Bai Shao and Hei Mei exchanged a glance. Bai Shao slightly nodded and quickly followed after.
Since his wife already issued word, Li Hong Yuan naturally needed to ‘meet’. Just, having disturbed his good mood, someone will inevitably have to foot this bill.
Receiving their master’s order, and seeing the other party approaching closer and closer, one of the pleasure boats to the side sped up a little blocking in front of the main pleasure boat, “The boat in front, quickly move aside.”
The music that was originally coming from pleasure boat gradually stopped. The drapery in the surrounding were quickly hung up, and a person that appears to be a steward, quickly walked to the head of the boat, appearing exceptionally deferential, “Is it his Highness Jin Qinwang that’s upon the pleasure boat? My master is a salt merchant of Jiangnan, surname Tie, asking to meet with wangye.”
Li Hong Yuan practiced martial arts, so his ears were sharp. The voice ahead wasn’t considered loud, but because he was paying attention, he also heard very clearly. Reasonably speaking, a mere merchant naturally doesn’t have the qualifications for an audience, but there were always those that were exceptions. Jiangnan’s major salt merchant that a reputation and also the surname Tie, there was also just that one. The others with the Tie surname were also mostly his clansmen, blindly following his lead.
Li Hong Yuan was thoroughly investigating the salt administration, so towards these major salt merchants, he naturally was also very clear about. And this Jiangnan’s number one salt merchant naturally was of the utmost importance. It’s also no wonder the other party dares to come looking.
Speaking of which, those greatly corrupt and especially greedy, out of ten, there were absolutely ten that have obtained benefits from this person before. This was just the ‘connections’ in these merchants’ hands.
This Salt Boss Tie, on bedroom matters, was very kinky, having unusual fetishes towards the person sharing the bed. However, in business, he was very skillful, and towards his subordinates, it was also having a good balance between strictness and leniency, reward and punishment distinct. And towards his clansmen, he also wasn’t stingy, further having very heavy speaking authority as the leader of the clan. In fact, he was even very farsighted, selecting a few branches of relatives within the clan that have relatively good aptitude, and moving them out of the clan, fully supporting the younger generation’s studies to walk the path of officialdom. In fact, even for his own sons, there were three that got sent out to be raised under another family. In another ten years, no, don’t need ten years, as long as there’s one that takes up an official post, based on his financial resources, once the path is picked, he’ll be able to make them soar into the heavens. As long as there’s one that establishes a stable footing, then naturally will be able to pull up the others, and eventually one day, be able to let the entire clan all rise.
(T/N: For families that are registered as a merchant household, their family members are not allowed to participate in the imperial exam and become officials. So moving his clansmen out of the clan means re-establishing those branch families as their own household separate from the clan.)
Just a mere merchant, yet possess the ambitions of letting the entire clan become an illustrious noble clan.
Li Hong Yuan lightly knocked against the table, leisurely drinking wine. By the time the message up front came through, he was still with a look of nonchalant, not giving any heed. But with him not issuing an order, the others didn’t dare to do anything either.
The people in the official circle needed to be sorted out, and these salt merchants naturally can’t be let off either. Of course, right now, it wasn’t him ruling, so even if sorting out, still need to have a limit. After all, having these salt merchants entirely boiled will also give rise to chaos, not just because of their complicated and deeply intertwined network of relations. Rather, it’ll even lead to civil disorder. That’s why, when dealing with, need to be careful and cautious.
Salt Boss Tie, this person, towards his own, perhaps was really good, but towards the outside, he was nevertheless vicious and merciless. Moreover, his business was too big. The salt price in certain places can just be determined by one line from him. Then, with officials and merchants colluding, the ones to suffer in the end will only be the commoners. That’s why, this person was undoubtedly also within the scope of cleaning up.
Once Li Hong Yuan had the wine in the cup slowly finished, he finally gave an indication. However, he simply just didn’t plan on letting the person board their pleasure boat.
It was merely just letting the two boats line up side by side, even separated by a ten feet distance in between.
Salt Boss Tie, sure enough, was like as rumored, big-bellied and smiled like a Maitreya. To say his worth was comparable to influential large clans wouldn’t be an exaggeration, yet his entire attire wasn’t really that extravagant, unable to make out in the slightest the air of a newly rich. For those who don’t know, they might even think he was one with superb self-cultivation. Even if surrounded by beauties at his side, they still won’t feel this was anything. Capable man being frivolous was never considered a problem, and would even make people feel it was only natural.
Facing Li Hong Yuan, he deferentially bowed, “This commoner greets Jin Qinwang.”
In contrast to Salt Boss Tie, Li Hong Yuan was leaning back, his expression nonchalant, with Hei Mei kneeling at the side serving, appearing to be very much enjoying himself. Upon hearing what was said, he just slightly turned his head for a glance before unconcernedly retracting his gaze again, continuing to drink wine and listen to song. “Coming to meet this prince, what for?”
Salt Boss Tie wasn’t able to grasp Li Hong Yuan’s thoughts too well, not too sure whether this Jin Qinwang was capable or not. After all, regarding his matters, many were all rumors, so he didn’t dare to rashly come to a conclusion. Contemplating for a moment, “This commoner heard that wangye has reserved more than ten establishments’ pleasure boats, and will act out a hundred boat parade today. The hundred boat parade has been very well known for a long time now, yet hasn’t appeared in several decades already. Don’t know if this commoner can have the fortunate of witnessing?”
Li Hong Yuan let out a sneer, finally sitting upright, looking directly at the other party, “The hundred boat parade being this grand, did this prince have Linchuan River sealed off or what?”
It goes without saying that the hundred boat parade will be even grander than the Dragon Boat Festival’s dragon boat race, and will certainly attract countless eyes. Li Hong Yuan didn’t order to drive away the people, and also won’t do this kind of thing either, so naturally anyone can watch, anyone can admire. However, this hundred boat parade was completely made up of pleasure boats, and the people performing were all women of prostitution, so the people that will avoid out of propriety will also be quite a few.
“It was this commoner that was ignorant.” Salt Boss Tie hurriedly said, carrying a bit of apology.
“Specially came to look for this prince just for this?” Li Hong Yuan, regardless of whether it was his expression or tone, all distinctly carried annoyance.
“Not really the case. This commoner previously obtained a rare object, and at first glance, appeared to just be a piece of jade-like stone. However, upon careful examination, there was a world hidden within. Under that surface layer, there was actually a map of Qi Yuan naturally formed by the heaven and earth, extremely realistic. Such object, this commoner figured, only someone of the imperial family is worthy of possessing. As such, this commoner dared to be so bold as to have this object offered to wangye.” Salt Boss Tie hurriedly explained.
“Oh?” Li Hong Yuan appeared to be somewhat interested, “Bring it over for this prince to see.”
“Yes.” Salt Boss Tie was also perceptive, hurriedly letting someone have the pleasure boat moved closer, deferentially letting someone carefully move out a one foot sliding panel square wooden case, “Wangye……..”
“Yu Zhong Qing, go fetch it over.”
“Yes.” Yu Zhong Qing responded, moving exceptionally swiftly, and very quickly just had the thing fetched over, placing it before Li Hong Yuan………….
Inside the wooden case, on top the black flannelette, was a piece of irregularly shaped stone, yet the surface was very glossy, and under careful examination, sure enough, just as Salt Boss Tie said, there was a map of Qi Yuan inside. The similarity in shape reached over ninety percent, appearing to be at a level that something man-made was completely unable to reach.
Li Hong Yuan took the wooden case and turned around. Hei Mei quickly cleared away the things on the table, leaving out enough free space.
Li Hong Yuan admired this rare object, seemingly as if having the others all forgotten to one side.
Although not seeing him reveal a happy expression, but Salt Boss Tie figured that he would quite like it. People of the imperial family perhaps won’t like some rare treasure, but towards this kind of thing with a good implication, they certainly won’t refuse. The pleasure boat retreated back out to ten feet away again, and Salt Boss Tie was still just as deferential. But if paying a little more attention, one will notice that his gaze had landed on Hei Mei. Hei Mei’s beauty was very unique, not the usual fair-skinned beauty, but rather the kind that carried a bit of wildness, beautiful in a very unconventional way. Because special, even if wanting to not attract attention, it all won’t do. As long as one that liked beauties, probably very few won’t be attracted by her. Even if not fancying her type, one would still, because of seeing for the first time, produce the desire to pursue.
It wasn’t obvious on Salt Boss Tie’s face, but the lust in the bottom of his eyes was almost unable to be concealed.
Actually, by Salt Boss Tie’s side, there was another person, the former Su Wan Ting that had gotten ‘forced’ by Jing Wan to change to Su Ting. However, that person has already passed away from illness, no? This woman right now that appeared the same in appearance and also spirit, that was just one of the many women by Salt Boss Tie’s side. Her makeup was rather delicate, just her attire was truly revealing, and compared with the prostitutes to the side, it was even more so. However, to be able to stay by Salt Boss Tie’s side for more than a month, and still be perfectly alive, it was more than enough to show that her skills also weren’t ordinary.
