Profit is something that can drive people crazy, no matter what time it is.

Under the temptation of huge interests, several major salt merchants in Yangzhou City did not care about the imperial court. Not only did they agree to eat all the sea salt that the Neiwei could supply, but they also covered the Neiwei on the transportation route of the sea salt......

So, in less than a month, just Yangzhou ate millions of catties of sea salt smuggled by the internal guards.

As the smuggled sea salt became cheaper and cheaper into the market, both ordinary people and gentry and landlords stopped patronizing the expensive official salt.

As a result, in the entire territory of Yangzhou Prefecture, the consumption of one million catties of official salt a month ago dropped to less than 100,000 catties in a blink of an eye. What's more, as time went on, more and more people began to accept smuggled salt at a low price. The market share of official salt is further decreasing.

Faced with this situation, the first to react was the salt and iron divisions that specialize in cracking down on smuggling.

However, under the circumstance that a large number of salt merchants have joined in the smuggling, the salt and iron division, which is backed and supported by salt merchants, has not played the slightest role except for the ineffective backfire.

Soon, this situation was reported to the imperial court by the yamen of the salt and iron divisions in various places.

Located in the Yamen of the Salt and Iron Division in Nanjing, several middle-aged people wearing imperial court official uniforms were looking at one document after another in their hands with solemn faces. After it was finished, he quickly sent the summarized situation to the commander of the Zhengrunpin Salt and Iron Division appointed by the imperial court.

A year ago, the Salt and Iron Division had only one duty, that is, to crack down on smuggling, and it was not taken much seriously by the imperial court.

But. Moved the capital from the imperial court to Nanjing. After the reform of the entire salt industry. The Salt and Iron Division has become a very hot department in the imperial court.

Because, the sea salt needed by all provinces in the south of the Yangtze River will only reach the hands of the major salt merchants after passing through the hands of the Salt and Iron Division.

It is precisely because all the sea salt is controlled by the salt and iron department that the salt and iron department directly collects the salt tax through the guò selling price......

Although the imperial court only controlled less than two-thirds of the Ming Dynasty. However, the salt and iron division receives more than twice the salt tax every month.

In the face of such a huge amount of salt tax revenue. The Salt and Iron Division, which few people paid attention to before, directly entered the field of vision of the imperial court. The commander of the Salt and Iron Division of Zhengsanpin also invisibly became an important minister of the imperial court and was deeply trusted by Emperor Chongzhen.

However, just when the commander was full of spirit and ready to do a big job in the Salt and Iron Division and live up to the trust of Emperor Chongzhen, an accident happened......

The consumption of official salt, which is constantly increasing every month, not only no longer grows, but also shows signs of declining.

Just in the beginning. The commander did not take this matter to heart.

As the commander of the Salt and Iron Division, he knew it. No matter how good the official salt is, no matter how cheap it is, the market will be saturated. Once the official salt market reaches saturation, the consumption of official salt every month will slowly decrease at a certain rate.

However, what the commander did not expect was that this reduction was not a slow reduction, but a large reduction in a straight line......

In just one month, the consumption of 70 or 80 million catties of sea salt per month in several provinces in Jiangnan has become less than 20 million catties today.

Because the people of the Salt and Iron Division did not expect this kind of thing at all, the Tiger and Leopard Army, which held the sea salt, still continued to send sea salt to the Salt and Iron Division with the previous consumption.

At this moment, the warehouse of the Salt and Iron Division located outside the city of Nanjing has been piled up with mountains of sea salt......

The official salt cannot be sold, which means that the salt and iron division has no income. The salt and iron division has no income, which means that the imperial court's salt tax revenue this month will be greatly reduced.

It is certain that once this news reaches the imperial court, it will reach Chongzhen's ears. Not only can he not keep his official position as the commander of the Salt and Iron Division, but it may be difficult to save his life.

As an important minister of the imperial court, the commander was very aware of the importance of the salt tax in all the taxes of the imperial court. Losing the salt tax, not to mention too much, the imperial court tax revenue must be cut at least thirty percent.

The emperor has just decreed in the court, and all departments in the court must try their best to increase taxes.

At such a critical juncture, not only did he not respond to the emperor's decree, but also did the opposite. Didn't he send his head to Emperor Chongzhen and let Emperor Chongzhen make an example of him?

Thinking of this, although Nanjing City has passed the scorching summer. However, beads of sweat the size of beans continued to appear on the forehead of the commander.

At this moment, the commander had only one thought in his heart, that is, to solve this matter perfectly before the emperor knew about it.

So, with a gloomy face, he shouted directly at the subordinates standing in front of him: "Who can sue the official, what the hell is going on...... Do you feed the pigs all the money that the imperial court gives you every month.......

In a word, the official level crushes people to death, let alone in this era of strict hierarchy.

Therefore, in the face of the commander's roar, all everyone can do is to hold back a red face and bear it silently.

Faced with this situation, the commander, who also looked aggrieved, could only ask by name with a face full of anger: "Lord Wang, you are the one who inspects private salt...... You say, why has the consumption of official salt been so drastically reduced this month...... The official doesn't believe that tens of thousands of people in the south of the Yangtze River don't need to eat salt......"

The officials who were named, although they were very reluctant to come forward.

However, under the watchful eyes of the commander, he had to answer stubbornly: "My lord, the subordinate is guilty...... It's all unfavorable for the inspection of private salt in Xiaguan, and a large amount of private salt has poured into Jiangnan, so I can guide the current situation, please calm your anger......"

"Illegal salt, sure enough, private salt...... Lord Wang, don't sue the officials, tens of thousands of officials in the provinces south of the Yangtze River can't control the private salt......" For the explanation of his subordinates, the commander was not satisfied at all. He continued to ask rhetorically in a calm tone......

Although the next answer is likely to make you lose your official position, or even go to prison. However, under the gaze of the commander, the dejected official had to continue to answer: "My lord, there are indeed many officials in the hands of the lower officials. However, the most they can do is to scare people, and there is no way to run into real smugglers......"

"What's more, these sea salts that poured into the south of the Yangtze River came by sea...... The coast of Jiangnan is so long, we can't guard against it at all......"

Finally, Xia Guan has one more thing to say. These smugglers who sell smuggled salt must have a force behind them. In just one month, their strength has changed dramatically...... Many of the smugglers were even armed with muskets that even the army was not equipped with......"

"As for the ships they use to transport sea salt, they are not ordinary merchant ships...... If Xia Guan is not mistaken, these smuggling ships are all warships equipped by the Haw Par Army Naval Division......" (to be continued......