Legalism has laid its foundation since Shang Jun's reform. All changes in laws in later generations were made based on the principle of the five arts of controlling the people.
That means maximizing private resources for national use, heavy farming and taxation, breaking up the old gatherings of surnames, turning everyone into small families, challenging the bottom line of human nature, and finally letting go of promotion and giving an insignificant chance of success. bright.
Although Li Si made certain innovations to the laws of the Lu Buwei period after becoming the left prime minister, and because Qin unified the six countries and Qin officials were temporarily unable to go deep into the local areas, he made certain policy relaxations, but in essence Li Si still It does not go beyond the scope of the five arts of controlling the people.
Therefore, Li Si naturally did not agree to make concessions that would benefit the people.
The essence of Guanshanhai is to include taxes in the price, adding taxes to the price of salt.
Now that Daqin has mastered the exclusive production technology, the current salt price is still within the affordable range of the people. The cost has been reduced and the output has been expanded, but there is still no need to lower the salt price.
It is Li Si's code of conduct to keep the people at the lowest living standard while squeezing the people's wealthy labor force and wealth to the maximum extent.
Therefore, Li Si’s disapproval of the drop in salt prices was understandable.
"Your Majesty, the Xiongnu suffered a setback at Yuezhi Donghu. It is inevitable that they will try to march south to the Hetao again this year. However, there are still 600,000 slaves in Baiyue...Afang Palace needs to be built, roads in various places need to be paved, and the Great Wall needs to continue to be built. The treasury of the Qin Dynasty is empty..." Li Si frowned and explained the motives of his actions to the First Emperor.
There is another key reason why he disagrees with the drop in salt prices. Daqin is too poor!
There is a reason why Da Qin is poor...
The war to overthrow the six kingdoms consumed a lot of manpower and material resources. Li Xin defeated the 200,000 Qin army in one battle against Chu. Wang Jian attacked Chu, and the 600,000 army faced the Chu state for a whole year.
In the end, Chu State couldn't withstand the logistical pressure and chose to harvest grain, so Wang Jian's battle was decided.
After unifying the Six Kingdoms, the Qin Dynasty conquered Hetao in the north, Baiyue in the south, and suffered another defeat during the Baiyue expedition in the south. During this period, it also built the Great Wall, Chidao, Qin Zhidao, Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, the Forbidden City of the Six Kingdoms, and Afang Palace...
Right now, not only the Li Shu people are being squeezed, but the Qin State's treasury is also being squeezed. There is nothing rich about being rich. As the left prime minister, of course, he must also be responsible for the Qin State's finances.
In short, the current price of salt is affordable for the common people, and it is a very reasonable way of thinking to use the reduced costs and expanded production to generate income for Qin.
It’s hard to be a hard-working Li Shu...
"Well..." The First Emperor nodded to indicate that he already knew, and Li Si stepped back sensibly.
The First Emperor was a very independent man. As the left prime minister, Li Si held real power, but he did not dare to interfere rashly with the First Emperor's decision.
"Sit down..." After Li Si retreated, the First Emperor motioned for Zhao Si to sit down.
"Have papermaking and printing technologies ready?" the First Emperor asked.
Zhao Si nodded and said: "We are ready. We already have experience in papermaking. It won't take long to produce paper. The principle of printing is simple. The difficulty lies in making engravings, which is not difficult at all. I estimate it will take up to a hundred days." The first papers and engravings will be produced."
The First Emperor nodded, pondered for a moment and asked, "Did you hear what Li Si just said?"
Zhao Si nodded.
"Do you think the price of salt should be lowered?" The First Emperor looked at Zhao Si with amusement in his eyes.
Zhao Si was slightly silent...
"Speak frankly." The First Emperor knocked on the table.
Zhao Si saw that there was no room for rejection on the Emperor's face, so he pondered for a long time before speaking: "I think it is time to surrender."
In fact, what Li Si said was what Zhao Si was most worried about.
Zhao Si has read the Five Skills of Controlling the People, the core of Legalism, many times. How could he not understand it?
How could Zhao Si not see Li Si’s starting point?
But this is also what Zhao Si is most worried about.
At present, Da Qin is always at its limit. If it blindly follows the concept of governing the country with the five skills of controlling the people, then the so-called sweet potatoes, corns and potatoes brought back by Zhao Si will be of no use.
There is no benefit from the sun salt method...
Including all the subsequent inventions, even if the golden finger gave birth to high-yielding rice and wheat, it has no meaning.
The core casting principles of the Five Arts to Control the People will not change, and Da Qin's internal conflicts will never subside due to the additional increase in food production and the reduction in production costs.
The current tax rate in Great Qin is 50%.
Where did this 50% come from? It is the minimum survival standard obtained after calculating various corvee labor and average output.
The average grain yield has been generally improved because of the three types of grains? Well, we used to charge 50% tax, but now we charge 70% to 80%, and organize more corvees.
The cost of making salt is reduced and the output is increased? If the price of salt continues to remain the same, if it drops any lower, wouldn’t Li Shu have the freedom to eat salt?
The essence of the Five Skills of Controlling the People is exploitation, and there are always ten thousand ways and reasons for exploitation.
Without changing the policy philosophy of extreme exploitation, the people of Da Qin will never improve their living standards due to the increase in productivity, and the domestic conflicts in Da Qin will never disappear.
The essence of Qin Fa is for the country, not for the people, and for the First Emperor, perhaps Li Shu was just a consumable in the relevant numbers...
Zhao Si is no longer a novice now. After studying for so long and being guided by Zou Feng, Zhao Si understands a lot of things.
He also knew why the internal conflicts in Da Qin arose. Although, as Zhao Si gained a high position, his butt gradually began to move closer to the exploiters, there was still some kindness in Zhao Si's heart.
"Your Majesty, I think we should surrender!" Zhao Si said seriously.
Zhao Si's words are tantamount to offending both Left Prime Minister Li Si and Right Prime Minister Chi Gong, and may even potentially offend more people. Currently, only Meng Yi openly supports the price reduction.
But Zhao Si still said it.
With a playful smile on his face, the First Emperor put the brush on the table and looked directly at Zhao Si: "Why?"
"The salt-drying method cannot be kept secret for a long time..." Zhao Si did not dare to challenge the core of Legalism, but he did not have other reasons.
"At present, although the Great Qin Dynasty implements the policy of government, private salt is still prevalent, and the method of drying salt requires the use of many laborers, so it cannot be kept secret for too long." Zhao Si explained.
"The price of official salt is reflected in the tax, but there is no tax on private salt, and the price is much lower than that of private salt. That's why some people take risks and buy private salt. It is true that people cannot live without salt."
The First Emperor nodded and motioned for Zhao Si to continue.
"Da Qin now has a method of drying salt. Compared with the method of boiling salt, it is twice as good in terms of cost and output. Now those who cook private salt do not know about it for the time being. As long as the price of official salt in Da Qin comes down, there will be no private salt. Any living space.
Buying private salt is the same crime as selling private salt, and the price of official salt is much lower than that of private salt. Li Shu knew how to choose. "Zhao Si said seriously.
Zhao Si had a perfect starting point, not for the common people, but to fight against the reactionary forces.
Since ancient times, private salt has been banned repeatedly. The main reason is that the price of official salt is taxed, and the price is naturally higher than that of private salt without tax.
Salt is a necessity of daily life, and the price is not cheap, so there is a soil for private salt to survive.
There is nothing wrong with the explanation given by Zhao Si.
First of all, the technology of the salt-drying method cannot be kept secret for too long. There are too many people participating, and it is very easy to find out the details, especially since salt ponds are mostly located in coastal areas, where the sky is high and the emperor is far away...
It won't be long before the salt-drying method will be copied and pasted, and Da Qin will only be able to take advantage of its technological advantages to make money for three to five years at most.
Secondly, those who are able to organize the production and sale of illicit salt, needless to say, must be remnants of the Six Kingdoms and reactionary forces within the scope of Da Qin's attack.
Since technology cannot be kept secret, it is better to simply rely on technological advantages and first-mover advantages to start a price war and directly destroy the other party's industrial chain.
In this way, the price of salt dropped and the people benefited.
The illegal salt producers and sellers cannot sell the illegal salt, and the economy and industry are directly hit hard, and their muscles and bones are damaged.
It can be said to be a win-win situation.
"Not a bad idea..." The First Emperor tapped his fingers on the table, and then looked at Zhao Si looking up and down playfully.
"You will be at the imperial court tomorrow." The First Emperor smiled and waved.
"Continue reading the Kuaiji memorial." After saying that, the First Emperor lowered his head and continued to deal with government affairs.
The dynasty meeting is divided into major dynasty meeting and small dynasty meeting.
The Great Court Meeting involves hundreds of civil and military officials as well as representative figures from various factions, and the ceremony is greater than the content.
As for the Xiaochao meeting, it was the normal Sangong and Jiuqing and the more important subordinate officials under the Sangong and Jiuqing who routinely summarized the situation of various departments to the First Emperor every day, and made some political applications and suggestions.
A major court meeting usually lasts a day, and the rules are very strict. A small court meeting usually lasts less than an hour. After submitting the summary of the situation in a memorial, the First Emperor asked some things, and officials at all levels typed up application reports, and it was basically over. .
It is equivalent to the difference between a general meeting and a morning meeting.
Zhao Si is the minister, and because of his official position, he is not qualified to participate in the morning meeting of the company leaders.
There is no way, Zhao Si's position is not clear enough and important enough, and his official position is not high enough...
However, with the special permission of the First Emperor, even though Zhao Si was a little transparent, he could still sit in on the company's morning meeting.
Zhao Si had already studied the twists and turns here, and was shocked when he heard this. He was slightly worried whether the First Emperor would let him express his opinions during the court meeting to compete with Li Schi, Gong and other big guys...
That would be a big trouble... Zhao Si felt a little confused...
Zhao Si didn't dare to rashly attack the foundation of Legalism. He was just an official worth a thousand stones.
Zhao Si, who was full of anxiety, forced himself to suppress his restless mood and continued to look through the memorial lists of previous years.
"Why……"
At the end of the day, Zhao Si still didn't see anything.
Until sunset, Zhao Si accompanied the First Emperor to exercise and have meals every day.
"Your Majesty, I take my leave!" Zhao Si bowed and saluted. The sky was already darkening.
Looking at Zhao Si's leaving figure, the First Emperor fell into deep thought.
The First Emperor was very sure that what Zhao Si said was not what he thought.
In other words, it is true that Zhao Si supports lowering salt prices. The so-called taking advantage of the price advantage to crack down on illegal salt is not Zhao Si's main purpose.
This is just Zhao Si's excuse.
He could even feel Zhao Si's anxiety...
He could also feel that Zhao Si was hesitant to speak.
The First Emperor didn't mind letting Zhao Si speak out boldly...
Zhao Si was very good, but the First Emperor could feel that compared to people of the same age, Zhao Si was a little less energetic.
Although in daily life, Zhao Si behaves like his peers, when it comes to special moments, Zhao Si just lacks a little bit of energy.
Zhao Si could use papermaking and printing techniques to reward craftsmen with titles, or he could raise or lower the price of salt today.
It is said that he lacks a bit of vigor, but in fact he reveals his petty attitude.
But the First Emperor could feel that Zhao Si had something in mind.
After getting along for a long time, the First Emperor had actually slowly accepted Zhao Si, but Zhao Si had been suppressing his own opinions and thoughts.
This is not what the First Emperor wanted...
(End of chapter)
