Compared to Duan Yunyi, Duan Yunxiu, as the younger sister, has already been moved beyond measure.
"No matter what, Brother Xiao has solved an urgent need for the country. As a reward, Brother Xiao has worked so hard to make money. In the future, I will often help you take care of Xue'er~"
Duan Yunxiu's abacus was so good that even Zhuge Hui couldn't help stroking his beard and smiling.
Duan Yunyi also had a little more smile in his eyes.
Who is this girl going after? Do I need to say?
Liang Xiao happily agreed.
This princess occasionally made him feel like something was wrong, but overall she was really lovable.
She would also explain the classics and some classics brought from the palace to Jiang Fuxue, enriching Jiang Fuxue's knowledge, and she also had her own unique insights into various things, and she was also able to pick up poems and songs at her fingertips.
Of course, Jiang Fuxue was smart and had a photographic memory, and was indeed deeply loved by these sisters, even the empress liked her very much.
After Duan Yunyi pondered for a moment, he said: "Xue'er can also come to the palace to play in the future. With her qualifications, she will definitely be a talented woman who will be famous in history in the future, and she can also become the first female official in the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Liang Xiao said: "Your Majesty, my only hope for Xue'er is to be carefree, safe and healthy."
Duan Yunyi was stunned and nodded silently.
The scope of authority of female officials in the Zhou Dynasty can be large or small.
For example, Mu Qinxue's grandmother, Mrs. Mu, was awarded the title of First-grade Lady. She is accompanying her husband to guard the border and control the military. It is said that she was a talented woman when she was young, but her bravery was still greater than that of her husband. She once cut a "thin" willow tree into a tree with her bare hands. Uprooted.
Another Yipingaoming lady is Zhuge Hui's wife Huang. Now she lives in her hometown in Nanyang in the name of providing for the elderly. She has the power to mobilize troops and appoint personnel on both sides of the Yangtze River anytime and anywhere. The practical significance is self-evident.
These two first-grade ladies were canonized by the Great Zhou Emperor at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They are destined to go down in history, and no one disagrees.
Liang Xiao's love and care for Jiang Fuxue moved their faces, but it made her feel a little bit inexplicable and unhappy...
"However, it is also a good thing for Xue'er to come to the palace more often to chat with His Majesty and the princess to relieve their boredom." Liang Xiao added.
Duan Yunyi's brows relaxed and he nodded happily.
At this moment, Xuanwei came to report with more than a dozen memorials: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Husbandry, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Officials have sent urgent memorials!"
Duan Yunyi took the memorial and flipped through it for a moment. His originally gentle eyes turned cold and stern.
"Sister, the evening court is about to begin. Please send Liang Aiqing back first."
Duan Yunxiu also saw the contents of the memorial and agreed obediently.
At the court meeting, Tuoba Lie, the Minister of Household Affairs, took the lead in admonishing him with a stern tone.
"How could your Majesty decide in a hurry to cancel the salt quotation and set a price of fifty cents for salt? This matter was not discussed with the ministers!"
Duan Yunyi, who was sitting on the dragon chair, had a face as cold as frost, and his eyes were cold and stern as he scanned the officials.
"What are the ministers worried about? It doesn't hurt to just tell them."
Tuoba Lie said sternly: "The original price of salt should start at seventy cents, with no upper limit. Only in this way can the country be profitable! Your Majesty's move has cut off the channels for salt merchants and chilled the hearts of all salt merchants. Revenue from the Imperial Salt Administration!!”
"Really? Why don't you let the Prime Minister settle the accounts for all the ministers' families?"
Duan Yunyi's cold and majestic voice sounded in the hall, making Tuoba Lie and others feel trembling.
Zhuge Hui took the order and started a detailed analysis.
"My lords, in the past, the imperial court spent a lot of manpower and material resources to make suitable table salt. The cost per catty was as little as ten cents and as much as twenty cents. The salt was then sold to the public at a price of thirty to fifty cents. The salt merchants then resold it, and the court only collected 30% to 40% of the salt tax, and the salt merchants resold it to the common people at high prices. Among them, the real income earned by the court was only ten to thirty cents per catty."
"Today, the country has improved the salt production method and greatly increased the production of salt. The cost per catty is no more than ten cents. If the salt production is canceled at fifty cents per catty, we can still make a stable profit of at least forty cents, far more than before. How can we cut off the salt administration’s income?”
Zhuge Hui had some reservations about his calculations and did not tell the whole story.
The salt from the Donghai Salt Farm actually costs less than four cents per kilogram...
Hearing Zhuge Hui's question, Tuoba Lie said angrily: "Prime Minister! How much can salt production be increased? Why does the Ministry of Revenue know nothing about it?"
Zhuge Hui responded solemnly: "The technology related to the East China Sea Salt Farm is top secret and cannot be disclosed. Even I don't know the details. But one thing is certain. The production of salt is sufficient. It is not what it used to be. I don't have to bother Tuoba Shangshu."
Tuoba Lie finally panicked and said angrily: "Even the Prime Minister knows nothing about it, and he can determine the output with just a few words? Doesn't that mean that His Majesty is allowed to have his own way? By then, even turning around will be a luxury!"
Duanmujie couldn't help but stand out and said seriously: "Your Majesty, in the past, salt merchants resold salt. Even if the people bought salt at high prices, they only blamed the salt merchants for being mean, not the court. Now, your Majesty has done everything possible. Hiding is really..."
"Are you trying to say that it chilled the salt merchant's heart?" Duan Yunyi stared at Duanmujie coldly.
Duanmujie looked at her and felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
This woman is more majestic and cold than before. Judging from her reaction, she has no intention of compromising at all!
Duan Yunyi said coldly: "Those salt merchants are asking for high prices and making a lot of money, but they make the people unable to eat salt. They complain so much, but when it comes to your mouth, it turns into being loyal to the country? In the past, the imperial court's salt production was limited. The emperor and the emperor had no choice but to compromise with you and follow your father's method of introducing salt. But salt and iron are related to the destiny of the country and should be nationalized. How can we let salt merchants control it? "
Duanmujie was stunned.
The salt introduction method was proposed by his father. What he was right at that time was that the Zhou Dynasty produced too little salt and did not dare to offend the people with high salt prices. It could only give appropriate profits to the salt merchants and let the salt merchants operate.
This policy once allowed major aristocratic families to stay behind the scenes and arrange their own people to work as salt merchants, making a lot of money. Especially during the war years, they could make more than five times the profit, and each one was richer than the last!
"Now that the country has sufficient salt production, canceling the salt quota and allowing the country to sell salt exclusively will not only greatly increase the revenue of the state treasury, but also reduce the cost of salt for the people, which can greatly appease the people. But you are only thinking about those extremely rich salt merchants , I want to ask you a question today!"
"Should the fate and power of the Great Zhou be in my hands, or in the hands of the salt merchants? As ministers of the Great Zhou, should you care for all the people of the world, or for a group of salt merchants?"
After Duan Yunyi finished speaking, he glanced at the ministers coldly.
Tuoba Lie and others shuddered and were speechless.
In fact, they know the truth clearly. As long as the amount of salt is large, the salt franchise will definitely make a lot of money for the state treasury.
But as a result, the salt merchants they support behind the scenes have no chance to make money. Smuggling salt is a capital crime!
Not willing to give in!
"For the sake of the livelihood of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the national finances, I have made my decision. From now on, anyone who ignores the people's livelihood and discusses this matter will be dismissed from their posts and investigated!"
Duan Yunyi set the final chapter on this matter in a tone that left no room for doubt.
Sensing Duan Yunyi's rare anger, the officials of the aristocratic family naturally did not dare to get into trouble again, so they had no choice but to shout: "My emperor is wise!"
Duan Yunyi felt happy as he looked at Tuoba Lie and others who were trembling in the audience.
"I still have dignity..."
Thinking of how guilty and embarrassed he had been in front of Liang Xiao recently, Duan Yunyi's eyes became a little resentful again.
In the final analysis, it was he who gave himself, as the emperor, the confidence not to compromise anymore...
After Liang Xiao returned home with Duan Yunxiu, Gu Pingxiu immediately came to report.
"Boss, the third lady of the Gongsun family hopes to have a suitable time to discuss business with you, preferably tonight!"
