There are eight major salt merchants in Tianjin Wei, namely Cao, Liu, Xie, Wang, Sun, Wu, Wei, and Jiang; there are also three grain transport gangs, namely Tianjin Zuowei Sitou Gang, Tianjin Youwei Xingwu Gang, and Tianjin Wei Luosheng Gang.

The "Eight Families and Three Gangs" were related by marriage and had close contacts. Their network of contacts could be found throughout the entire Hejian Prefecture and even in Northern Zhili. Because they were involved in smuggling salt, their lives and property were linked together, so they were particularly united. However, once someone violated a taboo and threatened others, they would act particularly ruthlessly.

For example, the Zhao family, who retired from business and moved to Wangjing, but were wiped out.

The head of the Zhao family was originally the head of the Four-Headed Gang. After he single-handedly established the Four-Headed Gang, he spent several years developing and growing the Four-Headed Gang and became the only left guard in Tianjin. And this is the reason why the Cao family, a salt merchant, fell in love with the Zhao family and got married to them - by pulling the Zhao family into the water, there were dozens more ships transporting salt.

The Changlu Salt Field produced a huge amount of salt, but the official salt was only allowed to be sold to northern Zhili and Henan, which made the salt merchants very jealous of the huge market in the south. After the canal transportation was opened, they could transport the Changlu salt to various places in the south without hindrance and sell it, making huge profits.

But precisely because the interests of the salt merchants and the shipping gang are closely related, one move will affect the entire body, so not only Wan Youliang, but also these local snakes will not tolerate anyone to withdraw halfway.

If someone backs down, the Zhao family will serve as a lesson.

Just look at the days when Yin Chengyu was in Tianjin. Wherever he went, the country was peaceful and the people lived in harmony. Not to mention asking about the smuggling of salt, even the storytellers in the teahouse didn't dare to mention the word "salt". This shows how powerful these local salt merchants and shipping gangs are.

It is not easy to break such an iron plate of interests.

But as the saying goes, the first time is new, the second time is familiar. In the previous life, Yin Chengyu spent a lot of time and effort to find a breakthrough. Therefore, it was much easier to do things in this life.

Yin Chengyu picked up his brush and wrote the word "Wei" on the rice paper.

"Send a few more people to keep a close eye on the Wei family, and pay more attention to the movements of the eldest son of the Wei family, Wei Xihe. Report any news immediately."

In his previous life, he made a breakthrough from the Wei family.

Today, one of the eight major salt merchants in Tianjin Wei is still the "Wei Family", but five years later, the "Wei Family" no longer exists, and Tianjin Wei only knows the "Ke Family".

Because the previous head of the Wei family had only one daughter, in order to inherit the family business, he married a son-in-law for his daughter. Unfortunately, he was always hunting geese but got his eyes pecked by the geese. The son-in-law he married was an ambitious ungrateful man. After the old lady of the Wei family passed away, the family business was handed over to her son-in-law Ke Shouxin.

In the first few years, Ke Shouxin treated Wei's mother and son very well and managed the family business diligently. But when he completely took control of the Wei family business, his ambitions became apparent and he was no longer willing to be a son-in-law.

First, Wei died of illness. A few years later, Ke Shouxin and Wei's only son, Wei Xihe, was attacked by bandits on his way to school. Although he escaped, his lower body and legs were trampled by horses. The Wei family sought medical treatment everywhere, but in the end, they only saved one leg.

Wei Xihe became lame and could no longer walk.

Ke Shouxin married a wife and a concubine in the pretext of continuing the family line. Within five or six years, he had three sons and two daughters, all of whom took the surname Ke.

As for Wei Xihe, whose future was ruined and who was no different from a useless person, he was locked up in a side courtyard of the Wei Mansion to fend for himself.

However, Ke Shouxin probably didn't expect that his eldest son had inherited his character, and could endure what ordinary people couldn't. Not only did he survive ten years of inhuman life, but he also got evidence of Ke Shouxin's selling of illegal salt. In the end, he took the evidence to Yin Chengyu and destroyed the entire Ke family.

If it weren't for those setbacks, Wei Xihe would have been a genius.

Thinking of his previous life, Yin Chengyu was quite sad. He didn't know what the situation in Wei Xihe was like when he arrived in Tianjin Wei five years earlier.

He put down his pen and told Zhao Lin, "Be careful, don't let Wei Xihe get hurt."

After giving the instructions, he sent Zhao Lin out.

Seeing that Xue Shu had not shown up for a long time, he frowned and asked unhappily, "Where is Xue Shu?"

Zheng Duobao came in from outside and explained, "Eunuch Xue drank too much at the banquet and just returned to the inn. He was afraid that the smell of alcohol would offend Your Highness, so he went back to change his clothes."

"Wan Youliang has wasted his time trying to win him over." Yin Chengyu picked up the pen again and practiced writing slowly, saying casually, "Ask the kitchen to make some hangover soup for him. Let him come back after he sobers up. There's no rush."

Zheng Duobao sighed, then left and went to the kitchen to ask someone to prepare some hangover soup.

However, when he took his men and the hangover soup to look for Xue Shu, he found him empty-handed. He asked the guards nearby and found out that Xue Shu had gone straight to the main house after changing his clothes.

At this time, Xue Shu had just arrived at the main house.

The young eunuch who was serving him led him into the side room. Before he even entered the room, he saw a figure behind the desk.

Yin Chengyu's outfit today is very different from usual.

Today he wore a scarlet robe with a cross collar and wide sleeves, and he looked elegant and had the air of a famous scholar. His long hair was untied, half tied up behind his head with a jade hairpin, and as he lowered his head, a few strands of black hair fell from his shoulders to his chest.

Hearing the eunuch's voice, Yin Chengyu looked up. In the slightly dim side room, he was wearing a red robe, black hair, and snowy skin. Every detail of him was exquisite. He looked like a spirit that appeared in the world at dusk, captivating and soul-stirring.

Xue Shu paused, stared at him for a few breaths, then retracted his gaze and lowered his head respectfully.

But the fingers hanging by his side could not help but twist slightly, recalling the feeling of holding the black hair in the palm of his hand.

Soft, smooth and mesmerizing.

"Why are you here so soon?" Yin Chengyu saw him standing still, not moving or talking, and thought he was drunk and not sober yet: "Didn't you ask Zheng Duobao to pass on the message? Come back when you sober up. You've been playing tricks on Wan Youliang and Xu these days, and it's really hard for you."

Having lived with Xue Shu day and night in his previous life, he naturally knew that Xue Shu never had the patience to deal with others.

In his understanding, only those who obey me will prosper, and those who go against me will perish.

If you are not satisfied, just kill them.

Trying to maneuver around is something only the weak would do.

On the contrary, it was now that Yin Chengyu was surprised that he could keep Wan Youliang stable and take money out of his pocket continuously.

Since he was so obedient, Yin Chengyu naturally treated him better.

"It's not hard to work for His Highness."

Xue Shu raised his eyes and looked at him again, with a dark color in his eyes. Maybe it was because he was drunk, or maybe it was because Yin Chengyu was bewitching like a monster today. He couldn't help but take a few steps forward, and the distance between him and Yin Chengyu was only a wide desk.

The estrangement during these days made it impossible for him to suppress the longing in his heart.

He leaned forward, his wolf-like eyes locked on Yin Chengyu, and boldly asked, "Why didn't Your Highness summon me these days?"

He looked straight into Yin Chengyu's eyes, as if questioning, but also as if he just wanted an answer.

But no matter which one it was, Yin Chengyu felt offended and unhappy.

Who does he want to see? How can it be Xue Shu's turn to have a say?!

His rare good temper finally ran out, and he threw down his pen with a snap, warning: "Xue Shu! You are overstepping your authority!"

"Am I not more useful than Zheng Duobao and Zhao Lin? Whoever your highness wants to kill, I will do it for you." Xue Shu was adamant. He looked at Yin Chengyu stubbornly, determined to seek justice for himself.

Yin Chengyu was originally angry, but he almost laughed at what he said.

There are some differences between Xue Shu in these two lives.

In his previous life, he and Xue Shu had too deep a relationship. They had different positions, and there were too many interests and ambitions mixed in between. They could trust each other when facing the enemy, but once the external enemy was eliminated, their alliance would no longer be solid.

He is the crown prince and will be the emperor in the future. He has the ambition to unify the country and expand the territory. However, an emperor with great power will never be influenced by others.

But Xue Shu happened to be the Nine Thousand Year Old who had great power in the government and the country.

Sooner or later, the two of them will meet in battle.

He and Xue Shu both knew this very well, but before that day came, they tacitly maintained the false appearance of harmony. Occasionally, even he himself would be deceived by the false appearance and become soft-hearted and hesitant.

To this day, he still can't explain clearly what he feels towards Xue Shu.

The same was true of him towards Xue Shu.

Xue Shu had never expressed his thoughts to him so bluntly.

Most of the time, this person is weird and nothing he says is pleasant.

But at this moment, although the words I said were a bit annoying, they were not so frustrating.

It turns out that young people are more likable.

Yin Chengyu's rising anger dissipated a little, and he regained his composure. He leaned over, pinched Xue Shu's chin and looked at him carefully, and was surprised to find that there was some subtle grievance in his eyes.

It was true that he had a bad temper.

"You are naturally more useful than them." Otherwise, he wouldn't have lived his life again and kept that person by his side.

Yin Chengyu let go of his hand, sat back leisurely, pointed at the wolf-hair brush that had fallen on the ground, raised his chin and said, "Pick it up for me."

Xue Shu obediently picked up the wolf-hair brush, handed it to him with both hands, and then stared at him closely, as if waiting for his next words.

Yin Chengyu did not continue talking, but said: "You will go somewhere with me tomorrow."

Xue Shu felt a little disappointed when he didn't hear His Highness continue to praise him. But when he heard that he wanted to take him out, his tightly pursed lips finally curved and said, "Yes!"

"Go back now that you understand. You reek of alcohol." Yin Chengyu glanced at him and curled his lips in disdain.

Xue Shu did not move, and said, "It is getting late, I will wait for Your Highness to go to bed before I leave."

It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything, but once he did, Yin Chengyu got angry again. It was a rare occasion for him to lose control of himself while drunk, but this guy had caught him with something!

Yin Chengyu frowned and pointed outside the door, saying, "Since you are so free, go to the kitchen and chop some firewood!"

Seeing that he was angry, Xue Shu dared not to push his luck any further and went to the woodshed without saying a word.

As a result, everyone in the inn knew that day that Supervisor Xue had angered His Highness and was punished by being sent to the kitchen to chop firewood.

After the news was passed around for several times, Wan Youliang heard it. He was very satisfied and said to General Guan beside him: "You didn't want to believe it before, but now you believe it? His Majesty has never been close to the prince. He sent Xue Shu to accompany him just to monitor the prince. If Xue Shu wants to gain the trust of His Majesty, how could he help the prince?"

General Guan pondered for a long time, then nodded and said, "Yes, I think too much. I will do as you say."

The author has something to say:

Your Highness: If you don't obey me, you will not only have to chop wood, but also fetch water:)

Gou Gou:? Can I sleep with you just by chopping wood and fetching water?

Your Highness: