The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 7 Donations from Yangzhou Gentry
Che Ming thanked him gratefully, said a lot of flattering words, and left with satisfaction.

Looking at Che Ming walking away, Li Yan also smiled with satisfaction.

This is so good, why bother with the use of knives and guns. I came to Jiangnan just to make money, and disaster relief was just a side job. It has nothing to do with me whether these officials are corrupt or honest. Even if I replace them, I will only replace a group of corrupt officials, and I will also offend my brothers in the capital. It is not worth it.

I can only accept the filial piety from Che Ming and Ren Boan. There are many officials at various levels below me, and I cannot let them go either. They are all corrupt officials. I can squeeze out the money they have embezzled and use it on the victims, which can be regarded as doing good deeds.

But these petty officials cannot do it themselves, because they are imperial envoys and the tenth prince, so they still have to be decent and they need a black glove.

correct
Longkodo, this kid is not a good guy either, he can't be left idle.

He called Longkodo and gave him some instructions. Longkodo was overjoyed, his eyes sparkling, "Master Shi, isn't this a bit too blatant?"

"What, you don't dare?"

When Longkodo heard this, he immediately said, "Master Shi, with your support, there is nothing I, Xiao Duozi, would not dare to do. I am just worried that if this happens and the news reaches the capital, it will be bad for you if the emperor knows about it!"

"Don't worry about that. That's my business. All you have to do is collect as much money as possible. These unscrupulous merchants, relying on their connections, usually deceive their superiors and lie to their subordinates, making a lot of money. They are all very rich, and none of them don't have a fortune of hundreds of thousands of taels."

"The country is in trouble now and the people are in dire straits. Shouldn't they do their part? Instead of letting them squander the silver, it would be better to use it to buy more food and repair the damaged river embankment. The silver required is not a small amount."

When Longkodo heard this, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva. It turned out that the Tenth Master was making money for disaster relief. Then I have nothing to worry about.

I am also doing the Emperor's errand now!
Thinking of this, Longkodo felt relieved.

"The sword that the Emperor gave me is not for display. I have never seen blood since I came to Yangzhou! Many people think that I, the Tenth Master, dare not kill people. If it really doesn't work, I will kill some people and confiscate the property of some people, and the rest will naturally behave themselves."

"Don't worry, Xiao Duozi. If anything happens, I will take care of it for you."

"However, we have to wait until tomorrow to raise the money. I will then take a few people to Suzhou and Hangzhou, and I will leave this place to you. Otherwise, if someone comes to me to plead for mercy, I will be embarrassed. In short, Xiao Duozi, you must remember this. You are not allowed to attack ordinary people. As for those corrupt officials and wealthy people, you can do whatever you want."

When Longkodo heard this, he immediately patted his chest and said, "Master Shi, with what you said, I have nothing to worry about. Just wait and see!"

Li Yan kept encouraging Longkodo and asked him to do these things while he would hide outside. If anything happened, it would naturally not affect him.

As for Longkodo.
Li Yan glanced at Xiao Duozi who was full of confidence and ready to do something big.

He thought, since you have Tong Zhongtang protecting you, nothing serious will happen. Although Xiao Duozi looked like a hated person now, Li Yan knew that Tong Guowei still valued this nephew very much, and the current predicament was just a training for him.

But Xiao Duozi didn't know this and hated Tong Guowei with a vengeance.

The next day, the weather was fine and the temperature was suitable. Although there were refugees everywhere outside the city and the scene was in ruins, there was still singing and dancing in the city. The flood of the Yellow River did not seem to affect the prosperity of Yangzhou at all. In the small square inside the imperial envoy's residence, more than a dozen tables of banquets were set up. It was called a banquet, but in fact it was just a few cups of tea and some snacks. In this situation, it was inappropriate to want to eat and drink a lot.

All the officials and wealthy families in Yangzhou City who were present came here and gathered in groups of three or four to chat.

"Tell me, why did the Imperial Envoy call us here?"

A middle-aged man dressed in silk, wearing a gentry hat and with a short beard asked quietly.

Another old man in a blue gown, with half of his scalp exposed and gray hair, who was well-informed, said with a worried look on his face: "What else can we do? The refugees outside the city and the breach of the Yellow River both require money. The imperial envoy must be raising money through donations. Is there any need to ask?"

"I heard that the imperial envoy is the emperor's tenth prince and the Eighth Master's man. Should we donate some money to deal with him?" said the middle-aged man on the opposite side.

The old man sighed, "Of course we have to give it, it depends on how much we give. Lord Ren and Lord Che are both the Eighth and Ninth Masters' men, and the Tenth Master is also one of us. We'll see what Lord Ren thinks. If Lord Ren can hold out, we'll give less. If Lord Ren can't, what can we do!"

The others all nodded. Facing the Ten Beile who held the Imperial Sword, the power of the merchants was too weak.

"The imperial envoy has arrived!"

A loud shout spread throughout the square, and everyone stood up in unison to welcome the imperial envoy.

Two rows of soldiers walked in from the headquarters, holding steel knives, and quickly stood around, looking at the people in the field with eager eyes, their knives were unsheathed, and the densely packed knife tips were pointed at the sky, which made people tremble with fear. Li Yan walked in with Longkodo, who was behind him, holding the imperial seal wrapped in yellow brocade in one hand, and the golden imperial sword on his shoulder with the other hand.

"All the officials and gentry in Yangzhou pay their respects to the Imperial Envoy, the Tenth Prince. May the Tenth Prince be blessed!" Everyone knelt down to pay homage, except for the guards on the side who all knelt on the ground.

Looking at the scalp, Li Yan nodded with satisfaction. This was only in ancient times. In modern society, even if your status is as high as the sky, you can't enjoy this kind of treatment. This kind of prestige that dominates others only exists in the feudal society where people eat each other.

Li Yan remembered who said that feudal society was bad. It depends on whether you are kneeling below or standing above. If you are standing above, the feeling is simply too good to be true.

"Everyone get up!"

Li Yan secretly enjoyed it for a moment, then spoke up to ask everyone to stand up.

After everyone was seated, Li Yan saw that everyone was looking at him, so he coughed and said, "Why did you all come here today? I believe everyone knows that the Yellow River burst its banks, leaving millions of people homeless and hungry everywhere. There are still hundreds of thousands of disaster victims gathered outside the city."

"The emperor is worried about the disaster and the people, so he sent me to Jiangnan to inspect the disaster area and to raise funds and food to help the victims. You are all wealthy and powerful people in Yangzhou, so you must donate generously to help the country."

In the original drama, the Fourth Master severely taught the eldest prince's disciple, Li Gan, the prefect of Chizhou, a lesson in order to scare the monkeys. However, Li Yan is the tenth prince, and this is also the territory of the eighth and ninth princes. He doesn't need to use that trick. As long as Ren Boan and Che Ming are dealt with, everything else will not be a problem.

Besides, I am raising funds openly here. When Longkodo comes to rob people, no one can escape.

Seeing that no one was talking, Li Yan stood up and said, "Longkodo, bring the donation book here!"

Longkodo picked up the book on the table and handed it to Li Yan. Li Yan took it, walked to Ren Boan and said, "Sir Ren, you are highly respected here and the leader of all officials. You should go first!"

Ren Boan stood up and said respectfully: "What are you talking about, Master Shi? It is the honor of officials like us to share the country's worries and save the people from their misfortunes!"

After saying that, he picked up the letter, wrote down a number, and signed his name, Ren Boan, at the back.

"Okay, Master Ren, donate 200,000 taels of silver!"

Li Yan reported the numbers loudly and praised Ren Boan generously.

"Two hundred thousand taels."

Everyone was stunned. This was a huge difference from the number they had imagined. If Ren Boan had 200,000 taels, then they would have to get at least tens of thousands of taels.

The second one was Che Ming. When Che Ming signed his name to donate 150,000 taels, everyone felt hopeless and still relied on these two people.

Even they couldn't stand it. How could he, a mere merchant, fight against the imperial court without the official protection? Looking at the soldiers with swords drawn and murderous intent around him, if he didn't donate enough, he might not be able to get out of the gate.

Then one after another, as if they had lost their parents, they came forward to pledge donations, and each of them donated an amount ranging from tens of thousands of taels.

At the end of the day, Longkodo finished counting the numbers, brought them to Li Yan, and said excitedly: "Master Ten, I have figured it out. Today, a total of 1,257,300 taels of silver and more than 200,000 dan of grain and grass were raised. The people in Jiangnan are really rich."

Li Yan took a sip from the cup and said calmly, "Yangzhou has been a rare prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River since ancient times. It occupies the hub of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, enjoys the benefits of the salt industry, and is close to the Yangtze River. It is not disturbed by floods or droughts, and there are many wealthy families. This is all we can do on the surface. It's up to you next. How much supplies you can raise depends on your ability to do things!"

"Master Shi, please rest assured."

"I'm just worried that they have no money and are just asking for it. This is the emperor's job, and I promise to drain them dry. However, if the court really investigates this, you, Master Ten, have to protect me," Longkodo said worriedly.

"I'll take care of everything. What are you afraid of? Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up for you."

Li Yan said solemnly, "We are the imperial envoys. Our job is to raise funds. Whoever comes here will offend others. The emperor knows this. Before the disaster is completely resolved, even if we turn Jiangnan upside down, the old man will not say anything. After the matter is resolved, the old man will give an explanation to others, and naturally he will scold them."

"However, we are taking the blame for the emperor. How can the emperor treat us unfairly? When the limelight is over, we will surely be given high positions and generous salaries. If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. You still don't understand this."

After hearing this, Longkodo felt relieved and expressed his loyalty again: "Master Shi, you understand the emperor's psychology so well. I, Xiaoduozi, will leave my life to you!"
(End of this chapter)