Chapter 1162 Scolding

After nightfall, the West Hall of Zhongshu was brightly lit.

The officials held tea and food to Zhang Yue, Xue Xiang, Cai Jing and others.

However, these people were in a bad mood, either closing their eyes to ponder or flipping through official documents.

After learning that the salt-removing salt pond was flooded, several people stayed overnight and discussed countermeasures overnight, but there was no good solution yet.

The officials brought the cold tea and changed it to some food.

Zhang Yue said to Xue Xiang and Cai Jing: "Don't rush, eat something to make your stomach first. If you eat enough, you may have more ideas."

Xue Xiang and Cai Jing said yes, so they each started eating.

Zhang Yue saw that the two of them had almost finished eating and said, "I have thought about the countermeasures for half a day. Let's talk about any plan first. Don't hide it, everyone will focus on their ideas."

Xue Xiang picked up another piece of mung bean cake and chewed it in his mouth, then said vaguely: "A family of ten people eat salt; a family of hundreds of people eat salt."

"Salt matter is the most important thing in the world. This is also the origin of Fan Xiang's establishment of the Capital Salt Court and the Prime Minister's establishment of the Exchange Office. Now, in my opinion, the salt pond in Jiezhou has been flooded, resulting in no salt removal in the next year."

"One harm is that there is less salt, and the other harm is that the anchor of salt is gone. Our salt banknotes are issued because of the salt. Now there is money but no salt. What should we do? In my opinion, isn't we now discussing peace with Dangxiang? We can use Dangxiang to discuss it to remedy the deficiencies of salt."

That’s right, Dangxiang’s specialty is green salt, which is five cents per pound of green salt. It is sold to Dasong in private for fifteen cents per pound.

In the past, one pound of salt was thirty-five to forty cents a year.

At first, Du Salt Court stopped purchasing salt bills when the salt price was less than 35 cents per kilogram, and sold salt bills when the salt price was more than 40 cents.

Five cents per pound, and one is forty cents per pound. To be honest, the people of the Song Dynasty lived far worse than those of the Dangxiang people.

Zhang Yue said: "Yes, green salt is the advantage of several states in Dangxiang, which seems to be able to solve the urgent problem. However, this dynasty and Dangxiang are in a difficult situation, so how could they not use the price of the salt pond in Jiezhou that was flooded and started."

The most important thing is that Zhang Yue is unwilling to buy a large amount of green salt to nourish Dangxiang's national strength.

Xue Xiang said: "Prime Minister, the worst result is to immediately sell all the salt and salt held by the court on the market without the public's knowledge."

Zhang Yue was slightly moved when he heard this. Just as Jiaozi depreciated last time, it was also a way to deal with all the salt banknotes in his hand. When the salt banknotes fell to the bottom, they then purchased them to stabilize the currency value.

Zhang Yue thought to himself, what if the merchants and people who bought salt bills like this? They used the common people as leeks to cut them.

Come and go, this is back to the path of suffering and suffering people.

Xue Xiang said: "Prime Minister, if you don't use green salt, there is no other way. In the third year of Yuanfeng, the court expected that the salt course income would be 15 million guan (the real data in history was 13 million guan. This article should add the income from Zhangyue's reform of salt banknotes), of which the salt banknotes and salt banknotes would be 500 guan."

"It's not about the millions of salt banknotes circulating on the market. Once this money is gone, no one in the court can take on this responsibility!"

Zhang Yue knew that what Xue Xiang said was true, and he felt that he was also very slapped in the face. The policy he had just proposed in front of the emperor was slapped in the face.

Having said that, whoever wants to suffer the people will have the best of both worlds.

But what can you do if you are in this position? Losing the reputation of the court's salt banknotes and currency, and doing their best to protect the interests of the people, no official would do this.

Or import Dangxiang green salt. Isn’t this using the money from the Song Dynasty to buy soldiers, armor, money and food for Dangxiang?

Zhang Yue looked at Cai Jing and said, "What are the great ideas of Yuan Chang?"

Cai Jing said: "According to Xiaguan's opinion, there are salt accumulations everywhere. As long as this part of the salt accumulation is used, it can make up for the lack of salt removal."

Zhang Yue looked at Cai Jing and said, "It seems that Yuan Chang has a countermeasure."

Cai Jing said: "The officials have some simple opinions."

"To be careful."

Cai Jing said: "There are two strategies for officials in the lower level."

"The best strategy is to sell sea salt in the west. Nowadays, Henan, Hebei, Cao, Pu, and Qinfeng all eat salt in the east. Shu eats well salt in the middle, Hedong eats earth salt, and the rest are sea salt. Jingdong and Hebei's last salt, when passengers are transported to the west or west of Jingxi, the official money is only 6,000 yuan per bag, and the cost of salt bags is less than 1,000 yuan. The court profits from it for two million yuan a year. It is better to sell it in Shaanxi. The journey will double, and the profit will also double."

"The court can issue new banknotes to replace old banknotes for salt removal, so that merchants must discount or dismantle goods, and then exchange old banknotes for new banknotes. Gradually abolish old banknotes and then exchange them for new banknotes."

After listening to Cai Jing's suggestion, Zhang Yue fell into deep thought, and Xue Xiang patted his legs and said, "Yuan Changzhen is a genius."

Zhang Yue glanced at Xue Xiang and agreed: "This method of Yuan Chang is indeed a good one."

Zhang Yue vaguely remembered that Cai Jing used this method in history to restore the reputation of salt banknotes.

But the problem is that new banknotes are abolished and replaced with new banknotes. Many merchants who had previously purchased salt banknotes were trapped by the court and were forced to spend a lot of money to buy new banknotes, otherwise the old banknotes would become waste paper.

It was precisely because of the collapse of the credit of the imperial court that caused countless wealthy families to lose their fortunes and return to poverty overnight. Cai Jing reformed the salt law, which was extremely effective in the early stage, but later the orders were changed every day, without a certain system.

In the end, the people were scattered.

Zhang Yue asked Cai Jing: "Isn't it a loss of the reputation of the court if the court wants to exchange new banknotes for old banknotes? If the court wants to exchange new banknotes in the future, will the merchant still have to use old banknotes to exchange new banknotes for new banknotes?"

Cai Jing said: "Yes...yes... the court's five million deficit must be borne by someone. The bad is the lightest among merchants. The two evils are the least. Besides, it is just some merchants, and there are still another batch. As long as the salt banknotes are profitable, the court's money is not afraid of no merchants to earn. Some people come to grab it."

Zhang Yue shook his head and said, "The court has ruined its credibility for a while, but for a lifetime!"

"Prime Minister!" Cai Jing wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Zhang Yue. He said to Cai Jing: "Chief Yuan, please raise your head and see what is written on the plaque in this hall?"

Cai Jin raised his head, but saw that the words "Ministry" were written on the plaque.

Zhang Yue said sternly to Cai Jing: "Do you tell me these words for outsiders or for yourself? On the first day I just hung up, you encouraged me to smash my sign? Are you deliberately making me unable to get off the stage, so embarrassing me?"

Cai Jing bowed his head and said, "It's Jing's, it's not."

Zhang Yue said: "I value you very much, but there is a saying that I have to say to you first, 'Don't use small wisdom and wisdom to conquer the people. To govern the world, loyalty, righteousness, benevolence and filial piety should be used as the foundation of the scriptures'."

"Don't be smarter but you're mistaken for your intelligence. Otherwise, if something happens in the future, no one will be able to protect you."

Cai Jing was scolded by Zhang Yue's words and was sweating profusely, and immediately said: "It's the Prime Minister. Jing remembers what the Prime Minister said today and will never forget it forever."

Xue Xiang watched from the side and smiled without saying a word, then looked up at the sign with the word "Ministry" written on it.

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Okay, tell me your worst plan!"
Chapter completed!