Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 201 Silver
"I didn't explain it clearly. The war in Yunnan is in urgent need of money. I know that you are particularly good at making money, so I was wondering if I could find a way to get some money?" Emperor Jingwen said bluntly.

"I wonder how much silver is needed?" Jia Qiang understood somewhat and asked.

"It will take at least three to five million taels of silver to support the consumption in Yunnan!" Emperor Jingwen replied long ago.

"I can write a letter to discuss with the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou and ask them to pay part of next year's salt tax in advance. What do you think?" Jia Qiang thought for a while and suggested.

"Are you sure?" Emperor Jingwen asked after hearing this suggestion. It was feasible, but the big salt merchant in Yangzhou was not that easy to talk to.

There were various forces behind Yangzhou's big salt merchant, and Emperor Jingwen didn't want to get into trouble.

Maybe he wants the big salt merchant in Yangzhou to hand over part of next year's salt tax. When he turns around, the royal family will come to cry and complain, and there will be old ministers writing letters.

"This is the fastest way to get money. It shouldn't be a big problem if I want each of the eight major salt merchants to provide one million taels of silver!" Jia Qiang said with a smile.

He had already thought about it. If any of the big salt merchants refused to give him face, he would just kill the chickens and scare the monkeys and find a disobedient example to kill, so that the other big salt merchants would be obedient.

"I'll leave this matter to you, I'm waiting for your money!" Emperor Jingwen had a smile on his face.

After Jia Qiang returned home, she immediately wrote eight letters in handwriting. The contents of the letters were all very simple, making the letters light enough.

He really had no choice but to block Jia Qiang.

"It's the majesty's reputation, otherwise how could the eight major salt merchants raise money so quickly!" Jia Qiang said modestly.

With these eight million taels of silver, there is no need to worry about the war in Yunnan.

"Okay, I really saw the right person!" Emperor Jingwen said with great joy.

More than ten days later, Jia Qiang asked to see Emperor Jingwen.

He Kun, one of the eight major salt merchants, immediately ordered someone to transfer one million taels of silver from the capital to Jia Qiang's house as soon as he received the letter.

The letter was delivered to the eight major salt merchants as quickly as possible by the carrier pigeons that passed Jiangnan Supervision.

This was the first time Jia Qiang made a request after leaving Jiangnan. Although the one million taels of silver made the big salt merchants heartbroken, Jia Qiang's threat was even more terrifying.

"Of course, otherwise where would your title come from!" Emperor Jingwen said, not denying Jia Qiang's contribution.

If you upgrade your title, this amount of merit cannot be improved at all.

The premise is that Jia Qiang's method of delivering letters is carrier pigeons, otherwise more than ten days would not be enough for a quick horseback trip.

"Who doesn't know that you are famous for killing thousands of people in Jiangnan? They are just afraid of you!" Emperor Jingwen said with a smile.

When Jia Qiang opened the box and showed it to Emperor Jingwen, Emperor Jingwen's expression was no better than that of the little eunuch.

Others may be wary of the power behind the big salt merchant, but Jia Qiang has a history of assassination.

Emperor Jingwen waved to Xia Shouzhong, and Xia Shouzhong directed two young eunuchs to carry away the box full of silver notes.

At the beginning, Jia Qiang was just an imperial envoy with the emperor's order, which made people in Jiangnan tremble. Now Jia Qiang is in charge of the armies of nine provinces in the south. Not to mention Yangzhou, even the entire Jinling army is in Jia Qiang's hands. Take control.

He was originally Jia Qiang's man, and it was said that Emperor Jingwen was behind him. In fact, in order to avoid suspicion, Emperor Jingwen still used Jia Qiang to come forward through this channel. Of course, Jia Qiang was also involved.

He only wanted three hundred taels of silver. According to Jia Qiang's intention, he wanted eight million taels of silver, which was enough now.

The war situation in Yunnan is at a stalemate, with lives being taken every day, and a lot of money being spent, and the inner treasury can no longer bear it.

The matter has been accomplished, but the greatest credit must be reaped.

The fast horse mentioned here means using horses to travel, rather than constantly changing horses at the post station. The eight major salt merchants are not qualified to use the method of changing horses at the post station to travel.

The other big salt merchants were still planning to discuss, but they found out that the He and Ma families had already paid money. They were all treacherous and cunning people, and they knew very well who could and could not be offended.

Eight million taels of silver notes, even if they are 10,000 taels each, is still a thick stack, not to mention that there are many thousand taels of silver notes in it, so it is filled with a box full.

"Your Majesty, this is eight million taels of silver sent by the eight major salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River. Your Majesty, please take a look at it!" Jia Qiang put a box she was carrying on the ground and said.

A super duke is the pinnacle of the title. Unless you are a relative of the royal family, there is no possibility for someone with a different surname to be crowned king.

"Everyone I killed in Jiangnan was the person who deserved to be killed. I never killed anyone arbitrarily!" Jia Qiang bowed and replied.

Not to mention this small amount of credit, even the merits of winning one or two battles cannot elevate a super-grade marquis to a super-grade duke.

As for the official position, the military attache position has reached the highest level of the first grade and nine provinces, and has reached the limit of military attache.

"Remember your contribution this time, and you will receive a share of the credit after the rebellion is suppressed!" Emperor Jingwen thought for a while and said.

As for next year's salt tax, we will consider it next year, after passing this hurdle first.

But only more than ten days had passed, and the eight major salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River had already sent the silver. This was only possible if they had to work hard without stopping.

As long as the shopkeeper of Ma Da thinks that the salt merchant of Ma Da was assassinated in front of Ma Mansion for only one million taels of silver, he will buy his life.

Apart from leaving the country, the chances of being promoted to Duke in the rest of the time are slim, as the merit required is simply too high.

Emperor Jingwen was not someone who had never seen the world. His annual income from the inner treasury alone was millions of taels of silver.

The second person to react was Shopkeeper Ma Da. Even though Jia Qiang left Yangzhou, Jia Qiang's reputation did not weaken after leaving Yangzhou for several years. Instead, it became stronger with Jia Qiang's continuous military exploits.

Neither of these two big salt merchants thought about the salt tax procedures next year. Instead, they immediately found a way to hand over the one million taels of silver after receiving the letter.

As for civil servants, although cabinet walking is a fifth-grade job, it is learned in the cabinet. For this kind of opportunity, other officials would probably be willing to take a second- or third-grade official position in exchange.

When he brought this box into the palace, the little eunuch who checked it opened it and his jaw almost dropped.

Look at the Rongguo Mansion. Just relying on the shadow of the ancestral Duke, it has protected the family for hundreds of years, and even now there is still a first-class title being inherited.

This is also Jia Qiang's intention. Compared with eight hundred 10,000 taels of silver notes, how can he be shocked by a whole box of silver notes in front of him.

"How dare you take credit for such a trivial matter!" Jia Qiang bowed and replied.

Emperor Jingwen smiled and nodded. He liked Jia Qiang's attitude of not fighting or grabbing.

In his opinion, what is given to you is yours, and fighting for what is not given to you shows that your mind is not pure.

Emperor Jingwen had seen too many officials, but there were very few officials like Jia Qiang, and those who were capable and had such a character were even rarer.

What he was most satisfied with was Jia Qiang's ability to do things. A trip to Jiangnan not only enriched his internal treasury, but also opened up a stable internal financial source.

He went to patrol the border, repulsed the Tatar invasion, and managed the northern army. This time the money was needed, and everyone in the court was anxious. Looking at Jia Qiang's side, eight million taels of silver were delivered after just ten days of giving the order.

Where did Jia Qiang's favor come from? It was obtained by doing practical things again and again.

What is reputation is the reputation accumulated by one thing.

A letter from Jia Qiang asking the eight major salt merchants in Jiangnan to send eight million taels of silver spread throughout the capital in just a few days.

At this time, people discovered that Jia Qiang's reputation in Jiangnan was enough to make the eight major salt merchants bow their heads with just one letter. There was no one else in the entire Daqian except Jia Qiang.

"Brother Qiang, your reputation is a bit too great. This is not a good thing!" Lin Ruhai looked at his disciple and shook his head.

Although Jia Qiang no longer studies with Lin Ruhai, he still takes time to discuss current affairs with Lin Ruhai.

Who said that he and Lin Ruhai were natural allies, and the two sides needed to make progress and retreat together on many things.

In the position of Zuo Shaoqing of Dali Temple, Lin Ruhai also showed his strength after the last danger, and he was finally able to stand firm.

With many warriors following Lin Ruhai, Lin Ruhai's safety was assured.

And he can also rely on Jia Qiang's power to investigate cases.

Calculating Jia Qiang's power, the first thing is the capital. Wu Zicang, the military commander of the Jingying camp, is Jia Qiang's man. Two guards in the Jingying camp are completely controlled by Jia Qiang, and many strong men have been placed in the remaining guards.

On the Jiangnan side, Jia Qiang's Jiangnan supervisory envoy has never been removed. The Jiangnan supervisory information is shared with him, not to mention that he still has many connections in Jiangnan.

In the Jiubian Army Town, five military towns ostensibly took refuge with Jia Qiang. In fact, most of the military attachés in the Jiubian Army Town were under his control.

Not to mention the Northern Army, Jia Qiang invested thousands of warriors in it and had already controlled all the Northern Army.

In the entire Daqian South, Jia Qiang currently has the weakest control. He only occupies most of the positions at the level of thousands of households, so Jia Qiang's power can provide great help to Lin Ruhai.

"Teacher, I can't taint myself!" Jia Qiang said helplessly.

Self-defeat is a common tactic in official circles, in order to reduce the hostility of others, especially superiors, towards oneself.

"That's not necessary. You are still young, and self-congratulation may have repercussions. I'm just worried that you will be burdened by your reputation!" Lin Ruhai shook his head and said.

"By the way, teacher, are you going to move your position?" Jia Qiang asked with a smile.

"It's not like I have benefited from you. You have made endless contributions. The Holy Emperor cannot reward you, so you can only share the benefits with me!" Lin Ruhai replied with a smile.

Originally, based on Lin Ruhai's contribution as the salt inspector in Yangzhou, Zuo Shaoqing of Dali Temple, who was in the fourth rank, had an important task. However, because Jia Qiang had made great contributions, Jia Qiang herself could not be promoted, so Lin Ruhai benefited.

"Are you appointed as Minister of Dali Temple, or transferred to another place?" Jia Qiang asked curiously.

"It should still be at Dali Temple!" Lin Ruhai replied with a smile.

"Congratulations, teacher!" As soon as Jia Qiang heard what Lin Ruhai said, he knew that his promotion to the minister of Dali Temple was almost a foregone conclusion, and he quickly congratulated him.

Lin Ruhai's step was extremely important, as he truly entered the high civil service position of Daqian.

The Minister of Dali Temple is the third rank and holds the highest judicial power of Daqian.

"Is the conflict between you and Rong Guofu irresolvable?" Lin Ruhai asked, changing the subject.

Before, Jia Qiang and Lin Ruhai rarely mentioned things about Rongguo Mansion. Because of Jia Min's relationship, it was impossible to sever the relationship between Lin Ruhai and Rongguo Mansion.

"Teacher, I have something to tell you clearly. Do you think it is a good thing or a bad thing for Jia Yuanchun to become a concubine?" Jia Qiang asked after pondering for a moment.

Although he thought he could protect the teacher's family when something happened to the Jia family, it was best to clarify the stakes in advance to prevent the teacher's family from getting too involved with the Rongguo Mansion.

"Is there any problem with Jia Yuanchun becoming a concubine?" Lin Ruhai was really surprised and asked worriedly.

It's not that Lin Ruhai lacks political sensitivity, but that this matter is related to the inside of the palace, and it is difficult for him, an outsider, to see clearly.

"The Jia family has always been on the side of the Emperor. In fact, it was the Emperor who proposed Jia Yuanchun's concubine this time. Before this incident, the Emperor and Prince Zhongshun teamed up to deal with King Beijing. King Beijing escaped overnight. The Supreme Emperor issued an imperial edict to make Jia Yuanchun his concubine!" Jia Qiang told what happened.

Lin Ruhai took a breath. He could imagine that Emperor Jingwen was forced to make Jia Yuanchun his concubine, and he felt resentful in his heart.

This resentment cannot be directed at the Supreme Emperor, it must be borne by the Jia family.

An emperor's resentment would make his scalp numb just thinking about it.

What strength does the current Jia family have that can withstand the resentment from Emperor Jingwen?

Among the four princes and eight princes, King Beijing fled. The first-class Bo Niu Jizong has not returned to Beijing, but he will definitely be punished when he returns to Beijing. It is difficult to say whether the title can be kept.

The four bastards and eight princes have too much time to take care of themselves, so how can they still help the Jia family.

Several old relatives of the Jia family and the Zhen family in Jiangnan are completely supported by the old concubine. They can only dominate in Jiangnan and cannot extend their hands to the capital.

Wang Ziteng of the Wang family is almost in a state of foster care. A military attache without military power, even if he is a first-class military officer, does not have much influence.

The Xue family only had a little bit of money left over, and they had to rely on the Jia and Wang families.

As for the historians, although they belong to the same family, the dual princes of the historians do not hold any official positions. They have been relying on the accumulation of their ancestors to live their lives. Their influence in Daqian is not as good as that of the Jia family.

The more Lin Ruhai thought about it, the more he understood the danger. He understood the reason why Jia Qiang reminded him.

"Is there any way to help Rongguo Mansion escape?" Lin Ruhai thought for a while and asked.

When it comes to the palace, his understanding of the palace is far less than that of Jia Qiang.

"Teacher, do you think the Jia family will listen to the advice? See how the Jia family has been so successful recently because of the concubine issue, I advise you not to get too close!" Jia Qiang shook her head and advised.

"But that is your wife's natal family after all. You can't just watch something happen to the Jia family!" Lin Ruhai sighed.

"If you interfere, you will involve the Lin family as well!" Jia Qiang reminded.

"That's all, if something happens in the future, if you can, please do so!" Lin Ruhai also thought about it clearly and shook his head.

Jia Qiang can be considered relieved. Now that his life in Daqian is excellent, he doesn't want any changes, and he doesn't want the Lin family to be implicated by the Jia family.

If something happens to the Lin family, he will definitely take action with all his strength. At that time, he will no longer be able to stay alone.

(End of this chapter)