"Reporting to the thousand-year-old master," Ji Kun had no choice but to settle the accounts with Zhu Cixiang on his fingers, "Half of the world's salt industry is in Huaiyang. There are 30 salt fields in Huaiyang Prefecture, more than 12,600 pavilions, and more than 5,800 brine ponds.

There are nearly 70,000 kitchen workers, and the annual output of salt is more than 705,000 yin, and the remaining salt is 3 million yin, totaling 740 million jins. In addition, there are some private salts that are not included in the salt yin.

It's about one billion pounds.

The price of salt on the market in various parts of the Ming Dynasty varies greatly. It is about one and a half cents to three cents of silver per catty, and the average is about two cents. The market value of one billion catties of salt is 20 million taels of silver."

"And during the Wanli period, when the income from salt classes was the highest, the annual income from salt classes in Lianghuai and Huaihe was only 680,000 taels." Zhu Cixiang said with a smile, "Of the 20 million taels, only 680,000 taels belong to the imperial court. Oh, in Chongzhen

In sixteen years, we probably don’t even have 340,000 taels! This salt law is boring, so why not abolish it and let the people buy and sell it freely?”

"Your Highness" Ji Kun was startled by Zhu Cixiang's words, "This is absolutely impossible!"

"Isn't it possible?" Zhu Cixang said with a smile, "Where can I find more than 300,000 taels in this palace? Senior brother, what do you think?"

Senior Brother Zheng Sen understood and quickly took over the conversation and said: "My family can pay an annual tribute of one million taels to His Highness!"

"Okay, okay!" Zhu Cihong said, "I will issue an edict tomorrow to cancel the Salt Transport Department of the Lianghuai Salt Capital!"

What? Are you serious? How many people’s jobs has this guy ruined? Are you really powerful, or are you stupid and don’t know how powerful you are?

Zhu Cixiang then said: "Ji Juren, you reported the crime of rebellion by Xu Yongji, the commander of the Yangzhou Guards, and Zhu Guobi, the admiral of Yuyun Funinghou, and I have accepted it. I will send the East Palace guards to protect you. You go back first."

Well, when I send people to investigate them strictly, I will tell you."

It wouldn't be too much trouble to send someone to protect him and release Chitose Master back!

Ji Kun, a litigator, was so clever that he immediately understood what Prince Zhu meant. He wanted to send a message to the four general merchants of the Huibang salt merchants, asking them to quickly calculate how much money they should give to the court so that the salt administration could

The salt method can continue.

"Junior Brother, do you really want to abolish the Salt Law and Salt Policy?"

After Ji Kun left, Senior Brother Zheng Sen immediately came up and asked about the Salt Law and Salt Policy.

Zhu Cixiang smiled and nodded, "Yes, we will talk about this at noon tomorrow. The decree should be issued soon."

Zheng Sen shook his head: "But this matter is too involved. Not only are the nobles of the two capitals involved, but my mentor also seems to have a lot of friendship with the Huaiyang salt merchants."

Later generations have legends about the relationship between merchants and Donglin. In fact, not all merchants would use a lot of money to support the Donglin Party as their protective umbrella. For example, although Zheng Zhilong also paid tribute to Qian Qianyi, Lao Zheng did not rely too much on Donglin.

Lin Dang. Lao Zheng's wealth was built by the navy! On the seas of East Asia today, except for Westerners, no one dares to say that they can compete with Lao Zheng.

But those Huaiyang salt merchants have no strength, and their business is actually not difficult. They are not as good as those silk merchants in Jiangnan and the porcelain merchants in Jingdezhen! After all, they can make Westerners and Japanese send boatloads of silver.

Come up. Moreover, silk and porcelain are neither a monopoly nor a necessity, and the competition is quite fierce.

But salt is different. Salt is a necessity for monopoly operations! Moreover, the processing cost is very low. Salt merchants are not kitchen households. They do not process salt themselves. In fact, they are just a group of tax-contracting merchants. As tax-contracting merchants, they cannot submit the contract to the court.

When they pay a sufficient amount of taxes, what does Zhu Cixiang want them to do?

"So what?" Zhu Cixi sneered, "The water in Slender West Lake is cold, and our teacher would not dare to jump in it!"

The water is cold? Why does junior brother always say the water is cold? Zheng Senxin said: It’s not bad. It’s only July now, so it’s not very cold.

Xu Yongji, the commander of the Yangzhou Guards, is a descendant of Xu Da. He is not a direct descendant of the two princes, but a branch of the Wei State. Therefore, he cannot be a prince, but he still got a job as a commander, and he is a relatively well-off Yangzhou Guards.

Commander.

Yangzhou is an important town in the salt industry. The Lianghuai Salt Transportation Department is located in Yangzhou, and the eight major salt generals also live in Yangzhou. Therefore, Xu Yongji, the commander of the Yangzhou Guards, has to get involved in the salt industry. On the one hand, he is the agent of the Wei government in Yangzhou, representing Wei.

The government collects protection fees from the eight major salt masters in Yangzhou, and is also involved in the business of four old western salt masters. The Wei Guofu has secret shares in these four!

In addition to Xu Yongji, there are prominent nobles in Nandu who almost always have a foothold in the Yangzhou Guards, Huai'an Guards, Gaoyou Guards and other Huaiyang guards under the jurisdiction of Yizhen Garrison, so that they can intervene in the salt industry of Huaihe and Huaihe.

These guard stations all have the power to investigate smuggled salt. Controlling these guard stations is equivalent to strangulating the throats of Yangzhou salt merchants!

In addition to the Yizhen garrison system, there is also a Nanjing navy that also has the power to detect illegal salt. This navy is also a tool for Nanjing nobles to intervene in salt affairs.

The emperor of the Ming Dynasty probably also knew that there were too many fishy things in the salt industry, so he wanted to use multi-party supervision to fight corruption. So the Nanjing nobles could intervene through the guards under the Yizhen garrison and Caojiang Navy, and the civil servants could intervene through the two

The Huai Salt Transportation Department, the Salt Censor, the Jiang Censor, the Yangzhou Magistrate, etc. were involved in salt affairs.

The Nanjing garrison eunuchs and Huai'an garrison eunuchs from the inner court could also intervene in Yangzhou salt affairs.

So all the nobles, officials, and eunuchs involved in salt affairs had to pay a share. There were too many people sharing the money, and there were too many people protecting private salt, so the salt tax that could be paid to the court was very small.

What a pity.

The intrigues among the three parties, nobles, civil servants, and eunuchs in Yangzhou mainly revolved around salt interests.

The eight major salt managers who apparently controlled the Huaiyang Salt Industry gradually became the white gloves of these three parties.

Although Ji Kun Ji Juren is a member of the military, he is relatively close to Donglin and Fushe. He often represents the Huibang Salt General who is protected by the Donglin Party and brings trouble to the old Xi Salt General who is protected by Nanjing Xungui, so he is quite annoying.

.

But before the fall of Beijing, Xu Yongji did not dare to do anything to him. His identity as a civil servant was obvious, and Old Xu did not want to become a public enemy of Shilin.

However, the situation was different after the fall of Beijing! At least in Xu Yongji's opinion, his back was much stronger. Especially when Zhu Guobi passed by Yangzhou and told Xu Yongji about joining forces with Shi Kefa and King Qin, Xu Yongji felt that the Wei Guofu had returned.

If it was going to be awesome, the imperial court would have to rely on Wei Guofu. So he wanted to expand his interests in Yangzhou's salt affairs, so he picked Ji Kun to take charge of it.

Unexpectedly, halfway through the campaign, both Shi Kefa and Gao Hongtu went to defend Confucius, but Zhu Cixi came to Yangzhou with his troops. At the same time, rumors spread that Shi Kefa had betrayed the Wei government!

Now Xu Yongji was a little confused. Just when he reported the news to Nanjing, Ji Kun accidentally sued him!

The news reached Xu Yongji's house, and the old guy suddenly felt like he was in danger.

We can’t stay in Yangzhou, we have to run!

"Dad," one of his sons, a young man named Xu Hujue, had already changed into common people's clothes and was carrying a waist knife. He hurriedly walked to Xu Yongji who was in the back garden looking at the pool and rockery in a daze, "

There is a knight of Jinyiwei outside the door!"

"What? So fast?" Xu Yongji took a breath, "How many people are there?"

"There are about ten people who have blocked the front entrance of our house!" Xu Hujue said anxiously, "Dad, let's leave through the back door quickly."

How smart!

Even though the Jinyi Guards and Tiqi are here, they can still escape through the back door! Are the Jinyi Guards looking ahead and not thinking about the rear?

"Okay!" Xu Yongji gritted his teeth, "Let's go to Nanjing to find the Duke!"

The old man was worthy of being a descendant of Xu Da. He was decisive in doing things. He made a prompt decision to put on makeup and run away. He packed up some of his belongings and then slipped away from the back door of his house with his son.

Actually managed to escape

The reaction of the Jin Yiwei who came to arrest him was slow enough. It wasn't until the two father and son left Yangzhou City that they slowly entered the house to arrest him.

Of course, no one could be caught, but a lot of evidence was found. It was not evidence of Xu Yongji's rebellion, but evidence of the four old Xi salt generals in Yangzhou paying tribute to Xu Yongji and Wei Guofu.
Chapter completed!