Now seeing that there were salt farm owners, salt merchants, and smugglers at the same time in the venue, not to mention these people, even the officials next to them also felt that the atmosphere was extremely tense, and some even clenched the board in their hands, and rushed over and beat them up at the slightest mistake. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Everyone looked at each other with contempt for each other, and if it weren't for the yamen, some people might have rushed over and scuffled together, and at this moment a government official shouted loudly: "Your Excellency has arrived, please keep quiet."

Hearing this, these people hurriedly tidied up their clothes, and hugged their fists to say hello after seeing Yang Xuan walking by (the Ming Dynasty is different from the Qing Dynasty, everyone has quite a personality).

Yang Xuan turned around, looked at everyone and said with a smile: "Everyone, please sit down, you may also know that my mantra is that taxes should be taken from the people and from the people, and as a magistrate, you should fight for the welfare of the people."

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been reading the history books for the past two days, and I feel very confused about one thing, and now I would like to ask you for advice.

History of the Song Dynasty? The Currency Chronicle said that the price of each piece of salt in the Song Dynasty was 6 guan, that is, each quotation was equivalent to a tax of 6 taels of silver, that is, 30 copper coins were to be paid as a tax for each catty of salt in the Northern Song Dynasty.

I Daming divided the country into 10 outlines, each class of salt for 200,000 leads, each salt weight for 300 catties.

In the forty-fifth year of Wanli, it was changed to the Gang Salt Law, and the government no longer intervened in salt affairs, only collecting taxes, and only needed to pay 2 taels of silver for a salt introduction, and 10 copper coins per catty of salt, which was far lower than the level of the Song Dynasty.

Let's talk about it, should my Ming official salt be sold lower than that of the Great Song Dynasty? ”

Everyone was stunned, everyone didn't study the ancient books, but since Yang Xuan said this, everyone nodded and said: "My lord, my Emperor Ming is sympathetic to our businessmen and adopts a policy of light punishment and thin endowment, my lord, my Ming Dynasty implements benevolent government." ”

Yang Xuanle smiled and said: Really? Since the imperial court treats us businessmen so well, we businessmen should also be kind to ordinary villagers.

In the History of the Song Dynasty? The Currency Chronicle clearly states that the market price of a pound of salt is only 50 copper coins.

On the other hand, we are in the Ming Dynasty, and the government only receives 2 taels of silver per citation, and each catty of salt is only 10 copper coins.

The retail price of the official salt market is 2 or 3 yuan a catty in some places, and the private salt is also bought for 60 copper coins. ”

Everyone was shocked, and heard that salt trading has been liberalized in Shunqing counties, and as long as a certain deposit is given, as long as normal taxes are paid, salt can be bought and sold freely.

With a slight change, the price of salt on the market has been reduced from 300 copper coins a pound to 100 copper coins, and now Yang Xuan has summoned everyone over, do you still want to crack down on the lawlessness during the period?

Several salt mine bosses glanced at each other and explained: "My lord, every small salt (about 200 catties) from our salt mine is only 4 taels of silver, and the cost of each catty of salt is only 20 copper coins.

My lord, the conscience of heaven and earth, we are just supporting our families, and we don't make any money?

Some salt merchants were the first to react and opened up salt sales channels in Shunqing Province, and it seems that adults already know the way.

Now that everyone is gathered to discuss the matter, is it to openly punish the lawlessness?

After thinking about it, some people stood up and publicly shouted: "My lord, you don't know that I have a Ming officialdom, it costs money to buy salt, and when you sell salt, you have to bribe the salt envoys and local officials."

All the way down, a lead to salt, how to stop these 2 taels of silver, even if it is 5, 6 taels of silver, it is more than ah, so paralyzed, get more than 30 copper coins per lead of salt.

To buy salt from the stove household, the government stipulates that one load of rice is exchanged for one salt lead, but it is always necessary to pay some salt farm officials, so that a small amount of official salt needs to cost 1 tael of silver.

The government set up cards along the way to investigate and deal with salt smuggling, and each checkpoint collected a customs fee, and each checkpoint charged a little, plus bribing officials and bribing officials, so that 50 copper coins per catty of salt were more than that.

In the end, we went to the local area to sell, although it was sold for 100 copper coins a catty, but how much risk did our salt merchants have to take, and there were too many expenses, and the profits were meager."

Yang Xuan smiled, looked at the smuggler and said, "He is in charge, tell me, how can you smuggle salt and buy 60 copper coins?" ”

In ancient times, salt smuggling, like drug trafficking today, was punishable by beheading.

Pointing out in public that He Qidao and others are big leaders in smuggling salt is just like now high-ranking officials at the provincial and ministerial level pointing out to their faces that person is a local underworld leader and a big drug lord.

He was so frightened that he fell down from his chair and kowtowed repeatedly, bluntly saying that he deserved to die for his sins, hoping to forgive his sins.

Although his face was solemn, his words were not murderous, he stared at He Qidao who knelt down, and looked at the several big salt lords around him who were so nervous that they wiped the beads of sweat off their faces and said: "This official knows that you are not only guilty, but it is not a pity to die a thousand times."

The official wants to know, you are engaged in the business of smuggling salt with your head, how can you buy 60 copper coins a pound of illegal salt in some places? ”

How can this kind of smuggling salt smuggling big salt lord, there are hundreds of people under him on weekdays, far more than comparable to others, at least he will not be killed when he listens to the words, he breathed a long sigh of relief, wiped the beads of sweat from his cheeks and said: "Adult, the small one is guilty, the small one is guilty."

Just because the official salt is sold high, ordinary people can't afford to eat it at all, and some meals add very little, not only does it not taste good, but adults know that if people don't eat salt, they don't have the strength to do things at all.

But you don't know, my lord, our line of work is hard, because there is no salt, the government will be found to be severely punished, the big mine owners are unwilling to sell to us, in order to buy private salt from the stove household, a small introduction needs at least 2 taels of silver, much higher than the official salt purchase price.

On the way, we were afraid of being checked, so we had to take out some silver, so it would cost about 5 yuan of silver for each salt drawn.

We hire a strong laborer to transport it to the sales place, and give 1 yuan of silver a day, and the adults heard that you are also from a bitter cold, so the people flock to such a high wage rate, so even if you go to those more remote places in Bazhou and Dazhou, it will cost up to 5 yuan of silver for each salt introduction.

Then invite the banker, to avoid others do not come to grab the land, so calculated, hire people to carry the burden in the local sales, so before and after the calculation, each salt to use up the cost of 6 taels of silver, each lead to about 6 taels of silver.

Adults, the little ones who used to be poor in the past, and were forced to embark on the road of smuggling salt dealers, the adults and the villains are willing to donate half of the family wealth, as long as the adults can forgive us and other sins, the small ones must pay the salt tax on time, and the small ones must be honest people. ”

Yang Xuan smiled and said: "What a way, although you have not paid taxes, according to what you just said, the purchase price is 2 taels more silver, deducting miscellaneous things, and you can earn a high profit of 6 taels of silver per quote."

If it is stipulated that when the stove household sells salt, the salt merchant needs 2 taels of silver for each salt in addition to buying salt.

Through the official checkpoint, 3 yuan of silver is levied for each quotation of the county, and 5 yuan of silver is levied for the government

In the local sales, the business tax of 5 yuan of silver is levied for each citation, and the tax of 1 tael and 5 yuan is calculated before and after, so that you can sell salt innocently, and can you sell it to ordinary people no more than 60 copper coins per catty? ”

Qian Bangqi was shocked, in all dynasties, salt and iron is the key control of the government, although the Ming Dynasty opened up the private iron business, but the salt control is quite strict.

It seems that the adults are ready to forgive these smugglers, and if they are sued by the official to Banzai, the result can be imagined.

And He Qidao and other smuggling salt dealers were overjoyed when they heard this, and the smuggling of smuggled salt was like smuggling drugs in the previous life, doing things with their heads in their hands, and they were in a different place if they were not careful.

Besides, in the past, the smuggling of salt was sold at a higher price than official salt, and a small lead was enough to have 2 taels of silver. In the middle, bribing officials to spend 5 yuan, selling in the local area, and beating up local officials and local scoundrels will also cost 2 taels of silver, plus the cost of transportation and sales, each small lead is more than 6 taels.

Now it is different, the tax paid is not as high as the cost of the high-priced salt purchased in the past and the cost of the larger officials, so the cost is lower, how can the current price of private salt not be guaranteed?

I was overjoyed in my heart, and I kowtowed again and again: My lord, if you only pay this tax, the salt sold to the villagers will definitely not exceed 60 copper coins, no, 50 Wen, 40 Wen is not a problem.

My lord, you also know that we are smuggling salt to make a living on the sword, and in fact we are miserable people, if all the officials in the world are like adults, it is really a blessing for the country and the people.

Half a year ago, I waited for Shunqing Mansion and collected taxes according to the principle of three classes and nine rules, and the tax expenditure of ordinary merchants did not increase at all.

Although those large families have paid a business tax of 15 and a net income of more than 300 taels of silver, they have paid a 10% income tax, but now that the government officials are in order, they dare not extort at all, as long as everyone can be safe, what is this business endowment?

Except for us smugglers, all of us here are wealthy families, let's talk about it, which one bribed officials no more than this number?

Just like the old men just said, the imperial court regulated that each salt road led to only 2 taels of silver, but in the end they all spent 5 or 6 taels of silver, most of which fell into the hands of corrupt officials and corrupt officials, and the court got only a small pitiful 2 taels of silver. ”

Yang Xuan looked at everyone with a smile, looking quite happy, and personally stepped forward to help He Qidao up, and said: "I have always said that taxes should be taken from the people and from the people, and even a penny of copper money should be bribed to officials.

The copper coins that should be handed over to the government cannot be less, and the salt reform is imperative, just like Mr. He and everyone just said, less than 2 taels entered the government, and the vast majority of them went into the pockets of corrupt officials. “

Everyone nodded yes when they heard it, and after that, Yang Xuan announced the salt production and retail filing system and the salt distribution franchise system.

All stove households or zero sales of the implementation of the record system, only need to pay 1 tael of silver to the company to obtain production and retail qualifications, in the production and sales link needs to record the production and retail quantity, if found fraud, or involved in the smuggling of salt, then disqualified, especially serious and even punished.

Net sales of salt to implement the franchise qualification, in the qualification examination can obtain the county, the government of the franchise qualification, the business qualification is generally in the period of 3-10 years, during the business period if there is a violation, the penalty is fined, the circumstances are serious suspension or cancellation of business qualifications, violation of law and discipline, or participate in smuggling, punished by criminal punishment, or even sentenced to death.

As long as a serious businessman, as long as he pays a deposit of 100 taels of silver to the county government, he can obtain the salt sales qualification of a certain county after the yamen has passed the examination, and he can obtain the salt wholesaler business license by paying 200 taels of silver to the government office.

All merchants who have obtained the salt distribution qualification can purchase salt from the Salt and Iron Division at the rate of 3 taels of silver per small quotation in accordance with the requirements of the salt endowment, and then purchase salt from the salt producer (Zaojun) and sell salt to the place where the business qualification has been obtained.

After that, if anyone dares to smuggle salt, the deposit will be confiscated, and even the license to distribute salt will be revoked, and if the circumstances are serious, it is possible to be imprisoned and killed. ”

Everyone was overjoyed, and those salt lords reacted at first, and everyone knelt down first, shouting benevolence one after another.

In order to explain to everyone their salt policy reform, people took out a whiteboard and wrote on it with ink and carbon to explain the important tasks of salt policy reform.

In addition to paying the salt tax as mentioned above, it is also an improvement of the salt introduction system in the past.

After obtaining the qualification to sell salt, every 50 small yamen will be issued a booklet, and every time you go to the mine to purchase, you must register on it, and list the direction of the sale of the batch of salt, and stamp the relevant customs seal when passing through the checkpoint.

When the 50 references are completed, the booklet should be handed over to the Salt Division for reference.

If the booklet is lost, if the salt purchase is not registered as required, and the salt sales details are not clear, a fine of more than 20 taels of silver will be directly deducted, and the deposit will be ordered.

Those who are found to have sold salt without purchasing salt in accordance with the requirements will be punished by 5 times 10 times the illegal profits, and shall not be engaged in salt-related mining and sales in the next 5 years, and if the cleaning is serious, the corresponding sentence or beheading will be given.

After watching Yang Xuan's explanation, after asking people to write out the "Measures for the Comprehensive Treatment of Salt", He Qidao and others nodded again and again: "My lord, the punishment in this way is too light, there is no problem, there is no problem."

My lord, I want to become a salt merchant in the four prefectures of Shunqing, Baoning, Tongchuan, and Kuizhou, so how much security money do I need, 800 taels of silver, or how much? ”

Zhu Dingguan, a salt merchant next to him, looked at it, how could he let this smuggler take the lead, and said again and again: "What your lord has done is really beneficial to the country and the people, so the government has more taxes and silver, and can levy rogues and Tartars."

In the past, due to the corruption of the imperial court and the rampant corruption of corrupt officials, we were helpless, the price of salt was two or three hundred wen a catty, and many ordinary people ate salt that was saved.

He Qidao was a salt lord in the past, although the adults do not pursue it now, but how can such a person obtain so many local franchise qualifications?

My lord clarified the rule of officials, although we have received salt from the imperial court in the past, but the local customs are very high, and the officials are also extorted, we are really annoyed. ”

In ancient times, the power of the government was very large, and there was a prefect who copied the house, and the prefect who destroyed the door said, and now when I heard what the officials said, other salt merchants stood up one after another and praised the new policy of salt endowment.

But some other salt merchants are also implicitly dissatisfied, these nasty salt barons actually want to sit on an equal footing with everyone, which is tolerable or unbearable.