"Everyone, I know what you are thinking, but I need to remind you that when Your Majesty talks about managing salt and iron, he refers to the outside world."

"In other words, within the territory of the Han Dynasty, the sale of salt and iron is still operated by the imperial court. We need to get permission from the imperial court to operate this business." Zhen Yao looked at everyone and said slowly.

When everyone present heard Zhen Yao's words, they suddenly lost some interest.

However, something is better than nothing.

"Master Zhen, may I ask what are the conditions for operating salt and iron in Dahan?" Master Zhao looked at Zhen Yao and asked.

Zhen Yao looked at the head of the Zhao family, and a smile appeared on his face, because he knew that as long as he told the story about salt and iron, the Zhao family would definitely come to ask him.

After all, the Zhao family has four or five salt-making workshops in Bohai County, and he himself is the largest private salt dealer in Jizhou.

"Brother Zhao, if you want to operate salt and iron in the Han Dynasty, there are only two conditions. The first is to accept the salt tax stipulated by the court, which is about one tax per fifteen."

"The second is that you need to agree with the court to control the price and not sell it beyond the price set by the court. At the same time, the court will inspect the salt field every year. Only salt that meets the standards can be sold."

After hearing Zhen Yao's words, the head of the Zhao family lowered his head and pondered. He felt that if the imperial court could allow private salt sales and allow the family to intervene in the salt sales, the fifteen-month tax would not be too high.

But what was difficult for him to accept was that the price needed to be controlled by the court, which made him feel a little bit useless.

Seemingly sensing the thoughts of Patriarch Zhao, Zhen Yao added: "Brother Zhao, let me give you a brief explanation. His Majesty is only planning to find ten private salt companies in the entire Han Dynasty and provide a new method of making salt."

"The new method of making salt can at least ensure the monthly production of thousands of stones of refined salt. Brother Zhao, the court is talking about refined salt."

"Refined salt? What is refined salt?" The head of the Zhao family looked confused when he heard Zhen Yao's words.

"Brother Zhao, it's a shame that you are still a private salt dealer and you don't even know refined salt. Let me ask you, what kind of salt do we eat now?" Zhen Yao looked at the Zhao family leader with contempt.

He suddenly felt that the head of the Zhao family was a little ignorant and didn't even know about refined salt.

"Brother Zhen wants to test me? Then you have asked the right person. The salt we eat now is mainly divided into three types: upper, middle and lower. The lower salt has the most bitter taste and many impurities, but it is cheap. It is mainly sold

To the common people."

"Medium salt is mainly sold to people from small families like poor families and with a little wealth. This kind of salt has a slightly better taste and some impurities have been removed."

"As for the fine salt, it is specially supplied to wealthy families. It has the best taste. It has been processed many times to greatly reduce the impurities in it."

As soon as the head of the Zhao family mentioned what he was best at, he started talking about it to everyone.

"So what's the price of these salts? How much does it cost?" Zhen Yao asked curiously.

"The cost of low-grade salt is about fifty cents and one tael, and the selling price is about one hundred and fifty cents, and the medium price is two hundred cents. The price is always high. As for the high-grade salt, I can't say the cost, but I can guarantee it.

It is several times that of medium salt. As for the price, I believe everyone knows that it is about ten guan." The head of the Zhao family said slowly.

Zhen Yao nodded when he heard the words of the Zhao family leader, and then waved to the housekeeper beside him.

"Go, take some of the salt your Majesty gave you, and show it to Master Zhao."

"No!" the housekeeper responded, and then left the room.

But soon he returned to the house again, and when he came back, he had an extra bag of things in his hand.

"Show it to Patriarch Zhao." Zhen Yao pointed at Patriarch Zhao. The housekeeper responded and handed the salt in his hand to Patriarch Zhao.

As for the head of the Zhao family, he was still very reluctant to peel it at first. In his opinion, he is the one who makes salt. What kind of salt has he not seen before?

The salt he eats at home is the highest grade special salt. He dares to say with pride that even if he is an emperor, the salt he eats may not be as good as his own.

But in order not to lose face to Zhen Yao, he still took the salt from the butler's hand and opened the brocade silk wrapped with salt. As a result, his eyes widened with disbelief on his face.

"This...is this salt? How is it possible?" The head of the Zhao family looked at Zhen Yao with a face full of salt.

"Brother Zhao will know if it's salt or not." Zhen Yao looked at the surprised look on the Zhao family's face, and he felt more mentally balanced.

He couldn't help but think of the first time he saw such salt, he was even more unbelievable than the head of the Zhao family.

The head of the Zhao family looked at the snow-white thing in his hand, stretched out a finger, dipped it in a little salt, and put it into his mouth.

Suddenly, a salty taste spread in his mouth, and then the head of the Zhao family looked at the salt in his hand in disbelief.

"This, this is really salt? How is it possible?" The Zhao family leader was a little confused, how could the salt be so white, with no peculiar smell or bitterness at all.

You must know that in the Han Dynasty, there were no modern manufacturing methods, so the salt they boiled had a lot of impurities in it, which made it taste bitter and difficult to swallow. It was yellowish brown in appearance.

Even eating too much low-grade salt can easily cause poisoning. Only high-grade salt can prevent people from being poisoned.

But when I asked, I couldn't say it was good, it was very bitter, and it also had a yellowish color to it in appearance.

But now the salt in my hand is as white as snow, and it doesn't have any bitter or astringent taste. Besides being salty, it's still salty.

"Brother Zhen, is this salt?"

"If it's true, this is salt." Zhen Yao nodded.

"May I ask where this salt comes from? How much does it cost?" Zhao family leader looked at Zhen Yao and asked.

"Your Majesty gave me this salt, and also gave me the method of making it."

"As for the price, His Majesty said that when conditions are mature, the price of salt can be controlled to one penny or one tael."

"What, how is that possible!" The head of the Zhao family exclaimed when he heard Zhen Yao's words.

Such exquisite salt only costs a penny or a tael when conditions are ripe?!

In the opinion of the Zhao family leader, this is absolutely impossible.

"I dare to ask Brother Zhen, can you let me have a look at the production method?" The head of the Zhao family looked at Zhen Yao and asked.

"No, His Majesty said that this method of making salt is too simple and cannot be shown to others casually. After all, this method is so simple that it can be done with just a glance."

"Brother Zhao really wants to see it. Why don't you agree to what I just said. In this way, you and I will both serve His Majesty. Only then can I show you this method."

Zhen Yao knew how fatal this salt-making method was to the Zhao family. In order to induce the Zhao family to join, Zhen Yao took out a piece of paper and showed it in front of the Zhao family.

Seeing this piece of paper, the owner of the Zhao family felt as if a kitten had been scratching it.
Chapter completed!