In fact, the emperor did not care about the extravagance of the salt merchants.
It is normal for rich people to be extravagant. From another perspective, it can also drive local consumption.
Just like whale candles, the average one costs about one piece, but larger and spiced whale candles cost more than a dozen pieces.
This will greatly promote the development of the whaling industry.
But like the emperors in the past, whenever they carried out large-scale construction projects, they would often engage in forced buying and selling, forcing merchants to go bankrupt and people to lose their homes.
For example, regarding the mining tax during the Wanli period, when the emperor first sent eunuchs to local areas to collect taxes, the gentry resisted the tax and even beat the eunuchs.
What then? The eunuchs did not rely on their power to oppress the gentry. After all, they could not afford to offend them. Instead, they set their sights on ordinary people.
Even if your family is just farming, he can say that you have mines and need to pay taxes.
After all, mining tax does not necessarily mean there is a mine.
If the implementation is skewed, it is equivalent to misreading the scriptures. The mining tax has become a harsh government, bullying the people and ruining countless families.
"As long as you keep an eye on the salt farm, unless someone dares to take the risk and cook salt, there will be no way to survive for private salt owners."
"Didn't the emperor let go a long time ago?"
However, these officials really consider themselves fools.
On the contrary, many systems in history tend to end when people die and government ceases to exist.
"What happens to the emperor, the common people naturally have no control over, and what happens to the gentry themselves, the emperor also has no control over."
The governor of Jiangsu reported his contribution: "Today, thousands of slope ponds are being built continuously in Jiangbei, the cultivated land has increased greatly, and the number of households has increased rapidly. There are three million people in Jiangbei, twice as many as in the early years of Shaowu.
"In addition, I heard that there is already a drought in Shandong..."
"Soon, the big salt merchant's financial situation remained..."
There is no need to plant spies or make secret visits.
Chu Yu said seriously: "On the surface, private salt dealers are in opposition to salt merchants, but in reality they are one with the salt merchants."
The barren land of the past no longer exists."
"This..." Wang He was a little confused, why did he send a message?
The emperor shook his head: "If you insist on asking them to pay, you will be unwilling to do so, but if you give it up and gain something, you will be happy."
The salt voting method is to break the monopoly of the general merchant and allow small and medium-sized salt merchants to participate, so that everyone can be a salt merchant.
Of course, they did not know the existence of the Qi Qin family, but they knew well that the emperor's pursuit of beauty, or in other words, a man could not escape beauty.
In fact, Jin Yiwei only needs to go to the dental shops in various counties in Yangzhou to know who is buying houses and slaves.
Seeing the emperor suddenly appear in her room in the mirror, Qi Qin stood up in a hurry, turned around and saluted:
"His Majesty……"
Of course, it’s also possible that you’re transparent and become emotional naturally.
He estimated that 50% went to Miaoxian, the other 30% went to Queen Sun Xueniang, and the rest was divided among the other concubines.
With red lips and white teeth, a jade-like face, delicate skin, and big eyes, she looks like a woman no matter how she looks.
"Very good!"
"A strong woman is a good laborer."
Qi Qin said softly: "The gentry is happy to bind their feet. They say that after women do this, they will twist and sway, which is uniquely beautiful."
Obviously, the day's play made him really moved.
"Tell them that as long as they donate up to 100,000 yuan, they can be granted a gift and be granted to their parents as a seventh-grade county magistrate and Ruren's wife (seventh grade)."
This command sounds very simple, but it is very practical.
This information is difficult for ordinary people, but it is easy for Jin Yiwei to get it.
When the cost is spread out, each kilogram of salt reaches five cents.
Finally, they came up with a ridiculous idea: to offer beauty.
Zhu Yixi sighed.
Although he was nearly twenty years older than him, Zhu Yixi didn't mind at all and put on a toga for the latter's awkward expression.
Picking up his energy, Zhu Yixi asked about the salt tax: "The reason why the salt tax is stagnant is nothing more than private salt dealers. There are some private salt dealers that are so rampant in the south!"
"Remember, if there is any major disaster in the future, you should go to Yangzhou to beg for help. Instead of letting these salt merchants spend their money on squandering, it is better to help the victims."
Zhu Yixi ignored it and asked instead: "You are from Yangzhou, do you know why this woman has her feet bound so much?"
Then he took off his palace clothes, wearing only the closest fitting clothes, and pulled a thin brocade quilt over his face, covering his blushing dimples.
Contracting regulations stipulate that there can only be two salt merchants in a county. The two highest bidders will win the contracting rights and submit the current bidding price every year.
The imperial court also stipulated that the price of salt should not be higher than ten cents per catty and not lower than five cents.
After lingering for several days, the emperor met with hundreds of officials in Yangzhou to understand the local people's sentiments.
For a time, the temperature of the entire hall dropped.
As long as it was a woman in the harem, he would try his best to give her affection and make her pregnant, so that he would have care in his heart so as not to feel lonely in the harem.
"I don't care how you put it together, everyone knows that you salt merchants are rich, I only want five million."
It is not possible to donate an official position, but it is OK to give a title to one's parents. Giving a title to a dead person in vain, apart from satisfying their vanity, has no disadvantages at all.
Most of the profits were taken away by the court.
The growth of salt tax has slowed down for five consecutive years, especially for Huaiyan Salt, which accounts for the majority, and is even more negligible.
But Zhu Yixi took Qi Qin to play in Slender West Lake, just like a couple.
Think about it, after studying hard for ten years and finally becoming a scholar, you still have to do corvee and pay taxes like ordinary people, without any preferential treatment. So isn't your fame just in vain?
The reason why we did not pursue it to the end was that the salt merchants who were alive and wealthy were the most useful to the court.
Zhu Yixi closed her eyes when she heard him tearing the salt merchant into pieces:
Her voice was crisp and clear, just like the chirping of an oriole. Coupled with her charming expression, the emperor had not even drank honey, but it was already sweet to his heart.
"kindness!"
An emotional woman has a different flavor.
Emotions are very rare for Zhu Yixi.
"In the final analysis, it's still a question of salt."
The two prefectures account for half of Jiangsu's tax revenue and 30% of its population. Their prosperity and liveliness are even greater than those of the capital city.
Moreover, private salt is more delicious and cheaper than official salt, which is a need for many people at the bottom, and is even the key to survival.
The salt merchants were greatly frightened and hurriedly asked for help in an attempt to save themselves.
The emperor sat directly on the easy chair in front of him and ordered with a chuckle: "Why don't you comb your mother-in-law's hair?"
At night, the emperor did not let the eunuch announce the news first. He raised the door curtain and walked in. He was stunned for a moment:
I saw Ms. Qi Qin sitting in front of the dressing table at the front door. She was wearing a purple satin bra and moon-white soft satin shorts. Her hair behind her was draped down to her waist like black satin. A palace maid was holding a wide-toothed hand.
A horn-tooth comb was combing her hair.
"Yes." Mrs. Qi Qin couldn't help being shy, and ordered the maids in charge of 'bed and account keeping' in the palace to prepare the place and tidy up the soft bed.
Over the years, he has been implementing anti-corruption measures, and even the Metropolitan Procuratorate was transformed by him into a prosecutor model.
“How about the vote salt method?”
"The implementation of the vote-salt method was OK at first, but later the effect was unsatisfactory."
Life is difficult, but the money saved from a pound of illegal salt may allow many people to live two or three days longer.
Yongzheng was effectively deposed within two years after his death.
But there are always smart people in the world. Since the emperor does not allow a family to hold multiple jobs, they will pay for it themselves and let their servants or relatives name themselves.
Zhu Yixi sighed, this was a perfect loophole.
Especially since Jin Yiwei is present in every county, it will become clear if you investigate which salt field official bought land from his hometown.
Because the profit of official salt is very low.
"The combination of the two allows the salt tax to escape."
"Your Majesty, officials below the governor of Jiangsu have been waiting for his appointment for a long time."
"yes!"
Of course, although he is sentimental, he is not a scumbag.
However, Mrs. Qi Qin didn't wait for his comment. She turned her waist and brought out a small blue and white porcelain vat with diluted honey in it.
This means that small salt merchants can only earn a maximum of two to three thousand yuan per year, excluding the costs of management, transportation, bidding, etc.
At this moment, the Jin Yiwei suddenly went into action, raided several salt merchants, and arrested dozens of corrupt officials, shocking the entire Jiangsu officialdom in one fell swoop.
Suzhou and Songjiang Prefecture are already the first and second most prosperous places in the world.
"What your Majesty said is true!"
But in order to obtain salt import and contract rights, salt merchants have to spend money.
For example, in history, the gentry, who were praised as gods, received food as one body.
"Ah, yes." The palace maid got up from the ground with a blushing face, picked up the toothbrush in her hand and continued to comb her hair.
When aesthetics has become popular, how can he force it?
How could it be possible to send officials to harass other women’s families and check whether their feet were bound?
This is not common sense.
Holding Qi Qin's little hand, the two walked side by side under the strange eyes on the road, just like a couple, swimming in Slender West Lake, extremely leisurely.
This gave Zhu Yixi a sense of powerlessness.
But greed still cannot be stopped.
Is there any perfect system in this world?
He also thought about letting the imperial merchants replace the salt merchants, which would make a lot of money.
The emperor said coldly: "Jinyiwei sent people to the market to inquire about which salt field official is the richest."
Zhu Yixi explained: "This salt merchant is like a corrupt official, like leeks on the ground. Every time you cut a stubble, another stubble will grow, and you can't catch them all."
"I'm a little tired. It's time to rest early."
"One of his sons can be admitted to the Imperial Academy."
Chu Yu nodded in agreement.
The latter became nervous, and she immediately understood what the emperor meant: "Master, look at how beautiful this scenery is."
She herself was raising her hands to gently comb her hair. The sleeves of her jacket fell to the crook of her elbows, revealing a white wrist. On her wrist was a glazed jade bracelet, as green as a pool of spring water.
The emperor sat next to him with eager eyes. When the grooming was completed, Qi Qin prostrated again, her eyes full of spring water: "Your Majesty, you must have been waiting for a long time."
Zhu Yixi said in a deep voice: "In addition, I will write a calligraphy later and you can give it to the salt merchants!"
The emperor was naturally happy when he turned Phoenix upside down overnight.
As long as the people are normal, that will be fine.
At this time, the palace maid next to her also helped, forcing the tea juice out of the tureen, filling it with one-third of the honey water. She took it, wiped the tea stains on the rim of the cup with her handkerchief, and then held it with both hands.
Wang He said in confusion.
""Inspecting salt merchants is to make money, not to confiscate homes for the sake of confiscating them."
Although the emperor's power is unlimited, he cannot do whatever he wants.
For many officials or gentry, this is simply an open secret.
As for Sunan, don’t mention it.
If you are really careful and don't want to spend money, forget it. After all, there are bound to be mistakes.
Therefore, Qianlong had to let it exist in name only.
"This money is for your sins."
Ordinary small salt merchants pay a minimum annual payment of 1,000 yuan.
"On a moonlit night at the Twenty-Four Bridge, where can a beautiful woman teach me how to play the flute?"
After sighing about Yangzhou, Zhu Yixi suddenly became excited and stared at Qi Qin's thin lips.
At this time, he was not even angry at all.
Because after people become rich, they can't help but consume. Whether it's buying land or a house, there are traces to follow.
"Instead of doing this, it would be better to treat them as fat pigs and slaughter one or two when they are short of money. Wouldn't it be nice?"
The next day.
Wang He drank a glass of wine: "This matter is over now, but if I don't do it next time, if I still find out who is still involved in the illegal salt trade, my family will be confiscated and the entire family will be confiscated."
"Your Majesty, why don't you take advantage of the victory and pursue it? Conquer all the salt merchants' homes in one fell swoop? My rough estimate is that there are always 20 to 30 million."
It's like I'm not a smuggled drug among the Gods of Medicine. I'm not in compliance with the law, but I have to exist.
What is the difference between those fake divorces in later generations?
He was determined to devise a new method, but immediately gave it up.
As the Minister of the Interior, Wang He naturally communicated closely with businessmen. While eating the banquet, he slapped him without hesitation:
"five million!"
However, now he feels that all his emotions tonight are devoted to Qi Qin.
All the civil and military officials were shocked when they heard this.
Therefore, in feudal society, the emperor's consumption did not necessarily promote development, but instead increased the bankruptcy of the people.
It is easy to satisfy oneself, but difficult to satisfy the world.
But in this Slender West Lake, it seems normal.
After all, official salt is too expensive.
The market price of one hundred kilograms of salt is only two cents, which is two cents per kilogram.
The emperor snorted.
Yangzhou's thin horses were famous all over the world, so the emperor saw them and forgave them if they could not protect them.
The emperor sat, his eyes becoming increasingly serious.
The cost of transportation and management is shared equally, and the profit of private salt is several times that of official salt.
If future generations of civil servants don’t get golden jobs and have the same pension as ordinary people, who do you think will get it?
Did the emperor have a problem with them?
A crowd of people waited in a hurry and gathered together.
"We, the salt merchant, are willing to donate 100,000 stones of grain to help the victims!"
"Salt farm, someone stole salt secretly."
So on the surface it seems that salt merchants are scattered, but in fact they still control the mainstream of the salt industry.
"How about the disaster?"
Naturally, some people smuggled salt.
Just like in the TV series, many women wear men's clothes and walk on the shore. They don't shy away from the fact that they are men's clothes. What they do is just in name.
"yes!"
"After the flood discharge channel was dug, the Yellow River no longer flooded, Da'an, northern Jiangsu."
Chu Yu whispered: "At first, large and small salt merchants participated one after another, which greatly increased the salt tax. But soon those big salt merchants found a loophole and let their family members, relatives, and slaves name themselves as salt merchants to run the salt industry for them.
.”
Mr. Liu Sanye looked at everyone and gritted his teeth in response.
Wang He returned to the camp and reported the situation to the emperor:
"This money should be their personal money for about three years."
The population in Jiangnan provinces continues to increase, but the salt tax has stagnated. Such an abnormal situation seems impossible when you think about it.
"However, the people have listened to the advice and not many people bind their feet. After all, you won't be able to work after binding your feet."
A handsome young man appeared in front of him.
Zhu Yixi waved her hand: "No, I'm tired."
"There is no perfect law in this world."
This also allows salt merchants to better cut leeks.
Ming Dynasty's emergency financial resources were too narrow, and the Imperial College students were far from enough.