The negotiation lasted from Chen hour to noon. There was no third person present during the period, and it is unknown what the two people talked about. After Xue Mai came out of the official residence, Fang Jun sent his gift outside the salt pond, and returned surrounded by his family members. Fenyin.
Subsequently, the "Three Law Division" accelerated the review of the salt pond accounts and concluded two days later. Wang Fukiao, Liu Changyun and the deceased Sima Yu bore the greatest responsibility. Liu Changyun was deprived of his position as salt farm manager. After the corruption was recovered, "penalty and redemption" were allowed, while Wang Fukiao continued Serve as "supervisor".
The other stewards each had their own culpability, and were more or less "redeemed" with money, and then returned to their original posts...
A vigorous event came to an end very quickly, with a bit of anticlimactic start and finish, but in fact, it made progress that shocked the world.
The Hedong Family lost the ownership rights of the Hedong Salt Pool, and then instead of forcefully withdrawing from the salt pool and causing the salt pool to completely cease production, they bowed their heads and confessed their crimes. They handed over the ownership rights of the salt pool and re-entered the scene as the "host".
This made the onlookers from all over the world shocked and angry. By doing this, the Hedong Family would not only increase the arrogance of the center, so that they could repeat the same tricks on other families in the future without any scruples.
When it's your turn, will you follow the example of the Hedong family and stop fighting and bully them at will, or will you rise up with hatred and fight to the death?
The Hedong Family gave a bad start to the struggle between the powerful family and the Central Committee, which made the powerful family feel a little discouraged...
Merchant ships loaded with sea salt departed from Huating Town and went north along the canal to Guanzhong, easing the risk of salt shortage in Guanzhong and Longyou. However, this was a drop in the bucket. The unique geographical structure of "Sanmenxia" made shipping on the upper and lower reaches of the Yellow River extremely difficult. , even the transportation of grain was restricted, resulting in the lack of food in Guanzhong and forced the construction of the Eastern Capital, not to mention the transportation of salt?
However, a slight relief can also solve the current dilemma. Hedong Salt Lake has begun to resume production.
……
"What is the 'Five-Step Salt Making Method'?"
"Why is it necessary to add clean water to the brine? Xiaguan has been in the salt pond for more than ten years and understands all the salt-making processes. This is unheard of."
"Why do we make brine flow under the nitrate plate? What's the significance?"
Every day, Wang Fijiao followed the technicians mobilized from the Huating Town Saltworks. He saw these novel operations but didn't know why, so he kept asking questions.
The technicians at the Huating Town Saltworks did not hide their secrets and taught them all the new salt-making methods.
"The so-called 'five-step salt making method' is the five processes of collecting brine and evaporating it, passing it through a basket, storing it, crystallizing it, and shoveling it out."
"The purpose of adding clean water is to precipitate impurities in the brine and produce higher purity salt."
"The nitrate plate looks flat, but in fact there are countless holes in the ground. The brine is purified by flowing through it and filtering out impurities."
Wang Fijiao and other former salt pond technicians were greatly shocked.
Since the Zhou Dynasty, the salt production technology of Hedong Salt Pond has been "sun exposure, natural crystallization, and intensive harvesting". It mainly relies on sunlight and the frequent "south wind" in summer, which causes the salt water along the salt pond to quickly evaporate and condense into Salt grains are taken in the morning and revived, taken in the evening and restored to life, they are inexhaustible.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the "cultivation method" was invented, which was nothing more than stacking "brine storage borders" on the shore of the salt pond, which increased the brine area and accelerated the evaporation rate.
Now, under the auspices of technicians, the salt collectors and farmers in the entire salt pond are constantly taking out the brine from the salt pond and pouring it into the fields. The degree of manual participation is extremely high, which greatly speeds up the salt production process. In addition, the clear water points for brine and nitrate plates Through filtration and other processes, the purity of the table salt visible to the naked eye is getting higher and higher, and the precipitated salt particles are snow-white and delicate, which is different from the previous "bitter salt".
The sun is shining brightly and the south wind is warm. The brine evaporates quickly under the wind and sun, and layers of snow-white salt grains crystallize. The number of saltmen and workers in the salt field has almost doubled, but no one has time to spare. Manpower and more advanced process technology bring higher output and better quality.
The officials who came from the Hedong family couldn't help but feel a little scared. They thought Fang Jun was aggressive and wanton before, but now they know that there is no room for it. If the Hedong family is forced to take over the salt pond and all the Hedong family are expelled, then the people from the Huating Town salt field will be mobilized. With the manpower and the support of the Zheng family in Xingyang, the salt pond can also be resumed quickly, and the output and quality can be improved to a higher level.
If such a situation really occurs, the Hedong family will suffer heavy losses and lose everything...
……
The public opinion originally caused by Fang Jun's forced takeover of Hedong Yanchi quickly subsided after the Yanchi resumed work and production and the Hedong aristocratic families fully complied. The aristocratic families who had clamored before ceased their activities, and Hedong, Henan and other places have cooled down from the state of a pot of boiling water. .
It is not only the rapid resumption of production and the huge increase in production in Hedong Salt Lake that has caused more people to "become unknown", but also the political significance behind this move.
The Hedong Family, a relatively isolated group, did not rise up to fight after being deprived of its financial resources. Instead, it chose to lie dormant and cooperate. This shows the central government's determination to "suppress the clan" and Fang Jun's tough and clever tactics.
What if the next strategy of "suppressing the family" is their turn, and the financial resources and foundation they rely on for inheritance are also cut off?
If a family has no financial resources or private soldiers, is it still a family?
Although "farming, reading and inheriting the family" is what the aristocratic families advertise, they know very well that they cannot seek the best interests for themselves by relying solely on classics and classics. What the aristocratic families rely on for inheritance has never been these, but food, population, ordnance. Only with these can we "restore a country and destroy a country" in troubled times, and "depose and establish an emperor" in peacetime.
When the children of an aristocratic family all have a copy of the scriptures and spend their whole day "talking about it," as the Master said, Meng Yun, can they still leverage the interests of the country for their own use?
However, before the families in Hedong and Henan could recover from the shock of the "change of ownership" in Yanchi, another move aimed at the foundation of the families had begun.
*****
Looking at the sun in March, it rains lightly.
Leaving the upper east gate of Luoyang City, the canal flows slowly on the south side of the official road. Countless ships pass through it, and the boats are like clouds. Looking to the north, you can see the lush green Beimang Mountain stretching from east to west, blocking the mighty Yellow River. outside.
Xu Jingzong rode ahead, followed closely by officials from Henan Prefecture and Luozhou Governor's Prefecture. On both sides were Luoyang Prefecture soldiers led by Ashina Zhong and Duan Baoyuan, including hundreds of Ashina Zhong's personal soldiers. The mighty force drove Yanshi directly.
As soon as they arrived at the Yanshi boundary monument, county government officials were waiting at the roadside. Xu Jingzong reined in his horse and stood still, and the entire team stopped in unison.
Xu Jingzong got off his horse, looked around, and said, "Let's start from here."
At your feet, Luoshui River is in the north and Yishui River is in the south. They merge into one in the distance and flow into the Yellow River from the east side of Beimang Mountain to the north. The terrain is flat, the river water is abundant, the land is fertile, and the flat farmland spreads out as far as the eye can see.
The Henan government officials looked at each other and remained silent.
An official from Yanshi County stepped forward and said cautiously: "This is the Yu family's land. The account books are complete and the entries are clear. There is no need to measure it. How about we cross the Luoshui River and measure northward from there?"
Xu Jingzong shook his head and said solemnly: "I came here under the emperor's order, not to thoroughly investigate the land of a certain family or a certain surname, nor to verify the authenticity of the county government's account books, but to carefully measure the vast territory." Every inch of Tang’s land is meticulous and precise. I don’t care whose farm it is, it starts from here.”
"Here."
When the officials of Yanshi County saw that the officials of Henan Prefecture were silent, they naturally did not dare to say anything, so a subordinate in charge of the household picked out an account book from a carriage filled with account books and handed it to Xu Jingzong.
Xu Jingzong took the account book and held it in his hand, and looked around: "Where is the Yanshi County Magistrate?"
"Replying to Xu Shangshu, the county magistrate has been ill recently and is being treated in the mansion. He is unable to come to help."
"Heh."
Xu Jingzong sneered and asked, "Is there anyone in the Yu family here?"
"Yesterday, the county informed every family that their fields would be measured today, and asked every family to send people to wait in the fields. However, the family also said that they would not send people to the fields despite the measurement."
"Hmph!"
Xu Jingzong snorted angrily, feeling deeply angry at Luoyang Yu's domineering behavior. This was because he didn't take him, the Minister of Rites, seriously!
"Where are the subordinate officials?"
"Here!"
Dozens of people emerged from Xu Jingzong's death, all of them young and heroic. These were the talents Xu Jingzong selected from among the disciples of Zhenguan Academy to help him come to Luoyang to measure the land. These academy disciples are not only good at calculations and quick in thinking, but also all listen to the instructions of him, the former master of the academy, and use his fingers to hit wherever he points them.
"Start measuring!"
"Here!"
A fellow from the academy came forward to take the account book from Xu Jingzong, unfolded it, looked at it carefully, compared it with the actual object, and confirmed the boundaries. Then he took a tape measure and started measuring. Someone else followed him, measuring and recording at the same time.
It was raining lightly, and all the officials were standing in the rain holding umbrellas. In front of them were fields that had not yet begun to be cultivated. The grass was already sprouting, and the willow branches by the river were swaying. The only sound was the sound of raindrops falling on the umbrellas, and no one spoke.
As the measurement slowly progressed, people gradually came closer from a distance. Most of these people wore bamboo hats, rolled up their trouser legs, and walked barefoot on the muddy field ridge.
They looked like farmers, tenants, or long-term workers.
Seeing these people gathering more and more and getting closer, the atmosphere gradually became tense.
Ashina Zhong frowned and shouted loudly: "Everyone, stop and stay away! Who are you?"
The leader, a man who looked like an old farmer, was short and stocky, with a dark face full of wrinkles. Hearing the words, instead of retreating, he took two steps forward: "We are tenants of the Yu family."
A tenant is a farmer who has lost his land but has not sold himself into slavery. He only rents the land from his master for farming, pays a certain tax every year, and keeps the remainder as his own.
Ashina Zhong said impatiently: "The imperial court is measuring the acres of land, but no one from your master's family comes. Why are you tenants joining in the fun?"
The old farmer looked bitter and resentful: "May I ask the general, do you want to re-create the account books and increase the number of acres so that more corvees and taxes can be distributed?"
As soon as these words came out, the atmosphere became quieter. Xu Jingzong's heart skipped a beat and he felt something was wrong...