I'm sure of the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong!

Chapter 207 Separation of salt and political affairs
Zhu Yijiong's words surprised Wang Li. Just now, he really thought that the emperor wanted to completely ban the local salt merchants by making such a big fuss, and then change it to an official business of the imperial court.

But history has long proven that the official management of salt is not feasible, and it will not be feasible in any dynasty.

Not only the government-run salt industry, but also government-run enterprises in other industries will also have problems of this kind.

Because there is no doubt that the government will be corrupt, no one can resist such an easily accessible temptation.

The Yangzhou salt merchants were a collusion between the government and the people, and at their peak they could account for half of the total revenue of the national treasury.

What if this is an official camp?

As for the royal family's exclusive business, it's even more nonsense. How could the emperor have so much time to care about selling salt? In the end, he just changed the soup without changing the medicine.

Just like the Imperial Mansion in the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to prevent it. If one is cut off, there will be another one.

Even in later generations, it was not completely government-run. The government only controlled the means of production, and retail sales were actually left to the private sector.

Wang Li considered Zhu Yijiong's words carefully, and suddenly realized that Yan Yin was gone.

The emperor never mentioned the word "salt guide" from beginning to end.

This was by no means an oversight. The emperor's true intention was to abolish the salt diversion system.

Zhu Yijiong was simply copying his work. The imperial court only controlled production materials such as salt drying plants, while salt sales were handed over to the private sector, with strict supervision and control, and private monopoly rights were restricted.

In this way, although there are still loopholes to follow, it is definitely much better than the original Shiobei.

Salt quotation was essentially a tool for the imperial government to monopolize and plunder people's wealth. The famous Lianghuai salt quotation case was the product of collusion between salt merchants and salt government officials and merchants.

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Wang Li did not blindly agree, but said: "It's just that the reform of the salt policy is a major matter for the country. It may be possible to choose a place to trial it first, and then fully promote it after seeing the results."

"can."

This is what Zhu Yijiong said when he wanted to build a country.

The long-standing shortcomings of the salt policy were fueled by the imperial government. Zhu Yijiong’s reform of the salt law could only be regarded as a general direction. The imperial court always controlled the means of production such as salt-drying plants.

As early as 30 years ago, the Qing Dynasty had promoted the sun-salt method throughout the country. The main method of boiling salt could no longer satisfy the Qing court's appetite. Sun-salt had to be used to increase production and obtain more huge profits.

Therefore, if the court wants to completely control the price of salt, the best way is to start from the root, increase salt production, and drive down the price of salt from a cost perspective.

In addition, there are many details, which requires the people below to brainstorm and find out on their own.

This system is definitely not perfect enough, but no matter how perfect the system is, it still needs the cooperation of the regulatory system.

And to be honest, it is actually best for the people to completely liberalize private retail sales. Everyone can freely buy and sell salt from the government, but in this case, the court will not make money.

Zhu Yijiong still has selfish motives. Today's Ming Dynasty requires money everywhere, and it is impossible for the court to give up the business of salt, which is a sure profit.

Abolish salt imports and replace them with government-run salt factories to lower the cost of salt, cooperate with designated salt agents, and supplement this with strict supervision and control.

In this way, the price of salt will definitely be lower than before, and the court will also make some money.

Furthermore, the system is never static. When it is inappropriate, it should be corrected in time.

Even the salt administration of later generations became what it is now after decades of continuous reform attempts and failures.

After talking about the salt policy reform, Wang Li suddenly asked again: "Your Majesty, how should we deal with the Yangzhou matter?"

This is talking about the Yangzhou salt merchants. The emperor has decided to abolish salt introduction, so the ideas of those Yangzhou salt merchants will naturally come to nothing.

Wang Li's words were both asking and hinting that since these Yangzhou salt merchants were no longer useful, should they be disposed of as soon as possible.

During the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou salt merchants seemed to be prosperous, but in fact they were fat pigs raised by the imperial court.Among the wealthy salt merchants of the past dynasties, few could end up with great wealth.

Emperor Qianlong's "friend of the common people", the head of Yangzhou salt merchants and the richest man in the world, died of poverty in his later years.

After Zhu Yijiong heard this, he thought for a moment and said: "Just do what you want to do about Yangzhou! Yanyin must be abolished, and I will not allow any of them to have regional monopoly rights for salt merchants. If you still want to continue the salt business, just Act according to my rules and I will not treat them harshly."

"As for their business registration (written in the memorial), since they have already settled in Yangzhou, I will not be embarrassed. Their children can continue to study locally and take scientific examinations in the future."

"I obey the order." Wang Li quickly responded with his hands raised.

The influence of the Yangzhou salt merchants was so great that one move affected the whole body.

Even if Qianlong seized the opportunity in the Lianghuai salt import case, he could only take the opportunity to extort a sum of money, but could not kill all these salt merchants.Even if we really need to go under the knife, we will at least have to wait until the new salt law is fully established and operational.

After the salt policy reform was finalized, Zhu Yijiong routinely discussed the current affairs of the Ming Dynasty with officials from the Sixth Cabinet Department, and then announced the adjournment of the meeting.

Not long after today's imperial meeting ended, Chen Zhangjin, the former right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, was promoted.

With a stroke of his pen, Zhu Yijiong decreed the establishment of the Office of the General Secretary of Salt Administration. All salt affairs throughout the Ming Dynasty were now under the control of the Office of the General Secretary of Salt Administration.

Chen Zhangjin was also promoted from the third-rank right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs to the second-rank deputy salt envoy of the General Office of Salt Administration.

This is a newly established official position of Zhu Yijiong, including the entire Salt Administration Department.

Like the Privy Council, the highest officials are temporarily designated as one envoy and one deputy envoy.The deputy envoy ranks from the second rank, and the chief envoy is the second rank, which is two levels lower than the first rank of the cabinet bachelor.

Although the General Department of Salt Administration was separated from the Household Department, it was not under the jurisdiction of the cabinet, but directly under the direct jurisdiction of the emperor.

In fact, with the exception of the six traditional cabinet ministries, all newly established imperial offices are no longer under the jurisdiction of the cabinet.

Not only that, the Secretary's Cabinet, as the Ming Dynasty's Military Aircraft Department in a substantial sense, is also constantly dividing the power of the cabinet.

Although the General Directorate of Salt Administration was just established, there was only one deputy salt envoy, Chen Zhangjin, and there was no official envoy for the time being. However, Chen Zhangjin did not panic at all.

In fact, these salt administration agencies already existed, but they were originally established in the early Ming Dynasty, so there was no administrative agency specifically responsible for salt administration.The salt policy also involved the Ming Dynasty's money bag, so it was absorbed and merged into a subordinate organization by the Ministry of Household Affairs.

This is also why Chen Zhangjin, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is appointed as the deputy salt envoy, because he was originally doing this. The left minister has a higher official position and is basically the second-in-command of the Ministry of Revenue. If he is transferred, it can only be regarded as a smooth transfer. .

On his first day as a new official, Chen Zhangjin carefully sorted out his subordinate Yanzheng Yamen.

At this time, the Yanzheng Yamen was mainly divided into three categories: sea salt, well salt, and pool salt.

Among them, the provinces occupied by the Ming Dynasty actually belong to Haiyan, namely the three major salt administration yamen of Lianghuai, Liangzhe and Fujian. The full name is Duyuan Salt Envoy Division, and the highest official position is Duyuan Envoy, from the third rank.

Among them, the two Zhejiang transfer envoys were abolished in the fourth year of Yongzheng, so they are still there now.The Lianghuai Transfer Envoy had just been captured by the Seventh Army a few days ago. This Yangzhou salt merchant belonged to the salt merchant group under the Lianghuai Transfer Envoy.

In addition, Guangdong, where Lin Jun is located, also belongs to Haiyan Yanzheng.

Pool salt and well salt are mainly distributed in Shaanxi-Gansu, Huguang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other places. The famous Zigong salt merchant is well salt.

The Yanzheng Yamen of the Ming Dynasty was inherited from the Pseudo-Qing Dynasty, so the overall bureaucracy below is relatively complete.

Generally speaking, local salt officials can be divided into two categories: full-time officials and non-full-time officials.

Full-time salt officials are located in salt-producing areas, mainly including salt patrol censors and capital transfer envoys.

The sub-divisional officers are: Yun Tong, Yun Deputy, Yun Ju, and Ti Ji.

Under him are the Salt Class Ambassadors, who are located in each salt farm, salt well, and salt pond.

In some areas, there will also be salt control inspectors, salt inspection institute ambassadors, and patrol inspections.

In addition, there are chief officials and miscellaneous officials in the capital's transfer envoys and salt road yamen.

Salt channel managers are non-full-time officials who are not only located in salt-producing areas, but also in non-salt-producing areas.

The full name of the Salt Patrol Censor is the Salt Patrol Supervisor Censor.

The censor was a fifth-rank official, but the salt patrol censor was an imperial envoy with a relatively high status. He was the superior of the envoy transferred from the third-rank capital. This was a special official phenomenon of the Qing Dynasty.

The Salt Patrol Censor was originally selected by the Supervisory Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate and reported to the emperor in detail.

However, since the Salt Patrol Censor is in charge of the salt affairs of a region and is the highest salt officer in the region, even the local transportation envoys and salt road managers are his subordinates.

The power is too great, but it does not belong to local officials and has no responsibility for local jurisdiction. Local civil and military officials are not their subordinates.The distribution of salt relies on grassroots prefectures and counties, and the patrolling of smuggled salt also relies on local military officers.

Therefore, the salt patrol censor often had conflicts with local officials in the aspects of diverting salt patrols and detecting smugglers to run salt classes. In the late Kangxi period, the Qing government couldn't stand it anymore, so it gradually changed the salt patrol censor to the local governor concurrently.

Therefore, the first thing Chen Zhangjin did after taking office was to prioritize the complete separation of all three salt administration yamen from the local level.

The original governor also served as the censor of the salt inspection, which made the local government and the salt administration too closely connected, and they must be clearly separated.

Zhu Yijiong gave Chen Zhangjin only one job requirement.

The salt policy is a salt policy, and the local government is a local government. The two cannot be confused.

(End of this chapter)