Zhao Xu opened his eyes and saw Wen Xunniang serving him with a towel in front of the couch.
"The officials are awake?" Wen Xunniang's eyes lit up immediately when she saw Zhao Xu woke up.
What happened today had a huge impact on a young girl like Wen Xunniang.
The emperor was sad, cried and blamed himself for the people affected by the disaster.
This kind of thing that only appears in legends and novels happened in reality.
As a result, Wen Xunniang only had admiration and admiration in her heart.
Zhao Xu met Wen Xunniang's eyes calmly and nodded: "Yes."
"Where are the mother-in-law and the queen mother?" he asked.
"Talk to the prime ministers and elders in the palace." Wen Xunniang lowered her head: "I will go and inform the two empresses now."
Zhao Xu groaned, still lying on the bed, and slowly began to brew emotions again in his heart.
In modern times, the best actors are always in the political arena.
Zhao Xu has also witnessed the acting skills of countless outstanding actors in modern times.
And he has been dealing with the system for a long time. Under the influence of his ears and eyes, his acting skills are also growing rapidly.
Although I dare not say it, I am on par with Chief Ma, but I have been able to do it, throwing away my own integrity anytime and anywhere, and talking about the country, the people, and history.
Now, if used in this era, it will be beneficial.
Even Zhao Xu had to hold back a little.
Lest you put yourself up on a pedestal and end up unable to get off the stage.
Therefore, he just brewed his emotions for a little while, making his eyes slightly red.
…
In the palace.
The prime ministers and elders were sitting on chairs, passing memorials to each other.
There was Cai Bian, deputy envoy for shipping on the Sixth Route to the Huaihe River, Du Dajiang, who also had the authority to send Zhao Xun, deputy envoy for transport on the Huainan Road, and Song Yongchen, the Huainan Disaster Relief Ambassador of the capital.
There are also magistrates and general magistrates from various states on Huainan Road, as well as horses sent from the imperial palace and placed in local areas to handle official affairs.
The time span is from March of this year to now.
In short, reports from all parties are included, allowing everyone to get a glimpse of the impact of the Huainan drought from different perspectives and at different points in time.
At the same time, the instructions from the emperor or the two palaces are also on it.
This allowed the ministers to get a glimpse of the palace's attitude towards all parties in Huainan through these things.
Wen Yanbo looked at the sealed letter from Song Yongchen in June that he held in his hand, thoughtfully.
In this letter, which was only sent to the Funing Palace, Song Yongchen reported that there was a severe drought in Sizhou and other places on Huainan Road, and there was no water for crops. Although more than a hundred wells had been drilled, it was only a drop in the bucket and it was of no avail. He requested
Official imperial judge.
Obviously, Song Yongchen's subtext was to request water from the Grand Canal to irrigate farmland.
In the Song Dynasty, this was absolutely politically incorrect.
Judging from Wen Yanbo's decades of official experience, officials of all dynasties would rather have no grass growing in Huainan than ensure the transportation of grain to Bianjing.
However, on this seal, the officials of the current dynasty personally wrote: "The people only care about the foundation of the country, and the foundation is solid and peaceful. How can I harm our people because of money and silk? I have ordered Song Dynasty to use ministers in
Waterwheels were set up on both sides of the Sishui River, Bianhe River, and canals to divert water to irrigate the fields to benefit our people.
Wen Yanbo looked at this and fell into silence for a long time.
"The officials are truly benevolent and saintly!"
During severe droughts, Huainan locals can be allowed to draw water from the Grand Canal to irrigate farmland.
This is probably the first case since the opening of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty.
However, as a result, the water level in the canal dropped, making it difficult for ships to sail.
And it's not Bianjing's reaction.
Jianghuai Sixth Shipping Company just watched?
Wen Yanbo knew the officialdom of the Song Dynasty very well.
Under the system of Da Songdie Roof Bed, it is likely that several yamen have the authority to take charge of a single matter.
Take the canal for example.
The local prefectures and counties along the way naturally have responsibilities, and the transshipment envoy for this route also has the responsibility. There is also a Duda Jianghuai Sixth Route Forwarding Envoy who specializes in water transportation.
This yamen only cares about water transportation and does not care about anything else.
Water transportation is their only goal, and people from top to bottom also rely on the Grand Canal to make a living.
It may be too much to provide food and clothing for millions of workers.
But there are two to three hundred thousand canal workers lying on it.
For its own benefit, this yamen dares to talk back to the capital.
Then why, Cai Bian didn’t speak out?
Mute?
Isn't he afraid that his water transport quantity will be affected?
Even if Cai Bian himself becomes mute, the Caosi officials below him will not be mute, right?
what's the situation?
Why doesn't anyone object?
Incredible!
Just as Wen Yanbo was surprised, Feng Jing, who was sitting next to him, quietly sent two official seals to him and said in a low voice: "Master, please take a look at these two official seals."
Wen Yanbo took it and looked at it before his eyes, and his scalp suddenly went numb.
The first letter was a secret report from Chen Mu, the transfer envoy of the two Zhejiang roads, who knew Mingzhou.
It was mid-June, and Chen Mu said in a secret report that he had received the decree, and in accordance with the imperial decree, he had comforted the bandits in Mingzhou. Thousands of them had been recruited and more than 3,000 people who were good at sailing were organized into an army.
His Majesty bestowed upon the army such a name. At the same time, Chen Mu also said that rewards were being offered to brave men who were willing to transport grain north along the coastal road, and the ship would be launched soon.
Assuming that there are thousands of ships at sea, each ship can transport several hundred dan of grain.
It is expected that by the end of June, 200 canal ships will be dispatched from Mingzhou to transport tens of thousands of grain grains to Haizhou and dock in Mizhou.
The second letter was from Kumamoto, the transit envoy of Jingdong Metro Station, and it was in mid-July.
Kumamoto reported that Mingzhou's ships docked in Haizhou and Mizhou and had received tens of thousands of grains.
At the same time, Kumamoto also said that in June, according to the imperial decree, Changping grain from the Jingdong Capital Road was transported northward from Xuzhou along the Bianhe River to Bianjing.
Today, the total number has reached 300,000 stones.
Therefore, the Kumamoto beggars urged Mingzhou to transport the grain to Haizhou and Mizhou as soon as possible by sea.
So that he could return the grain that had been transferred from the Changping warehouse in Jingdong Road.
Wen Yanbo was really dumbfounded when he saw this.
Chen Mu from Mingzhou traveled by sea from Liangzhe Road in the grain-producing areas, skipped the Huainan Road Canal, and was sent directly to Haizhou and Mizhou.
Kumamoto of Jingdong Road transported the grain from Jingdong Road from Xuzhou to Bianjing.
In other words, these are Liangzhe Road and Jingdong Road, completing the alliance.
They got rid of the shipping envoys on the Sixth Route of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River in the capital, and completed the transportation of grain by sea.
No wonder, even though there was a serious drought on Huainan Road in June, water boats were completely unable to move in some places.
But there are water boats coming into Bianjing every day.
These watercrafts are not from Jiangsu and Zhejiang at all, but from Xuzhou on Jingdong Road.
What's even worse is...
Wen Yanbo could easily think of a question.
Since ships from Mingzhou can transport to Haizhou and Mizhou.
Can it be transported to Binzhou and Cangzhou in Hebei?
It must be possible, right?
It’s nothing more than taking an extra sea route!
In this way, Hebei's military rations are guaranteed!
Thinking this, Wen Yanbo looked at Feng Jing.
He still doesn't know what the situation is like in Dudajianghuai Sixth Shipping Department?
Why are they mute?
Could it be that, overnight, they all turned into righteous men who were loyal to the country and could endure for the country?
How can it be!
You can rely on mountains to eat mountains, and you can rely on water to eat water.
Even in the city of Bianjing, under the emperor's feet, there is a saying that the three groups are popular and the herds eat dung.
The situation in Caosi, far away in Jianghuai, is far worse than that in the capital!
Wen Yanbo had heard that a small official in charge of the water gate could make thousands of dollars in profit in a year.
On Zhejiang Road and Jingdong Road, they almost waved their hoe to the corner of the house and followed them.
Can Caosi still be as quiet as a chicken?
This is not normal, so abnormal!
Wen Yanbo was thinking hard, wondering what the Dajianghuai Sixth Route Shipping Department was doing.
Han Jiang, who was sitting in front of him, seemed to have heard the discussion between Wen Yanbo and Feng Jing.
He turned his head and whispered: "Master, I wonder if you have paid attention to the recent prices in Bianjing."
"Um?"
"Recently, the price of beans in Bianjing has risen sharply. Although the price of salt has not changed much, the quality of the salt bought by people is getting better and better..."
"If Grand Master is free, go to the market and take a look. Coarse salt and bad salt are becoming less and less, while white salt and good salt are becoming more and more abundant."
Wen Yanbo was confused when he heard this and looked at Han Jiang.
Han Jiang whispered: "Bianjing Xinbao, starting from Jiachen in June, has been publishing several articles by Shen Cunzhong on the investigation of things and the pursuit of knowledge."
"In these articles, Shen Cunzhong said that he had developed a truth through the investigation of objects."
Wen Yanbo thought about it, and he had some impressions, so he asked: "How to use soy milk and coarse salt to precipitate the refined salt?"
Han Jiang nodded and said: "This is exactly the method."
"Today, this method has been spread throughout Kaifeng Prefecture, and is even known in Henan, western Jingdong, and eastern Jingdong."
"Because of this method, the amount of coal used in Bianjing continued to increase after June."
"Nowadays, people all over the world are using soy milk and adding coarse salt to make refined salt."
When Han Jiang said this, he stopped talking.
Wen Yanbo listened and murmured to himself: "June Jiachen?"
Isn't this the day when today, when the Silkworm and Salt Law is to be reinstated, Mingdutang discusses and drafts regulations?
At this time, Bianjing Xinbao published articles about Shen Kuo's knowledge of things for several days. It happened that Shen Kuo came up with a method of using soy milk to marinate the coarse salt into refined salt.
And what kind of things is most suitable and appropriate to use this method on?
Obviously, it must be sea salt with more impurities and lower price!
The loop is closed!
Wen Yanbo then remembered another thing.
He seems to have probably seen the Dengzhou dried fish that Bianjing Xinbao constantly reported.
Out of curiosity, he ordered his family to buy it and ate it several times.
Nowadays, I have become obsessed with dried fish, especially the so-called 'isinglass' made from the swim bladder of sea fish in Dengzhou after being dried in the sun.
The soft, waxy texture and easy digestion made him fall in love with it as soon as he ate it.
Nowadays, every night, I have to eat a cup of cooked fish maw porridge.
So, what does Han Jiang mean?
Sea salt, dried fish, Dajianghuai Sixth Road Shipping Department, silkworm salt method...
These clues are strung together.
Wen Yanbo's eyes suddenly widened and he looked at Han Jiang.
"Zuo Kui, how much does a pound of common dried fish cost on the market today? What's the price of salt?" Wen Yanbo asked in a low voice.
Han Jiang smoothed his beard, squinted his eyes and said: "My servant told me yesterday that the ordinary dried fish he saw in the market cost about sixty yuan a pound for small ones, and seventy for larger ones.
For one pound of money, the cheapest dried fish can even cost more than thirty yuan! It is said that the people in Bianjing today, even the middle-class people, like to make porridge with dried fish."
"For such a family of four, the cost of food for one day is only thirty or fifty yuan!"
"It not only satisfies the stomach, but also resists hunger. It is loved by young people in Beijing."
"As for the price of salt, coarse salt and inferior salt are rarely seen today. Most of them on the market are refined salt."
"He said that now all the livestock in Beijing can eat salt brine."
Wen Yanbo listened and swallowed.
He finally understood why the people in the Jianghuai Sixth Shipping Department were as quiet as chickens!
It turns out that these guys are poaching the government officials!
Everyone is probably busy selling dried fish and sea salt!
Thinking about it, compared to the hard work of guarding water transportation, relying on entrapment, asking for bribes, and extorting merchants to earn this small profit.
Where can I feel comfortable selling dried fish and sea salt?
How much sea salt and dried fish can they bring into Beijing if a canal ship from Xuzhou goes north?
In particular, the imperial court has now begun to restore the silkworm salt method in Gyeonggi, Gyeongsi and other places.
As long as they can deal with the local officials and the supervisors sent by the royal family, they can make those who turn a blind eye.
Then the only opponents they have to face are private salt dealers.
How can a private salt dealer defeat an organized police force!?
So, all questions have answers.
How can Caosi now start a lawsuit with Jingdong Road and Liangzhe Road?
He is now Party A!
It’s too late to curry favor!
And why was Caosi as quiet as a chicken during the whole process?
Because what they are doing cannot be high-profile, lest people become jealous and attract the iron fist of the imperial court.
then……
Wen Yanbo couldn't help but want to ask himself a question. He murmured in a low voice: "Do the officials know?"
Caosi is poaching him!
The proportion of salt income in the annual income of the Song Dynasty was very high!
What Wen Yanbo remembered was that Jie Yan alone could provide the court with an income of more than three million guan at the age of one.
It is Haiyan, which was not taken seriously in the past. When Wu Juhou was the transfer envoy of Jingdong Road, he worked on salt on Jingdong Road and contributed millions of dollars in one year.
After the current officials came to the throne, they set things right and abolished the salt-making, iron-making and horse-keeping jobs on Jingdong Road.
For the Zhao officials, this was already a massive hemorrhage.
Now, Haiyan is directly flowing into markets such as Kaifengfu and Jingxi Road.
In Wen Yanbo's understanding, this was like holding a knife and cutting off his own aorta to bleed out.
Normally speaking, if the sea salt and soy milk brine method is fully promoted, it will occupy the entire salt market in Kaifeng Prefecture, western Beijing, eastern Jingdong, Henan and other places.
Then, the imperial court's annual loss in salt lessons will be more than three million guan.
It is equivalent to directly giving away an annual income of salt to the people of the world.
No wonder the people in the Dajianghuai Sixth Route Shipping Department are so quiet.
No wonder Liangzhe Road and Jingdong Road are so coordinated.
To these people, what kind of holy master is this in today’s officialdom?
It’s obviously Grandpa, the God of Wealth, who has descended to earth!
Wen Yanbo felt that if he were from Jingdong Road and Liangzhe Road, he would have to build a golden body for the current official family and pay homage sooner or later.
only……
Is this something done by the Zhao Guan family?
Wen Yanbo didn't understand.
Also, if there is such a huge lack of income from salt classes, where will the court go to make up for it?
Wen Yanbo frowned even more when he thought of this.
Because his decades of official experience told him that this matter is not that simple.
And judging from his understanding of the Zhao officials, he made them take the initiative to give up such a big piece of fat.
It can only be that they have something more delicious and easier to eat.
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!