Hongwu Survival Guide

Chapter 286 Loop out...

In the meeting room, Prime Minister Li Shanchang and other ministers have arrived.

Zhu Yuan came to his seat on the right, saluted Lao Zhu together with the officials, and everyone sat down.

The theme of today's meeting is to thoroughly finalize the first "three-year plan". After several Zhongshu assistant officials distributed a thick stack of basically confirmed three-year plan drafts, Lao Zhu still didn't turn to the topic for a while, and talked about it again. The matter of Mingzhou Yinghai Division: "Everyone also heard the report of Mingzhou this morning. There is another matter. Li Tai, deputy envoy of Lianghuai Salt Transport, impeached Mingzhou Yinghai Division for selling a large amount of salted fish and disturbing the salt affairs. You have quarreled in the early court, now... Yuan'er, you also talk about your thoughts, so that this matter can be settled, so as not to waste time talking about it?"

After Lao Zhu said that, Zhu Yuan knew that there was such a thing this morning.

However, Zhu Yuan had really thought about this matter before, and now he sorted it out a bit, and said: "My ancestors, and you, the salt and iron monopoly system has been tried out since the Han Dynasty. Among them, the iron item has changed a lot in the past dynasties. This matter of salt has been more and more grasped by the imperial court, but the problem is... in fact, it has not been grasped tightly, which has led to the great wealth of salt in all dynasties. For example, Huang Chao at the end of the Tang Dynasty was also a salt merchant, and once caused chaos in the world. "

After Zhu Yuan said that, everyone in the conference room vaguely guessed the attitude of the young Pingzhang.

However, it is inevitable to think that someone and Fang Guozhen... have a good relationship, and if they say this, it will... hurt their feelings.

Zhu Yuan was just talking about the facts.

Of course, Fang Guozhen, and even Fu Shou, a salt merchant who is attached to Hua Gao but has been trying to please him, is not unexpected.However, when it comes to some major issues involving the fundamentals of the country, what should be said should be said, and we should not scruple so much.

After all, now is the founding of the country, and it is the founding of the country that has the opportunity to carry out not many things at the lowest cost.If we don’t do it now, it will be even more difficult to do something after one or two generations, when all kinds of things are intertwined and deeply rooted.

After a short pause, Zhu Yuan quickly continued: "So, my attitude is very simple. The salt policy that has been passed down for thousands of years must be changed, and it is a big change. In the past, salt was a necessity for people's lives, and people didn't eat it. Salt is not good. In the future, with the advent of the new era, salt will not only be a necessity for people’s lives, but will also become an industrial product that is needed by many industries, and the consumption will increase significantly. For example... In order to process fish The demand for salt from harvesting. But this is only the most elementary demand.”

Li Shanchang still couldn't hold back, and interjected: "Ping Zhang said it's easy, this salt policy involves a salt tax of one million guan a year, and you can't just throw it away."

Zhu Yuan smiled and looked at the opposite side: "Mr. Zuo, I also remember that last year... the imperial court collected a total of 137 million guan in salt tax. With the increase of our Ming territory, according to the current system, there should be 200 million guan in a few years. Left and right. However, does Prime Minister Zuo know what the highest salt tax was in Song Dynasty?"

Li Shanchang paused, but still shook his head.

This... is old.

Who can know?

Zhu Yuan said: "During the Song Dynasty, the highest salt tax was 1700 million guan!"

Everyone: "..."

Old Zhu knew this number, and Zhu Yuan mentioned it earlier, but when he listened to it now, it was still unavoidable to be touched.

Mainly, it was said at the time that in order to make up for the shortage of national use at the end of the Song Dynasty, the salt tax was continuously increased to an astonishing level of 1700 million guan.However... my family's Ming Dynasty...at the end of the period, because of the rules set by my ancestor, I couldn't flexibly increase the salt tax to save the emergency, so that... I died just like that.

Zhu Yuan also quickly continued: "So, when I said that the salt policy should be relaxed, everyone immediately thought that the salt tax would be reduced, which is wrong. As long as the salt policy is adjusted properly, I believe that Daming can provide more food for the people. Cheap salt, the tax that the court can get, will also increase. On the other hand, I have already described some prospects of the industrial age to you. In the new era, many new industries will rise, which also means that not only agriculture The proportion in the national economy will decrease, and the salt industry... will also be dispensable in the future. Salt is a necessity for the people, and I hope it can return to the ranks of the simplest necessities, cheap, common, and not always thinking about it How much tax is collected from the people."

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.

After a while, Old Zhu said: "Yuan'er, don't talk about these things, just talk... how to change it, do you have an idea?"

Zhu Yuan nodded: "Ancestor, to put it bluntly, I still refer to my 'economics'. As I said, the operation of a country is basically nothing more than 'production' and 'distribution'."

The science of economics is the science of economics.

Everyone in the conference room couldn't help but think of the "Production Chapter" of "Economics" that they have read more than once recently.

Now, it's clear, and there will be the 'distribution chapter' after that.

Allocation.

After thinking about it for a while, I really feel... It's not a good word.

Zhu Yuan has continued: "The two fundamentals of economics, 'production' and 'distribution', are to promote a country to last longer and more stably. Two things, the better the court does, the better the country will be. It is long. Salt administration, but also a subdivision project in the national economy. Starting from the "salt and iron monopoly" in the Han Dynasty, the purpose of salt administration is mainly to provide tax revenue for the imperial court. However, after the reform, I hope that the new salt administration Policies should be more beneficial to the country and the people, to put it simply, let the people get more benefits from it, and let the country get more benefits from it."

This time, everyone was confused again.

or……

Pretend to be confused.

Zhu Yuan smiled and said: "My ancestors, everyone, you should have heard it. This is 'benefiting the country' and 'benefiting the people'. How can there be a good thing that has the best of both worlds? No, actually there is. Some people benefit, others will Suffering losses, those who lost... I don’t play tricks, I am a salt merchant. In the Han Dynasty, the earliest salt administration, from production to sales, was all government-run, but later, generation after generation, it was gradually relaxed. Until now, it is probably To put it bluntly, the model of 'democratic system, government revenue, commercial transportation, and commercial sales', the official only plays a coordinating role between salt households and salt merchants, and collects salt introduction fees and some commercial taxes by the way. I also know it before However, compared with the official sales price of 10 taels of silver per salt, which is 30 Wen per catty, the imperial court can only get 6 taels of silver from it, which is equivalent to a tax rate of 6%. Ten taxes and one business tax, the comprehensive tax rate is less than 10%, which is too little.”

After giving everyone some time to digest, Zhu Yuan continued: "It just so happens that I've been inquiring about tea recently. The tax rate for tea in Ming Dynasty is lower. Compared with the tax rate of around 30% in Song and Yuan Dynasties, we only charge two dollars for every imported tea." Three hundred texts is just like a joke. Well, everyone, don’t rush to refute. I know the sayings like "light corvee and low tax". The problem is that no matter how low the tax rate is, it will often not benefit the people at the bottom and obtain great benefits. Yes, they are basically businessmen in the middle. In comparison, if this part of the tax revenue can be nationalized... Let’s talk about the "three-year plan" we are going to discuss today, all kinds of projects that benefit the country and the people will cost money As for the money, the imperial court collects taxes, as long as it is used well, it is actually 'taken from the people and used by the people', and it can form a virtuous circle that allows the country to continue to develop."

After Zhu Yuan finished speaking, the conference room was silent for a while.

Everyone is thinking.

"Didn't you talk about Yanzheng, why did you go to tea?"

"Salt merchants, tea merchants... I'm afraid they will all be in trouble."

"I don't quite understand?"

"..."

Lao Zhu felt a little regretful again, he should take a pen and paper and write down everything his precious 23rd generation grandson said.

Zhu Yuan waited for a short time before speaking again: "Why are you talking about tea again? In fact, salt and tea are similar in nature. Let me talk about my specific thoughts, referring to the fundamental principles of 'production' and 'distribution' in "Economics" , we can establish 'Daming Salt Industry Group' and 'Daming Tea Industry Group', um... this is just an example, the specific operation needs to be considered in detail, and then, through the two major commercial groups, strengthen the official operation of the salt industry and tea industry In this process, what the imperial court has to do is not just to extract profits from it, but to 'promote production' and 'regulate distribution'. To promote production is to promote the production of more private salt, instead of the one that started in the Song Dynasty. , in order to ensure the price of salt and tax revenue, salt production capacity is distributed according to the official statistics of the population every year. This kind of "dictating salt" is really a rascal. My idea is, for example, as an example: more salt, people have more Cheaper table salt can also be used to process more pickled foods, which can last for a long time. In the most difficult winter, one more bite may save some people from starving to death. Less hunger If some people die, the country will be more stable. Invisibly, the country will increase. This is the necessity of promoting production. Or, there is another example, which I just discovered recently. Regarding tea, the taxation of tea in the Song Dynasty , up to 700 million guan, but the tea industry is still thriving. In the Yuan Dynasty, the highest tea tax was about 25 ingots, which was equivalent to about 300 million guan. The downturn has created a vicious circle, do you know why?"

If it were not for Zhu Yuan's previous narration, everyone might not know about it.

just now……

Probably understandable.

Zhu Yuan also revealed the answer: "According to the data I collected, the reason is very simple. In the Song Dynasty, the national tea output was the highest, even reaching 2.5 million catties. In the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan court was not good at encouraging the people to produce. As a result, the whole country According to calculations based on many data, the annual tea production is less than 1 million catties, which has shrunk by more than half compared to the previous dynasty. As a result, the highest tea taxation of the Yuan court was less than half of that of the Song Dynasty, but it has already made the entire industry Overwhelmed. The reason behind this is also very simple. It is still necessary to 'promote production'. This is the lesson that I, Ming, want to learn. For all walks of life, we compare them to pieces of pie. If the big pie strives to be bigger, then both the court and the common people will have more things to share."

The scene was quiet again.

Li Shanchang looked at the young boy who was clearly still childish... Well, with such knowledge... How could he be a young boy?
Lao Zhu, who was at the top, had found a blank piece of paper and solemnly wrote down eight words: promote production, adjust distribution.

The plan will be painted on the wall in the future, and I will always ponder and comprehend it.

Ok.

And give it to my son to ponder and comprehend together.

Zhu Yuan hadn't finished speaking yet, so he continued: "Let's talk about 'adjustment and distribution'. I haven't finished the article on 'distribution' in economics, but next year... everyone will see it. Let me briefly talk about it now... …Still taking the "big pie" just now as an example, one of the problems is that we strive to "promote production", no matter how big the "big pie" is, if it cannot be well distributed, the people will not be able to benefit from it, and even, If you can't even maintain basic food and clothing, then this big pie is meaningless. The result of the matter is just like the ancestors and you raised up the rebellion more than ten years ago. Everyone can't survive, so they can only rise up and change the dynasty. I said these , I also hope that our ancestors, and everyone, we must take warning. Compared with the hardships of fighting the country, it is actually not easy at all. However, what we have to do is very simple and difficult, that is While making the 'big pie' bigger, divide this 'big pie' more evenly."

This time it was Lao Zhu who answered: "Yuan'er said these things, you should listen carefully. Don't think that the current wealth is for a long time. When the Yuan Shi conquered the country, he must have thought that his family would last for a long time. In the end, Guo Zuo was no more It’s only a hundred years. Think about a hundred years from now, the grandchildren you can see now may still be alive, if we don’t do a good job, the world will be in chaos again, don’t talk about the continuous prosperity, I am afraid that the incense will not last.”

Lao Zhu spoke in a serious tone, and everyone stood up one after another, clapping their hands in agreement.

Zhu Yuan had no choice but to get up, saluted, sat down again, and said: "Let's talk about my thoughts just now, 'Daming Salt Industry Group' and 'Daming Tea Group', let me explain the truth in a simpler way, not to say that they are similar or start-ups. The 'Daming Iron and Steel Group', which means that the state already has a relatively successful 'Mingzhou Ocean Development Group'. Over the past year, I have heard a voice more than once, whether the Yinghai Division is too kind to its subordinate fishermen Now, it’s building houses and high salaries. After the fishing season ends, many rewards will be given according to the results. But...these are actually a kind of 'distribution'. Give more to the people so that they can be rich and healthy. Yes, it’s Ming’s Guozuo. Moreover, what the imperial court gave was not subsidized by the imperial court from other industries. Maybe there were some at the beginning, but it was only a year. Everyone has seen the output of the Mingzhou Yinghai Division. Not only can it support itself, but it can also support the army. In the future, Yinghai Division will contribute more to the imperial court while ensuring the continuous and better life of its subordinate fishermen. I just talked about it with my ancestors. It is planned to reach 10 million dan in 2000 years, which can be equivalent to another Ming Dynasty's grain tax. With these resources, we can invest in other industries, continue to 'promote production', continue to 'adjust distribution', and form a An endless virtuous circle, which will lead to an unprecedented prosperity of the Ming Dynasty that lasts for hundreds of thousands of years!"

(End of this chapter)