Prime Minister

Chapter 407
In the third department's yamen, Zhang Yue was working on the case, but he heard Zhang Kongmu come to report: "The Kaifeng government took a dozen salt merchants, saying that they hoarded salt, bought low and sold high, and killed three of them!"

Zhang Yue listened to his heart, and Sun He decided to deal with the salt merchants.

Zhang Kongmu said: "Nowadays, people are panicking in the market."

Zhang Yue asked, "Has the price of salt come down?"

Zhang Kongmu said: "It's only a [-]% reduction, but the salt merchants have also made some workarounds. Many salt merchants used to sell salt in three cabinets, but now they only sell salt in one cabinet. In front of this cabinet are people who buy salt. It’s a street. I’m afraid it will go up if it keeps going like this!”

Zhang Yue nodded, at this time Zhang Kongmu said: "Today, all the merchants in the cross-reference shop in Jieshen have sent posts, wanting to see the bachelor."

Zhang Yue said: "It seems that they are sad for the death of rabbits and foxes. I'm afraid it will be their turn next."

"Is the bachelor seeing you or not?"

Zhang Yue asked back, "What does Kongmu mean?"

Zhang Kongmu said: "Unless it is absolutely necessary, it is better not to meet each other. Killing people is certainly a pleasure, but if a person is killed, the head will not grow back."

Zhang Kongmu said: "Scholar really want to be like Sun He?"

Seeing that Zhang Yue had no words, Zhang Kongmu hurriedly said: "You shouldn't inquire rashly in a lowly position, forgive me for the bachelor!"

Zhang Yue threw aside a thick stack of invitation cards.

Zhang Kongmu felt that he couldn't understand Zhang Yue, so he didn't discuss with these interlocutors, what is the meaning of killing and not killing?On the contrary, he was too busy to care about medical officials.

At this moment, Fan Shidao was summoned in the palace, and Zhang Yue and Zhang Yue entered the palace to have an audience.

Zhang Yue went to the judge's hall after hearing the decree, but seeing Fan Shidao also had a serious face, Zhang Yue asked, "Does the deputy envoy know why he summoned you?"

Fan Shi said: "I heard that the Governor of the Province yesterday offended the officials for some reason..."

It turned out that Zhao Shu had recovered from his serious illness for several days, but he still listened to the government together with Empress Dowager Cao.

At this time, Wang Gui suddenly wrote a memorial requesting the Empress Dowager Cao to withdraw the curtain and return the government to the officials.

Zhang Yue sighed when he heard about Wang Gui's operation. Wang Gui really knows his mistakes and can correct them. He made several foolish tricks in succession in the prince's reserve position before, but now he understands the truth of the emperor and courtiers, and Shangshu asked the Queen Mother Cao to withdraw the curtain.

On the contrary, Cai Xiang, who has always maintained an ambiguous attitude towards the crown prince...has shoes to wear.

Now that the officials summon Fan Shidao and Zhang Yue enters the palace, I'm afraid it's not a good thing.

Fan Shidao, after Zhang Yue entered the palace, he went all the way to Rouyi Hall, but in the hall, Han Qi, Zeng Gongliang and other ministers were presenting their affairs to the officials and the Empress Dowager.The Empress Dowager was at the West Curtain, and the curtain was drawn down.As for the official house in the east curtain, the curtain is rolled up.

After Zhang Yue entered, he took a look at the official's house, but saw that his complexion was a little better, and when he looked at the other officials in the palace, he saw Cai Xiang's face was livid.

Fan Shidao, after Zhang Yue paid his respects, he immediately stood behind several ministers.

The discussion continued in the hall, and the Empress Dowager said: "The third division will use 50 guan of money and food for the mountain mausoleum. The third division is unable to pay this money. The third division proposes to send Yuanbian from Shaanxi to Zhongyan in Yong'an County. Xue Xiang, the transfer department of Shaanxi You can’t say it, Han Xianggong, you are the envoy of Shanling, tell me?”

Zhang Yuezhi Cai Xiang made a move on Xue Xiang.

Han Qi said: "Xue Xiangyan said that Shaanxi's income depends entirely on the salt sold along the border. If the salt business is not smooth because of the mountain's use of money, it will shake the foundation of the Northwest. I discussed with Xue Xiang that he was willing to donate 20 yuan to help the mountain. For the fee, I would like to add another 30, and I will give the 50 planned by the three divisions together."

After Han Qi finished speaking, Cai Xiang's face turned ashen.

Zhang Yue's understanding of Xue Xiang's shamelessness has also risen to a higher level.

The Empress Dowager said: "Before, Wang Tao and other ministers went up and said that the cost of the mountain mausoleum was huge. They said that the imperial court is now poor and the people should not be extravagant. Infamy, now Xue Xiangsuan solves the urgent need."

Han Qi was criticized by Wang Tao, the opposition faction, for managing the mountain mausoleum. Su Xun, the editor of the Academy of Rites, also wrote a letter to remonstrate Han Qi, saying, "In the past, Hua Yuan buried his emperor generously, and the gentleman thought he was not a minister; the Chinese language was buried in Baling Mausoleum." , The wood is not changed, the gold and jade are not hidden, the world thinks it is holy, and the future generations are peaceful on Mount Tai'.

This made Han Qi unable to advance or retreat.

Han Qi was the chief minister who was ordered by the late emperor, and he was an envoy for the mountain mausoleum. If he advocated thin burial, he would definitely be criticized.The criticism was not him, Han Qi himself, but the current emperor who inherited the throne as Xiaozong and Dazong, so he was called unfilial.

But at this time Xue Xiang stood up and said grandly that I will pay all the money for the mountain!
This move was tantamount to saving Han Qi's face.

At this time, the queen mother asked: "What do you think of Xue Xiang, the official?"

The queen mother listens to the government behind the curtain, and the officials are like puppets, who only nod their heads on weekdays.

Now the Queen Mother asked the question, and the official said: "Xue Xiang did not increase the private tax, and provided 50 mountain money with all his efforts. He is really a capable official."

Cai Xiang, the envoy of the third department, said bluntly: "Your Majesty, now that the price of salt in the capital is soaring, the salt banknotes issued by Xue Xiang have risen from six per seat to twenty per seat now. Where does the mountain money come from? It all depends on the people of Bianjing." Here! Why didn't the officials thank the people, but Xue Xiang instead?"

As soon as Cai Xiang's words came out, the officials were stunned.

Zhang Yue saw that the officials were in a state of embarrassment. As a newcomer to the throne, he was still a bit powerless to deal with a former minister like Cai Xiang.

Seeing that the officials could not step down, Zhang Yue came out of the class and said: "The price of salt in Bianjing has not yet dropped. It is because the minister has failed the Queen Mother's entrustment. Please also ask the Queen Mother to punish the minister!"

When You Zhang Yue interrupted like this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Empress Dowager Cao behind the curtain said with a smile: "I gave Zhang Qing a one-month period, but now the month has not arrived, what is the crime? Zhang Qing doesn't need to worry too much."

Zhang Yue said that he stepped aside.

Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu and others all took a look at Zhang Yue and smiled, he is very sensible.

At this moment, Han Qi said: "This time the Queen Mother summoned Vice Envoy Fan, Judge Zhang came here for the salt matter, does the Yan Tie Division have a charter now?"

Fan Shidao said: "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, I think that the sale of salt in the capital is mostly for dissolving salt, and salt merchants dispose of salt with banknotes. If the salt banknotes do not drop, the price of salt will not drop. Please ask the Shaanxi Transit Department to move the salt banknotes. Zhidu Salt Courtyard is."

"As long as there is a supply of salt banknotes in Duyan Yuan, the price of salt will drop automatically!"

Zeng Gongliang said: "What if the [-] seats can't be lowered?"

"The Shaanxi Transshipment Department will allocate it again. From the past, it is rare for a table of salt bills to be as low as five guan, or even three or four guan, but now it has risen to [-] guan."

Zeng Gongliang said: "But how long is this time? One month, two months, three months? Xue Xiang advocated yesterday to reduce the number of farms in the pond to broaden the power of the people, and also to reduce the price of salt money."

Zhang Yue said heartily, it's really shameless.

The salt price of Jieyan is soaring, Xue Xiang doesn't want to increase the farmers and increase the salt production of Jiechi, but wants to reduce the farmers and reduce the salt production this year.

Xue Xiangfan explained that this move is equivalent to reducing the reserve for salt banknotes, in other words, "reduction in reserve requirements". As long as there are too many fake banknotes in the market, the salt banknotes will naturally depreciate.

Xue Xiang seems to have solved the problem of soaring salt prices in the imperial court, but in fact his purpose is to increase false money in disguise!
The third division does not allow me to print money, so I will print the same amount of money every year, and instead reduce salt production to increase false money!
Seeing that the official queen dowager on the field has not yet understood the mystery.

Zhang Yue stood up and said, "This is absolutely impossible!"

"Zhang Qing, why not?"

Zhang Yuedao: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, the minister settled an account for the imperial court on behalf of Xue Zhuanyun, 170 million sheets of salt bills, one seat of six guan, which is 62 guan, excluding the cost, the annual profit is about 200 million guan .”

"Nowadays, there are fewer farmers and less salt production, but the annual income of salt banknotes is still 200 guan. On the contrary, there are fewer real banknotes, and the cost is reduced. The profit is more than [-] million."

"If there is more salt production, the transport company will earn [-] guan, but because of the increase in real money, the cost will increase greatly, and finally the profit of the transport company will decrease. Therefore, the reduction in transshipment envoys is intended to increase the false money!"

After Zhang Yue said this, Empress Dowager Cao suddenly realized, and glanced at Han Qi from behind the curtain, Zeng Gongliang was very dissatisfied.

"Zhang Qing, what can you do?" Empress Dowager Cao suddenly had great confidence in Zhang Yue about what happened just now.The official also nodded, but he only listened to the government, so he continued to maintain the shape of a wooden carving,

Empress Dowager Cao said softly: "I still remember what Zhang Qing said to me in this hall that he wanted to serve as an official to benefit the people."

Zhang Yue heard the Queen Mother's words, and felt his blood rushing up. Although the timing was not yet ripe, he had to express his own point of view first.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, it seems that Yichen wants to lower the price of salt in Beijing, and the Shaanxi Transit Department must issue notes to the Capital Salt Institute!"

Everyone thought that Zhang Yue had some clever tricks. If Xue Xiang was willing to issue money, he would not use the methods of donating money to mountains and reducing farmers.

He clearly refused to give it.

Zhang Yue said: "Shaanxi Yunsi refused to give money to the Capital Salt Institute because it had nothing to do. Furthermore, last year, when the salt money was not worth five guan, they hoarded a large amount of salt money. Now The price of banknotes is soaring, they are overestimating, chasing ups and downs, and seeking huge profits!"

"The minister thought that because of these two factors, even though the imperial court had the Capital Salt Court, the power to keep the price of salt money was not in the imperial court's hands."

Ouyang Xiu frowned and said, "You can force it from Yunsi, those Jiaoyin shops... Maybe they have to arrest a group of businessmen to kill them!"

Ouyang Xiu knew the background of Yinpu, and was worried that Zhang Yue would cause unnecessary trouble.

Zhang Yue said: "Killing a businessman is nothing more than fishing for money. As for Yunsi, there is no need to force him. I don't do things by intimidation, but by luring him!"

"How to lure it?"

Zhang Yueyan said: "Businessmen are interested in profit, and the court is fond of righteousness. These are both ends! If a merchant is not interested in profit, he is not a merchant. It is like the Jiaoyin shop in Jieshen Lane, which manipulates the price of salt bills to be low on weekdays. Harm the credibility of the imperial court, and make huge profits without doing production, but if the imperial court takes proper measures, it can make it not beneficial to the people but beneficial to the country."

"What does it mean to benefit the country without benefiting the people?" the Queen Mother couldn't help asking.

Zhang Yuedao: "I think that all businesses that are not beneficial to the people and benefit the country should be owned by the state. Like Jiaoyin shop, what's the difficulty in running it? The difficulty lies in our good reputation."

"But is there any business in the world whose foundation is as big as the country's foundation, and which business's credit is as good as the country's?"

After finishing speaking, Zhang Yue paused, but saw that the people present showed signs of listening.

"Therefore, I propose that the Shaanxi Yunsi issue salt banknotes, the third section provide money, and then recruit a businessman who is familiar with the method to form a joint venture, and set up a cross-introduction shop under the Capital Salt Court! Do it in the same way as the government supervises the merchants, so that you can use salt. The price of banknotes goes up and down, and its profits can also be attributed to the imperial court!"

(End of this chapter)