The monopoly of tea, salt and wine in the Song Dynasty was sub-regional, and cross-border sales were not allowed, and the punishment for violators was extremely heavy. The system of each region is not the same, and the area where the Huainan tea merchants are located is also called the southeast tea area, which occupies a special position in the monopoly of tea in the Song Dynasty. Because the tea here is the tea that supports Shaanxi along the border into the middle, which directly affects the stability of the border.

In the first year of Tiansheng, Li Shi reformed the tea law, and at the same time implemented the sticking method in Huainan, also known as the trade law, which was simply changed from the previous official sales to commercial sales, and the government only collected fixed profits.

The biggest advantage of the sticker method is that it makes the tea trade flexible, because the government is no longer directly involved in the business activities of tea, the old tea that used to be piled up in the officialdom has disappeared, and the drawbacks of forcibly apportioning aged tea to merchants have disappeared. Merchants should consider the market, and the tea leaves that were previously of poor quality will begin to be graded, and good tea can be sold at a good price, and the farmers who grow tea can also get benefits. The government saves the trouble of direct management and has a regular income.

After such a tea law reform, the whole society has obtained two main benefits. First, in the past, due to the extremely serious backlog of official dereliction of duty, a large amount of tea was scrapped in the process of transshipment and in the warehouse. Of course, the government will not boast about it, and will forcibly suppress this part of the loss to the tea merchants, so that the tea merchants are full of complaints. After the change, this part of the loss was reduced, and it was considered an extra wealth out of thin air. Another is that tea merchants want to compete for the market, and good tea will have a good price, forcing farmers to improve management and technology.

Of course, there are also negative effects, capital is a monster chasing profits, and once the reins are loosened, they will devour everything. With the enactment of the trade law, the growth of the tea merchants' profits slowed down over time, and their ideas were moved on to other aspects. For example, they joined forces to raise the price of tea, such as jointly lowering the purchase price of tea, and finally came to jointly make false accounts and embezzle the government's fixed income. So in the third year of the Heavenly Sage, the sticking method was abolished along with the restoration of the old tea law.

The reason why the Huainan tea merchants were so active was that as soon as they heard that the tea law was going to be changed, they couldn't wait to come to the capital to read the book, so they had the idea of sticking the method again, which was the most beneficial system for them.

When Xu Ping studied the tea method, he was really familiar with the changes in the Huainan tea method. In his previous life, this kind of reform was in full swing, and from theory to practice, it was not comparable to the officials of this era.

The so-called sticking method and trade law are nothing more than the government's mismanagement, resulting in losses or low profits, so the management and operation are pushed to private capital. In Xu Ping's previous life, there are not too many stories like this, and it has always been regarded as advanced experience, of course, in fact, there are good and bad results, it just depends on what angle you comment on.

History is so interesting, when later generations happily think that they have discovered a new world, and when they look back, they are actually just completing a historical cycle, and they are still walking in the steps of their predecessors.

Nie Guanqing took the book handed over by the tea merchant, read it from the beginning, and was silent.

The format of this letter is decent, there is nothing out of the ordinary, and it is not explained in advance, and it will be mistaken for an official document written by a bureaucrat for many years. There is nothing strange about this, Peng Yuanwai is a person of Taishi Liu, these old officials, who are more experienced in writing these words than the two ministers, how can they find fault?

The content of the book is nothing more than a list of the many inconveniences after the abolition of the sticking method in recent years, the unprofitable tea merchants, and the poor life of the gardeners. After the disaster, I recalled the benefits of the previous practice of sticking the shooting method, and it was simply joyful up and down, and the whole country rejoiced. The final summary is a sentence, for the peace of the world, for the peace of the country and the people, the southeast tea area rushed to resume the sticking method.

After thinking for a while, Nie Guanqing raised his head and asked, "Before you came to the capital, did you write a book in the local area?" ”

The tea merchant who was pushed out said in a low voice: "We, the merchants, deal with the government every day, and what is said in the book is said thousands of times to the officials who come into contact. They said that this is not something that can be managed locally, so let's come to the capital. ”

Peng Yuanwai squeezed into the crowd and said loudly: "Changing the tea law is a major policy of the imperial court, what's the use of telling the locality?" Moreover, we, the tea merchants, also want to enter the capital to receive the introduction, and if we want to go to the book, we will naturally come to the imperial court! ”

As soon as the words fell, the surrounding tea merchants nodded yes.

Nie Guanqing said: "What you said is also reasonable, I will accept this book." However, it is not a matter of a day or two to have a reply, you can go home and sit and wait, leaving only one or two people in the capital to wait for news. ”

The tea merchants hurriedly thanked them together, and pushed out the people who stood in front: "As long as Shangguan accepts the books we are waiting for, it is a great kindness." Today, the Son of Heaven is aware of the people's suffering, and he will certainly not take it lightly, and we will leave people in Beijing to wait for news. ”

Nie Guanqing asked the tea merchant below about his hometown and name, wrote them one by one, and let everyone leave. I personally sealed the book, found an honest and reliable official, and sent it to the Tongjin Division.

A group of tea merchants came out of the Dengwen Drum Courtyard, and Peng Yuanwai said happily: "This is done, as long as the book is sent, the tea law will inevitably be changed soon." All the ministers in the court are going to change the tea law, and there is this from the head, which is to send a pillow when you are sleepy! ”

The surrounding tea merchants bowed their hands to Peng Yuanwai: "Thank you Peng Yuanwai for your help, otherwise how would we, the outsiders, know this road?" If it's still early today, it's better to go to the Changqing Building near Xiangguo Temple to have a banquet. ”

"It's hard to be gracious, and if you say so, you'll be bothered below."

Peng Yuanwai said, a flower bloomed with a smile on his face, and he walked towards the Daxiangguo Temple with everyone.

The change of the tea law, the tea introduction will inevitably change, and even the salt introduction with Shaanxi salt solution may change, as long as the information is well-informed, this is the time to make a fortune. If you can grasp this opportunity, several related cross-introduction shops will be able to earn hundreds of thousands of yuan.

As the hero of this incident, Peng Yuanwai will inevitably get a big gift, how can he not be happy in his heart.

Shi Zhongli was sitting in the yamen of the leading department, and the official on duty took the pleadings sent by Nie Guanqing, and hurriedly came in to salute and report: "Shangguan, the Drum Courtyard has sent the pleadings. ”

Shi Zhongli listened and frowned: "The Taiwan counselors have just stopped for two days, why is there a disturbance in the Drum Courtyard again?" Show me! What a great thing, I have to go to the drum courtyard to study! ”

The official handed over the pleadings, Shi Zhongli took it, took it in his hand and looked at it carefully, and saw that the fief was in accordance with the regulations, so he opened it.

The first thing to check is the format of the pleadings sent here, and if the format does not match, it will be sent back directly, and there is no need to read it.

After reading the pleadings, Shi Zhongli said: "Where does this look like a pleadings written by a tea merchant, they are the handwriting of many years of old officials!" Could it be that these tea merchants have found an old official to ghostwrite? It's not easy! ”

As for the reform of the tea law, Shi Zhongli has no interest. This tea method has been changed back and forth, Shi Zhongli has seen it many times, and there is no reliable one.

From the perspective of self-interest, those who are now rushing to change the tea law in the court, except for the privy deputy envoy Li Shi, are all people in the Chinese book, especially the prime ministers Lu Yijian and Zhang Shixun. Shi Zhongli is the cousin of Zhao Changyan in the imperial history of Zhenzong, and Wang Dan is Zhao Changyan's son-in-law. As the person promoted by Wang Dan, Lu Yijian did not help Wang Su, which made Shi Zhongli look at him very unpleasantly. (To be continued.) )