Rebirth of Wu Ba Spring and Autumn

Chapter 120 is contrary to the new law

"Go! Hurry up!"

On the streets of Wudu, a group of strong and stubborn men were escorting more than a dozen men and parading them in public.

The passers-by who had nothing to do were very curious to watch and point.

As for the man who was escorted, he was very dissatisfied and clamored for his injustice!

"I don't accept it! I don't accept it! How can you defile someone's innocence out of thin air?"

"What we're doing is selling salt! It's been like this for generations, so what's the matter with the government?"

"Even if it's the government's decree that the sale of private salt is prohibited, it can't be done like this!"

The escorted men all looked resentful, if not for the fact that their hands were tied with ropes, and the soldiers with helmets and spears on the left and right, they might have rioted and fled everywhere!
Seeing this, Li Shu who was watching couldn't help whispering to each other.

"What did they do?"

"Haven't heard of it? It's for the sale of private salt! Now the national government implements a salt and iron monopoly system, allowing private production of salt, and then letting the national government buy it, but private sales of salt are not allowed, and those who violate it will be severely punished."

"It's not just that salt sales are not allowed? I heard that gold (iron), copper and other things are not allowed to be sold privately. Anyone who violates the law will be sentenced to death and his property will be confiscated; the light one will also be confiscated from the land and serve hard labor for ten to two years." Ten years does not wait!"

"Ah! The punishment is so severe!"

Hearing that the state has cracked down on important resources such as salt, iron, and copper sold by private individuals so hard, the Li and Shu who were present couldn't help but gasped and were shocked.

After all, the country of Wu is close to the sea, and there are a lot of mineral resources such as copper and iron in the territory, which can be described as unique.

In this way, before the salt and iron monopoly was implemented, many people in Wu State in the past started their fortunes by selling salt, producing salt, iron smelting, copper smelting, etc., and made a fortune.

It's just that the state government now implements a salt and iron monopoly system, which can be said to have cut off a major source of income for them!
The state can allow the common people to produce salt and mine, and smelt iron and copper, but private sales are not allowed. All important resources such as salt and iron produced by them must be sold to the state government, which then sets the price and sells them to the outside world.

Among them, although they are profitable, their profits are not high.

Therefore, there must be some people who are brave enough to take risks and sell salt and iron privately by themselves!

Of course, it cannot be said that salt and iron cannot be sold privately, but it must be certified by the government and purchased salt and iron from the government before they can be sold again!
……

Right Prime Minister's Mansion.

In the elegant side hall, Zhisu Neishi Fan Li was sitting opposite the Right Prime Minister Ji Ran.

"Men, there are a lot of complaints from the people about the new law recently implemented!"

Fan Li frowned and said, "Tell me about the salt and iron monopoly that my disciple is in charge of. Private sales of salt have been banned time and time again."

"What makes me even more angry is that in recent days I have ordered salt merchants and iron (copper) merchants in various places to close their shops and change them from private to state-owned. The goods are actually sold to many traders at a low price!"

"In this way, this has led to a large number of traffickers emerging in the market, not avoiding risks, and smuggling salt and iron."

After a pause, Fan Li continued: "Furthermore, the government has issued a decree that private individuals only have the right to produce salt, smelt iron, and smelt copper, and are not allowed to sell them to the government at a fair price."

"However, the salt and iron that my disciples have collected recently is very little, and the quality is extremely poor. Why? If you say that no one is obstructing it, this disciple will never believe it!"

Hearing this, Ji Ran, who was sitting across from him, still looked at ease and calm.

Compared to the young and vigorous Fan Li, Ji Ran seems to be much more sophisticated and calculating!

He had already guessed that it would not be easy to carry out legal reforms in a country!

Therefore, Ji Ran was so calm from the beginning to the end, neither in a hurry nor in a hurry.

"Shaobo (Fan Libiao), it is not surprising that the monopoly system of salt and iron has encountered such resistance."

Ji Ran chuckled, and said: "The monopoly of salt and iron is beneficial to the government's finances, but it is competing with the people for profit! Wu has never lacked courageous people."

"Now, the government has deprived merchants of the right to sell salt and iron, and only allowed them to have production rights. How can merchants not be annoyed?"

"The salt and iron industry is originally an industry that can make huge profits. It used to be several times, even tens of times, high profits, but now it doesn't make much money. How can merchants not hate it?"

"People's hearts are unpredictable!"

Ji Ran stroked his beard and sighed: "Businessmen are greedy and chasing profit, and almost everyone has the heart to seek profit and avoid harm."

"If there is double the profit, the merchants can take risks; if there are five times the profits, the merchants can flout the king's law; if there are ten times the profits, the merchants can trample on everything, whether it is the law of the country or human life!"

"Therefore, we must not underestimate people's hearts, let alone the greed in people's hearts!"

Hearing this, Fan Li immediately became respectful, bowed to Ji Ran and said, "Teacher, this disciple is taught."

"Uncle Shao, not only the monopoly of salt and iron, but also the implementation of the county system and the flat purchase law that teachers are responsible for have encountered considerable resistance."

Ji Ran shook his head and said: "Recently, in the streets and alleys, and even in the countryside, many merchants are buying up the surplus grain of Li Shu's family at high prices."

"When the officials went to the workshop to buy grain, the amount of grain and rice purchased was very little..."

"Humph!"

Fan Li snorted, and said dissatisfiedly: "Master, it's clear that merchants are openly resisting the new law and the government's government order! Are they not afraid of being punished for doing this?"

"penalty?"

Ji Ran took a meaningful look at Fan Li and said, "Among the laws of my country of Wu, there is one item that strictly prohibits merchants from buying grain, and Li Shu from selling grain?"

"This...no."

"Since that's the case, how can there be any theory of punishment?"

Fan Li couldn't help being at a loss for words.

However, in any case, the merchants’ wanton purchase of grain and rice was clearly resisting the flat purchase law, which made it difficult to establish the national grain storage system in Wu State.

After all, this is contrary to the new law and not conducive to the country!
"Master, do you have a solution to this?"

Fan Li asked curiously.

"There are two solutions. First, the government formulates strict laws and regulations, prohibiting merchants from buying grain arbitrarily, or prohibiting Li Shu from selling grain privately."

"Secondly, suspend the flat purchase method, and allow merchants to continue to buy grain at high prices. In the future, merchants will see that there is no profit, and the grain and rice have been hoarded for a long time and become moldy and rancid. Naturally, they will not buy grain and rice arbitrarily."

"color!"

Fan Li felt that Ji Ran's two strategies were good.

Take it easy!
The former may cause Li Shu to complain, after all, he doesn't even have the right to sell grain and rice privately, so how can Li Shu not feel resentful?

The latter means that the government has to bear greater pressure.

After all, to put it simply, suspending the leveling purchase method, in case of a famine somewhere in Wu, and the country has no grain and rice reserves, how will it help the victims?
At that time, the government may have to pay a higher price to buy the grain and rice in the hands of merchants!

The risk is extremely high!

(End of this chapter)