As the salt debt maturity date approached, large areas of vacuum began to appear in the northwest, with not a single grain of salt to be seen for hundreds of miles.
Especially when the Ha Trung government announced that it would issue new salt bonds this year, the salt shortage situation was further aggravated, because the Ha Trung government stated that the old salt bonds could be exchanged for new salt bonds after collecting interest.
In everyone's view, the government just wanted to replace old salt with new to avoid salt shortages in various places.
The area that is currently most short of salt is the border states.
Before Fan Xiang's salt banknote reform, there were frequent salt shortages in the northwestern border states. The main reason was that these places were too far away from the salt ponds. At the same time, there was too much smuggled salt, which resulted in a blockage of salt from entering. Salt merchants were certainly unwilling to compete with the cheap smuggled salt here.
However, smuggling salt from Western Xia would benefit Western Xia's economy, so the imperial court often cracked down on salt smuggling. Every time it cracked down on salt smuggling, the border states would be in a salt panic.
However, in the past ten years, it has been relatively stable, especially after Zhao Xu ascended the throne. He issued strict orders that anyone caught smuggling salt would be killed without mercy.
However, in the past six months, the state has started to experience a salt panic again, but this time it was not caused by salt smuggling, but by salt debts.
Everyone knows that there will be a shortage of salt this year and the price of salt will definitely rise. The banknote merchants have already locked up the salt in Hezhong Prefecture, and the salt merchants are holding on to their own salt, waiting for the day when the salt debt will mature.
Now, there is only one month left until the salt debt expires.
...
...
There is no grain of salt left on the market.
This is also the first time that the salt debt has matured, and everyone is waiting to see how high the salt price will rise.
Public discontent has already emerged in various parts of the border states, which is extremely terrifying.
However!
Overnight, a large amount of green salt suddenly appeared in Weizhou, near Xizhou, and spread to the surrounding areas at an alarming speed.
It's not just the salt merchants who are stupid!
The people were also stunned.
How long has it been since I last saw green salt? Why is there suddenly so much of it?
Xizhou.
This is also the base camp of the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs in the border states, because the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs have not yet been established in Fuzhou and Yanzhou. After all, the influence of the warlords there is not small. If the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs rashly enter, there will definitely be problems.
The three giants of public security, procuratorial and judicial organs, Cao Ping, Lu Dajun and Fan Zhen, who were sent by the imperial court, all came directly to Xizhou.
Now the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs are in the process of taking over the judicial affairs of various places. When the government saw so much green salt, and according to their investigation, the green salt also came from the Xihe area, they immediately responded to Xizhou.
This is a capital crime.
No one dares to neglect.
Today, the three giants and Wang Shao gathered in the imperial court for a meeting.
Fan Zhen said: "According to the information currently known by the procuratorate, these illegal salts should have flowed out from the Xihe area."
"Our police station was established not long ago, and we haven't recruited all these people yet. How can we keep track of them?"
Cao Ping cleared himself of responsibility without saying anything.
Wang Shao felt something was wrong, so he frowned and asked, "Superintendent Cao, do you mean this is all my fault?"
"That is not my intention."
Cao commented: "But this place has always been under the jurisdiction of the military."
"That's blaming me."
Wang Shao said excitedly: "I lead troops to fight every year, how can I have the time to prevent those smuggled salt? I don't have supernatural powers."
Cao commented: "Anyway, I just got here, this matter can't be blamed on the police station."
The court president, Lu Dajun, suddenly said, "Don't argue anymore, you two. No one is to blame for this. After all, our army has just taken over the Xihe area, so it is understandable that some places are lax in defense. I asked you all to come here today mainly to find a way to resolve this matter."
Cao commented: "Letting our police station handle this matter will also help our police station establish its authority."
Fan Zhen immediately asked, "What does Superintendent Cao plan to do?"
Cao commented: "Of course, they will be severely punished. The government issued a strict ban. But please rest assured, Chief Prosecutor Fan. Although I have just arrived, our police station will definitely be able to accomplish everything. Within half a month, we will be able to seize all the illegal salt and bring all the salt dealers to justice."
When Lu Dajun heard this, he frowned and opened his mouth, but when he saw that Cao Ping was the first foreign relative and Wang Shao had just made great contributions, while he was just a small gentry not long ago, he swallowed the words back.
Fan Zhen said, "Captain Cao, calm down. I heard that there is a salt shortage in the border states recently, and it is very serious. The people have not seen salt for a long time. Although selling private salt is an unforgivable crime, this batch of private salt just solves the urgent need of the border states."
Cao Ping frowned and asked, "Could it be that Chief Prosecutor Fan wants to protect those smugglers?"
“No, no, no!”
Fan Zhen waved his hands repeatedly and said, "That's absolutely not the case. Those who smuggle salt from Xixia must be severely punished, but those who are selling green salt now are all local people and peddlers.
I remember that when Judge Zhang was still Erbi, he once fought a lawsuit about private salt in the capital. During the salt shortage, people bought salt, which was equivalent to buying life-saving medicine. Selling salt was the same as selling medicine, and it could not be considered illegal.
Now the salt distribution from the government has been delayed, the people cannot be blamed for this, and the salt dealers are not guilty either."
Cao commented: "This is different. This is Xixia's private salt. Anyone who violates this rule will be killed. I cannot bear this responsibility."
Fan Zhen said: "I will take full responsibility for this matter. I will personally write to the court to explain the matter."
Cao Ping looked at Fan Zhen in surprise, then his expression eased a little and he nodded, saying, "Since Chief Prosecutor Fan has said so, I have no objection."
Fan Zhen looked at Lu Dajun and Wang Shao again.
Lu Dajun nodded and said, "I agree with the Attorney General's approach."
He also wanted to do so, but his status was not high enough, so he didn't dare to say it.
Wang Shao said: "I will also order people to track down where the illegal salt came from, but the Xihe area has not been completely stable recently, so it may not be possible to prevent it."
This is a new border defense, there is nothing we can do about the omissions.
Lu Dajun and Fan Zhen nodded to show their understanding.
After leaving the imperial court, Cao Ping immediately rushed back to the police station and ordered that the royal police should not intervene in the matter.
Wang Shao went to the Ma family's house.
"I have met Envoy Wang."
Ma Tianhao and Lu Bin bowed.
"No need to be so polite, both of you."
Wang Shao was very kind to the two of them, and asked in a gentle voice, "I heard that the money has been deposited?"
He and Cao Ping were the few people who knew the secret, but they only found out later. Wang Shao controlled the Xihe border defense, so it was impossible for him to hide it.
Ma Tianhao nodded.
Wang Shao asked again: "How much money do you have?"
Ma Tianhao said: "One million and six hundred thousand strings of cash."
The real amount is 2.8 million strings of cash, but Zhang Fei has told him to conceal part of it. The more you report, the more unscrupulous the generals on the front line will become. You have to save this money!
Wang Shao immediately gasped, "This money should be for my Xihe area, right?"
Ma Tianhao nodded and said, "Yes."
"Then there shouldn't be any problem in giving rewards to the soldiers this year, right?" Wang Shao asked again.
Ma Tianhao said very straightforwardly: "No problem."
"That's good!"
Wang Shao smiled and nodded, and suddenly looked at Lu Bin again, "Master Lu, what's the matter with the oil on your mouth?"
"ah?"
Lu Bin was stunned for a moment, then he rolled up his sleeves and quickly wiped it clean.
Wang Shao frowned and said, "As a senior monk, you still have to be careful."
Lu Bin hurriedly explained, "Envoy Wang, I am here to help Brother Ma, not to promote Buddhism."
"It is now." Wang Shao said.
Lu Bin didn't understand and looked at him in confusion.
Wang Shao said: "I hope to build a temple similar to Xiangguo Temple in Xizhou."
"Xiangguo Temple?"
Ma Tianhao and Lu Bin were completely dumbfounded.
Wang Shao nodded and said, "Because according to my observation, many local Qiang people and Tubo people are very devout Buddhists. It would be more convenient to manage them through religion."
Lu Bin quickly said, "But I don't know much about Buddhism!"
Wang Shao said: "I know this. I have invited a great monk to come here to preach Buddhism. Master Lu was in charge of the finances of Xiangguo Temple before, so Master Lu will still be in charge of the temple finances when he comes here."
Ma Tianhao said: "Envoy Wang's intention is to open the Ma family's storehouse inside the temple."
"That's right, just like the Xiangguo Temple in the capital."
Wang Shao said: "The Qiang and Tibetan people here are not our Han people. If we openly lend money, once they can't pay it back, some people with bad intentions may take the opportunity to cause trouble. As long as we are smart enough to use the temple to lend money, they will definitely not blame the temple."
Ma Tianhao was certainly unwilling in his heart. He wanted to leave Xiangguo Temple, but he had no choice. After all, it was still quite chaotic here, and safety had to be the first priority. He could only nod and say, "Envoy Wang Xuanfu's words make sense. I have no objection to this."
Lu Bin sighed, "I thought I could drink and eat as much as I want here!"
However, this wave of smuggled salt was even more terrifying than they had imagined. The quantity and speed were so great that everyone was dumbfounded.
You should know that Zhang Fei has been running the Xixia green salt business for three years.
In the blink of an eye, a large amount of private salt emerged in Jingzhao Prefecture, not to mention Yanzhou and Fuzhou.
The landlords and salt merchants were all stunned.
The powerful people in Jingzhao Prefecture had previously thought of using the salt debt to attack the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs. Now that the debt was about to expire, this wave of smuggled salt made them completely confused.
Of course, they couldn't just give up. They teamed up with the salt merchants and brought all the salt traffickers to the imperial court.
Jingzhao Prefecture, the imperial court.
Cai Bian said: "After the investigation by the procuratorate, our imperial court will decide to dismiss your lawsuit."
"Why?"
Chen Tianfu, the largest local salt merchant, said excitedly: "These private salts are obviously green salt from Xixia. The government has clearly banned it. Those who sell Xixia private salt will be executed, and those who shelter them will also be sentenced to death."
Su Che said: "These are indeed all blue salt from Xixia. And yesterday we also received a message from Xizhou. According to their investigation, it is because of the opening of the border between Xihe, our country and Xixia have another border defense. These private salts were smuggled in from there."
Chen Tianfu said: "We dare not blame those border generals, but this is smuggled salt after all. How can the government turn a blind eye? They should immediately confiscate their smuggled salt."
Su Che said: "Now they are trying their best to track down the smugglers. Once they are caught, they will be severely punished. However, as for the private salt that has been sold to the people, after review by the Xizhou Royal Court and the Procuratorate, they believe that the people in the border states are short of salt and have panicked, which has affected the logistics of Xihe and the stability of the border. Therefore, the local royal court ordered the pardon of this batch of private salt."
Chen Tianfu snorted, "That's the Xihe Imperial Court, what does it have to do with our Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Cai Bian explained: "It is mainly because the Xihe Imperial Court cited a case in the capital regarding salt smuggling. Salt is essential to the lives of the people. If they cannot eat salt for a long time, their bodies will become ill or even die. In this case, salt is medicine and should not be treated as smuggled salt. Now Jingzhao Prefecture is also short of salt, so we decided to cite this case."
"Where did this precedent come from? Why haven't I heard of it?" a salt merchant said with dissatisfaction.
Cai Jing on the side suddenly said: "This precedent was made by the Grand Court President. Its purpose is to prevent some salt merchants with bad intentions or officials who abuse their power for personal gain from manipulating salt prices and exploiting the people."
Su Che and Cai Bian both nodded.
When Chen Tianfu heard the title of Grand Court President, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. It was this brat who made us rich people live in misery. He said, "The shortage of salt in Jingzhao Prefecture is not caused by us salt merchants."
Su Che was planning to hold them accountable, so he said, "No matter who caused it, as far as we are concerned, the people will always have the right to buy salt to save their lives. This is the legitimate right of the people."
Chen Tianfu added: "I really don't know who has the ability to smuggle so much salt from Xixia. If this continues, how can we sell the salt?"
In fact, it is a hint to the military, which used to smuggle salt frequently.
Su Che said: "Xihe will definitely conduct a thorough investigation on this matter, and the Xizhou Attorney General has already submitted a letter to the court to explain the matter, but until the results are out, we can't do much for the time being."
Chen Tianfu could only return home in disappointment.
For the salt merchants, it is not that painful. After all, it is not difficult to sell the salt. It’s just that the price may not be high and the profit will not be much. The ones who suffer the most are the banknote merchants who are still staying in Hezhong Prefecture.
It really cost me my life!
According to this salt debt contract, when the debt matures, one can actually ask for money or salt. It is precisely because of this incentive that everyone will actively buy it, but they have to report it to the Changping Warehouse three months in advance, because this is a salt debt of one million strings of cash. Whether it is salt or money, the government has to prepare for a long time and must make a decision in advance. This is reasonable and is also written into the contract.
Now, with less than a month left, the banknote dealers have already completed their reporting and filled out their requests for salt, with the aim of locking in the amount of salt to be sold this year.
This directly leads to the fact that the salt debt in their hands is just salt, which can no longer be turned into money. But given the current situation outside, if they get the salt in their hands, wouldn't it be a hot potato?
Because no salt merchants dare to buy salt now, the salt debt has instantly fallen below the original price.
The banknote dealers, who were already accustomed to lawsuits, quickly asked Li Min, the big pen, to go to the procuratorate to initiate a lawsuit.
but!
"I can't sue!"
Li Min shook his head regretfully and said to Duan Chaobei and other banknote dealers.
Duan Chaobei was surprised and asked, "Why can't I sue?"
Li Min said: "Because... because the smuggled salt has not entered Hezhong Prefecture. According to the police investigation, the smuggled salt in Hezhong Prefecture is very small, and it is all bought by some wealthy families who have asked people to go to Jingzhao Prefecture."
Zheng Aoping wondered, "Why doesn't this private salt enter Hezhong Prefecture?"
Li Min said: "I heard that the reason why the Xihe Imperial Court pardoned this batch of private salt was, firstly, because the border defense had just been recovered, which was reasonable. Secondly, it was based on the case of the private salt lawsuit in the capital. When the people could not buy salt, private salt would be regarded as medicine.
However, the people of Hezhong Prefecture have always been able to buy a small amount of salt, and this precedent does not apply to Hezhong Prefecture, so those salt dealers dare not enter Hezhong Prefecture. "
Duan Chaobei almost vomited blood after hearing this, and couldn't help wondering: "When did these private salt dealers become so powerful?"
Li Min said: "It is said that they have also invited Erbi to study this matter."
Duan Chaobei looked at Li Min eagerly, "Then what should we do?"
Li Min said: "We don't know how much green salt has flowed in yet, and all the salt merchants are rushing to buy this green salt. If you exchange the salt debt for salt, you will definitely not be able to sell it for a while. I suggest you go to the Ministry of Revenue to extend the salt debt for another three years."
Duan Chaobei and the others looked at each other, feeling unwilling!
What the hell!
But they did not suspect that there was something fishy going on, because the opening of the border in Xihe was just an accident and it was indeed possible that smuggled salt could flow in.
While these big banknote dealers were getting nervous, Yuan Jiang and Cai Yanqing certainly breathed a sigh of relief. This empty city tactic was really a life-threatening one!
I cursed Zhang Fei to death in my heart, saying that you only made your move when I was about to die. Our mental quality is not as strong as you think!
"It seems that our previous assumption was correct. We should smuggle cheap private salt from Xixia to fill this hole."
Yuan Jiang said with lingering fear.
Cai Yanqing said: "But now is not the time to relax. We should treat it as if the salt merchants will not come to exchange salt, which means we will have a lot of salt in our hands. Now is the time for us to be nervous."
Yuan Jiang nodded and said, "That makes sense. How do you think we should deal with this?"
Cai Yanqing thought for a while and said, "We should immediately order the police to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all smuggled salt in the country. At the same time, we should ask the imperial court to order severe punishment for those who sell smuggled salt. We should also negotiate with Jingzhao Prefecture and ask them to investigate smuggled salt as well. Otherwise, how can we sell our salt? Oh, and we should also submit a letter to the court. In short, we must not let them know that we don't have any salt."
Yuan Jiang nodded and said, "Then we have to discuss with the imperial court to see if withdrawing the decree to exchange the new salt debt is considered a breach of contract."
The salt debt of one million strings of cash was so great that even though they expected that the banknote dealers would not dare to exchange it for salt, they were still very nervous as they had no salt in their hands.
This play must be done in full.
The government has directly ordered the police station to mobilize all forces. If smuggled salt enters again, we will not be able to sell the salt and your year-end bonuses will all be lost.
When the police station received this kind of order, it was like being injected with chicken blood, and thousands of police officers were mobilized.
At the same time, the imperial court also quickly issued an order, stating that Hezhong Prefecture would never accept private salt. Don’t think that just because Jingzhao Prefecture doesn’t care, we won’t care. Our imperial court in Hezhong Prefecture is the boss, and you must distinguish between the big and small kings.
On the one hand, he sent people to negotiate with the Jingzhao Prefecture and asked them to conduct a thorough investigation. On the other hand, he wrote to the court, stating that the rampant illegal salt trafficking must be strictly investigated.
There was also news that the government intended to withdraw the order to replace the salt debt.
After this series of operations, the banknote merchants suddenly realized that if they did not redeem the salt debts, it would mean that the government was hoarding a large amount of salt.
The government officials are old rogues and they might really force them to take the salt home.
The banknote merchants would certainly not be able to bear this. They don't sell salt in the first place. They just want to speculate on the salt debts and then sell them to the salt merchants. But now there is no trace of the salt merchants anywhere.
The entire salt market has been thrown into chaos by the Xixia salt. The key point is that you don’t know how much salt they have.
As a result, these banknote merchants rushed to the Ministry of Revenue and immediately exchanged the salt debts in their hands for new salt debts, as if they were afraid that the government would go back on its word. After all, the salt debts still had a 6% interest rate, so they would not lose money.
This directly led to the good sales of the new salt debt, because this incident was enough to prove that the government was still very trustworthy. It would rather not sell the salt than pay the salt debt. Moreover, those banknote merchants also received full interest. The annual interest was 6%, which was a lot!
However, many salt merchants did not buy salt, and they predicted that the salt market might not be so good from this year to next year. After all, the salt production has not changed, and with such a large wave of high-quality Xixia salt coming, will the salt still be easy to sell in the future? It would be better to buy some salt debts and earn interest.
However, Zhao Xu had repeatedly prohibited the trade of salt with Western Xia. Now that such a large wave of Western Xia salt had poured in, the news reached the capital, shocking the court and the public.
Those ministers who actively opposed the opening of the Xihe border also took the opportunity to impeach Wang Shao, stating that it was all Wang Shao's doing for personal gain.
Zhao Xu also quickly convened an important meeting to discuss the matter.
"The opening of the Xihe border is the largest territorial recovery of our dynasty since Emperor Taizong. It is understandable that the new border defense has some omissions. On the contrary, your majesty should really ask those who impeached Wang Xuanfushi what their intentions are."
Wang Anshi was extremely indignant.
Zhao Xu nodded immediately and said, "Although I have repeatedly strictly prohibited the trade of salt with Xixia, this situation is extremely special. Envoy Wang Xuanfu has made an indispensable contribution. This is beyond doubt, and I will not listen to those slanderous words."
Jiang Zhiqi asked: "What about the illegal salt that has flowed into the country? If there is so much illegal salt, the salt will not be sold, which will seriously affect the fiscal revenue."
Zhao Xu asked: "Why didn't the local government investigate strictly?"
Sima Guang immediately stepped forward and said, "Because the border states are experiencing a salt shortage recently and the people are unable to buy salt, Xizhou has taken the previous salt smuggling case as the basis and regarded salt as a life-saving medicine and will not investigate."
Zhao Xu then asked, "Why is there a salt panic in the border states?"
Jiang Zhiqi immediately said, "This is all caused by the salt debt. At the beginning, Hezhong Prefecture issued salt debts and spent money before it could be used. As a result, the banknote merchants and salt merchants knew that there would definitely be a shortage of salt this year, which led to the salt panic in the border states."
"That's nonsense."
Wang Anshi angrily rebuked: "There is only so much salt every year. Regardless of whether the government is spending money before it is earned, the people should not be short of salt. This is all because the salt merchants deliberately used the salt debt as an excuse to hold on to the salt and wait for the price to rise. This is a man-made disaster."
He has always been very hostile to these businessmen, and many of the regulations in his new policies are aimed at cracking down on these wealthy businessmen.
Jiang Zhiqi argued, "It was the salt debt that gave them this opportunity."
Wang Anshi laughed and said, "Now they are reaping the fruits of their own actions."
Jiang Zhiqi said: "But it is not possible to issue salt debts for a long time!"
"Why not?"
Wang Anshi said: "This Xihe war was all paid for by the Northwest's finances, and it did not harm the people of the Northwest. This feat is unprecedented in history."
Having said that, he glanced at Sima Guang.
Sima Guang was suddenly embarrassed and speechless.
Because of this incident, news from all the northwestern states reached the capital, including logistical support for Xihe, which indeed did not waste the northwestern people's strength.
They all found it incredible.
However, when opening up the border, Sima Guang and his men were very concerned. Now adding another battlefield would seriously damage the strength of the people in the northwest.
Wang Anshi said, "The salt debt also contributed to this. If the grain and grass were transported from the capital at that time, do you know how much manpower and material resources would be consumed? At the same time, this money should have been allocated by the national treasury. Now the national treasury should also bear part of the burden for the northwest finances. In total, the national treasury has saved a lot of losses."
Such a large-scale battle should not have been borne solely by the Northwest's finances, but as the matter happened suddenly, the court was also in a panic, and almost all the money came from the Northwest. The court simply allocated all the money that should have been paid to the court to Xihe.
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Master Wang is right!"
Jiang Zhiqi was stunned by Wang Anshi's words and shouted: "You are wrong. The salt debt is like eating up the grain of the next year. If the court is only responsible for paying the money that should be paid, the finances of Hezhong Prefecture will not be able to afford it."
Wang Anshi said proudly: "This is because the people are not taxed more and the country has abundant resources. Part of the money raised from issuing salt bonds is used to reduce military expenses, and part is used to develop water conservancy and improve people's livelihood. As a result, the tax revenue of Hezhong Prefecture is increasing year by year. The money raised is far more than the interest on the salt bonds, so there will naturally be a surplus."
Zhao Xu was surprised and asked, "Really?"
Wang Anshi said nothing and looked at Lu Gong.
Lu Gongzhu immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the finances of Hezhong Prefecture have indeed increased year by year, especially last year, which has increased more than three times compared to three years ago. However, all of it was used for the Xihe War and did not enter the national treasury."
"three times?"
Many ministers were shocked.
The fiscal revenue of a government has tripled. This is truly unprecedented!
Lu Gongzhuo further explained: "Half of this is because the reduction in fiscal expenditures has resulted from the reduction in military forces."
The benefits of this cost-saving have gradually become apparent.
If it weren't for the war, the finances of Hezhong Prefecture would have dazzled everyone. Unfortunately, all the money was sent to Xihe Border Development and not a single cent went into the national treasury, so it didn't attract much attention.
Wang Anshi immediately said: "The cost of disarmament was mainly from the salt debt."
Sima Guang immediately stood up and said, "The public security, procuratorate and courts have also made great contributions to this."
Wang Anshi chuckled and said, "I didn't deny it."
Zhao Xu laughed and said, "Great! Great! The success of Hezhong Prefecture is enough to prove that my original choice was not wrong."
Everyone started vying for credit.
Wang Anshi added: "As for the illegal salt, there is no need to make a fuss. Your Majesty originally banned the salt trade with Xixia in order to weaken Xixia's finances. Now that the salt has entered the country, Xixia has already received the money it deserves. What's the point of pursuing it? Anyway, taxes are calculated based on income, so those who sell illegal salt must also pay taxes!"
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "That's right. If we recover the five states of Hehuang, even if Xixia makes some money, it won't matter. But we still have to urge Wang Xuanfu to keep an eye on the border and not let this kind of omission happen again."
This is my business, no one is allowed to interfere.
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