It is not the Ming Dynasty's salt law that has many drawbacks, which is not a one-day achievement, but an accumulation of many years.

At present, Lin Yanchao is inspecting the river embankment with Fu Zhiyuan, the prefect of Guide.

Now the water of the Yellow River has not crossed the shoulder of the embankment.

A few days ago, the Yellow River rose to a large flood, and all counties along the river in Guide Prefecture mobilized and organized civilian servants to go to the embankment to repair it.

Huang Yue and other officials of the River Works Department stayed on the river all night, organizing civilian river workers, carrying lamps to inspect the river embankment, and blocking pipe surges.

It wasn't until the sun rose the next day that the water receded above the river.

Although it sounds a little thrilling, in fact, this is a common thing during the flood season of the Yellow River.

The water receded slightly, and Fu Zhiyuan and Lin Yanchao inspected the river works on the embankment.

The prefect inspected, what a big deal.

But Fu Zhiyuan didn't say much, Lin Yanchao led him throughout the whole process, to see how the civil service river workers on the embankment repaired the embankment, and instructed the officials on the embankment to say some words, and then went to the embankment shed to see if the porridge and rice provided by the state and county were thoughtful.

Fu Zhiyuan also knows how to be proportionate, after all, he is Lin Yanchao's official who is directly in charge of the river, and he gave Lin Yanchao enough respect in this, and did not go beyond him to point fingers at the river work, and expressed to the officials the attitude that I completely entrust the river work to Sima.

So Fu Zhiyuan just listened carefully, and then said a few words of encouragement to the accompanying officials.

After inspecting it, Fu Zhiyuan and Lin Yanchao came to the grass hut under the embankment.

The magistrate of Shangqiu County immediately ordered someone to bring lunch to the two, and Fu Zhiyuan couldn't help frowning when he saw the six dishes and two soups. But he didn't refuse, but the magistrate of Shangqiu County said: "Send this table of banquet to the Huangfujing on the embankment, they were busy on the embankment all night last night, and now they don't have a mouthful of hot rice to eat, Lin Sima and I don't come here to take a look, how can we eat such a good meal?" ”

The magistrate of Shangqiu County asked with a worried face: "Nafutai, Sima always wants to eat!" ”

Fu Zhiyuan said: "We will eat whatever the civil servants on the embankment eat?" ”

The magistrate of Shangqiu County did not dare to slack off and sent it immediately.

It's very simple in the hut.

Fu Zhiyuan is forty or fifty years old, and he and Lin Yanchao are sitting on the wooden table and eating flatbread.

After this flatbread has been left for a long time, it is inevitable that it will be a little hard, so the two of them will take the noodle soup, pick up the flatbread and dip it in the noodle soup to eat.

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but think to himself, if there were newspapers, this scene could be filmed and used for good publicity, but unfortunately the prefect Fu didn't have this idea, and he didn't have the intention of putting on a show for the people at all.

The two of them ate some of them, and Fu Zhiyuan asked Lin Yanchao about the river work, and after instructing a few words that were not too cautious, he suddenly changed the conversation, mentioning the imperial court's intention to attribute half of Henan's salt politics to King Lu, and asked Lin Yanchao's opinion.

When Lin Yanchao heard about King Lu, he was very cautious and said sloppily: "The lower officials only know about the river work, and they don't know much about the affairs of Yanzheng, so they also ask the government to show them." ”

Fu Zhiyuan thought that Lin Yanchao really didn't understand, so he said: "The old man has served as the prefect of three places, and he knows a lot about the disadvantages of the salt administration of the national dynasty. At first glance, it seems that the people of Guide will have Changlu salt to eat from now on, so they don't have to buy private salt or expensive and bitter Hedong salt, which seems to be beneficial to the people, but it is not good for the government. ”

Lin Yanchao continued to pretend to be confused and asked, "Please also ask Futai to be more clear." ”

Fu Zhiyuan thought that Lin Yanchao still didn't understand, and said very patiently: "Lin Sima also knows that the trouble of salt merchants lies in guarding their support. In the past, the imperial court never gave the full amount of salt to the prefectures and counties, and the merchants had complained about the long time they had been guarding. If the salt administration of half of the province is in one place, then it is difficult to say who will support first and who will support later. ”

"As far as the government is concerned, the salt merchants can withdraw from the salt warehouse in the government without holding the salt quote, so there will be less income from the salt tax, and the court will lose this tax."

Lin Yanchao said with a sudden look: "The lower official understands, I don't know if the government and the lower official said this, what do you have to tell the lower official?" ”

Fu Zhiyuan nodded and said: "Yes, this official thinks this matter is inappropriate, and the official plans to report this matter to the feudal department and report it to the imperial court, so he wants to ask Sima for a while." ”

Lin Yanchao asked: "Does the government plan to continue to use the salt solution for the people of the house?" ”

"Xia Guan thought that the salt was in Shanxi, and the provinces in Shaanxi could do it, but it was too far to Henan. Moreover, the salt solution is the salt of the sky, and the amount of age was insufficient in the past, and now the imperial court cannot even withdraw the salt of the two Huai on time, let alone the salt? ”

The so-called heavenly salt is to rely on the sky to eat, sea salt can be obtained by thinking that it is boiled and cooked, but the salt solution is to artificially carve out the ground, divert water to irrigate it, and wait for the south wind to rise, before it forms particles.

If there is no southerly wind, then there is often a situation where the salt is not enough for the government to send to the salt land for distribution.

Fu Zhiyuan said with a smile: "Otherwise, the people of this mansion have been suffering for a long time, but Lu Yan has to look at King Lu's face." Therefore, the official plans not to do both, and directly invite the imperial court, and ask the Shandong Qing Officials Division of the Ministry of Households, and attribute the salt administration of the government to Shandong or Lianghuai. What do you think? ”

Lin Yanchao was overjoyed when he heard this: "Shandong and this province are only separated by a river, if it is Shandong, it is the best." ”

Fu Zhiyuan nodded and said: "Yes, but Huai salt is also good, Huai salt production ranks one-third of the world, and Nanzhili, Jiangxi, Huguang, Henan, Runing, Nanyang are all places of Huai salt, and the two Huai salt merchants are all all over the world, and business and trade will never make the people suffer from salt shortage." ”

When Lin Yanchao heard this, he admired Zhiyuan's five-body throw.

This is a good official!

On the issue of salt administration, it can be seen that if you continue to use Hedong salt, the people will continue to suffer, but if you use Changlu salt, then there will be no salt class in the house, and the government will have a tax less, and it will be cheaper for King Lu.

Therefore, Fu Zhiyuan thought that instead of the people suffering and cheapening the king of Lu, it would be better to simply return the salt government of the province to Shandong, and the two Huai would be better.

Fu Zhiyuan said: "King Lu wants to attribute Changlu salt to Yihedian. Kaifeng Mansion and Huaiqing Mansion are also extremely disapproving. In the past few days, the official has sent a letter to the two prefects, intending to jointly report to the feudal division with the government. ”

"So this government wants to ask Lin Sima to go to Kaifeng for this mansion, and explain this matter in detail to Futai and Fantai, and this government is here."

Lin Yanchao said at the moment: "The government orders, and the lower officials should obey the orders, but it is now the flood season, and the lower officials can't let go of the river work." ”

Fu Zhiyuan nodded and said, "You can't take care of this matter, you might as well wait until after the flood season is over." ”

Lin Yanchao was relieved, and then promised Fu Zhiyuan.

In fact, this year's river flood is far less rapid than last year, and the river embankment is generally in danger, but Lin Yanchao is still the most important thing about the river work, as for Yan Zheng is not in his share, he should help Fu Zhiyuan, of course, if he can disgust King Lu, it is also good.