Beiyang new warlord

Page 655

Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to implement the monopoly of salt and iron to collect money for the country, the salt administration was of great significance to all Chinese dynasties. The salt tax of the Song Dynasty once supported half of the country and became the main source of income against the Mongols. The salt of the Ming Dynasty Taxation since the opening of China and France has also prospered for a while, but unfortunately, with the intrigue of salt merchants and corruption of officials at all levels, the silver that should have entered the treasury was gradually shared by the upper and lower hands, and the cultural industry in the south of the Yangtze River flourished abnormally. A large part of development also comes from the deficit of these treasuries.

Salt merchants can make a lot of money, a large part of it comes from the unique salt administration of Ming Dynasty, the root nest system, which issued root nests to big merchants who have the ability to pay taxes before selling salt, making them hereditary salt merchants. Salt imports are all distributed within this small circle. First of all, these two systems ensure the absolute monopoly of salt merchants in the salt industry.

Then there is the profit of salt merchants. The amount of salt sold by salt merchants every year is at least three to four times that of the salt tax paid. To be familiar with it, salt merchants legally sell private salt under the guise of official salt.

Good guy, now Mao Jue wants to get rid of all the root nests and salts of everyone present, which is tantamount to cutting off everyone's income and industry. For a while, the entire government hall was almost not protested by the rioters from the salt merchants The sound was overturned, and all the salt merchants shouted and protested angrily, regardless of the occasion.

It's a pity that this era is the end of the world, an era when the pen is no better than the barrel of a gun.

bang~ bang~

With two shots in a row, a large piece of the roof tiles fell off. Amidst the gunpowder smoke, a group of salt merchants fell silent in astonishment. Only now did they realize that they were not the ones who held the power of life and death in this room.

Moreover, the vocalists among the salt merchants are also vain at this time. They don’t exterminate the clan, or even ransack their homes. They just get rid of the salt merchant’s root nest. This is a narrow escape. In the disappointed and angry eyes of many salt merchants, Kang Wanli is Fortunately, he kowtowed hard.

"Regent Shengming! The grassroots accept the punishment! Accept the punishment!"

"You don't need to be sad, this king has abolished your Yanwo Yanyin, and it doesn't mean that you will not be allowed to sell salt. From now on, the entire Lianghuai salt industry is free to trade! No one is an imperial salt merchant, anyone can sell salt , those here want to continue to engage in the salt business, and this king will not stop me!"

"However, from now on, all salt factories must report to the government and apply for a license before they can operate, and all salt taxes are assessed according to the quantity when the salt leaves the factory. Pay a tax and get a stone of salt!"

"The king said that I was also a businessman! The tricks in the salt tax are clear to the king. From today on, the king will only focus on the salt factory, and only pay attention to the production of salt. I don't care what you do! "

After these words were finished, the salt merchants in the entire venue started whispering again fiercely.

Did Mao Jue's reform of the salt industry have a big impact on salt merchants?It can be said that it is huge, without the privilege monopoly, it means that there is no monopoly position, and the good days of them sitting at home to collect cash can be said to be gone forever, but for small and medium-sized salt merchants, it may be an opportunity!In the Lianghuai salt industry for more than 200 years, how to divide the cake has basically been finalized. The main income is controlled by a dozen general merchants. Not all salt merchants are rich people who set prices on the ground, and some even only earn poor money for running errands. Now Free sales, these middle and low-salt merchants operating in the front line have an advantage.

Moreover, the Lianghuai salt industry has already emerged since the time of Wu Wang Liu Yan in the Han Dynasty, and naturally has its unique advantages. Although it has been free to operate and has lost the previous monopoly privileges, the Lianghuai salt merchants have been operating for many years, and the local sales network has been perfected. If other people want to get involved in this cake, it will be really difficult to get involved in this market for a while.

However, there is one more important thing.

"Dare to ask the Regent, what is the price of salt, and whether it is set by the official?"

It really has something to do with his own financial resources. Although Mao Jue was still holding a smoking pistol, Feng Xuewen, the general merchant who was born in Huizhou, couldn't help but stood up and asked with fists clasped. Who knew that Mao Jue would actually Kicking the pistol back into the holster, he yawned heavily.

"My lord said, I just pay attention to the salt factory and collect taxes, and don't care about the rest. The price of salt is naturally determined by the market!"

As soon as these words came out, all the salt merchants present couldn't help being overjoyed, but this time Mao Jue seemed to be struggling with a heart attack. Before they were overjoyed, Mao Jue threw out a blockbuster with that lazy look.

"By the way, this king has entered Beijing, and there are too many idlers in this palace. I want to invest in Lianghuai in the name of Daming, and also build a salt factory. In case everyone catches cold and diarrhea someday, If you can’t sell salt, it’s good to have someone to take care of you, do you have any opinions?”

These words really made all the salt merchants tremble. It is obvious that Mao Jue is beating them. To rebel!The official establishment of factories does not seek too much profit, it is to play a preventive role, to store salt in case of emergencies, and prevent you from getting angry!

However, Mao Jue was still a little bit worried about this idea. Although the salt merchants were clever in their tricks, the merchants in the Chinese feudal society did not dare to go on strike like the big merchants in the Western society. The Western kings had nothing to do with these big merchants, but The emperors of the East said they would kill as soon as they said they wanted to. Putting on a hat of rebellion means killing the nine tribes. Who would dare to take the limelight?

He also raised a few words about these salt merchants in terms of discipline, and told them clearly that if they dared to bribe and confiscate their homes, they would go to jail, but seeing these guys' complicated and low-pitched appearances, Mao Jue knew they didn't listen, but he also I am too lazy to talk about it. Anyway, I received a solid 52 army stick, and Liu Chong also received a hundred for him. I believe that the officials under him will at least be honest for a while. Helping profiteers naturally knows that they are afraid.

However, a small number of Yangzhou salt merchants are easy to deal with. In the bourgeoisization of the age of great voyages that I am increasingly advocating, I believe they will assimilate into it in a short time, but those rigid big families in Jiangnan are not easy to deal with, even if they go With a population of 4000 million in Lianghuai and Sanjiang, that is also a huge force of 7000 million to 9000 million.

Hope my new way of dealing with them will work!

Thinking about it, Mao Jue stood up again, held up the tea bowl and spoke lightly to many salt merchants.

"Everyone, I know that your food is good, and I don't have any special features in the north that catch your attention. This canned food is a special product in Liao Town. This king eats these every day, and I invite you to sing something fresh."

"Please!"

..........

Dealing with a group of salt merchants until after six o'clock in the afternoon, Mao Jue looked at the pampered gentlemen holding back vomiting and pouring down the boxes of high-calorie and high-oil, and the aisle was shaking. Only then put them back, Mao Jue is destined to not sleep well tonight, even nausea and troubles, Mao Jue will definitely let these guys sleep well together!

After sending them away, with the same carefree appearance of a bandit, Mao Jue stretched out his hand, and at the edge of the leftovers table, he ordered someone to bring up the other protagonist.

Shi Kefa, a bachelor of Dongge University and governor of Yangzhou.

It is estimated that there is nothing more sad than heart-death!Unlike Hong Chengchou, who fell on his shoulder and beat him desperately, Shi Kefa really wanted to die. He was no longer interested in the things around him. He was brought up and fought there like a log.

His dying appearance actually angered Ying Ji, full of annoyance, Ying Ji yelled loudly: "When you see His Royal Highness the Regent, you still don't kneel down!"

At this time, Shi Kefa was really a meat hob, and his eyes were still so dull that he didn't even make sense of it.

Seeing that Ying Ji was about to kick him in anger, Mao Jue suddenly smiled and stretched out his hand to let her back down, laughing lazily as if he was going to die.

"It seems that our Shi Ge Department is not convinced by the defeat!"

"The Liao king's artillery fire is sharp, the army is neat, and the army is still immovable under the shelling. Shi is convinced of the defeat! However, Ran Wumao, who raised [-] soldiers and conquered the world back then, still inevitably died in Yanzhong, and the overlord of Western Chu who swallowed mountains and rivers was also inevitable. Gai slashes, governing the world still needs to rely on people's hearts, I hope the king of Liao can do it himself!"

As expected of Shi Kefa, this kung fu is still soft and hard, but how could Mao Jue dare to go up Liangshan without that three-thirds, laughing, he kicked the box next to the stool heavily All of them, all kinds of letters and invitations flowed out all at once, pointing to these, Mao Jue asked with a smile.

"The people's hearts mentioned by the cabinet are these things, right?"

They were all important ministers of the Nanming Dynasty, and the surrender letter written by the high officials of the court to Mao Jue was really dazzling in Shi Kefa's eyes. After a full half minute of silence, Shi Kefa finally clasped his fists helplessly.

"Shi Mou is begging for death, and I hope that the King of Liao will not be tempted to surrender. Give Shi Mou a good time!"

"Surrender?"

Mentioning this word, Mao Jue suddenly heard some joke, clutching his stomach and laughing loudly, panting for breath, tears streaming down his face as he laughed, watching him laugh wildly in astonishment, the anger on Shi Kefa's face The meaning is also emerging more and more.

"Why did King Liao laugh? Did Shi say something wrong?"

"Of course, how do you recall that I can recruit you, what use are you to this king?"

After finally stopping the smile, Mao Jue raised his fingers in front of Shi Kefa.

"Tell me about you, Minister of the Ministry of War in Nanjing, control the soldiers and horses in the southern province, what did you do when the capital fell? Sleep with the girl at home!"

"The imperial court in the capital is gone, and you finally became the head of the family. What are you doing? You didn't do any useful shit, and you wanted to establish a marriage and a virtuous man. Let that old boy Ma Shiying take the lead, and you are so stupid. He was kicked out of Nanjing."

"The governor of Yangzhou is also fine. Mao waited for almost a year before going south. At this time, if I were to pull up sixty regiments, you didn't do anything. You said, the king surrendered!" What are you doing? Wasting food?"

Shame and indignation said that Shi Kefa was absolutely right at this time, his old face flushed with shame, and he was stunned for more than ten seconds before he clenched his fists in great pain.

"Since Shi is so unbearable, it would be a waste of food to keep it. Why didn't King Liao kill Shi with a knife? Why did he have to humiliate Shi in court and waste time? King Liao has so much free time?"

"Of course the king is very busy!"

This Gu Mei was also taken into Yangzhou City. Although she was used as a tool, it is not Mao Jue's character to eat it up and turn around. He still needs to visit tonight. He is naturally very busy. Facing Shi Kefa's black face, Mao Jue didn't go around in circles anymore, he stood up straight and clapped his hands, and walked around him a few times.

"You are useless to this king, but you are still useful to that false Emperor Hongguang of Nanming, so I brought you here, and this king asked you, Qin Huier, would you do it?"

"A traitor through the ages? Why?"

It was really Shi Kefa, very human, he neither yelled angrily nor walked away. Hearing that it was useful for Nanming, he immediately bowed his head and listened involuntarily.

The fish finally took the bait, and Mao Jue couldn't help showing a smirk at the corner of his mouth, and then lowered his voice.

After only listening for a moment, Shi Kefa's disheveled face was full of disbelief.