The beautiful Li River has a pleasant scenery. In the cabin of a large yellow ship (a ship transporting palace supplies), two civil servants and a warrior were talking and laughing.
"I'm so happy. You are the one sent by the Supervisory State to escort us two. It's almost dusk now. Do you think we should go ashore to rest, or sail all night to Wuzhou?" Cao Dengbang drove from the Liupin Palace to Zhongxian Colonel Zhao A happy joke.
Zhao Daxi lives up to his name, he looks very happy, and he is also a wonderful person: "Hey, Mr. Cao, I can't bear your humble position. Even if I chop off my head, I will not dare to listen to what you say. What do you say? Go, Beizi is following closely behind; if you say not to leave, Beizi will immediately pack up a place for you to live in. The imperial decree is for Beizi to serve the two adults well and run errands. Beizi has already regarded himself as two adults. He is a loyal dog, he will bite whomever the adults say he will bite, and he will bite him if he is a humble dog."
She Li, the seventh-grade Salt Patrol Censor, was delighted: "Old Zhao! You have a very greasy mouth! But Mr. Huang, I think we won't go ashore, and we'll go to Wuzhou overnight!"
Cao Dengbang said seriously: "I also have this intention, and we must clean up the salt affairs without delay!"
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Jingfan's salt class promotion department and the salt transfer envoy's department were both located in Wuzhou. The two offices were located in a large courtyard. On the left was the salt class promotion department, which was in charge of salt tax; on the right was the salt transfer envoy. Secretary, in charge of salt transportation.
Each of these two yamen originally had one doctor of the fifth rank, one wailang of the fifth rank, and one chief minister of the sixth rank. After Zhu Hengjia conspired to conquer Wuzhou, the doctors and the wailang of the fifth rank refused to rebel and escaped completely. The two bureaus only had There are two principals left: Song Erquan, the principal of the Salt Class Promotion Department, and Liu Yan, the principal of the Salt Envoy Department.
In the morning, Song and Liu were sitting and chatting. Suddenly, it was reported that the newly appointed salt class promotion director Liang Zhong and the salt envoy Si Langzhong Cao were on the list. The new salt inspection censor She Li arrived. The two were shocked. The speed of the court was too fast. It’s almost time! As soon as they said they wanted to rectify the salt affairs, they immediately sent two Shangguan officials. Before they had time to prepare, they had already arrived at the Yamen.
Cao Dengbang summoned the officials of the second division for a meeting. New officials always have to show their faces when they take office.
"Mr. Liu, is the salt channel still smooth recently? Is there a lot of damage?"
Liu Yan said respectfully: "Reporting to your lord, the salt from Zhaoqing is transported to Wuzhou via the Xijiang waterway, and the loss is relatively small, less than 23%; the salt from Lianzhou is transported to Wuzhou via the Lianjiang River, and the same is true for the Nanmaojiang waterway; the salt from Qiongzhou is transported to Lian via the sea first. Zhouzhou, then take the Lianjiang River and the Nanmaojiang River waterway to Wuzhou, the loss will be relatively large, 50%."
Cao Dengbang nodded. Although there are tricks, he is not too greedy. When the water is clear, there will be no fish. He asked Song Erquan again: "Mr. Song, how many salt fields does our company have? How much is the output?"
Song Erquan didn't even look at the account book, and opened his mouth to read the data: "Report to your lord. Our company currently has fourteen salt fields. Among them, two are in Lianzhou Prefecture: Baishi Salt Field, Shikang Salt Field; and six are in Zhaoqing Prefecture: Shuangen Salt Field, Ji Dong Saltworks, Hailing Saltworks, Jindou Saltworks, Xianshui Saltworks, Shangchuansi Saltworks; Six locations in Qiongzhou Prefecture: Dayingxie Chang, Sancun Maqing Chang, Bodunlanqing Chang, Linchuan Chang, Xin'an Chang, Chencunle Venue. The total annual output is 15 million catties."
Cao Dengbang secretly marveled that he was indeed an old salt worker and had all the data in his head.
"Take out all the account books, I want to check the accounts."
Cao Dengbang brought the money and food master and checked it for a long time. The account was clear and correct.
Song and Liu took a long breath, thinking that they had passed the test, and quickly invited Cao Dengbang, and She and Li had a feast. Things in the Ming Dynasty were difficult to say and easy to say. As long as they were on the wine table, everything would be fine.
Do.
"The two adults have come a long way to work hard, so we held a banquet at Cuiyun Tower to talk about our feelings."
"Yes, yes, Wuzhou Carp is famous all over the world. Please give it a try, adults."
Cao Dengbang's face sank: "Don't be in a hurry if you want to eat. I saw from the account that there are still three million kilograms of salt stored in the Wuzhou salt warehouse. Let's go to the salt warehouse and have a look."
Song and Liu were shocked, and quickly winked at the boy. As soon as the boy slipped to the door, he was stopped by Zhao Daxi's subordinates. When they arrived, Cao Dengbang had already given an order to Zhao Daxi, not to let anyone leave the yamen.
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The door of the Wuzhou salt warehouse was opened, and dozens of princes and lieutenants checked one by one. King Jingjiang had also been a big salt merchant in Guangxi, and the captains were well versed in things like counting salt.
Huang Qi, the ambassador of Jiupincang in Yancang, looked pale and looked at Song Erquan, Liu Yan and Song Liu for help. They looked at each other and had nothing to do.
The captains opened one bag and it was salt; they opened another bag and it was still salt.
Cao Dengbang said: "Take off the salt bag outside and check the inside."
The salt bag inside was untied, and it turned out to be mud.
"Sir, please spare my life!" Huang Qi collapsed on the ground.
"Huang Qi, you are so bold! Three million jins of salt, but there are two million jins of mud! Someone, take Huang Qi to the back office and wait for his fate!"
Cao Dengbang glanced at Song Erquan and Liu Yan and saw that they were sweating profusely and trembling unable to speak. He laughed loudly and said to the two of them: "In my opinion, this matter must have been done by Huang Qi personally, together with the two principals.
It’s irrelevant.”
When Song and Liu heard this, they felt as if they were being pardoned.
"Yes, yes, I really don't know about this."
"Oh, I didn't expect Huang Qi to be so bold. Fortunately, you have a keen eye."
Cao Dengbang smiled and said seriously: "This time I was ordered by the Supervisor to clean up the salt affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi. The Supervisor attached great importance to it and even sent the prince's captain. Are you two adults willing to assist me in this matter?"<
/p>
"We are willing to do our best to serve you!"
"Okay! Okay! Just now, you two said that Wuzhou's carp is famous all over the world? I want to try it. I won't go home until I'm drunk tonight! Hahaha!"
After the banquet, She Li asked Cao Dengbang strangely: "Brother Cao, it is obvious that Huang Qi, Song Erquan, and Liu Yan were involved in corruption together. Why did Brother Cao only pursue Huang Qi and let Song and Liu go?"
Cao Dengbang said: "Song and Liu are both old salt workers. If they are all arrested, who will help us with the work? Now that these two people have such a big handle in my hands, I don't think they dare to
Failure to do one's job with all one's heart is called 'doing one's work better than doing one's fault'.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
She Li sighed in admiration, thought for a moment, and smiled at Cao Dengbang: "Although Brother Cao is dedicated to serving the public, I still want to read the book. Please forgive me!"
"Brother, why is this?"
"As a censor, it is my duty to refute corruption! Although Brother Cao spared the two of them out of public interest, in my position, I have to help my brother!"
Cao Dengbang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "I am lucky enough to meet a good brother, it is a blessing in my life!"
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Baitou Zaohu low-thatched house,
Next to the fire, fried with salt in June.
In the hot sun before walking out,
A moment of leisure is to enjoy the cool air.
Lianzhou Baishi Saltworks has a long history. It was built in the mid-Hongwu period. It was carved from white stone, hence the name Baishi. General Secretary Zhou Laogen was braving the rain, holding a wooden pan and stirring the brine back and forth. His old face was covered with wrinkles.
.
"Black Li Kui", the ambassador of Yanchangcang, led a high-ranking official in a unicorn robe and walked in. This "Black Li Kui" usually looked fierce in front of Zaohu, domineering and arrogant, and was nicknamed "Black Li Kui";
Unexpectedly, today I am exceptionally kind.
"Sir, this is Mr. Zhou of the salt field, an old salt man in the field," "Hei Li Kui" said with a low eyebrow. In the Ming Dynasty, salt-cooking households were organized into regiments, with a regiment of one hundred and ten.
Households are divided into ten groups, with eleven households in each group, and a chief reminder person.
The senior official was very kind: "Old man, what is your honor this year?"
"It's not expensive, I'm turning 40 this year."
This senior official was Cao Dengbang. When he heard this, he was surprised: "Zong Ji is only forty years old, and I am sixty, but why do you feel that Zong Ji is older than me?"
This statement aroused the sadness of Zhou Laogen, an old stove farmer: "Sir, the stove people are suffering!"
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"Zao Min", also known as "Salt Ding", refers to those salt people who cook the sea all day long in the vast salt area.
"Zao people" were at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty. They were the most looked down upon.
Not only did they have a hard life, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, with unkempt hair and dirty faces, and calloused hands and feet; they were also politically discriminated against and enslaved. The Ming Dynasty used special household registration to manage the Zao people, who were organized into Zao people.
The descendants of the family can only cook salt and cannot engage in other occupations. Generations of people have been accumulating wages, drying ashes, drenching brine, and frying salt. All the salt produced must be handed over to the public, and the income is only enough to survive.
Not only that, the Ming Dynasty also restricted the freedom of movement of the Zao people. Official approval was required to leave the Zao area, and they were not allowed to carry equipment or travel in groups of three or five people, living like slaves.
Ji Yin truly wrote in the poem "Salt and Ding Bitter" in "Huainan Zhongzhongzhongzhi": "Salt and Ding are bitter, salt and Ding are bitter, boiling in waves and dripping with brine all day long. Callus hands are enough to survive the morning, and there is not enough food to satisfy hunger.
It’s hard to mend. Every morning I just dry out the ashes, and dig in the soil with my bare feet and unkempt head. I push for collection without letting the dangerous weather stop me, and the tolerant officers force me to catch them like wolves and tigers. It’s hard to see the officials, and they live in the underworld, and they are bloody and can’t count. March every year
After passing the customs, everyone in the kitchen was beating Chu very hard."
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After listening to Zhou Laogen's cry, Cao Dengbang couldn't help but be moved: "With such hardship, how many people escaped?"
"There were originally 110 households of Zao residents in this field, but now there are only 40 households left! There are fewer and fewer Zao households, but the government's salt class cannot be less than one tael. We can only add the share of those who escaped to the future.
Every household is in disgrace with the people who escaped. Originally, we rested on rainy days and dried salt on sunny days without frying salt. But in order to complete the salt lesson, the villain also had to fry salt on rainy days and had no time to rest." p>
"Can this complete the salt lesson?"
"If it can't be completed, the villains will be busy working to death, and they will have to be beaten every year. During Yongle's time, the annual output of this factory was 1.5 million jins of salt, but now it only produces 800,000 jins!"
Cao Dengbang thought about it for a while: "If I go to the Supervisor State to cancel your Zao registration status and change it to the same as the national registration, the salt class will no longer be assessed on a household basis, but you will be paid one to two cents per catty. How much more will it cost?"
Lado, can you increase the production for me?"
When Zhou Laogen heard this, he knelt on his knees and burst into tears: "If you, your Excellency, can cancel our lowly status and change it from free to paid, I will break into pieces to repay you. I am confident that the output of this field will be restored or even exceed that of the Yongle Year."
”
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"Jincheng Zao People's Six Sufferings and Change Zao to Minshu": I was ordered to supervise the salt affairs of Guangdong and Guangxi. I deeply mourned the sufferings of Zao people and the failure of salt administration. Zao people are poor people. Although there are divisions of industry and confusion,
, However, there is not enough food from the house, and there is nowhere to rest. It is difficult to describe the hardships. I describe it with six hardships: the small house has several rafters, it is not protected from the wind and rain, and the rice is made of coarse millet, and it is not enough to eat well. It is also difficult to live in this mountain;
The land is vast, people steal things cheaply, and if you want to follow the rules, there will be no one, but if you don't follow the rules, you will not get in. This is the pain of saving money. When it is raining, the whole family will go out, scraping mud and water from the sea, sweating like rain at noon, even if it is a raging storm.
Bones must also be made, and this is the bitterness of being soaked in brine; when boiled, they are burned and fumigated, and the hair and face are unkempt, and they do not resemble human figures. Even in the scorching heat, it is like soup, and it cannot be separated. This is the bitterness of being handed over. It does not distinguish between cold and heat, and there is no question.
It is cloudy and clear, and there are classes every day, and progress every month. If the former is not enough, the latter will come again. This is the pain of collecting salt. The tax collectors come to the scene, roaring like a tiger, and there is no salt, and there is no price, and they are forcing and humiliating them in every possible way.
If the family is worried, this is the only way to pay for it. If there is illness, death, or death, it will be especially embarrassing! If you escape somewhere else, your body and mouth will be lost; if you return from work, your family will be wiped out. It is a dilemma to live in and out, and there is no way to live in peace.
! Meng Ke said that the poor people have nowhere to go. This is true. I sincerely ask Your Highness to take pity on their sufferings, cancel their lowly status, and change the kitchen to the people. Or change the stall to a rice dumpling. The people will be happy with it and the quantity will be abundant. I am a humble minister.
, a sincere tone, only His Highness thinks about it.
Zhu Hengjia, who always loved the people like his own son, was deeply moved by Cao's appearance on the list. He immediately issued an order to cancel the identity restrictions of Zao households and classify them as civilian households. He asked officials from various places not to oppress Zao people.
The order is as follows: I heard that the people were born, and a king was appointed to support and govern them. If the owner is unethical and the government is uneven, the people will not live in peace. The people in the kitchen and the people in the kitchen are all the people of the Ming Dynasty. How can we bear to leave them in the bitter cold. Today
Change Zaoxu to the people, officials in various places are not allowed to disobey it. Announce it to the world, and the Xian envoys will hear about it.
Later historians agreed that "Changing Zaoxu into the People's Edict" reflected the simple thoughts of freedom, equality, and fraternity, and that its promulgation was the product of the budding capitalism of the Ming Dynasty.