Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 21 Taihu Salt Gang
"Salt seller!"

"Do you need to bring so many swords, guns, bows and arrows to sell salt?"

"Ayu, you don't understand. We are in a private relationship and can't see the light of day."

Li Yu was greatly shocked. He did not expect that this popular disciple of the Eight Banners would also poach the court.

It was also an important source of Qing tax revenue, the salt tax.

Fucheng sighed and explained:

"Ayu, do you know how much money you can make from these three shipments of goods?"

"1 million taels?"

"The business of 1 taels is not worthy of my personal escort, at least 5 taels!"

"so much?"

"Salt itself is not valuable, it is the salt that is valuable."

Li Yu didn't know much about salt affairs, so he just listened to his explanation slowly.

"Those with a salt lead are official salt, and those without a salt lead are private salt. This salt lead is the salt selling license issued by the court."

"I don't understand. How could Yangzhou salt merchants participate in the private salt trade?"

"Hehe, because you can earn more this way."

It turns out that the Lianghuai Salt District does not include Huzhou Prefecture, and their salt must be distributed to local salt merchants when it enters Huzhou Prefecture.

This year, there is a backlog in the Lianghuai Salt Fields, and a lot of salt is unsalable.

If it were sold at a reduced price, the imperial court would be the first to refuse.

So, I came up with this unethical idea, turning official salt into private salt.

Let the Salt Gang take over and use their underground smuggling channels.

As for the salt merchants in Huzhou Prefecture being unlucky, that has nothing to do with the salt merchants in Yangzhou.

……

"Does Dad know that you are involved in this private salt business?"

"Of course he knows that the Yangzhou salt merchants have great hands and eyes, and this time he gave the order directly through the nobles in Beijing."

Fucheng looked helpless, feeling that there were mountains outside the mountains and people outside the people.

The nobleman in Beijing who can make Suzhou Weaving, which has the right to submit secret folding reports, be obedient must have a great background!
"Ayu, I can only tell you so much. I can't tell you anything else, otherwise it will hurt you."

"Our trip is just the beginning. From now on, there will be several ships of salt every month."

"And we don't get the lion's share of the profits."

Sailing in silence all the way.

Until the boat boss yelled: "There is an island ahead, be on guard."

There are more than [-] large and small islands in Taihu Lake, most of which have no permanent residents.

Only fishermen and water bandits come to the island to rest.

As for the small island seen earlier, there was faint smoke rising from it.

Fucheng grabbed the telescope:

"There is someone on the island, raising a flag."

A shirtless sailor climbed onto the mast with his bare feet and began to wave the flag.

The people on the island also reacted to the code.

……

Great blessing:

"They're from the Salt Gang."

"Every ship lowers its sails, and the sailors perform their duties and obey my orders."

Li Yu glanced around at the Cunjutang brothers he had brought with him, and reminded them with his eyes to listen to him.

A small sampan set off from the shore of the island and headed towards the big ship.

The speed of the sampan is very fast. Two people are rowing and one is standing, seeming to be the leader.

After a while, the sampan approached the ship.

Several people climbed onto the big boat and looked at it unscrupulously.

"Who is in charge? I am Taihu Jiao."

Fucheng took out a token from his arms and handed it over.

"Since it was introduced by Third Brother, I believe him."

"Don't talk nonsense, pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other hand."

Taihu Jiao is a bandit’s name. I don’t know his real name.

He has a dark appearance, cunning eyes, a bald head, bow-legged legs, and big feet. He looks like he has been living on the water for a long time.

Although the Salt Gang in the Qing Dynasty did not openly rebel.

But he has always been the image of a ruthless gangster that makes people laugh.

Many people died in their hands, including officers and soldiers who were engaged in anti-smuggling operations, businessmen, and fishermen.

They kill anyone who blocks their way to wealth.

A bit like the people selling addictive goods hundreds of years later.

However, in Jiangnan, the number of times the Yan Gang encountered encirclement and suppression by officers and soldiers was far less than that of the Tiandi Hui!
Because the Salt Gang has no political appeal, only the appeal of making money.

And Heaven and Earth will have clear political slogans to oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty.

In the eyes of the government, they are two completely different organizations.

……

Ten small sampans shuttle back and forth between the island and the big ship.Bags of salt were brought to the island.

Boxes of silver were sent on board.

Both sides are busy counting the numbers, and they have to leave manpower to guard against the other side.

But today they are evenly matched, and no one can take advantage of them in a fight.

If one side is weak and the other is strong, it's hard to say.

Li Yu opened a box at random and found that it was not neat official silver.

Instead, there were scattered pieces of silver, some even stained with blood.

Taihu Jiao tore the roasted chicken into pieces with one hand, and dipped his other hand in some coarse salt to add flavor.

His eyes kept looking at everyone on the boat.

"What is your origin?"

"People in the world don't have to know each other before, as long as they have money to make." Fucheng didn't want to reveal his identity.

"It's not like that. You guys don't have a charlatan attitude, but you do have a bit of an official attitude."

"If I were an official, would I still dare to do this kind of beheading business with you?"

"That's not necessarily the case. Today's officials don't dare to do anything as long as they have money."

Li Yu secretly laughed in his heart, this black guy is quite smart.

Taihu Jiaolong turned around as if he heard his thoughts.

After looking up and down at Li Yu and the guards around him, he asserted:
"These brothers are indeed people from the martial arts world, and they are extremely heroic."

"If you encounter trouble in Taihu Lake in the future, please mention my name so that it can be resolved."

……

Li Yuyi cupped his hand to express his gratitude.

The transaction went on for a long time, and the money and goods were cleared.

Taihu Jiao finally chewed up a whole roast chicken, even the broken bones.

He stretched himself, got off the boat and left.

Before leaving, he took another look at the musket held by the sailor on the ship, his eyes flashing.

After he watched the three large ships disappear from sight, he called over a young man.

"Go ashore tomorrow and find out more about these people."

"Brother suspects that they are swindlers?"

"It's not that, it just feels wrong. The ship is a grain ship of the Caobang, but the people are not of the Caobang."

"okay."

On the return voyage, everyone felt relaxed.

Fucheng changed his seriousness and announced a silver reward on the ship, giving each sailor 2 taels.

Li Yu, on the other hand, stared at the lake thoughtfully.

The vast lake is endless.

One Taihu Lake is equivalent to the area of ​​two or three counties.

The vast lake has a lot to offer!
He had silently decided to use Taihu Lake as his retreat in the future.

If the counter-intention is accidentally exposed, you can temporarily retreat to Taihu Lake.

However, the biggest problem is the lack of food.

Taihu cannot produce food. Once surrounded from all sides, the large army will not be able to hold out for long and will run out of food.

This trip gave Li Yu a lot of ideas.

Fighting is not a long-term solution.

He wanted to find a way to do big business.

It is best to sit back and collect money, and have a steady stream of income.

The crow heard this and shouted:

"Military advisor, isn't this kind of business you're talking about just like being an official? Isn't it that the yamen just block the road and set up a card, so you can just sit there and collect tax money every day?"

"is it?"

"Hmph, the annual customs duty at Hushu Pass is 50 taels of silver."

Li Yu was at a loss for words. Sure enough, the local gangs had no future.

If you want to do it, be the biggest and open the only incense hall in the Forbidden City.

……

"Military advisor, why don't you just spend money to buy an officer? Being a ninth-grade patrol officer is only five miles away." Du Ren suggested with a smile.

He is now Tangkou's full-time legal adviser, so naturally he considers everything for Tangkou.

"How much money will it cost?"

"It costs 2000 taels to donate to become a supervisor, and an additional 1000 taels to donate to become a ninth-grade inspection officer."

"Then you can take office?"

"No. According to the court's practice, donors must first be included in the waiting list. Even if they are lucky enough to enter the official selection process, they will not be awarded actual positions. Instead, they must be put on probation first, and they can only take up the official position after passing the test."

Li Yu was convinced, there were endless tricks.

You can obviously grab money, but you still want to send a substitute officer.

Buying an official position is too expensive, so it would be more cost-effective to wait until you start your own studies and get a scholar in the future!

(End of this chapter)