"Shaanxi merchants are here!"
Salt merchants recently gathered in Nanjing, hoping to ascend the throne. They did not want to miss this event.
At the same time, in the Ming Dynasty, or for thousands of years, if business wanted to grow big, officialdom must collude, and salt merchants needed this even more.
So, they were not only waiting for the emperor, but also for the salt transport envoy in charge of the Lianghuai salt industry.
And at this moment, the Shaanxi merchants from Shaanxi came to kill in a menacing manner, which instantly shocked the salt merchants.
Liu Zhi stared at everyone: "Since the Shaanxi merchants obtained the well salt from Sichuan, the business has jumped thousands of miles, and the huge Huguang Salt Industry has been completely occupied by them."
"Sichuan salt helps Chu, but it belongs to Nai. Our Huai salt can't get in at all."
"Do they want to get their hands on Huaiyan this time?"
Suddenly, a certain salt merchant said angrily, instantly arousing everyone's anger.
Huaiyan is responsible for supplying the entire southern Zhili, Jiangxi, and even Henan and Huguang, accounting for one-fifth of the world's market.
The profits, even if they are distributed to officials, are beyond imagination.
Even other Huizhou merchants are not allowed to get involved, let alone Shaanxi merchants.
"This kind of thing is not up to us!"
Liu Zhi sighed and sat down slowly.
The salt merchants seem to be richest in the world, but it is the imperial court that controls the salt fields. Even if they have all kinds of means, they can't do anything without salt.
The Lianghuai Salt Transport Envoy who monitors the salt industry can almost decide their life or death with a single word.
As soon as the pressure came on, the salt merchants panicked.
Well salt from Sichuan can be transported down the river to Nanjing, and the cost of water transportation is extremely low.
The Shaanxi merchants also had the support of King Yu, so they did not fall behind in the officialdom.
It can be said that this is the biggest life and death enemy of salt merchants.
"Isn't it necessary to cut off the flesh?"
Everyone looked sad, full of reluctance.
"Since King Yu has ascended the throne, how can we, the salt merchants, not show some filial piety?"
Liu Zhi made up his mind.
The previous neutral attitude has made the salt merchants suffer a lot now, and neither side is pleased.
The Huizhou merchants watched with cold eyes, especially the arrival of the Shaanxi merchants, who felt an instant sense of urgency.
He raised his head, looked at everyone, clenched his fists, frowned, and said loudly:
"I want to collect a million taels of silver to celebrate the happiness of the King of Yu and his son."
One million taels, this is the salt tax for the next year.
But the salt merchants did not frown, but asked: "Is it too little?"
"It's too much."
Liu Zhi shook his head and said, "Wouldn't that make him a fat pig and provoke others to kill him?"
The highest salt tax in the Ming Dynasty was in the first year of Tianqi.
At that time, Cui Chengxiu was the governor of Huaiyang. During his tenure, he strongly supported Yuan Shizhen of the Lianghuai Salt Law Road to reform the salt law and implement the Gang Salt Law, which brought the salt tax revenue to 2.5 million taels in the first year of Tianqi.
But when Chongzhen came to power, Cui Chengxiu committed suicide, and Li Sancai, a member of the Donglin Party and a wealthy businessman from Tongzhou, North Zhili, took over as governor of Huaiyang, the Ming Dynasty's salt tax revenue plummeted to less than one million taels.
In addition, only the tea tax in Zhejiang and the salt tax in Yunnan have dropped by 50%.
Which of the salt merchants sitting here does not have 1.8 million taels of silver?
Not to mention sea trade, it can be said that you just lie down and collect money.
"Each family contributes 50,000 taels."
Liu Zhi said: "In addition, after I return, I will buy and sell fields and real estate in a big way. If anyone asks, just say that I am short of money for business..."
"I'll understand--"
"Besides, if we take action, how can the Shaanxi businessmen who have come all the way just sit idly by and ignore us?"
Liu Zhi smiled slightly and said confidently: "The money in the bag is not rich, let me see how they do things."
Everyone suddenly understood and nodded.
And here, as soon as the shogunate arrived, they immediately began intensive preparations for the ceremony of proclaiming emperor.
Including the simplest three concessions, although it is just a look, the selection, time, location, and verbal dialogue all need to be carefully arranged and no mistakes can be made.
In such a tight time situation, Zhu Yixi saw the handiwork of the salt merchants - one million taels of silver.
Other silks, jade, porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, etc. do not count.
Just this one million taels of silver was enough to make Zhu Yixi amazed.
"If it were smelted into silver coins, it would be 1.1 million."
With a sigh, Zhu Yixi showed a smile: "What, what stimulated these people?"
"Perhaps the Shaanxi businessmen are here!"
On the side, Zhao Shu said with a smile: "Your Highness supports Shaanxi merchants, which makes those salt merchants aware of the danger. After all, the salt they have is also available in Sichuan."
"What's more, Shaanxi businessmen are also good at running salt shops."
"The good times have been around for a long time, and it's time to put some pressure on them."
Zhu Yixi heard this and said disdainfully: "If you just squeeze in, you will get a million taels. This is the salt tax for a year during the Chongzhen period."
The prosperity of the salt merchants inspired him to reform the salt industry.
Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the Kaizhong law was corrupted, and the salt industry gradually lost the high-pressure control of the imperial court and became more arbitrary.
In the face of increasing financial pressure, it is inevitable to expand taxation.
"Your Highness, with the money from the salt merchants, not only can the enthronement ceremony be held smoothly, but also there will be enough left to repair the palace."
Zhao Shu relaxed his brows a little, clapped his hands and praised.
The enthronement ceremony not only consumes energy, but also consumes money.
Rewards from officials, rewards from soldiers. All are huge numbers.
In addition, it is customary to exempt tax arrears to benefit the world, which will reduce fiscal revenue in the coming year.
"This is a good thing!"
King Yu then nodded and said: "The salt merchants are taking action here, Shaanxi merchants, Hui merchants, shouldn't they also have to take action?"
Sure enough, the King of Yu did not have to wait for a long time. Shaanxi merchants and Hui merchants raised funds one after another and contributed silver in the name of giving birth to an heir for the King of Yu.
There were many Huizhou merchants, ranging from hundreds of taels to tens of thousands taels, and they quickly raised millions of taels of silver.
The Shaanxi businessmen gritted their teeth and had to contribute one million taels to the King of Yu.
In just two or three days, three million taels of silver were harvested, which was extremely eye-catching.
"He or something."
He Zongcheng looked at the empty warehouse and couldn't help but sigh:
"The salt merchant is really good at it. Not only did he win the favor of King Yu, but he also tricked us. Good method, great!"
"Then, what should we do next?"
The carefully prepared expansion plan was about to come to an end due to financial reasons, which made everyone feel unwilling.
"Without money, nothing can happen."
He Zongcheng squinted his eyes and said bitterly.
When they came to Nanjing this time, their goal was not the salt industry, but the silver exchange business.
In other words, it is a bank.
The Yuwang Group basically comes from Shaanxi and has lived in Yuhuguang for a long time. Most of its net worth is in Xiangyang.
Those high-ranking officials, as well as a large number of ordinary soldiers, need money very quickly.
At this time, the bank can get a lot of business.
Not only can it win people's hearts, but it can also be used as an opportunity to get involved in the salt industry, fur, tea and other industries.
This was a careful plan by the Shaanxi merchants and they raised a large amount of gold and silver. Who knew that it would be defeated before it even started?
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