Liu Jin saw Zhang Mingwei asking so anxiously, so he quickly replied: "As the master expected, it is an open secret that these salt merchants in Yangzhou City engage in private salt trading. According to the master's instructions, after the villain inquired, one of them A big salt merchant named Kong Dayu has never done anything charitable and loves to be flattered most. He often holds literary meetings, summons the literati and the top celebrities from various fireworks places to drink and have fun together. When he is happy, he also Will spend a lot of money. It is said that the utensils used at home are all made of gold and silver..."
Zhang Huangyan was a little surprised when he heard this. Doesn't this mean that he is going to take action on this big salt merchant?
In fact, since the prince jumped out of the stone out of thin air, although he had a reason, he often ransacked his house. This matter had already spread in Jiangnan, and Zhang Huangyan immediately made such a guess!
"...It is said that his backend is Ma Delu, the current salt transport envoy of the Lianghuai Capital Transfer Department. The villain checked and found that Kong Dayu did send a large amount of money to Ma Delu every year, but other officials There are all of them too.”
Having said this, he presented something with both hands and said: "All the news about the salt merchants investigated these days are recorded on it."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuyao immediately took it, looked at it immediately, and said a little surprised: "There are so many private salt sales involved, how much money do you have to make?"
When Zhang Mingwei heard this, he immediately sneered and said: "If not for this, how could they be so rich!"
One of the methods used by salt merchants is to monopolize the salt industry. How to monopolize? It is to bribe the officials of the Yanzheng Yamen and give priority to redeeming the salt in their hands, so that others cannot exchange for salt even if they have salt.
Previously, the Ming Dynasty implemented the Kaizhong method, which meant that merchants were allowed to transport grain to the border, so that the grain could be used to obtain a corresponding amount of salt from the border generals. In this way, the court could solve the border military food problem. It can be said to be a very good method.
However, after the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, it was the dirty methods of salt merchants that led to many merchants getting salt quotations. Not to mention that they could not exchange it themselves, it was still a blank piece of paper when it was passed down to their descendants. Either keep doing this, or sell them to salt merchants at low prices. These two ways have greatly undermined the enthusiasm of merchants to transport military rations to the border, leading to a shortage of food at the border in the Ming Dynasty.
In addition, these salt merchants also increased the price of salt. According to statistics, the price of salt in the Ming Dynasty was considered to be the highest among several dynasties. Then, these salt merchants themselves mixed table salt, that is, salt with unknown origins and salt that has not been taxed, into official salt for sale.
With these two methods, it’s no wonder the salt merchants are not rich!
By the end of the Ming Dynasty, this aspect of salt not only created the legend of Yangzhou's wealthy salt merchants, but also made everyone related to the salt policy a stakeholder. It is said that money can communicate with the gods, and if we throw money at it, there will even be people in the court who will speak for us.
In addition, since the Northern Song Dynasty, Fujian has begun to use the sun-dried salt method to obtain table salt. But by the end of the Ming Dynasty, even in Shandong, this salt-drying method had been promoted. However, in the salt fields in Lianghuai, the largest area in the Ming Dynasty, the salt-frying method was still used.
The transition from frying salt to drying salt is a major progress in the history of salt and can greatly increase salt production. Suffice it to say, everyone can see this. However, why is it that the salt decoction method, which is extremely inefficient and extremely costly, is still used in Lianghuai?
In the early years of Chongzhen, the treasury was empty, which made Emperor Chongzhen eager to reform the finances of salt and iron. Therefore, the famous Xu Guangqi of later generations reported to Emperor Chongzhen and strongly recommended this salt drying method.
To this end, he personally conducted experiments. After successfully drying the salt, he used the data to speak to Emperor Chongzhen and explained the detailed steps of drying the salt. As long as you follow this salt-drying method, the price of salt can be reduced by at least two-thirds, or even if it doesn't work, it can be reduced by half.
In addition, there are many shortcomings in the current salt administration, such as Haozao annexing other households, or salt farms being embezzled for other uses, etc. If we implement the Salt Policy Law, everything will be solved.
The then Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this, so he promoted Xu Guangqi to the position of Minister of Household Affairs in preparation for reforming the salt policy.
However, if this is really done, a large-scale increase in salt production will eventually harm the interests of these salt merchants who monopolize the sale of salt, and of course, the interests of those in the official circles who have a stake in the salt merchants.
As a result, people in the court objected one after another, saying that the Lianghuai Salt Policy was currently the majority of the court's tax revenue. If such a large-scale innovation caused turmoil, it would seriously affect the court's revenue, so be careful.
This statement made Emperor Chongzhen hesitate. He has no confidence. Now the treasury is seriously short of money. If it is affected again, who will he cry to?
Therefore, the agent of the salt merchant once again advised Emperor Chongzhen that the current method of frying salt would allow the court to strictly control the production of salt and eliminate illicit salt as much as possible. If the sun-salting method is used, there will be vast areas of salt fields. Once the output increases, the court will not have enough money to collect all the salt produced from the kitchen households. Over time, if there is too much surplus salt, it will inevitably lead to the proliferation of illegal salt, which in turn will damage the salt tax.
In addition, there are other opinions, such as there is a problem with the salt in the sun salt method, the saltiness of the sea water is different, the methods in other places are not suitable for Lianghuai, etc.
Emperor Chongzhen was young at the time and had little experience. Hearing them all say this sounded very reasonable. The final result was that Xu Guangqi became the Minister of Household Affairs, but in the end he was still unable to promote the salt-drying method in Lianghuai.
Moreover, he was in poor health and died of illness in the third year of Chongzhen. Therefore, until the Ming Dynasty, Lianghuai still used the decoction method of salt instead of the sun-dried salt method.
When Zhang Mingwei was about to go south and put his thoughts on the salt policy, this dusty history was mentioned by Emperor Chongzhen, and he was made aware of this past event.
When he and Emperor Chongzhen exchanged letters about this matter, Emperor Chongzhen stated the original reasons again.
But today is different from the past. First of all, Emperor Chongzhen believed in Zhang Mingwei.
In addition, Zhang Mingwei has greatly alleviated the money shortage of the imperial court, but now it is necessary to innovate the salt policy to supplement the subsequent sources of money and food for the national treasury, which is the so-called increase of income and expenditure reduction. This gave Emperor Chongzhen confidence.
Thirdly, it was Zhang Mingwei who truly explained the interests of the salt merchants to Emperor Chongzhen, which made him know that all the opposition was fundamentally caused by the existing vested interests who did not want their cake to be touched. It is not that they are thinking about the imperial treasury and the public.
Xu Guangqi had already mentioned the benefits of using the sun salt method to increase the production of salt. Zhang Mingwei added some measures to solve some of the disadvantages caused by different methods of salt production. Needless to say, Emperor Chongzhen was relieved. , he agreed to whatever Zhang Mingwei said.
At this time, after Zhang Mingwei looked at Zhu Yu'ao, he also took it and looked at it. The huge amount of private salt was completely blatantly sold as official salt. With such a huge amount, it would be strange if the salt merchants did not make a fortune.
Haha, under normal circumstances, their interests are so intertwined that it is difficult for ordinary people to shake them. The rise of a salt merchant is either a relative of the emperor or a big boss in the DPRK and China. However, nowadays, all big bosses have to step aside!
With this thought in his mind, Zhang Mingwei sneered, looked at Liu Jin and ordered in a cold voice: "Liu Jin, you lead the Jinyi Guards into the city immediately. If there are not enough manpower, mobilize the army into the city, ransack Kong Dayu's house, and seal up his warehouse. Shops, etc., and at the same time arrest Ma Delu, the salt transport envoy from the Huaidu and Huaidu areas, and related persons."
Liu Jin was stunned for a moment after hearing this. The Duke had just arrived in Yangzhou, and the troops were still camping. He didn't even feel hot, so he just started working. Isn't it a little anxious?
Thinking like this, he reminded: "Master, are you doing this when you first come here?"
"I don't have time to fight with them. Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng are still wreaking havoc in the capital, and the Mongolian Tatars are coming to interfere. The Jianlu will definitely not be idle. Ten thousand years is too long to kill them. Seize the day and night!" Zhang Mingwei Having said this, he shouted with a cold voice: "Cut the knot with a sharp knife, and go immediately!"
"Follow your orders!" When Liu Jin heard this, he knew there was nothing to worry about, just do it!
So, after he responded quickly, he immediately left the Chinese military tent. Not only did he order more than a hundred Jinyi guards, but he also mobilized Yuan Shizhong's two thousand infantry troops and immediately left the military camp.
In the Chinese army tent, Zhang Huangyan was a little stunned. He couldn't adapt to the style of Duke Xingguo. It was too direct, not subtle or covert at all, and he got started so quickly.
But looking back, it seems that what the Duke said was right. At this time, there are thieves everywhere and the world is in chaos. If we don't strike hard, nothing can be done.
He has been with the prince for a while, but because the prince has scruples in doing things, the progress in urging him to pay taxes is very unsatisfactory. If it were like Guo Gong, the situation would definitely be different.
While he was thinking about it, he saw a guard in imperial robes handing him the summary of investigation information, and he quickly took it. At the same time, he heard the Duke of Guo say to him: "Take a look first, the emperor's will is here Here, the Lianghuai Salt Administration will be implemented by you from now on. I will allocate an army to station in Yangzhou to guard against thieves while dispatching it to you. Can you do a good job?"
This means that Zhang Huangyan will directly serve as a transfer envoy from the third level as a new candidate. This span is a bit big. So Zhang Huangyan was immediately dumbfounded and dumbfounded.
Zhang Huangyan was not the only one to adopt special employment strategies and sudden promotions in special times, there were already several others before.
Zhang Huangyan had never been in the officialdom before, so he had no connections in the officialdom, and would have fewer worries. He was a newborn calf, and his performance in history made Zhang Mingwei take a fancy to him to implement the Salt Policy and New Deal.
