The salt fields opened by the imperial court during the Hongzhi period basically used the fried salt method. Li Jie vaguely remembered that the sun-dried salt method appeared in Fujian as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. Now the Shangli Salt Field in Putian should use the sun-dried salt method. In order to confirm this I still need to go to the Chief Secretary’s Yamen to visit Chen Bin.
The biggest disadvantage of the salt-frying method is that it requires a lot of manpower to prepare firewood to fry the brine, which is complex and has low production capacity. The sun-dried salt method saves the process of using firepower to fry the brine into salt, and no longer requires firewood. In this way, The production efficiency is high, the cost is lower and the output is higher. If you want to change the current situation of salt merchants being conservative, the most effective way is to increase salt production.
When Huang Chengcheng saw Li Jie coming to the Chief Secretary's Yamen, he smiled and said: "It turns out that Tanhua Lang is here. The Chief Envoy Mr. Chen received your invitation yesterday and specially ordered me to wait here today."
Li Jie said: "I dare not trouble you to wait for long."
Huang Chengcheng led Li Jie to the side hall. Not long after he sat down, he heard hearty laughter.
"Be careful, this Spring Festival has made Fujian famous again. As a provincial parent officer, I will give you a good reward!"
Li Jie stood up after hearing the words. Chen Bin walked into the side hall with a smile on his face, took a closer look and said: "Okay! Good! You are full of energy and brilliance. I didn't expect that you have already entered the realm of the Great Zhoutian. You will be innate in the future." The situation can be expected!”
Li Jie smiled slightly: "The road ahead is long, and we still need to search up and down."
Chen Bin nodded with satisfaction. What he admired most about Li Jie was that he was neither arrogant nor impetuous. He was unfazed by favors and humiliations and had a free and easy demeanor. Only in this way could he go further in the officialdom and be worthy of his investment. .
After the two sat down, Chen Bin said: "Shenzhi, you said in your invitation that you wanted to ask for something. If you encounter any trouble, just say it. You dare not say it in Beijing, but in this three-acre land in Fujian, my words are still the same." It works."
Li Jie replied: "I'm going to be the official..."
Before Li Jie could continue speaking, Chen Bin waved his hand and said, "You don't need to be polite if you are just a subordinate to an official!"
"Well, students have seen in the "General Annals of Fujian Province" that Fujian has already had the method of drying salt. This time I came here to seek confirmation from you."
Chen Bin pondered for a moment after hearing Ming Ming's intention: "You are here to negotiate with the Central Committee. Although I have been away from the Central Committee for a long time, I still have some understanding of the movements in the court. This is a pool of muddy water, and the joints are intricate. There are a lot involved, are you sure you want to take a trip into this muddy water?"
Li Jie nodded firmly: "Opening the border to pay grain is an important measure to maintain the border. Changing it to silver seems to have increased the court's tax revenue and the merchants have benefited. However, once it is implemented, the burden of border military pay will return. In the hands of the Taoist court, it is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It has great achievements in the contemporary world, but it will cause endless disasters."
Chen Bin was silent for a long time: "Well, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. If nothing else, the court stipulates that one stone of rice can be exchanged for one salt, but in actual implementation, this is not the case. Nowadays, the border often can only exchange for one stone of rice. Two buckets and five liters, do you know why this is?"
Li Jie knew most of what he read in books, but he didn't know much about the specific border situation due to lack of channels.
"I think first of all, the motivation of merchants has been dampened due to the issue of defense. Insufficient supply has led to soaring food prices. Secondly, merchants have always been profit-seeking. It is easy to increase prices, but it is extremely difficult to lower prices."
Chen Bin nodded: "You can see clearly that the issue of defense is indeed a problem, but the second point is the real reason. The Salt Merchant Group has already compiled a huge network in the officialdom, and the collusion between the top and bottom led to the Salt Law Frustrated, I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for you to get out if you dive in.”
"In addition, this court does not use the salt-drying method. In addition to the remote location of Fujian and the lack of information, the court's main consideration is that the salt-frying method is more conducive to controlling kitchen households and preventing the spread of illegal salt. The salt-drying method saves a lot of firewood. It is a benefit, but it is also easier for kitchen households to secretly produce salt, which can easily lead to the proliferation of private salt, and the situation will probably be even more difficult by then."
Li Jie couldn't help but feel a little moved when he heard Chen Bin's protective intention: "Thank you for your protective intention, but now that the saints are wise, the discussion in Kaizhong concerns the people of the world. Even if you know that there are tigers in the mountains, you must be cautious and go to the tiger mountains."
Chen Bin laughed loudly when he heard this: "I didn't expect that after so many years as an official, I am not as enlightened as you, a newbie in the officialdom. I'm really ashamed. What are your demands this time? Tell me and I will definitely help you!"
Upon seeing this, Li Jie said: "In addition to asking for an instruction to go to the Putian Salt Field, I also want to make some improvements to the current salt drying method, which requires the cooperation of the salt field officials."
Chen Bin smiled slightly: "That's it? No problem, but you still have to think carefully. If the court finally adopts the salt-drying method, once this method is implemented and the illegal salt floods, you will be a target, Yushi I will never let you go."
Li Jie gave a salute and said: "Thank you for your help, sir. As for the proliferation of private salt, among the six salt transfer departments (Lianghuai, Liangzhe, Changlu, Shandong, Hedong, and Fujian), Lianghuai and Liangzhe are the most important." It is important not to act too hastily. The salt-drying method can be piloted in Fujian Province first, and its effects can be extended to other regions. The problems encountered during the trial need to be summarized to facilitate future promotion."
Then Li Jie explained the details to Chen Bin one by one.
Chen Bin stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction: "It's a mature policy to maintain the country. The Fujian salt area has never been taken seriously by the court. If it can be implemented from Fujian, it won't be a bad thing. Are you sure?"
Li Jie replied: "I am making suggestions at most in this matter. Whether Mr. Xu Ge will adopt it and how it will be implemented in the future is still unknown. However, Mr. Xu Ge is strongly opposed to the opening of China Banking. What will be the final result? When I get back to Beijing, I will write to you as soon as I have any news."
Chen Bin said: "Then I will just wait for the good news."
Later, Li Jie and Chen Bin expressed their opinions on the salt policy. During the exchange, Li Jie learned more about current affairs and found that his original understanding of the details was a bit one-sided, and there were still some mistakes and omissions. After Chen Bin's answers, he felt suddenly Cheerful feeling.
I am going to Baisha in two days, and I will also ask Master Chen Xianzhang for advice.
At noon, Chen Bin stayed with Li Jie to have a meal again. During the dinner, the guests and hosts drank and drank. When he left, Chen Bin asked: "Be careful, I am not in a position to handle the affairs in the court. What do you think in this province?" No matter what I do, I have everything!"
Chen Bin looked at Li Jie's leaving figure and couldn't help feeling that his future life was terrible. The day he saw him again, he had transformed into a young man who was already a new star. From then on, he went straight to the Imperial Academy and became an official in the court. Judging from his words, deeds and the connections behind him, he was just around the corner to rise to prominence, and his martial arts At the age of fourteen, Yi Yishang has already entered the Great Zhoutian realm that many people dream of. He is truly a terrifying young man.
