Yu Zhong Shiye

Author: Chen Delai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, salt could not be transported from the southern Yangtze River to the northern Yangtze River, nor from the northern Yangtze River to the southern Yangtze River. One year, there was a salt shortage in the Jiangnan region, and the supply could not be met in time. The Governor of Hangzhou organized a group of salt merchants and instructed them to secretly transport salt to the northern Yangtze River. However, when crossing the river, they accidentally encountered interception by their rivals. The salt merchants returned to Hangzhou dejectedly, reporting the details to the Governor. The Governor of Hangzhou wrote a letter and sent it by horseback to plead for understanding and leniency. However, the other party showed no willingness to show mercy, claiming that it was a regulation passed down from the previous dynasty and that no one was allowed to break it. The Governor was extremely troubled by this matter, and his subordinates were also at a loss for solutions.