He Yan smiled and said, "Okay." ”

"This official has just arrived today, and he really doesn't know much about the situation here, so let's not talk about the donation."

"Let's go, let's go to the Yunku and have a look."

After He Yan finished speaking, he walked out.

As soon as everyone heard that He Yan wanted to see Yunku, their faces changed.

The officials and salt merchants all looked at Lu Degong and the three chief merchants.

After Lu Degong and the three chief businessmen glanced at each other, they hurriedly followed.

Since the silver treasury of the Yunsi Yamen was managed by the salt merchants, the key to the silver treasury was in the hands of the four major salt merchants and Lu Degong, and the silver treasury was also in the main hall of the salt merchants.

He Yan sat in a sedan chair and arrived not long after.

At this time, there was no need for others to follow, they had all dispersed, and only the three major merchants and Lu Degong followed.

He Yan walked into the Wuben Hall and saw that there was a bowl of salt on the case above.

Lu Degong saw the key on the coffee table, so he went over and picked it up and said, "Old man Xiao, this is a step early." ”

"Your Excellency, please."

He Yan looked at the place he signaled and walked directly inside.

Lu Degong opened the door of the warehouse, and He Yan walked into the warehouse to see the box, and the shelves were all silver.

He Yan asked, "How many are there?" ”

Lu Degong said: "There are about three or four million taels. ”

He Yan said: "Probably? ”

Ma Dechang said: "My lord, there are a total of three million seven hundred and twenty-eight thousand one hundred and sixty thousand two and four cents of silver. ”

He Yan picked up a silver ingot, looked at it and said, "This is not right, there should be at least more than 10 million taels in the treasury of this Yangzhou Transportation Division." ”

"How is this all this?"

Lu Degong said: "My lord, Xia Guan has been in Yangzhou for so many years, and I have never heard of it, and the Yunsi Yamen has tens of millions of taels of silver. ”

"This is the number that the emperor told me." He Yan looked at Lu Degong and said, "Could it be that the emperor is mistaken?" ”

"This ......," Lu Degong looked at the others with a puzzled expression.

Ma Dechang said: "My lord, since the treasury of the two Huaiyan political envoys has been managed by the Wubentang, every income and every expenditure has been recorded. ”

The emperor said...... More than 10 million taels of silver, but these expenses, as large as the southern patrol to take over, to the small to the Yunsi Yamen's maintenance money, red heart money, Cheng Yi, farewell, etiquette, and other unsafe needs, all have to come out from here. ”

He Yan said: "In other words, either to take over the driver, or to the bad rules, all this money has been spent?" ”

Ma Dechang nodded and said, "It's all spent." ”

Master He said: "My lord, in this world's silver warehouses, granaries, and salt warehouses, there are a few places where the treasury silver is consistent with the bills reported. ”

"There are many places, and I'm afraid the share of the deficit is more than that."

He Yan said: "In other words, it is already good to have so many now?" ”

Master He said: "Not bad. ”

"My lord, the student has a plan, and I don't know if it's feasible or not."

He Yan said: "Say." ”

Master He said: "Why don't you take on some responsibilities for the general merchants, the imperial court is in urgent need of soldiers, why don't you escort the silver of the treasury into Beijing first, and wait for the general merchants to have the silver, and then make up for it in the warehouse, what do you think?" ”

He Yan said with satisfaction: "This is a good idea. ”

"Ah......" Bao Yi'an was anxious when he heard it, and he didn't know what to say, so he looked at the others with a blank face.

He Yan asked: "What does Mr. Bao have to say?" ”

Bao Yi'an continued to look at He Yan with a bewildered expression.

Lu Degong said: "My lord, the silver taels of the Yunsi Yamen have always been concerned by the imperial court, and one million taels are withdrawn at a time, and it is difficult to make up for it in a short period of time, so how can it be moved in the future." ”

Master He said: "Lord Yantai, you are an official of the imperial court, the southwest is in urgent need of military salaries, can't you really distinguish between priorities and urgency?" ”

Lu Degong stopped talking.

He Yan raised his hand at the box containing the silver, and the silver inside was all packed in trays, and the three trays were exactly one layer.

As soon as Master He saw He Yan's gesture, he picked up a tray of silver, but saw that there was no silver at all below.

As soon as Master He saw this situation, he immediately picked up another tray.

Lu Degong and the three chief businessmen pouted when they saw that they were exposed.

He Yan asked, "What's going on?" ”

None of the four said yes.

He Yan walked up to Lu Degong and asked, "How much silver is there here?" ”

Lu Degong had no choice but to say honestly: "Nine hundred and seventy-three thousand two hundred taels." ”

He Yan said: "More than 10 million taels is a fraction left?" ”

Lu Degong bowed his head and did not speak.

"Let's go, go out and talk." After He Yan finished speaking, he walked out of the silver vault.

Lu Degong and the four of them all came out as soon as they saw it.

They locked the vault and stood in the lobby.

He Yan asked Lu Degong: "Why didn't you report such a big deficit to the imperial court?" ”

Lu Degong didn't panic at all and said: "Lord A, the entry and exit of the silver treasury has always been signed and approved by Lord Yin of the Salt Academy. ”

"The lower officials are just, and they will do it on their behalf."

He Yan said: "You mean to say that I have to ask Lord Yin about all this?" ”

"Now he can't open his mouth, so you have no fear, push two, five or six, whatever you say, I have to listen, that's what you mean, right?"

Lu Degong bowed his head and did not speak.

He Yan said: "These bad debts will be counted in the future." ”

"Three million two hundred and ninety-two thousand taels, deducting nine hundred and seventy thousand taels, that is, almost three million taels are in the hands of your salt merchants, right?"

"Then take out one million taels first and hand over the donation."

Wang Chaozong said: "My lord, I'm afraid it can't be so decided." ”

He Yan said: "Why? ”

Wang Chaozong said: "These money are the capital of salt merchants. ”

He Yan said: "Wait, your capital is the silver of the warehouse?" ”

"Don't you need to pay for salt?"

Wang Chaozong said: "No, my lord, this year's situation is special, and in the final analysis, it is still a matter of private salt." ”

"If the adults take this money away, then we salt merchants will have no money to make salt."

"We can't afford to transport the salt to the various banks, that is, the sales places, so this year's Huai salt will be paralyzed."

"If this year's Huaiyan is paralyzed, then next year's regular taxes and miscellaneous taxes will not be collected."

"At that time, the losses will be tens of millions of taels."

"It's not just that, the two rivers, Huguang, Henan, these provinces all point to Huaiyan, if Huaiyan can't pass, then the people can only eat light food."

"As the saying goes, oil is spirit, salt is energy."

"If the people can't eat salt, they won't have the strength to work, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to collect the land tax."

"At that time, the governors, political envoys, and governors of these provinces, I'm afraid that one by one, will have to come to trouble the adults."

He Yan said: "According to you, if there is no Huai salt, then we will have to destroy the country and extinct the species?" ”

Wang Chaozong said: "If it doesn't happen, then the common people will have to eat private salt." ”

"Illicit salt is already overflowing, and now, it is even more like a flood beast."

"Even if we have the capital next year, it will be difficult for the salt industry in Lianghuai to recover."