Xinshun 1730

Chapter 1032 Promotion of Steam Engines

"However, sir, he also talked to his disciples about the salt reform. The master said that the salt reform should be in Huainan, not in Huaibei."

"The key to Huainan lies in drying."

"The key to drying salt lies in cultivating it."

"In the previous dynasty, Xu Guangqi said that the key to gaining the benefit of drying salt is that no firewood is needed. If Huainan can also dry salt, it can reduce the price of salt and make official salt popular. Then Ludang grassland can be cultivated."

"Late students don't know where it is, but when they hear it, they feel reasonable. Migrating people can make wells."

Liu Yu laughed and said, "In matters of salt reform, the main points and difficult points are separated. Government orders and social affairs, sometimes knowing the truth is right, but how to do it is the most difficult. It is easy to reason, but if you do things straight , Reasonable, afraid that nothing can be done.”

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

Wave him away.

The Lianghuai Salt Envoy at the side quietly pulled Liu Yu's clothes, walked around to a place where there was no one there, and said, "Duke, anyone with knowledge has seen the key to the salt reform."

"Even in the previous dynasty, some people saw the problem and proposed to change the law. Now His Majesty has asked me to be in charge of Lianghuai Salt Administration... Although things should not be hasty, there should be a big regulation."

"The lower official has some ideas and wants to discuss them with the Duke."

Liu Yu asked, "What about Huainan?"

"Yes. If you win Long, you must look at Shu. If you win Long but don't look at Shu, you will be mourning for the sanctuary!"

"The key to the Lianghuai salt administration is indeed in Huainan, not in Huaibei. People with insight know it, and even know that Huaibei is the key to Huainan."

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

But Liu Yu shook his head and said, "There is no need to rush this matter. How about it, you can follow me to meet those merchants who want to set up salt farms, as well as the salt drying masters invited from Yingkou, Changlu and other places, and ask them. Han Changli said: "Witch doctor, musician, and all kinds of craftsmen, gentlemen despise him, but his wisdom is beyond his reach. It's strange. Master Lin, don't despise him."

"Guo Gong is joking. Master, don't be ashamed to ask the so-called text, how about me and other younger generations? Please."

Not long after, some merchants, or investors, who had been selected by Liu Yu long ago and were ready to support, rushed over.

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

I ignored the etiquette and asked them to sit down, but none of the salt-drying masters could sit still, terrified and afraid to raise their heads.

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

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

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

"Huiguogong, it's excellent. The seawater of Heishuiyang is extremely heavy and salty. It's even better than the seawater of Fujian. There is absolutely no problem with drying salt here."

After getting this affirmation, those investors all smiled and said hurriedly: "We don't know how to dry salt, but we know how to pay. We have been in the south for a long time, and we also know that if we want to grow big, the initial investment is indispensable."

Liu Yu nodded and said: "Let me sum up this matter in one sentence. The court issues the blueprint, and you pay for it; the court sets the protection price and the maximum price, and you make a profit. In short, the court allows you to build a large salt farm, but what about 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 is too slow to rely on them to spontaneously choose something new like a steam engine.The situation in Dashun is very special because technology and capital are separated.

Capital does not understand technology, and technology has no capital.And those who understand technology are all middle and lower classes, and they can only evaluate old experience to do it, and they don't 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, accumulate capital by technology and then merge technology and capital.

As a regulator, Liu Yu doesn't need to understand the method of drying salt, and those in the Academy of Sciences don't need to understand too much.As long as you know where to use steam engines instead of windmills and human-operated brine carts.

Listening to the court's words and using the court's blueprint is the basis for undertaking the Huaibei Great Saltworks.

These businessmen are no strangers to this, and it is the same reason to switch to the monopoly power of Dongxiyang Trading Company.

To take monopoly power, the imperial court uses administrative power to guarantee your monopoly power, and you must abide by some conditions.

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

very fair.If you don't undertake these seemingly harsh military obligations, then don't do business in Japan, it's as simple as that.

Investors have been in the south for a long time, and now they are more and more aware of one thing, that is, the more, more complex, and more specific the rules set by the imperial court, the safer and more secure the investment will be.

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

Liu Yu hummed, and said again: "For the rest, don't smuggle, report regularly, check accounts by the court, etc. I don't need to say, the rules are the same as those in the south."

"If you want to do it, you have to do it big and fast. Since you have the capital and you won't withdraw your capital midway, then make a leap forward. Go directly to the large salt field, as the Fujian master said just now, go to the large salt pond and build A large number of shanty houses are used to prevent rain and build concentration ponds. Once there is no rain and the weather turns better, the brine in the concentration ponds will be introduced into the field to form salt in three days. It takes two days in Fujian, but 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 thinks it is the most suitable for the situation in Huaibei.

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

Salt farms do not need sheds.

The concentration pool needs a canopy to prevent rain.

Firstly, the seawater is introduced into the concentrating pool, where it is fully evaporated and accumulated.

Wait for the weather to be fine, and when it is confirmed that there will be four or five days of sunny days, then introduce the concentrated brine that has slowly evaporated for a period of time into the drying 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 make the steam engine play the most significant.

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

The method in Fujian is to rely on human water wheels, which are turned by the feet to lift and release the brine.

Nowadays, steam engine weaving is not possible.

However, when it comes to things like lifting water, you can really stand up straight, show off your power, and make your debut.

The steam engine is always associated with the textile industry, and sometimes it does seem like an invisible ideological stamp.Liu Yu didn't dare to touch the textile industry, and of course he couldn't make a spinning machine now, so he could only find ways to promote steam engines in various "wonderful" industries.

Since the brine is put on the steam engine, then this kind of drying salt factory - er, the word "factory" should be used instead of the factory - the investment will be as big as the output.

There are many places on the coastline suitable for drying salt, and the sun is the fairest. It is impossible for a town to rain on one side and have sunny days on the other.

Moreover, there is no need to consider the problem of cooking salt and firewood, and there is no need to be close to the reed marsh at all.

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

Of course, Liu Yu has an ulterior purpose, which is to abolish Huainan salt and clear the final obstacle for salt reform.If the remaining Huainan salt households, whose income from salt cooking is not good, refuse to reclaim wasteland and sell grasslands, they will go bankrupt under "market competition", and then they will have to "voluntarily" sell grasslands for reclamation.

Considering this way, of course, we will choose this method with a large initial investment, but the production capacity is least affected by the weather.

However, compared to the huge profits of salt, these businessmen still readily accept this investment.

Who doesn't know that salt is the most profitable nowadays.

After talking about this method, when it comes to money, Liu Yu roughly reported the amount he estimated, and reported the approximate number of acres of salt fields. , The accounts are reasonable, and the initial investment is not a problem.”

"I have sufficient capital. Otherwise, I can only go to Nanyang to build a plantation. This...how can I say that sun-dried salt is more profitable than plantations."

However, those craftsmen who were born in the salt industry, especially those who have their own small salt farms at home, carefully reminded: "Grand Duke, forgive the villain, it seems a bit too much. I am afraid that the Huaibei salt quotation will be difficult to bear." accept."

Liu Yu said: "What you say makes sense. But whether I accept it or not, I know for myself."

He arbitrarily interrupted those reasonable suggestions as a bureaucrat, but those businessmen didn't care. Although they didn't 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 know that alkali is used as a raw material, and it seems to be an industry related to salt.

Therefore, the direction they thought of was industrial salt, and they didn't worry about what to do if they couldn't sell it because of such a large one-time investment.

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

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

Seeing that there is no technical difficulty, Liu Yu said again: "In this case, you can advance a part of the capital tomorrow, and choose a site to start construction."

"You can't eat all of them. After all, it's not good to eat alone. You understand the truth. Just like Emperor Yong Le of the previous dynasty, he insisted on eating alone when he went to the West, and finally nothing happened."

"It is still necessary to reserve some shares for the rest of the people who have been waiting for a long time. You will be the major shareholders, and they will be the small shareholders of retail investors."

"This also has to wait until the salt tickets are sold out before the official offering."

"The benefits, those of you who do business, will understand."

These merchants nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand, I understand."

"For one thing, you can ask people to buy tickets first. Those who can't buy tickets can still buy shares in the salt farm."

"Secondly, the salt farm is profitable but the number of shares raised is limited, so some people who are really capable of selling salt for profit choose salt tickets first. And those who lack capital should consider whether to save the money to buy shares of the salt farm .”

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

They have a copy of the accounts, and according to the rules of the Songjiang Mansion, the people on the side of the "Shaofu Supervisor" also have a copy, which is convenient for review and can't be wrong.

Advance the capital first, start to recruit people, compensate the original salt households, etc., that is, the problem of paying first and then paying.As an investor, of course, we look forward to the quick construction of the salt farm. The sooner we build it, the sooner we can sell the salt.

This time the salt ticket will not be able to catch up, and the second half of the year will have to catch up, or else it will directly lose half a year's money.After all, the cycle of selling salt is quite long, and for the convenience of management, the salt tickets are released every six months, and it is impossible to be as sparse as sheep herding, coming and going.

(End of this chapter)