The purpose of the salt merchants was clear.

That is, they have already heard the news of the salt administration reform, and know that the salt administration of the two Huai will change in the future, at least the imperial court will no longer allow the powerful to divide the fat of the salt tax.

Hurry up and burn the cold stove first and stammer the court.

In addition to the face from the original neither humble nor arrogant to a shoulder to shoulder sneer, the healthy servants brought by each person also brought boxes of valuable gifts.

What cordyceps, pearls and jade, celebrity calligraphy and paintings, full of dazzling, the value of the gift alone is nearly 20,000 taels of silver.

That's not a small amount of money. Even in the last years of the Ming Dynasty, when silver poured in, the annual silk tax of a wealthy county in the Jiangnan region was only a few thousand taels of silver.

However, in order to impress the imperial court, these salt merchants also had a competitive mentality.

So in the procurement of gifts, they also made a lot of money.

However, Liu Zongzhou didn't even look at these gifts, and waved them all to let their servants carry them away.

However, in terms of face, Liu Zongzhou did not embarrass these people, but said hello to me, and it seemed that the atmosphere was very harmonious.

However, whenever the salt merchants tried to shift the topic to core issues such as the output distribution of the salt works in the future, Liu Zongzhou was false and did not reveal the style of speech at all.

Similarly, when Liu Zongzhou proposed that the imperial court needed them to hand over the account books and check the bottom number, the salt merchants were also humming and unwilling to make substantive cooperation.

Even in the end, the salt merchants felt that they couldn't resist, and there was a faint tendency to unite again, and at the same time they retired to Liu Zongzhou and walked away.

After bolting the door, Huang Zongxi said to Liu Zongzhou in surprise, "Teacher, the imperial court is really resolute, and it really separates this mess." ”

Chen Qu shook his head and said, "Definitely." If they really want to completely turn to the government, they will not disturb our conversation with those mundane things. ”

"Honestly hand over the account books, so that the imperial court can fully grasp the bad debts of the salt administration over the years, isn't it more loyal than giving gifts?"

Liu Zongzhou stroked his palms and smiled, "That's the truth." Over the years, the salt merchants have relied on the powerful and have their hands on each other, and they don't know how much fat and oil they have made. ”

"If the imperial court gets the account book, just the forfeiture of the previous tax arrears will be enough to make up for the deficit in the treasury."

"However, it is also a catastrophe for them to let the salt merchants spit out so much money in the short term, and it is no wonder that they are lucky and unwilling to wait for death."

Huang Zongxi pondered for a moment and asked, "What does the teacher mean is that these salt merchants are still not easy to fool when they see that the imperial court is here, and they want to go back and get involved with those powerful people?" Isn't that a mess that has been boiled and separated with great difficulty, and then mixed together? ”

Liu Zongzhou nodded, "That's the truth." Although the Holy Lord gave full support, the salt merchants understood that the salt policy reform was imperative and came to show favor to me. ”

"But as a member of the imperial court, I can't stay here after all. After I leave, how will the output of the salt pan be distributed? Who should be assigned it? These salt merchants were afraid that they would rather touch my mold, but as soon as I left, I continued to play music and dance. ”

Chen Qu echoed and sighed, "Lianghuai Yanzheng is such a big piece of fat, if there is no minister like a teacher who can reach the heavens, I am afraid that it will be a miasma again in the near future and return to the previous pattern." ”

When Liu Zongzhou heard this, he seemed to be touched, but he didn't say much, just said, "However, for the sentiment of the salt merchants, the imperial court has a plan for this matter. ”

"In a few days, another distinguished guest will come to visit. It was a fire filled by the Holy One himself, and it would definitely be able to boil this mess into pieces. ”

Huang Zongxi and Chen Qu looked at each other, and could only hope that the distinguished guests in the teacher's mouth would come to the door early.

Within a few days, the distinguished guest that Liu Zongzhou said really came to the door.

What Huang Zongxi and Chen Qu didn't expect was that the person who came turned out to be Zhou Kui, the current national father-in-law.

At this time, Zhou Kui was wearing gold and silver, full of spring breeze, and extremely generous.

Even the reward that was casually thrown to the handyman who opened the door for himself was a three-taint silver ingot, and everyone around him was shocked.

Zhou Kui and Liu Zongzhou had a polite exchange, and then asked for the holy decree.

Liu Zongzhou was naturally respectful, and bowed down to receive the order.

After Zhou Kui read out the holy decree to hand over all this year's salt goods to himself, he was still a little apprehensive in his heart.

I have long heard that this Liu Zongzhou has a reputation for uprightness, and he even punished the evil servants under the Marquis of Wuqing before, which lost the face of the Marquis of Wuqing.

Although there is a holy decree to accompany him, if Liu Zong and Zhou Qingliu's temperament attack, it will not end well if he gets into trouble with himself.

To Zhou Kui's surprise, Liu Zongzhou listened to the holy decree with a smile throughout the whole process, as if he was fine.

When the holy decree was read, he directly handed over the key to the warehouse door, and led Zhou Kui to check it up and down, without concealing it.

Seeing that this errand went a little unbelievably well, Zhou Kui also scratched his head very much and said tentatively.

"Lord Liu, I have extracted all the salt goods for a year this time, and it is completely the holy will. You won't settle accounts after the autumn and let those officials participate in me afterwards, right? ”

Liu Zongzhou smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. Your Majesty said in advance before I left Beijing, that the long pain is better than the short pain, and I am looking forward to the father-in-law coming here on an errand, so that the old man can let go of the salt administration in the future. ”

He changed his words and said, "However, with so much salt, I don't know how to sell it?" ”

When Zhou Kui heard Liu Zongzhou say this, his previous worries were greatly eased. casually said, "I don't know how to sell so much salt." I'm afraid it's better to count the quotas according to the amount of salt introduced by each family, and let them resell the salt merchants themselves. ”

Liu Zongzhou shook his head and said, "Although it is safe for the national master to do this, it is no different from the previous practice, and I am afraid that the income will be limited to previous years." ”

"I have an idea here, so that the grandfather of the country can knock it down again from the salt merchants."

"Oh?" Zhou Kui came to be interested. "What advice does the national master have, come quickly!"

Liu Zongzhou pointed to the mountain of salt bags in the warehouse and said, "It's actually very simple, it's a truth that there is no market. ”

"If you let each sell it yourself, then there will always be a price in the market. But now that the salt is in your hands, if you cover it first and then sell it to the outside world, wouldn't you sell it at whatever price you want? ”

"You know, I was forbidden to sell salt freely. In other words, the salt merchants who make a lot of money are the only suppliers in the areas where they underwrite. ”

"If one day they suddenly run out of salt, then it's a small matter to make less money. Annoying the local people and their parents, and directly getting rid of their monopoly on salt, it is a major matter related to their lives! ”

"With this relationship, why can't the grandfather be sold for a good price!"

Hearing this, Zhou Kui was overjoyed, and immediately praised Liu Zongzhou.

Immediately, he instructed his family to keep the warehouse strictly guarded, and not a single grain of salt could be released.

Seeing the complacent Zhou Kui go away, Huang Zongxi was puzzled, "Teacher, isn't Your Majesty's move to remove the sores in front of your eyes and heal your heart?" ”

"This year's salt tax is gone, what else does the imperial court use to fight to quell the rebellion?"

Liu Zongzhou's face turned cold and said, "Hmph, he's just firewood sent by the saint." ”

"You come with me to a place where I can show you the true plan of the Holy One."