Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 697 Jing Cunliang's Hesitation
In the inspector's office,

It was dead silent, no one dared to speak. In the long-peaceful Jiangnan, no one had dared to mention raising taxes for a long time. Nowadays, people all want peace and stability. If taxes were raised, not to mention what would happen to the common people, even the gentry and nobles who originally maintained the balance would lay their hands on the land in the hands of the common people!

Everyone looked at the inspector in the hall in disbelief. The taxes in Jiangnan were heavier than those in other provinces. Although the crops in Jiangnan were good, if the taxes were increased by 20%, the people would not be able to eat enough. There would be big problems. How could these low-level officials not know about these things?

In the past, I could make some money every time I collected taxes, but now it’s hard to make any money. However, I don’t know how to respond, so I just remain silent.

"First, we need to deal with this year. The weaving factory needs to add 400,000 rolls of raw silk. The original 400,000 rolls will not be used. This way, the annual output will be 800,000 rolls. We will strive to produce more than 1 million rolls of brocade cloth within two years. The finest brocade and satin will also require 50,000 rolls per year."

Jing Cunliang became more and more excited as he spoke. One hundred thousand pieces of brocade cloth was worth nearly 700,000 taels of silver, and one million pieces was worth 7 million taels of silver. Including the silk and brocade, it was worth more than 9 million taels of silver. In this way, just by relying on Jiangnan, he could increase the tax revenue of the imperial court by 10%. Who in the world could have his ability?
Therefore, we must clearly define the priorities.

But in the hall, almost all the officials looked at each other in bewilderment, and the chief official could not help but clasped his fists and replied;

"Sir, the weaving bureau is managed by Qin, and the specific operation is undertaken by our Jinling rich businessman Shen Wanhe. You need to ask them for details. In the past, the Suzhou Weaving Bureau only produced 200,000 pieces of brocade a year. It will take time to increase production. Please be patient."

"Ahahaha, I have plenty of patience. Now that I'm in Jiangnan, I won't leave unless I make some achievements. As for the Director Qin of the Weaving Bureau and Shen Wanhe you mentioned, I will go there. Now, you should start from Jinling and go down to the fields to mark out the land that can be converted to mulberry trees. Then the government will issue a notice that within 30 days, rectification must be carried out without any mistakes."

Jing Cunliang is now determined to take action. The court is watching Jiangnan, and the Imperial City Department has also sent him a secret letter. Time is running out and there is no time to wait.

"This, is, sir,"

The chief wanted to say something else, but an official behind him pulled his sleeve. He was startled and thought he had talked too much, so he nodded along with everyone else.

Then they took the account books and dispersed, waiting to sort them out and issue the government notice tomorrow. Just as everyone was dispersing, the manager outside the door came in and whispered in Jing Cunliang's ear;

"Sir, there is a shopkeeper named Qiao Hongyue outside the door. She said that she brought some things to you at the request of the eldest master of the Zhen family. They are all specialties from the North. I saw outside that the shopkeeper Qiao brought a lot of boxes, which were quite heavy. He pulled three carriages."

"Oh, a box. What kind of box is so heavy? It was sent by the eldest master of the Zhen family. Isn't it Zhen Yuandao? How can they have the leisure to come to our place?"

Jing Cunliang was puzzled. After arriving in Jiangnan, all these noble families, gentry and powerful people were wary of him as if he were a thief.
I remember when I first came to Jinling City, the local prefect and others brought people to meet and have a banquet on the first day of my arrival. After that, I couldn't even see them again, let alone discuss the things I wanted to discuss with them.

Even the officials in the prefectural yamen were so scared when they saw him that they didn't dare to say a word. They were just a bunch of mediocre people, especially when they heard about converting fields into mulberry trees. They were so scared that their faces changed and they looked like they had no future.

But because of this, Jing Cunliang became alert in his heart and did not act blindly. Instead, he hurriedly organized the officials of the yamen to conduct a survey first. This led to the yamen summoning officials to check the land.

"My lord, I asked them and they said that my lord had just arrived in Jiangnan and was not familiar with the people around him, so tonight's visit was just to meet them and show them some courtesy. With time, they would get to know each other better."

The butler stood aside and bowed in reply, "I saw that Manager Qiao was very careful in his words and deeds. It was obvious that he was not an ordinary servant. He was more like a master. I have seen so many butlers and stewards in many mansions, but this is the first time I have met such a man. Not only is he courageous, but he is also very worldly-wise."

"Interesting. They were not familiar with each other earlier, and they were not familiar with each other later. But today they want to get familiar with each other. It's so late, what kind of etiquette is this? I think being familiar with each other is just an excuse. What they want to say is the real thing. In this case, invite them to the flower hall in the back hall. They are guests. Let's see what they say."

Jing Cunliang's heart moved. He thought that since he had come to visit at such a late hour, something must have happened, but he didn't know what it was.

The Zhen family is the local boss of Jinling. When Luo Yunhou came here, he did not touch them at all, which shows that their power is deep. I heard that they are also in charge of the Weaving Bureau. This, can't be the Weaving Bureau's business? I was shocked. The Suzhou Weaving Bureau involves many people. It is difficult for me to continue to change the fields into mulberry trees. That cannot be touched. If I want to take over, it is also the business of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Thinking of this, he came up with an idea in his mind and gave an order. The old steward nodded and left.

But as soon as the people left, Jing Cunliang felt something was wrong. However, this was not the place to talk, so he got up and went to the back hall. However, he suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart. Those noble families were so observant that they came to his door just when he was about to make a move. They would take this opportunity to stir up trouble in Jiangnan again. He must not bear this responsibility alone, but must share the profits. The Weaving Bureau was one part, and the Jiangnan Governor was also one part. It would be better to divide the tax collection among the officials in Jiangnan, and then let them send people to convert the fields into mulberry trees. Even if something went wrong, it would be easier to cover it up.

I was thinking about something, so my steps slowed down.
Outside the house,

Qiao Hongyue, the chief steward of the Zhen Family Chamber of Commerce, brought a number of people to pull a few carriages, which were parked outside. They were filled with things and covered with black cloth. The boss of the host family instructed that they should go to the inspector's office today to present gifts, but three boxes seemed a bit shabby, so he took people back to the Chamber of Commerce, picked up some good things, put them on the carriage, and took out an old mountain ginseng from the inner storehouse and put it on the carriage.
This was when they were delivering goods to the north, and they saw a batch of top-quality mountain products in a medicine shop. Qiao Hongyue had a sharp eye and knew at first glance that they were wild ginseng. She waved her hand and directly bought all of them with the payment for the goods. After returning, she gave them to Mr. Yu and put the rest in the warehouse, asking him to keep them for future gifts. She took one today so that she could talk to him when he visited her.

After waiting outside the government office for a while, they saw the main gate of the government office. Many officials from the government office came out together and then dispersed. Many people were looking over here, but the carriage was covered with black cloth, so they couldn't see what was there. However, the large number of people made Butler Qiao look sideways.

After waiting for a while,
Qiao Hongyue waited on the side, watching everyone gradually leave the yamen. She also touched the old mountain ginseng in her arms, thinking about what the master had told her. This was to hand over the evidence of Lord Qin, the head of the weaving bureau, bribing his superiors to Lord Jing. This was strange. Lord Qin was wholeheartedly loyal to the Zhen family, so why did the master, to put it bluntly, kill the donkey after it had done its work? If this got out, his reputation would be ruined. Or was there another reason?

He thought about his past interactions with Lord Qin and felt sorry for it, but the master's decision was not something he, a servant, could control, so he sighed in his heart!
Just thinking,

Then I heard the housekeeper's words coming from the side door.

"Boss Qiao, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long!"

After saying this, he clasped his fists and bowed, expressing his apologies repeatedly.

Qiao Hongyue immediately returned the courtesy and said politely;

"Butler Jing, you are too polite. We are all busy working for the master. We servants don't have any skills, we are just loyal. There is no such thing as waiting for a long time."

The reply was so flawless that the old housekeeper of the Jing Mansion couldn't help but laugh. What a great manager Qiao is. It seems that he is not just an ordinary trader in charge of the Chamber of Commerce, but a confidant of the Zhen family. He actually came too.

"Shopkeeper Qiao is right. This is what we servants should do. Please."

With his body backed away, he made way for Qiao Hongyue. After he entered the door, he turned around and waved his hand. Then, carriages followed him into the yard, and from the small road on the west, he went straight into the backyard.
Night came,

But the courtyard of the government office was still brightly lit, and the carriage drove in, breaking the tranquility.

Walking on the path in the courtyard, Qiao Hongyue urged the people behind her,
"Hurry up, don't waste time, move all those things down, and then, the rest of you, carry those three boxes and follow me in safely."

"Yes, big shopkeeper."

As the carriage came to a stop, Qiao Hongyue loudly directed the servants to carefully carry the things down, then looked at Butler Jing beside her and said with a smile;

"Butler Jing, these are just some small gifts from the master of the family. They are not meant to be a token of respect. Butler Jing, please make the arrangements."

"Don't worry, Manager Qiao. This is easy. Come on, carry all the things to the warehouse and keep them carefully." "Yes, butler."

As Butler Jing shouted, many servants immediately appeared around to help carry the things.

See here,

Seeing that things were almost done, Butler Jing extended his hand as a gesture of invitation.

Qiao Hongyue then stepped into the main hall and walked in carefully. She saw a middle-aged man with a white face and long beard, wearing an official robe, sitting in the main seat. Thinking that this was Lord Jing, she did not dare to neglect him. She quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said,

"I am Qiao Hongyue, a lowly person. I am here on the orders of the master of the Dong family to bring some tribute to the Lord Zhongcheng. The Lord came in a hurry before, and my master was not ready yet, so I am late."

Jing Cunliang looked at the wealthy and elegant manager Qiao, who was dressed in a grey robe and had a wide smile on his face. He knew how to behave and how to deal with people, so he naturally couldn't reach out and hit someone who was smiling.

"It is better to come at the right time than to come late or early. I came at the right time today. I just don't know how your boss will show his filial piety to me."

"Master Zhongcheng, please wait a moment. Someone, bring it up."

Qiao Hongyue bowed and shouted to the outside. After a while, a servant brought up four large boxes and placed them in the middle of the hall. There was a loud noise when they landed on the ground, and no one knew what was inside. But seeing this, Jing Cunlai understood in his heart that they were delivering money.

After the box was put down, Qiao Hongyue waved to the people, and the servants in the hall quietly withdrew. After the people left, Qiao Hongyue smiled and said,

"Master Zhongcheng, it's not a token of respect, but these are just a small token of appreciation from the boss."

As he spoke, he walked over and opened the boxes one by one. After opening the first two boxes, they were all silver, nothing else. The third box contained some gold and silver jewelry, agate and jade, which were quite expensive. Qiao Hongyue was not in a hurry to open the last box. She turned around and smiled mysteriously at Lord Jing who was sitting in the main seat.
"Master Zhongcheng, the three boxes of things in front are just common things, not even worthy of being presented as a gift. This box of things should be what you urgently need, so please keep it."

Jing Cunliang sat there, drinking tea, and seemed indifferent. It was nothing more than a gift of silver. Many people gave him silver, so it was nothing surprising. However, when he saw Shopkeeper Qiao pointing at the last box mysteriously, he became curious and asked;

"Well, this official is in urgent need of something. That's strange. How does your boss, Master Zhen, know what this official needs?"

"Master Zhongcheng, you will know whether you know it or not at a glance."

Qiao Hongyue didn't keep it a secret any longer and opened the box. Inside was a pile of account books, almost half a box full.

When Jing Cunliang saw this, he suddenly had an idea in his mind. Without saying a word, he hurried over, took out an account book, and roughly flipped through it. If he hadn't looked at it carefully, he would have known that it was the secret account of Mr. Qin, the head of the Suzhou Weaving Bureau. He reached out and flipped through another book, and it was still the same. It seemed that the Zhen family had abandoned the weaving bureau and sent an excuse.

It's a pity. If it had been delivered earlier, I might have taken this opportunity to seize the weaving factory. Now the situation is so complicated, I can't handle this hot potato. However, I can push the boat forward and send it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and let Eunuch Wang send someone to take over. It may be a good move.
"Ahahaha, you are worthy of being the Zhen family. You think of what others think. I haven't thought of it yet, but your boss has thought of it. These are very good. I will stay."

After saying this, he closed the account book in his hand with a smile on his face, threw it back, turned back to the main seat, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of tea.
Seeing this, Qiao Hongyue closed the boxes one by one, came to the side of the Lord Zhongcheng, took out a sandalwood box from her arms, opened it and placed it on the table.
"Master Zhongcheng, I found this while I was doing business in the north. It is extremely rare. My master was concerned about it, so he asked me to bring it to you as a token of respect."

Jing Cunliang's eyes were attracted by the things in the box. Wow, such a magical thing was taken out. Although it can be found outside the Great Wall, who would go to the bitter cold place outside the Great Wall for no reason? Therefore, some old bodies were sold at sky-high prices inside the Great Wall. The Zhen family had invested a lot of money.

"Your master is too polite. I will gladly accept this divine object."

As he said that, he immediately closed the box with his hand. When he took it back, the box was no longer in its original place. Looking at the slightly fat shopkeeper in front of him, he suddenly felt much more pleasing to the eye. He had to return the greeting. After thinking for a while, he said;

"I came to Jiangnan for one thing, to turn fields into mulberry trees and increase the supply of raw silk. As for the rest, I don't have that much power, so please rest assured, sir. In addition, officials from all departments should work together to handle the affairs of the court. It cannot be accomplished by one person alone. As for the Weaving Bureau, there are people to investigate and handle it."

All that needed to be said had been said. Jing Cunliang still had to write a memorial to submit to the court and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so it was inconvenient to keep the guest and he just served tea and sent him off.

Qiao Hongyue felt relieved. After hearing what was said, she saw the Minister of the Central Chancellery serving tea to the guests and bowed to them.
"Master Zhongcheng, I will go back and report to my master. I will take my leave now."

"Well, come on, show the guests out."

Outside the house,

Qiao Hongyue bid farewell to the old housekeeper and left in a hurry with her people.
Soon they returned to the Zhen family compound. Not daring to delay, after getting off the carriage, Qiao Hongyue walked alone through the small path and into the study in the backyard.
In the room,

The second master Zhen Yingjia was still sorting out the account books. When he heard footsteps outside, he put down the account books in his hand. Then the door was opened.

Qiao Hongyue hurried in, then turned around and closed the door. She entered the left room of the study and saw the second master sitting behind the desk. She bowed and saluted.

"Second Master, I have returned from Lord Jing's residence."

"Oh, what did Lord Jing say?"

Zhen Yingjia's expression moved and he had an idea in his mind. It seemed that the old fox had something to say.

As expected, Qiao Hongyue took a breath, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and replied;

"Second Master, the Minister of the Central Court said that he came to Jiangnan on the orders of the emperor to increase the production of raw silk and convert fields into mulberry trees. He has no intention of interfering in other matters. He also said that the affairs of the court are not his own business. It seems that he wants to borrow the power of the Jiangnan government. As for other matters, he did not say much."

"Well, how could this happen?"

Zhen Yingjia was puzzled. The whole Jiangnan was full of mixed forces. It could be said that every government office had spies from other parties. Whoever arrived in Jiangnan would have to look at the colors of the forces. Of course, except for the killer Luo Yunhou, there was a saying that a scholar could not explain himself when he met a soldier. The killing was too cruel. But even so, he could not touch the fur of those people in Jiangnan.

The gentry and powerful people headed by Jiangnan, as well as the meritorious families, and the forces of the Northern Prince's Palace and the Eastern Prince's Palace, not to mention the current prefects, provincial governors, etc., who also want a piece of the pie. People from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial City Bureau have also been sent in. The intention is self-evident. The Weaving Bureau and the Salt Administration are of paramount importance.

Lord Jing came here, didn't he think differently? After getting the account book, shouldn't he immediately take down the head of the Weaving Bureau, plant his own people, and take control of the Weaving Bureau? In this way, he would have the final say from beginning to end. As long as he took care of the Jiao family and Shen Wanhe, and the governor just nodded, these things would be within his reach, but he was not tempted.
No, something is wrong. Is he really not interested, or is he just pretending to be confused?
This old fox is not simple!

(End of this chapter)