Anhui!

Dangtu County.

This place, which was not very famous in later generations, was a heavyweight city on the Yangtze River in the Qing Dynasty.

It is first of all the Taiping Mansion of the Seven Prefectures and Three Prefectures of Anhui, and at the same time, Wang Xinlan, the scholar of Anhui Province, also installed his own Xuetai Yamen here, and not long ago, the newly established Yangtze River Admiralty Mansion also chose to be here as a station.

This is not counted, because the Yangtze River shoreline at this time is at the foot of the Yellow Mountain, when Tu County is on the Yangtze River again, down the river is Jiangsu, so, the superior geographical environment makes all kinds of agricultural products in southern Anhui are distributed here, Jiangxi, Huguang and Jiangsu and Zhejiang rice is not stopped here to transport to the east and west, and the glory of one of the four major rice markets in Wuhu is also shining on it at this time.

Since Ma De took office, Anhui has begun to encourage industry and commerce to a certain extent, and at the same time, it has also carried out certain planning in the important town of Dangtu to further develop it. Now, Dangtu is already a premier and important city along the Yangtze River.

Now, because Ma De encircled Huaiyan and turned to transport salt from Changlu and Shandong, Dangtu has become the first pass for "North Salt" to go up the river. Salt ships are all being inspected at the wharf here by Anhui officials in the name of "prohibiting illicit salt."

……

"Where is the salt in your boat?"

A salt ship was not immediately allowed to go after being inspected by several officials, who went around the cabin and asked the escort instead.

"Official, we are salt from Shandong!" The boat escort replied cautiously.

"Shandong? Right? If you are shipping salt from Shandong, why is there no number on this batch of strips? An official asked.

The reason why Shandong lacks salt is, on the one hand, because there are not as many tidal flats as in Jiangsu, and on the other hand, because the Jiaodong Peninsula is mountainous, and it is not easy to transport sea salt into the mainland after it is produced. Therefore, this time, Ma De cooperated with Zhun Tai, the governor of Shandong, not to go inland, but to collect salt along the coast of Shandong by sea boat, without the salt of the Shandong Salt Road, just pull the salt first, and then directly transport it to Anhui and then pay the required taxes and fees, and the Shandong government only had to collect twice as much salt tax from Anhui as in previous years.

This was Ma De's guarantee to Zhun Tai, and it was also one of the reasons why Zhu Tai would rather risk offending the crown prince than join the ranks of besieging the two Huai salt merchants. Double the amount of tax, and then there will be a lot of cats in it. If it weren't for this, even if Zhun Tai was the direct slave of Prince Dong's family, it would be impossible for him to really help Ma De.

However, this has also increased the burden of inspection on the Anhui side. Because there must have been people who deliberately bought salt at a low price from the Lianghuai salt merchants, and then transported it to Huguang under the guise of salt from Shandong to make huge profits. Therefore, in order to prevent this situation, Ma De specially set up a plan, he would hand over a part of the approval slips to Zhun Tai every other month, and then let Zhun Tai send someone to hand it over to the stove household. These batches have a corresponding number of concealment numbers, and the amount of salt that can be transported in each batch is also a certain amount, and at the same time similar to the salt quotation and silver ticket, so the possibility of intending to replace Lu salt with Huai salt can be said to be very small. The salt from the Changlu Salt Field was all transported by the Jin merchants, and there was no big trouble.

"This ...... Official, this batch of strips is here, how can there be any number? The escort was panicked by several officials, but he still didn't want to admit that he was not transporting salt from Shandong.

"If it's not numbered, it's fake, salt buckle! As for you people, if you are willing to stay, you will also be detained, if you are not willing to stay, we will not embarrass you! See for yourself! The official at the head waved his hand and said again.

"Officials, please raise your hand...... I'm really Shandong salt. "The ship-keepers used the old method again, trying to make a way with the silver.

"Oh, it's so polite, we'll take the money, this salt...... You still have to take care of it! Because of Ma De's "leniency", the officials in Anhui are now very "black", eating both silver and salt, and if someone hands over gold, they will only be more unkind. No one dares to mess around, because the officials are all "working in different places", for example: those who handle cases in Taiping Mansion may be from Anqing Mansion or even Fengyang Mansion! And the people who act together are all from different yamen, and they are changed every seven days, they are not familiar with each other, so naturally they can't be greedy together, and if they come randomly, they accidentally run into an agent sent by Shi Shilun from Anhui Zhentai, it will be impossible to eat and walk around. Ma De once said clearly that officials were allowed to collect benefits, but if anyone dared to come nonsense, at least Uriya Sutai should be distributed.

……

His officials were carefully inspecting every ship on the river, and Ma De still had something to do.

Chen Guer has been recruited under Shi Shilun's interrogation, she is indeed just an agent who was put in front of the stage as Luo Xin deduced, although she still seems to be a character, but the real person behind her is nothing. However, when Shi Shilun wanted to continue to ask, she would rather die than recruit the name of the mastermind behind the scenes, even if Shi Shilun tortured her, she would not recruit her. In the end, Shi Shilun couldn't, so he could only temporarily detain her in the prison of the Yamen of Zhentai, and keep her for a headache later. However, from Chen Guer's mouth, Shi Shilun still got a message, that is, her behind-the-scenes instigators have great power, and it is not just as simple as a salt merchant or a big official.

In addition to guarding against Chen Guer, the behind-the-scenes mastermind, Ma De got into another trouble.

The salt merchants made another move, and these people sent people to Anhui to buy a large amount of grain, and they acted at the same time in various parts of Anhui, and as a result, the price of grain in Anhui rose sharply in a short period of time, and now, it has risen three times.

"These salt merchants are simply abominable." After receiving the news, a group of officials in Anhui spontaneously regathered to the governor's yamen of Made.

"They can't think of anything else. There is pressure from the emperor on the official face, they can't use their brains even if they want to, and we don't lack salt now, no matter how ruthless they are, it is impossible to risk losing money and make a fuss about it again, so naturally they can only make up their minds on food. Lu Longqi sighed.

"My lord, do you want to take out the 800,000 stone grain we bought from Jiangsu and Zhejiang to relieve your eyebrows?" Zhang Kai asked Ma De.

"Of course. 800,000 stone of grain cost nearly 1 million taels of silver, and now the price of grain has tripled, of course, I have to throw it out and make a fortune. Mader laughed.

"I'm afraid 800,000 stone can't suppress these people, there are still more than 1 million stone grain in the domain, take it out together!" I don't believe that these salt merchants dare to take out six million taels of silver to buy our nearly two million stone of grain. Lu Longqi said.

"Lord Lu, the grain in the domain treasury is the emperor's grain, and you can't move it without permission!" Zhang Kai reminded.

"I can't take care of the imperial grain! You can't watch food prices skyrocket, right? Lu Longqi said.

"Actually, you don't need to worry. Prior to this, I had already ordered 1 million stone of grain from Shanxi merchants, and it would not be long before it could be shipped to Anhui, and by that time, our province would have a total of nearly 3 million stone of grain, and I don't believe that those salt merchants could afford it. Mader sneered.

"Three million stones? Aren't we making money again? At the current price three times the usual price, three million stone of grain is more than nine million taels of silver! Shi Shilun said with a smile.

"Yes, unless the salt merchants want to lose their property immediately, they will have to roll up the covers and roll back immediately!" Mader laughed. Anhui Province has not yet had the scenery of 3 million stone of grain all at once. Usually it is worth three million taels of silver, but now, if those salt merchants really want to swallow this batch of grain, they will have to fight hard, and they will definitely lose money, because the Anhui government can use the money they earn to continue to buy grain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and at that time, it will be endless.

"Most of the grain of the Jin merchants is supplied to the Zhili area, I am afraid that the adults will buy grain from them will make the price of grain in Zhili rise, which will cause endless troubles!" Lu Longqi said suddenly. And when he reminded him, the people who were still a little hot in their brains immediately couldn't laugh. Rising food prices in Zhili? Then it is better to let Anhui's grain continue to be so expensive! The price of grain in Anhui is high, and it can still hold on desperately, and maybe there will be a "fortenable situation" when the time comes, but if there is a problem with the grain price of Zhili, it will definitely kill someone!

"Hehe, don't worry. Even if I can't think of this, will others not think of it? This batch of grain will never let the price of grain in Zhili fluctuate! Mader smiled and comforted the people.

"It's good that adults know in their hearts, so we can rest assured!" Lu Longqi breathed a sigh of relief. Mader wasn't much of a pompous and incompetent person, and since he spoke so calmly, it shouldn't be a big problem.

"Since there is no problem, then we really have to beg the heavens, hoping that those salt merchants can hold on for a while longer, so that we can make a lot of money!" Zhang Kai said again.

"Hahaha......"

……

As expected, the price of grain in Anhui did not rise for long, and after the local government opened its treasury and sold nearly 1.5 million stone of grain at the same time under Ma De's order, the grain price was brought back to its original position. Then, the price of grain began to fall again, and at this time, Wang Wei and the group of Hui merchants who had nothing to do with the salt merchants went out. They bought all this low-priced grain before the people, and then hoarded it and sold it at a fair price, making a lot of money from the flat. Of course, they didn't make as much money as Mader, and since all parts of the country were selling at the same time when the price of salt was at its highest, Mader made a net profit of nearly 200 percent.

However, the good news did not last long, and Liu Yingxia, who had been following Ma De's order to keep an eye on the prices of the surrounding provinces, soon got a bad news, that is, "the price of grain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has doubled."

Immediately after Liu Yingxia, another guest came to Ma De's governor's yamen.

"This yamen is well repaired, and it is really a fortune!"

The identity of the person who came was extraordinary, Ma De and Lu Longqi went out to greet him in person, and as soon as they arrived at the yamen, they saw that the old gentleman was holding his hands behind his back, so appreciating his yamen.

"Hahaha, Lord Song can afford to look down on me Ma De, this governor's yamen is just left by his predecessor, Ma Mou hasn't spent any effort on this!" Ma De didn't care about the guest's impolite words, but just laughed and said.

"Master Ma is honest and 'wealthy', everyone knows it, Song said it in vain. Forgive sins, forgive sins! The man also saw that Ma De led someone to greet him, and immediately bowed slightly.

"Don't dare, Lord Song, please!" Ma De grinned, didn't hear the thorn in the other party's words, got out of the way, and made a gesture of invitation to this person. The man was not polite, and walked into the yamen with a "faux pas", and Ma De also led people to walk side by side with him.

……

"Lord Song is not in Jiangsu, but he suddenly came to Anhui, I don't know what to do?" When they arrived at the main hall, the guests and hosts sat down, and Ma De began to ask the old man who had suddenly arrived about his intentions.

"Someone Rauma asked. In fact, Song came to Anhui at the risk of violating the laws of the imperial court this time to borrow money from Master Ma! The man replied.

"Lord Song isn't joking, right? You are in charge of Jiangsu, and that is the source of my Qing Dynasty taxes. But Anhui is different, although it is not a poor country, but it is not much better, why did you suddenly think of borrowing money from us in Anhui? Shi Shilun asked.

"This must be Lord Shi, right?" Song Rou, the current governor of Jiangsu, glanced at Shi Shilun lightly and asked.

"Don't dare, Xia Guan Shi Shilun!" Shi Shilun replied.

"Hmm!" Song Rou nodded, and no longer paid attention to Shi Shilun, but arched his hand towards Ma De again, and said: "The price of rice in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has risen sharply, Master Ma must have already known, right?" ”

"Yes, I do know about it. Lord Song, do you know what the reason is? Mader asked rhetorically.

"Hehe, why did Master Ma ask me instead? This matter has something to do with you, Master Ma! Song Meat said. Although he impeached Mader, it was only forced by current events, and he did not make any stumbling blocks for Mader in the following period, so there was no mental obstacle to talking to Mader. On the contrary, he also felt that Ma De owed him, after all, Ma De's actions caused Jiangsu's salt tax to plummet, and he lost a lot of income.

"Lord Song, I don't understand what you're saying. Although at the beginning of the next year, it was suspected that it was the conspiracy of those salt merchants to deal with Anhui. However, after thinking about it later, we in Anhui quickly stabilized the grain price, and we did not buy grain from Jiangsu and Zhejiang at all, and they had no reason to raise the grain price there, because that would be harmless to Anhui at all. Therefore, now that the price of rice in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has risen sharply, it should have nothing to do with my Anhui! Mader said.

"It's true that it has nothing to do with Anhui, but, Lord Ma, what I'm saying is - this matter has something to do with 'you'!" Song Rou said.

"Me?" Ma De pointed to himself, and glanced at Song Meat inquiringly, and as a result, he got Song Meat's affirmative nod.

"Can Lord Song be more detailed?" Mader asked again.

"Those salt merchants originally contacted a lot of people, and they really planned to raise the price of rice when Anhui bought grain from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but Master Ma, you made a good move and made preparations early, so they had to consider themselves unlucky. It's just that at this time, there is a news from the capital......"

"What's the news?"

"Someone in the imperial court proposed the 'Ticket Salt Law', and the emperor and the three ministers of the study have already agreed!" Song Rou said.

"Ticket salt law? What's that? Mader then asked.

"A salt lesson method that can cut off the foundation of the world's salt merchants! ......" Song Rou shook his head and narrated the content of the ticket salt law to everyone present.

"That's a really good idea. If the monopoly is changed to a multi-camp, if it is implemented, the salt merchants will no longer be able to be as arrogant as they are today! Lord Song, I don't know who came up with this salt method? What an insightful man he is! Shi Shilun clapped his hands and praised.

"Hehe, this person who proposed the ticket salt method is the student of Master Ma, who has now been promoted to Master Li Pan and Master Li, who has been promoted to walk in the south study and lead the bachelor's degree!" Song Rou smiled meaningfully at Ma De.

"Li Pan? ......" Ma De was shocked by what Song Meat said, but after a while, he could only smile bitterly. At the beginning, they had a conclusion about Li Pan, that is, Li Pan could not be a good official in charge, but this person was a good hand in grasping the general direction. Nowadays, it is not unusual for policies and regulations like the "Ticket Salt Law" to come from that guy's handwriting. However, thinking about that guy's intelligence and agility, I believe that he won't stay long in the two positions of Bachelor and South Study, and Kangxi will blast him aside.

"According to Lord Song, the two Huai salt merchants are fighting against the imperial court's ticket salt law? Aren't they afraid that the court will immediately implement this law in the wake of its anger? Zhang Kai couldn't help but ask.

"Of course they are afraid, that's why they do this, this is to clearly tell the court that if the ticket salt law is implemented, they will make Jiangsu and Zhejiang a mess!" Song Rou said.

"Then the courage of these salt merchants is also ...... It's a bit too big, right? This is arguing with the imperial court! Zhang Kai shouted. Although his knowledge was not bad, he still couldn't imagine that the two Huai salt merchants would dare to do this.

"Daring? Hmph, one person is timid, two people are bold, and three people can be bold; What's more, these salt merchants don't have a few fuel-efficient lamps in the first place! Moreover, in the capital, in the imperial court, they also have helpers, what's so scary? …… The law does not blame the public! Song Meat sighed.

"Lord Song, let's get down to business, you didn't make a special trip to tell Master Ma that it was his students who suggested the 'Ticket Salt Law' to the imperial court that caused this chaos in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, right?" Lu Longqi said.

Lord Lu laughed. Lu Longqi has a very high reputation, and although Song Rou has a high official position, he doesn't dare to ignore him casually like he treats Shi Shilun, so after hearing Lu Longqi's words, he bowed slightly and said: "It was just a joke just now, but this time, I did come to Anhui to borrow money." …… In fact, before coming to Anhui, Zaixia had already been to Zhejiang, but the salt merchants made Zhejiang very tight, although it was not like Jiangsu, but they couldn't come up with any spare money. ”

"Anyway, since Lord Song, you have spoken, how about transferring the grain purchased from the Jin merchants to Jiangsu first?" Mader said.

"Thank you so much! …… However, there is no need to transfer it to Jiangsu, if the grain is still in the north, please ask Master Ma to let those Jin merchants directly transport it to Tongzhou! Song Meat said.

"Tongzhou?"

"yes. Grain prices are rising, and it is difficult to harvest grain! Master Ma, I'm afraid that this batch of food is only enough for a while, so Song can only be cheeky and beg you to help more. Song Meat sighed.

"Isn't the grain collected directly from the people over the years?" Lu Longqi interjected and asked. He has been an official for decades, and of course he knows that the grain is collected directly from the people, not purchased with money.

"What Lord Lu said is the norm. However, you have not memorized the entire decree of the imperial court. The imperial court 'allowed' the people to deliver grain directly, not that they were not allowed to pay their bills with money. In other words, the people can pay grain or money. However, now that the price of grain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang has risen, the price of grain collected by the government has not changed. Or would you rather pay the grain directly? Song Rou smiled bitterly.

"It's a big hassle indeed!" Ma De couldn't help but sigh as well.

"Your Excellency, why don't you go to the Governor of the Customs of the Four Provinces, Wei Dongting, Lord Wei?" Liu Yingxia suddenly asked Song Ying.

"Of course I've been, but how can things be so easy? The northwest plotted against Alabutan repeatedly, and the general of Fuyuan, Feiyanggu, led the troops to refuse, and the food and salary were very expensive; …… In addition, in the Sichuan area, although the Heaven and Earth Society has been largely pacified, the soldiers want to be rewarded and compensated, and the local waste is waiting to be revived, so which one does not need money? These, the imperial court will neither forget Jiangsu and Zhejiang, nor will it leave Lord Wei behind. Therefore, it is also very difficult for Lord Wei now. Song Rou sighed again.

"......" Liu Yingxia stopped talking. Ever since he went to ask Wei Dongting for money once as Ma De instructed, he regarded it as a temple of the God of Wealth.

"But if we help Jiangsu, I'm afraid that those salt merchants will come to Anhui to make a big fuss, and when the time comes, how will we deal with it?" Shi Shilun asked.

"Lord Song, have you reported this to the court?" Without waiting for Song Rou to answer Shi Shilun's words, Ma De continued to ask.

"Of course I have to report it! Why do you ask? Song Rou asked rhetorically.

"Then there are a few ways to help you. However, there is no guarantee of what the consequences will be. Mader said.

"Hurry up! Please also ask Master Ma for advice! Song Rou asked.

"This method is only four words, but the stakes are very high, and anyone who hears about it will probably get into trouble, so I can only talk to Lord Song, you alone......" Ma De said slowly.

"Retire from the lower ranks!" Hearing Ma De's words, Lu Longqi and the others immediately stood up and saluted the two governors to retire. Soon, there were only two people left in the entire main hall, Ma De and Song Rou, and Song Rou immediately asked Ma De, "Master Ma, what are you doing?" ”

"Simple: Salt is made from the water!"