[Red Mansion] Sir, I'm a rough man

Jia Wan was very curious, if Jia Yucun knew that his flattery and extravagant behavior would backfire, making Lin Ruhai's sense of him greatly changed, and he didn't know what the psychological shadow was?

Lin Ruhai glanced at his little apprentice, resting his chin, pursing his lips, the gloating in his eyes almost became subtitles, he couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.

Still a child after all.

The fate between people is hard to say clearly.

He was originally in a predicament, but as soon as this child appeared, he broke the predicament and gave him a great opportunity.

An eight-year-old boy, born in a family of princes, was surrounded by maidservants since he was a child, and was cared for by elders. He had never seen wind and rain, and suddenly faced the darkest side of the world, he was still calm, lively but not frivolous, calm and calm. Not indifferent, he couldn't help but love talents.

"Master," Jia Wan said, "Is something not going well with your recent errand?"

Lin Ruhai had already picked up the pen again, and continued to write the letter, saying in his mouth, "How should I say it?"

Jia Wandao: "Master has always been calm. Mount Tai collapsed before him without changing his appearance. Naturally, the apprentice can't see anything from the master, but Lin Quan is very anxious today...not only anxious, but also angry. He can't even walk properly. I have to kick the flowers and plants on the side of the road."

Lin Ruhai looked up at him, and said, "Are you trying to share the teacher's worries, or are you suing him?"

Jia Wan choked, and said, "Of course it's the former."

Lin Ruhai finished writing the last few words, sealed it in an envelope, handed it to the butler to take it out, and said, "Let's pretend you are the former."

Then he said: "The Cao Gang arrested a group of people because of the abduction and trafficking of young children the day before yesterday, and some of them could be arrested or not. We tipped off the news, so that when they moved the illegal salt, someone would come and get the stolen goods.

"With their help, we have succeeded several times, intercepting thousands of catties of private salt one after another. But since half a month ago, we have repeatedly failed. Salt, or food and medicinal materials... Obviously, they deliberately set up a trap to lure us in. Now, the censor has reported our disturbing actions to the people."

He paused, glanced at Jia Wan, and said, "Early this morning, seven corpses were found by the river. Some of them were drunk and drowned, or they fought each other to death, or they were attacked by wild animals, or they accidentally ingested poison..."

Lin Ruhai didn't say anything, but Jia Wan also guessed who was dead, frowned and said: "These people are so courageous!"

"Not only that," Lin Ruhai said indifferently: "The seven people died from different causes, but the corpses were all gathered by the river within half a mile. Their provocative and warning intentions were clearly revealed, so it's no wonder that Lin Quanhui couldn't hold his breath. "

Jia Wan said: "I think they are even more impatient."

Knowing that Lin Ruhai and others were hand-picked by the emperor to curb the private sale of salt, it’s fine if these people don’t restrain themselves a bit, but they blatantly commit murder and warn the corpse. In Jia Wan’s view, this is not so well-thought-out and unscrupulous. ?It's just jumping over the wall in a hurry.

Lin Ruhai glanced at him and said, "You are as stupid as a pig in reading and writing, but you are astute in other aspects."

Seeing Jia Wan getting angry and ready to talk back, he said again: "In the past few days, although we have not found much private salt, and we have missed it several times, but as far as I am concerned, it is just a waste of time, and I have left an excuse for them to go. His Majesty is just chewing his tongue.

"However, it has been more than two months for these people, and they haven't even been able to ship out a single piece of private salt. Every day they delay, they lose a huge amount of money. If they just earn less, that's all. The share is not something that you can not give if you earn less... How can they not be in a hurry?

"So what if I set a trap? Do you think that I will be tied up and let them have a chance to hide? I know it's a trap and I want to search it. Let's see who dares to move!"

"So what about killing people? The chess pieces that were buried earlier were cleared, but in the past two months, I have caught and released more than a hundred people. If they have the ability, they will all be killed!"

In Jia Wan's impression, Lin Ruhai is used to being refined and calm, and his every move makes people feel like a spring breeze. The so-called modest gentleman is as gentle as jade.

Jia Wan blinked and said, "What if they go on strike?"

Lin Ruhai said: "If the market is stopped, it means that they have nowhere to go, and they have nothing to fear."

Jia Wan asked curiously: "Master, how high is the profit of private salt?"

Lin Ruhai said: "Do you know how much a catty of salt sells for?"

Jia Wan was ashamed, he grew up so big, he didn't even buy a candied haws, let alone salt.

Lin Ruhai couldn't help sighing, what was he talking about with this ignorant little thing?

He said lightly: "Forty Wen."

Seeing that Jia Wan was still in a daze, knowing that he had no idea about the amount of "forty wen", he sighed again and said, "Do you know the cost of producing salt in the salt farm?"

Lin Ruhai naturally knew that he couldn't answer, so he said the answer directly: "A penny and a half."

Things worth one and a half pennies sell for forty pennies!

Jia Wan was stunned: This is even worse than those drug sellers in later generations.

And this is not just used once in a while, and only three to five boxes of western medicine are used at a time, but an indispensable daily necessities for everyone.

Jia Wan said: "No wonder so many people in the world are willing to risk their heads to smuggle salt."

The court is too dark.

Lin Ruhai smiled lightly, and said, "If you think that all the money has gone into the treasury, you are very wrong. The official salt of the imperial court is one quotation for every hundred catties, and a tax of 150 yuan is taxed for one quotation of salt."

So for a catty of salt, the court only charged one and a half pennies?

Jia Wan was dumbfounded: "What about the money?"

Lin Ruhai smiled, but did not speak.

In fact, it is conceivable not to mention Jiawan, some of which were offered to the top, some were shared by the Cao Gang, and the rest went into the pockets of the salt merchants.It's just that this appetite is too big.

Said: "So those people outside are making troubles upside down, setting up traps, and killing people, just to save this half a penny of tax money?"

"if not?"

Jia played for a while, but didn't know what to say. The so-called greed is endless.

Even in later generations, it is still the same. Some people have already become multi-millionaires, sitting on wealth that ordinary people can't earn in dozens of lifetimes, and they still try their best to evade taxes.

I only heard Lin Ruhai say again: "Earlier, in the prison of the Ministry of Criminal Justice, there was a murdered criminal who was a salt merchant for a few years. Before I took office, I had a special opinion on him. From what he said, he sells more than 70 yuan of quota salt every year. , making a profit of more than 60 taels, while the profit of the private salt carried in was 160 million taels."

Jia Wan had given up calculating how much the silver would be converted into RMB, and said, "Master, I think these people are crazy about money, and they can do anything. You should be more careful when you go in and out in the future."

Lin Ruhai nodded: "I will."

Just as he was talking, Lin Quan hurried over and said, "Master, it's too bad, the salt merchants are on strike!"

Lin Ruhai and Jia Wan looked at each other, Lin Ruhai smiled slightly and said, "Your Majesty is short of envoys, and these people are in time."

……

On August [-]th, the salt merchants in Yangzhou collectively went on strike, and the people had no salt to use, so they knelt down and begged in front of the Xunyan Yushifu, Yangzhou Zhifu and other houses.

Lin Ruhai, the censor of salt inspection in Yangzhou, stayed behind closed doors. The magistrate of Yangzhou and others came forward to appease him and invited salt merchants to discuss matters, but they broke up unhappy.

On August 24, the people begged for nothing, and in a rage, they rushed into Xunyan Yushi's mansion, smashed and looted it all, and Xunyan Yushi Lin Ruhai took his family and stayed temporarily in the painting boat.

However, the strike was still going on, and the people held small boats to block the way of Huafang, and refused to sell anything to the Lin family. As a last resort, Lin Ruhai and others could only cook fish in the river for food.

On August 27, when the grain and charcoal were exhausted, Lin Ruhai sent invitations widely, inviting salt merchants and people from the Cao Gang to have a drink at Juxian Pavilion.

On the evening of the 28th, in the Juxian Pavilion, guests and hosts were having a good time. On the pier, hundreds of people took advantage of the moonlight to carry private salt onto the boat and quietly left the pier.

However, after only half a mile, suddenly the fire was bright in front of my eyes, and hundreds of fishing boats blocked the way. Although they were fishing boats, they were full of soldiers, with their knives out of their sheaths and bows full of strings... It was the water that Lin Ruhai quietly "borrowed" from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. division.

During the service, 30 catties of private salt were seized. Seventy percent of Yangzhou salt merchants were involved in the case.

According to the law, his family property was confiscated, and he got more than seven million taels of silver, and countless other gold, jade and antiques.

When the news spread to the capital, the whole court was shocked. His Majesty Longyan was furious. He brought up the case of the emperor's sword anger and slaying the dragon. Officials such as Yunju were removed from their posts for investigation, and their property was confiscated, which ordered the Ministry of Punishment to conduct a severe trial.

At the end, he raised his sword and asked all the ministers angrily: Who should take over the post of salt transport envoy?

None of the ministers dared to say anything, but Zhang Xueshi, who was once the emperor's tutor, said: "At an extraordinary time, we should do extraordinary things. Since these people are incompetent, then find someone else who is capable. Yangzhou Xunyanyu Shi Lin Ruhai is a former scout, born in the Imperial Academy, talented and virtuous, and has made great achievements this time, so he should be promoted exceptionally."

The emperor said: "This is very good."

……

In this era, transportation and information are extremely inconvenient. From Jiangnan to Kyoto, it takes more than two months to come and go at the fastest. It has already reached the beginning of November when the imperial decree was introduced to Jiangnan.

Looking at Lin Ruhai's calm and composed face, Jia Wan always felt that his master had expected this to happen, otherwise, how could a person like him use the words "prosperity" to himself?

It took another half a month to tidy up and handover, and by the time Lin Ruhai brought Jia Wan back to the capital, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month had already passed.

Lin Ruhai was busy resuming his job, taking office, tidying up the house, and taking Daiyu back to his residence.

Jia Wan was busy visiting the elders one by one, and when he found out that he was moved, he didn't say anything, and lived in Ningguo Mansion calmly.

The population of Ningguo Mansion is small. Before Jiawan and Xichun came back, there were only four masters, Jia Zhen and Jia Rong. Therefore, the residence was also spacious. Xichun and Jiawan had two courtyards each.

The current housekeeper of Ningguo Mansion is Jia Rong's daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing, who is the most gentle and virtuous.Although Xichun and Jia Wan are young, they are Jia Rong's uncles. Qin Keqing dare not neglect, and made all the arrangements properly.

Both Jiawan and Xichun are easy-going, and they won't cause trouble for her. They live quietly with the door closed, and only go to Lin's mansion every other day. One listens to Lin Ruhai's lectures, and the other talks to Daiyu.