Huai'an Prefecture is a large prefecture in the southern Zhili area, and its area is much larger than that of the adjacent Xuzhou and Yangzhou.

The Salt Transportation Envoy Department of the two Huaidus set up a Salt Course Office in Huai'an Prefecture, which is in charge of more than ten salt fields in Huaibei and the Huai'an Prefecture, Fengyang Prefecture, Henan Prefecture, Runing Prefecture, Nanyang Prefecture and other places. The Salt Course Office has one person from the fifth rank, one person from the sixth rank, and one person from the ninth rank. Each salt farm under the jurisdiction of the Ti's Priest has one person from the salt Course ambassador and one deputy envoy, all of whom are not in the right position.

In the yamen of the tutor, Yang Rui, the current tutor, was chatting with Huang Can. Both of them passed the fourth year of Chongzhen exam, Yang Rui ranked second, and Huang Can only ended the list, so the rating was two levels lower than Yang Rui. The two were idle today, and when they were evaluating which salt merchant in Lianghuai was the most luxurious, Chen Jixing hurried in.

After delivering his salute, Chen Jixing said, "Sir, since last month, except for Huai'an Prefecture, salt merchants from Fengyang Prefecture and other places have brought salt to Huaibei to buy salt. The number of people who come to buy salt this month has even been counting on both hands. The salt bin has accumulated like mountains, and the salt class for two months is only about 10,000 taels. If this continues, the transfer of transportation will make it impossible for the adults to explain!"

Yang and Huang were shocked at the same time. Yang Rui sat down and said anxiously: "What's the situation with the salt household? Do you dare to be a salt merchant who bought private salt?"

Chen Jixing bowed and said, "The officials sent someone to investigate. The salt owners in each salt farm were also complaining, and no salt merchants went to the salt farm to buy salt!"

Huang Can said, "Do you know what the reason?" He knew that Chen Jixing was a righteous and generous person, had a broad friendship, had close ties with a large salt merchant under his jurisdiction, and even had connections with some people in the world.

Chen Jixing replied: "To be honest, the official heard a little bit of news, saying that a large number of new salt came from Shandong and dumped it at a low price to our salt merchants. But what is actually the official is unknown."

Yang Rui was furious and slapped the table: "Shandong salt?! Where does the salt come from in Shandong?! What is the Shandong envoy? Salt marketing is based on the area assigned by the court. What authority does the Shandong envoy have to sell salt outside the territory? No! This official went to Yangzhou to meet the Transfer Author! We must ask Lord Hu to come to the book dàn     hé Shandong envoy! It's really despicable and shameless!"

Huang Can said doubtfully: "The Shandong envoy shouldn't be so unreasonable, right? If you blatantly violate the ban on the court, your fortune will make Lord Lu afraid that he will not be ignorant next time. Could it be that the people below colluded with the salt merchant and did this illegal act on his back? Who gave them the courage to be so large? Are you not afraid of losing your head after being investigated?"

Chen Jixing wanted to say something but stopped, but finally said, "What the two adults said is true. This time, a large amount of private salt entered our place, not the person behind the Shandong envoy. According to the officials, the origin of this private salt was a place in Qingzhou Prefecture. The salt produced was much white and much better than that of our Huai salt. Although the purchase cost was equivalent to that of Huai salt, its quality was superior. Moreover, there seemed to be a very deep background behind it. Many salt merchants had no choice but to give up Huai salt and switch to Shandong salt!"

"Background? What is the background?" Yang Rui and Huang Can asked almost at the same time. The two were not interested in where salt was produced in Shandong, but they were most concerned about the forces behind the private salt this time.

They have been in the Transportation Transportation Department for many years and know that many salt merchants have shadows of officials, vassal kings and nobles behind them. If they rashly send someone to investigate this batch of private salt without knowing who it is, it will cause unnecessary trouble for the Transportation Transportation Transportation Transportation and themselves. But even with the deeper background in the past, they would not dare to cross the boundaries with such a big fanfare. At most, they would grab more territory within the scope of marketing allowed by the court and occupy larger prefectures and counties.

First ask who the person behind him is, then find a middleman to hand over and ask the other party to stop in time. If you don’t listen, send the inspection department to investigate and wait for the future lawsuit to be targeted.

Even if the lawsuit is fought in front of the imperial court, they will not lose. After all, they stand in the name of justice in the court. Although Lianghuai Salt Farm has paid fewer and fewer salt classes to the court in recent years, it is still a considerable income from the court. Shandong Transportation Department has actually declined a long time ago, and it has existed like a waste in the eyes of the court. Shandong salt basically relies on the transit private salt of Lianghuai Salt Farm, but it is just in the name of Shandong Transportation Department.

Not only Shandong, but also with the decline of Changlu Salt Field, most of the salt used in the Jingji area was also produced in the Lianghuai River. Finally, it was sold in the name of Changlu Transportation and Transportation Office.

After the imperial court issued a layoff on the Changlu Transportation Office, the number of salt merchants who came to Lianghuai Salt Farm to pick up goods suddenly decreased. However, the people in Lianghuai Salt Farm thought that it was because they had too much stock in the previous period and had not yet sold out, so they didn't take it seriously.

This time, it was not only a problem of low purchases, but it was a completely reversed. Shandong Salt Field, which had been declining for many years, suddenly started selling salt at low prices to Lianghuai, the leading Lianghuai Department among the eight major salt transportation departments, which made people feel a bit incredible.

Thinking of this, Yang Rui's face suddenly changed. He turned to look at Huang Can, with surprise, fear and anger in his eyes.

After Huang Can saw Yang Rui's eyes, he was a little confused at first. Suddenly, an electric light flashed in his mind, and he instantly understood the meaning of Yang Rui's eyes.

The purchase of Lianghuai salt by the northern salt is almost cut off! Shandong salt is dumped at a low price to Zhili in southern China!

After the two were linked, the result was obvious - the salt produced in a certain real estate in Qingzhou, which Chen Jixing said just now, began to attack the Lianghuai market after occupying the northern market!

When did Qingzhou start to produce salt? How much salt production is? Why did the Shandong envoy not reveal any news? The court did not write a new salt farm, so who opened the Qingzhou salt farm?

Chen Jixing had not yet thought of this. Seeing the two Shangguans' expressions wrong, he thought they were the messengers behind Shandong Private Salt, so he seemed anxious.

So he comforted him: "You don't have to pay too much attention to the two adults. The court will never sit idly by the matter. The officials thought that the matter should be reported to the Transfer Author and asked Lord Hu to submit the court and then decide."

Yang Rui said impatiently: "You just said that the background of private salt in this transit is very deep. What is the background? Come quickly!"

Yang Rui decided to report the matter to the Transport Author Hu Weicheng immediately. This matter cannot be stopped. No matter who is behind the other party, he must resolutely fight back. This behavior of robbing money naked has touched the bottom line of the Transport Authority and related people.

Since the implementation of China-French during the Hongzhi period, Lianghuai salt farms have risen rapidly, expanding from several original salt farms to more than 30 today. Countless officials and merchants have gained huge benefits from them, and even many salt stove owners have benefited a lot.

These benefits come from the private sale of official salt. In addition to northern Xinjiang, the mainland has been in peace for two hundred years, and the population has increased sharply. The original amount of salt intake cannot provide enough salt to the huge population.

Someone saw the key point. Even though he knew that salt ingestion was not enough to supply salt, he did not submit a memorial to the court to request additional salt ingestion, but the Ming people did not receive any impact on eating salt. The purpose of this was very simple. The transportation department and the salt merchants colluded with each other, directly purchased a large amount of salt from the stove owners, and then sold the entire Ming Dynasty under the banner of official salt.

Over the past hundred years, Huaiyan has produced countless officials and merchants. The Transportation Command, from the chief officials to the inspectors, all made a fortune. The prefectures and counties of Lianghuaiyan Salt are also profitable. A huge interest group has been generated around Huaiyan. Anyone who wants to touch their interests, no matter whether you are a vassal king or a prime minister, will be backfired by them.

Now that someone dares to occupy the market, how can he tolerate it?
Chapter completed!