In the Qianqing Palace, the issue of abolishing the salt tax was very hotly debated.

The emperor wanted to end the era when the bureaucracy relied on salt for profit at a price of 1.5 million taels of silver per year.

This kind of assumption is really fearless, and several pavilion elders have been dizzy with anger by the emperor, and they don't know what to say to the emperor.

Once the emperor really wrote this abolition of salt politics into the amnesty, the bureaucrats who profited from this chain of interests would have to drink the northwest wind.

One cabinet member felt that he could not watch the emperor do such a "ridiculous thing". As soon as this amnesty is promulgated, the whole world will go crazy, the bureaucrats will go crazy, and the people will go crazy. Without the salt policy, there is only private salt, and the gap between official salt and private salt is worlds apart.

"Your Majesty, are you not satisfied with the fact that the salt tax is levied too little? In this case, Your Majesty, why not add a salt tax, why do you have to stop the salt policy? Isn't it because of the lack of food and drink? "A cabinet has forgiven and told the truth to the emperor, if you don't tell the truth, the emperor will go down on this pole, how many people's jobs will be overturned?

"No, no, no! I intend to bless my people and give them a good amnesty, but it doesn't matter how much or how little I collect. "Yang Gai insisted on abolishing the salt policy.

Several cabinets were even more anxious when they saw that the emperor could not be moved at all.

The first assistant of the cabinet really forgive, and the whole person was immersed in the turmoil brought about by the officialdom once the salt policy was abolished, and he was so frightened that he knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, please also ask Your Majesty to make it clear what to do, it really can't be abolished!" The minister knew that His Majesty was angry that the salt tax was paid too little, and the minister must persuade the registered salt merchants to let them pay more taxes, and His Majesty must not abolish the salt policy......"

Shousuke's suddenly knelt down and begged for mercy, and the other ministers also knelt down and begged for mercy, and a small ae was put out, but there was no intention of making a move.

"Your Majesty, you can't abolish the salt policy, you can't ,......"

"Your Majesty, you must not abolish the salt ......"

Several cabinets kowtowed, and the Qianqing Palace was like beating a drum.

Yang Gengai was also distressed when he saw it. The first is that it really hurts to hit the floor with this head, and the second is that I pay 1.5 million taels a year, which is really "painful". Yang Gai also didn't want to pay this unjust money.

"Several auxiliary ministers, I have also read books and learned arithmetic, I believe that several Qing families are the best in the Shilin, and they must also be proficient in the six arts,...... I don't know if it's because I haven't learned arithmetic well, or if I'm not smart enough, so I trouble you and me to calculate the account of this salt class. "Yang Gengai plans to find out and settle the account of the salt tax with these cabinets, otherwise, it will be boring to talk about incisions and unspoken rules like this like this.

A few ministers, you look at me, I look at you. Shoufu said: "Please also ask Your Majesty to make it clear." ”

"How much does I sell for salt?" Yang Gengai directly asked the core question, and no longer fought with these bureaucrats.

Sweat broke out on Shousuke's forehead, this salt tax can't be counted! The first calculation is full of loopholes.

"Back to Your Majesty, the price of salt in my court ranges from two hundred to four or five hundred wen." Shousuke still answered the emperor's words.

"Very good, then I will ask you again, my Ming Dynasty has a population of more than 10,000, this is not wrong." Yang asked again.

Shoufu thought for a moment and said, "Back to Your Majesty, Your Majesty commands a trillion people, this is true. ”

"How many pounds of salt does no one eat every year?"

Shousuke did not answer. I lowered my head and thought for a long time, but I didn't speak.

Yang Gengai saw that the first assistant was reluctant to speak, and said: "That assistant knows how much salt each person eats every year?" ”

A cabinet minister still responded: "Back to Your Majesty, the common people, save money, and estimate that seven or eight catties of salt is enough every year." ”

"Really only seven or eight pounds? Not mistaken? ”

The minister thought about it, gritted his teeth, and said, "** catty, right?" **Pound it. Almost. [According to the amount of salt introduced in the Ming Dynasty, the annual salt output is 600 million catties, which is calculated according to the statistical population of 60 million, and each person is ten catties of salt per year. 】

Eight pounds, nine pounds? Yang Reform said: "Then it is nine catties, then I ask you, I am in the Ming Dynasty, each person eats nine catties of salt every year, according to the population of 10,000, how much salt should I get?" "In fact, the problem is very simple, as long as a primary school student who has studied academics, he can calculate the problem.

"......" The ministers were silent, this account could not be calculated. As soon as you do the math, there are loopholes. They all knelt on the ground, silent, and bowed their heads.

"Since you don't count, I have learned arithmetic, then I will count it, I should eat 90,000 catties of salt every year, this arithmetic, I am not wrong, right? Well? Yang Gai looked at the ministers on the ground again, and none of the ministers spoke. They all bowed their heads and remained silent.

"How much is the salt class per year? It's only a million taels of silver. Calculate, how much is this pound of salt taxed? When it comes to salt classes, Yang Gai feels that his primary school has been read in vain, and such a simple question must be miscalculated.

Several ministers still knelt on the ground, did not speak, lowered their heads, and kept cursing in their hearts, cursing those salt merchants, they were too greedy, this kind of loophole, once it became serious, could not be covered up no matter what.

"Since several auxiliary ministers don't want to count, then I will count it, just calculate it according to 100,000 catties of salt, one million taels of silver per year, and only charge a penny per catty of salt......" Yang Gai spit out this cold penny.

The ministers of the earth did not speak.

"Very good, the price of this salt is more than 200 wen, and I can receive a copper plate salt tax, you say, why do I still need this salt tax? Simply, I will benefit the world with a penny, and I will get it. I'm not uncommon for this money. Tell me, am I right? Yang's arithmetic reform made these ministers even more speechless.

Yang Reform is also heartbroken about his salt tax, if the salt tax is above the normal level, the annual income should be more than 10 million, but unfortunately, it has never arrived.

In the main hall of the Qianqing Palace, there was such a strange opposite, the emperor sat on a high throne, looked at the minister, and waited for the minister to answer.

Several cabinet members knelt on the ground, their heads bowed, and said nothing. And so on and so on.

The crowd outside the Chengtian Gate has been waiting impatiently, this amnesty, it stands to reason, should have come out to read it out a long time ago, but it was noon, the person who came out to read it had not yet come out, and the prisoners kneeling on the ground couldn't afford to kneel and not say anything, and the lively "masses" on the side were even more discussing, discussing what was going on in the palace and why it was so difficult to have an amnesty.

The official of the Ministry of Rites, who was in charge of presiding over the ceremony, couldn't help it anymore, called a small yellow door, and asked the little yellow door to enter the palace to urge, what the hell is going on, why can't the amnesty come down?

A small yellow door ran quickly towards the palace.

Wang Chengen went out for a while, and when he came back, he reported: "Your Majesty, this Chengtian Gate XXX, Lord X urges when this edict of amnesty will arrive, saying that the people outside this Chengtian Gate have been looking forward to it for a long time......"

Someone urged the edict, but Yang Reform was not in a hurry, sitting on the throne dragon chair, leisurely.

Drink tea.

"I see." And then there was no follow-up.

Today is the amnesty, the amnesty has been set a long time ago, if the amnesty is set but there is no amnesty edict, this joke will be big, this Wei case can not be decided, how many people have to rush out of white hair! Yang Reform and these ministers fought for the surname.

Time passed minute by minute, and several ministers on the ground were also using their brains to figure out a way. It is not only necessary not to strangle the salt merchant to death, but also not to satisfy the emperor.

A minister couldn't stand it anymore and said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that this salt class can be raised to five million taels, what does Your Majesty think?" From one penny per catty of salt plus five pennies, so, Your Majesty, it should be satisfied...... "This cabinet can't stand it, if this amnesty passes, the edict has been delayed, and it can't be issued, this emperor is determined to take the Wei case again, how many people will be implicated?" In this capital, I'm afraid that there are hundreds of bureaucrats who have to be involved, who hasn't made old friends? For the sake of the hundreds of bureaucrats in the capital, it is better to cut the interests of the salt merchants, it is true that they have been too indulgent to the salt merchants over the years.

"Hehe, five million taels, this assistant minister is so courageous, but I don't know, can I receive these five million taels?" Yang Gai was also surprised that he was determined by the cabinet assistant minister, and he was able to raise the salt class to five million taels in one go, which was not enough. This time, it is estimated that the salt merchants will be squeezed to the ground.

The cabinet that opened his mouth gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and said: "Back to Your Majesty, the minister will definitely find a way to pay the five million taels of salt......"

From one million taels to five million taels, from one penny to five cents. Yang Gai felt that this salt class and these bureaucrats were like a woman's cleavage, squeezing, there was always something.

Yang Gai said with a smile: "Hehe, yes, this cabinet minister, he has courage and determination, but I think that the tax rate of our dynasty is thirty taxes one, that is to say, a pound of salt is sold for two hundred to four or five hundred Wen, take a middle number, even if it is three hundred Wen, thirty taxes and one, there should be ten copper plates, how can there be five copper plates?" ”

Yang Gai felt that this salt class was like a woman's cleavage, squeezing, and there was it, so he decided to squeeze this "cleavage". All at once, from five copper plates, the asking price went to ten copper plates.

The cabinets on the ground did not faint to death, a copper plate rose to ten copper plates, which had to pay 10 million taels of silver to the emperor every year, this, scared the cabinet to death, this Ming Dynasty, will become an exploding household! If that were the case, the salt merchants, the bureaucrats who relied on the salt merchants for profit, would not have to pull out their skins.

In the main hall, there was another quiet and aimless confrontation.

More and more people gathered outside the Chengtian Gate, and the small yellow gate once again ran quickly towards the palace inside. Another hour has passed. The edict of amnesty has not yet arrived. Many bureaucrats involved in the Wei case began to become anxious. There won't be any moths. This is good, pay the money to avoid disasters, and at the time of the amnesty, take them for a ride, if there is no amnesty, then it is ironclad, and the Wei case will be reoverturned! My heart suddenly became uneasy. More and more people gathered outside the Chengtian Gate.

"Your Majesty, someone outside has come to urge ......" Wang Chengen didn't dare to speak loudly, this hall is too quiet.

Yang Gai still sat on the dragon chair on the throne, drinking tea slowly, not in a hurry or impatient.

The minister on the ground began to struggle and knelt there, sweating uncontrollably on his forehead.

The cabinet, which had been "negotiating" with the emperor just now, came out again and was ready to negotiate with the emperor, but this time, not only was there sweat on his forehead, but it was already a burst of green muscles and was about to collapse.

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the salt class for every catty of salt is raised by seven copper plates, which is already the limit......"

As soon as the words of this cabinet came out, the other ministers on the ground did not faint and died. Another price increase? Seven million taels? Will the salt merchants, and those who profit from the salt administration, spit out seven copper plates? I'm afraid their skin is not enough for them to peel!

Yang Gai sat on the dragon chair, he just wanted to laugh in his heart, he was really not mistaken, this salt class is really like a woman's "cleavage", and if you squeeze it, there will be a little bit again.

"Seven copper plates? What can seven copper plates do? Now that the imperial court spends a huge amount of money every year, military salaries, disaster relief, and military expenses are far from being settled, what can these seven copper plates do? This Dongyu will enter the customs at any time, and the salary of this pass must be indispensable, the elite of the world of the Gongwei Jingshi, do you want this salary? How will this disaster relief, millions, tens of millions of people, be settled? Do you want silver? What is the lack of money? Seven copper plates? What can you do? "Yang Gengai wants to monopolize the salt market by himself, instead of collecting seven million taels of silver a year for protection. What can seven copper plates do? Seven copper plates buy two copies of the newspaper, and the source sells newspaper songs...... The cabinet on the ground, which had been bargaining with the emperor, couldn't stand it anymore, and the body that was originally kneeling suddenly fell to the ground, spread on the ground, and was paralyzed by the emperor.

Several other cabinets, seeing that someone was forced to this role, were also miserable and burst into tears, isn't it just to be an official? Is it easy?

"Your Majesty, the minister's talent and virtue are limited, and he can't assist His Majesty, the minister asks for his resignation, and asks His Majesty to let the ministers return to their hometowns in order to die old." A cabinet can't stand this kind of anger caught between the emperor and the salt rat. Decided to pull out and hit soy sauce.

Seeing that someone took the lead, the other cabinets also stood up one after another and came out to resign, this official is unable to continue, one is the emperor, and it will definitely not please if he offends, and the other involves the interests of thousands of colleagues, and if he is offended, he can't do it. I had to take the burden.

"Hehe, auxiliary ministers, why is this, why are you all resigning? I am just a reward for a few pennies to the people of the world, why do you resign? I don't think there's anything I can't do badly, right? "Soy sauce? No way, Yang Reform will definitely not let these people leave now, and if he leaves now, wouldn't that confirm his reputation for persecuting ministers?

The ministers all want to die, and it seems that the emperor has no intention of letting them retire at all. The rats in this bellows are really sad at both ends.

A cabinet member has been frowning and thinking for a long time, and it seems that he finally has an idea, and said: "Your Majesty, there is a way for the ministers, which can not only let Your Majesty reward the people of the world, let the people of the world bathe in Your Majesty's grace, but also make this salt class better, I don't know whether to say it or not." ”

These cabinets, in the face of the emperor's elementary school level arithmetic problems, really have nothing to say, they can only keep thinking of ways to compromise, this fold, is to fold again and again. From 1.5 million taels at the beginning, to 5 million taels, and then to 780,000 taels, it seems that now it is not enough, and it has to be folded again.

"Oh? Hehe, what's the solution, let's talk about it, if it's feasible, I'm not unkind. "Yang Reform still wants to see what idea this person can come up with, he can't raise the salt class to ten copper plates, if that's the case, he doesn't mind putting his salt cutter plan on hold, first use this ten million taels of silver to train tens of thousands of soldiers, first dry this wild boar skin down, with so many soldiers in his hands, wouldn't it be easier to cut salt merchants?

"Back to Your Majesty, the minister thinks so, Your Majesty just wants to bathe all the people in the world, and is not satisfied with this salt class, in fact, there is no need to abolish the salt class at all, in this way, Your Majesty also loses more than one million taels of silver every year, and it can't be worth it, right? Your Majesty, it's better to do this, Your Majesty will not abolish the salt policy, but only suspend the salt policy for three years, so that Your Majesty can not only let the people of the world bathe in Your Majesty's grace, but also avoid paying more than one million dollars to the household every year. "The solution proposed by this cabinet really takes care of the emperor's thoughts and considers the emperor everywhere. If you have gained fame, you don't need to ask the household for money.

Yang Gai felt that this person had a certain level, and he could think of this kind of trick. Hey, that's kind of interesting.

"What about the salt class of the household department? Don't want it? Without the more than one million taels of silver that I have made up here, wouldn't the deficit of the household be even greater? Yang reformed to see how far the salt merchants' "cleavage" could go.

The cabinet thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that our dynasty has always had a tradition of hiding wealth from the people, and the minister thinks that now that the country is in danger, it is time for these salt merchants to serve the imperial court, Your Majesty, you can make these salt merchants pay one million taels of salt on behalf of the people of the world, or let them donate one million taels to the household department, in order to solve the urgent needs of the imperial court, Your Majesty only needs to allow them to continue to sell salt, presumably they will understand Your Majesty's painstaking efforts, so, Your Majesty, one stone!" "The minister's thoughts are really the more he thinks about it, the better.

Hehe, Yang Gengai smiled secretly in his heart, this idea is powerful enough, this method can be thought of, what is it? Compromised? I just used a little force, and the salt merchant and the official representative of the salt merchant compromised? It's too easy to squeeze your cleavage.

"A million taels? How is one million taels enough? Didn't an assistant minister just say that? Isn't it possible to pay seven million taels of salt? Why is it now a million taels? Yang reformed and pretended to be stupid, this "cleavage" is easy to squeeze, why don't you squeeze it more and see how far it can go.

The ministers on the ground rolled their eyes one by one, His Majesty the Emperor was too naïve. is also too fond of money, and too shrewd.

“…… Your Majesty...... Your Majesty, five million taels, stop the salt administration for a year, a year ......" The cabinet that had just come up with the idea, regardless of etiquette, was in a hurry to bargain with the emperor like a vegetable market and a vegetable seller, and if he could "make peace" with the emperor according to this level, it would be regarded as a victory for the salt merchants. This suspension of salt classes for a year and the annual payment of five million is barely acceptable, in fact, the salt merchants have no loss at all, but they raise the price of salt by two hundred wen by five copper plates, and everything will come out. The price increase is only one-fortieth, which is really nothing. Yes, he drew five copper plates from the salt merchant to the household department, and the household department's money was going to be spent anyway, and it didn't go into the emperor's pocket, and it still went into "his own" pocket. The cabinet assistant quietly counted the account again. After settling the account, my heart will settle down. The confidence to bargain with the emperor is getting harder and harder.

(To be continued)