Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 649 Two Stooges

Inside the Jingping Qianhu Posthouse.

The atmosphere is solemn!

Seeing Li Zisheng's threatening words, Qin Chang wanted to say something. After all, he had read the contents of the imperial edict, and it did not say that Li Zisheng immediately had the power to mobilize the northwest military. After all, the court did not even give Li Zisheng the military token. It was too far-fetched to mobilize troops based on such an imperial edict alone.

Li Zisheng said at the right time: "My official documents and the decree concerning the mobilization of troops will be delivered one after another today and tomorrow. I now ask Captain Wang to mobilize the troops of our camp and go to Pianguan with me."

Wang Fang made a bitter face and argued tremblingly: "Sir Li, even if you are really promoted to the Chief Censor, shouldn't you... coordinate the troops brought by the Duke of Baoguo? We... need the governor of Datong to personally order everything we do, otherwise..."

When Qin Chang heard this, he couldn't help but smile knowingly and glanced at Li Zisheng with a look that said "you messed up."

It seems to be saying, do you really think that people are illiterate and don’t know the rules?

Just because of a few words from you, they impulsively follow your orders and mobilize troops to cooperate with you?

Do you think you have enough face to let others help you at the risk of losing their heads?

Li Zisheng said: "Captain Wang, I am giving you a chance to make achievements. Don't miss this opportunity! I am under the Emperor's order and I am doing the Emperor's job. If you do a good job, you will be promoted directly. You don't have to stay in the northwest and eat sand all year round. You can be transferred to the capital to serve under the Emperor's watch. How happy and carefree that is!

“After all, the troops under the command of the Duke of Baoguo cannot move as fast as this imperial edict, and they also need to transport food. It is estimated that it will take another ten days or half a month to get here... During this period, if you listen to me, we will be the vanguard and will make great achievements.

"As for the governor of Datong, I will contact him. You are just following his orders... You have the opportunity to establish meritorious service, and if something goes wrong, there will be someone to help you take responsibility. Where can you find such a good opportunity?"

"This……"

Wang Fang still seemed very hesitant.

Li Zisheng looked at Qin Chang and said with a smile: "Eunuch Qin, congratulations on your new job... Weren't you worried before, worried that you would be fired after returning to the Imperial Household Department? You shouldn't worry about that now, right? You and I came to Xuanda and Sanbian to do our work, and if we do it well, we will also be credited with the honor."

This was a disguised reminder to Qin Chang, "Weren't you worried that you would be left idle after you finished your mission and returned to Beijing? Now it seems that this won't happen. The emperor has made you the eunuch guarding Ningxia. Although your status is not as high as that of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, the eunuch guarding a place also holds great power. If you do a good job, you may be able to be the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department for the third time. This is also your good fortune!"

Qin Chang finally made up his mind after hearing this, and said loudly: "General Wang, now it seems that we have to obey the orders of this censor... If you can really obey orders, then we will set off early tomorrow morning to protect the military supplies and go to Pianguan. What do you think?"

Li Zisheng was extremely dissatisfied with the delay, but he didn't say anything else. It was rare that Qin Chang was standing on his side and speaking for him. If he urged him further, it might backfire.

Even though Wang Fang was tempted, he decided to put it off for now. He immediately said, "I will think about it after I return. I also need to discuss it with the people below. After all, there are still the elderly, the weak, women and children in the castle who need to be properly settled."

"That has to be as soon as possible."

Li Zisheng said, "The time waits for no one."

……

……

As soon as Wang Fang leaves.

Li Zisheng was so excited that he almost wanted to dance on the spot. He seemed extremely excited and could not sit still.

Qin Chang looked worried.

Li Zisheng asked curiously, "Eunuch Tan, what are you worried about?"

Qin Chang said, "Your Majesty appointed Minister Li as the Chief Censor. Did you mean that you want him to lead the army to fight against the foreign barbarians? Once the war starts, I'm afraid that with just our limited manpower, even if we add the troops from the local Qianhu Suo and the troops that the Duke of Baoguo brought from the Beijing camp, it will not be enough to accomplish anything."

Li Zisheng smiled and said, "Didn't you see what the imperial edict said? His Majesty asked Zhang Guozhang to write me a plan for the battle, and I think someone will send it to me soon.

"What kind of person is Zhang Guozhang? He can see through the secrets of heaven... With him in the capital to help us plan, don't you think it's easy to achieve military merit?"

"What? You actually still expect him to give you advice?"

Qin Chang felt even more speechless.

You, Li Zisheng, are unreliable, but does that mean Zhang Laizhan is reliable?

You actually know how to use this trick of secret plan. Do you two cobblers think you can beat Zhuge Liang?

Li Zisheng said sternly: "Eunuch Tan, I want to survive, and you want to make achievements, so we should work together. Apart from this, is there any better way for us to go?"

……

……

After the New Year, the capital was relatively calm.

But the salt merchants could not calm down, because the new salt permits were issued after the New Year, and the number of salt permits issued by the Ministry of Revenue at one time was not large, causing merchants to fight over the new salt permits.

When Huai En learned the news, he was also greatly surprised and puzzled. He could never have expected that a new law that was implemented without going through court discussion could achieve such a good result in a short period of time.

Qin Ji learned about the whole matter through the tentacles of the factory guards, and then informed Huai En of the first-hand information.

"...In Beijing, in addition to the original salt merchants from the Huai River and Huainan regions, even the merchants from Shanxi and Shandong have flocked here. Even those Beijing merchants, even those who have the support of princes and nobles, are now actively entering the market. No matter how many salt permits the Ministry of Revenue takes out, they can be exchanged for in an instant." Qin Ji was actually quite happy when he said this.

Didn't you, Huai'en, say that Zhang Luan could not foresee the unknown troubles and no one was interested in the new salt permits?

Looking at this situation of strong supply and demand, it is quite different from what you expected!

Huai En asked, "Has Zhang Guozhang come forward to preside over it recently?"

"Never."

Qin Ji shook his head and said, "Didn't I say this at the court meeting before the Lunar New Year? Zhang Guozhang is seriously ill and it is not convenient for him to travel. Before and after the Lunar New Year, except for going to the palace, he stayed at home to rest."

"Still recovering?"

Huai En frowned.

That teasing look seemed to be saying that Zhang Laizhan's body was really delicate.

First, he was injured and broke his bones, and he stayed in bed at home for more than a month. Later, he basically did not go to court or work in the government office because his injuries had not yet healed.

You seemed to be getting better towards the end of the year, but now you’re getting sick again?
Qin Ji said excitedly: "Eunuch Huai, you should understand by now that after the implementation of the new salt law, it may not be necessary for Zhang Guozhang to personally take action... At present, the Ministry of Revenue is very good at issuing salt permits and has collected a lot of money.

"Your Majesty has issued an edict that when the salt tax revenue is collected, the arrears of salaries owed to officials at all levels in Beijing will be repaid in full, and the cash and grain will be distributed as appropriate."

The salaries in the Ming Dynasty were divided into original salaries and discounted salaries.

It can be roughly understood as salary and bonus...

Now that Zhang Luan collected the salt tax, the emperor first thought of the livelihoods of his ministers. He wanted to pay the salaries owed to the ministers and even considered bonuses.

Huai En was also a little touched and asked, "Speaking of which, it has been quite a few years since the discount was issued, right?"

"Who says it's not?"

Tan Ji said with emotion, "I heard that the salaries and rice allowances of the palace servants will also be distributed this time. It's really not easy."

Not only the ministers in the court, but even the eunuchs and maids in the palace were able to receive their long-overdue salaries. This move made people like Qin Ji, who never embezzled or accepted bribes, feel the emperor's grace.

Huai En asked curiously, "Is there no noble relative in Beijing who wants to cause trouble?"

"So far... there really isn't one!"

Qin Ji said truthfully, "After the New Year, Duke Ying and others even visited Zhang's house in person. It is said that Duke Ying was very active in the reform of the salt law. In name, they came to ask for advice on matters such as procurement for the Beijing Camp, but in fact..."

Huai En interrupted Tan Ji and sighed, "Some old men are relying on their seniority and connections in the court to seek personal gain... These people are the root of the Ming Dynasty's troubles and must be eradicated. Hou Fang, you have a long way to go in the future!"

Qin Ji said: "Now that the salt tax collection is going smoothly, His Majesty has clearly asked whether to increase the number of salt permits issued. It is said that many salt merchants who were stranded in the northwestern border towns, especially those in Shanxi, are also preparing to come to the capital to purchase salt permits... This incident can be said to be the biggest blow to the Shanxi merchants."

"Yes."

Huai En said helplessly, "Originally, the salt tax collection was mainly based in Datong and Taiyuan, and these two places are also where the grain is stored in the northwest.

"One dan and three dou of rice deposited in Taiyuan warehouse and one dan of rice deposited in Datong warehouse can be exchanged for one yin of salt. This is the rule set by Emperor Taizu. I never thought that it would be changed in our generation.

"With such a huge impact, can Shanxi merchants tolerate it?"

Tan Ji was also puzzled, and said, "In the past, the Shanxi merchants were able to do well in the Ming Dynasty because of the convenience of salt trading in the northwest. Now that the salt trading has been moved to the capital, merchants from all over the country no longer need to cultivate land in the northwest, and there will be no problem of paying for grain produced nearby. Who will grow grain in the northwest in the future?"

Huai En frowned and said, "Even you know about this drawback, why does Your Majesty turn a deaf ear to it? The number of military farms in the northwest has decreased dramatically, what future does the Ming Dynasty have?"

Qin Ji asked: "Isn't it a good thing that the Ming government has increased the salt tax? The salt law has changed, and there are no major obstacles in the court. Isn't it too late to talk about this now?"

"not late."

Huai En seemed to still have a backup plan, "Hou Fang, you have to know that these salt permits are essentially no different from the previous salt permits. Selling salt permits alone can bring a large amount of income to the court in the short term, but in the long run it is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

"Merchants just buy salt permits from the capital for convenience so that they can go to the salt fields to guard the permits... But the problem is that they often cannot get the permits for several years, so who will exchange for new salt permits next?"

Qin Ji put forward his own opinion and asked: "Eunuch Huai, can we cancel the old salt vouchers? Or exchange more for less? Otherwise..."

“This won’t work!”

Huai En immediately rejected the solution proposed by Qin Ji, and then analyzed the strange situation before him, "Perhaps someone saw this drawback and thought that the new salt law of the Ming Dynasty would not last long, so they purchased salt permits in the short term.

"But most people should know that the old law will still prevail for quite a long time in the future. After all, the amount of salt produced by the salt field is extremely limited, so how can we make any changes? Maybe after all the changes, they will eventually revert to the old law, and then it will be a joke!"

Qin Ji nodded and said, "That's true. There are too many salt permits on the market right now. If more are printed, how can merchants continue to flock to buy them?
"It's time to remind His Majesty that everything should be done in moderation!"

(End of this chapter)