The Red Mansions

Chapter 708 Lin Ruhai: Ziyu has ravines in his chest, he is really a national scholar!

Yangzhou Daying
As the Jiedu magistrate Huang Xian ordered the clerk to carry a large box into the barracks of the Chinese army, Jia Heng began to look through the military register and check the number of generals and soldiers.

The registers recorded names, residences, ages, heights, and even distinguishing features of appearance.In general, nothing will be found on the roster, because it can be faked.

Jia Heng checked the military roster, his face expressionless, but it made the next general feel uneasy, not knowing what this young Xungui was thinking.

At this moment, with the salutation of the soldiers and the noisy footsteps from outside, Shui Yu, surrounded by several generals, entered the barracks of the Chinese army, followed by generals one after another, most of whom looked surprised He looked uncertainly at the young man who was sitting behind the handsome desk, "brushing" through the books with his head bowed, not daring to speak out.

Along the way, he had already gained the confidence of Shuai Shuai, and the Jiangbei camp was transferred by Yongningbo in front of him.

Jia Heng put down the book in his hand, raised his eyes to look at Shui Yu, and asked in a deep voice: "Commander Shui Jie, are all the soldiers listed in the sergeant's roster in the army?"

Hearing this, Shui Yu's face changed slightly, he calmed down, and explained: "Uncle Yongning, this matter is quite complicated, the military registration book has not been re-registered for several years, and it may be different from the actual number of soldiers. "

Jia Heng said: "Then I will make an inventory later to see how many soldiers are missing, so that I can ask Jinling for the actual amount."

Hearing this, Shui Yu felt dizzy for a while.

Jia Heng didn't say much, he closed the book, looked down at the generals, and said: "Shuijie Commander, it's time for me to introduce a few colleagues, I was ordered by the emperor to transfer Jiangbei Camp, how can I not know you generals ?”

Hearing this, Shui Yu secretly groaned, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and introduce Jia Heng to the first general of the Jiangbei Camp.

Jia Heng met with several generals, and because of his outstanding memory, he managed to match the name with the head, and said: "Other nonsense, I will not talk about it, but the actual number of soldiers in the battalions should be reported truthfully. Check it out, but it won't look good."

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay when they heard the words, their hearts were awe-inspiring.

Jia Heng said: "The army is stationed in a prosperous place like Yangzhou. I can understand your difficulties, but it is not a reason to slack in the military. The Holy One has the ambition to rejuvenate the army and the military. The actual amount in the Jiangbei camp today depends on how much money you have. How much you report up, you can no longer deceive the upper and lower, and deduct the soldiers' salary."

As soon as these words came out, it was as if a layer of window paper had been torn, and there was no sound in the barracks, everyone was thinking about the pros and cons.

Shui Yu was the first to speak and asked: "Uncle Yongning came from the middle of the capital. Maybe he didn't know the situation in the Jiangbei camp. Many soldiers got married in Yangzhou. They had families and mouths, and they all depended on receiving a portion of rice grains." live."

Jia Heng asked: "If all these people are counted, there are ten thousand soldiers who can come here as ordered?"

Shui Yu hesitated, and said: "This is still there. Didn't many soldiers and horses be sent to Yangzhou before, but now the sergeants under him are in arrears for a long time."

Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "As for the food and wages, after the count of the soldiers, I will ask the Jinling Household Department for it."

Afterwards, Jia Heng settled down in the Jiangbei camp, and began to check the actual number of soldiers and horses in each battalion with the people from the experience department of Jinyi Mansion.

In the land of Yangzhou, there are many forces and complex forces. Unlike Datong, they are all generals who have cultivated for several generations. Jiangbei Daying can't resort to deceptive methods of painting barren hills with green paint. Finally, under Shuiyu's confession, it is finally determined that a big difference is not bad. The amount, Jiangbei Daying probably has more than [-] people.

At the same time, Jia Heng's movements were gathered by various investigators to the salt merchant.

Slender West Lake, Wang's House
In a water pavilion in the backyard, there are crowds of people, and the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou are full of seats.

Wang Shouqi put down the teacup in his hand, his old eyes flickered, and asked, "What do you think?"

Cheng Peili frowned, and said in a low voice, "Is this Yongning Bo really here to organize the army?"

"Old man, will you build the plank road openly and keep the warehouse in the dark?" Huang Rishan asked after pondering for a moment.

Wang Shouqi twirled his gray beard under his chin, and said: "It's not impossible, we still have to try again. After a few days, Huanhualou will choose a new oiran to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Oiran Competition. He doesn't want to experience Yangzhou. Prosperous? Pick a good Yangzhou skinny horse and send it to him."

There are as many as hundreds of Yangzhou Qinglou Chuguan, and this kind of oiran competition is held every year, which can be regarded as a recreational activity for Yangzhou salt merchants.

It is worth mentioning that at this time, there were basically no changes in the characters of the former Song Dynasty. Su Shi already existed, and there was no need to copy any water tune songs.

At this moment, Ma Xianjun said abruptly: "Mr. Wang, I'm afraid that they will organize the army first, and after sharpening their knives, I will have no chance to stand up."

Jiang Tong frowned, and said: "Brother Ma, this is a bit of a panic. This is not a battlefield. He fights and kills, and the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River are in an uproar. He can't eat it! Besides, Qige Lao tomorrow When we arrived in Yangzhou, they fought on their own first, and in the end I waited for some concessions and got over this difficulty first.”

Not all of the eight major salt merchants are of one mind, or their inherent weakness and compromise prevailed.

Thinking appeared on Wang Shouqi's old face, he looked at Jiang Tong, and said: "Brother Jiang said, I don't want to mess up. Before the sky falls, Master Liu said that we still have to wait for Mr. Qi Ge to return to Jinling, and we must call Discuss with all parties, and then look at Yongningbo's movements."

Because of Wang Shouqi's status in the world, everyone can only look at the trend with different thoughts.

The night was low, and the drizzle had dissipated a lot. In the inn, the lights were like beans, and the lights were dim. Duoduo looked at a map spread out on the table. The layout of the streets and alleys in Yangzhou City, as shown The criss-cross chessboard is all on it.

Duoduo frowned deeply, and his eyes stayed on the Yanyuan Yamen, thinking about the arrangement method, accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps from the outside from far to near.

"Tushan." Duoduo called out.

"Master, this kid went out of Yangzhou Salt Court today to meet Shui Yu, the governor of Jiangbei, and then went to Jiangbei Daying. The people from Jinyi Mansion drove away two groups of eyeliners. Our people are not easy to keep an eye on, but we can figure it out. There are about a hundred followers who have come and gone." The big man who looked like an iron tower didn't talk nonsense, and said.

Jia Heng's itinerary to Jiangbei Daying was all public information, but it still allowed Jinyi Mansion to drive away some of the more obvious stalkers.

Duoduo said: "There are not many hundred cavalry, but this is not a battlefield, and we have fewer people."

Jia Heng went south and led nearly a thousand followers, and many guards of the Jinyi Mansion were guarding around the Yamen of Yanyuan, and they often led a hundred cavalry when they went in and out.

"Master, he is going to the camp, and he will bring more soldiers and horses. When he travels in casual clothes, there are many brothels in Yangzhou, so he can always find opportunities." Tu Shan whispered.

Duoduo's face was gloomy, he glared at Tu Shan, and said: "Recently, you are not allowed to wander around the brothel again. If someone finds out, be careful with your head!"

Tu Shan's face was terrified, and he bowed his head in agreement.

Duoduo said: "Have someone stare at that person to see what's going on."

This kind of assassination is not easy to plan, it needs patience.

In fact, this is also the case, otherwise the assassination will be successful at every turn, then go directly to Shenjing to assassinate the emperor, once and for all.

In the evening, Jia Heng came out of Jiangbei Daying and had just returned to Yanyuan Yamen. Looking at the invitation card on it, he frowned.

This Zhen Qing, at this time, gave him an invitation, did she think again?This kind of wife's addiction is really big, but he doesn't want to go, now that his every move is being watched by others, it's not wise to try it at this time.

After thinking about it, he said a few words to the female officer.

Then back to the study, Lin Ruhai had been waiting for a while, and there was also Daiyu in a green dress, sitting on the side talking.

"Uncle," Jia Heng called out, sat down, took the teacup from Yuanyang's hand, and thanked her.

Lin Ruhai asked, "Ziyu went to Jiangbei Daying?"

Jia Heng nodded and said: "Go and see, as expected, the number of soldiers is about [-]%."

This is not an uncommon thing. The country has been established for a hundred years, the military system is corrupted, and there are camps in the capital, and the localities are not immune.

Lin Ruhai asked: "Ziyu plans to reorganize the army first?"

"For Yangzhou, I'm a guest. My every move in Yangzhou will attract their attention. It might be a good idea to reorganize the army first. After a little reorganization, it's not too late to hide." Jia Heng said softly.

He has no doubts about this. Yangzhou salt merchants are the richest in the world. As long as they are willing to spend money to inquire about the news, many locals in Yangzhou can become their eyeliners.

Lin Ruhai said: "That's fine, the salt business has accumulated a lot of troubles, so don't rush it for a while. Tomorrow, Mr. Qige will come to the Salt Court to discuss matters. What's Zi Yu's opinion?"

"I won't participate publicly, but Qi Kun still needs to meet privately. This elder Qi Ge should also want to meet me." Jia Heng took a sip of tea and said softly.

Lin Ruhai asked: "Elder Qi Ge hopes to revive the Chinese method. The so-called salt method of the previous Ming Dynasty, You Shan has no faults to open the method, but the method may not be suitable now. I wonder if Ziyu has any good strategies?"

It is indeed a good law to integrate the two major strategies of salt affairs and the country's border affairs by opening up China and France, but the phenomenon of nobles occupying nests is rampant.

Jia Heng said: "There is no absolute good or bad law, and we still have to adapt to the current situation."

"Oh?" Lin Ruhai said in surprise, his eyes moved slightly.

Jia Heng said: "Nowadays, the system of exclusive merchants leading the shore has serious drawbacks. It does not go down to the country and does not benefit the people. Most of the salt profits are in the hands of corrupt salt merchants. The government has to manage and collect taxes. When encountering some unscrupulous merchants, They sold official salt with one hand, and sold private salt with the other, evading taxation, and the loss of state money and tax silver was unknown. They partnered with the officials of the salt transport department, and often delayed payment, borrowed tax silver, and ate their own food, resulting in a duplication of transportation and warehouses. year deficit."

This is the drawback of the special merchant introduction system. Fake hands are sold by salt merchants, while the government only manages and collects taxes. To a certain extent, it does guarantee a certain amount of fiscal revenue. The left hand turned the right hand, and the deficit was very large. However, he has changed the method of changing the salt to ticket salt, and let go of the salt monopoly, and the salt merchants in Yangzhou gradually declined.

In the end, due to the problem of tax sources, the salt industry is also state-owned, and the collection of salt is beneficial to the country.

And he has always advocated the state-owned salt industry, from the central government to the local government, to establish a salt industry company, but this method also has some drawbacks, and it needs supporting system construction, and it should not be rushed.

Lin Ruhai pondered for a moment, and said: "The system of special merchants leading the shore has been established since the early days of the country. It has been nearly a hundred years, how does Ziyu plan to redefine the latitude and longitude?"

It is natural to propose a solution to the disadvantages of the leather salt law.

Jia Hengdao: "My initial idea is that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs will prepare to establish a salt company, and then private capital will subscribe for a small amount of shares with gold and silver, and participate in the franchise distribution of major banks in salt areas. The government will guide the unified pricing. The places where the sales are sold are distributed all the time, and a small part of the balance of the government bank over the years is drawn in proportion to the share capital, and the profit is distributed to the marketing merchants. The profits are all paid to the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Back to the past."

In fact, if the bureaucratic system completely manages the enterprise, it will also lead to corruption and waste, the mechanism is rigid, and the interest groups are intertwined. Therefore, the modern salt industry system has been maintained for decades, and many trials of salt reform have ended in miscarriage. .

Of course, none of the above is important, the key is that he wants to take a piece of the cake from the reform process, and it goes without saying that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will intervene in it.

Lin Ruhai thought about it, his eyes moved slightly, and he asked, "Where is the responsibility of the Salt Academy when inspecting the Yan Yushi?"

"The censor inspecting the salt is what I said to my uncle before, arresting smugglers, investigating adultery, auditing every season, impeaching the censor, and urging tax payments... This is what is being done now, just expanding the power of supervision. "Jia Heng said loudly.

Lin Ruhai thought for a moment when he heard the words, and said in a low voice, "This is changing the system of the ancestors. If the follow-up inspector of salt and the secretary of salt transport are karma and collusion, it is still inevitable that there will be endless corruption."

Jia Heng said: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs also has relevant officials of the Kuaiji Division stationed here. It is often difficult for several profit-making parties to bribe. Besides, there is no perfect method in the world, and people's hearts are changeable. The five-year appointment of salt transportation can curb fraud, and the elimination of the last three years can re-determine the advantages and disadvantages of merchants' distribution and distribution areas, which can have the effect of preventing corruption."

A system is always a system, and we should not be superstitious about the system, because after all, it is people who implement the system, and good laws are also invalid.

And he just wanted the Ministry of Internal Affairs to intervene in the Salt Transportation Department, so... he has some selfish intentions, and he has mastered the Lianghuai salt, and he will have a pocketbook in the future!
Lin Ruhai thought about the pros and cons of Jia Heng's words, pondered for a moment, and said: "This method seems to be beneficial, but it involves the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and it needs the leadership of many parties. In response to Wu Xing, the country's border affairs, you need to discuss this matter with him alone to distinguish the pros and cons. Qi Kun is different from Yang Guochang. Side matters, we should work together."

In other words, this in itself is a readjustment in line with Chen Han's national policy. Once Liaodong is lost, the pressure on Chen Han's border defense at this moment is too heavy, so Qi Kun will start from now on.

Jia Heng nodded, and said: "Although the method of opening the middle is good, but from time to time, let alone the matter of occupying nests, it is said that Shanxi merchants are now rampantly smuggling to the grassland. The state affairs are difficult, and there is no way to hoard land condition."

When the Sino-French law was implemented, Lao Zhu had just established the country, and his momentum was Changhong. Who should collude with the remnants of the Yuan forces, I can pick it up for you, but now Shanxi merchants are doing smuggling business very happily.

Moreover, the development of China and France will also be unanimously opposed by the vested interests of Yangzhou salt merchants. No one wants to go to the frontier to help farm, and the climate in the north is severely drought, and the output is very little. How to farm?In the end, it is still the south-to-north transportation of grain, which is nothing more than the merchants bearing the transportation costs, which is a drop in the bucket.

Lin Ruhai nodded and said, "Yes, this moment, that moment."

Jia Heng said: "Try it first in Huaiyan, and gradually implement it, to prevent the salt workers from losing their jobs and causing turmoil, please keep it secret for now."

This is to smash the salt merchant's pot, clean up the house first, and then treat the guests.

His method is to get rid of the hateful middlemen at present, and it is also possible to suppress the gourd and start again in the future.

But since it has been effective for decades in later generations, until the expansion of other tax sources in the end, the salt tax seems insignificant, and the abandonment of the salt monopoly shows that there is still a certain degree of advancement.

Lin Ruhai's complexion paused, and he admired in his eyes: "It's not to be said, but Ziyu has hills and valleys in his chest, he is really a national scholar!"

He had to admire the young man in front of him. This man was really only in his teens, and he would believe that he was someone of his age with such knowledge.

Seeing the two people's sympathy for each other, Dai Yu's starry eyes sparkled under her smoky eyebrows, and she sighed softly in her heart, clearly... numb.

Every time it is like this, she is like a dispensable person.

"The top priority is to recover the deficit of the Yunsi first. The court needs the money urgently. As for the reform of the salt law, take your time." Jia Heng said in a low voice with deep eyes.

With the successful reorganization of the Beijing camp and the suppression of the rebellion in the Central Plains, the Jurchens will definitely receive the news that the captive chieftains will definitely not give the Central Plains dynasty time to recover, and will definitely try to invade the pass from the south. According to the secret report sent, there are indeed signs of this in the territory of Jurchen.

(End of this chapter)