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Text Chapter 592 The Sword Points at the Netherlands

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    Time flies very fast, entering the sixth year of Chongzhen. In the past year or so, in addition to the bandits who are still making trouble, the most amazing thing for the people of Ming Dynasty is that the price of salt, which has always been high, has dropped like an avalanche.  ¡ü, Ordinary farmers work a lot and sweat like running water, so they naturally eat a lot of salt. On average, a person needs ten kilograms of salt a year, which costs about one or two silver.  An ordinary person, after farming for a year, will not have even one tael of silver left after deducting various taxes, land rent, and food rations.  So what should we do? We have to eat salt. If we don't eat salt, we won't have the energy to work. So we can only think about the rations. When we work, we eat something dry, and when we don't work, we eat thin food.  Digging wild vegetables, fishing, collecting wild fruits and mushrooms, in short, everything that can be eaten is not missed.  The big foodie empire was actually forced into existence, and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.  Just like in the Han, Tang, and even Song Dynasties, common people ate beef and mutton. As for pigs, because they grew in pickled muddy water, only the lowly people ate them.  Nowadays, more and more people are eating pigs, and they are trying their best to use various seasonings to remove the odor, and invent new ways to eat them, using all the offal, pig's trotters, pig's lungs, and pig's brain Fortunately, since salt  Since the political reform, everyone has been surprised to find that their difficult days have become much easier.  When the Salt Law was first reformed, the price of salt was once pushed up to four cents of silver per pound, and there was even no market for it.  The people in southern Zhili privately cursed Zhang Ke and the Yizhou soldiers. Gentlemen and bureaucrats from various places also wrote petitions demanding the repeal of the new law.  But in the next two months, scenes like this could be seen in every county. Hundreds of box trucks, carrying bags of salt, rushed into the city under the protection of soldiers.  Every time there is a disaster, the court will release grain, but now it is releasing salt.  White as snow, without a trace of impurities of salt.  Twenty or thirty cents per catty is several times cheaper than those of salt merchants.  The people couldn't believe their eyes. Some people had the courage to buy a pound. After calculating the account, they were holding the salt in their hands in a daze.  "Why don't you leave?" "Master, this is the end of it?" "Nonsense, why don't you ask me to give you something?" Another soldier next to him smiled and said: "You are the first one, so just give me something.  Let's do it." He picked up the shovel and shoveled it for a while.  Almost half a catty was poured into this person's bag.  The guy¡¯s eyes widened. He suddenly grabbed a handful of salt and stuffed it into his mouth.  "Be careful!" Ahem, before he finished speaking, he vomited and burst into tears, but he exclaimed in surprise: "It's table salt, it's really table salt!" He quickly ran home.  Just crazy with joy.  Seeing his virtue, other people not only did not laugh at him, but also understood it very well. Sure enough, there was cheap and good salt.  Everyone joined in the rush to buy.  I didn't have enough money with me, and it was too slow to get home, so I had to borrow money from people I met.  As a result, the other party heard that they were buying salt and stopped doing it.  His money also needs to buy salt!  In this way, almost dumping methods completely destroyed the power of the original salt merchants.  People will no longer buy their low-quality and high-priced salt.  After the urban market was lost, salt merchants also tried to keep the rural market. They colluded with powerful country gentry from all over the country and wanted their help to prevent Changlu's salt from entering.  Who knows that the road is as high as the devil, so Zhang Ke directly issued an order to allow rural and remote mountainous areas to apply for the qualifications of sales agents.  As long as you pay between fifty taels and one hundred taels of silver, you can open a salt sales point in the countryside, and you are allowed to increase the price by up to 10%.  "Don't look at it as just 10%. If you can buy several thousand kilograms, or even tens of thousands of kilograms, you can get your money back in one or two years. The rest is making money, and you can also get into the market. Only fools wouldn't do it!  The bottom quickly defected, completely forcing the salt merchants to the top.  Some daring ones simply colluded, bribed criminal thieves, and attacked caravans transporting salt.  However, they made a wrong calculation, not to mention that most of the salt transporters were trained soldiers, which they could not defeat at all.  Even if by chance the salt merchants have an advantage, they will lose because of nothing but the people's support!  When the people heard that the salt delivery team was coming, young people from all over the country gathered together, got wooden sticks and farm tools, and surrounded them, acting as bodyguards.  Without the help of soldiers, they alone could make those salt merchants run away with their heads in their arms.  In this way, for more than a year, the price of salt was like the water of the Yellow River, from heaven to earth.  In the sixth year of Chongzhen, the average price of basic salt in Liaodong, Shandong, and Southern Zhili under Zhang Ke's control, including Hangzhou and other places, had reached 30 ren, and the cities near the sea were around 20 ren.?It¡¯s a little more expensive in remote places, but the most expensive one won¡¯t exceed 50 yuan.  Because of free supply, if the price of salt is too high in some places, someone will take the initiative to sell it and keep the price down.  This is the so-called invisible hand that controls the market.  Zhang Ke¡¯s actions not only applauded the common people who had benefited from the benefits, but also deeply shocked the official circles. The intensity was even greater than that of the liberation of Liaodong.  It is not difficult to understand the truth. After all, the Jiannu were transformed barbarians, and defeating them was nothing more than a strong military.  You can conquer the world on a horse, but you cannot rule the world on a horse.  And Zhang Ke¡¯s actions shattered this myth!  The salt policy was not only a shortcoming of the Ming Dynasty, but also accumulated countless shortcomings since the Han Dynasty when the salt and iron monopoly system was established.  The imperial court nominally has the power to monopolize salt, but those who really control the salt are a group of salt merchants. They rely on layer-by-layer management, bribe all the officials, and then enjoy the profits.  And all the consequences must be borne by the common people. After working hard for a whole year, they don't wear new clothes, buy oil, buy tea, or eat meat, but they can't live without salt!  But even this requirement is not met.  Thousands of years of accumulation have made almost everyone, including the emperor, have no confidence in completely reforming the salt policy. All they can do is tinker with it, and even cater to those greedy salt merchants.  One day, a force suddenly appeared, breaking open the old-fashioned and stubborn chain of interests with unprecedented strength.  Use the simplest method to sweep all ugly parasitic groups into the garbage heap.  Simple, rough, clean and thorough!  Start from here.  Merchants can operate freely, and ordinary people can buy and sell freely. Salt is no longer a special commodity. Although there are still some access restrictions, the people of the world, and even most businessmen, are all applauded.  In today's world, I am afraid that the only soldiers who are not afraid of the common people are the officers and soldiers who transport salt, and they also sincerely support them.  Wherever you go.  Some people brought tea, and some brought eggs, which was just like the treatment of a victorious army.  " Salt alone is so loved by the people, which shows that their requirements for the rulers are low.  News from all over the world continued to come to Zhang Ke, which made him feel not proud, but rather terrified and ashamed.  When he learned that some people took the initiative to protect the convoy transporting salt, Zhang Ke even thought of another scenario.  Hundreds of wheelbarrows push dry food and pork.  Military uniforms and artillery shells traveled dozens or hundreds of miles.  Completely drive out a decadent dynasty.  He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world!  In comparison, what I have done is far from enough. In fact, I can use more powerful force to promote change, instead of being like a little girl with little feet.  Hesitant to move forward.  "Call Qiao Fu to continue raiding illegal salt dealers, and divide all the land received equally among the people who have no land. Resettlement of refugees." Since Zhang Yuzhen served as Zhang Ke's clerk, she has been helping draft documents and organize reports.  The little girl was already very smart. When she heard Zhang Ke's words, her face turned pale and she didn't dare to write any more.  "My lord, do you want to declare war on the gentry?" Zhang Ke really had this idea, but he still knew that the time was not ripe. He shook his head and smiled and said: "It's just a temporary allocation. The salt merchants have a rich background and accumulated countless fields. According to  According to Qiao Fu's statistics, it can almost settle millions of people. "What's next?" Zhang Yuzhen bit her lip, her smart eyes shining with wisdom, and said, "Your Majesty, if you do this, you will definitely do it."  Let the gentry be afraid and even unite against you. " "Do you think this king should not divide it?" "No, you should divide it thoroughly. There are only one million people in Jiangnan, and how many idlers there are in the Central Plains.  Refugees. When they hear that there is land, they will all flock in. If they are not fully prepared, what is the point of dividing the land? It will only cause a lot of trouble, so it is better not to do it. " Faced with the doubt, Zhang Ke was not angry, but also deeply felt.  Take it for granted.  "Sure enough, I was planning to do it all at once, but now I have other choices. I still have room for maneuver." Zhang Yuzhen blinked her eyes and asked stupidly: "Your Majesty, can you?  Change the land, or lose the people?" Although the little girl is smart, she doesn't know much about the situation overseas.  ??The most we know is that Zhang Ke seized an island in the Japanese country, but it is said that it is also a poor place and cannot accommodate many immigrants. As for Ryukyu, it is even smaller and pitiful. Even if you think hard, you can't think of a place that can accommodate millions of immigrants.  Looking at the little girl¡¯s sad face, Zhang Ke said confidently: ¡°Just wait and see, there will be two soon.¡±A land as large as southern Zhili will fall into the hands of this king.  He also told the girl that the fertile land and abundant products in these two places are even higher than those in the south of the Yangtze River.  ¡± ¡­ Since the opening of Songjiang to the sea, a county town has quickly sprung up around the location of the Shipping Company, and that is Shanghai. This city has been a miracle from the first moment it appeared! As if blowing up a balloon, every day  In the process of expansion, new neighborhoods are constantly being built, and immigrants are constantly pouring in. Not only domestic provinces, but also foreign businessmen have gathered tens of thousands of people on the streets, and people of all races are crowded here.  Looking for wealth on the land, realizing dreams. Two years ago, according to Zhang Ke's instruction, Deng Wentong established the Huaxia Branch, which is the central bank. From that moment on, all the money used by the various yamen armies must be deposited in special banks.  Accounts, every movement cannot escape supervision, and the Du branch has the exclusive power to issue silver coins and bank notes. From the moment of its establishment, the Du branch has completely become the center of financial transactions, and the complicated financial market has finally emerged.  Unified rules. The most feared thing in business transactions is uncertainty. The value of gold, silver, copper coins, and silver dollars keeps fluctuating. If you make a slight mistake, it may turn from making money to losing money. This is especially true after having a branch.  , there is no need to worry about anything, the gold and silver from outside are sent to the Chengdu branch, and the bills are issued by the Du branch. You can trade wherever you go. Because of this, more and more foreign businessmen are settling in, and financial services are also available.  After stabilization, it also prompted businessmen to focus on long-term investment. Not only would it be very tiring to just rely on trafficking, but they would also run out of goods and simply build their own workshops to produce their favorite porcelain and silk according to the requirements of foreign businessmen.  They produce tea according to their taste. Songjiang has quickly risen from a trade center to a financial center and a production center. A large number of goods are shipped in and out every day. From the docks to the factories and workshops, a large number of industrial workers appear, and the output of the workshops is geometric.  The increase in levels has greatly increased the demand for merchant ships. There are more than a dozen shipyards in Songjiang Prefecture alone, and a large number of ships are being produced day and night, even if they are just merchant ships at sea.  , but they are all armed, which is also a common practice in the world. The so-called Age of Navigation is actually the Age of Piracy. Every ship sailing on the sea has to go through the process of being robbed and robbed, and the law of the jungle also applies to Jiangnan Shipyard.  The ships are generally less than 1,000 tons, have four masts, use a lower bow, and a slender hull, which is easy to travel through the waves, have good seaworthiness, and can carry more cargo.  Every merchant ship will be equipped with thirty or forty artillery pieces. When encountering ordinary pirates, they will be directly bombarded to the bottom of the sea without giving them a chance to get close. Ming Ruxin stood on the shore and looked up. Within a month, there were more than a dozen ships.  , the city is launched, and it is definitely a dumpling. Since the seizure of Kyushu Island, the Lushun Shipyard has the strongest accumulation, and the Tianjin Shipyard is personally supervised by Zhang Ke.  , various types of warships and supply ships were built.  As for Jiangnan, merchant capital was allowed to enter and build merchant ships.  Of course, as long as necessary, merchant ships can be quickly transformed into warships, and even merchants and sailors can be transformed into navies.  Looking around, there are countless ships covering the sky and the sun.  Deng Wentong accompanied Ming Ruxin on the inspection tour. He sighed and said with a smile: "In more than a year, Yongzhen invested 80% of the silver confiscated from the salt merchant family into the navy. Not only these ships, but also recruited 50,000 people from Fujian and Zhejiang.  There are many sailors and soldiers, and they have established an artillery factory in Songjiang, and they have stored up countless supplies of food and grass." Deng Wentong talked about his treasures, and sweat gradually broke out on Ming Ruxin's forehead.  If all this money is spent on the army to expand the army by 20 to 300,000 people, it will be like playing games, but now it will all fall on the navy. This is trust and pressure!  "Master Deng, please tell the prince that you are here to humiliate yourself. You will not destroy the red-haired barbarians or take Luzon Island, and you will never withdraw your troops!" Ming Ruxin said loudly.  (To be continued)
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