Zhou Man was involved in every step of the establishment and expansion of the Imperial Medical Office and the Local Medical Office. Looking back, no one was optimistic about the Imperial Medical Office and the Local Medical Office at the beginning. No one thought they could maintain the Imperial Medical Office for a long time, let alone
Don't talk about actually opening a local medical office.
At first, it was just that the emperor was willing to pay for it out of his own pocket, and the Imperial Medical Office also made sense, so the ministers reluctantly agreed to open it.
So Zhou Mantai knows how important the word "agree" is.
She said: "We should let them agree first before we talk."
Bai Shan's eyes fell on Mr. Zhuang's letter, and he frowned and said, "Are you saying that Lord Wei will take another step back in his salt policy?"
Zhou Man shook his head, "I don't know, how can I say for sure about adults, but I know that the more you want to change, the more you have to pay, otherwise you won't be able to do it."
Bai Shan just worried about it and put the matter aside. He was now a small county magistrate, far away in Qingzhou, and the salt policy reform in the capital was still far away from him. As a small boy, he only had to obey orders.
But this little guy is being mentioned constantly by the big guys in the court.
Mr. Tang agreed with the salt policy reform, but did not completely agree with Wei Zhi's reform plan. There were many Mr. Tang who thought the same as him.
The emperor really didn't want to hear them arguing at the court meeting, so he simply found a good day and called everyone into the palace to play chess and drink tea, and have a casual meal. During the tea, everyone talked and brought this matter out.
Let’s talk about it carefully.
Wei Zhi believed that the salt could be handed over to merchants. He said: "Nowadays, business travelers are traveling everywhere. If they transport the salt, the cost will be much lower than if we transport the salt alone. Similarly, the price of salt can also drop even more."
Mr. Old Tang frowned and said: "Businessmen pursue profits, and low prices are just a temporary illusion. In the future, if they control the salt road, the disaster will be no worse than the current Jiangnan salt policy."
Liu Shangshu shook his head and said: "Otherwise, as long as we control the salt field, they will not be able to escape."
Mr. Old Tang still shook his head with a serious face, "No, the profits are too big. When the government and businessmen collude, I'm afraid the people will have no way to sue."
Li Shangshu frowned, "Your Majesty is wise and the Censor is here, how can such things happen?"
Mr. Old Tang glanced at him without saying a word. Some words were difficult to say in front of the emperor. When Li Shangshu insisted, he frowned and said, "You will know if you look at the history books."
Li Shangshu was about to pull him to ask him what he meant. The emperor, who had been silent all the time, said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, I know that emperors may not be saints, and it is not impossible for cowardly kings and traitorous ministers to appear in the Jin Dynasty.
Tang Qing’s concerns are not unreasonable,”
The emperor stopped the two people who were about to quarrel, paused for a moment and then said to Master Tang: "But we can't stop eating because of choking."
Wei Zhi nodded and said to everyone: "I have calculated an account with Liu Shangshu. If the salt is distributed to merchants and they operate the official salt sales, the cost of each bucket of salt can be reduced by at least five cents, plus Bai Shan's sun exposure
With the salt method, by combining the two, the price of salt can be reduced to fifty cents per dou."
The ministers present at the meeting frowned, finally knowing why the officials and aristocratic families from the Jiangnan faction were at odds with Prince Wei.
Nowadays, official salt in the world basically ranges from 100 to 110 copper per dou. This reform is equivalent to taking away more than half of the profits of official salt.
After the official salt production was restructured, the price was reduced to fifty cents per bucket. How much more could the salt farm and salt sellers earn?
Zhao Shangshu reacted belatedly and asked: "What about the salt tax?"
Wei knew: "The salt tax is collected from the salt field."
Just like now, when official salt comes out of the salt field, they have to pay taxes. They just need to control the salt field.
Zhao Shangshu said: "The price is so low and the profit is even less. How much salt tax can we receive?"
The emperor said: "I can't collect much salt tax now."
He said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood. Since I came to the throne, I have always wanted to be light on corvee and low on taxes, so I don't care much whether the salt tax is levied or not."
The ministers were silent.
The emperor glanced at them and said: "But if I don't tax, the price of salt must be stabilized. In addition to the cost, official salt should not make money, otherwise the money earned will enrich whose medical bag?"
Just like now, the price of salt is so high, but he receives a salt tax. While the people have to eat high-priced salt, the emperor is still financially empty, which makes him unhappy when he thinks about it.
So the emperor made two conditions: "If you want to collect taxes, the taxes must actually go into the national treasury; I can accept no taxes, but the tax part of the salt price must be cut off so that the people can benefit."
Wei Zhi said directly: "Collect taxes!"
He said: "Fix the tax. In the future, the salt tax cannot rise except in times of war. Even if it does rise, there is a scope."
The emperor's brows twitched again and again. He felt that Wei Zhi's move was to prevent him from becoming a coward and increasing taxes and officials in the future.
The emperor endured it and said nothing.
Wei Zhi continued: "That's why I proposed to open up the official salt market and allow merchants to transport and sell it. The court could limit the range of salt prices and set up official warehouses at borders and salt-deficient areas. If there are merchants hoarding salt, the government would sell the salt at a fair price to suppress
In addition to the salt price, in some special places, you can also set a salt farm monopoly..."
Wei Zhi paused and then said: "Isn't Beihai County, Qingzhou now a salt farm monopoly? If it is handed over to merchants, then they will come to buy it..."
Several adults started discussing in low voices. Kong Jijiu, who had been silent all this time, pulled his beard and asked: "Can the cost of salt production be reduced further?"
Mr. Wei immediately said: "I think it's okay. This is one of the reasons why I proposed a commercial sale. It doesn't involve buying and selling, and the salt farm can have more experience to study and reduce the cost of salt production."
Kong Jijiu looked through Mr. Wei's book and found that the data on it was what the prince had brought back from Qingzhou last year. It had been a year. Based on his understanding of Bai Shan's students, it was impossible that it had not changed.
So he closed the fold and said, "You can write and ask Bai Shan about the current cost of making salt."
He said: "Fifty cents per dou, to be honest, the price of salt is still too high."
Everyone:......
Even the emperor looked at Kong Jijiu.
Kong Jijiu said quietly: "Your Majesty, Qingzhou alone can now replace the entire salt field in the south of the Yangtze River. If the salt-drying method is widely spread, places with salt brine in various places can experiment with this salt-making method. Do you think there will be something on the market by then?"
How much salt?”
The emperor stared slightly.
Kong Jijiu said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood, but it is just like other commodities. The more it is, the cheaper it is. But it is different from other commodities, especially in places near the sea. Sea water is inexhaustible.
Of, so..."
Kong Jijiu raised his eyes and looked at the emperor with a clear look, "Your Majesty, since we want to stabilize the price of salt, we must get the maximum benefit to the people."
The emperor touched his chin and turned to look at Wei Zhi excitedly.
Wei Zhi hesitated for a moment and then nodded and said: "I have no objection, but Your Majesty, the salt tax..."
He looked at Liu Shangshu.
Liu Shangshu remained silent for a long time and went to see the emperor.