Chapter 4610 Hedong Salt Pond
There are rivers, swamps, and falling snow. The official house is built halfway up the mountain. From the open window, you can look out into the distance. Everything in the world is quiet and peaceful. Wang Fijiao in front of the window was in a restless mood. He sighed and exhaled white breath like a white puff.
This is probably the last snow this winter. The snow is falling without wind, and it is not too cold. But Wang Fujiao only feels the bone-chilling cold...
He turned around and glanced at the faces of the officials in the official hall one by one. He sat behind the desk and took a sip of tea.
Next, the assistant officer Sima Yu frowned and said in a stiff tone: "Fang Jun comes with the imperial edict, which will definitely disturb the situation of Jiechi. The so-called rectification of salt affairs is just an excuse. Everyone knows that the real purpose is to Jiechi." The output is returned to the center, but I don’t know what the supervisor’s countermeasures are?”
At present, there is no such thing as a "salt tax". The so-called "salt tax" is just a quantitative payment of salt output to the state treasury. There is no agency responsible for the "salt tax". The entire salt production in Jiechi is under the jurisdiction of the Shangshu Province, named "Salt Supervisor". Wang Fukiao is the "Jianzheng", and he also has the position of Shangshu Youcheng.
At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, the imperial court banned people from making salt, and the management of salt was extremely strict. However, this policy was canceled soon after, and even during the Daye period, there was no one to manage it, and people were buying and selling at will. Among the various taxes of the imperial court, there was no "salt tax" "This item has an unprecedented degree of openness.
During the Zhenguan period, the price of salt in the Guanzhong area was ten yuan per dou...
The person in charge of the salt affairs was Shangshu Sheng, but the Hedong family who controlled the salt affairs of Jiechi played a huge role.
The Shangshu Province only collected a certain amount of salt production and paid it into the national treasury. The rest of the production was attributed to "production losses" and fell into the pockets of the Hedong families. However, there is an endless supply of salt in Jiechi. All you need to do is send people to dry it and collect it. The cost is extremely low. Even at extremely low prices, the profits are huge. As a result, the price of salt has never risen.
But the importance of salt remains the same throughout the ages...
Wang Fukiao drank tea calmly, ignoring Sima Yu's aggressive momentum, and said slowly: "When the King of Jin raised his army to attack Chang'an, and the Hedong family gave great help, he should have thought of the punishment he would face if he failed. Now your Majesty is secure. , The king of Jin was completely defeated, and it was the time for His Majesty’s reckoning. Why, are you still planning to fight against His Majesty’s imperial edicts and court policies?”
Political risks are like this. If you succeed, you will rise to power, but if you fail, you will face punishment.
The reason why the Hedong family has controlled the profits of the salt pond for hundreds of years is because of its own strength, and also because it is always on the winning side. It doesn't matter if you make the wrong choice at first, the important thing is to stop the loss in time and use the generous salt profits to gain the winner's share. Forgive, and then be on the winning side again.
It doesn't matter if you support the King of Jin. As long as you give His Majesty generous rewards in terms of salt and profit, you can naturally get His Majesty's forgiveness. However, if you still resist His Majesty's imperial edict and violate the court's policies despite having already failed, that would be a complete violation. The foundation of the Hedong family.
Sima Yu obviously knew this, so he hesitated and asked, "How much profit does Jianzheng intend to give away?"
Wang Fijiao shook his head: "Now that Fang Jun is coming with the general trend, we are in a passive position. It is not how much we want to give, but how much Fang Jun wants."
Supporting the King of Jin is not just verbal support. The Hedong family has paid countless amounts of armor, weapons, grain, and money. Tens of thousands of private soldiers from each family have entered the customs. After a defeat, every family is injured. , is in the weakest stage since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and it is impossible to take a tough stance against the emperor and the court as before.
Such a huge loss cannot be recovered within 20 to 30 years, and we can’t do it now even if we want to...
But Fang Jun is the toughest person in the court.
One side is weak and the other side is coming with strength. How can we not retreat and avoid its sharp edge?
Sima Yu looked gloomy and said nothing.
No matter how arrogant he is, he is still very afraid in front of Fang Jun, who is famous all over the world...
Another "Young Supervisor" Liu Changyun, who has a handsome appearance, red lips and white teeth, said with a smile at this moment: "Don't worry too much. From Jiechi to the prison chief, young supervisor, officials, to technicians, civilian husbands, and cooks, no one in Jiechi is one of ours." ? If Fang Jun can stop it, let’s give in some salt. Li is surrendering to His Majesty, but if Fang Jun is greedy, we can stop the entire Jiechi. Without the salt produced by Jiechi, wouldn't it be all about the sea salt he produced in Huating Town to support the whole country's salt consumption? Fang Jun is not the same? A fool will never go to war."
The production of sea salt is indeed extremely high, but transportation is extremely difficult. It is almost impossible to fill the area supplied by Jiechi salt with sea salt.
His Majesty sent Fang Jun to rectify the salt affairs because he wanted to open a gap in the salt pond controlled by the Hedong family and increase the salt production originally sent to Beijing. It is absolutely impossible to allow Fang Jun to do whatever he wants and cause a reduction in salt production.
It is said that salt and iron are the cornerstones of a country, but there is a difference between the two. Without iron, nothing will happen, but without salt, the world will be in chaos...
Everyone in the official house was discussing how to deal with it. There was a rush of footsteps outside the door, and an official came in quickly and reported quickly: "Wang Jianzheng, there is someone outside who claims to be a soldier of the Duke of Yue. He is holding a letter from the Duke of Yue and talking about Yue." The Duke has arrived at the salt pond and is inspecting the salt pond. ”
Wang Fukiao was shocked, stood up suddenly, and said to the people present: "Let's go, we still have to give you the face that should be given. Don't piss off this stick, everyone will come with me to greet you."
In the past, officials from the imperial court who came to monitor the salt pond would be given some "power", but now when facing Fang Jun, no one dared to do that.
Because no one knows how Fang Jun, a stickman, will react when faced with a "powerful attack"...
The crowd gathered around Wang Fukiao and left the official residence, and went to greet the new "salt envoy" in a mighty manner.
……
Snow powder falls from the sky into the salt pond and melts instantly. The water vapor forms a thin layer of mist above the salt pond, covering the salt ponds. The water is as clear as a fairyland.
Fang Jun was riding slowly on the ridge between the salt ponds, listening to the explanation of the technician named Wang Fang who had been transferred from the Huating Town Salt Farm...
"There are eighteen salt ponds in the empire... There are five ponds in Anyi and Jie County of Puzhou, collectively called "Two Ponds". In fact, they are divided into big salt pond, female salt pond and six small ponds, collectively called Hedong Salt Pond. The big salt pond is Anyi Pond. , the female salt pond is the saltpeter pond, which is located to the west of the big salt pond and is thirty miles wide... right in front of you is the big salt pond. ”
"The six small ponds are located three miles northwest of Nuyan Pond. Among the six small ponds, one is called Yongxiao; one is called Jinjing; one is called Jiawa; one is called Jiawa; one is called Su Lao; one is called Flatiron; the land belongs to Jie County... …The largest one is no more than an acre of water.”
"Since ancient times, the method of 'collecting work and harvesting' has been adopted, taking advantage of the natural advantages of sunlight and wind to evaporate brine and produce salt..."
"The Gein Salt Pond is located in the hottest place in the entire east of Hedong. The temperature is extremely high and the evaporation is rapid...but it is far less than the output of our Huating Town Salt Farm."
Fang Jun rode slowly while listening to Wang Fang's introduction, looking through the falling snow to inspect the boundless salt fields, and nodded slowly.
In other words, the production method of salt ponds is extremely simple. Put the brine into pieces of salt fields, rely on wind and sun to evaporate, and fish out the crystallized salt...
The sea salt production at the Huating Town Salt Farm uses the "five-step salt production method", which involves evaporation of brine, blending in baskets, storage of brine, crystallization, and shoveling of salt. In particular, the method of adding an appropriate amount of fresh water to the brine speeds up the crystallization. , the production of salt is increased.
In comparison, the production methods of Hedong Salt Lake are extremely backward...
In the distance, a large group of officials walked quickly on the soil ridge despite the snowflakes.
Fang Jun warned: "You must keep secret about some production methods in the Huating Town Salt Farm. During these days, you just patrol everywhere and summarize a set of production methods suitable for the Hedong Salt Pond and implement them later."
"Here."
"Let's go and welcome the children of these aristocratic families who are attached to the salt pond to knock bones and suck marrow."
Behind him, the flesh on Zheng Xuanguo's cheeks twitched. Looking at Fang Jun's back as he rode his horse, he felt even more worried.
Changing the production method of Hedong Salt Pond means that a huge change will be implemented in Hedong Salt Pond. The change will definitely not only affect the production method, but also the entire production mechanism of the Salt Pond from top to bottom.
Sure enough, this stick was not trying to pry open a gap from the Hedong Salt Pond to increase the court's income, but wanted to bring about fundamental changes...
In this upcoming revolution, which side will the Zheng family of Xingyang stand on?
……
"Although I have come to Hedong to rectify the salt affairs under His Majesty's order, today is just a first step to get to know the Hedong Salt Pond. Wang Jianzheng is really flattered to come to meet him like this. Before leaving, my father also warned I will definitely go to Wen Zhongzi’s cemetery to pay my respects when I have time to comfort my old friend’s spirit in heaven.”
Seeing Wang Fukiao coming with a group of officials, Fang Jun did not show off his official airs, but got off his horse and strode forward to greet him, holding Wang Fukiao's hand with great enthusiasm.
Wang Fujiao said in his heart that I am the one who is flattered. You are so polite, making me embarrassed to ignore you...
"My father had a good relationship with Fang when he was still alive, and he has always admired Fang's knowledge. If the spirit in heaven knows that the son of an old friend has come to worship, he will be happy!"
His father, Wang Tong, was a great Confucian in the Sui Dynasty. When his family fell into decline when he was young, his family moved to Longmen, Jiangzhou, creating the famous "Longmen Wang family" in Hedong. His family had a profound academic background and devoted his life to education. His close friends Fang Xuanling, Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Du Ruhui, Li Jing, Chen Shuda, etc. were all outstanding figures at that time. He had more than a thousand disciples, and they all called themselves "Hefenmen". , became famous for a while.
Wang Fijiao himself did not have an outstanding experience and could only rely on the kindness of his father. Therefore, when Fang Jun met him, he mentioned his respect for his father, making him smile and feel happy.
I just feel that the outside world's evaluation of Fang Junzhi is unfair. Where is this "stick" that makes people turn against each other like a book?
He is clearly a kind-hearted, gentle and elegant scholar... (End of this chapter)