The Prodigal Son

Under Lü Si's torture, Wang Zhaojie finally confessed everything.

According to Wang Zhaojie's confession, all the important officials in Linhai County were wiped out.

None of the prefectural magistrate, prefectural commandant, or registrar had clean hands.

It's true that Wang Zhaojie illegally opened salt fields, but others also had their own ways of making money.

Some people condoned fishermen's illegal salt production, buying up the good salt at low prices and then reselling it to salt merchants' middlemen.

They wouldn't let go of the inferior salt either, confiscating it directly in the name of the government, and then selling it at extremely low prices to those in need to feed livestock, or making salt bricks to resell to those with connections.

Those fishermen were making salt privately, and the government not only didn't arrest them, but also bought up the good salt they had, so they naturally didn't dare to complain.

Some people colluded with salt officials at the official salt fields to exploit salt farmers using the size of the scales.

Ten pounds of salt weighed only nine pounds on their scale.

Although they only eat one jin out of ten jin, the official salt fields in Linhai County alone produce more than 600,000 shi of salt a year.

This doesn't even include the large and small salt fields in the three counties below.

When you add up the total, it becomes quite a lot.

A small portion of the salt that was confiscated was sold by their men to restaurants and eateries.

However, the vast majority of them ended up in the hands of salt merchants through clandestine channels.

Meanwhile, salt merchants could openly pass off smuggled salt as official salt and reap huge profits.

People like the Commandant of Linhai County also received a lot of benefits from salt merchants and smugglers, and provided them with a lot of convenience.

Wang Zhaojie was well aware of what these people were doing, but since he himself was operating a private saltworks, he couldn't do anything to them. He could only occasionally give them a warning, telling them not to be too obvious and to keep a low profile when necessary.

And all of this was known only to Wang Zhaojie!

But even a fool could tell that few of the lower-ranking officials below him were clean.

The entire Linhai County was practically rotten from top to bottom.

Cats have their ways, and dogs have theirs!

Anyone with even a little bit of power is trying to pluck feathers from this golden rooster.

In fact, when Wang Zhaojie first took office in Linhai, he also wanted to be a good official.

However, Linhai is such a good place to make money!

In the end, he couldn't resist the temptation of money.

At first, he only accepted some money and turned a blind eye to some things.

But as he remained in office longer, his audacity and appetite grew.

Moreover, he also needs to grease palms with those above him.

So, at the beginning of last year, he started developing salt fields in Dongpu, and by mid-June, salt production had begun there.

After honestly explaining his situation, Wang Zhaojie said earnestly, "Your Excellency, Lord Lü, I can tell you with certainty that this is the case not only in my Linhai County, but in almost every salt-producing county!"

"The salt-producing areas of Hai and Yuan prefectures have vast tracts of saline-alkali land that are completely unsuitable for cultivation. Even in areas where cultivation is possible, they are frequently hit by various storms, and every year many farmers watch helplessly as their crops, which are almost ready for harvest, are destroyed by storms!"

"Have you ever considered how many people would starve to death every year if it weren't for the smuggled salt trade? How much money and grain would the imperial court have to spend on disaster relief?"

"Those who live near mountains live off the mountains; those who live near water live off the water! This has always been true!"

"Go out and ask around among the soldiers in these salt-producing areas. How many of them dare to say that no one in their family has any connection with smuggled salt?"

"In the salt-producing counties and surrounding areas, at least 70% of the salt consumed and used by the people is contraband!"

"According to the imperial laws, at least half the people in these areas should be killed!"

"I am indeed guilty, but at least I did not cause chaos in Linhai, nor did I allow large numbers of Linhai people to starve to death!"

"We officials are only after money, but the imperial court not only wants money, it also wants stability..."

Wang Zhaojie directly confronted Qin and Lü Si.

When his scheme was exposed, the imperial court wanted to behead him, and he had nothing to say.

But the imperial court can't just behead him!

As long as the imperial court is not afraid of trouble, it should punish all those who buy and sell smuggled salt in accordance with the imperial laws!

Those who deserve caning should be caned, those who deserve imprisonment should be imprisoned, and those who deserve execution should be executed!

He wanted to see just how fast and ruthless the imperial court's blade could be!

Hearing Wang Zhaojie's words, Lü Si looked at Qin Yu in astonishment, "If what he said is true, the situation here is even more serious than we imagined!"

"That's because you two have grown up in luxury and know nothing of the hardships of ordinary people."

Wang Zhaojie picked up the thread, "If it weren't for these smuggled salts, how many people in Da Ning do you think would be able to afford salt?"

"Do you know that even the worst government-supplied salt costs eight copper coins per pound, and slightly better quality salt costs twelve copper coins!"

"This is just the price of salt in Haizhou and Yuanzhou; in other places, the price will only be higher!"

"An ordinary family of six would consume about 100 catties of salt a year, which is equivalent to about one tael of silver."

"And they buy smuggled salt; this hundred catties of salt costs only three qian (a unit of weight) or even less!"

"For you, the little bit of money you save wouldn't even bother picking it up if it fell on the ground!"

"But for ordinary people, the little bit of silver they save can buy two hundred catties of food to survive, or a new set of clothes for their whole family!"

"They survive on the little money they save each year..."

Wang Zhaojie spoke with "deep sorrow and indignation," to the point that Qin Yu and Lü Si both had a misconception.

This Wang Zhaojie seems to have suddenly transformed into a good official who deeply understands the suffering of the people.

After regaining his senses, Lü Si scoffed, "You're kidding me! How could a family of six consume a hundred catties of salt? Who eats salt like it's food?"

"I believe that."

Qin Yu nodded and said, "We eat plenty of meat and fish, but the common people's meals are mostly pickled vegetables!"

"It seems that Lord Qin himself is aware of this."

Wang Zhaojie smiled wryly, "Actually, the imperial court should be aware of these things! That's why the court hasn't made much effort to rectify the salt administration all these years!"

Why has the illegal salt trade persisted throughout history despite repeated bans? It wasn't that it couldn't be banned, but rather that no one dared to truly ban it!

"You may think you are loyal ministers, but in the eyes of the people, you are nothing more than corrupt officials who have cut off their livelihoods!"

"And we corrupt officials, in the eyes of the people, may not be benevolent officials, but at least we're not corrupt officials!"

Hearing Wang Zhaojie's words, Lü Si was somewhat bewildered.

At that moment, he couldn't tell who was good and who was bad.

Qin Yu slightly raised his eyes, looking calmly at Wang Zhaojie, "Have you finished speaking?"

"I have finished speaking."

Wang Zhaojie unconsciously straightened his back.

"I'm not afraid to tell you the truth: my mission to rectify the salt administration is not to completely eradicate smuggled salt, nor do I have the ability to do so!"

Qin Yu stared intently at Wang Zhaojie with piercing eyes. "This time, I'm here to expose you corrupt officials and merchants!"

"You keep talking about the suffering of the people, but behind their backs you're always finding ways to make money!"

"What's the difference between this and spouting platitudes about morality while secretly engaging in immoral and immoral acts?"

"Silver doesn't just appear out of thin air. The silver you acquire should either go into the imperial court's coffers or into the people's pockets!"

"You have failed both the imperial court and the people under your rule!"

"What gives you the audacity to discuss the suffering of the common people with me?"

Wang Zhaojie opened his mouth slightly, grunted for a long time, but couldn't say anything.

His back, which had just straightened, slowly bent down again...