Turbulent Times Chapter 925: Suddenly turned my face

These officials and aristocrats never looked down on the common people, never regarded them as human beings, and the salt workers and salt slaves who were inferior to the common people were even worse than pigs and dogs in their eyes. But Wang Junlin naturally didn't think so, and even his thinking was just the opposite. Compared with these tens of thousands of salt workers and salt slaves, these officials, master craftsmen and salt workers in the salt field are just bullshit.

"After two days, if the salt workers and salt slaves don't get the money they should get." Wang Junlin said with a smile: "Don't doubt my ability, no matter what means you use, as long as you don't follow I will do what I say, and I will always know. It’s still the same sentence, I hate people lying to me the most, and if people who lie to me don’t have the ability and status to surpass me, they will be cut off by me head."

When Wang Junlin said these words, although his face was calm and he even smiled, everyone felt a chill. With a smile on his face, he said, "My lord, I have something to report."

"Oh! Let's talk." Wang Junlin looked at the chief craftsman with interest.

"There may be some cases of wage arrears, but the number is not large, and there are other internal reasons for this. The adults are new here, so they don't know the nature of these untouchables in the salt field. The saltworks work, but they have to report to several people. It’s not that we are in arrears of wages, it’s that they want to cheat the government’s money, isn’t this equivalent to reducing the county’s tax revenue.”

"Oh?" Wang Junlin looked surprised: "There are such things?"

"Yes." The master craftsman in charge obviously didn't see the irony in Wang Junlin's words. Seeing that the prefect believed his words, he said happily in his heart: "My lord, those untouchables and lowly slaves are cunning and cunning. , relying on Mr. Dong’s sympathy for them, he dared to deceive us, and if we couldn’t satisfy them, we would be passive and sabotage, and even some bold people took the lead in cascading troubles, thereby reducing the overall output of the saltworks, which was greatly reduced invisibly. The tax of the county government!"

The master master knows that under normal circumstances, the prefect cares most about the county's tax revenue, so while pouring dirty water on the salt workers and salt slaves, he also poured dirty water on the county's tax revenue. I don’t think I’ve heard that you, Wang Junlin, are a good official. Most of the trouble today is because the second master’s gift last night didn’t feed the prefect. It’s just an excuse to extort another sum of money. If this is the case, just ask This is an excuse and it satisfies the money that the prefect wants, this matter is over, the big deal is to get it back from the salt workers and salt slaves later.

In fact, until now, except for the people brought by Wang Junlin, Qian Zhengkuo and the people in the salt field did not believe that Wang Junlin was trying to stand up for the salt workers and slaves, but was thinking of Wang Junlin. Junlin's appetite is too big. The two carts of silver and the thousand acres of fertile land that the second master of the Lu family failed to satisfy the prefect last night, so he found an excuse to get back from these master craftsmen who represented the Lu family in the salt field, and as long as these The master took out a lot of money and just satisfied the prefect.

So, the chief craftsman stepped forward and found an excuse that could be taken out, which was considered witty in the eyes of everyone in the salt field. Collect all the money and give it to the prefect within two days.

Wang Junlin's face remained unchanged, he just sighed: "So that's the case! I just talked for a long time, who is this lord?"

Dong Kang hurriedly introduced to the side: "Reporting to the prefect, this is Mr. Lu, the chief officer of the first branch of the five branches of the salt field."

"Principal Officer, Mr. Lu?" Wang Junlin looked puzzled, "Isn't the principal of the sub-field the master craftsman of the sub-field? Or the principal is the principal. What grade of official is it? Why doesn't this official know?"

Everyone was stunned. After Dong Kang was stunned for a moment, he didn't know what to say, because the prefect was right. Although the five master craftsmen had a nice name called branch masters, they were actually masters. The boss has no rank. To be honest, in the salt farms of other counties, although master craftsmen such as branch masters have some status, they are far from being compared with Fan Yang County. The reason why Fan Yang County is special is naturally because of these five masters. Dajiang represents the Lu family.

Wang Junlin suddenly said in a cold voice, "Ignoring the five master craftsmen who were in charge of the sub-field, and I am inspecting today. You are a mere chief who is not waiting outside the hall for questioning Dare to enter the hall without hesitation, and even dare to sit among the officials of the imperial court. It's really... how courageous! Master Dong, are all your saltworks such ignorant things?"

When Dong Kang saw that the prefect was angry, his expression changed immediately, he stood up and cupped his hands and said, "Your official pleads guilty."

After the confession, Dong Kang didn't say anything, he dared to say anything, not to mention the power of the prefect, he didn't dare to disobey him face to face, let alone the prefect's every sentence was reasonable, even if he wanted to replace the five The famous master master said something, but he didn't know how to say it.

The chief craftsman surnamed Lu even blushed and turned pale. Even if Lu Youwei, the second person in the Lu family, came to give gifts to the new prefect last night, how dare he say anything? , arched his hands resentfully, and wanted to sit down.

Zhang Tiangang suddenly shouted: "Bold and unreasonable, you don't kneel down when you see the prefect, but dare to sit."

Everyone was taken aback, and the five chief master craftsmen stood up with ugly faces, but I don't know if they felt embarrassed in front of everyone, and they didn't know how to live or die. Kneeling down on the ground first, he said: "My lord, I have not disciplined you well, please forgive me."

After finishing speaking, he shouted at the five master craftsmen in charge: "You are still not kneeling, are you looking for death?"

The five master craftsmen in charge saw that Dong Kang, the fifth-rank official, had knelt down, so they quickly knelt down too.

Wang Junlin asked Dong Kang to get up first, then looked at the five master craftsmen in charge, and shouted: "You are so brave, dare to disrespect this official, come here, give this official ten slaps on everyone in the hall."

"Yes! Your Excellency." Zhang Tiangang agreed, and as soon as he waved his hand, the five guards walked out with grim smiles, and walked towards the five chief craftsmen.

The five master craftsmen in charge were completely panicked. The master surnamed Lu who spoke just now gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, I don't know what offended the five of us?"

Wang Junlin sneered and said: "You five untouchables exploit your wages, bully men and women, and disrespect this official. If you hadn't asked the five of you to make up the wages that were deducted before, this official would have ordered your heads to be chopped off. .”