A bushel of salt costs ten copper coins. The local people probably don't even earn thirty copper coins a month, so this salt smuggling business is making a killing!
If I provided the method for producing refined salt, and refined the salt we have now, so that every household could buy refined salt for a small amount of money, wouldn't that be a good deed?
[The host has this ability?]
I've seen videos of this before and remember a few things. I'll study it myself later, write a memorial to the throne, and maybe I can produce refined salt so that everyone can buy it for just one coin.
[Host is really amazing...]
That's definitely impressive.
After the waiter chased the people away, he went back inside. Ji Yingying, however, became interested and went in to ask, "Who is your boss?"
"What do you want with our boss?" the waiter asked politely.
"Of course, I'd like to ask about the salt."
As soon as Ji Yingying spoke, the waiter immediately became alert, and even considered kicking her out.
[What's going on with this guy? Oh, so he's involved in smuggling salt. No, this salt dealer doesn't have a salt permit. Apparently, someone in his family is an official in Jiangnan. He obtained this salt through some means and started selling it. At first, he sold it cheaply, and everyone liked to buy from him. Later, he gradually raised the price and even monopolized the salt in this area.]
This is a monopolistic and illegal case! Aren't they afraid of getting arrested?!
[Host, although Xiangxiang's coverage area isn't that wide, we've found that this situation has occurred on two nearby streets. If this continues, it could cause public outrage.]
Ji Yingying wasn't initially that shocked, but by the end, her eyes widened in disbelief.
Good heavens, these people are really reckless! Several people have died for this salt road. Two of the shop owners have died, and another one was killed by the waiter.
[Robbery! No way! I'm going to write a memorial to that scoundrel Emperor! This is the capital! And there's murder and hiding a body! Robbery! Tsk tsk... The Emperor is no good!]
"Our owner isn't here, please leave, sir." After saying that, he went straight to attend to his own business, not wanting to pay any attention to Ji Yingying at all.
Ji Yingying frowned: [His attitude was indeed bad. No wonder he's been making a living off of others' blood; it's probably bad for his stomach.]
Turning to Ning Qingran, Ji Yingying said, "Your Highness, look how ugly this shop assistant is. He looks like he could kill someone."
Ji Yingying had just said it casually, after all, she couldn't just arrest someone without evidence. But the next second, Ning Qingran gave her a surprise.
Two people appeared out of nowhere and detained the waiter. Despite the waiter's cursing and begging for mercy, Ji Yingying remained unmoved.
[Haha, the Crown Prince actually believes me! I didn't even believe my own boasting, yet the Crown Prince does.] Ji Yingying laughed smugly to herself.
"Ahem~ What's wrong?" Ning Qingran coughed lightly, pretending to ask, thankfully no one nearby could hear her thoughts.
However, this salt route must be investigated thoroughly. Ning Qingran is very interested in the salt production process in Ji Yingying's hands.
"It's okay, let's go eat!"
No sooner had they left than someone entered the shop and captured the others, along with two large fish.
Upon hearing this news, the Emperor was furious and slammed down two stacks of memorials. After calming down, he asked, "You said you heard Minister Ji say that she has a method for making salt that can provide salt for all the people."
"Yes, Lord Ji is unusually calm in this matter, unlike his usual carefree self."
"Then I await Minister Ji's memorial." Whether it is official salt or smuggled salt, salt is truly of paramount importance to a country.
Normally, the government would suppress salt merchants who sold their salt at higher prices, but there was never a market monopoly where even government salt couldn't be sold.
In one afternoon, three high-ranking officials were arrested. At the same time, the emperor wanted Ji Yingying to enter the palace so that he could see which official could be sent to Jiangnan to investigate the case.
However, it was already late, and the emperor had no choice but to give up.
After Ji Yingying and the Crown Prince had eaten and drunk their fill, she was sent home.
"Can't ordinary people hear what Minister Ji is thinking?"
The guard beside him immediately shook his head: "Sir, I can't hear it either, but I could hear some yesterday."
"Okay, I understand!"
The guard didn't know.
The next morning at court, Ji Yingying was dozing off when a sudden loud noise startled her.
[My goodness! These men have such bad tempers! The noise they're making woken me up from my nap.]
Upon hearing this, the Emperor couldn't help but scoff inwardly: He must have fallen on purpose, otherwise how could he have woken up?
All the ministers lowered their heads, not daring to speak, praying in their hearts that Ji Yingying would quickly produce the salt-making equipment, otherwise the court would be in trouble.
"What happened?" Ji Yingying asked the person in front of her in a low voice.
The man didn't dare to move, swatting her hand away and saying disdainfully, "It's all about the Jiangnan salt permit."
"ah?"
Her voice was rather loud, which gave the Emperor the opportunity to call the person out directly.
"Ji Yingying, come out here!"
[You dog emperor, what's with your temper? You don't even call me "Minister Ji" anymore. Humph, who'll want to be friends with you now?]
The Emperor sighed, "He didn't want to either, but how could he not be angry when he thought that even a waiter from such a small shop would dare to kill someone?"
"Your subject is here!" Ji Yingying replied respectfully, but inwardly she was already cursing her father.
"Tell me, what's the solution to this salt problem?"
"Huh?" Ji Yingying was bewildered: [I was just thinking about a salt-making method yesterday, and you're calling me today? Heh, I haven't even thought of anything yet.]
The emperor was powerless and helpless. Everyone else was eager to get things done, but this little princess seemed to have nothing to do with the affairs of the world. She didn't even know which family she was raised in her previous life. So... she just gave up!
"Speak up!" an adult nearby urged.
"What did I say? I haven't thought of anything yet."
[Wait for me, I want to eat some of the salted melon, will Xiangxiang get some too?]
[You can only get the gossip from Beijing; you can't get it outside of that area. This is only possible because I've been eating a lot of gossip lately.]
[Okay, let me see... Oh ho, ten people died or were injured, all over salt. The troublemakers include Pang Jin, Li Chao, Bao Junba, Xi Yuanwu, and others. These people all have lives on their hands, all killed in an attempt to seize government salt. They're not afraid of making things worse.]
[No way, a prince is pulling strings in there? Is this some kind of coup? Seizing the salt permits, deceiving everyone, then forcing the emperor to abdicate, killing the crown prince... If the third and second princes are gone, the emperor and crown prince still have to die. Will Xiangxiang be able to see how they die? Will the crown princess and empress survive? They're such good people!]
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