Lu Xiangsheng was ordered to hold the imperially-given Shangfang sword and came to the gate of Yangzhou City and shouted and asked loudly.

At this time, Lu Xiangsheng also discovered that an official in a red robe was on the city gate, and behind him were five strong men holding spears and pointing the spear tip at the official.

In addition, Lu Xiangsheng also discovered that in addition to the red-robed officials and the five brave people, there were five or six luxuriously dressed rich people standing aside.

These rich people all looked at him with a harsh look on their faces.

"Please return to Beijing! Don't disturb the peace of the scholars and people in Yangzhou!"

At this time, a rich man shouted.

"That's right, since ancient times, all the sage kings loved the people and kept benevolence. The emperor should live in the imperial capital. How could he come here to disturb the people!"

Another rich man echoed.

Then, another rich man looked at the official in red robe: "Liu Futai, shouldn't you say a few words?"

This red robe official is Liu Wanchun, the governor of Yangzhou.

Liu Wanchun suddenly shouted: "Your Majesty! Liu Wanchun, the governor of Yangzhou, is now hostage by illegal salt merchant Huang Zongke and other fierce people in the city. They forced me to resist the order and refused to let the priest pass through Yangzhou. I am incompetent and I am ashamed of Your Majesty's trust. I am the only one who dies, and I can repay my loyalty!"

After Liu Wanchun finished speaking, he suddenly jumped down Yangzhou City.

Like most civil officials, he knew what the consequences of fighting against the court were.

He would rather jump down and die than be a puppet of an illegal salt merchant. In this way, he could still get a posthumous title and posthumous title, and his wife and children could also get a seal of honor.

Therefore, after Liu Wanchun was held hostage by illegal salt merchants, he decided to jump directly from the city wall when the sage arrived, rather than following the salt merchants' mercy and confronting the court.

The illegal salt merchants Huang Zongke and Huang Zunyi were originally relatives and were responsible for the Huang family's salt industry in Yangzhou.

Now, Huang Zunyi's tribe members have raised an army in Zhejiang, so Huang Zongke naturally cooperated and gathered a group of salt merchants who had to raise an army because their relatives raised an army, or were also dissatisfied with the court and were worried that Zhu Youxiao would enter Yangzhou City to seek wealth. Together with them, they mobilized the salt department they raised to control the prefect Liu Wanchun, and prepared to take Liu Wanchun as their leader to prevent Zhu Youxiao from entering Yangzhou City.

But now, Huang Zongke, the leader of the salt merchant, did not expect that Liu Wanchun would rather throw himself to death than be swept by them. He even had time to let his servants stab Liu Wanchun to death with a spear.

Bang!

Liu Wanchun fell to the ground, bleeding from his mouth and nose.

Lu Xiangsheng was also quite shocked and hurriedly rode his horse back to Zhu Youxiao's imperial carriage and reported on the matter.

"Loyalty!"

When Zhu Youxiao found out, he couldn't help but sigh and hurriedly ordered: "Collection of his body and the burial of Si Hou. Han Aiqing, you personally write a tribute for him! Posthumously award him official title, posthumously posthumously posthumously titled his virtue, grant him his wife, and respect his son, and commend such loyal ministers!"

"I obey the order!"

Han Du replied.

Then, Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but say: "How come these Yangzhou salt merchants were so bold that they dared to force the officials sent to Yangzhou. Is this Yangzhou theirs or mine?!"

"Report to Your Majesty, since the establishment of the Sino-French reform of the Salt Administration, the salt merchants in Jiubian have moved to Yangzhou, the mainland, and many salt merchants have become rich in the world. The salt merchants in Yangzhou have controlled over 100,000 salt managers, exploited the stove owners, colluded with officials to deceive the superiors and concealed the subordinates. Now these salt merchants dare to do this, probably because they are related to the gentry in the rebellion of Jiangnan. Some of their families must also operate the salt industry in Yangzhou, so they want to hold Liu Magistrate Liu to prevent the priest from entering Yangzhou City. It is also possible that the salt merchants are worried that Your Majesty knows his wealth."

Xiong Tingbi answered Zhu Youxiao’s questions.

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao smiled coldly and ordered: "Since this is the case, someone sent an order to rebel from Yangzhou City. He led the Southern Expedition Army to capture Yangzhou for me. In one day, he would reward two million taels of silver, half of the Jinwei Town and the border troops. In one day, he would reward one million taels of silver. In two days, Yangzhou would reward one million taels of silver. In the past one day, he would reduce the silver price by 500,000 taels of silver.

Xiong Tingbi was shocked after hearing this.

The most capable elite in the empire of nearly 20,000, plus a hundred newly made red cannons, if you really want to spend so much money to reward silver, you can conquer Yangzhou City in one day, not to mention one day, half a day.

But I didn't bring so much money this time.

Xiong Tingbi couldn't help but reminded: "Your Majesty, I didn't get so much money when I went south this time. Isn't it too much to reward two million taels of silver?"

"Not much! There must be brave men under heavy rewards. There will be silver in Yangzhou City. I will ask Yangzhou salt merchants to donate silver to reward my army at that time. Otherwise, I will suspect that all of them, Yangzhou salt merchants, are like these illegal salt merchants, have no eyes or court, and are in the same group as the rebels! Since they are afraid that I will take their silver, I will take it!"

Zhu Youxiao glanced at Xiong Tingbi and said.

Xiong Tingbi suddenly realized and hurriedly replied: "Yes!"

Then, Xiong Tingbi immediately conveyed Zhu Youxiao's decree to the entire army.

After hearing this, the entire army was excited, especially the Nine-Bian Bian Army, which had never been very wealthy.

After all, if you can win Yangzhou in one day, it would be a reward of two million taels of silver, and an average of one person could get one hundred taels.

In this era when even twenty taels of silver can make a person work hard, one hundred taels is indeed a very attractive reward.

"Grand Sima, how to fight this battle? Should you let the servants carry the ladder immediately and rush up! How many people die is fine, the important thing is that you cannot let Your Majesty sleep in the open outside the city and suffer a grievance!"

"Yes! Grand Sima, did Your Majesty say who commands it? Damn, this is the siege. If I were fighting outside the city, I would have led the servants to rush over and cut off the illegal salt merchant who dared to be unfaithful!"

"What a fucking 100,000 salt cubes, let alone 100,000, even 200,000, I can kill him seven in and seven out! Grand Sima, please let Your Majesty give you a specific order!"

The border generals who were following the escort were excited.

In the past, it was not easy for them to earn money, and they could only earn money by eating empty wages. The key is that most of the money earned by eating empty wages was to be given to their civil servants.

Now, as long as they win Yangzhou City in one day, they can share two million equally. Even if they only give fifty taels to each servant, they can make a lot of money. Therefore, this is a very cost-effective deal for them.

Zhu Youxiao has issued an order to ask Xiong Tingbi to be responsible for the specific command.

Xiong Tingbi said at this time: "What's the hurry! Wait for the cannons in the vicinity town to unfold. Later, once the Yangzhou City is blasted open, you will lead your servants to rush over! If anyone dares to slow down, he will not be able to reward the silver!"

"Don't worry, I'll be the first to rush in!"

These border generals replied quickly.

boom!

boom!

boom!

At this time, hundreds of red-clothed cannons in Komwei Town fired, shaking the earth trembled.

...

Before this, the salt merchant Huang Zongke looked at Liu Wanchun who fell to death under the city and said angrily: "Bastard! This Liu Wanchun would rather fall to death than join us to stop the tyrant. Now it seems that we can only lead Yan Ding and the city sergeant to defend the city!"

"You are right. Yangzhou City is high and thick, so it is still difficult for this tyrant to attack."

Another salt merchant, Xu Shaocheng, echoed and said.

These salt merchants all believed that Yangzhou City, which was built with high walls and thick walls, could reach Zhu Youxiao's army for a while, but what they didn't know was that Zhu Youxiao now has a new red-clothed cannon.

The red-clothed cannon has been regarded as a powerful weapon for siege in this era.

In history, Duoduo used hundreds of red-clothed cannons to bombard Yangzhou City, making Shi Kefa's battle to defend Yangzhou City very embarrassed.

now.

The shells from Jinwei Town also hit, directly knocking down a large piece of the walls of Yangzhou City.

Seeing this, the generals of the border army were shocked by the power of the artillery in the Guard Town, and under the order of Xiong Tingbi, they also rushed to Yangzhou City with their respective servants.
Chapter completed!