Han Shizu

Chapter 1444 Salt matters tentatively
The gloomy winter day brings a bleak aura to everything it covers, giving people a contradictory perception of daylight.The gradually cold wind wandered unscrupulously among the empty palace buildings, as if he couldn't get used to the fragrant conservatory, and relentlessly wanted to break through the defenses of the Han Palace through the eaves and doors.

"It's winter again!" Emperor Liu stood on the gate of the imperial city, feeling the winter wind boldly and relaxedly, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, expressing deep emotion.

Those who are familiar with Emperor Liu know that he has begun to enter that inexplicable state again, his face is expressionless, but there are some complicated and unspeakable meanings in his gloomy eyes, which seem to be sad and distressed. Immersed in his own world, he looked like he was not close to strangers, and no one dared to disturb his melancholy and lonely atmosphere rashly.

Outside the imperial city, as far as the eye can see, is the Luoshui that never gives up day and night, and the Sandao River Bridge spans over it, which is magnificent.If you look far away, you can see the wide sky street that can't be seen at a glance. Although the street trees are already bleak, they are still straight and extend to the south.

The road has not become deserted because of the coming of winter. Cars, horses and pedestrians have never stopped, but no matter whether people or animals, they seem to maintain a posture of awe. This is Tianjie, leading to the imperial city, leading to the most powerful man. The smooth journey of the peak, stepping on this royal street, seems to be under great pressure, as if you can feel the gaze of the man standing at the pinnacle of power.

Of course, at this moment, Emperor Liu was watching the scene outside the imperial city.Compared with Tokyo, Luoyang's urban layout has not undergone fundamental changes. Even though it has a new look, it still has an old taste. It is not appropriate to describe it as late, and perhaps it can be called the heritage, the heritage of the ancient capital of the Celestial Dynasty.

"How's the public opinion in Beijing recently? What's new?" After a long time, Emperor Liu spoke.

Usually, Emperor Liu asked Zhang Dejun about this kind of question.And Zhang Dejun also bowed and stood in the position of a entourage, and upon hearing the question, he immediately replied selectively: "The Luoyang government ordered to close five more government-owned salt shops. It is said that the rest will gradually close down. Only a few large salt stacks are reserved for backup control!"

"Zhao Kuangyi's actions are so fast!" Emperor Liu sighed, "How is the public sentiment? Is there still so much resentment?"

Zhang Dejun said respectfully: "After the price of salt has stabilized, the people's sentiments have eased, the grievances have been relieved, and people's hearts are at ease!"

"Your words are not comforting me, are you?" Emperor Liu turned his head and looked at Zhang Dejun.

Zhang Dejun said in a serious voice: "You little one has the guts to lie to the officials. If the officials have any doubts, they may go out of the palace to inspect and ask in person!"

Seeing this, Emperor Liu withdrew his gaze and returned to his deep look.

After much deliberation by the Financial Secretary, he finally came up with a set of supplementary measures to address the increasingly turbulent public opinion regarding the increase in salt prices brought about by the reform of the salt system.

Under the leadership of the prince Liu Yang, and with the assistance of the ministers Wang Pu and Shen Yilun, the new salt price management method was implemented.Xijing is still the most responsive and timely under the imperial government's policy.

There are two main points in the measures promulgated by the Financial Secretary.

First, the Yantie Yamen sets a salt price limit, and uses administrative orders to limit its crazy and disorderly rise.This is an official guide price, and there are many trade-offs to consider, such as the output of salt, the distance of roads, the difficulty of transportation, the economic level of various places, etc., and at the same time satisfy the interests of the imperial court, taxation and circulation merchants, so that the salt price can be kept in a relative balance. level.

If there are no special circumstances, this price will be formulated once every three years, mainly divided by province-level administrative regions, and each province will set a price ceiling.This is not entirely reasonable, after all, even within one province, there are great differences between regions, but at least under the province-level administration, a unified price ceiling is controlled.Originally, it was considered to control it more carefully, but the actual conditions did not allow it at all.

The second is to focus on the salt itself, continue to improve the technology of salt production and maintain production, and at the same time, strengthen the construction of salt warehouses in various places to maintain a certain reserve for regulation.

Based on these two ideas, the Financial Secretary quickly introduced measures. Taking Xijing as an example, the price of salt in Gyeonggi-do was limited to 45 fen per bucket. At the same time, the price of salt from imperial saltworks and salt mines also dropped to 20-25 fen.

Before that, it was necessary to raise 5 liters. When it was so expensive for salt merchants to get salt from the salt field, it was reflected in the specific salt price, so one can imagine what happened.

At the same time, the Xijing government also took out [-] stone salt from the official warehouse at one time and put it on the market, and the price immediately dropped.

In fact, Xijing’s cargo throughput is definitely not short of salt, but driven by interests. After an irrational growth, all parties in the upper and lower chains of interests have also acted in it and jointly catalyzed it.

The imperial court suppressed and ignored it before, but it doesn’t mean that it really ignored it. When specific and powerful policies and measures were introduced, it also gave a warning to all stakeholders, so they calmed down and began to operate under the guidance of the imperial court.Those who are not calm and blinded by interests have their own prison doors open.

After such a rectification, at least the salt price in Luoyang has really stabilized. In the short to medium term, it will be fixed at 45 Wen a bucket.

People's hearts have thus settled down from impetuousness. Although it has not dropped much compared to before, it has at least curbed the upward trend.

Previously, the reason why it caused panic and aroused public anger was that the price rose too fast and too crazy, and there was no tendency to stop.Most people are ignorant, and they often have a certain fear of the unknown.

What's more, people of the older generation have experienced the horrible salt price in the early years of the country.You know, in the early years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a bucket of salt in the capital cost about two hundred cash, and even three hundred cash in severe times.

At that time, the country was just established, the economy was stagnant, the supply of materials was seriously lacking, and the supply of salt was the same. In addition, the currency system was in chaos, and all kinds of miscellaneous money and bad money were flooded. The great benefit of the salt tax.

At that time, the lives of the people were really in dire straits, and they encountered greedy and cruel exploitation.Although under Emperor Liu's strict rectification, the economic order was rebuilt and the high salt price continued for several years. Although it was not as crazy as two or three hundred wen, it was not comparable to the later cheapness.

It was not until the imperial court captured Huainan, snatched the Jiangbei salt field from the Southern Tang Dynasty, coupled with the construction of the eastern coastal salt field, and the restoration and development of the Hedong salt pond, that the production of salt increased, and the people of the Han Dynasty really enjoyed cheap salt.

But as the country moved toward unification and the economy developed rapidly and steadily, the production of salt also achieved explosive growth. Under the instruction of Emperor Liu, Dahan just maintained an extremely low price for more than ten years.This is the result of administrative intervention, which benefits the people.

Although the reform of the salt system has caused some problems, in the eyes of some Financial Secretary officials, it is a process of returning to normal.

In the past, the imperial court maintained a low salt price, salt production, transportation and sales. These costs accumulated, resulting in the imperial court almost operating at a loss. At the same time, it was inevitable to squeeze and exploit salt workers and salt people everywhere.

It has always been a rich tax source for the court, but one day it cannot bring income to the court. Although it will benefit the people all over the world, this situation is not normal, let alone an empire like the Han Dynasty.This also makes the Salt and Iron Envoy under the Financial Secretary somewhat misnamed.

Previously, some people even suggested that the salt tax in the Tang Dynasty was half the world's profit. Take this as an example to express their dissatisfaction with the current imperial salt system.

Although the two are not comparable, they can also reflect some problems.Therefore, the reform of the salt system is not just a means of collecting money because of the deficit of the national treasury. Even if there are not so many stakeholders, there are still many people who want to promote the reform.

At present, salt fields and salt mines in various parts of the Han Dynasty produce about 700 million shi of salt per year. Even if calculated according to the increased salt price, the imperial government’s income from salt tax is less than 200 million guan. This is certainly not a small amount, but Compared with the overall finance of the imperial court, it is nothing.

At the same time, according to the two-tax collection method of the Han Dynasty, when the salt tax, commercial tax and other taxes are more abundant, the tax amount of land production can naturally be more relaxed, and the benefits can also be transferred to benefit the people.

Of course, this is only an ideal state. The imperial court’s finances are facing difficulties, and various expenditures continue to increase. It is already benevolent and good governance to not increase taxes. It is also difficult to reduce taxes, especially in the regular tax.

(End of this chapter)