Qing Yao

Chapter 164 Uncle, you're worth too much! (Bonus Chapter 3 for Monthly Tickets)

No matter how powerful Jiao Zheng is, or how powerful the Ma family, the head merchant behind him, is, Zhao An is determined to confront him.

Who told Jiao to be a shipping company?

Wu Desong of the Salt Administration Office had mentioned the transport merchants to Zhao An. To put it bluntly, these transport merchants were the criminal gang that Zhao An had monopolized passenger transport in his previous life.

There's only one way to avoid using merchant ships: intimidate them, or the conflict will never end.

Zhao An originally planned to fight the transportation companies next year, but unexpectedly a representative came to his door.

It's just the right time to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

Actually, it's not that Jiao Zheng came knocking on our door; it's that Zhao An mobilized the canal gang to cut off the canal, thus cutting off both people's livelihood and their source of income.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, people will grit their teeth and buy meat and vegetables for pickling if their means allow, which leads to a surge in salt sales, especially among wealthy people living in cities.

Even the poorest people will try to buy more salt at the end of the year because they can't afford to eat it much on ordinary days.

As a result, the salt merchants and transport merchants were eager to make a fortune, but the canal guild inexplicably prevented them from sailing. How could they not be furious with you?

If things get heated, they'll just call for reinforcements to fight.

Whoever wins gets to decide.

Zhao An wasn't afraid of gang fights because the Canal Gang had plenty of members.

If you really go all out, to put it bluntly, three thugs can't compare to the miserable plight of a whole canal gang.

Because the poor have nothing but strength.

Moreover, this group of poor people is actually an organized militia.

Fifty years ago, this group of poor people was the most powerful paramilitary force in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. The princes who were vying for the throne had to win over this group of poor people.

Under the unified command of the "command center", the canal gang had an absolute advantage in terms of manpower alone, and the docks were the main battlefield for the canal gang.

For the lower-level gang members, they were not going to fight, but to defend their territory and their livelihood!

Sending Zhuang Yingjiu to tell Lao Ding not to cause trouble was a way to settle things once and for all.

Otherwise, government intervention will not achieve the desired effect.

This could even make the situation more unfavorable for the canal gangs.

After all, the influence of the canal gang on the official front is not as great as that of the salt merchants. Too much official intervention would make things a mess and even get out of Zhao An's control.

"Fight? Young Master, are we really going to fight?"

Anshun knew how powerful Jiao Zheng and his group of salt merchants were, and was worried that if they really fought Jiao Zheng, it would provoke a counterattack from the salt merchants' forces.

It would be extremely unwise for the Canal Gang to be hostile to all sides.

"beat!"

Zhao An's attitude was very firm: "I have said that no ship can enter the canal until this matter is over, whether it is Jiao Zheng, Wang Zheng, or Li Zheng, none of them are allowed."

Ding Jiu frowned: "Young Master, shouldn't we reconsider this matter?"

The meaning of the white paper fan is that the canal gang usually cooperates with the salt merchants. This time, the canal gang was indeed wrong to cut off the canal traffic. If they really fight Jiao Zheng, then the salt merchants will probably not cooperate with the canal gang in the future.

Yang Pengju, the leader of the second gang, also said: "Yes, young master, the salt transporters are usually too busy to handle their own salt transport and they will ask us brothers to help them. If we offend them, the brothers will lose a source of income in the future."

Jiang Xijian, the representative of the three gangs, did not speak, but he probably shared a similar opinion with Yang Pengju.

Why do you all think this way?

After glancing at the group, Zhao An raised a question: their canal gang clearly had many boats and people, and was the largest logistics group in the Qing Dynasty. If that was the case, why did they still have to beg for food from between their fingers instead of making money while sitting still?
"What does Young Master mean?"

Ding Jiu looked surprised. "If we defeat those merchants, will our canal gang transport the salt from now on?" "Why not?"

Zhao An sneered, "Isn't business on the canal about who has the strongest fist?"

"That's right. As long as our canal gang is powerful enough, those salt merchants will have to beg us. Otherwise, they can forget about getting their salt into the canal!"

Anshun, being a brothel boss, immediately grasped Shaojun's "spirit".

The profit from transporting salt was much higher than having girls sell it.

In his excitement, he immediately declared that his gang would fight Jiao Zheng at all costs.

"Damn it, we're not even afraid of the Grand Canal transport authorities, why would we be afraid of those salt transporters!"

Jiang Xijian, the leader of the three gangs, slapped his forehead excitedly, "We're sitting on a mountain of gold, but we're begging for food while watching other people's faces. If it weren't for Shaojun pointing it out, I wouldn't have thought of this!"

"If we're going to fight, we should fight hard. Kill a few of them, so those salt smugglers will be terrified of our canal gang from now on! Young Master, Second Gang will listen to you. I'll go back and get men to the docks right now! Old Jiang, let's go!"

Yang Pengju jumped up and, pulling Jiang Xijian along, couldn't wait to go back and call for help.

“Young Master, you are both a scholar and an official, so it’s not appropriate for you to handle this kind of matter directly. I, Anshun, will take charge for you!”

Anshun also bowed and went back to call for reinforcements. When it came to fighting and territorial disputes, his gang always took the lead, and there was no reason to let the second and third gangs do what the first gang did.

The news quickly spread throughout the incense hall and soon reached "Uncle" Zhang Baofa.

Upon hearing that his cheap apprentice had actually arranged for the second and third gangs to go to the docks and fight the Jiao family, the man suffering from severe vitiligo was so angry that he smashed the teapot in his hand on the ground and cursed: "They didn't even consult me ​​about such a big matter! Don't they have any respect for me as their uncle?!"

"Uncle, this was arranged by the young master."

The speaker was Meng De, Zhang Baofa's attendant and bodyguard. Before joining the Canal Gang, he had worked as a bodyguard in a security escort agency and was very skilled in martial arts.

"What young lord? That Zhao fellow doesn't even respect me as his master! No, I can't let this brat destroy the branch!"

Enraged to the extreme, Zhang Baofa suddenly grabbed Mond's right hand and said, "Go to the Grand Canal Administration Office right now and tell the Governor that Zhao An has been instigating the gang members these past few days. Also, tell the Governor that Zhao An is Zhao Youlu, the professor at Yangzhou Prefectural School."

"what?"

Mond was startled. "Uncle, Lord Zhao is still your disciple, isn't this a bit much?"

"That guy surnamed Zhao never treated me like a master. I've finally figured it out. There's an old saying that teaching a disciple can starve the master. This kid doesn't want to starve me, his master; he wants to replace me as his master!"

Anger distorted Zhang Bao's pale face, making it almost contort. "Hmph, he's ruthless, so I'll be ruthless too. I can't deal with him, but the Governor can. Go now!"

"it is good!"

Mond reluctantly agreed, but as he turned around, he suddenly took advantage of Zhang Baofa's unpreparedness and delivered a heavy punch to Zhang Baofa's chest.

Caught off guard, Zhang Baofa was knocked back seven or eight steps by the punch before he could stop. Then, he felt a salty taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Mond, what are you doing!"

Zhang Baofa, his body trembling violently, looked in horror at Mond who was closing in on him again.

"Uncle, please don't blame me. Lord Zhao gave me too much. Five thousand taels, a whole five thousand taels! With that much money, where can't I go and where can't I have fun!"

Before Zhang Baofa could even cry out, Mond delivered another heavy punch to his chest. Then, looking at the incredulous and resentful "Uncle," his body went limp and he slowly collapsed to the ground.

Three days ago, Shaojun came to see him, but didn't say anything. He just gave him a silver note that could be exchanged anywhere.

A full five thousand taels.

This banknote kept him awake for three days, causing his eyes to become bloodshot.

(End of this chapter)