Aoyama

Chapter 357 The first step

In the Jiaofangsi, amid the clamor and bustle, the redemption money for Wang's daughter was raised to 70,000 strings of cash.

Outside the Jiaofangsi, Shen Ye looked at Chen Ji and asked with a smile, "Why, you don't trust me? I am the top poet of the Huqiu Poetry Society, and have been a guest of many nobles. It's not surprising that I know some salt merchants."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Then please."

When Huang Que boarded the carriage, Si Caogui took the initiative to come forward and said, "I will help you."

As he spoke, Si Caogui held Huang Que's arm with his left hand, searching his sleeves for weapons. He held Huang Que's back with his right hand, and his palm quickly passed over the belt.

In an instant, the body search was completed without anyone noticing.

When Shen Ye got in the car, Si Caogui searched him again secretly. He was relieved after confirming that Huang Que and Shen Ye were not carrying weapons.

Chen Ji watched this scene calmly, and suddenly his heart moved.

Now that there is a dispute over adoption, Si Caogui actually cares about his life more than he does.

At this time, Si Caogui turned to look at Chen Ji, his expression unclear: "Sir, please get in the car."

Chen Ji got into the carriage and said, "Go to Meihua Ferry and stop at the back door."

The carriage wobbled as it drove toward the outer city.

Huang Que couldn't help but said, "Brother Chen Ji, you just said that you have 300,000 salt permits in your hand, and you can pay for the salt first?"

Chen Ji smiled slightly: "That's right."

Huang Que leaned forward slightly and asked, "Brother, how much do you want to pay for the salt permit?"

Chen Ji consoled him, "Brother Huang, there is no rush to discuss this matter. Let's go to Meihua Ferry and discuss it over a drink."

Huang Que shook his head: "You can drink wine at any time, but not when you are talking about business. My dear brother, let's be frank. You have come to me many times to discuss the matter of salt merchants. I think you have already made a plan in mind. If the price of your salt permit is right, we can make this deal. If it is not right, this wine will not be enjoyable to drink."

Shen Ye smiled and said to Chen Ji: "My dear brother, you were born in the north, so I'm afraid you don't know that we southerners don't drink when we do business. We need to talk things over first."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "How about two taels of silver per ticket?"

Huang Que's expression changed. If he bought the salt permit from the eight major merchants, he would have to pay at least four taels of silver. "Are you serious?"

Chen Ji nodded: "Really."

Huang Que asked again, "Will they be unable to pay for the salt? I heard that the Chen family salt company has been forced by the eight major merchants to be unable to pay for the salt. If so, this salt permit is probably worthless."

Chen Ji pulled out a stack of salt permits from his sleeve and said, "Here are ten salt permits. Brother Huang, you can take them to the Changlu Salt Field for verification. If you can't get the salt, there's no need for us to talk further."

Huang Que took the salt permit, opened the curtain, and carefully read the words on it in the moonlight: "No. 2369, hired by Baotou Chenjia Salt Shop, to transport 200 kilograms of official salt to Gongyi County, Yuzhou."

The corner of the salt permit was covered with an exquisite cinnabar red seal with the word "Chen" engraved on it, and a small ginkgo leaf next to the word "Chen".

"This is the first batch of salt permits in the 32nd year of Jianing." Huang Que stroked the salt permit carefully.

"Exactly."

Huang Que shouted, "Stop the car."

Si Caogui turned a deaf ear to it.

Chen Ji smiled and said, "Stop the car."

Only then did Si Caogui tighten the reins.

Huang Que jumped off the carriage and bowed to Chen Ji in the carriage and said goodbye: "My two brothers, I will send someone to Changlu Salt Field right away."

Shen Ye sighed: "Brother Huang is really a pragmatic person, he can't wait even a moment."

Huang Que bowed and said, "There are many families behind my Huang family who are waiting for food. The world is so difficult now. If I can have a stable job to feed them, it will be a great thing. Goodbye. If this is successful, I will go to Meihua Ferry to find my brother Chen Ji."

After saying this, he walked into the night without looking back, intending to buy salt that night.

Chen Ji sat in the car, looked at Shen Ye opposite him, and asked curiously: "Brother Shen, are you still drinking?"

Shen Ye leaned against the carriage and laughed loudly: "Brother Huang Que was blinded by the profit, and his mind was full of salt permits, so he didn't think carefully about what you said. But I don't like money, so I won't be fooled by you so easily."

Chen Ji pretended to be puzzled: "Brother Shen, what do you mean?"

Shen Ye laughed loudly: "With 300,000 salt permits in hand, how could you not know its price? My dear brother, you lowered the price of the salt permits to such a low level, just to use me and Brother Huang to attract more salt merchants."

Chen Ji no longer concealed his words: "Indeed." Shen Ye smiled even more: "But I am curious, what do you want to do by attracting so many small salt merchants? The 300,000 salt permits in your hand are not enough for all the salt merchants in the world to share."

Chen Ji said calmly: "Why don't you guess what I want to do, Brother Shen?"

Shen Ye shook his head: "I can't guess."

Chen Ji asked tentatively: "Brother Shen, are you going to expose me?"

Shen Ye laughed: "Why would you expose me? Not only will I not expose you, I will also write more than ten letters overnight, asking the post station in the capital to send a fast horse south to inform all the salt merchants I know of the news of the salt permit, to help you once."

Chen Ji frowned slightly: "What does Brother Shen want?"

Shen Ye shook his head: "I am a very curious person. I don't ask for any other rewards. I just want to see what shocking thing my brother will do next."

Chen Ji suddenly changed the subject: "Since Brother Shen is willing to help, why not help one more time. I am curious about one thing. Where does a small salt merchant like Brother Huang usually buy salt permits from?"

Shen Ye pondered and said, "Salt merchants in Lianghuai usually buy from Caoji and Yangji Salt Shops, and those in Liangzhe buy from Xuji and Zhangji..."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and asked again: "Why do the eight major merchants sell salt permits to other salt merchants? Wouldn't it be better to keep them and turn them into silver?"

Shen Ye sighed: "It's really because the salt tax imposed by the court is too much."

"Salt tax?" Chen Ji was puzzled. "Isn't salt tax already included in the salt permit? Salt merchants paid salt tax when they bought salt permits from the Ministry of Revenue. How can there be a salt tax apportionment?"

Shen Ye patiently explained: "The court's collection of salt tax is actually forcing the big salt merchants to buy new salt permits. For example, Yangji Salt Company already has a backlog of 400,000 salt permits, and Caoji has a backlog of 900,000 salt permits. They obviously don't need to buy salt permits this year, but if they don't buy, where will the court get the money from? It's impossible for the court to collect no salt tax this year, right? So the court can only force them to buy more."

The traces suddenly became clear.

Because the salt permits were far below the market price, the court did not have enough money to sell the salt permits every year. Because of the lack of money, the court could only ask salt merchants to pre-order for next year, the year after, and the year after that.

This method of drinking poison to quench thirst is the cause of salt-induced excessive emission of pollutants.

The reason why Wu Xiu's distant relative Wu Xuanyi was able to increase the salt tax by 20% after he became the third-rank transport envoy of the Salt Transport Bureau was simply because he used his relationship with Wu Xiu to get salt merchants to subscribe 20% more.

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "How many salt permits do the eight major merchants have now?"

Shen Ye lowered his head and thought: "I'm afraid there are two million, but I don't know the exact number. After all, there is no way to verify how many salt permits they sold privately."

Chen Ji said solemnly: "Thank you."

Shen Ye stood up, smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes, and jumped off the carriage: "Let's go. My dear brother didn't invite me sincerely today, so there's no point in drinking this wine. I'll go back and write a letter. I'll go to Meihua Ferry tomorrow to drink my dear brother's good wine and see what kind of drama you're going to put on."

Chen Ji asked curiously, "The imperial examination is coming up soon, Brother Shen, don't you need to review your studies?"

Shen Ye laughed loudly and walked away: "It's easy to get what's in the bag!"

Chen Ji looked at Shen Ye's back and said, "He is quite a madman."

Si Caogui raised his whip, and after the carriage started moving, he whispered, "Why can't I understand what you are planning now? You don't want to go to the salt shop, and you don't want to find a way to deal with the shopkeepers of the salt shop. When can you take control of the salt shop?"

Chen Ji leaned against the wall of the car and said, "Master Si Cao, I'm already thinking of a solution. We'll know the result in a few days."

Si Caogui was puzzled as he could not see any signs that the outcome would be known within a few days.

Chen Ji suddenly changed the subject: "Master Si Cao, after the Bai Lu Pavilion Pharmacy was destroyed by the Secret Service, our Military Intelligence Department lost an important source of income. I'm afraid that many spies can't get their salaries. Not only that, without the money from Bai Lu Pavilion, I'm afraid that infiltration and rebellion will not be possible. That's why you are anxious for me to take over the Chen Family Salt Shop, right?"

Si Caogui's thoughts were suddenly guessed, and he fell silent for a moment.

Chen Ji asked curiously, "Why don't you report this? What the Military Intelligence Department does is of utmost importance, and the court should allocate some money."

Si Caogui shook his head and said, "Your Excellency has too many things to worry about. We can find a way to solve them ourselves. Why should we make him worry? Moreover, the people's livelihood is difficult in our dynasty now. We came to the Southern Dynasty to help the great cause, not to make things worse for the court."

Chen Ji looked up at the roof of the car. This Si Caogui was not the think tank of the Military Intelligence Department. Perhaps this was the reason why Lu Jin did not support this trusted confidant as the head of the department after his reinstatement.

But this man is the sharpest and most loyal knife in the Military Intelligence Department.

Who the knife kills depends on the person holding the knife.

Chen Ji said sincerely: "Don't worry, Sir Si Cao, I will do my best."

Si Caogui was silent for a long time, then he slowed down his tone: "I don't quite understand what you are doing now, but don't worry, I am here to protect you, and no one can hurt you."

Chen Ji laughed and said, "Thank you, Sir Cao."

(End of this chapter)