"Master, Qi Yao from Taizhou sent an invitation to the housekeeper, and wanted to invite the master to Yangzhou Heavenly and Earthly Restaurant for a banquet." Feng Bao, the housekeeper of the Feng Mansion, came to report.

Although Feng Bao lowered his head, his eyes secretly glanced at the beauty of the foreign domain from time to time.

"Well, I know, did you send someone to send out the supplements prepared for the concubine?" Feng Liang sat up and waved his hand, and drove the foreign vassal woman out in disgust.

Every month, Feng Liang will send people to send all kinds of jewelry and supplements to his niece and daughter in the palace, although most of them will be returned intact, but the number of gifts cannot be spent, it is his cash cow and umbrella.

"Back to my lord, according to your instructions, three boxes of rouge gouache, Mughal jewelry and spices, and 20,000 taels of silver tickets from the Western Regions have been sent out yesterday, and it is expected that they will be able to reach the capital in another ten days." Feng Baodao.

"Well, let's go prepare the carriage!" Feng Liang stood up and raised his hands, and there were already two pretty maids who sorted out his clothes.

The Heavenly Restaurant is located in the bustling area of Yangzhou Mansion in the center of Yangzhou Mansion, which is the first restaurant in Yangzhou Mansion in terms of scale and grade, of course, the price is also the most expensive, and the minimum consumption standard is ten taels of silver.

What is the concept of ten taels of silver, which is enough for an ordinary family to live for four or five months.

Rao is like this, the heavens and the earth are still full of guests every day, and sometimes even if you want to go to a drink, you have to make a reservation in advance.

It's just that today's heaven and earth are a little different, no one is seated in the luxurious suites on the first and second floors, and there is a sign at the gate that says closed.

"Brother Qi, we've been waiting here for more than half an hour, shouldn't Lord Feng be unwilling to appreciate his face?" In the attic on the third floor, five or six men of all ages sat at the table, and one of them said to Qi Yao, who was sitting at the head of the main seat.

"Brother Chen, don't be impatient, Lord Feng will definitely come." Qi Yao sat firmly at the table, picked up the tea and took a sip.

In fact, he was also worried in his heart, and it cost him more than 6,000 taels of silver to cover the heavens and the earth, but this was only a drop in the bucket compared to his family assets, and he was just a little depressed.

These salt merchants relied on the salt in Feng Bao's hands to make a living, but in fact, they were just interdependent.

It's just that this Feng Liang's appetite is getting bigger and bigger, and he can't wait to take away half of their hard-earned money, plus the recent document on the collection of commercial taxes under the imperial court, which makes their hearts even more clouded.

"There was something at the old man's house that delayed the time, and a few people waited for a long time." The door creaked open and Feng Liang arched his hand.

"Lord Feng is willing to appreciate the light, I will wait until the middle of the night, it will be an honor, Lord Feng, please take a seat." Seeing the main lord coming, Qi Yao hurriedly got up and said with a smile.

"Let's wait for the bill, and sit down." Feng Liang was also unceremonious, and walked to the main seat and sat down.

After everyone sat down, Qi Yao clapped his hands, and a maid from a restaurant came with good wine and food, and a table was full in just a moment, and looking at the dishes made people have a great appetite.

After the food and wine were served, three or four more beautiful women holding pipa and other musical instruments came into the attic, and the women walked to the attic screen and played a little song after a slight salute.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the oirans from the flower shops in Yangzhou have arrived, dare to ask if you can let them in?" The shopkeeper nodded and came in to ask for instructions.

Originally, this matter was just a casual call for a second child, but the store also knew that this room was full of big people, so he didn't dare to slack off.

"Since you're here, don't let them in quickly, delay Lord Feng's Yaxing, be careful that the old man demolishes your restaurant!" Luzhou big salt merchant Zhang Qihua said with horizontal eyebrows.

"Zhang Yuanwai should not be so manic, all the women who will come in Yangzhou will be real women in our Yangzhou later, don't frighten people." Wu Zuoren from Taixing laughed.

"Hmph, it's just a group of prostitutes, no matter if he's scared or not, he has to give me a laugh!" Zhang Qihua snorted slightly.

This Wu Zuoren has always been secretly unable to get along with his Zhang family, and now Feng Liang is still so squeezed here, which makes him very unhappy.

"Yes, yes, the small ones will be passed on, you lords eat and drink well, but if you have any needs, you can call the small ones." The shopkeeper nodded again before going down.

Less leaning, six or seven young women came in dressed in various colors, and the room was suddenly filled with the fragrance of powder.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal passes through Yangzhou, creating a prosperous flower shop and green building by the canal, where it is simply never night at night, the Ming Dynasty version of the nightclub street.

Feng Liang was not false, when he even picked up the pretty woman who was sitting next to him and could be his granddaughter, it was more than enough, and the others were even more up and down.

For a time, the attic pushed the cup and changed the lamp, and the staggered chips, and the sound of glamour was endless.

After three rounds of drinking, Feng Liang felt that it was almost time to talk about business, so he motioned for the idlers in the attic to wait out.

"The old man also knows what is the matter of inviting the old man to come, we are all old acquaintances, and the old man will not treat you badly.

This time, the salt mills in the two Huai produced a total of about 368,000 salt, Qi Yao you can buy 80,000 yuan, Chen Hong 60,000 yuan, Zhao Tianhe 60,000 yuan, Kong Yanzhao 50,000 yuan, Wu Zuoxing...... 30,000 citations. ”

Seeing Wu Zuoxing from Taixing, Feng Liang felt that he was in a bad mood, but all the things that should be sent and dotted were in place, and he didn't want to do too much.

As soon as Feng Liang finished speaking, Wu Zuoxing's face fell, the salt he got last year was 50,000, but now it has decreased by nearly half, which means that his Wu family's income will be greatly reduced this year.

It's just that Wu didn't dare to say much, how could the person behind Feng Liang be provoked by him as a businessman.

Hmph, let this old thing be proud for a while, and when the door of the adult in the south is opened, who still has the broken salt in your hand, Wu Zuoren said.

"There is one more thing, Lord Feng, now that we are working together to resist the new commercial tax provisions issued by the imperial court, and the surrounding businessmen, big and small, are also following our example, but it has been more than ten days, why haven't we listened to the imperial court's actions?"

Qi Yao poured Feng Liang another glass of wine and said what everyone present thought.

The Ming Dynasty has not been thinking of increasing commercial taxes for decades, but every time it has to give up under the alliance of major families.

The reason is very simple, the nine sides need them to transport grain, and many merchants control the clothing, food, housing and transportation in various places, as long as they use a little means, or increase prices, or stop selling, the first people who can't stand it are the people everywhere.

While the people are complaining and scolding the profiteers, even their dissatisfaction with the court will intensify, after all, it is the court that is engaged in moths, and the people care where the problem is.

The north of the Ming Dynasty has become like this, if the south is in chaos again, plus no one transports food to the imperial court, how can the imperial court stand it?

It's just that this time it seems to be a little different, the determination of the imperial court is very strong, and the people everywhere have a tendency to make trouble, and he is worried that the situation will not be under control.

If the mob rises, how can the rich businessmen of them resist it?

"The old man doesn't know, you can decide for yourself!" Feng Liang only collects money and puts salt in it, where can he manage so much.

It was all the idea of these merchants to obstruct the imperial court from collecting commercial taxes, and they also collected their silver, and they had nothing to do with him.

After Feng Liang finished speaking, several people frowned and fell into deep thought, and they were the salt merchants who dared to confront the imperial court.

If they bow their heads to the imperial court, then their previous insistence will definitely be burned to the ground, and the small merchants and vendors on the walls of various places will definitely fall to the imperial court.

"Why don't you ask the old man and not the big man behind you?" Feng Liang said meaningfully.

As the capital envoy who controls the salt administration in the Lianghuai region, Feng Liang has always had a lot of eyeliner, how can he not know what big people these guys are in contact with behind their backs.

"I wonder who can tell me who that big man is?"

The door of the attic was pushed open, and Liu Hongjian came in with a folding fan in his hand and smiled, and several Jinyi Wei lieutenants holding embroidered spring knives came in behind him.

……