The night market in Yangzhou is more lively than in Beijing, especially the flowers and willow alleys. At night, it is decorated with lights and welcomes distinguished guests. It is not much better than the Qinhuai River in Nanjing. The north is rouge and the south of the Yangtze River meet here. Yangzhou itself is a place where beautiful women are produced, and it is indeed the paradise that men yearn for the most.

Zhu Yinglong didn't mind playing around, but he wanted to respect his identity. Besides, what kind of woman he wanted could not get, so why go to that noisy place without emotions? Moreover, this is not a southern tour, but a war, so he can't go to that kind of dirty place. He has not reached the point of dissatisfaction with desires, and there are four girls around him!

Chang Yanlin was very fast, and the time and location of the salt merchants' meeting were soon finalized. Three days later, Qionglinyuan, the largest entertainment venue in Yangzhou, was invested by the salt merchants to take over Qionglinyuan for one day.

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Yinglong learned about the basic situation of Yangzhou salt merchants from Chang Yanlin and supplemented them with Shadow's investigation.

In Yangzhou, the real prefect is not the current Lord Jiang Riguang, but the salt merchants. Because the salt merchants are rich, they are all masters with great hands and eyes. In order to stabilize the local area, Zhu Yinglong had basically no big moves as long as the officials below the prefecture level followed the court. Now at least more than 60% of the local officials in various provinces were appointed by the Tianqi Dynasty. Therefore, the salt merchants have a relationship with you and me, and the network of relationships is complicated. Even the governors and generals have to sell them a little face. After all, this money can make ghosts push and offend salt merchants. If there is no one in the court or no foundation, the end will generally be miserable. Of course, the salt merchants do not easily make grudges with the people in the government. Doing business is originally a kind of wealth, and it is not good for them. Even if the relationship is finally resolved, the losses will not be small. Therefore, the salt merchants and the government generally live in peace and make money together.

The salt merchant in Huizhou regards Cheng Chong as the general merchant, with a wealth of tens of millions of yuan. He is recognized as the richest man in Yangzhou. He is a kind person on the surface and is kind and kind. The famous charity in Yangzhou City is not bad to the people. What disasters are there? It is difficult. He donates a lot every time. The people in Yangzhou City respect very much, but the mainland eats people and does not spit bones. He controls one-third of the private salt transactions in Lianghuai Salt Field. He has one son and one daughter. His son Cheng Huaibin is quite as romantic as a father Mengchang. He is born with a romantic and elegant girl. I don’t know how many girls in Yangzhou City are willing to commit themselves, even if they are concubines. His daughter Cheng Huaixiu (made up, don’t think too much about it), does not love red makeup, does not like armed forces, and practices martial arts since childhood. He claims that the martial arts men invited by her family are all defeated generals under her!

The eldest brother Jiang Guomao and Jiang Guochun were the biggest. The eldest brother Jiang Guomao started his first family. Later, Jiang Guochun’s career was not smooth and he did not pass the Jinshi. In anger, he asked for a cent of his capital from his elder brother and became a salt merchant. Unexpectedly, Jiang Guochun failed to become an official, and he was a big deal when he started a business. In less than three years, he earned a million yuan in property. After five years, he almost competed with his elder brother. However, Jiang Guochun remembered his kindness, if he was not a brother at the beginning.

My brother supports him in school and gives him capital to do business, so he will not be as good as he is today. Therefore, he respects his brother very much and listens to his brother in all major matters. However, Jiang Guomao's two sons have no good feelings for their uncle, especially Jiang Guomao's wife, who is even more jealous of Jiang Guochun. Jiang Guochun also has a daughter, who is eighteen years old and has a flower like a jade, and has a good impression of Cheng Huaibin. However, due to the fact that the two families belong to different camps, they may have to break up the couple in the end.

Shaanxi merchants have always been generous and basically live in Shaanxi guild halls. Few of them buy industries in Yangzhou and are the most united. Although they are the weakest link, the other two companies dare not bully them. The general merchant is the owner of the Shaanxi guild hall. His surname is Li and his name is Honglei. He sold private salt in his early years. He didn't know how to get a noble man and turned to justice. He has been in Yangzhou for more than 20 years and has a great reputation. This person is extremely protective of the people in Shaanxi. He doesn't care about others, but if others bully Shaanxi, he will never let him go. Therefore, he becomes the general merchant of Shaanxi salt merchants in Yangzhou, and his assets are not settled.

There are no less than hundreds of salt merchants in three places, and they are almost worth more than tens of thousands. The average one is more than one hundred thousand, and there are twenty or thirty people with assets of more than one million. There are five people with the above four, three in Huizhou, two in Shanxi, and one in Shaanxi. In comparison, Huizhou and Shaanxi are not big in terms of financial resources, and Shaanxi is the weakest, and it is better to fight bravely. Huizhou and Shanxi together may not be as good as Shaanxi. There are dozens of salt merchants in Yangzhou and other places. The total number of people is not enough for three companies to touch each other. They can only survive in the cracks and rely on the three major general merchants to give some charity.

"Your Majesty, Lord Chen Xinjia, the salt censor of the two Huaihe Rivers, requested your visit!" Zhu Yinglong was thinking about how to deal with these cunning salt merchants in three days, and suddenly heard Hai Chengguan enter and report.

Zhu Yinglong thought about it, and heard that the Yan Yan Censor had a good opinion, and said, "Let him come in!"

"I am a patrol of salt and jade food in Huai, Chen Xinjia, who bowed to the emperor, long live, long live!"

"This is Yangzhou. If you can avoid some etiquette and qualities, get up and reply!" Zhu Yinglong put down the cinnabar pen in his hand and said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Chen Xinjia stood up and said.

"Aiqing Chen, is there anything wrong with coming to see me so late?"

"Report to the emperor, I dared to ask the emperor to issue an order to rectify the salt affairs of the two Huaihe Rivers." Chen Xinjia said bluntly.

Zhu Yinglong thought to himself that Chen Xinjia was also a brave and knowledgeable person, but in the Ming Dynasty, he recorded that this person was talented and well-versed in military affairs, but was not honest. Later, he became a scapegoat for discussing peace with the Qing Dynasty, and his fate was quite miserable.

"Reorganize the salt affairs of Lianghuai?" Zhu Yinglong said, "Tell me how to rectify it?"

"Emperor, the salt business in Lianghuai is now indestructible. According to the Wei Minister, the annual output of Huai salt should be more than 4 million citations, while the court issued only more than 200 citations, only half of them, and half of the salt has gone anywhere. They have become private salt. The court cannot collect a piece of salt course, which has become the personal interests of salt merchants. The court gives each stove household two citations a month, but in fact it is not enough for the whole. This is still Lianghuai. Shandong salt farms actually pay less than 800 citations. The salt courses have become a habit of exploiting stove households. The court stipulates that Huai salt has not collected a small citation for 80% silver and color, and now all are collected by a large citation for one citation. The stove households cannot bear the burden and have escaped a lot. Because the court used the color to collect physical salt instead of the actual salt, the output of the stove households is high, but the salt merchants have been charged.

The continuous price reduction, the stove owners cannot sell salt, and they cannot bear heavy salt classes, so they can only strive to increase their output in order to feast. In other words, salt farms are open privately in coastal areas, and the production and sales of private salt are rampant. Some salt merchants even secretly support it. The salt prices on the market remain high, and ordinary people cannot afford to be jailed, so they can only buy private salt secretly. Although the official salt is sufficient, the price is not high, and private salt is cheap, but the risk is huge. Lianghuai Salt Farm is the largest salt farm in our Ming Dynasty. Salt merchants even smuggled salt to the other side to make huge profits. Emperor, salt classes are the main focus of national taxation. If this continues, the country will become poorer and illegal salt merchants will become richer. If the country does not rectify it, the country will be able to give it!" Chen Xinjia said in a heartbroken statement.

Zhu Yinglong remained silent. He was basically clear about what Chen Xinjia said. He knew better than him. The salt affairs in Lianghuai were extremely serious and difficult to return. It was not that it could be rectified. Chen Xinjia was very dedicated to the court, but he was a little too anxious. The officials below wanted to make some achievements, and he could understand this mood. Zhu Yinglong also wanted to take back the salt rights, but it involved all aspects. Now it is not to conquer the country, but to regulate the country, nor to undergo surgical operations. It would be enough to cut it down with one knife. If the country is damaged, I don’t know how much it will cost to make it up.
Chapter completed!