Zhu Zhi said to Yang Rong: "Mianren, what do you think of this Kaizhong system?"

Yang Rong said: "The procedure of opening the middle system is indeed very cumbersome, but after all, it is a system formulated by the emperor, so it may not be easy to change." He knew that Zhu Zhi was already working on the idea of ​​opening the middle system, but this matter would be very troublesome. If you are not careful, you will give others a complaint, which is not conducive to Zhu Zhi.

Zhu Zhi said: "Why did Qian Guan come to Liaodong to sell salt at the risk of beheading? Isn't it forced by this Kaizhong system? Why did the stove owners come back to cook salt at the risk of their lives before the Japanese pirates were destroyed, and there was no other benefit to drive them. In other words, it is beneficial to sell salt to the country and the people, but because of the shortcomings of the system, the people are unprofitable and forced to take risks. I plead for the people, and I must let my father understand that there are problems. It is impossible not to change it. As for the trouble you mentioned, I have not considered too much. Those who govern do not plead for the people, but only know how to protect themselves. This is not my way."

Sometimes Yang Rong couldn't see Zhu Zhi clearly. For example, at this time, Zhu Zhi seemed to be determined to violate the Kaizhong system formulated by Zhu Yuanzhang. Yang Rong really couldn't understand the prince's plan. He couldn't think of any benefit to Zhu Zhi with his autocratic and powerful skills. The only benefit was to win the hearts of the salt merchants and stoves, but what's the use of such a heart? The two were chatting like this. After half an hour, soldiers outside were spreading each other, and Qian Guan brought three people back.

Zhu Zhi smiled at Yang Rong: "Look, he keeps his promises. The people are always simple, but the system is not appropriate to force them to break the law. Is this the fault of the law or the fault of the people?"

Qian Guan came on the boat, and behind him was an old man with a white-haired man. Time had already drawn a deep mark on his face. His dark skin reminded Zhu Zhi of Luo Zhongli's famous work "Father". After the ceremony, Zhu Zhi asked the two to sit down and talk.

Zhu Zhi said to the old man who claimed to be Wei Haishan: "How old is he? How long have you been to Liaodong?"

Wei Haishan said: "The little people are fifty years old. They have been to Liaodong for ten years and are a chef under the Jinzhou Salt Field."

Zhu Zhi said: "I heard that Japanese pirates were harassed in March and the stove was gone? Why did the old man stay? "

Wei Haishan said: "Xiaomin is over fifty years old. What else can I do except know how to cook salt? Xiaomin hides when the Japanese pirates come, and the Japanese pirates come back when they leave."

Zhu Zhi said: "Where are the officials of the Salt Course Department? Are they back?"

Wei Haishan said: "No one is gone."

Zhu Zhi said: "Then do you sell the salt you cooked?"

Wei Haishan sighed and said, "In addition to leaving the salt for each stove, I will find a way to sell the others and find two money to support my family. Xiaomin knows that selling private salt is a serious crime, but how can I live without selling the family? Now Xiaomin brings two brothers who sell salt together to apologize to Your Highness."

Zhu Zhi said: "Where are they?"

Wei Haishan said: "They are waiting on the shore."

Zhu Zhi said: "Let them come up quickly."

After a while, two people walked into the cabin and knelt on the ground. One was a big man with a big beard; the other was a big man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Wei Haishan introduced: "This red man is Zhao Ju, and this black man is Ma Tu. Both of them had to follow Xiaomin to sell it. Please blame Xiaomin for all his sins and let them go."

The two men kowtowed and said, "Your Highness, we do the work together, and we must bear the guilt together."

Zhu Zhi smiled and said, "I didn't say I want to punish you, get up and talk first." The two of them dared not sit and stand behind Wei Haishan. It seemed that the old man was obviously the leader of the stove.

Zhu Zhi said again: "I know that everyone has their own difficulties. If it were not forcibly, no one would deliberately violate the laws of the court. Today, I will not hold anyone responsible. I just want to understand the disadvantages of the salt farm with you and discuss whether there can be a solution. Those who speak are not guilty, and everyone will speak freely."

Even though he said that, these common people did not dare to speak casually in front of Zhu Zhi, and were speechless for a moment. Zhu Zhi knew that they still had concerns in their hearts and asked, "Old Wei, how much does your Jinzhou Wei stove household earn in a year?"

Wei Haishan hurriedly bowed and said, "Don't dare to take it, and each stove household in Liaodong must pay 3,200 kilograms of salt a year according to regulations. In addition, we will cook about 5,000 kilograms more, of which 4,000 kilograms are purchased by the government at the official price, and the remaining 1,000 kilograms will be sold to some salt merchants who bring salt."

Zhu Zhi thought about his words, three thousand jin was about the price of ten jin. Before coming to Liaodong, Zhu Zhi knew from the Liaodong archives that there were about 3,000 people in Liaodong. In a year, Jinzhou Salt Farm could produce 9 million jin of salt. According to the current official price of 100 jin of salt, it was about one tael or two cents of silver, and only earned 10,000 taels of silver.

Zhu Zhi almost fell off his chair. This was the total output value of the entire Jinzhou salt farm. After deducting the salaries and labor expenses of officials, he could only give the court a net profit of less than 8,000 taels of silver every year. What about the expenses of the army stationed in this salt farm? This was clearly a loss-making deal.

No, there are four thousand jins among them that were acquired by the government. Why have you never seen this number in your account? Zhu Zhi asked: "Who is the person who came forward to the four thousand jins purchased by the government?"

Wei Haishan said: "It is Wu Lian, the deputy director of the Salt Course Department."

Zhu Zhi said: "Where is this person now? Did he say what the salt he collected does?"

Wei Haishan said: "Mr. Wu was killed when the Japanese pirates came in March. When he collected salt, he said it was a reward for the border. The specific common people dared not ask."

Zhu Zhi asked again: "Where is the same as the stern?"

Wei Haishan said: "I heard that the Yankeshi was killed by Lianwan, and almost no one was left."

Zhu Zhi skipped a beat and died? Why is it so coincidental that there is no one else?! There must be something tricky about it. 12 million kilograms of salt per year is at least three times the profit in the private salt channel. This money is a worthwhile amount for officials with a monthly salary of only a few taels of silver.

Zhu Zhi had already smelled the smell of corruption from this incident, but a small deputy had the courage to eat such a large amount of corruption?! There must be someone behind it. Could it be Ye Wang?! Zhu Zhi remembered that Ye Wang, who had eight bowls of pockmarked corpse all night. Could it be that such a general who had outstanding achievements in the border and generous personality was the mastermind behind the scenes?! This discovery surprised Zhu Zhi very much. He must withdraw the investigation to the end. If necessary, use the power of "Wujian" to prevent such a large amount of money from leaving.

Zhu Zhi said calmly, "As far as this is concerned, a stove is a little harder a year, but you can earn five taels of silver."

Wei Haishan looked unfair and said, "This is how the account is settled, but the money we collected is worth less than four taels of money. This is all hard-earned money. In addition to winter, we get up early and go to bed late every day, and we must always beware of Japanese pirates' invasion. Your Highness will clearly understand the difficulties."

Zhu Zhi said: "How many stoves do you have now?"

Wei Haishan said: "Everyone ran away last time, and now we have come back one after another for five or six hundred."

Zhu Zhi said: "Jinshan Salt Field must be rebuilt. Lao Wei, please help me gather people and send some people to get the separated stove back."

Wei Haishan said: "Your Highness, are you not going to punish us?"

Zhu Zhi laughed and said, "You are not at all serious. As for the salt sold privately, the court still collects taxes? In the future, there is still a long-term discussion on how to produce salt. Some of the previous practices need to be changed. Well, you three will go down first. Remember my instructions and people must gather together."

Wei Haishan and Zhao Jumatu originally tucked their heads on their belts to meet the King of Liao, but they didn't expect that the King of Liao not only did not punish him, but also assigned him an errand. He couldn't believe his ears, so he quickly knelt down and kowtowed, and was very grateful.

After the three of them got off the boat, Zhu Zhi and Qian Guan discussed the pros and cons of Kaizhong system. Qian Guan hated this Kaizhong system so much that he was so angry that he started to scold the officials to the complicated procedures. Zhu Zhi also used modern economic theories to inspire him from time to time, and Qian Guan even regarded the prince as his confidant.

In addition to giving officials the opportunity to seek rent, the opening-middle system also limits the activity of the economy to the greatest extent and makes the funds unable to operate flexibly. Zhu Zhibian talked with Qian Guan, and an idea of ​​reforming and opening-middle system gradually formed in his mind. He said: "If the inspection is changed to tax, will it make merchants less trouble? For example, let the salt induced distribution and inspection office merge, and after issuing the salt induced, directly go to the salt yard to raise the salt, and complete the inspection in the process; but in this process, a certain amount of tax is levied as the expenses for the court to provide authorization and handling of the dispute. Will this be better?"

In fact, Zhu Zhi's idea is very simple, which is similar to the way of returning to the public in later generations. Since the entire opening-up system cannot be changed, we can only think of ways to reduce some unnecessary links. Simplify the three procedures into one, reduce the chances of officials' embezzlement, and at the same time reduce unnecessary officials, and then solve the needs of officials by levying taxes.

Qian Guan thought about it and said, "In this way, it may be shortened by more than half a year. And if these taxes can exempt officials at all levels from exploitation, the salt merchants are willing to pay extra."

Zhu Zhi said: "This time you send the salt back with someone, and I will lend you the silver you owed to you and pay it back. You are very familiar with the matter of salt transportation, so why not stay in Liaodong for the time being and help me come up with ideas."

At this time, Qian Guan had the heart to hand over his life to the prince. He knelt on the ground and said, "Your Highness, your kindness will be forgotten in your life."

Zhu Zhi helped him up and said, "Get up, use your brain to help me think about your ideas."

Back at the camp, Zhu Zhi immediately ordered Yang Rongxiu to give a letter to the royal palace, which was still in Guangning, to give a clear explanation of the matter of the Liaodong Salt Course Department, and ordered him to immediately stop the work at hand and devote himself to the investigation of the matter. Considering the resistance that might be encountered in the investigation, Zhu Zhi specially left him a handwritten warrant and fifty Yulin Guard soldiers.
Chapter completed!