Prime Minister of Great Qin

Chapter 101 Fight for the Front! (two)
Seeing his father's pale face, Feng Zhen suddenly felt bad, he walked over quickly, and when he saw the content on the bamboo slips, his expression also changed.

Ji Heng sat quietly.

As if I didn't do anything.

a long time.

Feng Dong took a deep breath, with fear in his eyes, he held the bamboo slips tightly in his palm, and shouted angrily at Feng Zhen: "I have been ignoring the affairs of the clan for several years, and you made this happen to me?"

"You still pretend to be a good eldest son?"

"It really makes no sense!"

"What kind of noble status is the eldest son, to see your six thousand gold?"

"I don't think about doing business well all day long, I just think about making small moves behind the scenes, trying to flatter the government. Although we are merchants, we also have backbone. How can we know how to break the law?"

"absurd!"

Feng Dong shouted angrily.

Feng Zhen's face turned red, but he didn't dare to speak back.

When Feng Dong's anger dissipated, Feng Zhencai said with a look of grievance: "My child has always been in business, and never dared to do anything other than business. It must be those incompetent boys in the clan. Hearing that the eldest son saw it, he gave birth to the child. Such an inferior idea."

Feng Dong looked at Feng Zhen coldly, and said apologetically to Ji Heng: "Thank you, Mr. Zhong, for letting me know. If I hadn't known about it until now, there are such ignorant people in the clan."

"It's a disgrace to the lintel."

"I'll go down and discipline him strictly."

"I will definitely give an explanation to the government. This person has ruined my family history and insulted my Feng family's reputation. I, Feng family, will never tolerate his sinister intentions and vicious thoughts."

"Please tell me the eldest son."

Feng Dong's face was livid, and anger almost burst out in his eyes.

Obviously very angry.

Although Feng Dong is old, he is still not fainted.

Donations can be made privately, but they cannot be acknowledged in person.

I can't let myself admit it.

He is the head of the Feng family, if he admits it, he might not be able to eat and walk around, so he quickly thought of a countermeasure, and quickly put the matter out of his relationship.

Otherwise, if you are hated by the eldest son, you may really have endless troubles.

Ji Heng looked at Feng Dong and his son coldly, and said with a smile that was not a smile: "Patriarch Feng is right, the family is big, and there are indeed a few uneducated people in the clan."

heard.

Feng Dong was not happy but surprised, and said bravely: "Thank you, Mr. Zhong, for your understanding."

"It's also because I have been incapable of discipline."

"In the past few years, I don't have much energy to discipline the clan, and the eldest son has been running business outside for a long time, so the opportunists in the clan took advantage of the loopholes, offended the eldest son, and made you laugh."

"I'm ashamed."

"It's just that the eldest son asked me to come here this time, what is the reason?" Feng Dong didn't dare to continue on this, he was worried that if he continued, he might not be able to get it right, so he quickly changed the topic.

heard.

Ji Heng sat solemnly and became serious.

He tapped lightly on a stack of bamboo slips in front of him, and said in a concentrated voice: "The eldest son invited Feng Shi here this time, because he really wanted to discuss an important matter."

"I won't talk nonsense anymore."

"Let's cut to the chase."

"The Yanchi salt well in Feng's hands, the government is going to take it back."

A word fell.

The surrounding area was immediately silent.

Feng Dong, who was smiling apologetically, suddenly changed his expression.

Eyes full of shock and disbelief.

He took a deep breath and confirmed, "Mr. Zhong, are you joking? Yanchi Yanjing?"

Ji Heng said in a deep voice: "It's a matter of national importance, do you think I dare to joke?"

talking.

Ji Heng pushed the bamboo slips with his fingertips out a little, then waved his hand, motioning the little official to take the stack of bamboo slips over.

soon.

Feng Dong took the bamboo slips.

Without any hesitation, he directly opened the bamboo slip.

There are not many words on it.

It simply says 'government property, government revenue, business transport, traders'.

However, when he saw the words "official property" and "official income", Feng Dong's face was gloomy. He knew that he had miscalculated this time. The reason why the eldest son didn't accept six thousand gold was not because he thought it was too little.

But something else.

But this is absolutely unacceptable to the Feng family.

Yanchi, Yanjing, these are chickens that lay golden eggs. Although the money is not as fast as the loan, the advantage is that the water flows slowly and the money is stable.

A person is powerless without salt.

He, the Feng family, was able to accumulate so much money by selling salt.

No more salt ponds.

He, the Feng family, cut off his long-term financial resources.

If something happens in the future, I am afraid that my livelihood will be cut off in an instant.

Feng Dong tremblingly put down the bamboo slips, and asked: "Mr. Zhong, forgive me for my dim eyesight, but I can't see clearly what is written on this bamboo slips. Could Mr. Zhong tell this old man?"

Ji Heng said indifferently: "There are only eight characters on it."

"Government property, government revenue, business movement, traders."

"The government has decided to nationalize all salt wells and iron mines in Yanchi all over the country. From now on, merchants will only be responsible for transporting and selling salt and iron. The production of salt and iron has always been time-consuming and labor-intensive. It has been criticized by merchants over the years. With this in mind, I decided to nationalize it, aiming to reduce the burden on you.”

"I believe Mrs. Feng can understand the court's good intentions."

"also."

"When you were attending the meeting, the imperial court had already sent someone to take over, and now it's almost time to take over, so you don't need to say anything. From now on, the matter of salt production and collection will be decided by the imperial court. You are only responsible for buying salt from the imperial court. Then ship it out and sell it.”

"For one thing, it saves you manpower and financial resources."

"Secondly, it can also maximize the merchants' goods."

"This is what the court should do!"

Ji Heng sounded like the court was thinking of merchants.

But these words fell into Feng Dong's ears, but he wished to tear Ji Hengsheng apart.

That's a chicken that lays golden eggs!
In the past, whenever the Feng family was short of money, they only needed to control the output a little bit, raise the price of salt, and then sell it at a lower price privately, and easily earn a lot of money.

No more salt ponds.

Then you can only earn money on the way.

Feng Dong suppressed the anger in his heart, gritted his teeth, and said, "Mr. Zhong was joking, I, Feng, have been running Yanchi for nearly ten years, and I know a lot about Yanchi. Come bear it."

"It's not that I, Feng Dong, want to refuse. It's about the livelihood of hundreds of people in the Feng family. I really dare not agree easily. I ask the eldest son and Mr. Zhong to forgive me."

"Patriarch Feng's words are wrong." Ji Heng suddenly smiled, and said with emotion: "The court has already decided on this matter, and no changes are allowed. This is not my attitude."

"It's the imperial court!"

"Imperial court?!" Feng Dong suddenly felt an unknown anger, but the situation was stronger than others, so he could only suppress his anger, and said, "I don't know, why the imperial court thinks so?"

"If the imperial court needs money and food, I, Mrs. Feng, would like to donate all my family property to relieve the imperial court."

"It's just that I, Feng Dong, really don't understand why the imperial court insists on taking away the foundation of our business. Although the salt and iron business is profitable, it also takes a lot of time. We have never lost a penny in business taxes in the past. Why? The court wants to wait for me like this?"

"The old man wants to know the reason."

"The reason?" Ji Heng sighed, and said slowly: "Since you want to know the reason, then I will tell you, if you operate according to Feng's duty, the imperial court will never move you, but your fault is your fault. Mrs. Feng felt something she shouldn't have."

"I would like to hear the details." Feng Dong's face was gloomy.

Ji Heng sat upright, didn't smile at all, and was even very serious, and said slowly and steadily: "Some time ago, the imperial court arrested many officials."

"Have you heard about this?"

Feng Dong's expression darkened.

There was an ominous premonition in his heart.

Ji Heng continued: "During the trial, the government found that these officials are closely related to you salt merchants and iron merchants, and even merged with officials and businessmen."

"Only what I've heard so far."

"The amount of money confiscated from the homes of these officials is as high as one million yuan. This figure is really shocking and heartbreaking."

"The merger of government and business is very harmful to the world."

"The imperial court has to guard against it."

Feng Dong didn't take it seriously, and retorted: "Mr. Zhong's words are biased. We wait for merchants with low status, so what can we do in the face of powerful officials? In the end, we can only use money to eliminate disasters."

"I don't accept the crime I want to impose."

Ji Heng raised his forehead slightly, and said unhurriedly:

"In recent years, you have used the power of officials to act recklessly in Kanto through bribery, eliminate dissidents, punish other merchants, and then realize the monopoly of salt and iron."

"The current fatigue in Guanzhong has a lot to do with you."

"You salt merchants colluded secretly. During the Dasuo period in Guanzhong and the Lishan rebellion, you took the opportunity to raise prices and sell private salt on a large scale, so as to make huge profits."

"How much of the six thousand gold you donated to the eldest son is left over after paying the business tax?"

"If you are just looking for profit, the imperial court will not ask for such a request. You can blame it if you want. You merchants are too greedy. Not only are you seeking the people's fat and anointing, but you are also trying to get your hands on the government's power."

"If it was just an official request, the imperial court would not be so angry."

"However, you and the others are somewhat ignorant of restraint. They not only offer bribes actively, but what's more, after some officials clearly refuse, they even create conditions to offer bribes."

"This time, the government found hundreds of officials."

"shocking!"

"It's not just one or two people, but a big one!"

"Perhaps you feel in your heart that the imperial court is fussing and fussing, but I can tell you clearly that the imperial court has long since tolerated you."

"You have no choice this time!"

"I know that you father and son don't take this statement at all."

"But I said one person, and you will understand."

"Lu Buwei!"

heard.

Feng Dong's face changed in shock.

Ji Heng sneered and said, "You know Lu Buwei, right?"

"The former prime minister of Daqin."

"he died!"

Feng Dong seemed to realize something, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, his forehead was covered with white sweat, and for the first time a look of panic appeared on his face.

The room was silent.

Feng Dong's rapid breathing was clearly audible.

Ji Heng glanced coldly, and said in a cold voice, "Daqin doesn't need a second Lu Buwei."

"My Feng family never dared to have such an idea." Feng Dong said hastily.

Ji Heng said: "Small business depends on the people, medium business depends on the country, and big business depends on the government. Now you have already penetrated into the government. Do you have this idea? Is it really important?"

"Shangjia has the ability to become the second Lu Buwei."

"This is your crime!"

(End of this chapter)