I studied in modern times

Chapter 822: Abolition of Taxes (2)

Li Erhu is very proactive.

He bought the ramie shipped on the sugar ship at a price almost equal to the starting price - three strings of cash and two hundred coins per stone.

He immediately started hiring people and ships to transport the goods back to Bian Jing.

Although, the freight rate standard set by the Ministry of Revenue of the Song Dynasty for the Caosi, starting from Renmiao, was thirteen cents per hundred jin of goods per hundred miles downstream, and thirty cents per hundred jin of goods upstream.

But that’s the official price!
In the Song Dynasty, it is common sense that for most commodities or services, the prices among the people are always higher than the prices given by the government!
Of course, when it comes to paying taxes or determining commodity prices, the situation will be reversed.

Therefore, the freight for each stone of ramie that Li Erhu found was finally negotiated to about five hundred coins.

This price cannot be said to be the market price.

It can only be considered reasonable.

Because, normally, the freight rate for each stone of goods should be more than four hundred coins.

But isn’t this his first time doing this business and his first time working with someone?

The premium is normal.

In addition, he wanted to test the tax stations in the counties and prefectures along the way, so he only planned to ship back one shipload of ramie first.

Therefore, the freight of 500 coins per stone is very reasonable.

However, when the ramie was loaded on the boat and ready to set sail, Li Erhu received a notice from the captain.

There will be a few more guests who will travel to Beijing with him on the same ship.

Li Erhu didn't care and agreed.

When he boarded the ship, he saw the passengers on board.

There were five people in total, but it was obvious that four of them were followers.

Because these four people were carrying luggage on the boat.

Their gifts were books, calligraphy and the like.

The leader was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, elegant and easy-going.

Li Erhu didn't care either.

Because it is now late May of the second year of Yuanyou.

In the early spring of next year, the imperial court will hold an imperial examination to recruit scholars.

And next year's subject will be the Dragon Flying List of the current official!

According to past practice, any Jinshi on the Longfei list, even the last one, would be looked upon with higher regard by the officials of the Ministry of Personnel when they were being examined by the Ministry of Personnel.

Therefore, whenever a new emperor ascended the throne, scholars from all over the country would try their best to go to Beijing to take the imperial examinations.

The tests in various places will be concentrated to the point where they cannot be any more complicated at this critical juncture.

The other party cares even less about Li Erhu as a businessman.

The middle-aged man just nodded slightly to Li Erhu after he boarded the boat.

Li Erhu didn't care. He just wanted to transport the shipload of ramie to the capital safely.

The ship hired by Li Erhu was a typical Song Dynasty Bianhe cargo ship.

This type of ship is obviously much smaller than the large ships of the Caosi sailing on the Bian River.

The maximum load that could be carried at one time was only about one thousand shi of goods. Because Li Erhu was transporting ramie this time, even though he tried every means to cram the ramie onto the ship, he could only load more than two hundred shi in the end.

So, in the end, he had no choice but to agree that if they arrived in Beijing safely, he would invite the captain and the boatmen to Sun Jia Shao Zhu Pu for a drink and give them a red envelope. Only then could the boat start smoothly.

And the heavy-duty ships of the Caosi could carry 10,000 dan of rice each! Even if they were transporting ramie, they could probably carry 1,000 or 2,000 dan!
However, despite being small, the cargo ship's speed in the Bian River is much faster than that of a large grain ship!

It might take two days or even longer for a grain ship to travel from Xiangyi to Bianjing.

Because on some rivers or when there is a north wind, it needs trackers to pull it forward.

Cargo ships don’t need that!
It can sail quickly and flexibly in the Bian River.

This is due to the lightness of its hull - compared with the canal boat, it does not have a herringbone mast for towing, nor does it have bulky facilities such as a rudder.

Of the same size and length, cargo ships are at least 30% lighter than canal ships!

Its navigation power in the Bian River depends entirely on the eight "strokes" installed at the bow and the eight "strokes" installed at the stern.

"Zhao" and "Lu" are actually two different forms of oars.

The former looks like a broom, while the latter is shaped like a big knife.

In addition, there is another difference between cargo ships and canal ships - there are special passenger cabins in the cargo ship's cabin, which are provided for passengers to lie down and rest.

Because the ramie that Li Erhu transported this time was much lighter than other commercial goods.

So, as soon as the ship leaves the dock, the sailing speed begins to slowly increase.

Just ...

Because the cargo in the warehouse is a bit light, and the wind on the Bian River is a bit strong today.

So the boat was shaking violently, and soon Li Erhu started to feel seasick. He lay on the bow and began to vomit.

When the captain saw this, he burst into laughter and ordered his men to cook a bowl of ginger soup for Li Erhu. He also took a piece of leftover orange peel, squeezed out the juice and rubbed it near Li Erhu's nose.

After drinking the boiling hot ginger soup and smelling the fragrance of oranges, Li Erhu finally felt better and did not vomit as violently.

He let out a deep breath, and at this moment, the voice of the scholar in the cabin came.

"If you don't mind, I have some cinnamon here. You can soak it in water and drink it. It may relieve some of the pain..."

"Thank you, sir!" Li Erhu hurriedly thanked him.

Just ...

Li Erhu felt that this man's accent was very familiar.

It seems...it seems...it’s the Fujian accent!

Because Li Erhu's boss, Mr. Lu, has this accent.

However, he didn't think much about it.

Fujian is a major hub for the imperial examinations. Every time there is an imperial examination, a large number of people from Fujian go to Beijing to take the exam.

When the scholar's servant brought two pieces of red cinnamon to him, Li Erhu thanked him again.

Maybe cinnamon really has the magical effect of preventing seasickness.

In short, after Li Erhu boiled a small piece of cinnamon into soup and drank it, he felt much better and finally stopped vomiting. After resting for a while, he felt stronger again.

He struggled to get up, held onto the shaking hull, and came to the cabin, where he bowed and thanked: "I am Li Erhu of Bianjing, thank you for your help!"

"If you encounter any trouble in the future when you are in Beijing, you can send someone to the Li family workshop in Anjiefang outside the new city of Bianjing or the Li family cloth shop on Maxing Street..."

"As long as you mention 'I'm the one who borrowed cinnamon from the Bian River', as long as it's within my ability... I will do my best to repay you for your help today!"

Li Erhu is a very loyal person.

This was also the reason why he was appreciated by Tian Qi and his daughter was married to him - although the so-called daughter was only in name.

However, not just anyone can be chosen as a son-in-law by the president of the Bian Jing Cloth Shop Guild.

When such people choose a son-in-law, even if it is a fake son-in-law, they have to pay a dowry.

Of course, you have to choose carefully to ensure that you will not lose money.

The scholar in the cabin smiled heartily: "We met by chance, it must be fate... When I see someone who is destined to be with me in trouble, I will help him/her, it is my nature..."

"As for repaying..."

He laughed: "That's not necessary!"

However, it is obvious that he admires Li Erhu's characteristic of being grateful and repaying kindness.

"Erhu, right?"

“Yes…” Li Erhu clasped his fists.

"After arriving in Beijing, if we are destined to meet again, we will meet again!" he said in the cabin.

At this time, Li Erhu reacted.

The scholar's accent was almost the same as his employer's, so they must be from the same hometown.

However, the other party has not shown any signs of seasickness since boarding the ship.

The same was true of his followers.

and so……

A Fujianese who is not afraid of seasickness but carries cinnamon with him to treat seasickness?
Considering cinnamon, it is produced in Lingnan.

And the price is not low...

Therefore, he was not the scholar who went to Beijing to take the imperial examination!

But an official who came to Beijing! ?
Only civil officials who serve in prefectures and counties and need to travel frequently to various places will have so many characteristics.

When Li Erhu thought of this, he felt relieved.

However, he still didn't take it to heart.

After all, since the Renmiao period of the Song Dynasty, there have been more and more officials born in Fujian.

His boss is a Fujianese!

……

Yang Ji sat upright in the cabin, holding a book in his hand, reading the words on it, and listening to the thanks from the merchants outside the cabin.

"Li Erhu?" He chuckled in his heart: "I never thought that the good friend I casually made would turn out to be a businessman who knows how to repay..."

"Not bad!"

“This might be a good omen!”

In late April, he received an imperial edict from the emperor restoring him to the capital as the capital's water supervisor.

Logically, he should have already reported to the Ministry of Personnel, completed the procedure for an audience with the emperor, and was already sitting in the office of the Dushuijian.

However, after receiving the imperial edict, he did not rush to the capital day and night like others.

He did not choose the fastest and most convenient route to Beijing: from Huangzhou via Guangzhou, to Caizhou. Once in Caizhou, he could go directly to Bianliang via Caihe-Huimin River.

The whole journey takes at most ten days!
But he didn't!

Instead, he chose to take a long detour!

Starting from Huangzhou, we went south along the river and directly reached Jiangning.

Just this journey took him a full ten days!

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In Jiangning, he met many old friends and colleagues.

Naturally, he also paid a visit to the benevolent Prime Minister Wang Anshi and visited the Jiangning Academy which had already started classes.

By the way, he also took out several thousand strings of cash and bought dozens of hectares of fertile land in Jiangning Prefecture, donating it to Jiangning Academy as school land to help with the expenses of teachers and students in the academy.

After finishing these things, he set out from Jiangning to Beijing in early May.

The reason why he changed boats here in Xiangyi was because he got off the boat in Yingtianfu and went to meet a friend.

After meeting his friend, he entered Kaifeng Prefecture by land, and then came to Liyi to take a boat.

The waterway from Liyi to Bianjing is only 120 miles.

Basically, we will be able to return to Bianjing City by tomorrow morning.

Yang Ji was very clear about this.

Because during the Xining period, he and the late Du Shuijian Hou Shuxian traveled to every county in Kaifeng Prefecture and searched every river in Kaifeng Prefecture in order to turn the tidal flats and saline-alkali land along the Bian River into arable land.

They consulted experienced farmers everywhere and observed farmers working on the tidal flats.

Looking for their common points and exploring why those people were able to turn saline-alkali land into fertile farmland?
Finally, they found the answer!
It's water!

The Yellow River water contains too much sand!
In the past, floods caused by the Yellow River bursting its banks many times have proved one fact - wherever the Yellow River has flooded, the silt left behind when the water recedes will turn the originally fertile farmland into barren saline-alkali land.

The water source of the Bian River mainly comes from the Yellow River.

Therefore, the tidal flats on both sides of the Bian River and the land on both sides of the river bank have become saline-alkali land and cannot be cultivated.

This is because the silt in the Bian River turned the land into saline-alkali land.

Once you find the problem, you will naturally find the solution!
Wash the field!

Use clean water to wash the fields and flush away the Yellow River silt in the land!

Just wash away the silt that causes land salinization!

Then, the reclaimed land can be cultivated.

So the question is?

Where can we find a river that is clean and has sufficient flow to at least meet the needs of washing fields along the banks of the Bian River, and at the same time the project volume is within an acceptable range?

Another difficult search.

Finally, they found Fanshanshui, located in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

The river met almost all their needs perfectly.

So, start working immediately!
From the third year of Xining to the sixth year of Xining, he and Hou Shuxian worked in the Du Shui Jian. After three years of hard work, they finally brought water from the Fanshan River. As a result, tens of thousands of hectares of saline-alkali land along the Bian River were turned into fertile fields.

The country can harvest millions of shi of grain from these lands every year.

Recalling the past years when I fought with Hou Shuxian on the Bian River.

Yang Ji opened the window of the cabin and looked at the fields on both sides of the Bian River.

It was summer, and the rice in the fields on both sides of the Bian River had begun to ear. Ears of green rice hung in the fields, and from afar, one could smell the fragrance of rice.

Seeing this, Yang Ji couldn't help but sigh: "Duke Jingren..."

"Did you see that?"

"The fields you cleansed in the past are now a scene of abundant harvest with the fragrance of rice and the croaking of frogs!"

However, that person is gone.

Hou Shuxian will never see such a beautiful scenery again.

Thinking about this, Yang Ji recalled the content of the emperor's edict to reinstate him this time.

"The great river flows westward, flooding a thousand miles! The people of Heshuo live on cattails and reeds, and live with fish and turtles! I sigh at my meal, and wish to find someone who is familiar with water affairs to consult with me. The official Yang Ji is experienced in river affairs, and has more than enough talent and ability. He was once the minister of water affairs of the emperor's father, and he knows the gains and losses of it for a long time! The post of water official is really suitable for you. I have hope for the achievements of Yang Yan and Wang Yanshi. OK!"

Recalling the words in the imperial edict, Yang Ji lowered his head to read the words in the imperial edict, which moved him and called him.

He knew that when he returned to the court, he would be appointed as the Capital Water Conservancy Supervisor again.

He has a heavy responsibility, great pressure and a huge task!
The envoy sent by the emperor to Huangzhou to convey the emperor's imperial edict brought him the emperor's oral instructions.

Talking about his mission after returning to the court.

The first is the Luo-Bian diversion project, which he needs to maintain and ensure that the Bian River is unobstructed.

Then, there is the Ergu River in Hebei.

As for the East Flow Channel, he needed to keep it dredged based on the work done by Song Yongchen, and prevent it from being blocked.

As for the main path...

He needs to go and investigate in person and come up with a plan.

At the same time, the prefectures and counties in Hebei Province were also in a position to solve the saline-alkali land that had appeared due to the flooding of the Yellow River in the past. He also needed to work with the Hebei Transportation Department and the Changping Department to come up with solutions.

If you add all these things up, it would be impossible to succeed without spending tens of millions of dollars.

Of course, this money certainly doesn't have to be taken out in one year.

It will be distributed over the national plan for the next ten or twenty years.

But this is also an expenditure of millions of strings of cash every year!
Can the imperial court afford so much money?

Even if we can squeeze it out, will the officials in the capital agree to it?
If the ministers are willing to agree, will the emperor or the two palaces agree?

These are the difficulties he has to face.

In addition, when he returned to Beijing this time, Yang Ji knew that the crows of the Censorate would be watching him day and night.

After all, during the Yuanfeng period, he, Cui Taifu, and Wang Xiaoxian, who had already been dismissed from office, were collectively known as the Four Evils.

Because these people, these officials who successively served as Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Chief Justice of the Dali Temple during the Yuanfeng era, were all ministers who worked closely with the previous emperor's Investigation Bureau.

With this criminal record, he must be a thorn in the eyes of the upright people.

There will definitely be all kinds of hardships waiting for him ahead.

Probably the only good news for him was that his old friend Pu Zongmeng had become prime minister.

Like him, Pu Zongmeng was also the target of public criticism.

In this case, I believe Pu Zongmeng should support his work.

While thinking about this, the boat Yang Ji was on began to move towards the river bank.

Yang Ji frowned immediately: "What's going on?"

He ordered his followers: "Go out and take a look..."

"promise!"

A moment later, the attendants came back to report that the captain had heard from a ship sailing downstream that at the river gate not far ahead, officials from Xiangyi County were checking passing passenger ships. Therefore, the captain had to dock and negotiate with the cargo owners on the ship. If the Xiangyi government wanted to levy taxes, he had to prepare the money and not let the government seize his ship.

This made Yang Ji frown.

Because when he was in Yingtian Prefecture, he had read the official bulletin, which clearly stated that the benevolent and wise emperor had issued an edict to abolish all excessive taxes within the Kaifeng Prefecture.

At the same time, he ordered Kaifeng Prefecture to abolish all tax stations.

Yang Ji remembered that the entire Yingtian Prefecture was filled with cheers at that time.

Countless merchants began to head towards Kaifeng Prefecture with their goods.

If there were no taxes and no tax cards, their costs would be reduced by more than 30%!
This is all profit!
However, now, officials from Xiangyi County have set up checkpoints at the gate, apparently to collect taxes...

If this is true...

It is a blatant confrontation with the imperial court and the emperor!

It is only a hundred miles from Xiangyi to the capital, and a fast horse can go back and forth in one day.

and so……

They are doing something tricky right under the emperor's nose!

Thinking of this, Yang Ji stood up and said to his attendants, "Come with me to take a look..."

"Remember, don't talk!"

"promise!"

If you could see with your own eyes the scene of the officials of Xiangyi County disobeying the imperial order.

Then when he wrote a letter to the emperor, he could take the opportunity to disclose it, proving that even when he was traveling, he was always concerned about and studying the emperor's policies and laws.

(End of this chapter)