Yang Shousu and Zheng Lang are old rivals, and they have dealt with each other many times, and each time it seems that they have taken advantage of themselves, but in the end? In the end, they all cried by themselves. With the experience of immunization, Zheng Lang didn't listen to what he said, and said: "Zheng Xianggong, I only hope to follow the previous agreement, and don't do anything else." ”

Let's put the salt road aside and be realistic.

A smile appeared on the corner of Zheng Lang's mouth, although he was angry that Yang Shousu was a traitor, but he was not consciously raped at all, it was this person who taught Lang Zuo, so that Lang Zuo launched a coup d'état, killed the Wuzang family, and restored the normal development of Western Xia. However, with the death of Yang Shousu, Liang Zuo was confused again, and the Liang family took the throne. If you put aside his traitor's point of view, this person is a famous generation of important ministers in Western Xia, and his role is far better than that of Zhang Yuan and other Han ministers. But it doesn't matter, he said slowly: "Yang Shousu, although you and I had an agreement at the beginning, it was a private agreement, and then I also made a promise, but what about your Western Xia, last year, almost two million stones of private salt flowed to our court. ”

"No, it's just more than 400,000 ......," Yang Shousu stopped and said that he had leaked his mouth.

"More than 400,000 stones, plus you don't know about private salt, at least more than 600,000 stones, right? The cost of mining and transporting a stone to the border will not exceed a few dollars, but the price can be tens of dollars. ”

"Zheng Xianggong, the account can't be calculated like this, your border officials ask for bribes, and you Song Dynasty merchants also want to make profits, and the money earned by our country may not be as much as the money earned by your Song Dynasty merchants, and the profit of one stone of green salt is only three or four at most. There is also the apportionment of various magnates in our country, and you are famous all over the world for your good business flexibility, not that you don't know this. Although more than 400,000 stone blue salt flows to your country, the income of our Xia country will not exceed 1 million. From last year to now, where is one million enough? ”

"You also know that the money was taken by the corrupt officials and merchants. I use salt in the court, not only your Xixia green salt, but also the anti-salt. Sea salt, well salt, how many drawbacks have been produced in a year of salt administration, it is rare to have Fan Xiang to preside over the salt administration, quite effective, why should you abolish it for your Western Xia? ”

Yang Shousu couldn't answer.

Although there was an agreement, it was only a verbal agreement, and the Song Dynasty really wanted to tear it up. Yang Shousu was helpless.

Furthermore, what qualifications did the Western Xia have to make the Song Dynasty abandon its good government? The two countries are not that kind of iron buddies either. At this point, Western Xia is withered, what ability does it have to ask people for the Move?

Zheng Lang sipped tea and playfully played with the black porcelain teacup in his hand.

Yang Shousu hesitated for a while and said, "Zheng Xianggong, if our Western Xia perishes, your Song Dynasty may not have a good end. ”

"Wrong!"

"What's wrong?"

"The Khitan wants to destroy your Western Xia. It is not easy, the war can only continue to stalemate, the battle of Hequ, more than 100,000 Khitan soldiers or killed or captured, last year the Liao lord crossed the river from Dongshengzhou. Occupy Tanglong Town, an important gateway to your Western Xia Prefecture, some horses died due to lack of water and grass, and heard that Xiao Hui was defeated, and his son Xiao Ci's slave also died in this battle, and the army returned. I don't know how many men and horses the Khitan lost in this battle, but if the Liao lord can be forced back, the weight of the Khitan loss this time can be imagined. Although this year has been used from time to time to use troops against your Western Xia, it is a small army, and in these few years, the Khitan no longer has the financial resources and military resources, and mobilizes a huge army to put pressure on your Western Xia. If the army does not come out, what is the danger of your Western Xia's destruction? Zheng Lang deliberately reminded Yang Shousu that he had to give the Western Xia people some confidence.

Then the voice changed and said: "But people must have credit, since I promised to provide support to you Xixia, I will also give you Xixia a chance." From this year onwards, our court will buy horses from your Western Xia, 20 to 30 for bad horses, 40 to 50 for medium horses, and 60 to 70 for good horses. Cows, camels, mules, and donkeys are purchased at prices higher than the market price. A total of 300,000 taels of silver are allocated every year to provide support to your Western Xia in disguise, but the amount of horses must be kept at least sixty percent. ”…,

After several years of recuperation and recuperation, and in disguised support for the people to raise large livestock, the number of large livestock in the Song Dynasty increased, but it was still seriously insufficient, so that in many areas in the north, the people continued to use manual ploughs to cultivate the land, restricting the development of agriculture. The south is more serious, but the south is helpless, cattle are cattle, horses can not plow the paddy fields, but the rice has to be eaten bite by bite, if the Western Xia provides a large number of large livestock over, Zheng Lang consciously did not expect the Western Xia to put many good horses over, but will provide many large livestock to the peasants, increase grain production.

"Where are there so many horses and cattle in our Xia Kingdom?" Yang Shousu shook his head.

"Horses and cattle are so expensive, why do you Tangut people eat more, or let's change the method, of which 100,000 taels of silver are worth 200,000 yuan, and exchange them for grain, and provide you Tangut people with grain at the price of security army food, and transport it to your Tangut border for free, what do you think?"

Yang Shousu shook his head: "Zheng Xianggong, I won't tell you that the Khitan has invaded several times and plundered a lot, and there are not many livestock in my country." ”

"I said you are stupid, you have no livestock in Western Xia, but what about divination? A horse is blocking divination, if you trade with cloth, it only costs a few dollars, and when it changes hands, it is several times the profit, why bother to be trapped in green salt? ”

"No," Yang Shousu replied.

The obstruction of the business road has long been opened under the bewitchment of Zheng Lang, but it does not provoke the Khitan, and the number does not dare to enlarge, once the cattle and horses are transported in tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, it will alarm the Khitan people and cause great trouble.

"Yang Shousu, the lord of Liao has been defeated twice, although he has made a slight gain this year, he still can't explain to his subjects, and he has Brother Ning Ling in his hands, can he let you go in Western Xia? Stop dreaming, Yang Shousu! ”

"Brother Ning Ling was rescued by your Song Dynasty?"

Zheng Lang frowned, he only said it once, at that time, all the important ministers sitting in the vertical arch hall were heavyweights, and he didn't expect it to leak out, Yongchen can really mislead the country, his expression was silent, and he said calmly: "How capable do you think our Song Dynasty is?" This is just my excuse in the court, otherwise how can I get the ministers to support my approach and support you Tangut people? ”

Yang Shousu smiled bitterly. got some news, but after Yang Shousu analyzed it carefully, he didn't believe it.

"Yang Shousu, continue to get down to business, do you agree with my opinion? If I agree, I may be able to take a step back, and the trading volume of 300,000 taels of silver will remain unchanged. Then add about 200,000 taels of grain at the market price and trade your country's livestock. With 800,000 guan trading volume, if you Xixia are properly organized. Make a profit of at least 400,000 to 500,000 yuan, and with the annual gifts I provide to you Xixia, you can get through the crisis in Xixia safely. It just so happened that there was a shortage of livestock for farming. can also explain to the Khitans. The best of both worlds, what do you think? Zheng Lang continued to bewitch.

"Zheng Xianggong, forgive me for not being able to answer immediately."

"It's okay, the autumn season is a good time to travel, you can stay in our capital for a while, our Song Dynasty is not in a hurry, you can wait slowly."

"What did you just say?"

"Didn't you say you wouldn't do extravagant things?"

Yang Shousu was speechless.

Zheng Lang did not sell Guanzi. said: "Actually, it is not difficult, although the Khitan has made a slight gain this year, but it has been defeated twice, and it is forced to use troops this year, but your Western Xia and Khitan are both known for their poverty, and some of the captives cannot make up for the Khitan military expenditure, in order to cope with the huge military expenditure." The Khitan will intensify the exploitation of all tribes. To whom will it be exploited? First, the people within their control, but this is the foundation of the Khitan, and they dare not be too heavy. The second is the bondage area, where the Jurchens are fierce, and the Khitan is still dominated by wooing. They don't dare to be too heavy, or the Wugu tribes in the northwest are also known for their fierceness. Who is left? Divination! Under the heavy convergence, the various tribes will be divided, and some tribes will have great resentment against the Khitan, but they dare not face the powerful Khitan, and they will join forces with you Western Xia at that time. If you Western Xia agree to join forces with these tribes, it will shake the rule of the Khitan Shangjing Province Wushan (Hangai Mountain) region. I produce cloth and silk tea, lack of livestock, Wushan and Wushan to Jinshan (the Khitan still calls the Altai Mountains Jinshan, but the main vein of the Great Xing'an Mountains is also called Jinshan) sticky Bage Department of livestock, lack of tea cloth and silk, blocking a mess, will stick to the Bage tribes blocked, Khitan rule will be turbulent. When the time comes, I will give you a month of Western Xia, open up the salt road, seek capital capital, and then take advantage of the excellent geographical location of your Western Xia to reverse your luck. Then whether it is military, civilian, or economic, you Western Xia will be invincible. Even a trade route will make the Obstruction Department and the Sticky Bage Department more convincing to your Western Xia, although the Khitan army is strong, but the economy is backward, it is impossible to fight on both sides, and finally forced to be helpless, will agree to negotiate peace, and even return Ning Lingge to your Western Xia, Ning Lingge is divided, and the Western Xia country is stable. ”…,

It's definitely not like that, but these words are too tempting, Yang Shousu asked firmly: "Really?" ”

"It must be true."

"Why did you come up with this?"

"It's good for our dynasty, the Khitan will destroy your Western Xia, what good is it for our Song Dynasty, your two countries are at war, and both sides are defeated is what our Song Dynasty wants, but I don't want your Western Xia to perish. So I will take action and let you Western Xia have some favorable conditions in your hands to resist the Khitan invasion. Zheng Lang said the truth this time, but Yang Shousu couldn't tell the truth from the false, and continued to believe and doubt.

I don't believe it, but it's too tempting, Yang Shousu said: "Can you wait for me to report the situation to the lord and the queen mother." ”

"Okay," Zheng Lang said, sending Yang Shousu away.

But some people don't like Fan Xiang, this person really surprised everyone, it is the most dazzling direct minister He Tan today! It was he who repeatedly fell, Xia Zhu stepped down, and Chen Zhizhong stepped down. Fan Xiang's implementation of the new salt law in Shaanxi, especially the use of money to replace the original useless materials and moldy grain, harmed the interests of how many rich and powerful? Many people wrote against it. However, the weight is not heavy, so He Tan said at the court meeting: "Since the news of the law reform, business travel has increased the price of official salt, and the profit is thin, and there are few counts. Shaanxi Road, has lost more than 100,000 yuan, and the rest of the roads have reduced the salt money compared to the old ones, which is very harmful to use. At the same time, the price of private salt in Shaanxi is high, and most of them fail to sell private salt, the punishment is quite annoying, and the official and private are unfavorable, how can it be implemented for a long time? The minister thinks that things can be changed before there is a hundred benefits, and if the change is not as good as before, it is advisable to restore the old law. The time of today's change is not long, and in order to do little harm, I still hope that the imperial court will command, and choose a member of the cadres and bureaucrats to go to Shaanxi, so that the transfer envoy and Fan Xiang will discuss the benefits and harms face-to-face. so as not to be scarce and called, and soak for a long time. ”

Zheng Lang stood in the first place, followed by Song Zhen and Wen Yanbo, Chen Zhizhong stepped down, and after some changes in the court, Song Zhen was re-transferred to Dongfu as Tongping Zhangshi, the same as Chen Zhizhong, the second prime minister, but not worried about Zheng Lang, Zheng Lang is too young, at least relative to the position of prime minister, the age is still too young, with Song Zhen, it can reduce the attack of some ministers. At the suggestion of Zheng Lang, Pang Ji was transferred to the privy envoy. Zhao Zhen didn't know who to listen to, and re-transferred Gao Ruone to Dongfu as a governor. Liang Shi was transferred to Xifu as a privy deputy envoy. The personnel of the two prefectures changed their faces again, Zheng Lang, Song Zhen, Wen Yanbo, and Gao Ruone in the east, and Pang Ji, Wang Yiyong, Wang Yaochen, Fu Bi, and Liang Shi in the west.

It's still bloated. If Zheng Lang is allowed to choose, at least Gao Ruone, Liang Shi, and Song Zhen are all unqualified, and Wang Yiyong does not have to consider it. Humans and animals are harmless, but the Song Dynasty is not his family, even if it is Zhao Zhen, he may not be able to completely call the shots. can only be carefully integrated, but fortunately, after being tempered, Fu Bi began to mature, plus Wen Yanbo, Pang Ji and other famous ministers, several of whom are quite scheming. But unlike the many ministers of the Qingli New Deal, most of them are people who do practical things. The two governments continue to maintain a high efficiency.

But the only people who knew were Pang Ji, Wen Yanbo and Chen Zhizhong, Zheng Lang looked at Wen Yanbo and the new privy envoy Pang Ji opposite, and suddenly the three of them snickered at the same time.

Lu Yijian and Li Jian changed the law, and it was Sun Zheng, a famous gentleman in the world, who mischievous.

Fan Xiangyan's opposition is such as He Tan, a famous direct minister today, and he is really an unexpected candidate.

Zhao Zhen also knows.

He coughed. The three of you are already important ministers in the world, and you can't laugh, it's not good, but he thought about Zheng Lang's words and snickered.

The atmosphere is wrong.

He Tan is incomprehensible. Seeing that he was stunned, the four of them couldn't help it at the same time, lowered their heads together, and continued to steal fun.

After laughing, Zheng Lang said: "If this is the case, the minister recommends Bao Zheng, the deputy envoy of the household department, to go to discuss the salt law with the Shaanxi Transit Division." ”

Then he looked at Bao Zheng and said in his heart, Brother Bao, you have to fight for me. …,

Shang Hu Si broke the embankment, many ministers behaved insensitively, Zheng Lang knew that the Northeast Province was not the root of the cure, and the cost of empty labor was not spoken, but these ministers did not have a golden finger, but they did not say a word, including Bao Zheng, which disappointed Zheng Lang. But compared to other ministers, Bao Zheng is good. Since it is Bao Qingtian, although it is exaggerated a little, it can be regarded as a generation of celebrities. Zheng Lang's proposal is a gamble, betting on whether Bao Zheng will say the words in history. did not disappoint him, Bao Zheng walked out of the train, held the tooth wat and said:

"The former Shaanxi transfer envoy, Beizhi Yanfa since the second year of Qingli Fan Zongjie to ask for ban, sent soldiers, chariots and cattle and yaqian to move to the states, the officials bought their own field and betrayed, so that the soldiers fled and died, and the public broke the family business, abounding. The voice of grievances, in the road, the front and rear ministers are waterlogged and inconvenient, begging the old law to trade, in order to save the withering in the pass, there is a division to perform, and the discussion will not work. Yesterday, because Fan Xiang had another invitation, and Ye Qingchen had known that Yongxing Army, there were more ministers in the Chinese book than Shaanxi ministers, and seeing that it was very troublesome, it had to be passed and the old law of trade was reused. Let the guests enter the money along the border, collect the military reserves, avoid inflating the expensive price into the middle, and then have an invitation to the goods, and be lenient to the labor of all kinds of trouble. This is beneficial to the country and harmless to the people. However, at the beginning of the reform of the law, the wealthy businessmen and cunning officials were not happy, and the speaker was frustrated because of the fact that he lost a little money from the previous year, and begged to restore the old law. Although the old law is good and undoubtedly reinstated, it is afraid that it will be harmful. ”

said it very tactfully, giving He Tan face. In fact, there is something to say, He Tan, don't talk nonsense, the people who passed this law are Ye Qingchen, Zheng Lang, Wen Yanbo, Chen Zhizhong and Pang Ji, all of whom have stayed in Shaanxi and saw how bitter the old salt law was, so they passed. Whatever harms the people, the people do not harm, it is beneficial and convenient, not only for the people, but also for the soldiers, but also for the wealthy businessmen and cunning officials, businessmen can no longer use rotten grain to deceive the state of money, and cunning officials can no longer be corrupt and take bribes. It's a big deal that the interest is damaged, but the interest is important, or the nearly 10 million people in Shaanxi are important, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers are important!

Yes, yes, Zheng Lang shook his head. Lao Bao is at least a hundred times stronger than Ouyang Xiu.

After a pause, Bao Zheng said again: "And there are two kinds of changes, first benefit and then harm, first harm and then benefit." Although the old prohibition law has been violently tens of thousands, and the people's strength is becoming more and more difficult, it will inevitably change over it for a long time, and it will inevitably change with it, which is a small profit first and then a big harm. If we consider its trade, although the profits in one or two years are less and less, and gradually we do it, the profits will be restored, and the people's labor will be saved from hardship, and the benefits will not be better for a long time, and there will be small harms and eventually big benefits. And the country is rich in the world, it should be based on compassion for the people, how can it bear to fight for 100,000 yuan in the year, and it can't be postponed for one or two years, so as to be responsible! ”

"Wonderful, a good one is compassionate to the people," Zheng Lang applauded.

He Tan, do you dare to be wordy! No matter how wordy it is, a big hat that is compassionate about the people can crush you to death.

Bao Zheng glanced at Zheng Lang, and he would definitely win Zheng Lang's approval based on compassion for the people, but openly agreeing with him was also expressing support for himself, and he was even more bold, and continued: "If the order is easily changed, there is no trust in the world, and if you want to restore the previous bad law, why should the creatures in Guanzhong be caught off guard?" The minister also thought carefully about what Fan Xiang played before and after, and the matter was quite clear, but it was slightly damaged in the transfer department, so that there were objections. The ministers are not afraid of having to work together, and they have false assumptions that the nobles cherish their affairs for the country, and do not want to favor small profits for the time and cause great disasters in the future. ”

After saying that, step back.

Bao Zheng felt a pity that such a good salt method was to be abolished.

In fact, there is a more complete set of salt government reforms, and the only people who know about it are Pang Wenchen and Zhao Zhen, which are placed in the archive. What Bao Zheng didn't know, in his heart, he thought that Fan Xiang's law was the most perfect salt administration law since the founding of the Song Dynasty.

Later, Bao Zheng went to Shaanxi, not only did not listen to He Tan's words and changed Fan Xiang's salt law, but instead changed the law, but asked the merchant to sell salt in Yanhuan Bazhou, instead of the original Fan Xiang's quarantine area. He also ordered the soldiers of the border states to strictly prohibit the passage of private salt and block it from the source. If you don't check it, it's shocking, although Fan Xiang thinks carefully, it's still a hundred secrets, some small officials and soldiers collude with each other, use the white and red private salt of the Western Xia price practice as official salt to sell in the forbidden area, and raise the price of salt, the court is not profitable, and the salt is expensive. As a result, the law was relaxed, and the trade law was applied in its entirety.

He also said that there were still officials in Sanjing (except for the Daimyo Mansion in Hebei) and Hezhong who used the trade law to sell salt, and the salt administration was chaotic and was banned from now on. Hezhong is an important gateway to salt relief, and Sanjing is the most important place in the country, so the price of salt must be stabilized. Therefore, the trade law is discarded and the prohibition law is adopted. In this regard, the officials of the three divisions thought that the Jingshi Jia merchants were rare and did not have the courage to come, but the price of salt was very expensive, so please continue to trade between public and private as before, and the rest would be forbidden. Follow.

In fact, it is an excuse for the three divisions, the capital division is densely populated, there are millions of people, and the businessmen who dare to use the trade law to do business have a strong background, if it is forcibly banned, it will attract more opposition, and the three divisions do not have the courage to implement Bao Zheng's proposal.

Even with the support of Bao Zheng and others, the salt policy reform was intermittent and opposed by many people. In this regard, Zheng Lang also expressed his support, but he has not come forward, and he can't be in a hurry, if he makes the world's powerful people hate him, he will end up with the same fate as Wang Anshi. It doesn't matter, it's a big deal to go home. But in this way, nothing can be done, it's not worth it!

At the end of September, the imperial court received an urgent report from the south, and Nong Zhigao invaded Yongzhou! (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly passes, and your support is my biggest motivation. )