Wang Wanchun, the general merchant with fifty thousand taels of gold, arrived a step too late. He was not the first salt merchant to come to Daming Temple to see him. The other three of the four major salt merchants in Huibang, Shen Hanshuang from the Shen family in Xiuning, Wang Baichuan from the Wang family in She County, and Li Sanbao from the Li family in Jixi, all brought carts of gold and silver and invited them outside the Daming Temple. See you. No, it’s not an invitation to see you, but an apology!
There must be sin! The annual income of the Lianghuai Salt Industry is tens of millions, but only a few hundred thousand were given to Emperor Chongzhen. How could he not be guilty? Even if they are not involved in the rebellion of the Southeast nobles, they are still guilty of heinous crimes!
As for whether they will be spared or not, it all depends on their performance.
"Master Qiansui," Huang Xiaobao walked up to Zhu Cixiang who was reading the memorial with a smile, "the four major salt generals of the Hui Gang are kneeling outside! They also brought gold and silver, just to see Master Qiansui."
"Oh." Zhu Cihong nodded, "Take them to Pingshan Hall and call senior brother and Shen Tingyang."
Pingshan Hall is located on the west side of the Main Hall of Daming Temple. It was built by Ouyang Xiu in the Northern Song Dynasty when he was in charge of Yangzhou affairs. There are sparse flowers and trees in front of the hall, the courtyard is quiet, and the mountains in the south of the Yangtze River can be seen from the railing. It is at eye level, so it is called "Pingshan Hall".
When Ji Kun, the general manager of Yan of the Four Hui Gangs, was brought by Huang Xiaobao, Zhu Cixiang was talking with Zheng Sen and Shen Tingyang in Pingshan Hall.
Shen Tingyang went south by sea from Dengzhou. Because it was still summer when Zhu Cixi left Dengzhou, and the wind was blowing from the north on the sea. Therefore, Shen Tingyang's sand boat was facing headwind and it was inconvenient to go south.
In addition, Boss Shen's fleet is responsible for its own profits and losses - Zhu Cixang granted the Haisha Gang the privilege of taking charge of Beiyang maritime affairs, allowing them to operate Beiyang maritime trade and collect shipping taxes (also known as protection fees).
He also made Boss Shen the governor-general of Beiyang Commerce and Military Affairs and in charge of the Beiyang Navy, and handed Dengzhou Water City under the jurisdiction of Shen Tingyang as the old camp of the Beiyang Navy.
Therefore, Shen Tingyang did not go south with Zhu Cixiang, but stayed in the Beiyang Governor's Yamen in Dengzhou to handle Beiyang affairs. During this period, they also sent a fleet to North Korea and asked Li Dynasty King Li Zhu for several thousand kilograms of ginseng, thousands of animal skins and 100,000 shi of white rice as "protection fees" - not for free, nor as tribute. But to protect North Korea's coastal areas from being harassed by Japanese pirates.
What? There are no Japanese pirates anymore?
Haha, if Li Zhu refuses Shen Tingyang's request, it is guaranteed that Japanese pirates will come, and all of them will be ferocious real Japanese pirates...
"Hahaha, good job! That's how it should be! I, the Ming Dynasty, can't always be taken advantage of. We have to let the Koreans shed some blood. Without our protection, they must not let the Japanese pirates rob them all... If the Japanese pirates are needed My senior brother and I went to borrow some. His family is full of Japanese pirates! Senior brother, isn’t it?"
Zheng Sen smiled awkwardly: "Your Highness, junior brother, there are not many Japanese pirates in my family, really not many... I will write a letter to my father later and ask him to drive away all the Japanese pirates!"
"Bye bye," Zhu Cixiang waved his hand, "I know your family's situation. Without the help of the Japanese pirates, how can your people get ashore?"
Every other line is like a mountain! The Zheng family has been pirates for many years and has no problem running rampant on the sea. But it's really not possible to go ashore. Historically, Zheng Sen worked hard to rectify the situation after he became the leader, and even established an Iron Man Army, which can be regarded as a little bit more capable of land warfare.
But now Zheng Zhilong, an old pirate, is still in charge, and he has no intention of fighting a land war. Just hire a few Japanese thugs to charge into the battle. The number is not too many, only a few hundred.
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "We will discuss this matter after your father comes... Then we will have to ask him to help hire more Japanese pirates. The Koreans need Japanese pirates!"
Zheng Sen was stunned, "Didn't the King of North Korea give him ginseng, animal skins, and white rice..."
Zhu Cixiang smiled and said: "With the Japanese pirates, he will give more! Moreover, Donglu is the suzerain of North Korea! Should we send thousands of Tatars to protect North Korea?"
"Tatars going to protect North Korea? Will they be that good?"
"Yes, it will definitely happen!" Zhu Cihong said, "The king of North Korea will cry and beg, and he can always beg for a little. Even if he begs for 1,000 Tatars, we will face 1,000 fewer Tatars! Senior brother, Do you think Japanese pirates are useful now?"
"Junior brother, your highness is so smart!" Zheng Sen raised his thumb and complimented, "Brother, I understand. I must ask my father to hire more Japanese pirates to help Governor Shen."
When Zhu Cixiang was explaining to Zheng Sen how to use Japanese pirates with his fingers, four salt merchants with sweat on their heads and faces were brought in.
They all recognized Shen Tingyang, and they were so envious when they saw him in his python robe and black gauze, looking so proud of the spring breeze!
The Shen family of the Shachuan Gang is about to become prosperous, so they must fawn over them when they return...if they can go back and continue to be salt merchants!
In addition, is the young man who is teaching Shen Tingyang how to do things really the Prince of Fujun in the Ming Dynasty? Doesn’t it look very powerful!
"Why don't you kowtow when you see the prince?" Huang Xiaobao saw the four salt merchants looking dumbfounded, so he had to remind them.
The four salt generals woke up from a dream and quickly knelt down and kowtowed to Zhu Cihong.
Zhu Cixiang looked at the four salt merchants with a straight face, and suddenly snorted: "You are the four salt lords who colluded with Zhu Guobi and Huang Shu to rebel! Someone is here..."
"no!"
"What an injustice!"
"We are good salt merchants..."
"We did not collude with Zhu Guobi and Huang Shu..."
The four salt merchants were almost frightened out of their wits, but Ji Kun was the calmer one and shouted loudly: "Master Qiansui, the four of them are the salt bosses of the Hui Gang, and they are not the same as the salt bosses of Shanxi and Shaanxi."
"Really? Then what are they doing here?" Zhu Cixiang continued to have a straight face.
"Replying to Master Qiantose, they are here to pay the salt tax to Master Qiantose."
"Salt tax?" Zhu Cixi snorted, "No need... I don't need the money, so go back."
When the four salt merchants heard this, they felt anxious and quickly kowtowed and begged.
"Master Chitose, please have mercy and let us pay taxes!"
"Master Chitose, I have realized my mistake and will never dare to evade taxes again..."
"Master Chitose, I will definitely pay more taxes in the future!"
"Master Chitose, okay..."
Fortunately, Emperor Chongzhen is not here, otherwise he would have been shocked.
It turns out that the salt merchants of the Ming Dynasty liked to pay taxes so much! Not allowed to pay taxes but still kowtow and beg! If I had known this, I wouldn't have paid three additional taxes to the farmers, but could I have just gone to the salt merchants to collect the taxes?
"No, no." Zhu Cixiang shook his head repeatedly, "The decree has been made, how can it be taken back?"
Really don’t charge it? This is how to do?
The four salt generals were dumbfounded. They knew that what they had to pay now was not taxes, but money to buy their lives! If the money is not handed over and Zhu Cihong doesn't kill them, those officials who cannibalize people without spitting out their bones will eat them up and wipe them clean.
"Your Highness, junior brother," Zheng Sen spoke at this time, "Now is the time for the imperial court to spend money. Since the salt merchants in Yangzhou intend to repay the favor, you might as well accept it."
Shen Tingyang also said: "Salt tax has been a major component of commercial taxes since ancient times. In the Song Dynasty, it amounted to 10 million to 20 million guan. In the early years of this dynasty, when the Central France was launched, it could also raise several million dan of grain for Jiubian... .. .If the imperial court wants to recruit troops for the Northern Expedition and regain lost territory, it will still need salt tax."
"But the decree has been issued!" Zhu Cixiang still shook his head, "I am a man of trustworthiness."
"Your Highness, Junior Brother," Zheng Sen said, "The decree only said to abolish the Salt Law and abolish the Salt Administration. It did not say to stop the monopoly."
“Without the Salt Law and Salt Policy, how can we still sell monopoly?”
Zheng Sen said: "We can follow the example of the East, South and Beiyang Maritime Affairs and contract it out to businessmen for exclusive operation. There are 30 salt fields in Huaiyang and Yangfu, which can be contracted out to the four major general merchants for operation... The officials and soldiers in the salt administration , also asked the four major salt dealers to take over. From now on, the salt industry will still be a monopoly, but there will be no salt administration office, and it will not care about the salt law. The court only cares about the money collected, the salt price on the market, and the quality of the salt. "
Zhu Cixiang nodded slightly, "This is a good idea!"
In fact, this method was originally what Zhu Cixiang had in mind, could it be bad?
"How much can you give me?" Zhu Cixiang asked several salt managers with a sullen face.
"Five, five..." Wang Wanchun said while observing his words. When he saw Zhu Cixiang frowning, he quickly changed his words, "Six, six million taels! As long as the salt industry monopoly policy remains unchanged, I can wait for one year." Dedicate six million taels of silver to the imperial court!"
