The New Year's Eve will soon come, and the Jia family's Chinese New Year will naturally be more lively this year.
Jia Ke also came back from the palace several times, firstly to visit the old lady, and secondly to offer incense to the ancestors of the Jia family.
After these things were over, Jia Ke returned to the palace.
After the beginning of spring, the court had more affairs, especially arranging spring plowing, which was the top priority of the year and related to the stability of the court in the coming year.
In the year when Jia Ke was in charge of the world, he didn't want anything to go wrong. So Jia Ke issued several edicts in the name of the regent. He asked officials in various places to pay attention to spring plowing, and the chief officials in various places must go to the fields in person.
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If there is a way, the superiors will follow the good deeds and the subordinates will follow them. Jia Ke's statement made the officials below who were eager to be promoted naturally do their best.
Therefore, this year the county magistrates and state officials in various places suffered a lot in the fields, but they did not complain. Instead, they all praised Jia Ke and said that he cared about the sufferings of the people.
During this period, something happened again in the salt factories in Huainan.
It turns out that this year the salt farms produced much more salt than in previous years, but the salt merchants purchased much less salt than in previous years.
The managers of the salt factory felt bad when they saw this situation. Although they had been fed by the salt merchants, this time the salt merchants did something a little too much.
If the court finds out, how should these people explain to the court?
So the stewards of the salt factory communicated with each other and discussed it, and then they collectively invited all the major salt merchants in Huainan to a restaurant.
The salt merchants in Huainan were headed by Wang Yinggeng. This Wang Yinggeng was not a good person. After he arrived at the restaurant, he did not pay attention to the salt farm managers who were fed by him.
The managers of the salt factory had obtained a lot of money from him, so when they asked for help from him, they naturally groveled.
Wang Yinggeng sat in the middle and didn't take the soft words and requests from the stewards seriously.
"This year, the demand for salt in various places has been reduced a lot. Salt merchants like them have no way to report to the court. I think you should find another way."
Among the stewards of Yanchang, there was a man named Li Yingtai. Although this man was also respected by the salt merchants, he was still somewhat public-minded.
Li Yingtai became a little annoyed after hearing Wang Yinggeng's words, "Mr. Wang, this matter is not our salt factory's business. If the salt tax paid this year and the salt factory's profits are reduced, and the court blames it, Mr. Wang, you will suffer
Can you afford it?"
Wang Yinggeng was a little silent after hearing this. This was indeed what he was worried about. To be honest this year, the salt used in various places has not decreased, and is even more than in previous years. However, the current Salt Patrol Censor is not like the original Lin Ruhai dripping water.
Otherwise, this person has been bribed by them, so these salt merchants dare to be so unscrupulous.
It should be said that in addition to eating salt from regular salt factories, the main source of income for these salt merchants is brewing private salt in private.
If the salt patrol censors were more strict, they would not dare to be unscrupulous, and the court would still be able to get a lot of salt tax and profits from the salt factory.
For example, now that the salt patrol officer has been completely bribed by Wang Yingtai, he will naturally no longer be in charge. Therefore, the salt merchants in Jiangnan have become unscrupulous in the past few years.
The managers of these salt factories are also well aware of this matter, but their main purpose when serving as officials is to make some money. Naturally, they follow the principle of doing less than doing more, and do not publicize it in any way.
Now when they heard about the harsh punishment of the stewards, these people were also a little worried. If the salt tax this year was too low, the imperial court would investigate, and they themselves would not be happy.
What worries Wang Yinggeng even more is that the Shanxi merchants in Shanxi have always been eyeing the salt trafficking matter. If this matter leaves them with a clue, then let them mobilize their power in the court. In the end, although their salt merchants also
Even with the protection of some officials, Jia Ke may not be able to pass the test.
After Wang Yinggeng thought it through, he said to the managers of the salt factory: "In this case, I will replenish 800,000 taels of silver. What do you think?"
After hearing this, the managers of each salt factory looked at each other in shock. Although these 800,000 units of silver can make up for the profits of the original factory, the salt tax cannot be compensated by these 800,000 units of silver. Without 2 million units, it may not be possible to calm down.
The resentment of the big shots in the court.
So the managers of the salt factory looked at each other, and finally focused their eyes on Li Yingtai.
Li Yingtai naturally did his part. He stood up and said to Wang Yinggeng with a gloomy face: "Boss Wang, are you kidding us?"
Wang Yinggeng was not in a hurry when he went. He picked up the wine glass and drank a glass of wine, and then took a relaxed bite of the braised carp.
Then he slowly raised his head, Li Yingtai looked at it and said: "Master Li, I paid 800,000 taels from my own pocket. I have already taken great care of the court's face. If we, the salt merchants, are asked to pay more, I'm afraid it will be too much."
It's impossible, I think Mr. Li should think of other ways."
After Li Yingtai heard this, he burst into laughter, "Boss Wang, can't you still see the situation clearly? No matter how powerful you are, can you compare to the Zhen family in Jiangnan? I think Boss Wang should make up the tax as soon as possible.
, everyone should be careful, otherwise, when the time comes, disaster will fall from the sky, and my property and life may not be guaranteed."
Wang Yinggeng was furious after hearing this. Wasn't this a curse to his family? Since they had already broken up, there was no need to joke around with these little people here.
Wang Yinggeng stopped talking, stood up, turned around and left the restaurant. The other salt merchants saw that their leading brother had left, so they also turned and left one by one.
The remaining salt factory managers began to complain about Li Yingtai's arrival.
"Mr. Li is too impulsive. This makes Boss Wang angry. How will we live in this area in the future?"
"I think Mr. Li should quickly apologize to Boss Wang. This way there may be room for relaxation."
After hearing these words, Li Yingtai sneered at the salt factory stewards.
"You are still worried about offending Wang Yingtai. If the money cannot be paid in a few days, we people like us will not be able to save our heads."
Li Yingtai's words silenced all the stewards.
Li Yingtai saw that all these people had shut their mouths, and then he continued: "Since Wang Yinggeng is unkind, don't blame us people for being unjust. I think we should report according to the facts. The imperial court is short of so much silver, so naturally we have to send people down.
Check and see how Wang Yingtai ends up."
After hearing this, all the managers felt that this was the only way to go. They couldn't use their own money to wipe Wang Yinggeng's butt.
So after they returned, they jointly reported to Jia Ke, saying that the salt purchased by the salt merchants this year was much less than in previous years, and the profits of the salt factory and the salt tax had been significantly reduced.
check.
These models are not fuel-efficient lamps. I knew that something big was going to happen this time, so I hurriedly took out the savings at home, many of which were transferred to the official accounts, trying to balance the accounts as much as possible. In this way, I lost a lot of money.
There is less money, but at least the official prestige and life can be saved. As long as this position remains unchanged, the money will still be recovered in a year or two.
The Yanxunyan Censor also knew that something was wrong. This time, if the court found out, his wealth and life would not be saved, so he went to Wang Yinggeng's residence several times to make a confession to him.
But Wang Yinggeng, who used to be very talkative in the past, is now in a state of indifference. No matter how much he pleads for the Salt Patrol Censor, he never pulls out a hair.
In the end, the salt patrol censor was also helpless by him. After thinking about it after returning to his house, he felt that the matter was too dangerous, so he packed up all the bribes he had received that night and sent them back to Wang Yinggeng's house.
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After Wang Yinggeng received the money, he was not angry at all and just accepted it silently.
Wang Yinggeng knew that the Salt Patrol Censor wanted to jump out of this pit of fire, but it was not that easy.
Not to mention that the stewards of the salt factory complained to the court, but that Wang Yinggeng himself was not a fool. He knew that he had pushed the stewards of the salt factory too fast this time, and I was afraid that things would not end easily.
But Wang Yinggeng had no choice. This year his master behind the scenes demanded much more money than in previous years.
Although Wang Yinggeng had some money, it was somewhat unsustainable for him to spend several million taels of silver a year.
But Wang Yinggeng couldn't sit still and wait for death. He immediately wrote a letter after returning and sent his servant to deliver it. He hoped that his master could help him for the sake of being in front of and behind the horse for so many years.
This letter was delivered to a luxurious villa in Yangzhou a day or two later.
The owner of the other courtyard was a handsome young man of seventeen or eighteen years old. The young man took the letter and read it carefully, then gently put it aside.
When an old housekeeper nearby saw the young man's appearance, he quickly stepped forward and said, "Master, this matter is not trivial. If the court investigates it in the future and pulls out the carrots and brings out the mud, I'm afraid it won't end well."
After hearing this, the young man said helplessly: "Then what do you want me to do? Aunt Lin's place is at a critical moment now. The number of secret agents this year has grown much more than before, and a large amount of silver is needed to maintain it. Where do you want me to get so many?
Money coming?"
The butler next to him also sighed after hearing this. In recent years, due to Qin Keqing's relationship, the organization has developed much faster than in previous years. Many dignitaries have already connected with them, but the silver needed for this is gold mountain silver.
ocean.
Because of this, the young master could only raise money from everywhere, and finally had to settle on Wang Yinggeng. Although the crisis was temporarily solved, it left clues, and the court might not let it go.
The young master also felt a little troubled now. He stood up and walked back and forth in the garden several times. It was impossible to stop its development, but the court also wanted to give an explanation.
Then the young master's eyes shone with a sinister light and he said, "Send people to scuttle all the merchant ships carrying salt to the north."