After Zhu Yijun said that, he looked towards Nanjing City outside the tower.
It turns out that as soon as Zhu Yijun arrived in Nanjing, he came to the glazed pagoda of Dabaoen Temple to see the tall pagoda built in the Yongle Dynasty.
At this time, Zhu Yijun also climbed to the tower and saw the prosperity of the entire Nanjing market from the tower.
Although it was already the 20th and 30th month of Wanli, the time of winter, it started to snow in the southern capital city on this day. The whole world was in chaos, and no birds were seen.
But there are still crowds of people and cars and boats.
"When it snows in the southern capital, it turns into the ancient Jinling City. It is elegant and elegant. It is different from the snow in the northern capital."
Zhu Yijun smiled and said this to the queen at this moment.
"What Your Majesty said is that if you don't come here, if you don't climb this tower, it will be difficult to see the entire Jinling heritage, with tens of thousands of clouds in the stream and white heads in the world."
After the queen said with a smile, she glanced at Zhu Yijun.
Zhu Yijun also looked at her, and then the two of them still leaned on the railing and looked at each other without saying a word.
Not long after, Li Chengliang and others came to the imperial court.
The queen also retreated consciously.
Zhu Yijun also said after Li Chengliang and others arrived: "The danger of the embankment bursting in Jiangbei has been resolved and did not cause much damage. However, because of this incident, I came to Nandu in advance and did not stop in Yangzhou, so I did not even prepare to rectify the salt industry." All political matters can only be put on hold, and the Yangzhou salt merchants have obviously successfully prevented me from entering Yangzhou City!"
"Please tell me, gentlemen, what should we do with these salt merchants?"
"But they can only stop His Majesty for a while, but they cannot stop His Majesty for the rest of his life!"
"The amount of salt produced in the Lianghuai Salt Fields is getting less and less year by year, illegal salt is becoming more and more abundant every year, and the price of salt is getting higher and higher year by year. Even if the court no longer needs to use salt profits to maintain military supplies, if this continues, people will Sooner or later, the salt that people eat will be completely reduced to a tool for right-wing and profiteers to plunder people's wealth, and even use it to threaten the imperial court."
"So, even if His Majesty does not go to Yangzhou City, he still needs to reform the salt policy!"
Shen Li spoke first at this time.
Li Chengliang followed up and said: "Your Majesty, salt is as important as iron, gunpowder, and food. Even if the court does not use it to make profits, it cannot be controlled by powerful people! Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous."
Zhu Yijun nodded, and then said to Linxue: "I heard that the Yangzhou salt merchants are very wealthy, and the salt merchants don't want me to go to Yangzhou. Presumably, they are worried that I will see their wealth and become interested in rectifying the salt policy."
"Your Majesty, these profiteers can monopolize the salt market. The forces behind them must be very complex. I'm afraid there are people in the court who support them, not to mention the people below. I don't know how many kitchen households and cooks rely on them. The forces are intricately connected."
"Although it cannot be directly proven that the breach of the embankment is related to them, according to common sense, it is impossible not to be related to them. I am afraid that all the officials in Huaiyang, big and small, are supported by them, so Apart from the imperial court, only they can do this."
"Perhaps the breach of the embankment is just a scare and threat. They may also know that there is little hope of causing serious damage to His Majesty's staff through the breach of the embankment. After all, the imperial court has imperial guards and sentries on standby to convey news. But if the breach of the embankment can be prevented, Your Majesty went to Yangzhou and further made Your Majesty realize that unless they send their own people to change the salt policy, everyone related to the salt industry will be monolithic! And if Your Majesty sends someone else to change it, or personally changes it , there will only be more serious consequences."
Shen Guanyi, the Minister of Rites, also stated his analysis at this time.
"His Majesty!"
"Survive the difficulties and strive for the farthest."
"No matter how monolithic the salt merchants are, they must change! Otherwise, as the Prime Minister said, salt will become their weapon in the future to control the court, the country, the people, the nation, and even His Majesty!"
Shen Li said again at this time.
Zhu Yijun did not express his position directly, but asked: "How old is Wang Ge?"
"On the way to Yangzhou."
At this time, Zhang Jingxiu replied.
Zhu Yijun said: "Send him a message and ask him to stay in Yangzhou for a few more days to inspect the salt field."
"yes!"
Huang Xun replied here.
…
Yangzhou.
Wang Xijue came to Yangzhou City not long after receiving Zhu Yijun's order.
There are many rich men and women in Yangzhou, so as soon as Wang Xijue arrived at the outskirts of Yangzhou, he saw countless young men driving luxurious carriages through the city. Many of them were wearing silk clothes of forbidden colors, which was extremely luxurious.
Even a wealthy man like Wang Xijue admired him and said, "No wonder they don't want your Majesty to come to Yangzhou."
"Although Yangzhou is ten miles away, with endless lights and beautiful scenery everywhere, it is also the land of the Emperor. They want to prevent His Majesty from coming unless they can really bribe everyone in the world."
Sun Jigao, who followed Wang Xijue into the city, said something at this time.
Wang Xijue said with a smile: "It's hard to say. After the change of Naliang Kaizhong to Nayin Kaizhong, most of the big merchants from the north and south gathered here. Over the years, no one knows how many children they have trained here and how many people are behind them. Colluding with them, despite the fact that many Jinshi in the imperial court were originally from Jin or Chu, they were actually from Yangzhou, so they were so arrogant and showed power to His Majesty."
As Wang Xijue spoke, he saw a horse team approaching him that was even more majestic than his imperial guard of honor, and several of them rode up to him on maroon horses: "Get out of the way! Be careful. Dead!"
"presumptuous!"
"Do you see clearly what kind of ceremonial guard this is? We are asked to give way!"
Wang Xijue's domestic slave Wang Wu shouted quickly.
Whizzing!
But at this time, these people suddenly took up bows and arrows and shot at Wang Xijue's guards.
Many of Wang Xijue's guards were hit by arrows.
Sun Jigao looked back at Wang Xijue in shock.
Wang Xijue himself was so frightened by this scene that his face was even scratched by an arrow flying into the carriage, and his face was bleeding on the spot.
"master!"
"Mr. Ge!"
"Escort!"
The people accompanying him were shocked.
Wang Xijue himself was frightened and said: "Make way! Make way first!"
As a result, Wang Xijue's entourage had to get out of the way.
These people riding big maroon horses smiled nonchalantly, then whipped their whips and galloped away from the city, and then a larger group of horses arrived.
Wang Xijue here asked the medical officer to treat his arrow wound, while looking at the large number of people in rich clothes and riding horses out of the city with fear, and said: "This Yangzhou City is indeed a place where the dragon pond and the tiger's den are!"
As Wang Xijue said this, he ordered Wang Wu: "Wang Wu, hurry up and say hello, so that next time, they will not directly bombard you and me!"
"yes!"
Here, outside Yangzhou City, there is a long pavilion ten miles away.
The salt merchant Ye Shouzong also looked at the flying dust raised by the large number of disciples who passed by on horseback. The salt merchant Fan Shanjun laughed and said: "If they kill Ge Lao, I'm afraid the Yangzhou salt tax will be like the Jiangnan tea tax field." It’s just as hard to reduce taxes!”
"Does Guild Ye care about the salt tax?"
"Don't say we don't cut taxes, we just raise them some more. Even if they are doubled, it won't hurt Mr. Ye's foundation, right?"
Fan Shanjun also asked with a smile.
Ye Shanzong said: "That is, it is nothing more than letting the price of salt rise, and it will only rise even more. The extra money will be used to bribe salt farmers and officials. The court is afraid that it will have to reduce the salt tax back." At the same time, please ask us to also lower the price of salt."
"However, it's better to act angry. There are factory guards everywhere."
Fan Shanjun whispered another instruction.
Ye Shanzong nodded: "I know!"
"Everyone! My master is coming to Yangzhou. He didn't say hello to you in advance. It was our master's negligence that led to the collision of the cavalry. Therefore, I am here to talk to you. Unexpectedly, you have already arrived outside the city. Welcomed."
Not long after, Wang Wuxian appeared in front of the officials and salt merchants in Yangzhou and said something.
After hearing this, Zhen Yingsong, the prefect of Yangzhou, hurriedly bowed to Wang Wu and said: "I was criticizing these people just now, but my own arrogant children are doing such nonsense, and they have been investigated strictly. Please tell the elder, I will definitely give you some advice." The elder Ge will explain!"
"Thank you!"
Wang Wu once again handed over his hand and replied.
"Originally, because I heard about His Majesty's southern tour, I strictly ordered them to tighten their control. Who would have thought that this incident still happened. When the time comes, I can only ask the elder to apologize personally."
Then, Zhen Yingsong said again with a guilty and worried look.
Wang Wudao: "It's okay, just please don't go too far. Mr. Ge, you don't have to take it lightly, but you still have to consider what kind of person your majesty is. If you really want to make the emperor anxious, there are some costs that not everyone can bear." Those who can bear it, as the saying goes, will kill millions of people when the emperor is angry!"
"That's right!"
Zhen Yingsong, the prefect of Yangzhou, also echoed, and turned to look at Fan Shanjun, a salt merchant: "Don't really think of Yangzhou as your own Yangzhou!"
"We don't dare!"
"We are also very angry that a son of a salt merchant is so ignorant!"
Fan Shanjun and other salt merchants immediately answered with their hands raised, their faces filled with fear.
Not long after, Wang Xijue also arrived by car.
Zhen Yingsong and other Yangzhou officials and Yangzhou salt merchants all greeted Wang Xijue respectfully after seeing him.
Moreover, after these people welcomed Wang Xijue into Yangzhou City, they also entertained Wang Xijue very warmly, and each presented a generous gift list.
The gifts in the gift list were either fertile land, a beautiful woman named Shouma, a garden, a shop, and all kinds of luxurious things.
Because the Ming Dynasty now punishes corruption very harshly, the gifts on these gift lists will not be given directly to Wang Xijue. Instead, Wang Xijue can ask himself or his descendants to ask for them when needed, whether in exchange for silver or directly asking for them. Industry, as long as the Wang family is still powerful in the court, these salt merchants will recognize the authority of the gift list.
But if the Wang family has no power, these gift lists will naturally be nothing more than a piece of paper.
Of course, if Jinyiwei investigates these gift lists, the salt merchants can also say that the gift lists are not theirs, but made by the palace itself.
"Sir, do you want to accept these gifts or not?"
Wang Wu also asked this question after Wang Xijue entered Yangzhou. (End of chapter)
