As time came in mid-September, the price of soybean oil continued to be tug-of-war with Li Yan's repeated appeals. However, after the gentry in Jiangnan was strong and the financial resources were sufficient, Li Yan could not get money from the silver account, the situation began to develop in a direction that was beneficial to them.

Throughout the ages, everything has been reformed against the great gentry and nobles, and without the support of the emperor, some ministers will definitely not be able to fight against the interest groups.

Now, Gao Huan is not here. Although Li Yan is the prime minister, he is still not their opponent.

Early in the morning, Shi Kai stood in front of his house. He had just spent 10,000 silver dollars a year ago to buy the house, but now he has to be mortgaged.

At this time, a fat businessman in brocade appeared beside Shi Kai and smiled and said, "President Shi. This house includes your shop, workshop, and warehouse in the capital, and a total of 8,000 silver dollars. Are you living or dead?"

Shi Kai frowned, "This house plus the furniture inside is worth at least 12,000 silver dollars. In addition to the workshop, shop and warehouse, it is worth at least 30,000 silver dollars. How could it be worth only 8,000 silver dollars?"

"Haha~" the fat businessman smiled and said, "President Shi, don't be excited. You have offended so many people, and I dare to accept your pawn in the entire capital. I am at the risk of offending people. If you don't want to, you can go and find someone else."

Shi Kai had a gloomy face, and was speechless for a moment, and said helplessly for a while: "Okay, I'll do it!"

"That's right!" the businessman smiled and said, "Do you die or live?"

Shi Kai said in a deep voice: "Be alive!"

The fat businessman showed a hint of pride on his face, and asked Shi Kai to sign the procedures for his job, so he gave him a certificate of deposit of 8,000 silver dollars.

Shi Kai took the money and as a ticket, looked up at the house, and left with a disappointed expression.

The fat businessman watched him walk away and couldn't help but snorted coldly, "Hmph, I want to redeem it, I want to get the beauty, wait for the jail."

Shi Kai and others pawned their property and raised another 300,000 taels to continue eating low-priced soybean oil.

The fat businessman left the capital and came to Qixia Temple with green tiles and yellow walls. Under the guidance of a small novice monk, he walked through the hall, walked into the backyard, passed through the winding paths under the green pines and cypresses, and came to a Zen room.

At this time, he came to the door and heard laughter coming from inside, but he was stopped by the warrior outside the door. He reported himself to the door and was put in by the warrior.

At this time, in the Zen room, Zhou Yanru, Qian Qianyi and Huang Zongxi were talking. In addition to them, there were many major families in Jiangnan and leaders of various chambers of commerce.

In recent years, the Qian Dynasty's business has developed rapidly. In order to develop the economy, Gao Huan collected more taxes and improved the living standards of the people. He did not impose much restrictions on businessmen. He hoped that they could grow and grow, provide more job opportunities for the people, and expand their business territory overseas to earn money from foreigners.

However, after making money, many of these merchants did not have the urge to take risks overseas and make money from foreigners. Instead, they started to make intravenous revolts in Jiangnan, targeting the jobs of the people, looking at the land of the people, and wanting to continue collecting rent by the local owners.

After these people became rich, they wanted to gain influence, so Huang Zongxi took the lead in forming a Zen club for preaching in Qixia Temple. In name, they studied Buddhism and accumulated virtue and did good deeds, but in fact they became a new Donglin.

This Qixia Zen Society absorbed influential gentry and merchants in the Jiangnan region, and stipulated that the assets reached a certain scale before they were qualified to join. It has formed an organization with political demands and bourgeois nature.

Huang Zongxi preached to them the democratic idea of ​​"the world is the master, the king is the guest", and proposed to limit the emperor's rights and let the people govern the world.

Of course, he does not refer to ordinary people. In their eyes, the poor may not be considered humans. His people are gentlemen, while the people are still the objects of rule.

At this time, Zhou Yanru and others saw the merchant coming in, and stopped talking and looked at him together.

Huang Zongxi asked, "How is it?"

"Report to the master!" the merchant saluted: "Shi Kai and others mortgaged the house and the store and raised another 300,000 silver dollars!"

"It's really tenacious!" Qian Qianyi couldn't help but frown.

Zhou Yanru said in a deep voice: "This time they lose, they will have nothing, and they will have to bear huge debts. They are going to fight for the last fight."

"Hmph, it's just a mantis arm that is used to be a chariot." Huang Zongxi snorted coldly, "These 300,000 silver dollars are their last ammunition. How many goods do we have?"

The merchant said: "Reporting to the master, there are only 80,000 kilograms left in Jiangnan! However, the villain is already in Jiangxi and Huguang and contacts new sources of goods, but they ask for a high price!"

Huang Zongxi asked, "How much does it cost per pound?"

"Six hundred people per pound!" said the fat businessman.

"Six hundred texts!" Everyone sitting there took a breath.

This price is equal to twenty times their selling price. For every pound they sell, they will lose 570 cents.

So far, in the past month, they have lost 60,000 to 70,000 silver dollars every day, and have lost 2 million silver dollars.

If they buy it at a price of twenty times this time and consume the last 300,000 silver dollars from Shi Kai and others, they will lose at least more than five million taels.

Soybean oil does not go to grain, does not eat oil, and will not starve to death. So even if they move to Li Yan and get the soybean oil back at a lower price, they can't fry it for another 600 cents per pound. In other words, they will not be able to get back the losses, and the benefits are all cheaper than merchants in Jiangxi and Huguang.

"Six hundred people per pound is too dark!"

"What a profiteer!"

In the Zen room, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.

Huang Zongxi also said angrily: "They are taking advantage of the situation to rob! Why is it so expensive?"

He had no doubt that Shi Kai had transported soybean oil to Jiangxi and Huguang, because in order to lower the price of Jiangnan and make the supply of soybean oil in Jiangnan more than needed, he had already said hello and refused to transport soybean oil from Jiangnan.

Moreover, he had a spy around Shi Kai. If Shi Kai secretly sold it, he would definitely get news.

The merchant explained: "Reporting to the master, in order to lower the oil prices in Jiangnan, we purchased soybean oil everywhere. Soybean oil from all over the country has long been bought by us. The merchants there said that this is the last batch, and some of them were smuggled from Western countries, so it is so expensive!"

Huang Zongxi looked at Qian Qianyi and Zhou Yanru after hearing this, and asked, "Ge Lao, Mu Zhai Gong, what do you think?"

Zhou Yanru and Qian Qianyi did not pay the money, which was related to their own interests. A group of merchants couldn't help but feel anxious, "Ge Lao, Muzhai Gong, this price is too expensive and the loss is too great."

Although the gentry in Jiangnan is rich, they lose more than 5 million yuan, which is still painful.

Zhou Yanru and Qian Qianyi were not sure about it for a moment, and at this moment, one person pushed open the door and walked in and reported anxiously, "Gemao, Hedong news, Sun Kewang has defected!"

"What? Sun Kewang ran away?" Zhou Yanru, Qian Qianyi and others were shocked, and their faces flushed and they were all overjoyed.

"Sun Kewang actually ran away. This is really God helping me wait!" Zhou Yanru laughed, as if he saw the throne of the prime minister, waving to him.

At this time, Zhou Yanru looked at the shocked people and immediately made a decision. He said loudly: "Everyone, Sun Kewang defected. We will be able to pull Li Yan off the horse by working hard! Since we have already paid so much before, there is no reason to give up halfway. I believe that everyone can afford it if we only have more than 5 million silver dollars!"

As soon as Zhou Yanru made a statement, Qian Qianyi also said: "Everyone, it's a rare opportunity! Whether my Southeast gentry can regain the government's affairs depends on this time!"

Huang Zongxi was excited, "What are you hesitating about? Will you still treat everyone badly when Master Zhou becomes the chief minister?"

When everyone heard the three of them say this, they were all excited, as if they were about to return to the beautiful era of Donglin's administration.

"Okay! I'll pay 500,000 silver dollars."

"Taihu Chamber of Commerce pays 300,000!"

"The Songjiang Chamber of Commerce paid 400,000!"

"The Changshu Chamber of Commerce is willing to pay 200,000!"

...
Chapter completed!