Red Mansion Taoist

Chapter 288 Fiefdom
A pier on the Yangzhou Grand Canal belongs to Prince Yi Zhong. It is for this reason that this pier has developed significantly in recent years and has increased five times in size compared to when Li Qiang bought it a few years ago.

Such a wharf is also the largest among the Yangzhou Canal wharves.

The docks are always busy, with almost every space being used.

But it was different today. A hundred meters away from the pier was blocked off, and no ship was allowed to approach.

Even though there was a long queue behind the boat stall next to it, it was still empty.

No one complained about this because everyone saw the line of big shots waiting at the dock.

Among them were Yangzhou prefects, magistrates, etc., as well as the heads of the eight major salt merchants, and important and prominent figures in Yangzhou.

"Master Zhang, you know the prince, please help me to say some kind words when the time comes!" Zhifu Zhao said, hugging his fists to Zhang Zhizhou.

His official position as a magistrate is one level higher than that of a magistrate, but Zhang Zhizhou is an old man from Yangzhou. It is said that when Li Qiang was in Yangzhou, the relationship between the two parties was not bad.

In today's Yangzhou Prefecture, the power here has become a bit complicated because the Supreme Emperor granted the title to Prince Yizhong Li Qiang.

"Get back on your feet!" Li Qiang waved her hands and said in a deep voice.

I saw four huge ships appearing on the river in the distance.

The people from Li Qiang's faction would have overlapping powers with Magistrate Zhao, and Magistrate Zhao must cooperate as much as possible.

After everyone heard his words, they stood up one by one.

"Coming!" someone exclaimed.

Everyone knew that He Kun was Emperor Jingwen's agent in Yangzhou. If something happened to Emperor Jingwen, it meant that he had no backer.

Li Qiang smiled. This Magistrate Zhao must be a clumsy person. He who can be a Magistrate cannot do it without ability.

In other words, there were vague rumors that He Kun was related to Li Qiang, so he was not swallowed up by other forces.

It is true that the prefect is the highest official of Yangzhou Prefecture, but this is only on the side of the Daqian court. As a fiefdom of Prince Yi Zhong, Yangzhou Prefecture is also under the jurisdiction of Prince Yi Zhong's Palace.

Of course, because Li Qiang had been in the capital before and only sent people to Yangzhou Mansion to do preliminary reception work, nothing in Yangzhou Mansion has changed at present.

"I will definitely live up to the prince's expectations!" He Kun replied loudly.

He was very satisfied to be able to keep his official position.

"Your Majesty, this is Magistrate Zhao!" Zhang Zhizhou introduced him when he saw Magistrate Zhao's nervous expression.

But this time after Li Qiang came to Yangzhou Mansion in person, everyone believed that Li Qiang would officially send someone to manage Yangzhou Mansion.

Li Qiang walked off the boat with a smile and saw the people who greeted him.

"Governor Zhao, the future peace of Yangzhou Mansion depends on you!" Li Qiang said to Magistrate Zhao.

Ever since Emperor Jingwen was imprisoned, his life has not been easy.

This is why Magistrate Zhao is eager to leave a good impression in front of Li Qiang to facilitate future work.

"Master Zhao, I can only give it a try!" Zhang Zhizhou said with a wry smile.

After everything was taken over, the Western-style gunboat slowly docked.

"Meet the prince!" No matter they were officials or people with other identities, they all knelt down and saluted.

Back then, a major case involving the White Lotus Demon occurred in Yangzhou City. If Li Qiang hadn't taken action, he might have been implicated just like the prefect back then.

If Li Qiang is not optimistic about him, then he will no longer be able to serve as the prefect of Yangzhou.

General Luo Wu bowed his head and stood with his hands tied to show respect for Li Qiang. The Yangzhou Camp is now under Li Qiang's jurisdiction.

But seeing as he meant to make friends, he wouldn't refuse.

Strictly speaking, Li Qiang is the boss of General Luo Wu's boss.

Li Qiang was a little surprised. At that time, most of the Huang family's property fell into the hands of He Kun. She did not expect that He Kun would keep the Huang family's house for his own use.

"He Kun, do your best!" Li Qiang saw He Kun, one of the eight major salt merchants, and said with a smile.

He was afraid that others wouldn't hear him, so after Li Qiang spoke to him, he made it clear that he was Li Qiang's person.

Especially the weird big ship that was guarded in the middle. The old man who had worked at the dock for many years recognized it at a glance as Li Qiang's car.

"Don't dare, don't dare, obey the prince's orders in everything!" Magistrate Zhao lowered his head and said.

He knew his own affairs. He did have a romantic relationship with Li Qiang back then, but it was impossible to say how big the friendship was. He even owed Li Qiang a favor.

This is not the jurisdiction of a fiefdom, but Li Qiang's nine-province metropolitan inspection, but he is in charge of the military affairs of the nine southern provinces.

The three battleships docked first, and the three thousand escorts stepped off the battleships in neat steps and took over the security guard of the dock.

"Not bad!" Li Qiang smiled.

He looked at General Luo Wu aside and nodded. This was the commander of the Yangzhou camp, and he had helped him a lot in Yangzhou back then.

He secretly thought to himself that this was the best he could do, and it was worthy of Magistrate Zhao.

"Your Majesty, the Huang family's house has always been reserved for you!" He Kun took two steps forward, approached Li Qiang and said softly.

"Zhang Zhizhou, I haven't seen him for many years, what is Ximing doing now?" Li Qiang came to Zhang Zhizhou and asked with a smile.

He never expected that Li Qiang would be the first to talk to him. This honor made his whole body feel lighter.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for remembering me. Quanzi is still studying and will take part in the next provincial examination!" Zhang Zhizhou replied with excitement on his face.

With his current financial resources, no matter how luxurious the Huang family's house is, he would not put it in his eyes.

But He Kun's heart made him very satisfied, and he couldn't help but smile and nodded.

"In that case, we will hold a banquet there today and invite you all to come!" Li Qiang said to everyone present with a smile.

Those who can stand here are all important figures in Yangzhou Prefecture. Yangzhou Prefecture is his fiefdom and he also needs the help of these people.

Everyone agreed one after another, thinking about what gifts they should prepare.

Li Qiang got on the carriage, and He Kun sat beside him in a small sedan, and they headed towards the house together.

Three thousand guardsmen cleared the way. This scene shocked the people in Yangzhou City. They could only look at the procession on the street through the windows.

Arriving at the house, Li Qiang saw that the plaque on the house was still empty.

"Your Majesty, if this is suitable for you, set up a royal palace here. If not, then build a separate courtyard here!" He Kun explained.

"Let's discuss the matter of the palace again. Let's write 'Li Zhai' on this plaque!" Li Qiang told He Kun.

"Let someone do it!" He Kun responded.

Under the guidance of He Kun, Li Qiang entered the house. The house was kept very clean, and all the maids and servants were provided.

Exquisite bonsai and rare ornaments can be seen everywhere in the house, and famous calligraphy and paintings are hung on the walls, making the house less of a coppery smell and more elegant.

In fact, the house has not changed much. He Kun spent a lot of money to invite the most famous masters in Jiangnan to rearrange the house.

"I'm determined!" Li Qiang nodded with satisfaction and said. This sentence made He Kun feel that everything he had done before was worth it. After Emperor Jingwen's accident, his life was not easy.

That is to say, Yangzhou Mansion became Li Qiang's fiefdom. Through his relationship with Li Qiang, his status was restored and greatly improved.

He knew very well that everything he had was given by Li Qiang, and even his business was equivalent to Li Qiang's. He was just a manager with a small shareholding.

"Your Majesty, the other seven major salt merchants want to meet with you!" He Kun thought of something and said softly to Li Qiang.

"Didn't we see him at the banquet tonight?" Li Qiang said lightly.

"They want to invite you to buy shares!" He Kun explained.

Li Qiang was not surprised at all. In the current situation between the DPRK and China, he, Prince Yi Zhong, was probably the most reliable.

In addition, Yangzhou Mansion has become his fief, and if he wants to do business on his fief, he has to do something for his master.

If these big salt merchants relied on the power behind them and ignored Li Qiang, Li Qiang would have his own way to get them out of the business.

The Huang family was a precedent back then. The Huang family was ransacked by him, so He Kun took his place.

"Then let's make an appointment!" Li Qiang thought for a while and said.

"They are right outside the house, ready to listen to your orders!" He Kun said with a smile when he heard that there was a door.

"In that case, let them come in!" Li Qiang waved her hand.

He was not angry because He Kun made his own decision. This was a good thing that brought benefits to him. How could he blame He Kun for increasing his income.

When the heads of the seven major salt merchants entered the house, they were all cautious.

They were afraid of Li Qiang at the beginning, but they did not expect that Li Qiang would soar into the sky after leaving Yangzhou.

In just a few years, Li Qiang has become someone they look up to. Li Qiang can pinch them to death with just a stretch of his hand.

"I have met the prince!" The seven people entered the main hall and knelt down to Li Qiang and saluted.

They are businessmen. Although they have money, their status is really not high, let alone facing a prince.

"If you are flat, please give me a seat!" Li Qiang said.

The seven people felt a little at ease. Li Qiang's attitude made them feel that things should go smoothly.

After the seven people sat down, a maid brought tea.

"I heard that you intend to let me take a shareholding?" Li Qiang didn't have time to talk with them, so she asked very directly.

"Exactly, we are willing to give 20% of each company's share!" Shopkeeper Mada replied on behalf of other major salt merchants.

Li Qiang felt their sincerity, and through He Kun's business situation, he learned about the business conditions of these large salt merchants.

Although their business is huge, most of the profits are used to open up joints and hand over to the hands of the forces behind them. The part left behind is not much.

"Okay, your future business in Yangzhou Mansion will be protected by this king. I will not care about it outside Yangzhou Mansion!" Li Qiang nodded in agreement.

Isn't this what these big salt merchants want? With Li Qiang's words, they can continue to do salt business in Yangzhou Prefecture.

"I heard that the prince's palace has not been built yet, so we have raised a total of seven million taels of silver to contribute to the construction of the palace!" Shopkeeper Mada took out another seven million taels of silver and presented it.

This is really a big deal, no matter how luxurious the house is, it will not cost so much money.

This is just to find an excuse to give money to Li Qiang.

"Then you're welcome!" Li Qiang said with a smile as she looked at the banknote in front of her.

He picked up the tea cup and hovered it in the air.

When the seven people saw it, they knew they were about to leave. They stood up and bowed to leave.

Li Qiang put away the banknotes and ordered someone to prepare the carriage.

He didn't need to worry about the dinner. He Kun was quite capable and he would take care of the whole matter.

On this trip, he didn't use any ostentation, he just drove lightly.

A carriage, driven by Jia Gong, was driving in Yangzhou City.

He looked at the familiar streets, which had not changed much over the years.

When the carriage arrived at the place he was most familiar with, he looked up and saw that it was the Salt Transport Envoy Yamen.

It seemed that he saw the new salt patrol officer today, but he didn't pay attention at the time.

Even if the Salt Patrolling Envoy is of low rank, it depends on who he is compared with. As a first-grade military attache, as a second-grade cabinet bachelor, as a Prince Yoshitaka, and as a Salt Patrolling Envoy, being able to attend the reception at the pier is extremely important. A big honor.

After walking around the streets of Yangzhou, it was almost time before returning to the house.

When we arrived at the door of the house, a new plaque had been put on, which showed that He Kun worked quickly.

The word "Li Zhai" was written by a famous artist, and the atmosphere carries an aura of wealth and honor.

The banquet is in the hall. The hall is not small. There is still a lot of space for four large tables.

The guests all arrived early, and He Kun greeted them on behalf of the host.

In fact, no one in Yangzhou Prefecture was qualified for Li Qiang to stand at the door to greet her.

Every guest brings a gift, and a steward is responsible for recording the gifts.

Li Qiang didn't put on any airs and just asked the guests who came first to sit down and have tea in the living room. He sat at the main seat and communicated with the guests.

"Who is the salt inspector?" Li Qiang asked with a smile.

"Qiao Zhiwei, the Royal Envoy of the Salt Patrol, has met the prince!" The Royal Envoy of the Salt Patrol stood up and saluted.

"Are there any big changes in the backyard of the Yanyunshi Yamen?" Li Qiang asked.

"Your Majesty, there has been no change in the backyard of the street gate. My family has not come here. I only live in one courtyard now!" The Inspector of Salts did not know what Li Qiang meant, so he replied honestly.

"The King intends to move the Salt Transport Envoy's Yamen to a nearby location. Here are the prefects of Yangzhou Prefecture, the magistrates, and all your lords. Do you have any opinions?" Li Qiang said with a smile.

Officials such as Zhao Zhifu, Zhang Zhizhou, and the Salt Patrol Envoy were all startled. Although it was not a big deal for a yamen to move, it was still a bit troublesome.

But this was proposed by Li Qiang. Do they dare to object?

"Your Majesty, there is a place in the west of the city that is suitable for the Salt Transport Envoy's Yamen. The current location is still a bit crowded!" Zhang Zhizhou was the first to react and took the initiative to find a reason.

"Yes, that place in the west of the city is really good. I will do this when I get back!" Magistrate Zhao followed.

Several other officials also agreed, but the Salt Inspector himself did not have a chance to speak.

All the important officials of Yangzhou Prefecture are here. As long as these officials agree, the matter will be passed, and then there will be some formalities.

"The salt transport has moved the yamen, so there is no need to move the things in the back yard. I will pay for the front and back yards!" Li Qiang couldn't occupy this yamen for nothing, he said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)