The first problem Kong faces is the issue of private salt.
Ming law stipulates that salt and iron are still government-run, but the Ming Dynasty has greatly optimized the price and quality of government-run salt. Ordinary people can definitely afford salt, and they will not worry about eating salt like the people of the Southern Song Dynasty.
It can be said that there is no market for smuggling salt within the Ming Dynasty. If someone insists on smuggling salt, the cost will even be higher than the profit. Once discovered by the government, they will be severely prosecuted, so it does not make much sense.
So the only way to make money was to smuggle private salt into the Southern Song Dynasty.
The price of salt in the Southern Song Dynasty was extremely high. Many people were eager for the low-priced salt from the Ming Dynasty. The salt from the Ming Dynasty was transferred to the Southern Song Dynasty for sale. The profits were extremely high. The Salt Department of the Ministry of Finance of the imperial court organized more than a dozen teams of smuggled salt to deal with this business. , every month he could extract high profits from the Southern Song Dynasty to assist the imperial government's finances.
Su Yonglin had long made a huge profit by selling Ming salt to the Southern Song Dynasty to subsidize military expenditures and finances.
The imperial court could make so much money, and there would be no shortage of such visionary people among the people. Therefore, the private business of smuggling private salt to the Southern Song Dynasty was quietly born and operated quietly. It competed with the imperial court for this part at a price slightly lower than that of the imperial court. profit.
However, because the Ming court had stricter inspections in this area, it was difficult for this industry to develop and expand. Only a very small number of families with substantial wealth and strong connections could try to enter.
Previously, Ming Ting vaguely heard that there was some similar news, but he never found any clues. Unexpectedly, he found out directly this time.
This is good news. The crime of selling smuggled salt was a capital offense in the Southern Song Dynasty. It was similar in the Ming Dynasty. The whole family needed to be exiled to remote areas to work hard, just like the families of corrupt officials.
This was a major crime and basically sentenced Kong to death.
What turned out to be even more exciting was that they actually hid armor and crossbows secretly.
Generally speaking, feudal dynasties rarely prohibited civilians from owning weapons. Swords and other things were common among the people, not to mention that they were common.
Not to mention bandits, even entertainers who make a normal living can own swords. If they really want to fight, a kitchen knife can cut someone, so the official doesn't care.
But armor and crossbows are different and have completely different meanings.
Armor can enhance defense, and crossbows have long-range killing capabilities. Once these two things are present, the past dynasties will immediately define it as a rebellion and deal with it immediately. It must not be tolerated.
So when Su Yonglin learned about it, he was not angry but happy.
This time, you, Mr. Kong, took the initiative to put the knife into my hand. You also turned around coquettishly and exposed your butt to challenge me, saying that I would not dare to scratch your butt with the knife.
Then see if I dare to open your eyes.
Su Yonglin directly ordered the Kong family to be defined as a rebel family, and the investigation was changed to questioning and liquidation.
Comprehensively arrest important personnel of the Kong family, take full control of Kong Mansion and Qufu County, quickly interrogate and torture relevant persons, and be sure to question their "rebellion plans".
Su Yonglin was serious. He tortured Kong Zhi's family and soon revealed some connections that helped them smuggle salt.
Following the connections, they captured some officials and their families from Dengzhou and Ninghai Prefectures along the coast, confiscated more than 30 smuggling ships, destroyed six illegal salt manufacturing factories, and destroyed seven large families involved in the matter. , and confiscated more than 200 million yuan in smuggling proceeds.
It can be said to have been a fruitful harvest.
Through this case, judicial officers also obtained clues about another private salt group, which is said to be larger in scale and is currently under investigation.
As for the ordnance kept privately by the Kong family, it was a legacy from the original melee period.
After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Su Yonglin issued a ban on important ordnance such as armor, bows and crossbows, and ordered families with secret possessions to hand over all ordnance within a time limit to prove their innocence.
Once discovered after exceeding the time limit, they will be punished as a crime of rebellion and will not be tolerated.
Previously, there were several powerful families in Shandong who owned ordnance and private soldiers, but they were all killed by Chai Yang's soldiers, and the three families were annihilated.
And now, the Kong family actually has a branch that does this kind of thing.
This is not rebellion. What is rebellion?
This is not only a matter for Kong Zhi and the Kong family, but also for the entire Kong family. The matter is so serious that Su Yonglin personally participated in the trial.
At the trial meeting, Kong Lai firmly denied that the Kong family had rebelled, but when Su Yonglin placed in front of him the salt-making tools and ordnance found in Kong Zhi's home, he had nothing to say.
"I make money with private salt, and I also hide armor and crossbows privately. Tell me, if this is not military expenditure, what is it?"
Su Yonglin was pretending to be confused because he understood.
Kong Zhi may have done this just to make his operation of smuggling salt more smoothly and to avoid being pursued by officers and soldiers at critical moments. He had no intention of rebelling.
If they really want to rebel, these dozens of armors and crossbows will indeed be of little use.
But according to the law, regardless of the original intention of this matter, it only depends on whether it is present or not. As long as it is present, it will be regarded as rebellion, and there is nothing to say.
How could we let go of such a legitimate opportunity?
Su Yonglin decisively sentenced Kong Zhi to death, and dragged the entire Kong family into trouble. He accused the entire Kong family of rebellion.
Later, based on the results of the inventory, Su Yonglin learned that the Kong family had more than 200 houses. The Kong residence in Qufu was large in scale and complete with all kinds of buildings. There was no shortage of exotic flowers, plants, birds, and animals in the mansion, and the regulations were comparable to the palaces of the Song Dynasty.
His entire family owns 310,000 acres of land all over Shandong, making him the largest landowner in Shandong.
The whole family copied out 170,000 taels of gold and 680,000 taels of silver. The amount of copper coins was not counted until Su Yonglin left Shandong and returned to Zhongdu.
Other books, famous paintings, famous calligraphy, pearls and emeralds, exotic gems, as well as valuable antiques such as bronzes, gold and silver vessels, and precious out-of-print coins from the previous generation, any one of them can be sold for a sky-high price in the Southern Song Dynasty.
The family has five branches engaged in business and owns more than 700 shops, covering various industries including food, cloth, silk, porcelain, wine, catering, accommodation, transportation, etc. The total business assets are initially valued at more than 1.5 billion yuan. .
The number of servants who directly serve the Kong family in Yanzhou and the tenants who cultivate the land for the Kong family have exceeded 5,000. Counting the servants and tenants owned by branches in other places, the total number has exceeded 10,000.
The number of employees in the business sector also exceeds 2,000. The family also owns more than 500 horses, more than 1,000 cattle, countless donkeys and mules, and more than 1,000 vehicles and ships.
With such a huge family property, I am not satisfied yet, I want more, I need to get more, I continue to expand the family property, and even reach out to places where I shouldn't.
It's clear that Kong's good days are over.
"Participated in a corruption case, secretly sold illicit salt, and competed with the country for profit. Not only that, but also secretly hid armor and crossbows. Kong Zheng, you Kong family really let a hundred flowers bloom. I didn't know that you actually did that. Lots of things.”
Su Yonglin's strange words shocked the entire meeting hall, and most of the officials present looked at Kong Zheng in shock.
They couldn't digest this big news for a while, even Kong Zheng himself was the same.
Seeing his appearance, Su Yonglin didn't intend to delay and gave the order directly.
"The Kong family has been favored by the country for generations, but did not think about repaying it. Instead, it broke the law and discipline, assisted corrupt officials in transferring stolen money and stolen goods, even sold illegal salt, secretly hid armor and crossbows, had evil intentions, and plotted rebellion. It was a heinous crime that cannot be forgiven. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Kong Zheng is dismissed from his position as Minister of Rites and the title of Yan Shenggong, and he is sentenced to prison or death!"
