- The Song Dynasty had a 60% economy in the world, far more than any empire in later generations, and naturally learned to use economic means to attack enemy countries, especially those that were highly dependent on the Song Dynasty, such as the Western Xia.

In the trade between the two countries, the commodities provided by the Western Xia mainly included green salt, various livestock and their fur products, and various medicinal materials. The goods provided by the Song Dynasty were grain, cloth, tea, copper and iron, wood, incense, spices, silk, etc., etc., and basically the Western Xia wanted everything, because they lacked everything, except salt and livestock.

This made the trade between the two sides extremely unequal, once the Song Dynasty people cut off trade, the party members had no tea to drink, clothes could not be bought, food was expensive, and even the iron pot for cooking could not be bought, so they could only return to the nomadic life of Ru Mao drinking blood.

However, the Tangut people did not sell things from the Song Dynasty, which had little impact on the Song Dynasty because it did not have the goods that the Song Dynasty had to buy.

Therefore, theoretically, as long as the Song Dynasty banned bilateral trade, the Tangut people would be in chaos and have little influence on themselves.

Therefore, as long as the Western Xia misbehaved, the Song Dynasty would use the big stick of sanctions to teach them a lesson, and the effect was often good. But it's just good, and it can't reach the level of suffocating the Tangut people. Few people investigate the reason, but Sima Guang is a diligent thinker, and he has an accurate understanding of this.

"The main reason is that the private salt trade cannot be banned." He said to Chen Ke: "And green salt is the main source of income for the Xixia people. ”

"Why can't it be banned?" Chen Ke asked.

"It's our own fault." Sima Guang said in a low voice: "Shaanxi Fourth Route military and civilian salt, mainly eat the salt produced in Jiezhou, which is monopolized by the patent of the Salt Division, and the price can be said to be ...... Ten ten. But on the other hand, the green salt of Western Xia not only tastes much better than the salt solution, but also costs only half of it...... This is still the selling price in Da Song. It is said that after the closure of the market, the salt merchants of the Xia Kingdom had no legal sales channels, and only sold them to the smuggled salt dealers of the Great Song Dynasty at one-tenth of the original price. You do the math. How much is the stake? ”

"Dozens of times." Chen Ke said softly.

"Dozens of times the profit, even if half of it is taken out to open up the joints, and half is seized, it can still make people rich overnight." Sima Guang said: "So although the border ban is very strict, there is still a steady stream of green salt pouring into the Great Song Dynasty. The people in the northwest are fierce, not as afraid of officials as the Bianliang people. The common people will not put cheaper, good-quality green salt and do not buy it, and sell the anti-salt monopolized by the government. As a result, the Tangut people still made a lot of profits. And at the time of trading. They don't want money, just tea, ironware, cloth, and other livelihood goods, so although life is a little tighter. But you can always get by. ”

Chen Ke sincerely admired Sima Guang's insight. It was because he got the guidance of Li Quan, the former Northwest Dajia, that he understood the doorway. I'm going to show off with Sima Guang, who knows everyone knows......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What if we completely cut off the benefits of green salt?" Chen Ke smiled slightly.

"Then Xixia is finished." Sima Guang said categorically: "All of its domestic financial resources rely on the sweet and cheap green salt. If the salt production is infinite and the financial resources are inexhaustible, the country will not be exhausted. Cutting off this financial road is equivalent to cutting off their income, and it's no wonder that their country is not chaotic! ”

"Why do you keep going out of the woods?" Chen Ke asked again.

"Repeated prohibitions," Sima Guang looked at him and said, "I said it because the profits are too high." ”

"If you keep the profit down, you won't get it." Chen Ke said lightly.

"How?"

"Let the price of the salt be reduced." Chen Ke said slowly: "Isn't your green salt cheap?" It's cheaper for me to solve salt, you buy 500 wen, I'll sell 300 wen, let's see who will risk being arrested to buy illicit salt. ”

"Oh......" Sima Guang's eyes widened, he felt some heat on his body, so he put his hands behind his back and paced briskly in the sun: "Let me think about it." Let me think about how it could be so simple, why didn't I think of it before......"

"There are so many things I didn't expect......" Chen Ke rolled his eyes, what is knowledge, knowledge is to pierce the window paper.

In Chen Ke's view, such a simple truth, the wise man of this era. But I didn't think about it for a long time. Because the people of the Song Dynasty lived in a world of salt monopoly from birth. I have long been accustomed to the high price of salt. It's like a tiger that grows up and still fears the whip of its trainer...... Because I've been used to it for a long time, I feel that everything is natural, and I never want to change it.

Therefore, Sima Guang has analyzed that it is ninety out of nine, but he can't kick this door. Is this what is called 'historical limitations'?

Now Chen Ke told him that if you push the door, you can be free, but he can't believe it. I turned around the door with my hands behind my back, but I didn't dare to step out: "Is it feasible to reduce the price of salt?" ”

"Why not?" Chen Ke smiled bitterly: "In the second year of He, Jingdong East Road reduced the people's 'silkworm salt money', isn't it a price reduction?" ”

"That's right......" Sima Guang immediately remembered that because the people along the coast had become a habit of boiling salt, it led to the eight prefectures of Ziwei, Qingqi, Yimi, and Xuhuai on Jingdong East Road, and the military salt was banned and relaxed. As a last resort, the government allowed merchants to sell freely four years ago. Later, the states of Gong and Yun also opened trade one after another, allowing the sale of sea salt in these areas. In fact, this abolished the monopoly system in these regions in which the government monopolized the sale of salt.

Originally, during the period of salt consumption by the government, the people in various places had to pay a certain amount of 'silkworm salt money' to the government every year, and then the government allocated a certain amount of salt to the households. Therefore, silkworm salt money can be regarded as the people's salt money.

Now because of the breaking of the monopoly, the price of salt has plummeted, and the people are unwilling to pay this money again. The government did not want to give up this income, so in the end it could only reduce the levy, which was a license for the people to buy salt. In this way, although the people have to pay a piece of 'silkworm salt money' in addition to the price of salt, because salt is too cheap and can be purchased openly, they still really feel that the price of salt has dropped.

"That's an example." Chen Ke said in a deep voice: "With the precedent of Qingzhou, the salt solution of Shaanxi Fourth Road can naturally reduce the price, and the reason for the price reduction is more sufficient, in order to attack the Western Xia and complete the foreign strategy of the imperial court as soon as possible!" I only heard him say murderously: "Which one who doesn't open his eyes dares to obstruct?!" ”

"In this way...... Sima Guang thought about it, and felt that this matter was feasible, so he said, "You can give it a try." ”

"Absolutely." Chen Ke nodded.

"Just convince the imperial court ......," Sima Guang added, knowing too well how much this inefficient imperial court would delay.

"On the side of the imperial court, now is a golden opportunity." Chen Ke said in a low voice: "Master Bao, the third envoy, understands the righteousness and acts resolutely, and will definitely not hold back!" And I heard that the new judge of the degree branch is Wang Jiefu, who happens to be in charge of this area. ”

"Good, ......" Sima Guang was completely moved. What is it called? This is called 'Heaven will take it, and you will be blamed for it'!

Sima Guang was really moved. Because of his erroneous assertion, it led to the defeat of Qu Yehe, the breakdown of Song-Xia relations, and the two sides are hostile to this day! It was a shame engraved on his face, as if everyone who saw him would whisper: 'Look, this is the man who has stirred up the northwest and is still uneasy.' "Yes, Pang Xianggong's first reputation was ruined by him...... "He was embarrassed to stay in Bianjing, if he had changed me, he would have found a place to hide......

How can you let him sleep peacefully, how can he be happy, how can he not feel guilty, how can he not be ashamed of his thoughts and twilight!

Unexpectedly, the opportunity came so lightly, so casually, so easily...... So much so that he felt unreal.

After talking to himself for a long time, Sima Guang realized that he had lost his temper, smiled apologetically at Chen Ke, and said, "You should report this plan to the Privy Council as soon as possible." ”

"I ......" Chen Ke smiled bitterly: "As long as Han Xianggong is here, it will definitely be yellow." ”

Sima Guang was silent, yes, how could Han Qi let Zhao Zongji's people make a big splash again?

"Then report it to the rich minister."

"Add a taboo 'skip report'." Chen Ke smiled: "What is more yellow can't be more yellow." ”

"Ugh." Sima Guangzhen said anxiously: "Then wait and see?" ”

"How can a major national event wait?" Chen Ke said: "It's just because of personal reasons. ”

"How's that good?"

"It's very simple, you came to report, you originally came up with it." Chen Ke smiled sincerely: "I'm just helping you pierce a layer of window paper." ”

"Never." Sima Guang shook his head and said, "How can I steal Zhong Fang's merits to claim to myself? ”

"Don't do anything, don't ......" Chen Ke waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "In front of national interests, personal gains and losses are as light as a feather, if you care about these small things, I will look down on you." ”

"Zhong Fang ......" The corners of Sima Guang's eyes were a little vaporous.

"I'm also evading responsibility. It's easy to come up with an idea, but if you want to implement it, it must be difficult, and it's a big head when you think about it," Chen Ke smiled: "Now push it to Brother Junshi, I suddenly feel relaxed, and I went out of Gong......" After speaking, he turned around and left.

Looking at his tall figure, Sima Guang's face was extremely complicated, and he bet that there would be no second person in the world who would give away this pouring credit. Chen Ke didn't regret it at all, and he didn't make any requests...... Such a person who is indifferent to fame and fortune, why should he be mixed with Zhao Zongji? Is it for brotherhood, or is there really something worth following for Zhao Zongji?

You have to take a closer look......

After packing up his mind, he found that Zhao Zongji came to his side and said in a low voice: "Sir, it's almost all clear." ”

Sima Guang nodded, and suddenly a thunderclap exploded out of thin air—

Partition -

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