klisemfg Chapter 184: The prefect is not kind-hearted, Yan Zhao visits the Gu Men again
Chapter 184: The prefect is not kind-hearted, Yan Zhao visits the Gu Men again
Early morning, Yang City.
The door of a top-grade guest room was pushed open. Wen Yanzhao changed into a white brocade robe and went downstairs swiftly.
"Young Master, are you leaving today and won't stay for another day?"
The waiter took the silver ingot from Wen Yanzhao, which was enough to pay for half a month's rent, with a flattering smile on his face.
"I'm not staying here today. I might come back in a few days. You can keep the rest of the money."
Wen Yanzhao raised his hand.
"Oh, thank you so much, young master! Come on, come on, sit over here, I'll go get you some morning tea!"
The waiter was delighted and took Wen Yanzhao to a table with a prime location, then immediately went into the back hall like clockwork.
After breakfast, Wen Yanzhao asked the accountant for paper and pen and wrote a letter to his grandfather who was far away in Lingnan:
"Grandpa Wan'an,
Zhao'er did not live up to his grandfather's expectations, and the art of medicine finally passed to the Wen family.
Five days ago, the Medicine King Xin Baicao handed this technique to me.
To prevent any accidents, Zhaoer decided to strike first!
I have already visited the old marquis at the Xihou Mansion in Qiandong Town. There are undercurrents inside and outside the imperial city.
There are countless people who covet the medicine man's skills and are wary of the Zhenxi Marquis Mansion and the Lingnan Wen family.
Zhao'er's purpose in this trip was to rob half of the country's tax revenue in order to finance military expenditures.
If this succeeds, great things will be accomplished!
Winter is damp and cold, and the chill is getting stronger. Grandpa, please take care of your knees and stomach!
Zhao'er will return to Lingnan soon and apply medicine and make soup for his grandfather personally.
Zhao'er, in Jizhou, on a certain date in the Tai'an period.
After finishing writing, Wen Yanzhao thanked the accountant, rolled up the note, and left the inn.
Coming to a deserted gentle slope, Wen Yanzhao gently pinched his fingers in front of his lips and let out a loud chirp.
About half a cup of tea later, a silver-gray carrier pigeon flew in from the sky.
After placing the note, Wen Yanzhao gently touched the pigeon's head, and then threw it high to the southeast.
Accompanied by the cooing of pigeons, Wen Yanzhao also used his Qinggong skills to head straight for Chaisang City in the southwest road.
……
Bingzhou, Southwest Road, Chaisang City.
As early as forty or fifty years ago, the Gu family had become the largest family in Chaisang City.
Since the grandfather generations of Gu Jianmen and Gu Luoli, the Gu family has been able to defeat many powerful people and unify all the money houses in the southwest of Bingzhou.
In addition to money shops, there are also several lead and copper mines and silk businesses.
Until Gu Luoli took charge of the family business, the Gu family was far ahead of the others in the entire southwest and was considered the richest family in the southwest of Bingzhou.
Therefore, Gu Jianmen should be the top rich second generation in Shaobai's world.
The family wealth is tens of millions, with countless fields, houses, mines, and textile factories...
It's just that Gu Luoli was murdered by Yan Bietian and Tianwaitian, otherwise...
Under Gu Luoli's control and development, the Gu family will sooner or later be able to compete with the major powerful families in Tianqi City.
On the first day, Xue Daocheng, the governor of Chaisang City, specially visited the Gu family, but Gu Jianmen, who was cold and sarcastic, did not give him a good look.
Xue Daocheng originally wanted to save face and go to the Gu family to negotiate and collect more taxes to make up for the deficit of the previous year.
But unexpectedly, she met the cold-faced man Gu Jianmen and hit a snag.
Thinking about when Gu Luoli was in charge of the Gu family, he tried his best to please him. At that time, Xue Daocheng benefited a lot.
Whenever the annual tax was not enough, Xue Daocheng would first go to the Gu family to ask for a sum, and then go to the Yan family to ask for a sum.
With the money coming in and out from the two families, not only can he make up for the deficit, but he can also save himself more than 100,000 taels of silver!
But now, although Gu Jianmen also set up a banquet to entertain him.
But the second young master Gu had a face as cold as ice, and Li Suli was holding a long sword beside him. He might draw his sword if they disagreed!
……
Chaisang City Government Office, back hall.
Sitting in the hall was a fifth-rank official with gray hair and a hypocritical face, his official hat casually thrown on the table in front of him.
Next to him stood a man who looked like a scholar, about forty years old, half-bowed, listening to the prefect's rants...
"Damn Gu Jianmen! What's so great about the Gu family having a few filthy riches?"
"Look at his grumpy face at the banquet. I just mentioned the residence tax (an ancient tax levied on industry and commerce, meaning a landing tax levied on shops), and I didn't dare to ask for more. A mere fifty thousand taels of silver..."
"He actually had the audacity to refuse me, saying that the housing tax was due on the 16th day of the first lunar month this year, and that he would send his servants to deliver it to Liang Zhubu and Qian Shiye in the government office!"
"Bullshit! Without me, the master, to back up his Gu family, how could he, he, he... could his banks and mines continue to operate?"
"The ancestor of the Gu family was a classmate of my uncle's. How come... now Gu Jianmen doesn't even remember this little bit?"
Xue Daocheng's scolding seemed not enough and he spat into the spittoon.
Master Zhang, who was standing by, quickly brought over a cup of tea and respectfully pushed it to the center of the table.
"Master, calm down... Anger is bad for your health! Have some tea to cool down..."
"Don't worry, it's still more than half a month before the tax money arrives. We still have other options!"
Xue Daocheng had just picked up his teacup when his eyes lit up when he heard the second half of Master Zhang's words:
"Wait a minute~ You just said there is another way? Come on... tell me, Master, is there any other way?"
Master Zhang narrowed his eyes and whispered in Xue Daocheng's ear:
"So so, so so..."
Xue Daocheng's expression gradually brightened as Master Zhang spoke, and in the end, he couldn't suppress a smile on his entire face...
"Okay! Okay! Why didn't you tell me earlier? It's you, Master Zhang. With your idea, I wonder how the Gu family will play this game!"
……
Chaisang City, Gu family.
The Gu family compound was filled with the sound of sword energy, and Gu Jianmen, dressed in a plain gauze dress, danced with the wind like a snow-moon sword.
The sword intent was as cold as frost. For a moment, the entire Gu family seemed to have entered deep winter, with a deep chill.
"laugh!"
Gu Jianmen leaped into the sky, and with Yuexue in his hand, he swung out a sword energy, cutting a deep sword mark on a silver fir tree a hundred steps away from the gate!
Then he turned over and threw Yue Xue into the scabbard held by Li Suli.
Yuexue was sheathed, and Gu Jianmen also flew to the table in front of the hall, picked up a pot of wine and drank it headfirst...
"Sir, that sword move I just made...I seem to have seen it on someone before."
Li Suli looked at the silver fir tree outside the door and said.
Gu Jianmen slammed the wine jug on the table. He was a little confused when he heard this:
"Who?"
Li Suli hesitated:
"I told you, I'm afraid you'll be unhappy..."
Gu Jianmen turned around and sat at the table, saying impatiently:
"Li Suli, when did you become so fussy? Tell me!"
Li Suli leaned over and whispered:
"I always feel that... the sword strike you just made was very similar to that of the Wen family kid who challenged you and the Umbrella Ghost in the Dark River in the rain."
Gu Jianmen was silent for a moment after hearing this, and after a while he murmured:
"Really... that kid has some accomplishments in swordsmanship, but he's a bit arrogant..."
"Speaking of which, this guy has done my Gu family a favor, otherwise I would have definitely beaten him up..."
Just as Gu Jianmen finished speaking, a young man's voice could be heard from far outside the Gu family compound:
"Who wants to beat me up?"
……