A few days ago, the tragedy of the Royal Commercial House caused a sensation in the entire Yangzhou, as long as the people of Yangzhou did not know, especially as a well-informed officialdom, they all understood that this matter must have been committed by those salt merchants.

It's just that you know, but you don't have any evidence to prove that someone else did it, besides, these salt merchants have been entrenched in Yangzhou for hundreds of years, and the relationship has long been deep-rooted. This incident, which should have caused a sensation in the city, quickly calmed down, and although all the yamen posted announcements at the yamen that they were offering bounties for burning down the royal trading house and killing innocent gangsters, in fact, no officials or officials were willing to pursue the matter.

Things are so weird, although this kind of thing can be called a big deal in any dynasty, but under the tacit understanding of the various yamen, it quickly calmed down, and occasionally a certain official who wanted to ask would immediately be persuaded by his colleagues around him "kindly", and then the official quickly shut up like everyone else.

Originally, the officials of Yangzhou Mansion were also worried that Yang Feng behind the royal business house would be furious, after all, Yang Feng is also in the limelight in the capital now, especially after the fingers of the two imperial historians were broken in the Fengtian Palace, and Gao Panlong was so angry that after a serious illness, everyone listed Yang Feng as one of the characters who could not be provoked if it was unnecessary.

However, the officials in Yangzhou also have their concerns, they are not involved in this matter, at best it is just negligence, it is difficult for Yang Feng to anger the entire Yangzhou officialdom because of the death of a few guys and the loss of a little goods. On the other hand, if they insist on investigating this matter, it will offend these salt merchants in Yangzhou and the group of rich gentry they represent, which is very unfavorable to their careers, not to mention that none of them have received the filial piety of these salt merchants over the years.

The atmosphere in the lobby fell into a strange calm, Yang Feng's majestic gaze glanced at everyone lightly, and finally turned to the prefect Gao Yannian and said lightly: "As the prefect of Yangzhou, don't you want to say something to Benbo?" ”

Everyone in the officialdom is the best actor, and when he heard Yang Feng's question, Gao Yannian's face immediately showed a heavy look, and he turned his head to a middle-aged official sitting under him and said, "Lord Ji, as a general judge in Yangzhou, you should report this case to your uncle." ”

The look on the face of the middle-aged official who was sitting under Gao Yannian suddenly stiffened, and he secretly scolded his mother in his heart, how could he push this matter onto Lao Tzu's head. However, as a general judge in Yangzhou, he is in charge of grain transportation, family land, water conservancy and litigation, and he can't carry this pot.

Ji Tongju sighed lightly and said to Yang Feng: "So that the uncle can learn that after this incident happened, the lower officials immediately sent the officials and the servants to the salt shop where the tragedy occurred. The official also asked the cattle shopkeeper, but the cattle shopkeeper only heard the whispers of a few arson thieves, and he couldn't judge their identities at all, so even if the lower official wanted to issue a sea fishing official document, he didn't know where to start it, the lower official was really incompetent, please punish the uncle! ”

Yang Feng sneered when he heard this: "So, your Yangzhou government didn't even find any clues in this matter?" ”

Seeing Yang Feng angry, the officials in the hall all bowed down to him in unison as if they were rehearsing, and said in unison: "The lower officials are incompetent, please punish the uncle!" ”

Looking at the dozens of officials who bowed down to him, Yang Feng suddenly understood the helplessness in the hearts of the emperors of the past dynasties, the kind of feeling that you understand that all the officials in front of you are fooling you, but you can't help them, but you can't do anything to them, because you still have to rely on these people to govern the country for you.

This is also the reason why Emperor Wanli and Emperor Jiajing have not been in court for decades, and Yang Feng is not the emperor yet. Yang Feng is only an uncle at best, although his status is noble, but he is only a general soldier and a governor when he puts aside this identity, in Jiangningwei and Jingying, he is of course a decisive decision, but in Yangzhou he is a guest, he has no right to deal with even any ordinary people.

Seeing that Yang Feng's breathing began to intensify, and then closed his eyes and looked helpless, many officials were secretly proud in their hearts. Aren't you Yang Feng a cow? Isn't it possible to make Gao Panlong angry and seriously ill? When you arrive in Yangzhou, you, the chief military officer and governor, are a fart, and you can't do anything here without our help!

Slowly, Yang Feng reopened his eyes, his originally angry expression quickly returned to calm, and he nodded: "Ben Bo knows, since you adults can't find out anything, then you don't have to bother your adults about this matter, so you won't disturb your precious time, Ben Bo will leave!" ”

After speaking, Yang Feng stood up and strode towards the door, and soon disappeared at the door.

Looking at Yang Feng's disappearing figure, many officials showed a smile of schadenfreude that could not be concealed. Rumors say how powerful this Jiang Ningbo is, killing Tartars in Liaodong, so what? When you arrive at the boundary of Yangzhou, you have to be coiled for us even if you are a dragon, and you have to lie on your stomach if you are a tiger, without our nod, you can't even move a flat-headed person.

Among the crowd, only Gao Yannian did not smile, but showed a trace of melancholy on his face. He turned his head and said lightly to an official wearing a military general's uniform beside him: "Lord Yue, you are the Yangzhou garrison. Jiang Ningbo came all the way to saddle a horse, we as landlords can't be rude anyway, you hurry up and let people settle down the uncle and his people, and then send someone to send an invitation to the uncle, just say that the official will set up a banquet in Qingfeng Building in the evening to invite the uncle! ”

"Your Excellency, please rest assured, the lower officials understand!" Yangzhou garrison Yue Yaozu hurriedly nodded and agreed.

"Master Gao, it's just a hollow uncle, do you need to be so nervous?" A voice rang out in the crowd.

When Gao Yannian heard this, his face immediately sank, and he turned his head in the direction where the voice came from: "Who is it?" Stand up for this officer! ”

The lobby became silent, and the people who spoke just now did not dare to say anything more.

Gao Yannian said sharply: "This official wants you to remember that no matter what you think in your hearts, as my uncle of the Ming Dynasty, he should be respected as he deserves." The official doesn't want to hear similar words in the future, otherwise he will blame the official for not remembering the friendship of his colleagues and listening to the famous list? ”

"Got it!" A low answer came from the crowd.

"Alright...... The official didn't want to say anything more. But everyone must remember that no one is allowed to say anything about today's events, everyone should disperse! Gao Yannian waved his hand and motioned for everyone to leave.

It's just that he said that, but Gao Yannian also knew that it was ridiculous to expect these colleagues to keep it secret just like expecting the bitches in those Qinglou Chu Pavilion in Yangzhou to be virgins. Sure enough, in less than an hour, everything that happened in the prefect's yamen today was transmitted to the ears of the salt merchants who were anxiously waiting for the news.

"I'll just say it. That Yang Feng is just a vulgar martial artist, at best, he relied on His Majesty's favor to run rampant on the boundary between the capital and Nanjing, and now that he has come to our Yangzhou, isn't he cowardly? ”

"Hahaha...... Lao Wei has a point, I'll just say it. This Yang Feng is just a martial artist, he can't control our heads, as long as our Yangzhou government ignores him, what can he do to us as an empty uncle? Shopkeeper Lu also laughed, and his face was full of fat and trembled.

Wei Wenbao sneered: "We only burned one salt shop that day, it was too cheap for him, according to me, we should burn all their eight salt shops in Yangzhou, so that he will know how powerful we are." ”

"Shopkeeper Wei is really arrogant, as it should be!" After listening to Wei Wenbao's bold words, everyone praised them one after another.

"Enough!" An old voice sounded in the middle of the crowd, and it turned out to be Old Man He who spoke.

I saw Old Man He say coldly: "What do you want to do?" Do you still want to burn all the salt shops in other people's shops? We are businessmen, and we pay attention to harmony and make money, so what's the matter with shouting and killing all day long? burned a shop in order to give the other party a color, so that he knew that he had crossed the line, and now that he has been given a lesson, it is enough, you must know that Yang Feng is the earl of His Majesty's Qinfeng, not a mud leg in the countryside, although he has no foundation in Yangzhou, but in any case, he is also His Majesty's favorite minister, and it is not good to have a too stiff relationship with him, after all, as the old saying goes, many friends have many roads. When he knows how good we are, maybe there will be a chance to cooperate with him in the future. ”

After hearing this, everyone thought about it carefully, and couldn't help but gasp. This ginger is still old and spicy, not to mention that this old man of the He family burned other people's salt shops, and then he wants to intervene in other people's business, his courage is too big, that Jiang Ningbo is not a vegetarian, isn't he afraid of tearing his face with Jiang Ningbo?

Seeing the frightened look on everyone's faces, Old Man He remained silent on his face, picked up the teacup and slowly tasted his ginseng tea.

After a while, suddenly a voice rang out: "Gao ...... It's really high...... Old man He, I finally understand! ”

Wei Wenbao suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted, "Old man He, everyone is saluting first and then soldiering, you are slapping someone first, then giving a sweet date, and finally pulling him to our boat." I heard that Yang Feng was originally an overseas businessman, and there was a fleet dedicated to going back and forth between Daming and Obarro, this sailing route is now only known to Yang Feng, if we can win him over, we will have one more way to make a fortune, your trick is too high! ”

"Wow...... It turned out to be so! Hearing this, everyone looked at the old man with different eyes.

And Old Man He just smiled slightly and didn't say anything, everyone sat for a while before leaving, and only Old Man He and his eldest son, the current head of the He family, He Yousheng, were left in the living room.

I saw He Yousheng whispering to Old Man He: "Father, do you really want to cooperate with that Yang Feng?" If he knew that it was our hands, the child would be worried that he would turn his face. ”

"Flip the face?" Old Man He sneered: "What did he do to turn his face, Hou Lao Liu, who did it, has been sent to Shandong to avoid the limelight by us." I have already told them that they are not allowed to come back for a year, as long as no one is caught, Yang Feng will not dare to do anything to us even if he has great ability. Our He family's connections in Yangzhou for hundreds of years are not all furnished, this is why my father spent so much money to attract this Yang Feng to Yangzhou, in order to get the navigation route in his hands, as long as we can get the Ming Dynasty to Oubaro navigation chart from his hands, our He family is not afraid of decline in another hundred years, that is an inexhaustible treasure! ”

"I see!"

He Yousheng suddenly realized that everything his father had done these days was for the nautical chart in Yang Feng's hand to and from Obaro, no wonder his father, who had always been good at protecting himself, would take the initiative to take action, feeling that he wanted to fish Yang Feng to Yangzhou!

Thinking of this, He Yousheng looked at his father with admiration in his eyes, and bowed to him deeply: "Father is really far-sighted, and the child is really ashamed of himself." ”

"Hahaha......" Old Man He laughed proudly, but his laughter was particularly eerie in the small living room......

Yang Feng is an uncle in the end, the government of Yangzhou secretly targets him, but there can be no disrespect to him in name, Yang Feng and his subordinates were quickly settled in an open space outside Yangzhou City and set up camp, Gao Yannian asked Yangzhou garrison Yue Yaozu to send a hundred fat pigs and a hundred stones of grain to the barracks, and then Yue Yaozu personally sent the invitation to Yang Feng's hands.

Yang Feng's subordinates were unceremoniously attached to the fat pigs and grain they sent, but he pushed away Gao Yannian's invitation, and asked Yue Yaozu to tell Gao Yannian that he would invite them back another day.

That night, several shopkeepers of the Royal Commercial House in Yangzhou secretly came to Yang Feng's barracks outside the city, and it was on this night that Yang Feng saw the cattle shopkeeper who had escaped death.

The shopkeeper knelt in front of Yang Feng, and he was nearly fifty years old and couldn't cry.

"Uncle, the villain can't stand you, the shop you handed over to the villain was burned, and even the guy was burned to death, the villain can't stand you!"

Yang Feng personally helped him up and comforted: "It's just a salt shop, if it burns, it will be burned, what is there to cry about!" Besides, this matter is Benber's negligence, and you are tired! ”

The shopkeeper refused to get up, looked at Yang Feng and begged: "Uncle, Xiaoma and Erbao have died too unjustly, you have to be the master for them!" ”

Yang Feng nodded: "We naturally want to avenge this revenge, now you tell me what happened that night!" ”