Chapter 76: Big Trouble
Yangzhou, Li Mansion.
Li Haimu and Li Haixing sat opposite each other, both looking worried.
"That idiot in the sea!"
Li Haixing punched the tea table and said, "Brother, should we make the final preparations?"
“…”
Li Haimu has been thinking about this issue since he received the news from Beijing yesterday.
He asked Li Haizhong to come to Beijing, not only because he wanted to get close to his master, but also because he wanted to make friends with a few other important figures, get more bargaining chips for the Li family, and take the opportunity to find out news from all sides in the capital.
In short, one cannot hang oneself on a tree.
Li Haimu was very dissatisfied with the so-called master who only wanted money.
But he had to rely on other people's power to get enough salt permits for the Li family.
Who knew that Hai Zhong had just arrived in Beijing and hadn't done anything yet, but he found that the Jia family had an opportunity to take advantage of him! ? He was so confused! Chen Chong was so cruel to his own son, and he would kill his relatives at will. How could she be a trustworthy person?
It would be fine if this wasn't exposed, but once it was exposed... I'm afraid all the responsibility would be pushed onto his family.
Li Haimu is so annoying.
The capital is too far away, and they don’t know all the consequences after being caught in the sea. If they move around... they will most likely be noticed by someone with ulterior motives.
"The master in the capital would not just stand by and watch, even if it's just for our family's money."
When Li Haimu said this, he was not very confident.
He knew those in power.
He also knew that there were countless people in Jiangnan who were eyeing their Li family and wanted to replace them.
So, when the Li family fell, other families soon took its place.
With the salt permit in hand, the master will never have to worry about not having anyone to show respect to him.
"Wait one more day. After one day, the master may send us a letter."
The Li family has always had a way out.
But if Li Haimu really had to abandon his family and career and retreat... he would feel extremely reluctant.
"If the letter doesn't come..., you should take the children and leave immediately."
He has already assigned people to keep an eye on the two garrisons near Yangzhou.
If there is any action to be taken, a signal can be sent quickly.
Li Haimu was still somewhat confident that they could retreat calmly. "I have also had the silver in the warehouse packed into boxes. You can take it with you when the time comes."
"Then I'll... have someone prepare the boat."
"No need. I just received the message and asked my seventh brother to stop the boat at the designated location."
Li Haimu sighed, "We have to prepare for the worst and wait for... the best news."
I hope the master won't let him down.
As long as I survive this crisis, his family’s filial piety in the future can be increased by even half a percent!
"Go to Chunfeng Tower and help out later," he told his brother, "Don't think those families will just laugh at our family."
We are all in the same business, so who doesn't know who? The Li family is in trouble this time, and if they don't lend a hand, then they will just have to wait to be defeated one by one in the future.
"become!"
Li Haixing nodded, "I'll be there right away."
He stood up and was about to say goodbye when the housekeeper stumbled in, "Master, Sixth Master, something bad has happened. Jia Lian from Rongguo Mansion is here with his men."
What? The two brothers' faces changed.
"Lin Ruhai is here too?"
"No!" The housekeeper shook his head hurriedly, "I didn't see Lord Lin, it was Jia Lian, he brought six servants, kicked down the gatekeeper, and was about to attack."
The master asked him to watch it early in the morning, and sure enough, something happened.
What’s hateful is that even though the other party came to their doorstep, the people in their family didn’t dare to fight back with all their might.
"Just six people?"
Li Haimu heard the noise outside and was sure that there were only a few people. He felt relieved, "Quick! What are you fighting for? Please!"
With that, he strode out and said, "Stop, everyone, stop it."
Everyone in the Li family stopped, but Li Haimu, who ran through the Chuihua Gate, still saw two fierce servants of the Jia family, who kicked down two of his servants fiercely.
"Master Jia, Master Jia," he said anxiously and fearfully, "I don't know what crime the Li family has committed. Just tell me, Master Li will give you a satisfactory explanation."
"…A satisfactory explanation?"
Jia Lian sneered, tapped the fan in his hand and slowly walked towards him, "Mr. Li, Li Haizhong... is he from your family?"
"Ah? Yes!"
Li Haimu looked so scared that he was sweating. He even wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead when he heard this. "Did my cousin from Haizhong offend you? No way? He has gone to Beijing!"
The Jia family has channels in the military, so Jia Lian should have received the news from the capital.
Just one set.
Of course, seeing that Jia Lian only brought a few people here and there was no movement in the Salt Inspectorate's Mansion, Li Haimu suspected that their family had not suffered any major disaster at all, and that his cousin Haizhong must have taken all the responsibility alone.
"What a great trip to Beijing!"
Jia Lian tapped his fan against his palm and asked, "Do you know why he went to the capital?"
"This?" Li Haimu said in embarrassment, "My grandfather just passed away and we separated. I only heard that he found some way to make a fortune in Beijing."
At this point, he asked cautiously, "Master Jia, he...he caused trouble?"
Pah~ Jia Lian's fan hit him hard on the head. Li Haimu felt a burning pain on his forehead. He was angry in his heart, but his face was terrified. He bent his waist and said, "Oh, I'm wrong. You, be careful, your hands will hurt."
"Huh~"
Jia Lian had a half-smile on his face, and he was disgusted by the blood on the fan. He rubbed the fan on his clothes and said, "I've heard that your Li family is very rich. Sure enough, when Li Haizhong, a member of the branch family, took 100,000 taels of silver to cheat my Jia family, he didn't even blink an eye."
“…”
Li Haimu's mouth twitched, with an expression of disbelief, "How...how could it be?"
Jia Lian narrowed his eyes, "So you think I have wronged you?"
“No…I don’t dare!”
Li Haimu swallowed his saliva and said, "But, is there any misunderstanding here?"
A nobleman from the capital city has such strong hands?
Li Haimu’s forehead hurts.
"Although my cousin had some misunderstandings with... with Madam Lin in his early years, but... but he wouldn't be so bold as to accuse the Duke's Mansion..."
Pah~ Jia Lian rewarded him with another fan.
He made the salt himself, and it was not only darker but also stronger.
This time he hit the same place again, and blood really flowed down Li Haimu's forehead.
"You still want to make excuses for him?"
Jia Lian snorted coldly and glanced at Li Haixing who was about to rush over angrily. "My elder brother Zhen wrote the letter himself. He teamed up with Chen Chong, the head of the Ministry of Works who had a grudge against my family. One of them paid money, and the other used the lives of our clansmen as a self-torture to harm my Jia family.
The incident has spread throughout the capital, and Chen Chong also pleaded guilty in court at the Shuntian prefectural government office.
Li Haimu: “…”
Li Haixing: “…”
Both of them knew in their hearts that Chen Chong must have bitten her cousin.
"You should receive news about this matter in a few days."
Jia Lian walked towards Li Haixing holding a fan, "What's your name? Are you also Li Haizhong's brother?"
Huh? Li Haixing's forehead was covered with sweat. "...Yes!"
Bang~ Although he was prepared, he was still hit hard by the fan and his vision went black.
Papa! Jia Lian hit him twice more fiercely. "He harmed my brother, so call all his brothers here, one by one!"
What? The two Li Haimu brothers were stunned.
Li Haimu quickly bowed his hands, "Sir, calm down, sir, calm down." He looked pitiful, "There are eight brothers in our generation, but only me and Haixing are alive and in Yangzhou now."
"oh?"
Jia Lian wiped the blood off the fan on Li Haixing's body.
This fan was specially found by my aunt.
There is a layer of copper on the outside of the fan ribs, and before coming, my uncle had someone polish them.
"But I haven't gotten rid of my anger yet."
"It's the little people's fault!"
Li Haimu hurriedly took out a stack of banknotes from his arms and said, "It's just a small token of my appreciation, not a token of respect. I beg you to show some mercy, sir."
It’s actually a silver note worth five thousand taels?
Jia Lian estimated that there were about fourteen or fifteen.
Damn it!
If he had not received the letter from the capital when he was summoning his servants, he would have been dazzled.
"Sir, please show some mercy."
Seeing that the other party would not accept it, Li Haimu hurriedly winked at his brother. Li Haixing, with trembling hands, took out ten from his sleeve pocket and said, "Sir, please, don't worry, my family will not let Li Haizhong off."
At this point, he turned to his eldest brother and said, "Brother, remove that bastard from the family tree!"
"Yes, yes," Li Haimu seemed to have just realized, "I'll kill him later."
"Only him?"
Jia Lian took the banknotes they had been holding up, and his pair of peach blossom eyes, which seemed to be naturally smiling, continued to look at the brothers.
Li Haimu's heart skipped a beat. "Draw... draw their whole family."
"How many children does he have?"
"two!"
“Give it to me!”
Jia Lian blew away the loose hairs on his clothes with his fan and said, "Today, I will watch you beat his two little brats with forty strokes of the cane outside the Li family's gate."
“…”
“…”
Are you going to beat the children in the sea to death?
Li Haimu gave the butler a look and said with difficulty, "Yes!" Then he ordered the butler, "Go, bring...bring the two brothers Li Yunsheng here."
The housekeeper looked at his two masters, then looked at the aggressive Jia Lian, bowed, and hurried away.
"Please wait a moment, sir!"
Li Haimu's smile was extremely ugly. "Our two families are a little far away from each other." He signaled the servants to quickly bring the table and chairs and serve tea. "I wonder if Li Haizhong in Beijing has been sentenced?"
"nature!"
Jia Lian glanced at the yard and said, "In the autumn, you can go to the capital to collect his body!"
Execution after the autumn?
Li Haimu felt a little pain in his heart, "No...won't you send him back to his hometown to be executed?"
Beijing is a place they can't take care of.
On the contrary, in Yangzhou, they can use some tricks to make someone fake their death in the sea.
"...You still want to save him?"
Jia Lian's face suddenly turned cold again.
"Don't dare!"
Li Haimu shook his head quickly, "He will be expelled from the family tree, and we brothers will not collect his body. This... Isn't it thinking of coming back to kill him, so as to warn the tribe members?"
"You guys know what's best for you!"
Jia Lian walked out and said, "Then call all your clansmen here to watch Li Haizhong's child being beaten with forty sticks together!"
Huh? Li Haimu, who wanted to follow him in performing, stumbled and almost fell.
"Why? Don't want to again?"
When Jia Lian turned around after hearing the voice, there seemed to be a knife in his peach blossom eyes.
"Don't dare, we'll call someone right away."
Li Haixing supported his elder brother and winked at his servant. "Sir..." he asked with difficulty, "Aren't you going to sit in the room?"
"Wang'er, go and beat the gong!"
Jia Lian ignored him and ordered directly, "Let everyone come and take a look, and also find out for me who is from the Li family...but they didn't come." It doesn't matter if they don't know any of the Li family members, there must be someone in Yangzhou City who knows them.
"yes!"
Wang'er ran out in a hurry.
The Li Haimu brothers who were supporting each other almost fainted.
They were not fools, so of course they could hear what Jia Lian had not finished saying.
Can……
Whenever they thought about the fact that this was all their own fault for talking too much, they wanted to slap themselves in the face.
At this moment, the two of them couldn't regret it even if they wanted to.
Their grandchildren all did it.
He was beaten and given the banknotes. It was unrealistic for him to abandon his family and career to fight Jia Lian.
The two could only swallow their anger.
Far away, in the Salt Inspectorate’s office, Lin Ruhai, who was paying attention to this side, let out a breath.
The second letter was written to them by the eldest sister-in-law at the request of Jia Zhen, and it was delivered very promptly.
The letter said that neither he nor Min'er could move. But Lian'er either pretended not to know or made a big fuss.
But no matter whether it is the former or the latter, Lian'er cannot use the power of the government.
Even he could not have any contact with the two garrisons.
In short, this is the Jia family’s business.
Jia Lian is the heir to the Rongguo Mansion. He does not use the power of the government, but takes a few servants with him to vent his brother's anger. Even if his methods are excessive, the Li family dare not do anything to him.
It would be even better if we could make the Li family fall into chaos and let the whole Yangzhou city laugh at us.
It is not easy for the Li family, who is under the spotlight, to do anything.
This vengeance - the Emperor will avenge them.
All they have to do is keep an eye on the Li family and prevent him from running away.
There is not a single word of nonsense in the whole letter.
I only mentioned it at the end, saying that the experiment was successful and would be reported immediately.
Lin Ruhai also decided to report it immediately.
After receiving the good news yesterday, he wrote the memorial overnight, but has not sent it out yet.
After all, he originally thought that Zhaizi, his wife, and children would arrive in Beijing at the same time.
In this case, the emperor will definitely ask more questions and will certainly pay attention to his wife and children.
But now…
Upon hearing that the Li family had actually sent people to Beijing to attack the Jia family and that they had almost succeeded, Lin Ruhai was very scared.
In the current situation, without the Jia family, he would be unable to take a single step in Jiangnan, let alone protect his wife and children.
Report the happy event here as soon as possible, and then let Jia Lian, who personally participated in the salt production, return to the capital to report. If the Jia family is stable, his wife and children will also be stable.
The emperor is caring and will also take care of his wife and children.
Lin Ruhai took the letter, read it again and again, and confirmed that there were no mistakes. He quickly sealed it, wrote the words "Immediate delivery", stamped it with his seal, and said to the postman he had invited, "Thank you for your help."
Those places suitable for building salt fields must have the emperor's approval.
As long as these salt fields are built, the price of salt in Dazhao will surely be reduced, and millions of people will benefit from it.
Lin Ruhai was very excited and just hoped that the emperor could convince the retired emperor to get this done as soon as possible.
May is just around the corner, and it’s the best time to build salt fields!
Act quickly, maybe before the New Year, those bitter and slightly poisonous salts can be replaced.
Lin Ruhai stood in front of the yamen and watched the post soldiers ride away on horseback with his own eyes, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, many people had gathered in front of Li's mansion.
Everyone looked at Jia Lian, who was sitting in the middle, in surprise.
Of course, seeing Master Li Da and Master Li Liu was even more surprising.
They were hit on the head... right? The several big salt merchants who were supposed to go to Chunfeng Tower were all very surprised.
Others don’t know Jia Lian, but they do.
Wasn't he the one who hit the Li brothers on the head?
Lord Lin doesn't care?
Doesn’t that adult always advocate fairness and justice?
His nephew is so...
"I was wondering why the Li family treated us to a nice dinner."
Master Lu, one of the ten great salt merchants, said, "They also asked us to come here at all costs. Have they offended the Duke's Mansion?"
The Li family had offended Lin Ruhai's wife Jia Min before.
Now that his nephew is here, he is offended again...
At this time, they still didn't know what happened in the capital, and the letters that could contact them were still on the way. "Brother Liu, Brother Gu, Brother Zhang..., what do you think, should we say hello to Jia Lian first?"
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