Chapter 618 This is a loophole

Chang'an, Grand Commander's Office

Xie Bai returned to Chang'an at full speed. After returning, he came to report to Xie Zhan about the situation in Zhuozhou without even taking a breath.

Xie Zhan invited all his confidants and followers.

After listening to Xie Bai's statement, everyone expressed their opinions.

"Putting aside the rumors, looking through all kinds of phenomena to see the essence, Pingzhou did take action against Zhuozhou."

"Not surprising, Pingzhou dreams of getting Zhuozhou."

"Grand Commander, how can we resolve Pingzhou's move?"

Seeing everyone's worried look, Fan Yang laughed, "Buying a deer to control Chu, is Pingzhou just copying the cat?"

Xie Nan asked, "General Fan, do you think Pingzhou's plan will not work? Can't plan for Zhuozhou?"

Xie Zhan recently asked for the position of military adviser for Fan Yang, and Song Mo agreed.

Fan Yang explained, "Da Li has a vast territory, and it is not a small country like Chu during the Warring States Period. In order to catch deer, the people of Chu stopped production and were easily strangled by Qi for food."

"Zhuozhou has our Da Li Dynasty as its backing, and the people of Zhuozhou just raised more donkeys, and did not abandon agriculture. Therefore, Pingzhou's plan to buy deer to control Chu is not to be feared." The comparison between Chu and Da Li is like a small pond and a large pond. Although Zhuozhou is also a small water wall, it is connected to the large pond of Da Li.

Xie Zhan did not speak.

What Fan Yang said was not to be feared, but it was based on the premise that Da Li could cover Zhuozhou. If Da Li could stabilize the price of grain, it would not be afraid of Pingzhou's move.

Fan Yang's words were actually not wrong, but he was wrong in being too optimistic about Da Li's national strength.

Since the current emperor ascended the throne, Da Li has suffered from natural disasters, and Da Li's grain reserves are insufficient.

In addition, this year, the salt tax revenue is not high. Then Dali lost millions of people, and the head tax and land tax are not optimistic. And the head tax and land tax are usually paid by the people with grain.

In other words, the grain collected this year will be less.

Under this premise, Xie Zhan naturally hopes that there will be no accidents in Zhuozhou, and it will be safe and stable, but it is obvious that the tree wants to be quiet but the wind does not stop.

Xie Zhan expressed his concerns, "We still have to deal with the means used against Pingzhou."

Someone suggested, "What if we expose Pingzhou's sinister intentions and the bad consequences that may be caused to the people of Zhuozhou?"

Xie Nan sneered, "The common people will not care. They are short-sighted and will only see that a donkey can be sold for fifteen taels of silver."

Someone else suggested, "Issue a ban on raising donkeys in Zhuozhou?"

Fan Yang rejected it, "It's not appropriate. The price of donkeys in Zhuozhou has been hyped up. Cutting off people's financial resources is like killing their parents. If we use violence to ban it, coupled with the instigation of those with ulterior motives, who knows what will happen in Zhuozhou."

"If we can't ban it, can we encourage agriculture? When the income from the fields increases, the people of Zhuozhou will not flock to raise donkeys."

Xie Zhan was not optimistic about this. He quickly calculated in his mind.

The harvest of one acre of land, if the weather is good, can only harvest two or three hundred kilograms of grain. After drying, it is only about two hundred kilograms, which can be sold for two or three taels of silver at most. In other words, the money earned from working day and night to take care of four or five acres of land can be equal to that of raising a donkey.

Then they discussed for a while and finally determined the response plan: in Zhuozhou, it is forbidden to use farmland to raise donkeys, and farming and sericulture are encouraged.

After that, it depends on Pingzhou's reaction, and they will respond.

If the situation in Zhuozhou is not optimistic when Pingzhou closes the net, they will go down again. Anyway, Zhuozhou has the support of Dali and will not let Pingzhou slaughter it.

After the plan was determined, Xie Zhan sighed, "Donkeys, the people of Zhuozhou can raise them if they like, as long as the fields are not abandoned." If this is done, Zhuozhou can at least stabilize half of it.

Xie Nan smiled and said, "The Grand Commander does not need to worry. The people are like cattle and horses, and there is no need to worry that they will not farm. They will raise donkeys, but they will never give up the fields." Even so, they will be exhausted to death.

But they never expected that the people of Zhuozhou would waste the crops in the fields in order to raise donkeys that can be sold at high prices!

"Grand Commander, should this be reported to the emperor?" Fan Yang asked.

Xie Zhan shook his head, "Master Ku Rong will soon arrive in Chang'an. The emperor needs to fast and bathe for seven days. No one is allowed to disturb him during these seven days." So Song Mo temporarily entrusted the government affairs of the court to him.

Everyone present heard this and understood. Since last year, the emperor has been sending people to look for Master Ku Rong, and almost turned the whole world upside down. It was only recently that there was news.

The inner house backyard of the Grand Commander's Mansion

When Zhao Yutan heard the rumor that Lu Songli doted on her husband, she was slightly stunned.

Speaking of which, she hadn't had that predictive dream for a long time.

But in that predictive dream, the young general Qin Sheng has always been upright. After the Qin family rebelled, he led the army to cut through thorns and thorns all the way, leading the way, and never complaining about the hardship or tiredness.

He has always been the one who holds up the sky for others and protects others.

In that predictive dream, she took it for granted that he was under his protection and never asked him if he was tired or hard-working. They were husband and wife, but she seemed to have never entered his heart. After his death, he left her the honorable position of princess, still protecting her.

Now, after he married Lu Songli, Lu Songli treated him so well, which made her feel very uncomfortable. It seemed that in her dream, Qin Sheng was just a tool, and only after being with Lu Songli did he live like a human being.

"Madam, the old lady wants to see you." The personal maid came in to report.

"Tell the person who's coming that I'll be there right away." Zhao Yutan knew that her mother-in-law invited her over to discuss matters related to her husband's concubinage.

Xianbei Royal Court

Tuoba Jin attended the peace talks between Pingzhou and Dali on behalf of Xianbei, and the news he brought back did not satisfy Tuoba Khan.

Now, whether in Dali or Pingzhou, salt sells for 200 cash per pound.

Fortunately, they had decisively eaten a batch of cheap salt from Pingzhou before, otherwise they would have to spend more money to buy salt now.

Tuoba Khan asked, "Have you asked Pingzhou if you can supply salt to Xianbei on a long-term basis at a price of 120 wen per catty?"

The previous merchants in Pingzhou were able to sell so much private salt at the price of one hundred and ten cents, which meant that everyone in Pingzhou could make money at this price. Tuoba Khan thought that the price he gave was not low.

Tuoba Jin smiled bitterly, "Father Khan, it's not like you don't know that Pingzhou has always been kind to us Xianbei." Pingzhou is not easy to talk to at all!

"So, Pingzhou refused?"

"Um."

At this time, a general said, "Khan, my subordinates have received news that after the Juyang peace talks, Pingzhou issued a tax rebate policy for salt. Maybe we can make a fuss about it."

"How do you say this?"

After everyone present learned about Pingzhou's tax refund policy, they started thinking.

“Pingzhou’s tax rebate policy for local salt has reduced the price of salt for ordinary people in Pingzhou to 150 cents per catty, but the tax refund amount it stipulates does not exceed ten catties per person per year, and the excess cannot be refunded. "

"But a person can't eat ten pounds of salt a year, right?"

"I can't eat it." The amount of salt a person needs to eat in a year can be as little as three kilograms, or as much as five kilograms.

"Pingzhou gave me a quota of ten kilograms..."

"It's a loophole."

Everyone present looked at me, and I looked at you, and they all laughed.

Tuobalian looked at these smart people and wondered in his mind, is it possible that this loophole was specially left by Pingzhou, just waiting for someone to get in?

"Do you think there are any profiteers in Pingzhou who use this extra quota to collect and make money?"

"There must be!" Anyway, in the end, it was the Pingzhou government that suffered the loss.

"Then we can buy Pingzhou official salt from profiteers in Pingzhou for 170 Wen. If we want a large quantity, maybe the price can be lower? For example, 160 Wen per catty?"

"Should it be possible?" It's profitable, so I don't believe no one is interested.

This price is dozens of dollars cheaper than two hundred dollars per pound. One catty is thirty or forty cents cheaper. What about ten catties? Hundreds of catties? Thousands of catties?

"Let our Han bastards try it."