After learning of the secret mission, the group quickened their pace, spending several days without staying at an inn, simply sleeping in the wilderness, hoping to reach Suzhou and Hangzhou as soon as possible.
According to the clues sent by Emperor Kangxi, the Huai salt will be shipped out of the port in half a month. At that time, all the salt merchants will be mobilized. All they need to do is find the list of all the salt merchants.
Next to the residence of the Salt Inspector of Lianghuai, there was a three-story inn called Yola Inn. The people there were a mixed bunch. After arriving, the group didn’t rush to find the Salt Inspector. Instead, they booked the entire three floors of the inn so they could keep a better view of the Salt Inspector’s residence.
Not far from Yuelai Inn is Yangzhou's famous Dongguan Street, which is the site of the Song Dynasty city gate and was once home to the mansions of salt merchants.
The feng shui here is good, so the salt merchants built their mansions around it so they could consult with each other if anything happened.
"Little darling, why did you insist on living here?" Yin and the others gathered in the study, looking at Qingyan with puzzlement.
“Besides the snack street, Dongguan Street is also a gathering place for salt merchants. We’re just pretending to be business people. Wouldn’t it be better to be able to see the salt merchants’ residences here?” Qingyan said to Yin.
The Salt Merchants' Residences
"Sister-in-law, are you referring to those areas that are blocked off not far away?" Yinxiang and Yin'er went out to eat that evening and discovered that a street was completely blocked off.
“Yes, at the very top of that place are the ruins of the Song Dynasty city gate. Around it, there were indeed many residences of salt merchants. It is said that the feng shui here is particularly good, so the salt merchants basically lived here,” Qingyan nodded and said.
In the study, everyone quieted down, even the twins listened obediently to what Qingyan had to say.
“I saw the size of those mansions; they really occupy a lot of land,” Yinxiang said. “Even like Changchun Garden, there are quite a few commercial streets. Fourth Brother, these people seem to be very wealthy.”
"Actually, these people's ancestors all went to Northeast China to make their fortune. They only returned here to sell salt after they had accumulated some capital." Qingyan remembered that when she was in modern times, she had made a special trip to Dongguan Street in Yangzhou, where there were many explanations of clay sculptures.
"What? Going to Northeast China?" Yin asked curiously.
Ugh!
“It should be going beyond the Great Wall,” Qingyan slapped his forehead. They hadn’t even gone beyond the Great Wall yet. “They bought a lot of things from the south and went to sell them beyond the Great Wall.”
It should be outside the pass.
"So that's how it is. Didn't the old princes from outside the pass say that things from inside the pass are indeed much more expensive outside? I think these salt merchants must have been selling a lot of things for generations." Yin nodded quickly after hearing Qingyan's explanation.
“That makes sense now. The Emperor’s new message says that many families in the south earned their first fortune outside the Great Wall, before the Qing Dynasty entered the pass.” Yin said helplessly.
Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. The last remaining courtyards of salt merchants on Guandong Street were basically built by the Huai salt merchants.
"Alright, let's not talk about how others acquired this family fortune. We need to think hard about how to complete the tasks that Father Emperor has entrusted to us," Yin said, looking at his younger brothers.
"Fourth Sister-in-law's inn is located in the closest place. What if we spend money to find out about it?" Yin said helplessly.
These salt merchants were very wealthy and kept a low profile, so the easiest way for them to do so was to bribe people.
“That’s very difficult to do. The salt merchants’ residences have very strict requirements, and their servants are extremely loyal. The salt merchants can even bribe people with silver, let alone these servants.” Qingyan shook his head.
I tried method fourteen before, but it didn't work at all.
etc.
"Fourth Prince, do you remember when Li Xu presented Father Emperor with several beautiful women during the last southern tour? It's said that those women were all the legitimate daughters of salt merchants." Yin suddenly remembered this matter.
“I know, those girls aren’t legitimate daughters at all. The daughters of salt merchants usually marry into other families through marriage and never marry outside the family. Those girls were just bought as children and secretly raised by brothel owners on the Qinhuai River. They have no blood relation to the main family at all.” Yin shook his head.
Initially, Kangxi certainly wanted to use this line of communication, but after a secret investigation, he discovered that it was simply not feasible.
"What?!" Yinxiang exploded, "Isn't this deceiving the emperor?"
"Hehe, they insist she's the legitimate daughter, what can you say?" Yin shook his head, his younger brother really had too little contact with the outside world.
These people have been in the business world for decades, and they are even more formidable than those in the officialdom.
"Master, you're saying these people were trained?" Yin Genjueluo asked, looking at Yin. "Were there any unfavored legitimate daughters who were indeed sent there?"
"It seems there is one, Fourth Brother, the one who was sent to your villa." Yin thought carefully and suddenly remembered someone.
"Is Brother referring to Madam Hu?" Qingyan suddenly remembered which girl. At that time, Qingyan was very angry, but Yin said that Madam Hu should be placed in a separate courtyard for the time being.
“Yes.” Yin nodded.
Hu was not taken back to the capital. While at the Fourth Prince's villa, she fell in love with the deputy head accountant of the Yuelai Inn. Qingyan was completely bewildered by Hu.
"Sulan, go to the other courtyard and bring Madam Hu here." Qingyan felt that Madam Hu must know something.
"Fourth brother, what arrangements have you made for this person?" Yin Genjue Luo asked, looking at Yin.
"Sister-in-law, before we left, Madam Hu and the deputy head accountant of Yuelai Inn hit it off, so they settled down here. It's said that their relationship is excellent, and Madam Hu is treated like a young mistress. They have two sons and a daughter," Qingyan said directly.
"It seems that we can make use of the Hu family." Yin thought about it and felt that Qingyan's previous arrangements were very good. If it were up to his temper, he would have taken her back to the capital and left her to fend for herself in the cold courtyard.
"Has she contacted her family?" After Qingyan held the wedding for the two, she handed this matter over to Yin to handle.
"No, there's no connection at all. The deputy steward seems to have said that his wife has no family background." Yin revealed the information he had received.
No family of origin
A glint of gold flashed in the eyes of the princes; all they needed was that one sentence.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, this time it might really work out!" Yinxiang's bright eyes brought a smile to Qingyan's lips.
"Thirteenth Prince, what do you think is the best course of action?" Qingyan teased Yinxiang.
Yinxiang was speechless. Qingyan would always call him Thirteenth Prince whenever he teased him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
