New Shun 1730

"However, my husband has spoken to his disciples about the salt reform. He said that the key to the salt reform lies in Huainan, not in Huaibei."

"The key to Huainan lies in the sun."

"The key to drying salt is to cultivate it."

"Xu Guangqi in the previous dynasty said that the key to the benefits of drying salt is that there is no need for firewood. If drying salt can also be done in Huainan, the price of salt can be reduced, making official salt popular. Then all reed grasslands can be cultivated."

"Young people late in life don't know the inside of it, but after hearing its appearance, they also feel that it makes sense. By moving people around, they can create well fields."

Liu Yu laughed and said: "In the matter of salt reform, the main points and difficulties are separated. Governmental matters and social affairs. Sometimes we know that the truth is right, but how to do it is the most difficult. It is easy to reason, but if we do everything from the straight , I’m afraid I won’t be able to do anything.”

"Okay, since you want to hear and see more, then go see and hear more. Don't talk about what you saw and heard after you go back. Go ahead."

Waving him away.

The Lianghuai salt envoy on the side quietly tugged at the corner of Liu Yu's clothes, walked around to a deserted place, and said: "My lord, anyone who is knowledgeable about the salt reform has seen the key to it."

"Even in the previous dynasty, some people saw the problem and proposed changes to the law. Now His Majesty has asked me to take charge of the salt affairs of the Huaihe River... Although things should not be rushed, there should be a big charter."

"Xia Guanzheng has some ideas and wants to discuss them with the Duke."

Liu Yu asked: "What happened in Huainan?"

"Yes. If you win Long, you must look to Shu. If you win Long but don't look to Shu, it will be a waste of natural resources and a holy place, and you will be sad!"

"The key to the salt administration of the Huaihe River is indeed in Huainan, not in Huaibei. All knowledgeable people know that, and even know that Huaibei is the key to Huainan."

"But how to change it... What the junior said just now coincides with mine. It's just... I don't know the technology, and I don't know whether the method of drying salt is feasible. Just reading Xu Guangqi's book, it seems feasible."

Liu Yu shook his head and said: "This matter must not be rushed. Let's go with me to meet the merchants who want to set up a salt farm, as well as the salt drying masters invited from Yingkou, Changlu and other places, and ask them. Han Changli said: Gentlemen despise a man who is a man of witchcraft, medicine, music and skill, but his wisdom is beyond his reach. It is strange that Mr. Lin should not despise him."

"The Duke is joking. Master, if you don't feel ashamed to ask this question, what about the younger generation like me? Please."

Not long after, some businessmen, or investors, who had actually been selected by Liu Yu for support, rushed over.

Some salt drying masters invited from salt fields in Fujian, Yingkou, Changlu and other places also came to the crowd nervously.

They were asked to sit down without etiquette, but none of the salt drying masters could sit still. They were frightened and did not dare to raise their heads.

Fortunately, after Liu Yu asked some technical questions, these salt drying masters became less nervous and spoke much more smoothly.

After talking about the technical issues, Liu Yu asked about the key points.

"In your opinion, what are the conditions for drying salt near Haizhou?"

"Huiguo Gong, it's excellent. The seawater in Heishuiyang is extremely brine-rich and salty. It's even better than the seawater in Fujian. There's no problem with drying salt here."

After receiving this affirmation, the investors all smiled happily and said hurriedly: "We don't know how to make salt, but we know how to make money. After living in the south for a long time, we also know that if we want to make a big business, early investment is indispensable."

Liu Yu nodded and said: "Let me sum up this matter in one sentence. The imperial court will give you the blueprint, and you will pay; the imperial court will set the protective price and the maximum price, and you will make a profit. In short, the imperial court allows you to build a large salt farm, but what should you do with this large salt farm? , What equipment to use depends on the court.”

"If you don't listen, don't do it; if you listen, you can do it."

It would be too slow to rely on them to spontaneously choose new things like steam engines. The situation in Dashun is very special because technology and capital are separated.

Capital does not understand technology, and technology does not understand capital. As for those who understand technology, they are all from the middle and lower levels. They can only evaluate old experience and do not think of steam engines at all.

As far as Dashun's salt industry is concerned, it is nonsense to start a business independently, start from scratch, rely on technology to accumulate capital and then merge the technology and capital.

As a supervisor, Liu Yu does not need to understand the salt-drying method, and those at the Academy of Sciences who are practical students do not need to understand it too much. Just understand where to use steam engines to replace windmills and human-powered brine trucks.

Listening to the court's words and following the court's blueprint are the basis for undertaking the Huaibei Salt Works.

These businessmen are no strangers to this, and it would be the same if it were replaced by the monopoly power of the East-West Trading Company.

To get a monopoly, the court will use administrative power to guarantee your monopoly, and you must comply with some conditions.

For example, the Toyo Trading Company has always had to fulfill some stringent military obligations.

fair enough. If you don't bear these seemingly stringent military obligations, then don't do business in Japan, it's that simple.

Investors have been in the south for a long time, and now they understand one thing more and more, that is, the more, more complicated, and more detailed the rules set by the court, the safer and more secure the investment will be.

Hearing Liu Yu say that there were only two conditions, he said repeatedly: "Don't worry, Duke, we will definitely abide by it."

Liu Yu hummed, and then said: "For the rest, no smuggling, regular accounting, court inspections, etc. I don't need to say it. The rules are the same as in the south."

"If you want to work, you must work hard and fast. Since you have capital and you will not withdraw your capital midway, then jump forward. Go directly to large salt fields. Just like the Fujian master just said, build large salt ponds. A large number of stilts are built to protect from rain and serve as concentration tanks. Once there is no rain and the weather improves, the salt brine in the concentration tanks is introduced into the outside fields, and it takes three days to turn into salt. It takes two days here in Fujian, even if it is so hot here, it takes three days. Four days is always fine.”

This method was proposed by the salt drying master in Fujian. Although the investment is slightly larger, Liu Yu feels that this is the most suitable for the situation in Huaibei.

It is divided into two parts: the concentration tank and the salt field.

The salt drying field does not require a shed cover.

The concentration tank needs a cover to protect it from rain.

First, seawater is introduced into the concentration tank, where it evaporates and accumulates.

Wait for the weather to be fine, and when it is certain that there will be four or five sunny days, then introduce the thick brine that has slowly evaporated for a period of time into the sun pond, and quickly complete the final salt formation within two or three days to prevent rain.

And this method is also the method that can maximize the significance of the steam engine.

Because obviously, this method requires a powerful water lifting tool.

The method in Fujian is to rely on human-powered waterwheels, which are turned by feet to lift and release brine.

Nowadays steam engine spinning is not possible.

However, when it comes to carrying water, you can really stand tall, show off your power, and make a shining debut.

The steam engine is always related to the textile industry, and sometimes it is like an invisible ideological stamp. Liu Yu did not dare to touch the textile industry. Of course, he could not build a spinning machine now. He could only find ways to promote steam engines in various "weird" industries.

Since steam engines are used to extract brine, then this kind of salt-drying factory - well, we should use the word factory instead of factory - can produce as much output as the investment.

There are plenty of places on the coastline suitable for salting, and the sun is the fairest. It can't rain in one town and be sunny in the other.

Moreover, there is no need to consider the issue of boiling salt and firewood, and there is no need to be close to the reed marsh.

As long as there is money, as long as there is coal, as long as the sun rises and enough salt ponds are built to store brine, production capacity can be rapidly expanded.

Of course Liu Yu had an ulterior motive, which was to abolish Huainan salt and clear the final obstacle to salt cultivation. If the Huainan salt farmers who still have a good income from cooking salt are not willing to cultivate land and sell grassland, then they will directly go bankrupt due to "market competition", and then they will have to "voluntarily" sell grassland for reclamation.

Considering this, of course, we will choose this method, which requires a large initial investment but has the least impact on production capacity due to weather.

However, compared to the huge profits from salt, these businessmen were still happy to accept this small investment.

Nowadays, who doesn’t know that salt is the most profitable.

After explaining this method, when talking about the money issue, Liu Yu roughly reported the amount he estimated and the approximate number of acres of salt fields. These businessmen repeatedly assured: "My lord, you can rest assured, as long as the account books are detailed." , The accounts are reasonable and the initial investment is not a problem. ”

"We have quite sufficient capital. Otherwise, we can only go to Nanyang to set up plantations. This...how to put it, sun salting is more profitable than plantations."

But when the few craftsmen who had a background in salt production, especially those who also had their own small salt farms at home, heard this number, they cautiously reminded: "My lord, I'm sorry to be blunt, but it seems a bit too much. I may not be able to bear this Huaibei salt quota." Na.”

Liu Yu said: "What you said makes sense. But whether I accept it or not, I know in my heart."

He arbitrarily interrupted those reasonable suggestions as a bureaucrat, but the businessmen did not care. Although they did not know Liu Yu's plan to abolish Huainan salt, they knew that the glass industry had developed rapidly in recent years.

Although I don’t know too many details, I do know that alkali is used as a raw material, and it seems to be an industry related to salt.

So the direction they were thinking of was industrial salt, and they were not worried about what they would do if they couldn't sell the product if they invested so much at one time.

Relying on the foundation laid by the East-West trade, Liu Yu is generally not arbitrary, but once he is arbitrary, these businessmen all obey him, thinking that his foresight is not as good as his own.

The more arbitrary he is, the happier these businessmen are. Although it is a bit twisted, the effect is very good.

Seeing that there was no technical difficulty, Liu Yu added: "In that case, you can advance part of the capital tomorrow and select a location to start construction."

"You can't all eat and share. After all, it's not good to eat alone. You know this truth. Just like Emperor Yongle of the previous dynasty, he insisted on eating alone during his voyages to the West. In the end, nothing happened."

"We still need to set aside some shares for the rest of the people who have been waiting for food for a long time. You will be the major shareholders, and they will be the small retail shareholders."

"We have to wait until the salt tickets are sold out before we can officially raise shares."

"You who are doing business will understand the benefits."

These businessmen nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand."

"First, you can ask people to buy tickets first. And those who can't buy tickets can also invest in the salt farm."

"Secondly, the salt farm is highly profitable but the number of shares raised is limited, which makes some people who are really capable of selling salt to make a profit choose salt votes first. And those with insufficient capital should consider whether to save the money to buy salt farm shares. ”

After years of being immersed in the business atmosphere, the minds of these businessmen have become very active.

They have a copy of the accounts and so on. According to the rules of Songjiang Mansion, the people on the "Shaofu Supervisor" side also have a copy of it, which is convenient for review and cannot be wrong.

First advance the capital, start recruiting people, compensate the original salt households, etc., that is, the question of paying first and then paying. As an investor, of course, I hope that the salt field will be built quickly. The earlier it is built, the earlier the salt can be sold.

This time, the salt ticket cannot be caught up, but the second half of the year must be caught up, otherwise it will directly lose half a year's money. After all, the salt sales cycle is quite long, and for the convenience of management, the salt tickets are issued every six months. It is impossible to release them sparsely like sheep and let them come and go as they please.