Liu Ximing smiled and looked at Yang Sichang, who also looked concerned, "When I came, Your Majesty promised me that I could use the money from the salt administration of the six provinces for epidemic prevention, and I was about to ask Yang Gong's governor Yamen to come up with a rule for this matter." ”

"I also ask the governor of Henan to use the seal with this official, and those who sell salt in Henan must hold a license issued by the governor of the Central Plains Yamen, and if they do business without a license, they will be punished according to private salt."

Yang Yipeng frowned with some doubts: "What can this be for, now the ones on the market are all private salt, even if they don't have your license, they still sell it?" Besides, if it's really because of your license system, there is no salt in several provinces to buy, then don't you have to carry a black pot? ”

"Hehe", Liu Ximing grinned, "Liu Mou dares to do this, naturally he has other plans." ”

He folded his fingers and counted Yang Sichang, Yang Yipeng and others: "At present, the price of salt has been as high as one or two taels of silver and one stone, and during the Wanli period, the price of salt was only five coins of silver and one stone. ”

"It's not a secret, Liu has already found a home for the supply of salt to the six provinces, as long as the government license system is implemented, these merchants will definitely be willing to pay to buy, and then there will be money for epidemic prevention?"

Liu Ximing said lightly, but Yang Yipeng, who had been in the place for a long time and had supervised Caoyun, sensitively sensed that it was not so simple.

If it was really like what Liu Ximing said, then the world would have been ruled a long time ago, where would there be so many things.

If nothing else, the mere corruption of officials and bribery could bankrupt the salt law.

Liu Ximing smiled and didn't go into details, there are indeed many doorways in the salt business, but they can't stand the deep roots of the Liu family.

Before he came, he calculated that at present, Henan Province alone will use more than 300,000 stone of salt every year, and the Liu family is all sea salt transported from Luzon and Taiwan, almost only labor and transportation costs, which have at least seventy percent of the income.

You must know that Qianlong had a salt tax of 5 million taels alone, although the population at that time had increased by two or three times compared with the end of the Ming Dynasty, but this is not counting the part that was corrupted by officials.

Therefore, Liu Ximing estimated that if the Liu family could control the salt industry in the six provinces, they would be able to earn at least about 1 million taels.

When the time comes, it will be easy to find a name and take out 400,000 or 500,000 taels from it as disaster relief funds.

Of course, this is just an ideal state, in fact, at this time, Liu Ximing's hand in Shandong, Beizhili, Shanxi and other places has not been stretched out so long, and it is already burning high incense to control the salt industry in Huguang, Henan and Shaanxi provinces.

Seeing that Liu Ximing refused to elaborate on the details of the salt law, Yang Yipeng didn't ask much, he asked: "What about that person, if you want to control the epidemic, this manpower is indispensable, I think you only brought a few thousand Beijing camps, so there are definitely not enough people." ”

"Hahaha, Yang Gong is too worried, I not only brought soldiers and horses with me on this trip, but also recruited dozens of unsuccessful people from Beijing as staff, as long as the money and food are ready, they can do things immediately."

"Tsk, it seems that the new Amber has become a bamboo, and the old man will listen to the good news, if there is anything you need for this official, please feel free to speak."

Liu Ximing said it neatly, although Yang Yipeng didn't know the key, but at least he figured out one thing.

If Liu Xi's fate is really messed up, this matter will not implicate him, which is enough.

Immediately, he looked at Yang Sichang, "Brother Wen, I'm done asking with concern, it's your turn." ”

Liu Ximing unexpectedly found a trace of shame on Yang Sichang's face, only to hear him hesitate and say:

"This, borderless, epidemic prevention is of course the top priority, but our ministers and officials must consider the overall situation of the whole country, that, if you have plenty of money and food for epidemic prevention here, can you allocate a little bit to the old man."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Sichang himself felt ashamed and thrown home.

A year ago, Liu Ximing was just a little brother, but now he is a cabinet minister who has to ask him for money and food with his face, which makes Yang Sichang how can he stand it.

But thinking of the situation in the Central Plains, Yang Sichang had to grit his teeth and speak cheekily.

Today, Li Zicheng's and Luo Rucai's troops have grown stronger and stronger, mainly because these two gangs of rogues often circulate in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan, and these provinces are the places with the largest number of border troops in the Ming Dynasty.

With the further deterioration of the Chongzhen Dynasty's finances, more and more border troops were coerced or took the initiative to join the Liukou, so the strength of Li Zicheng's subordinates was also increasing, and gradually there was a tendency to get closer to the regular army.

The household department has not allocated money for three months, and under such circumstances, if these chief officers under his command are not stabilized, he is afraid that the world will be overturned when he ascends.

Yang Sichang also made a temporary decision when he heard Liu Ximing say that he was making money from the salt administration, and he originally planned to ask Liu Ximing for advice on the strategy of sufficient food for the army.

He also knows the means of this new Amber, and he is really a good at financial management.

Yang Yipeng couldn't help but open his lips slightly in surprise when he heard Yang Sichang's words, and Sun Chuanting, who had a black face on the side, sighed with a long sigh.

"Zhongcheng, the war in the Central Plains is indeed critical, if it is ......"

Sun Chuanting just opened his mouth, and Liu Ximing nodded at him with a smile to show that he knew how to be proportionate.

"Don't worry, Liu is not a person who doesn't know the general situation, if it weren't for the fact that the situation was really critical, how could Elder Yang Ge say this."

He immediately muttered: "In this way, let's see how the salt administration is implemented first, and then Liu should try his best to assist the elder Ge." ”

"Thank you for your help", Yang Sichang looked grateful.

The outside world knows nothing about what happened in the Yamen of the governor of Henan, and people can't imagine that the world of the Ming Dynasty is now in danger, but the officials in Henan, who are all staring at Liu Ximing, waited for Liu Ximing's first order as they wished.

However, what made Henan officials dumbfounded was that Liu Ximing did not do anything related to epidemic prevention first, but instead used the most unnoticeable salt industry transfer envoys in the six provinces in his name to make an article.

"It is ordered that all salt sales in the province are banned, and those who do not hold salt licenses are not allowed to sell them, and the licenses are issued by the Central Plains Governor Yamen, and the funds obtained are used for epidemic prevention."

In addition, the Central Plains Governor Yamen will form a salt guard army to crack down on illegal salt sales. There are local divisions who dare to obstruct them, and they will not be forgiven with the sword of Shang Fang. ”

In the yamen of the political envoy of Henan, Gao Feihan kept flipping through the documents of the Central Plains Governor's Yamen in his hand, and then sneered.

I thought this new Amber was a great thing, but it turned out to be just a straw bale.

"Oh, you are still laughing, the surname Liu is down, the private salt of our province will be cut off, and when the time comes, where will you and I have the filial piety money, my domain, you should think of a way."

He was not the only one in Gao Feihan's yamen, and Huang Tao, the political envoy of the political envoy, and others also sat anxiously at his place, and they took this document.

Henan is close to the Hedong salt works, and most of the salt used is also transported from these places.

However, the imperial court has long lost control of the salt farms, and now the provinces are relying on illegal salt trafficking, which is naturally indispensable to the profits of the provincial officials.

Liu Ximing's move may be a good thing for the country and the people, but it is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the smugglers and officials.

The attitude of Huang Tao and the others made Gao Feihan also ponder, and he immediately asked: "Do you know at what price this license plate of the Central Plains Governor Yamen is sold?" ”

"I heard that the province issued a total of 20 licenses, and the license can be sold in the province, each for 10,000 taels of silver, for a period of five years."

"Hahaha, isn't this surnamed Liu crazy", as soon as Huang Tao finished speaking, Gao Feihan burst into laughter.

"The salt used in this province a year is only a few hundred thousand stones, and besides, the salt merchant does not need money to buy salt from the salt field, and does he not need money for transshipment, according to his collection method, the cost of the salt merchant must be reduced to at least four or five dollars of silver per stone to be able to stop, who would be so stupid to do this."

Huang Tao answered with some concern: "That's not for sure, I see that this surnamed Liu is out of the city gate, I'm afraid it's not a trick." ”

Gao Feihan saw that Huang Tao and the group of officials behind him were all a little worried, and couldn't help but smile: "Since this is the case, then you will send people to keep an eye on it, and report any movement in time, and then we will find a way." ”

However, before Huang Tao and the others could calm down and want to retreat first, his subordinates ran into the main hall of the political envoy's yamen in a hurry.

"Domain, participating in politics, disaster is coming, the Central Plains Governor Yamen station suddenly has a lot of merchants coming to the door, all saying that they want to buy a salt industry license!"

"Bang Dang"

The teacup in Gao Feihan's hand fell to the ground suddenly.