From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 546

The next morning, Bao Shanru sent a servant to greet him, saying that he was busy and would not accompany him for the time being.

Zhou Yuan knew very well that the other party was going to do something, to investigate or to ask for instructions... Zhou Yuan did not care about these.

The identity credentials given by the Internal Court were all reliable, and the Shen family of Qiaoshan Gong did exist. In order to avoid being exposed, the Shen family even made corresponding cooperation. The letter from Li Zhaolu was also real. Zhuang Xuansu did a good job in this regard.

"Then let's go around Yanzhou City today!"

Guan Caixi immediately suggested. She seemed to be in a good mood and smiled: "I haven't been to Yanzhou yet. I don't know what beautiful scenery there is here. Besides, we have to wait for the salt permit anyway, and there is nothing to do today."

Zhuang Xuansu knew that she couldn't make a decision, so she looked at Zhou Yuan. For her, playing was not important.

Zhou Yuan said calmly: "Since there is nothing to do, it's okay to go out for a walk. Master Zhuang, take us to the black market to buy salt."

"As a businessman, it's natural for me to inspect the salt market here."

Zhou Yuan believed that Bao Shanru must have sent spies to keep an eye on him, otherwise there would be no reason to invite him to live at home.

Zhuang Xuansu and Li Yu'an naturally would not object to Zhou Yuan's decision, but Guan Caixi was a little unhappy because her interest was disturbed.

But this time she was very tactful and did not dare to object. She just hung her head and responded slowly.

The anger of Zhou Yuan slamming the table last night obviously made her a little afraid. This peer who usually smiles can sometimes be very scary.

So Zhou Yuan and the other four disguised themselves, changed their clothes and makeup, and then quietly went to the black salt market in Yanzhou City.

Such a place is not known to everyone, but everyone knows where to buy salt. Since they are in the same boat with the government, no one will investigate. When the wind is tight, they will close for a while and then reopen.

From the county to the prefecture, and even to the province, there are almost salt merchants, so almost no inspection will bother here.

As for special cases, such as imperial envoys inspecting salt, they can also know the news in advance and avoid inspection.

"Why didn't anyone report it?"

Guan Caixi asked curiously: "So many people know the truth, and if anyone tells it, it can't be concealed."

Zhou Yuan said: "Oh? Who can I tell? What kind of officials can ordinary people see? County magistrate? Prefect? ​​Or those honest people in the governor's office? Unfortunately, those are all people who have been arranged by salt merchants."

"Ordinary people face such a situation. Either endure it or blow yourself up. There is no other way to go."

Guan Caixi nodded helplessly, thinking.

It is called a black market, but it is not secret. It is just a narrow street with a salt shop at the end.

Before Zhou Yuan and his four companions approached, they had already seen a long queue at the door, where people were waiting to buy salt.

No one here was well-dressed, all of them were poor people with haggard appearance and ragged clothes - the masters did not need to queue up to buy salt, it would be delivered to their houses naturally, even servants did not need to queue up, after all, it was impossible to buy only a few kilograms of salt.

Zhou Yuan said lightly: "Let's go to queue up, Master Zhuang, go find a scale."

"Okay."

Zhuang Xuansu left quickly.

Li Yu'an observed from the side, and Guan Caixi had nowhere to go, so he lined up behind Zhou Yuan.

She almost stuck to Zhou Yuan's back, holding his sleeve with her little hand, and whispered: "How about... I'll wait for you over there?"

Zhou Yuan said: "Just now you were the one who wanted to queue up."

Guan Caixi was a little embarrassed, but still whispered: "Yes... I think it's fun, but queuing is also tiring, and..."

Her voice became smaller and smaller: "The man behind me has a smell on his body, it seems that he hasn't showered for ten days."

Ten days? Our Miss Guan Caixi is really good at joking. For her, ten days is probably an exaggerated number.

But she doesn't understand that for these poor people, not showering for ten days is normal.

Zhou Yuan said calmly: "Why don't you go back to Shenjing? Most people there are clean."

Guan Caixi heard Zhou Yuan's displeasure and hurriedly said: "Don't be like this, I know you are mocking me, I don't look down on them, I just can't stand the taste."

Just like a rich girl who has an ordinary boyfriend, she doesn't look down on street stalls, but she is not used to eating those things.

Zhou Yuan believes that she does not despise the people around her, but she can't empathize with them.

Zhou Yuan thought of the eldest sister.

He had to admit that although the eldest sister did something that could never be undone, she was indeed a rare noble who could empathize with the people.

It is precisely because of this that she has such high ambitions, she had such a firm determination.

No matter what the ending will be with the senior sister in the future, Zhou Yuan admires her thinking as a "contemporary aristocrat", which is beyond the times and the most precious thing.

"I want, I want half a catty..."

"Oh, yes, just one catty, one catty is enough..."

"Why is it fifty cents this time, sir, please make it cheaper, I only have forty cents!"

"Please be kind, please."

There have always been similar voices, but the salt sellers have long been accustomed to it, and even sneered: "Only forty cents? Then you can only buy half a catty, only twenty-five cents, we won't force you to buy or sell."

Guan Caixi frowned, Zhou Yuan did not reply to her words, she did not dare to leave, and had to continue to queue.

She just hoped that all this would end soon.

But the fact is that she gradually did not notice the passage of time, her attention was attracted by the people around her and the people in front of her.

There was nothing new about these things, it was just a normal salt purchase.

But she felt cold.

She found that the people around her were like scary dolls, with almost no expression and almost no smile.

For some reason, the restlessness in her heart for shopping was gone, and instead there was a faint sadness.

She didn't know where the sadness came from, but she was just not very happy.

"Sir, please be kind, I... I only brought twenty coins, can I buy half a pound of salt?"

The old woman in front of her attracted her attention. She was a ragged old woman with gray hair, hunched back, no shoes, black and strange feet, and frostbite on her ankles.

"You only brought 20 coins? Then why don't you go home and get another 5 coins? We won't sell it for less than half a catty."

The old woman whispered, "No, I walked here with great difficulty, more than 20 miles."

"Who cares how many miles you walked? I know that the minimum price for half a catty is 25 coins today. If you don't have enough money, get out of here and don't delay my business."

"Master, can I buy it on credit?"

"Hey old thing! It's endless, isn't it? Get out of here!"

Guan Caixi felt irritated by the noisy voices and couldn't help saying, "What's wrong with you selling it to her! Isn't it just short of 5 coins? She's just selling on credit, not not giving it to you!"

The salt seller looked at her and glared at her, "What's it got to do with you? Don't talk too much!"

Guan Caixi was inexplicably furious and shouted, "You are a businessman, how can you treat your customers like this!"

The clerk was stunned, and then laughed, "Customer? Damn, what do you eat if I don't sell salt? You are still using this trick here!"

"Little girl, you can use twenty coins to buy half a catty of salt, and I will pay the remaining five coins for you. All you have to do is give me a kiss."

Guan Caixi had never been teased like this before, and gritted her teeth and said, "I, you! You! I will pay her the five coins!"

She strode forward in anger, but suddenly stopped. She found that she didn't have five coins...

The smallest amount of silver she had was the ten taels of silver she brought from her bag in the morning.

"Oh, you are a good person! You are really willing to give her five cents!"

Guan Caixi was provoked by this and got angry. She shouted, "What's there to be reluctant about? Take it!"

She took out ten taels of silver and said, "I paid them all!"

The waiter frowned and glared, "Are you here to make trouble?"

As soon as the voice fell, more than a dozen waiters in the workshop came out with sticks, staring at Guan Caixi aggressively.

Guan Caixi was not afraid of them even if she was cowardly, so she shouted, "What's wrong? Aren't you selling salt? I can't help them pay!"

The waiter said indifferently, "You can't buy more than two kilograms at a time! Otherwise, I doubt you will take it out and sell it again!"

"Little girl, put your silver away and get out, otherwise don't blame me for being rude to you."

More than a dozen waiters walked towards her, forcing her to retreat subconsciously.

Then she thought that she didn't need to be afraid, so she looked at Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan said, "Let's go. We won't buy anything."

"Why?"

Guan Caixi said anxiously, "It's come to this point. Why don't you buy anything?"

Zhou Yuan glanced at her and said, "Why? Are we here to buy salt?"

Hearing this, Guan Caixi woke up from her dream.

Yes, we are not here to buy salt. We just came to see the situation.

She thought of her purpose, but looking at the old woman in front of her...

She felt inexplicably heartbroken.