Feng Xing

When Emperor Jianping was in the early court, he had people read Gu Bichang and He Lun's autobiography in front of all civil and military officials.

The memorials of the two people are quite satisfactory, and they both explain one thing, the reason why the official salt is unsalable is because of the flood of private salt.

The proliferation of illegal salt is a commonplace thing. The imperial court is very strict in cracking down on illegal salt. Once caught, it will be beheaded. And in terms of anti-smuggling, it is also asking people to give people, and asking money for money.

However, illegal salt is flooding every year, and the salt class continues to decline every year, which is more than double the difference from the heyday.

Judging from the yellow books of the Ministry of Households, the population of the Great Zhou Dynasty continued to grow. Could it be that these extra people did not eat salt? Can you live without salt?

So things have returned to the starting point, why the official salt is unsalable.

In fact, no one in the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty knew why the official salt was unsalable. The unsalable was nothing more than two points. Illegal salt was rampant, and the price of official salt was too high.

But why is the price of official salt so high?

Taking Jianping ten years as an example, each imported salt was about 400 catties, and the market price of one imported official salt was about 8 taels of silver. But in fact, the salt is purchased from the salt producing area, but it is only between 600 and 700 Wen, which is the price purchased by the saltworks merchants.

Marketers buy salt and sell it at a price of less than two taels. During this period, there is more than one or two taels. The marketer needs to pay for labor, storage, transportation, salt and other expenses. In fact, the profit of the marketer is not high. within the acceptable range.

Then there are the transport merchants, that is, the salt merchants who really own the salt. They bought salt at a price of less than two taels, and sold it at a price of about eight taels. During this period, nearly six taels of silver had to be paid for quotations, transportation, manual labor, regular and miscellaneous silver, and office work for the local government. Filial piety, and the court's service donations and many other expenses.

Calculated in this way, the profit of the salt merchant is not high, anyway, it will definitely not reach the point where it is as high as several times.

In fact, salt has been in the hands of the imperial court since ancient times. If you want to settle this account, it's not that you can't figure it out, but the problem is that you can't figure it out.

According to Yu Guan, the salt merchants donate a lot of office money to each yamen every year, which is enough to stop their mouths. As for random checks at various checkpoints along the way, which salt merchant did not contribute?

As far as the imperial court is concerned, everyone in the world knows that the wealth of salt merchants is the highest in the world, and the wealth of Yangzhou salt merchants is even richer than any country. Therefore, whenever the imperial court fought wars, wherever there was famine, and even when the palace was about to be repaired, and Emperor Jianping was about to tour the south, they would ask the salt merchants to donate for their service, and over the years it has reached tens of millions of taels.

All this is clear to the imperial court, to the cabinet, to all officials, and even more to Emperor Jianping. So in the end, it will only be counted on your own head, so everyone is silent.

The result of everyone's silence is that the price of official salt continues to rise. The common people can't afford official salt and can only eat private salt, so private salt is rampant.

Everything complements each other, not just one person.

In such a situation, it is doomed that there will be no results at the court meeting. In fact, every time the court discusses matters such as salt lessons, it always ends without a problem.

"So don't look down on businessmen. They are vulgar, vile, and smelly of copper. To you and me, they are just a swarm of flies, but in fact they are smarter than many people. Look, the methods are not afraid of old age, and they are easy to use. That’s fine. You can’t even speak out when you stuff your money until His Majesty, so what are you afraid of?”

Located in Jinyu Hutong, the Song Mansion is a house with only three entrances, and the furniture and furnishings should be outdated, so ordinary that it doesn't look like an old mansion.

In a courtyard, a table and two chairs were placed under a lush tree, and two old men were playing chess.

One of them is Song Gelao, the owner of the house, and the other is Sun Chengzhang, the servant of the household department. Neither of them is wearing official robes, and they are dressed in homely clothes. Those who don't know think that this is a rich man somewhere, and they don't know. I thought he was a court official who would tremble three times if he stomped his feet.

"I always feel a little bad in my heart. If Your Majesty has no intention, why bother to make such a fuss." Sun Chengzhang twisted a chess piece, he was reluctant to put it down, looked at Elder Song Ge, and said worriedly: "Could it be What is His Majesty planning?"

Seeing that Sun Chengzhang had no children, Mr. Song Ge took tea and drank it: "You don't have to think too much, you don't know His Majesty's character yet? , What will you say? It’s not that His Majesty didn’t ask, he attaches great importance to it, but all civil and military officials are useless, so there’s nothing he can do.”

These words were too sharp. Anyway, even if Sun Chengzhang knew it in his heart, he couldn't say it. He glanced at Song Ge, and Song Ge said that he was thinking wildly, and he was not, because he was very worried, how could Song Ge say such outrageous words as a person.

"Brother Si'an, you're in a mess too." Sun Chengzhang put down the chess pieces, shook his head and smiled.

Song Ge did not speak, but his old brows were furrowed.

After a while, a servant of the Sun family came to report, saying that something happened at home, and asked the master to go back. Sun Chengzhang left, and asked to seal the chessboard before leaving, and come back next time to finish the game.

Elder Song Ge sat in the yard for a while, and asked his eldest son, Song Zheng, to come over.

"How's sister Mei's baby going? The heat is unbearable recently, let Mrs. Sun go to the East Palace a few more times, so be careful."

"Father, there is nothing wrong with Sister Mei's fetus, but it is not the best age for conception, and the pregnancy is not very good. With the doctors watching, nothing will happen."

Song Ge nodded his head, worried and explained again: "This baby must be saved. If it wasn't for her not saving the first two babies, why should we bother so much?"

"Father, it's not easy to interfere with the fact of this kind of housewife."

"After all, it's just that she's useless! Tell Mrs. Sun that if there is another problem with her pregnancy, sister Mei will not be the only daughter in the family. Since His Majesty has granted this marriage to the Song family, I The Song family's centuries-old name has disappeared, so there is no room for mistakes."

"Yes, father."

"And the Huang family, tell them to calm down recently, it really annoys His Majesty..."

Elder Song Ge didn't finish the rest of the sentence, but Song Zheng understood the meaning.

Located in a large and picturesque garden somewhere in Yangzhou, the beautiful Tsing Yi on the stage is yelling and singing.

The construction of this theater building is really amazing, it is actually on the water, there is a pond of lotus between the stage and the seats, the breeze is blowing, and the lotus fragrance is overflowing, it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a fairyland on earth.

"My lord, there's a letter from Beijing, and it's been delivered to my wife."

"Did the eighth sister send someone back?" Leaning half on the reclining chair, wearing a brocade robe with money and python patterns, with a physique like a hill, it was Huang Jinfu, the head of the Huang family.

"Did she suffer some kind of grievance in the Song family again, or did the Song family just set up a pretense to want money?"

The master said it too bluntly, and the housekeeper wiped his sweat: "Neither, the eighth girl said that Chaozhong has been out of the limelight recently, let the master pay more attention, and don't hit the muzzle of the gun."

"The limelight is wrong, what's wrong with the limelight? When was the limelight right?!"

The butler shrank his neck and said in a low voice: "It is said that the Holy Majesty lost his temper several times because of the unsalable official salt."

Huang Jinfu sat up straight, but he was too fat to sit up with his own strength, and the housekeeper quickly reached out to help him. When he finally sat up straight, both he and the butler were sweating.

"The meaning is to let us all restrain ourselves? The salt merchants in Yangzhou are not only the Huang family. I am obedient and restrained. What should I do if the business is taken over by others? Be restrained, they are all a group of old silverfish who eat people and don't spit bones. Scolding mothers before the dinner table is set, everyone is greedy, and they have to pretend to be high-spirited, stink! It really stinks!"

Seeing the master getting angry, the butler hurriedly waved his hands, the show stopped singing immediately, and they all retreated like birds and beasts.

"Master, don't be angry, drink some tea to clear the fire." The butler carefully passed the tea.

As soon as Jin Jinfu swung it away, the good Ru Kiln tea bowl just shattered into flowers on the ground, which made people feel sorry for it.

"My lord can't stop the fire. Salt transport yamen's office tributes for this month haven't been sent up yet, and the prefect's yamen's departmental money is also being urged. There are also money for raising money, money for soldiers, money for water feet, Pujitang, Yuyingtang, I’m just a businessman covered in copper stink, but now I’m helping the imperial court raise officials, let me restrain myself? Honor them with no money, don’t turn your face like a book!”

The more Huang Jinfu talked, the more angry he was, he smashed the tea bowl and tray, and also affected the coffee table and some small ornaments.

"Official salt is unsalable? The master offered the official salt, this big Buddha? Once the salt was brought in, how many layers of skin would they have to peel off from the middle, and the master could afford them instead of bringing private salt in the middle?! I want to restrain myself and go to Jiang's family." , the top ten salt merchants in Yangzhou, sir, I am just the last one."

After smashing everything that could be smashed, Huang Jinfu's anger also subsided. Then the butler came out from the corner and said: "Master, the letter also said that you should communicate with His Royal Highness Wei Wang more. Only by knowing his purpose can we be safe."

Hearing this, Huang Jinfu stretched out his hand to smash something again, but unfortunately there was nothing to smash, and wanted to stretch out his foot to kick the housekeeper, but the housekeeper stood more than ten feet away from him. Reluctantly, he stretched out his magic palm to the last thing—the reclining chair.

Until the reclining chair fell to the ground with a loud noise, he finally felt comfortable.

Stretching out his hand, the steward handed over the enamel snuff bottle, he opened it and sniffed it, and then said: "I don't think King Wei is far from becoming a monk. He stays in Daming Temple all day to practice Zen. Is it possible that I still go to the monk temple?" I'm willing to go, and people are always willing to talk to me. The money, women, and antiques that were sent out were all returned, and this person turned his face like a book, and his temper was volatile. I can't find a suitable one. People build bridges."

The butler asked, "Master, is that all?"

"That's it!" After finishing speaking, Huang Jinfu changed his words again: "Are you stupid or stupid, and you still use the master to teach? The previous ones must not be like that. Let them just say what King Wei said, and let them find their own way. .As for the front, it is still in accordance with the old practice. They are talking, let's listen. As for whether to do it or not, it is not up to us."

"Yes." The butler replied, paused, and then said: "My lord, I think Wei Wang should do what he likes. Maybe we think it's good, but Wei Wang doesn't think it's good. Aren't gifts meant to be given to others?" In my heart."

Huang Jinfu was stunned for a moment, and became interested: "What do you know about King Wei?"

The butler shook his head.

"That's it. No one wants silver and antiques, and the sons and phoenixes still lack these? As for the women, what I gave is the best skinny horse. Master, I am reluctant to use it myself."

The butler smiled, and he, who had an honest face, turned out to be a little wretched.

"Master, Yangzhou's skinny horses are famous all over the world, but you have to meet someone you like. What if the King of Wei doesn't like it? It's not that young people don't like this kind of horse. My daughter should be plumper... Hehe..."

Huang Jinfu rubbed his chin, and his small eyes flashed brightly: "Send someone to Datong, and get some high-quality goods from there. If it doesn't work this time, master, I have nothing to do."

Feng Sheng and Gou Qing's cooperation is fairly smooth, and their friendship is naturally getting better and better.

Although Gou Qing is a dissolute and unrestrained person, he still distinguishes between public and private, so it is not difficult for Feng Sheng to get along with him.

This time Gouqing asked her to go to Yangzhou, saying that he was introducing a salt merchant to her.

This matter was planned by Feng Sheng all the time, so naturally it was impossible not to go, she brought Dao Qi, Hu Siniang and other six people to Yangzhou to join Gou Qing.

To avoid suspicion, the two left separately.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived in Yangzhou, something went wrong, and they were attacked by a group of people.

There are too many opponents, and they are well-trained, they are not opponents at all, and they don't know if they have been hit by Mixiang or what, Feng Sheng passed out, and when he woke up again, he arrived at a strange place.

It is a magnificently decorated room, and everything is furnished to the utmost luxury.

When Feng Sheng woke up, his head was still a little dizzy, and after the dizziness passed with difficulty, he realized that he had changed into a woman's attire.

She hurriedly got out of bed and looked around.

At this time, two servant girls came in from the door: "Girl, are you awake?"

"Where is this place, who are you?" I really can't blame Feng Sheng for being nervous, but all this is too weird, what about Dao Qi and the others? And who changed the clothes on her body?

"This is Anyuan, and the servants and servants are serving you."

"Who is the owner of this garden? Why did you bring me here..."

It can be seen that these two maids don't know anything, and they can't answer any of Feng Sheng's questions.

At this time, the glazed bead curtain was lifted, and a person walked in.

He is tall and tall, dressed in a black brocade robe, full of dignity, but with a condensed handsome face, it is Wei Wang Zongyue.