Chapter 208 Let Yan Maoqing go first
When Gao Gong finished talking about the past and present life of the Ming Dynasty's salt administration and the current development of the salt administration, Zhu Zaijing couldn't help but rub his forehead...
It’s so complicated!
But at the same time, Zhu Zaijing also admired the elites who invented these management models, who could actually turn a simple thing into such a complex set of models.
Are the benefits really so tempting?
No wonder the ancients often said: People die for money and birds die for food.
This interest is so great that it cannot be completely controlled by one family, one surname, and one dynasty.
There will always be some people who are jealous of profit and try every means to profit from it.
In order to prevent such corrupt people from profiting, the court could only passively add new supervision conditions and new supervision manpower.
If we go back and forth and do it again and again, it will naturally become bloated and complicated, turning the original monopoly profits into redundant yamen that feed a group of moths.
But this yamen involves so many things that it cannot be simply cut and sorted out.
Otherwise, in an instant, everyone in the world will have no more salt to eat.
It can be said that these people have really taken control of the imperial court, turning the patents that should belong to the imperial court into the selfish interests of a group of people.
It’s really heartbreaking!
I don’t know what Guan Zhong and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty would think when they saw the salt administration organization that deviated from its original intention.
But one thing is certain, even if they see it, they will not hesitate to specialize in salt and iron.
Because the benefits are so great that people simply cannot let go. Even if they know that it will be poison in the future, they will swallow it without hesitation.
Because they also know that when they finally die from the poison, they will be long gone and will not think about such far-off things at all.
If the future cannot solve this problem, then it can only be attributed to the stupidity of the future. No wonder they made a bad start.
Because they also feel that they were very effective at the beginning, but later on they were not good at management.
Therefore, in the face of huge interests, don’t talk about your own reason and nobility easily!
For those who dare to say that they are rational and noble, it must be because the interests are not big enough. Once the interests reach a certain level, it will only take a matter of minutes to devour human nature.
“I didn’t expect the salt administration to be so complicated. I really don’t know how those people who are involved in the salt administration manage the salt administration.”
“I think the Ming Dynasty has hundreds of millions of people, every day The amount of salt that needs to be consumed is also huge. "
"Moreover, in the time of Taizu, the salt tax could collect more than one million taels of silver. Now the population is multiple times that of the founding of the country, but it can only be collected every year. Gain six hundred thousand taels of profit.”
"The gap is really puzzling!"
After listening to Gao Gong's words, Zhu Zaijing also tortured his own soul.
After listening to Zhu Zaijing's words, Gao Gong replied meaningfully: "Yes, the imperial court can only receive a fixed amount of salt tax every year, which is really a bit puzzling."
< br>"However, I have also studied the salt policy of our dynasty. The salt policy of our dynasty is different from that of the previous dynasty. In addition to the distribution of salt due to wars, it is also sometimes distributed for disaster relief."
"The purpose is to quickly raise enough food and relief supplies. Moreover, there are many salt households who rely on boiled salt, and their livelihoods must also be taken into consideration."
"So sometimes I can't help but ridiculously imagine that I can collect 600,000 taels of silver a year, which is not a small amount."
Zhu Zaijing smiled, Gao Gong was right, the salt used to boil salt Household livelihoods must also be considered.
But as far as Zhu Zaijing knows, most of these salt households who cook salt can only live to be in their thirties or forties due to the working environment and the intensity of the work.
Although the average life span of the people at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty is this age, it is still too little and too painful. Zhu Zaijing said: "There is nothing wrong with considering the livelihood of salt households, but the quality of their livelihood must also be considered."
"Without quality livelihood, their current livelihood is just a bare existence at best."
"How can I let these people live in such hardship when I come to the country tomorrow and His Majesty is a saint king? ?”
“Is it possible that after two hundred years of raising scholars in the Ming Dynasty, I have raised some selfish people who only think about themselves?”
“Is it possible that they are officials in the imperial court and are in charge of the imperial court? Given the power and salary from the imperial court, all he thinks about is himself? "
"If this is the case, can he deserve the trust of your majesty and the expectations of the people? You know, when they serve as officials, the local people call them "parent officials". Are there such parents in this world who are so cruel to their children? "
Zhu Zaijing's words made Gao Gong silent. Although he knew that what Zhu Zaijing said was correct, the world was like this and could not be changed.
If you want to change this world, no one knows what method to use.
Because historically, those who tried to change the world, let alone those who failed, almost always became the same people as before in the end.
Even more selfish, more ruthless, and more high-sounding.
So, it is really difficult to change this world.
Zhu Zaijing looked at Gao Gong's silent expression without any intention of blaming or blaming him.
Because Zhu Zaijing also knew that the world would still be like this even if it were hundreds of years later.
It’s just that the method has become more sophisticated.
But for today's era, that era was undoubtedly advanced, and it was still an era where we could learn and move towards development.
So, Zhu Zaijing said softly at the end: "If I have a more sophisticated method of making salt, will it make the salt policy better?"
Zhu Zaijing's whisper immediately attracted Gao Gong. Gao Gong raised his head and looked at Zhu Zaijing, with expectation in his eyes.
Gao Gong said: "Your Majesty really has this method?"
Zhu Zaicheng leaned back and said, "Yes, there is, but we have to test it before we know the result."
< br>When Gao Gong heard this, he became excited instantly, "Really?"
Zhu Zaijing hummed and said seriously: "It's true."
When Gao Gong heard Zhu Zaijing's affirmative answer, he burst into tears in excitement. Although he didn't know what the method was, he knew that if there was such a method, it would inevitably lead to a new round of salt policy reform.
If the salt policy reform can really tighten the interests of local salt officials and related salt merchants and make the salt policy operate more healthily, it will definitely be an extraordinary reform.
Gao Gong bowed excitedly to Zhu Zaijing: "On behalf of the people of the world, I thank you for your great kindness!"
After being bowed by Gao Gong, Zhu Zaijing quickly jumped up and said : "Don't worship me. If you want to worship, then worship Your Majesty. If it weren't for Your Majesty's Hongyou, I would not have thought of such a method."
"Moreover, I don't know how many interests are involved in the current salt administration, and it is intertwined. If there is no complete preparation to replace them, it is better not to move now, otherwise the whole world will not be able to eat salt, and this sin is not something you and I can bear.”
"So, we still need to take a long-term approach and first see how Yan Maoqing manages salt. If necessary, you can also help him and let him open up the situation first and offend the people in the salt administration first."
< br>(End of this chapter)