Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 54
Jingshan County, which came from Yundu County in the early Han Dynasty, was called "Jingshan" in the third year of Daye in the Sui Dynasty. It was named because of the source of the city.

Although Jingshan City is built with earthen walls, it is more than ten feet high. The bluestone brick roads in the city run through the four gates. The shops on the main street are quite prosperous, and the south of the city is even more lively.

"Don't squeeze, line up one by one!"

"Don't worry, we still have a lot of salt in our house?"

"Don't worry, as long as our store is still open, we will never raise prices indiscriminately!"

……

A salt shop in the south of the city was full of people who came to buy salt. Two waiters with smart looks were selling salt while shouting to the eager crowd.

Most of the people here are dressed in shabby clothes. Although they seem impatient, they line up neatly, looking eagerly at the white salt piled up in the shop.

In their eyes, the white salt at this moment is like gold that radiates golden light.

Salt, this is an embarrassing situation faced by many of them. Now that they have exchanged money for the autumn harvest, they all want to buy salt so that they can live a stable life.

After an old man bought salt, he was very excited and said: "Anluzhou City costs 250 Wen for a catty of salt, but the price of salt in Jingshan County is only [-] Wen per catty today. You are like a living Bodhisattva!"

"Naturally, our shopkeeper has a kind heart. Even if he earns little, he still wants to let everyone eat cheap salt!" Xiaoer, who was working, looked at the people queuing up and asked for his shopkeeper's name.

Shopkeeper Zhao, who was lying on a bamboo chair and drinking tea leisurely, couldn't help stretching out his hand and pinching his mustache, looking very proud of himself.

The two waiters in the shop worked very neatly. After putting the salt into the cloth bag, they tied a beautiful knot specially so that customers would not be prone to spilling salt.

Today's salt is comparable to gold.

Although Jingshan County is located in a remote area of ​​Huguang, it is only because the price of salt here is lower than that of surrounding areas that it attracts many people from other counties to buy salt, which also helps increase the popularity of the entire Jingshan City.

Li Si saw an old man in common clothes with an extraordinary bearing coming to buy salt in front of him, and he greeted him very enthusiastically: "My lord, how many catties of salt do you want?"

"Do you still remember this person, did he ever come to you to buy salt?" The old man in common clothes was tall and handsome, and he took out a portrait from his arms and asked.

Li Si looked at the person in the portrait, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement and said: "It's strange, although you use very little ink, you can draw more vividly than the painters in the government! The villain remembers this old man. He came to us a few days ago. I bought salt from a store, and I wanted to buy a catty with 240 Wen at that time!"

"Did you sell it to him?" The old man in civilian clothes took back the portrait calmly and asked solemnly.

Li Si turned his head and glanced at the shopkeeper with a guilty conscience, then nodded solemnly and said, "Hey, the shopkeeper is kind, let me sell it to him!"

"My lord, are you here to buy salt? If you don't buy it, please leave. Don't block the people behind!" The shopkeeper who was drinking tea noticed this, and Dang even said with a serious face.

Now the price of salt he sells is low, not to mention the entire Jingshan County, even the entire Anlu Prefecture has no rivals, so there is no need to worry about not being able to sell the salt in his hand, so he doesn't need to look good to this old man in civilian clothes.

"Buy!" The commoner old man took out his silver and said happily.

Li Si thought he had met a wealthy customer, but when he saw that only 250 Wen was handed over, he couldn't help showing a wry smile, so he put away the money and began to weigh the salt.

The time has come to October, although there is a scorching sun overhead, the temperature is still very low.

"Grandpa, should we go to meet the county magistrate of Jingshan now?" Wang Yu saw his grandfather walking over with salt, so he greeted him from the teahouse.

Hu Jun was also here, looking worried.

Wang Yue handed over the salt he had just bought to Hu Jun who came with him for safekeeping, looked up at the county government in front and said, "Let's not disturb Xiaozhi County, let's visit Hu Daniu in the prison!"

A group of people came to the Jingshan County Yamen, Wang Yu stuffed a few copper coins for the Yamen servants, and then entered the county prison smoothly to see Hu Daniu who was locked in the cell.

At this time, Hu Daniu is no longer the number one rice harvester in the ten miles and eight towns. The wound on his forehead has not healed yet, and he looks sickly. It seems that he has suffered a lot these days.

"Grandpa!" Hu Jun burst into tears when he saw Hu Daniu's appearance.

When Hu Daniu saw Hu Jun, he was also in tears, but when he saw Wang Yue who came, he was ashamed and said: "How can the old man, He De, bother the prince so far, but the prince doesn't need to worry about the old man. This time, the old man is his own fault!"

An honest villager in Anlu Prefecture would not come to Jingshan County, but this matter has to start with the price of salt.

When the salt price in Anlu Prefecture was still high, the salt price in Jingshan County was only 250 Wen, which was a full 150 Wen less.

Hu Daniu and the villagers are all people who have suffered. After harvesting the rice and exchanging some money, several people came to Jingshan County to buy salt together.

Although they could only eat dry food to satisfy their hunger, drank dirty water on the side of the road when they were thirsty, and even had to sleep in the wild, the group finally arrived at Jingshan County after two days of trekking.

After Hu Daniu bought the salt, he went to the nearby teahouse to ask for a bowl of rough tea, and was about to drink the tea before embarking on his return journey.

Just while drinking tea, the bag of salt he had just put on the table disappeared, and there was only a scholar who was about to leave with a bag of salt around him.

Sitting in the cell, Hu Daniu looked full of regret and said: "The old man was deceived by pork at the time, he only thought that the scholar took the old man's salt, but he didn't listen to the other party's explanation, and he was so angry that he hurt someone on the spot! If you were calmer at the time, you knew it was a misunderstanding, how could this scholar steal the old man's salt?"

Wang Yu learned the ins and outs of the matter, and found that the matter was very difficult, so he couldn't help turning his head to look at his very smart grandfather.

Wang Yue didn't say much, after he came out of the county prison, he met the county magistrate of Jingshan.

The magistrate of Jingshan County is called Xiao Zhang. He has been a Jinshi for 20 years in Chenghua. He was the magistrate of Jingshan County for the first time.

"Uncle Nian, I have just verified this case. The scholar is Liu Jiamo, a Tongsheng from this county. He bought salt at a salt shop that day, and then went to a nearby teahouse to drink tea. There are witnesses to this matter. He was about to leave that day. At the teahouse, Hu Daniu blatantly snatched the salt, and was even beaten by Hu Daniu. The county did not expect this foreigner to be so reckless, and he will be severely punished tomorrow!" When Xiao Zhixian saw Wang Yue , is to tell the ins and outs of the matter.

The relationship network in the officialdom is far beyond imagination, and you can "get relatives and friends" at every turn.

Wang Yue is a Jinshi of Jingtai for five years, and Xiao Zhixian is a Jinshi of Chenghua for 20 years. It seems that the two have no intersection, but Peng Hua, the chief examiner who presides over the 20-year examination of Chenghua, is the first in Jingtai's five-year examination. .

Even though Peng Hua was also inextricably linked with other senior court officials, his elder brother Peng Shi was the No.

No matter how hard the civil official group fights, there are blood lines such as "teachers and students, fellow villagers, and the same year", and it is always an inseparable whole.

Wang Yue took a sip of tea and asked quickly, "I don't understand one thing. Why is the salt here so much cheaper than in Anlu Prefecture?"

"Uncle Nian, do you know who Anlu Zhizhou belongs to?" Zhixian Xiao didn't answer this question directly, but asked very seriously.

Although Wang Yue disdained to join forces, he also knew that there were many factions in the officialdom, and Wan An's rise to power also arranged a large number of party members to rule the place.

Facing this question, he also nodded with enlightenment and said: "Wan Zhizhou is the nephew of the Wan'an clan, the chief assistant of the current dynasty, so he is naturally a member of Wan'an."

"Wan'an only knows how to flatter and flatter his superiors. He is in a high position and does not plan for things. He is even more greedy for his subordinates. Every year, he gets a lot of people's fat and anointment through the people below. Wan Zhizhou took office and received benefits from the salt merchants. Therefore, Let the salt merchants sit on the ground and raise the price. It’s not my Jingshan salt that is cheap, but Anlu Prefecture’s salt is expensive, and this county is just doing its part!” Xiao Zhixian criticized Wanzhi Zhoudao.

Wang Yue knew that the reputation of Wanzhi Prefecture was really bad, so he held a teacup and said straight to the point: "Don't hide it from Zhixian County! Hu Daniu has a little friendship with the old man. It's too early to say that he robs salt and hurts others. How can you judge this matter?" Isn't it Liu Jiamo's false accusation?"

"Your Majesty, stay safe!"

Just at this time, an old man in fine clothes came in from the outside and greeted Wang Yue proactively.

(End of this chapter)