The pros and cons have been clearly stated in the imperial palace newspapers and newspapers, and the salt merchants are also well aware of them.

Previously, when the Jingshi went to lobby, the emperor expressed his firm determination to reform through his courtiers, and asked the salt merchants to take into account the overall situation and make compromises for the country and the people.

At that time, it was not too harsh, and it was also to give salt merchants a buffer time, or to find another business, or to lay out a network for salt sales.

I knew that there would be such a day, and the salt merchant had also made some preparations, and today he was just trying to get lucky.

But in the middle of the summer, there is no room for change, how can the policy of the imperial court allow you to bargain? The implementation to the letter also dispelled the last bit of illusion of the salt merchants.

Not to mention the salt merchants, even if there are tens of thousands of clans, the emperor is still not polite.

If you dare to make trouble such as a boycott, who has an iron head, who doesn't care about your wealth, the court can't wait to raid your house and exile, how can you get used to it?

Not to mention the salt merchants, look at the gentry, many of whom were once high-ranking officials of the imperial court, and did not obediently follow the policy.

What a great Confucian, what a celebrity, if he violates the law, he will still be exiled, it is not miserable and miserable, and he will lose face.

Weighing his own weight, no salt merchant dared to speak up.

Continue to engage in the salt industry, and earn a little less. However, with abundant funds and the low cost of bulk transportation, large salt merchants still have a great advantage over small traders.

What's more, we all know that in the middle of the summer, he was the emperor from the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and in a few years, he was promoted from seven to four grades, and he was in charge of salt administration. How can such a person be moved by money and destroy his future?

The reform of the salt administration in the north can be seen in the middle of the summer, and the emperor gave full support, which is where the confidence of people sitting here and daring to make no excuses lies.

Lin Xingzhao is the head of the salt merchants, although the salt merchants are not approved by the imperial court, but it is just a name, and it is not difficult to change it.

Seeing everyone's eyes shifting over, Lin Xingzhao smiled bitterly, bowed down and said, "What the adults said is extremely true." As long as the policies that benefit the country and the people are beneficial, how can we salt merchants be greedy and selfish, and we will fully support and implement them. ”

After a pause, Lin Xingzhao added: "Long live the three orders and five repetitions, you must love money and take it in the right way, don't forget your righteousness for profit, we will keep it in mind, dare not or forget." ”

Xia Zhongshi nodded, a smile appeared on his face, and his tone softened a lot, and he said: "This official also believes that you are all righteous businessmen, as long as you abide by the law, the court will also treat everyone equally. ”

As he spoke, he motioned to the scribe to distribute the documents, and said slowly: "This is the price of salt from the salt factory, and it will be implemented from today. ”

There was no room for negotiation and there was no possibility of changing the document. The choice for salt merchants to continue to work is to be a large wholesaler and enjoy lower preferential prices.

The salt merchants got the documents and carefully read the grading price, but they could only accept it helplessly.

Xia Zhongshi just emphasized two points, one is to abide by the law, and the other is to treat everyone equally.

Law-abiding is the most basic, and if you break the law and commit crimes, you will be exiled from your home and do a fart business. Equal treatment said that after the smooth implementation of the salt reform, the salt merchants, like other merchants, were no longer suppressed by the imperial court.

You see, the General Association of Maritime Merchants, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and the later Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce and the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce have all been taken care of and given preferential treatment after helping the imperial court.

Looking at the salt merchants, the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce has even been picked and picked around, and it is not allowed to carry the word salt, which also reveals the meaning of the imperial court under the strictness.

No matter how rich you are, even if you are rich, it will be difficult to compete with the government. In this regard, the maritime businessmen, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and the Yangtze River Chamber of Commerce can see clearly and clearly.

Moreover, the emperor also seems to have abandoned the method commonly used by the feudal dynasty. Even at the critical time of Pingliao and suppressing the rebellion, he would rather take out gold and silver and raise money in every possible way, rather than ask Shang Jia to donate money.

This is the principle of the emperor, and it is the ability of the emperor. Can a huge country ask for money from merchants like beggars?

Take the money hand short, which may not apply to the royal. It's what if you turn your face in the future, the emperor doesn't say anything, he can do whatever he wants.

But the emperor just didn't do this, and kept the majesty of the court and his own face.

Then, after the suppression of the Liao rebellion, the two strong armies of the north and south were trained, the prestige and authority of the emperor also reached its peak, and various reform policies were launched, and no one dared to promote it.

Don't underestimate authority, you can't see it or touch it, but it exists in people's hearts.

In the initial process of promoting the good and eliminating the bad, violent means can play a role. However, when it comes to deepening and promoting reform, the people's support will play a great role.

In particular, when the common people feel the benefits brought about by the reform, they will not resist, oppose, or treat them negatively.

Therefore, the starting point of the emperor's reform measures is very clear, so that the common people can get benefits, and let the common people raise their hands in favor.

This is true for clearing up the tun and filling the arrears, and the same is true for the salt administration reform.

The interests of the common people have not been harmed, but on the contrary, taxes have been reduced, and they have eaten cheap salt, can they not be happy, can they not praise good governance?

As for salt merchants and the like, at most, they complain in their hearts, but they can't set off the wind and waves, so there's nothing to fear.

When it comes to organizing strikes and strikes, putting pressure on the imperial court. There were also cases, but they were not committed by salt merchants, but when they attacked the gentry and students with bad deeds.

If you want to spread rumors and make trouble and deceive the people, the gentry and students are the most qualified and capable.

As a result, under the strict orders of the imperial court, the local government did not dare to compromise at all, and the Zhenfu Division and Dongchang provided information, and the army dispatched to arrest people and raid their homes, suppressing them with thunder.

The more fierce the trouble, the more ruthless the arrest, the more beheaded, the house and exile, and a few early birds, the world will be peaceful, and no one will dare to scream and move around.

It doesn't matter if something happens, it can be proved from a certain aspect that the magistrate is in charge, and the interests of the gentry and the students are touched. If something happens, you can calm it, that's called ability.

Like Liu Lishun, although it was Jinyiwei who took action and helped him dispose of the inferior gentry. But because he was uncompromising in the face of these local snakes, he was promoted soon after, and now he is the political envoy of Zuobu.

There were several officials who had similar experiences with Liu Lishun, some were promoted, some were deposed, and the tendency of the imperial court was obvious, and the officials below naturally understood the spirit and completely stopped the momentum of the gentry.

There are lessons from the past, how dare the salt merchants make a mistake, and they have to admit it by pinching their noses. Moreover, they are afraid that someone will take advantage of this to make trouble and let them take the blame!

In the middle of the summer, the salt merchants compromised and said that the hard bone of the two Huai salt politics was gnawed down. This was not unexpected, but it was finally relieved.

The emperor is kind to him, how dare he not serve him wholeheartedly?

The king regards his ministers as his siblings, and his ministers regard him as his heart. The reason is as simple as that, but how many monarchs in the past dynasties can do it?