After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

With Pei Jiaoran's warrant, Zheng Song was able to leave with Sun Shaofeng smoothly. The garden returned to its previous loneliness. The good news is that the heavy rain for several consecutive days finally shows signs of stopping, but there are still breaches in several counties.

Fortunately, the county relocated the people in time and avoided casualties. However, the state government needs to discuss how to solve the problem of damaged houses and farmland.

When the rain subsided, Pei Jiaoran led Zhou Mancao and a group of accompanying officials to the state capital. In the past few days, at her urging, the state government has been sorting out the Jianghuai taxation and Salt Institute information over the years, and it has almost been sorted out now.

As soon as Pei Jiaoran entered the state capital, someone presented him with documents and submitted tax accounts. Now, as the Vice Minister of Zhongshu, she leads the Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transport Envoy. Originally, the duties of Zhongshu Sheng were responsible for collecting memorials, drafting and promulgating the emperor's edicts, which was especially valuable. And the envoy position she holds is even more powerful.

The Salt and Iron Transport Envoy was responsible for collecting taxes on salt, iron, silver, copper and tea. In addition, after Emperor Wei changed the salt and iron monopoly, the transshipment envoy has now become the existence that controls the lifeblood of the economy. The salt production in the Jianghuai River is measured by pavilions. There are 123 salt pavilions in Chuzhou alone, producing 45 shi of salt per year. Hailing under the rule of Yangzhou is also a place where salt is produced. It is now July, and due to the Huan Qi Rebellion, the taxes that were to be sent to Chang'an have been put on hold for the time being.

At present, all the summer taxes previously calculated by the state government have been sorted out. The next step is to send the taxes from the Jianghuai states back to Chang'an and hand them over to the Ministry of Household Affairs. The original transfer envoy was Huan Qi, but now Pei Jiaoran has taken the post of Jianghuai Salt and Iron Transfer Envoy. Legally speaking, she has enough qualifications to intervene in the salt and iron. This morning, Shen Yunzhou sent someone to invite her, saying that Yangzhou tax and Yanyuan tax had been sorted out, and asked her to move to the state house.

The salt and iron franchise is far more complicated than the two taxes, and involves a wider range of interests. As soon as she came in, she noticed that the servants in charge of the salt courtyard were looking at her with evil intentions.

After gathering his clothes and sitting down, Pei Jiaoran looked over the papers on his desk. Those who produce salt are called salt households, those who comply with the law are also called pavilion households, and those who do not comply with the law are called private salt dealers. According to the account books of Duzhi, a total of 6,784,400 guan of salt money was collected in the seventh year of Yuanhe, which was four times higher than the total current price of salt before the salt law was changed. It was counted as virtual money. Of the 12,179,000 guans, the 2,186,300 guans are used for selling salt, and the 14,992,600 guans are used for profit.

The salt capital was only one-eighth of the salt profit of that year, which meant that the court’s purchase price from salt households was one-eighth of the price that the court sold to salt monopolies. The profits can be described as huge profits. It’s no wonder that pavilion households collude with salt dealers to sell illegal salt. Similarly, the huge profits from salt profits also made the eunuchs greedy.

The imperial court purchased salt from salt households at a price of ten cents per dou, and later sold it to the people for another hundred and ten cents, with a gross profit of one hundred cents. The imperial court controlled the entire process of salt circulation through the imperial court, and also had absolute control over the production, supply, and sales of salt. Under such a system arrangement, salt profit income was separated from the court's taxes and became part of the court's fiscal revenue along with income from wine and tea.

Putting down the accounts in his hands, Pei Jiaoran looked up at the subordinates below and smiled, his eyes cold and sharp. Everyone suddenly looked at her like this, as if they were falling into a cold pool.

"Everyone has worked hard these days."

Shen Yunzhou looked around and said with a smile: "Since Mr. Pei has accepted the errand of salt and iron transport envoy, it is reasonable and reasonable for him to review the accounts."

After saying this, Pei Jiaoran smiled and continued to look through the last account book in his hand. Yangzhou's salt profit in the past six months was generally within her expectations, but such a large amount of money was sent into the inner treasury by salt institutes and salt farms in various places in the name of monthly donations.

Before she came, the salt and iron commander of the Salt and Iron Department came to the Ministry of Household Affairs with a sad look on his face and complained about his poverty. The Director of Salt and Iron is in charge of the salt and iron monopoly, as well as mining and metallurgy, in order to amass military resources. The fundamental reason is that all the salt and profits have gone into the internal treasury.

In order to seek stability, he neither fights nor robs. As a result, both the Salt Supervisor and the Inspectorate down below looked down upon the salt and iron envoy surnamed Xu, and no one paid any attention to them when he asked them for money. Even if he is attached to the big tree Zhang Rang.

Pei Jiaoran showed her accounts and Yangzhou's accounts to everyone, and said calmly: "Huan Qi is in charge of salt profits, but he has no financial management skills. How can we expect him to increase salt profits? His so-called expenditure-saving method is not to reduce expenditures." , but by using false estimates to reduce certain expenditures in order to obtain a surplus of salt profits."

The tone of the Vice Minister of Zhongshu was like a deep stream. On the surface, he looked calm as a mirror, but in fact, he was ready to go. He gave a piece of horse equivalent to one hundred and thirty thousand yuan in real money, making his profit six or seven times. I looked at the monthly income at the end of last year in the accounts, which totaled 120,000 yuan. All of this money came from as much as 140,000 yuan per month. The salt profit is an inflated discount. If the discount is falsely estimated at a price four times higher than the actual estimate, then the monthly income of 120,000 yuan comes from the salt profit of 160,000 yuan. If the money is only a surplus income "Feng, the false salt profit is not that much. But what is Huan Qi's false salt profit for? I think you all know it well."

Everyone heard this and said nothing. Huan Qi's ability to use salt and profit naturally fed the important ministers and clan members of the court. There is no one here who has not benefited from him.

Pei Jiaoran continued: "The salt and iron are increasing year by year, but the money is getting less and less. Before I came, a certain person saw the salt and iron envoy crying at the Ministry of Household Affairs, saying that they not only have to pay a certain amount of salt profits to the Ministry of Households every year, but also pay a certain amount of salt interest to the Ministry of Household Affairs every year. He also contributed a certain amount of money to the inner treasury for the palace expenses. In addition to his own personal use and the fixed payment, he now also bears the part of the donation. This life is really unbearable. Now that someone has come here, he knows why he can't live well. Go down." As he spoke, Pei Jiaoran shook the account in his hand and said, "In addition to providing for the army, he also has to provide for the emperor. It's no wonder that life is difficult if the forehead is moved to the left."

Everyone was silent. Although the promotion of salt and profit has been something that has been tacitly agreed to over the years, the court is now short of money. Just because it has been in the past does not mean that this system will continue in the future. Pei Jiaoran now has the highest say in Jianghuai Salt and Iron, and Tang Dynasty's tone is quite polite. Undoubtedly, she is also showing her attitude that she doesn't care what happened when Huan Qi was here in the past, and the court will not pursue old debts. She and the court understand the selfishness, difficulty, and suffering.

But now the bad policies left by Huan Qi must be changed, and they can no longer be allowed to harm the national economy. Everyone looked at each other. Fortunately, the other party's attitude had always been gentle. If he had come up, he would have turned the table over. Instead, they want to work together to find ways to avoid clearing pickets, rather than solving bad governance.

With this, everyone also understood Pei Jiaoran's attitude. She has no intention of suppressing the wealthy families in Jiangnan, her goal is only to gain profits. Someone suggested that the donation of salt and iron should be stopped.