The tea method is mainly related to the northwest, because Shaanxi has a salt pond in Jiezhou, and the regulating role of official salt is limited, and tea is mainly used to attract northwest merchants to transport grain and grass. It is precisely because of the importance of the relationship that since the late Zhenzong Dynasty, the tea law has been changed repeatedly.

The core of this is the distribution of profits between the government and the tea merchants. Whenever the border was tense and there was an urgent need for grain and grass, the distribution of tea profits was tilted in favor of merchants, and sometimes the government even did a loss-making business. For monopoly products, it can make the government lose money, which shows how powerful the disadvantages are. Therefore, as soon as the border was peaceful, he immediately changed the tea law and took back the profits that had been stolen by the merchants.

When the profits of businessmen are less, there are many people who do not do this business, and the grain and grass in the northwest are tight, and then the law is changed to distribute profits to merchants. If the businessman makes too much profit, he changes the law and takes back some of the profits.

In the past few decades, the tea law has been tossed like this, tossing and turning small businessmen bankrupt and tea farmers gathering for theft.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, the tea law has changed twice in the Tiansheng year.

First of all, in the first year of Tiansheng, Zhang Shixun, the deputy privy envoy, and Lu Yijian, the governor of the council, presided over the three divisions, and Li Shi was specifically implemented, abolishing the original tea law practiced by Lin Te, and changing it to the cash law. In the third year of Tiansheng, the cash money law showed drawbacks, and Sun Zheng and Xia Zhu, the Hanlin scholars, were responsible for abolishing the cash money law and re-implementing the three sayings.

By now, the three statements have been full of drawbacks, and it is time to change them. Moreover, the people who were punished for implementing the cash law have now become those in power, Lu Yijian and Zhang Shixun are the prime ministers of the dynasty, and Li Shi has also entered the Privy Council as the deputy privy envoy, so they have to be changed.

The reform of the tea law has involved businessmen in the capital and local areas in the people, and many ministers in the court.

What's more, whether it is the three laws and the cash law, Xu Ping wants to abolish them together, which will offend everyone in the court. When he was not fully sure, Xu Ping really didn't want to take this risk.

As an official for the eunuch, Xu Ping originally wanted to have an identity, and with status, he lived a comfortable life. If you really want to offend the ministers in power and make yourself the target of public criticism, Xu Ping doesn't want to do this kind of thing unless it is absolutely necessary.

After chatting a few more words, Li Zhi saw that Xu Ping was just casually perfunctory and didn't want to say anything specific, so he had to get up and walk away. One is not to talk about official affairs today, and the other is a member of the Privy Council, so it is not right to inquire about irrelevant political affairs with all his heart.

This time, the banquet was drunk until it was slightly dark, and then the end was announced.

Somehow, Xu Ping felt physically and mentally exhausted to participate in this kind of occasion, and it was not easy at all. Hearing the waiter announce the end of the banquet, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stood up.

Just as he was about to leave with the crowd, the chamberlain beside the emperor hurriedly came to Xu Ping's side and whispered: "Marquis Yongning, wait a minute, the official family has something to say to you." ”

Xu Ping listened, so he had to follow the waiter to Zhao Zhen again.

After seeing the ceremony, Zhao Zhen said to Xu Ping: "You offer these pots of peonies, the Queen Mother likes it very much, and she comes to see it several times a day." But you are young now, and your official position is high, and you cannot be promoted. I wanted to reward you with some gold and silver, but the city of Kaifeng said that the Yongning Hou family was rich and unparalleled, and the silver money that could not be spent could not be taken out in the palace. ”

When Xu Ping heard this, he had no choice but to give up: "Don't hide it from Your Majesty, when Weichen was in Zhongmu Pastoral Garden, he accidentally discovered the method of making white sugar from brown sugar, and he did save some money." Li Shumi was the third envoy at that time, and he collected the sugar into the official camp, and the price was also fair, and he gave Weichen a lot of idle land to the former Chunze Prison. After these years of careful management, there is also output in the field, there are more cattle and sheep in the village, and there is a lot of money from selling, which is indeed more than the average official's hand. ”

Zhao Zhen laughed when he heard this: "You don't have to be so careful, the palace will not borrow money from your family." By the way, I heard that you have set up a new mansion in Wanshengmen, have you completed it? ”

"Your Majesty, it has just been completed, and I am about to take advantage of the New Year's Festival to invite some colleagues, relatives and friends to celebrate."

Zhao Zhen listened with interest: "Okay, that's right." When the day after tomorrow, there is no major event in the left and right palaces, and I will go with a group of close ministers to congratulate him, how about it? ”

Xu Ping hurriedly thanked him, but secretly complained in his heart.

If the emperor is coming, can you let him come? Not to mention that it is a supreme honor for the courtiers. The reception of the emperor is different from the reception of ordinary people, whether it is food, walking on the ground, or looking at the wall, it cannot be sloppy at all.

Xu Ping's family is rich, but he himself is thrifty compared to people of this era, Lin Suniang is strict and strict in keeping the house, and there are not many things that can be put on a show at home. In order to receive the emperor, you have to dress up your home again.

Since Zhenzong, the emperor has rarely visited the homes of his ministers, and once he goes out, he is not as casual as before. When Taizu was in the mood, he might go to the house of an old subordinate, and even went to Zhao Pu's house on a snowy night, and Zhao Pu's wife made some soup cakes casually, and the two happily ate and passed. Where is it okay now?

Where did Zhao Zhen think that Xu Ping was thinking about this, and said in his mouth: "You only need to prepare a few people's wine and food at home, and the rest of the utensils will be sent to the house by the palace people." There won't be many people going, it's just a scholar from Beijing University and a few Hanlin ministers. ”

Xu Ping agreed, and seeing that Zhao Zhen already had a sense of drinking, he thanked him and retired.

Out of the palace, halfway through, Xu Ping turned to Li Zhang's house first.

The emperor came to be a guest, and other escorts could not be invited, but Li Yonghe and his family could not be invited. Relying only on his political achievements and military exploits in Yongzhou, Xu Pingguan can be a big man, but he can make the emperor regard himself as a close minister and his own person, and he also depends on Li Yonghe's face.

Li Zhang has also taken a vacation, and is making fun of his son Heihu with Ying'er in the yard.

Xu Ping is not an outsider, because Li Zhang had an order before, and the servant did not need to report it, so he took it directly into Li Zhang's courtyard.

After hearing Xu Ping's words, Ying'er on the side exclaimed: "Alas, we are here at the emperor's uncle's house, and we haven't been to the door once for so long!" And what a glorious thing it is to come to your house! ”

Li Zhang glared at Ying'er: "What a great contribution my brother has made in Yongzhou, how can it be compared!" The emperor's exit from the palace is not an ordinary thing, where to walk around casually like ordinary people to see relatives! Don't talk nonsense! ”

Xu Ping smiled bitterly: "Don't say it, I've always been used to it casually at home, the emperor is coming, and I don't know where to start it." Anyway, Uncle Li Shi hasn't come back yet, so in the past two days, your family will live with me first and help the staff staff on how to arrange the house. Since the new mansion was built, you haven't gone to live for a long time! ”

Li Zhang looked at Ying'er, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go clean up now, and we'll go together in a while." However, although I am on an errand in the palace, the rules of the palace are not very clear, so it is better to call the chief of the stone pavilion to work with me. (To be continued.) )