Sold all the seafood in his hand at once, Qin Quan was also in a good mood, and he was even smarter to hug Liu Jin's thighs, like this kind of large order specially sent to the factory, the demand is very stable, although the price will be lower, but the volume is large, and he is their favorite customer for doing business.

Who doesn't know the name of the glass factory in the whole capital?

There are also big customers like Xishan Coal Industry, which are everyone's favorite, rich, large, stable demand, and make money as long as they catch it.

So after Qin Quan simply gave a few words to his men, he also laughed and chatted with Liu Jin.

"Boss Qin, what kind of best do you sell?"

Liu Jin came to the fish store to buy fish, but to inquire about various news and understand the demand of the market, so that he could also follow the market to make changes in the future.

"These big yellow croaker, small yellow croaker, pomfret, and squid are all selling very well, mainly because the price is cheap, there is a lot of meat, and the price of this seafood business is very critical, it is difficult to sell for a penny, and it is easy to sell a lot for a penny."

"As for the best sale, it's actually like this~"

Qin Quan said with a smile while pointing to the various fish on the stall, and picked up a few dried salted fish when he said about the back.

"It's salted dried fish, right?"

Liu Jin looked at it and said, this dried salted fish is still dried here in Tianjin Port, and there are labels on the salted fish with Tianjin Port, of course Liu Jin knows it.

"Yes, it is salted fish, the price of this salted fish is not too expensive, and it is easy to keep for a long time, and it is also convenient to transport, of course, the most important thing is that there is a lot of salt on this salted fish.

"However, the production of this kind of salted dried fish is too small, and many times it is not available, and every time it is sold out, it is quickly sold out, after all, it is salted with salt, and this salt is an expensive thing."

Qin Quan smiled and said to Liu Jin, salt is still very precious in this era, and the price is also very high, this kind of salted dried fish with salt can be left with salt for ordinary people, so it is naturally very popular.

"I see~"

After listening to this, Liu Jin smiled and nodded.

Liu Jin naturally knew about this for a long time, otherwise he would not have come up with such a thing as dried salted fish, and now he asked it to confirm his judgment.

Sure enough, as I judged, salted fish is very marketable in this era.

"It seems that the matter of running a salt farm by yourself should be done as soon as possible, if there is no salt farm, this salted fish will be too expensive, those salt dealers are all masters who eat people and do not spit out bones, salt is too expensive."

Thinking of this, Liu Jin couldn't help but want to set up a salt farm again.

It's just that the salt and iron in this era are all monopolies of the imperial court, but this salt and iron monopoly not only did not bring much benefit to the imperial court, but also did not give some benefits to the common people, and it was actually those salt merchants who benefited in the end.

Relying on the monopoly of salt and iron, these salt merchants were rich one by one, cultivated a huge group of spokespersons, and slowly infiltrated the power center of the empire, and in the late Ming Dynasty, they directly controlled the entire court situation, and finally buried this good river and mountain.

It is definitely not an easy task to set up a salt factory, and it is even impossible.

However, Liu Jin has the support of the crown prince Zhu Houzhao, and Zhu Houzhao is very keen on making money now, and the timing is very good.

Not long ago, the case of theft of official grain has been still being investigated, and from time to time there will be bigwigs in the DPRK and China who have been found out, and these people who have been found out are basically inextricably linked with the big salt merchants, big families, and big businessmen in the Jiangnan area, and they are all their spokesmen.

This wave of blows is very heavy for them.

While they had not yet eased their breath, and while they were being suppressed, Liu Jin felt that there was a glimmer of hope that this thing could be done, if it was before, Liu Jin would never dare to mention this matter.

Because that would be absolutely death-seeking, those big salt merchants would never allow anyone to touch their interests.

"I don't know if Zhu Houzhao has forgotten about this."

Liu Jin thought about it and shook his head and said.

After chatting briefly with this Boss Qin for a while, Liu Jin also continued to wander around the sea fish shop.

After shopping for the sea fish shop, Liu Jin also returned to his house.

"Lao Liu, you're back, hurry up and follow me into the palace."

Liu Jin had just returned home, and Zhu Houzhao hurriedly came to the door, as if there was something urgent.

"Into the palace?"

Liu Jin said slightly stunned.

"Yes, the last time you mentioned to me about running a salt farm, I told my father, and my father has a lot of things he wants to ask you."

I really wanted to come to something, and I was still thinking about the salt farm in the fish catch line, but I didn't expect Zhu Houzhao to come to find him immediately, also for the salt farm.

Hearing Zhu Houzhao's words, Liu Jin did not waste time, and it was rare to have the opportunity to see the palace of this era, which naturally could not be missed.

Soon, following Zhu Houzhao, Liu Jin walked towards the palace.

Entering the palace, Liu Jin looked carefully as he walked, it was similar to what he saw in the Forbidden City in later generations, there was not much difference, but there were more palace guards everywhere.

In the study room of the Yangxin Palace, Emperor Hongzhi was also thinking about salt.

"Xiao Jing, you have people investigate the situation of the major salt farms in the south of the Yangtze River, and then investigate the salt merchants to see if what the prince said is true."

Emperor Hongzhi knew a lot about the salt industry from Zhu Houzhao, and since the fifth year of Hongzhi should have paid grain to open the middle for the silver to open the middle, Emperor Hongzhi felt that he was doing the right thing in the salt industry.

In the past, it was difficult to maintain the grain opening, and if the reform was not carried out, the border army would not even have to eat food, but after the opening of the silver system, the imperial court had an additional income of one million taels of silver every year, which greatly alleviated the financial difficulties of the court, although it is still very difficult now.

"Yes~"

Xiao Jing replied respectfully.

Now Emperor Hongzhi likes to hand over a lot of things to himself, through the Jinyi Wei and the factory guard, the Hongzhi Emperor can learn more and clearer information, and slowly began to rely on himself, not long ago he allocated 500,000 taels of silver from the interior to the Jinyi Wei and the factory guard.

It can be seen that Emperor Hongzhi now attaches great importance to the power of the factory guard, which was something that was unimaginable before.

"Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asks to see you~"

"Xuan~"

At this time, Zhu Houzhao took Liu Jin to the study of the Heart Cultivation Palace.

The first time he entered the palace, Liu Jin was not as excited as he imagined, because later generations had also been to the Forbidden City and watched a lot of court dramas, but Liu Jin was still very curious about Emperor Hongzhi's study, and he took a look at it casually while walking.

"Whatever thing here is a national treasure if it is brought to the next generation~"

"These hanging paintings, and the words..."

In the study of Emperor Hongzhi, there are a lot of all kinds of calligraphy and paintings, which can be seen everywhere, and there are all kinds of porcelain, which are definitely high-quality, which makes Liu Jin's little eyes shine constantly, and he doesn't know how to think about these things to be sold in later generations.

"Father~"

"Grass people Liu Jin pays a visit to Your Majesty~"

Zhu Houzhao and Liu Jin respectively saluted Emperor Hongzhi.

"Excuse me, give me a seat."

Emperor Hongzhi said very casually.

"Liu Jin, do you want to set up a salt farm?"

Emperor Hongzhi didn't mean to waste time, so he asked directly as soon as he came.

"Yes, Your Majesty, please grant your Majesty's permission."

Liu Jin nodded and replied.

"Then do you know that salt and iron are all monopolized by the imperial court and are absolutely granted to private individuals."

Emperor Hongzhi was expressionless and said very seriously.

"The grass people know~"

Liu Jin looked at Emperor Hongzhi's face, and he couldn't understand Emperor Hongzhi's thoughts in his heart.

"If you know, then why do you want to build a salt factory?"

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Liu Jin and put down the pen and music in his hand.

"Your Majesty, the reason why the grass people want to run a salt farm is because it is beneficial for the country and the people to run a salt farm."

Liu Jin thought about it and replied.

"Good for the country and good for the people?"

Emperor Hongzhi smiled lightly, and then said, "Let's hear what are the benefits? ”

"As long as Your Majesty allows the grass to run the salt farm, I will pay two million taels of silver to the imperial court every year, and the grass people can also guarantee that the annual dividend of the salt farm to His Royal Highness will not be less than two million taels of silver."

Liu Jin thought for a while and said.

"Two million taels of silver?"

When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, he couldn't help but take a breath.

The imperial court paid silver in the middle of the year, and the tax silver collected in a year was only one million taels, and Liu Jin opened a salt farm, and even said that he would pay two million taels of silver to the imperial court, and the key was that there was also a profit, and Zhu Houzhao would pay a dividend of no less than two million taels of silver every year.

"How much pound are you going to sell this salt for?"

After thinking about it, Emperor Hongzhi asked coldly, paying so much tax and silver, and making money, in addition to the high price of salt, Emperor Hongzhi really couldn't figure out what else Liu Jin could maintain.

"Your Majesty, my salt is not only at least thirty percent lower than the market price, but also the quality is definitely better than other salts on the market, which is another benefit I am talking about, and it is also good for the people of Limin, so that people can eat cheaper and better salt."

Liu Jin replied very confidently.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

"Not only to make a lot of money, but also to have a low price, how can there be such a good thing in the world."

When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, he immediately said sharply.

"The grass people don't dare~"

Liu Jin hurriedly pretended to be frightened and said.

"Hmph, what don't you dare, salt and iron is a monopoly industry of the imperial court, you dare to touch it, what else do you dare not do?"

Emperor Hongzhi snorted coldly.

"Your Majesty, please forgive the grass people for their courage, how much salt tax can this imperial court collect in a year?"

"I wonder if Your Majesty knows how much a pound of salt is bought in the market? Do you know how much a pound of salt is when it comes out of the salt field? ”

Liu Jin couldn't figure out today's Hongzhi Emperor, and he felt that he was a different person, less approachable in the past, and more of the emperor's domineering spirit, which made people feel like a tiger with the king.

If the previous Emperor Hongzhi was a good man, the current Emperor Hongzhi is more like what an emperor should be.

"The imperial court can collect a million taels of salt tax every year."

"The salt in this market is probably sold for thirty or forty yuan a catty, as for the salt from this salt farm..."

Emperor Hongzhi thought for a while and said, when it came to how much salt from the salt field cost a catty, he was speechless all of a sudden, because he didn't know how much the salt from the salt field was.

"Your Majesty, this salt merchant takes salt from the salt farm, and his cost can actually be almost zero."

Liu Jin thought about it and finished mentioning Emperor Hongzhi.

"Zero cost?"

When Emperor Hongzhi and Zhu Houzhao heard this, their eyes immediately widened, which was really appalling.

"Your Majesty, since the fifth year of Hongzhi, the grain has been changed to the silver to be paid, I don't know if Your Majesty has noticed that the salt tax collected is getting less and less every year, while the military expenditure on the side of the border army is getting more and more year by year?"

Liu Jin nodded, thought about it and asked.

When Emperor Hongzhi heard this, his eyes were a little dazed, he, the emperor educated by Confucianism, has always paid attention to governing the country with benevolence and virtue, for such a thing as financial data, he just listened to the Zhou Jing and read it, and he would not take a closer look at the changes in the data, of course, he was not clear about these things.

"So what?"

Emperor Hongzhi thought for a while and said.

"Your Majesty, why is this salt tax getting less and less every year?"

"With so many salt farms in the imperial court, why can you only receive a million taels of salt tax a year?"

"Your Majesty is wise and wise, and I think Your Majesty knows a lot of these things very well."

"I wonder if Your Majesty has ever been to the salt works? Take a look at the situation of the stove household? I think that if Your Majesty takes a look, he will understand why I say that the cost of salt that these salt merchants take from the salt works is almost zero. ”

Liu Jin has a lot of things to say in his mind, but he can't say it after thinking about it, although he knows some things, he can't say it, why can't he implement it in this good grain opening, in fact, the main reason is still the emperor, whether it is Emperor Hongzhi or Ming Xianzong in front.

Salt is often rewarded to royal relatives, nobles, ministers, and the like, which is tantamount to a disguised act of occupying the nest, and the merchants who work hard to transport grain to the border cannot get salt, but those who do not contribute at all can get salt.

If the salt is too much, the system of accepting grain and opening the grain will not be able to be implemented, because the merchants who transport grain to the border have no salt but cannot get it, because the salt production of the salt field is limited, and it must be limited to meet the salt introduction of those powerful officials.

But can you say that the emperor is at fault? Obviously no, although the Emperor Hongzhi in front of him is notoriously good-tempered.

The salt merchants who can get salt from the salt works are people with good hands and eyes, and some of these people use means to evade taxes, which is why they receive less and less salt taxes.

Fortunately in the Hongzhi Dynasty, in the late Ming Dynasty, the salt tax was even less pitiful, and even more than just the salt tax, all other taxes were pitiful, and a county in the Jiangnan region could not receive dozens of taels of silver, and it was incredible to think about it.

This is the disadvantage of the opening of the bank, and the tax evasion and evasion are too serious.

In the past, it was different in the opening of grain, this grain is related to the border army, and the border army will only give salt if it receives grain, and there is no place to steal if you want to evade taxes, after all, everything related to the border army is a major matter.

If the border army has no food to eat, it will make trouble, and since ancient times, this army mutiny has been a major event, and it will immediately be heard by the heavens.

Hearing Liu Jin's words, Emperor Hongzhi frowned and pondered, salt and grain are all matters of great importance, and they are also things involving huge interests, and of course he knows how serious the corruption is.

It's just that he doesn't know much about salt all along, because these officials of the court below won't let Emperor Hongzhi know too much about salt.

The impression to Emperor Hongzhi is that after this change is changed, it is a good thing for the country and the people, the imperial court has more salt taxes, and the salt merchants can also go to the border towns without having to work hard to transport grain, and the common people seem to be able to eat cheaper salt.

Because of such an illusion, Emperor Hongzhi knew that this salt was the same as grain, and corruption was rampant in it, but he had not carried out some rectification and reform all along, of course, Emperor Hongzhi himself had limited wisdom, and relied more on the officials below, whether it was rectification or change, in fact, there was no way to touch the interests of those people.

"Father, the salary of ordinary people for a day's work is about thirty or forty yuan, and this pound of salt will be sold for dozens of yuan, which is too expensive, and the current salt and iron system is not much good for the imperial court, and even more so for the common people, ordinary people often can't afford to eat salt at all."

"The biggest beneficiaries of this system are the salt merchants, the officials of the salt works, and they are all rich and rich enough to rival the country."

At this time, Zhu Houzhao also spoke, he either didn't do anything, he was very serious when he wanted to do it, and he asked people to investigate the matter of the salt merchant in advance, and he also felt the situation he knew when he was outside.

Hearing Zhu Houzhao's words, Emperor Hongzhi's face was even more ugly, originally in his opinion, this dozens of pounds of salt was not very expensive, but Zhu Houzhao said that when ordinary people could only buy one pound of salt for a day, he knew that this salt was really expensive, very expensive.

Ordinary people don't have much opportunity to work, and it is difficult to make money, and these dozens of pounds of salt are really unaffordable, just like if the salt in later generations is sold for hundreds of yuan a pound, ordinary people will definitely not be able to afford it.