As a big merchant who monopolized the business of official salt in Huguang Province, Zhong An can be said to be a huge profit, but he actually claimed to be a loss. Chen Xi heard this and a sarcastic smile appeared on his face... If possible, he would really want to use his boots to slap this hateful old face.

Are you still losing money when you play monopoly?

Just stop doing official salt business, just hit and die!

The price is all set by you. When a pound of salt is out of the salt farm, the price is only a few cents, but it is already twenty or thirty cents when sold to the place.

Do you really think that the governors of these two provinces can be easily fooled?

"well"

Chen Xi suppressed his anger, sighed softly, and asked, "Is it because the tea and salt trading on the ground in Huguang has been so difficult to do in the past few years?"

Zhong An thought Chen Xi was really unaware of it, so he quickly followed Chen Xi's words: "Master Shen, you may not know that Huguang has been suffering from natural disasters in recent years, with floods first, plagues and locust plagues. The people are living in poverty. We are just doing tea and salt trading, not food, cloth and other daily necessities. We dare not compete with the people for profit, and it is normal to lose money!"

Chen Xi smiled coldly, looked at Wen Qinzhu, and asked, "Wen Dang, is this the truth?"

Wen Qinzhu originally wanted to directly denied Zhong An's nonsense. He was thinking about when it was now. Saving his family and life was the most important thing. He dared to be careless in front of the young governor. Are you really not afraid of death? But in some major events, the two major families have always been advancing and retreating together. Wen Qinzhu didn't dare to directly slap Zhong An in the face at this stall, otherwise how would they get along in the future?

Just as Wen Qinzhu hesitated, Chen Xidao: "Maybe I just arrived at the place and the situation I learned was different from what I said..."

"As far as I know, a small amount of salt is drawn out of the salt field and transported to Wuchang Prefecture via water and land. It is only a few ounces per kilogram of salt. In Wuchang Prefecture, the price of salt on the market is already twenty cents, and this is only crude old salt, while the price of new and refined salt can range from twenty-five to thirty cents."

"As for the salt price in western and southern areas of Huguang, there are even more people who can reach fifty or sixty cents per kilogram. Such a big and good business can make Zhong Dang's family lose money. Zhong Dang's family is really worried about the country and the people..."

When Zhong An heard Chen Xi understand the salt price in Huguang so clearly, he knew that Chen Xi was serious this time. Before he knew it, he touched his details to the sky, which also confirmed the rumors about Chen Xi from one side... He served as the governor of Huguang and Jiangxi Provinces this time, and his intention was not good!

Zhong An knelt down on the ground with a "thump" and tried his best to defend himself: "Mr. Shen, many things are not as simple as you imagined. The local salt price is extremely high, which is caused by the long mountains, long waters, and land blockage. There are many mountains, rivers, hills and valleys on the ground in Huguang. It is difficult to travel. Often a pound of salt is transported from the coast to Wuchang Prefecture, and the freight alone costs more than ten yuan. If Mr. Shen doesn't believe it, you can ask the relevant departments of the vassal department for clarity..."

Wen Qinzhu knew that Zhong An had caused trouble and thought to herself: "Mr. Shen just took down all the officials below the political participation. Do you still want Mr. Shen to ask the people of the vassal state, wouldn't it be a matter of trouble?"

Wen Qinzhu knelt down with a "dong" sound, but lowered her head and said nothing. Fortunately, it was Zhong An who was asked first, which made him mentally prepared in advance. Since Chen Xi investigated the local people's livelihood so clearly, it would be useless to play tricks with Chen Xi to deceive his superiors and hide his subordinates. Many things can only be told to the truth.

Now Wen Qinzhu no longer wants to protect her family business. As long as she can get the whole family of Wen’s family back, it will be enough for him.

If the crime of murdering two vassal states was confirmed, the entire Wen family would be killed.

Just when Wen Qinzhu thought that Zhong An and the Zhong family had already gone, and Chen Xi might immediately order the family to be confiscated and exterminated the clan, Chen Xi suddenly changed his voice and said:

"It makes sense to hear from the boss Zhong's words. Could it be that small vendors use old salt to fill the salt, privately raise the price of salt, and make huge profits from it, which leads to the local salt prices rising and the people's lives being in vain?"

Zhong An seemed to have grabbed the life-saving straw and quickly followed Chen Xi's meaning: "It must be like this, it must be like this! Please give me a clue."

Before Wen Qinzhu understood what was going on, she heard Chen Xi continue, "Since that's the case, I am not too harsh. The two of them got up and talked..."

Zhong An and Wen Qinzhu didn't dare to stand up. Su Jingyang, who was standing beside him, said coldly: "You are deaf? Do you dare to disobey Lord Shen's instructions?"

Zhong An and Wen Qinzhu were like two marionettes and had to get up from the ground quickly. Although they were old and weak, they did not dare to support each other because they both knew very well at this moment that the importance of maintaining a certain distance.

Zhong Anduo: "Mr. Shen, why did you suddenly ask about local salt tea today? If you have any needs, just speak..."

In the eyes of Zhong An and Wen Qinzhu, Chen Xi said such a big story, which clearly means asking them for benefits. They have seen similar officials before, and they have talked about the problem very seriously. They just turn around and ask for money, and they are not polite at all. They may have asked for thousands or even tens of thousands of taels at once.

In this era, the general price of bribery was several hundred taels of silver, and few were more than a thousand taels, because the voyage in the middle of the Ming Dynasty had just begun, and the silver in the Americas had not yet impacted the monetary system of the Ming Dynasty, and the silver price remained high. The amount of copper coins and silver on the market was seriously insufficient. Sometimes silk and cloth were used as coins, and many places even retained the means of bartering.

Chen Xi glanced at Zhong An, and looked like he was saying, "You guys know each other."

Chen Xidao: "I do have some things to discuss with you. The Zhong family said before that Huguang has suffered frequent disasters in recent years, first from floods, then from plagues and locust plagues. Local people can be said to be living in dire straits. After I arrived at the local area, I was worried and couldn't sleep for several nights..."

Before Zhong An could speak, Wen Qinzhu had already made a compliment: "Mr. Shen is worried about the country and the people, and he is really a wise minister..."

Chen Xi was like a foolish official who was praised and complacent, and raised his hand: "Hey! Wen Dangjia said this a bit too much. I am just an ordinary official. I came to the place with the emperor's order, so I naturally hope to achieve some political achievements."

"A few days ago, I saw the warehouse under the jurisdiction of the vassal yamen. Oh, I'm going to tell you that the taxes in the first few years have not been fully collected. The court used troops in the northwest, and Huguang had only a handful of money and grain collection. This really ruined the face of our Huguang, a major grain-producing province..."

Wen Qinzhu thought to herself: "As it turns out, Lord Shen is speaking up for Ma Fantai. The court sent the governor and the police station to come one after another, saying that he had no contact with each other, who would believe it? It's just that Guo Guanzheng always thought that he was the only one who wanted to deal with, but he put the tiger aside."

Zhong An was still talking along Chen Xi's words: "Mr. Shen, local people in Huguang, have they really not had a good life in recent years!"

Chen Xi glanced at Zhong An and said, "So, I hope to provide relief to the victims and enrich the national treasury through donations from local gentry. I wonder if the Zhong family and Wen family can give me some help?"

Wen Qinzhu said: "What Lord Shen does is actually for the country and the people. The Wen family has thanked His Majesty for the past few years and has always had a small surplus in business. Lord Shen wants to provide disaster relief, and the Wen family has no choice but to do so!"

"good!"

Chen Xi slapped the table, which scared Wen Qinzhu and Zhong An, but saw Chen Xi standing up with a smile and said, "I will definitely present your good deeds to Your Majesty truthfully to show your achievements. At that time, the local government can even erect a monument for you and others!"

Zhong An said: "I dare not, Lord Shen, you also know that our Zhong family has not been doing very well in recent years, and it is a bit tight..."

Wen Qinzhu didn't care where Zhong An was complaining and said directly: "Mr. Shen, the Wen family is willing to pay 60,000 guan at a time!"

******************

ps: Recommended the new book "The Perspective Master of the Beautiful Goddess" which was published by my friend Yu Yangjun: The body of Double Ninth Festival is born with cold veins, and to absorb pure yin energy can maintain life. I accidentally gain double-eye perspective, Qimen Dunjia inheritance... The urban cool article, you must read it!

Another emperor continues to ask for double monthly tickets!
Chapter completed!