Zhang Jinquan, Wang Xianwen, and Wang Xiansheng sat in the room, and none of the three had the intention of speaking, but just stared silently at a table of wine and food.

After a long time, Wang Xiansheng, who couldn't hold his breath, finally couldn't help but say loudly: "Tomorrow is the closing meeting, should we do this?" After the meeting, those people won't let us go. ”

Wang Xianwen burst into tears, choked up and complained: "I said that we should stop it early, our big deal is to lose some small money, it is all because the two of you are not greedy enough, so you have to borrow money to fight again."

It's good now, with so much debt, and being targeted by a group of thugs. How can the family be willing to pay so much money to ransom the two of us..."

Wang Xiansheng suddenly retorted with some dissatisfaction: "More than 10,000 taels is not a small amount of money, besides, wasn't my brother also optimistic that the stock would rebound at that time?" How can you put the blame on both of us now..."

Seeing that the two brothers were about to quarrel again, Zhang Jinquan, who had been drinking with a black face, put down his wine glass heavily, and shouted irritably to the two brothers: "What are you arguing about, my head is too big."

When is it now, you are still complaining to each other like this, everyone should think about how to get out. ”

It's good that Zhang Jinquan didn't speak, but when he spoke, he immediately focused the attention of the two brothers on him.

"You're embarrassed to say, if it weren't for the fellow you introduced who opened a pawn shop to be so tricky and sold our mortgaged shares in advance, how would we owe more than 30,000 taels of debt now?"

The complaint of the two brothers suddenly made Zhang Jinquan, who was a little drunk, angry, and he stood up and said loudly to the two brothers.

"Lao Tzu has lost more than the two of you combined, who told me that this stock still has a chance to rise, so that I can find a way to borrow some capital and make a small fortune?"

Wang Xianwen and the two brothers were suddenly dumbfounded, Zhang Jinquan kicked open the seat behind him, and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" The two brothers sitting there asked in unison.

Zhang Jinquan turned back to the two of them with a sense of wine, and said viciously: "You can't wait for death here, I'll go and make it clear to those people now." If you detain us in the capital, they won't be able to get the silver back, so let us go back to Yangzhou so that we can raise silver taels for them. ”

"You're crazy, it's too late to hide from them, and you're going to send them to the door automatically?" Wang Xianwen said subconsciously.

"We are still the representatives of the merchants convened by His Majesty to hold a meeting in Beijing, and those thugs still dare not wait for us. But tomorrow the conference is over, do you think they will have any scruples?

Besides, I'm not going alone, I'm going to find Grandpa Xu. On behalf of His Majesty, Gonggong Xu sits in the same hall and takes care of us, the representatives of merchants, can't he come forward to make peace for us? Zhang Jinquan said regardless of the wine.

Wang Xianwen's two brothers glanced at each other, then got up and shouted to Zhang Jinquan, who had stepped out of the threshold: "Brother Jinquan, wait, I'll go with you..."

In the main hall of a quiet small courtyard in the museum, Xu Feng, the governor of the capital who was sitting at the top, immediately frowned and said after listening to the crying of Zhang Jinquan and other three Yangzhou salt merchants.

"It is a fair thing to repay debts, and the debt between you and the pawn shop is neither persecution nor fraud, and there is no reason for the miscellaneous family to intervene."

The three people, who were still full of grievances, suddenly lost their voices, although all three of them felt very wronged. But in the eyes of outsiders, the debts they owe to the pawnshop are clear and clear, and there are no pitfalls.

Seeing that Father-in-law Xu was about to pick up the tea bowl to send off the guests, Zhang Jinquan said in a hurry: "The villain doesn't dare to ask the father-in-law to persuade the pawnshop not to collect debts, but only asks the father-in-law to be a middle-aged person, and let the villain wait to return to his hometown to raise silver taels to repay the debt." ”

Xu Feng put down the tea bowl that was brought to his mouth, and thought for a while before saying: "This is a correct reason, you are all foreigners in Beijing, if you don't go back to your hometown, how can you raise money to pay off your debts." Maybe the miscellaneous family will be a person for you to talk and make peace. ”

After Xu Feng finished speaking, he called the guards waiting outside the door and asked him to follow Zhang Jinquan to find the owner of the pawn shop.

About half an hour later, Zhang Jinquan and a middle-aged man returned to the small hall under the leadership of the guards.

After the middle-aged man saluted Xu Feng respectfully, he stood there and listened to the request of Zhang Jinquan and the others.

After listening, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Since there is Gonggong Xu interceding, then the contempt will always be sold to the face." As long as the three of them write a new note, the villain will make a decision for the Dongdong family and will no longer prevent the three from leaving Beijing and returning home. ”

Xu Feng immediately nodded with satisfaction and said: "This is very good, as the saying goes: Harmony can make money." Everyone sat down and explained the accounts clearly, so that there was no need to make any trouble. The three of you, you won't have an opinion, will you? ”

Zhang Jinquan and the others naturally would not refute Xu Feng's claim, but when they got the new note given by the middle-aged man, they couldn't sign their names with a pale face.

The two Wang Xianwen brothers, who were kneeling on the ground, raised their heads and pleaded with Xu Feng with a mournful voice: "Father-in-law, this new document is too harsh, asking us to take the Wang family's salt as collateral, how can we two brothers be the masters...

And the Wang family's salt is worth tens of thousands of taels, and my brother's debt is only more than 30,000 taels, can you please tell my father-in-law one or two more. ”

Zhang Jinquan also said with a blushing face: "Doesn't such a condition mean that it is a robbery?" What is the difference between you and the robbers? ”

The middle-aged man sat on the side and sipped tea, and said casually: "What this friend said is not right, we are still different from robbers, at least what we do is in accordance with the laws of the imperial court." ”

Xu Feng listened to the arrogant tone of the middle-aged man, and suddenly became a little dissatisfied, he asked people to take a rough look at the notes in the hands of the three merchants, and immediately said dissatisfiedly: "The miscellaneous family is a middle-aged person, let you sit down and discuss the body, this is how your pawnshop gives face to the miscellaneous family?" ”

Seeing that Xu Feng seemed to be on the verge of anger, the middle-aged man suddenly restrained a little, he got up and bowed to Xu Feng and said, "The villain wants to ask his father-in-law to borrow a step to speak." ”

Xu Feng looked at the middle-aged man's fearless appearance, and the anger in his heart was suddenly suppressed, he hesitated for a while, and then summoned the middle-aged man into the back hall to speak.

The two talked in the back hall for a short time, but when Xu Feng came out, his face was very ugly, and the middle-aged man said goodbye to Xu Feng with a smile when he came out of the back hall: "For the sake of my father-in-law, I will spare them for a day, and wait until the day after tomorrow to ask them about their decision." The villain took his leave. ”

Xu Fengtie's face was blue, and two words popped out of his teeth: "Don't send it." ”

Watching the middle-aged man walk away, Zhang Jinquan and the other three felt that something was wrong, and hurriedly begged Xu Feng: "Please also ask my father-in-law to save me..."

Xu Feng immediately interrupted the pleading of the three and said, "The three of you should go back and consider whether to sign or not, the miscellaneous family's ability is limited, and it can only be done to this extent." ”

Seeing that Xu Feng wanted to turn around and leave, Zhang Jinquan's heart was crossed, and he jumped up and hugged Xu Feng's leg and said: "Please ask my father-in-law to save my life, where did this pawnshop come from, they don't want to collect debts, they want the villain's net worth..."

The brothers of the Wang family also reacted suddenly, stepped forward and hugged Xu Feng's other leg, and swore with a gambling curse that if they could escape this catastrophe, they would be willing to be a cow and a horse for Xu Feng in the future.

Xu Feng twitched a few times, did not twitch his legs, and couldn't help sighing and said: "The miscellaneous family has an idea, but it is also to drink water to quench thirst, you can't say that you still have to complain about the miscellaneous family in the future." ”

Zhang Jinquan hugged Xu Feng's leg tightly, gritted his teeth and said: "Please show me a clear way, the left and right are dead, and the villain must also fight." If you are lucky enough to escape this difficulty, you will not dare to forget the great virtue of your father-in-law. ”

Xu Feng was silent for a while, patted Zhang Jinquan and the three of them on the shoulder and said, "You let go first, and the miscellaneous family will tell you..."

After easily persuading the three of them to let go, Xu Feng said: "The idea of the miscellaneous family is also simple, the power of the proprietor behind this pawnshop is amazing, even the miscellaneous family can't afford to offend."

But there are not no people in the capital who are not afraid of his family, and the miscellaneous family knows one, if you are willing to take refuge in him, you don't have to worry about being collected for debts. ”

Brother Wang Xianwen suddenly asked urgently: "Dare to ask my father-in-law, which one is it?" What should we do..."

On the evening of that day, Zhu Youzhen, who had washed away the fatigue of the day, returned to the upper study.

As soon as he reached the chair, Wang Chengen took a document and reported to him: "Back to Your Majesty, the Social Investigation Institute has accepted three Yangzhou salt merchants as eyeliner. ”

Zhu Youzhen held his chin and said, "Well, is it willing?" I don't want to hear bad rumors in the future. ”

Wang Chengen suddenly said with a smile: "Please rest assured that Your Majesty is the one who took the initiative to ask to join the East Factory and serve Your Majesty, and there is no persecution." ”

Zhu Youzhen put down his hand, leaned on the back of the chair and replied a little casually: "Then it's best, let them learn how to collect intelligence, and then let them go back to Yangzhou."

Let the Social Investigation Institute send a few capable people back with them. The relationship between the Yangzhou salt merchants and the Lianghuai Salt Farm and the Lianghuai Salt Officials was all clarified.

If necessary, you can help them get a general dealer status. In short, by the time I prepare for the salt reform next year, I hope to have a thorough understanding of all the problems in the salt industry of the two Huai. ”

Wang Chengen hurriedly agreed to the emperor's order, and Zhu Youzhen turned his head to Lu Qi and asked, "Regarding the matter of letting the officials in the palace stationed in Jingdezhen report back to Beijing, how is it going now?" ”

Lu Qi lowered his head and looked at the record book in his hand before he said: "Back to Your Majesty, Liang Feng, the eunuch of the Tao Governor, has replied that he will arrive in the capital in the middle of next month, and according to His Majesty's order, bring several ceramic merchants and craftsmen into the capital together..."