Chapter 75 Anxious and Concerned: Li Yang's First Foray into Salt Affairs (1)
As September approaches, the summer heat dissipates, making it the most pleasant time of year.
Inside the moving carriage, Li Yangqianqian twisted her handkerchief and then went to adjust the hairpin in her hair. The carriage jolted, and she almost knocked the hairpin over.
She turned around, feeling somewhat anxious and irritable. Her gaze kept drifting out of the car window, watching the scenery flash by on the street.
Today, her long black hair was neatly combed, and her lake-blue dress accentuated her elegance. The silk ribbon at her waist was tied perfectly, and even the folds of her skirt conveyed a sense of restraint.
She was so busy with her own things that she didn't realize her every move was being observed by those around her.
"Don't be nervous." Chen Junbo took Rouyi's hand in his and stroked it. "It's just a regular banquet, and everyone here is someone you know."
Li Yang immediately retorted, "How could I be familiar with them? We only met once, and besides, his wife is here today. I don't know what they like or whether the gifts prepared are appropriate. Why didn't you tell me earlier so I could ask Sister Ziyan for advice?"
The name 'Ziyan' made Chen Junbo's expression tighten slightly, and he immediately teased, "Why ask Ziyan for advice when you have your husband all to yourself? She's never attended a banquet for an official's wife before."
Seeing that she was really nervous, Chen Junbo raised his hand and gently patted the back of her hand to coax her, "Alright, Zhaozhao, don't be nervous. Today, Lord Lin has asked me for a favor, and the gifts you prepared are more than enough."
Seeing him comfort himself, Li Yang felt a warmth in his heart and gave him a slight smile, but his eyes remained tense.
Chen Junbo is usually good at comforting people, so he's probably just making jokes to amuse himself. Lord Lin is an official of even higher rank than Lord Zhang; what could he possibly need from him?
Besides, it was her first time visiting an official's home, and she was afraid that she might be impolite and cause him trouble.
The carriage rumbled along the main street and turned into the alley, stopping in front of an inconspicuous door.
There were already people waiting at the door.
Upon seeing the two alight from the carriage, two maids with their hair in buns and dressed in gray-pink cotton clothes came forward and curtsied, while one of them hurried inside to deliver a message.
A moment later, Lord Lin, dressed in a gray-blue casual robe, strode over and welcomed the person into the courtyard.
The courtyard is not large, but it is very unique. Every corner is kept clean and tidy, and the decoration is simple and elegant. It looks even more cozy than Lanxin Pavilion.
It's obvious at a glance that the owner of this courtyard takes great care of it.
Upon entering the courtyard, after only a few steps, the place came alive with activity. Children ran around, servants bustled about, and the aroma of steaming crab mingled with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, creating the perfect taste of early autumn.
Li Yang's expression softened slightly, and she loosened her grip on Chen Junbai's sleeve. The person next to her glanced at her face and said, "Lord Lin's banquet today is quite special. It must have been prepared by Madam Lin. Why is Madam Lin not here?"
Hearing this, Lin Yihuai, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but smile. "Not at all, my wife is setting out the meal in the front hall and is just waiting for you two."
Then he added, "My wife heard that when I was in Gao County, Madam Chen provided me with many meals, and she has long asked me to invite Madam Chen to our residence so that we can meet her in person and have a competition. Today, since Mr. Chen is free, I invited the two of them to our residence for a gathering."
Li Yang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and smiled wryly. Then he remembered that Chen Junbai in the carriage had said that Lord Lin needed his help.
Before she could finish her thought, the group had already arrived at the entrance of the front hall, and she stopped talking.
In the center of the octagonal table in the hall, there was a hot pot. The broth in the pot was boiling and steaming as the charcoal fire curled up. Around it were a ring of vegetables, with red meat and green vegetables, which looked like a pastoral scene.
Standing to one side was Madam Lin, who had her hair styled in two buns and was wearing a jade-colored silk skirt with a sandalwood-colored silk vest. She was efficiently instructing the servants to serve the meal. When she saw the newcomer, her eyes lit up and she quickly went out to greet him.
The man simply nodded and bowed. Upon seeing this, Li Yang quickly curtsied and said, "Madam Lin."
Madam Lin was clearly in a good mood. With a smile and her bright eyes, she said, "Mr. Chen, Madam Chen, I'm finally seeing you alive! Come in quickly, let me have a good look at you."
The group took their seats one after another, and Madam Lin called for the dishes to be served. They sat facing each other, and Li Yang couldn't help but blink, feeling a little more at ease.
Madam Lin's words are startling, just like Lord Lin's. Judging from their friendly, neighborly manner, could it be that they really have something to ask of each other?
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Lord Lin, his nose red and mouth agape, raised his cup to toast Chen Junbai: "Brother, you've had a tough time these past few years."
Chen Junbo quickly raised his cup in a gesture of respect, "Lord Lin, you flatter me. Although we are of different statuses, we are all doing our best for the sake of Daqing, accepting fate and fulfilling our duties. Over the years, the salt merchants have worked tirelessly, but they have not been able to do without the care and support of you gentlemen. Lord Lin, thank you for your hard work."
Lord Lin took a sip of his drink and then said, “His Majesty entrusted the salt industry of Lianghuai to you and appointed me to the Jiangnan Salt Bureau. I’m sure General Manager Chen knows why. In recent years, there have been no good news from the war in the south. Without the supply of tax relief funds, how can we support the smoke and fire on the battlefield?”
Now, General Yi, outnumbered and surrounded by enemy forces, hanged himself. With autumn approaching and the southern border entering the miasma season, the court is facing a shortage of military funds, and no general is willing to lead troops. Meanwhile, I am here inspecting the salt administration; if the matter of the treasury's silver remains unresolved, I fear…”
After hearing what Lord Lin said, Li Yang finally understood why Chen Junbo had said that Lord Lin needed his help today.
She witnessed firsthand that Chen Junbo was in charge of the Lianghuai salt industry. From his maternal grandfather's generation, it was the result of generations of hard work and dedication. All the salt merchants, big and small, listened to him.
Lord Lin has only been here for a little over a year. It is said that if it weren't for the recent flood disaster in Gao County, he would probably not be as close to the local salt merchants as she is.
He was appointed to a critical post, only to encounter such a situation. Even as an official appointed by the imperial court, under such pressure, he had no choice but to seek advice from a merchant.
From what they're saying, it sounds like they need to use the treasury funds to fund the imperial war effort? The keys to the treasury funds are entrusted to the Salt Commissioner, so why seek Chen Junbai's help?
Thinking of this, he suddenly heard Lord Lin speak again: "General Manager Chen, give me the answer, how much is the treasury in deficit?"
Li Yang's thoughts returned, and he was so startled that he didn't know who to look at.
Treasury deficit?
She remembered Chen Junbo saying that salt tax accounted for half of the nation's tax burden. This treasury silver consisted of the salt taxes and donations paid by the salt merchants. How much silver must that be…? And today, Lord Lin actually said the treasury was in deficit?
She couldn't help but feel nervous. If she had really made such a big mistake, then Chen Junbo... She quickly turned to look at him.
Chen Junbo nodded and smiled, seemingly unsurprised.
So, really, a deficit?
Chen Junbai asked calmly, "Lord Lin, how much silver do you think was spent on this flood in Gao County?"
"Oh, the government records show that the salt merchants donated a total of one thousand taels of silver this time." Lord Lin suddenly spoke clearly, and even the look in his eyes became clear.
Chen Junbo chuckled, “What you’ve said only includes donations. But what actually falls on the salt merchants’ heads includes not only donations, but also service money, auxiliary work money, relief money, and so on. Besides you, Lord Lin, there are Lord Zhang, Lord Zhong, and so on. Before you, Lord Lin, there were Lord Ji, Lord Li, Lord Wang, and countless others.”
He paused, staring intently at Lin Yihuai, his eyes deep and unfathomable. "May I ask you again, sir, how much did the salt merchants spend on this imperial tour to the south?"
Lin Yihuai frowned. "When His Majesty went on his southern tour, the Imperial Household Department withdrew four million taels of silver, which is recorded in the books. It was paid in advance by the salt merchants."
This time, Chen Junbo laughed out loud, seemingly mocking himself, "Lord Lin, the Emperor's southern tour cost eight million taels of silver! And even if we only record four million taels, the silver that has been advanced to the Imperial Household Department over the years has never been repaid."
This... this is blatant robbery!
Perhaps everyone at the table thought the same thing, because after Chen Junbo finished speaking, the room fell silent except for the bubbling sound of the soup.
The emperor's fifth southern tour alone had already resulted in a shortfall of four million taels of silver compared to the accounts. This was the emperor's fifth southern tour, meaning that tens of millions of taels of silver had actually been absorbed by the Imperial Household Department.
Seeing this, Madam Lin quickly scolded Lord Lin, "Really, you said you were inviting Mr. and Mrs. Chen to dinner at home, how did you end up talking about official business? You really can't put down these desk matters for a moment."
Lord Lin, however, seemed not to hear.
Chen Junbo continued, "Such a sum was involved in the Southern Tour alone, and countless similar incidents have occurred over the years. Imperial relatives, natural disasters, man-made calamities, war, Japanese pirates—which of these didn't drain the salt merchants' pockets? To be honest, the difference between the actual amount in the treasury and the actual amount is probably no less than twenty million taels."
"Then, Lord Lin, I also have a question today: where exactly did this silver go? Do you intend to continue the investigation?"
He spoke so bluntly that Li Yang almost dared not think any further. Twenty million taels of silver—that's four hundred thousand ingots of silver. Where did such a huge mountain of silver end up? Would the official present here, who received the silver, dare to investigate?
Lin Yihuai was stunned upon hearing this, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead. His usually sharp and piercing eyes were now utterly defeated. He had been in the capital for many years and was not entirely unaware of the background of the person behind this, who dared to directly interfere in the salt administration, which was personally overseen by the emperor.
During the meal, several pairs of eyes were fixed on him.
But he slowly turned his gaze to his wife. That one look contained so much; he was not alone, he needed to confide in his closest and dearest person.
Looking at the grievance and resentment in her husband's eyes, Mrs. Lin knew perfectly well what the man beside her was thinking. He wanted to investigate. Even if it meant risking everything, he wanted to get to the bottom of it, but the road ahead was arduous and difficult, and he was afraid of implicating his family.
She nodded, tears welling in her eyes, her gaze full of encouragement. "Go do what you want to do. I'll take care of everything at home."
With the lady's approval, Lord Lin seemed to suddenly find courage. The fading light in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a resolute expression. Investigate! He couldn't let the tax burden be devoured by these worms without explanation; he couldn't let these worms gnaw at the backbone of Daqing.
"check!"
Seeing Madam Lin's eyes filled with tears, Li Yang's own eyes welled up with tears as well. She sniffed hard to force the tears back and followed Madam Lin's gaze to Chen Junbai.
Will he support Lord Lin in continuing the investigation?
If the investigation continues, will he be in danger?
But she found herself completely ignorant of everything, and a sense of powerlessness overwhelmed her. She couldn't even support her husband as fearlessly as Madam Lin. Li Yang looked at her, his eyes filled with worry.
To everyone's surprise, Chen Junbo merely glanced at her from the side, his eyes crinkling slightly as he reassured her, before agreeing to Lord Lin's words, "Alright!"
Li Yang's heart skipped a beat. Were they really going to investigate the treasury for embezzlement?
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