Facts have proved that professional things should be left to professionals. Even if it looks like it is done by a layman, in fact it will definitely look miserable.

No matter what industry it is used in, the principle is almost the same. Just like now, when that person is dragged in with hundreds of stitches.

Zhu Guoqiang couldn't help but regret a little.

Why does this look so much like a scarecrow in a horror movie?

Hey, the more this happens, the scarier it gets.

Tick ​​tock…

Although there were a hundred people in the hall, the ticking sound could still be heard clearly when the blood dripped from the "skin bag".

Combined with the pungent smell of blood, everyone in the hall felt dizzy.

Peel the grass!

Really, really peeled off...

While Zheng Yuanxun and others were so frightened that they could not speak, some timid ones even fainted from fright when the skin was dragged in.

For these salt merchants who are usually pampered and well-off, when have they ever seen such cruel methods? It is simply shocking...

No one dared to say those two words. They didn't dare to say them. As for the officials and many timid salt merchants, they were so frightened that they peed like urine. A stench filled the hall.

But even so, Zhu Guoqiang still sat there quietly, holding a teacup in his hand, looking at the salt merchant in the hall.

What does the prince want to do?

The moment the salt merchant he was eyeing made eye contact, he felt a heat in his crotch and the ground became wet.

In the end, Zhu Guoqiang set his sights on Zheng Yuanxun, and he was quite satisfied with his performance. At least he was not scared to the point of peeing.

Seeing the prince looking at him, even though his heart felt cold and his legs were trembling, countless thoughts were still flashing in Zheng Yuanxun's mind.

What on earth does this prince want to do?

Check private salt?

No, what good would it do to him to check his private information?

The benefit, yes, the benefit...what is the benefit? The benefit is money.

Suddenly, Zheng Yuanxun figured out the reason and hurriedly bowed his head.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to donate one million taels of salary!"

One million taels!

That’s quite a lot!

That should be enough!

Guys, you pay some and I pay some. Together, it’s quite a lot.

Each of the eight major general merchants contributed one million taels. The other 100-odd merchants each contributed a little more, which is really an astronomical figure.

Are you still not satisfied, Prince De?

Just when everyone thought so, they heard the prince speak slowly.

"One million taels, Zheng Yuanxun, tell me, how much salt is there in Yangzhou per year? How much silver should be paid according to the law?" According to the "gang salt system" of the Ming Dynasty: merchants holding salt yin were divided into 10 gangs by region.

, each salt quotation is 200,000 taels, and each quotation is 300 kilograms of salt, or 6 cents and 4 cents of silver, which is called "nest", with an additional tax of 3 taels of silver, and an additional tax of 3 taels of silver for ministers (transportation).

And this quantity of salt was set a hundred years ago. How much has the population increased in the past hundred years, and how much has the demand for salt increased? Not to mention these, these salt merchants have never paid even the base amount set back then.

!

Hearing what the prince said, Zheng Yuanxun and the others were all stunned. They never expected that the prince wanted to settle this account.

"What? You have nothing to say? Then let me do the math for you!"

While sneering, Zhu Guoqiang began to calculate.

"According to the salt tax amount set by the imperial court, for every taxable silver of 6 taels, 6 cents and 4 cents, we should get 13.28 million taels of silver! But in fact, there are only 2.5 million taels of silver at most, and nine out of ten salt taxes will be lost.

Tell me, how many of them were lost from Yangzhou?"

While asking questions, Zhu Guoqiang stared at the pale salt merchants and said.

"People at that time said, "The big merchants in Xin'an, whose business is fish and salt, have up to one million coins, and the other two to three million are among the merchants." But some people also say that the Yangzhou salt merchants are the most extravagant in the world, with hundreds of thousands of coins in their possessions.

Anyone with less than 10,000 yuan is called a small businessman. Anyone with less than 1 million yuan is a small businessman. How many big businessmen and how many small businessmen are there in this house? Can you tell me how many big businessmen there are in this house? The salt merchants are the richest in the world. How can they not be rich? You stole them one by one.

How much tax? How much money has been missed! Come on, tell me one by one, come out and listen!"

Facing the prince's question, no one dared to answer. They knew their own affairs. Officially, Yangzhou Lianghuai salt had 710,000 yin, but in fact, including private salt, they sold no less than 2 million yin.

Annual tax evasion exceeds tens of millions...

Li Kunyang, who had received more than 100,000 taels, was skinned and stripped like that, and even the smelly "skin bag" was still hanging in front of their eyes. If this was revealed, the hall might be full of people today.

When I think of these people, I feel chills in their hearts. Doesn’t this prince want to peel off all their skins?

This is too cruel.

It didn't matter that they didn't speak. Zhu Guoqiang still held the teacup and sat there silently, warming his hands with the teacup.

They sat like this until early in the morning, when Lawrence Lu rushed over and walked into the lobby of Zuixian Tower. Although the smell in the hall was really bad and there was a "skin bag" full of blood hanging there, he still didn't want to

A revealing report,

"Reporting to the Crown Prince, my subordinates were ordered by the Crown Prince to confiscate 16 salt merchants including Qiu, Yang, Sun, Qi, and Lu. In addition to finding many evidences of their collusion with slave-building and selling illegal salt, a large amount of other salt merchants were confiscated.

The money and goods are still being counted. In addition, 565 children of 16 profiteers and 4,512 domestic slaves have been detained..."

After Lu Yushen finished his report, Zhu Guoqiang said casually.

"The female family members were taken away as slaves and rewarded to the army officers together with the domestic slaves. As for the men..."

Zhu Guoqiang sneered as he glanced with a cold face at the dozen salt merchants who were so lost that they had even forgotten to beg for mercy.

"The traitors shall be punished!...Kill them!"

The moment those two words fell into his ears, Zheng Yuanxun felt his heart tremble suddenly, and then he watched Qiu Yilin and the others being dragged out!

He even vaguely heard screams coming from outside the door.

died!

Qiu Yilin and the others are really dead!

This son-in-law is so ruthless!

At this moment, Zheng Yuanxun saw Wang Chuyang, the oldest among them all, stand up in shock and bowed his head.

"Your Majesty, it's difficult, it's difficult. Do you want to kill all of us Yangzhou salt merchants?"

Zhu Guoqiang said in a deep voice.

"Kill according to law!"

Wang Chuyang, who had dealt with countless high-ranking officials over the years, could already discern the meaning behind his words - according to the law, he definitely deserved to be killed.

But the law is nothing more than human kindness. You don’t have to kill!

In fact, everyone has heard that the real purpose of this prince is not to kill people, but for money!

But anything that money can solve is not a big deal! We Yangzhou salt merchants have a lot of money even though they have nothing!

Suddenly, everyone felt relieved!

Now there is only one question left, that is how much money this man wants!

Wang Chuyang looked at Zheng Yuanxun. He had previously offered him one million taels of silver, but he had not yet reached an agreement. It seemed that this man wanted a lot of money!

How much silver does he want?

"The law is nothing more than human feelings. Can the prince be accommodating?"

When Wang Chuyang finished speaking, Zhu Guoqiang had already stood up.

"Sir, I have to go on a journey tomorrow. I haven't slept this night and I am really tired. You can discuss it among yourselves!"

After that, Zhu Guoqiang left, leaving a room full of dumbfounded salt merchants.

From beginning to end, he never threatened or offered money, he just... killed a few people!

…

Zhu Guoqiang didn't care how much money the salt merchants in Yangzhou would give. In order to buy their lives, they would definitely be willing to come up with a suitable figure.

"Get ready, we are leaving for Nanjing this afternoon!"

"Your Majesty, are you going to let them go like this? Shouldn't we take the opportunity to rectify the Salt Law now?"

Ge Shizhen asked with some confusion.

"Rectify the Salt Law? Can we receive money?"

After asking a casual question, Zhu Guoqiang said.

"I came to Yangzhou this time just to eat the fat sheep. I will dig out a piece of meat from them first. Later, the pigs will be fattened and then killed. The leeks will have to be cut one after another..."
To be continued...