First Minister of Ming Dynasty

First Minister Section 429

Secondly, according to Zhang Shicheng's original proposal, the grain boats were used to transport salt.

And this time Zhang Shicheng came from Changlu to Yingtian with some salt.

According to Zhang Shicheng's calculations, one stone of salt can make a profit of about ten renminbi.

Zhang Shicheng is already very satisfied with doing business with the imperial court, replenishing Changping's warehouse and making money.

We can provide the imperial court with a permanent warehouse, and within two years, provide enough salt reserves for the people of the world to use for three months.

With these reserves, it is enough to avoid risks.

Of course, what he gave to the court was only the price of a bulk supply.

If you sell salt to the common people, you need to raise it a bit.

Zhang Shicheng said that as long as permission is allowed, a group of commercial firms specializing in selling salt will be set up in Yingtian in the near future, and the lowest salt price can be as low as seven yuan!

crazy!

Just crazy!

Now the most expensive salt price in Ming Dynasty is about [-] renminbi. This is no longer cut in half, but cut from the ankle. Who can bear it?

Standing opposite Zhang Shicheng, he was not a vegetarian either. The Ministry of Household Affairs, the Ministry of Taxation, the Yamen of the Salt Transport Envoy, and dozens of large salt merchants from the Huaihe River and Zhejiang Province.

They also launched newspapers and began to attack Zhang Shicheng.

Purely from the perspective of the plan, Zhang Shicheng's proposal is already impeccable.Changlu Saltworks has the strength and can do it.

Those who make trouble are simply making trouble for no reason.

But they also quickly found a way, which was to attack Zhang Shicheng's background.

Many people say that Zhang Shicheng is a captive of the subjugated country and a despicable person.

He has made himself subjugated. With this kind of person, wouldn't the Ming Dynasty be killed?

Absolutely can not listen to him.

Several censors really wrote a letter to impeach Zhang Shicheng.

But at this time, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly did something that no one expected. He personally visited the door and invited Zhang Shicheng to the palace for a banquet.

"Over the years, there have been fewer and fewer people who can chat with us. No matter what the two of us said in the past...we all have the heart to overthrow Yuan Ting. We succeeded and you lost. Now that we have drunk One cup, forget about the past, what do you think?"

Zhang Shicheng nodded, "Your Majesty, I am convinced! If I win, I will definitely not let you go. So, I deserve to lose!"

Zhang Shicheng nodded and said: "The past can't be forgotten like this, we have to let the grass-roots give His Majesty a knock!"

As he spoke, Zhang Shicheng lifted up his robe, and knelt firmly on the ground!

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and invited him to the palace for a banquet. The two of them were really drunk and chatted happily, just like old friends.

After this drink, no one dared to attack Zhang Shicheng casually anymore.

After all, His Majesty is willing to expose it, how dare you hold on to it?

Not long after Zhang Shicheng entered Yingtian, more than a dozen ships filled with salt arrived at Yingtian from the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The person who brought the salt was Fang Guozhen!

"It's a good thing that benefits the country and the people. No matter what, I will help the place!"

The arrival of Fang Guozhen can be regarded as a divine assist, because Zhang Shicheng had only proposed a plan earlier, and the household department was still holding on.

This time it's all right, Fang Guozhen brought the salt.

Zhang Shicheng was overjoyed. Although he and Lao Fang were no match for Zhu Yuanzhang, they were still strong at the level of rebellion.Together, they can't beat mere salt merchants?It's like a joke!

Zhang Shicheng couldn't wait to ask for an order, and first opened five commercial firms, specializing in the sale of salt.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately approved, and asked the Gongwei Department to take out several shops and hand them over to Zhang Shicheng.

Not surprisingly, table salt has started to be sold... cheap salt with only seven cents a catty, here it comes!

Chapter 599 Promoting the New Salt Law

Can it be so easy to accomplish something that is related to the national economy and the people's livelihood?

Zhang Ximeng had been planning the salt law for a long time, and Zhu Yuanzhang had planned to push it forward... But when it really started to be implemented, it was a salt factory, a business firm, and the selection of talents to straighten out the government... How long did it take? It took only a month to get a few commercial firms that Yingtian was not too spacious.

However, these few commercial firms have brought an indescribable impact.

People have been lining up since the night before.

After waiting all night, I didn't feel tired at all.

The slightly hunched back was exceptionally strong, and everyone was looking forward to it, fearing it was just a dream.

Finally the door opened.

The first old farmer, trembling with trembling, handed over a hundred Wenbao note.

It just asked, "How much?"

"All, all!"

The clerk was slightly taken aback, seven renminbi a catty, and a hundred renminbi is not a whole number, but since I asked for it, there was nothing else to say.

He immediately put it in his pocket, loaded a full fifteen catties, and then handed it to the old farmer.

"Deducting the weight of the bag, there is only a lot more."

The old farmer could no longer hear what he said, he just held the bag in his hand and weighed it, then stretched out his swarthy fingers, dipped a little salt in it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Salty!

The old farmer quickly grinned, "It's true, it's true! I knew it, His Majesty doesn't lie!"

After saying this, the old farmer happily picked up his pocket, turned around quickly, and ran home. The other people behind him showed envious expressions and praised him.

Such a pocket used to cost almost the same amount of money, at least five hundred cash, but now, it only costs one hundred cash to carry so much money!

Too cheap!

"We want too!"

"Hurry up, everyone can't wait."

The folks in the commercial firm did not dare to hesitate. They were a little bit flustered at first, but they quickly found a rhythm. Because of the low price, the common people are completely in the mentality of sweeping goods.

Few of the people in the back took one hundred coins, and some even bought it with regular money!

More than 100 catties of salt, is it a lot?

The first ten or so people in the family can eat up all of it in a year and a half at most. It is so cheap now, what if there is no more in the future?In the seemingly thin body, there is a powerful force.

Even if it is just a woman, it is not difficult to carry a package weighing dozens of kilograms.

The big guys are calling for friends and companions, and they come to snap up like Chinese New Year.

In less than one morning, two commercial firms couldn't handle it anymore.

After working for most of the night yesterday, the salt that I finally moved over had bottomed out in just half a day.

Hurry up and send a letter to Prince Fang!

"Good guy! This is suffocating everyone, move to the city quickly!" Fang Guozhen couldn't wait, and did it herself.

Since you want to help the scene, you must help to the end!

But soon Fang Guozhen found that it was too late to transport to the city.Or just start selling it at the pier!

Set up the booth, set up the scales, and arrange for people to collect the money.

Then it's ready to sell!

Fang Guozhen's trick really worked. In fact, in the evening, the big guys don't use the scale at all, but just weigh it with their hands, as long as the weight is about the same.

Anyway, it's so cheap, a few pennies a catty, you can't buy it at a loss, you can't be fooled, what are you waiting for, hurry up and start!

Fang Guozhen's big boat was visibly empty.

The salt he brought this time could not last for a few days.

No way, everyone is too enthusiastic.

"Anyone knows how to lose money and make money. The key is to sell it like this. Can anyone make money?" Zhu Yuanzhang became more concerned. He called Zhang Shicheng and asked.

Zhang Shicheng grinned, "Your Majesty, in fact, when I was smuggling salt, I thought about it more than once, just sell salt like this! It's clean and neat, and you can earn three pennies a catty!"

"so much?"

"Yeah!" Zhang Shicheng said with a smile, "This is after deducting the rent and freight of the workers in the commercial firm... One rock salt can earn 360 cash, and based on the 36% salt tax, there are also [-] cash!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, although this is not a large number, but an average of two or three families need one rock salt a year, and the Daming in front of him has a household registration of nearly ten million, a little calculation, it is a huge annual income.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang is keenly aware that the drop in salt prices can bring about huge changes.

In the past, after the people paid the land tax every year, there was only a little ration left over, and it was already very good to barely keep enough to eat.

There is no balance at home.

Because of this, many women will use all their time to do knitting, embroidery, and weaving at home. Men will also raise some livestock, go to the mountains to cut firewood and hunt, collect medicinal materials, and then go to exchange for money.

The money they got in exchange was to buy some salt.

But when the price of salt comes down, it is no longer the biggest burden in the lives of ordinary people, and other things can be prepared.

Such as building a house, such as getting married.

Also, when getting married, do you want to buy some red silk and add some jewelry?

You will find that those people who came to buy salt with precious banknotes, after finding out that it is really affordable, many of them turned around and bought two catties of meat, or bought a piece of printed cloth to go back.

The other shops all opened up with smiles and got a big deal.By the way, business has improved a lot, and business taxes have increased accordingly.

The whole Yingtian seemed to be a festival.

The people were overjoyed and praised the new salt law in unison.

At least in Yingtian, got off to a good start.

The news of the rapid drop in salt prices in Yingtian quickly spread to other state capitals through newspapers.Suzhou, Hangzhou, Songjiang... In many places, people have jointly signed a letter requesting the implementation of the Salt Law. Everyone is looking forward to it!

Your Majesty can't just be cheap if you have something to do, God, that's a good thing for the emperor, we are also the people of Ming Dynasty, your Majesty can't treat one more favorably than another!

Good guy, everyone is yelling and grabbing it.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also encouraged, but he was not in a hurry. He endured for a full month.

During this month, he will fully evaluate the effect of the salt method to see how it is!

In addition, Lao Zhu had to wait, waiting for more salt to arrive.

This is not a joke. The biggest support behind the new salt law is high-quality and cheap table salt. Without this, everything is useless.

The pressure is on the side of Changlu Saltworks, can you do it?

Zhang Ximeng can tell Zhu Yuanzhang with certainty that not only will it work, but it will work very well!

Now is the time when the weather is getting hotter and the sun is shining brightly.

It is most suitable for drying salt in salt fields.

In order to produce enough salt, Peng Zaozhu recruited more than 1 salt workers, which was not enough. At the busiest time, Hu Dahai brought more than 3000 people and joined the ranks of drying salt.

Standing on the beach, you will see the endless salt fields, which are really like fields, dotted with stars, and you can't see the end at a glance.

After a night of sea breeze, the bottom of the salt pond is full of snow-white crystals.

Just seeing this scene, no one would think that salt is a rare thing.

It is much easier to produce salt than crops watered with sweat.

The seawater is inexhaustible, and millions of catties of crude salt can be produced in one night...Continue to filter and process it to make refined salt, and the Changlu Salt Field can load several Wanshi ships in a day.

Such an easy-to-obtain thing has been sold for so many years at a sky-high price, and the common people are really suffering too much.

Can't wait anymore, it's time to push outward.

Zhu Yuanzhang summoned all the important ministers in Beijing and announced the promotion of the new salt law.

Faced with this result, Zhongshu Sheng had no way to object, nor could he.

It's just that the tax department has some ideas. Hu Weiyong thinks that the salt tax can be included in the scope of the tax department and collected by them uniformly?