You must know that the salt and silver income of just over one million is the national total.
Including the Lianghuaidu Salt Transportation Department, the Liangzhedu Salt Transportation Department, the Changludu Salt Transportation Department, the Shandong Salt Transportation Department, the Fujian Salt Transportation Department, the Hedong Salt Transportation Department, and the Lingzhou Salt Division
There are so many salt classes in Guangdong, two salt classes in Guangdong, four salt classes in Sichuan and four in Yunnan!
It would be strange if Emperor Chongzhen could be mentally balanced at this time!
The question he asked, Wang Chengen, a eunuch in the palace, even though he had a relatively high status, could not answer the question clearly.
Although he knew that salt was very profitable, he couldn't figure out why it was so profitable?
But he had to answer the emperor's question. After thinking about it for a moment, he could only reply: "I didn't pay attention before, but I don't dare to guess in front of the Lord. How about I go back and check?"
"Check, check carefully for me!"
When Wang Chengen heard this, he quickly wanted to agree. Unexpectedly, Emperor Chongzhen changed the topic and continued: "Find out for me. I have found out who the richest salt merchants are!"
"..." Wang Chengen was a little dumbfounded when he heard this, because although Emperor Chongzhen didn't say it explicitly, he could tell that the emperor wanted to slaughter the sheep!
"I obey the order and send people to Yangzhou immediately!" Wang Chengen did not dare to neglect and quickly agreed before retreating.
Faintly, he seemed to hear Emperor Chongzhen reciting a poem: "...killing cattle and sheep is a pleasure..."
………………
In the evening, Emperor Chongzhen contacted Liu Weichao via video chat and told him about the salt merchants. Then he angrily concluded: "How many people are so poor that they starve to death, but those salt merchants are living a life of debauchery and living a life that I envy."
The days are really tolerable and unbearable!"
"Fuck him!" Liu Weichao heard this and immediately said with a smile.
Emperor Chongzhen was stunned for a moment after hearing this. He didn't understand what it meant.
But it only took a while, and I quickly understood what this meant, and immediately nodded and said: "Yes, I just want to fuck him! It's really unreasonable!"
After saying this, he was a little strange, so he asked Liu Weichao: "Do you know why those salt merchants make so much money? I thought about it, but I couldn't understand what was going on?"
After hearing this, Liu Weichao thought for a moment and said to Emperor Chongzhen: "I probably know a little bit, but if I really want to talk to you, I'd better check the information first. It's better to give you more accurate information!"
"Then I'm sorry to trouble you!" Emperor Chongzhen heard this and replied quickly, and then added with emotion, "It's more convenient for you! If there is anything on my side, I won't know if I ask, so I need to send someone there.
Check, it may take many days to know the answer. But on your side, you can know it very quickly!"
Liu Weichao smiled after hearing this and said: "The convenience of obtaining information is indeed much better than that of your time. I can find out about things that are far away by just making a phone call here. Some information can also be checked through the Internet. But these
Things that you can’t envy if you envy them, lay a solid scientific foundation first and then develop slowly!”
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen hung up the communication with some regret.
Not long after, Liu Weichao took the initiative to initiate a video communication. After connecting, he said to Emperor Chongzhen: "I understand the general situation!"
"Tell me, what's it like?" Emperor Chongzhen asked quickly after hearing this.
He was simply envious and jealous that the salt merchant could be so rich! If it weren't for Liu Weichao, he, the emperor, would have died of poverty!
It would be great if he could know the secret of how salt merchants make money and he could make the same amount of money!
Therefore, he was eager to know the answer!
Liu Weichao listened and said with a smile: "Your official salt price in the Ming Dynasty is really a bit expensive. And salt is a necessity. All animals need salt supplement. Therefore, no matter how expensive it is, you still have to buy salt!"
As a result, private salt became rampant. Those salt merchants most likely sold private salt themselves and sold it as official salt. In this way, the profits were extremely high. Of course, there must be someone from the government behind them, or in other words, bribery.
He killed someone in the government."
After a pause, he added: "In fact, I read the information and found that some of your officials in the Ming Dynasty had already seen the problem and wanted to reform, but most of them could not carry out the reform because it affected the interests of many people.
, too much resistance!”
After hearing these words, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but said bitterly: "I know how they could make so much money without breaking the law!"
After venting his anger, he said to Liu Weichao: "I have been leaving Wang Dehua untouched, but now I think it's time to use him! Wouldn't it affect the interests of many people, and there would be too much resistance? I will send Wang Dehua to Yangzhou.
Catch every one you see and kill every one you catch. I want the money from those salt merchants!"
"..." Liu Weichao couldn't help but be speechless when he heard such murderous words!
The emperors in ancient times were cows!
Emperor Chongzhen saw Liu Weichao's expression and couldn't help asking: "Why, isn't my method good?"
"This is not your solution!" After hearing this, Liu Weichao shook his head and said, "Kill these salt merchants, and there will be other salt merchants. Treating the symptoms but not the root cause!"
"Then kill him again!" Emperor Chongzhen replied without thinking after hearing this.
After finishing speaking, he calmed down a little. After hearing what Liu Weichao said about treating the symptoms but not the root cause, he added, "Then what suggestions do you have that can treat the symptoms and not the root cause?"
Liu Weichao has given him many miraculous performances. Therefore, he said this with the idea of giving it a try and asking, and he would not lose anything anyway.
It's not that he hasn't thought about the salt policy issue. However, as a person in the Forbidden City who has never been outside the capital, he won't have any insights other than what others say.
Based on his own impression, he felt that this salt policy must be difficult to handle!
Unexpectedly, after Liu Weichao heard what he said, he smiled and said: "The way to find indicators is actually very simple..."
"Ah, it's very simple?" Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help being surprised when he heard what he said, and immediately interrupted him, expressing his disbelief.
Seeing him like this, Liu Weichao continued: "Of course it's simple, just increase salt production and the government doesn't set a minimum price for salt!"
"Ah?" When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he immediately lost his voice. Instinctively, he felt that this method would definitely not work!
However, looking at Liu Weichao's appearance, he seemed to be very confident, which made him wonder if there was something he didn't consider, so he found this problem difficult!
So, he immediately added: "This seems impossible. If you follow what you say, salt will definitely pile up like mountains in the future. If the salt cannot be sold for money, then where will the tax money come from?"
After a pause, Emperor Chongzhen thought of something, and then continued: "It is not that no one has mentioned the issue of increasing salt production, but it was refuted by many people as soon as it was brought up. Therefore, salt works in various places control salt.
Produced..."
At this point, he suddenly couldn't speak anymore.
Because Emperor Chongzhen discovered that what he said smoothly just now caused objections from most people.
And according to his experience in the past few months, anything that the majority of people oppose is problematic!
When he thought of this, he naturally couldn't continue talking.
When Liu Weichao heard what he said, he laughed and said: "Of course, there must be some truth in this, just listen to me!"
"I would like to hear the details!" Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately corrected his attitude and asked for advice.
When Liu Weichao saw it, he said to him: "If you increase the production of salt, the price of salt will naturally fall. You understand this, right? When the price of salt is low enough, there will not be much profit from selling private salt, and you will have to take big risks.
In this way, won’t the money from the private salt be lost?”
Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but nodded after hearing this. It sounded right!
Seeing him nod, Liu Weichao continued: "However, it is not enough to increase the production of salt. We also need to work on the quality of salt. In this regard, your court has an advantage that private salt dealers do not have. You are definitely better than
They have technology and manpower. If they produce enough refined salt and the price is as cheap as the original coarse salt, then there will really be no way for private salt to survive."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen nodded a little more forcefully, acknowledging this.
But then, he thought of something and couldn't help but ask: "If this continues, what will happen if the court produces too much refined salt to eat? By then, will it be impossible to collect taxes?"
"Haha, please be patient and listen to me!" Liu Weichao said with a smile after hearing this, and then continued to explain his method, "Salt has a wide range of uses. In addition to eating, it can also be used for pickling.
Preparing food, this can allow a lot of food to be stored for a longer period of time, thus solving the problem of eating to a certain extent. In addition, the uses of salt are not limited to this. You have to be thoughtful and you can count them later, and I can also give you additional uses.
.”
Emperor Chongzhen listened and nodded, but then he immediately shook his head and said: "Even if it has many uses, if we keep increasing the production of salt, one day there will still be too much to use! Wait until then
When the time comes, won’t we still not be able to collect taxes?”
When Liu Weichao heard this, he couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that Emperor Chongzhen didn't listen to what he said. He still had his own thinking and firmly grasped the fact that the output would eventually be too much.
good!
After making some comments in his mind, Liu Weichao then said to Emperor Chongzhen with a smile: "You, the layout is still a bit small!"
"..." Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help being speechless when he heard this.
After all, he is the emperor of a country, so why is the situation so small?
By the way, we are not talking about table salt. Why is it related to our own pattern? Is it possible that there is a bigger pattern in table salt?
Unable to figure it out, he asked with a bit of dissatisfaction: "Why am I so small?"