Lord of the Desert

Chapter 495 Double Standards
"Do you understand the court's salt policy?"

Guan Qimai asked.

"I don't know much about it, I just know it's a government-run business."

Hong Fan replied.

"After all, he is a rich young master, so it's normal for him to not know the daily necessities of life."

Guan Qimai joked without any emotion.

"Salt permit sales are a very important part of the court's income. Legally speaking, all the salt in Kyushu should come from the official salt fields of the Salt Transport Bureau, and the salt should be boiled by hereditary salt farmers, and then sold to the people by private salt merchants with salt permits."

"When the salt administration was newly established in the early years of this dynasty, the annual salt tax was 5 million strings of cash. Now, 300 years later, the salt tax is still 5 million strings of cash. Obviously, the population has tripled, and the salt consumption must be more. Do you know why the salt tax has not increased?"

"Because of the private salt."

Hong Fan replied.

Of course he knew about this kind of thing which was common even in Jinhai City.

"Yes, it is private salt. The private salt in Kyushu is banned but continues to exist because it is fairer than the official salt."

Guan Qimai said something earth-shattering.

"No one in the court dares to say this, but I am different. When I was farming in Qingzhou, I only bought private salt. After all, the price of official salt is several times that of private salt. Who can afford official salt without a family fortune?"

He had a complicated expression, as if he hated the high price of salt and was also suffering from the lack of fiscal revenue.

"The cost of producing salt from a salt field is two wen per catty, but a salt permit for 400 catties is priced at four guan. The price of a catty of official salt in the market is 15 wen, while the lowest price for private salt is only five wen. Based on the salt tax of 5 million guan, the official salt sales of 500 million catties a year are probably less than half of the private salt. In places like Juzhou, where the water network is dense and the salt fields are concentrated, the proportion of private salt is overwhelmingly higher than that of official salt. In this way, the salt tax swallowed up by the court every year is at least 10 million guan."

"With such huge profits, only tough guys can get a piece of the pie. The strength and cruelty of the Guzhou salt smugglers are well-known in Kyushu. It is said that they are more powerful than the local officers and soldiers."

The hall was quiet for a moment.

"Who do you think is behind these salt smugglers?"

Hong Fan did not guess, he knew there was no need to guess here.

"Of course, I am just talking nonsense now. The key to this matter is evidence."

Guan Qimai changed the subject.

"I want you to go to Juzhou this time to find evidence of the Pan family's private salt smuggling and the salt blood - the location of the privately opened salt wells and salt ponds, the routes for transporting private salt, the accounts of profit distribution, and the fingerprints of the person in charge behind the scenes - these are what I want."

"The headmaster is going to overthrow the Pan family?"

Hong Fan's voice was a little dry.

"Don't be nervous. How can such a small thing be lifted?"

Guan Qimai sneered.

"The Pan family is also a family with hundreds of years of history. How could they do dirty work without gloves and isolation? Even if you have irrefutable evidence, it will only kill a few members of the family involved. It's not even a heroic act."

"I'll be frank with you. This investigation is not for private salt, nor for the Pan family. It's for the problems of the Juzhou Public School. Local problems must be solved by local forces. Many things that are very difficult for the Zhangwu Academy to do - manpower, venues, food and medicine resources, etc. - are easy for local aristocratic families. And the chaos I listed before would not have caused any waves without their support and acquiescence."

"The court has communicated with the Pan family about these matters more than once or twice, but the old man and the Pan family are clearly divided over the issue of succession. I have repeatedly asked them to do me a favor but was rejected, so I had to resort to some tricks."

Guan Qimai's face was full of helplessness.

"In short, when you go to Guzhou, you should act according to circumstances. It's okay to use some extraordinary means. You don't have to stick to the rules."

He winked.

"Shanzhang, is this okay?"

Hong Fan said something from his heart.

"When we talked about Qingdi Zhenzong before, we always mentioned the law. Isn't that a double standard?"

Guan Qimai laughed out loud when he heard this.

"How can I ever have double standards? My standards are consistent - if it is beneficial to me, then it is right, and if it is not beneficial to me, then it is wrong!"

"I am different from other people. To me, the truth is not just words, but the path we walk. In the final analysis, people speak in order to do things. How can we let our words restrict our hands and feet?"

He played the music at such a high volume that it shook the earthenware pot, and he seemed to have a clear conscience.

"I'm still looking for you when the New Year is almost over because people who are eager to go home are more likely to reveal their flaws. But it may affect your New Year celebrations. Is that okay?"

Guan Qimai asked insincerely at last.

【has a problem. 】

Hong Fan really wanted to say this, but in the end he shook his head.

······
Three days later, it was the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month.

The capital of Juzhou is Yunque City.

The heavy snow had just stopped, and the moonlight shone on the spotless snow, casting a cold white glow.

At the edge of the woods, there was a woodcutter's hut surrounded by a wooden fence, with firelight shining through the paper-pasted windows.

The sound of footsteps on the snow came from far away.

"it's me."

A rough voice asked, and after waiting for three breaths without waiting for an answer, he pushed the door open and came in.

The visitor was a six-foot tall man wearing a linen cloak and wrist guards. He closed the door silently and glanced at the seven people standing around the stove in the room.

"Director Gu."

He nodded in greeting to the person in the middle, then looked at the strange young man in the corner with a wary look.

"I'm just waiting for you."

General Manager Gu spoke in a reproachful tone.

His real name is Gu Jianming. He has served in the Military Department of the Juzhou Military Academy for many years and is very prestigious.

"The newcomer is the local hero, 'Down the Mountain Tiger' Deng Le, and on his right is the famous Yunque detective Ran Yi..."

Seeing that everyone was present, the usually serious Gu Jianming actually put on a smile and introduced himself to the stranger in the corner of the room first.

No one exploded.

Everyone present was a capable person, and they immediately realized that this person's status was far higher than their own.

"I urgently summoned you here today because a distinguished guest has arrived from the capital."

Gu Jianming said this, looking inquiringly.

The strange young man nodded, showing the ivory-plated arrow order at his waist, and clasped his fists slightly.

"Jin Hai, Hong Fan."

Dust flew around the stove.

Everyone was shocked and gave him a generous gift in return. After the battle in Shengzhou, Chixing Daimyo stood out from the other prodigies. When the news that he had killed the Iron Demon and tamed the Blue Emperor's True Sect three months ago spread, his prestige was already comparable to that of the top names.

"Hong Zishou was ordered by the headmaster to come here for the Pan family's salt business. I am ashamed to say that I have been on this mission for half a year and the progress has been slow."

Gu Jianming's face was filled with shame.

"Good things take time and effort to accomplish, it has always been like this."

Hong Fan comforted.

He understood the other party's predicament very well. Just like the Qingdi Zhenzong in Cangxu City, the Pan family had a huge influence in Juzhou, so Gu Jianming didn't even dare to use his subordinate Chi Shou directly. Instead, he looked for the six "outsiders" present to do the work.

"I'm new here, please tell me about the local situation in detail."

Hong Fan took the lead and sat down beside the kang.

Seeing his humble attitude, everyone present relaxed a little.

"The private salt business has many forms, but they are all divided into three links: production, transportation, and distribution. The upstream is the public and private salt fields, the midstream is the warehouses and docks controlled by the Cao Gang and the horse team, and the downstream is the local gentry and powerful people."

Inspectors Huan Kai and Gu Jianming from the Inspection Department exchanged glances and took the initiative to speak.

"Ordinary private salt dealers mostly buy surplus salt from the cooks of the official salt fields, and transport it by mixing it with other goods, or mixing it with bulk goods such as grain and cloth, or making salt bricks and hiding them in the interlayer of the bottom of the ship. They hide during the day and come out at night, and they even dig tunnels to avoid our inspection checkpoints."

"In addition, the salt smugglers generally raise private soldiers. First, they compete with each other for salt sources and trade routes. The particularly arrogant ones even dare to confront the government soldiers. This spring, two groups of salt protection teams in Feiyu City started a war. The total number of them was over a thousand. They were well-equipped and had high morale. Both sides were equipped with cavalry teams, and even the salt capture camp did not dare to interfere directly."

"What about the Pan family specifically?"

Hong Fan asked.

"In Juzhou, the Pan family has the final say in eliminating the White Tiger Sect. A giant like them has always taken charge of everything from top to bottom in business, and has its own salt fields and salt transport teams."

It was Ran Yi who answered the call.

"The Pan family's private salt business is run by Pan Chen and his son from the 14th branch of the Pan family. The specific affairs are handled by the local tyrants, the He family and the Mo family. The total size of their salt protection team is over 3,000 people, equipped with heavy armor, powerful crossbows and war horses, divided into 'sentinels' and 'teams' with leaders in charge. Before, the hero Deng had tracked their salt transport team several times and was able to confirm that their salt field was located in the mountains in the east outside the border."

"Chongshan is the territory of the Silver King."

Hong Fan was surprised.

At the same time, Deng Le cupped his hands, indicating that he did not dare to act like a hero in front of him.

"Yes, that's why they have so many private soldiers. There are rumors that the Pan family's salt fields were attacked by a group of beasts last year, and it was only after Yuan Ci from the clan intervened that the situation was resolved."

Gu Jianming replied.

[Yuanci takes action? Aren't you afraid of divine punishment? 】

Hong Fan began to have doubts in his heart, and then he suddenly realized that in all the information he had read before, only the Snake God, the Mountain God, and the Sea God were worshipped with their names, while the Silver King and the Heart-Eating Demon King were only given the word "King".

He vaguely felt that there was some trick to this matter.

"Since the goal is clear, why can't we find their weakness?"

Hong Fan asked again.

"Hong Zishourong reports."

Gu Jianming replied through gritted teeth.

"I was once very brave and diligent, but later I found out that the Pan family had taken care of all the related inspection offices and salt capture camps. Even the sub-inspectors stationed in Yunque City turned a blind eye, so the pressure on us is increasing."

Hearing this, Huan Kai felt a little embarrassed and just stared at the jumping fire.

"In July this year, they even traced back to us. The Dahua Law stipulates that those who sell private salt will be hanged, and those who buy private salt will be beaten 100 times. The consequences are extremely serious, so the salt smugglers are also very cruel. As a result, we have no choice but to postpone it..."

Gu Jianming clenched and unclenched his fists and glanced at Hong Fan's face, with shame and fear in his eyes.

"Director Gu, I understand."

Hong Fan signaled the other party not to continue talking, glanced at the six people present, and felt regretful.

Taking into account the information just gathered, he can be sure that someone present must have become an insider of the Pan family. Once this is over, they will lose their only advantage of being in the dark while the enemy is in the open.

Ran Yi added new firewood to the fire.

To the ears of the innate warrior, the ice spikes growing on the corners of the eaves of the house were making barely audible high-frequency sounds.

"General Gu, what are the names of the salt administration officials stationed in Yunque City, and where do they live?"

Hong Fan straightened his back and made a decision.

"Hong Zishou is going to visit..."

Gu Jianming asked, but was interrupted by a piercing look.

"Xie Ye, the co-magistrate of the Salt Transport Department, is a fifth-rank official and lives in Yonglefang in the south of the city..."

"Mu Yingju, the deputy commissioner of the Salt Transport Department, is a fourth-rank official and lives in the west of the city..."

"Zhai Hao, the inspector of the Provincial Surveillance Department..."

He had no choice but to tell him.

"It is now 10 o'clock in the evening."

Hong Fan took out a mechanical pocket watch and said.

"What is Hong Zishou going to do?"

Ran Yi asked, feeling a little uneasy.

"I have a plan, but I have to ask you to stay here tonight. No one can leave."

Hong Fan stood up and glanced at everyone.

"Hong Zishou is doubting us?"

Deng Le's brows suddenly raised and he asked angrily.

"I said we should watch over each other tonight and no one can leave. You can do whatever you want tomorrow morning."

Hong Fan only repeated it once.

"What if I must leave?"

Huan Kai also stood up, plucked up his courage and pretended to be fearless.

"Then go away, and don't blame me for looking for you again."

Hong Fan looked the man straight in the eye and spoke in a cold voice.

The moment their eyes met, the latter felt as if he had fallen into hellfire. After several breaths, he finally broke free, gasping for breath, his whole body drenched in sweat.

If so, there was no more conversation in the room.

(End of this chapter)