Chapter 3151 Salt Administration Reform
Zhou Man was involved in every step of the establishment and expansion of the Imperial Physician's Office and the Local Physician's Office. Looking back, no one was optimistic about the Imperial Physician's Office and the Local Physician's Office. Don't say really run a local medical office.
In the beginning, it was just that the emperor was willing to pay for it himself, and the Imperial Physician 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 be small and broad, and let them agree first."
Bai Shan's eyes fell on Mr. Zhuang's letter, and he frowned, "Are you saying that Lord Wei's salt administration has to take another step back?"
Zhou Man shook his head, "I don't know, how can I assert about the adults, but I know that the more you want to change, the more you need to pay, otherwise you won't be able to do it."
Bai Shan was just annoyed and put the matter aside. He is now a small county magistrate, far away in Qingzhou, and the salt administration reform in the capital is still far away from him.
But this little scoundrel is being constantly mentioned by the big bosses in the DPRK at this time.
Mr. Tang agreed with the salt administration reform, but he did not fully agree with Wei Zhi's reform plan. There were many seniors who thought the same as him.
The emperor really didn't want to listen to their quarrels at the great court meeting, so he simply found a good day to call everyone into the palace to play chess and drink tea, and have a light meal by the way. Talk about it carefully.
Wei Zhi thinks that the salt can be handed over to the merchants. He said: "Nowadays, the business travels all over the world, and it is much cheaper for them to transport the salt than for us to transport the salt alone. Similarly, the price of the salt can also drop even more."
Old Master Tang frowned and said: "Businessmen seek profit, and low prices are just a temporary illusion. In the future, they will master the road of salt, and I am afraid that the disaster will not be much worse than the current Jiangnan salt administration."
However, Liu Shangshu shook his head and said, "Otherwise, as long as we master the salt field, they won't be able to find out."
Lord Tang still shook his head with a serious face, "No, the profits are too large, and when the government and businessmen collude, I'm afraid that the people will have nowhere to sue."
Li Shangshu frowned, "Your Majesty Shengming, and the Censor Desk is here, how can this kind of thing spread?"
Old Master Tang glanced at him without saying a word. Some words were difficult to say in front of the emperor. Seeing Li Shangshu insist, he stuck his neck and said, "Look at the history books and you will know."
Li Shangshu was about to take him and ask him what he meant when the emperor, who had been silent, hurriedly said, "Alright, alright, I know that emperors are not necessarily wise, and it's not that they will not appear in Dajin. Tang Qing's concerns are not unreasonable,"
The emperor stopped the two who were about to quarrel, and after a pause, he said to the old man Tang: "But we can't stop eating because of choking."
Wei Zhi nodded and said to everyone, "I have made a calculation with Liu Shangshu. If we distribute salt to the merchants, and they will operate the official salt sales, the cost of each bucket of salt can be reduced by at least five cents, plus Bai Shan's exposure. The salt method, the combination of the two, can reduce the price of salt to fifty cents a bucket."
The ministers who attended the meeting frowned, finally knowing why the officials of the Jiangnan faction and the aristocratic family had to fight with Prince Wei Zhi.
Nowadays, official salt in the world basically ranges from 100 yuan to 110 yuan per bucket. This reform is equivalent to taking more than half of the profits of official salt.
The official salt system is reformed, and the price is reduced to fifty cents a bucket. How much can the salt farms and salt sellers earn?
Zhao Shangshu reacted with hindsight and asked, "What about the salt tax?"
Wei knows: "The salt tax is collected from the salt farms."
Just like now, the official salt has to pay tax when it goes out to the salt field, they just need to close the salt field well.
Zhao Shangshu said: "With such a low price and less profit, how much salt tax can we still receive?"
The emperor said: "I don't receive much salt tax now."
He said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood. Since I ascended the throne, I have always wanted to pay less and less, so I don't care much about whether this salt tax is levied or not."
The ministers were silent.
The emperor glanced at them and said, "But if I don't levy taxes, the price of salt must be kept down. Apart from the cost, official salt should not make money, or whose money will be fattened by the money?"
Just like now, the price of salt is so high, but he receives a tax on salt. While the common people want to eat high-priced salt, he, the emperor, is still financially empty, and he is not happy when he thinks about it.
So the emperor made two conditions: "If you want to collect tax, the tax must enter the treasury; if you don't collect tax, I can accept it, and the tax part of the salt price must be cut off, so that the people can benefit."
Wei Zhi said directly: "Taxes!"
He said: "Fix the tax. In the future, unless there is a war, the salt tax cannot be raised, and even if it is raised, there will be a range."
The emperor's brows jumped and jumped, he felt that Wei Zhi's move was to prevent him from appearing to be a dazed ruler and tax officials salt.
The emperor endured, but did not speak.
Wei Zhi continued: "That's why the minister proposed to open up the official salt market and sell it by merchants. The court could limit the range of salt prices and set up official warehouses at border gates and in salt-deficient areas. In addition to the salt price, in some special places, you can also set the salt farm monopoly..."
Wei Zhi paused and said, "Isn't Beihai County in Qingzhou a monopoly of salt farms now? If it is handed over to merchants, they will come to buy it..."
Several adults discussed in a low voice, Kong Jijiu, who had been silent all the time, asked, pulling his beard, "Can the cost of making salt be further reduced?"
Mr. Wei immediately said: "I think it's okay. This is one of the reasons why I propose commercial sales. It does not involve trading. The salt farm can have more experience to study and reduce the cost of salt production."
Kong Jijiu flipped through Lord Wei's book, and found that the above data was obtained by the Prince from Qingzhou last year, and it had been a year since he knew Bai Shan's students.
So he closed the book and said, "You can go to the letter and ask Bai Shan the cost of making salt now."
He said: "Fifty pennies a bucket, to be honest, the price of salt is still high."
Crowd: …
Even the emperor looked at Kong for offering wine.
Kong Jijiu said quietly: "Your Majesty, now only one state in Qingzhou can replace the salt fields in the south of the Yangtze River. If the method of drying salt is widely spread, this method of making salt can be tested in places where there are salt brines. How much salt?"
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.
Kong Jijiu said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood, but like other commodities, it is more expensive and cheaper, but it is different from other commodities, especially in places close to the sea, seawater is inexhaustible and inexhaustible. Yes, so..."
Kong Jijiu raised his eyes, and Shuo Shuo looked at the emperor with a spirit, "Your Majesty, since the price of salt is to be stabilized, it is better for the common people to get the greatest benefit."
The emperor touched his chin and turned his head to look at Wei Zhi excitedly.
Wei Zhi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I have nothing to say, but Your Majesty, the salt tax..."
He looked at Liu Shangshu.
Liu Shangshu was silent and did not speak, and went to see the emperor for a while.
