Prime Minister

Chapter 170, Page 169: [Turning Hands to Create Clouds and Rain]

Tan Mingguang frowned slightly; he hadn't expected Zheng Boyan's attitude to be so firm.

Upon further reflection, he quickly realized that it was probably because the negotiation had given Zheng Boyan the wrong impression—he thought that the government office was stunned by the changes in the city today and wanted to quell the situation as soon as possible, which was why he dared to make such a statement right away.

Tan Mingguang looked to the side and saw that Xue Huai's expression was normal, and he was not angry because of Zheng Boyan's statement.

Zheng Boyan seemed to have punched the air, and an eerie silence fell over the room.

"Old Zheng's intention... is that you are dissatisfied with me, so you have joined forces to force all your businesses to close down, in order to demonstrate and put pressure on the government, is that right?"

Xue Huai spoke calmly, his eyes showing no emotion.

Zheng Boyan wasn't stupid; knowing he couldn't afford to give anyone ammunition against him, he immediately said sternly, "Lord Xue! I am but a lowly merchant; how could I dare to harbor such rebellious thoughts? I have made myself clear just now: the government has its own rules, and the more we, the more mistakes we make, the more we can only close our doors to protect ourselves. Of course, if Lord Xue wishes to continue investigating our Zheng family, the entire Zheng family will cooperate fully!"

Now that things have come to this, they no longer harbor any illusions. Their family accounts have been properly falsified, and some key figures who might become targets of the government have been hidden away.

As Liu Fu said, Xue Huai couldn't possibly wipe out the four families of Yangzhou just by dealing with those trivial disputes.

Xue Huai looked over there, his gaze lingering briefly on the faces of Liu Xu, Zheng Boyan, Wang Shilin, Bai Xiu, and Ge Huaicheng, before calmly saying, "I suppose the five of you share the same opinion?"

At this moment, in front of dozens of small and medium-sized salt merchants from Lianghuai, Liu Xu and others would naturally not speak in unison, but their silence was enough to say everything.

Wang Shilin's lips moved, but after seeing Xue Huai's gaze, he wisely shut his mouth.

Xue Huai said calmly, "I know that you have many complaints about the government because the Liu brothers and Zheng Xuan and other officials are under investigation. However, I have always been fair in separating public and private matters. The crimes of those corrupt officials will not implicate you. So I'll ask you one last time: are you five willing to change your minds and allow your respective businesses to resume normal operation?"

Liu Xu recalled his father's hasty instructions before his departure, and bowed, saying, "Your Excellency, it is not that we are unwilling to cooperate, but that our family is in a state of panic and we are afraid that something might go wrong. Therefore, we have no choice but to temporarily close all the shops."

The implication was that only if the government suspended all investigations into local officials and gentry could they work with peace of mind.

That's why they were willing to come to the film studio today.

If they could force Xue Huai to stop by having the merchants strike, it would be the most worthwhile deal for the local powerful families, since they didn't expect to be on the same side as Xue Huai anyway.

"Very well, I will not force you."

Xue Huai's response made Liu Xu's heart skip a beat, but he also felt that things had come to this point, could Xue Huai really force them to continue to open for business?

When rice prices skyrocket and the people riot, even if Xue Huai has powerful connections, the officials in the court will not allow him to act so recklessly.

Xue Huai sneered inwardly, then turned to look at the dozens of small and medium-sized salt merchants.

In reality, while the five families, including Liu and Zheng, were indeed powerful, the combined influence of these dozens of salt merchants was even greater.

Although they were called salt merchants, they did not only deal in the salt industry. They had other businesses that involved all aspects of the lives of the people in Yangzhou. If they could change their ways, Liu Fu's arrangements would be useless.

Currently, they are on the opposite side of the government because their very survival—the salt permits—is controlled by a few large salt merchants, and they also face the heavy burden of repaying debts they have borrowed.

Xue Huai slowly stood up and looked at the group, saying, "I told you earlier in front of the government office that you didn't intend to cause trouble, but rather that you had no other choice. In short, you were worried about not being able to get salt permits in the future, and you urgently needed some money to settle your accounts, right?"

Xu Deshun looked around, then stood up and replied, "Your Excellency, that is indeed the case."

Xue Huai smiled slightly and said, "What if I could help you solve these difficulties?"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly causing a stir in the hall.

Zheng Boyan's expression changed slightly, and he and Liu Xu looked at the composed Qiao Wangshan at almost the same time.

They were well aware of the Shen family's current situation. Not to mention that Shen Bingwen was imprisoned, even if he were present at the moment, the Shen family would not be able to come up with enough cash to help those salt merchants settle their debts.

Assets and cash flow are two different things. If the Shen family rashly uses the bank's deposits, all that's needed is for those few banks to spread the news and trigger a run on the banks. The bankruptcy of the banks is not an exaggeration.

At that moment, looking at the entire Yangzhou and even the Lianghuai business community, only Qiao Wangshan was willing to help these salt merchants.

The Qiao family, one of the four prominent families in Yangzhou, has a history of over a century. Even after breaking with the Liu family, they were able to stand firm against the siege of several powerful clans, demonstrating the profound heritage of the Qiao family's De'an Trading Company.

Liu Xu, Zheng Boyan, and the other three exchanged glances. They had anticipated Qiao Wangshan's move, so even though they were somewhat annoyed, they did not panic.

Even if Qiao Wangshan dared to risk standing on Xue Huai's side, was he really willing to use the entire De'an ship to support those dozens of salt merchants?

This is also what Xu Deshun and others are most concerned about.

It's true that the Qiao family is wealthy, but the amount of silver needed by their dozens of households is not a small sum.

At this moment, Qiao Wangshan, having received a signal from Xue Huai, stood up, bowed to everyone, and said with a smile, "Thanks to the appreciation of Prefect Tan and Director Xue, I, on behalf of De'an Company, am willing to offer a loan to all of you for working capital purposes."

Xu Deshun said respectfully, "Thank you for your help, Elder Qiao. I just wonder how much money De'an can lend?"

Qiao Wangshan calmly replied, "One million five hundred thousand taels."

Everyone fell into silence.

One million five hundred thousand taels is an astronomical figure, which shows how wealthy the Qiao family was, able to come up with such a sum of money in one go without affecting the operation of their own businesses.

The problem is that there are more than forty salt merchants in the hall who need loans. Previously, their loans were jointly provided by the Liu, Zheng, Wang, Bai, and Ge families. Now, the Qiao family alone is clearly not enough to cover the shortfall.

Another salt merchant named Bi Ziyan stammered, "Lord Xue, I am deeply grateful for your kindness, but..."

He hesitated, but everyone in the room knew why he was hesitant.

The Qiao family can help some people escape the debt crisis, but what about the others?
Liu Xu remained calm and breathed a sigh of relief. He had initially been worried that Old Man Qiao would resolve all the problems with a single move, but he was also glad that the Salt Transport Bureau had imprisoned Shen Bingwen in advance. Otherwise, if the two of them had joined forces, with the resources of the Qiao and Shen families, they might have been able to reverse the situation.

Xue Huai stopped looking at Liu Xu and the other four. He looked at Bi Ziyan and said calmly, "Gentlemen, now you should know who is trying their best to help you, and who is trying to use and coerce you."

These words made Liu Xu and Zheng Boyan's expressions turn somewhat unpleasant.

Bi Ziyan, Xu Deshun, and other salt merchants nodded repeatedly.

The Salt Transport Bureau and powerful families like the Liu family treated them like chamber pots, and now they are forcing them to oppose the Yangzhou government. It's a pity that they actively sought out those IOUs, and that they were not forced to lend money by the other party, otherwise they would have already turned their backs on them.

If they had a choice, they would naturally know whose side to stand on.

Xue Huai and Tan Mingguang exchanged a glance, knowing the time was right. They then left their seats and walked down to the hall, looking around at the crowd and saying, "I have gathered you here today for two reasons: first, to help you solve your difficulties; and second, to make you understand that your livelihood does not lie in helping certain people coerce the government, nor in demonstrating against or pressuring the authorities! Ultimately, your livelihood lies in joining me in sweeping away the filth and restoring a bright and clear world to the Huai River region!"

These words were forceful and resounding, but they left the group of salt merchants somewhat bewildered.

They only wanted to obtain salt permits to repay debts and protect their family business, so how could they have anything to do with Xue Huai's impassioned speech?

"What is the root cause of your past hardships and present predicaments?"

Xue Huai looked at them with a solemn expression, then pointed at Liu Xu and the others: "Let me tell you, it's the Liu family! The Zheng family! The Wang family! The Bai family! The Ge family! And those who condoned their manipulation of this 'claiming of a home' drama!"

"They monopolized salt permits, manipulated prices, hoarded goods, and drove small and medium-sized merchants to their deaths!"

"They lured you with promises of profit and pressured you with their power to sign those high-interest IOUs!"

"They colluded and conspired to exploit you, the genuine salt merchants! They delayed the salt relocation ceremony and blocked the release of salt, trying to drive you to the brink of ruin, making you feel that it was my purge of corrupt officials that implicated you!"

"So that you will hate me, Xue Huai, hate the government, and even hate the Great Yan Dynasty. That is their true purpose!"

The room fell silent. Liu Xu and the other four men were pale. Xue Huai's words were not just a blow to their spirits, but a direct threat to their lives!
Dozens of key merchants from Lianghuai stared blankly at Xue Huai.

In fact, they had vaguely understood the reasoning behind Xue Huai's words before. After all, the Salt Transport Bureau and powerful families like the Liu family had always held them by the throat through salt permits, making them dare not go west when they were told to go east. But after hearing Xue Huai's eloquent words today, they felt as if they had been enlightened, and the scene before them became incredibly clear.

This year, the Salt Transport Bureau suddenly decided to hold a salt ownership recognition meeting. They had no prior preparations and had no choice but to risk borrowing money in order to maintain the normal operation of their business. Although the interest rate was high, they thought that as long as they could get the salt permits in time, the interest rate would not be a big deal.

Unexpectedly, the home adoption event was postponed until now, which has led to the risk of bankruptcy for them.

"Lord Xue, you are wise to see the truth!"

Xu Deshun said in a trembling voice, "This humble subject has indeed suffered greatly, but how can I overcome this current predicament?"

Qiao Wangshan immediately said, "Brother Xu, don't worry. The De'an will prioritize preparing the loan for you. Go and pay off the debt, and you won't have to be coerced by them anymore!"

Xu Deshun said with immense gratitude, "Thank you so much, Elder Qiao!"

"Old Qiao!"

"And our Zhou family too!"

"Please help me, Elder Qiao!"

The crowd was in an uproar. Liu Xu and the other four were on pins and needles. They could not back down in front of Xue Huai now, but the situation was increasingly tilting in the other side's favor.

Qiao Wangshan agreed to each request, but ultimately he couldn't satisfy everyone's needs.

Just then, Xue Huai looked up and gazed outside the hall.

"The Shen family is willing to lend you a helping hand!"

A clear, crisp voice suddenly rang out.

The hall fell silent. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the tall and elegant Shen Qingluan stepping in. Behind her were two men in their thirties and more than ten wealthy local gentry from Yangzhou, all of whom were allies who had closely followed the Shen family over the years.

The two men in their thirties looked unfamiliar; many people in the hall had never seen them before.

Xue Huai looked at Shen Qingluan and saw that she was wearing light makeup, but the fatigue in her eyes was obvious, showing that she had been traveling hard these past few days.

Shen Bingwen was suddenly imprisoned in the Salt Transport Office. Even though he had made some arrangements and preparations beforehand, the Shen family was still unsettled. It was only with the support of several managers that Shen Qingluan stabilized the situation. At the same time, she also had to complete a difficult task.

Shen Qingluan led a group of people to pay their respects to Tan Mingguang and Xue Huai, and then said to the group of salt merchants: "Esteemed elders, I have been ordered by the Prefect and the Governor to raise a sum of money from Guangtai Bank. In addition, I have invited two strong ally, which is enough to help you get through the current difficulties."

Qiao Wangshan understood immediately and looked at the two men in their thirties, asking, "Who are these two?"

"Junior Lu Ziwen greets Elder Qiao."

"Junior Yao Cong greets Elder Qiao."

The two greeted each other with utmost care.

Before Qiao Wangshan could speak, someone among the salt merchants exclaimed, "The Lu family of Hangzhou? The Yao family of Jiaxing?"

Shen Qingluan continued, "That's right, they are representatives of the Lu and Yao families of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce. The heads of both families are close friends of my father. Upon hearing that our colleagues in the Yangzhou business community are in trouble, the Lu and Yao families are willing to join our Shen family in providing temporary working capital."

"Great!"

Xu Deshun was overjoyed, and everyone else was beaming with delight.

With the strong support of the Qiao and Shen families, and the assistance of leading figures in Zhejiang's business community, they can now calmly cope with any difficulties, no matter how great they may be.

With a crash, the elderly Zheng Boyan accidentally knocked over a wine cup on the table in his haste.

Liu Xu, Bai Xiu, Wang Shilin, and Ge Huaicheng could no longer remain calm.

Because they saw that the murderous intent in the eyes of those dozens of salt merchants was almost tangible.

"Everyone——"

As soon as Xue Huai opened his mouth, he attracted the attention of most people. He looked at Shen Qingluan with a smile and then said, "I always keep my word. Now you should believe me, right?"

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

The dozens of salt merchants were almost moved to tears. After all, they had been suffering terribly these past few days, and now that their shackles were gone, how could they forget whose kindness they had shown?
Xue Huai nodded and said, "Now I would like to ask you a question: do you intend to continue living your previous lives, or will you cooperate with me to cleanse Yangzhou of its filth and gloom?"

After a brief yet seemingly long silence, someone stepped forward.

"This humble subject is willing to serve Your Excellency with utmost loyalty and humility!"

Once the first one appeared, a second one followed, and in no time, dozens of salt merchants stepped forward.

Upon seeing this, Liu Xu and the others turned pale and could barely stand.

These salt merchants were once the most useful weapons in the hands of the Salt Transport Bureau and several powerful clans, but now the hilt of those weapons is in Xue Huai's hands!
They were like the Hu family of Yizhen County before. Although they couldn't access the most core secrets of those families and the Salt Transport Bureau, each of them had some incriminating evidence. With so much evidence gathered together, it was enough to take the lives of Liu Fu and Zheng Boyan and others!

Xue Huai looked at Liu Xu and the others, then walked over and stood in front of them.

He said in a casual tone, "Do you know why I specifically invited you here?"

"In fact, if you had just stood up and said that the borrowed money would not have embezzled the salt merchants' ancestral property, the situation would not have changed like this."

"Although you guys have concealed it well, others aren't stupid. Everyone knows that you guys are the owners behind those money shops."

"Only by letting them witness your ruthlessness and heartlessness firsthand will their counterattack be fierce enough once they are no longer restrained."

Liu Xu trembled all over, and said in a shaky voice, "Lord Xue—"

“I gave you a chance, but you were stubborn and unyielding.”

Xue Huai abruptly interrupted, then turned to the dozens of wealthy gentlemen and said, "Gentlemen, I wonder if Yangzhou City can be restored to its peaceful and tranquil state within half a day?"

"I will obey your orders, sir!"

The unified shouts of the crowd were almost enough to lift the roof off.

"Thank you."

Xue Huai bowed to the crowd, then continued to stare at Liu Xu, saying slowly and deliberately, "Go back and tell Liu Fu that Yangzhou City is under martial law. I will go to the magnificent Liu residence later. I hope he is ready to pay the price for his years of oppressing the people of Yangzhou."

Liu Xu stumbled and nearly fell to the ground.

After a brief hesitation, Zheng Boyan and the others almost simultaneously knelt down before Xue Huai, pleading, "Please, Lord Xue, have mercy!"

Xue Huai dusted off his sleeves and uttered two words indifferently.

"late."

(End of this chapter)