Chapter 150

Jin Ling, Fule Fang, in that inconspicuous three-entry courtyard.

The warm afternoon sun shone into the study. The antiques and jade on the display shelf reflected a moist light. The copper tripod on the desk burned expensive goose pear incense, which was refreshing.

The middle-aged man with a dignified bearing sat upright behind the desk, savoring a cup of freshly brewed fragrant tea, and a young man stood respectfully below.

"Master, our informant in the yamen reported that yesterday Jia Cong and Yang Hongbin, an advisor of the Dali Temple, escorted several prisoners into the Ying Tian Prefecture prison, and they were all hooded, making it difficult to distinguish their faces.

Not long after, the Ying Tian Prefecture prison strengthened its guard, strictly forbidding entry and exit, and Prince Ning also sent a large number of personal guards to guard the prison. Our people couldn't find out the news inside, and the situation was very strange.

Early this morning, our scouts near Prince Ning's temporary residence found that Jia Cong took two of Prince Ning's personal guards and left the city from Zhaoyang Gate, not knowing where they went."

The middle-aged man frowned, put down the teacup, walked back and forth in the room, and asked, "Where did they arrange those ronin?"

The young man replied, "Great Mercy Temple construction site on Qixia Mountain."

"Recently, Prince Ning seems to have opened his mind and suddenly found Zhou Suqing, forcing us to get rid of Wang En. Now he doesn't know who he has caught, and he guards the yamen prison so strictly.

This action is getting bigger and bigger, and we must guard against it. Keep an eye on the movements of the Water Supervision Department. As long as there is a suitable ship, let them send the Eastern Japanese out to sea to avoid the limelight."

In order to strengthen local salt administration and protect the source of tax revenue, the court turned the Salt Administration Censor into a fixed position, sitting in the local area to preside over salt administration.

Yangzhou, with ten miles of prosperity, is rich in goods and people, and the market is full of pearls and jade. Its wealth and prosperity are no less than Jin Ling.

Therefore, the Salt Administration Censor of Lianghuai has a transcendent status in the local officialdom. To say that he has a high position and great power is not an exaggeration at all.

At the beginning of the founding of the dynasty, the Salt Administration Censor of Lianghuai was initially a temporary dispatch, a flowing official system.

But regardless of the size of the rank, the power in his hands is the same.

……

Lin Ruhai, the Salt Administration Censor of Lianghuai, was once a top scholar who shook the world. He has served as the Salt Administration Censor of Lianghuai for many years and has a high reputation in the officialdom of Lianghuai.

Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Changlu, and other places each set up a Salt Administration Censor to be responsible for salt tax collection, supervision of salt merchant monopoly, investigation of private salt trafficking, and management of salt administration officials.

And the act of trafficking private salt is becoming more and more rampant. The profit of private salt trafficking is extremely high. For the sake of huge profits, private salt traffickers often risk danger, and things like killing officials and rebelling happen from time to time.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou, Yangzhou has become the place for the monopoly of salt in Lianghuai and the hub of north-south trade. Salt tax revenue is almost equal to grain tax.

And after being transferred to the Salt Administration Censor, they still follow the original rank, so historically, the Salt Administration Censors in various places have both middle officials with Grade 5 titles and high-ranking officials with Grade 2 titles.

"Also, I heard that Jingxuan's wife and daughter went to Gusu to visit relatives. When necessary, send someone to take care of them..."

By the Hongxuan period of the Great Zhou, with the development of salt affairs in Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Changlu, and other major salt-producing areas, salt tax revenue became heavier, accounting for almost 30% to 20% of the national tax revenue.

The Great Zhou's Salt Administration Censor, although having the name of Censor, is not selected solely from the Censorate, but can be selected from those with outstanding performance in the Six Ministries.

Yangzhou, since King Fuchai of Wu built the city in the Spring and Autumn period, has been more than two thousand years ago.

The Lianghuai area is the number one important site for salt affairs in the world, and the Lianghuai salt tax is an essential source of tax revenue for the Great Zhou.

The reason why Prince Ning sent Jia Cong to see Lin Ruhai is because Lin Ruhai is his uncle-in-law.

Since the interrogation in the Ying Tian Prefecture prison revealed the ins and outs, it involved a wide range of things. The Jin Ling garrison, the Water Supervision Department, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were all unclear.

There are hidden crises in Jin Ling City. If the people behind the scenes know who is being held in the Ying Tian Prefecture prison, they might take risks. With Prince Ning's one hundred personal guards, what can they do?

Jia Cong knew the severity of this and didn't dare to be slow on the road. He set off early in the morning without stopping.

Until the night was deep, holding the Imperial Edict and Prince Ning's token, he called open the city gate and rushed into Yangzhou City with two personal guards.

……

Yamen of the Salt Administration of Lianghuai.

Although it was late at night, the study in the back yamen was brightly lit, and Lin Ruhai was still reviewing the official documents accumulated in the past two days.

At this time, a servant reported that Jia Cong, the eldest son of the Rongguo Prefecture in the Divine Capital, requested to see him.

Lin Ruhai was shocked when he heard it. Why is it him? Why would he visit suddenly at this hour?

In the past few years, his daughter's letters often mentioned this cousin of hers, saying that he was good at poetry and books, superior to ordinary people, and even more intelligent and gentle, being the most outstanding disciple of the Jia family.

His daughter has been spiritual and intelligent since childhood, full of poetry and literature, and has always been high-minded and indifferent to the world. It is rare to see her speak well of a person like this.

The son born with jade in the mouth under the second brother-in-law Cunzhou is named Baoyu. I heard that he is also very outstanding, but my daughter never mentioned him in her letters, let alone such praise.

A month ago, news came that this youth won the first place in the Yongzhou Academy Examination and was specially granted a Grade 8 official title by the Emperor. He is indeed outstanding. My daughter has some vision.

These days, I heard colleagues coming and going to Jin Ling mention that this relative of his, the younger generation, is now under imperial order, copying scriptures in the Great Mercy Temple in Jin Ling to pray for Empress Dowager Xianxiao.

Lin Ruhai has been in the officialdom for a long time and has seen many storms. He knew that Jia Cong came from Jin Ling and requested to see him late at night, so there must be something important. He hurriedly asked his family to invite him to the main hall to meet.

Before long, he saw a servant bring a youth in. Although his face was full of dust, his posture was jade-like, his aura was like an orchid, and his appearance was handsome and wise, which was unforgettable. He was indeed a rare talent.

He suddenly remembered those praises from his daughter. Just looking at this youth's appearance was already rare in the world.

Jia Cong had long heard of this top scholar who came from a family of five generations of marquises and was rare among noble disciples. Seeing that he was in his thirties, elegant and handsome, with a graceful demeanor, his appearance was very outstanding.

Thinking about it, it is normal. Otherwise, how could he give birth to a daughter as outstanding as Daiyu?

"Jia Cong has met Uncle Lin. I apologize for the late visit, please forgive me, Uncle."

Lin Ruhai laughed, "Is this Cong-ge'er? Yu'er often mentioned you, cousin, in her letters. I have long heard that Cong-ge'er is the most outstanding disciple of the Jia family. Indeed, he is extraordinary."

Jia Cong also laughed, "Lin Meimei is intelligent and spiritual, full of talent, and is also excellent among the sisters at home. A few years ago, Lin Meimei also copied a book of Uncle's reading notes and gave it to me.

It was of great help to Jia Cong's studies and exams. Although I haven't met Uncle Lin before, Uncle Lin really has the grace of paper and books to me."

Lin Ruhai laughed, "So there is such a reason. I haven't heard Yu'er mention it. Those notes were brought north by Yu'er. It's best that they can give Cong-ge'er some reference."

Jia Cong added, "This time Jia Cong visited late at night because he was ordered by Prince Ning to ask for help from Uncle regarding a major event in Jin Ling!"

Lin Ruhai heard Jia Cong change the topic suddenly, and his language was urgent. His face also became serious. He had long guessed that Jia Cong's late-night visit must be unusual, but he didn't know what major event he was talking about.

Jia Cong took out an imperial edict in a bright yellow scroll and a letter with wax seal from his bag.

Lin Ruhai stood up, slightly tidied his clothes, and browsed the imperial edict carefully. Suddenly his eyelids jumped, and his attention was focused on one sentence:

The Longtan Port case in Jin Ling involves doubts about various departments. Prince Ning is granted the power of emergency decision-making and can mobilize soldiers and civilians in Gusu and Yangzhou to fulfill important tasks.

Then he took the letter, checked the wax seal, and opened it. He browsed the letter carefully, and the expression on his face became more and more solemn.

(End of chapter)