Li Dazui's full name is Li Zhi, and he is also from Jiangdu, he took Guo Song's carriage back to Jiangdu, and explained to Guo Song the situation of Jianghuai salt and transportation along the way.

"The Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transshipment Division is two departments, one is the Salt and Iron Division, and the other is the Transshipment Division, after the salt merchant gets the salt, he must first go to the Salt and Iron Division to estimate the goods, which is generally a stone and a bag, and it is easy to distinguish clearly, and a stone of salt is taxed by 1,100 Wen.

After the salt and iron judge has estimated the quantity of goods, he issues an estimate ticket, and the salt merchant takes the estimate to pay the tax in exchange for the salt tax stamp, and then the salt officer will stamp a large seal on each sack, and the salt merchant can appear with the salt tax stamp. ”

Guo Song was a little puzzled and asked, "What should be done with the tax stamps in the hands of the salt merchants?" ”

"Salt dealers who sell to retail generally sell one stone at a time, and the tax stamps follow the salt, and in the end, the salt is sold out, and the tax stamps are invalid."

"The salt chamber will not take back the tax stamps, and he will also have tax stamps in his hands when he sells illicit salt in the future."

Li Zhi smiled, "Then you underestimate the checkpoints along the way, every time you pass a checkpoint, the checkpoint will stamp a stamp behind the tax stamp, if the same tax stamp passes the same checkpoint twice, it will arrest people and deduct salt, once it is determined that it is illegal salt, there is no chance to even complain, kill the head on the spot, hang the head on the checkpoint, I don't know how many people have been killed over the years?" But there are still people who take risks, mainly because the profits from private salt are too large. ”

"What about the tax money?"

"Generally speaking, the tax money is handed over to the Transit Department once a month, placed in the warehouse of the Transit Division, and escorted into Beijing by the Transit Department once a year."

"In this way, the Salt and Iron Division is only responsible for collecting taxes, and the key to transporting the money to Chang'an is the Transshipment Division, right!"

"It can be said that there are still some details in it, such as the Salt and Iron Division also has a treasury, they did not hand over the money to the Transit Division on time, or the amount of money paid does not match the tax stamps, as far as I know, this kind of thing happens often, and the Salt and Iron Division can even directly escort the money to the capital, and the Transit Division has no way."

Speaking of this step, Guo Song has basically understood the circulation process of the salt tax, and also knows the distribution of forces between the two sides, they have no big problem with the transfer division, the key is the salt and iron division, Liu Yan also said that the Jianghuai salt and iron transfer division is mainly focused on transshipment, and the salt and iron taxation is still directly controlled by the salt and iron supervisor, that is, in the hands of Huangfu Wen.

Guo Song groaned for a while and said to Li Zhi: "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 the better. ”

Li Zhi was taken aback, "How can this be done?" ”

"Can't do it? Or is it a question of money? Guo Song asked.

"It's all a bit related, this kind of investigation is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and it costs money, and I don't want to do it without three or five hundred yuan."

In the end, it's a matter of money.

Guo Song said without hesitation: "I will give you 500 yuan alone, and the results of the investigation will be found for me within ten days, but you also have to remember that my money is not so easy to take, dare to deceive and fool me, don't blame me for turning my face and not recognizing people." ”

........

The carriage entered Jiangdu City, Li Zhi hurriedly left, and the carriage stopped in front of the Jiangshan Inn not far from the South City Gate, Guo Song entered the gate of the inn, but accidentally found Sun Xiaozhen sitting in the courtyard.

"Why are you here?" Guo Song asked in surprise.

Sun Xiaozhen hurriedly got up and scratched his head and said, "Uncle Shi, it was my aunt who asked me to come, saying that you lack someone to run errands and do things." ”

This is also true, Guo Song does lack a person who runs errands with him, and he lets him do everything himself, he really can't take care of it, and Aunt Gongsun thinks about it for herself.

"Where's your master?" Guo Song asked with a smile.

"Master was finally grounded for three months, he seriously violated the rules of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, he shouldn't have asked Uncle Shi to take action, and now Chang'an City is searching for Uncle Shi everywhere, and I'm not safe anymore, so Aunt Shi asked me to come to Yangzhou too."

"Is there something going on over there in Qingxuguan?"

"Qingxuguan is fine, and the wine shop is fine, but I heard that people with a similar stature to Uncle Shi caught hundreds of them, making Chang'an chickens and dogs jump, so Yuan Xiangguo went to force Yu Chaoen to release people, and it dragged on for three days, and these talents were released one after another."

"Come into the room and talk!"

Guo Song took Sun Xiaozhen into the inn, and asked the shopkeeper to open an upper room next to him, and then took Sun Xiaozhen to the second floor and came to his room.

Guo Song poured him a cup of tea and asked, "How did you come here?" ”

"Uncle Shi, I came to Yangzhou on horseback."

"I'm not asking you how you came to Yangzhou, I'm asking how do you know I live here?"

"Liu Yuanjun told me that I have a letter from my aunt and ancestor to him."

Guo Song waited for him to drink the water, and then asked, "Who else knows my identity except you?" ”

"There are no others!"

Sun Xiaozhen shook his head and said, "Senior Aunt Ancestor just told me that Senior Uncle is the secret weapon of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, and I am not allowed to leak anything to the outside world, and I can't tell Master!" ”

"Do you know the people who protect Liu Yuanjun?"

"I only know the person who is the leader, his name is Zhao Qian, and he is a first-class warrior of the Hidden Sword Pavilion."

Speaking of this, Sun Xiaozhen patted his head, "I almost forgot, Wu Yue, the chief warrior of Tianyuan Pavilion, also came to Yangzhou with a group of people, and I heard that Yuan Xiangguo also sent a few people to strengthen the protection of Liu Envoy. ”

Guo Song was stunned, "Yuan Xiangguo also has samurai under him?" ”

"It should be the samurai of the Yuan family, and many wealthy families raise samurai, which is an open secret in Chang'an."

Sun Xiaozhen took out a gold medal of the Hidden Sword Pavilion from his 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 'enshrined samurai', but the gold medal was actually round, he couldn't help but be a little strange, "How can it be a round medal?" ”

Sun Xiaozhen explained with a look of admiration: "This is the round plate enshrined in the Tibetan Sword Pavilion, which has the highest status in the Tibetan Sword Pavilion, I heard that there are only five people in total, and the master is one of them. ”

Of course, Guo Song understands why Aunt Gongsun wants to give herself the gold medal of the Hidden Sword Pavilion, no matter what he does, he must have an identity, and use the identity of the Hidden Sword Pavilion to cover up his true identity, which is indeed a good way.

Guo Song put away the gold medal and said: "I'm going to go to the pavilion, you clean up by yourself, and then have a good rest, and I'll explain things to you tomorrow." ”

........

Guo Song came to the pavilion where Liu Yan lived, the door was still strictly guarded, it was two guards who didn't know each other, this time Guo Song didn't use the fish card, directly took out the gold medal for worship, and said to the guard: "I'm looking for Liu Yuanjun!" ”

When the two guards saw that it was actually the gold medal enshrined in the Hidden Sword Pavilion, they immediately said respectfully: "Please wait, we will report for Gongzi, may I ask Gongzi's surname?" ”

"My surname is Guo, and Liu Yuanjun knows."

A guard went in, and after a while, he came out and said, "Guo Gongzi, please come in!" ”

Guo Song met Liu Yan, Liu Yan had just come back, still wearing official uniforms, today was his first day in office, and he was quite busy.

"Guo Gongzi came so soon, I thought Gongzi would come a few days late."

Guo Song smiled: "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 child to serve tea.

Guo Song told him about the situation of meeting Li Zhi in Jiangyang County today, Liu Yan nodded, "The news of these brokers is still relatively accurate, he is right, it is the problem of the Transshipment Division and the Salt and Iron Division, the Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transshipment Division mainly controls the transshipment, and the salt tax collection is directly under the Salt and Iron Superintendent, and the transportation scope of the Transshipment Division is relatively wide, such as the transportation of grain and materials, etc., it can also be managed, and it does not say that the salt tax must be transferred by it." ”

"What does the envoy mean is that the salt and iron superintendent also has the right to transfer tax money?"

"That's the case, so we must demand that the forty-two salt and iron judges of the Jianghuai Salt and Iron Division must hand over the tax money to the Transit 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 prison treasury, and then he will arrange the tax money to enter Beijing." ”

Liu Yan sighed, "Once the tax money is in the hands of Huangfu Wen, it will be troublesome, and the imperial court is in a hurry to use the money, but Yu Chaoen withheld the tax money and did not issue it, and took the opportunity to make a request, and the imperial court was passive." ”

In the final analysis, it is still a matter of people, the Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transit Department and the Salt and Iron Supervisor issued a document at the same time asking 42 salt and iron judges to transfer tax money, who do these salt and iron judges listen to?

Liu Yan said worriedly: "There is also news, Yu Chaoen's son Yu Lingxuan will soon arrive in Yangzhou, he will be the governor of Yangzhou, in charge of a thousand local troops in Yangzhou, he will definitely assign the army to the salt farms to supervise the collection of tax money, with the participation of the army, the salt and iron judges will not dare to disobey Huang Fu Wen's orders, and the salt tax will be completely in the hands of Huang Fu Wen." ”

The situation is indeed very serious, Guo Song pondered for a moment and asked, "Who is the current Yangzhou Governor?" ”

"The current Yangzhou Governor is called Luo Ziyu, he is the general under Chen Xuanli, the former general of the right guard, the Tianwangsi mutiny failed, Chen Xuanli was sent to Lingnan on the way to die violently, Luo Ziyu was demoted to Yangzhou Governor, his term of office expired this fall, he wanted to return to Beijing to report on his work, and then arrange another position, Yu Lingxuan took the opportunity to take over his military power."

"Then is there a way to postpone Luo Ziyu's return to Beijing?"

"Unless there is local turmoil, and then I write to the imperial court as the assassin of Yangzhou, asking Luo Ziyu to stay in office to quell the rebellion, in this case, the local governor can extend his term of office for one year, but the problem now is that Yu Lingxuan has come to Yangzhou to take over, and he will arrive in Yangzhou in a few days, and we have no time."

Guo Song said coldly: "Liu Yuanjun can rest assured, Yu Lingxuan can't come to Yangzhou." ”

"Guo Gongzi, you have to be calm, there are some things we can't do!"

Guo Song shook his head, "What can be done and what can't be done, my heart is like a mirror!" ”

With that, he turned and walked away quickly.

Liu Yan looked at him walking away, and couldn't help but sigh a long sigh, Guo Song is nominally his staff, but in fact, he is also playing Jianghuai chess, what he wants to do, he really can't stop him.