"Shisuke, are you sure that if you use these methods, you can recruit enough salt classes?"

Faced with the question of Jingluo, Zheng Xiaru couldn't help but be silent for a while, since last year to now, there have been three additional classes, if there are more classes, can this salt be sold by then?

"After a strategy, repeated lessons are really a last resort."

This answer made Zhu Mingzhong nod in agreement.

"That's true, this extra class is really a last resort."

Facing Zheng Xiaru, who seemed to be a little depressed, Zhu Mingzhong continued.

"When this official was in Nanjing, I heard that every 100 catties of salt in Nanjing now cost 3 taels of silver. If it is in Wuchang, it will cost 5 taels per 100 catties of salt! ”

As a superior, you must have your own intelligence channels, only in this way, you will not deceive your subordinates, at least you will not make a joke that the emperor can't afford to eat eggs, an egg for a few pennies, this is the emperor's side of those who are engaged in procurement, layer by layer, report to the emperor, only three or four copper plates on the market, eggs are expensive to the point of 10 taels of silver in the court. And in the Guangxu period, the price of eggs in the imperial kitchen reached 30 taels of silver.

In addition to collecting military and political intelligence, the military department will also collect information related to people's livelihood, and the price of salt and rice is naturally the focus of their attention. It is precisely because of this that Zhu Mingzhong will know the price of salt in various places, even the price of salt in Huguang under the rule of Qing Lu cannot be hidden from him.

"Omitted ......"

Looking up at Jinglu, Zheng Xiaru's eyes were puzzled, he didn't know why Jingluo mentioned the price of salt in various places.

"So, for every salt that is introduced to the salt field, how much is the tax levied?"

"After a while, it is normal for this salt merchant to increase the price, if there is no salt merchant trafficking, this salt will naturally have nowhere to sell it......"

Without waiting for Zheng Xiaru to finish speaking, Zhu Mingzhong shook his head and said.

"Shisuke, do you remember that I asked you at the beginning, do you want to be rich for a while, or do you want to be rich for a generation?"

Again, when the same question rang in Zheng Xiaru's ears, although there was a gap of less than a year, the mood was completely different, if there was some gambling last time, then now it is undoubtedly telling a fact.

The fact is that Zhu Mingzhong in front of him can not only give him temporary wealth, but also give him generations of wealth.

Is it a momentary wealth?

Or is it generational wealth?

In fact, it all depends on a thought, how to choose?

Last time, Zheng Xiaru had hesitated, and now, he said almost without thinking.

"Jingluo, the lower officials only want to follow Jingluo, and there is nothing else to think about!"

Now is the time to show loyalty, at this time, don't say just a few words, even if Zheng Xiaru is asked to show loyalty with his head now, he doesn't mind, of course, this head must be someone else's head.

In any case, it is certain that if you want to be rich and prosperous for generations, you must ensure one premise - loyalty!

This is the fundamental guarantee of prosperity for generations. For Zheng Xiaru, who has been an official for many years, he knows very well what to say and what to do.

Now that this generation is rich, he always needs to exchange something for it, and what to exchange?

Add salt lessons?

Still is?

"If only you understood that!"

Zhu Mingzhong nodded, then stared at Zheng Xiaru and said.

"Since you understand this truth, you must know one thing, two-thirds of the salt class in the world is in the hands of salt merchants, as a salt transportation envoy, don't you pay taxes for the country? Planning for the country? ”

In the face of such a question, if it were replaced by the officialdom of Qingyu, it is estimated that Zheng Xiaru would have been frightened and his knees would have weakened and kneel in front of him, but now, in the face of such a question, Zheng Xiaru immediately responded.

"Back to the scriptures, the lower officials also feel heartache for the loss of the salt class, since he became the salt transport envoy, every time he thinks about it, he can't sleep at night."

In any case, now for Zheng Xiaru, he knows that if he wants to keep the wealth and glory of the Zheng family, there is only one choice - follow the meaning of the scripture and do it, which is the fundamental premise.

Otherwise, what would be the result of the Zheng family?

Zheng Xiaru didn't even dare to think that the heads of dozens of Jin salt merchants were still hanging in cages, and even their families were still acting as camp prostitutes.

"Shisuke, in that case, how should we recover the lost salt class?"

This rhetorical question made Zheng Xiaru silent for a moment, and his mind once again appeared of the salt merchants who were killed, and the female relatives of the salt merchants who were beaten as prostitutes and were worse than dead. His heart suddenly turned sideways, and he replied categorically.

"The salt merchants are treacherous, not only selling illicit salt, but also stealing the country's salt tax, ignoring the needs of the militaristic state, and the law cannot be corrected unless it is a heavy punishment.

Even his sons and daughters' in-laws are salt merchants, which will not prevent him from being ruthless, and his suggestion does not know how many people will fall to the ground, but now, he can't care so much.

Looking at Zheng Shijie, Zhu Mingzhong's eyes narrowed into a slit, and he even secretly sighed in his heart that this person was ruthless, for the sake of the wealth and glory of the generation, he could directly sacrifice so many people.

It seems, this is officialdom!

If it was changed to the Manchu Qing Dynasty, he might accept his suggestion, but for Zhu Mingzhong, this time, he had no intention of "raiding the house and destroying the door" again, after all, the last time he raided the house was famous, and this time, those salt merchants from Jiangnan are not evil, even if they occasionally sell illicit salt, but this is also a common problem of salt merchants.

However, Zheng Xiaru's words made Zhu Mingzhong see his determination, at least at this point, it can be seen that he should not choose the wrong person to hand over the salt affairs to him!

"Raiding the ......"

Shaking his head, Zhu Mingzhong looked at Zheng Xiaru and said.

"This official is not a wicked official, and he will not take away people's property without guilt! Don't talk about it again! ”

Although Jing Liu's words did not mean to reprimand, they still made Zheng Xiaru's heart tremble, and he nodded again and again, which made him really a little confused.

"Shisuke, you are the salt transport envoy, you tell the official, how to collect the salt class now?"

"Back to the scriptures, at present, my two Huai salt farms are still following the old system, using the official supervision and commercial sales system. It is roughly divided into two parts: the field lecture and the introduction class. The salt field of the field class is taxed. Including beach class, stove class, pot class and well class, etc. Salt merchants from all over the world. The introduction includes the main class, the package class and the miscellaneous class, and the main course is the tax levied on the distributor according to the salt introduction; The package is a salt tax paid by the underwriter; Miscellaneous classes are an add-on to the salt tax. This move stems from the "outline law" implemented in the 45th year of Wanli after the collapse of the Kaizhong Law, which divides the salt quotation received by merchants into ten outlines, compiles a program book, and introduces one outline every year and nine outlines of new introductions. That is to say, those who have names in the compendium can always follow the original number to quote the syllabus, and those who do not have names in the syllabus cannot join the ranks of the salt leaders. Since then, the salt merchants have been exclusively interested in attracting the shore, so there is a "monopoly system", and the two Huai salt merchants are also flourishing here......"

When listening to Zheng Xiaru's explanation of the "shore introduction system", Zhu Mingzhong, who knew the drawbacks of it, waited until he finished speaking, and then said.

"So Shisuke, have you ever thought that the most fundamental reason for the loss of salt classes at present is the "shore introduction system" with the "monopoly system" as the core! ”

Is the salt class flow because of the shore diversion system?

Zheng Xia looked at Jing Luo puzzled, although he knew that the monopoly merchants often "sold smuggled salt", but he never thought that the "shore introduction system" was the root cause of the loss of salt tax.

"Please also make it clear."

"Well, this salt merchant "official selling smuggled salt" is a well-known thing, and I think Shisuke also knows something about it. ”

Looking at Zheng Xiaru with a smile, Zhu Mingzhong naturally knew the so-called "salt merchants", and how many people did not sell smuggled salt? Tax evasion is in the nature of businessmen.

"But this by the introduction of the shore business, it is precisely the root cause of the loss of the salt class, taking the Chongzhen Dynasty as an example, although the salt class has been repeatedly added, the salt class has been raised to 2.2 million taels, but because the introduction of the business is generally serious, so that the actual collection is only more than one million taels, to 16 years, the actual payment of the introduction of the business is only equivalent to only 20% of the amount, the introduction of the shore business for a private corruption of the salt class, is not it the disadvantage of the introduction of the shore business?"

"By strategy, at that time, most of the merchants who led the shore were Jin merchants, and they colluded with the so-called "imperial merchants" of the Qing Dynasty, and their hearts could be punished ......."

Seeing that Zheng Xiaru directly pushed everything to the Jin salt merchant, Zhu Mingzhong sneered.

"At that time, the Jin salt merchants did occupy five or six of the world, but how much did the Shaanxi salt merchants and Jiangnan salt merchants pay? What is the biggest drawback of the business introduction system? Not only did most of the salt profits go to the monopoly, but more importantly, after the monopoly made a lot of profits, they would collude with the government to sell illegal salt, evade taxes, and sometimes use the excuse of arrears. ”

Although the entire Chongzhen Dynasty salt class continues to be levied, the actual levy is getting less and less! This had little to do with the so-called "Donglin Party", and the most fundamental reason was that the Jin salt merchants who controlled the salt business at that time boycotted, and they colluded with local officials to default on the salt tax under various pretexts. And the court has no way to deal with them at all, unless they directly use a knife to raid their homes. But in the Ming generation, the most taboo thing is to use a knife against the people, even if it is a rogue, the court also regards it as a people.

"Isn't it a blessing for the country to monopolize the merchants who lead to the shore?"

With a sneer, Zhu Mingzhong stared at Zheng Xiaru, whose face had turned pale, and said.

"Shisuke, you say, is this a blessing for the country?"

"Self and nature are not the blessings of the country!"

Zheng Xiaru said affirmatively, but when he said this, he asked again.

"But, if you can't attract business, then, how to levy the salt tax?"

In the face of such a problem, Zhu Mingzhong only smiled, even a salt merchant like Zheng Xiaru did not see the disastrous consequences of the "shore leading merchants" to destroy the salt class to artificially create a monopoly, unless they can be like the Manchu Qing Dynasty, they can raise the handle of the knife in their hands at every turn, and use the handle of the knife to tame the salt merchants, tame the salt merchants into slaves, and tame them into fat sheep that can be slaughtered at any time, otherwise, this "shore guide business" will definitely completely destroy the salt class.

"Easy!"

Faced with Zheng Xiaru's question, Zhu Mingzhong said directly.

"Expropriated on the spot and sold freely."