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Although it had been a few days since that incident, after Song Wuya had thought of a way for them to rescue those Juzis, those Juzis who originally hated him had eased up a lot.I don't know if it's because of the imperial examination or because of that incident.
There were not many people in the teahouse, and there were no young faces, only middle-aged men.
The two sat down, and the waiter immediately stepped forward to greet them.The rare guest made the waiter very happy.
"Miss Young Master, it's very cold today, why don't you warm yourself up with a pot of good tea?"
"En! Here's a pot." Song Wuya nodded.
Originally, they didn't come here just to inquire about things, it was also very pleasant to sit down and have a cup of tea.
Xiao Er quickly brought tea, and he poured tea for the two of them.
But Song Wuya's mind was not on tea, he immediately asked the waiter in the shop: "Brother, where is the salt in this city shipped?"
Such a straight-to-the-point question is also Song Wuya's overestimation of the shop's waiter.
The shop waiter was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and smiled embarrassedly: "This little one doesn't know, so I asked the people on the pier. Why do you ask me about this?"
"Oh, it's nothing, just asking casually." Naturally, Song Wuya couldn't explain his intention clearly.
But he said that, but the waiter in the shop guessed something himself, he turned his head to look at the people around him mysteriously, lowered his body, and whispered into Song Wuya's ear: "Young Master, it is possible that he wants to be a private salt Do you want to buy or sell?"
Chapter 6 Thirteen Private Salt Business
Chapter 6 Thirteen Private Salt Business
原本以为从这店小二的嘴里问不出什么话来的宋无涯，已经不打算继续说什么了。可店小二这突然的一句话，令他有些发蒙。“私盐生意？”宋无涯疑惑不已。“难道不是？”店小二一听这话，也是楞了。这两人，还真是有意思。明明刚才宋无涯还在说盐的事情，那店小二却说不知。可一转眼的功夫，两人直接翻转了，店小二说起了私盐的事情，反倒是宋无涯自己不知道该说什么了。两人一时错愕，面面相觑，谁也不知道该说什么了。“两位请慢用，小的先下去了。”店小二面色一紧，察觉到自己像是说错话了，赶紧就不搭茬了，转身就要走。他这一走，宋无涯反倒是着急了。“小二哥别着急着走啊！”宋无涯叫住了店小二：“咱们说的其实就是一回事。我们是从南头县来的，听说那里的盐也全都是从这里走的，所以想要跳过南头县那个环节。听小二哥刚才的话，像是有门路的样子。”店小二听到宋无涯这么说后，这才呼了口气：“哦！刚刚公子还和我装糊涂呢。不过这你倒是猜错了，小的可觉无什么门路。问这问题的，公子你并非第一个。小的被问得多了，慢慢的也就知晓了。刚刚也就是随口一说，这所有的货物要走，也都是从码头走的。这盐也是一样，同样从那个地方出去的。”嘴上说没什么，可是店小二这话却说得敞亮起来了。不像刚刚那副鬼鬼祟祟的模样，可见他还是防着宋无涯呢，没把实情全都摊明。这一点，宋无涯也听得出来，他略微的点点头，随手拿出了一两银子就打赏给了那小二。小二收了银子，这脸上露出灿烂笑容，嘴上的话却也并不多说。“多谢公子。”宋无涯点点头，也没有再留着他，放他走了。小二一走，司徒雯立刻就怪怨道：“无涯，刚才你是怎么了？看着那小二就要说了，你却愣神了。这下好了，好不容易到嘴的鸭子就这么飞了。”被她这么说，宋无涯立刻尴尬起来。也不怪司徒雯怪怨，刚刚他确实是有些失神了。“我也不知道怎么回事，咋一听小二这么说，一下子竟然没反应过来。”对于这件事情，宋无涯也很失落，毕竟刚刚好不容易就得到消息了。两人坐在茶楼内，喝着茶水，也没了话说。宋无涯琢磨着刚刚小二的表现，他显然是知晓什么的，而且或许和这私盐买卖也能沾上边。可就因为他的一个疏忽，把这条到手的线索给放跑了。店小二是防着他了，他再问下去，那就是自找没趣了。很快，一壶茶水也喝了下去，算算时间也已经不早了，过不了个把时辰这科举就要结束了，到时候举子出来，这茶楼就要热闹起来了。“雯儿，咱们走吧，一会这里该热闹了。”宋无涯起身招呼了司徒雯一句，就向外边走去。过几日放榜后，这一切就好解决了。他想到此处，扭头向着茶楼一旁看去。“嗯？”宋无涯突然一怔：“墙壁被刷新了！看来之前的事情他们确实是提防起来了。”不得不说，之前一步棋走的急了，把这个目的给暴露了。宋无涯心中叹了口气，倒也并未让他更加失落。毕竟这也是预料之中的事情，毕竟那件事情闹得沸沸扬扬，对方提防也是应该的。“看来到时候就只能想另外的办法了。”宋无涯心中感慨了一句，也不再这茶楼停留，出了茶楼之后，外边淅淅沥沥的小雨也不知道在什么时候听了。沉闷的天空不再那么压抑，这外边的人们更是心急的等待着考场里的动静。“无涯，咱们还要去哪？”司徒雯见宋无涯没有目的的往前走着，也不知道要去什么地方，便问了一句。说要去哪里，这个宋无涯还真是没想过。眼下他们还真是没有了事情可做，尤其是在这临近中午的时候，外出时间显然是不够用了。想来想去宋无涯转头向着家的方向走去。“回住处吧。”天阴沉着，房间内也是一片昏暗。司徒雯点上了烛台，两人的面前这才多了一丝光亮。白卓和小环并不在住处内，可见他们还在外边寻找着线索。今天宋无涯和司徒雯两人的码头之行，多少还是有些收获的。原本他们在这里并未注意到私盐的事情，可今天前往码头，立刻就感觉到有些古怪了。那牛哥和老六他们所装运的东西，应该就是盐。而且这些私盐就是在这码头光明正大的装船，丝毫不担心会有官府的人来查货。而在茶馆内，那店小二的话也让他们大吃一惊。私盐的事情，可见这店小二是知晓的。只是不知道这店小二当时所说那番话的用意，他是和私盐买卖的人有所联系呢，还是单纯的只是听说过这些事情。“无涯，你觉得那店小二会不会也是私盐买卖中的一环呢？”司徒雯和宋无涯倒是想到一处去了，毕竟那店小二表现的实在是太古怪了。宋无涯摇摇头，他不确定这一点，但是对这个店小二非常的怀疑。“这茶馆本身就是鱼龙混杂之地，可谓是什么人都可能去的地方。这店小二知道私盐的事情，倒也不排除是道听途说来的。至于他是不是这私盐买卖中的一份子，这道很难说。”“我看这店小二一定是有问题的，要不然的话，他怎么会说出那样的话来？试想，谁不知道这做私盐生意可是杀头的罪，寻常人多都躲不及，怎么会挂在嘴边呢？”“雯儿，你说的没错。这就好比咱们在码头遇到的那个老六一样。不管怎么问，他连那袋子里装的是什么都不肯承认，可见他们也不想牵扯进去。不过我倒是很怀疑，他们偷那个究竟是为了干什么？难道也是为了卖钱吗？”如果那袋子里装的真是私盐的话，那这些苦力显然是知情人。他们还从中得利，至于其目的是出售还是自用，这一点不得而知。可不管怎么说，他们应该知道不少事情的。距离中午还早，宋无涯和司徒雯坐在屋内，闲聊了一番之后，也没有了话说。白卓和小环还不见回来，他们两人百无聊赖的在屋子里，却又不知道该做点什么了。“无涯兄！”屋内正是一片沉默之际，院外传来了白卓的喊声。听着白卓的声音，宋无涯顿时精神一振，起身就向屋外走去。刚来到门口，白卓和小环两人就已经进来了。“无涯兄，你们该不会是偷懒了吧？这么早就回来了。”白卓看到宋无涯和司徒雯之后，当即没好气的说道：“刚刚我还在和小环说呢。我们回来的这么早，会不会被你误会我们偷懒。没想到你们两个这么奸诈。快说，你们是不是压根没有出去，躲在这屋子里做什么坏事了？”看着白卓脸上的坏笑，司徒雯立刻就尴尬了。他们两人自然听得出来白卓这话是什么意思，宋无涯还没开口解释呢。司徒雯就没好气的啐了一口：“呸！真是狗嘴里吐不出象牙来！我们做什么坏事？即便是做坏事，那也是名正言顺的。虽然我还未过门，可我们两人的关系也已经是板上钉钉了。”听着这话，白卓顿时一愣，显然是没想到司徒雯会这般的反驳。他尴尬的犹豫了一下，赶忙笑了起来。“司徒小姐，你这话说的可就有些严重了。我不过是和你们开个玩笑罢了。”白卓解释着，他生怕司徒雯还要接着骂他，立刻转移话题。“对了无涯兄，你们去码头有什么发现吗？”“哦！有一点点发现，那码头确实是有私盐运转。”宋无涯立刻应了一声。虽然这事情他还不确定，不过他觉得已经是八九不离十了，索性就直接说了。白卓顿时欣喜：“无涯兄，我和小环也有发现。”“哦？你们去哪了？有什么发现？”宋无涯原本觉得白卓他们不会有什么发现的，毕竟他们去了码头，而白卓他们没有什么直接的地方去。并且他们回来的也不算晚，这么一会的功夫，要想有发现的话，还真是不容易。白卓立刻坐下，给自己和小环倒了杯茶水之后，露出一脸欣喜。“我们去了盐运衙门。”白卓这儿一说，宋无涯恍然大悟。“无涯兄，你可是想象不到。这盐运衙门，究竟可怜到什么地步。”“白兄，详细说来听听。”见白卓卖起了关子，宋无涯就知道他们的发现一定不比他们差。白卓点点头，一口将茶水喝光。“这盐运衙门内，实在是可怜。我们远远的看了一眼，却见这衙门破旧不堪不说，连个人都没有。原本我们以为这地方废弃了，可敲开门来一看，这才恍然大悟。”白卓的话勾起了宋无涯的怀疑，他这么说，显然是在说明这盐运衙门已经基本没有什么用处了。
Chapter 6 Fourteen
?Chapter 6 Fourteen Eliminates Grudges
"There are not many people in the Yanyun Yamen. Not only that, the vehicles and horses inside are in a mess. The vehicles are already damaged, and the horses have no spirit at all. There are only a few horses. In such a situation, I am afraid that even No post house can compare to it. You must know that this is a provincial capital, and almost all the salt transportation in the south of the Yangtze River passes through here. But in such a situation, how can you be competent? It seems that the official salt has no meaning."
After Bai Zhuo expressed his opinion, it really surprised Song Wuya and Situ Wen.
The majestic Yanyun Yamen in a provincial capital has turned into such a dilapidated scene.
"It seems that these people are really powerful, and they don't have the slightest worry that imperial envoys from the imperial court will come here to investigate." Song Wuya said with a sullen face.
These officials are so assholes that they don't even do superficial articles.They didn't even have the idea of fooling people, they just broke the jar and smashed it.
But what does this mean?It shows that even if the imperial court sends imperial envoys to check, they are not worried at all.They must have some way, so they dare to do whatever they want.
"Brother Wu Ya, do you think this official salt has been completely replaced by private salt?" Bai Zhuo asked suspiciously.
Judging from the current situation, it is very likely that these official salts will be completely replaced by private salts.After all, if there is still production of official salt, how could it be possible for a majestic salt transport yamen to be ruined like this?
Song Wuya fell into deep thought, he didn't know what to say.The news they heard from Bai Zhuo was really shocking to them.
He suddenly thought of what he saw on the pier today.
"That's not right! But judging from the situation at the wharf today, I don't know that illegal salt is so rampant. The ships that transport illegal salt are not very big. The salt in the south of the Yangtze River is not so small, right?"
Remembering what happened just before.
It was cloudy and rainy, and the pier outside the city was still busy.Before Song Wuya and Situ Wen came all the way to the pier, they stood not far away watching those husbands loading the boat.
The yelling of the foreman, the slapping of raindrops, and the complaints of many workers made the pier noisy.
Generations of smuggled salt were held on the shoulders of the coolies, and they turned and walked towards the ship.The ship is not far away, the draft is not very deep, and it is not difficult to see from the appearance that it is just a small cargo ship.
"Indeed, I also remember that the cargo ship was not big at that time, and the cargo was almost finished, and the draft was not very deep, so it can be seen that they didn't load much." Situ Wen added after Song Wuya.
Both of them were very sure that there were not many things on the ship at that time.
"It shouldn't be! Don't they ship it away every day?" Bai Zhuo was surprised.
Indeed, there are too many places worthy of their doubts.The ship in front of me is a problem. The ship is not big, and there are not many goods on board.However, the Yanyun Yamen in the provincial city has been evacuated. Such a situation is really hard to understand.
"It seems that we still have to investigate further. Judging from the situation of the salt transportation office, they have been withdrawn and evacuated. It's just that it's hard to say who is in the hands of this private salt business now. What we just saw is just the tip of the iceberg, maybe behind this incident, there is a big boss. But one thing is for sure, this government must be inseparable from this incident." Song Combining the previous discoveries, Wu Ya said to the three of them.
In such a situation, although the Yanyun Yamen is not under the management of the local government, it is directly subordinate to the imperial court.But it has become like this, the provincial government office must know about it.After they found out, they wouldn't say anything unless they investigated the situation, or at least they should report it to their superiors.
"Then should we go talk to King Jin now?" After Bai Zhuo nodded, his face suddenly became serious, and he looked at Song Wuya.
Song Wuya pondered a little bit about Bai Zhuo's point.In the end, he shook his head: "I don't think we should tell King Jin about this. After all, we don't know much. Telling King Jin will only add to his heart. After all, he is now focused on the imperial examination. Let's investigate this matter first, and it's not too late to tell him when the time is right."
"By the way, let's talk about the imperial examination. Brother Wu Ya, you probably didn't see the candidates coming out of the examination room just now, did you?" Song Wuya mentioned the imperial examination, and Bai Zhuo immediately said something casually.
They really didn't see this. After they came out of the teahouse, they did pass by the examination room when they were about to come back.But at that time, a group of people surrounded the examination room, and the exams inside still did not come out.
"What's wrong?" Song Wuya asked immediately.
"I saw Gao Jin at the door. This guy has a smug face. I guess he did well in the exam this time." Bai Zhuo actually saw Gao Jin. "At that time, he was chatting and laughing with a group of students, and I didn't go to disturb him. When we find a time, we have to go and greet him properly. Maybe he will be our colleague in the future."
"That's right." Song Wuya nodded: "Although this Gao Jin is a bit arrogant, he is still a good person in general, at least he is an upright person."
Song Wuya still admitted this point.When he first came into contact with Gao Jin, this guy did not hesitate to argue with the officers and soldiers at the gate of the city for a tael of silver. Although he got beaten up in the end, he was still not timid.Not only that, after Song Wuya helped him, he didn't show inferiority complex, on the contrary, he still looked superior.
Although his temper makes people look very uncomfortable, but at least it can show that he is very reasonable in dealing with things.
"Yeah, although I'm a bit short-tempered, but that's okay." Bai Zhuo nodded in agreement.
Speaking of Gao Jin, Song Wuya didn't care much.After all, he was just a person whom they met by chance during their itinerary.
But when talking about him at this time, Song Wuya thought of another thing.
"Brother Bai, we almost forgot. This Gao Jin has no money, we have to find time to go to the inn to help him settle the rent." Song Wuya reminded Bai Zhuo.
If Song Wuya went to that inn again, it would inevitably be a little embarrassing, so this matter can only be explained to Bai Zhuo.
Bai Zhuo didn't refuse, and nodded immediately: "Brother Wu Ya, just leave this matter to me, and when we go out for dinner later, just do it by the way."
"Well, it's almost time now, let's go out and have a look." Song Wuya thought for a while, anyway, it's not long before noon.
And the candidates just came out of the examination room, presumably they also have different moods.These people in twos and threes will definitely get together to eat and drink, just taking advantage of this opportunity, they can go and see how these candidates are doing in the exam.
The four left the residence and went directly to the inn where they lived before. Bai Zhuo went in alone and paid for the room.
"Brother Wuya, you all come in."
Bai Zhuo came out of the inn not long after, and he had a bright smile on his face as soon as he came out, shaking his arms at Song Wuya and the others not far away.
Seeing this situation, Song Wuya and the others were very surprised.
Slightly startled, Song Wuya looked at Situ Wen beside him: "What does this mean?"