PFC Chapter 262 Salt Road
Chapter 262 Salt Road
Chapter 262 Salt Road (Bonus Chapter 3 for Alliance Leader Yu Yuanchuyu)
At the end of February, a new group of guests arrived at Ma Tuo Sha.
As evening approached, Wu Menggang finished slaughtering the last pig and was exhausted.
Tomorrow is the first day of the third lunar month, and killing will be prohibited for the next two weeks, so business will not be possible. In fact, in this remote little place like Matuosha, killing would not cause any problems. However, Wu Meng is self-sufficient and has no family to worry about, so he feels he has earned enough and wants to take a break for two weeks.
However, he had to go home to attend his eldest sister's wedding.
After a thorough shower and a change of clothes, he shouldered his pack and, escorted by his friend Deng Qinghuai, arrived at the dock.
The Kunyi cargo ship was quietly moored, and men, women, and children were busy unloading batches of goods.
"Go back first, and don't forget to collect the money." Wu Meng turned around, looked at Deng Qinghuai, and said, "I'll be back by March 15th at the latest, maybe a few days earlier."
"Okay." Deng Qinghuai replied while looking at the dozen or so small boats moored on the dock.
The boats were covered with tarpaulins, and occasionally a corner would peek out, revealing stacks of burlap sacks. These sacks were filled with either grain or salt. Considering that most of the grain transported were from the Huangtian Trading Company's Zuanfeng Haiqiu, it was almost certain what these small boats were carrying.
One person stood at the bow and one at the stern of each boat, holding weapons and looking very vigilant.
A middle-aged man dressed in a blue robe, surrounded by several attendants, jumped ashore and looked around.
Not long after, an oxcart came along, and the driver bowed and invited the man to get on.
An argument immediately broke out among the attendants, and the noise was so loud that it almost reached Wu and Deng's ears.
However, the middle-aged man was decisive. He gestured to stop the arguing among his men, and then, with only two attendants, boarded the oxcart.
The oxcart traveled slowly along the country dirt road until the lanterns were lit, when it finally arrived at Chong Sheng Temple and stopped in the backyard.
"Master Wang." Shao Shuyi personally ushered him into a side room.
The two attendants were stopped outside, their faces showing displeasure.
However, there were more than ten men standing in the courtyard, carrying swords and bows, and wearing yellow-gray leather armor, which made them somewhat wary.
Both of them were from Taizhou and were Wang Bai's two most trusted confidants.
The man in the white robe was named Li Huafu. He was holding a sword in his arms. He studied literature in his youth and later learned martial arts. His swordsmanship was superb, and he was a famous chivalrous man in the village.
Another man, Zhang Si, dressed in gray cloth, was strong and powerful, and skilled with knives and axes.
His ancestors ran a noodle shop, and it had been in business for several years when it was passed down to him, hence the nickname "Noodle Zhang Si".
They were wary of the people in front of them, but not too surprised.
Master Wang was also preparing for war, waiting for the opportune moment, and his training of his men was no less rigorous than anyone else's. Once the opportunity arose, it would sweep across the land.
This Shao Shuyi in front of me is certainly not bad, but he lacks ambition and is as timid as a woman, which makes him despised. Brother Wang is not only powerful and influential in the local area, but even officials in Taizhou and Gaoyou treat him with great respect.
When he went to the state or prefectural government office, it was like returning to his own home. Who would dare to disrespect him?
If they had to choose, Brother Wang would be more heroic, more like a true hero, and more to their liking.
While his two subordinates whispered outside, Wang Bai was chatting and laughing with Shao Shuyi in the meditation room.
"Shao She previously asked me to join him in assassinating Zhu Chen, but he did it all alone without a word," Wang Bai lamented. "I couldn't help at all, and I'm truly ashamed. I've come here today only to ask one question: is what we discussed before still valid?"
Upon hearing the name "Shao She," Shao Shuyi smiled slightly and said, "Sir, you are such a hero that I am eager to befriend you. How could I refuse? There are no fewer than a million households in Changzhou. I intend to sell salt there, and I am afraid I will need your assistance."
"Who originally owned the Changzhou Salt Road?" Wang Bai asked.
"Of the three families, the Wang family is the strongest, followed by the Song family, and the Lu family is the weakest. The smuggled salt in Jinling and Wujin counties all passed through the hands of these three families," Shao Shuyi said. "Among them, the Song family has some connection with Song Zhizhong, the deputy commander of the Changzhou Wanhu Prefecture, and they seem to be distant relatives."
"What about Yixing and Wuxi?"
"Someone has already made inroads into Wuxi Prefecture," Shao Shuyi said. "I have also sent someone to Yixing Prefecture to make contact."
"So, we can only sell it in Changzhou City then?" Wang Bai asked.
"Jinling and Wujin counties are the essence of Changzhou Road, that's enough, Master Wang," Shao Shuyi said with a smile.
Wang Bai lowered his head and considered for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table and said, "That's definitely enough!"
Having said that, he looked at Shao Shuyi and said, "As the saying goes, one cannot accept a reward without merit. If I want to sell Huai salt in Changzhou, I won't feel at ease without putting in some effort. When are we going to make our move?"
"The master is a straightforward man," Shao Shuyi praised. "There's no need for a sudden attack. The Wang family is a confidant of Zhu and Chen, and has many connections. There's no way to clear them of all responsibility. So, after the government came to question them, they rebelled in anger and brought about their own destruction. The Song and Lu families are still observing. Perhaps we can discuss things with them before making a decision."
Upon hearing this, Wang Bai suppressed his impatience and took another careful look at Shao Shuyi. This man was so confident that he must have a channel to obtain salt, but he wondered where it was. It should be the Liangzhe Transport Office.
"Are there any other places besides Changzhou Road where we need to take action?" Wang Bai asked again.
"Zhang Sanniu of Changshu Prefecture is also a confidant of Zhu Chen. This man must not be allowed to live. If you have the time, sir, you can wait for the right opportunity to join me in eliminating this scoundrel." Shao Shuyi said, "After we succeed, the salt sold to Changshu Prefecture will only be obtained from you. You keep your word."
Upon hearing this, Wang Bai's mind stirred, and then he frowned.
He could obtain salt from Taizhou and Gaoyou, but the quantity was limited, and he had to sell a portion locally. The amount that could be delivered to Jiangnan was certainly limited.
However, considering the population and wealth of Jinling and Wujin counties and Changshu Prefecture, they were reluctant to give up.
Therefore, after hearing Shao Shuyi's promise, he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. Changshu Prefecture, Jinling Prefecture, and Wujin Prefecture are enough."
After saying that, he shook his head slightly and sighed.
After Zhu Chen's death, the five smuggled salt markets in western Zhejiang—Pingjiang, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Jiqing, and Taiping—were leaderless and in chaos. Their strength was too weak to absorb much; Changzhou alone could completely drain their smuggled salt reserves, let alone Jiqing and the other markets.
What a pity, what a pity.
Wang Bai sighed, and Shao Shuyi also felt that time was running out.
Currently, only a few salt merchants from Jiangbei, including Wang Bai, deliver salt to him, and the quantity is unstable. To solve this problem, the most suitable option is to obtain salt in bulk from the Liangzhe salt fields, just like Zhu Chen did. This is much better than fighting and killing; the quantity is sufficient, the supply is stable, and the risk is small.
But he didn't have that connection in the short term. At least at this moment in the sixth year of the Zhizheng era, Shao Shuyi's first choice was still to seize it.
First, seize the opportunity and stabilize the market, then gradually build up your business.
Therefore, after seeing Wang Bai off, Shao Shuyi returned to his meditation room, where he talked with Liu Shi while pondering things.
"Are you going out?" Liu asked, sitting in a rattan chair.
"How did you know?" Shao Shuyi asked, somewhat surprised.
"We've received far less salted fish these past two months," said Madam Liu. "Either there's no fish, or there's no salt. What do you think?"
"Oh my, so clever!" Shao Shuyi laughed. "It seems my son will definitely not be stupid in the future."
Shao Shuyi would have been better off not mentioning it, because the mere mention of Liu Shi made him irritated: "I really fell for your trick. I wanted to take some herbal medicine, but you insisted it was harmful and wouldn't let me. Now look at this, this child is causing me so much trouble, he's really going to drive me crazy."
To be honest, she's starting to regret it now.
Having been celibate for so long, my desire for this person was like dry tinder meeting a raging fire, igniting instantly. But after the intense pleasure subsided, problems arose one after another, leading to the present day.
The pleasure between men and women is largely a reward from God for mortals to procreate. Procreation is the goal, and pleasure is merely a reward or encouragement.
Shao Shuyi glanced at Liu Shi, stood behind her, and gently massaged her shoulders.
The pregnant woman was emotionally unstable, which Shao Ze understood.
So he changed the subject, saying, "I really need to go out. Winter is over, it's time to get some exercise, otherwise Zhu Chen would have been killed for nothing."
Besides, this is for your sake, mother and child.
Upon hearing this, Liu gradually calmed down.
"You're always like this," she sighed softly, "If we don't raid Zhu Chen, we can't sell smuggled salt. But even if we do raid Zhu Chen, we're worried about not having enough salt. Where are you planning to go this time?"
"Naturally, it can't be Liangzhe," Shao Shuyi said. "Tongzhou and Taizhou in Lianghuai are also out of the question. Let's head a little north and look at Gaoyou and Huai'an near the coast. If that doesn't work either, then we'll look for salt in the territory of the Shandong East-West Circuit Pacification Commissioner's Office."
"It's March already, don't run into the Spring Festival travel rush," Liu reminded them.
Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "I have my own plans."
"How many people are you taking?"
"They came out in full force."
"Want to grab a big one?"
"Let's grab the big one." After saying that, Shao Shuyi felt a little amused and said, "You're acting like a seasoned bandit's wife now."
"You look down on that thieving woman?" Liu mocked. "That night when you were climbing all over me, you didn't look down on me for being a thieving woman. Don't worry, I won't fight with Fei Er Niangzi for the child. After the child is born, I'll let you, the father, take a look at it, and then I'll take it and raise it myself. You don't need to worry about it."
Shao Shuyi chuckled and said, "My business will be huge in the future. If I don't raise a few more children, I won't be able to inherit it all."
After saying that, he took off his robe and draped it over Liu's shoulders, saying, "It's still a bit cold, why don't you wear a couple more layers? What would you like to eat today? I'll make it."
Looking at Shao Shuyi's broad and muscular physique, Liu lowered her head and awkwardly crossed her legs.
I'm six or seven months pregnant, and I'm starting to feel that urge, but I'm too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Shao Shuyi said, "Fine, I'll do it myself."
After saying that, seeing that no one was in the room, he kissed Liu on the forehead and went out with a smile.
He had only taken two steps when he turned to look at Tie Niu and said, "Go and get me a pen and ink; I need to write a letter."
Tie Niu responded and went to the meditation room next door to fetch paper and pen.
Shao Shuyi sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, wrote a letter, sealed it, and had it sent to Liujiagang.
I don't mean anything else, I just want the transport department to adjust the freight schedule and free up all five shallow-water boats, the sooner the better.
This is the most important thing right now. What do I care if someone is causing trouble somewhere? Let the officials worry about this first.