I studied in modern times

Chapter 581 Grandpa, the God of Wealth, descends to earth

Zhao Xu opened his eyes and saw Wen Xunniang serving him with a towel in front of the couch.

"The officials are awake?" Wen Xunniang's eyes lit up immediately when she saw Zhao Xu woke up.

What happened today had a huge impact on a little girl like Wen Xunniang.

The emperor was sad, cried and blamed himself for the people affected by the disaster.

This kind of thing that only appears in legends and novels happened in reality.

As a result, Wen Xunniang only had admiration and admiration in her heart.

Zhao Xu met Wen Xunniang's eyes calmly and nodded: "Yes."

"Where are the mother-in-law and the queen mother?" he asked.

"Talk to the prime ministers and elders in the palace." Wen Xunniang lowered her head: "I will go and inform the two empresses now."

Take the canal, for example.

There was Cai Bian, deputy envoy of the Sixth Route to the Huaihe River, Du Dajiang, who also had the power to dispatch Zhao Xun, deputy envoy of the Huainan Road, and Song Yongchen, the Huainan disaster relief ambassador of the capital.

But there are two to three hundred thousand canal workers lying on it.

There are also magistrates and general magistrates from various states on Huainan Road, as well as people sent from the imperial palace and placed in local areas to handle official affairs.

As a result, the water level in the canal dropped, making it difficult for ships to sail.

Then why, Cai Bian didn’t speak out?

During severe droughts, Huainan locals can be allowed to draw water from the Grand Canal to irrigate farmland.

In short, reports from all parties are included, allowing everyone to get a glimpse of the impact of the Huainan drought from different perspectives and at different points in time.

Wen Yanbo knew the officialdom of the Song Dynasty very well.

The prime ministers and elders were sitting on chairs, passing memorials to each other.

This allowed the ministers to get a glimpse of the palace's attitude towards all parties in Huainan through these things.

It may be a bit excessive to provide food and clothing for millions of water workers.

In this letter, which was only sent to Funing Hall, Song Yongchen reported that there was a severe drought in Sizhou and other places on Huainan Road, and there was no water for crops. Although more than a hundred wells had been drilled, it was only a drop in the bucket and it was of no avail. He requested Official imperial judge.

In modern times, the best actors are always in politics.

Even Zhao Xu had to hold back a little.

……

However, on this seal, the officials of the current dynasty personally wrote: "The people only care about the foundation of the country, and the foundation is solid and peaceful. How can I harm our people because of money and silk? I have ordered Song Dynasty to use ministers." Waterwheels were set up on both sides of the Sishui River, Bianhe River and canal to divert water to irrigate the fields to benefit our people.

Although I dare not say it, I am on par with Chief Ma, but I can already do it, throw away my own integrity anytime and anywhere, and talk about the country, the people, and history.

"The officials are truly benevolent and saintly!"

This is probably the first case since the opening of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty.

Wen Yanbo looked thoughtfully at the sealed letter from Song Yongchen in June that he held in his hand.

Now, in this era, it is of course beneficial.

Zhao Xu has also witnessed the acting skills of countless outstanding actors in modern times.

Water transportation is their only goal, and people from top to bottom also rely on the Grand Canal to make a living.

Therefore, he just brewed his emotions for a little while, making his eyes slightly red.

The local prefectures and counties along the way naturally have responsibilities, and the transshipment envoy of this road also has the authority and responsibility, and there is also a Dajiang-Huai Sixth Route Shipping Envoy who specializes in water transportation.

In the palace.

At the same time, the instructions from the emperor or the two palaces are also on it.

Obviously, Song Yongchen's subtext was to request water from the Grand Canal to irrigate farmland.

The time span is from March of this year to now.

Zhao Xu groaned, still lying on the bed, and emotions slowly began to brew again in his heart.

And he has been dealing with the system for a long time, and under the influence of his ears and eyes, his acting skills are also growing rapidly.

Lest you put yourself up on a pedestal and end up unable to get off the stage.

Judging from Wen Yanbo's decades of official experience, officials of all dynasties would rather have no grass growing in Huainan, but also ensure the transportation of grain to Bianjing.

Jianghuai Sixth Shipping Company just watched?

And it's not Bian Jing's reaction.

This made Wen Yanbo look at him and fall into silence for a long time.

This yamen only cares about water transportation and does not care about anything else.

For its own benefit, this yamen dares to talk back even to the capital.

Under the system of folding roofs and beds in the Song Dynasty, several yamen were likely to have the authority to take charge of a single matter.

In the Song Dynasty, this was absolutely politically incorrect.

Mute?
Isn't he afraid that his water transport quantity will be affected?
Even if Cai Bian himself becomes mute, the Caosi officials below him will not be mute, right?
what's the situation?
Why doesn't anyone object?

Unbelievable!

Just as Wen Yanbo was surprised, Feng Jing, who was sitting next to him, quietly sent two official seals to him and whispered: "Grand Master, please take a look at these two official seals."

Wen Yanbo took it and looked at it before his eyes, and his scalp suddenly went numb.

The first letter was a secret report from Chen Mu, the transfer envoy of the two Zhejiang roads and the acquaintance of Mingzhou.

It was mid-June, and Chen Mu said in a secret report that he had received the decree, and in accordance with the imperial edict, he had comforted the bandits in Mingzhou. Thousands of them had been recruited and more than 3,000 people who were good at sailing were organized into an army. His Majesty bestowed upon the army such a name, and at the same time, Chen Mu also said that a reward was being offered to the warriors who were willing to transport grain north along the coastal road, and the ship would be launched in the near future.

It is estimated that each ship with thousands of materials can transport several hundred dan.

It is expected that by the end of June, 200 canal ships will be dispatched from Mingzhou to transport tens of thousands of grain grains to Haizhou and Mizhou ports.

The second letter was from Kumamoto, the transfer envoy of Jingdong Metro Station, in mid-July.

Kumamoto reported that ships from Mingzhou docked in Haizhou and Mizhou and had received tens of thousands of grains.

At the same time, Kumamoto also said that in June, according to the imperial decree, Changping grain from the Jingdong Capital Road was transported northward from Xuzhou along the Bianhe River to Bianjing.

Today, the total number has reached 300,000 stones.

Therefore, the Kumamoto beggars urged Mingzhou to transport the grain to Haizhou and Mizhou as soon as possible by sea.

So that he could return the grain that he had previously transferred from the Changping warehouse in Jingdong Road.

Wen Yanbo was really dumbfounded when he saw this.

Chen Mu from Mingzhou traveled by sea from Liangzhe Road in the grain-producing areas, skipped the Huainan Road Canal, and was sent directly to Haizhou and Mizhou.

Kumamoto of Jingdong Road transported the grain from Jingdong Road from Xuzhou to Bianjing.

In other words, these are Liangzhe Road and Jingdong Road, completing the alliance.

They got rid of the Sixth Shipping Department of Dajiang-Huaihe River and completed the transportation of grain by sea.

No wonder, even though there was a severe drought on Huainan Road in June, there were some places where watercraft could no longer move at all.

But there are water boats coming into Bianjing every day.

These water boats are not from Jiangsu and Zhejiang at all, but from Xuzhou on Jingdong Road.

What's even worse is...

Wen Yanbo could easily think of a question.

Since ships from Mingzhou can transport to Haizhou and Mizhou.

Can it be transported to Binzhou and Cangzhou in Hebei?

It must be possible, right?
It’s nothing more than taking an extra sea route!
In this way, Hebei's military rations are guaranteed!

Thinking this, Wen Yanbo looked at Feng Jing. He still doesn't know what's going on with the Du Dajiang-Huaihe Sixth Shipping Envoy?

Why are they mute?

Could it be that, overnight, they all became righteous men who were loyal to the country and could endure for the country?
How can it be!

Relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to draft water.

Even in Bianjing City, under the emperor's feet, there is a saying that the three classes are popular and the herds eat dung.

The situation in Caosi, far away in Jianghuai, is far worse than in the capital!

Wen Yanbo had heard that a small official in charge of the water gate could make thousands of dollars in profit in a year.

On Zhejiang Road and Jingdong Road, they almost waved their hoe to the corner of the house and followed them.

Can Caosi still be as quiet as a chicken?

This is not normal, so abnormal!

Wen Yanbo was thinking hard, wondering what the Jianghuai Sixth Route Shipping Department was doing.

Han Jiang, who was sitting in front of him, seemed to have heard the discussion between Wen Yanbo and Feng Jing.

He turned his head and whispered: "Master, I wonder if you have paid attention to the recent prices in Bianjing."

"Ok?"

"The price of beans in Bianjing has risen sharply recently. Although the price of salt has not changed much, the quality of the salt bought by people is getting better and better..."

"If Grand Master is free, go to the market and take a look. Coarse salt and bad salt are becoming less and less, while white salt and good salt are becoming more and more abundant."

Wen Yanbo was confused and looked at Han Jiang.

Han Jiang whispered: "Bianjing Xinbao has been publishing several articles by Shen Cunzhong on the investigation of things and knowledge since June."

"In these articles, Shen Cunzhong said that he had developed a truth through the investigation of objects."

Wen Yanbo thought about it, and he had some impressions, so he asked: "How to use soy milk and coarse salt to precipitate the refined salt?"

Han Jiang nodded and said: "This is exactly the method."

"Today, this method has spread throughout Kaifeng Prefecture, and is even well-known in Henan, western Jingdong, and eastern Jingdong."

"Because of this method, Bianjing's charcoal consumption continued to increase after June."

"Nowadays, people all over the world are using soy milk and adding coarse salt to make refined salt."

When Han Jiang said this, he stopped talking.

Wen Yanbo listened and murmured to himself: "June Jiachen?"

Isn't this the day when today, when the Silkworm and Salt Law is to be reinstated, Mingdutang discusses and drafts regulations?

At this time, Bianjing Xinbao published articles about Shen Kuo's knowledge of things for several days. It happened that Shen Kuo came up with a method of using soy milk to marinate the coarse salt into refined salt.

And what is the most suitable and appropriate thing to use this method on?
Obviously, it must be sea salt with more impurities and lower price!
The loop is closed!
Wen Yanbo then thought of another thing.

He seems to have probably seen the Dengzhou dried fish that Bianjing Newspaper keeps reporting on.

Out of curiosity, he ordered his family to buy it and ate it several times.

Nowadays, I have become obsessed with dried fish, especially the so-called 'isinglass' made from the swim bladders of sea fish in Dengzhou after being dried in the sun.

The soft texture and easy digestion made him fall in love with it as soon as he ate it.

Nowadays, every night, I have to eat a cup of cooked fish maw porridge.

So, what does Han Jiang mean?

Sea salt, dried fish, Dajianghuai Sixth Road Shipping Department, silkworm salt method...

These clues are strung together.

Wen Yanbo's eyes suddenly widened and he looked at Han Jiang.

"Zuo Kui, how much does a pound of ordinary dried fish cost on the market today? What's the price of salt?" Wen Yanbo asked in a low voice.

Han Jiang smoothed his beard, squinted his eyes and said, "My servant told me yesterday that the ordinary dried fish he saw in the market cost about sixty yuan a pound for small ones, and seventy yuan for larger ones. The cheapest dried fish only costs more than 30 yuan per kilogram! He said that the people in Bianjing now like to make porridge with dried fish. "

"For such a family of four, the cost of food for one day is only thirty or fifty yuan!"

"It not only fills the stomach, but also resists hunger. It is loved by young people in Beijing."

"As for the price of salt, coarse salt and low-quality salt are rarely found today, and most of the salt on the market is refined salt."

"He said that now all the livestock in Beijing can eat salt brine."

Wen Yanbo listened and swallowed.

He finally understood why the people in the Jianghuai Sixth Shipping Department were as quiet as chickens!
It turns out that these guys are poaching the government officials!

Everyone is probably busy selling dried fish and sea salt!
Think about it, compared to the hard work of guarding water transportation, the small profits earned by entraining, extorting bribes, and blackmailing merchants.

Is it comfortable to sell dried fish and sea salt there?
How much sea salt and dried fish can they bring into Beijing once a canal ship departs from Xuzhou?
In particular, the imperial court has now begun to restore the silkworm salt method in Gyeonggi and Western Gyeongsang.

As long as they can deal with the local officials and the supervisors sent by the royal family, they can make those who turn a blind eye.

Then the only opponents they have to face are private salt dealers.

Private salt dealers, they can beat the organized Caosi! ?
So, all questions have answers.

How can Caosi now start a lawsuit with Jingdong Road and Liangzhe Road?
I am now Party A!

It’s too late to curry favor!

And why was Caosi as quiet as a chicken during the whole process?
Because what they are doing cannot be high-profile, lest people become jealous and attract the iron fist of the imperial court.

then……

Wen Yanbo couldn't help but ask himself a question. He murmured in a low voice: "Does the emperor know?"

Caosi is poaching him!

The proportion of salt income in the annual income of the Song Dynasty was very high!
What Wen Yanbo remembered was that just one year old Jie Yan could provide the court with an income of more than three million guan.

It is Haiyan that was not taken seriously in the past. When Wu Juhou was the transfer envoy of Jingdong Road, he worked on salt on Jingdong Road and contributed millions of dollars in one year.

After the current official came to the throne, he set things right and deposed Yanyan, Gaotie and Baoma on Jingdong Road.

For the Zhao officials, this was already a massive hemorrhage.

Now, Haiyan is directly flowing into markets such as Kaifengfu and Jingxi Road.

In Wen Yanbo's understanding, this was like holding a knife and cutting off his own aorta to bleed out.

Normally speaking, if the sea salt and soy milk brine method is fully promoted, it will occupy the entire salt market in Kaifeng Prefecture, Jingxi, Jingdong, Henan and other places.

Then, the imperial court's annual loss in salt lessons would be more than three million guan.

It is equivalent to directly giving away an annual income of salt to the people of the world.

No wonder the people in the Dajianghuai Sixth Route Shipping Department are so quiet.

No wonder Liangzhe Road and Jingdong Road are so cooperative.

To these people, what kind of holy master is this in today’s official family?
It’s obviously Grandpa, the God of Wealth, who has descended to earth!
Wen Yanbo felt that if he were from Jingdong Road and Liangzhe Road, he would have to build a golden body for the current official family and pay homage sooner or later.

only……

Is this something done by the Zhao Guan family?
Wen Yanbo didn't understand.

Also, if there is such a huge lack of income from salt classes, where will the court go to make up for it?

Wen Yanbo frowned even more when he thought of this.

Because his decades of experience as an official told him that this matter was not that simple.

And judging from his understanding of the Zhao officials, he made them take the initiative to give up such a big piece of fat.

It can only be that they have something more delicious and easier to eat.

(End of this chapter)