Zhong Huan smiled slightly and said: "We have already considered ferrying. During this period, our people pretended to be Jiang vegetable farmers and took the ferry every day, but there was no sign of transporting illegal salt. In fact, there were fishing boats. My men
He also pretended to be a fisherman and went into the river to fish, but he didn’t find any fishing boats transporting salt.”
"But General Souchong ignored an important factor!"
Yang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said: "General Xiao Zhong is stationed in Yuezhou. They dare not act rashly, especially when you are sweeping across the salt dealers in the south. So many officials have fallen into trouble. How could they not be careful during this time."
Zhong Huan nodded, "General Yang is right. It seems that we have to leave Yuezhou for a while."
"General Souchong can take his men to Jiangling!"
Zhong Huan shook his head, "It's one thing to go to Jiangling, but if you want to go to Bashu!"
Yang Yuanqing left, and soon Deng Jinshan brought three old fishermen to Zhong Huan's official room. The three old fishermen knelt down and saluted, and Zhong Huan quickly asked the three of them to get up.
"I know that the sons of the three of you are in the Western Army. We are all one family. I invite you here this time to ask for your help."
"No matter what the general says, we will do our best!"
Zhong Huan said in a gentle tone: "I won't hide it from you. I came to Jinghu South Road to destroy illegal salt on the orders of His Highness King Yong. However, the salt dealers are very cunning. We are here and they will not show up. As long as we leave,
They’re the ones who show up to trade, you know what I mean?”
The three of them nodded together, "We understand!"
"So I ask you to help me monitor the official ship, day and night, to see how many times they cross the river a day and night? It is best to monitor its waterline to see if it has a deep draft when coming from the north."
"Are you just monitoring Yuezhou?"
Zhong Huan nodded, "Yes! Just monitor Yuezhou."
Zhong Huan has discovered that Yuezhou sells the largest amount of illegal salt. This shows that Yuezhou is a general distribution center. The illegal salt first arrives in Yuezhou and then is transported to the states along the lake through Dongting Lake. Keep an eye on Yuezhou and you can find clues.
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"We understand and we will do our best!"
"When the work is completed, I will give you a heavy reward, and I will never reveal that you are working for me."
All three agreed, and Zhong Huan would leave three astute soldiers to guide them.
After the three old fishermen left, Zhong Huan called over a dozen soldiers. These dozen soldiers stayed to monitor the ferry and make all arrangements.
Early the next morning, Zhong Huan found Cheng Guangya, the magistrate of Baling County, and said to him with a smile: "We have received a new mission and are going back to Bashu. Thanks to Magistrate Cheng's assistance, I eradicated the salt lord Zhang Tai and there are so many big salts."
Dealer, I will definitely put in a good word for Magistrate Cheng in my work report."
Cheng Guangya was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly: "I wonder when General Zhong will leave?"
"Preparing to leave today, all our accounts have been settled, and the remaining grain and grass can be transported back to Magistrate Cheng."
"I understand my humble position, so I wish the general a happy journey."
"Thank you very much!"
Cheng Guangya then left and returned to the county seat. Cheng Guangya still came to the government office. Cheng Guangya actually knew everything, but he had adopted the three no principles: no participation, no leaking of secrets, and no offence. Naturally, he would not say anything to Zhong Huan.
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Yuezhou Governor Wang Kuang narrowed his eyes after listening to Cheng Guangya's report, thanked him a few words, sent Cheng Guangya away, and then called for Sima Hugong.
If Zhong Huan had carefully investigated the background of Hu Gong, he would have avoided many detours. Hu Gong was from Zhang Jun's hometown and was related to Zhang Jun. His appointment as Yuezhou Sima was recommended by Zhang Jun when he suppressed Liu Guangshi's rebellion.
As soon as Hu Gong entered the door, Wang Kuang asked: "The inner guard is leaving, did you know?"
Hu Gong shook his head repeatedly, "I don't know how humble my position is, but it's a good thing they left!"
"Hmph! What if they are playing hard to get?"
"Probably not! He may not know the situation in Yuezhou. He may think that the suppression of salt lord Zhang Tai will be the end. Didn't the Supervision Department take away all the prisoners? It's time for him to end it now!"
"That's what you take for granted. I have been observing this person. Although he is young, he is very experienced in dealing with things. He lets his deputies do the killing and offending things without him coming forward. It is normal for such a person to use hard-to-get tactics.
"
"Governor, I haven't received any goods for two months. Zhang Shuai has sent people to look for me three times. I'm very stressed about this humble position!"
"I understand, it depends on the situation! I will send people to keep an eye on him. If he really goes to Bashu, we can buy some goods appropriately, but we must hide it. Not during the day, only at night."
"Governor, if you can't do it at night, it's easy to be detected by patrols. They can't distinguish the official ships at night, and the official ships sail at night. It's very strange, and it will make people suspicious. We Yuezhou has a large area of jurisdiction on the north bank of the Yangtze River. We cross the river to send people there.
The official salt is normal, and the patrol boats never ask about it."
"I understand, let your men hold the official salt guide, so that everything will be safe."
At dusk, Zhong Huan's team boarded the boat and left. Wang Kuang, who had never shown his face, appeared in the farewell team for the first time. However, he still did not really show up. Instead, he sat in the carriage and watched the team board the boat and depart from a distance.
Each soldier carried large and small bags of local specialties, and they looked like they would never come back. However, Wang Kuang was still worried and sent two people on a passenger ship to follow the other side's fleet at a distance.
Five days passed, and Wang Kuang received the news that Zhong Huan's fleet had passed Yiling.
He felt relieved a little and ordered Hu Gong to start purchasing goods.
That afternoon, a scholar and two attendants walked off the Junshan ferry with two attendants carrying book boxes. The scholar was Zhong Huan who had dressed up in disguise. He had a similar figure, but his appearance was completely different. His skin had turned white, and his eyebrows had also changed.
No, the face shape is also different. Wearing a prince's turban and holding a folding fan, he is a handsome scholar, which is completely different from the commander of the inner guard wearing armor.
Of course, this is Zhong Huan’s true face. He was born as a Jinshi!
Zhong Huan came to the beautiful Junshan Island to study and lived in Junshan Town. Many scholars would come to Junshan to study and prepare to participate in the imperial examination next spring. By the way, they would pay homage to the Xiangfei Temple.
Zhong Huan's men have rushed to Junshan Island from all directions, including a hundred water ghost scouts who disembarked halfway, as well as more than 40 internal guard soldiers brought by Qin Kuangming from Changsha, and Zhong Huan stayed in Baling County to conduct
The more than 20 internal guards under surveillance, totaling 160 people, and ten thousand-stone warships supported by Yang Yuanqing, have entered Dongting Lake from Huarong County.
At night, his men came with an old fisherman and reported to Zhong Huan: "We found that the official ships of Yuezhou Prefecture suddenly crossed the river very frequently from the day before yesterday. They used to only cross the river once or twice a day, but now
It takes five or six times a day, and the boat draft is very deep when we come back."
"What about at night?" Zhong Huan asked again.
"There are no official ships at night!"
Zhong Huan nodded and asked another internal guard soldier, "Has the price of private salt dropped in the market now?"
"Reporting to the commander, the price of private salt has dropped today and has returned to fifty cents per catty."
The private salt market is very sensitive. It can be said that its price is a weather vane. Zhonghuan previously cracked down on private salt in Tanzhou, but his army was stationed in Baling. As a result, private salt from the north did not dare to go south, and the inventory was insufficient. Private salt in the Yuezhou market
The price immediately rose, from fifty to sixty cents per kilogram. Now the price has dropped again, indicating that the supply of private salt has resumed. This confirms from one side that the fishermen noticed something abnormal on the official ship, and they should be transporting private salt.
"How many official ships are there and how big are they?"
"There's only one ship, about five hundred stones."
The official ship is actually a passenger ship. It can't transport many things, at most one hundred rocks of rock salt, one hundred bags, five to six hundred rocks a day, and nearly two thousand rocks in three days. The price of salt on the market should really come down.
Zhong Huan asked Qin Kuang Mingming on the side: "Where did the official ship carry the salt from? Have you discovered it?"
Qin Kuangming nodded, "There are more than twenty warehouses at Jiangbei Wharf, five of which are very suspicious."
"How big is the warehouse?" Zhong Huan asked.
"The warehouse is medium, three thousand stone warehouse!"
There are at least more than 10,000 rock salts in the warehouse. Attacking this warehouse is enough to scare Zhang Jun.
Zhong Huan immediately ordered: "Move the warships to Junshan immediately. We will enter the Yangtze River overnight and deal with these bastards tomorrow!"
