Prime Minister

Chapter 1168 Recognition

Chapter 1168 Recognition

Wang Zhongxiu looked at the paper and pen on the desk, sitting there without saying a word.

Wang Zhongxiu was a yamen official and had followed Wang Gui for many years. He was not a playboy. On the contrary, he was quite knowledgeable. Although he was not the first one to think of the idea of ​​using insider information to short sell salt notes, he was the first one to do it.

By the time Wang Gui reached this position, there were many talented people in the mansion. No matter what their original suggestions and intentions were, Wang Zhongxiu was able to apply other people's methods to practice and achieve success, which was a first-class ability.

Wang Zhongxiu has some kind of genius in business, or perhaps a peculiar talent.

Zhang Yue asked Wang Zhongxiu to write it, and Wang Zhongxiu also knew that once this thing fell into Zhang Yue's hands, it would be equivalent to giving the other party a handle.

"Husband, do you really want to write it?"

Wang Zhongxiu said pleadingly.

"The deficit of two hundred thousand salt notes! No one in the world can hide it except the truth. If you don't give me an explanation, only your father and you can explain it to His Majesty together."

Wang Zhongxiu frowned and said nothing, and was reluctant to pick up the pen.

Zhang Yue said: "I am very disappointed that Yanei is so indecisive."

Wang Zhongxiu said: "If we admit the loss, my Wang family will be bankrupt."

Zhang Yue said: "It will definitely not lead to bankruptcy. There will be a low point later, but it won't be too low. After all, the news has been released."

"You must replenish the short-sold salt notes within ten days and return these nearly 200,000 salt notes to the exchange office. The truth will come to light sooner or later."

Wang Zhongxiu asked tentatively: "How low is this low point?"

Zhang Yue gave a positive answer: "A little more than ten strings of cash. Remember, there is only one chance, and the opportunity is fleeting! Don't think it will be lower in the future."

"Of course it has to be lower. People are never satisfied. You should know when to stop. You should prepare enough money in advance."

Wang Zhongxiu thought to himself, if he had known this would happen, he would have bought it today. He said, "I will have to pay hundreds of thousands of strings of cash for this!"

Zhang Yue said: "It's not you, it's you guys. Besides, you guys have made a lot of money over the years. It's a business that only makes money."

"It has come to this. We will have to tighten our belts for a few years."

"Yes, these hundreds of thousands of strings of cash are for the salt merchants and the common people. I don't want a penny from them."

Wang Zhongxiu covered his face and smiled bitterly, "Thank you very much. I really want to thank Mr. Zhang for his great kindness."

Zhang Yue laughed and said, "Brother Shi, for your father's sake, I think this is a good enough negotiation."

"Did I deliberately dig the dam and release the flood to flood the pond?"

"Did I tell you that the salt currency will definitely fall sharply, and ask you to take the opportunity to sell short?"

"If the deficit of several hundred thousand seats of salt notes cannot be made up, your entire family will have to hand it over to the court. Don't think that you can completely ignore money just because you have power."

"This is more than one million strings of cash! No matter how powerful you are, you can't stop this hole!"

After saying that, Zhang Yue pushed the paper and pen in front of Wang Zhongxiu.

Finally, Wang Zhongxiu wrote it down tremblingly, and it took him half an hour to finish it. At the end, Zhang Yue even asked him to read it aloud to the paper.

After Zhang Yue received it, he said to Wang Zhongxiu, "Ask the other officials to write down a copy as well."

"Write it like this too! No more waiting after the deadline."

Wang Zhongxiu's mouth trembled, but he still walked out.

Zhang Yue picked up Wang Zhongxiu's confession and read it for a while, then said to Peng Jingyi, "Give it to Wu Dayanei for review."

"Remember, don't let him tear the paper."

When walking out of Zhang's house, Wang Zhongxiu looked at the dark night. He didn't know how to explain to Wang Gui when he returned.

Wang's family had been officials for generations, and when he was young, he had also wanted to study and take the imperial examination. But when his father became the prime minister, he knew it would be difficult for him to advance in his career, and finally he was sent to serve as a prefecture governor.

Since he had no hope for a career in politics, he wanted to make as much money as possible to make up for the regrets in his life.

He thought that since he could not become a high-ranking official in this lifetime, he was not allowed to compensate himself with money.

In life, you must have one of the two: money and power.

It's impossible that you can't get anything.

"Brother Wang!"

"Ya Nei!"

The servant saw that he was in a state of panic and wanted to lend a hand to help him, but Wang Zhongxiu waved his hand and said, "They don't know the situation yet. I need to explain it quickly."

Wang Zhongxiu took a carriage to the place where he met several yamen officials.

Several people were discussing in the dim room, their brows frowning.

Someone said, "I am the fish and others are the butchers," and that was the end of it.

No one expected that Zhang Yue would go against them this time and do things so ruthlessly.

"What? You've already written a confession. Won't that mean he has the upper hand over you?"

"My Wang family has sold the most salt notes here. Once the lid is lifted, you may be fine, but if it comes to me, there is no way to avoid it! I can't let Dad get involved."

One person sighed, "How can I get so much money at once? My father has spent his old age in peace and does not care about government affairs. How dare I disturb him about this matter?"

"Borrow, borrow! Each of you should find your own way."

"Everyone should be more open-minded. If we behave ourselves in the future, Prime Minister Zhang will not cause us any more trouble."

All the yamen officials sighed and picked up their pens to write their confessions.

Before tomorrow, if the undelivered salt notes cannot be matched, the court will come to arrest people immediately. Who said that these yamen would not come in person, but the money still had to be paid, and the delivery price was 15 guan per seat at the closing of today's market.

So Zhang Yue gave them a ten-day grace period and let them raise the money themselves.

Several of the young masters were able to see the situation clearly and accepted their defeat and left the scene, while also giving Zhang Yue something that would allow him to control them for the rest of their lives.

The others could not accept it for a while, but Wang Zhongxiu saw through it and even said with some ease: "Actually, when I think about it, I still admire Prime Minister Zhang's method. This trick immediately brought the salt notes back to life."

Everyone didn't know what to say, and handed the supply paper to Wang Zhongxiu one by one.

Wang Zhongxiu smiled bitterly and said, "I have to make a second trip."

……

Wu Anshi threw his tea bowl, rice bowl, and vegetable bowl on the ground to vent his dissatisfaction. In the last lawsuit, he was arrested by Cai Que and was sentenced to the heaviest punishment, losing three official positions.

Zhang Yue did not plead with Cai Que at all.

And this time, he didn't even see me.

Wu Anshi has always been resentful in his heart. He always felt that Zhang Yue was able to achieve his current status because of the help of his Wu family.

He was Wu Chong's eldest son, so the favor would naturally fall on him. But Zhang Yue, as a son-in-law who had received great favors from the Wu family, had no gratitude at all.

Later he realized that Zhang Yue was not ungrateful. He had taken care of and supported his younger brother Wu Anchi and the husbands of Shiqi Niang and several of her sisters, but he had missed out on himself.

He understood what his father had once said to him.

Favors are only favors when the other party mentions them on their own initiative. If you mention them yourself, it becomes hatred.

Wu Anshi finally understood something that had been puzzling her out for a long time. At this time, Peng Jingyi came in and took out a confession.

ps: I want to clarify a mistake. The above mentioned salt profit of Jieyan is 3 million guan per year. This is profit, but I mistakenly thought it was income. In fact, the salt notes issued by the court in a year were less than 2 million guan, and the annual output of Jieyan salt pond was about 1.1 million guan.

The excess part is the overestimation of salt notes.

According to the historical calculation that one salt note was worth five strings of coins and five hundred coins, the imperial court issued around 11 million strings of coins a year.

(End of this chapter)