"Today's financial embarrassment of the country, I am also an auxiliary minister, and of course I understand it as clearly as the two cabinet elders. However, it is not me who pushes the committee, but I really want to expect those officials at the top and bottom of the salt administration to work hard. ”

Liu Jun took a sip of the teacup and continued, "I've been thinking about it these days, and now the imperial court finances can count on it, and this salt tax is a big one, and it is extremely important. In order to replenish the treasury with a salt tax from it, I thought that the only way to do extraordinary things was to do extraordinary things in extraordinary times. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what I have come up with after a lot of thought these days. If the two elders and His Majesty can agree, it will be able to solve the urgent need at the moment. ”

Liu Jun took out a fold from his sleeve and handed it to the emperor.

Zhu Cihong took it with some hesitation, he knew too little about the affairs of the court. Then he opened it and took a rough look, but he couldn't help but clap his hands, "Brother Huang, is there really such a thing?" ”

"Your Majesty, it's true."

Zhu Cihong was overjoyed and transferred the excerpt to Wu Fu, "Look at the two pavilion elders, the county king has found a good way." ”

Wu Fu and Liu Zongzhou circulated to each other and read it quickly. Both of them had puzzled looks on their faces, a little skeptical. What is written on the excerpt is that it is seen that the upper and lower officials in the salt industry are corrupt and smuggling is serious, and a new method of rectifying the salt affairs is proposed. The solution is very simple, open another stall.

To put it more simply, it is tax included. It was not contracted to a certain official, but directly to the merchant of the salt service. Specifically, a large group of business people who are in partnership.

Now many businessmen have united and expressed their willingness to contract the salt business. From salt production to salt transportation to salt sales, they have it all. The conditions they offered did make Wu Fu a little tempted, paying 12 million salt taxes every year, and in addition, they paid silver to the salt cooks who made salt to buy salt, and they also bore the expenses incurred in other links.

"In this way, in the future, the imperial court will not have to take care of anything in terms of salt affairs, and it will not cost a penny, and it will be able to collect 12 million salt taxes?"

"That's right. The imperial court collected 12 million yuan of salt tax on the net account, and it was also able to save the expenses of officials and other officials in the salt business. ”

"How can you be sure of the words of a merchant?"

Liu Jun said with a smile, "They will hand over three million silver dollars as a security deposit first." Then another 750,000 yuan was paid every month, and by the end of the year, 12 million had been paid. The costs of producing, transporting, and selling salt are all paid by themselves. ”

Liu Zongzhou was a little skeptical, there was still such a businessman? At present, the tax drawn by the imperial court from salt is only about 2 million yuan a year, which is a difference of 10 million yuan.

"There is no one in the world who does not eat salt, and salt involves the livelihood of the people in the world. The king of the county, if these merchants get this salt contract right, then they will lower the purchase price of salt and raise the selling price, which can have a great impact. ”

"Liu Ge Lao is worried about the problem, but I have already thought of a solution in this regard, we set a minimum purchase price for salt, and limit the salt that salt merchants can purchase from salt farmers after contracting salt business. It cannot be lower than this minimum price to protect the people of the stove who make salt. At the same time, we also set a maximum selling price for table salt, which stipulates that contractors cannot exceed this price for salt. ”

"Are they willing to agree to this?" Liu Zongzhou felt that something was wrong. The contract price is 10 million yuan higher. Now there are such restrictions, so what do they rely on to make money, or rather, why are they willing to agree to such harsh conditions.

"I've had preliminary talks with them. They are willing to accept such conditions in their entirety and to include all of them in the contract. Once they default, the three million bond is forfeited. Cancellation of contracting qualifications. Liu Jun turned his head and explained to the emperor, "Your Majesty, the reason why the imperial court only collects two million salt taxes a year is because of corruption, collusion between officials and businessmen, and the flood of private salt, which makes the imperial court unable to collect salt taxes. In fact, even if they pay 12 million in taxes a year for contracting salt, they can still make at least 3 million or more profits. The profit of three million yuan a year, although it costs a lot of money to be advanced, is also a very cost-effective deal. ”

"Twelve million, that's a lot different from the original plan of 20 million." Wu Fu frowned. He was actually tempted in his heart, but he felt that Liu Jun's so-called contractor must be Liu Jun himself. Now who doesn't know that the richest person in the Ming Dynasty is Liu Jun, Sihai Bank, Jiangnan Qianzhuang, East India Company, Southeast Manufacturing Bureau, Yingcheng Salt Farm, etc., which is not Liu Jun's industry or the industry he participates in.

Although on the surface, these industries are all under the names of other people, but the facts, no one knows.

"Twelve million is not a lot, and twenty million is just an estimate, and it may not be received. And even if the 20 million can achieve the expected goal, the cost has to be deducted in the middle, not to mention, from top to bottom, there will definitely be a lot of fire consumption, drifting and the like. And this 12 million is a proper net income, and as long as you agree, 3 million will be recorded in the account at once. ”

Wu Fu smiled, and became more and more sure that Liu Jun was the person behind the salt contractor.

"Contracting salt is not so simple, the current salt of the imperial court is a gang salt system, there is a nest of salt, and the nest list in the hands of the salt merchants is held permanently, and it can also be hereditary. In addition, over the years, the imperial court has overissued a lot of salt leads, and many salt merchants have a lot of salt in their hands and have not been able to exchange for salt, and now they contract salt affairs to a certain group of merchants, so how can the court explain to these people? ”

Liu Jun also smiled, the salt merchants of the Ming Dynasty have made a lot of money over the years, and the biggest reason is the salt system of the Ming Dynasty. They occupy the monopoly of salt, and they have a monopoly or hereditary, each occupies a sales area, first monopolizes the market, and then colludes with officials and businessmen, through all kinds of fraudulent means, and finally traps the court and the people, and makes a lot of money for themselves.

And now Liu Jun's contractor plan is actually the same kind of salt system, but what is even more powerful is that there were many contractors in the past, but now Liu Jun wants to contract the whole thing, completely monopolizing the entire market.

But Liu Jun's plan is still attractive, because Liu Jun wants to get rid of the local officials and those people in the salt administration system, not play with them, and share part of the profits directly to the imperial court, and then run the entire salt business himself, monopolize the entire salt monopoly market, have a greater appetite, and the conditions are higher.

"Ge Lao, the Ming Dynasty consumes at least more than six million catties of salt every year, which is about two billion catties of salt. The salt tax of the imperial court is two cents and two silver per catty of salt, and if two billion catties of salt are taxed, how much is it? Nearly 40 million taels of silver, which is converted to 80 million silver dollars. But in fact, the annual salt tax of the imperial court was less than two million yuan. These salt merchants are completely a swarm of bloodsuckers, who have sucked too much blood from the imperial court, and they are rich in oil. Could it be that the imperial court still wants to maintain their interests, so that they can continue to suck the blood of the Ming Dynasty? ”

Although the salt tax of 40 million taels is a bit exaggerated, it still makes Wu Fu and others unable to refute it.

The salt tax of two million yuan a year is indeed unbearable.

"If they can also pay 12 million a year in salt tax, then this contract can be given to them. But will these people? No, then what are you being polite to them? The court can not hold them accountable for the money they used to dirty, but if they are still not satisfied and accept it, then whoever dares to stretch out his hand and jump will cut off his hand and break his leg. ”

Wu Fu picked up the teacup and blew the tea foam on it.

"County King, I have a proposal. If 20 million taxes are paid a year, then the salt business, as well as the Four Seas Bank, Jiangnan Qianzhuang, the Southeast Manufacturing Bureau, the East India Company, the Yingcheng Salt Factory, and the Times, do not need to pay additional taxes. ”

Liu Jun smiled, Wu Fu This can be regarded as a showdown. Not to mention the huge market share of the East India Company in maritime trade, as well as the huge market share of the Four Seas Bank in the coinage and printing of money and the exchange of deposits and loans, the Southeast Manufacturing Bureau alone, the giant of the arms manufacturing industry, can earn countless silver dollars a year.

Wu Fu is now simply picking out with Liu Jun that these industries controlled by Liu Jun will not engage in any verification and accounting, and will directly include taxes. 20 million yuan a year, no matter how much you earn, it doesn't count the tax rate, anyway, the imperial court only collects 20 million taxes a year.

Twenty million is a big number, a big number. But Liu Jun doesn't need to calculate, he knows that if he pays taxes normally, the tax of these industries in a year will definitely be more than this number, provided that Liu Jun is willing to pay taxes truthfully.

"Does Elder Liu Ge also agree?" Liu Jun turned his head and asked Liu Zongzhou.

Liu Zongzhou also knew what was going on, he only groaned, and then nodded, "Twenty million tax included, it's okay." Eight million by the end of January, and then one million per month. ”

"It's a deal." Liu Jun agreed, the tax of 20 million a year is very high, but it is still relatively favorable for the annual profits earned by these industries. And for Liu Jun, anyway, these taxes finally went to the account of the imperial court, and the imperial court's was not his.

Wu Fu was a little surprised to see that Liu Jun agreed so happily. I regretted slightly that the number was less, but it was not good to change my words at this time, so I made a move and added a condition.

"The 20 million tax should be directly paid to the Taicang treasury of the Ministry of Households, and it must be a silver dollar, not a silver dollar coupon."

In other words, the money can no longer be changed from Liu Jun's left hand to his right hand as before, and in the end it is still in Liu Jun's hands, and if you want some money, you have to sign and approve it from him.

"Yes." Liu Jun agreed.

Liu Zongzhou also put forward a condition at this time, "In the future, the 20 million tax and every money spent must be approved by the household department, and then the three of us agree to sign, and no less than one signature can withdraw the money." Only after all three agree and sign can the money be pulled out of Taicang. ”

"No problem." Liu Jun still happily agreed. (To be continued.) )

PS: Thank you 38849751, the past with the wind for your support, thank you!