Jinyi Town Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 97 Showdown
The officials gradually dispersed.

In the hall, only He Liu, Lao Hu, Jin Wanguan and five officials involved in the smuggling of salt remained.

He Liu took out the account book from the sleeve of Dahong Xipao.

"My lords, I, He Liu, came to Jiangnan in the name of searching Wu Liangyong's property, but in fact, I came to secretly investigate Jiangnan's private salt case. Everyone has tacitly understood this." He Liu said.

Jin Wanguan's expression changed: He Liu took my money and Sang Tian, ​​didn't he already promise not to pursue the private salt case?
Jin Wanguan said angrily, "Sixth brother, what nonsense are you talking about?"

He Liu smiled: "Third Brother, no, Lord Yuezhang, just listen to me."

He Liu raised the account book in Yang's hand: "Governor Zheng, Zhang Shangshu, Commander Hu, and Governor Lu Zhen, I mean, Eunuch Yang must have conveyed it to you!"

Zheng Michang, governor of Zhejiang Province, had a mournful expression on his concubine: "Sixth, stop talking nonsense! Let's make a price!"

He Liu stretched out two fingers.

Zheng Bichang said: "How much is this? 2 taels? 20 taels?"

He Liu shook his head and said a number: "200 million taels!"

Zheng Bichang slapped the table: "Lao Liu, you are asking for a lot of money! We earned these few silver coins in Jiangnan in fear, and you will take 200 million taels as soon as you ask?"

He Liu walked up behind Governor Zheng and patted him on the shoulder: "Your Majesty, you don't have to give it. Then I will present the account book to the emperor! At that time, I am afraid that what Governor Zheng and your lords will lose is not money, but money." Head off!"

Yang Jinshui quickly smoothed things over: "Well, after all, it's all about money. Money, belongings outside the body! Isn't it just 200 million taels? Let's pay. In this way, I will pay 40 taels. Governor Zheng and Governor Lu Zhen Envoy, Commander Hu, and Zhang Shangshu, your family will also contribute 40 taels."

Zhang Jin, Minister of the Nanjing Household Department, said with a bitter face: "Oh, if I pay 40 taels, the family will have to live in poverty! Forget it, I will give Yang Gonggong a face, 40 taels will be 40 taels." .”

He Liu suddenly laughed out loud.This burst of laughter made the scalps of several people present feel numb.

"A family of 40 taels? A total of 200 million taels? Do you think I, the sixth son of Jin Yiwei, is so easy to spend? I mean, 200 million taels per family!" He Liu roared.

Several people looked at each other.

Yang Jinshui squeezed out five words between his teeth: "Lao Liu, are you crazy?"

Zheng Michang was even more furious: "He Lao Liu, don't just rely on Jin Yiwei's tiger skin to do whatever you want! Don't forget, everyone here, who is not six or eight ranks higher than you in official rank? Who is in the officialdom? No. 80 disciples and old officials in the school? Could it be that you, a small family of five ranks, are going to be enemies of the entire Jiangnan officialdom?"

He Liu raised the account book in his hand: "Oh, Mr. Zheng said yes. How dare I, a small household of five grades, be against the entire Jiangnan officialdom? You have your students and old officials, and I have My backer. This backer is the emperor! If Mr. Zheng wants to tear his face away from me, I will have no choice but to break my face with your lords! I just need to hand over this account book to the emperor. Can you keep it?"

Yang Jinshui said dissatisfiedly: "Lao Liu, don't think that you can blackmail us if you have a handle on us! One family is 200 million taels? Five families are 1000 million taels! You think we are the Baoquan Bureau of the Ministry of Households, and you can print treasures. Money? Take ten thousand steps back, even if we can afford the money, do you think you have such a big appetite to swallow the money?"

He Liu smiled and said, "Eunuch Yang asked a good question. First, can you afford the 1000 million taels? Second, can I, He Liu, take the 1000 million taels?"

He Liu raised his wine glass and took a sip of wine: "I will answer the first question for you first. From the detailed accounts, each of you adults has earned more than 300 million taels from the salt business in five years! I I know, you have to take part of this money to honor your backers, and seal the mouths of the people below. Even if you go to 300 million for 100 million, you still took 200 million from the salt business!"

He Liu said again: "Let me answer your second question again! Do I, He Liu, have such a big appetite to swallow this money in one gulp? Oh, I am a small hundred household, and naturally I cannot swallow 1000 million taels of silver Yes. 1000 million taels of silver, there will always be a mountain! It doesn’t matter if I can’t swallow it, as long as the Taicang of the Ministry of Households can fit it! This money will be sent to the treasury!”

Yang Jinshui smiled wryly: "Send money to the treasury? There must be a reason? Our salary is only a few dollars? Isn't this telling the emperor clearly that our hands and feet are not clean?"

He Liu smiled: "As long as you take the money, I will handle the rest for you! I will ask the emperor to set up a fundraising office in the south of the Yangtze River for floods in Shandong, drought in Henan, and anti-Japanese military expenses in the southeast. The money , you can anonymously donate to the victims of the disaster and the soldiers of the Qi Family Army and Yu Family Army!"

Zheng Michang got up: "Crazy, He Lao Liu, you motherfucker is crazy!"

He Liu smiled: "That's right. We Jinyiwei have always been regarded as mad dogs in the eyes of you adults? I, He Liu, a small five-rank thousand household, has a life. How honorable are you adults? If you adults want to die with a mad dog, it is a great honor for this mad dog!"

He Liu opened the account book, opened one at random, and read: "On May 35th, 32th year of Jiajing, Zheng Zheng, the governor of Zhejiang, transported 35 dans of salt from Ninghai to Shandong. , transported 23 Dan of salt from Zhuji to North Zhili..."

Yang Jinshui waved his hand: "Sixth, don't read it! Isn't it just money? Can't we pay it? How can you guarantee that if we pay the money, you will let us go?"

He Liudao: "It's easy to say, I will immediately ask the emperor for the order to set up the donation office I mentioned. At that time, you pledge anonymously, and when the money arrives, I will naturally destroy this account book in front of everyone!"

Yang Jinshui said: "Empty talk is useless! We can't just do what you say!"

He Liudao: "Believe it or not, it's up to you. I, He Liu, have a showdown with everyone here today! I know that each of you has a backer behind you. If this account book is in the hands of the emperor, the court will be in chaos. I am I don’t want to hand over the account books. But the national treasury is empty, and I am anxiously waiting for the salt tax deficit from Jiangnan to tide over the difficulties. If I return to the capital empty-handed, I will not be able to explain the past in front of the emperor and Commander Lu. So I can only do this! You guys spit out the money you shouldn’t have taken. I will destroy the account books. I can do business in front of the emperor, and you can continue to be officials in the south of the Yangtze River in peace!!"

(End of this chapter)