Even though Fang Jun blocked the roads and carried out arrests as soon as he forcibly took over the Hedong Salt Pond, the huge salt pond extended in all directions, so it was naturally impossible to miss everything. Su Dingfang led the navy to station in the salt pond and arrested all the salt farm officials. Still leaked.
By noon, the Hedong family received news one after another.
Hedong is shocked!
Although the "three surnames of Hedong" of Xue, Pei and Liu are not as impressive as the "five surnames of seven sects", they are rich in wealth because they are located in Hedong, where there are fertile farmland and salt ponds that produce huge profits. , has solid strength, connects other Hedong families to advance and retreat together, and establishes alliances. It cannot be underestimated to occupy the land of Hedong. All dynasties have tried their best to win over it but are unwilling to conquer it. Because of its tyrannical strength, it is indeed feared.
This has created the transcendent status of the Hedong family. Throughout the ages, every time there was chaos and war, except for a few periods such as the late Han Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, it was able to ensure safety and security, and then make every effort to preserve its strength.
70% of the confidence we rely on lies in the salt ponds in Hedong.
Losing control of the Hedong Salt Pond would be equivalent to cutting off the foundation of the Hedong family's survival. How could this be possible?
The large and small aristocratic families in Hedong heard the news and gathered at the Xue family's ancestral home in Fenyin County that night to meet with the family leader Xue Mai to discuss how to take back the salt pond.
……
It was still the same bamboo hall. Xue Mai and Xue Shou, the only remaining elders of Fenyin Xue clan, were kneeling behind the table, slowly sipping tea with solemn expressions. Wang Fukiao was sitting down on his knees and respectfully summarized the two days in Hedong. What happened in Yanchi was reported one by one in every detail.
At the end, Wang Fijiao said angrily: "The Zheng family in Xingyang is so shameless. Although Zheng Rentai did not show up, he sent his son to follow Fang Junan. He came and left as soon as he was called. It is very likely that he would break the original oath and steal the control of the Hedong Salt Pond. Quan, if that's the case, we will be driven away by it and there will never be any hope of returning to the salt pond."
In his opinion, when things have come to this, there is no need to have extravagant hopes of taking back the salt pond. Thousands of troops stationed in the salt pond will definitely cause a sensation in the world. How can Fang Jun and the central government withdraw their troops at this time and lose face?
It's better to bow down and stay calm at the worst time to gain more benefits.
After all, compared to being completely driven out of the salt pond, losing ownership of the salt pond but getting the official position of "Salt Questioner" is not unacceptable...
Xue Mai frowned his snow-white eyebrows tightly, and his wrinkled face was solemn and hesitant. After a long time, he breathed out softly and said slowly: "I have heard for a long time that Fang Jun is arrogant, unlearned and willful. Now I realize that he is quite His father's style, look at this conspiracy, it will immediately destroy the monolithic alliance of our Hedong family. Falling apart. Everyone is selfish. You have surrendered to the three surnames and are unwilling to lie dormant. Now you finally have the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with our three surnames or even surpass them. How can you give up now? , will you betray your oath and defect to Fang Jun’s command?”
Wang Fukiao was startled and said hurriedly: "How dare you have such treacherous thoughts? The Hedong family's branches are connected with each other, and they are connected with each other. They are both prosperous and destructive. They should advance and retreat together, complement each other, and never stab each other in the back."
Hedong is the Hedong of the Hedong family, but the Hedong family is a Hedong family with "three surnames". Whoever dares to betray the covenant and switch to Fang Jun's command to serve as the "salt envoy" must be prepared to withstand the full revenge of the three surnames Xue, Pei and Liu. , no one can resist it.
But if all the Hedong aristocratic families except the "three surnames" choose to join Fang Jun, and then take turns to serve as the "salt envoy" to take control of the salt pool, then even the "three surnames" will not be able to retaliate one by one.
Xue Shou's temper was a bit more violent and not as gentle as his brother's. He snorted angrily: "As long as we are united, it will be useless to let Fang Jun do all his tricks. It is impossible for the Zheng family in Xingyang to collect all the salt ponds." We need more manpower, and when the Yanchi shutdown continues indefinitely, Fang Jun will have to kneel down and beg us to resume work.”
How big is the Hedong Salt Pond? Normally, the number of manpower required is at least five to six thousand. Not only the salt workers and peasants need skilled manpower, but also the managers in various places must have rich experience. This is by no means a hasty team to complete the resumption of work and production in the salt pond.
Not only the Zheng family in Xingyang cannot do it, but no other family has such ability.
Wang Fijiao reminded: "Others may be helpless, but Fang Jun is different after all. The Huating Town Salt Farm was founded by him. The scale is not as large as the Hedong Salt Pond. He can completely draw on management experience from there." Wealthy officials come to the salt field, and the Zheng family in Xingyang cooperates to recruit skilled salt workers and peasants, which may not be able to resume work and production... After all, there will always be people who are willing to follow them."
You also said that the Hedong family is not monolithic. For you "Three Surnames of Hedong", you want to have complete ownership of the Hedong Salt Pond, but for some other small families, this does not matter at all.
When the "Three Surnames of Hedong" controlled Yanchi, I gained so many benefits; by being attached to the center of the imperial court, I could still obtain so many benefits, even more than that. Why should I still follow you, "The Three Surnames of Hedong"? ?
Not to mention anything else, just "taking turns as a salt envoy" can make a certain small family control the salt pond and lead Hedong within a certain period of time. What kind of status improvement is this?
There will definitely be people excited.
At that time, the so-called "Hedong Family Alliance" will collapse on its own.
Xue Shou looked at each other angrily: "How presumptuous! Are you threatening the Xue family? Not to mention you, even if your father is still alive, I would not dare to be so rude to the Xue family! Hedong is the Hedong of the three surnames of Hedong, not you and others. Hedong!”
Is this because they want to put aside the "three surnames from Hedong" and a group of small family members defect to Fang Jun to chase the so-called "Salt Dealer"?
Absolutely ridiculous!
Only by relying on the three surnames of Hedong can a group of poor people survive every turmoil in the past. Not only is it not like kindness, but now they are stabbed in the back because of profit?
The Hedong family cultivates and studies heirlooms, but all the books of loyalty have been read into the dog's belly?
Wang Fukiao had no choice but to spread his hands and said: "This is not an alarmist statement, but this is what is most likely to happen at the moment."
Xue Shou said flatly: "This will not happen. As long as you persist, even if the salt works resume work, it will be impossible to restore production. By then, the salt reserves in various places will be exhausted, and the situation will be violently turbulent. Fang Jun will have no choice but to come and beg us."
Wang Fijiao said: "Fang Jun has a new salt-making technology that can greatly increase production. As long as the Zheng family in Xingyang can help him recruit enough manpower, we may not be needed."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Xue Shou's eyes widened: "The current salt-making technology has been the culmination of hundreds of years of salt-making experience and has not changed for two hundred years. Why would Fang Jun dare to utter such wild words to innovate it? ? It’s just lies and cunning, how dare you believe it?”
This is the crux of the matter.
If Fang Jun doesn't have new technology to significantly increase production, then as long as Hedong Family sits firmly on the Diaoyutai and watches Fang Jun's efforts, in the end, it will have to stop because the salt reserves in various places have been exhausted, and in turn beg Hedong Family to resume work. Production has resumed and negotiation conditions have been significantly relaxed.
On the contrary, if Fang Jun can really come up with new technology, it will be a disaster for the Hedong family. They will never be able to profit from the Hedong Salt Pond, let alone regain the ownership rights.
Yes or no?
No one knows.
Wang Fijiao shook his head and tried to persuade him: "What if there is? Then it would be an abyss for our Hedong family. Without the benefits of the salt pond, the Hedong family plummeted, but the Zheng family in Xingyang has risen. One is declining, the other is rising, how can we live in peace?"< br>
He wanted to be qualified as a "salt envoy", but he also didn't want to completely fall out with the "three surnames", so he tried hard to persuade the Xue family to accept Fang Jun's conditions, but Xue Shouzhi was far more stubborn than him. He knows that the situation is unfavorable but refuses to bow his head and does not know how to seek changes. He is an old fool.
But it just so happens that a group of old fools who are clinging to the old and can't see the times are in charge of the power of the clan. They watch helplessly as they bring the once prosperous clan into the ditch, but they are unable to change it.
Xue Shou looked disdainfully: "What about the Zheng family in Xingyang? I immediately ordered the Hedong family to gather their soldiers and put pressure on Fang Jun! Although Fang Jun has thousands of troops, I don't believe that he really dares to provoke a war and completely force him to do so." Anti-Hedong Family!”
Wang Fijiao was speechless. Facing such a stubborn old fool, what else could he say?
Xue Mai, who had not spoken much for a while, frowned and shouted: "Are you confused? His Fang Jun doesn't dare to force us to rebel, how dare you rebel?"
Xue Shou retorted: "Are we just waiting to die? The three surnames in Hedong have been glorious for hundreds of years. Even Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty wanted to care for us, and Emperor Taizong also comforted us with gentle words. I have never been so cowardly!"
Xue Mai sighed: "You keep saying 'Three surnames in Hedong', then let me ask you, when the situation has reached this point, why did the Pei and Liu families send people to discuss countermeasures?"
Xue Shou was stunned: "..."
Only then did he remember that until now, the Wenxi Pei family and the Jie County Liu family were sitting still and silent, watching the situation develop out of control without realizing it.
Something is wrong. Could it be that Fang Jun bribed him?
Xue Mai ignored the dumbfounded Xue Shou, looked at Wang Fijiao, and asked, "Do you know why the Pei and Liu families stood still?"
Wang Fukiao said respectfully: "I don't know what they think, but I thought about the reason on the way here today. I think it's just a change of heart."
"You bastard, please make it clear if you have anything to say. Wang Zhongyan is a scholar and extremely intelligent. How could he give birth to such a dull and slow son like you?" Xue Shou puffed his beard and glared.
Wang Fukiao was used to the old official's bad temper, so he relented and explained: "The so-called change of course is just a change in the way of obtaining benefits. The benefits obtained in the past in Yanchi are completely given away, and the corresponding benefits are obtained from other places. Compensation, one step back and one step forward, may ensure a balance of interests.”
Xue Shou still didn’t understand: “Where to get it?”
Wang Fukiao glanced at Xue Mai, who frowned and said nothing, and said cautiously: "Maybe... become an official? Two consecutive mutinies, the world's nobles suffered a heavy blow, and there were several waves of purges in the court. Most of the high-ranking officials were noble, There are only a few descendants of the clan, and perhaps the Pei and Liu families want to take advantage of this opportunity to gain access to China. With the support of the central government in the official career, many of Jian's disciples are recruited into the central government? "The times have changed. The cornerstone of the survival of the family is no longer to monopolize various resources and seize national interests, but to do so in another way. Taking higher official positions to participate in the management of the country to protect family interests.