In the fourth year of Longzheng, the sixth day of October, the night. Yangzhou, Yanyuan Yamen.

Jia Min had already fallen asleep, and Lin Ruhai was sitting in the study to deal with official business.

Suddenly, in the northwest corner of the Lin Mansion, a burst of fire began to flicker, and the shouts of killing gradually sounded.

The servants of the Lin Mansion who heard the voice gradually became agitated. Unlike the inner house, which is all the old servants of the Lin Mansion, the front yard of the Yamen of this salt courtyard is an official office, and it is impossible for it to be taken over by Lin Ruhai's own people, and it is inevitable that there will be some chaos.

However, Lin Ruhai turned a deaf ear and was still writing a plan very seriously. It was a plan to further roll out the new deal for the salt industry.

The first is to increase the salt tax and expand the financial resources.

Although Da Zheng's national strength is still quite strong now. But the country's finances are not sufficient.

Emperor Taizu was eloquent and strategic, and formulated a fairly complete national financial strategy from the beginning. Taxes are divided into agricultural tax, commercial tax and franchise tax.

At that time, the country was initially decided, and the Central Plains was not peaceful. In order to recuperate and restore the people's strength, Emperor Taizu paid very little tax to agriculture, which was basically the level of the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, thirty taxes and one.

After many years of chaotic reform and more than ten years of war, even if the country is densely populated and the economy is prosperous, Jiangnan commerce is very withered.

Therefore, Taizu, who cherishes the people's power, does not collect much tax on business, and the fifteenth tax is about the same.

But the country still needs to fight, to pacify the Zhou Dynasty, and to expel the Jurchens, all need war support. And war, it's all about logistics.

In the first year of Shunde, in order to restore the economy, accumulate national strength, and maintain the military. Taizu issued an edict to designate a number of commodities such as salt, iron, wine, etc., which were necessary for the people and had high profits, as a state monopoly and were assigned to the household department. Together with the maritime trade and customs duties belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it has become an important source of revenue for the country.

It was also by relying on the rapid development of sea trade and salt and iron monopolies that laid a solid material foundation for the founding and unification wars of Shunde and Jingning, which lasted for nearly 40 years.

But now, in the Longzheng period, things have changed.

On the one hand, the country's economic situation has continued to improve, and the monopoly of wine, cotton cloth and other commodities related to people's livelihood has been abolished. The only items left in the franchise are salt and iron. However, the salt tax is the main one, but the tax evasion is serious. Although the maritime trade became more and more prosperous, the profits and tariffs went directly to the country, and the national treasury could not share the profits.

On the other hand, during the Jingning and Yongan years, the Holy Ancestor and the Emperor toured the south many times, and the Zhen family in Jiangnan owed a large amount of silver to the treasury because of the succession. Under the influence of the Zhen family, it became common for court officials to borrow money from the state treasury.

In the first year of Longzheng, there were 30 million taels of treasury, and it was borrowed in less than half a year. As a result, Emperor Longzheng had no choice but to go out of the inner nuyin for disaster relief.

You must know that the Neinu of the Long Zheng Dynasty is divided into two parts, and the most profitable sea trade tariffs have always been in the hands of the Emperor Taishang, and Emperor Longzheng knows that just like the Jinyi Mansion, the Emperor Taishang is alive, and he will not get that share of the money.

And Emperor Longzheng's own Neinu share is much smaller than that of Emperor Taishang's Neinu. Emperor Longzheng had no choice, and borrowed a large amount of money from Emperor Taishang to survive those difficult days.

Since then, Emperor Longzheng has set his sights on Yangzhou.

As for the recovery of the arrears of the treasury, Emperor Longzheng knew very well that it was impossible before the funeral of the Emperor Taishang.

People who have been sick for a long time especially care about the name behind them. Emperor Taishang hinted to the Ministry of Rites during the Yong'an period that the first emperor had a holy word, and he wanted a benevolent word.

That is, Zheng Renzong.

For the sake of this benevolent character, the Emperor Taishang can be said to change the law to please the courtiers. As long as it doesn't involve his old man's bottom line, the emperor can endure it.

To be honest, Emperor Longzheng looked down on this kind of idea, in Emperor Longzheng's opinion, as long as Dazheng was strong, there would be a place for him in the Spring and Autumn Period.

But he can't help it, this matter has almost become an obsession of the emperor, and he will never agree to affect his benevolent name at this time.

Emperor Longzheng is not in a hurry, he is only in his early thirties, the spring and autumn period is at its peak, and the dragon body is strong. In the past two years, Jiuhua Palace has been getting old and sick.

He, there is time.

However, it can't be unprepared, although the emperor is still there, and the real power is in the hands of Jiuhua Palace. But after all, the heavenly position is in his hands, and he should be responsible for many things.

Just like for the great drought in Shandong, he transferred Neinu silver from the Emperor Taishang, and he could only borrow it and pay it back.

Therefore, in order to alleviate the financial pressure, Emperor Longzheng sent Lin Ruhai, the future minister of Zaifu, to Yangzhou.

Lin Ruhai did not live up to his expectations. Since entering Yangzhou, the salt law of the imperial court has been strictly enforced, illegal salt has been cracked down, and salt has been strictly controlled. In a few years, the salt tax was abundant.

It was just worried that it would cause a strong rebound from salt merchants, so some policies were not triggered.

Now, it's time.

Lin Ruhai looked up at the firelight outside, he knew that he was afraid that the people of the Ming Sect thought that Lian'er was gone, and the Nanzhen Mansion Si Qunlong was leaderless, so he would not do his best to protect himself.

Thinking of Jia Lian, Lin Ruhai suddenly felt excited. Because he was born in the Marquis of Suzhou, the orthodox civil officials regarded him as a noble, and the nobles were knighted because the Marquis of Suzhou was not knighted, and he had been removed from the knighthood.

If it weren't for the care of my father-in-law, where would I have had the opportunity to enter His Majesty's eyes. However, His Majesty is struggling, and Han Feng and Xu Jia, two outstanding people in the world, can only maintain the stability of Jiangsu.

If the Jia family can rise again, with the prestige of two generations of Rongguo Gong in the military. Lian'er should be a great help to His Majesty.

Lin Ruhai has only now completely figured out all His Majesty's intentions to reuse Jia Lian.

The shouting was getting closer and closer, and Lin Ruhai could hear that they should have come to the study by now. Don't you feel a tightness in your heart, right?

Not far from the Yamen of the Salt Courtyard, in a teahouse that was also open at night, Jia Lian, who was supposed to return to Jinling, was holding a folding fan and leisurely watching the situation of the Yamen of the Salt Courtyard.

Behind him stood Yangzhou Qianhu Gao Wantong and Ningbo Qianhu Xu Li.

Gao Wantong bowed: "My lord, don't you do it?" It looks like Lord Lin is in some danger. ”

Jia Lian smiled lightly: "Don't worry, the big fish hasn't appeared yet, now do it, we'll be busy in vain if we startle the big fish." ”

But of course, Jia Lian would not make any preparations, he turned his head to look at Xu Li on the side:

"Xu Qianhu, have the East China Sea Fleet marines arrived?"

After all, Jia Lian couldn't gather all the masters of Jinyi Mansion Jiangnan in a short period of time. So he thought of mobilizing the army, and with the gold medal given to him by Emperor Longzheng, he had the ability to mobilize the Jiangnan garrison.

Xu Li bowed and saluted: "Please rest assured, my lord, all the 1,000 marines have arrived, and they have all been ambushed near the Yamen of the Yanyuan. As long as the thieves really dare to show their heads, they will inevitably die without a place to be buried. ”

"Okay, keep them ready at all times."

After Jia Lian finished explaining the problem, he watched Xu Li go down to make arrangements. Idle again. seems to have no concern for the safety of Lin Ruhai's family.

Gao Wantong just wanted to persuade a few more words.

Suddenly, Jia Lian stretched out his hand and made a silent gesture:

"Shhhh