Mei Siyuan followed his father to live in the capital for a long time in his early years, but he never saw King Yi, after the defeat of Meifu, he was arranged by King Jaw to perform his duties in Qingxi County, and he stayed away from the capital for more than ten years, and he was even more close to King Yi. Being looked at by Xia Muren like this at this moment, whether intentionally or unintentionally, made Mei Siyuan feel a little uncomfortable.

What kind of vision did Xia Muchao have? Since he immediately noticed the strangeness, he immediately asked King Yi, "Since Brother King Yi is here for the salt shortage, the two people next to him must have something to do with it, why don't you introduce one or two?"

Xia Muren stood up and said, "It should be so. This old gentleman is Duan Zeqing, who served as the official of Anham County from the ninth year of Yonghua to the twenty-second year of Yonghua. Hearing this, Xia Muchao and Mei Siyuan's eyes instantly burst out with a ray of essence light that was almost visible to the naked eye. The staff, like "walking", is a naturalized official editor of the current dynasty, who is full-time to draw and manage maps of various places. However, compared with walking, the clerical profession is rarely envied. The staff migrated outside, and the place where they went was to paint a place, measuring their "score", arguing their "quasi-hope", measuring their "Daoli", remembering their "superiority", "square evil", "straight", perennial trekking through mountains and rivers, eating and sleeping in the open, accompanied by natural disasters and beasts, and few people who died well, which was one of them. The reason for the job is only geography, and the daily life is far away from government affairs, and it is far away from the official career, which is the second. There is no future and many dangers, and it is not in the hope of the scholars. Although there are few staff members, there are many vacancies all year round, and it is difficult to fill them. This gray-haired old man named Duan Zeqing has been working in Anxian County for thirteen years, which is very rare, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the Dahua Dynasty is the person who knows the geography of Anxian County best, and he has helped a lot in many matters such as mining and salt transportation in Fuzhou Salt Works, and he is really a key and important person.

Mei Siyuan hurriedly got up from his seat and said sincerely, "Mr. Duan, I am about to be transported by the emperor's grace to Anxian Salt, and there are many difficulties here, I think the old man will be able to solve a lot of doubts for me, and I hope to give me advice later!"

Xia Muren smiled after hearing this, "Since Mr. Duan came with this king today, he has such a plan, Master Mei, please sit down!" After speaking, he pointed to another old man in Tsing Yi and said, "This Guanliu Daoist is a guest of my house", and he paused before he finished speaking, "Guanliu Daoist is proficient in the art of Danqing, and his sand refining skills are superb, so he can help you improve the method of salt refining." Don't wait for Xia Muchao and Mei Siyuan to speak, and then said, "Dahua has been a salt supply for a long time, especially in the past three years, I have been concerned about it for many years, last month Anxian came to the matter, and I was about to ask for a decree to control salt, but my father sent this vacancy to Lord Mei, hehe, it made me so accidental", seeing that the corners of Mei Siyuan's mouth were about to speak, Xia Muren said again, "Since the will has been made, no matter how much mediation is meaningless, I came here today to recommend these two people, hoping to help one or two." ”

Mei Siyuan was really overjoyed, and was about to open his mouth to thank him, suddenly remembering his identity, he turned his head to look at Xia Muchao, and saw him nodding slowly to himself, and laughed loudly, "It's better than Brother Yiwang's better gift!" Mei Siyuan followed and said while thanking him, "His Royal Highness King Yi is very grateful. ”

Xia Muren generously accepted the salute, "I came today for two things, and this matter is a matter." Mr. Duan, Guanliu Daoist, the two of them will follow Master Mei in the future, as soon as it is arranged, Lord Mei will take care of it", he said to the two of them.

King Yi had already told the two of them about this matter, and he had already prepared in his heart, so he replied in unison, "Yes." ”

Xia Muchao commanded outside the hall, "Lead the two guests to Kele Xuan for a while!" After the two of them bowed and retreated, he smiled at Xia Muren and asked, "Brother Yiwang, what else is the matter?"

Xia Muren took a sip of tea and said, "After the vacancy of the Anxian Salt Transportation Department, I once explained to my father in detail the strategy of salt control, which was quite appreciated by my father. I thought that my father would entrust me with full authority over the salt control, but I didn't want this vacancy to be recommended by you, the farthest away from the capital, the lowest in the original position, and the youngest in the past. You are good at scheming, and you have your own reasons, I don't ask. But I want to know, how are you going to solve this salt crisis?"

Xia Muchao stroked his palms and smiled and said to Xia Muren, the attendant and Mei Siyuan successively, "Haha, as expected. "Come on, serve the wine!", "Siyuan, you don't have to be restrained for a while, now the three of us will argue about this salt danger regardless of dignity or inferiority!"

"That's just right!" Xia Muren said with a smile, "Mu Chao, today you are the master, so it starts with you! What do you think is the origin of the Dahua salt crisis?

Xia Muchao got up from the main seat, walked to the first seat of the two guests, and said coldly, "Today's salt danger is not a natural disaster, but a real man. Dahua has 80 million people, and this year's sea salt production is 480,000 stones, and the sand salt production is 1.4 million stones, which is enough to meet the needs of a family of five for one pound per month. Now, there is no salt to sell in the salt markets around the country, but salt merchants are hoarding and taking the opportunity to raise the price of salt more than ten times, and the unified purchase law exists in name only. A pound of sea salt in the capital costs three taels of silver, and the sand salt is even worse, and the small rich family has not yet been able to use it in sufficient quantities, so what is the situation of ordinary people? After speaking, Xia Muchao had an imperceptible worry on his face.

"Serious illness can't be used to raise the method", Xia Muren got up and said, "Solving the danger of this salt shortage should be as fast as possible, according to your words, even if it is successful, I am afraid that it will drag on for two or three years." There are 2.2 million registered soldiers and servants in Dahua, less than 300,000 can be deployed, and nearly 200,000 in large and small salt cities. The one I seek is also the source of control. First, increase prospecting manpower, add salt farms, increase salt refining, and speed up salt distribution. Second, the source of collecting the people is for my use. For the rich salt merchants in the market, when the knife and axe are coerced, the heavy profits are tempted, and they are forced to increase the amount and reduce the price of salt. Those who follow will be re-profited, and those who resist will be re-enslaved!"

Xia Muchao nodded slowly after listening, and then shook his head slightly, "If there is a shortage of envoys, you can first pay for the shortage." Today, the salt shortage in Dahua is all over the major counties, prefectures and counties, and it is by no means a short-term solution. Many rich salt merchants from all over the country colluded with local officials, including the support of the emperor and the public family, as well as relatives and nobles of the emperor and the Xian Ma country. Acting rashly is fearing war. In addition, it is not only the emperor and the ram who support the salt merchants, but also the Baili clan and Zhuge clan, who have always been loyal, are also involved in the incident.

"Salt merchants should be treated differently, and they should not be treated equally. Xia Muren replied.

"It must not be like this!" Xia Muchao said in a deep voice, "Now that the situation is unstable, it is not appropriate to give people a handle at this time and provoke contradictions." The imperial court has already walked on thin ice to check and balance all parties, and Brother Wang's move is tantamount to throwing stones, once the ice cracks, the consequences can be imagined? This danger is far greater than the danger of salt shortage!"

"Treating salt merchants differently is not so much to intensify the contradiction as to divide the contradiction. The way of checks and balances, break its balance, and establish another balance. If the danger of salt shortage cannot be relieved immediately, civil unrest will inevitably arise. Controlling the salt shortage is like removing rotten meat, as long as the knife is precise and the direction is accurate, the rotten meat should be gone. If you can't cut the meat quickly and let it develop, you will be sick and your whole body will be incurable!" Xia Muren said sharply.