Fu Shanhe

Chapter 43 Unpleasant Meeting
When the ship docked, all the noble children were very excited.

Regardless of their weak bodies, they rushed to land.

The embarrassed appearance shocked the Yangzhou officials who came to greet them.

Everyone knew that the imperial envoy was coming, but the people in front of them had nothing to do with the imperial envoy.

After both parties revealed their identities, officials from Yangzhou Prefecture realized that the situation was not good.

These are not imperial envoys at all, they are clearly a group of living ancestors.

As long as one has been to the capital to report on his work, few people would be unaware of this group of playboys.

There are many high-ranking officials in the capital, and they are oppressed by people. These playboys are just jealous of each other and fight with each other.

When it comes to the local level, who dares to control these ancestors?

They went south just when the salt merchants were arrested. It was obvious that this group of guys wanted to get a piece of the pie.

"Yangzhou Prefect Hao Xingfeng greets Marquis Wuyang!"

Hao Xingfeng bowed to Marquis Wuyang in a dignified manner.

His attitude was extremely cold, and he showed no enthusiasm at all to welcome the imperial envoy.

Seeing this scene, Marquis Wuyang was not angry.

Even though so many plague gods were brought here, and they didn't get angry on the spot, they were all in good temper.

No matter what trouble happens later, the Yangzhou prefect, as the parent official, is the first person responsible.

It can be said that ever since the arrival of the Wucheng Bingmasi men, Hao Xingfeng's career has been in turmoil.

"Master Hao, there is no need to be polite, we are all here to do work for the court.

The dock is not a place to talk, so please arrange a place for us to stay first!"

Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

After taking a look at the team, all the officials in Yangzhou government office looked unhappy.

If they are ordinary soldiers, just find a piece of land outside the city and let them set up camp.

They simply provided some firewood and food, and the wealthy Yangzhou Prefecture could afford some expenses.

There are too many big shots in the team in front of us. Any officer would be a big shot in the local area.

In the past, if there was an opportunity to make friends, people would not mind expanding their network.

Now these people are obviously here to grab the meat from everyone's bowl.

"Master Zhu, arrange for someone to clean up the salt merchant's house that was confiscated and arrange for the distinguished guests to move in."

After a slight hesitation, Hao Xingfeng said tentatively.

The Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot have only arrested people but have not yet convicted them.

Theoretically, their houses were still personally owned by the salt merchants.

Moving into these people's private residences ahead of time is clearly a violation of regulations.

If the civil servants were familiar with the law, they would definitely not accept such an arrangement that would give others an advantage.

"Okay, let's arrange it this way!

I heard that the salt merchants are the richest in the world, so we can go and see for ourselves.”

Before Marquis Wuyang opened his mouth, some people in the crowd started to make a noise.

In order to avenge what happened on the ship before, they did not give face to the chief officer on the spot. Only this group of playboys would do such a thing.

I guess he really thinks of himself as the deputy commander.

The chief commander and deputy commander were only half a rank apart, and Marquis Wuyang couldn't do anything to them over such trivial matters.

"Just do it!"

Marquis Wuyang said without changing his expression.

There's no point getting angry with a fool. Deep down, I can't help but think about how to get rid of these crappy teammates.

Following the crowd into Yangzhou City, the Nancheng Qianhu Suo group led by Li Mu were accommodated in the home of a salt merchant named Tu.

A typical Jiangnan water garden, even if some parts are damaged, you can still tell at a glance how luxurious the decoration is.

The most eye-catching thing is the eight rooms lined up in a row in the main hall. In the Dayu Dynasty, this was the standard for the residences of dukes and princes.

It's not just the layout of the main hall that exceeds the rules. The yellow glazed tiles above the head and the rare and exotic animals on decoration are all things that are not allowed to be used by merchants.

No wonder the Jinyiwei and Dongchang dared to arrest people directly without sufficient evidence. This violation alone could cost the Tu salt merchant his life.

Now that the situation of exceeding the regulations has occurred, it will not be an isolated case.

The residence is just the tip of the iceberg. I guess there are many violations in daily food, clothing, housing and transportation.

Li Mu had experienced the salt merchants' audacity.

There are flaws all over their bodies, so the court doesn't need to prepare evidence to deal with them.

……

"Master Qianhu, Yangzhou Prefecture has sent you an invitation to attend a welcoming banquet on the Qinhuai River."

Receiving this news, Li Mu smiled slightly.

I thought that after the unpleasant meeting at the dock today, Yangzhou Prefecture would not arrange a welcoming banquet.

He didn't expect that these officials were even more shameless than he expected.

"Master Lan, what do you think Yangzhou Prefecture is trying to do?"

Every area has its own rules.

Li Mu also wanted to experience the scenery on the Qinhuai River, but reason prevailed in the end.

The troops of the Beijing camp were still dawdling on the road, but the Five Cities Army had already headed south. No matter how he looked at it, he felt something was wrong.

“Sir, the intention of welcoming guests should be there, this is the official rule.

Although there was a minor accident during the day, that was a business matter, while the meeting in the evening was a private matter.

Officials in the Jiangnan region have always kept a clear distinction between public and private matters.

However, our trip was a little too ostentatious and touched the sensitive nerves of local officials.

Perhaps later at the dinner party, they will find a chance to test the waters.”

Lan Linjie said after thinking about it.

Although he was born in Jiangnan, his understanding of Jiangnan officialdom still comes from discussions with his classmates.

The Five Cities Army marched south in a large force. He had no idea what they were going to do, but one thing was certain: the imperial court did not trust the local government of Yangzhou.

“Forget it, I’m not interested in playing games with them.

Tell the person who comes that I am not feeling well and cannot attend the banquet tonight!"

Li Mu nodded and said.

As far as he knew, it was not only the Beijing Camp and the Five Cities Army who went south this time, but also the top leaders of the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard who secretly went south.

It is not known whether these people arrived in Yangzhou City halfway or first.

If anything needs to happen, tonight's banquet is the best opportunity.

Others may not know the behind-the-scenes boss of the Lianghuai Salt Industry, but the two major secret agencies definitely know.

These aristocratic families not only control the salt industry, but the entertainment industry on the Qinhuai River is also closely related to these people.

"Master Qianhu, is the imperial court really determined to rectify the salt business?"

Lan Linjie asked with a little hesitation.

As a legal advisor, he shouldn't ask about matters that the master didn't mention.

However, there are some things that I have kept in my heart for too long, and I really can't hold it in anymore.

"Why, you have something to do with these salt merchants?"

Li Mu asked half-jokingly.

He had inquired about the background of his own master.

The family owned several hundred acres of land and was considered a small landlord in the Jiangnan region. It was not until Lan Linjie's generation that they achieved class transition and entered the ranks of gentry.

If a small fry like this wants to get involved in the salt industry, he can only work as an accountant for a salt merchant.

“Your Excellency is joking. How could a student be related to a salt merchant?

It was just that during the course of my studies, I heard from my classmates about the deeds of the salt merchants.

These people have very complex networks and great influence locally, making them very difficult to deal with.

If we are not careful, it will lead to civil unrest!"

(End of this chapter)