"Lao Cheng, Xiao Qin, last night I discussed with His Majesty the Emperor to open a salt bureau in Datang. All salt produced in the future will be sold by my salt bureau."
"The government is only responsible for daily mining and development."
Zhao Chen's second news really shocked Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu.
Zhao Chen wants to open a salt bureau?
This is competing for business with the imperial court.
Do you want the government to help collect salt, and Zhao Chen's own salt bureau is responsible for sales?
Let the imperial court help Zhao Chen work?
Is this crazy?
"His Majesty the Emperor agreed?" Cheng Chumo asked cautiously.
He almost didn't ask, was the emperor's brain okay?
Qin Huaiyu didn't dare to speak, his eyes were full of inexplicable colors.
"Isn't this for his own good? Why did he refuse?" Zhao Chen said casually.
The existence of the Salt Bureau can make salt prices more market-oriented.
This will prevent people in some places from being unable to afford salt.
The salt priced uniformly by the Salt Bureau is independent of the government and will not be controlled by the government.
For the sake of the emperor?
This is probably to kill the emperor, right?
However, the two of them just thought about it in their hearts.
It took great courage for the emperor to agree to Zhao Chen's conditions.
"Zhao Chen, I remember that a few months ago, His Majesty wanted to establish a Salt and Iron Department. However, His Majesty later said that he was worried that the salt and iron monopoly would greatly harm the interests of the people, so the matter was shelved."
"The establishment of your Salt Bureau is no different from that of the Salt and Iron Department, right?" Qin Huaiyu asked again.
…
"Your Majesty wants to establish a salt bureau so that it is independent of the court and not subject to the jurisdiction of the court?"
"How can this be done?"
"The Salt and Iron Bureau has its roots in history. His Majesty previously shelved the Salt and Iron Bureau, but now he has established the Salt Bureau and made it independent of the imperial court. What does this mean?"
"The price of salt, which is completely determined by the needs of the people, will be even more difficult to control. Your Majesty, please think twice!"
After the court meeting, Li Shimin called Fang Xuanling and other officials to Ganquan Hall to discuss matters.
After telling everyone about the establishment of the Salt Bureau, everyone immediately opposed it.
The establishment of the Salt Bureau came as a great surprise to all officials.
An institution independent of the imperial court was still in charge of the Tang Dynasty's money bag?
If something happens and they need money urgently, what will they do?
This clearly puts the fate of the entire imperial court on this so-called Salt Bureau.
"This salt bureau only sells prices independently. All its consumption and profit accounts must be submitted to the Ministry of Household Affairs for review. It is not completely independent from the imperial court." Li Shimin explained.
He thought Zhao Chen's suggestion was very good.
As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin naturally hoped that the Tang Dynasty would be strong and the people prosperous.
And if the basic living needs of the people cannot be met, how can the people become rich?
Salt is an indispensable thing in anyone's daily life.
Nowadays, not every household can use Shangguan salt.
But Li Shimin believed that Zhao Chen had a way to produce a large amount of new official salt.
In this way, people's lives will naturally be guaranteed!
"Your Majesty, the Tang Dynasty produces a huge amount of official salt every year. It cannot fully meet the needs of all the people of the Tang Dynasty. This is inevitable. Even if there is a salt bureau, the price of salt cannot fall."
"So, there is really no need for the existence of this salt bureau." Fang Xuanling handed over his hand and explained to Li Shimin.
Fang Xuanling didn't know what kind of stimulation His Majesty the Emperor received.
It was previously said that the matter of the Salt and Iron Department would be put on hold, but now it is actually necessary to establish a Salt Bureau.
It’s really one idea a day.
Fang Xuanling was polite, but Wei Zheng was not so calm.
He did not agree with this method of benefiting the people but actually competing for profits with the people. He immediately took a step forward and said to Li Shimin: "The salt bureau was established in the name of benefiting the people, but actually competing for profits with the people. If your Majesty,
If you do this, you will be infamy for all eternity, and people and gods will be angry in heaven and on earth."
Wei Zheng's words pierced Li Shimin's heart like a knife.
Don’t you just want to set up a salt bureau?
Before you have even finished saying this, you, Wei Zheng, come up and say that you are competing with the people for profit, and you still want to be notorious? Are humans and gods alike angry?
You, Wei Zheng, are so capable, why don't you solve the problem of people not having enough salt?
Are you just talking nonsense here?
Li Shimin was angry and looked ugly.
"Wei Zheng, why are you so impatient before I have finished speaking?" Li Shimin suppressed the anger in his heart and said one sentence at a time.
"I don't want to see the people of the world being persecuted by this so-called Salt Bureau. I don't want to see Your Majesty being deceived by thieves. I don't want to see our country, the Tang Dynasty, be destroyed by this so-called Salt Bureau."
"If your Majesty is angry, just kill me. I, Wei Zheng, will die without regrets!" Wei Zheng said with cupped hands.
His expression remained unchanged, even vaguely proud.
This really made Li Shimin angry.
Then they saw him slap the table hard, and everyone was startled.
Secretly, he secretly thought that today was the day when Wei Zheng, a fool like him, was going to die.
Unexpectedly, the emperor did not let anyone take Wei Zheng down. Instead, he showed a sneer on his face and said: "I have decided to set up a salt bureau. It is useless for anyone to say anything."
"Furthermore, I can tell you that someone has developed a new type of salt. The output of Shangguan salt in the future will definitely be a terrifying figure. Soon, everyone in the Tang Dynasty will be able to eat Shangguan salt."
…
"Are you telling the truth?" Qin Huaiyu looked at Zhao Chen with shock in his eyes.
He didn't expect that what Zhao Chen meant by setting up a salt bureau was this.
Stabilize salt prices and ensure supply.
This does not give any room for selfishness to survive.
Leaving the salt price to the entire market also prevents the government from playing another role in it.
With the establishment of the Salt Bureau, the government will be completely reduced to a salt mining machine.
"Of course it's true." Zhao Chen nodded and smiled.
The Salt Bureau was established, and he and the emperor divided the accounts.
The annual profits of the tens of millions of people in the Tang Dynasty were definitely not a small amount.
And Zhao Chen also has other industries.
In just a few years, Zhao Chen's wealth will be a terrifying figure.
This brings us closer to Zhao Chen's rich life!
"Everything you just said must be based on the premise that you can make salt. If you can't make salt..."
"So can you make fine salt that is better than official salt?" Qin Huaiyu asked.
"I want to know too!" Before Zhao Chen could speak, he saw Li Shimin walking into the courtyard, followed by Fang Xuanling and several other officials.
Everyone's face was full of surprise.
Obviously, they learned something about Zhao Chen's salt production from the emperor.
"Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor!" Cheng Chumo and Qin Huaiyu shouted, cupping their hands.
Zhao Chen cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Why don't you all make a bet with Zhao Chen?"
"Wei Zheng, are you going to make a bet with Zhao Chen?" Li Shimin and Wei Zheng shouted.
This guy just scolded himself like that. After he knew that Zhao Chen was responsible for the salt bureau, he immediately shrank back and said nothing.
He behaves as if he, Li Shimin, is less reliable than Zhao Chen.
Doesn't this make Li Shimin so angry?
Naturally, I wanted to say something to Wei Zheng at this moment.?