Royal Gold Magistrate

After traveling for more than ten days, they finally arrived at Haiyuan City.

Looking at the gate of Haiyuan City, Xie Xian couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

The thickness and exquisiteness of the city gate in front of him far exceeded the scale of Taoyuan County.

I have to admire the wealth of the place where the salt merchants are located.

Even the city walls and gates are much better.

Seeing his expression, Du Lingfeng expected it, so he explained: "Brother Xie, this city gate was built with the funds of the Lu family."

"The doornails on the city gate are all solid gold!"

Looking at the city gate, Xie Xian felt for the first time that Taoyuan County looked a bit shabby, flatteringly said: "Salt merchants are really extraordinary..."

"Haha, it's nothing, let's go in and have a look!"

Everyone rode their horses and were about to enter the city, but officers and soldiers immediately stopped them. Du Lingfeng dismounted and took out documents and a bank note.

After chatting with the officers and soldiers for a while, they led everyone into the city.

During the process of entering the city, Xie Xian asked curiously: "Brother Du, with the guide, do you still need to pay money? How much money did you give just now?"

"50 taels!"

"What! 50 taels?!" Xie Xian was greatly surprised.

50 taels!It's enough for an ordinary family of three to eat for many years, and it's ridiculous to charge such a high toll!

Taoyuan County is not so dark!

"Brother Xie, you don't know. If I go to the city alone, I don't need to spend money. This time I brought too many people, so naturally I have to pay more for the toll."

"The collection of money is so excessive, don't the government care about it?"

Du Lingfeng laughed: "Government? Since you're all in the city, we're really on our own, so I won't hide the truth!"

"The guards of this city gate have always been vacancies. It doesn't matter for ordinary people to see this city gate!"

"Since it's all because of the entrusted relationship, why is the government looking into it?"

"The only people who can come here are wealthy businessmen. Ordinary people naturally don't have the chance to enter the city, so it doesn't matter if you pay some money."

Xie Xian was noncommittal.

It is indeed reasonable. Ordinary people have been crucified in the place of birth almost all their lives. Except for the scholars who went to Beijing to rush for the exam and the merchants who went north and south, there was almost no turnover of people.

It is not surprising that such a situation can occur, and I have seen it before when I was running a business outside.

But such a high fee is unheard of!

"Brother Du, since the Lu family can fund the construction of the city gate, it must play an important role in Haiyuan City?" Xie Xian asked.

"It's so important?" Du Lingfeng smiled contemptuously: "You think this matter is simple, it's more than just so important."

"What do you think of this street scene? It's all owned by the Lu family!"

Du Lingfeng pointed out that the street in front of him was extremely clean and the businesses on both sides were in order.

It's just that this scene looked a little weird to Xie Xian.

"Well...it's really not bad, but why are there no old people and children on the street?"

Xie Xian quickly discovered the strangeness of the street. Although there were common people walking on the street, there were no young women.

This seems strange.

"Brother Xie is really careful!" Du Lingfeng sighed, "Young women don't dare to go out on the streets because they are afraid of being caught by the Lu family."

"Don't be surprised. To say something outrageous, the Lu family is the emperor of Haiyuan City. In the city, the Lu family can do whatever they want, and no one dares to control them."

Xie Xian's expression became weird when he heard the words: "How could this be? Isn't there an official office here?"

"Of course there is, but with the influence of the Lu family, what can even the magistrate here do? Except that all the merchants on the street have been bought by the Lu family, there is also the influence of the Salt Gang outside the city, and the government is here. It’s already dead in name only.”

"If the government wants to do something, it has to rely on the Lu family to provide money."

"The combination of government and business is beneficial to both, so why not do it?"

Xie Xian was an eye-opener today, he didn't expect that the place so far away from the center would be so out of control!

"According to what you said, wouldn't the Lu family be able to take advantage of the common people, be lawless, and treat the law as nothing?"

"Oh... In Haiyuan City, I think it's funny when you say Da Jinglu." Du Lingfeng smiled bitterly: "Yes, it's just like what you said, the Lu family can be lawless in Haiyuan City, and the common people are fish and meat!"

"Now the head of the Lu family is named Lu Renjie. To be honest, I am a little afraid of him. This man is lustful and tyrannical. He will easily take away the women he likes when he sees them on the street. If he doesn't go to Bendang Street, he will kill him! Jianjiang sells private salt, he can't do it without nodding his head."

"Hey, don't tell others that. When you see him, lower your head and speak softly."

Seeing Du Lingfeng's frightened look, Xie Xian's expression gradually became serious.

Oops, the situation here is beyond imagination, I'm afraid I bring too few people, so I can't solve the problem....

"Brother Du, since this person is so lawless, isn't he afraid of causing public grievances?"

Du Lingfeng said bitterly: "There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Old people, after talking about it, they just want an explanation."

"If things get serious, find a scapegoat, imprison the person, and give some explanation to the higher-ups. After a few days, the matter has passed, and the public grievances have subsided. If the higher-ups just ask questions, then everything will be fine."

"And what about those scapegoats? They are all old actors. They eat and drink in there, and they can come out after staying for a while."

"If there are people making trouble again, just kill those who expose the trouble."

"If it goes on like this, if nothing happens, it will be over."

"As for the common people, of course they are not stupid. After going back and forth so many times, they gave up their fantasies. What about love? Anyway, if things are not up to them, who would be willing to force their way out? So what if you are passionate, if you want to be strong. , even if you are lucky enough to survive, you don’t know which cell you will live in.”

"Shameless!" Xie Xian grabbed the rein tightly with both hands, and clenched his teeth: "Brother Du, I think you don't like this kind of thing, do you?"

Seeing his performance, Du Lingfeng said helplessly: "Brother Xie, if you come, you will be safe. There are too many unfair things in this world, and you can't control them!"

"You and I are both scholars, who didn't have the ideal of saving time and benefiting the world when we were young?"

"There are so many things to see, and it turns out that we are all young and ignorant of the hardships of the world. Look, are we still qualified to be called scholars now?"

"Be patient, make money, don't shudder."

"When you finish seeing Mr. Lu, you go back to Jianjiang. You won't have too many contacts in the future, only once or twice a year. As for me, I'll find another place, and we can still exchange letters."

Xie Xian held back the crazily undercurrent in his heart, and twitched the corner of his mouth: "Brother Du, I have opened my eyes today."

Du Lingfeng was silent and did not speak.

The group arrived in front of a big house after a cup of tea, and Du Lingfeng said: "Brother Xie, this is my house, you can settle here first, rest for two days, and you can also take a look at the scenery of Haiyuan City. "

"Although there are some special circumstances here, but when it comes to enjoyment, it is not inferior to your Fenghualou."

"I'll see you again in two days."

......