The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

When the army arrived at the banquet venue, a gentleman named Wang came to greet them with many salt merchants and dignitaries from all walks of life.

"Haha, Commander Ou is truly young and promising. He is truly a great hero of our Shu land. I, along with all the wise men, am here to welcome you, Commander."

Now that everyone knows that my surname is Ou, not Ouyang, it seems that these salt merchants have invested a lot in me. Ouyang Jun thought to himself, but he did not show any expression. Seeing so many people coming to greet him, he immediately thought of the phrase "the law does not punish the masses". If only one or two people came to accompany him, if the Qing Dynasty fought back, they would have to settle accounts later. But with so many people welcoming Ouyang Jun, even if they wanted to settle accounts later, at most they would have to spend some money to settle the matter. Of course, perhaps they also wanted to let the revolutionary army see the scene of the salt merchants' unity and make them retreat.

Ouyang Jun looked at the fake smiles on these people's faces, and saw through their tricks clearly. Although he didn't care, he quickly walked over to support the old man, saying, "Thank you for your courtesy, old man. I'm new here and it's only right that I visit you. However, I'm new to this precious land and have been busy with military affairs. Please forgive me for forgetting you! And you are a man of great virtue and respect. I am truly flattered. I will need your continued care in the future!"

The old man was overjoyed when he heard this. This was such a great honor for him. But he also didn't forget the real protagonist of the day, so he pulled Ouyang Jun aside and said, "Come, let me introduce you to the commander. This is Li Deren, a great philanthropist from Fushun. He's a man of virtue and righteousness, and he has thousands of families who rely on him for their livelihood!"

"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you." "This is..."

"Nice to meet you..."

After the introductions, these people were relieved to see Ouyang Jun being so polite. In fact, they did not want to get into a fight with Ouyang Jun, who held the military power. As long as they were not pushed too far, these salt merchants were willing to bleed.

So no matter what Ouyang Jun said, as long as he didn't intend to overturn the table, these people were still very happy. Because as long as he didn't overturn the table, those salt wells would still be the goose that laid their golden eggs. As long as Ouyang Jun didn't kill his goose and take away some of the eggs, these people were already prepared.

However, many of these people were considered powerful families, and they were certainly not pushovers. If they united and really started a riot, the entire Fushun could be turned upside down.

"Haha, I'm so happy to meet a hero like Commander Ou that I even forgot I'm still standing outside. Haha, Commander Ou, please come in."

"Okay, please go first."

"Commander Ou, I'm just a little bit famous here in Fushun. Please give me a favor and invite you over for a meal to keep in touch with us. You know, we rely on salt for our livelihood. You also know that natural disasters have been constant over the years, and the Qing court has been burdened with heavy taxes. Our lives are not easy now."

"yes.....…"

Hearing the people behind him echoing, Ouyang Jun said nothing and went straight into the tavern. After taking the main seat, he said: "Haha, everyone, you are joking. When I was in Luzhou, I heard that our Fushun is as wealthy as our Sichuan. I heard that it is so wealthy! Haha." He raised his thumbs as he spoke.

Ouyang Jun saw everyone present looking at each other in bewilderment. Was it necessary to be so blunt?

"It's all rumors, it's all rumors..."

"Yes, they are all rumors, don't take them seriously."

Ouyang Jun ignored them and continued, "Alas, we soldiers are having a hard time right now. I heard that the salt merchants in Fushun can squeeze out oil and water from their pants when they fart, so I brought my troops here to beg for food from you all."

This was a showdown. No one in the room had expected it to happen so soon. They all stared at the young man, who spoke crudely, still impatient despite his youth. But after hearing Ouyang Jun's words, they breathed a sigh of relief. As long as you ask for money, it's fine. The only thing they were afraid of was that if you didn't, that would be the end of you.

Old Man Wang also understood the situation and immediately said, "Commander Ou, you are joking. We are all guests and we still have food to eat. Commander Ou has a large family and a great business, while Fushun is just a small place. I hope you will show some mercy. The whole Fushun people will be grateful to you."

"Haha, no problem, no problem. I can't stay here forever, so I'll need everyone here to take care of me from now on!"

"Haha, take care of each other, take care of each other."

"Waiter, serve the wine and the food."

"Where are you going next, Commander?"

"I plan to head towards the capital of Xuzhou Prefecture next."

Just as Ouyang Jun was happily chatting with these people, a sudden voice rang out: "I wonder what your plan is for Fushun now, Commander?"

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table fell silent. What rules? Ouyang Jun didn't understand at first, but after careful consideration, he realized that this was a gift of money to him! Ouyang Jun glanced at the young man who was speaking. Shouldn't this question be asked after a meal and a drink? It seems that the young man is also young and impulsive, and can't keep his composure! I wonder whose Hui this is.

Ouyang Jun picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip of tea quietly. Apart from the sound of the teacup hitting the table, the atmosphere was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

At this moment, a group of pretty girls aged fourteen or fifteen came in, each carrying a plate. Old man Wang saw that the atmosphere was awkward and immediately said: "Come,

Come, come, let me introduce our dishes to you."

"Yes, yes, the dishes here are a local specialty that most people can't get. Today, thanks to Commander Ou, we can also enjoy a feast."

“Yes, yes, yes.”

At this time, Old Man Wang stood up and introduced: "This is the roasted beef, this is the ox hoof and bear paw, this is the fried yellow throat, this is the flower mud cough, this is the first-class duck, this is the lotus mullet slices, and this is the strong-flavored cold rabbit..."

Ouyang Jun knew from his research that these salt merchants had a wide variety of culinary options. However, seeing is believing. This kind of extravagance, this kind of arrogance, was something Ouyang Jun had never witnessed before. Watching the old man enthusiastically introduce the dishes, Ouyang Jun swallowed unconsciously, but his face soon turned pale.

Ouyang Jun knew swallowing was a natural reaction, but as he did so, he suddenly thought of Zhang Yinghao, his life before he met him, and the countless tragedies he had witnessed along the way. He suddenly felt as if the plates of tempting food before him were gaping with bloody mouths, devouring him. He seemed to see countless people bleeding, and that blood slowly coalescing into the dishes before him.

In reality, Ouyang Jun didn't know that not only were the salt merchants' dishes unique and delicious, but even the tableware they used was exquisite, featuring gold and silver items, ivory chopsticks, and official kiln porcelain. It could be said that if it were kept in the 21st century, it would be considered a cultural relic.

Chapter 166! More updates!

Ouyang Jun suddenly wanted to escape from here. His butt started to fidget as if it was burned by an iron. Just as he stood up from his random thoughts, he suddenly came to his senses and heard the old man say: "Commander Ou, what do you think of this dish?

How about this? We've specially prepared a jar of Luzhou Laojiao, which has nearly 80 years of Sanbai liquor stored in it, just for you. This Laojiao liquor is one of our most precious treasures, so we'd like to dig it out for you to try."

As he was speaking, he waved his hand, and a pretty lady in a skirt, about sixteen or seventeen years old, holding a wine pot, came over like a butterfly. Her face was a little chubby, and she looked young and gentle. She had bright eyes and white teeth, a white neck, a fluttering dress, and long hair that reached her waist like silk. Her eyes blinked as if they could speak. Seeing this pretty lady,

For the moment, Ouyang Jun's eyes never left the pretty, charming Ben. A few lines of poetry suddenly came to his mind: "Clouds resemble farm tools, transforming into valleys; every dew brushes against the threshold, revealing the beauty." If I were to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, how could light makeup or heavy makeup compare? Datong, with its beautiful eyes, possesses a pure and radiant beauty...

The pretty lady naturally felt Ouyang Jun's gaze, and she despised him and was very unhappy at the same time, but she didn't dare to get angry. She just frowned inadvertently, and her anger was more like affection.

Perhaps it was the law of nature that things will eventually turn against each other. Although the pretty lady's frown was very small, it was still seen by Ouyang Jun. He immediately came to his senses, closed his eyes slightly, and immediately calmed down. Only three words remained in his mind: honey trap!

After a while, Ouyang Jun opened his eyes and said, "Good, good name! The heart of the flower is hidden in the bud, about to bloom! What a good name! It suits you. Haha!"

"Thank you for the compliment, sir! Please enjoy it, sir."

As Ouyang Jun spoke, the beautiful woman poured him a glass of wine, and instantly, the entire room was filled with a rich aroma. Unfortunately, Zhang Yinghao had banned alcohol from the army, and Ouyang Jun himself had never drunk alcohol before. Moreover, after thinking about the salt merchants' honey trap, he would not make the same mistake again, let alone touch the wine glass, no matter how beautiful Zhao Xinrui was. No matter how good and fragrant the wine was, no matter how hospitable the salt merchants were, it was simply misplaced.

At this time, the pretty lady felt the change in Ouyang Jun the most. The leader of the gang, who had just looked like he was going to eat her, now looked at her with a clear gaze, as if all the things he had just done were his fault.

Although the pretty lady has already made up her mind to devote herself to him, she does not want the other party to be a lecher who is simply attracted to her body.

Ouyang Jun suddenly felt that everything was so ridiculous, as if he was dreaming. Fine wine and delicious food, beautiful women throwing themselves at his arms, what a dream it was! He had never expected it to come true here. Normally, Ouyang Jun didn't think he was anything special, but after seeing the reactions of these salt merchants, Ouyang Jun knew that he was now the big shot he had always considered himself.

Ouyang Jun suddenly burst into laughter, almost crying. Just when everyone was puzzled, Ouyang Jun finally stopped laughing, hugged the pretty lady next to him and said, "Today, you all have really opened my eyes. I used to think I was a frog in a well."

When everyone saw Ouyang Jun hugging this pretty lady, they immediately felt contempt for her.

At the same time, he was secretly happy. Of course, he was also sad. After all, giving away a beautiful woman like Zhao Xinrui would make any man feel very reluctant. After looking at each other for a few times, they said repeatedly: "Haha, Commander Ou, you are too polite."

"No, you really taught me a lesson! I knew it before I even ate or drank.

Today's wine and food are excellent. But for you, it's truly unpalatable. Mr. Wang, you must have read all the books. You must know the ancient verse: "The rich have wine and meat, while the poor freeze on the streets."

"There's no idle land in the world, yet farmers still starve to death. I only knew the principle before, but now I've seen it for myself! The salt merchants of Fushun really opened my eyes, opened my eyes! Ah! Hahahaha!"

"Ah! You...you..."

Looking at Mr. Wang's flushed face, he realized this was a complete slap in the face, an insult and an exposure of his shortcomings. If these words were to get out, Mr. Wang would be utterly disgraced. Perhaps thinking of the consequences of this, he fainted. Ouyang Jun didn't know if he was truly fainting or just pretending, but it didn't matter anymore.

The salt merchants present thought that they would treat Ouyang Jun with good food and drink. No matter how powerful Ouyang Jun was, he had to give them, the local tyrants, some face.

Unfortunately, Ouyang Jun was like a fool, and he got slapped in the face. When had these salt merchants ever been humiliated like this? They were immediately embarrassed.

"Commander Ou, we live better than those outside, and we admit that. However, our wealth didn't just come from the wind; it's accumulated over generations. Not a single penny was stolen or robbed."

"Yes, we are honest businessmen and never do anything that is against the law."

"Commander Ou, don't be ridiculous. We have countless lives under our command! We are also in charge of the food supply for countless people!"

At this moment, a man named Yan slapped the table, and the scene instantly quieted down. He then said, "Alright, everyone, please don't disturb Commander Ou's fun. He was just joking."

Ouyang Jun knew that this was a way for him to save face, or that this was the time for a real showdown. Ouyang Jun would then express his position on behalf of his own forces, and the final rules would soon be revealed.

Ouyang Jun calmly caressed the beautiful woman's face, released her, waved his hand, and sent the girls serving food and wine out before saying, "Haha, I'm not kidding at all. My words today will be in the newspapers soon. You say your family's wealth has been accumulated by generations, but you can only fool those ignorant people with that. If your wealth is truly earned through honest business practices or through hard work, I will take my team and leave without a word.

If your money was truly earned through hard work, even if you were to become extremely wealthy, I would only admire you. Unfortunately, you are not. You are just relying on the Qing government's monopoly privileges to arbitrarily raise the price of salt, squeeze the people's bones and marrow, and enjoy huge profits.

Do you think this is something ordinary people would eat? Those salt workers out there probably wouldn't earn enough to buy this table of food in their entire lives, right? You say this is a good meal, but what I see is a table full of the people's blood and sweat. On behalf of the people of Fushun, I now officially declare that you will never again be allowed to rob us of our salt."

The Yan family's salt merchants were all livid. This ungrateful boy was going to show them that the Horse King had three eyes. With their relationship already exposed, the salt merchants might face more than just paying. However, as merchants, they knew fighting without breaking was the right path, so they had to endure.

The most important thing is that the businessman Yan didn't know what Ouyang Jun was trying to do. Was he saying this on purpose to get more benefits? Or did he have other motives? Of course, no one thought that Ouyang Jun wanted to kill them. Most people still thought that Ouyang Jun said this on purpose to squeeze more money out of them.

"Commander Ou, you can't say that. If we didn't employ those salt workers, where would they find food?"

"Yes, Commander Ou, these salt workers are completely dependent on us for their livelihood. If something goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"Commander Ou, I'm not saying anything, but it's not easy for us either. You know the Qing court collects five to six million taels of silver in salt tax every year in Sichuan. We can only take this hard-earned money."

As Ouyang Jun listened to these people talk, he suddenly remembered a line from The Communist Manifesto that Chairman Zhang Yinghao had previously mentioned during his training session with his comrades: "To win over the people, the nobles waved the beggar's bag of the proletariat as a banner. However, whenever the people followed them, they discovered that their buttocks bore the old feudal emblems, and so they burst into laughter and dispersed."

Ouyang Jun knew that there was a shortage of jobs, and these people before him truly controlled the salt workers' food needs. And as long as there was food to eat, anyone would do any job. However, he had no idea that in later times, many factories would be unable to recruit workers. Suddenly, he felt that this quote from The Communist Manifesto was incredibly applicable in this situation. These salt merchants were clearly waving beggar's bags, yet the salt workers had no choice but to follow them for survival.

In fact, these salt workers are just trying to survive. The salt merchants will not lead them forward. Whenever these salt workers follow the salt merchants, they will find that these salt merchants are actually blood-sucking worms lying on them. So what can they do? They can only laugh.

The Tao Te Ching states: "The superior man, upon hearing the Way, diligently practices it. The average man, upon hearing the Way, is uncertain whether to apply it or not. The inferior man, upon hearing the Way, laughs heartily at it; for if he did not laugh, it would not be the Way." Therefore, whenever salt workers sought the truth through salt merchants, they were met with disappointment. Any salt worker who saw the reality of the situation would not succumb to the tyranny of these salt merchants.

Ouyang Jun was getting impatient listening to these people's nonsense, these distorted "truths." He didn't want to waste time here anymore, but he still wanted to know what these people were up to, so he waved his hand and said, "Well, I know it's not easy for you, but I wonder what your rules are?"

In fact, these salt merchants had already discussed this when they arrived here: bleeding was necessary, but they couldn't feed too much at once, otherwise it would spoil the appetite and become difficult to deal with. Now everyone could see that Ouyang Jun was completely impatient. It was this salt merchant who started it.

"Commander Ou, thank you for your hard work. You have brought so many people to our Fushun, so we must do our best to be your hosts. So, I will personally give Commander Ou 10,000 taels of silver, and we salt merchants are willing to give 100,000 taels of silver as a reward for the troops."

Ouyang Jun sneered inwardly when he heard this. Do these people really think he's a beggar? Do they think they can get rid of him with just 110,000 taels of silver, or do they think he's just a child who knows nothing?

Although Ouyang Jun himself had no concept of money, he knew before arriving that the local salt merchants were incredibly wealthy. It's no exaggeration to say that even their farts reeked of oil. The salt merchants were arguably the wealthiest group in the entire Qing Dynasty. Sichuan's well salt, especially from Fushun, supplied hundreds of millions of people in the southwest and surrounding provinces.

The salt merchants had arbitrarily raised the price of salt, and the profits were so huge that they completely exceeded the 300% profit mentioned in "Das Kapital". Capital dared to trample on all human laws, so these 110,000 taels were completely like giving away beggars, and they looked down on Ouyang Jun and the revolutionary army. Ouyang Jun was very angry, and the consequences were very serious.

"No, no, the troops I brought here only need food to eat. I don't need you to entertain them. I also want to ask you if there are any bandits around here."

Now the faces of the people present looked even uglier, and some of them even started to sweat on their foreheads.

"Commander Ou, it's not that we're stingy, but you know the Qing court imposes extremely heavy taxes, and we can't even afford to pay them back. How about this: You take these 110,000 taels first, and we'll round it up for you later. We'll definitely double it."

"Haha, no need to bother. I'm not a bandit. It's like I'm collecting protection money. I'll be leaving soon. Do you want to discuss it again?"

Now everyone was silent again. Although they were asked to discuss the matter, Ouyang Jun had no intention of leaving. No one present dared to leave. Everyone looked at Yan Shangren who had spoken earlier.

"Commander Ou, we'll grit our teeth and scrape together another 90,000 taels, giving you a total of 200,000 taels. This is our limit. I hope you can give us a way out, otherwise..."

"Oh, or do you want to fight to the death?"

Everyone present didn't know how to talk to this soldier, but they had to answer. They all kept saying, "I dare not, I dare not."

"Haha, I don't think you dare. Give me a price of two million taels, and this matter will be over. Otherwise, our matter will not be over."

Chapter 167:

Some of the people present were sweating profusely, some were filled with righteous indignation, and some sighed softly, believing that as long as there was something to talk about, it was fine. However, the silence didn't last long. As a few of them exchanged glances, the answer was already known.

Ouyang Jun was not in a hurry at all. After all, his team needed time to act, so he treated this as a monkey trick. All the roads leading here were blocked, and it was impossible for a living person to get in.

"Commander Ou, you are right, but we really don't have that much silver. Even if you sell us all, we are not worth that much silver."

"How much are you worth if I sell you? Your families are more valuable!" "Commander Ou, Commander Ou, please let go."

"Alright, then one million and a half taels. My brothers won't agree to anything less."

"Commander Ou, this is you, deal."

After saying that, he gave Ouyang Jun a thumbs up. Then he said, "But we can't raise so much silver at once, so we can only give it in batches. We brought 200,000 taels this time, and we will start raising money for the rest when we go back. What do you think?"

Ouyang Jun seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted and breathed a sigh of relief.

He said carelessly: "Well, it's not easy for everyone. It's hard to support so many people. I can only beg for food from you. Please forgive me, forgive me. Haha!"

"You're welcome." "I understand, I understand."

"Come here, bring the four treasures of the study. I'll have you write an IOU. Please forgive me for being petty. But you must have this receipt so I can collect the money from you. Don't leave until the IOU is written."

With that, Ouyang Jun stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the group bewildered. When he reached the door, he saw Zhao Xinrui still standing there. Upon seeing Ouyang Jun, a joyful smile suddenly appeared on her face, her eyes filled with admiration. Ouyang Jun glanced at her. Honestly, this was only the second woman as beautiful as her he had ever seen; the first was naturally Zhang Yinghao's wife, Comrade Chen Xueer.

"Follow me!"

Ouyang Jun gave a vague instruction and then walked out. As for whether this woman would follow him or not, it was her choice. If she followed him, he would also take responsibility. Ouyang Jun had a rough idea of ​​this woman's origins. They were specially trained by the salt merchants to "entertain" guests. Ouyang Jun figured that since Zhao Xinrui was assigned to entertain him, she must have never entertained anyone else. As for who she was, he would naturally be able to find out soon! Zhao Xinrui didn't reply, but simply followed Ouyang Jun closely.

After dealing with the salt merchants, Ouyang Jun took Zhao Xinrui back to the temporary quarters. After making arrangements for her, he immediately returned to the command center. The personnel from the following operations also gradually returned to report. Ouyang Jun knew that the situation here was about to change, and the most critical stage of this battle was about to begin.

"Report, well No. 1 is under control."

"Report, Well No. 8 has been controlled."

"Report, the Han family is under control, no casualties." "Report, the Li family is under control, three people are injured."

For every salt well and salt merchant family he controlled, Ouyang Jun drew a circle on the map. Only after all the marked salt wells and families were circled did Ouyang Jun breathe a sigh of relief. These salt wells were among the best identified by intelligence agencies. Controlling them would effectively put the majority of the region's salt production under the control of the Qianjin Party. And by controlling these salt merchants, the entirety of Fushun would be completely under the Qianjin Party's control.

The Forward Party had a lot of work to do to control these salt wells and salt merchants. After all, it had been eight or nine months since the comrades first arrived in Fushun, and the work had never stopped. Ouyang Jun remembered Chairman Zhang Yinghao saying, "When you decide to do something, either do it with all your might or don't do it at all. Never even try."

Ouyang Jun believed that to control these salt wells and salt merchants, he had to do it swiftly or not touch them at all. If he worried about this and that, and planned to control two to test the salt merchants' reactions, wouldn't that be pure torture? Going down a single path until the end might seem like a loss, but it was actually the most cost-effective approach.

"Can we ensure that all these salt wells continue to be put into production?"

"There's absolutely no problem. We've taken all the supervisors away. The management now consists of veteran employees who were already there, and some of our comrades who were already infiltrating. The most important task now is to prevent sabotage by counter-revolutionaries and ensure that these salt wells can continue to produce."