In the early Ming Dynasty, the country's finances were stretched, and it was especially difficult to effectively bear the burden of continuously transporting military rations to the northern border army.

The imperial court chose to sacrifice the national salt monopoly and use the salt to pay the merchants who transported the grain to the northern frontier army, and the merchants used the salt to bring it to the salt works to extract salt, so as to get a reward.

Since this was a lucrative business, merchants from all over the country sent grain to the north for the imperial court, and the Jin merchants who benefited from the territory were especially active, thus allowing them to make huge profits.

This is an irreproachable national policy, after all, it solves the problem of guarding the frontier and maintaining the stability of the country.

It is precisely in this way that the "salt distribution rights" delegated by the Ming Dynasty during the special period fell into the hands of merchants, and fell into the hands of groups such as the Lianghuai Merchant Group and the Shanxi Gang.

With the successive development of farmland in the Jiubian region and the improvement of the imperial court's military grain transportation network, the imperial court has been able to easily solve the work of transporting grain, and the "opening of the Chinese law" has existed in name only.

In the Hongzhi period, the "Kaizhong Law" was officially abolished, and merchants no longer needed to transport grain to Jiubian, as long as they paid silver taels to the imperial court, they could get salt introduction, which was the "salt introduction law".

In the process of "opening the middle law" to the "salt introduction law", the "salt distribution right" of the imperial court still stayed in the hands of merchants, and these salt merchants had already become a climate.

Through various means, they obtained the "salt distribution right" at a lower cost, formed a salt monopoly in various regions, and thus enjoyed huge profits and formed a powerful interest group.

In the same way, the disadvantage of the salt policy of the Ming Dynasty was that the "salt distribution rights" of the imperial court failed to sell at a good price, while the people ate high-priced salt, and the profits were divided among those specific merchants or nobles.

When Yan Song was facing financial pressure, he sent Yan Maoqing to reorganize the salt administration in the four regions last year, in order to sell the "salt distribution rights" higher, but this move was undoubtedly a knife to the two Huai salt merchants and the nobles behind them.

After these people regarded Yan Song as a thorn in their side, they spared no effort to help Xu Jie, and finally ousted Yan Song from the position of first assistant, and Xu Jie naturally took over as the first assistant.

In the biggest political turmoil in the past 20 years, it is more said that it is the victory of Xu Jie, but rather the victory of the two quasi-salt merchants.

With the help of the power of the two Huai merchant salt groups, Xu Jie naturally wanted to "repay the peach", abolish the "tyranny" of the Yan Song period, and spit out all the salt profits eaten by the imperial court, so that the "salt distribution right" returned to a low-price segment.

Now Xu Jie has already carried out public opinion building in advance, suing the tragic situation of the two quasi-salt merchants and so on in the capital, and making Yan Maoqing's various bad deeds public. As long as the time is ripe, as long as the salt patrol imperial history Xu Yi is invited to play, then it is logical to restore the old system next year.

If there is anything that Xu Jie's most important move to power is, it is undoubtedly to abolish the salt policy during the Yan Song period.

If Wu Shan stood up at this time and proposed to rectify the salt policy and demand an increase in salt tax revenue, it would undoubtedly be on the opposite side of Xu Jie, and he would be under unprecedented strong pressure if he followed the two Huai salt merchant groups to the opposite side.

"Father-in-law, do you really plan to be with Xu Ge Lao and Guang?" Lin Haoran knew Xu Jie's next plan, but he looked up at Wu Shan seriously and asked.

If Wu Shan only wanted to keep the position of the head of the household department, and didn't even have the courage to stand up and express his stance on the salt administration, then he would have broken off the idea of fighting with Xu Jie and the two Huai salt merchants behind him, and honestly hibernated in the north of the city.

Anyway, he is already the Shuntian Mansion Yin of the third grade, even if he is forced to go out by Xu Jie, it will be to serve as the governor of the local area, and he will be able to survive the day when he returns to the capital.

Wu Shan met Lin Haoran's sharp gaze, but he picked up the teacup and said openly: "The current court has finally calmed down, and Xu Ge Lao is not a completely flattering courtier, maybe he can change the status quo of this court!" ”

Lin Haoran's brows furrowed slightly, knowing that this father-in-law was not a person who was greedy for power, but like many officials, he still had a trace of illusion about the newly appointed Xu Jie, hoping that Xu Jie would show his courage to reform this court.

It's just that these people are destined to be disappointed, since Xu Jie can be in cahoots with the gang of salt merchants in Lianghuai for the position of first assistant, then he is destined not to touch the interests of the gentry and nobles, Xu Jie is essentially a standard politician.

But such a politician is not what the current Ming Dynasty needs, and the essence is not much different from Yan Song and others.

Lin Haoran's face softened slightly, and he analyzed it seriously: "Elder Xu Ge has served as the first assistant for more than a month, but in addition to opening up his words to win over hundreds of officials and purging the remnants of the party, what has he done for the current imperial court?" Now that there is a problem with the finances of the imperial court, he, the first assistant, did not propose a feasible plan to the emperor, but kicked the ball to the household department, do you think such a person can shoulder the Ming Dynasty and change the current situation? ”

Wu Shan's face was solemn, and he quietly tasted the tea in the cup, obviously still hesitating.

Lin Haoran's hand on the stone table clenched his fist, and he continued bitterly: "You should be able to see that if you can't come up with a feasible financial management strategy this time, Xu Jiebao may not take the opportunity to force you out of the capital, and no one in the entire court will be able to threaten him." By next year, the Lianghuai salt tax will return to the old practice, and the fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty will not increase but decrease, and its problems will still not be able to be rooted. Now Daming may be able to stand up again, but in a few decades, our Daming may be in danger! ”

This is not alarmism, and the demise of many dynasties did not happen overnight, but was caused by a continuous accumulation of problems. As the saying goes: the embankment of a thousand miles collapses in the anthill.

The reason why Lin Haoran instigated Wu Shan to stand up at this time was not only to want Wu Shan to "save himself", but also to really do something practical for the Ming Dynasty, so as not to let the salt policy issue eventually become one of the factors that dragged down the Ming Dynasty.

"If I am foolish, if I stand up and sing against Xu Ge, I am afraid that this court will not know how many twists and turns!" Wu Shan was obviously a little moved, but when he put down the teacup, he sighed.

has been in officialdom for more than 20 years, how can he not see that the current officialdom is no longer an iron bucket, and he is constantly plotting with each other in order to compete for power. It is this kind of internal friction that makes it impossible for the imperial court to seek the well-being of the people.

Lin Haoran watched Wu Shan finally let go, and his hanging heart was finally able to let go gently, and a sentence flashed in his mind, and he immediately clenched his fists and looked at Wu Shan firmly: "Although tens of millions of people are going to me." ”