Chapter 172: The Magic of Salt
Wu County, Wu County, when Bai Tu was presiding over the overall situation in Huainan, many representatives of the major families and wealthy families were invited to Wu County.
Including Lu Kang, Yu Fan, Zhang Zhao and others, who worked in the Cheqi General's Mansion, also came to the salt field in Wu County to participate in the "salt viewing" ceremony - nominally for everyone to visit the salt production of the Cheqi General's Mansion.
In fact, a few days ago, I said that I wanted to show everyone salt, but then it was postponed for a while, and several companies that originally regarded "millions of stone salt" as a joke decided that it was a delaying tactic.
However, the reason why it is nominally placed today is because today is still the day when Gan Ning took the fleet of sea vessels into the sea to fish.
After that, I would like to ask everyone to actively use grain to buy fish to save the people......
As onlookers who don't know the truth, they have expressed their disdain for Bai Tu's action, and secretly believe that it is "official begging", and they just want them to "contribute" a little.
The first batch of sea ships to be launched in Huiji had come to the vicinity of Wu County, and they knew about it, but ...... How much can you catch? As for the solemn invitation to come?
However, Bai Tu is now the "master" of Jiangdong, and the Lu family, the Zhang family, the Yu family, and the Wei family ...... These Dashi clans are now willing to carry a sedan chair for the General's Mansion, and other wealthy families naturally have to follow closely.
secretly scolded Bai Tu for "begging" in his heart, but in fact, he still came with a distressing bottom line.
When they came to the warehouse outside the salt factory, they mysteriously asked everyone to wait for the auspicious time - after all, this was the first time the salt factory had opened its door.
Of course, only the outer warehouses are allowed to enter.
Pang Tong was reluctant at this time, greeting representatives of the major families outside.
Since being reused by Bai Tu, Pang Tong has become more and more reluctant to deal with other people, preferring to use this time to swim in the ocean of knowledge.
If the previous Pang Tong was because of his own appearance, while having low self-esteem, he stubbornly wanted to be recognized by others, then the current Pang Tong is already a little "everyone is drunk and I (with my teacher) sobering up alone".
Other people don't know Pang Tong's talent, and when they see this appearance, they first look down on him by three points - this is still the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and when the "Wei and Jin demeanor" is popular, it is called no way to live if you look ugly, but judging people by their appearance has existed since ancient times.
However, when everyone saw that Lu Kang, Yu Fu and others were very polite to Pang Tong, and the latter was not arrogant or impatient even in the face of Lu Kang, this began to attract attention.
As important members of the Sixth Department of the General's Mansion, Lu Kang and the others naturally knew some inside information......
It is said that this one looks ...... The young man with a vision is the most mysterious candidate of the "Ministry of Industry" among the six ministries that Bai Gong likes!
Therefore, no matter how much salt can be seen today, there is no need to blame Pang Tong......
Pang Tong greeted several important representatives and said a few words, and then made a short speech without being salty, and then said directly: "You are busy with all of you, come to participate in the first salt release of the general's mansion salt field, and then you can follow me into the warehouse to watch the salt, and then if you have the intention of cooperation, you can consult the 'salt introduction' matter, if you are not interested, you can sit for a while, and wait for the afternoon to go to Gan Taishou to buy fish." โ
Find Taishou to buy fish...... Sounds weird!
But now Pang Tong has a feeling of returning to the basics, and he is gradually not interested in human affairs, and his speech is becoming more and more straightforward.
Zheng Xing, one of the seventeen salt sellers in Wu County, listened to it from behind, and secretly laughed in his heart: Salt lead? How much salt can you have? Salt also induces ...... Gee.
Now they also know what the "salt introduction" to be launched by the General's Mansion is, which is a kind of voucher for taking salt in the government-run salt farm!
The salt factory does not sell salt directly, and needs to go to the government to buy salt, and naturally this salt introduction already includes the "salt tax".
Later, under the opening of Pang Tong, a group of representatives of the wealthy family came to a warehouse that looked not small.
See...... Mountains of salt, which are whiter and shinier than boiled salt!
In a warehouse, I am afraid that there are fifty or sixty salt mountains two people high.
Just seeing these things is not enough to make people tremble, at least seventeen big salt merchants have seen this kind of scene.
But know that this kind of warehouse ...... There are twenty more here!
A "stone" is a unit of volume, usually filled with a container carved from a large stone, and when filled, it is called "one stone".
Therefore, in terms of weight, one stone of salt is half to twice as heavy as one stone of rice.
And now here in Pangtong, two batches of sea salt with a total of 2 million stones have been exposed, divided into 20 warehouses, and one warehouse has about 1,500 to 2,000 cubic meters of salt......
This is also a bit terrifying, almost twice the annual output of the seventeen companies combined.
"No, it can't be! It's definitely fake! โ
"It's supposed to be ...... inside Something else, right? โ
"Hehe, I heard that Dong Zhuo entered Luoyang like this......"
After a brief period of surprise, more and more doubts began to circulate in private.
It is not a new thing to use straw to "pretend" grain and grass and fill more with less, for example, Dong Zhuo, who was a disaster in Luoyang a few years ago, when he first entered Luoyang, the Liangzhou soldiers were actually not much more than Luoyang's guards and tigers.
However, after accepting Li Ru's opinion, the Liangzhou soldiers began to swagger into the city during the day and quietly go out of the city at night......
Thinking of this, although everyone was still a little surprised, they gradually calmed down.
At the same time, he was thinking more deeply, and he was also worried about Pang Tong...... Or is it a white picture doing this, what is the picture?
Do you want to use "fake salt" to incorporate our salt works like Dong Zhuo co-opted the guards?
They had already seen through Bai Tu's "treacherous scheme", but ...... What should I do if the white picture is directly rough?
I can't say that I still have to have some blood, ask for peace!
But at this moment, Pang Tong took the initiative to say: "Many of you present also know more about salt......
"Don't dare, don't dare!" No one dared to agree with it, after all, selling smuggled salt was a felony in name.
"Oh, it's okay, let everyone come today, I also want to learn from you, do you think the salt in this warehouse and the salt in other warehouses are compared to you...... Understand the salt, how many advantages and disadvantages, and then I can give you enough time to taste, don't worry about messing up the salt pile, everyone. Pang Tong said.
Obviously, Pang Tong also understood what these people were thinking, and in order to dispel their doubts, he directly let go of the inspection.
"Ahem, Dr. Pang, how about we go to the side hall for tea? Dr. Pang has a heavy responsibility, and he has been a little distant from our colleagues in the past, but he happened to contact him today. Yu Xuan said at this time.
Such a trivial matter as salt inspection, Yu Fu naturally will not do it in person, and there are corresponding responsible clansmen in the clan.
Pang Tong didn't want to stay here for a long time, lest the others couldn't let go of their hands and feetโand they didn't need to watch, how much could they eat if they let these dozens of people eat secretly?
"It's fine." Pang Tong actually wants to learn more, but ...... Thinking of the heavy responsibility given to him by the teacher, he decided to sacrifice some happy study time.
In the eyes of Lu Kang and others, the young Dr. Pang of the Ministry of Industry is a symbol of being dull in "Gewu" and neglecting human feelings, and after a short period of contact, this stereotype has been further deepened.
But think about the nature of Pang Tong's official position...... Maybe that's what you need?
When he went to have tea and chat, the experienced Zhang Zhao also wanted to guide the topic so that Dr. Pang would not be too cold......
Unexpectedly, after gradually returning to his former state, Pang Tongtong's previous appearance, in addition to his facial features, from dressing up, to talking and talking, he really had some celebrity demeanor.
Whether it is talking about elegance or commenting on current affairs, Pang Tong is not afraid at all.
Even Zhang Zhao was led to the rhythm, and when he revealed some information about government affairs, Pang Tong was able to respond.
And most of the people present could judge that Pang Tong was not a scholar who could only talk on paper, but had real talent and learning!
Zhou Shang was also present at this time, although the Zhou family was theoretically in a family in Lujiangshu County, not in Jiangdong, but now because of Zhou Yu, the center of gravity is gradually tilting towards Jiangdong.
Thinking of the "Dr. Pang" in front of him, it is said that he was under his nephew at the beginning, and after being depressed, he was personally received by Bai Tu, Zhou Shang was in a somewhat complicated mood.
This is an inspirational story among many grassroots officials, and many people know it.
In fact, Zhou Shang can also understand that Zhou Yu, who has always been knowledgeable, actually missed the reason for Pang Tong this time - appearance!
As Zhou Yu's close uncle, Zhou Shang also knew one of his secrets, that is, Zhou Yu owned the legendary Book of Heaven, which was "Book of Heaven Volume Seven Phases".
And after Zhou Yu obtained the "Photo Scroll" since he was a child, his perception of "phase" tends to apply himself, and as he grows older, Zhou Lang, who has been very cute since he was a child, has become more and more "beautiful".
Meantime...... Even fortune and intelligence are affected by their appearance, and they are gradually improved.
And Zhou Yu's insight into people is more based on "looking", so ...... It's normal to miss Pang Tong.
At the same time, Zhou Shang even secretly speculated that Pang Tong was likely to have the fact that he also had the Book of Heaven - Zhou Yu's "appearance" is not only based on the level of appearance, but also on the situation of "life vision, there must be strange abilities", which is also within the scope of "appearance", and can interfere with the results of "appearance", which shows that it ...... It is likely that Pang Tong also possessed the Book of Heaven.
As time passed, while everyone was amazed by Pang Tong's all-round talent, they also gradually realized some other things.
Like what...... Pang Tong's attitude was very relaxed, and he didn't mean to lead the topic to Guan Yan at all, as if he was waiting for the results of other people's tests.
Could it be ......
A guess that did not conform to the basic logic gradually emerged in the minds of Lu Kang and others.
Two full hours passed, and when Lu Kang's old kidneys couldn't stand it with the tea, and when he went to the toilet several times, Pang Tong finally took everyone to meet the "experts" who tested the salt.
When I came to the warehouse again, I could see that the original salt mountain, many of which had been razed to the ground, and the surrounding salt workers looked at the guys who had been inspected before with some resentment, and the other nineteen warehouses also had traces of entering the inspection.
As for the results?
The gray faces and trance looks have already explained the final result!
Two million stone salts, all true......