Guo Song didn't want to be polite to them, so he asked about the situation of salt mining straight to the point. The salt storage in Shanzhou warehouse can only last for two months. If the production here can't keep up after two months, then there will be a lot of trouble.
.
Xie Huai'en has been here for more than ten days. He has been carefully surveying the situation of the White Salt Pond, determining the mining location, and preparing for the next large-scale mining.
He already knew the situation of the White Salt Pond very well. He bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the humble post is almost ready. It has been decided to start boiling salt in ten days. Two thousand salt boiling soldiers are ready. In the first three months, the salt production will be 50,000 shi per month.
In three months, it will reach 100,000 shi, and with the addition of the salt farm in Qinghai Lake, Hehuang, the monthly salt production will reach 200,000 shi, which can reach the previous monthly output."
The salt tax for a pound of salt is 200,000 guan per month, 2.4 million guan per year, which can pay for the military salary of an army of 200,000 guan. Then add in the profit from wine, and the military salary problem can be solved.
.
However, Guo Song also knows that mining salt here involves labor, fuel, transportation, etc., and the cost must be relatively high. Each bucket of salt costs at least 30 cents. There is no way, the price of salt will definitely rise to 130 yuan per bucket of salt.
Ten articles.
Although the price has increased by 20 cents compared to before, compared with the high-priced salt of several hundred cents per bucket in other places, the price of salt he sells to the people is still quite low, and the people should be able to accept it.
Thinking of this, Guo Song breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "How long can this salt lake be mined?"
Xie Huai'en sighed and said: "This salt lake is relatively small and can last for up to ten years. There are several salt lakes in the north, but in the desert, mining is difficult."
"Ten years is enough!"
Guo Song laughed and said: "The real salt production still depends on sea salt. It is impossible for us not to see even a piece of sea in ten years."
Xie Huaien scratched his head and said with a smile: "Your Highness is right, your humble position has narrow vision."
Guo Song pondered for a while and said: "I think you should also know that the salt storage capacity in the Shanzhou warehouse can only last for two months. The salt tax is related to the military salary. You have a heavy responsibility. If you have any difficulties, just ask them and I will
Make every effort to make arrangements.”
"Reporting to Your Highness, other problems are not big. The biggest problem now is the warehouse. I discussed with Magistrate Lan to first borrow the official warehouse in the county and build a salt warehouse at the same time. Then we will speed up the transportation of salt. I hope to use the ship
can be guaranteed.”
Guo Song immediately said: "Okay, I specially approved 600 salt ships, divided into three teams, so that they can transport on the Yellow River without interruption."
"If that's the case, the big problem is basically solved."
...........
Guo Song stayed in Yanzhou for two days and then returned directly from Yanzhou to Chang'an via Xiaoguan. He did not go to Fengzhou this time. There were actually a lot of things waiting for him to deal with in Chang'an. He had no time to go and could only wait.
I will make a special trip next time.
After entering May, the weather has gradually become hotter. It has been raining in Chengdu these days. Although it is cool, the sky is always gloomy and the air humidity is too high. Clothes and rooms are wet all day long, which is very...
Uncomfortable.
The imperial court in Chengdu was as gloomy as the weather. Military and financial power were firmly controlled by eunuchs. Beiya had been publicly established. All memorials involving the army and money and grain expenditures had to be sent to Beiya for approval and decision-making by the eunuchs, and the distribution of power.
It is clear that the North and South Yamen have been getting along well in the past few months.
However, the government in Nanya was very boring. More importantly, there was no hope, and the salary was low. Officials were muddle along and everyone was vying to go to the local government. Even being a county magistrate was better than being a minister in the court.
Coupled with the continuous rain, many northern ministers began to miss the sunny weather in the north, and missed their hometown even more.
At noon that day, on the third floor of Chengdu Wangjiang Restaurant, two middle-aged men were sitting next to a window seat. They were about fifty years old. They both looked gentle and elegant. They were certainly not ordinary people.
One of them is Wei Huan, the Minister of Punishment, the head of the famous Wei family in Chang'an, and the other is Wen Ji, the minister of Taichang Temple, the head of the famous Wen family in Taiyuan.
Wen Ji filled a glass of wine for Wei Huan and asked curiously: "Is that the case closed like this?"
Wei Huan sighed and said: "So what if the case is not closed? Song Chaofeng took over the store, how can you still confiscate his store?"
The two were talking about a ridiculous case. There was a century-old cloth selling shop on West Street in Chengdu. Because his father passed away, the shop owner closed the shop and went to Meizhou to attend his father's funeral. After returning to Chengdu a few months later, he found that the shop had been occupied by someone next door.
The tea house is occupied.
The two parties argued, but the teahouse proprietor produced the land deed and house deed, which clearly showed that the scope of his shop included the cloth shop. In this way, there were two legal land deeds and house deeds, and the two parties began to litigate. The case started from
The commotion in the county government went all the way to the Ministry of Punishment, which alarmed Wei Huan, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment.
"Whose shop is it?"
"Of course the cloth shop is real. Its land deed is an old one from decades ago. Although the teahouse's land deed is also an old one, there are traces of modifications on it, and the bottom left by the government has also been modified."
"What is the background of the teahouse?" Wen Ji asked again.
Wei Huan sneered, "Didn't I just say that?"
"You mean Song Chaofeng?"
Wei Huan nodded, "The owner of this teahouse has three sons. The youngest son changed his surname to Song Chaofeng and became Song Chaofeng's adopted grandson. He is one of Song Chaofeng's twenty-four grandchildren."
"I see!"
Only then did Wen Ji realize that it was Song Chaofeng's relationship.
During the Song Dynasty, Feng had nine concubines, eighteen concubines and twenty-four grandsons. The nine concubines were his nine confidant eunuchs who were placed in the Nine Divisions of Beiya. The eighteen concubines were the eighteen officials in the court who were sent by Feng during the Song Dynasty.
Become officials in various places, or be placed in key departments.
The twenty-four grandsons were the children of twenty-four wealthy merchants in Chengdu. They colluded with power and money to provide Song Chaofeng with wealth. Several other eunuchs, such as Huo Xianming and Dou Wenchang, also had adopted sons and grandsons, which were similar to each other.
"What about now?" Wen Ji asked again.
"Now that the Ministry of Punishment is involved in this case, Song Chaofeng simply bought the teahouse. The cloth shop next to the teahouse also belongs to him. He sent troops to sit nearby and kill anyone who dares to touch the teahouse. The Ministry of Punishment can only stare.
way."
Wen Ji pondered for a moment and said: "I think the key lies in Chengdu County. The county has changed the land and house deeds, and they are the culprit."
Wei Huan snorted, "The county magistrate Tang Shao is one of the eighteen sons-in-law of Song Chaofeng. For him, isn't everything taken for granted?"
Wen Ji slammed the wine glass on the table, "The traitorous eunuchs are causing chaos, and the world is dark!"
Wei Huan was silent for a moment and said: "This case is just a trivial matter. What's scary is not the case itself, but what's behind the case."
"What does Brother Wei mean?"
Wei Huan let out a long sigh and said, "Don't you think it's sad that the dignified Minister of the Ministry of Justice has to care about such trivial matters?"
Wen Ji was silent. This was an embarrassment faced by everyone. The court had nothing to do. Mines, land, real estate, salt and iron, taxation, etc., all powers related to property were seized by Beiya, and the army was also there.
In the hands of the North Government, the South Government has nothing to do.
Without financial control, Nan Ya was like a bird with its wings plucked out, struggling to survive. He, the Taichang Qing, was even idle for several days with nothing to do.
At this time, Wei Huan said slowly: "It's my grandfather's memorial day in a few days, and I plan to go back to Chang'an."
These are all excuses. Wei Huan's grandfather's memorial day is held every year, but he has never been seen back. The key is that Du You was actually reused by Guo Song and was named Zuo Sima of the Jin Palace. He became one of the magistrates of Tiance Tower. This news
This irritated Wei Huan. His brother Wei Qing was the governor of Puzhou and wrote several times asking him to go back. However, Wei Huan was a bit hypocritical and hoped that Guo Song would write to him personally.
Now that Du You had seized the opportunity first, Wei Huan regretted it. Seeing that there were candidates for various high-level positions, he would have no chance if he didn't go back.
Of course Wen Ji knew it very well. His son Wen Miao was a reporter of Guo Song and joined the army. He also wrote several times asking him to go north, but he was a little hesitant. This hesitation meant that the opportunity was missed.
Wen Ji sighed and said, "I heard that several brothers from the Guo family are also going back to Chang'an to guard their father's grave. Since Brother Wei has decided to leave, it's best to leave quickly. It will be difficult to leave if it is later."
Wei Huan was shocked. He was still waiting for the Empress Dowager to approve the leave! It seemed that he couldn't wait any longer and would set off tomorrow.
"Brother Wen Xian, won't you go back and take a look?" Wei Huan asked.
"I may have to go back, but not now, maybe at the end of the year! It's just the right time to go back to my hometown to worship my ancestors."
The two of them had basically spoken out. Wei Huan smiled bitterly and said: "Many people say that the hope of the Tang Dynasty lies in Chang'an. What do you think, brother Xian?"
"It's hard to say. After all, the King of Jin's surname is Guo and not Li. If the hope of the world lies in Chang'an, I agree. The hope of the Tang Dynasty... The imperial family of the Tang Dynasty is almost dead. Where can there be hope?
?" At the end of the sentence, Wen Ji's lips couldn't help but tremble.
Wen Ji is right. The Tang clan was almost wiped out by An Lushan. After the Jingyuan mutiny, Zhu Si killed another batch. The Sanqing Palace Rebellion at the beginning of the year killed another batch. Now, in addition to Zhao Zhao, the imperial clan
Wang Lisi was outside Lingnan. There were no adult men left, only a group of young children. How could their young bodies support the Tang Dynasty?
"Okay! I'll leave early tomorrow morning. I hope we'll meet again in Chang'an."
Wen Ji also raised his glass and said, "I wish you a safe journey, brother."
"Let's do it!"
The two drank the wine in one gulp, got up and left.