Zhou Man was involved in every step of the establishment and expansion of the Tai Medical Department and the local Medical Department. Looking back, at the beginning, no one was optimistic about the Tai Medical Department and the local Medical Department. No one thought that they could make the Tai Medical Department long-term, let alone Don't talk about actually opening a local medical department.
In the beginning, it was just that the emperor was willing to pay for it out of his own pocket, and the Imperial Medical Office was also meaningful, so the ministers reluctantly agreed to open it.
So Zhou Man knows how important the word "agree" is.
She said: "We should make a big difference with a small one, let them agree first."
Bai Shan's gaze fell on Mr. Zhuang's letter, and he frowned and said, "You mean Master Wei's salt administration will take another step back?"
Zhou Man shook his head, "I don't know, I can't say anything about the adults, but I know that the more you want to change, the more you need to pay, otherwise you won't be able to do it."
Bai Shan also just got annoyed for a moment and then put the matter aside, he is now a small county magistrate, far away in Qingzhou, and the reform of the salt administration in the capital is still far away from him, as a young man, he just needs to obey orders.
But this young man is being constantly mentioned by the bigwigs in the court at this time.
Mr. Tang agrees with the reform of the salt administration, but he does not fully agree with Wei Zhi's reform plan. There are many elders who think the same as him.
The emperor really didn't want to hear them quarreling at the court meeting, so he just found a good day to call everyone into the palace to play chess and drink tea, and have a light meal by the way. Let's talk about it carefully.
Wei Zhi thinks that salt can be handed over to merchants. He said: "Nowadays, merchants in the world travel to various places, and the cost of transporting salt by them is much lower than that of us transporting salt alone. Similarly, the price of salt can also drop even more."
Old Master Tang frowned and said: "Businessmen are chasing profits, and low prices are just a temporary illusion. In the future, they will control the salt road. I'm afraid the disaster will not be much worse than the current Jiangnan salt administration."
But Liu Shangshu shook his head and said, "Otherwise, as long as we control the salt field, they won't be able to get out of the sky."
Old Master Tang still shook his head with a serious face, "No, the profit is too big. When the time comes, the government and businessmen will collude. I'm afraid the common people will have nowhere to sue."
Li Shangshu frowned, "Your Majesty is wise, and there is Yushitai here, how can such things spread?"
Old Master Tang glanced at him and said nothing. Some words were difficult to say in front of the emperor. Seeing Li Shangshu's insistence, he straightened his neck and said, "Look at the history books and you will know."
Li Shangshu was about to pull him to ask what he meant, the emperor who had been silent all this time hurriedly said: "Okay, okay, I know that emperors are not necessarily wise, and it's not that foolish and treacherous officials will not appear in Dajin. Tang Qing's concerns are not unreasonable,"
The emperor stopped the two people who were about to quarrel, and after a pause, he said to Mr. Tang: "But we can't give up eating because of choking."
Wei Zhi nodded, and said to everyone: "The minister and Liu Shangshu have calculated an account. If the salt is distributed to merchants, and they sell the official salt, the cost of each bucket of salt can be reduced by at least five cents. The salt law, combined with the two, can reduce the price of salt to fifty cents a bucket."
The ministers attending the meeting frowned, and finally knew why the officials and aristocratic families of the Jiangnan faction wanted to fight Prince Wei Zhi.
Now the official salt in the world basically ranges from 100 to 110 coins a bucket. This reform is equivalent to taking more than half of the profit of the official salt.
The official salt system has been restructured, and the price has been reduced to 50 cents a bucket. How much can the salt farms and salt sellers earn
Zhao Shangshu came to his senses and asked, "What about the salt tax?"
Wei knew: "The salt tax is collected from the saltworks."
Just like now, when the official salt comes out of the salt farm, they have to pay taxes, and they just need to keep the salt farm closed.
Zhao Shangshu said: "The price is so low, and the profit is even less, how much salt tax can we still receive?"
The emperor said: "I can't collect much salt tax now."
He said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood. Since I came to the throne, I have wanted to pay lightly and lightly, so I don't care much about whether the salt tax is collected or not."
The ministers were silent.
The emperor glanced at them and said: "But if I don't tax them, the price of salt must be stabilized. Apart from the cost, official salt should not make money, otherwise whose medicine bag will be enriched by the money earned?"
Just like now, the price of salt is so high, but he receives salt tax. While the people want to eat high-priced salt, he, the emperor, is still financially empty, so he is unhappy thinking about it.
Therefore, the emperor made two conditions, "If taxes are to be collected, the taxes must actually go into the national treasury; if I can accept no taxes, then the tax part of the salt price must be cut off so that the people can benefit."
Wei Zhi said directly: "Collect taxes!"
He said: "Fix the tax. In the future, unless there is a war, the salt tax cannot go up. Even if it goes up, there is a limit."
The emperor's brows twitched again and again. He felt that Wei Zhi's move was to prevent him from appearing in the future.
The emperor endured it and did not speak.
Wei Zhi continued: "That's why I proposed to open up the official salt market and let merchants transport and sell it. The imperial court can limit the range of salt prices and set up official warehouses in frontiers and salt-deficient areas. If merchants stockpile, the government will sell salt at a low price and curb salt. In addition to the price of salt, in some special places, you can also set a salt field monopoly... "
Wei Zhi paused and then said: "Isn't Beihai County, Qingzhou now a salt field monopoly? If it is handed over to merchants, they will come to buy it..."
Several adults discussed in low voices, and Kong Jijiu, who had been silent all this time, pulled his beard and asked, "Can the cost of salt production be further reduced?"
Mr. Wei immediately said: "I think it's okay. This is one of the reasons why I proposed a commercial sale. It doesn't involve buying and selling. The saltworks can have more experience in researching and reducing the cost of salt production."
Kong Jijiu looked through Master Wei's booklet, and found that the above data was brought back by the crown prince from Qingzhou last year, and it has been a year. Based on his understanding of Bai Shan's students, it is impossible that there has been no change.
So he closed the booklet and said, "You can write to ask Bai Shan about the current cost of salt production."
He said: "Fifty Wen a bucket, to be honest, the price of salt is still high."
Everyone: ...
Even the emperor looked at Kong Jijiu.
Kong Jijiu said faintly: "Your Majesty, Qingzhou alone can now replace the entire salt field in the south of the Yangtze River. If the salt drying method is widely spread, this method of salt production can be tested in places with brine everywhere. Do you think that there will be salt production in the market by then? How much salt?"
The emperor stared slightly.
Kong Jijiu said: "Salt is related to people's livelihood, but it is also the same as other commodities, the price is cheap when there is too much, but it is different from other commodities, especially in places near the sea, seawater is inexhaustible. yes, so... ”
Kong Jijiu raised his eyes, Shuo Shuo looked at the emperor with spirit, "Your Majesty, since the price of salt is to be stabilized, it is better for the people to get the most benefits."
The emperor stroked his chin, and turned to look at Wei Zhi excitedly.
Wei Zhi hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said: "I have no objection, but your majesty, the salt tax..."
He looked at Liu Shangshu.
Liu Shangshu remained silent and went to see the emperor for a while.