the uncle of Meng Ke, the head of the Meng family shipping company. If not, why would Suiyang Ferry levy additional onshore taxes for merchant ships in Yangzhou?"

"So that's how it is." Only then did Li Ke understand. No wonder the Songzhou City Police Department spared no effort to help the Meng family. It turned out that there was still such a relationship.

Sun Rang recalled Li Ke's words, and suddenly remembered, so he asked: "Your Highness is always busy, why do you ask about this little Meng's boat?"

Li Ke chuckled lightly, and replied: "This king was also taxed when he returned to Yangzhou and crossed Suiyang, so I know something about it."

Hearing the words, the three principals of the Caoxing Bank in the hall slowly showed surprise on their faces, and their jaws almost dropped from shock.

The three asked: "How dare they do this, they really have the guts!"

In their view, Li Ke is the prince, the king of Chu, and the entire Tang Dynasty belongs to his Li family. He can't go anywhere. How dare they collect Li Ke's shore tax? ?

Li Ke replied: "The king's ship did not hang flags and streamers, so they didn't know the identity of the king, they just regarded it as an ordinary merchant ship."

When Sun Rang heard the words, he realized it, and it made sense, otherwise, in Li Ke's capacity, how dare they stop Li Ke's king, isn't this asking for their own death?

However, since Li Ke made a special trip to send them here today and explained the matter, it must not be for small talk, so Sun Rang asked: "I don't know what your Highness ordered me to come here?"

Li Ke said: "This king has already greeted Fang Jichang, the governor of Songzhou, to make it more convenient for merchant ships from Yangzhou to pass through Songzhou in the future, and the Songzhou government will set up a special office in Suiyang for Yangzhou. There is no need to go through the city order office for the transitional connection of the boat, as for how to manage this newly added ferry, the three of you can discuss it yourself."

The three of them heard Li Kezhi's words, and looked at each other with smiles in their eyes. According to what Li Ke said, then their business in Songzhou was completely established.

The three said in unison: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your help. I am incompetent, and His Highness has to worry about you."

Li Ke waved his hand and said: "It's okay, you are not in the officialdom, and you are powerless to do things in the officialdom. I am in Yangzhou, so it's good to do something for the elders of Yangzhou."

Li Ke said in his mouth that he was seeking benefits for the people, but what he thought in his heart was naturally preparing for the expansion of Caoxing's power, but even if the three people in the hall knew it, they would not say it.

But after a while, He Qing, who had been silent for a long time, looked at Li Ke, but suddenly asked: "Caomin dare to ask Your Highness, although the matter of Suiyang has been settled, I don't know how to deal with the Luoyang Meng family boat company? I hope His Highness will show you."

Although the Yangzhou Water Bank has nothing to do with Li Ke in name, the establishment and daily operation of the entire Water Bank are the rules set by Li Ke. Naturally, Li Ke's order is to follow, and the expansion of the Cao Bank to the north is considered a major event. It is also reasonable to ask Li Ke. among.

Li Ke supported his chin with his right hand, thought for a moment, and then replied: "I can help you with matters in the officialdom, but there are also rules in the market, and it is inconvenient for me to intervene rashly. My own way to deal with it is, as long as you don't cause death, I will take care of you behind the scenes."

After hearing Li Ke's words, the three of them nodded half-understood. They seemed to have vaguely figured out what Li Ke meant, but they didn't dare to jump to conclusions, for fear that their guess would be wrong and Li Ke would be displeased. People unconsciously looked up at Li Ke.

Li Ke saw that the three of them looked at him, and he probably understood what they meant, so he chuckled and said, "What? The principals have been struggling in the water industry for many years. Could it be that they gather more and fight less, bullying the market?" Do you still need this king to teach you such skills?"

Li Ke's words have reached this point, how can they not understand, the three of them quickly responded in unison: "Caomin dare not, I will definitely follow your highness's wishes."

Li Ke saw that the three of them deserved it, nodded, and continued: "Today, what the king said came out of the mouth of the king and into your ears. When you leave this door, the king will not recognize it. What you say today must not be known to others, even your close relatives, understand?"

In the eyes of others, the Yangzhou Water Bank is not Li Ke's property, and naturally has nothing to do with Li Ke, and it is inappropriate for Li Ke to intervene in these market affairs, the three of them also knew what Li Ke meant, and quickly responded: "Of course at that time. "

Li Ke sent him here today to explain the matter. Now that the matter has been explained, and there is no more order, he wants to let them go back, but when Li Ke waved his hand and wanted them to retreat, Wang Xuance suddenly walked in.

(End of this chapter)