Zhao Xu didn't know the inner activities of the two prime ministers, so he continued: "It just so happens that these days, I received the seal of approval from Duke Cai and Dengzhou and Mingzhou..."
Since Cai Que went to Fujian to judge, Zhao Xu was always addressed by the honorific title of "Cai Gong" whether publicly or privately, except when he was sitting in court.
This is a reward for Cai Que's support in his previous life and Conglong's meritorious service.
It is also to ensure that there will be no constraints on what Cai Que is doing in Fujian.
Facts have proved that what Zhao Xu did was very effective.
From top to bottom, no one dared to put obstacles in Cai Que's way.
This allowed Cai Que to act freely in Fujian, eliminate the long-standing officialdom abuses, and fully promote the opening of Quanzhou Port and the development of Fujian's shipbuilding industry.
"The three ministers all mentioned the difficulty of selling some of the fish and shrimps caught by fishing boats along the coast, which cannot be sold at a high price..."
"You also told me about some things about salt drying along the coast..."
Since the Han Dynasty, people have begun to boil the sea into salt.
For example, in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the reason why Wu King Liu Bi was able to launch the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.
The fundamental reason is that he not only controls a huge copper mountain, but also mobilizes a large number of people to boil the sea into salt and controls the sea salt industry.
Therefore, Wu's economy was developed and its treasury was full.
However, sea salt in the Han and Tang dynasties was all fried over firewood.
This is ‘boiling the sea’.
Starting from the Song Dynasty, the salt-drying method began to appear.
Of course, today's sun-salting technology is still very primitive and rudimentary. It is not as complicated as the modern sun-salting method. It simply introduces seawater into the salt field, and then through natural evaporation, the brine is obtained and the sea salt is crystallized.
The salt dried in this way has many impurities and tastes bitter.
It was not until the middle and late Qing Dynasty that the salt-drying method truly matured.
And Zhao Xu pressed the shortcut button for this historical process.
Whether it was Cai Que who went to judge Fujian or Chen Mu who went to Mingzhou, they both got his orders and requested that the salt-drying method be vigorously promoted in the local area and the salt-drying technology be improved.
Later, as Su Shi became more prosperous in Dengzhou.
Zhao Xu also issued the same order to Dengzhou.
In this era, there were many islands off the coast of Dengzhou, all of which were good salt drying grounds.
In this way, the production of sea salt in Dengzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou has greatly increased.
So much so that the local market can no longer digest it.
And for export...
Salt, tea, iron, and wine in the Song Dynasty all had very serious local protection.
It is difficult to get the salt from Chengdu Fu Road to Zizhou Road next door.
Last year, during the Song-Xia peace talks, one of the terms that Dangxiang people fought hard for was that the Song Dynasty was required to allow Dangxiang's green salt to enter the Shaanxi Road market.
From these examples, you can know how difficult it is to sell salt from these places to other places!
Quanzhou is fine.
Because Cai did go to Quanzhou as an observer in Fujian.
Therefore, Quanzhou salt can now be sold throughout Fujian Road.
But for Dengzhou’s salt, let alone open the market on Jingdong Road.
Laizhou next door does not allow Dengzhou salt to be sold!
Similarly, salt from Mingzhou cannot enter the markets of Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou.
In these three places, there is now only one product that can be marketed everywhere regardless of local protectionism: dried fish.
Because dried fish is not available anywhere else.
Even so, the commercial tax system of the Song Dynasty made it difficult for the dried fish business to spread nationwide.
The dried fish from Dengzhou can only be sold in Jingdong, Jingxi and Kaifeng Prefecture.
No matter how far you go, the price will rise due to tax issues, and few people can afford it.
This is because the commercial tax in the Song Dynasty was divided into two types: over-tax and residential tax.
Overtax is the tax you pay when your goods pass through my territory.
Residential tax is the tax you have to pay when selling your goods in my jurisdiction.
The tax rate for both is a constant 5%.
Look less?
However, every time the goods pass through a place, they have to pay a tax.
Moreover, what's life-threatening is that usually because of local financial difficulties, local officials who are crazy about poverty will exploit merchants to the fullest extent.
The county does not recognize the state, and the state does not recognize the road.
Governments at all levels set up cards everywhere and tried their best to collect taxes.
Therefore, although the Song Dynasty was a centralized dynasty, in the field of commodity economy, it was the same as Germany before the unification of Prussia.
The entire country is divided into independent markets by layers of taxation cards.
In the eyes of Zhao Xu, who has studied abroad in modern times, this seems awkward.
I’ve wanted to change it for a long time!
However, I have never found a good opportunity or a suitable entry point.
Until he saw the memorial from the household department begging for silkworm salt.
Zhao Xu knew that the opportunity had come!
Here comes the entry point he's been waiting for!
Silkworm salt!
It is an ancestral system!
It also had the function of helping the poor and providing relief.
Therefore, Zhao Xu knew that silkworm salt was the best stepping stone.
"It just so happened that at this time, the Ministry of Household Affairs submitted a letter requesting that the silkworm salt be abolished..."
"I just checked about this silkworm salt thing..."
"I have some ideas...I wonder if we can combine silkworm salt with sea salt and dried fish?"
Zhao Xu talked about his plan, sat on the mattress, and rubbed his hands excitedly.
He certainly has reason to be excited.
As long as silkworm salt was the brick, the door to the dusty commodity economy of the Song Dynasty was opened.
Let dried fish and sea salt enter the national market unimpeded.
Then, this crack will gradually expand.
Finally, it completely collapsed!
The national policy of mercantilism can then be established.
Because Zhao Xu will have a lot of helpers by then.
The two prime ministers listened and looked at each other.
Their hearts began to tumble.
Written by Han Jiang and Lu Gong, they are both smart people.
Naturally, I can understand the meaning of Zhao Xu’s words.
Using the old system of silkworm salt to sell sea salt and dried fish, a new bottle of wine?
"Your Majesty..." Han Jiang's heart moved, and he stepped out of the queue and asked: "Please forgive me for being stupid, what is your Majesty's holy will?"
Zhao Xu looked at Han Jiang and nodded.
I am very satisfied with Han Jiang’s flattering behavior.
If there were more Han Jiang in this court, things would be easier to handle!
Zhao Xu replied: "Mr. Sir, my initial idea is that the central government will directly use the capital to purchase large quantities of sea salt and fish and shrimp that cannot be sold at high prices in Dengzhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou and other places..."
"Then we will follow our ancestors' system of bringing grain to the capital, and use silkworm and salt methods to distribute it to the poor people all over the world..."
"At the same time, we can encourage localities to sell more sea salt and dried fish... half of the profits will go to the central government, and half will be retained by local states and counties to fund it!"
After hearing this, Han Jiang and Lu Gong were both shaken.
They naturally understood what Zhao Xu meant.
In the Song Dynasty, not all goods were taxed.
There were no taxes on the tributes the emperor demanded.
The local government even had to pay for it and bring its own dry food to help the emperor deliver it to the capital.
Similarly, there is no need to pay taxes on grain from Bianjing.
The grain shipped from the southeast had a green light all the way on the Grand Canal and arrived in Bianjing without any government obstruction or trouble along the way.
It is precisely for this reason that the price of food in Bianjing will remain low for a long time - basically the same as that of the grain-producing areas (the emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty subsidized the price of food in Bianjing for a long time, artificially lowering the price of food in Bianjing)
Therefore, the jobs of Dudajianghuai and other six shipping envoys and the Baibo three-door shipping envoys have always been fat jobs - because they can carry goods on the ships, after a year, even a small official can easily make money to hundreds or even thousands of profits.
Therefore, the use of the canal boat system is to declare that the sea salt and dried fish purchased by the central government at designated points can be passed duty-free in prefectures and counties all over the world.
Using silkworm salt to distribute it to the people means forcibly selling these things to the people.
Encourage localities to sell more sea salt and dried fish, and the profits generated will be split in half between the local government and the central government, which will be used to distribute benefits to local governments.
This is like beating a stick and giving you a sweet date.
In this way, it seems to be a win-win-win situation.
The money paid by the people can now be received in kind. It is no longer the same as in the past, when they gave money but could not see the salt.
Now, at least you can get some physical objects.
Sea salt and dried fish from Dengzhou and other places can now be sold.
The court and local governments can probably make some money.
that is……
The two prime ministers always feel a little unrealistic.
is it possible?
If everyone wins, who is losing? Who is paying the price?
But they didn't dare to ask, let alone didn't know how to ask.
the reason is simple.
This matter was raised by the officials themselves.
Moreover, in order to advance this matter, the officials lost their temper and made a fuss.
This means - he has to do this no matter what.
You may even have the determination to change people without changing your thoughts!
At the same time, the corruption of the Silkworm Salt Law and their father have been tied together - the officials have already hinted.
Therefore, the silkworm salt method is now being reformed to restore its certain poverty-relief attributes.
It's like giving relief to their parents.
No one will be able to make a fuss about this matter in the future.
Therefore, both Han Jiang and Lu Gongzhu could only sing praises.
"Your majesty is wise and wise."
"My Majesty, I am the only one who is benevolent, saintly and wise, and benefits the common people..."
After a brief hesitation, the two prime ministers immediately began to sing praises.
Anyway.
At least for now, both prime ministers feel that there is no problem with the official reform method.
Even if there is a problem, it is the problem of those who come after us.
Especially Han Jiang, who is about to retire and take care of himself.
I'm too lazy to worry about the future.
Now he only thinks about a glorious career.
That is to say, Lu Gongzhu was extra cautious. After congratulating him, Chi Kuan asked: "Your Majesty, I am brave enough to ask you, what is the approximate price of this sea salt and so-called dried fish?"
Whether it is too expensive or too cheap, there will always be problems!
Zhao Xu listened, chuckled, and told Shi Deyi beside him: "Shi Deyi, please inform the two prime ministers about the sea salt price before the month of Dengzhou, as well as the price of unsalable fish and shrimp! "
"No!" Shi Deyi accepted the order, then stepped forward, bowed his hands to the two prime ministers, and said: "The two prime ministers visited the Dengzhou market a few months ago and saw sea salt that was divided into three grades..."
"The top grade sea salt costs about 40 yuan per catty, the second is more than 20 yuan per catty, and the last is more than ten yuan per catty..."
"As for the unsalable dried fish and shrimps, they are all small fish and shrimps. If the quality is good, it only costs more than ten yuan per catty. If the quality is bad, it only costs more than a pound..."
"If the center purchases directly, the price will only be lower!"
This is natural!
Wholesale in large quantities is inherently cheaper. The court purchases directly. If the government is more sinister, it can directly charge a floor price.
Mr. Lu listened and took a deep breath: "It's so cheap?"
He was a little incredible.
Before Jingyou, the imperial court stipulated that silkworm salt cost one hundred yuan per catty, and the price was slightly lower than that of private salt, so it was regarded as a good policy by many people.
Now, the price of sea salt in Dengzhou is so low?
Moreover, it is still the market price!
In other words, its cost price will be unimaginably low!
so……
Once such sea salt floods the market in large quantities.
What to do with official salt?
Mr. Lu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
You must know that although the official salt income of the Song Dynasty has been impacted by private salt.
But its proportion in national income has never been low.
Apart from other things, the banknote salt law implemented in various places in Shaanxi Province issues 3 million salt banknotes every year.
This salt banknote income is the military expenditure guarantee for the border troops in Shaanxi!
At the same time, Song Dynasty Official Salt actually only accounts for a small part of the market.
What really takes up the bulk is private salt!
The power of private salt dealers is extremely powerful.
Once, a large amount of cheap sea salt rushed into these people's territory.
What will these people do? No one can predict.
Anyway, they can't sit still and wait for death!
Just thinking about this made Mr. Lu sweat all over his body.
But he had just sung a hymn and could not change his tune immediately.
He could only weakly step forward, hold the fennel in his hand and bow, and asked: "Your Majesty, I don't know, do you plan to ask the local military prefecture to sell this sea salt and dried fish to the people at what price?"
Zhao Xu smiled and replied: "I ordered Zhang Qing, the Minister of Household Affairs, to make the calculation..."
"Dengzhou sea salt, if purchased by the imperial court, can cost more than ten yuan per catty..."
"Although it can be lower, the profits of the salt people must also be considered..."
"Including the freight and the government's appropriate profit..."
"When each catty is finally distributed to the people, it should be about 40 to 50 yuan."
Mr. Lu closed his eyes and his cheeks kept twitching.
Forty or fifty yuan a pound of official salt?
In the salt-producing areas, they are all cheap!
How much more so in places where salt is not produced?
He could imagine the anger of those private salt dealers.
You must know that private salt dealers have always been the biggest unrest factor in the society of the Song Dynasty.
In the second year of Yuanfeng alone, 20,000 people were arrested by prefectures and counties all over the world for selling illegal salt!
In other years, the number of illegal salt dealers caught by local governments every year ranges from seven to eight thousand to more than ten thousand.
From this, we can imagine how many people are entrenched in this ecological chain?
In addition, once such cheap salt floods into the market...
What to do with those government-run salt households and kitchen households?
If they go bankrupt in large numbers...
Mr. Lu felt his hands and feet were cold.
Zhao Xu chuckled lightly when he saw it. He was naturally prepared.
So, I clapped my hands in fear.
"Shi Deyi brought Dengzhou sea salt and dried fish to the two of you."
"promise!"
Shi Deyigong accepted the order and soon led his people to deliver the sea salt and dried fish to the two prime ministers.
Mr. Lu looked at Hai Yan who was brought to him.
Large particles, mottled color, obviously containing a lot of impurities.
As for the so-called dried fish and dried shrimps.
Not only was it very small, but it also had a very strange smell, which was obviously not handled properly during the drying process.
Especially the dried shrimps - almost just shrimp skins, no meat at all!
"These sea salts contain many impurities. When people get them, they need to add water to boil them to remove the impurities before they can be eaten..." Zhao Xu explained.
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!