Unlike Empress Dowager He, Dong Zhuo's letter to Liu Jian was not a complete deception. Although he did not promise Liu Jian an official position or title, he did grant Liu Jian a special resettlement for the remaining Yellow Turban troops in Qingzhou in the name of the Prime Minister's Office.
power, and at the same time ordered all states, counties and departments to fully cooperate.
For Liu Jian, this was what he needed, and Dong Zhuo was very discerning.
As for official positions and titles, Liu Jian no longer needs them. His current official titles are completely sufficient. The position of General Zuo in this timeline is more valuable than the Four Towns and Four Expeditions.
Liu Jian felt that even if his military rank was not promoted in the future, it would not matter.
As for the so-called general, let others sit down, he just needs to take the truth.
After Liu Jian wrote a private letter to Dong Zhuo, he wrote another letter to Lu Qiang, replying to Empress Dowager He's solicitation.
The content of the reply is simple and direct, it is just to show your loyalty!
I will show my loyalty to anyone who tries to win over them. Anyway, I can’t offend anyone now.
After writing a letter to Dong Zhuo and Queen Mother He, Liu Jian asked Zhang Fei, Zhang He, Gao Lan, Xu Rong and others to cooperate with Guan Yu and Gongsun Zan to take over the Qingzhou Yellow Turban, which cost more than 1.7 million.
Liu Jian himself, together with Liu Bei and Zhao Yun, went to Donglai County to meet Liu Yu.
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As the lord of the eastern part of Qingzhou, Liu Yu is dressed very simply. He has a friendly demeanor, elegant and graceful manners, and is approachable, giving people a feeling of spring breeze.
"Deran, if you hadn't come to Qingzhou, the consequences would have been disastrous! Qingzhou relies on you to be preserved!"
Whether it is ancient times or modern times, the reason why many noble families, noble families, and aristocratic families are so awesome is because they have mastered rare and precious resources!
Moreover, taxation is only one aspect. On matters related to salt production and external sales pricing rights, which are related to people's livelihood, the government offices have to continuously negotiate with them, and the initiative does not lie with the local government offices.
No matter how talented the two of them were, they would never have imagined that Liu Yu would say that he would give up Qingzhou to each other as soon as he met the two of them.
However, compared to the previous officials who secretly colluded with the local salt affairs tycoons and used the salt affairs to make huge profits without caring about the lives of the people, Liu Yu's ability to do this is very worthy of praise.
Liu Yu was not only a master in governing, but he was also definitely the top person in the Han Dynasty in terms of economics and industry.
Seeing that Liu Jian and Liu Bei still looked suspicious, Liu Yu then said to them: "Deran, Xuande... Since your brothers are here, please follow me around the counties in Donglai County in the past few days."
, you will understand after the transfer is completed!”
In Qingzhou, the main way to obtain salt is to use brine as raw material and to refine the salt through firewood boiling.
The danger of the Yellow Turban in Qingzhou has been resolved, and Liu Yu was finally able to escape. Liu Jian just didn't come to see him, and he was afraid that Liu Yu would come to Liu Jian too.
Liu Yu had no way to change Qingzhou's existing sea salt production, so he could only compromise and try his best to make people from all walks of life obtain certain benefits in salt affairs through communication and coordination.
The most important one is that as soon as Liu Yu took office, he reorganized Qingzhou's salt affairs.
Speaking of this, Liu Yu's eyes even flashed with tears.
After Liu Yu arrived in Qingzhou, in order to increase the local finance and salt tax in Qingzhou, he began to manage the local salt affairs. First, he controlled financial resources and income. Second, he started a government-private alliance to control the stability of the sea salt industry.
Liu Jian only hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Isn't Grand Sima testing me? Do you think I have the intention to seize Qingzhou?"
The reason is that things are more expensive when they are scarce. The higher the cost of making salt, the more manpower it takes, and the more complicated the process, the easier it is for this kind of thing to happen.
But now, the time has come, and Liu Jian feels that Qingzhou's salt affairs can be changed.
At the same time, Liu Yu also reached a consensus with the local ethnic groups in Qingzhou, requiring that the market price of salt in Qingzhou must be determined by the Animal Husbandry Department, so that the people under his jurisdiction could afford salt as much as possible.
Liu Jian and Liu Bei looked at each other in surprise.
Of course, Liu Yu was only the shepherd of Dongqing Prefecture. In name, the area under his jurisdiction was only from the east of Beihai, so he could only give up the east of Beihai.
Of course, Liu Yu has no control over the specific price of salt in other states.
The reason why salt was a very profitable industry in the Han Dynasty was mainly because it was still relatively difficult to extract.
Liu Jian said: "Since Da Sima has kindly invited you, we brothers are willing to accompany you!"
In the following days, Liu Jian accompanied Liu Yu on inspections in Xiang, Pingdu, Yuli, Changyang, Buye, Yangle, Yangshi, Xuxiang and other places within the jurisdiction of Donglai County.
"De Ran has no doubt, Yu Fei is a scheming villain. I want you to take charge of Qingzhou on my behalf. I really mean it!"
But farming is only one aspect. What Liu Jian and Liu Bei admire the most is that Liu Yu used Donglai County as a test point to develop various industrial economies.
Of course, even if people from all walks of life can benefit, the biggest vested interests in Qingzhou Salt Industry are the wealthy and distinguished families who operate and manage salt production in the local area.
However, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Li Sheng, the governor of Qingzhou, and several county governors and prime ministers in the west have all died for their country. So judging from the current situation, although Liu Yu is known as the shepherd of Dongqingzhou, there is something in front of him.
The power to control a state.
"Although the Grand Sima is a prince, he is frugal by nature. He wears no clothes, ropes and shoes, and eats nothing but meat. Those who are rich and handsome, far and near, have always indulged in extravagance. They will all change their behavior and return to their hearts."
Liu Bei, who was behind Liu Jian, said respectfully: "It's not too much to praise. When Bei was in Luoyang, he also heard that after arriving in Qingzhou, Da Sima kept lenient administration, advised and supervised agriculture, and opened up the benefits of the north and south trade.
The salt in the East China Sea is beneficial, the people are happy every year, and the grain and stone are thirty years old.”
Liu Yu wanted to govern Qingzhou, so he had to compromise with them on certain matters.
The method is to scrape the soil with sea salt and pour it with brine, then use the brine to burn firewood to boil the salt. This process will consume a lot of firewood and is labor-intensive.
But there is a premise for this matter, that is, "it is impossible to change Qingzhou's existing salt production."
Liu Jian hurriedly said: 'Everyone in the world knows the achievements of Great Sima, so please don't belittle yourself.'
A lot of manpower and firewood were wasted, and the salt extracted was naturally extremely precious. However, because of the large amount of productivity occupied, the overall price could not be reduced. In addition, the salt output of the Han Dynasty was still insufficient for the population.
There are so many families in the local private salt industry that they use this to make huge profits. The families in Qingzhou who deal with salt have become local wealthy people, and they control huge resources in the local area by relying on the salt industry.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented a salt and iron monopoly. Although it was suspected of competing for profits with the people, it also reflected from the side how huge the benefits of salt were. Only industries with benefits that were large enough to influence the fate of the country would be banned by the court.
It is a national monopoly.
After Liu Yu heard this, he waved his hands hurriedly.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, salt and iron affairs were sometimes liberalized and sometimes controlled. But generally speaking, salt and iron affairs were liberalized to a certain extent. Although several monarchs of the Eastern Han Dynasty wanted to shrink the salt industry,
However, the market economy is constantly improving and evolving with the progress of mankind. Some things cannot be turned back. After the Eastern Han Dynasty was unable to monopolize salt and iron, it could only impose heavy taxes on salt and iron to control the salt and iron industry.
affairs, and over-development of local forces and families.
In the Han Dynasty, the types of salt included sea salt, pool salt, well salt, rock salt, etc. Qingzhou was historically the state of Qi. Sea salt was mainly distributed in the coastal areas under Qingzhou's jurisdiction. In the interior, it was edible pool salt, and in the Bashu region, well salt was popular.
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They were all wealthy rightists who had been engaged in salt affairs in Qingzhou for many years. Although they regularly paid salt taxes to the government, Liu Jian knew without guessing that they would not be able to escape using various illegal means to evade taxes.
After hearing Liu Bei's praise, Liu Yu not only didn't look happy, but actually felt guilty.
In the situation where productivity could not be changed, Liu Yu did take care of the interests of all parties from a political perspective and handled the matter to the best possible extent.
The method of change is very simple. As long as the overall salt production in Qingzhou can be increased, the cost of salt production can be reduced, and the output can be expanded, it will naturally squeeze out the right to speak of the old powerful and right-wing families in charge of salt affairs.
His time in Qingzhou was not long, but he did many commendable things.
"Although I have virtues in governing the people, I have no merit in military strategy. Now that moth thieves have gained momentum, I cannot quell the local chaos. As a result, thousands of common people have been tortured! How can I shamelessly take credit?"
However, this is only reflected in the political level, but in terms of practical use and economic level, the salt and iron affairs have always been the industrial pillar of the entire Han Dynasty.
After meeting Liu Jian, Liu Yu immediately grabbed Liu Jian's hand and squeezed it tightly without saying a word.
Liu Yu waved his hand and said: "Deran praises you too much!"
Liu Jian said: "Da Sima's words are too strong. Da Sima's governance in Qingzhou has been praised by all the people, both in terms of his reputation and his virtuous governance!"
This resource may be books, it may be population, it may also be land or salt production.
Of course, Liu Yu would not give up all the interests to these families in charge of salt affairs. He demarcated the interests with them as state shepherds, allowing each family to take in enough benefits to make the local counties
The county can also collect sufficient salt taxes, and at the same time, the people can also make certain profits by dedicating their labor in the process of making salt.
But Liu Yu waved his hand and said to Liu Jian: "Now that our virtue has come to this, I will give way to all the counties in Qingzhou. Only you can defend Qingzhou!"
Liu Jian and his party came to Huang County and met Liu Yu.
In the Han Dynasty, salt was a symbol of wealth, and its benefits were so huge that many people could not imagine it.
Donglai County is also known as the Shandong Peninsula in later generations. This area has had one of the largest industrial benefits since ancient times, and that is the sea salt industry.
This was not an inspection, which was fine. Under this inspection, Liu Jian and Liu Bei's admiration for Liu Yu began to grow infinitely.
Like Liu Jian, Liu Yu implemented the farming system in Qingzhou under his jurisdiction. Although it was not as big as Liu Jian's actions in Jizhou, the scale of Qingzhou's farming could not be underestimated. To a certain extent, it restored the system of farming within the territory under his jurisdiction.
The grain output has maintained the stability and tranquility of the region.
Liu Jian and Liu Bei, after visiting the private salt-making workshops in various counties and listening to Liu Yu's account, both expressed their admiration for his achievements.
But when the resources they control become no longer precious and become trash, there is actually no need to use excessive political means, and their advantages will collapse in an instant.
Regarding the salt affairs in Qingzhou, Liu Jian already had an idea in mind.
As long as the sun-dried salt method is popularized and the production of salt is greatly increased, Qingzhou can take the highest initiative.
This method was popularized in the Northern Song Dynasty...but now, the time has come to figure it out in advance.