My Red Mansion Career

Chapter 210 Yelling five and drinking six

Yangzhou

It has been one of the most prosperous places in the world since ancient times. Yin Yun, a native of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, even wrote a poem about "riding a crane to Yangzhou with a hundred thousand guan on his waist", which shows the prosperity of Yangzhou.

After the founding of Daxia, the imperial court established the post of Salt Patrol Censor in Yangzhou to oversee the taxation of the salt industry in the south of the Yangtze River.

The salt industry in Jiangnan has indeed lived up to the expectations of the imperial court. From the founding of the People's Republic of China to the present, the tax revenue from the salt industry in Jiangnan has been supporting half of the tax revenue in Daxia for more than 70 years.

However, since the twenty-fifth year of the Shenwu Year, due to the extravagant nature of the Supreme Emperor, he has made six trips to the south of the Yangtze River. Each time he went to the south of the Yangtze River, the cost was huge and the local government could not afford it.

The local government had no choice but to turn to local salt merchants for help, and gave local salt merchants more and more openings. This also led to the increasing power of Jiangnan salt merchants.

In the thirty-fourth year of Shenwu, after the defeat of the Taishang Emperor in Liaodong, he experienced the rebellion of Tiewen Mountain. He had no choice but to retire from Longshou Palace and passed the throne to the current Emperor Changping.

In the first few years, Emperor Changping, who had just ascended the throne, was busy consolidating his throne. When he finally secured the throne, he turned around and found that the salt merchants in Jiangnan had grown into a behemoth.

They stayed together and used various means to evade taxes. The salt tax paid to the court gradually dropped to less than four million taels per year.

This amount of money is not to mention the tens of millions of taels at the peak of Taizu's period. Even the six million taels of money during Taishang Huang's period has dropped off a cliff.

Emperor Changping was furious when his money bag was tampered with, and immediately appointed his confidant Lin Ruhai as the Yangzhou Salt Patrol Censor, trying to rectify the Jiangnan salt tax.

After Lin Ruhai took office, he worked very hard, using various means such as differentiation and co-optation, to finally stop the declining salt tax.

During this period, the salt merchants in Yangzhou also tried to win over him by various means, but they were all rejected by Lin Ruhai.

Then something strange happened. In the following years, Lin Ruhai's wife and youngest son died of illness.

In order to save her only flesh and blood, Lin Ruhai had to send her only remaining daughter to the Rongguo Mansion in Shenjing.

It's just that Lin Ruhai never expected that he still made a mistake.

According to the development of the original work, after he died in Yangzhou, he was still plotted against by his father-in-law and his family.

Not only did the only daughter die with hatred, but even the huge dowry left to her daughter was swallowed up by the father-in-law's family.

However, with the arrival of Jia Yu, this world also began to show slight deviations.

Yangzhou Xunyan Censor’s Mansion at noon

The old housekeeper of the Lin Mansion slowly walked out. He looked at the scorching sun hanging high in the sky, listened to the faint curses coming from behind, and shook his head helplessly.

He called a servant, gave him five taels of silver, and ordered him to order a banquet nearby and come back.

The servant who took the money said angrily: "Uncle Lin, why did you order a banquet for those people?

Since these people came here, they have almost regarded this place as their own home. They are all shouting and drinking, and they ask us to order banquets for them every day. Why? "

Butler Lin glared at the servant: "Why...just because they are the master's relatives. If anything happens to the master, they will have to hold flags and throw tiles for him."

The servant shook his head helplessly and said angrily: "It would be great if the lady came back. Let's see if they still dare to be so presumptuous?"

Butler Lin sighed softly: "Young lady can't do it here, unless she can recruit us a uncle, and she must be able to use her right wrist."

At this time, there was a sound of cursing inside: "Old Lintou... what the hell are you doing at the door? Why don't you hurry up and buy a banquet for me? If you make me hungry, , let’s see how I deal with you!”

Listening to the scolding coming from behind, Butler Lin sighed and waved his hand, "Go ahead. If it's too late, those people inside don't know what might happen."

"Oh……"

The servant took the silver and was about to leave when he heard the sound of neat footsteps coming from ahead.

Along with the sound of footsteps, he saw a group of soldiers dressed in red and white and wearing snow-white shiny helmets on the street opposite, walking in neat lines towards their mansion.

Especially these soldiers, each of them carried a long firecracker on their shoulders, and the bayonets on the firecrackers shone with a cold light in the sun.

Seeing the soldiers walking towards them who had never seen such attire before, the servant who was about to go out stopped in fear and asked with some fear:

"Old housekeeper, these people... these people seem to be... coming for us."

"Ok?"

The old housekeeper turned his head and looked at the group of soldiers who were clearly heading towards them with some surprise, and said with some confusion:

"It's weird, why have I never seen these soldiers dressed like this before? We don't have officers and soldiers dressed like this in Yangzhou or even Jiangnan. Where did they come from?"

Just when the old housekeeper and the servants were in shock, the group of soldiers came to the gate of Xunyan Censor's Mansion with neat steps. With a loud command, everyone stopped.

Butler Lin boldly stepped forward and asked, "Who are you and why are you surrounding my mansion?

This is the Lin Mansion, and my husband is the Yangzhou Salt Patrol Censor appointed by the Emperor. Why don’t you get out of the way quickly! "

It's a pity that Butler Lin's words were like playing the harp to an ox. The soldiers on the opposite side didn't even bat an eyelid. They just followed the officers' orders and quickly surrounded the entire Lin Mansion.

Butler Lin was anxious and angry. He was about to continue cursing when he heard a crisp voice not far away.

"Is it Uncle Lin?"

"Um……"

Hearing this very familiar voice, Butler Lin was stunned for a moment, and then his whole body seemed to be frozen motionless.

Then he slowly turned around and saw a slim figure standing timidly next to a small sedan, looking at him with tears in his eyes.

He wiped his eyes in disbelief, blinked several times, and then tremblingly shouted: "Little... Miss... is this Miss?"

Daiyu, who had just gotten off the sedan chair, was so excited that her delicate body trembled slightly when she saw the old housekeeper who had watched her grow up since childhood.

The two looked at each other for dozens of seconds before Butler Lin choked up and bowed to Daiyu.

"Miss... you are finally back, master... master, he..."

When Daiyu heard this, her heart suddenly sank, and her whole body became a little shaky.

At this time, a figure came from behind, supported her, and said in a deep voice: "Yu'er, please calm down first, and wait until you find out more.

Zicuckoo, Xueyan, please support your young lady first. "

"oh oh……"

After hearing this, Zicuckoo and Xueyan, who were standing silently, stepped forward to support Daiyu.

Butler Lin saw that the visitor was supporting his young lady without hesitation, and Daiyu did not show any resistance. He couldn't help but look at the person curiously.

But he saw that although the person who came was young, only eighteen or nineteen years old, he had a heavy long knife hanging on his waist. The whole person is tall and tall, with a heroic appearance, especially when his eyes look over, he has an aura of calmness and self-power.

The old housekeeper who had been with Lin Ruhai for many years knew immediately that this kind of momentum could not be cultivated by someone who had not been giving orders for a long time.

Especially the python robe he was wearing was not something ordinary people could wear.

He looked at his young lady with some surprise and asked in a low voice: "Miss... this is..."

"Old housekeeper...he..."

Without waiting for Daiyu's introduction, Jia Yu took the initiative and said to Housekeeper Lin, "I am Jia Yu, the husband of Yuanchun, the eldest lady of Rongguo Mansion, and also Yu'er's cousin-in-law.

This time I went to Yangzhou on official business and came with Yu'er. "

"Cousin-in-law?"

"Yes, old housekeeper, this is Sister Yuanchun's husband-in-law, and he is also the newly promoted uncle Dingyuan of the imperial court." Daiyu also added at the side.

The old housekeeper looked at his young lady, and then at Jia Yu, who stood upright beside her.

One of the two is shy and timid, the other is tall and handsome. They are not a cousin-in-law and a sister-in-law. To say that they are a couple is not inconsistent at all.

However, the old housekeeper didn't say much, he just sighed softly and said: "Miss... the master's condition is not very good now, and he often wakes up and falls into a coma.

Moreover, a group of relatives from the Lin family have come to our house. They...well...you will know when you go in..."

"Clans..."

Daiyu's beautiful eyebrows frowned slightly. Their family had been passed down alone for two consecutive generations, and this was still the case in Lin Ruhai's generation.

Even if they are there, they are relatively distant relatives, so why are they all coming here?

She turned to look at Jia Yu and said hesitantly: "Brother Yu... this..."

Jia Yu patted her shoulder lightly and said, "Don't worry, Yu'er, I'll take care of everything."

Although Jia Yu's voice was not loud, it gave people an inexplicable sense of security. Daiyu's originally floating heart immediately settled down, as if as long as Jia Yu was by her side, no matter how big of a problem it was, it would just be a piece of cake.

Jia Yu looked at the old housekeeper and said loudly: "Butler Lin, since our relatives are here, please take us in."

The old housekeeper looked at Jia Yu and Daiyu, and then at the hundreds of musketeers who were neatly arranged around them, holding muskets, and couldn't help but feel reassured.

Yes, now my young lady is back, and she is following her uncle... ah... she is coming back with her cousin-in-law.

He also brought so many officers and soldiers, so what else do he have to be afraid of? What he should be afraid of is the bastards inside.

Thinking of this, a fire surged in his heart.

My lady's cousin-in-law seems to be a capable person, and he might be able to bring some good news to the master.

"Miss...Master Jia...please go in with me."

Under the leadership of the old housekeeper, Jia Yu and Dai Yu brought Zi Juan, Xue Yan, their mother-in-law and more than a dozen soldiers into the Lin Mansion.

As soon as the group arrived at the hall, they heard a commotion inside, and Jia Yu even heard the sound of fists being struck.

Not to mention Jia Yu, even the three girls Daiyu, Zijuan and Xueyan who came in together had angry looks on their faces.

The host is seriously ill and his life or death is uncertain, but relatives from afar are feasting in the host's living room. What kind of logic is this?

Before Jia Yu could say anything, Daiyu, who was already depressed because she was worried about her father's condition, couldn't help but walked into the hall faster.

When they entered the hall, they found that the originally elegantly decorated hall was in a mess.

Three dining tables were placed in the middle of the hall, and more than twenty men were talking and laughing loudly around the tables.

There were a few men who even stood with one foot on the stools, shouting loudly and punching each other. There were also several servants standing around the hall, but they were too angry to speak out.

As soon as Jia Yu and his party entered the hall, everyone inside turned their heads and looked over.

Seeing two strange men and women walking in, many people looked at each other, only to find that they all had blank looks on their faces.

However, they immediately saw Butler Lin following them. A middle-aged man in his thirties immediately shouted, "Old Lin, who are these two people you brought? Could it be that they are also here to serve Ruhai?" Relatives of the Lin family."

After Daiyu arrived, Butler Lin became more courageous and glared: "Why are you talking? This is the eldest lady of our house who is back."

"Miss?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly, and his original unkind expression was immediately replaced by a hypocritical smile.

"Oh...it turns out that Ruhai's niece is back.

Come on, come on... Come here and let Uncle Wu take a good look. Don't you remember that Uncle Wu hugged you when you were a child? "

When the middle-aged man spoke, several young men who originally looked bohemian were stunned when they saw Daiyu standing there, like a hibiscus fairy descending to earth.

They, who had lived in the countryside all year round, had never seen such a beautiful lady in their lives. They were all stunned for a moment, and many of them even had saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths without realizing it.

However, Daiyu did not give them a good look, but said coldly to the middle-aged man: "I'm really sorry, I don't know Uncle Wu.

But now that my father is seriously ill, isn't it inappropriate for you to hold a big banquet in this little girl's house, shouting and drinking? "

"Uh!"

Uncle Wu's expression froze. He didn't expect that a teenage girl would reprimand them as soon as she came in, and he hadn't even given an explanation yet. After all, they were indeed in the wrong for this matter.

But immediately someone quit. An old man in his sixties with white hair and beard stood up, stroking his beard and shouted:

"You little girl, when you came in, not only did you not greet us uncles and brothers, but you scolded us. Do you have any etiquette at all?

Besides, how can we do it in our turn and you have to reprimand us? Let alone you, even if Ruhai is here, he would not dare to talk to us like this. "

Faced with the old man's accusation, Daiyu was speechless for a moment.

It's not that she doesn't dare to curse, it's just that the customs and etiquette of this era are like this. In this era where filial piety is more important than heaven, the elders' words are the rule of heaven, and you have to listen honestly even if they are wrong.

Although Daiyu dared to scold me, a middle-aged man in his thirties, if she also scolded this old man in his sixties, if word spread, it would definitely be a big blow to her reputation.

(End of this chapter)