Green Mountain

This time, it was Chen Ji who was surprised.

Huang Que was a bit troubled: "Brother, in the past, when we bought the salt permits from the Eight Great Merchants, we would gather Silver Coin with other salt merchants. Coming here in a hurry now, I'm afraid I can't make a decision on my own."

When the Eight Great Merchants did business with small salt merchants, they typically packaged ten thousand permits for sale. The small merchants never had enough Silver Coin, often needing hundreds to come together to buy one order, which they would split later.

Chen Ji said with a smile: "No matter, Brother Huang, just buy one hundred permits first. If not possible, ten will do. The salt permits here can be divided for sale."

Huang Que's eyes lit up: "Is this true?"

Shen Ye laughed heartily, patting his shoulder: "When has Brother Chen Ji ever fooled you?"

Huang Que hastily selected ten permits, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Brother, I must send someone on a fast horse to the Changlu Salt Field to bring the salt and see if these permits can actually be exchanged for salt, and then... my apologies, I am just being too suspicious."

When salt merchants exchange salt permits for salt, the salt field stamps the permit with an official seal. Only with this seal can they use the permits legally at the checkpoints along the way.

Salt permits that can be used to get salt are valuable. Otherwise, they are worthless.

Chen Ji smiled and said: "No worries, Brother Huang, take them for verification. If you can't get the salt, you can come back to get your Silver back from me."

Huang Que cupped his hands in farewell to Chen Ji and Shen Ye: "Brother Huang takes his leave now. If this matter is resolved, I will host a banquet to thank both of you."

With that, he left Meihua Ferry Crossing without looking back.

Chen Ji turned to Shen Ye, curious: "Brother Shen, aren't you buying salt permits?"

Shen Ye closed a box leisurely and sat on its lid: "If I didn't know you well, Brother, you might have fooled me too."

Chen Ji feigned ignorance: "What do you mean, Brother Shen?"

Shen Ye laughed loudly: "Your conflict with the Chen Family Salt Shop is no secret. Now that they aren't selling a single ounce of salt, it's the talk of the town outside the city. If you really didn't care about the salt shop business, why insist on grabbing the salt permits?"

Chen Ji scrutinized Shen Ye, realizing this "Poetry Champion" was no simple character.

Shen Ye continued: "You are merely posing as a rich fop, driving down the price of salt permits. You just want to use me and Brother Huang to attract more salt merchants. I guess you haven't actually prepared any banquets upstairs at Meirui Building."

Chen Ji no longer hid it and sat facing Shen Ye with another box: "Indeed, there is no banquet."

Shen Ye's smile deepened: "I hope you won't be so stingy next time. If you're acting, act the whole part. But I am curious, why are you drawing in so many small salt merchants? The thirty thousand permits in your hand are not enough for every salt merchant across the country. They want more than you can imagine."

Chen Ji maintained his composure: "Why don't you guess what I'm planning to do?"

Shen Ye shook his head: "I can't guess."

Chen Ji probed: "Are you planning to expose me, Brother Shen?"

Shen Ye laughed heartily: "Why expose you? Not only will I not expose you, but tonight I will write more than ten letters and ask the Imperial Capital post station to quickly deliver the news to all the salt merchants I know, helping you out."

Chen Ji frowned slightly: "What do you want, Brother Shen?"

Shen Ye shook his head: "My curiosity is strong. I don't seek any return; I just want to see what world-shaking move you will make."

Chen Ji suddenly changed the subject: "Since Brother Shen is willing to help, why not help a bit more? I am curious, where do small salt merchants like Brother Huang usually buy salt permits?"

Shen Ye pondered: "Lianghuai salt merchants usually buy from Caoji and Yang Ji; Liangzhe buys from Xu Ji and Zhang Ji..."

Chen Ji pondered for a moment and asked again: "Why do the Eight Great Merchants sell salt permits to other salt merchants instead of keeping them to turn into Silver?"

Shen Ye sighed: "It's mainly because the court's levied salt tax is too high."

"Salt tax?" Chen Ji puzzled: "Isn't the salt tax already included in the salt permits purchased from the Ministry of Revenue? How can there be additional salt taxes?"

Shen Ye patiently explained: "The court levies the salt tax to force the big salt merchants to buy new salt permits. For instance, Yang Ji already held 400,000 permits, Caoji even 900,000. They didn't need to buy permits this year, but if they don't, where will the court's money come from? They can't afford to have no salt tax revenue, so they must push them to buy more."

Chen Ji was suddenly enlightened.

As the price of the salt permits was far below the market, the Silver collected from selling them every year was inadequate. Due to the lack of Silver, the court had to push salt merchants to pre-purchase permits for the upcoming years.

This method of seeking short-term relief but worsening long-term problems is the reason for over-issuance of salt permits.

Wu Xiu's distant relative, Wu Xuanyi, after serving as Salt Transport Department Secondary Third Rank Transport Commissioner, could raise the salt tax by two percent simply because he had salt merchants subscribe an additional two percent, thanks to Wu Xiu's connections.

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "How many salt permits do the Eight Great Merchants hold now?"

Shen Ye lowered his head in thought: "Probably around two million, but the exact amount is unknown since we can't verify how many they've sold privately."

Chen Ji solemnly said: "Thank you."

Shen Ye stood up, smoothing the wrinkles on his clothes, and walked towards the outside of Meirui Building: "I'm leaving now—I will come again tomorrow."

Chen Ji curiously asked: "The Imperial Examination is near; don't you need to study, Brother Shen?"

Shen Ye laughed loudly as he walked away: "It's already in the bag, a piece of cake!"

After he left, Brother Pao walked down from the stairs: "He's quite a bold character."

Chen Ji looked back: "Where is Second Miss Zhang?"

Brother Pao explained: "Second Miss Zhang said her mother has grounded her, and she can only come in the morning henceforth and must stay home learning embroidery in the afternoon... She sorted all these salt permits in one morning and even learned all thirty-six Hongmen oaths, all the codes and gestures. How can such a talented woman be kept at home to learn embroidery? What a pity!"

Chen Ji looked at the moonlight outside Meirui Building: "In this era, countless rules set by dogma are binding everyone with ropes."

Brother Pao thoughtfully suggested: "Why don't you..."

Chen Ji suddenly stood up, interrupting Brother Pao: "Brother Pao, a journey of a thousand miles always begins with the first step, but it is only the first step. It will take Huang Que's people six days to travel from the Imperial Capital to Changlu Salt Field and back. I too will return in six days."

Brother Pao scratched his head with his pinky: "For such a smart lad, how are you not insightful about this?"

…

…

Chen Ji left Meihua Ferry Crossing, boarded Si Caogui's carriage, and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed for rest.

Si Caogui flicked the whip, and as the carriage set off, he whispered: "How many salt permits did you sell tonight?"

Chen Ji, without opening his eyes, said: "Ten."

Si Caogui's voice darkened: "After all this trouble, only ten? How much did you sell them for?"

Chen Ji responded: "Two taels of Silver per permit."

Si Caogui couldn't help but question: "Why sell so cheap? Your salt shop's books will reflect much greater losses than previous years. You seem smart, so why are you such a fool in business?"

Chen Ji opened his eyes: "Lord Si Cao, don't you bait the fish before fishing?"

Si Caogui hesitated: "Do I have such leisure to fish?"

Chen Ji suddenly changed the subject: "Lord Si Cao, why are you so invested in the struggle for succession?"

Si Caogui continued to drive while responding seriously: "Chen Ji, do not treat this matter with a playful attitude. Since the Bailu Pavilion pharmacy was destroyed by the Spy Department, many spies in our Military Intelligence Department have lost stipends and are living in hardship. Many infiltration and counter-rebellion operations cannot proceed. If you can control the Chen family, you can turn everything around."

Chen Ji curiously asked: "Why don't you report this? The matters of our Military Intelligence Department are crucial; the court should allocate Silver for it."

Si Caogui shook his head: "The Lord already has too many things to manage. We should solve it ourselves; why bother him further? Besides, our dynasty is already struggling; we came to the Southern Dynasty to support larger causes, not to add to the court's burdens."

Chen Ji looked up at the carriage top. This Si Caogui wasn't the Military Intelligence Department's strategist, which might also explain why Lu Jin, after reinstating, did not support this close confidant as Division Head.

But this man was the Military Intelligence Department's sharpest and most loyal sword.

Whom the sword kills depends on who wields it.

Chen Ji softly said: "Rest assured, Lord Si Cao, I will do my best."

Si Caogui was silent for a long time and then said soothingly: "The things you're doing now are beyond me, but just be at ease. With me here to protect you, ordinary people won't be able to harm you."

Chen Ji laughed: "Thank you, Lord Si Cao."