"Lao Liu, tell me the truth, after we set up a salt factory and pay two million taels of silver to the treasury, we really have money to make?"

Hearing Liu Jin mention the matter of two million taels of silver again, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but ask Liu Jin again.

In his opinion, although this salt is profitable, the output of a salt farm is always limited, and if two million silver are handed over to the treasury at once, how much profit can be made?

"You still don't believe me?"

"As soon as this salt drying method comes out, its output will be 100 or 1,000 times the current output, and then we will be worried about the sales of salt."

Liu Jin smiled and said very confidently.

In the future, salt farms all over the world are drying salt, and the output is huge, not only to meet the demand for salt, but also to meet the huge demand for industrial salt, and the output is absolutely not to worry.

And Liu Jin has already chosen a good place, the place to run the salt farm is in the Changlu salt field area in the later generations, this area has a lot of tidal flats, and flat and open, in the year is sunny and rainy, and the wind is also strong, it is the most ideal place to dry salt.

"That's good, as long as you don't lose money."

"Hmph~ Hmph, I've long seen that those salt merchants in the south are not pleasing to the eye, and they even dare to target me this time, see me draw money from the bottom of the kettle this time, and beat you back to the prototype."

Hearing Liu Jin's answer, Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but say fiercely.

This incident made Zhu Houzhao remember it deeply, he finally started some industry and wanted to make some money, these people were staring at him, and they wanted to limit the imperial power in this way, which was absolutely unbearable.

Now that the case is being investigated more and more deeply, more and more people have surfaced, and it is already clear that the salt merchants, Hui merchants, and big businessmen in the south are involved in this matter.

The reason why Emperor Hongzhi agreed to Liu Jin and Zhu Houzhao to run the salt farm was also because of the intention of suppressing the salt merchants in the south, the salt and iron were monopolized, and the treasury did not get any benefits, and he, the emperor, could not get any benefits, and the ordinary people also ate expensive salt.

Almost all the benefits went to the mouths of these salt merchants, and the key is that these salt merchants even put their hands into the court after getting the benefits, and they also wanted to restrict the imperial power, which was absolutely unbearable.

However, Emperor Hongzhi also knew that even if a group of salt merchants were killed, as long as the system was still in place, there would still be new salt merchants, so he would try to try to make some changes.

"Your Highness, if we want to start a salt factory smoothly, we are not enough, we must involve more people."

Liu Jin thought about it and said to Zhu Houzhao.

This is a strategy that Liu Jin has always pursued, no matter what he does, let everyone participate, especially the participation of the military generals and honorable groups.

Because there is great power in numbers, only when more people have tasted the sweetness of new affairs and gained benefits, will the power to support new affairs be greater.

"Let's talk about it in detail~"

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he immediately narrowed his little eyes.

"We have to benefit from all aspects of running a salt factory, the imperial court can receive huge taxes, the common people can eat cheaper salt, and more businessmen can follow us to make money, and at the same time, we must let more people open more salt farms......

Liu Jin thought about it and said slowly, discussing the next course of action with Zhu Houzhao in detail.

……

In the island in the middle of the lake in the back garden of the Dingguo Mansion, Xu Guangzuo and Liu Jinzheng chatted about the expansion of the cement factory while drinking tea.

At the beginning, the British prince Zhang Mao had to pull Liu Jin and their three grandfathers to cooperate in the cement factory, this cement is an indispensable artifact in the construction industry, and the Beijing-Tianjin cement road as a demonstration, all of a sudden cement has become a hot thing, and the demand is very large.

The imperial court ordered cement from major cement factories on a large scale to build the Great Wall and passes, and the city walls and defense lines in the border town areas, etc., this kind of large official orders undoubtedly basically fell into the mouths of several large cement factories.

Tianjin Cement Plant, Zhang's Cement Plant, Zhou's Cement Plant, Sihai Cement Plant, Sangong Cement Plant, these cement factories have all got their own piece of cake from this huge cake.

In addition to the official large orders, the demand for private orders is also increasing, more and more people began to use cement to build roads and bridges, build houses, especially in the Beijing-Tianjin area, the demand is very huge, so that the business of large and small cement factories is very hot, orders can not be received, and the supply exceeds demand.

"I think it is necessary to expand production, but we don't need to expand production capacity in Beijing, we can open branches and open branches in Daming."

"The demand for cement will be everywhere, and as time goes by, the demand will only increase, there are too many cement plants in Beijing and Tianjin, and there are hundreds of large and small cement plants, and the capital is fierce."

"But in other places in Daming, there are still relatively few cement plants, and we can open branches in other places to meet the demand for cement in various regions."

After listening to Xu Guangzuo's plan for the expansion of the cement plant, Liu Jin thought about it and put forward his own views.

Tianjin Cement Plant has now stopped the expansion in Tianjin, and then opened branches in Daming, the first branch is ready to be selected in Nanjing, and it is currently in preparation.

"I also have this idea, this cement is in high demand, the proportion of transportation costs is relatively large, it is good to be close, but it is far away, but it is not easy to transport."

After listening to Liu Jin's words, Xu Guangzuo thought about it and nodded in support.

He saw the huge market prospect of cement, and also invested heavily in this aspect, some time ago he also sold a thousand tilts of land to Liu Jin in exchange for 500,000 taels of silver, and was ready to invest these silver in the three fields of cement factory, fishing industry, and ocean trade like Zhang Mao.

"It's best to discuss this matter with Zhang Gong and Zhu Gong again, and just talk to me after everyone is done."

Liu Jin smiled and replied.

"Okay, I'll find another time to call everyone over to discuss and discuss."

Xu Guangzuo nodded.

"Brother Xu, I don't know if you're interested in running a salt farm together?"

Liu Jin thought about it and asked Xu Guangzuo, if you want to set up a salt farm, the support of this military general is indispensable, if you let them support themselves?

The best way is naturally to pull these generals and nobles to steal the ship, and let them follow them to run the salt farm.

"Salt farm?"

When Xu Guangzuo heard this, he immediately said in surprise: "This salt and iron is a monopoly of the imperial court, and it will not be done by private individuals." ”

"Your Majesty has already agreed that the prince and I will go to the salt factory, and I have a new method of salt production, and the salt production can be a hundred or a thousand times the current salt production."

Liu Jin smiled and said, and then explained in detail his salt drying method and the idea of running a salt farm.

"Salt drying method?"

"Is this really possible? Will the yield be hundreds of thousands of times higher than the current salt production method? ”

After hearing this, Xu Guangzuo's eyes widened, and he couldn't believe it, this salt has been boiled since ancient times, but he has never heard of the method of drying salt.

"Of course it works, it can't just dry the water in the seawater, and the essence of drying salt and boiling salt is actually the same."

Liu Jin nodded confidently, and then whispered: "The only problem now is that there will be people who oppose it, but once this matter is done, everyone can run a salt farm in the future, and you should know the profit of this salt, Brother Xu." ”

Xu Guangzuo also nodded after hearing this, of course he knew that salt made money, and which of these big salt merchants in the south was not rich, and he didn't know how many times richer than his Dingguo Mansion.

These generals and nobles have wanted to get involved in the salt industry for a long time, but because the imperial court has no right to speak, the huge cake of salt naturally cannot fall into their mouths, and they can only let these people in the south dominate all the time.

"I need to think about it."

After thinking about it, Xu Guangzuo replied.

At this time, Xu Wan'er took a few of her maids and seemed to pretend to be walking in the garden and came to the island in the middle of the lake.

"Brother~"

"Liu Gongzi~"

Xu Wan'er came to the island in the middle of the lake, her face was slightly red, she knew that Liu Jin was coming to the mansion as a guest, she was very excited, she came over early, and waited in the corridor on the side, waiting for Xu Guangzuo and Liu Jin to discuss important matters, and also pretended to come over for a walk and meet by chance.

"Wan'er girl~"

Liu Jin said with a smile and Xu Wan'er.

"Ah~ By the way, I'm still in a bit of a hurry, please help me entertain Liu Jin first, sister."

Xu Guangzuo is very sensible, looking at his sister's eyes at Liu Jin, he suddenly knew that his light bulb should be flashing, so he also found an excuse and left in a hurry, as if he was really in a hurry.

In the pavilion on the island in the middle of the lake, with Xu Guangzuo leaving, only Liu Jin and Xu Wan'er and a few of her personal maids were left in the entire pavilion.

"Congratulations to Liu Gongzi Township for winning Xie Yuan~"

Xu Wan'er sat opposite Liu Jin, her little face was flushed, and when she saw that Liu Jin didn't speak, she blushed even more, and said after thinking about it.

"You're so beautiful~"

Liu Jin looked at Xu Wan'er, once separated by a distance, and there were many people present, it was not good to stare at people, but now sitting face to face, and no one else was present, he knew her mind, so Liu Jin was also staring at her.

Look at it carefully, beautifully, really beautiful.

Forgive Liu Jin for having only such words in his mind at this time to describe Xu Wan'er in front of him, her beauty does not belong to those stars in later generations at all, and more importantly, the beauty of this kind of ladylike, gentle and lovely, and classical woman made Liu Jin stunned all of a sudden, and couldn't help but say.

Hearing Liu Jin's words, Xu Wan'er's face turned even redder, and she was so ashamed that she couldn't wait to find a crack in the ground and get in.

In this era, even if you like a person and praise a person, it is mostly a more tactful way, and it will not be as direct as Liu Jin.

But Liu Jin said that she was beautiful, and her heart was like eating honey, sweet, and she didn't even know how to reply.