Xiong Wei suddenly realized, looked at Xia Yun very seriously, and asked, "Did Qianlong ask Master to come to Jianghuai to help him check the salt tax?"

Speaking of which, Xiaoyaozi also arrived. Looking at the people coming and going on the streets of Yangzhou, he said alertly: "Guy, this is not the place to talk, let's find an inn and discuss it slowly." ”

The five of them traveled around Yangzhou City for a while, found an inn, and Xiong Wei asked for two first-class rooms. Both rooms are on the second floor, door to door.

Xia Yun was the first to walk upstairs and enter one of the rooms. As soon as she entered the room, her first action was to open the window and look out. Then, I knocked on the wall to see if there were any mechanisms, and listened to the wall with my ears close to it, and the sound insulation effect was good.

Xiong Wei followed up and opened another room to take a look. Xiong Wei looked at the house carefully, and came to Xia Yun's room again, and also carefully looked at the surrounding environment, to see how many exits there were, if something happened, where to escape the fastest.

He stood on the second floor and watched the crowd come and go, to see if there were any suspicious people.

Xiaoyaozi, Ouyang Ying, and Shui Hibiscus also walked up.

As soon as Xiaoyaozi entered the room, he sat at the table and drank tea calmly. He is an old man, and he has never encountered any situation. Over time, there is some paralysis with everything, omitting these routines.

As soon as Ouyang Ying entered the house, she was bouncing around, she was looking around to see if there was anything interesting.

The water hibiscus has inconvenient legs and feet, and walks at the rear. Gently close the door and walk over to the table and sit down.

"Master, I've watched all the way carefully. The salt merchants in Yangzhou have a big problem, and illegal salt is everywhere. After Xia Yun checked everything, she sat next to Xiaoyaozi and said very coldly but seriously.

Shui Hibiscus happened to sit opposite Xia Yun, Xia Yun didn't seem to see it, and she didn't bother to pay attention to it. Shui Hibiscus smiled, she didn't say anything.

"I found out too. Xiaoyaozi said calmly. looked at Xia Yun and Shui Hibiscus's unreasonable appearances, and saw Ouyang Ying constantly moving around the room, smiling faintly.

Xia Yun took out something from her arms and handed it to Xiaoyaozi. "Master, this is what you asked me for. ”

As early as when Xiaoyaozi was working separately from Xia Yun, she asked her to fly the pigeon and return to Beijing to get all the information about salt.

Xiaoyaozi took Xia Yun's things, opened them and said, "Have you seen it?"

"Well, I've seen it, and it's a big problem. ”

"Tell me what's the problem?" Xiaoyaozi said as he opened it, this is a list of salt taxes paid in various places last year.

Xia Yun nodded and continued to analyze the problem.

In these years, the salt tax reached 2.5 million taels of silver at its peak, and the entire fiscal revenue was about 3.66 million taels of silver.

According to the "Gang Salt System" stipulated by the imperial court, the merchants who held the salt quotation were divided into 10 outlines according to the region, each of which was 200,000 yuan of salt, and each quotation was 300 catties of salt, or six coins and four cents of silver, and three taels of silver were taxed, and three taels of silver were paid to the minister.

The annual salt output is 600 million catties, so the salt tax revenue of the court is 6 taels of silver and 6 yuan and 4 cents for every silver drawn, and 13.28 million taels of silver should be obtained. But in fact, it was only 2.5 million taels of silver at most, and the salt tax was greatly lost.

Hearing this, Xiong Wei's curiosity rose again, and he supported his right hand with his left hand and his chin with his right hand, and said in confusion, "How can there be so much less?"

"That's the problem. As soon as Shui Hibiscus heard it, she felt that the problem was with the officials. Naturally, she leaned over and continued to say what she thought was the reason. She didn't want to let Xia Yun take up the limelight.

"When my grandfather was still there, he also studied the issue of salt tax. You can't see the problem if you look at it this way, if you compare the salt tax of this dynasty with that of the Song Dynasty. The problem is easy to see. ”

Xiong Wei naturally set his sights on the water hibiscus.

Water Hibiscus is a smart woman who knows how to use her charm to draw the eyes of the man she likes to her.

In fact, it's not just Xiong Wei, everyone is looking at her.

She smiled slightly, and continued to tell the reason that her grandfather had analyzed back then.

Compared with the Song Dynasty, the actual population of the Ming Dynasty doubled compared to the Northern Song Dynasty, and the salt production also doubled.

Normally, the salt tax of 13.28 million taels of silver that should have been received can only be collected by one-tenth of it, and the retail price of one catty of salt and three coins of silver, 600 million catties is 180 million taels of silver.

In addition to the insignificant compensation to the salt households, the imperial court should collect 13.28 million taels of taxes, and the remaining 160 million taels of silver in the salt tax was lost.

The population of the Northern Song Dynasty was 60 million, and the salt output would not exceed 600 million catties, of which the most important salt producing areas were the Lianghuai River Basin, and the salt production of Yancheng and Taizhou accounted for about half of the country, so that the annual output of Huai salt was 900,000 a little more.

The annual salt output of the Northern Song Dynasty was about 300 million catties, and the annual consumption of 5 catties of salt per person was half lower than now, mainly because of the high price of salt, the province of eating, and the impact of private salt.

The court of the Song Dynasty sold salt to salt merchants, and a salt tax of 12 million per year was obtained by 6 guan money, and sometimes the imperial court would indiscriminately issue salt and get more salt tax, but in this way, the salt merchants would increase the price of salt and pass it on to consumers.

Shui Hibiscus sighed again when she said this, and said: "When I was a child, I often heard my grandfather say that 'eating salt is more expensive than eating rice', and now that I think about it, these are the reasons. ”

Xiaoyaozi heard Shui Hibiscus say this, and asked Xia Yun: "Witch, have you ever asked about the price of salt?"

Xia Yun hurriedly said, "Master, I inquired about the price of salt just now, and now a pound of salt is three coins of silver. ”

"Ah! so much silver. Xiong Wei shouted.

Shui Furong sighed again: "A catty of salt in the Northern Song Dynasty is 120 Wen, and now a catty of salt is said to be three coins of silver, equivalent to 360 Wen, and the current salt price is three times higher than that of the Northern Song Dynasty." ”

Xiaoyaozi listened to everyone's analysis, thought about it, and said: "The question now is why is the salt tax lost so much?"

"I don't think it's that simple. Shui Hibiscus tensed every nerve on her face, "From the time the salt is produced to the hands of the people, how many people's hands have passed, and when it reaches the hands of the people, it is sky-high!"

"So, we have to investigate!" Xia Yun said firmly, "We must find out how the salt tax is lost?"

"The question is, how do we check?" asked Xiong Wei carefully.

"We first have to find out how much money the salt merchants are making from this?"

"And then find out how they evaded taxes?" Xia Yun continued.

"But don't you think it's strange why so many people sell illicit salt?" Xiong added, "and that's a problem. ”

When Xiong Wei encounters something, his first reaction is to like to grasp the loophole in this matter.

"I think we have to check three places, the people, the salt merchants, and the government. A clear clue popped up in Xiong Wei's mind, "Master, that's what I think. ”

Xiong Wei planned to divide the army into three ways, Xiaoyaozi and Ouyang Ying disguised themselves as ordinary people, and asked the people clearly, what is the price of salt for ordinary people, from which small shops can they buy salt, and what are the loan channels for these small shops.

He and Xia Yun went to check how much tax the official mansion collected every year, how much was actually handed over to the imperial court, and how much they secretly hid.

Shui Hibiscus pretended to be a merchant who went to buy salt, and checked how much the merchant had made from it. What is the price of buying it for the people, and what is the actual price.

As soon as Shui Furong heard that he had divided labor like this, she was immediately unhappy. That willful look came out again, and said pitifully: "I have a daughter's family, and you let me deal with those merchants?

As soon as Shui Hibiscus was unhappy, Xiong Wei seemed to be about to pinch his heart. He said mildly, "I have my reasons for this distribution. ”

Shui Furong was drinking tea with a cup in her hand, and when she heard him say this, she was even more unhappy in her heart, and threw the cup on the table. Some hated and said, "What a broken reason!"

Xiong Wei said very seriously: "Master's chivalrous spirit is too heavy, unlike businessmen, and he doesn't want to be a person in the government, so he can only be a common man." People generally prefer to be close to people with a chivalrous demeanor. If something unjust happens, the master can still come to the rescue. ”

"Yun'er, she was originally a person from the government, a person from the Jingshi, and there are several levels of the official university, it is easier to talk to them, she knows the number of roads in the government. ”

"Are you from ......" Xiong Wei choked up when he said, he was embarrassed, and he didn't dare to say that Shui Hibiscus was from Qinglou, for fear that Shui Hibiscus would be too hearty. "You have the most contact with businessmen, and there are many people at all levels. So it's best for you to be a salt merchant. ”

"You directly said that I was a Hongchen woman. Shui Hibiscus glanced at Xiong Wei and was very angry, "Then why don't you go with me?"

Xiong Wei didn't even think about it, so he came out and said, "How can I go with you." I'm going to protect Yun'er. Xiong Wei was afraid that Xia Yun would not be able to deal with it, and he was also afraid that Xia Yun would encounter any danger. After going through so much, he has also seen a lot of the traps of officialdom.

"And who's going to protect me?" Fleur tilted her head to the side.

Xia Yun knew that she was going to be coquettish when she saw Shui Hibiscus, and she always tried her best to stick to Xiong Wei along the way. She wanted to ask, what was going on with her and Xiong Wei, and how big of a deal could it be if she thought about it.

She really couldn't accept it, smiled coldly, and said to Xiaoyaozi, "Master, I'll go first." You and Sister Ying should be careful in everything. ”

Xia Yun didn't wait for Xiaoyaozi to speak, turned around and left.

Xiong Wei hurriedly lifted "Feifei" and chased him out. As he walked, he turned around and said, "Master, I'm leaving." You, Sister Ying, and Miss Yu should be careful. ”

"Big stupid bear, why are you leaving!" Ouyang Ying didn't know what a few people were talking at the table, let alone how Xia Yun and Xiong Wei left in a hurry.

Shui Furong stood up and wanted to say something, but Xiaoyaozi hurriedly stopped her and said, "Miss Yu, state affairs are important." Everything is done in moderation!"

Shui Furong looked at Xiaoyaozi, her face full of grievances. I thought to myself: how did she fall in love with such a person.

Ouyang Ying turned to look at Xiaoyaozi and said, "Master, where are they going?"

Ouyang Ying stretched out half of her head to look through the window, only to see Xiong Wei disappearing into the street in an instant.

Xiong Wei caught up with Xia Yun, like a child who made a mistake, and cautiously said to Xia Yun: "Yun'er, you wait for me!"

Xia Yun turned around and said: You go back to accompany your Miss Yu, what are you doing with me? However, she calmed down again. I thought: As soon as these words came out, Xiong Wei was even more proud. So, pick up your pace and run forward.

She didn't say anything and kept walking towards Yangzhou Mansion. The more Xiong Wei screamed, the faster Xia Yun walked.

Xia Yun's light skills were already slightly better than Xiong Wei, and Xiong Wei's injuries were just right. Xiong Wei had no choice but to speed up and follow closely behind.

When they came to Yangzhou Mansion, Xia Yun took out the official documents, and the official guarding the door didn't dare to ask when he saw Xia Yun's momentum, Xia Yun strode in.

Xiong Wei followed closely behind, and saw that Xia Yun had already entered the yamen, and also broke in in a hurry. No, the official guarding the door stopped him. Xiong Wei hurriedly took out the sign of his Sanpin court guard, and was able to enter.

This book was first published from 17k, the first time to see the genuine content!