The next day, in the Qincha camp, Gu Wei personally presided over the auction, the venue was arranged in the lobby of the camp, all the officials in the camp were mobilized, more than a dozen tables were placed in the hall, enough to accommodate hundreds of people, Yangzhou Thorn Shi Shenghuai, Yangzhou County Shou Sha Hao, came to the camp successively, Gu Wei descended to the noble, and accompanied the two to talk.

"It looks like there's a lot of people. Sheng Huai looked at the layout in the field and said with a little relief.

Gu Wei smiled bitterly: "I sent out the invitation yesterday, and I sent someone to invite it from house to house early this morning, alas, Master Sheng doesn't know, Xia Guan estimates that if he can come to ten families this time, Xia Guan will be very satisfied." ”

"Oh, why is that?" Sheng Huai was a little surprised, but this surprise fell on Gu Wei's eyesight was very contrived, Gu Wei was very clear about Sheng Huai's background, Sheng Huai's ability to serve as the assassin of Yangzhou all depended on the Lu family's Yu family, the full support of the two Jiangnan gate valves, this auction, Gu Wei didn't count on him at all.

"Ten?" Sha Hao's tone was a little heavy, there were hundreds of Yangzhou Salt Numbers, and only ten of them came to participate, and it was estimated that there were still few people who could really come.

Gu Wei also nodded heavily, if there were only three or five of them, I am afraid that there would be more officials in the Qin Camp on the side than the salt merchants who participated in the auction.

"Send someone to urge it. Sheng Huai suggested.

"I sent out early this morning, one hundred and twenty-two salt numbers, one by one. Gu Wei sighed, Sheng Huai and Sha Hao were silent, the two exchanged glances with each other, and each saw schadenfreude in the other's eyes.

Time gradually passed, and finally someone came, the first to arrive was a small salt number, Sheng Huai didn't know that there was such a salt number, the shopkeeper's surname was Jiang, an old man in his fifties, the old man smiled when he saw people, and specially went to Gu Wei and the three of them to greet him, Gu Wei was very happy to chat with him.

The second one who arrived was also a small salt number, and the shopkeeper was a middle-aged man in his thirties, this middle-aged man looked like he was not good, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, thick palms and bones, and a very loud voice, which could be heard by the entire camp with a mouth.

The rough man also came over to greet Gu Wei and the three of them, and then said hello to the old man, and then was led to the table next to him, and the tables in the middle were still empty.

Seeing that the time was approaching, another business came in at the gate of the camp, and a charming beauty swayed in, Sheng Huai and Sha Hao saw it straight, there is not no woman as the shopkeeper in the mall, and Yangzhou Salt is not without a woman as the shopkeeper, but this woman is too tempting.

Yangzhou beauties, famous all over the world, Yangzhou is rich, green buildings are everywhere, as Yangzhou's parents and officials, Sheng Huai Shahao also often goes in and out, but this beauty is completely different from those, there is no trace of wind and dust on her body, and she is charming, with a smile and a smile, which is heart-wrenching.

Sheng Huai and Sha Hao's eyes were straight, and Gu Wei coughed lightly twice on the side before barely waking them up.

"Lord Gu, Lord Shan, Lord Sha, the slave family is not late. The beautiful woman came over to salute the three of them with a smile, and Sheng Huai couldn't help but reply: "It's not late, it's not late, it's not too late." ”

The beauty smiled, Sheng Huai Shahao was almost drunk, Gu Wei hurriedly smiled: "Shopkeeper Zhen came at the right time, it will start soon, alas." ”

Zhen Niang turned her head to look at the empty lobby, smiled again, and Sheng Huai Shahao's heart shook again.

"It seems that the slave family is lucky! They didn't come, and there is still hope for those salt pans. ”

Gu Wei smiled bitterly, but glared at her in the depths of her eyes, Zhen Niang turned around with a smile, walked to the middle position and sat down, these middle positions were originally prepared for the top ten salts.

"Your Excellency, the hour has come. ”

Gu Wei looked at the lobby, sighed softly, and was about to go up to announce the start of the auction, when Sheng Huai suddenly interjected: "Lord Gu, there are only three of them, I am afraid it is too hasty to auction like this, and the lower official suggested postponing the auction and then mobilizing the salt merchants in Yangzhou." ”

Gu Wei shook his head firmly: "No, Ben Qincha has already issued an announcement that the salt fields will be auctioned today, and since the order has been issued, it must be unswerving, otherwise the prestige of the imperial decree will be lost, and the imperial court will lose face. ”

Sheng Huai was silent, and Sha Hao interjected: "My lord, this auction is not trivial, it is the first step of the salt policy reform, if there is a mistake in this step, which leads to the failure of the salt government reform, how can the lord explain to the imperial court?"

"This matter will be reported to the imperial court, besides," Gu Wei paused, looked at the empty lobby and showed a contemptuous smile: "As long as this auction is successful, the stagnant water in Yangzhou will be able to move." ”

"If that's the case, then it's okay, but what if it doesn't work?" Sha Hao asked casually, Gu Wei's eyes flashed: "If it doesn't work, this official will ask the emperor for guilt." ”

Sha Hao sighed softly when he heard this, and said no more.

As soon as Gu Wei walked up, there was a loud announcement from the bookstore outside the door, and two more people came in, Gu Wei frowned slightly, and the middle-aged man in his thirties who walked in front of him hugged his fist in the hall and apologized: "It's late, please forgive me, my lords, my colleagues, the wind and waves on the river have been strong these days, and I received the news late, late, late, oh, introduce myself, Kang Cheng, the shopkeeper of the Jianye branch of the Hanhai Commercial Company." ”

"In Xiapengcheng Shunfeng Trading Co., Ltd. shopkeeper sealed, I was also late, I only received the news three days ago, and I hurried to hurry up and finally did not miss anything. The middle-aged man in the back, who was also about thirty, clenched his fists and apologized around.

"It's good to come, please take a seat, the auction will start immediately. Gu Wei was happy in his heart, there are five now, the popularity in the lobby has increased a little, he nodded at Sheng Huai Shahao: "Two adults, please take a seat, this auction should have been presided over by Lord Ju, but unfortunately Lord Ju was sick in bed and could not preside over it. ”

"This auction will auction 800 acres of salt fields under the Yangzhou Salt and Iron Supervisor, these salt fields are distributed in Yangzhou subordinate prefectures and counties, 800 acres of salt fields are divided into four pieces according to different sizes and locations, and now you look at the information of these four salt fields. ”

A scribe came in and distributed the information to the five salt numbers that participated in the auction, and the five shopkeepers picked up the materials and looked at them carefully, Gu Wei waited a little, and nodded at a scribe in the camp, and the scribe stepped forward and pushed out a blackboard with a map hanging on it.

"This is the first salt pan to be auctioned today, with a size of 300 acres, located in Hailing County"

The scribe introduced this salt pan, depicted the salt pan like a flower, Sheng Huai couldn't help but smile in his heart, he was the history of Yangzhou Thorn, he had been to Hailing County, and he had seen the salt pans of Hailing, which was dilapidated.

"The starting price, five thousand taels of silver, who is interested?" After the scribe finished introducing, he immediately opened the bid, obviously he was the one who specifically presided over the auction, Gu Wei retreated below at this time.

"Five thousand one. Kang Cheng of Hanhai Trading Company immediately raised his hand and shouted.

"Hanhai Trading Company Kang's shopkeeper bid five thousand one, and that one?"

"Five thousand two. Peng Cheng came to the wind and Feng Bai immediately raised the sign.

"Shunfeng Feng Feng shopkeeper bid five thousand two, and that one else bid?"

"Five thousand three. ”

"Ten thousand taels!" Zhen Niang Ying spit out her lips and immediately nearly doubled the price.

"The shopkeeper Zhen bid 10,000 taels, and the bidder ?!!!"

"Shopkeeper Zhen bid 10,000 taels, once, and that one?"

"Ten thousand two or two!"

"123 thousand!

Sheng Huai was a little dumbfounded, 300 acres of salt fields, 10,000 taels of transactions, this is going to be spread, I'm afraid it will shock Yangzhou, this price is too low, the price of land in Yangzhou is very high, rice fields are generally 70 to 90 21 acres, mulberry fields are more expensive, generally 100 to 1221 acres, and although the government is not allowed to buy and sell salt fields, but in fact there are still transactions, generally 300 to 3521 acres, 300 acres of salt fields, generally at least 90,000 taels of silver, even if the government is dilapidated, at least 50,000 taels of silver, but now, only 10,000 taels are sold, this, this is incredible。

Sha Hao obviously felt that something was wrong, the price was too low, he looked at Sheng Huai, Sheng Huai frowned, obviously he also felt that it was wrong.

"My lord, isn't this price too low? ”

Sheng Huai's face sank like water, and he shook his head slightly, no matter what, at least there is not the slightest flaw now, public auction, five salt numbers participated, and the price rose from five thousand to ten thousand, he couldn't see any problems.

The auction continued, and then, in the competition for another 200-acre high-grade salt field, Zhen Niang and another salt number started a shopping match, and finally the starting price of 5,000 taels of silver was sold for 20,000 taels.

"Who is this woman?" Sheng Huai couldn't help but ask Sha Hao, who shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Gu Wei heard on the side and asked sideways.

"Where did this woman come from?" Sheng Huai asked.

"Oh, her salt number is newly opened, and she took the initiative to get the number plate yesterday. Gu Wei's answer was very vague.

The third salt pan was won by Zhen Niang again, perhaps the other four were frightened by her momentum, and the fifth salt pan had very little fighting, and she was successfully won by Hanhai Trading Company after only three rounds of price increases.

"Eight hundred acres of salt fields, a total of 37,000 taels of silver were sold, if Lord Gu is in business, he will definitely make a fortune!" Sheng Huai got up and smiled at Gu Wei.

Of course, Gu Wei heard the ridicule and ridicule, he smiled indifferently and didn't fight back, but he didn't send Sheng Huai and Sha Hao again, he stood at the door, looking at the backs of the two, with a sneer on his face.

Sheng Huai Shahao walked out of the gate of the Qincha camp, and the two got into the same carriage.

"My lord, what now?" asked Sha Hao.

"What else can I do, let's go meet the second son first, and hear what his opinion is?" Sheng Huai sighed, today's auction is out, I'm afraid that many salt numbers in Yangzhou will be red-eyed, and 37,000 taels of silver will buy 800 acres of salt fields, which is too cheap.

"I heard that the next auction will have 1,500 acres. Sha Hao reminded intentionally or unintentionally.

Sheng Huai was silent, he knew what Sha Hao meant, and Sha Hao's subordinates also controlled two salt numbers, and the total salt fields of these two salt numbers were only three hundred acres, which was less than half of today's auction.

In the courtyard behind the Salt Temple, dozens of people were drinking tea boringly, and some people turned their heads from time to time to look at the two tables in the middle, and there were a total of ten people sitting at those two tables, and it was Lin Zhen who was in the middle.

"Master, master!" A thin middle-aged man in green clothes hurriedly ran in, and Lin Yan hurriedly stood up: "Tell me quickly, how is it!"

The thin middle-aged man wiped his sweat and said: "There are five companies participating in the auction, two of them are from other places, one is from Pengcheng, one is from Jianye, and three are local, and the 800 acres of salt fields auctioned today are all high-grade salt fields, and a total of 37,000 taels of silver were auctioned. ”

"Thirty-seven thousand taels of silver!"

"It's only 37,000 taels of silver!"

"This, who is this! Thirty-seven, Lin Gong, this is a big bargain!"

Lin Yan's face was extremely gloomy, everyone knew that if it weren't for the fact that the industry association didn't allow him to participate in the auction, I am afraid that many people would fight for their heads.

...