"Have you taken all the salt released by the imperial court today?" Wang Tong stroked his beard and asked.

"Got it." Wang Yuan replied respectfully: "It's not ......."

"But what?"

"The price of salt in the imperial court has risen."

"Oh?" When Wang Tong stroked his beard, his eyes flickered and asked, "How much has it risen?" ”

"The salt put into the imperial court before was 300 wen a bucket, but today it has risen by 100 wen."

Wang Tong smiled slightly when he heard this, and continued to stroke his beard and said: "Four hundred wen and one bucket, it doesn't matter, you can still take it all." ”

"One more thing."

Seeing that Wang Yuan's face was different, Wang Tong was suspicious: "What's the matter?" ”

"The imperial court has lifted the purchase restrictions."

"Removed the purchase limit?" Wang Tongchang frowned with a relaxed appearance, and said in a low voice: "What is Li Shimin's idea again?" ”

Wang Yuan hesitated: "Father, should we be careful?" ”

Wang Tong pondered for a moment and said: "It's okay, according to our people's reports, the imperial court's salt stock is running out, and Li Shimin is now putting the salt supplied to the Tang army on the front line to the people, and he will definitely hold on for a short time." Now that nearly half of the salt lakes in Datang are secretly controlled by that person, there is no supply of salt, and I see what Li Shimin can do to calm the people's grievances. ”

Li Shimin's intention to weaken the family is already very obvious, the family will naturally not let him weaken willingly, he has been silent before just to wait for the opportunity, and now is the best time, if he can succeed, the Wang family will have the merit of the dragon!

With Wang Tong's words, Wang Yuan was relieved, and the salt released by the imperial court in the next few days became more and more expensive day by day, and after a few days, it had risen to 800 wen a bucket. And the price of illicit salt has risen to an astonishing three times. Because there is no purchase limit. It was even more difficult for the people to grab salt, and almost all the salt released by the imperial court was taken by the family.

After a few more days, the amount of salt released by the imperial court every day was reduced by half, and it was no longer the original coarse salt but snow-white and delicate fine salt, and the price of salt was two buckets!

"It seems that the imperial court's salt storage has been exhausted, and even the best refined salt used in the palace has been taken out for emergency, it seems that Li Shimin is really desperate, haha!"

After listening to Wang Yuan's report, Wang Tong was in a good mood. seems to have seen Li Shimin's anxious and helpless appearance.

"Do we want to ...... the refined salt that runs through the two buckets?"

"Take it!" Wang Tong said decisively: "Even the usual refined salt must be consistently a bucket, two runs and one bucket...... It's cheap. "The price of ordinary coarse salt and private salt has risen to three times and one bucket, and two times and one bucket of refined salt is really cheap for the family.

"When the refined salt in the palace is also exhausted, I want to see where Li Shimin can conjure the salt from!" A hint of fierceness flashed in Wang Tong's eyes.

On the second day, the refined salt put in the imperial court was reduced again, and Wang Tongxin was determined that as long as the imperial court supply of salt was cut off, it would be enough to stir up the people's grievances a little!

……

"Father."

"Hmm." Wang Tong was thinking about the promise he made, and he didn't notice that Wang Yuan's expression was a little strange, and he responded casually.

"Father."

Wang Yuan raised his voice and called again, Wang Tong came back to his senses, looked at Wang Yuan and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Wang Yuan said in a deep voice: "Today, a new salt shop has opened in Chang'an. ”

"The imperial court has opened another salt shop?" Wang Tong said strangely: "Didn't you say that the salt supply of the imperial court has decreased, why do you want to open another salt shop?" ”

Wang Yuan shook his head and said, "It's not a salt shop opened by the imperial court. ”

"What!" This time Wang Yuan was really surprised. Salt and iron are the weapons of the country, and no one is allowed to use them privately except the imperial court. The family's sale of illicit salt is also done in private, who is so bold as to openly open a salt shop at the feet of the Son of Heaven!

"Didn't the court ask?"

Wang Yuan shook his head, Wang Tong frowned and pondered for a moment and said: "Although it is a private salt shop, it can be regarded as helping Li Shimin alleviate some public grievances, I am afraid that it is precisely because of this that Li Shimin will turn a blind eye, and it is not worrying that the little businessman wants to take the opportunity to make some money." "Nowadays, most of the salt is hoarded in the hands of several major families, although there are also profiteers who have also hoarded some salt, but it is just a drop in the bucket for the salt needed by the entire Tang people, so Wang Tong did not take it to heart.

Wang Yuan saw that Wang Tong didn't care, and whispered: "It's the Marquis of Jiayuan who opened the salt shop." ”

"Marquis Jiayuan?" Wang Tong was stunned for a moment, and then asked, "Prince Jiayuan is new?" ”

Wang Yuan nodded.

"Didn't he go to the Lingnan fiefdom? Some time ago, there was news that he was killed by the Tubo people, why did he run back to Chang'an to open a salt shop? ”

Wang Yuan explained: "Marquis Jiayuan did not return to Chang'an, it was Laifu in his house who came forward to open the salt shop, and 20,000 buckets of refined salt were put into the shop just today!" He also said that the salt shop would put at least 20,000 buckets of refined salt every day, and if there was no money to exchange it for grain, many people went to exchange it for salt. ”

Wang Tong frowned when he heard this, the daily salt supply of the imperial court has now been reduced to two thousand buckets, where did the prince get so much salt from? He doesn't believe in providing at least 20,000 buckets of refined salt every day, not to mention that refined salt is ordinary coarse salt, he doesn't believe it, the salt storage of the imperial court has been the salt production of the Tang Salt Lake, and he has sent people to investigate it clearly, and he has never heard of the hoarding of salt by the Marquis of Jiayuan before.

Wang Yuan opened his mouth and asked, "Father, what are we going to do now?" ”

Wang Tong raised his hand and pondered for a while, then asked Wang Yuan: "What is the quality of refined salt in the salt shop, and what is the price of salt?" ”

Wang Yuan had already prepared, took out a bag of salt, handed it to Wang Tong and said: "This is the refined salt that our people bought from the salt shop, and the refined salt recently released by the imperial court is the same, which is better than the usual refined salt, and the price of the salt shop is three times and one bucket." ”

Wang Tong dipped his finger in a little salt and looked at it carefully, and suddenly squinted and smiled.

"What kind of private salt shop turned out to be just Li Shimin's plan to break the kettle, but this move is just to cover up and steal the bell, and the Turkic war will not end so soon."

Wang Yuan was puzzled: "What does my father mean?" ”

Wang Tong said with a smile: "This refined salt is not the same as the refined salt of the imperial court, but this is the refined salt of the imperial court at all, Li Shimin knew that the refined salt used in the palace would not last long, so he made out the matter of the Marquis of Jiayuan privately opening a salt shop to sell salt, and said that he would provide at least 20,000 buckets of refined salt every day, causing the illusion that the Marquis of Jiayuan had a lot of salt, first, to appease Baixin, and secondly, to make us have scruples and dare not continue to hoard salt." ”

After listening to Wang Tong's explanation, Wang Yuan suddenly realized and asked, "Then what are we going to do now?" ”

Wang Tong wiped off the salt dipped in his fingers and smiled: "Don't you think it's cheap to have such a good refined salt?" ”

Wang Yuan understood what Wang Tong meant as soon as he heard it, nodded and said, "I'll notify the other companies to take down all the refined salt in the salt shop." ”

Wang Tong nodded, a smile on his face.

(To be continued.) )