The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 139 Xue Da fool
Jia Cong raised his eyes and looked at him. He was not a three-year-old child. How could Jia Cong believe such words?
"Master Zhao, this Jiangnan officialdom is not something I can straighten out if I want to. What you said is just causing trouble for the two of us. Please be careful with your words and deeds!" Jia Cong had been busy all day and didn't even have time to eat lunch. Seeing the dishes on the table, my mouth watered. I picked a braised lion head and took a bite.

Zhao Zibi sighed inwardly, his son was several years older than the boy in front of him, what was he doing all day long?
Good children always belong to other people’s families!

He smiled and said, "Jia Shenjiang is absolutely right, but since you and I are in the officialdom of Jiangnan, why don't we join hands to do something?"

Jia Cong ate a braised lion's head as big as a baby's fist in two mouthfuls. His mouth was full of grease. He picked up the white handkerchief and wiped it. His mouth was clean, but the handkerchief could not be seen.

Zhao Zibi nodded secretly. Although Jia Cong was a scholar, he also had the spirit of a martial artist. If nothing else, he admired him very much for his arrogant look, which showed the aura of swallowing up mountains and rivers.

It's no wonder that the Zhen family fell into his hands before everyone came back to their senses after Thunderbolt's attack.

"Master Zhao, I have also heard about your son's incident in Shenjing City. As far as I am concerned, your son is certainly to blame for himself, but if it hadn't been for the incident at Dongshan Garden, he would have been listed on the gold medal list today and would have been paraded through the streets on horseback. , but ended up like this. Could it be said that Zhao Dare has no resentment towards me in his heart? "

Zhao Zibi closed his eyes and said, "Jia Shenjiang, among the children of my Zhao family, there is only one Chi'er. He insists on seeking death and refuses to carry on the family line. Then my Zhao family will face the end of the line. The old lady died because of this, if I say There is no resentment in our hearts, and General Jia certainly doesn’t believe it either. However, we hate him, and it is not General Jia that we hate.”

Jia Cong smiled and was noncommittal.

"Every injustice has its owner, and every debt has its owner. We all know who started this incident that day. There is some grudge between General Jia Shen and the Gu family, but this grudge cannot be done at the expense of General Jia Shen's future, wealth and life. It’s over, my son is young after all, doesn’t know people well, and doesn’t have enough self-control, so he got involved in this disaster.”

These words are reasonable and reasonable, and Jia Cong will not accept them.

However, others were willing to speak, but he did not dare to listen. Jia Cong did not know what Zhao Zibi was thinking.

It can be said that guarding against others is indispensable.

However, Jia Cong thinks it is not a bad idea to form a temporary alliance. It depends on what Zhao Zibi does.

"Now that the past events have been explained clearly, let's talk about the business. How can Mr. Zhao join forces with me in the Jiangnan officialdom?" Jia Cong asked.

"Within ten days, I am willing to prepare 50 taels of silver for General Xia as payment for his surrender." Zhao Zibi was full of confidence, "However, I have a request."

"any request?"

"For these 50 taels of silver, the emperor must know that I, Zhao Zibi, financed the Liaodong war. General Jia, the emperor's decree said that General Xia should prepare his own food and wages, but in fact, everyone understands that the emperor actually I want Jia Shen to allocate part of the money confiscated from the Zhen family for the Liaodong war."

Seeing that Jia Cong's expression did not change, Zhao Zibi knew that he had made the right decision to ask Jia Cong out. This young man seemed unruly, but he was thoughtful.Many veterans who have been officials for many years may not understand these things clearly, but Jia Cong has long understood it.

Jia Cong also knew that this was a huge pit.

He smiled and said, "Master Zhao is really able to worry about people's needs. 50 taels of silver is not a small amount. Most of the Jiangnan salt taxes are sent to the Daming Palace for the Supreme Emperor's expenses. These 50 taels are given to Liaodong, what will Mr. Zhao use to do business in the second half of this year? "

"Hahaha! General Jia Shen was joking. The salt tax has always been one of the court's taxes. It should be paid to the national treasury and returned to the people. In the past, because the court was in a hurry to spend money, the salt tax was sent to the capital. Where to use it, it was for the ministers. There is no way to interfere. Since the war in Liaodong is urgent this time, and General Xia has to rush to the battlefield in Liaodong, it is better to take the money directly to Liaodong, why bother to change hands?"

Jia Cong nodded and said, "If that's the case, then we will cooperate happily! However, let me say it first, if Mr. Zhao really wants to join forces with me, I think Mr. Zhao should also know that the emperor wants to rectify the salt policy. Although Mr. Zhao is Lianghuai Salt Envoy, Mr. Zhao’s words about this matter in the south of the Yangtze River may not necessarily count!”

Jia Cong could also understand Zhao Zibi's thoughts at this time. He had become possessed and wanted to avenge Zhao Chi.

Three years ago, in order to show his loyalty and at the same time force the Emperor to show some attitude and give an explanation to his son, Zhao Zibi took out 50 taels of silver from the salt merchant's pocket as the twelfth lunar month approached and sent it to him. Daming Palace.

It's a pity that a girl came out of Huai'enhou Mansion and Gu Zhimang was deprived of his fame. This was the only explanation given to the Zhao family.

If only Zhao Chi could figure it out, it would be fine. Hello, I am good, everyone is good, but Zhao Chi refused to give up and went into self-exile. The old lady of the Zhao family couldn't think about it, and she became depressed and fell ill. In the end, she died.

Basically two lives.

It can be said that everyone in the Zhao family is living in a cage drawn by someone unknown, and everyone is suffocating to death.

Since Zhao Zibi gave him a knife, why didn't Jia Cong use it?

In Jiangnan, the Zhen family can be the uncrowned king. Why can't this uncrowned king be replaced now?

Everyone wanted to force him to death, but Jia Cong didn't think it was him who deserved death.

Zhao Zibi didn't know what this young man was thinking about?He only knew that he and Jia Cong were on the same side, and Jia Cong was also seeking revenge, and he just wanted revenge. He believed that the Supreme Emperor could no longer tolerate him, and Gu Mingchen and others would not let him go.

"Please also ask General Jia Shen to give me some advice!"

Jia Cong said, "If land tax accounts for the main source of Dashun government revenue, salt tax is the second largest source of revenue. But as far as I know, this salt tax is getting less and less year by year, and it is getting harder to collect every year. , could it be because fewer people eat salt? I believe Mr. Zhao knows the reason better than me.

Is it Mr. Zhao that these salt merchants are close to now?I don't think it's necessarily the case that they are close to people who can hold Yan Zheng tightly in their hands.Now that Mr. Zhao has found me, it can be seen that he also realizes that his position is in danger.

I am also willing to say a good word for Mr. Zhao in front of the emperor. As for whether Mr. Zhao can do it and be as good as me, it depends on Mr. Zhao. "

Jia Cong picked up the tea bowl and drank a bowl of Yuqian Longjing in one gulp to get rid of the greasy smell of braised lion's head.

Zhao Zibi took out a banknote from his sleeve pocket and handed it to Jia Cong, totaling 5 taels.

"I hope General Jia Shen will accept it!" Zhao Zibi took a deep breath and said, "To be honest with General Jia Shen, although I am the salt transport envoy between Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers, I have a clear background in matters related to the Dashun salt administration. , now they ask me how to leverage the interests of those people, I want to do it, but I don’t know where to start.”

Jia Cong saw that he didn't seem to be cheating. Another 5 taels of silver was very tempting to Jia Cong. It was not because he was greedy. How much could he eat alone with Daiyu and a family of servants?How much can you spend?

Now, he wanted to raise troops, and he still had a magic army camp, which cost money every day, so he slowly put it away.

"The reason why the salt tax is becoming more and more difficult to collect is simply the proliferation of illegal salt. Although the imperial court stipulated that officials above the fourth grade are not allowed to participate in the sale of salt, the Nan'an County Prince's Office has hundreds of shops in Jinling City and thousands of shops in Dashun. , the proportion of merchants selling salt reached 70.00%;

The chief assistant of the cabinet, Zhao Song, the cabinet minister Gu Mingchen, the Duke of Rongguo and the Duke of Zhenguo, the governors of Ji Liao and Xuanda, colluded with the salt merchants, landlords, officials and businessmen here to form a complete sales system.

These princes and nobles were able to obtain thousands of salt tickets at once in advance. As far as I know, a salt ticket was worth six cents of silver. They not only profited themselves, but also sold the salt tickets they received. Salt appeared in many areas. Prices rose, the court suffered losses, and the people suffered.

I don’t know if what I said is true or not? "

Zhao Zibi felt a rare sense of shame. The Zhao family was actually a part of this huge group and a link in the chain of interests.Once, all he thought about was to benefit his children and grandchildren, but now that his son was like that, Zhao Zibi suddenly realized, what should he do with that money?
If we don't live, then we all die together!

"Although General Jia Shen is young, it can be seen that he has extraordinary knowledge. It is true."

Jia Cong said, "I have no better way. If Mr. Zhao wants to make things right, he must start from the interests of these people. Only by damaging their interests can the court and the people benefit. Since ancient times, reforms have also However, Shang Yang's reform was nothing more than taking the food out of the mouths of the old nobles and redistributing it to the court and others."

Zhao Zibi thought for a while, "The imperial court's current salt policy is based on the Kaizhong method. Merchants can get a small amount of Huai salt by paying one stone of grain to Jiubian Warehouse, or three buckets of grain for one stone. But in fact, The salt merchants and the governors of the Nine Borders shielded each other and often delivered false quantities of grain to get through. Once a war broke out among the Nine Borders, the consequences would be truly disastrous."

Why Jiubian was able to get by despite not having enough grain? In addition to making false grain accounts, Jia Cong also knew that short-paying was also very serious.

This is all tacitly understood.Zhao Zibi was surprised when he saw that Jia Cong didn't ask this question. Either the young man didn't understand what he was talking about, or he knew it well.

If it was the latter, this young man would be very frightening because of his sophisticated human nature and worldly understanding.

"So, in this case, why not just open up the salt bait, and anyone can do this business. How much does a salt bait cost? Ordinary people can buy a salt bait. Anyway, the food in Jiubian is a sum of money. Bad debt. If Mr. Zhao is not afraid of being shattered into pieces and uses this for surgery, why worry about not being able to bring in a few people? "

Zhao Zibi had no hesitation anymore, and his goal was achieved. He stood up and said, "General Jia, I will never thank you for your kindness. Listening to you today is worth ten years of reading. In the future, if I am in danger, Among them, I don’t ask Jia Shen to give me a pull, but I ask Jia Shen to help me step on it so that I can be annihilated more completely.”

"Then it depends on how capable Mr. Zhao is and how many people are involved. Mr. Zhao's move may not leave his name in history in the future. I would like to wish Mr. Zhao a great success!"

"Thank you, General Jia. Please stay, General Jia!" After Zhao Zibi finished speaking, he turned around and left resolutely.

When he came, he was still uneasy and didn't have so much courage. But now he was very confident, put aside all selfish thoughts, and concentrated on planning the reform of the salt policy.

Zhao Zibi could foresee how many people would be brought down if this ultimate move was released.

He also had to consider whether Emperor Tai Qi was so courageous. If he couldn't push it from top to bottom, Zhao Zibi could only do it from bottom to top. How should he do it?

After all, Zhao Zibi was not as capable as Jia Cong and asked the emperor to give him a token that said "I am here in person".

Jia Cong was sitting alone in the flower hall, with a table of wine and food. Zhao Zibi only moved a little. Jia Cong was undisturbed at this time and was eating happily alone.

Soon, my stomach was full.

"Master Jia!" Dong Xiaoqing held on to the door frame, pouting her red lips, her charming eyes sparkling with color, seductive and very seductive, which did not bury her reputation as the number one famous prostitute.

Jia Cong glanced at it indifferently. It's not that he is not old enough to be able to sit still. On the contrary, the young man is full of energy and the most important thing is to quit sex. It's just that Jia Cong is very picky about women. Not only Choose talent, color, and feeling.

As the saying goes, the emperor's daughter, the champion's wife, and the beggar's wife are the same... When a woman chooses a man, she also chooses a man who is thick, thin, and short with skill. When a man chooses a woman, there is no question of depth. What he wants is a fair-skinned and beautiful woman. Understand taste.

Seeing Jia Cong being so indifferent, Dong Xiaoqing was a little unconvinced. She was considered an old person by the Qinhuai River. She was the best among thousands of troops, and there was a man she couldn't handle?
"What did Master Jia just say to that man? The slave family has waited long enough for Master Jia."

"Did you give me today's tangle of hair?" Jia Cong asked with a smile. He didn't want to be a prostitute in the first place, and if he wanted to pay for the prostitution, Jia Cong would never let Zhao Zibi live overnight.

"Oh, it's really embarrassing for Master Jia to ask such a question. If I have mercy on my family and rewards my family more, is it possible that Master Jia still can't afford to reward me?"

Dong Xiaoqing had made up her mind today. She would never accept the money offered by Mr. Jia. No matter what, she must ask Mr. Jia to reward him with a word or poem. In the future, whether her Helou can reach a higher level, depend on it. Today is the day.

After Dong Xiaoqing redressed, she changed into a gauze skirt and coat and walked in. The fragrant breeze was blowing, and the emerald gold hairpins were shining brightly on her high bun. Her fragrant shoulders were exposed, and her delicate collarbones and looming ravines were visible. Fascinating, the waist that is not too tight is like a willow in the wind, gently swaying, the hips are highlighted, and there are many kinds of charm.

She came forward, held Jia Cong's wrist, took the teacup out of his hand, and filled a glass of wine for him with her slender hands, "Master, spring nights are short and good times are rare, so let me have a drink with you." Bar!"

Wine is heroic courage!
Jia Cong smiled, squeezed the soft and boneless hand, and pushed it gently, "So... can't wait?"

Although the beautiful scenery is good, Jia Cong does not intend to lose his virginity at this age. This thing is happy, but it is too harmful to the fundamentals. His group of wives and concubines have not grown up yet, wouldn't it be nice to grow up together?
And there were so many to choose from. It was not that he cared about the virginity complex, but that in this era there were no condoms. It would be terrible if the oiran, who had slept with thousands of people, contracted a disease.

Jia Cong stood up, put his cloak on his arms, and raised his feet to walk out. Dong Xiaoqing stood up quickly, rushed forward without hesitation, and hugged Jia Cong's waist from behind.

Three and a half years ago, Jia Cong was just a bean sprout, but for three and a half years, he ate well and worked hard on his body every day. Although he is still young now, he has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and legs. Slender and tall, with the aura of a dragon and a leaping tiger, he already shows quite a heroic spirit.

It's no wonder that the oiran was already attracted by Jia Cong after seeing him and learning about his talents. Now that Jia Cong treated her with disdain, she became even more enamored with her.

"What did the slave family do to make me so disgusted? Although the slave family has a low status, they are not people who turn a blind eye to money. Although the master has paid enough silver, if Master Jia leaves like this, the slave family will not be able to shirk it. It has something to do with it. But why does the Nu family feel so sad when they see Master Jia leave? "

Jia Cong clearly felt that the clothes on his back were thin, and the warm and wet feeling reflected on his back made him a little uncomfortable.

The most difficult to accept the beauty of grace ah!
Jia Cong is not a hard-hearted person, nor does he have a rock-solid will. He is sure that if this girl lingers on for a while longer, he will probably be infected with the disease tonight, and he can't help but want to be a groom.

The first wave of output in this life is here, which is a bit of a loss!
Jia Cong released her hand and simply sat down on the chair. He was really tired today. The girl was lying on his body like a sloth, which also made him a little overwhelmed.

"Dong Xiaoqing, among the [-] oirans in the Qinhuai River, you can be said to be one of the best. I would like to tell you, why can you stand out from so many oirans?"

Dong Xiaoqing's expression changed slightly. She knelt down, crawled in front of Jia Cong's feet, and sobbed, "I have doubts about the identity of Shangnu's family. People like this are from the slave family, whose life experience is wandering, and they are as deformed as duckweeds. Who are they? If the slave family spends more money on the slave family, the slave family will listen to whoever says it.

The Nu family was promoted by the Zhen family at the oiran competition in the first year of Taiqi. But now the Zhen family has long disappeared. If the Nu family wants to survive, they have to find a new backer. Mr. Jia, the Nu family is sincere. Serving Master Jia.

The slave family knows that Mr. Jia has a family for a long time. There are many people who admire Mr. Jia wholeheartedly. The slave family does not ask the master to give the slave family a place to go, but asks the master to take care of the slave family a little, and the slave family will receive endless kindness. "

This oiran really knows how to read people's dishes. Jia Cong only listens to the truth and is impatient of those who are hypocritical.

These words moved Jia Cong's heart.

At this moment, Dong Xiaoqing's maid Cui'er ran up with a bang, and the sound of chasing footsteps came from behind her. The turtle slave at the door was still blocking her, "Uncle Xue, you must not do this. Today, there are women in history The distinguished guest is here, please forgive me, Uncle Xue!"

"Fuck your mother, I spent my money a long time ago, and we made an appointment on this day. Who the hell is this person, and robbed me of my good life?"

"We have already returned double the money spent by Uncle Xue. Uncle Xue, there is nothing we can do about it. We cannot afford to offend you on this end, and we cannot afford to offend the other end either!"

While speaking, there was a sudden sound of falling to the ground and the turtle slave's cry of pain.

Cui'er was already standing at the door. Needless to say, Jia Cong and Dong Xiaoqing already knew what happened. It turned out that Zhao Zibi spent double the money to steal Uncle Xue's queue.

Dong Xiaoqing raised her pear-shaped face and looked at Jia Cong with tearful eyes. The pitiful look on her face also gave Jia Cong a headache.

Jia Cong heard the title "Uncle Xue" and was a little curious, so he asked, "Uncle Xue down there, from which family is Uncle Xue?"

Dong Xiaoqing was overjoyed, wiped a handful of tears, and sobbed, "What other Xue family can there be in Jinling? After Ziwei gave up to Duke Xue, the eldest son of the Xue family was known as Xue Da Fool. Today, if Master Jia doesn't If you say something to the slave family, the Qingyan Building of the slave family will be closed."

The Xue family is just an imperial merchant, even if they have the word "emperor", they are still merchants. However, the Xue family is related to King Jia Shi and is also a hegemon in Jinling City.

Dong Xiaoqing choked up from crying, Jia Cong rubbed the center of his brows, and said as a last resort, "Okay, you don't have to cry anymore. Not every beauty is beautiful when she cries, and not every man likes women to be beautiful. appearance."

In fact, after seeing Daiyu cry, Jia Cong would never see another woman cry again, and it was inevitable that he would feel like he was imitating others.

Jia Cong walked out and stood at the top of the stairs, watching Mr. Xue running up. He was wearing a round-neck robe woven with gold brocade, a gold crown on his head, and a gold-painted fan in his hand. , just like a walking gold bar.

When he saw Jia Cong, he was stunned for a moment, and his angry face suddenly turned into a smile. He stepped forward to salute, staring at Jia Cong's handsome face, "This young gentleman, I am Xue Pan, whose courtesy name is Wenlong, I don’t know what to call Mr. Young, but it’s a blessing to meet you today at Qingyan Tower. It’s a blessing, a fate, a fate!”

(End of this chapter)