Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 394 The Emperor's Stone...

The younger generation was drunk and their blood was boiling, thinking that they had established a huge relationship and secured the royal franchise for the entire family - that would naturally be a great achievement.

Regarding Mr. Chang’s identity...Eunuch Liu’s demeanor cannot be faked, and the eldest son of the Fan family is also here. Is he just fooling them for fun?
Besides, now that things have been agreed upon, Mr. Chang immediately said: Go to the Fan family and meet their elders.

"Master Chang is meeting you first because His Majesty is young, and you are young too!" Fan Yongdou said, "The salt administration needs a major overhaul, and you elders may not have the courage to do so! If you agree to Master Chang, you will be the ones in charge in the future!"

"Brother Fan is absolutely right!" Wu Yangtao was looking forward to it. If Mr. Chang really only recognized him, then he would certainly be the one to call the shots in the Wu family in the future.

Thinking of this, these young masters followed Mr. Chang who was walking down with his hands behind his back, and their hearts became more and more excited.

When they walked downstairs, Eunuch Liu stood up first and was waiting there.

"Let's go."

At this time, Liu Ruoyu slightly bent his waist and said, "Yes. This Miss Wang..."

"Take it with you."

Wu Yangtao and the others were stunned. If Liu Gonggong's senior brother is Wang Gonggong, who is now in charge of the Silijian, he must be a very important person among the eunuchs, right? Logically speaking, he is supervising the Zongminghao and Changminghao on behalf of the emperor, so it should be Master Chang who should please him.

However, Mr. Chang's attitude shows that he is the one who keeps his word.

For a moment, they were just stunned and did not think of that possibility.

On the contrary, this further proves that Mr. Chang was not speaking without purpose. The great thing he just mentioned is even more true, and it was indeed Mr. Chang who made the decision.

So everyone left Guanyun Tower, with only Wu Yangtao staying behind, leaving a servant behind: "See how much silver it will cost. Shopkeeper Lin, send someone to get it tomorrow."

After saying that, he hurried forward.

The group of people walking on the street attracted quite a lot of attention.

It was already night. In the past, Yangzhou would have been very busy at this time. But tomorrow was not an ordinary day, as the emperor would arrive in Yangzhou tomorrow. So at this time, the streets of Yangzhou were quieter than usual, with pedestrians and shops on the street.

Many people recognized the sons of the big salt merchants, and they felt strange seeing them surrounding one person.

Wang Wei was still sitting in the sedan chair, and she felt very strange.

After coming down from the Yangfeng Xiaoyue Pavilion, she just sat quietly beside Eunuch Liu and listened to the opera.

At first, the sisters wanted to crowd around Eunuch Liu and show their courtesy, but then Eunuch Liu told them to go back without further ado. They could tell Manager Lin how much money they wanted.

So in the end, it was just her and that eunuch Liu who watched the opera together. Eunuch Liu sat upright, not even looking at her, but just watching the Guanyunlou opera troupe perform on the stage with great interest.

Wang Wei didn't have to do anything, just sat in the audience and listened to the show like a VIP.

It was not until Mr. Chang came down from the upper floor and said "take her with you" that Eunuch Liu asked Manager Lin to prepare a sedan chair and asked her to get on first.

Now, she could only hear the footsteps of Eunuch Liu who was always following the sedan chair, and the voice of Master Chang asking those young men about the street markets and the stories of Yangzhou.

"Master, are you back?"

After a long time, she heard a voice, and then heard Master Fan say: "Open the middle door wide, Master Liu, please follow me. You should carry it steadily and watch your step."

As a result, the sedan chair tilted slightly, and Wang Wei couldn't help but feel a little nervous and held on to the edge of the seat tightly.

There was a noisy sound coming from the front and the sound of many people's footsteps could be heard.

There was also quite a lot of noise behind him, with several young men calling out "Father" one after another.

"Close the door first, and all of you go keep watch outside."

"Outside? Master..."

"go with!"

This majestic voice should belong to Mr. Fan’s father?
The sedan was still shaking, and the footsteps of Eunuch Liu were still heard beside the sedan. In the front, it was Master Fan's voice: "Mother, this is..."

At this time, she heard the voice of Master Fan behind her: "Your Majesty, I, Fan Yuanzhu, respectfully welcome your Majesty to come in person. Long live your Majesty!"

Wang Wei's heart suddenly shook. He heard silence outside and the sedan chair suddenly shook violently.

"Hold it steady and keep going."

After Eunuch Liu spoke, Wang Wei could not help but open the curtain on the side of the sedan chair and leaned back to look.

What was nearby was naturally the pale face and trembling body of the sedan bearer, but she was looking at the distance.

I saw Mr. Chang standing in the yard. His figure was still visible, but his face was not clear.

There, people were kneeling down as if lying on the ground, while most of the young men who were in Guanyun Tower before were just sitting on the ground, which was very unbecoming.

Master...is it His Majesty the Emperor?

Her mind was blank, but the sedan chair had already carried her into the backyard. A woman's voice came from the front: "Eunuch, the backyard has been vacated. Please come this way..."

Next to her, before the curtains were lowered, she only saw Master Fan bending over with his head lowered, then hurried to the front yard.

It's Your Majesty...

Then I...

Yes, Your Majesty!
Wu Yangtao and the others turned pale, and the drunkenness disappeared instantly.

His legs were weak and he fell down directly.

At this time, he knelt down quickly, feeling as if he was sifting through chaff all over his body.

The same was true for several other young masters.

Master Chang is His Majesty, so what Master Chang says... isn't it the imperial edict?

Is this a good thing or a tragedy?
Thinking about how they acted wildly in front of His Majesty in the afternoon, and how they spoke without restraint...

"Everyone, get up. Let's talk in the hall." Master Chang's tone was still the same as before, but his calmness now made people feel majestic. "I went to Yangzhou first to deal with your affairs. I just came all the way from Guanyun Tower. I'm afraid that the Yangzhou prefect will be here in a while. Time is short."

After arriving at the main hall of the Fan family and sitting down, the six Huizhou salt merchants, fathers and sons, knelt in front of them again in groups of two.

"Chief Fan has already told you. What Chief Fan said is what I mean." Zhu Changluo got straight to the point. "All the salt fields in Daming will be managed by the newly established Daming Salt Factory, with branches set up in various places. You used to be intermediaries for private salt, and in the future you can invest in small shares in various branches, which will not hurt your profits much. In addition, two private salt factories are allowed to be set up, and the government-owned salt industry will issue special licenses. In addition to paying silver for the purchase, private sales are not allowed."

"I dare not. I thank God for His grace..." The emperor said this in person after hearing the words of the middleman who smuggled salt. It was a serious crime!
"Salt transportation is generally purchased and transported to various places by the Ming Salt Transport Head Office. Branches at the prefecture level are allowed to have 30% of the shares invested by salt merchants. Salt shops in all counties and prefectures purchase salt from the Salt Transport Head Office and sell it. The marketing price of salt is subject to government guidance."

"I obey your order. Your Majesty, I am grateful for your kindness to me and other common people..."

"With the change in the salt administration, apart from the investors who get a share of the profits every year, they either have to set up a joint venture to run a salt factory, or find a way to run a shop and make small profits but quick turnover." Zhu Changluo looked at them, "You can no longer make money easily by occupying a place. I am not being harsh on the merchants, but I have found a way out for you. This way out lies in you, the younger generation."

Wu Yangtao and others knelt behind their father, their whole bodies shaking.

Of course, they didn't know that they had already been dealt a heavy blow by the imperial court, and it would be difficult to make money as domestic merchants in the future.

From then on, without salt permits, there was no way to sell salt for money. If you still want to make a profit from salt, you have to spend money to buy shares in the salt factory and salt operation. The key issue is that the government is in charge. Can you really share the profits after you spend money?

However, opening a shop with small profits but quick turnover, hiring cooks to run a private salt factory... these were not things that these domestic merchants were willing to do before.

The output of the private salt factories can only be sold to the Salt Transport Corporation, and their stores are scattered across various counties and states. How can they be easily managed?
No wonder when I walked in, I saw the fathers' faces were all very heavy. They were obviously reluctant but they dared neither be angry nor speak.

"You and your son will discuss the details after you go back." Zhu Changluo said, "I had a very pleasant conversation with your son in Guanyun Tower from this afternoon until just now. Your families are very wealthy. Although the salt administration has undergone a major change, the changes will be temporary, but I believe that you can all hold on. If you can invest your accumulated wealth along the path I point out, the future returns will be far greater than the money from selling the nest. I have seen the intelligence and vision in your son, and I believe that you will only become more wise."

Finally, he said, "Go ahead. When Chief Steward He arrives tomorrow, you and Chief Fan will go together to discuss the details. As for the six of you, come back and coordinate with Liu Bingbi on what we agreed on today."

Once Zhu Changluo arrived, all they had to do was obey his orders.

At this moment, the six major Huizhou merchants still didn't know what the way out the emperor was talking about was.

But while the emperor was reforming the salt policy and touching upon their fundamental interests, he was also willing to find a way out for them. Isn't this a favor?
If you are very harsh, just find some crime and confiscate their property.

Although he thought so in his heart, after receiving the imperial edict and thanking the emperor and leaving the Fan family in fear and trepidation, Wu Shixiu still felt his eyes go dark and he almost fainted when he heard his son say that he had agreed to lend the emperor three million taels of silver.

"How dare you boast about your promise?"

"...but Chang...Your Majesty has made it clear that there will be great grace behind it..." Wu Yangtao was of course trying his best to speak now. When Wu Shixiu heard about 100,000 taels for a ship, special permission for Takumi to train, and future titles of vassal state and new meritorious officials of the Ming Dynasty, his eyes became even darker.

"What a mess! Maritime merchants have their own rules, and we are interfering! Huizhou is not near the sea!"

"Father! I only know that if Your Majesty wants to use us, the worries about survival you mentioned will no longer exist!"

Wu Shixiu was speechless.

"Your Majesty, since you said it was a loan and equity, then that's a favor! The court could have directly seized it, but now Your Majesty has come in person without telling the government. This is also a great opportunity, isn't it good? We can move from Huizhou to Yangzhou, so why can't we move to Guangzhou!"

Wu Shixiu was startled: "No... He came here in person just for us without telling the government..."

"……What's wrong?"

Wu Shixiu's face turned pale: "The salt administration is going to be changed... We businessmen are no obstacle. The salt administration office... the local government..."

"Father, what happened?"

Wu Shixiu looked at him with a horrified look in his eyes: "And the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, which is in charge of the salt permits...To ward off disaster, why would we just need to spend money?"

Wu Yangtao understood a little bit, and he trembled all over: "Father is talking about... welcoming and seeing off guests..."

Wu Shixiu felt empty as he looked at the gate of his own house not far away. What the emperor had given him was actually a dead end.

This route required preparing a large amount of silver for the emperor to use at one time, providing evidence of the crimes of many officials in the government, and helping the emperor to change the salt policy to a state where they could no longer make more money than before just from salt.

The benefits promised to them were, first, to allow them to do other things to make a living if they no longer gained the trust of the officialdom in the future, and second, to allow them to go out to sea.

But how many of the big salt merchants understand maritime trade and have enough sailors?
The only way out is to rely on the emperor, who would grant them some military power.

In the future, I wonder how many civil officials will raise the concerns about the Ming Dynasty’s coastal defense from time to time, and how many former maritime merchant families will resent the privileges they enjoy.

Wu Shixiu suddenly realized something. He looked at his son and asked, "How much silver did you all...promise His Majesty?"

"...totaling 18 million taels."

"Yes... yes..." Wu Shixiu muttered to himself, "How can we come up with so much cash?"

“…Not all of them were loaned out at once.”

"Wrong! We have to lend them all out at once!" Wu Shixiu gritted his teeth, "Your Majesty is going to use us to bring in those big maritime merchants. We have the imperial franchise, they have money, people, ships, and experience!"

"Father said..."

"Your Majesty, this stone... go back first!"

When they arrived at the door of the house, the servant waiting there said, "Second Young Master, this is the bill from Guanyun Tower. Together with the silver that should be paid to the girls invited from other places, the total amount is 6,3892 taels..."

"Young lady?" Wu Shixiu's blood boiled again, "You also hired a prostitute from somewhere else? You spent so much money on a meal in front of His Majesty?"

The servant was stunned: What Your Majesty?
"...Father, please listen to me. Although His Majesty did not reveal his identity at the time, Young Master Fan said that His Majesty ordered everything to be done as usual. I think His Majesty did this specifically so that we can have a special friendship with His Majesty..."

"What nonsense! Your Majesty is the king, and you are a commoner!" Wu Shixiu's face turned pale, "You actually visited prostitutes with His Majesty..."

“…It hasn’t come to that.”

"How much more do you want to do?" Wu Shixiu was furious. "Now it's over. His Majesty has seen how you spend money like water and wine every day. Why did I give birth to such a bastard son like you!"

"…At that time, it was just Master Chang…"

"I usually tell you to pay more attention to your family business! If you paid attention, how could you not know who is in charge of Zongminghao and Changminghao? It's Zhang and Wang, the two heads of the line, there is no such thing as Chang!"

Wu Shixiu was so angry that he shouted with a dark face: "Go home!"

At this moment, the Yangzhou prefect had indeed arrived at the Fan family.

The situation has been relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside these days, and there are countless people watching what goes on in the city.

If it was strange that Fan Xingshou "borrowed" Guanyun Tower from the prefect at the beginning, then it was strange that the father and son of the Fan family personally welcomed several people today. However, according to the report at that time, the father and son of the Fan family only welcomed them into the city, and then only Master Fan accompanied them, and they did not think of going in this direction.

But after the guests invited by Master Fan left and he sent people to interrogate the shopkeeper Lin, he found out that one of them was a palace official. How could the Yangzhou prefect not know that something big had happened?
At this point in time, what eunuch would dare to go to Guanyun Tower and recruit so many prostitutes from outside?

"You are quite cautious. I thought that as soon as I entered Guanyun Tower, you would soon realize that it was me who came."

The Yangzhou prefect knelt there anxiously: "I dare not. Your Majesty has ordered that I just concentrate on my official duties, and everything in Yangzhou is as usual. Although I am paying attention, I dare not disturb the people and ask them what is going on."

"No need to make a big fuss, just keep things as usual. You don't have to be afraid, I came a day earlier just to deal with the salt administration. After all, you are a Jinshi in the first year of Taichang, and you are good friends with Xu Guangqi. I heard him talk about your strictness. In a prosperous place like Yangzhou Prefecture, I heard that you still have no concubines in your house and no strangers at your door?"

"Zixian, you are so kind. I don't deserve your praise. I always take Zixian as my role model. Your Majesty has appointed Zixian to the Ministry of Culture and Education. My ability is far inferior to Zixian's. I have only been strict and self-disciplined and have worked hard for the public."

The prefect of Yangzhou was Zhang Yicheng, who had taken Xu Guangqi to the Confucius Temple. Ten years later, Xu Guangqi was about to be promoted to the second rank, but he was still only a fourth rank prefect.

To be honest, he actually had a hard time in Yangzhou. In many matters, the chancellor had more power than he did.

If the prime minister had not been paying attention this time, he would have certainly followed the procedures and waited for the emperor to arrive.

Anyway, he would do whatever the emperor ordered. Zhang Yicheng was not worried because his personal morals were impeccable in Yangzhou and although his official duties were not very impressive, there was nothing wrong with him either.

But the chancellor said categorically that His Majesty must have arrived in Yangzhou, so he hurried over.

Now hearing the emperor's tone was warm, he said that he was only responsible for the salt administration, and mentioned Xu Guangqi, praising him for having "no two concubines in the house and no foreign guests at the door". This was certainly not a bad thing.

"It's getting late, you should go back first. I came here specifically for the salt administration, and I didn't come incognito for other matters. I want to reassure them and let them know what to do when they come to see the emperor tomorrow."

"I understand. I will take my leave first, Your Majesty, please have some rest." Zhang Yicheng's heart began to beat again, "Guarding your majesty..."

"The emperor will arrive tomorrow. Is there anyone in Yangzhou who is robbing people at night? Don't worry. Chief Fan has already made preparations."

After Zhang Yicheng left, Liu Ruoyu said, "Your Majesty, let me go and summon Duke Jingguo to the city to protect you."

"What are you afraid of? When it comes to salt, those who are greedy for money will cherish their lives." Zhu Changluo was calm and composed. "I gave them one day to leave a way out. If they really dare to assassinate me, they must be crazy. Let's go. We are tired after a day."

"I have already ordered Miss Wang to help Your Majesty wash and go to bed. As for the maids of the Fan family, I only asked them to do some rough work."

"...What are you thinking about, little girl?" Zhu Changluo shook his head. "Let her rest first. You should recognize her as your sister. Since you are destined to be with me, Yangzhou can't accommodate her anymore. Bring her back to the palace and raise her first."

"Yes. I thank your majesty for your grace."

"It's hard for you today." Zhu Changluo laughed.

"Your Majesty is making fun of me."

Zhu Changluo just patted him on the shoulder.

It was certainly difficult for him to be surrounded by eunuchs singing and dancing.

However, Liu Ruoyu is considered to be quite talented among the eunuchs, and he also takes Chen Ju as his role model. He will be of great importance in the future.

As for his sister... let's talk about it when she grows up.

This day was too bizarre for Wang Wei. First, the cage suddenly appeared, and then the master became His Majesty.

After a formal meeting, the emperor was still very warm and asked her to recognize Liu Bingbi as her sworn brother first.

After coming out of His Majesty's bedroom, she looked at Liu Ruoyu, bowed nervously and called out, "Big Brother."

Liu Ruoyu looked at his sister and laughed for the first time today: "Your Majesty, you don't have to worry. It's not good if the news gets out. I will go and get your luggage myself tomorrow. People who know about it won't dare to say anything. From now on, you are innocent and you should serve His Majesty well in the future."

If His Majesty does not take her away and Liu Ruoyu does not make proper arrangements, Wang Wei will naturally have another fate, which will probably be a tragedy.

Who dares to touch it?

Now, even though there are arrangements, I'm afraid there will always be some interesting gossip that spreads.

So what? If a few years later, a maidservant, the adopted sister of the Grand Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, really became a noblewoman in the palace, would there really still be many people gossiping about her?
Wang Wei felt like in a dream.

Among the many stories about sisters with happy endings that Mother Xu has told, is there one like this?

(End of this chapter)