Salt has been valued by various rulers in all dynasties, and salt tax was even the most important financial source of the Tang Dynasty.
Salt may be just a condiment today and its importance is not realized, but in the past, salt was the best preservative. Vegetables lasted for a season and would rot within a few days of eating, so pickles and bacon were the best preservatives. The most important food in ordinary people's homes, every household consumes a huge amount of salt.
Salt is not like grain and cloth. You can grow your own land and weave your own cloth. Salt must be purchased from outside. Therefore, the biggest expenditure of each household is basically salt. Adding taxes on salt becomes the best thing for the ruler. means of exploitation.
Therefore, we all feel that in history, land taxes and household taxes did not seem to be much, but they were always said to be heavy taxes. In fact, a big reason is that indirect taxes are too heavy.
Salt is equally important to Chen Qing. Their salt production area is in the salt pond of Jichuan County, but the output is not large. It is just enough for the current military and civilian use. However, as the population increases, the demand for salt will also increase greatly. He is also considering A new salt-producing area, so Feng Quan mentioned salt, and Chen Qing suddenly became energetic.
"What trouble are you having?"
"The Western Army has three large salt lakes in the south of the West Sea. Although these three salt lakes are not within the scope of Xining Prefecture, they are under the jurisdiction of Xining Prefecture and can be regarded as enclaves of Xining Prefecture. Since Ren Dejing came to power, the Tubo West Sea Department began to harass The three salt lakes were subject to a salt tax at first, and later a road tax. Since last summer, mining was not allowed. They said it was their land, so all the salt workers had to withdraw."
"what about now?"
"Spring has just begun, and I'm going to send someone to negotiate. I haven't set off yet, but I estimate that there is a high probability that it won't happen, or the price will be too high to accept!"
"The three salt lakes definitely belong to us. Didn't Ren Dejing sell them out?"
Feng Quan sighed, "We bought the three salt lakes fifty years ago, including the ten miles around the salt lakes and a salt road. They are all our property. No matter how much Ren Dejing tries to please the Western Sea Department, he will not dare to use the salt lakes to please him. , his army needs salt, but he did not dare to be tough on the Western Sea Department. He just compromised and tried his best to use money to please Clopas, which made Clopas and his son very arrogant."
Sure enough, it was the Xihai Department again. Chen Qing said calmly: "I will solve this matter!"
Chen Qing led several soldiers to a large tent. This tent was where Ren Dejing's second wife and young daughter lived. Ren Dejing's second wife was the daughter of Kelopa, the chief of the Xihai tribe. Chen Qing originally wanted to He got along well with Saikaibu, but now he has changed his mind.
Chen Qing has always believed that fists are the truth, and only hard fists can lead to dignity, especially for foreigners. Chen Qing is not Ren Dejing. He is known as a human devil. Since Geropa cannot be a human being, Chen Qing can use a knife. Come and teach him how to behave.
Ren Dejing's wife was boiling water when she saw Chen Qing coming in. She was so frightened that she hurriedly hugged her daughter and hid in the corner.
Chen Qing glanced at her and said, "Pack your things! I'll take you back today."
Although Chen Qing killed all the men in the Ren family, he was not unkind to his wife and daughter. He left a sum of money for each of them, enough to support them in their old age.
Ren Dejing's wife received five hundred taels of silver, which was considered a generous favor.
"Go back and tell your father that I will visit him when I have the chance."
After saying that, Chen Qing turned around and left.
The phrase "visit him when I have the opportunity" depends on the context. If Feng Quan said it, it means that he wants to deal with Globa.
But for Cleopas’s daughter, the meaning was different. It meant that she would bow down to see him. At least that’s how Cleopas’ daughter understood it. She would bring Chen Qing’s overtures to her father.
Chen Qing returned to his tent. At this time, Gao Ding brought in an official named Dong Liang, who was the director of salt affairs in Xining Prefecture. Feng Quan was going to send him to negotiate with the Xihai Department.
"Du Tong, he is here!"
Dong Liang hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted, "For this humble position, please see Jiedushi!"
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said, "Master Dong, please take a seat!"
Dong Liang sat down uneasily, and Chen Qing said calmly: "Feng Tongpan said that Director Dong knows the situation of the Tibetan people in the West Sea Department better and recommended you to me. I want to know the situation of the army in the West Sea Department."
"Reporting to the Jiedu Envoy, in fact, the biggest difference between the Hehuang Tubo and the Qingtang Tubo is that the Qingtang Tubo had a specialized army, while the Hehuang Tubo did not have a specialized army. It can be said that all their people are soldiers. The West Sea area is rich in dragon colts.
In fact, they are excellent Hequ horses, so the Tubo people are basically cavalry, and their equipment is much better than that of the Tubo people of several other tribes."
"Is it Ren Dejing who supports them?"
"Ren Dejing wants to establish a 10,000-strong Western Navy, all using the equipment of the Qi Army, but he just had this idea and has not yet started to implement it.
The equipment of the Tubo people in the West Sea was actually supported by Xixia. They were all equipment eliminated by the Xixia people, including leather armor, leather helmets, leather shields, spears, and short swords. As far as I know, there are almost 10,000 sets, so Globa always felt that
I am very powerful and want to unify Hehuang and Tubo and rebuild the Qing and Tang dynasties."
"Where are the Tibetan bows and arrows?"
"Bows and arrows are very common. They can't be used. They only have a range of fifty steps."
Chen Qing asked in confusion: "I feel that the Xihai Department is not very good, so why does Ren Dejing please them so much?"
Dong Liang sneered and said: "When he was trying to please the Western Sea Department, he was still relatively weak. Later, he gradually got an army. He also wanted war horses and wanted to form a Western Navy. He always wanted something from the other party, and of course he had to please him!"
Chen Qing nodded slightly, "I want to go to Salt Lake and have a look. Director Dong, please show me the way!"
Kelopa was about fifty years old, not tall, but extremely strong. He had been the chief of the West Sea Department for nearly thirty years. At first, he was also a very simple Tubo man. He respected the Song Dynasty very much.
Hou also values him very much.
However, as he grew older, Clopas' character flaws became more and more serious, and he gradually became arrogant and arrogant. Especially after Jingkang, he no longer respected the Song Dynasty, but viewed it with extreme contempt.
He also despised the people of Song Dynasty, including his son-in-law Ren Dejing.
This time Chen Qing's attack on Ren Dejing ended too quickly. By the time he got the news, the war had already ended, and his son-in-law Ren Dejing was also publicly executed.
However, Chen Qing did not execute his daughter and granddaughter, but sent people to send them back, which was a bit beyond Globa's expectation.
"Is that what he said? Come visit me when you get a chance?"
The young Tibetan woman hugged her daughter and nodded gently.
Clopa snorted with disdain on his face: "You killed Ren Dejing before you thought of visiting me? I thought he was so capable, but in the end he had the same virtue as Ren Dejing, obediently lowering his head to see me!
"
The second son Zhu Dan said angrily: "Is it enough to kill someone and come here to apologize? Father, we have to make this Chen Qing pay the price. We want him to know that our Xihai Department is by no means a soft persimmon. We can just apologize and be dismissed."
Already."
The eldest son Luo Jiang also said: "Father, just take down those three salt farms completely as compensation for killing Ren Dejing!"
Clopas snorted, "The three salt fields are ours to begin with, so what kind of compensation is this?"
Just as he was talking, a Tubo man came running from outside and said: "Chief, the Han leader Chen Qing has gone to Salt Lake, and they have restarted work!"
Cleopas' eyes widened, he stood up and said angrily: "They dare to start work before I agree? How many troops do they have?"
"There are probably several hundred cavalry."
The eldest son Luo Jiang said: "Father, let me go and have a look!"
Clopas thought for a while and said: "Take a thousand people over and don't allow them to start work. If you need assistance, send someone to notify me immediately!"
"I see!"
The eldest son Luo Jiang hurried out, and the second son Zhudan jumped up and said: "Father, I'm going too!"
"What are you going to do! Go and mobilize all the young men to assemble. If a fight is needed, we will have a good fight with them!"
Clopas thought of Chen Qing's flattery towards him, and he despised this man from the bottom of his heart.