After the Great Rites Discussion, the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Rites got closer to each other. The Marquis of Wuchang Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion are both in Huanghu Shanzi City, the distance is not far, and the two walk slowly side by side. Although the sub-city is not as prosperous as the South Market, there are many people walking on the streets. In order to avoid the momentum and attract people's opinions, Chen Dong and Deng Su walked calmly, and the scribe and the guards only followed from a distance, and at the same time, they could not hear the words of the two adults.

“...... Yuan Zhi's wife is still there, and he will definitely not agree. ”

"This matter is not necessarily feasible in the long run. Su Wu stayed in the Xiongnu for 19 years, swallowed snow and hair, and was able to keep the Han Festival, but he had children with Hu Sheng. Chromophobia can be seen also. Even though Yuan Zhi's heart is like a rock and Su Wu, His Majesty's grace is not comparable to that of the Hun Hu Nu. Deng Su frowned, the shame in his eyes flashed, and he said with an aggravated tone, "We are doing this for the sake of the Great Song Dynasty." If the marriage is successful, Xia Guo will not dare to use Yuan Zhi as a general. Yuan Zhi is affectionate and righteous, and he can't do anything to kill his wife and ask for a general. Over time, it will naturally work for my Great Song. Xia Guo saw that it was useless to detain his wife and children, and I sent another envoy to negotiate, and maybe he could bring his Mrs. Li and a pair of children back. And that's how happy everyone is. ”

"When His Majesty was young, he was confused by traitorous ministers such as Cai Jing and Li Bangyan, and alienated the Qingliu gentlemen. Now I have long woken up to the fact that only the Qingliushi people are the mainstay of the Great Song Dynasty. Her Royal Highness the Sixteenth Princess is the sister born to His Majesty's mother, and has been in love with His Majesty's brother and sister since childhood. Zhao Xingde was the first person to expose the case that year, and he gave the sixteenth eldest princess marriage and virtue, and also showed the world that His Majesty was a friend of Qingliu and alienated from the traitorous villain. He sighed slightly, as if he was also convincing himself at the same time, and muttered, "Nowadays, the Great Rites Discussion is the top priority, in order to avoid side problems, the matter of Yuan Zhi should be put aside first." His Majesty has the intention of giving marriage, and he has to have some dealings with Yuan Zhi. Brother Chen, don't worry too much. He said so much, and the last sentence was the key.

"Some contacts?" A smile appeared on the corner of Chen Dong's mouth. He shook his head noncommittally, and asked instead, "Hou Huanyin asked to resign from the concurrent post of Jingdong Road pacification envoy and recommended Han Shizhong to take over, what do you think?" "The official position of the Jingdong Road pacification envoy is a lock of fame and profit. Hou Huanyin took the name one day, and was pressed in a corner of Jingdong one day. The Liao people attacked Jingdong Road in a big way, and if Hou Huanyin dared to escape, the imperial court could justifiably investigate the crime of losing his teacher and land. It is precisely because of this that Hou Huanyin impatiently recommended Han Shizhong to replace him in Xuanfu Jingdong Road, and he only retained the post of governor of the political affairs. Chen Dong would never agree, but he wanted to test Deng Su's position.

"The Liao people are attacking in a big way, and Jingdong Road is in danger," Deng Suzheng said, "Change the commander in battle, and the wise will not do it." Hou Shenzheng has been in charge of Jingdong Road for more than ten years, so he should still take the responsibility of defending the land and not shirk his responsibility. "He is His Majesty's confidant, and his attitude will be agreed to by His Majesty.

"That being the case," Chen Dong said with a smile, "then please ask Lord Hou to stay in Jingdong and protect the people." His expression was slightly awe-inspiring, "The Prime Minister has told the generals to rescue Jingdong Road, and the Tokyo Left-behind Division will take charge of the situation with Cao Shangshu, urging Lu, Luo, and Deng Zhu generals to help the east." At the same time, Han Shizhong was urged to lead the navy, and Liu Guangshi led the Huaixi army to rush north to rescue Jingdong. "The people of these towns he mentioned, General Lu Luo and Deng San are the closest to Jingdong Road, however, they are also the most distant from the imperial court. Liu Guangshi loves to preserve his strength, and the only reinforcements who really come out of death are probably Han Shizhong from Jingdong.

"What does the Ministry of Household think about the abolition of the salt tax? The study and politics of the southeast are very concerned about this matter. Deng Su seemed to ask casually, but his expression was very solemn. Prior to the Great Rites Meeting, the school administrators of the southeast prefecture and county had already come to Deng Su in twos and threes, citing various reasons ranging from training troops to raising salaries to stabilizing the social economy, and resolutely opposing the reduction or even abolition of the salt tax.

Among the three kingdoms of Song, Liao, and Xia, there was no separate salt tax in the Xia Kingdom, and the salt tax in the Liao State was not high, while the salt tax in the Song Dynasty was the heaviest. The annual salt tax is as much as 20 or 30 million yuan, which is the most stable and important income of the imperial court. However, there is a certain amount of salt that people eat, and the salt tax is more on the shoulders of countless small people. The people could not afford to eat salt, and the illegal salt was rampant, and there were many complaints. Therefore, the household department was ready to follow the practice of the Xia Kingdom, increase the commercial tax and mining tax, bid for mines, gradually reduce the proportion of salt tax in the imperial court tax, and finally tax salt as an ordinary good. However, the salt merchants opposed the increase in the salt tax in the past, and this time, the news of the abolition of the salt tax had just been revealed, and the opposition was louder than before. Because, the salt merchants have accumulated a large amount of salt in their hands, worth tens of millions of yuan, once the imperial court abolished the salt tax, these salt quotations will become a piece of waste paper. Even if the imperial court took back the salt at a suitable price, without the high salt tax to form a huge profit, the salt merchants could only sit and eat nothing, and there was no way to continue.

"The imperial court will consider this matter in the long run, but ......," Chen Dong laughed mockingly, "When the big ceremony is discussed, they also have to show some attitude." Like Lu Yunsun, calling the Prime Minister's Mansion every day to return the government to the king, it is not a good attitude! ”

Deng Su's face changed slightly, he looked up at Chen Dong, with a complicated look in his eyes, and was silent for a moment before he sighed: "I'll arrange it, their attitude, Shaoyang doesn't have to worry." At this time, he understood why, not long after the big ceremony was decided, there were rumors of cutting salt taxes, bidding for mines, buying ships for merchants to help merchants go to sea, and experimenting with tax stamps. All of them affect the minds of students and politicians in various places.

"The world is bustling, and it is all for profit. The world is crowded, that is, for profit. Chen Dong nodded slightly, looked at the weaving pedestrians on both sides of the market, and sighed: "I can't think of it, I can't think of it......" but he didn't say anything, what he couldn't think of. At this time, it was the busiest time in the sub-city, and it was full of bustling people. The civil officials and scribes of the six departments were busy taking the morning exam, and those who came from other places also had to go to the various yamen as soon as possible to do business. Hot teapots and soup pots are lined up along the street, emitting all sorts of tempting steam. The most popular winter in Ezhou is to drink Qibao tea, which is boiled into tea porridge with peanuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, ginger, almonds, longan, coriander and tea crushed. There are also people who like to add borneol, chrysanthemums, etc. to the tea soup, and the fragrance of the cheeks is full of fragrance when you eat it in your mouth. Next to the tea soup breakfast stall, some people were sweating profusely, some people were still hiding, and the tea soup was added with a cooking cake, and everyone started a busy day again.

In the elegant room of the Yellow Crane Tower, a rosewood table is placed on this delicate tea set. The old man who ordered the tea sprinkled a little tea powder on the bottom of the cup, added a spoonful of boiling snow water, stirred evenly with the spoon, and the tea powder gradually became viscous like a paste, at this time, the whole room was silent, the guests of honor held their breath, enjoying the process of ordering tea, the old man held the red clay pot in his left hand, slowly poured the hot boiling water into the tea paste, and hit and stirred the tea soup beautifully with the tea whisk with his right hand. Soon, the bright white soup flowers slowly rose and slowly dispersed. As the fragrance of tea filled, the old man divided the tea soup into the tea bowls of several guests one by one.

"Mr. Lin personally ordered tea, I really haven't drunk it for a long time." Taizhou Xuezheng Wu Chichang smiled, "Mr. Tuofuxiu's blessing." Several of the guests laughed together. Lu Yunsun also smiled and picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and praised: "It's really good." ”

"Yes," Tongzhou Xuezheng Zheng Bangshi said with a smile, "If it weren't for the big ceremony, we wouldn't be able to get together." ”

"I've long wanted to visit my teacher in Chuzhou." Pingjiang Mansion Xuezheng Zhan Deshi picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Replace wine with tea, thank you Brother Xu for being the east." "Xu Anxing is the leading salt merchant in Chuzhou, and many children of the Xu family are officials in the court. Therefore, although he has no official status, Zhan Deshi, Zheng Bangshi and others did not despise him at all.

"Where, where," Xu Anxing said with a smile, "you are all looking at Mr. Fuxiu's face." The four exchanged glances, and Zhan Deshi put down the teacup and said with a worried face: "Teacher, the student heard that the imperial court wants to cancel the salt introduction and salt tax system. Since then, there has been no difference between official salt and private salt, which is not in line with the ancestral system. The other three nodded yes in unison. Wu Chichang said in a deep voice: "Taizhou is now all maintained by the salt tax, and if the imperial court really wants to cancel the salt tax, this is to cause chaos in the world." ”

"Abolishing the salt tax is a move to benefit the people......" Lu Yunsun said slowly, looking at the others puzzled.

"Mr. Fuxiu, you don't know that the salt tax is a fair thing. As long as you eat salt, you have to pay taxes. No one can escape. If the salt tax is really abolished, where will the shortfall in the imperial court tax be made up? It will definitely be ingenious again, adding harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and when the time comes, corrupt officials and corrupt officials will work on it, and the people will suffer even more. Zheng Bangshi shook his head and sighed, "If the salt tax is abolished, those thieves who sell smuggled salt will be proud, it is simply the destruction of the yellow bell, and the thunder of the clay kettle!" How could the imperial court come up with such a perverse policy! He shook his head as he spoke, looking distressed.

"Is there nothing we can do?" Xu Anxing said worriedly.

"What's the solution?" Wu Chichang shook his head and said, "You can manage Chuzhou, but you can't manage other places." As long as the imperial court does not prohibit private salt, all localities can buy private salt from Shuzhong and even from Liao. The price of salt has fallen in an uproar, and the salt merchants in the southeast are only afraid that most of them will be defeated, which is even worse than the Liao people's entry into the Kou. Why did the imperial court get dizzy, come out of this chaotic government, and have nothing to do? Chen Shaoyang doesn't look like such a mediocre person? ”

"It's not like I'm stupid," Zheng Bangshi sneered, "I think he's shrewd." Do you hear the rumors out there? ”

"Oh, what rumors?"

"There are rumors that in the newly restored prefectures and counties of our Liangzhejiang Road and Lianghuai Road, there are many Cai Jing and Li Bangyan who are traitors to the party, gathering grain and training troops, intending to rebel, and claiming to be on the side of the Qing monarch, but in fact, they want to abolish the Prime Minister's Mansion and re-welcome the Cai Li traitor Yu Party to power. Therefore, the imperial court first built the Jiangnan camp and the Huaixi camp to deter the newly restored prefectures and counties, and then abolished the salt tax and cut off the money and food of the rebels. Before Zheng Bangshi's words fell, Lu Yunsun's face was gloomy.