Huo Zhongru looked puzzled, how could his son know that he had escaped just by looking at it.

Huo Guang first asked Huo Zhongru: "Father, how many people do we have in Xiahe County?" ”

"There are a total of 3,200 households, with a total of more than 15,000 people (there are many people under the big gate, and there may be dozens of people in one household)." Huo Zhongru had just read the information, so he remembered it clearly.

"Father, how much salt does a person need in a year?"

"Who knows?"

There is no specific statistic for these things.

But Huo Guang knows that the salt intake of a normal person in a year is 2.2 kilograms, that is, 4.4 catties, and one catty in the Han Dynasty is about 256 grams, which is about half a catty, which is converted into a year and needs to consume salt according to the weight unit of the Han Dynasty, which is 8.8 catties.

Of course, this is the approximate amount needed, because the salt of the Han Dynasty is not pure, and people cannot eat salt purely, it is added to the dish or soup, how much will be consumed, and there are many people who are engaged in agriculture at present, and the demand for salt is very high in the face of the loess and the back to the sky.

Let's just say that even if a person needs 9 catties of salt a year, salt is a must, counting the loss and the profligacy of the rich man's family, the amount of 9 catties is only a little less, and the number of people counted by Huo Zhongru is still a person with household registration, not counting the homeless, that is, people like A Hao, there are still hundreds of homeless people.

There are more than 15,000 people, nine catties of salt per person, that is, 135,000 catties of salt, this is 1,125 stones, this is still based on the guaranteed consumption, and the real consumption is definitely more than this number.

However, before the Shaofu counted that only 300 stones were paid after the sale of major salt shops, there were only two situations, one was either the overflow of illegal salt, and the other was the evasion of salt tax.

But because private people are now allowed to sell salt, there is no such thing as private salt, only the salt tax that has been evaded, and the leakage is very serious, and there are far more people who have smuggled away than it is on the books, which can be said to be very arrogant.

Even so, the salt tax is an important source of revenue for the county.

This is a very problematic child to ask, the two kinds of poll tax and calculation tax are far more than the salt tax, why do you still say that the salt tax is an important source of finance in the county.

Because the money obtained from the oral endowment and the calculation of the endowment could not be put at the disposal of the county, most of it had to be handed over to the emperor, and if it could not be collected, it would have to find a way to make up for the shortfall.

The Han Dynasty allowed the sale of salt privately, so the salt tax was basically left in the county or the vassal states themselves, compared to other things, the single category of salt is already the best commercial tax, and other goods are estimated to be more serious.

Think about it carefully, in such an environment, it is impossible not to leak, not to leak how those big commercial houses make money, where did the previous Shaofu and his county officials get the money to buy houses and land.

This is why the county guard directly gave Huo Zhongru the position of Shaofu, because this is a fat difference, which can be said to be the fattest difference, and it has only been two days since he took office, and there are people lining up to visit.

Huo Zhongru frowned and pondered: "It seems that the situation is very serious. ”

"Father, do you also see that the situation is serious?"

"I can't see it, but I think it's very serious to hear you say that." Huo Zhongru slapped the table with concern.

Huo Guang was speechless: "Father, what are you going to do?" ”

"I don't plan to, I don't know."

Huo Zhongru is a person with a sense of justice, for example, he helped Ah Hao in the Sangjia Restaurant before, but the matter of salt tax is too big after all, and he has no experience, and he doesn't know what to do when he is newly appointed.

Really want to check, carefully check, a check is accurate, according to this leakage of any salt shop absolutely has a problem, but it is not so easy to check, the account of this era is not like modern, surprise inspection, the computer can always see a clue when pulling the data.

As long as I don't keep accounts, or keep two accounts, it's hard for you to check.

If you don't investigate, leakage will become a trend, the salt tax in the county will run badly, and the big salt merchants will be full of private pockets, and they will be fat and fat, and in turn they will have to be subject to them.

The impact of the salt tax is bound to be not small, and it will also affect the income of other people in the Shaofuyuan.

Matters related to the original chain of interests must be cautious.

Huo Guang asked: "Father, when you used to be on an errand in the county governor's mansion, did you often accept some benefits?" ”

"Go and go, what nonsense, what is it to collect benefits, defend a side of water and soil for my father, that is the people's respect for my character, I give it, and I don't want it, and if I don't take it, the small traders don't even dare to come, at least give me money, I have to protect them, those merchants, the homeless people dare not touch them."

"Besides, I only get half of what my colleagues do."

Huo Zhongru seemed to be deeply proud of this.

Huo Guang thought of an idea for Huo Zhongru, the new official took office with three fires, and if he didn't burn it, he would not be majestic enough, people like Huo Zhongru were more than lazy and not diligent enough, if he thought about relying on his own diligent governance to maintain his official authority in the future, I am afraid it is unlikely.

In the future, I will follow Huo Qu's illness to Beijing as an official, and when Huo Zhongru is here alone, what if he is fooled and bullied, this is our father.

Just when Huo Guang was distressed, a small official walked in: "Huo Shaofu, the Dou family firm has sent someone." ”

"Who is this?" Huo Zhongru also looked puzzled.

The little official was a little helpless and found a scroll of bamboo slips left by Huo Zhongru from a pile of bamboo slips: "Huo Shaofu, there are five major taxpayers in the county in the information I gave you before, and the remaining four include the Sang family, you have already visited or gone to the news to make an appointment, but only this Dou family is left behind." ”

Huo Zhongru was a little embarrassed, but he didn't expect to be thrown to the side by himself.

"Go and please come in."

Huo Zhongru asked the little official to invite someone in, and he temporarily took a look at the information, and Huo Guang also came over.

Xiahe County Dou family firm, shopkeeper Dou Lai, originally not surnamed Dou, in the early years ago worshiped the people of the Qinghe Dou family to be a godfather, changed the surname to Dou, when he was young, he was able to fight, relying on the blessing of the Dou family, took root in Xiahe County, and developed and grew.

Huo Guang touched his chin and muttered: "Qinghe Dou family, that is, the Dou family of the Empress Dowager Dou back then." ”

The wife of Emperor Wen of Han, the mother of Emperor Jing of Han, and the grandmother of Emperor Wu of Han, when Emperor Wu of Han first ascended the throne, the power was actually in her hands.

Although there were contradictions with Emperor Wu later, but in the end the result was still very good, and Emperor Wen was buried together and then the Dou family continued to enjoy glory and wealth, although it was not as beautiful as when the Empress Dowager Dou was there, but this kind of powerful relatives did not receive the liquidation after the fall of the main characters It is very good.

Although Dou Lai in Xiahe County is not a member of the Dou family's clan, but after all, there is a relationship, after so many years, the relationship is still not shallow, and now Huo Zhongru has leaked it to others, and it is inevitable that he will be dissatisfied.

Dou Lai, who was nearly less than 1.55 meters tall in front of the hall, walked in, he was short in stature, and he was also very thin.

The average height of the ancient Han people from later archaeology was close to 1.7 meters, which was the highest in the world in this era, and the Dou Lai in front of him was indeed shorter.

Dou Lai stepped forward with a smile on his face: "Huo Shaofu is newly appointed, Dou Lai's visit is late, and I hope Huo Shaofu will bear with me." ”

Huo Zhongru smiled awkwardly: "Inclusive, inclusive." ”

"It's just Huo Shaofu, why did you send messages to several other old guys, but I am the only one missing, why is this?" Although Dou Lai still had a smile, his tone immediately changed.

Huo Zhongru knew that he was wrong, and immediately wanted to explain, but Huo Guang immediately pressed his arm and shook his head slightly.

You, a businessman, dare to go to the government to question you, and this is worth it.

If this follows you, Huo Zhongru will not be able to become a soft persimmon for you to handle in the future.

is worried that the new official has no place to burn the three fires, so you sent them to the door, who will you burn if you don't burn them?