In later generations, a single Changlu Saltworks could produce more than one million tons of salt a year. However, in this era of saltworks, even if the officials of the saltworks worked hard to squeeze the households, the salt produced by one saltworks was very pitiful.
Relying on the stove to cook salt in one pot, the speed and output cannot be much faster, not to mention that it consumes a lot of wood. Many salt-producing places along the coast have already been cut down.
"Father, I think this method can be tried. If this method of drying salt is really feasible, it can be promoted on a large scale in our Ming Dynasty to produce more salt, which will be of great benefit to the country and the people.
matter."
Zhu Houzhao stood up and said that it is naturally beneficial to the country and the people, and of course it is also very beneficial to him as the prince. Setting up a salt farm is basically equivalent to having a mountain of gold and silver. From now on, he can just sit back and collect the money.
Emperor Hongzhi did not speak. He kept thinking. The salt and iron franchise has been a rule since ancient times. How could Liu Jin change it immediately with just his mouth?
Once the iron law of salt and iron monopoly is opened, no one knows whether it will be good or bad for Ming Dynasty.
Today Liu Jin and the prince can jointly build a salt farm, and tomorrow others will have the same request. By then, the salt will no longer be in the hands of the court.
The salt has opened its mouth, but where will the iron be when the time comes?
Iron can not only be used to produce farm tools, etc., but can also be used to produce swords, arrows, armor and other weapons and equipment, and these things are related to national affairs. Rulers since ancient times have been very wary of this aspect.
Although this is of no use, those who should rebel will still rebel, and the dynasties that should perish will still perish, and nothing will change as a result.
But with this salt and iron in their hands, these rulers naturally feel more at ease.
"You guys should go back first, I need to think about this matter carefully."
Emperor Hongzhi thought for a while and replied.
I am going to wait until Xiao Jing's side investigates clearly before making a decision. Of course, this naturally requires careful discussion with the ministers of the DPRK and China, and listening to everyone's opinions.
"My son, please retire~"
"The common people resign~"
Liu Jin and Zhu Houzhao looked at each other, looking a little helpless, and left the Yangxin Hall at the same time.
"Old Liu, if half of the salt farm pays two million taels of silver a year, do we really still have money to make?"
After leaving the Yangxin Hall, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but ask Liu Jin.
"Your Highness still doesn't believe me. When did I ever say such lies?"
Liu Jin said very solemnly.
"Um...I believe you, but salt and iron are really difficult to deal with. It has been the exclusive domain of the imperial court in all dynasties."
Zhu Houzhao nodded, of course he knew Liu Jin's abilities. If it weren't for Liu Jin, Zhu Houzhao would still be a pauper now. He had to rely on the name of the prince to do everything, unlike now when everything can be done with money.
"Your Highness, I am actually quite good at iron-making."
When it came to iron, Liu Jin couldn't help but say.
Iron in this era was also very expensive because the output was limited, and everyone knows that the iron ore in China has a relatively high iron content, and basically contains a lot of impurities, and the quality is relatively poor. Even in later generations, iron ore
Most of the stone is still imported.
In this era, due to technology, the iron output in Daming was relatively low, and the quality was also very poor. The price of good iron was often very high.
"Can you make iron?"
When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he was slightly startled and said.
"certainly."
"Is it similar to this sun-salted method? Can it be used for large-scale iron smelting?"
Zhu Houzhao's little eyes immediately narrowed and he asked in a low voice.
"About that. If allowed, setting up a steel factory would definitely make money."
Liu Jin nodded and said that he had long wanted to set up a steel factory to make steel by himself, but he was really impatient about it. In the era of salt and iron monopoly, making steel without the permission of the court was illegal and could even be detained.
on charges of conspiring to rebel.
"This matter is going to be difficult to handle. I think I will have to wait until I become the master of the matter before I can handle it."
When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he was very happy at first, but when he thought about the importance of iron, he couldn't help but said in frustration.
"Forehead…"
When Liu Jin heard this, he was immediately speechless. He was probably the only one who dared to say this, Zhu Houzhao. There was no way. Who said he was the only son of Emperor Hongzhi? If it were placed in other dynasties, that prince would dare to say this?
Liu Jin left the palace and returned to his home. Before his butt was hot, the British Duke Zhang Mao came to visit him again.
"You brat, let's go, let's go and see my fields together. They are the best fields around the capital."
Zhang Mao came in a hurry, and before he had a sip of tea, he took Liu Jin and walked out of the capital.
Last time, the land sale was mentioned at Dingguo Palace, and Liu Jin also agreed to Zhang Mao. If the land was good, Liu Jin was ready to buy some. Unexpectedly, only a few days had passed, and Zhang Mao hurriedly
I came to see Liu Jin.
"Mr. Zhang, do you really want to sell your land?"
Sitting on the carriage, Liu Jin asked seriously. There is a saying in ancient times: A son will not feel bad if he sells his father's land. It means that only a prodigal will sell the land passed down by his ancestors. Otherwise, he will be killed even if he can't sell his ancestral property.
of.
"Of course, these fields only harvest a little grain a year, and the total income is not much. When I make money, I can buy ten times or a hundred times the fields. I am not a prodigal."
Zhang Mao's little abacus was sound. He was not bound by those old ideas and had already made plans in his heart.
Liu Jin followed Zhang Mao out of the capital and walked less than three miles and came to a flat and open field. At this time, farmers were working hard on this flat and open field. In the first half of the year, there was a famine. In the second half of the year,
The wheat is growing very well, and you can see patches of green wheat in the fields.
"You brat, you see, these fields are all cultivated. The fields are very flat, easy to irrigate, and very fertile. If I wasn't in a hurry for money, I wouldn't sell these fields to you."
Zhang Mao and Liu Jin got off the carriage, Zhang Mao pointed to the vast fields in front of him and said.
"All these fields belong to you, Mr. Zhang?"
Liu Jin looked at the endless plains in front of him. According to Zhang Mao, all the fields in front of him belonged to Zhang Mao.
"Well, this field, from that hilltop to this hilltop, is all mine. There are probably more than a thousand slopes in total."
Zhang Mao smiled and replied.
"More than a thousand tilts!"
When Liu Jin heard this, he couldn't help but open his mouth. The entire village of Xiahetun only had more than a hundred acres of farmland, while his British father-in-law, Zhang Mao, had thousands of acres of farmland in front of him.
.
Vast hectares of fertile land, vast wealth... How much land did Lao Zhang and other nobles and nobles occupy in the Ming Dynasty?
Thinking of this, Liu Jin couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It was only the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and land annexation had already reached such a serious stage.
The rich have vast land and the poor have nowhere to stand. This is the cruelest reality, and it is all unfolding before Liu Jin's eyes at this moment.
"It's just over a thousand pounds, it's nothing at all. It's just part of the land in my hands, and the land in my hands isn't that much at all."
Zhang Mao said nonchalantly.
"..."
Liu Jin was immediately speechless. It was only more than a thousand pounds. It was nothing at all. It was just a part of the field in his hand, and the field in his hand was not that much.
You can think about it, other princes, nobles, and wealthy nobles will definitely have a lot of land in their hands. They are like tumors growing on Ming Dynasty, one is bigger than the other, constantly eating away at Ming Dynasty.
"You brat, I'll only sell you these farmlands for five taels of silver per acre. For these over a thousand taels of land, you can just give me five hundred thousand taels of silver."
"And as long as you pay now, the grain on these fields this year will be considered yours, and you can collect the rent in a few months."
Zhang Mao and Liu Jin walked very casually in the fields, and without wasting time, they got down to business.
"Five taels of silver per acre is not expensive. Mr. Zhang, are you sure you want to sell?"
Naturally, Liu Jin had already understood the price of land in this era. Fertile farmland like this could usually be sold for sixty-seven taels per acre. In the Jiangnan area, the best paddy fields could even be sold for ten taels per acre.
In the Huizhou area where Huizhou merchants gather, they can even sell it for thirty-two acres.
The price of land in various regions is completely different. Sometimes the government's policies will cause the price of land to fluctuate, and the fluctuations are extremely large.
Zhang Mao sold it to him for five taels of silver per acre, which was a bit low and more reasonable.
It is only a few miles away from the capital. The location is very good and the land is very flat. It will be a very good choice for building factories or real estate in the future.
"Nonsense, otherwise, why would I bring you here, and you'd better tell me whether you want it or not?"
"I just want to see you as a kid. Otherwise, how could I buy such a good land for five taels of silver?"
Zhang Mao still felt a little distressed when he thought of this. Thousands of acres of prime farmland had been accumulated by the British princes from generation to generation. A lot of hard work had been spent on these thousands of acres of land.
"Yes, of course, but there are too few. Whose are the other fields around?"
Liu Jin smiled and nodded and said, but since he wants to buy land, he naturally has to buy more. Anyway, the money in his hand cannot be found for investment for the time being, so it is better to buy all the fields in the surrounding area.
"It seems like you have a big appetite. I'll draw a picture for you."
When Zhang Mao heard this, he couldn't help but laugh. Then he picked up a branch and drew a simple map on the ground and said: "To the east is Cheng Guogong's field. It's not much, just a few hundred acres. To the west is
Jianchang Bo and Shouninghou's fields total more than two thousand acres..."