Listening to politics behind a curtain?Kill the Queen Mother at the beginning!

Chapter 89

in the jungle,

The two men were panting and fleeing in a hurry in the forest. Their skin was pierced by the enclosed thorns and they didn't dare to stay in the slightest. The original personal guards were also shot dead in the process of fleeing.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

Although he was born in a merchant's family and has good stamina for running around all the year round, it can't compare to those elite guards who specialize in hunting down and killing people.

The two of them finally couldn't bear it anymore and stopped, at the moment they were bowing their waists and panting heavily.

"Brother, you should rest for a while."

The older man was supported by the latter and sat down against a tree.

"Looking at this, the two of us brothers may not be able to escape today..."

The older man looked at his younger brother in front of him and said dejectedly, turned his head and looked around, the mountain road below was full of brocade guards riding tall horses, and in the mountain village above where the grain was stored, the wailing had also stopped, obviously Not a single one was left alive.

"Originally, I was thinking that when I entered Beijing this time, I would be able to do some amazing things, so that my Shen family would be completely imprisoned as the owner of the Chaozhou merchants and become the leader of the Chaozhou merchants forever."

"I'm also thinking, by shorting the price of food in Shangjing, to see if I can meet a new official in Shangjing, who is an extremely personable official, and use this matter and countless money to get close to him Bind together with the earth, and build a way to reach the sky for my Shen family in the future!"

"But in the end it still didn't work out,"

"Brother, I am ashamed of my Shen family this time."

The older man sighed, his name is Shen Congshang, he is the person in charge of Chaoshang now, and the merchant gang was originally formed by many family merchants, among which the head of the family with the most wealth and power is naturally the person in charge .

It is not a fixed company, so there are many internal disputes, and results need to be shown to each company. Shorting the price of food in Beijing is one of the reasons.

"Brother, what you have done is good enough. When my father was alive, he often sighed, you are a born businessman. You took over all the business in the family when you were crowned, and pushed my Shen family into the master's house." position."

"It's only been more than ten years since you took the position of chief executive, and you have brought the business of our tide gang from the coastal generation to the inland states and counties. The accumulated wealth of our tide merchants seems to be above the other three major business gangs."

Shen Congwen looked at his slumped elder brother and comforted him,

"So what if you are rich?"

"After all, it can't match the power..."

Shen Congshang laughed at himself.

"Do you know why your father named you Congwen after giving birth to you?

"Because he also knows that if merchants achieve the ultimate together, even though they can become wealthy, they are nothing more than a moon in a mirror and a flower in the water. Under the power of the sky, they cannot escape the end of destruction. Let some of the business at home be handed over to you to manage..."

"It's just to let you study at ease, and when you find a way in the future, I can send you to the court as an official."

Shen Congshang looked at the young and bookish Shen Congwen beside him and murmured that his father had already set the trajectory of the two brothers when he was alive, one in business and the other in politics.

What outsiders don't understand is that in his father's heart, his expectations for this young man are even higher than his own, just like that aristocratic family, who will always study and engage in politics in his direct line, and support him in business in his collateral line.

In the end, I had nothing to say. Together with the merchants, I managed to achieve the ultimate. The Shen family is not to say that it is incomparably rich, but it is not too far behind. The cash in the family is even more generous than many established families.

Similarly, this little brother is also extremely upbeat. He has been familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics since he was a child. Let him know the rules of the officialdom very well.

In addition, as he and the caravan have traveled all over the years, he has a deep understanding of business and people's conditions in various places. It is no exaggeration to say that according to his schooling, he can enter the household department and be a bookkeeper with ease. .

Naihe was originally a family of merchants. Although the imperial examinations of the Dali court have continued to this day, they have been liberalized a lot, and merchants are allowed to take imperial examinations, but it is also based on the fact that merchants attach or send their registrations. Similarly, even if they win, it is very difficult. It is difficult to be an official in the Ministry of Officials, and it is extremely easy to be squeezed out because of one's background.

My father also thought about taking his household registration out of the Shen family alone, but he was also stared at by the yamen, unable to move.

In the early years, I had also calculated that when the time came, the Shen family would have connections with many clansmen and local government officials, and they could use their connections and paths to become officials in the court, but when it came time to recommend them, it would be There is no money to be spent, and everyone is refusing to accept it.

All the powerful officials in the coastal area wanted the Shen family to be rich and befriend them, but none of them wanted to see someone from the Shen family enter the court as an official.

After all, no one wants to have an extra hand covering the money bag that was originally open, even if the family background is aside.

"Everyone knows that our four major business gangs are as rich as a country, but who knows how miserable these ten generations have been?"

Shen Congshang smiled wryly.

"Aristocratic families, the government's yamen have been cheating for a long time, and there are a few people in the world who think highly of our merchants who smell like copper. Although they live a wealthy life in the mansion, they wear clothes when they go out, and there are many requirements and restrictions on riding. , these days are really unhappy, no matter how much money my Shen family earns, what is the use of it?"

Shen Congshang pointed to the silk and satin he was wearing and said with a bitter smile: "Even brother, this clothes can only be worn in private, and you still have to change into common clothes when you enter the capital, just like this time when you went to Beijing. , I made friends with the prince secretly, but I met a ninth-rank sesame official in the open face and still knelt down to greet him..."

"The imperial court emphasizes agriculture and suppresses business. Although the imperial court attaches great importance to agricultural tax, the commercial tax is extremely low, which allowed me to take advantage of many loopholes and accumulate a family fortune, but my status is too low..."

"Without the protection of power, the more money you accumulate, the more dangerous it is. Just like in the busy market, if a naughty boy walks through the market holding a piece of beautiful jade, it will definitely attract the coveted eyes of ghosts and snakes."

"Our ancestors have been rooted in the coastal area for generations, and the imperial court doesn't pay much attention to that area. We can even pretend to cover it up with the local government, but if we want to grow stronger, we will inevitably attract the attention of the imperial court. This is an inevitable situation."

"Youdao is the crime of harboring biscuits. Even if you didn't short the price of food in Beijing, as long as the Northern Expedition failed a few times, or it was delayed for a period of time, and the imperial court couldn't afford the follow-up money and food supplies, it might still treat me and other merchants. cut."

"At the end of the day, in the face of such a giant as the imperial court, I'm nothing more than a piece of fish on the chopping board..."

"So, until now, my brother has never given up on the idea of ​​sending you to the court as an official. I only hope that the family of merchants can step into the ranks of that family."

Shen Congshang patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said.

"But now, life is almost gone..."

Shen Congwen said helplessly.

"Not necessarily."

Shen Congshang looked at the young man in the python robe on the official road below and said decisively: "Just now, when they were chasing, they just shot and killed our guards, but avoided us. It looks like they are trying to capture us alive Two brothers."

"That means we still have a way to survive?"

"Maybe you still have a way out."

"But, how can I live as a brother?"

Shen Congshang laughed at himself.

"Since he can directly lead the troops here, the emperor must have known about his intention to become a brother. Then Prince Shuo is probably in danger himself. Regardless of whether the prince lives or dies, the planners like us have absolutely no way out."

"The emperor wants to save face. Earlier, when he bought food, he disdained us merchants to fight for profit. Now that something happened, he naturally didn't mind using us lowly merchants to save the face of the Tian family. He gave an explanation to the people. The person in charge of each family is already in a doomed situation, so there is no need to think about it."

Shen Congshang understands the truth.

"But there is another point, neither the high-ranking emperor nor his murderous dog-leg Jin Yiwei can kill us all."

"When I wait for the heads of the major merchant gangs to die, I think that whether it is the court or the thief, they will need to support a new person, who will be used to connect and communicate with merchants in the future."

"It seems to be a time of crisis, but why is it not the time for my Shen family to take off?"

Shen Congshang spoke loudly.

"Brother, what do you mean?"

Shen Congwen asked with his mouth open, he was supposed to have guessed his plan in the bottom of his heart, but he still didn't want to say it out.

"Brother, I want you to be the link, the only link between the imperial court and the four major business gangs, with an official status!"

"Is he really interested in my background?"

"Are you willing to let me, the son of a merchant, do it?"

"Congwen, you don't have to care about these things. He can wipe out the Xie family in Qinghe County without hesitation. Just based on this fact, you can know that he will definitely not be a person with a sense of family status."

"In his eyes, there is no difference whether he is an official, noble or merchant..."

Shen Congshang said firmly.

"In addition, there are two boxes of accounts in the dark cabinet of the shop I bought in the Middle East City of Shangjing City. In addition to collecting the business accounts of various companies in my Chaoshang for my brother who has been in charge of Chaoshang over the years."

"There are also some business ledgers of the other three major merchant gangs. Whether it is salt smuggling, iron, or human trafficking, there are some records. Although they are not complete, they can be used in his hands to withdraw money. Their lives are enough."

"So brother, you..."

Shen Congwen was horrified when he heard the sound.

"Don't you forget that although our four major business gangs are friendly on the surface, they want to beat each other's brains out secretly. After all, there are only so many businesses that can be done in this world. Every time one family is missing, the others You can swallow a lot more, how can you be a brother without any restraints."

"It's just that I didn't have the opportunity to use it before. After all, my house is not clean, so I will be killed and the net will be broken. Now it seems that it has become the evidence to wipe out everyone."

"Now you just have to give these things to him, and don't keep those from Chaoshang, just give them all to him, and you can live better if you have the handle in his hands."

Shen Congshang said lightly.

"We agreed to let our Shen family reach the top together."

"It seems that my brother will never see that day."

Shen Congshang listened to the rustling sound coming from the dense forest behind him, and sighed as he looked at the guard in brocade who was walking tens of meters away.

"Let my brother take my life."

"As a younger brother, your worship post..."

After all,

Shen Congshang took off a self-defense long knife from his waist and forced it into Shen Congwen's hand.

"Brother, I..."

Shen Congwen wanted to throw it away subconsciously.

But Shen Congshang did hold Shen Congwen's hand firmly.

"remember!"

"Be willing to give up everything,"

"Only in exchange for the way to reach the sky!"

"My Shen family can't be that lamb waiting to be slaughtered forever!"

Shen Congshang said,
He suddenly turned his head and neck and slammed into the knife edge.

"Pfft..."

There was only the sound of a knife piercing into flesh and blood, and at such a close distance, the sprayed blood fell on Shen Congwen's fair face, and the latter felt a little sluggish from the warm blood on his face.

"Take off brother's head and give it to him!"

"Don't let Brother Wei die in vain."

Shen Congshang felt the blood continuously flowing out of his body, and Jin Yiwei was getting closer, and spoke with the last bit of strength.

"Boom..."

It was originally going down the slope, and after the head landed, it rolled far away on the ground, and when Shen Congwen picked it up, it was already covered with mud.

"Do not worry."

Shen Congwen silently closed his brother's eyes that had not been closed, and then resolutely ran up the mountain path, where there was a figure in a python robe riding a tall horse.

"The head of the tide merchant is dead."

"The grassroots seek to see Commander Luo!"

Shen Congwen rushed out of the dense forest, ran up the mountain path and shouted loudly, at the same time his brother's head was also lifted high.

"Which one is this from?"

Looking at the young man kneeling on the ground a few feet away, Luo Porridge said in surprise, his eyes rested on the head in his hand, a trace of suspicion flashed, and he rode over.

"Craftsman Shen Congwen has met Master Luo!"

When Shen Congwen saw Luo Porridge coming, he suddenly fell to his knees in the tunnel.

"Oh?"

"Who is he to you?"

Luo Conge looked at Shen Congwen with a fair complexion and asked, he recognized the identity of that head, after all, the spy department had been watching them for so long, and the portraits of the principals of each family had already been assembled.

"Little brother."

Shen Congwen smiled miserably.

"The villain knows that my brother has committed a lot of crimes, so he deliberately killed his relatives righteously, took his head, and handed it over to your lord."

What a righteous extermination of relatives!
Luo Porridge stared at Shen Congwen and didn't reply. The backstab of the leader of the guards earlier was enough to surprise him, but now there is another big killing of relatives. This member of the Chaoshang Guild is really interesting.

The arena was unusually silent,

With long silence,

Shen Congwen's back was drenched with cold sweat, but he had no choice but to touch his head to the ground, not daring to show any overstepping or disrespect.

"What do you intend to do in such a righteous deed?"

"Or what do you want?"

After being silent for a long time, Luo Congee asked aloud, if he really wants to control the four major merchant gangs, maybe this person in front of him is also a good choice, and the strength of the tide merchants is already very strong.

Another point is that they are ruthless enough. It is unrealistic for the four major business gangs to entangle themselves in various places and kill them one by one. It is more refreshing to let their own people go dog to dog.

"Caomin wants to serve Master Luo!"

Hearing the sound, Shen Congwen raised his head and said.

"Do you work for me?"

"But this one head is not enough to qualify."

Luo Congee was not at all surprised when he heard the sound, looking at Shen Congwen who was kneeling on the ground and continued.

"Lord Luo, what do you mean?"

Shen Congwen turned his ear canal.

"In the manor outside the capital city,"

"There are three other families with more than a thousand people..."

Luo Porridge looked at the direction of Shangjing and said softly.

(End of this chapter)