Chongzhen sandwiched a basket of vegetables and asked slowly, "Does Jiading Bo know where the salt produced by this salt farm comes from?" ”

Zhou Kui replied, "Your Majesty, the salt pans along the coast are all fenced off first, and then specially set up stoves to cook the sea to extract salt. ”

Chongzhen nodded, "That's it." The labor of the stove households was limited, and the output of the salt works was originally a fixed number. But over the past few decades, more and more salt has been distributed by the imperial court. The government is increasingly pressing, and the stove households are unable to meet their needs day and night, so they are unable to meet their needs, and they are fleeing day and day, and the salt production is not increasing but decreasing. ”

"What's more, simply collude up and down to sell illicit salt, squeeze the sales of official salt, and reduce the salt tax of the imperial court!"

Zhou Kui knew that Chongzhen must have something to say, but he didn't dare to echo it.

Chongzhen Zhengse looked at Zhou Kui and said, "Do you know that because of the private salt run, the salt tax on official salt is now only three million taels, less than half of the Yongle period?" ”

"Those border troops who need to exchange salt for food the most now realize that the salt in their hands has become waste paper, and they have become soldiers, and now they are on fire!"

"If I don't send a capable person to patrol the salt again, I'm afraid that my country, together with the country of your grandson Zhu Cihong, will have to be replaced."

Chongzhen's tone was not intense, but what he said had a reprimand.

Zhou Hou on the side restrained his expression, obviously agreeing very much, and Zhou Kui, the national abbot, also broke out in a cold sweat.

Chongzhen thought that he would stop there, but he didn't expect Zhou Kui to say again, "Your Majesty, it is the righteousness of the imperial court to rectify private salt, and the ministers support it." ”

"However, if Your Majesty takes back the salt that was awarded to the royal family and nobles because of this, the minister thinks that this is not wise."

"Believers are the foundation of a nation. If the salt issued by the imperial court can be reassigned to other salt farms at will, or even discarded at the slightest word, then what merchant is willing to buy it? Isn't the salt introduction of this dynasty not even as good as a blank piece of paper? ”

"Father!" Zhou Hou on the side saw that Zhou Kui was still arguing, and she was also angry for a while.

Zhou Kui was indifferent.

What about the daughter's mother's honor in the world? Only these salt introductions rewarded by the emperor at the beginning belong to his son and belong to the Zhou family.

In other words, if he can't fight for some privileges as a relative of his own dynasty, then other veteran relatives and nobles will not take themselves seriously.

Therefore, he must fight, even if he angers Long Yan again, he will also spare some night pearls under the dragon's claws to go back.

Chongzhen was not as angry as Zhou Hou.

Many simulations made Chongzhen realize that at the beginning of reform, it will always attract opposition.

As the reform progresses, the opposition will grow louder, but the forces supporting the reform will not emerge for a long time.

This is why reformers such as Lu Zhen, Wang Anshi, and Zhang Juzheng have repeatedly ended in failure.

Therefore, Chongzhen cannot ignore the salt merchants who oppose the reform, nor can he ignore the intricate imperial relatives behind the salt merchants.

Although they may not be able to threaten the imperial power, they can also secretly do evil, so that the salt policy they really want to implement is abandoned halfway.

What Zhou Kui said is actually not unreasonable.

Because the salt in the hands of these magnates is equivalent to the "salt standard" banknotes printed by the imperial court. In particular, the salt quotation in Zhou Kui's hand can be said to be the banknotes issued by Chongzhen this time.

Now that inflation is inflated, Chongzhen wants to forcibly devalue these banknotes to reduce the loss of the imperial court, but doing so will affect the market's expectations, and instead accelerate the decline in the value of Yanyin.

Not to mention that the nobles who have been damaged by their new policy interests are singing about decay everywhere, which will make businessmen even more afraid to buy official salt.

You must know that in addition to the northwest, there are many places in Daming that also rely on salt to attract wages.

To shake the salt is to shake the country's foundation.

Thinking of this, Chongzhen smiled, "What a believer's foundation for the country." The words of the national ruler are a bit old and seek the country. ”

He frowned again and said, "The imperial court can't lose its trust in the world, and the salt administration can't help but change, which really makes me in a dilemma!" ”

Zhou Kui observed Chongzhen's complexion, and just wanted to persuade Chongzhen to slow down the new policy, but was startled by Chongzhen slapping the table.

"I have an idea."

"The long pain is better than the short pain, rather than sitting back and watching the salt government fall into disuse day by day. It is better to take out the salt production of this whole year to completely compensate for the previous indiscriminate salt introduction. ”

"After the silted salt diversion is completely cleaned up, regulations will be issued again, and no additional issuance will be issued from now on, so as to stabilize the production of the salt field and stabilize the value of the salt introduction."

Zhou Kui praised Shengming, but in his heart, he was secretly calculating.

The salt tax of the Lianghuai Salt Farm is now 3 million a year, and the annual output of official salt is 9 million.

It seems that although there are a lot, after all, there are so many vassal kings, lords, and elders in the Ming Dynasty, and the salt in everyone's hands has already exceeded 10 million.

For example, the Fu King who was rectified by Chongzhen before was able to get a large amount of salt every year according to the custom, and the salt in his hand was worth hundreds of thousands.

expressed his worries, but Chongzhen didn't care.

"There are so many difficulties in the country, and you will naturally have to make more efforts to rest with the country."

The difference is counted as a salary, which is nominally a temporary donation from the emperor's relatives to the imperial court to pay for military salaries. When the imperial court destroys Jianzhou, the horse is released in Nanshan, and there is a surplus, and then it will be slowly returned to you. ”

Zhou Kui was obedient on the surface, but he didn't think so in his heart.

Feeders? Why use my Zhou family's money to help you with the Ming Dynasty's military salary?

But no matter how you calculate, no matter what, the salt introduction that was originally worth twenty taels can now be worth fifteen taels, which is much stronger than the salt introduction that is replaced by other salt fields.

Just as he was about to thank him, he heard Chongzhen say lightly, "Guozhang, although I have this intention, but you are willing to take on this responsibility for the exchange of salt for official salt and silver assistance!" ”

Zhou Kui was shocked when he heard this, and thought about it for a while, but there was uncontrollable ecstasy in his eyes!

This is a huge fat shortage, nearly 10 million taels of silver, as long as you move your mouth a little, you can make a huge difference in the salt value of other nobles.

If it is operated properly in private, then the salt introduction worth 200,000 taels of silver in his hand can only be regarded as an addition, even if he makes a profit of hundreds of thousands of taels, it is not impossible.

Seeing Zhou Kui's response, Chongzhen said again, "However, if you want to exchange salt for official salt, you need to meet one condition first. ”

"That is, you must completely cut off contact with those salt merchants who are inextricably linked with you."

Under the siltation of salt, the salt that ordinary salt merchants can buy cannot get salt at all in the salt field.

Only those big salt merchants who have their hands and eyes open to the sky and get salt in the hands of dignitaries and nobles can survive.

Therefore, imperial relatives like Zhou Kui and salt merchants are often interdependent. The former is monetized by the latter, and the latter is monetized by the former.

But now that the emperor is determined to exchange all the salt at one time, this relationship is nothing, and Zhou Kui is full of words.

Just when he was complacent, he saw his daughter Zhou Hou looking at him in fear.

It's like I've fallen into some big trap!