Li Dazui's full name is Li Zhi, and he is also from Jiangdu. He took Guo Song's carriage back to Jiangdu. Along the way, he explained to Guo Song clearly the situation of Jianghuai salt and transportation.
"The Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transfer Department is composed of two departments, one is the Salt and Iron Department and the other is the Transfer Department. After the salt merchants get the salt, they first go to the Salt and Iron Department to estimate the goods. Generally, it is one stone per bag, which is easy to distinguish.
, one stone salt is taxed at one thousand one hundred cents.
After the salt and iron judge has estimated the quantity of the goods, he issues an estimate. The salt merchant takes the estimate to pay the tax in exchange for a salt tax stamp. Then the salt officer will stamp a large seal on each sack, and the salt merchant can use the salt tax stamp.
The tickets are out."
Guo Song was a little confused and asked: "What will happen to the tax stamps in the hands of the salt merchants?"
"Salt dealers who sell it to retail generally sell it one stone per stone, and the tax stamp follows the salt. In the end, when the salt is sold out, the tax stamp becomes invalid."
"Will the salt dealer take back the tax stamps and sell private salt in the future? He also has the tax stamps in his hand."
Li Zhi chuckled, "Then you underestimate the checkpoints along the way. Every time you pass a checkpoint, the checkpoint will stamp a stamp on the back of the tax stamp. If the same tax stamp passes the same checkpoint twice, you will be arrested and deducted.
Yes, once they are identified as illegal salt collectors, they don’t even have a chance to appeal. They are beheaded on the spot and their heads are hung on checkpoints. I don’t know how many people have been killed over the years? But some people still take risks, mainly because the illegal salt collectors make too much profit."
"What about the tax money?"
"Generally speaking, tax money is handed over to the Transportation Department once a month, placed in the Transportation Department's warehouse, and escorted to Beijing by the Transportation Department once a year."
"To put it this way, the Salt and Iron Department is only responsible for collecting taxes, and the key to transporting money to Chang'an lies with the Transshipment Department, right?"
"You can say that, but there are still some details. For example, the Salt and Iron Division also has a treasury. They did not hand over the money to the Transfer Division on time, or the amount of money paid did not match the tax stamp. As far as I know, this kind of thing happens often.
The Salt and Iron Division can even escort the money directly to the capital, but the Transportation Division has nothing to do."
At this point, Guo Song has basically understood the transfer process of salt tax and the distribution of forces between the two parties. They have no big problem with the Transshipment Department. The key is the Salt and Iron Department. Liu Yan also said that Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transshipment
The company mainly focused on transshipment, but the taxation of salt and iron was still directly controlled by the salt and iron supervisor, that is, it was in the hands of Huangfu Wen.
Guo Song pondered for a moment and said to Li Zhidao: "I'll give you a task! I want the detailed identity information of the forty-two salt and iron judges in Jianghuai, as well as what they have said and done before. I want them all, the more detailed they are.
The better.”
Li Zhi was immediately startled, "How can this be done?"
"Is it impossible? Or is it a matter of money?" Guo Song asked.
"It all has something to do with it. This kind of investigation is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it also costs money. If you don't have three to five hundred dollars, you can't even hope to complete it."
After all, it's still a question of money.
Guo Song said without hesitation: "I will give you five hundred dollars alone, and you will find out the results of my investigation within ten days, but you must also remember that my money is not easy to get. If you dare to cheat me, don't do it."
Blame me for turning against others."
........
The carriage entered Jiangdu City and Li Zhi left in a hurry. The carriage stopped in front of the Jiangshan Inn not far from the south city gate. Guo Song entered the inn gate and unexpectedly found Sun Xiaozhen sitting in the courtyard.
"Why are you here?" Guo Song asked in surprise.
Sun Xiaozhen quickly stood up and scratched her head and said: "Uncle, my aunt asked me to come here. He said that you need someone to run errands."
This is true. Guo Song really lacked a follower and errand boy. He had to do everything by himself. He was really a little overwhelmed. Aunt Gongsun thought very carefully about it for him.
"Where is your master?" Guo Songxiao asked.
"Master was finally banned for three months. He seriously violated the regulations of Hidden Sword Pavilion and shouldn't have asked Uncle Master to take action. Now Chang'an City is searching for Uncle Master, and I am no longer safe, so Master Aunt Grandma asked me to come to Yangzhou too.
."
"Is there anything going on over there at Qingxu Temple?"
"The Qingxu Temple is fine, and the wine shop is fine as well, but I heard that hundreds of people of similar stature to my uncle were arrested, causing a scene in Chang'an. Yuan Xiangguo therefore went to force Yu Chao En to release them, and dragged them
Within three days, these people were released one after another."
"Come into the room and talk!"
Guo Song took Sun Xiaozhen into the inn, and asked the innkeeper to open an upper room next to his. Then he took Sun Xiaozhen up to the second floor and came to his room.
Guo Song poured him a cup of tea and asked, "How did you get here?"
"Uncle Master, I came to Yangzhou on horseback."
"I'm not asking how you came to Yangzhou, I'm asking how you knew I lived here?"
"Liu Shijun told me, I have a letter from my great-aunt."
Guo Song waited for him to drink the water, and then asked: "Who else knows my identity besides you?"
"There is no one else!"
Sun Xiaozhen shook her head and said: "My aunt just told me that my uncle is the secret weapon of the Hidden Sword Pavilion. I am not allowed to leak anything to the outside world, and I can't tell the master!"
"Do you know the people who protect Mr. Liu?"
"I only know the leader, named Zhao Qian, who is a first-level warrior in the Hidden Sword Pavilion."
Speaking of this, Sun Xiaozhen slapped her forehead, "I almost forgot that Wu Yue, the chief warrior of Tianyuan Pavilion, also came to Yangzhou with a group of people. I heard that Yuan Xiangguo also sent several people to strengthen the protection of Liu Shijun."
Guo Song was startled, "There are also warriors under Yuan Xiangguo?"
"It should be a warrior of the Yuan family. Many wealthy families raise warriors. It is an open secret in Chang'an."
Sun Xiaozhen took out a gold medal from Hidden Sword Pavilion from her arms and handed it to Guo Song, "This is given to you by my aunt."
Guo Song took the gold medal. There was no name on it, only the words "To the Warriors". However, the gold medal was actually round. He couldn't help but be a little surprised, "Why is it a round medal?"
Sun Xiaozhen explained with admiration: "This is the round plaque enshrined in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. It has the highest status in the Hidden Sword Pavilion. I heard that there are only five people in total, and Master Aunt Zu is one of them."
Of course Guo Song understood why Aunt Gongsun gave him the gold medal of Cangjian Pavilion. No matter what he did, he must have an identity. It was indeed a good way to use the identity of Cangjian Pavilion to cover up his true identity.
Guo Song put away the gold medal and said: "I have to go to the hotel. You can clean up after yourself and have a good rest. I will explain things to you tomorrow."
........
Guo Song came to Guanyi where Liu Yan lived. The door was still strictly guarded by two unknown guards. This time, Guo Song did not use the fish tag. He directly took out the gold medal and said to the guard: "I'm looking for Ambassador Liu!"
When the two guards saw that it was actually the Hidden Sword Pavilion enshrining the gold medal, they immediately said respectfully: "Please wait a moment, we will inform the young master right now. What is your surname?"
"My surname is Guo, as Liu Shijun knows."
A guard went in and came out a moment later: "Master Guo, please come in!"
Guo Song met Liu Yan, who had just returned and was still wearing official uniform. Today was his first day in office and he was quite busy.
"Master Guo is here so soon. I thought he would come a few days later."
Guo Song smiled and said: "There are some things I want to confirm with the envoy."
"Please sit down and talk!"
Liu Yan asked Guo Song to sit down and asked the boy to serve tea.
Guo Song told the story of his encounter with Li Zhi in Jiangyang County today. Liu Yan nodded, "The information from these brokers is quite accurate. He is right. It is the problem of the Transportation Department and the Salt and Iron Department. Jianghuai Salt
The Railway Transport Department mainly controls the transshipment, while the salt tax collection is directly under the Salt and Railway Supervision. The Transport Department has a wide range of transportation, such as the transportation of grain materials, etc. It can also take charge of it. It does not say that the salt tax must be supervised by
It comes to transport.”
"What you are saying is that the Salt and Iron Supervisor also has the right to transfer tax money?"
"That's right, so we must require the forty-two salt and iron judges of the Jianghuai Salt and Iron Division to hand over the tax money to the Transportation Division on time and in full."
Guo Song said: "But Huangfu Wen will definitely ask the forty-two salt and iron judges to pay the tax money to the salt and iron supervision treasury, and then he will arrange for the tax money to go to Beijing."
Liu Yan sighed, "Once the tax money reaches Huangfu Wen's hands, there will be trouble. The court is eager to use the money, but Yu Chaoen withholds the tax money and refuses to pay it. He takes the opportunity to make demands, and the court becomes passive."
In the final analysis, it is still a human issue. The Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transfer Department and the Salt and Iron Supervision Department simultaneously issued a document asking 42 salt and iron judges to transfer tax money. Who do these salt and iron judges listen to?
Liu Yan added worriedly: "There is another news. Yu Chaoen's son Yu Lingxuan will arrive in Yangzhou soon. He will be appointed as the captain of Yangzhou and will be in charge of a thousand local troops in Yangzhou. He will definitely assign the troops to various salt fields to supervise tax collection."
Money, with the participation of the army, the salt and iron judges would not dare to disobey Huangfu Wen's orders, and the salt tax would be completely in Huangfu Wen's hands."
The situation was indeed serious. Guo Song pondered for a moment and asked: "Who is the current captain of Yangzhou?"
"The current Captain of Yangzhou is called Luo Ziyu. He is a general under the former Youwei General Chen Xuanli. The Tianwang Temple mutiny failed and Chen Xuanli was sent to Lingnan to die suddenly on the way. Luo Ziyu was demoted to the Captain of Yangzhou. His term expired this fall.
After returning to Beijing to report on his duties, and then arrange other duties, Yu Lingxuan took the opportunity to take over his military power."
"Then is there any way to postpone Luo Ziyu's return to Beijing?"
"Unless there is local unrest, and then I, as the governor of Yangzhou, write to the court asking Luo Ziyu to stay in office to quell the rebellion. In this case, the local captain can extend his term for one year. But the problem now is that Yu Lingxuan has come to Yangzhou to take over.
, we will arrive in Yangzhou in a few days, and we have no time."
Guo Song said coldly: "Liu Shijun, don't worry, Yu Lingxuan can't come to Yangzhou."
"Mr. Guo, you have to calm down, there are some things we can't do!"
Guo Song shook his head, "My mind is like a clear mirror as to what can and cannot be done!"
After saying that, he turned around and left quickly.
Liu Yan watched him walk away and couldn't help but sigh. Guo Song was nominally his staff, but in fact he was playing the same game of Jianghuai as him. He really couldn't stop him from whatever he wanted to do.