Xinshun 1730

Chapter 965
The closer it is to Haizhou, the more relaxed Liu Yu's mood becomes.

Although he has never been in contact with the salt administration issue before, the economic structure is there, and some things can probably be guessed roughly.

This is different from contracting and subcontracting in later generations.The contracting and subcontracting of later generations will cost 10 yuan, the general contractor will get 5 yuan first, and the remaining 5 yuan will be given to the sub-contractors. To do a tofu dregs that costs 8 yuan in theory but actually costs 3 yuan .

And this kind of contracting, which is similar to the tax package system, is 10 yuan from the top, 20 from the general contractor from the bottom, and 30 from the common people to the sub-contractors.

There are many problems with official salt, but the easiest ones to rectify are precisely these general contractors. If they are dealt with first, most of the problems will be solved first.

As for smuggling and flooding, these things are cumbersome to manage, the benefit ratio is too low, and they are only management details, which cannot be reversed by system construction.

Before coming here, he told Shi Shiyong: Pulling weeds is to grow food, but not to pull weeds.

I talked to Shi Shiyong about this route, and Shi Shiyong understood what direction he was going to investigate this time.

The Boyer Army has no law enforcement power, only criminal investigation power, and the final disposal must go through the court's judicial procedures.

As for the direction of targeted investigations, the focus of targeted investigations is not precisely on the investigation, but on the direction.

After figuring out the direction, it is the easiest to investigate and deal with - who doesn't have shit on their ass?

Liu Yu didn't mean to humiliate Dashun's incompetence at the court, but the previous salt inspectors, what can they do?There is no hanging hair in the hand, and the only resources that can be mobilized are the imperial court behind it, but if the imperial court can solve the management problem of salt sales, is there still a need for salt merchants?

As long as any salt inspector who wants to do something dares to move, he will be made worse by these businessmen who have monopolized the sales channels.If you dare to move today, tomorrow you will be unable to eat salt in Henan, the people will be restless, and the court will not be able to accept salt, and you will get out of here in two days.

He was different, Liu Yu was really not afraid of these methods.

Behind him, there is a new type of chaebol who has adopted the reserve banknote system, the shareholding system has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, can quickly raise capital, and has an efficient board of directors decision-making group.

And what he has to deal with is a group of old-fashioned chambers of commerce that rely on clan, relatives, and fellow villagers, rely on making friends with scholars, engage in networking, and fight to the death among colleagues.

If you can't even win against such an opponent, then don't think about such big things as a decisive victory over Xiyang and seizing market dominance.

Liu Yu thought to himself, it's just for practice.

Shi Shiyong saw that Liu Yu was relaxed all the way, and he was also infected, and he was also relaxed.

Seeing that he was about to arrive in Haizhou, he asked: "Is the Duke planning to come down to Mawei or something? The brothers under my command may not be able to compete with the Qingzhou Army who were able to quickly change formations when they met the enemy and quickly change formations. , but the victory lies in his majestic appearance, and he is powerful enough to dismount."

Liu Yu said with a smile: "Why do you want to show power? You should eat and drink. This kind of thing is nothing more than silver and salt. I can mobilize a lot of money, but the key is salt. How much can you control? If you don't come to show power today, you can only Eat and drink. Take the money, but remember, write the receipt."

Liu Yu was trustworthy to Shi Shiyong, and he directly told Shi Shiyong what the key issue was, silver and salt.

Salt, on the other hand, is essentially silver.It is nothing more than production ahead of time, and the payment is actually nothing more than one year's interest.

Not much, not a big problem.

Shi Shiyong didn't ask any more questions, just like the Japanese affairs back then, he didn't understand these trade matters, so he just listened to what he should do.

When they arrived in Haizhou, the local officials and the big salt merchants had been waiting there for a long time, and after finishing the greeting form, the leading officials and the general contractor of the salt merchants hurriedly said: "Mr. Let the wind wash away the dust."

Liu Yu nodded with a smile, but spoke with a bit of yin and yang.

"I've heard for a long time that a plate of egg fried rice of yours costs 50 taels of silver. I am a serious family of Zhongming Dingshi, and I don't know how many meals have been given to people in the forbidden palace. I don't know much about it today. Open your eyes. Do you have fried rice with eggs and fish soup for today's welcome banquet?"

The faces of several general contractors suddenly became tense. The nervousness was not because Liu Yu said that their food was expensive, so why not eat it when they have money?But because of Liu Yu's "punishing" sentence, few people who give banquets in the Forbidden Palace have seen it.

"The duke was joking, it's just market rumors. It's just like those rural folks saying that the empress of the East Palace is similar to baking pancakes, and the empress of the West Palace is similar to a golden hoe."

Shi Shiyong on the side laughed secretly in his heart, Mr. Xindao, don't you just say that you can't show off your majesty?It is unnecessary to say these words without coming to show off.

While carefully replying to Liu Yu's words, a group of people welcomed Liu Yu into the hall and asked Liu Yu to take a seat.

After two rounds of toasting, a general contractor surnamed Zheng asked respectfully: "The Duke has received a holy order to come to Haizhou this time. I don't know what important things to do?"

Shi Shiyong's face was displeased, he felt that he was asking for news, but he didn't want Liu Yu to say indifferently: "It's not a big deal."

"Someone in the court proposed to reform the salt policy. His Majesty sent me to see if the salt policy can be changed. If it can be changed, it will be changed; if it cannot be changed, it will not be changed. Without investigation and research, there is no right to speak. ,Right?"

All of a sudden, the people in the room were silent, and no one thought that Liu Yu's words were so straightforward.

If there is another interpretation for saying this, it seems more like asking for bribes-if I say I can change it, I can change it, and if I say I can’t change it, maybe I can’t change it.

But thinking about Liu Yu's reputation, these salt merchants don't think so.

However, if not, just say it directly, which is a bit difficult to understand.

In total silence, Liu Yu cast his eyes on the general contractor who had just asked the question.

Someone had already introduced before the meal that the Zheng family was deeply entrenched in the salt business world.

This person's name is Zheng Yuji, and his ancestors have some relationship with Dashun, but the relationship is quite complicated—the Gao Jie who abducted Li Zicheng's wife and ran away, committed a crime when he was under the governor of Shandong Wang Yongji, and he was a great salt merchant in Yangzhou. Zheng Yuanxun, Zheng Zhiyan's son, told the story.Later Gao Jie's incidents in Yangzhou eventually led to Zheng Yuanxun being rumored to have colluded with Gao Jie and was beaten to death by the people.

The descendants are scattered all over the place, but relying on the business relationship and family disciples of the year, there are still many imperial examination officials and big salt merchants in the family.

In the Dashun Dynasty, there were still officials and merchants, and the family revived, although they might not all be direct descendants.

Tracing back the ancestors must be traced back to Zheng Yuanxun, because although Zheng Zhiyan was the general contractor of Yangzhou salt merchants in the Wanli period, he was not an official after all, and Zheng Yuanxun was a Jinshi.

The descendants spread out, and the foundation of the ancestors is very important. A thin camel is bigger than a horse. These big families are dead but not stiff. It is not certain when they will come back to life. The change of dynasty has little effect.

Liu Yu thought about those things in the past, and then looked at the people in front of him. Except for a few civilians who passed the imperial examination, basically the family and clan had a foundation of more than a hundred years.

Think again about the history of the ruined history of salt merchants accompanied by the reform of the salt administration. It is said that many people are used to being pampered. , and finally asked his wife to pick up customers at home to exchange money.

Liu Yu couldn't help shaking her head, and said with a tusk: "Don't be afraid. Change or not, in fact, there are two paths for you."

"Or stick to the old way."

"Either change your mind and do something with the money in hand? Right?"

"Let me clarify the matter with you. If you want to change it, the first thing to do is you general contractors."

These words are more important than just now, but Liu Yu didn't take it seriously, and said with a smile: "Don't panic, I have read such a story before, listen to it, it is very interesting."

"It is said that in a certain dynasty, there was such a wealthy family, and there was a noble concubine in the family. It is just said that one day the noble concubine died, and the family was in a panic, so they wanted to use money to manage the eunuchs to find out the news."

"The butler's man, who is usually fragrant and stinky, pulls into the house. He always asks for money in the name of a concubine. At this time, he asked his wife for money, but he couldn't get a penny. He was scolded and said, Everything is asking for money in the name of the empress, why don't I know?"

After telling this little story, Liu Yu slowly stretched out two fingers. Seeing the ashen faces of the crowd, he smiled and said: "This story tells two truths."

"First, there must be someone above. If the person above falls, then the below will not be able to stand up. Once the above falls, the trees fall and the monkeys disperse. The previous quarrel can no longer be tolerated even between husband and wife, and it all explodes."

"Secondly, if you want money, you have to use the name of the superior."

"I reckon that you are similar. For example, ask for money in the name of officials, Jiedu envoys, governors, and state shepherds, and let the sub-contractors and individual merchants below pay. Surely, you will also pay. Finally At the very least, you have to repay the money spent on inspecting salt smuggling in various places, right? The funds given by the imperial court are simply not enough."

"But your money will be returned in full. The money of retail merchants and sub-contractors will be divided into [-]-[-]."

"I'm just guessing based on that story. Don't you think I'm making nonsense. But you didn't use my name to say that you want to punish me and don't want to change me. Come and ask for money?"

It was nonsense, but these salt merchants and salt officials were all terrified when they heard it.This is not a very sophisticated method. It has been played like this since ancient times. The folk apportionment, additional payment, and even the formalism of returning all the money of the gentry are omitted. The methods of these people are really similar.

Zheng Yuji's face was pale, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and tremblingly said: "The Duke is joking."

Liu Yu smiled and said, "Really? That's the best. Otherwise, it's actually quite serious. Do you know what it's called?"

"This is called businessmen meddling in politics. This is businessmen using their wealth to interfere in national decision-making. It's similar to what Lu Buwei did."

The words became more and more serious, and everyone knew that this meal was not good.

Shi Shi, who was on the sidelines, said with his heart, darling, isn't this called a slap in the face?Then you want to be able to take Mawei, what is it like?Besides, isn't this a warning?
(End of this chapter)