In a field of crops, more than 300 smugglers were completely panicked, and all of them were officials and soldiers in all directions. This is a private salt escort team formed by Tianjin's powerful and wealthy businessmen, and they have no way to break it into pieces, and if they want to continue to do this business, they can only unite and strengthen the force of armed punching cards.

At first, it was very smooth, and they passed a checkpoint, and the officers and soldiers in the checkpoint didn't dare to stop them at all.

Unexpectedly, about half an hour later, suddenly a large group of officers and soldiers surrounded them from the front and back, left and back, and wrapped them in dumplings on the spot.

A group of smugglers were red-eyed on the spot, and the dogs jumped over the wall in a hurry, and they all drew their weapons in an attempt to break through.

Then the shots rang out, and so did the cannons.

In the smoke of gunpowder, these smugglers fell in a pool of blood one by one. What is even more desperate is that the smoke has not yet cleared, and the heavily armed pikemen have already risen. Rows of spears were like ruthless bulldozers, stabbing these stubborn salt dealers to death one by one.

Many of the smugglers were already scared to pee on the spot, trembling and limp on the ground.

Fortunately, the officers and soldiers did not kill them, but captured them alive. These smugglers have been caught, but they are all free labor! All of them can be sent to mining and road repairs, and they don't need too good food, sweet potatoes are the mainstay, and they are full.

During the cleaning of the battlefield, nearly 200 smugglers were killed, and only a few hundred were captured, and the scene was too tragic.

The brutal military crackdown soon eliminated the illicit salt trafficking organized by those powerful and businessmen. These powerful and wealthy businessmen simply could not withstand such a terrible blow.

Their family still has a large amount of private salt that has been lost. This business is simply impossible, and the cost is too high.

At the same time, the river transportation and shipment of illegal salt was also attacked by the officials and the army. The illicit salt could not be transported out by transport, so that no one took over the illicit salt. And by land transport, the target is too big. Soon, the large-scale smuggling of salt in Tianjin was ruthlessly stifled.

There are only a few small gangs left, in groups of three or five, or even acting alone.

Gao Bangzuo, the governor of Tianjin, then raided the production of illegal salt and captured a large number of people who boiled salt without permission. At the same time, notices were posted to publicize the fate of illicit salt trafficking and to encourage whistleblowing.

Illicit salt traffickers. Served as an official slave. If the report is true, a smuggler will be arrested and awarded 20 silver dollars.

Not long after the notice was posted, the Tianjin government received a large number of reports. Then there was another burst of chickens and dogs, and the Beijing camp went out to arrest them.

Soon after. Thousands of smugglers were arrested through whistleblowing.

All of a sudden. The smugglers were terrified.

The price is simply too high, and the profit is simply not enough for them to risk anymore. At this time, after the reform of the official salt of Beizhili, the price per catty was 20 Wen.

At such a price, if you want to make a fortune smuggling smuggled salt, you must have a certain amount. But after a certain amount, the risk is simply too great. If you don't do it, you will be picked up by the officers and soldiers, or even killed.

On the contrary, reporting illegal salt activities has become a behavior with a relatively high rate of return.

Those illicit salt dealers. Maybe even don't be betrayed by insiders. Reporting an accomplice not only takes money, but also exonerates oneself. This allows for private salt activities. It's just impossible to go on. Not only do they have to guard against reports from passers-by, but they also have to guard against the possibility of internal ghosts.

In this crackdown, nearly 3,000 people were arrested, and more than 2,000 smugglers were killed. Under such a tragic blow, Tianjin's illegal salt was almost banned.

Soon the cabinet issued the "Beizhili Salt Act", which completely eliminated salt from Beizhili. The bill stipulates that the salt introduction system is officially out of the salt market in the north of the country. Salt will be mainly run by the government, and the government will transport salt to all prefectures and counties, and private enterprises will be prohibited in cities and towns. In rural markets, private wholesale and retail are allowed

Regardless of whether it is urban or rural, the market price is 20 yuan. The wholesale price of distribution is 18 Wen. The minimum wholesale quantity is 1,000 catties.

This means that if a village can buy 1,000 catties of salt at a time, it can enjoy the wholesale price. In other words, more than a dozen villages can also enjoy such a price if they buy it jointly.

But in the town, the price is 20 Wen.

In the countryside, it is simple, and if someone distributes and retails, it is also priced at 20 Wen. But if not, individual villages can buy salt jointly.

At the same time, the Beizhili Salt Act also stipulates the purity of salt, which must reach 99%, and strictly prohibits the mixing of sediment in the retail process.

The retail price is 20 Wen, and it is illegal to exceed 20 Wen.

Anyone who violates the Salt Act can also report it. There are also rewards for such reports. The sale of official salt was separated from the local government and the Royal Salt Company was solely responsible.

Prior to the introduction of the Salt Act, the sale of salt by the Royal Salt Company had been fully rolled out in various towns and cities in Beizhili.

The official salt under the salt introduction model has officially withdrawn from the urban market and can only survive in the countryside.

Now the salt has been eliminated, and the private salt has also been basically eliminated. The only thing left is the official salt of the Royal Salt Company. Direct sales in urban areas, wholesale sales in rural areas. The difference between the 2 cents in the rural market is for the traders or the peasants, depending on their own operation and has a high degree of autonomy.

The 15 million people of Beizhili are included in the scope of salt tax. After some calculations, the Royal Salt Company came to the conclusion that the annual sales of salt in Beizhili will reach about 6 million yuan. This is obviously a very scary statistic, and this is only a province.

The price of official salt has dropped a lot. The price of 20 Wen can be described as very cheap. Compared with the previous official salt price, it has at least doubled.

It is precisely the decline in prices that has made the illegal salt trafficking lose such high profits. The risk of smuggling has increased dramatically, and once caught, the cost is too high to be committed.

After a crackdown, the effect was immediate.

The smugglers who were arrested were soon assigned by Zhu Youxiao to various mines and construction sites as free laborers.

Today's Beizhili, ordinary workers earn 1.8 yuan per month. These more than 3,000 people can not only create labor value every month, but also save 5,400 yuan in expenditure, which is really a very cost-effective deal.

"In the future, those criminals, in addition to being extremely vicious, will greatly harm society. Don't ask about the others, all of them will be reduced to official slaves and be coolies! Zhu You proofread the factory guard and instructed that according to the previous law, selling illicit salt would be beheaded, and the one caught this time was not cut.

It's too bloody after cutting, and it wastes labor value.

If you keep it as a coolie, you can squeeze out an extra 50,000 or 60,000 yuan in a year. If there are more people, it is even more impressive. In this era when the productive forces are not developed enough, there is always a lot of dirty work, and it is obviously very good to hand it over to these prisoners of re-education through labor.

"Your Majesty, we have interrogated the owners behind these smugglers, some of whom are serving officials, some are nobles, and more are businessmen. Among them, there are many merchants in Tianjin and Tongzhou. Tian Ergeng reported to Zhu Youxiao, and then asked: "Is it possible to arrest all these people?" ”

"Catch it, don't let any of it go." Zhu Youxiao had a large number of troops in his hands, and his waist naturally hardened. At this time, Beizhili is basically a rhythm that he does whatever he wants. If you used to weigh it, now you're afraid of a yarn! Just grab the handle and kill them. (To be continued......)