Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

The main business? What main business could involve me?

Now, I go to work and get off work every day, my life is very regular, and I'm extremely happy.

Please don't go looking for trouble for me!

Fang Zheng was apprehensive at first.

"The Northern Rong envoys are still discussing trade matters, but Paba has sent many people to inquire in the capital."

"That includes you! Be more careful in what you say if you encounter him again."

"Also, those gifts prepared for Paba cannot be exchanged for silver. What do you plan to do?"

Fang Zheng felt relieved, so that's what it was about.

This was easy, he had already prepared for it and it was nothing.

"Your Majesty, the most valuable items among the gifts are nothing more than Grand Grade Celestial Immortal Tea and diamonds."

"The diamond problem isn't too big. The diamonds that I gift should be able to be digested within the Northern Rong aristocracy, and might even not be enough."

"As for the Grand Grade Celestial Immortal Tea... as long as we later declare to the outside world that tea cultivation has begun on a large scale, the price will naturally fall in response, Your Majesty can rest assured."

Emperor Jing nodded: "Very good!"

"There is also one more matter, the case of Liu Xun has some leads, but this matter is still very thorny."

"No clues have been found within the capital."

"The East Depot has been investigating in Jianjiang for a long time, interrogating many local officials, but to no avail! However, there is a person named Wei Shan by his side, you should know him."

Wei Shan? Fang Zheng quickly recalled, and soon remembered.

He was Liu Xun's lackey, and was the first to receive me when I went to Jianjiang.

"I remember him, but I didn't get too many useful clues from Wei Shan's mouth back then. Could it be that the Depot and Guards have asked something out of him?"

Emperor Jing sighed softly: "The Depot and Guards investigated from top to bottom, one by one, until they investigated Wei Shan before they obtained a clue."

"According to Wei Shan, Liu Xun had close ties with local salt merchants on weekdays. However, the East Depot investigated the salt merchants and found no problems."

Fang Zheng asked back: "Then wouldn't that be a complete loss?"

Emperor Jing shook his head: "Since ancient times, major cases of corruption involving salt merchants and local officials have been constant. The fact that the East Depot has found nothing is where the problem lies."

"For someone like Liu Xun who died for money, the fact that his relationship with the salt merchants is too clean makes me feel that there is something else fishy."

"There must be a problem here!"

As he spoke, Emperor Jing's brows began to furrow: "If this case is just an ordinary corruption case, even if it is embezzling disaster relief money and grain, it is nothing."

"But once it is related to salt administration, then it is the biggest case in the world! More than half of the income of my Great Jing treasury comes from local salt administration, you wouldn't not know this, right?"

Fang Zheng nodded with a solemn expression.

Just kidding, of course I know this kind of thing!

Salt is a necessity of life, and people will collapse without it.

But the salt on the market is very expensive, four coins a peck. The reason why the price is so high is that, firstly, the output of salt cannot be increased, secondly, the transportation cost is high, and thirdly, the tax burden is too heavy.

Thinking of the time when he had no money to eat salt, the food he ate every day was clear soup and plain water, and Fang Zheng felt disgusted just thinking about it.

Even later, when he had some wealth, he was not willing to buy salt, and still spent a lot of effort to buy cheap private salt.

The price of private salt is much lower, half the price of official salt.

Even now, the county uses private salt, and because Taoyuan County buys a lot of it, it can be even cheaper by 20%.

Even so, the cost of buying salt for ordinary people is still high, so Taoyuan County still has a huge expense, which is to subsidize the county residents to buy salt.

Fang Zheng sometimes thinks about this after eating his fill, and thinks that it's quite embarrassing for him, as a transmigrator, to be looking for salt dealers everywhere...

"The person behind Liu Xun is acting so secretly, and may be related to salt administration. I even suspect that this person has the ability to plant an inside agent in the palace, so I dismissed everyone else."

"The reason I'm talking to you about this alone is because I trust you!"

Fang Zheng felt a chill down his spine from Emperor Jing's gaze.

Don't tell me you want me to do it! I can't afford to offend this person!

I don't dare to take on the work of the East Depot!

"Fang Qing, what do you think about this matter...?"

"Uh... I dare not look."

"You must look!" Emperor Jing slammed the table angrily, squinting at him: "I haven't made any demands on you yet! Why are you retreating? Do you think I don't know that you sleep during court meetings? How dare you be so reckless! I'm just asking you a few questions and you're already scared?"

Seeing that he had been exposed, Fang Zheng smiled awkwardly: "I think... since Your Majesty suspects that there is a problem with salt administration, it is better to let the Ministry of Revenue start investigating."

"How many people are there in Great Jing, how much salt do they eat, these are fixed, and there won't be too much deviation."

"If there is a major leak in salt administration, it will definitely be reflected in the accounts, so you can continue to look for clues downwards."

"That's right!" Emperor Jing's eyes lit up: "It seems that my East Depot really has raised a group of good-for-nothings! They didn't even think of this."

"But... what if there is an internal thief in the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Then Your Majesty can first put Zhang Shi in jail and replace him with a Minister of Revenue!"

"........"

The smile on Emperor Jing's face froze.

Petty! He had never seen Fang Zheng be so upright and petty!

Even if you two have a feud, you can't say such things, right?

Daring to frame a minister in front of me!

"I'll give you another chance, speak properly." Emperor Jing said with an unkind expression.

Fang Zheng lowered his head and smiled: "This... Your Majesty can have people investigate."

"The person behind the scenes can make Liu Xun commit suicide and act so secretly, the strength of his methods is unimaginable."

"If such a person is related to salt administration, he will definitely not be satisfied with just Jianjiang alone."

"But even the smartest person can't make the national accounts seamless!"

"So, in any case, we must start by investigating the accounts."

Emperor Jing rubbed his brow and said: "Okay, I will arrange for people to do this."

"You really didn't let me down. I know that you have always understood the affairs of merchants. Although salt administration is a major national plan, it still cannot escape the scope of merchants."

"Since the East Depot has not made any progress, we must seek extraordinary methods, so I want to send you to investigate this case."

"I don't force you, I won't blame you regardless of success or failure, I don't know if you dare to do it?"

Fang Zheng lowered his head and remained silent.

There's nothing I don't dare to do! But the matter involved is too important, and it's likely that I won't be able to find out!

But I can't refuse too simply, I'll pretend to think for a while!

Seeing his silence, Emperor Jing continued: "If you take it, then the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be established at this moment, and I will announce it to the world in the future! If the matter is handled properly, I can also fulfill one of your requests."

Tch!

Would it work to marry a princess? Being with a ruler is like being with a tiger, saying it out loud will probably get me beaten.

As for the Embroidered Uniform Guard or something, forget it, they haven't said how much silver they'll give me.

Giving me empty promises here, don't tell me I have to pull my own team together?!

"I... after thinking about it, I'm still not up to the task, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" After saying that, Fang Zheng raised his head to look at Emperor Jing.

He saw Emperor Jing staring straight at him, without saying a word.

Cold sweat involuntarily flowed down...

After a long time, Emperor Jing's calm voice rang in Fang Zheng's ears.

"In my life, I despise those cowardly men the most....."

.....

Those who want knife-cut noodles can check in here!