Chapter 381: The Storm of Jianghuai (8)

As night fell, two maids carried two lanterns to lead the way in front. The dizzy light shone on the stone road in the bushes. Zhang Huan looked at Zhao Yan's official house with his hands behind his back. The gables and walls had peeled off, and the beams and woods exposed at several places were also rotten. As Du Mei said, the house was already very old. Zhang Huan glanced at the Zhao Yan and his wife behind him and asked with a smile: "Brother Yan has been an official for eight or nine years, and he is a wealthy Huainan. He should have some savings, why don't he want to buy a private house?"

Zhang Huan's sudden arrival made Zhao Yan and his wife quite nervous. Although they were old friends in the past, Zhang Huan's identity at this time invisibly drew a huge generation gap between them, making it impossible for them to talk freely as they did before. Seeing that his wife wanted to speak, Zhao Yan gently touched her hand and signaled that these questions would be answered by himself. He pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not hiding the fact that I have planned to buy a house recently, but it's not in Huainan. In my hometown of Taiyuan, I also know that my parents' old house is really a bit dilapidated, so I bought a house in Taiyuan for them to live in first, and then bought a few acres of land for them to support them. It would also be my concern."

"Is uncle in good health?" Zhang Huan asked again with a smile.

"The body is pretty tough, but I broke my legs two years ago and it was a bit inconvenient to walk. I asked them to come to Huainan several times, but he always said that he was hard to leave his hometown, and the old man! He was really stubborn."

At this time, Qiaoqiao next to her finally couldn't help but interrupt and said, "Go to have a meal first! The food and drinks are cold."

"I'm really troubled by my elder sister today." Zhang Huangong bowed and apologized and said, "Next time I go to Chang'an, I will definitely ask you back."

Several people quickly walked into the small living room. The living room was not big and was simply decorated, but it was clean and looked very elegant. A small square table was placed with a pot of wine and a few plates of side dishes. The two of them sat down. Qiaoqiao poured a glass of wine for each of them and went to the kitchen to arrange dishes. Zhao Yan picked up the glass and said to Zhang Huan: "Your deeds are well known to everyone in the world. I admire you deeply for the Tang Dynasty for my regaining the Western Regions. Come! I wish you a glass."

Zhang Huan also picked up the wine glass and sighed: "Although I am in Longyou, I also heard that there is an official in Huainan who is rated as the best every year. I am also a person from the officialdom. It is easy to get the best evaluation once, but it is more difficult to get the best evaluation for eight consecutive years than to be ranked. Brother Yan, I would like to give you a cup."

As soon as the wine glasses were touched, the two looked at each other and smiled, and they both drank the wine in the glass. Zhang Huan picked up the wine pot and filled him with a glass of wine and said, "You and Fatty Zheng were arrested when you attacked Cui Xiong and Kuo Gong. I also took people to hit the county government. Now I think about it so exciting and unforgettable!"

Zhao Yan also smiled slightly and said, "If I were arrested again today, would you still go to the county government?"

"Will you throw stones again today?"

The two of them looked at each other and laughed loudly, "Come on! I've had this cup."

"Dry!"

Under the fumigation of alcohol, the subtle generation gap between the two gradually disappeared. They seemed to have returned to their passionate youth years, and returned to the little things of living and studying in Taiyuan. Before they knew it, they had a hint of wine after drinking more than a dozen glasses of wine. Zhang Huan poured himself a glass of wine, and the topic slowly turned to the main business. "Tomorrow I will raise funds for disaster relief from officials and businessmen. I wonder what they think about this matter?"

"This..." Zhao Yan pondered for a moment. Last time he raised funds from the merchants, he received nearly one million charity money. In addition, he got money and grain from the Chu family, Zhang Huan had at least four or five million charity money. The money should not be very short of money, but he refused to let those officials and businessmen go, could it be?

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A thought flashed through Zhao Yan's mind, and he suddenly asked back: "I want to ask what is the real intention of doing this when I go to the disease?"

At this time, Lin Qiaoqiao walked in with the last plate of dishes and smiled at Zhang Huan: "I cook these home-cooked side dishes myself, is it still suitable for your taste?"

"Not bad! Not bad!" Zhang Huan put down his chopsticks and said sincerely: "My elder sister's cooking skills are passed down from her master's wife, which makes me feel like I'm back in my youth."

Lin Qiaoqiao heard Zhang Huan's praise and couldn't help but be happy. She wiped her hands with her apron and said with a smile: "You eat slowly, I'll go first."

After walking a few steps, she stopped and asked Zhang Huan without saying a word: "It's okay to have Pingping in Chang'an!"

Zhang Huan's hand holding the wine glass suddenly stopped in the air. He slowly drank the wine and smiled bitterly: "Sister, it's not as simple as asking Pingping's recent situation!"

"Shibalang is indeed smart, and he can guess it." Lin Qiaoqiao smiled sly and said, "Then tell me, when will you marry my Pingping?"

"It's coming soon!" Zhang Huan replied vaguely.

"When is it almost time, one day, two days or one month?" Lin Qiaoqiao asked relentlessly.

"Qiaoqiao!" Zhao Yan was a little angry. Women are women and they only care about these trivial matters. He held back his anger and said, "We are talking about serious matters! Will you ask about your affairs in the future?"

"Isn't ordinary things serious?" Lin Qiaoqiao was also angry. She just said it well to him, but why did she change her mind in a blink of an eye? This shows that her husband doesn't take her affairs seriously at all. She said calmly: "It's better to call you brother-in-law and you don't even care about her major marriage. Don't you feel ashamed?"

She threw the apron at Zhao Yan in anger, turned around and left angrily. Zhao Yan quickly stood up and apologized to Zhang Huan: "I'm rude, I'm spoiled by me. Please don't take it to my heart."

Zhang Huan smiled, waved his hand at him, and signaled him to sit down, "I was beaten by her when I was a child! What is this little thing? In fact, it's just me. I have been delaying ordinary things for so long. No wonder she is anxious, ordinary things...." Zhang Huan didn't know what to say.

The living room was very quiet. The two of them drank glasses, thinking about their own thoughts, and after a while, Zhao Yan returned to the topic just now, "Does he want to attack officials and businessmen?"

Zhang Huan nodded, "You guessed it right, raising money for disaster relief is just an excuse. My real purpose is to take the opportunity to rectify officials and businessmen. The existence of officials and businessmen is a major cancer in my Tang Dynasty. They monopolize all profit-making businesses and seize profits from the people. Not only do they not pay a penny of taxes, but they have seriously lost taxes in the court, but they have made money and then returned to merge land, and then reduced the number of self-cultivated farmers. In the long run, if businessmen are not businessmen and farmers are not farming, how can our Tang Dynasty establish a country?"

Zhao Yan didn't say anything for a long time. He was an official in Guangling for a long time. How could he not understand the harm of officials and businessmen? Five years ago, when he was the magistrate of Jiangdu County, there were still 120 non-official and business shops worth 100,000 yuan, but now there are only more than 30. The fundamental reason is that they were destroyed by officials and businessmen using various means. If others don't say it, King Li Chenghong of Guangwu opened a winter lee tea shop five years ago. In just five years, the famous Wangchun Tea House and Tianyu Tea House and other seven tea shops in Guangling were squeezed out by him using extremely disgraceful means. It was time to suppress the arrogance of officials and businessmen. So a few days ago, when he mentioned disaster relief and raised money, the merchants' fingers first were aimed at officials and businessmen, which was really because of their deep anger.

However, although Zhao Yan supported Zhang Huan to suppress the officials and businessmen, he did not agree to take action now. He pondered for a moment and said, "Many of the officials doing business in Guangling are court officials and royal family members, and their interests are too deeply involved. I am worried that taking action now will affect your plan in Chang'an."

"Maybe, I'm hoping that they all jump out!" Zhang Huan smiled coldly, then stood up, picked up the wine glass and said sincerely to Zhao Yan: "Maybe this is the last time we can drink so openly, let this glass be done! Let the past years remain in our hearts."

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The next morning, the gate of Jiangdu City still opened according to the old time. A group of vegetable farmers who were waiting outside the city rushed in impatiently. Dozens of business travelers who were eager to rush out in the city also came out one after another. The shoulder poles and baskets were intertwined, blocking the way of the carriage, and roaring and scolding were all in a ball.

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This is an extremely ordinary morning, and I spend it like this every day, but no one realizes that the soldiers guarding the city have changed. In fact, except for the people in the officialdom and some wealthy families, the change of Guangling has nothing to do with the people at the bottom of the country. Life is still the same, and every day is still considered. So after a while, everyone went their own way and the city gate quickly became quiet.

At this time, there was a sudden riot at the city gate. The carriages and pedestrians entering and leaving the city gate dodged to both sides in horror. Teams of soldiers opened towards the city gate. They were fully armed and murderous intent, and quickly ran into the city to control various important places. Many people from Jiangdu who were about to go out were scared back home and dared not go out. The entire Jiangdu city was talking about it, not knowing what was going to happen.

At this moment, the largest Qionghua Restaurant in Jiangdu City is full of houses, with hundreds of shopkeepers and large accounts gathered to attend the banquet held by the Tang Dynasty's governor Yong Wang.

Of course, everyone knows that the cocktail party is just an excuse to convene them to meet. His Highness the real intention of the Superintendent is to ask them for money. Is it because even the big accountant has been called, what is it? A few days ago, those ordinary merchants had already been convened by the governor for a meeting, and they leaked their secrets in advance. However, whether they can pay and how much money can be paid is not something that the big soldiers who look at the shop can decide. Many of them have sent a pigeon letter to ask the owner for their wishes. Whether or not they will pay or not, if so, how much will they pay?

The venue was very quiet, and it was said to be a cocktail party, but there was not a glass of wine on the table, but each person had a bowl of old tea, and three people squeezed into a seat.

The old men were pressing each other sideways, and even the movements of raising a glass of tea were carried out in turn. They felt really sweaty and uncomfortable, and they almost felt suffocated in the dull air.

But it’s okay to endure physical torture. The key is that the fully armed soldiers standing around the venue stared at them coldly, making their hair stand on their backs, and they were frightened. This was not a fundraising and mobilization meeting, it was clearly a Hongmen banquet.

Everyone was drinking tea quietly, and coughing sounds came one after another. Time passed by in a quarter of an hour. They sat for an hour, their legs were weak and their muscles were numb. But His Highness of the Superintendent did not appear. Just when they were almost desperate, suddenly, a sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

Dozens of armored soldiers surrounded a high-level officer and walked into the lobby. The officer was over thirty years old. He was wearing iron armor, with a long face and dark skin. His cold eyes under the iron helmet were extremely serious.

The venue suddenly made a loud noise. Those who had never seen Zhang Huan thought he was Zhang Huan. He was serious and probably couldn't speak. However, those who had seen Zhang Huan found that the person who came was a strange officer, and he was even more nervous. What meeting was going to be held today?

The officer took a thick booklet. He walked onto the stage and said in a deep voice: "My governor was sick a few days ago and could not come to see everyone. I will deal with everyone from now on."

Speaking of this, he glanced at everyone coldly. Everyone was frightened by his cold eyes and jumped in his heart. He only heard him yell loudly: "I will introduce myself first. My name is Li Guozhen, the General of the Central Army of the Xiliang Army. From now on, I will serve as the Yangzhou Troupe Training Envoy and Huainan Tax Supervisor."

‘Tax Supervision.’ Many people seemed to have stepped on the empty stomach and their hearts fell into the ice cave, especially those big accounts, and their faces were pale. They gradually realized that something big was going to happen.

"I invite you to the meeting today. There are two main things. One is to raise funds for disaster relief to help the people of the Central Plains who have suffered from war. A few days ago, I have already raised funds from ordinary merchants. The results are very good. Everyone is very active and expressed their willingness to share the worries of the court. I think even those who are merciless donated generously, so you will not be behind. Let me announce the donations that each company should voluntarily donate."

Li Guozhen opened the booklet and chanted loudly: "Wonglei Tea House should voluntarily donate 500,000 tuition money..."

With a 'bang!', the shopkeeper of the Donglei Tea House sitting in the second row fainted, and the tea bowl in his hand fell to the ground and smashed it to pieces. The big accountant next to him was also shaking and was held by someone. He murmured, "It's over! It's over! Five hundred thousand coins, how much is it earned in this year."

Li Guozhen turned a blind eye, and he continued to recite: "Wu Yuetang should voluntarily donate 450,000 guan of donations... Jinxiutang should voluntarily donate 400,000 guan of donations..."

Li Guozhen read slowly. None of the 250 stores escaped, ranging from 70 to 80,000 to 300,000, and from 400,000, all of which were terrifying huge sums. Every time he reported a number, almost a group of people felt that they were going to die. By the end, the venue was as quiet as death. Li Guozhen collected the booklet, glanced at everyone, and said coldly: "We are all soldiers. The style of soldiers is ready to go, without any bargaining. I also know that you can't make up for the decision, so I will give you a month to ask the boss, but during this period, all shops involving donations will be closed. In addition, all shops involved in donations will be checked for taxes under the order of my governor. The retrospective period is five years. All shops that evade taxes must not only make up for the taxes owed, but also be punished at three times the amount of tax evasion. Whenever the taxes and fines are paid, they will open when they open!"

This time, almost everyone's eyes turned to the beams of the roof.

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At noon, the entire Jiangdu City was in full bloom. The main commercial workshop located in the south of the city was almost the world of soldiers. The soldiers entered the official shop according to the map, sealed the account books, frozen money and goods, dismissed the staff, captured the account rooms, and finally posted the military seal on the gate, with two big words written on the seal, "Tax Check".

At the same time, the army hung red flowers on the doors of ordinary shops that donated donations to show encouragement. By the afternoon, the situation was gradually becoming clear. Almost all official shops were blocked, and the army began to withdraw from the commercial area. Even ten-year-old children could see the strange things that happened in Jiangdu City, let alone businessmen who were famous for their shrewdness.

Shortly after the army withdrew from the commercial area, the south of Jiangdu City was filled with the sound of firecrackers. Countless businessmen ran to the streets to cheer and beat drums. Even the Salt and Iron Supervision, Changping Office, Municipal Administration and other officials ran out and yelled a few times to show the anger accumulated in their hearts for many years.

Soon, after the fanaticism, smart businessmen began to snatch the commercial space left behind because the official shops were sealed. The major cabinets in Jiangdu were crowded with merchants coming to withdraw money.

Although the Jiangdu store closure incident could not completely cut off the existence of officials and businessmen, it was a strong gesture, demonstrating Zhang Huan's determination to govern the country with an iron fist.

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In the Donglei Tea House, which has been sealed, the shopkeeper Liu Heng looked at the mess in the store with dull eyes. The counter was smashed, the tea jars were broken, and the ground was covered with tea balls. Seals were posted on the doors and warehouse doors. The 10,000 ounces of living money stored in the account were also taken away as tax guaranteed money. At the same time, all the books and all the accounts were taken away.

The room was very quiet, and the guys had been dismissed. The tea shop that was crowded with people became deserted. There was only one big shopkeeper in the huge shop. He sat there like a statue, not moving for two hours. The sunlight that shot into the crack in the door gradually disappeared, and it was almost dark outside.

‘Bang!’ The black cat who was catching mice in the shop knocked over a tea jar under his feet. Several pieces of tea balls wrapped in paper rolled out of the jar, awakening Liu Heng in an instant.

He sighed, bent down and picked up the tea balls on the ground, wiped away the dust from it with heartache, and put them back into the tea pot one by one. At this time, the sky was already dark and the shop was even darker. He lit the light, took out a thin pen, wrote a simple letter on a roll of silk paper, and then carefully rolled it up and stuffed it into a bamboo tube.

He quickly walked to the backyard with the bamboo tube. A flock of pigeons in the pigeon cage in the yard was croaking. Liu Heng found the strongest one from the pigeon, tied the bamboo tube tightly on its legs, and then threw the pigeon into the sky. The pigeon spread its wings and flew towards the distant Chang'an.
Chapter completed!