All the members are good people, only the host is a pervert

The autumn in Yangzhou City is still a bit hot, and the bluestone slabs in front of the Censorate are hot from the scorching sun.

More than ten salt merchants dressed in silk and satin had been waiting outside the yamen for a long time, led by Qian Wanguan, the president of the Yangzhou Salt Industry Association.

The once powerful salt merchant was now sweating profusely, and from time to time he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his cuffs embroidered with gold thread.

"President Qian, just waiting like this isn't a solution." A tall, thin salt merchant came over and whispered, "How about giving the doorman some more..."

"You're confused!" Qian Wanguan interrupted harshly, "You still think this is the old Yangzhou? Have you forgotten how the Chen family collapsed last month?"

The tall and thin man suddenly fell silent.

Last month, the head of Chenji Salt Shop was caught in the street by Lin Ruan for trying to bribe a clerk from the Censorate, and he is still in jail.

Just then, the side door of the yamen creaked open. A young clerk in a cyan official uniform stepped out and said, "Excuse me for waiting. Lord Lin invites you to the side hall for a chat."

The salt merchants, as if granted amnesty, quickly straightened their clothes and followed in. After passing through two corridors, they arrived at a quiet side hall.

The hall was simply furnished, with a rosewood desk in the center, neatly stacked with account books. The most eye-catching thing was a calligraphy hanging on the wall: "Be upright and lead by example."

"Lord Lin is here!"

Following the announcement, Lin Ruan, dressed in the crimson official uniform of the third rank, walked in with steady steps.

The salt merchants immediately knelt down and saluted: "Your humble servants pay their respects to you, sir!"

Lin Ruan sat down behind the desk, took a sip of tea, and then slowly said, "Everyone, get up. I heard that you all came together to visit today. Is there anything important?"

Qian Wanguan stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, I am truly desperate and have come to bother you. The salt permit quota has been drastically reduced, and although we have tried many ways to get it, we are still..."

"Salt permits?" Lin Ruan put down his teacup and smiled. "Shouldn't this matter be addressed to the Salt Administration? As the Chief Censor, I'm only responsible for supervising officials, not issuing salt permits."

The salt merchants looked at each other in bewilderment. A younger salt merchant couldn't help but say, "But the Salt Administration said that it was the Censorate that asked them to conduct a strict review..."

"Oh?" Lin Ruan raised her eyebrows slightly. "Then I'd like to ask, do you think the Censorate is overly involved?"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly tensed. Qian Wanguan quickly tried to smooth things over, "Your Excellency has misunderstood! Truthfully... the Salt Administration is now ruthless and impartial. Although we would like to serve, we lack the means to do so."

"Your Excellency, we are just trying to find a way out." A salt merchant said with a wry smile.

Lin Ruan smiled and said, "Oh? The big salt merchants in Yangzhou have always been so wealthy that they can't even use their money to find a way out?"

Everyone looked at each other and dared not speak anymore.

Lin Ruan tapped the table with her fingertips, making a crisp sound.

She glanced at every salt merchant present and said slowly, "I remember that in the early days of the founding of the country, salt permits were earned through concrete merit. Transporting grain to the border, building riverbanks, providing relief to disaster victims... the more work you did, the more salt permits you earned."

"Your Excellency," Qian Wanguan said with a wry smile, "Nowadays, we also have the so-called 'serving the country'. We dare not neglect any of the military supplies, water conservancy, relief, and public preparations. But this year..."

"Although salt permits no longer need to be exchanged according to contribution, the court is strictly checking, and the salt administration probably wouldn't dare to accept your silver," Lin Ruan took over the conversation. "So you've found that silver is suddenly not working, right?"

The salt merchants' faces suddenly changed into a variety of expressions. Some lowered their heads in embarrassment, some looked terrified, and some even had beads of sweat on their foreheads.

Lin Ruan stood up and walked to the window. Looking at a crape myrtle in full bloom in the yard, she said calmly, "You won't be able to take the short-draw route. But..." She suddenly turned around and said, "Why don't you try the long-draw route?"

"Long-term invoice?" Qian Wanguan's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. "But the conditions for a long-term invoice are very demanding. Not only does it require a million in capital, but it also requires a fixed trade route..."

"What you lack is not money, but merit," Lin Ruan interrupted. "Right now, the war in the northwest is intense, and the court is short of military pay. If anyone can resolve this urgent need and help the court, His Majesty will surely be delighted. This is a perfect opportunity."

Before she finished speaking, the salt merchants had already grasped her meaning. Several of them immediately began to whisper to each other, excitement showing on their faces.

Seeing this, Lin Ruan continued, "You are all prominent figures in Yangzhou. If you can step forward and contribute to the court at this time, you will not only receive His Majesty's commendation, but also enhance your own reputation. In this way, you will naturally have a chance to secure the purchase quota for long-drawn instruments."

"Sir, apart from the annual contribution, we have to donate silver and military supplies. This is not a small amount. Although we have some assets, I am afraid that we will be seriously damaged by this." A salt merchant could not help but express his concerns.

Lin Ruan smiled faintly and said confidently, "You should take a long-term view. Once you obtain the long-term licence, with your merchant ships and business channels, the profits you will gain will far exceed your current investment. Moreover, after the emperor's commendation, the court's support and trust in you will also increase. Needless to say, you will have many more advantages in the future in the business world."

"Sir, what you said is indeed reasonable. But I hope you can give me some more advice on how to proceed." Qian Wanguan, the leader, raised his head, his eyes revealing a hint of expectation.

Lin Ruan nodded. "This isn't difficult. You can all come together and discuss a specific plan for donating silver and military supplies, clearly defining your respective contributions and the types of supplies. Then, submit the plan to me, and I will send someone to the capital to present it to His Majesty for his review. As long as your sincerity is sufficient, His Majesty will surely agree."

Thank you for your guidance! We will discuss it as soon as we get back and come up with a plan as soon as possible. ” The salt merchants all stood up and saluted Lin Ruan with tears of gratitude.

"Well, go ahead. Remember, this matter concerns your future, so don't be perfunctory." Lin Ruan warned seriously.

"Yes, sir! We will do our best!" The salt merchants responded in unison, and then said goodbye and left.

After the salt merchants left, Liu Hong came out from behind the screen and whispered, "Sir, do you really want to help them? These salt merchants are..."

"Are they all parasites sucking the blood and sweat of the people?" Lin Ruan chuckled. "That's not necessarily true."

Lin Ruan watched the salt merchants retreating, his lips curled up slightly. Encouraging the salt merchants to donate silver and military supplies to the court would not only address the court's urgent needs, but also further regulate Yangzhou's salt market—killing two birds with one stone.

The most important thing is that she intends to imitate the reforms made by her predecessors, which will definitely cause serious damage to these big salt merchants, destroy private capital, and create a serious obstacle to the subsequent development of the salt industry.

So, why not take a long-term view and make money from other countries?

The salt merchants got a job, the court got money, and she got credit.

It's like killing three birds with one stone, awesome.

Three days later, the most luxurious restaurant in Yangzhou, "Zuixianlou", was booked by Qian Wanguan, and the heads of the twelve salt merchants gathered together.

"Everyone, Lord Lin's meaning is very clear." Qian Wanguan looked around at everyone, "If we want to get the long lead, we have to bleed first."

"But this is too much!" A salt merchant with a ferocious face slammed the table and said, "Two hundred thousand taels per family for military supplies? And we have to provide our own merchant ships to transport the food? Do you think we're a charity?"

"Master Li, please be patient." Qian Wanguan pressed his hand. "Think about it. How much more can you earn in a year after getting the long permit? Besides..." She lowered her voice, "I heard that the court is already drafting a new salt law."

Everyone suddenly quieted down. The words "new salt law" filled them with both anticipation and fear.

"So, this is the last chance." Qian Wanguan said meaningfully, "Either you bleed now, or..."

She didn't finish her words, but everyone present understood what she was leaving out.

A month later, the salt merchants presented the agreed plan of donating silver and military supplies to Lin Ruan.

After carefully reviewing it, Lin Ruan felt that it was quite feasible, so he immediately sent someone to deliver it to the capital.

In the memorial, the salt merchants expressed their willingness to jointly donate 3 million taels of silver to aid the army and send ten merchant ships to transport military supplies to the court free of charge.

In the Yangxin Palace, after reading the memorial, the emperor smiled and said to Wang Dashi beside him: "Look, my cousin is really..."

She smiled meaningfully, "I think she gave me a great gift. The Northwest Army is worried about where to get its pay..."

Seven days later, the imperial edict was issued to Yangzhou.

The emperor greatly appreciated the salt merchants' actions. He not only issued an imperial decree to commend them, but also specially granted a certain amount of long-term purchase rights to the salt merchants who participated in the donation.

When the news came, the business community in Yangzhou was shocked.

At this moment, Lin Ruan was saying to himself: Merit +1.