Feng Yongyan took a sip of tea and said in a low, cryptic voice, "Lord Yun, we're colleagues, so I won't hide it from you. Right now, the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, and the Prime Minister is assisting in governance. In the end, the Prime Minister is in charge of all matters of the court."
"War raged across the Central Plains, and the imperial court was powerless to resist. Cities were lost one after another, and the relocation of the capital led to an empty treasury. The Prime Minister's decision to reinstate you this time is to make up for the grain tax owed last year and this year."
Yun Zhenchuan was stumped. After he was sorted out, Fan Xueli and the Yu family took over the storage affairs of the two prefectures in the south. Last year's grain tax had already been divided up by the two families, so how could they possibly have any more?
The ministers appointed by the imperial court are all shrewd and capable. The journey is long and the roads are so chaotic that it's uncertain whether they will even reach the south.
It seems this hot potato has finally fallen on his head.
Yun Zhenchuan sighed and told Feng Yongyan about his concerns one by one, "Lord Feng, you know the current situation of my Yun family. In the south, I am like a rootless duckweed. How could the Yu family spit out the fat meat that has been eaten?"
"Furthermore, last year the southern regions recruited a large number of refugees. They have just settled in those desolate villages, and the officials are not supervising agricultural affairs. Many families don't even know how to grow rice, and the grass on the mountains has been stripped bare. How can they pay taxes? The aristocratic families in the south are recruiting large numbers of free slaves and hidden households. I'm afraid this year will be the same..."
Feng Yongyan was also in a dilemma. Before coming to Nanzhou Prefecture, he had already found out about the current situation of the Yu family.
"I had heard about the Yu family's affairs before I came here. I never expected that they would act so recklessly, disregarding the lives of ordinary people, illegally adjusting salt prices, and treating human life like dirt, just because they have connections in the military government. I will definitely report this to the court and let the Prime Minister decide what to do!"
"In that case, I thank Lord Feng on behalf of the people."
"Last year's grain tax was taken over by the Yu and Fan families in the south, so I will urge them to hand it over to the imperial court."
The Yu and Fan families have been in charge of the southern region for a year, but they haven't communicated with him at all, clearly showing that they don't take Feng Yongyan seriously.
A cold smile appeared on Feng Yongyan's lips. He had heard that Yun Zhenchuan's two nephews who had survived in the North had caused quite a stir in Longtan.
"I heard that Nandi and Cangwu County have launched two types of low-priced salt this year. Does Lord Yun know about this?" Feng Yongyan glanced at Yun Zhenchuan, holding a teacup and gently skimming the tea foam with the lid.
Yun Zhenchuan's body stiffened slightly, and his hands on his lap clenched and relaxed.
Yun Kang had just discussed this with him last night, and Feng Yongyan brought it up again today. Did Yun Kang and the others already know that Feng Yongyan was coming?
"That's true. To be honest, it was my two nephews who survived the ordeal who promoted these two types of affordable salt. They had mentioned them to me before," he said calmly.
Feng Yongyan's eyes darted around. "Oh? Then why didn't you report it?"
“My lord, you do not know this. I have no support in the south. The Yu and Fan families regard me as a thorn in their side. Why would they listen to my words?”
As Yun Kang said, Longtan lacks the opportunity to stand openly before the world. If Longtan rises, his life in Nanzhou Prefecture will be better. Now the opportunity has come.
Feng Yongyan stared blankly at the teacup in his hand, seemingly lost in thought.
Yun Zhenchuan took the opportunity to promote the salt from Longtan. He tentatively said, "My nephew and his family settled down in the desolate Longtan. The Japanese from Xihe always came to bully them. By chance, they discovered that there was a salt field in Xihe County, which had been occupied by the Japanese. After several battles, they finally seized the salt field."
"Truly worthy of being descendants of the Yun family! If you're bullied, you have to fight back fiercely." Feng Yongyan slapped his thigh and couldn't help but give a thumbs up in praise.
“Those salt fields are formed directly from seawater. Although the output is not large, it is stable. Therefore, the southern regions and Cangwu County no longer need to transport salt from other places, which would not only waste manpower and resources, but also make the journey dangerous now…”
The unspoken words were understood by both of them.
Yun Zhenchuan wasn't making this up. Yun Kang had secretly told him that the imperial caravans heading to the south had been robbed by bandits multiple times this year, and despite sending people to investigate, they couldn't find any information.
Everyone knows this is a tacit understanding, and it can be basically concluded that it was a conspiracy between the court and outsiders, but the mole is well hidden and cannot be found.
Feng Yongyan nodded, "Everyone understands the principle, but if we just let it go unchecked, how can we explain it to the imperial court?"
"Lord Feng, could you suggest to the court that a tax law be implemented in the southern regions?"
"Taxation law?"
“Yes, I’ve consulted the ancient texts. There was a city in the previous dynasty that also implemented this method for various reasons. This way, the tax revenue could be submitted to the national treasury without any effort,” Yun Zhenchuan said, appealing to both emotion and reason.
Feng Yongyan's hand, which was stroking his beard, trembled uncontrollably. Suddenly, he plucked out a beard, causing him to hiss in pain.
“That’s not impossible either. I’ll discuss it with the salt official later.” A sly glint flashed in his eyes.
In this way, he has room to maneuver within the system.
Taking the opportunity, Yun Zhenchuan said, "Should I help you make an appointment with the people from the saltworks?"
After pondering for a moment, Feng Yongyan said, "Then there's no better time than tomorrow. I think tomorrow is an auspicious day. I'll have to trouble you, Lord Yun."
"It's no trouble at all, just a small favor."
After the two discussed and finalized the details, Yun Zhenchuan arranged for Feng Yongyan to rest at the most luxurious inn in Nanzhou Prefecture.
The next day at noon, Yun Si arrived as promised and dined at the restaurant with Yun Zhenchuan and Feng Yongyan.
Earlier, he had corresponded with Lin Yinan and the Yun brothers.
Yun Si was very generous. He immediately gave Inspector Feng Yongyan a large red envelope. Feng Yongyan politely declined, but cleverly put it into his sleeve.
Therefore, the talks went very smoothly, and both sides were extremely satisfied with the outcome.
The tax that was originally paid by Longtan will now be paid by each merchant acting as an agent, with Longtan only paying 10% of the tax.
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