Chapter 5 Two Huai Salt Affairs

"This financial road is the two Huai salt affairs, as long as the national father-in-law grasps the position of the two Huai salt patrol envoys, in a year, there will be less than 50,000 taels of silver. Wan Liao said with a smirk.

"Two Huai Patrol Salt Envoys?" As soon as Zhang Guoji heard this position, he couldn't help but wander for a while, and then said: "The two Huai salt taxes, but the silver of the imperial court, if you dare to touch this, you will be killed." ”

"The difference between what the father-in-law said, the two Huai salt taxes are indeed the silver of the imperial court, but no matter who sits in the position of the two Huai salt envoys, they all have to carry it to themselves. Not to mention far away, as far as the current two Huai patrol salt envoys and salt transport envoys are concerned, they make a lot of money. I heard that those two people were recommended by Yue Su. Wan Liao said.

What he said was pure nonsense, and the two officials recommended by Yue Su could be described as high-spirited and very stylish. When he was in office, he really didn't accept a penny, but the two Huai salt affairs involved a significant amount of money, and the people in front of him did not fish, in fact, it did not mean that the people below would not reach out, and the people below would move a little bit casually, that is, a handful of silver. However, because of the strict management of noodles, the hands and feet below did not dare to be too big, so they came and went to make some money in a year, so the imperial court had nearly two million taels more than usual this year.

Zhang Guoji didn't know the secrets, but he only knew that Lianghuai Salt was the world's first-class fat shortage, and one term was enough to enrich the world. After Wan Liao, he is still as black as a crow in the world, whoever is in power, the city will make a profit, but there are more or less. Especially listening to the person recommended by Yue Su, I am even more angry in my heart, you Yue Su is honest and honest, and you used to do this dirty thing behind your back, placing your own people and making money. If you can catch it, why can't I? The current emperor is my grandson, and it is not reasonable for me to get some money and flowers and leave it to my children and grandchildren.

Thinking of this, Zhang Guoji's face smiled, and said, "Yours is extremely good, but is there any evidence to prove that Yue Su's wings are reaching out in Lianghuai Yanwu?" ”

"Does this still need proof? It's the people who get to this location, the city so much. As long as you copy your home, you will definitely be able to turn over a lot of silver. Wan Liao said.

"Okay, I know about this matter, you go back first, and there will be your benefits in the future." Zhang Guoji finished and picked up the teacup.

The main family served tea to the guests, Wan Liao said goodbye and left, and as soon as he left, Zhang Guoji immediately found his son Zhang Zhongxin and told his son about it, wanting to discuss with him whether it was feasible.

Zhang Zhongxin is a typical gentleman, and when he hears that he has made a lot of money, his eyes light up. After hearing this, the official who is now in charge of the Lianghuai salt affairs was recommended by Yue Su, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed, and said, "Father, this is a great opportunity for us to seek revenge from Yue Su." ”

"How?" Zhang Guoji asked,

"The person who manages the Lianghuai Salt Affairs is Yue Su's confidant, we only need to participate in one copy, Yue Su formed a party for personal gain, made a big deal in the Lianghuai Salt Affairs, and was greedy for the silver of the imperial court. At that time, the officials of Lianghuai were arrested, the silver was copied from home, and then tortured, and it was revealed that it was instigated by Yue Su, wouldn't it be possible to overthrow Yue Su at once and take his dog's life. My sister is gone, Yue Su has no major negligence in office, isn't it a major negligence to turn over this charge? Zhang Zhongxin said with a smile.

"That's right. I thought about the silver for a while, and I forgot about it. You're right, let's do it. Tomorrow, I will give your sister a fold, let him check the officials of Lianghuai, and then bring down Yue Su in one fell swoop. Zhang Guoji said.

"Father's words are wrong, it's better not for us to come forward to impeach this matter, just find someone to do it on your behalf. Otherwise, there will definitely be people who we deliberately frame. "Zhang Zhongxin is not a fool enough, and it is really inappropriate to know that the Zhang family has come forward in this matter.

"Well, I'm a good man." Zhang Guoji nodded, but then became embarrassed, and said: "We have just entered the Beijing Division, and there are no officials under us, who should we find to come forward?" ”

"Father, it's not easy, Wan Xian, who just came to you, isn't he a ready-made candidate." Zhang Zhongxin said with a smile.

"Yes, yes...... Just let him come forward. ”

Early the next morning, Wan Xian, the director of the Ministry of Industry, impeached the current Lianghuai salt transport envoy and the salt patrol envoy for enriching their own pockets and embezzling the two Huai salt taxes. The recital is first sent to the Cabinet, where the Cabinet Chief Assistants give advice on how to take measures, and then submit it to the Celebrant of Ceremonies. The first assistant Fang Congzhe is an old fox, and he couldn't help laughing. He is a clear-eyed person, so he can naturally come out at a glance, Wan Liao is the instigation of others, so he got this fold, otherwise he would not dare to impeach Yue Su by borrowing his two guts. Looking at the government and the opposition, there are few who can master Wan Liao and give him fearlessness. Fang Congzhe was the first to think of the Zhang family, because why Wan Liao didn't impeach sooner or later, but rushed to impeach Zhang Guoji just after he entered Beijing.

The old fox raised his eyebrows, and he criticized it by hand, "It is recommended to send someone to investigate it in detail."

After the eunuch Zou Yi passed from the cabinet to the celebrant of ceremonies, he just shook his head and smiled, and then went to Cining Palace and handed it over to the Empress Dowager Zhang.

Now the general government affairs are co-organized by the cabinet and the celebrant supervisor, in case of major events, you have to negotiate with the queen mother, in the end of the emperor, in terms of major events, how can someone be in charge. Minister Tuogu, when he returned home his father (mother) was mourned, the queen mother could vaguely represent the emperor.

After Zhang Yan looked at it, she said, "Zou Yi, what's wrong with you?" "Zhang Yan doesn't really know much about national affairs, so after that, she has to ask Zou Yi first.

Zou Yi said: "Queen Mother, when the first emperor was in power, the people from the East Factory and the West Factory were sent to stare in the dark, and there was something greasy in the past. According to investigation, in the big aspect, there is no greasy, and the salt patrol and salt transportation envoys are relatively clean. ”

"That's weird, why would this Wan Liao impeach Lianghuai Yanwu for no reason?" Zhang Yan wondered.

"I don't know this old slave." Zou Yidao.

"In this way, according to Fang Qing's family, send someone to investigate in detail, and don't wronged people." After Zhang Yan finished, she didn't say more.

"Yes, Queen Mother." Zou Yi promised to retire on his own.

The Queen Mother told her like this, that is, she was going to find someone to investigate, who to send, Zou Yi was not arbitrary, and went to the cabinet to discuss with Fang Congzhe. Fang Congzhe and Zou Yi are both people who know the secrets, what about the people sent by Yue Su to Lianghuai, they are clear, plus the salt tax is nearly two million taels a year, and a fool will also believe that the incumbent officials will enrich their own pockets.

But since it's called Cha, then the knowledge is great. After all, Yue Su is no better than the ordinary minister who mourns his father (mother), that is the minister of Tuogu, who will come back in three years, the emperor is only old, and he will definitely have his place, and it will be counted as such. Therefore, if Fang Congzhe wants to work for a long time and maintain his current power, he must not let Yue Su come back easily. This is an opportunity, as long as you tear the hole in the Lianghuai Salt Service and pull Yue Su into the water, I am afraid that Yue Su will never come back.

Although the relationship between himself and Li Wenzhang is irreversible, and he can be the first assistant again, it is also thanks to Yue Su, but compared with power, everything is secondary. Moreover, when he is in power, he can still help the Li family for welfare, and Yue Su has been suspicious of the Queen Mother, this time it is Yue Su of the Zhang family, God knows that this is not the Queen Mother's instigation, after three years, Yue Su can not come back to pay back, and he will step on him gently, maybe he will help him.

So Fang Congzhe made a decision on the selection of the Minister of Verification. One does not eliminate Yue Su's people, and the other does not eliminate his own people, and the people sent must not have any big enmity with Yue Su, it is best to have no qualifications, but it is easy to be bought.

Elder Fang Ge knew all about the officials in the world, and he quickly selected a suitable person.

Zhai Fengchong, the right deputy capital of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate, survived this errand with his qualifications, and lived in the Qingshui Yamen in Nanjing. This person has no party or faction, and it is easy to buy, and it is estimated that the person who is the master can easily handle it, and when the time comes, you can do whatever you want.

The person proposed by Fang Congzhe made Zou Yi very puzzled, but Zou Yi, who was also an old fox, reacted in a moment, this was deliberate by you Fang Congzhe.

Yue Su's contribution to the imperial court, Zou Yi is in his eyes, he doesn't want people to bring down Lord Yue like this. But Fang Congzhe's recommendation made him impeccable, and after hesitating, he came up with a way to send people from Dongchang to cooperate with Zhai Fengchong.

This time, Fang Congzhema understood that this was Zou Yi's intention to protect Yue Su, and he refused to clash with Yue Su and Zou Yi head-on, so he promised.

Early the next morning, the imperial court passed down a decree and sent Zhai Fengchong, the right deputy capital of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate, to go to Lianghuai to thoroughly investigate the salt affairs and coordinate with the East Factory.

Zou Yi made great efforts to select a suitable person for the people he sent, and he believed that the people he selected would definitely be impartial and would not be bribed by anyone. This person is none other than Yang He, the head of the East Factory in Shandong in the past.

In the past, Yang He made meritorious contributions to the defense of Jinan with the governor of Shandong, and Wei Zhongxian had clear rewards and punishments, so he promoted Yang He to a higher level and transferred him back to Beijing for reuse. Those who are capable may not be able to be big officials, but those who have the ability can use them. Those in power don't want it either, and their men are all scraps.

Yang He had just accepted the task, and before he could go to Nanjing with the eunuch, he was invited. The person who invited him was Zhang Zhongxin. Uncle Guo invited him to dinner, although Yang He had to go, after the meeting, he first made a polite gesture, and then Uncle Zhang Guo took out a thousand taels of silver, which was a meeting gift. Yang He resolutely refused to accept it, but Zhang Zhongxin rewarded him, and this time Yang He couldn't accept it, so he had to accept it. And asked Zhang Zhongxin hypocritically, what is the advice.

Zhang Zhongxin's answer is that when you get to Lianghuai, what Zhai Fengchong does, you can do it, don't ask too much. Yang He made a promise, and after leaving, he took the silver to the East Factory to see Zou Yi, and handed over the silver to Zou Yi, and truthfully explained Zhang Zhongxin's invitation.

Zou Yi looked at the silver and said, "After you go, just do things according to your own principles and seek truth from facts." As for the silver, I know, didn't Uncle Guo reward you, then you can accept it. ”

"Yes, Governor."