Red Mansion: Incense and God Road, starting from the City God of Shenjing

Chapter 67: Hongmen Banquet: Breaking All Laws with One Force
"Hahaha, Master Qian is thoughtful."

Kong Chengxiang laughed a few times, with a look of aftertaste on his face.

Then he took on the responsibility and said with a smile.

"He is just a little purple-robed marquis."

"Why did the Qian family master give away both money and women?"

"A nine-year-old kid, can he really turn the world upside down?"

"Even if he had the courage, he wouldn't dare to go against the Yanshenggong Mansion."

……

"Mr. Kong is right. Jia Cong is just relying on his status as an imperial envoy to commit crimes."

"Today I met Mr. Kong. It was his retribution for his many unjust actions."

"Master Qian is right. The Confucius family in Qufu, the most holy teacher, is a holy place for scholars all over the world."

"The Second Master is the direct descendant of a saint. If he were in the Rongguo Mansion a hundred years ago, he would have been nothing more than a peasant."

"What can Jia Cong compare with the Second Master?"

"I collected some antiques and calligraphy and paintings a few days ago. Second Master is a refined person, so it's a good opportunity for me to help appreciate them."

The salt merchants immediately began to compliment him with a smile.

"Hahaha, easy to say, easy to say!"

"It's fine if Jia Cong doesn't come today. If he dares to come, I will make him lose face!"

Kong Chengxiang laughed.

As they were talking here, a servant came in to report.

"Master, the guests have arrived!"

"You are quite courageous. Come on, everyone, let's go meet the Purple-Robed Marquis."

Kong Chengxiang chuckled when he heard this.

……

Outside Qian's Mansion
"General, I'm afraid there won't be a good banquet today."

"Salt merchants are cunning. We must be careful."

Jia Cong was dressed in casual clothes and was accompanied by only two commanders of his personal soldiers and a dozen guards.

The elite troops of the Beijing camp, even if there are only a dozen or so riders.

When running, there is a sense of momentum like thousands of troops.

Plus the mighty white tiger mount sitting under Jia Cong.

Stop outside the Qian Mansion.

The Qian family's doorman was so frightened that his calves were cramping.

"What I want is that his banquet will not be a good one!"

Jia Cong chuckled and dismounted.

There is no need for special care, as Dabai's intelligence is no less than that of an adult.

He found a sheltered place outside the Qian Mansion.

At critical moments, this is also a great force.

"My Lord, your presence here brings honor to my humble abode!"

As soon as we entered the door, the eight major salt merchants came to greet us with smiles.

He kept saying polite words.

"If you have something to say, just say it directly. If you have any plans, use them immediately."

"I am not interested in playing coy with you."

"Or in other words, are you worthy enough to communicate with me on an equal footing?"

The personal guards found a chair and Jia Cong sat directly at the door.

He raised his head and scanned the eight major salt merchants.

The smiles on several people's faces froze.

Make sense.

The eight major salt merchants were no small figures in Jiangnan.

Before Lin Ruhai, all the imperial inspectors of salt had tried to win over people.

Whether it is the officialdom or the business world, there is always a set of unspoken rules.

Even secretly I want to kill the other person's entire family.

But when they met, they exchanged a few polite words and even acted like brothers.

It's just too common.

No one expected that Jia Cong would fall out as soon as he entered the door.

Even the words are bluntly belittling.

I had prepared a lot of words of suppression in my mind.

It got stuck in my throat.

The situation was directly disrupted.

……

"Hahaha, I've heard for a long time that Marquis Zi Yi has a unique personality. After seeing him today, I find that his reputation is well-deserved."

"It's just that there are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Jiangnan."

"Marquis Zi Yi doesn't think he can run rampant in Jiangnan just by being an imperial envoy, does he?"

At this moment, a sarcastic voice came from the back hall.

Kong Chengxiang walked out with a smile on his face.

His eyes were filled with condescending scrutiny.

The owners of the eight major salt merchants looked at each other and immediately showed joy.

Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce!

Shang is the last.

It doesn’t matter if you, Jia Cong, look down on us. Merchants value profit and face is not worth a few taels of silver.

But this...

"Who are you?"

Jia Cong looked at the visitor indifferently.

"The Kong family of Qufu, Kong Chengxiang!"

There was a hint of arrogance on Kong Chengxiang's face.

Scholars learn the teachings of Confucius and Mencius and worship the great sage.

Since the Song Dynasty, dynasties have come and gone, but the Yansheng Palace has remained unchanged. This is not just talk.

If Duke Yansheng came to the court to pay homage, even the elders in the cabinet would be allowed to refer to themselves as junior students.

"Kong Chengxiang, I've never heard of him. What's his current position?"

Jia Cong shook his head slightly.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter what position you hold now."

"If you were the current Yansheng Duke, I might look up to you."

"But now?"

"You say that my position as an imperial envoy is not enough to rule Jiangnan?"

"Can this gold medal do that?"

Jia Cong stood up and took out the gold medal hanging around his waist.

The four words "as if I were here in person" are extremely eye-catching.

"Jia Cong, do you dare to use the gold medal to pressure me?"

"My father is the contemporary Duke Yansheng, Kong Yanjin, and I am the second legitimate son of the Kong family."

Kong Chengxiang's eyes suddenly turned red.

"So what if I pressure you?"

"According to the Daqian system, if one's cultivation reaches the third level, one can face the emperor without kneeling."

"You are just a commoner, without any cultivation, and you don't even salute when you see the gold medal. Are you planning to rebel?"

"For the sake of the reputation of the Yansheng Duke's Mansion, I will not bother with you."

"Come here, take him out and give him 20 strokes of the cane. Let this man from the Duke of Yansheng's Mansion learn a lesson for him."

Jia Cong sneered.

"Jia Cong, how dare you!"

"My father won't let you go!"

When Kong Chengxiang heard this, he immediately became anxious.

"promise!"

Hou Jingyun was young and full of vigor. He was a fearless person.

After following Jia Cong, it was like opening the door to a new world.

The elite soldiers under Jia Cong don't care whether you are Duke Yansheng or not.

Today, Marquis Ziyi’s prestige in the Beijing camp is at its peak.

Even if something really happens, he will not push his subordinates to take the blame.

"Drag out!"

With a wave of his hand, several elite soldiers immediately came forward and carried Kong Chengxiang out of the house.

Soon, screams were heard from outside.

"hiss!"

When the owners of the eight major salt merchants heard the noise, their minds went blank.

It is true that the rules of the dynasty are rules, but they also depend on the circumstances.

I thought that launching the banner of the Confucius Mansion today would be able to dampen Jia Cong's arrogance.

It turns out this guy is really brave!

The legitimate son of the Kong family was beaten without any hesitation.

No mercy at all?

"What about you? Do you want to rebel?"

Jia Cong swept his cold eyes over the eight major salt merchants.

"I respectfully wish you the best of luck!"

The eight men were born into merchant families, and they did not have the courage to go against the justice of the imperial court.

He shivered for a moment, then knelt down and kowtowed.

I thought it was over after the ceremony.

Unexpectedly, Jia Cong put away the gold medal and sat back in the chair.

Said lightly.

"If you like kneeling, then kneel down and talk!"

Seeing this scene, the eight major salt merchants knelt in a row at Jia Cong's feet.

If you don’t know, you might think he was kneeling down to Jia Cong.

It can be said that it is a complete loss of face.

"Which one of you is the head of the Han family, the salt merchant?"

"Your Excellency, I am Han Qi, the head of the Han family."

"Our Han family has always been kind..."

A thin middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a gloomy expression spoke in front of him.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sword energy flew past.

Heads with wide eyes shot up into the sky.

Blood spurted three feet high.

Sprinkle it on the other seven salt shop owners.

"What your Han family does on a daily basis has nothing to do with me."

"You running dog of Prince Beijing's Mansion, who gave you the courage to appear before me?"

After making the move, Jia Cong said calmly.

"Somebody come!"

"My subordinate is here!"

"The salt merchants, the Han family, attacked the imperial envoy and intended to rebel. The evidence is irrefutable!"

"Send people to the Han family immediately to confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan!"

"Oh, right, prepare the heads of the Han family for me, and send them back to the capital at an urgent distance of 800 miles."

"It's piled outside the Beijing Prince's Mansion!"

"promise!"

Ma Ruyue took the order and left!

A conversation.

The remaining seven people immediately felt as if they had fallen into an icy cave.

The eight major salt merchants are ranked in order.

However, there is no essential difference in their respective strengths.

As a result, they are now both salt merchants.

Han Qi said that if he was to be beheaded, he would be beheaded.

The evidence of intention to rebel is conclusive!
What about the evidence?
Rebellion is a serious crime, and the family will be confiscated and the property will be exterminated.

Not to mention transporting the head directly back to Beijing and delivering it to the gate of Prince Beijing's Palace.

Slapping someone in the face, how arrogant is that.

Originally I wanted to use today as an excuse to welcome the guests.

To give Jia Cong a warning and dampen his arrogance. However, the development of the matter was something that the seven people had never expected.

Although Jia Cong remained sharp, he suffered setbacks one after another.

"You seven, do you have any objections?"

At this time, Jia Cong turned his head and looked over.

"My Lord, you are wise. The Han family has been plotting evil for a long time."

"Yes, we originally wanted to report the Han family to the Lord."

"Your Excellency is truly insightful. We admire you!"

The seven people shuddered and started talking at once.

"General, the execution is complete."

"The person has been taken away by the servants of the Kong family."

At this time, Hou Jingyun went in to report.

"Okay!" Jia Cong stood up calmly after hearing that.

Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something.

He turned his head and looked at the remaining seven salt shop owners.

"Since the seven of you like kneeling so much, then kneel here all night."

"Who dares to get up before dawn..."

"You can bet on whether my sword is fast enough!"

After saying that, he took his people away!
……

"hiss!"

"Zi Yihou..."

"How dare he!"

After Jia Cong left, the head of the Qian family looked at Han Qi's body.

Looked angry.

"Master Qian is right. We have traveled all over Jiangnan, but we have never suffered such humiliation."

"Still kneeling until dawn?"

Huang Zhengsheng, the head of the Huang family, followed up on the conversation and spoke with disdain.

But he didn't expect to be scolded directly by the head of the Qian family.

"Go away. Don't think I don't know what you are up to."

Eight major salt merchants, no, now there are only seven major salt merchants.

It is true that the seven major salt merchants advance and retreat together, but that does not mean there is no competition among them.

If you take the lead in disobeying orders today and the news gets out tomorrow, Jia Cong will really take action.

The remaining six companies will certainly happily divide up the salt permit quota that becomes vacant every year.

"Okay, stop arguing, first come first served."

"After all, we underestimated Jia Cong, the imperial envoy."

"We borrow power, we borrow power. We spend a lot of money every year, but borrowed power is not as reliable as our own power."

"He has already cultivated his spirit at the age of nine. With this kind of talent and strength, Jia Cong can overturn the table whenever he wants."

Patriarch Wang sighed.

Thinking back carefully, the eight major salt merchants were all blinded by the network of relationships they had built up in the past.

But what does this network of relationships mean in front of a truly strong man?

If they want to play, they will play with you within the rules. If they don’t want to play, they can just overturn the table.

What can you do?
"The most urgent thing is to think about what to do in the future."

"It is true that Jia Cong is no match for Bailu Academy."

"But for us, we can't afford to offend him either!"

"Everyone, at this critical moment of life and death, don't hide anything."

"I know that you all have some trump cards. If you don't use them, our eight salt merchants will really become dry bones in the grave."

Patriarch Qian glanced at the other patriarchs.

"I have a martial arts innate statue enshrined in my home. I can ask it to help me when necessary."

"I will send a letter to the capital tomorrow. The cabinet ministers cannot really allow Jia Cong to turn Jiangnan upside down."

"Salt merchants like us control the salt roads. Without us, the salt from Jiangnan cannot be delivered to other places. If a salt shortage occurs, it will be no worse than a famine."

"Brother Jiang is absolutely right!"

Soon, everyone started discussing the matter.

……

Yangzhou City

A dark and secluded alley.

A luxuriously decorated carriage was moving slowly forward.

There were more than a dozen strong guards surrounding the car.

"Ouch!"

"This Jia Cong actually dared to be so cruel."

"That's unreasonable!"

Kong Chengxiang lay on the carriage and cursed angrily.

"Master, from what I see, the quarrel between the White Deer Academy and the Purple Robe Marquis is their own business."

"Young Master, why do you have to take the lead?"

A middle-aged scholar sitting in the car said helplessly.

"Mr. Li, do you think it is me who wants to get involved in this mess?"

"Jia Cong has killed so many people in Shenjing City, how can he be easy to mess with?"

"Those salt merchants in Jiangnan give us so much silver every year. If something really happens and we just stand by and watch, how will other people view our Kong Mansion in the future?"

Kong Chengxiang grinned.

"Besides, if you just say a few words, you can get at least 100,000 taels of silver."

"Does Jia Cong really dare to kill me?"

"At most, a small punishment or a severe warning, but I didn't expect..."

"Twenty rolls, not a single stick is missing."

"My butt is about to be broken into pieces."

"It turns out that the young master sees things more clearly than I do."

"It's just that I don't understand why the young master, whose intelligence and talent far exceed those of ordinary people, would do so many absurd things."

"I always make the head of the family unhappy..."

The middle-aged scholar sighed, puzzled by his master's usual actions.

If a person has great intelligence and talent, he should try to show it. The Confucius Mansion did not explicitly stipulate that the title of Duke Yansheng must be passed on to the eldest son.

"You think I want to mess around."

"If I don't make trouble, how can my elder brother trust me?"

"Second Master Kong, that sounds nice, but when my eldest brother inherits the title of Duke of Yansheng in the future, I, as the direct descendant, will probably live a worse life than the side branches."

"If I don't save some money now, I'll be able to save some money..."

……

"who?"

"Be alert, there's an assassination attempt!"

"Oh no, it's a crossbow!"

As Kong Chengxiang was speaking, a guard suddenly shouted loudly outside the carriage.

Accompanied by the sound of triggers being pulled, dense crossbow arrows shot towards him.

After several rounds of volleys accompanied by screams, all the guards were shot dead.

The outside of the carriage was also nailed with crossbow arrows.

If this carriage was not made of precious wood, Kong Chengxiang in the carriage would have been shot to pieces by now.

But the final result was not much better.

A moment later, there was a sound of approaching footsteps.

The curtain of the car was lifted, and a masked strong man holding a sword grabbed the hidden weapon shot by Kong Chengxiang.

Stab it into the middle-aged scribe's throat.

Then he looked at Kong Chengxiang.

"Mr. Kong is quite clever, but what a pity..."

The sword fell.

Kong Chengxiang just felt that the sturdy man's gaze towards him was extremely familiar.

It seems like someone has seen me this way before.

The last moment of my life, finally coming back to mind.

His elder brother had once looked at him in the same way.

It turns out that I didn't fail to see through his ridiculous disguise...

It's about not caring, or simply not caring at all.

In the face of absolute strength, all cleverness and strategies are pale and powerless.

……

Salt Administration Office
"Brother Cong, you're back!"

When Daiyu saw Jia Cong come in, a look of joy appeared between her eyebrows.

"It's going well. The Han family has been wiped out and their property has been ransacked. After Ma Ruyue has counted the property, Sister Lin can keep whatever she likes."

"Oh, Brother Cong, why do you say it so bloody."

"Besides, I don't lack anything."

"As long as Brother Cong is safe and sound, that's all that matters."

Daiyu said coquettishly.

"Cough cough!"

Lin Ruhai, who was sitting nearby drinking tea, saw this scene and suddenly felt sad.

He coughed lightly a few times, interrupting the two of them.

"Brother Cong, those salt merchants didn't resort to any despicable means, did they?"

"It's still a shameful method. I found a member of the Kong family."

"I gave him a beating and sent him away."

"The remaining salt merchants are still kneeling in the Qian family."

Jia Cong sneered: "If you want to use your power to suppress others, don't you consider your own status?"

"These salt merchants control the salt roads and think the court cannot do without them. They are used to being arrogant and conceited."

Lin Ruhai responded, but in fact he was filled with emotion.

Don’t think that these salt merchants lost all their face after being suppressed by Jia Cong.

But after serving as the Salt Inspector for several years, no one knew better than Lin Ruhai how difficult these salt merchants were to deal with.

The Salt Administration was infiltrated from top to bottom and became like a sieve.

As soon as any measures were considered, a memorial was submitted, which was quickly refuted by many senior officials in the court.

There will even be people who impeach him in the court.

It can be said that one move affects the whole body.

Only Jia Cong, who had been refining his spirit at the age of nine, had such talent that it was a foregone conclusion for anyone to enter the fourth realm in the future.

The royal family in Shenjing City has long been tolerant of Jia Cong's actions.

Even before going to the south of the Yangtze River, both Emperor Kaiyuan and Emperor Shunde gave him great power.

He might have thought of letting Jia Cong cause chaos in Jiangnan, and then come forward to protect Jia Cong after he had incurred the wrath of heaven and people.

In order to win over Jia Cong.

It is true that Jiangnan is an important tax collection area for the imperial court.

But it has to be compared with the future fourth-level Yin Shen masters.

It really doesn't count for anything.

In the realm of Yin God, the lifespan is eight hundred years!
If you practice the method of prolonging your life, you can live to one thousand two hundred years!

That is truly the foundation of a thousand-year dynasty.

……

"Master, it's not good!"

"The governor just sent someone to deliver a message!"

"It is said that a member of the Kong family died in Yangzhou City, and I want you and the Marquis to go and take a look!"

At this moment, Steward Lin collapsed and hurried inside to report.

"Kong Chengxiang is dead?"

Lin Ruhai stood up suddenly.

Subconsciously looked at Jia Cong.

"Brother Cong, this matter..."

"Uncle Lin, it wasn't me. If I wanted to kill him, I would have killed him in Qian's house. Why would I wait until now?"

Jia Cong shook his head.

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(End of this chapter)