Ignoring Zhu Youxiao's flushed face, Yang Feng's expression was still very calm, but there was a trace of murder in his eyes, he slowly reached out and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake from the table and chewed it slowly in his mouth, and then said slowly after a while.

"Your Majesty...... Jiangnan and North are different. Compared with the south, the land in the north is relatively barren and there are constant external troubles, so the people in the north have always been more strong, and because the imperial capital of the Ming Dynasty is located in the north, the rule of the imperial court over the north has always been more stable than that in the south.

The south is different, the south is far away from the capital and the literary style is prosperous, and it is a heavy tax place, so the south is a gathering place for the rich and powerful. Because of its proximity to the sea, the rich people in the south rely on businesses such as selling goods to the sea, making salt and raising mulberries, and are rich and rival the country, but how much do they pay? ”

Without waiting for Zhu Youxiao to answer, Yang Feng said: "When Taizu was alive, he stipulated that the commercial tax was thirty taxes and one, which is not low, but even so, businessmen still feel that this tax is too high, and they think about how to reduce taxes all day long, and even don't want to pay taxes, so they use a reason to fight against the emperor with the people. In order to compete for the right to speak in the imperial court, they have continued to use the money in their hands to run schools for more than two hundred years, in the name of subsidizing poor children.

But has Your Majesty thought about it, after these poor children and their own children were admitted to the Jinshi and became officials, who was the first thing they thought of when they encountered something? Is it the imperial court or their family? Will these so-called Qinghan children use the power in their hands to repay their family or those who have helped them after becoming officials? Your Majesty, think about it again, what kind of goods is the Donglin Party that now occupies the Ming Dynasty, and who are the people behind them? ”

Yang Feng didn't say that he didn't know, but when Zhu Youxiao said this, he felt a layer of cold sweat immediately break out on his back, and then he thought of who were the people who had been advocating the theory of banning the sea for hundreds of years, and who was Liu Daxia who ordered all the treasure ship drawings and Zheng He's materials to go to sea to be burned, he immediately understood, in fact, it was still interests at work.

Seeing Zhu Youxiao's sudden realization, Yang Feng said: "The minister checked the information of the household department, and the annual salt tax of the Ming Dynasty in the Hongwu and Yongle years was about more than nine million taels of silver, and sometimes it could even reach more than ten million taels, but in the Zhengde period, it was only more than six million taels, and now it is only a pitiful more than three million taels of silver. Could it be that there are fewer people who eat salt in the Ming Dynasty?

No...... It can be said that there are more people who eat salt in Daming today than there were more than two hundred years ago, but why is the salt tax less? Where has all this money gone? There is only one answer, they have been swallowed up and down by the salt merchants and officials at all levels in the south of the Yangtze River, and now my Ming Royal Trading House has been born out of thin air, snatching the silver from the hands of these people, can they not hate us? What can't these salt merchants do for the sake of silver?

This time they burned down one of our shops, which is just an appetizer, if we are interested, we will close the salt shop or share this business with it, otherwise more salt shops will be destroyed and more men will be killed, so the minister thinks that there is only one way to provoke these salt merchants, and that is to use the knives and swords in our hands to tell them that Jiangnan is by no means a place outside the law! ”

Although Zhu Youxiao was also angry when he heard that the salt shop was destroyed just now, he hesitated after listening to Yang Feng's murderous words, and asked after a while: "Yang Aiqing, what step are you going to do?" ”

Yang Feng said casually: "The minister doesn't make a big deal out of it, just let those murderers pay for their blood debts." ”

Cleaned up, Zhu Youxiao's heart jumped suddenly, he knew the strong smell of blood in Yang Feng's understatement.

After pondering for a long time, Zhu Youxiao said tentatively: "Can you send someone else to Yangzhou?" ”

Seeing that Zhu Youxiao was still a little forward-looking, Yang Feng sighed lightly and said: "Your Majesty, if you are still so soft-hearted, then the next consequence is that those salt merchants will be even more aggressive, and they will even squeeze the industries of the Ming Royal Commercial House in Jiangnan in the next step, and then swallow them all, can you afford this consequence?" ”

"I ......"

I thought that if all the royal comptoirs were closed, it would mean that my income would be cut off, and once I had no income. His plan to rebuild the Beijing camp, Liaodong's salary, and all kinds of expenses in the palace will all become a joke, and Zhu Youxiao's can't help but shudder.

"Aiqing, go down in person this time, and you must let those people know that there are some things that can't be done!"

Seeing that Zhu Youxiao had finally made up his mind, a hint of relief flashed on Yang Feng's face, Zhu Youxiao was still very courageous, and he solemnly saluted Zhu Youxiao: "Understand, the minister will definitely let those people know what kind of opponent they have provoked!" ”

Zhu Youxiao asked again: "Then how many people does Aiqing plan to bring with him this time?" ”

Yang Feng thought for a while, "The men and horses of the Beijing camp are still training now, so the minister plans to take Jiang Ningwei's men and horses down, three thousand people are enough!" ”

Zhu Youxiao nodded, "Okay, Aiqing can take care of herself." I have only one request, that is, the dividend to me in the first half of this year must not be less than 2.5 million! ”

Yang Feng rolled his eyes, a good two and a half million......

After the news of the burning down of the Yangzhou branch of the Daming Royal Commercial Bank and the killing of the guys reached Beijing, the Donglin Party in Beijing rejoiced one by one, although they did not dare to jump out and applaud loudly on the bright side, but secretly it was a celebration of the crown and a drink to celebrate but it was impossible to hide it from others, after hearing the news, Gu Bingqian was silent for a long time and then just silenced for a while and did not speak, and the nine-thousand-year-old Wei Zhongxian, who was known as the inner minister, sneered and said: "A group of fools, our family wants to see how those people died!" ”

Just when many people were secretly discussing how to suppress this matter, Yang Feng secretly came to Nanjing with 300 Jiading and 1,000 cavalry, and after arriving at Jiangningwei, he used the fastest speed to dispatch 2,000 sergeants and then rushed to Zhenjiang Mansion day and night, mobilized ships to cross the river and went straight to Yangzhou, and finally came to Yangzhou five days later.

Early in the morning on the first day of June

The sky has not yet brightened, the sky of Yangzhou is shrouded in a layer of foggy water vapor, people are still immersed in the sleep has not yet gotten up, today's city gate official Lao Sun got up from the bed in the cave of the hidden soldiers, he slowly went up to the city wall and stood in front of the battlements stretched out a long waist and yawned, then looked out of the city, not tight, but let him be stunned.

Less than fifty paces from the outside of the city stood a group of soldiers and horses, fully armed, their iron armor and their hair and temples all stained with thick dew, and despite the thick fog outside, they all stood motionless, as if they had been there since the beginning of time, and would continue to stand like this in the future.

Although Lao Sun had been a city gate official for more than 20 years, and he had seen many officers and soldiers coming and going, he dared to guarantee that he had never seen such an army, and for the first time, he felt that the seemingly wide wall under his feet could not bring him any sense of security in front of such an army.

Although he was frightened in his heart, looking at the red sun and moon flag representing the Ming Dynasty at the front, he could only poke his head out of the battlement and asked tremblingly: "Who are you and what is the matter with coming to Yangzhou?" ”

A general standing at the front looked at the city wall and said loudly: "This official is Jiang Ningbo of the Ming Dynasty, and he came to Yangzhou on business at the behest of His Majesty, you quickly open the city gate!" ”

"Jiang Ningbo?"

The old horse was trembling on the spot, and his feet were weak and he almost didn't sit on the ground. He wiped his eyes, and then looked seriously at the fully draped sergeants below, and then boldly asked, "Dare to ask, can there be an official seal and Kanhe?" ”

"Absolutely!" Yang Feng handed the official seal and Kanhe on his body to the family next to him.

After a while, when Lao Sun picked up the seal letter made of brass and Kanhe that he took out of the hanging basket, he confirmed the identity of the other party. With the spread of the victory in Liaodong, Yang Feng's deeds also spread to Yangzhou City, but under the encouragement of well-intentioned people, Yang Feng's reputation in the coastal area of Jiangnan is all notoriety.

Seeing that the person who came was really rumored, vulgar, unlearned, and unskilled, Jiang Ningbo, who relied on currying favor with the emperor and killing people indiscriminately, Lao Sun was frightened, but fortunately, he was still a little clever, and quickly recruited a subordinate to report the news, and he himself poked his head out of the battlement and said with a smile: "Uncle is angry, the villain is just a small city gate official, and if you want to open the city gate, you need the approval of the peak, please wait for a while, and then open the city gate for your old man after the villain reports to the adult." ”

Seeing that Lao Sun still had the courage to block himself out of the city after seeing Kanhe, Yang Feng's face immediately sank, and Song Ye, who had been standing next to him, saw this and urged him to step forward and pointed to the city wall and shouted: "Bold, after seeing Jiang Ningbo's letter and Kanhe, you dare to block your uncle from the city, aren't you afraid that your uncle will punish you later?" ”

Seeing the anger of the military master under the city, the only bit of luck left in Lao Sun's heart could no longer bear it, and after a while, the city gate was finally slowly opened, and Yang Feng was able to enter this prosperous city with a large number of Ming Dynasty.

After Yang Feng rode his horse into the city, he looked at the old Sun who was kneeling on the side of the city gate and said lightly: "You are very smart, if you have to wait until your boss comes to open the door, then the first thing Ben Bo will do after entering the city is to cut off your head and hang it at the city gate to set an example!" ”

Lao Sun said in a trembling voice: "Yes...... Be...... The villain Uncle Xie is not killed! ”

Yang Feng ignored the city gate official who had just been careful, and rode his horse towards the city.

It wasn't until Yang Feng and his long team entered the city that Lao Sun stood up, and only then did he feel that his back was all soaked with sweat.

Yang Feng did not stop at all, he went straight to the prefect's yamen in Yangzhou under the guidance of the guide.

When Yang Feng and his entourage walked in the city, countless pairs of eyes were staring at this team that suddenly appeared, and at the same time, I don't know how many people secretly ran to tell each other, and when Yang Feng came to the prefect's yamen, Yangzhou prefect Gao Yannian had already led a number of civil and military officials such as Yangzhou general judge, magistrate, teaching, governance, and garrison to stand at the yamen to greet them.

Gao Yan is about forty years old, his face is peaceful, he looks like a doctor, more than an official, wearing a scarlet robe, he took the lead in crossing the crowd and walked to Yang Feng and said respectfully: "The lower official Yangzhou prefect Gao Yannian led all his colleagues in Yangzhou to see the uncle!" ”

"Xia Guan and the others have seen Jiang Ningbo!"

Looking at Gao Yannian and the others who were respectfully courteous to him, Yang Feng took two steps forward and first glanced at everyone with a sharp gaze, and then said lightly to Gao Yannian: "Kozhi Mansion, please, Ben Bo didn't want to disturb you adults when he came this time, but he didn't think that he would work for Ko Zhi Mansion and all your lords to come to greet him, but it made Ben Bo a little unhappy." ”

Just as Yang Feng was looking at everyone, this group of people was also looking at Yang Feng. To tell the truth, they all know the purpose of Yang Feng's coming to Yangzhou, the royal merchant salt shop was burned down, and the guy was burned to death, in the eyes of many people, this is a counterattack by the salt merchant to Yang Feng, rumored to be born overseas, because of bribing the Nanjing town guard eunuch Cao Dazhong into the military and served as the thousand households of the Jiangdong Gate, and then fought several times and the official was promoted to the commander of Jiang Ningwei, and then was transferred to Liaodong to fight, and luckily made a contribution to be valued by His Majesty and named Jiang Ningbo.

But this is not the most important thing, this Jiang Ningbo's biggest ability is to transport some strange and ingenious things from overseas, and sell them in Daming to collect money and then flatter the emperor, so he was named an earl, this is what the vast majority of people present know about Yang Feng.

Just when everyone was thinking nonsense, they only heard Gao Yannian say: "Uncle, how about you please come in and talk?" ”

"Absolutely!"

"Uncle...... Please! Gao Yannian made a gesture of please, and Yang Feng was also unceremoniously the first to stride in, Gao Yannian glanced at everyone and walked in after Yang Feng.

After everyone entered the lobby, they sat down one after another, Yang Feng naturally sat in the first place, Gao Yannian and others sat in the bottom respectively, and soon a maid came forward to serve tea with a tray.

After taking a few sips of tea, Gao Yannian said to Yang Feng with a smile: "Uncle, you have been tired of saddle horses all the way to Yangzhou this time, why don't you let Xiaguan find a place to settle down for you first, and stay until the evening Xiaguan and your colleagues will pick up the wind and wash the dust for you in the Immortal Residence, I don't know what you think?" ”

Yang Feng shook his head slightly: "The kindness of the Kochi Mansion Ben Bo has it, but Ben Bo is not here to finish his trip to Yangzhou this time, but has something serious to do." A few days ago, the salt shop of the Ming Royal Commercial Bank in Yangzhou was set on fire, three guys were unfortunately killed, and only one shopkeeper escaped by luck. ”

After hearing Yang Feng's words, the officials present couldn't help but say in their hearts: "It's finally here!" ”