Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2418: Restoration of the Salt Administration

Luoyang!

The palace!

Wang Meng, Guan Zhong, Liu Bowen, Zhang Liang, Li Si and others came in a hurry.

The three-year epidemic is finally over, and now it is time to rebuild everything.

Now, at a time when the plague has just ended, His Majesty the Emperor summoning them at this time must be no small matter.

Especially, when they arrived at the gate of the palace one by one and saw the remaining few people also rushing in, they knew that this was no small matter.

In the imperial study, Li Xiang sat on a soft couch, flipping through a pile of memorials. Without even turning his head, he said to the people who came in, "Sit down, let's talk about the salt law today."

To put it simply, the old salt law of the Jin Dynasty was that the imperial court was responsible for producing salt, the salt merchants were responsible for underwriting, the imperial court collected taxes, and the merchants were responsible for their own profits and losses.

However, during the three-year epidemic, the Central Plains and the South tried to stabilize as quickly as possible, and everything was done to fight the epidemic. A large number of officials who once belonged to Zhao Kuangyin and Zhu Yuanzhang were preserved.

In addition, during these three years, local families were vigorously promoted for the sake of stability.

However, although this allows us to fight the epidemic with all our strength in a stable environment, it also hides some disadvantages.

The most direct issue is the administration of officials. From the lowest-level salt households to the top-level Jin bureaucrats, there are many problems. Therefore, it does not actually have much effect. Salt taxes have been lost in the past few years, and the price of salt has gradually risen.

It’s a loss for the court and a hardship for the people.

Now that the epidemic is over, there is time to rebuild and deal with these problems. Of course, after three years of the epidemic, the court is now short of money and needs to find ways to raise money from various channels.

By doing this, you will have both short-term and long-term money.

Wang Meng was not surprised, but he did not sit down. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Guan Zhong not far from Li Xiang. After a moment of deliberation, he said, "Your Majesty, the malpractices of the salt administration have existed for a long time. It will take time to change them."

The salt policy of the Jin Dynasty, in general, was largely inherited from the salt policy of the Han Dynasty, and salt production was nationalized. On the basis of the foundation laid, some modifications were made. However, the changes were not significant.

Wang Meng also groaned and said, "Your Majesty, I agree with what Minister Guan said. The salt administration involves too much. If we want to reform it, I'm afraid it will involve too many people and face huge obstacles. It will be difficult to implement. We should not rush it."

The three-year epidemic has just passed. If any major actions are taken at this time, it will easily trigger a series of related problems.

Li Xiang also nodded. The matter of salt administration involved every aspect of the country, and penetrated every bit. If he acted rashly, it wouldn't be long before he would have countless memorials on his desk asking him to "act cautiously".

Putting down the things in his hands, Li Xiang said: "I don't want to reform, I want to rebuild!"

Several people were stunned, looking at Li Xiang with confusion at first and then frowning.

Li Si looked solemn and said, "Your Majesty, if we rebuild it, it will be hundreds of times more difficult than reforming it!" The salt administration involves all aspects and is a major pillar of a dynasty. If we really start from scratch and rebuild it, it would be tantamount to going against the entire world!

Most politicians try to maintain stability, especially in a situation like this where a major disaster has just ended. They instinctively reject such fundamentally destabilizing events.

"At this moment, the whole world is exhausted. If we don't take action now, I'm afraid the future will be protracted!" Li Xiang said solemnly.

Guan Zhong, Wang Meng and others' expressions changed slightly, but they didn't say anything more.

At this time, the external conditions are indeed extremely suitable.

After this plague, every force in the world has been on the verge of life and death. It is much worse than the situation of their Great Jin.

Therefore, at this time, if such a big move is taken, even if it causes some major disputes, there is no need to worry about external problems.

In other words, as long as external factors do not affect the situation, even if some internal conflicts break out, the worst that can happen is that they can be suppressed directly.

Li Xiangfu spoke again, "Next, I will talk about the reform of the salt administration."

Guan Zhong and Wang Meng did not have enough time to think and object, so they could only suppress their anxiety and listen respectfully.

Li Xiang simply said the idea he had thought of a long time ago, "It is actually very similar to the original salt law. The salt fields in various places are still controlled by the court, but salt permits are no longer needed. Find a few large chambers of commerce in each state, supply salt in different regions, and then limit their prices and sales areas. Once anyone violates the rules, they will be disqualified immediately. By the way, every salt merchant must have a deposit, and the deposit will be deducted if there is a violation..."

Wang Meng and his companions listened, pondered for a moment, and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, are you going to abolish the Salt Administration Office and its officials, as well as the original salt households and merchants?"

Li Si and his companions also showed surprised expressions. This matter would be huge. All over the country, anyone related to the big cake of salt, whether they are common people or officials, would be directly affected. It would not be an exaggeration to use the four words "chaos in the world"!
Li Xiang did not hesitate, his eyes were cold, and he said in a deep voice, "All salt fields, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, the floating houses, and the account offices of major merchants, go in several lines, and control it more strictly. Every chamber of commerce and local government office must also place people to strictly control the price of salt. I will not allow anyone to interfere in this matter!"

Guan Zhong and Wang Meng looked at each other, and Wang Meng looked up at Li Xiang and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is too serious. Let me and others go back and make a detailed plan to ensure that everything goes well."

Li Xiang nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry, there are still a few months for summer salt, so take your time..."

Before Li Xiang finished speaking, Chen Pingping came in from outside and said, "Your Majesty, Li Siqing wants to see you."

Li Xiang waved his hand and said, "No, let him do his job."

Even if he didn't see her, Li Xiang knew what she was here for.

Although his second uncle did not have much wealth, fortunately, he did not have any extra ambitions. He was given the position of clan leader, and he has always been very well-behaved over the years.

There was no other reason for his repeated requests for an audience except for Li Mi's affairs. Although Li Mi was a collateral branch and not a direct descendant of the Li family, his parents died early and he was raised by Li Ming since he was a child.

Now that the epidemic is over, the blockades of Liangzhou and Siyong have begun to be lifted. It won't be long before Li Mi will be escorted back to Beijing by Wei Qing. Therefore, Li Ming has become anxious and busy these days.