Prime Minister

Chapter 432 Seeing the old friend again
The merchants who entered and exited Tongguan were all looking at this line of cavalry now, and Zhang Yue thought that it was too obvious for Xue Xiang to show affection to him.

Because Zhang Yue did not inform Xue Xiang of his itinerary, but before he arrived, he would let Tang Jiu go to the Qianlu Station to make a stop. As soon as he arrived at Tongguan, Xue Xiang sent troops to greet him, explaining his whereabouts. palm.

The most important thing is that Zhang Yue went to Jingzhao Mansion to negotiate with Xue Xiang. If you make such a move, it will not be difficult for me to bargain your price.

Zhang Yue said to the leading general: "I walk in a humble manner, because I don't want to disturb the local area, and observe the people's sentiments along the way, so I appreciate Xue Yunshi's kindness."

Seeing that Zhang Yue didn't need them, the general couldn't help saying: "Judge Zhang, if you say that, I'm afraid the end will be difficult for the general to explain."

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "What? Is it possible for me to explain to you?"

While talking, I heard a loud laugh from the side, but I saw a person riding a horse and said with a smile: "Since the bachelor wants to subtly obey and understand the people's sentiments, how about letting the officials accompany you all the way? I wonder if I have such an honor?"

When Zhang Yue saw the visitor, he couldn't help being surprised and delighted, and immediately left his seat from the post booth and stepped down to greet him.

The opponent immediately jumped off the horse.

The two held each other's arms, and both patted each other's shoulders and laughed.

"Senior Brother Cai!"

"Sauro!"

This person is Cai Que.

Having not seen Cai Que for several years, Zhang Yue and the other party have already changed their appearance.

Cai is not yet 30 years old, but his temples are somewhat frosty.

But seeing Cai Que sighed and said: "Sanlang, when the Taixue parted, I never expected that you and I would have today. You have made great progress all the way, but now I can't explain it. When I arrive in the officialdom, I will call myself a senior brother. Down from office."

Zhang Yue lamented that Xue Xiang was amazing, so he asked Cai Que to welcome him, which made him unable to refuse.

At the same time, Zhang Yue and Cai Que had indeed not seen each other for many years. He said: "Brother Cai, what are you talking about? You and I are acquaintances of Qingyun Zimo. Now you and I are officials in the same dynasty. In the future, we will support each other all the way. Today you Let's have a good talk and get drunk together."

Cai Quechang smiled and said: "Sanlang really hasn't changed. In fact, I have prepared strong wine from Kansai. You and I should have a good drink today and express our heart."

Zhang Yue said: "Okay, this reminds me of the old days when you and I had a good time in Taixue. Today, let's see how your drinking capacity is. Can you improve after we parted?"

Cai Que laughed loudly when he heard the words: "In terms of drinking capacity, Saburo, you have never defeated me!"

So Zhang Yue and Cai Que rode into Tongguan together. They had a heart to compare when they were in Taixue.Although Cai Que's ranking is not as good as his own, but on top of being shrewd and capable in handling things, this is really Cai Que's strength.

The two reunited after a long absence, and it was the time when they were motivated and motivated, and they talked about other things together.

In words, Cai Que talked about his current situation. He already had a son born, and Cai Que's wife was the sister-in-law of Chang Anmin, a classmate of his imperial school.Chang Anmin was admitted to Taixue at the age of 14, and he also hit it off with Cai Que at first sight. Later, the two were valued by the Sun family at the same time and became brother-in-law.

Although the Sun family was a scholarly family, they lived in poverty. Not only did they not help Cai Que in his official career, but they borrowed money from Cai Que because of his family's poverty. Cai Que's life as an official was very difficult.

Looking at the caravan passing by, the two chatted, and Zhang Yue asked about the business between the Song Dynasty and Xixia.

Cai Que said: "Jingzhao Mansion, a place of great victorious shape, used to attack Xixia. Although it is now a peace negotiation, the people of Xixia are afraid of power and do not cherish morality. Sooner or later they will invade east."

Zhang Yue said: "There is a discussion about this in the court. Sima Junshi proposed to cancel the border and the city. In the memorandum, it is said that although the Westerners don't get the gifts of the year in the city, they have nothing to do with public and private interests. In the past few years, he seemed respectful and slow, showing that he was not devoted to the affairs of China, and that he had enough money to use. Canceling the peace and market will weaken the power of the Xia people, what do you think?"

Heshi is a non-governmental trading market in the Xixia and Song dynasties other than Qushi, and the trading of things is restricted by the imperial court.There are also a large number of private markets.

Sima Guang advocated the abolition of peace markets, severe crackdown on private markets, and the return of Northwest trade to the government-led market.

Cai Que shook his head and said: "This is a matter of course. During the Qingli period, the imperial court banned the green salt of Xixia from entering the mirror. In the end, even the marginal households and acquaintances who relied on selling green salt to make a living also turned to Xixia one after another. for embarrassment."

"If the peace market is cancelled, and the private market is cracked down, new households and acquaintances will once again fall to Xixia."

Zhang Yue said: "If you really realize that this matter needs to be done carefully, the proposal of Bachelor Sima has won the approval of many ministers in the court, but once it is implemented, it will be troublesome."

While talking, Zhang Yue saw a caravan returning from the east with pack horses and camels.

According to Cai’s words, in addition to green salt, horses and camels are hard currencies in Xixia. The best ones are Xixia white camels, as well as medicinal materials and minerals.

Xue Xiang bought horses with Xixia people with salt money, and wanted to exchange salt money for green salt and camels, but was rejected by Xixia people.

It seems that the Xixia people are not stupid enough.

However, Zhang Yue thought that once the sub-introduction office of Jingzhao Mansion was established to realize the free cashing of salt banknotes and other goods, then the Xixia people would definitely agree to further expand the use of salt banknotes in the next step.

At the same time, there is still inflation in the salt banknotes, so the salt banknotes in the hands of the Xixia people and the salt banknotes of the people of the Song Dynasty generally depreciate slowly.

Banknotes can be currency, and salt banknotes can be credit coins. This is a good practice of credit.This is 1000 years earlier than the concept of petrodollars in later generations.

Zhang Yue asked Cai Que about Qingyan again.Green salt is also called green and white salt.

The taste of green salt is higher than that of decomposed salt.

And the solution salt fluctuates around [-] to [-] yuan a catty in the market, but the green salt only costs [-] yuan in the market.

Zhang Yue was surprised when he heard this.

After speaking, it happened that at the Tongguan Road Pass, a salt dealer passed by transporting salt.

Cai Que ordered officers and soldiers to interrogate the salt dealers.

The salt dealer begged for a while, and Cai Que asked, "What salt do you sell?"

The salt dealer said, "This is Macheng Chi salt."

Cai Que sneered when he heard the words, took a bolt-like thing from the officials at the checkpoint, and inserted it into the salt bag on the mule's back.

There are some grains of salt in the bucket after the plug is pulled out.Cai Que took the powdered salt and tasted it in his mouth.

Cai Zhenyan said: "It really is Macheng Pond salt. This salt is bitter with nitrate, and it costs only twenty cash per catty. Sanlang, you have a taste."

Zhang Yue also took some grains of salt and tasted it in his mouth. As expected, there was a strong smell of nitrate and he wanted to spit it out. I don't know how Cai Che chewed it with such relish.

The salt dealer showed joy and said: "Then the villain can pass the test, don't stand in the way of the later merchants."

But Cai followed the man's eyes for a few times, then pointed to another mule.

In the exclamation of the salt dealer, several officers and soldiers unloaded the salt bags. Cai Que fiddled with several salt bags, and immediately took the latch and inserted it into a salt bag.

The salt dealer couldn't help but turn pale with fright.

Cai Que took out the powdered salt from the bucket, glanced at the salt seller, and brought it to Zhang Yue without trying it, saying, "This is the green salt from Xixia."

Zhang Yue carefully identified the square edge of the blue salt, bright and green, took the salt and tasted it in his mouth and couldn't help but praise: "Sweet but without miscellaneous taste, it's really good salt!"

When the left and right officers and soldiers heard the words, they took down the salt dealer on the spot.The other party drooped his head with an undeniable look.

Zhang Yue asked Cai Que, "How did brother Chizheng know that this salt dealer was carrying private salt?"

Cai Que said: "The salt in Macheng Pond is poor, and most of them only sell salt in the west of Beijing. It's not worth going to Jingdong. It's not worth taking the Tongguan route."

Zhang Yue really admires Cai really, he really is the shrewd and capable senior brother Cai in the Taixue back then.

But seeing Cai really said: "Actually, I didn't embarrass him. I just wanted to talk to Sanlang about the difference between green salt and unsalted salt, so I counted him as unlucky."

"Green salt is strictly prohibited by the imperial court's laws, but these small people can't help but take risks. Now Saburo knows how difficult it is to govern!"

At the same time, Cai Que's words reveal that although Zhang Yue is good at reading, he doesn't know the severity of the accident. In terms of political ability, I still mean it.

But Zhang Yue didn't care. He remembered that during the Song Xia war, the Song Dynasty strictly prohibited the entry of green salt, and used salt to fill the border.But still can't help the smuggling of green salt.

Zhang Yue still admires Cai Que, because the other party is indeed not someone in the pool, and sooner or later he will stand out.

"I heard that brother Chizheng has a clan bond with Cai Jixiang?"

Cai Que nodded: "My great-grandfather and Cai Jixiang's great-grandfather are brothers. But they have been separated for a long time and have not yet joined the clan."

Cai Xiang, Cai Jing, and Cai Bian are all of the same family, which can be seen from the radicals of their names.

In this way, Cai Que, Cai Jing, and Cai Bian did not produce five clothes.

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "I relied on Cai Jixiang's family relative Yuanzhang a lot in Beijing, and now I have to rely on you, brother Chizheng, when I arrive in Shaanxi."

Cai Que smiled, he had a plan to get to know Cai Xiang through Zhang Yue, but then he thought that the relationship between Xue Xiang and Cai Xiang is not good now, it can only be temporary.

But Zhang Yue thought, unexpectedly, Cai Jing and Cai Que became his right-hand men in the prison.According to the words in the book, it was unexpected that the small exchange house could harvest crouching dragons and phoenix chicks at the same time.

Getting one can secure the world, let alone having both.

On that day, Zhang Yue stayed at the post station arranged by Xue Xiang. Zhang Yue, Huang Haoyi, and Cai Que talked happily about the wine, and said that it was all about Taixue's time.

Cai Que talked about Taixue's hard study back then and was very emotional. The general idea is, have you ever seen Taixue at four o'clock in the morning?

Zhang Yue and Huang Haoyi have never met.

But Cai did.

Later, all three of them were drunk, and Cai couldn't help but talk about a hate thing in his life.

It turned out that Cai Huangshang, Cai Que's father, was dismissed because he offended the prime minister Chen Zhizhong, which made the Cai family's life fall into difficulties.From then on, Cai Que and his son hated Chen Zhizhong.

Cai Que drank a glass of wine, his eyes were red and he said: "When my father was dying, he took my hand and said that he must avenge my Cai family in the future."

"I have always kept these words in my heart, studying hard to prepare for the chance of revenge in the future, but the old man Chen Zhizhong died the year I became a Jinshi. This hatred is really hard to get rid of!"

"Sanlang, do you think I am extremely unfilial?"

After speaking, Cai Que took several sips of wine.

Seeing that Cai Que kept saying that he was not filial, Zhang Yue remembered that Cai Que had succeeded in revenge in history.

Zhang Yue comforted Cai Que and said: "Be honest, you have too much hatred in your heart, so you will not be happy, forget it."

Cai Que waved his hand.

Everyone got drunk that night.

The next day, Zhang Yue, Cai Que and others should take a carriage to Jingzhao Mansion.

Zhang Yue asked Cai Que, and it turned out that this was the day when Jingzhao Mansion took the exam. Now both Su Shi and Zhang Dun are serving as examiners in Chang'an.

Zhang Yue said in his heart, what a coincidence that he came this time, and met everyone at once.

(End of this chapter)