Chapter 192: Some changes are made

This year, Shandong was severely drought, Henan and Shanxi were all terrible disasters. Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong's troops were repeatedly defeated by the government troops this year, but they could not shake their roots. After the failure, they immediately gathered more troops to confront the court, which was because of the disaster that the people were living in miserable life.

However, in contrast, the situation is slightly better in the southern part of Laizhou Prefecture. First of all, although farming is still the main business, the big part that makes money is in the labor service around Private Yan and Jiaozhouying. Li Meng has an advantage, that is, the labor service is paid and will never be deducted.

Private salt and labor have brought income to the residents here. Even if the fields are out of stock, they can overcome the difficulties by purchasing grain. The rise in grain prices has attracted grain merchants in Nanzhili and Zhejiang to transport grain to Jiaozhou by sea, making the local area very calm.

Few people can understand that this is Li Meng's contribution, but the prefect of Laizhou and the herdsmen and officials from all prefectures and counties below have earned a good reputation. As the saying goes, only Laizhou is in the peaceful land of Qi and Lu. Officials at all levels are sympathetic to the people's sentiments and have made contributions to disaster resistance. They have all received good reviews on the performance of the Ministry of Personnel.

Among them, Yan Zhizhou, Jiaozhou, is particularly famous. Several officials from Jiaozhou, who communicate with their families, know that although Shandong has a severe drought, their families are still peaceful, so I really gave this Yan Zhizhou a few words.

Today there are famines everywhere, only officials force the people to rebel. Such a place like Yan Zhizhou is so conspicuous. The cabinet and the lieutenant supervisor have noticed him, and there is a faint rumor. After the prefect of the prefect, the prefect will be promoted to a certain place to become a prefect.

Li Meng always felt that when he came to this era, he had nothing to change. He just went with the flow and continued to rise and fall with the changes of the times. In fact, there had been a tragedy of people gathering in Laizhou Prefecture at this time, because of his arrival, things had somewhat changed.

Mu Yunyao came to Li Meng excitedly with the documents brought from Nanzhili. At this time, Li Meng was receiving an old official from Jiningzhou. This old official had served as two prefects in Nanzhili. After retiring, he returned to his hometown Jiningzhou to be a wealthy man, which was also a respected role.

However, Li Meng sat politely on the lower side. In Li Meng's study, only Wang Hai and two personal guards stood beside him with swords. When he heard the old man say with a respectful attitude:

"The people in the south asked me to bring a message to Lord Li. I didn't know how powerful my master was in the past few years. I didn't know how much offensive he was. I dare not ask for anything else now. I just hope that all the people in Shandong can return to Haizhou safely. After returning, Lianghuai will never enter Shandong Yanshi again."

The prefects in Nanzhili are generally of fifth-rank and fourth-rank rank. Civil officials of this level are already considered high-ranking. When they meet with the generals, they always have to hold the courtesy ceremony and pay politeness to the generals. The nobles and the inferiority of the civil servants are particularly obvious here.

Even after retiring, the prefect had many relatives and friends in the officialdom, and local military officers did not dare to offend him easily. However, this old man, Li Meng, was completely in accordance with the courtesy of civilians to meet officials, and was solemn and respectful.

"Wheng Zhao spoke, I was a general who was in charge of Laizhou Prefecture, and I took into account the matters of Yanzhou Prefecture. Besides, my position as the salt administration investigated was only Qing, Deng, and Lai, what does it have to do with that side?"

Li Meng sat there steadily, in an official voice. When he heard Li Meng say this, the retired prefect Zhao couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart, but he didn't dare to show his face, so he could only continue to smile:

"Where is the adults' words, the entire Shandong Yan Road depends on the power of the adults. The Lianghuai side also entrusts me to talk about Xiang. After all, now all the children in Shandong are their children on Huai, and they have wives, children and parents at home. I hope that the adults will be kind and kind!"

Li Meng picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, and said with a smile:

"There is the foot of Nanjing in Nanzhili. The elders of Lianghuai naturally look down on me, the countryside. How could they afford to speak so politely by Mr. Zhao?"

The old man's face became a little embarrassed, but Li Meng continued to say:

"Several times, Li was just doing some small business and let Shandong people eat Shandong salt. Business is business. He doesn't want to bring anything bloody, but someone always comes to him. I always have to do something that is over."

When Mr. Zhao heard Li Meng's words, he heard some change. He quickly stood up and bowed and said respectfully:

"The families in Lianghuai have already given up their responsibilities and will never offend the power of the adults. The salt transport envoy of Haizhou and the clan leaders of several families jointly wrote the guarantee document and contract. The six thousand dans of Huai salt stored in the Jining salt warehouse were transferred to the adults, and another four thousand dans of Huai salt were sent to Jining Prefecture by water. Please accept it together."

The salt merchants on Huai Shang gave up their territory in Shandong and gave them tens of thousands of bans of Huai Yan as compensation. There were also guarantees made by some so-called noble people. This matter seemed to have been a great victory. The salt merchants on Huai Huai sold all over the world and had never encountered such great resistance anywhere.

Or they had never encountered such a general who used private salt as his main business and had such powerful force. In the conflict half a month ago, the salt merchants in Huaihei almost lost hundreds of lives in Shandong. Shandong was not the main market for Huaihei, and in order to obtain shelter, they had already given up a considerable profit to Liu Zeqing. The profits made by this fierce competition were not large, but they were so bloody that the salt merchants who had been peaceful and prosperous for a long time had already given up.

The retired prefect came to tell the story, and his attitude was already kowtow. Li Meng was satisfied with the conditions mentioned by the other party, but Mr. Zhao was not just a lobbyist of the salt merchants in Lianghuai.

When the old man saw Li Meng's attitude, he thought that the task of reconciliation had been completed, and his heart became extremely relaxed. He sat back on the chair and was about to say a few gossips, but he heard Li Meng laughing in his seat and said:

"Mr. Zhao also has three thousand dans of salt warehouse in Juye. It is said that half of this salt is the private property of General Liu?"

A few understatement words sounded like a bolt from the blue in the ears of Mr. Zhao. He never dared to show the graceful demeanor of a high-ranking civil servant. He jumped up like a knife under his butt. He hurriedly walked into the middle, knelt down respectfully, and said repeatedly:

"Mr. Li can tell me clearly that in the Liu Zeqing station, I have to follow many things. In my heart, I often feel extremely ashamed and feel that I have to bear the kindness of the court and the teachings of the saints."

Li Meng sneered in his heart. The salt vendor in Jiaozhou camp went to discuss the private salt transaction with the retired official. Who would have thought that he would not tell him that he would not tell Liu Zeqing's men, and he would have lost four or five of his men. If this man hadn't been the identity of a court official, he would have cut off his head here today. However, the other party was a retired prefect. If he had killed him, he would probably have come to deal with him against the Jurchens and the rebel army.

However, Li Meng is also a little more cultivated now, and just said lightly:

"I am still in charge of the salt administration inspection. In view of the fact that Mr. Zhao agreed to this time, he would not be embarrassed. After Mr. Zhao returned to Juye, he would transport the salt to Jining within ten days. Forget it!"

The private salts plus the shipping cost, Zhao Weng almost lost tens of thousands of taels of silver, not to mention the risk of offending Liu Zeqing. However, looking at Li Meng, who was sitting in his hands and smiling, and the guards standing around, who were standing in a solemn manner, Zhao Weng, who had seen the market, swallowed his mouth and replied with a dry smile:

"Since that's the case, I'll thank you for your kindness. Zhao will do this after he goes back."

"I don't want to have many weapons and killings in Shandong. Please ask Mr. Zhao to reply to everyone on Huai. From then on, there will be peace in the world, so there is no need to worry."

After Li Meng said this, he agreed to the official's proposal to make peace. At this time, Mr. Zhao was already wet with cold sweat. He was in Juye and had a close relationship with Liu Zeqing from Caozhou. Liu Zeqing always claimed to be unparalleled in courage, and he always looked fierce in front of others.

However, that look is more of a pretending to be vicious. Liu Zeqing has always treated him with a smile in front of beautiful gold and silver, but Li Meng always had a warm smile on his face, but he could not hide anything from him. His tone was indifferent, but he was murderous. This murderous intent was not done on purpose, but seemed to be born with it.

This Zhao Weng was no longer willing to delay time here, thinking that the faster he would leave, the better. And when he remembered what he said when he met Liu Zeqing before, the cold sweat behind him could not help but become stronger and his body could not help but tremble. The old man couldn't help but think of when he was the prefect, the generals were not polite to see him, but now they were so arrogant and domineering everywhere, and the world was really different.

Seeing that Zhao Weng walked out of the house in a nearly embarrassing manner, Li Meng, who was sitting there, shook his head. He thought that with the participation of Caozhou General Liu Zeqing, his operation to expel the salt merchants from Shandong would encounter many obstacles. Who would have thought that it would be so easy? After the launch, the other party raised a white flag so quickly to admit defeat.

But the result is to remove some worries. If the territory of these two palaces is more than 10,000 taels of private salt income, at most, it will increase by more than 10,000 taels of money. Currently, 8,000 soldiers’ wages, grain, fodder, and equipment, and armor. This is about 10,000 taels of money.

While thinking about it, Wang Hai and several personal guards retreated, and one of them ran in excitedly. In Li Meng's mansion, only Mu Yunyao could do this. He saw the girl holding a stack of paper with a smile on her face and said:
Chapter completed!