Back to the Song Dynasty as a tyrant

Wang Anshi's horse protection method is actually somewhat deformed and distorted.

The horse policy of the Han Dynasty encouraged private horse breeding and reduced or exempted taxes.

However, the horse policy in the Song Dynasty encouraged the people to raise the officials of the imperial court. The ownership of the horses still belonged to the imperial court, but the responsibility of raising horses was given to private individuals. Wouldn’t the private individuals try their best to raise horses that were not their own property?

Zhao Ning rode a horse, walking forward, and said to the crowd: "Encourage the people to raise their own horses, reduce taxes, and the imperial court will only record the total number of war horses in the Song Dynasty, so that the folk merchants themselves will Find a way to go to the border to buy horses."

"Zheqing, what do you think?"

"I think it's feasible."

As he was walking, Zhao Ning suddenly saw a large white field appearing on the pasture in front of him.

That is……

Zhao Ning was stunned for a moment, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it's a flock of sheep?"

Raising sheep on a royal ranch?

Chapter 320 The Currency War Has Hit Tokyo City? (third change)

Zhang Shuye looked over, also showing surprise, and said, "Your Majesty, that is indeed a sheep."

Horse officer Li Zhu quickly came out and explained: "Your Majesty, that is indeed a sheep."

"How can there be sheep in my horse ranch?"

Li Zhu heard that Zhao Guan's voice had turned cold, and hurriedly said tremblingly, "Those sheep are what Da Nei wants."

"Da Nei?" Zhao Ning was even more confused.

(In the Song Dynasty, it was generally called the Imperial Palace)

"Yes, it's what Da Nei wanted. More than three months ago, Li Zhongguan from Da Nei came to Xiaochen and told Xiao Chen that there was a batch of sheep that needed a place to raise them."

"Which Li Zhongguan?"

Li Zhu said, "It's Li Jing and Li Zhongguan from the Eastern Palace."

Only now did Zhao Ning react.

"How many sheep have you raised?"

Li Zhu said cautiously, "Five thousand...five thousand."

Zhao Guanjia's face darkened instantly.

There are only [-] horses, but [-] sheep!

It is famous in history that the Song Dynasty liked to eat sheep.

In the past, more than 300 sheep were slaughtered in the palace every day, and 40 catties of mutton were eaten a year.

Because the pigs in the Song Dynasty were never steered and had a bad smell, only ordinary people ate pork, and the upper class preferred to eat mutton.

It is said that Zhao Kuangyin invented the mutton rougamo. When the southeast Wuyue king arrived in Tokyo, Zhao Kuangyin treated him with mutton rougamo.

It is said that Su Shi used to eat mutton until he vomited.

But after the war between Song and Jin in the past few years, let alone Hebei and Hedong, the people's livelihood in the Central Plains has also been severely damaged.

The Liao Kingdom was destroyed, the northwest was damaged by the war, and the supply of sheep plummeted.

Coupled with the fact that Zhao Ji and Cai Jing minted money indiscriminately before, the inflation was severe, and the price of sheep skyrocketed.

How could there be five thousand more sheep suddenly?

Zhao Ning remembered that when he went to Hebei a few months ago, he met the caravan on the road, and the price of each sheep was [-] guan.

Don't these 45 pieces cost [-] guan?

"My pasture is used to raise war horses!" Zhao Ning said sharply, "It's unreasonable! Who gave you the courage to raise sheep here!"

Li Zhu and others were so frightened that they quickly knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty calm down, Li Zhongguan said yes... yes..."

"What is it?"

"It means His Royal Highness the Prince."

Zhao Ning fell silent for a while, then calmly said: "Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

It's useless to embarrass these horse officials. I'm afraid it's not simple behind this matter.

"These sheep are very fat!" Zhao Ning said with emotion, "Look, where did these sheep come from?"

Everyone was silent, but they knew it well.

Before the Song Dynasty, sheep were also raised, especially after the alliance of Chanyuan, the places where horses were raised were no longer raised, and sheep were started to be raised.

In the era of Zhao Ji, sheep were raised on a large scale, otherwise it would definitely not be able to meet the consumption of mutton in Tokyo just by importing from Liao.

But in recent years, the number of sheep has plummeted, and everyone knows that the only people who can eat sheep are Ouchi and the Prince's Prime Minister's Mansion, which are special offerings.

Even special offerings are pitifully few.

There are so many sheep here suddenly, where else can they come from?

Zhang Shuye said: "Your Majesty, there may be something strange about the origin of this sheep."

"What does Mr. Shu Ye mean by these words?"

"What I mean by this minister is that we can investigate and investigate properly."

As I said just now, that Li Jing is the servant of the Eastern Palace, and Zhang Shuye would not be so stupid as to say that these sheep were smuggled in from the Kingdom of Jin.

After all, this matter may involve Prince Donggong.

After staying here for a while, Zhao Ning returned angrily.

On the way back, he said to Zhang Shuye: "Those sheep are all disposed of, and sheep are not allowed to be raised on the ranch in the future!"

"Report to His Majesty, how to deal with it?"

"Sell it, sell it to the dignitaries in Tokyo, whoever wants to eat it will buy it."

"It would be better to let the Ministry of Households handle this matter."

"Well, you should spread the word about this matter. After all, the ranch is now under the management of the Military and Political Academy."

"Yes."

After returning to the palace in the afternoon, Zhao Ning asked Jing Chao: "The last time those sheep sellers, how did you follow up?"

"The matter was later handed over to the Imperial City Department."

"Pass to Gao Qiu."

Soon Gao Qiu entered the palace.

"Officials."

"I asked you to investigate the entry of sheep from the north into Beijing. How did you find out?"

Gao Qiu faltered and said: "I... I sent people to investigate."

"The results of it?"

"Official, this matter..."

Seeing Gao Qiu faltering, Zhao Ning said: "If you have to speak up, I forgive you for your innocence!"

"I went to investigate. It was a businessman named Marin in Tokyo who picked up the batch of goods. Later, he picked up a lot of goods to Tokyo. This Marin has contacts with many officials. Officials want to eat mutton. through him."

"Are you saying that this matter is only led by a businessman?"

"No, no, I'm afraid..."

"The minister found out that this Ma Lin has a close relationship with Zuo Jianyi doctor Hong Chu, and also with..."

"Taiwei Gao lost his voice at home today? He hesitated!"

"I also found out that Marin has close contacts with people in the Prince's East Palace."

"You mean that the sheep bought by Marin were sold to the people in the East Palace?"

"I don't mean that, I..." Gao Qiu's forehead was sweating, and even his voice became softer, "Maybe... maybe he sold it to Donggong."

"Now that we have evidence, go, let that Marin tell the truth."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is not very good, if..."

"If it's anything! Go!"

"Yes!"

In the evening, Gao Qiu hurried into the palace.

According to the usual arrangement, our Taiwei Gao should now be discussing life at Chengnan Wang's widow's house, but today he is really not in the mood.

Buying sheep involves too much!

It would be fine if it was an ordinary official, but this matter has already involved...

Gao Lian submitted the report on the interrogation of Marin, then stood there without saying a word, with his head bowed, like a child who has done something wrong.

Zhao Ning finished watching as usual.

After reading it, he finally understood why thousands of sheep could enter Tokyo City smoothly.

This currency war has reached here, and the copper coins from Hebei and Hedong have not been sucked in, but it has been sucked in Tokyo.

"How did this Marin meet the prince?"

"It's Zuo Jianyi doctor Hong Chu."

"The prince is involved in this matter, so you have been investigating for two months and nothing happened?"

Gao Qiu quickly knelt down: "Your Majesty calm down, I am also afraid of affecting the relationship between Your Majesty and the Crown Prince."

Zhao Ning took a deep breath and said, "Get up, I can't blame you for this."

Only then did Gao Qiu heave a sigh of relief. What he feared most was getting involved in the competition within the royal family.

"The recent green and white salt in Tokyo is also related to this Marin?"

Gao Qiu said: "I think it's not just this Marin, he's just one of many merchants. Our dynasty opened up salt merchants trade with Xixia. Now the imperial court can't strictly ban salt merchants like in the past, so there are many merchants doing business." Smugglers, such as marlins, also sell tea to the frontier."

"And buying sheep into Beijing is also what many dignitaries want."

Speaking of this, Gao Qiu swallowed.

The fact that so many sheep can really enter Beijing is not only because someone is smuggling them through the prince, but the most essential thing is that there is a huge demand.

Gao Qiu said again: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing, I don't know whether to say it or not."

"You can say it anyway."

"Not long ago, the minister planted an eyeliner at Hong Chu's place, saying that Luzhou Jiedu envoy Liu Yanqing sent someone to bribe Hong Chu, saying that it was related to Liu Guangshi who was punished for the crime."

Chapter 321 The Prince's Pot (Part [-])

Hong Chu is a left admonishing doctor, can he save his son by bribing him?

It doesn't make sense, does it?

unless behind...

Zhao Ning didn't continue to ask, and Gao Qiu wisely didn't continue.

After all, it was the prince involved.

And the prince Zhao Chen (chen, two voices) is only 13 years old, what does he know about smuggling and not smuggling?

With the nails of his toes, he could imagine that the group of pampered people in the palace made mutton to eat in the name of the prince.

If the Ouchi has this demand, there will naturally be political opportunists who will go to their liking.

If some things are dug deeper, it will become another "Witch Gu Rebellion".

"Jing Chao."

"The minister is here."

"Go and bring that servant named Li Jing over here."

"Yes."