I, Jiajing, successfully cultivated immortality

Chapter 219
"What's going on here, and, who told you to bring so many people here?"

After Cao Shunhe finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Zheng Shizhong and questioned him.

"Report to the governor, I got the news that there are people gathering in front of your mansion to make trouble! The lower official is really too worried, so he acted like this."

Facing the doubts from Cao Shun and the governor, Zheng Shizhong became tense, with fine sweat dripping from his forehead, and responded like this.

"Then look, do the people here look like they're here to make trouble?"

"Are they carrying any weapons on them? Or are you trying to commit a crime, so there is nothing wrong with it!"

And Cao Shunhe obviously didn't mean to let Zheng Shizhong go, but asked closely.

"Your Excellency, it's because the lower officials didn't think carefully and offended you, please forgive me!"

Seeing this, Zheng Shizhong quickly knelt down on the ground and pleaded guilty to Cao Shunhe.

"Forget it, I will forgive you for the time being, if there is another time, I will never forgive you lightly!"

"have you understood?"

Cao Shunhe had a panoramic view of the expression on Zheng Shizhong's face, and then said calmly.

"Yes, I must remember the governor's teachings!"

Seeing that the matter was over, Zheng Shizhong heaved a sigh of relief and said.

"Well, get up."

Cao Shunhe glanced at Zheng Shizhong and ordered so.

"Yes, Lord Governor!"

Zheng Shizhong didn't dare to get up from the ground until he got Cao Shunhe's permission.

"Tell me, what's going on here?"

"Yes, Lord Governor, I will tell you the ins and outs of the matter!"

Seeing him asking about the situation, Zheng Shizhong gritted his teeth, and then chose to tell Cao Shunhe everything he knew so far.

"Report to the governor, the matter is like this! Earlier, the official was working in the yamen, and suddenly the guards under him came to report, saying that a group of people were clamoring outside to ask the government to come forward to punish the salt merchants!"

"After learning about this matter, the lower official didn't hesitate at all, and quickly came forward to find out the specific situation."

"Then what these people said, that the price of salt in the city has increased from seven Wen a catty to sixteen Wen a catty, is it true?"

Cao Shunhe got a little impatient, and interrupted immediately.

"Master Governor, all of this is true. The price of salt in the city has indeed started to soar, and it has risen to seventeen cents a catty now!"

Seeing the impatience on Cao Shunhe's face, Zheng Shizhong hesitated for a long time before mustering up the courage to respond.

"As the magistrate, instead of punishing these salt merchants who are hoarding goods and making huge profits, you are targeting the unarmed ordinary people!"

"Tell me, are you a prefect?"

After listening to Zheng Shizhong's defense, Cao Shunhe became furious, and immediately reprimanded him.

"My lord governor, I don't want to do that either! As you know, this official comes from a humble background and doesn't have any foundation in the court."

"As for those salt merchants, they can be said to have a lot of hands and eyes in the court! Even many high-ranking officials in the capital act as their backers, and the lower officials really can't afford to offend them!"

"Maybe, if the official arrests someone today, he will have to respectfully invite him out tomorrow! The day after tomorrow, the official will be impeached on trumped-up charges and sent to prison."

"In the officialdom, who is clean?"

Zheng Shizhong's words made Cao Shunhe fall into silence.

As the governor of Jiangxi, he knows very well in his heart that the energy behind this group of salt merchants headed by the Liang family, Li family, and He family cannot be underestimated!
At the beginning, when he took office, Cao Shunhe was aware of this problem and wanted to try to solve this group of salt merchants.

But Cao Shunhe's attempts, without exception, all failed!
Later, Cao Shunhe was not reconciled, and wrote corresponding memorials to the court, but every time he failed to get any response.

A series of failures made Cao Shunhe gradually cut off this idea. He only wants to do his best during his term of office to benefit the people of Jiangxi!
Later, he always turned a blind eye to the actions of these salt merchants as long as the bottom line was not involved, and the two sides have always lived in peace.

And Cao Shunhe's inaction over the years has also fueled the arrogance of this group of salt merchants!
They also acted more and more unscrupulously. Not only did they start wooing and bribing court officials, but they also secretly raised private soldiers at home in the name of guards.

But when Cao Shunhe found out that he was evacuated and under surveillance all the time, it was too late.

The local political envoys, inspectors, and commanders in Jiangxi have all stood on the side of the salt merchants!

And this also means that civil affairs, supervision, military affairs and other powers are gradually out of the control of Cao Shun and the governor of Jiangxi.

It's just that this group of people didn't dare to say it clearly, at least on the surface, they were extremely respectful to Cao Shun and the governor of Jiangxi!
When their own interests are not involved, this group of people usually choose to follow Cao Shunhe's orders in order to prevent the two sides from completely tearing their faces apart.

"Okay, I also know your difficulties."

After listening to Zheng Shizhong's self-report, Cao Shunhe turned to comfort him.

"Thank you, Governor, for your understanding!"

Seeing Cao Shunhe's intention to spare him, Zheng Shizhong burst into tears of gratitude.

"However, it is not a normal phenomenon that the price of salt in the city has increased so much now!"

"The common people can't afford such a high price! How about you go and inform the heads of the Liang family, He family, and Li family on my behalf."

"Let them come to the government office as soon as possible to discuss how to stabilize the salt price as soon as possible!"

Cao Shunhe glanced at Zheng Shizhong and ordered so.

"Yes, Lord Governor, I will definitely bring the words back to you!"

After Zheng Shizhong responded, he led a large number of guards and left quickly.

"Let's leave now, everyone! After I discuss the relevant matters with them, the price of salt in the city should drop a bit."

After Cao Shunhe finished speaking, he turned his eyes to the people in front of him, saying so.

"Yeah, let's leave, everyone!"

"We are here now, and we will only add trouble to the governor, everyone, let's go!"

Soon, under Cao Shunhe's persuasion, all the people gathered at the gate also dispersed.

Cao Shunhe sighed helplessly, and then returned to the government office.

……

After Zheng Shizhong went back, he also fulfilled his promise and sent people to send the news to the Liang family, Li family, and He family respectively.

Soon, after hearing the news, the heads of the three families chose to gather together to discuss countermeasures.

"Everyone, what do you think, the governor invited us to go to the government office to discuss measures to stabilize the price of salt."

Liang Hong, the head of the Liang family, was a thin old man with gray hair. After he finished speaking, he picked up the blue porcelain cup on the table and began to play with it carefully.

"If you want me to say, what else are we going to do, just pretend that there is no such thing, can't we?

"Anyway, he, Cao Shunhe, is also a poor commander, and he has no one under his command! Let's give him face and call him Lord Governor. If we don't give him face, we can deal with him at any time."

As soon as Liang Hong finished speaking, Li Yide stood up from his chair and gave his opinion.

Li Yide is extremely fat, how fat is he?The fat on his body trembled with his movements.

And the clothes he was wearing, even though they were already made to order in the largest size, still didn't seem to fit well.

"No, no matter what, Cao Shunhe is still the governor of Jiangxi in name! We can't completely tear ourselves apart with him yet."

"Right now, I think we should go to the government office."

"Although this will hurt part of our interests, think about it, everyone, what we are doing this time is a costless business. No matter how much we sell, we are still making money!"

"Let's sell Cao Shun and the governor of Jiangxi to save face, and prevent him from jumping over the wall in a hurry and doing something irrational!"

He Jin, the patriarch of the He family, immediately retorted firmly after listening to Li Yide's words.

"Okay, let's sell him some face and lower the salt price by a few pennies!"

After listening to He Jin's analysis, Li Yide nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)