Chongzhen chat group

Chapter 1122 Discussion on Salt Administration
Emperor Chongzhen was very pleased that Xu Guangqi could understand what he meant without too much explanation or persuasion.If I want to rejuvenate Daming and strive for global hegemony, I cannot do without good courtiers.Only when there are more and more courtiers like Wen Tiren, Xu Guangqi, and Lu Xiangsheng, can we get twice the result with half the effort in doing our own things!
Thinking of this, he smiled and told Xu Guangqi again: "Xu Qing, adding scientific and technological knowledge to the evaluation of officials requires a clear set of rules and regulations, and it must be announced to the world so that officials all over the world can follow the rules. The system formed in the Ministry of Officials has been implemented. Therefore, the Qing should summarize such a rule and system, hand it to the cabinet for public discussion, and announce it to the world after there is enough consensus!"

Having said that, he thought for a while, and added: "I will also remind the cabinet, no one will object to this matter, it will only be a supplementary gain!"

Emperor Chongzhen believed that with his own influence, there was no problem at all for the cabinet and the supervisor of rituals to do this.And when he said this, he also thought of one thing, that is, the storytelling system of the post station. In the future, we can't just tell some popular novels about heroes, but also add some novels of fantasy and fairy tales to develop this The brain holes of the ancient people, and some famous science fiction novels, increase the acceptance of new things by the people of Ming Dynasty.In this way, I believe that scientific and technological knowledge will be more easily accepted by the people of Ming Dynasty.

It is really Confucianism that has occupied the minds of Chinese scholars for too long.To promote scientific and technological knowledge, it is inevitable to challenge the important position of the Four Books and Five Classics in the minds of scholars and to attack the monopoly position of Confucianism.And this doesn't happen overnight.This matter must be promoted with the greatest ability.

At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen even thought that new inventions should not be used as demonstrations.My apprentice in Yingtian Mansion, that hot air balloon should be ready soon.After the new year, I have to ask myself, so that people can go to the sky, so there will be a great shock among the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River.

He was thinking, Xu Guangqi below was very happy after hearing what he said.Knowing that this method of promoting scientific and technological knowledge is the long-term solution, I couldn't help secretly praising in my heart: Your Majesty, you really have a long-term vision!

So, he bowed sincerely and played: "The humble minister leads the decree!"

The matter was settled like this, and after Xu Guangqi resigned, the sky had already darkened.The days in winter are so short, and it will get dark in the blink of an eye. Anyway, there are other things that I will talk about tomorrow, anyway, there are still a few days before the Chinese New Year.

However, at this time, Emperor Chongzhen didn't know that today's incident had spread throughout the capital at the fastest speed, causing a sensation all of a sudden.

The well-informed person was the first to spread the news: "Have you heard? The equity previously allocated to the Sixth Ministry has been taken back by the emperor from the treasury?"

"What, how could this be? If you want to share the shares, you can share them, and if you want to take them, you can take them back. Will the shares I bought be taken back by the court?" Some people were worried immediately after hearing this.

"You are worrying blindly, don't you know? The reason why the emperor withdrew the shares of Liubu is because the emperor found out that the dividends from the shares obtained by Liubu all went into the pockets of senior officials of the ministry and were embezzled! You said this situation If it happens, can you still continue to delegate the equity to the six yamen? And the six yamen didn’t pay anything at the beginning, so it’s so strange to take back the shares you got in vain. You are different, you paid real money, and the equity belongs to Yours, these are two completely different things, what are you worried about?"

Hearing such an analysis, the common people who have shares are relieved, but they are also very curious, so they ask for gossip again.When they learned that the most corrupt official department was rectified by the emperor, and all senior officials such as the minister of the official department and the assistant minister were demoted to the bitterly cold Liaodong, they couldn't help but applauded loudly and cursed, "You deserve it!"

Some people, after hearing the news, were very sensitive, and immediately guessed: "The emperor will use the money from the dividends of the shares in the future to reward the officials, and also to distribute salaries to the officials. Could it be the great gift the emperor said he gave us?"

What is the great gift? This topic has been firmly occupying the center of the topic of the people years ago.Hearing such speculation, some people think it is, and some people think it is not. For a while, they quickly diverted their attention from the matter of equity dividends.

"That's right, that's what the emperor said about the big gift. Do you think that if the officials have extra money for rewards, won't they earn a little less? For this money, will they have more ideas to improve themselves?" Political achievements? In this way, will the people under their rule benefit? Right, nine out of ten, this is what the emperor called a great gift!"

"My son thinks so too. The simplest point is that all the officials are converted into officials and have the salary given by the court. Is this considered a great gift? Are you happy or unexpected? Is it the weight of a great gift?"

"..."

The more people talk about it, the less people have different opinions, but there are still some.

"But the emperor said that he would give a big gift to all the people of Ming Dynasty. You said this, at most it is a big gift to officials and officials? What about ordinary people? For example, you and me?"

"Yes, I think so too. This indirect benefit should not be attributed to the great gift from the emperor, right? The whole family has been nagging these days about receiving the great gift from the emperor during the Chinese New Year. Not disappointed!"

"..."

But if this is not a great gift, the people of the capital can't think of what is a bigger gift than this?And this is indeed what happened a few days ago, and it also echoes what the emperor said about the New Year's gift for everyone.Slowly, the people in the capital began to believe that this was the great gift that the emperor said.After reaching this conclusion, some people were disappointed, some were unwilling but helpless, and some still did not believe it.Only officials, especially those at the bottom, are already happy.

The common people's speculation about the great gift mentioned by the emperor is basically unreliable.Wen Tiren, the chief assistant, was the only one in the capital. Regarding the great gift announced by the emperor at the beginning, he had some vague guesses in his heart.

Early the next morning, it seemed that the Chinese New Year was about to come, and when he received the emperor's oral order to announce his audience, the first thought in his mind was that the emperor should give him that big gift!
Thinking of this, he was also a little curious, wondering how that would become a great gift for all the people?

With this thought in mind, Wen Tiren hurried to Wenhua Hall to have an audience.

After seeing the ceremony, he looked at Emperor Chongzhen on the throne and waited for the next sentence.

Sure enough, Emperor Chongzhen smiled and said to him: "I sent you here this time for the sake of the Yanzheng. Wen Qing, let me hear it?"

When Wen Tiren heard this, he immediately regained his energy. He had been looking forward to this day for a long time.Information about the Salt Administration is already in his mind.

As soon as Emperor Chongzhen's voice fell, Wen Tiren said: "Your Majesty, the salt tax in the former Song Dynasty had an annual income of more than 1000 million taels. In my Ming Dynasty, during the Wanli period, it was only 100 million taels. Now these In 200, after the rectification, there was only more than [-] million taels of salt tax revenue at most. This is one of them!"

"Secondly, the number of people in the former Song Dynasty is much lower than that of our dynasty. According to the data of the former Song Dynasty verified by Weichen, it can be considered as 6000 million people. But my Ming Dynasty has almost doubled this number. This number is not accurate. Those who The hidden households and others cannot be estimated. In this way, it stands to reason that the amount of salt used by the people in our dynasty should be more than double that of the former Song Dynasty!"

Emperor Chongzhen didn't speak, just listened to Wen Tiren talking there: "Third, the retail price of the salt eaten by the common people was about [-] yuan per catty in the former Song Dynasty, while in my Ming Dynasty, the average was about three cents per catty. There are hundreds of words. The retail price also varies greatly. Of course, the price may be slightly different in details. For example, the price of salt produced in different places will be different, and the price of salt sold in different seasons will also be different. But Generally speaking, it is the number that Wei Chen played just now."

At this point, a trace of anger appeared on Wen Tiren's face, and he said loudly: "So, I will use more salt, and the retail price will be higher, but in the end, I will far away from the income of the salt tax." It is lower than that of the former Song Dynasty. Weichen has been grasping this area for the past few years, and the salt tax revenue has doubled. However, the current amount of salt tax is still far lower than that of the former Song Dynasty. There are all kinds of disadvantages, please Your Majesty Give me a good plan!"

As he said, he really had to try his best.However, he was still very dissatisfied with the amount of the salt tax.But no matter how hard you try, it is often half the result with half the effort, feeling a little powerless.Earlier, he had been looking forward to hearing Emperor Chongzhen say that he had a way to solve the salt administration problem once and for all.

Therefore, after Wen Tiren finished speaking, his eyes were piercing, staring at the emperor on the throne, expecting a good solution to this matter.

Emperor Chongzhen already knew about these things he reported.In addition to Wen Tiren's previous memorials on salt administration, there is also the channel of factory guards, and he can also get the information he wants.Moreover, this is not what he asked for. Jin Yiwei originally had such a function, and would inquire about the price fluctuations of vegetables, rice, oil and salt outside.

After listening to Wen Tiren's report, Emperor Chongzhen nodded with a slightly serious face and said: "I know that most of the salt tax was not collected in the national treasury, but was lost. There are pockets of salt merchants and private salt dealers. If you want to modify the original salt policy, it is just a cure for foot pain, and a cure for back pain, which is only a temporary solution, not a cure for the root cause!"

Wen Tiren listened with great concentration. What Emperor Chongzhen said just now hit the point, and he couldn't help but nodded slightly.Now he just wants to know how to cure the root cause?
Naturally, Emperor Chongzhen would not play tricks on his ministers, and did not whet his appetite, and said seriously: "I think the solution to the root cause is to completely abandon the salt policy that has been in use all along, and implement a new salt policy! "

Upon hearing this, Wen Tiren couldn't help being taken aback, and quickly asked: "Your Majesty, this must be done with caution, be careful!"

Salt administration is the foundation of the country, the emperor wanted to put it aside completely, this movement was too big, so he quickly reminded it.But at the same time, he is also very curious, if the previous salt government system is completely abandoned, what new form will be used to replace it?
Seeing him like this, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but smiled and said, "I'm already being cautious. Otherwise, the Salt Administration wouldn't have been delayed until today!"

After joking for a while, without waiting for Wen Tiren to speak, he went on to say: "Before, the Salt Administration really couldn't be easily moved. After all, more than half of the imperial court's revenue came from the salt tax. In case something happened, The imperial court could not afford the consequences of large fluctuations in the salt tax.”

Speaking of this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled again and said: "However, the tax revenue of the imperial court has come out this year, and the proportion of salt tax in the treasury revenue is far less than before. Even if there are large fluctuations, even if There will be no points next year, and the court will not make it too difficult!"

Wen Tiren nodded slightly again when he heard it, but felt very emotional in his heart.

Although speaking, the revenue of the imperial court is due to the implementation of the New Deal by the chief assistant, so that the tax revenue has increased so much.But in fact, almost everyone knows that most of the new policies that make a lot of money come from the emperor.My chief assistant is just an execution.

Thanks to the wise emperor, wealth and income have increased so much.

Emperor Chongzhen on the throne didn't care about what he was thinking, and continued to talk about the topic just now: "Another point, the imperial conquest, regained Liaodong, wiped out Jianlu, expanded the territory of Ming Dynasty, the whole north, yes As far as Ming is concerned, there are no more major wars. The energy and focus of the imperial court can be freed up a lot."

There is another implication in this statement, that is, the prestige of the emperor and the imperial court has reached its peak over the years after this series of events.Moreover, this prestige was not obtained by the intimidation of the factory guards during the Tianqi Dynasty, it has a greater deterrent effect!
Hearing what the emperor said, Wen Tiren nodded repeatedly.From this point of view, the emperor is actually very cautious about the reform of the salt administration.He has been quietly laying out the layout, and only waited for the current general trend to come to light the salt administration!
Thinking of this, Wen Tiren bowed and said: "Your Majesty, it was the minister who filtered it! Please show me how this salt government can replace it with new laws!"

After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen smiled slightly and said, "Actually, the new salt policy I want is very simple to say the least, that is, to abolish the government-controlled part of the salt policy, and no longer divide the regions. Back to normal business..."

Hearing this, Wen Tiren couldn't help being taken aback, he never expected that the emperor's new salt policy would be such a nonsense, how could this be possible!

Under such anxiety that the emperor hadn't finished speaking, Wen Tiren interrupted anxiously: "Your Majesty, absolutely not, salt has been sold by officials since ancient times!"

(End of this chapter)