Chapter 3140 Selling Salt
Zhou Silang went back and asked people to pack up their things. They arrived at the dock at the appointed time the next day, and coolies came forward to work for them.
Zhou Silang selected a few people to help carry the things.
Because it was his first time going out to sea, Zhou Silang didn't bring much stuff with him, but he took everyone with him. Unlike other caravans, they would leave some of their men behind and only take a few on board after arriving here.
Sanzhu and the others were also very nervous. After they had carried all the things up and handed the carriage to Liu Gui to take back, they whispered, "Fourth... Fourth Uncle, are we all going?"
Zhou Silang: "You don't want to go?"
"No, I see that other caravans have fewer people. We have so many people. They look fierce and like they are ready to fight."
Zhou Silang glanced at him and said, "Isn't this great? We look like we're not easy to bully, and it just so happens that no one dares to bully us."
When the people on the boat saw that there were so many people carrying such a small amount of cargo, they guessed that it was their first time to go out to sea. After a closer look, they found that they really didn't know anything. The one in the lead was even looking for the cabin with a booklet. They couldn't help laughing. It was really their first time to go out to sea.
Zhou Silang was not intimidated, however. He took out the notes he had written down on the ship and looked at them before saying, "First, find a boatman and ask him where our cabin is."
Zhou Silang was right. Although there were many of them and they looked like they were going out to sea for the first time, no one dared to bully them because of their numbers.
He entered his cabin, poured a cup of tea for Uncle Shi, and said, "If we are few in number, people won't be able to tell that this is our first time out to sea. So we still need a lot of people."
Uncle Shi drank it in one gulp and said, "As long as you are rich and happy, that's all."
Zhou Silang touched a bag tied to his arm. It was given to him by Zhou Man. Inside was gold and some money he brought from the capital. If he came across good stuff in the south of the Yangtze River, he could buy more goods and make a profit in one trip.
Thinking of this, Zhou Silang felt relieved and not so distressed anymore.
Bai Shan and Zhou Liwei led their men back to Dajiawa and sorted out the remaining salt. Bai Shan handed the pass to General Nie and said, "Send it out."
General Nie agreed, picked fifty soldiers, and took the remaining salt and left by land.
They wanted to send the salt to the Central Plains. In this way, the sea and land would be separated, and any place that needed to rely on the official salt from the south of the Yangtze River could get a supply.
Purchasing agents from government offices across the country were still staying in Jiangnan, trying hard to buy some salt, but even though they were willing to pay, the price they offered was very high.
The money was not theirs, so the purchasing official hesitated and did not agree. He wrote a letter and asked someone to send it back, and then made a plan after asking his superiors.
Salt is so expensive. Even if we don’t make money and sell it to the people at a fair price, they still can’t afford it. Who is responsible in the end?
So they didn't dare to place an order.
Their letter was sent back from Jiangnan. Although the journey was long, the speed of delivering the letter was faster than that of transporting the official salt. Just when the officials in various places were angrily cursing the official families in Jiangnan in private, someone came to report, "Sir, someone from the Qingzhou Salt Transport Bureau has arrived. They said they are here to trade official salt under the order of the court."
The governor, his face livid, immediately stood up and asked, "Really? Where is he?"
"I just entered the city and am currently staying at the post station."
"Let's go and take a look." The governor took two steps and felt something was wrong, so he stopped again. "Go and invite the people over and take a closer look at how much salt they brought."
Fifteen cars in total!
The governor was very happy to meet the people in the hall. After looking at their travel permits and official letters, he knew their origins.
Beihai County, Qingzhou, Baishan.
The corner of the governor's mouth curled up slightly, and a sneer flashed across his face. Everyone in the world knew that Bai Shan was the prince's companion and, like his wife, the prince's confidant.
Humph, Jiangnan is trying to steal a chicken but ends up losing the rice. He wants to use them as knives, but he doesn't know that they are already meat on the chopping board and the prince's knife is already ready.
But where does all this salty goodness come from?
The governor thought about it for a moment and then decided to ignore it. He asked the soldier who was transporting the official salt, "How much is this official salt worth?"
The soldier reported a number, which was set by Bai Shan and could not be changed.
The governor shook his head and said, "No, it's too expensive. It needs to be cheaper."
Soldier: "...Sir, this is the price set by our Lord. If you think it is too expensive, then we can only leave and go to the next state."
He said, "Before we came here, our master told us that the price cannot be a penny more or less."
He added, "Our Lord has also said that if any Lord feels the price is too high, he can send his own people to Beihai County in Qingzhou to get the official salt next quarter. The price will be ten cents cheaper than the current price per dou."
Governor: "...next quarter?"
"Yes," the soldier said honestly, "Our lord said that what we're sending now is only for this quarter, so each state can only buy three carts of salt at most. Next quarter, if we're asked to send salt, each bushel will cost five cents more than it does now. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's order, our lord wouldn't have sent it. We're short of manpower in Beihai County right now."
Before selecting the personnel, Bai Shan told General Nie that the selected team leader must be honest and loyal, and preferably be very methodical, and must resolutely carry out whatever orders were given by his superiors.
But Bai Shan didn't expect him to be so honest and directly told them what he had told them privately.
The governor tried to bargain with his people for a long time, but in the end he still couldn't buy an extra cart of salt, not to mention the price. It was really not a penny more or less.
He could only buy three carts of salt and watched him leave helplessly.
Someone was very dissatisfied and asked, "Sir, what's wrong with us just seizing the salt truck?"
It's not like they haven't done this before. The items have already been seized and used, so who can do anything to them? It's not like they haven't paid.
The governor glanced at him and said, "This is not ordinary official salt. Do you think it is from the past?"
"I've tasted it. Although this salt is slightly better than the one Jiangnan gave me, it's still salt. What's so special about it?"
"This salt is poisonous," the governor said. "The court and Jiangnan are fighting. We can't stay away from it, and yet you are rushing to cause trouble, and you are looking for trouble with Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, and the court. Do you think you have lived too long?"
"Then this salt..."
"Call our people back and don't waste time in Jiangnan. Since Qingzhou has salt, we can get it from Qingzhou. It's closer and cheaper than Jiangnan. Humph, I want to see who will want Jiangnan's salt after we leave."
"However," the governor touched his chin, puzzled, "where does Qingzhou get so much official salt? I remember they only have one salt field there, and most of it is only enough to supply the needs of the province."
Someone said, "Sir, wasn't there some seemingly plausible news a few years ago about a new salt-making method being developed on the coast? It was claimed that salt could be grown in the fields just like crops?"
The Governor: "...Do you believe such nonsense?"
See you tomorrow, good night
(End of this chapter)
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