Yao Shun, the prefect of Yangzhou, was a Jinshi during the late emperor. He has been an official for more than ten years and is also considered an old official in the officialdom.

Being able to successfully become the prefect of Yangzhou and stay in office for three years is enough to prove what kind of local official he is.

For Yao Shun, who was afraid of being poor when he was a young man, the three years he became the prefect of Yangzhou was the most enjoyable three years of his life.

But the more refreshed and comfortable the past three years, the more fear he felt in his heart increased.

No emperor would like a corrupt official, especially a corrupt official who is so greedy and willing to become a money slave to salt merchants.

Yao Shun knew this very well, so he put in a lot of effort to ensure that he would not be the one to be arrested.

Moreover, because the protective umbrellas needed by the salt merchants in Lianghuai were large enough, he also gained many natural allies, such as the canal transportation yamen in charge of the canal, as well as related yamen in all sizes along the canal.

This time, Yao also got a lot of useful news from these allies.

Perhaps the imperial envoys sent in the past few years have always found nothing. This time, the emperor changed his mind and no longer sent a river patrol ambassador to inspect the canals and rivers on the grounds of patrolling the canals and rivers. Instead, he took a different approach and found an excuse for the Qingjiang Gang to covet royal treasures and participate in the treasure robbery operation. He sent Guo Ju, the chief commander of the Six Gate who was in charge of the affairs of the rivers and lakes.

Although Guo Ju seemed to be just rushing to those sects who were dying, and after leaving the capital alone, he went straight to the two sects, Yao Shun received news from his allies when Guo Ju left the capital just now.

He was more careful during the period when Guo Ju left Beijing, because the news came from the capital that Guo Ju was secretly summoned by the emperor before leaving Beijing. The motive for leaving Beijing this time was not pure, and it was very likely that the dealings with those sects in the martial arts world were fake, but it was true that they came for the canal transport.

Yao Shun naturally did not dare to be careless about this. After all, no matter how long he lived a comfortable life, no matter how long he lived, no one would think it was long. What's more, it was bad. This time, he might not even have a chance to have a hard life.

However, although he didn't dare to be careless, he had no idea what to do next to prevent it.

He has been in the officialdom for more than ten years and is familiar with all the tricks. For example, the river patrol ambassadors who came from the capital before, he could fool them with his eyes closed.

But this time, although Guo Ju was nominally an official, his true identity was not awkward. The six gate chief who had been wandering outside the court was far from a civil servant who was familiar to Yao Shun. Therefore, he had no idea what kind of methods Guo Ju would use. As for how to be prepared, he was undoubtedly even more a mouse pulling a turtle and had no idea how to start.

Fortunately, the salt merchants in Lianghuai whom he leaned on were all experts who were both black and white.

Unlike scholars who only read books of sages and who can get fame as long as they do well in their articles, they are also different from several other stable but poor classes. The businessmen who are only on the front line with a stronger position than their lowly family must be very particular if they want to survive.

If you want to become bigger and stronger, and eventually become a wealthy businessman, or even become a wealthy businessman who influences local officials, you will undoubtedly have extraordinary means, good spirits, and sufficient connections.

This undoubtedly makes them need to deal with more people from different classes.

Among them, the heroes who are the heroes and swordsman are naturally indispensable.

No matter how peaceful the world is, there are still many robbers who robbed the path after all. When merchants are doing business, if they do not have enough power to protect them, the goods will undoubtedly be meat buns to beat dogs - they will go but never return, and even their own lives may be lost.

Merchants need escort agencies opened by Jianghu people to protect them, and Jianghu people also need the money given by merchants to support their families. Therefore, as long as they need businessmen, almost no one does not know Jianghu people.

And salt merchants are undoubtedly going to a higher level than these merchants.

Unlike other businessmen's small-scale quarrels, salt merchants have always had a big business, and because they involve private salt, a sensitive and deadly thing, salt merchants also have strong requirements for confidentiality.

In this way, "outsiders" like the escort agency naturally cannot gain the trust of salt merchants.

Therefore, salt merchants have always recruited themselves, and even trained themselves to protect the guards of the caravan.

At least, the more famous sects near Lianghuai have at least 80% of the funds they receive every year from these salt merchants.

This money may be the recruitment of the masters in their sects, or the "tuition fees" for salt merchants to go to these sects to learn from their families.

Therefore, when Yao Shun told the salt merchants behind him about his difficulties, the salt merchants quickly found someone to solve the difficulties for him.

Although the salt merchants knew a little about the world, they obviously didn't know much, but this did not prevent the guards under their command from knowing it very clearly.

Leave professional matters to professionals, and the way to control people is not just a patent for the court.

So, before Guo Ju arrived at the foot of Mount Tai, Yao Shun's mansion had already laid a net of heaven and earth.

This is the most direct and effective way that several guard leaders under the salt merchant thought of after judging others by themselves.

If Guo Ju uses official means to do things, they will not be able to control it, but if Guo Ju uses martial arts and lakes, they will hit them.

But the facts prove that these people's approach has indeed worked.

Five days ago, at night when Guo Ju had just left Tuolai Academy, an uninvited guest sneaked into the Yao Mansion.

Judging from his dress and actions, although he was not sure that he was a secret spy from Liusanmen, he was also sure that the other party was prepared and had almost searched the entire Yao Mansion in five days.

Among them, Yao Shun's study was searched for three consecutive nights. Obviously, the other party was looking for something.

According to the idea of ​​several salt merchants' guards, they had to take action immediately the night they found the other party, seize them, and then interrogate them strictly to find out their identity and purpose.

But Yao Shun stopped them, wanting to take a long line to catch big fish, and see if there will be a few more fish as time goes by, so that they can catch all the guys who dare to make up for him, and also to shock the person who is hiding behind the scenes to direct all of this.

But for five days, as the female thief sneaked into the Yao Mansion became more and more skillful, she seemed to be treating the Yao Mansion as her own home if she continued like this. However, there was no trace of other fish that Yao Shun imagined. Yao Shun could only agree with the guards' request to take action tonight with some hatred.
Chapter completed!