I Xiaoxiong

At dusk, Fu Jinchuan brought only a team of personal guards, as well as Chen Xing, Shiro, and Mr. Huang to the banquet, and the county magistrate Zhang Yue also counted as accompanying guests.

A night banquet can be described as a feast for the guests and host.

However, although Yanting was good, Fu Jinchuan didn't stay for long, and set off for Jianzhou the second day after having a banquet at Li's family.

However, the banquet at the Li family was recorded by the county magistrate Zhang Yue, including the delicacies and delicious dishes and fruits used during the banquet.

And recorded it in his own notes, which has been the basis for scholars to praise the rich and wealthy in Shuzhong.

As for the consensus reached between Marquis Wu'an, who is in charge of the military and political power in Central Shu, and the Li family of Yanting, one of the four prominent families in Central Shu, only Zhang Yue, the county magistrate who accompanied the guest, knew a thing or two.

Looking at the dust flying away from the brigade of cavalry, Zhang Yue and a group of village sages also felt a stone fall from their hearts.

Even though this Marquis was easy-going and reasonable, he was a high-ranking and powerful person after all, and staying in the same county with such a person every day made all the big families in the county who usually felt that the sky was high and the emperor was far away felt uncomfortable.

Of course, it also includes Zhang Yue, the magistrate.

After sending the county magistrate off respectfully, the Li brothers greeted the others and boarded the carriage to return.

"Brother, why do I feel that after Marquis Wu'an left, Mr. Zhang felt much lighter when he got on his horse?"

Li Minglin asked with a smile as soon as she got into the car.

On the other hand, Li Mingrui sighed and said, "It's only natural. On weekdays, Mr. Zhang is the magistrate of the county, and he keeps his promise. But when Master Fu came to Yanting, he couldn't even come in and out of his own yamen at will, and the mansion was still full of him. This kind of Wufu Qiuba, who civil servants and scholar-officials usually look down on the most, feels like a stone has been crushed in his heart, and there is a cloud over his head!"

"That's right, this Marquis of Wu'an is really powerful. This is not an ordinary person. He just looked at me casually yesterday, and my leg was so trembling that I couldn't control it. I almost made a joke, just like in the dramas I usually watch. The same, could it be that the stars descended to earth?"

Li Mingrui smiled and said: "That's right. If you are an ordinary person, how can you hold down those warriors in the army who kill people like melons and vegetables? Just look at the handsome teeth soldiers and personal guards in this section. You are also growing out of the house. , have also been to Guanzhong and Shangjing, how many times have you seen such strong soldiers?"

"By the way, what did my brother say when he accompanied Lord Hou to watch the lanterns in the backyard last night?"

Li Mingrui said: "I didn't say anything, Marquis Wu An just lamented a few words about how rich my Li family is, and even said 'wealth can rival a country'. The former Shen family is nothing more than that."

The Shen family in the Southern Dynasties was originally a well-known wealthy merchant in the Jiangnan generation in the Southern Dynasties. He has always been a leader among merchants, with huge family wealth, thousands of fertile land, and numerous servants.

But the end was not very good.Because Cai Huo was framed by the prime minister at the time, he ended up ransacking his family and exterminating his family.

After hearing this, Li Minglin asked, "What does Marquis Wu'an mean? Could it be that he wants some money? Just give it to him."

Li Mingrui shook his head: "Can you think a little more with your brain? You are the Marquis of Wu'an, who came from a small family who has never seen money? He is the son of the Duke of England, and the confidant of His Royal Highness, who eats at Li's house and speaks." Saying that you are so rich, do you think he is asking for money? This is a warning!"

"No one knows how the Shen family in the south of the Yangtze River was so rich in the world? But if you don't have power, position and fame, what can you hold on to?"

Li Minglin was a little stunned when she heard that, and then asked: "Brother, what you mean is that it's not Marquis Wu'an asking for money, but someone else?"

"Yumu head, is it a good thing to be rich like an enemy? That's pointing at me. The court has no money now! But my Li family has it!"

"Marquis Wu'an means that our Li family should donate money to the imperial court?"

"You still need to contribute? Let's just make up the annual salt tax." Li Mingrui said leisurely.

Li Minglin was a little excited and said: "What? This is not allowed, big brother. Once this is handed in according to the real number, it becomes a routine, and you will have to pay according to this amount every year in the future. The court is short of money, can't we just take the money?"

"You can think of things that others can't think of? And when you take this matter, is the Marquis discussing it with us? The imperial court is not rich enough, and Jiangnan has just experienced wars. At least it will take three to five years to restore the old days. Although there are red lotuses passing through the middle of Shu, at least there are no military disasters around Chengdu. I am afraid that when His Majesty asked Marquis Wu An to come to Shu, it was not just for war!"

Li Minglin frowned after hearing this, but she was speechless.The Li family has thousands of fertile fields, but the bulk of their annual income is still produced by salt wells.

And the salt merchants in central Shu have to pay the salt tax to the imperial court every year, which is also an astronomical figure.

Money touches people's hearts. With such a large amount, it is natural that some people want to do something.

The imperial court previously set up a tax supervisor in central Shu to specifically govern the salt affairs, and now it is also under the jurisdiction of the Jiedu Mansion.

However, because of the war, Fu Jinchuan had no time to take care of general affairs and was always busy with the military, which also made the salt merchants in central Sichuan wait and see.

They wanted to see what Fu Jinchuan's attitude was. No one was willing to give up the money that should have been in the pocket until they had no other choice.

But Li Mingrui seemed to have awakened after this incident, and he didn't pay any money back.

Why is life important?
The red lotus thieves who passed by knew that the Li family was rich and well-fed, and they wanted to come and eat a bite.

Does the imperial court know?

It's just that the court wants to save face, and it won't be so obvious like Honglian.

But the imperial court can also weave a hundred crimes that they want to add to remove the Li family from Yanting and Shuzhong.

Therefore, at this time, Wan Guan's wealth may be a reminder.

Especially when the court is short of money.

Although the matter has not yet reached a certain stage, and the court may not be like this, but there are some things that must be guarded against.

Especially what Fu Jinchuan said last night.

"Rich to Enemies"

To Li Mingrui, these four words are like a wake-up call.

No matter what, these words must be removed.

"Li Mingrui is a smart person, he should understand what I say."

On the official road, Fu Jinchuan was riding on a tall horse, and riding beside him was his cousin Shiro.

"I don't know if this Li Mingrui is smart or not. Anyway, I really saw the wealthy Li family. As for the delicious food and wine at the banquet last night, many rare items are hard to find in Shangjing. No wonder he is one of the four great families in Sichuan." I think no matter where the salt merchants are, they are all very rich."

When Fu Jinchuan went to Yangzhou to take office, although Shiro did not go with him, he also heard Goro and Liulang talk about the prosperity of Yangzhou.

Naturally, I have also heard how the Yangzhou salt merchants were rich and wealthy.

Yang Yiyi Er, there are not many salt merchants in Sichuan, right?

Thinking of this, Shiro asked a little worried: "Third brother, behind the salt merchants in Yangzhou are the gentry from the south of the Yangtze River, and some of them are related to the nobles in Shangjing, or they have gone through the career of the prime minister. ?”

Fu Jinchuan said: "Shuzhong is different from Huainan. It is naturally closed, and there are not many connections with the court. A few days ago, Mr. Liu has started to check the accounts of the salt tax over the years. I wrote to your third sister-in-law again to let the emperor Chengsi also helped to investigate. However, according to my estimation, these families in Shuzhong are not closely related to the court. There should be one person in the middle who mediates among them, and they got through with some ministers and prime ministers of the court. The doorway is connected to these big families in Sichuan, and I can make a lot of money myself. Hehehe."

As Shiro also came from the Duke's Mansion, he naturally understood what his brother said, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Then what is the third brother going to do? Maybe a large number of people will be involved in this matter."

"It doesn't matter who is behind, let's investigate first, and then I don't have to worry about how to deal with it. Those gentlemen in the court want to find the fault of our Wu family generals all day long, so let them fight this matter themselves."

Fu Jinchuan is very sure, following the investigation of the salt tax in central Sichuan, there must be a high-ranking civil servant in the court to shelter the place from the wind and rain, at least a minister, maybe a gentleman.

In the past, the king of Shu was in charge of the government in central Shu. Even if he did not participate in it, he would not be willing to offend the civil officials and scholar-bureaucrats in the court.

I am a warrior myself, if I don't make some noise in Sichuan, all the hard work of Daming Palace and East Palace will be in vain.