Just when Xie Sanbin was about to despair, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Since the 17th year of Chongzhen, the Ming emperor seemed to have become a different person. Not only was he vicious and cruel, but he also came up with some unexpected ideas from time to time.

I talked to him so much today. It was obvious that he had some thoughts in his mind, but was too embarrassed to say them directly.

After figuring this out, Xie Sanbin bowed deeply to Chongzhen and said, "I am stupid and don't have any good ideas for now! I have heard that Your Majesty is very wise, please give me some advice."

"There's nothing I can do about it." Chongzhen replied.

Eh? That's not right.

Xie Sanbin was greatly surprised.

If it had been before, Chongzhen would definitely have given him one or two methods to implement.

What happened today?

"Since Minister Xie has no good plan, let's go back and think about it slowly!" Chongzhen sighed.

Xie Sanbin was so sad that he could not even cry and could only say goodbye to Chongzhen.

On the way out of the palace, looking at Wang Chengen who was by his side, Xie Sanbin finally realized that the answer had always been beside him.

He hurriedly took two steps to catch up with Wang Chengen and asked in a low voice: "Eunuch Wang, is His Majesty considering abolishing the salt law?"

"Your Majesty?" Wang Chengen glanced at Xie Sanbin.

"What a mistake," Xie Sanbin changed the subject, "Is the court considering abolishing the salt monopoly law?"

"The direction is right, but the answer is wrong." Wang Chengen reminded in a low voice.

Right direction, wrong answer?

Xie Sanbin continued to guess: "Salt inspections can indeed improve salt taxes and salt policies in the short term, but if the salt tax system is not abolished, things will return to the old way over time."

“Hahaha,” Wang Chengen laughed, “I don’t understand the affairs of the court. Minister Xie, you can figure it out slowly.”

"Don't worry," Xie Sanbin took out a banknote from his sleeve and stuffed it into Wang Chengen's pocket: "Eunuch Wang, please help me."

Wang Chengen glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw that the amount of the silver note was fifty taels.

Not too much, not too little.

Wang Chengen quietly put away the banknotes and said calmly, "I personally think that the salt law is also a national policy. One move can affect the whole body! At this time, Liaodong is at war, and the currency reform in Jiangnan is also underway. It would not be wise to abolish the national policy at this time. So it can only be changed, not abolished."

"How do you change it?"

"Your Majesty loves the people like his own children. Please make changes to make salt cheaper. As for the rest, please let Minister Xie figure it out on his own."

At this time, the two of them had already arrived near the palace gate. Wang Chengen stopped and smiled: "Thank you, Minister. Walk slowly."

Xie Sanbin had no choice but to leave with a head full of questions.

Wang Chengen returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to report to Chongzhen. He took out the banknote and said to Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, I have said everything I should say to Xie Sanbin. This is the fifty taels of silver he gave me. According to the 4:6 split, Your Majesty should give me twenty taels of silver."

Chongzhen looked at the banknotes and shook his head: "Take them all. From now on, no matter who gives you money, you don't have to split the bill with me."

Wang Chengen looked up in surprise, "Your Majesty..."

"I am not short of money now, so you should save up some money for your retirement."

Wang Chengen's eyes moistened: "This servant will obey the emperor's order."

After Wang Chengen calmed down, Chongzhen asked, "Xie Sanbin is a smart man, he should understand what I mean, right?"

"It would be too much trouble for him to guess. Why doesn't the emperor just tell him the solution?"

"Some things are better left unsaid than said too much," Chongzhen said worriedly.

The apparent purpose of adjusting the Salt Monopoly Law was to increase salt tax revenue and rectify the administration of the transport department.

In reality, it was bleeding the gentry in Jiangnan.

Xie Sanbin was a member of the Donglin Party and a representative of the gentry class.

It is almost impossible to ask him to bleed the interest groups behind him.

So this matter cannot be explained too clearly and can only be done in a vague way.

When Xie Sanbin is forced into a corner, he will lose his composure and do things that protect his own interests and betray the interests of the gang.

Chongzhen was waiting for this opportunity to come.

Chongzhen had already planned to reform the salt tax.

Before the implementation of the Salt Monopoly Law, the entire salt industry was firmly controlled by the imperial court.

This is both a right and a wealth, immeasurable wealth.

Everything changed after the implementation of the Salt Law.

Although the court's salt tax revenue increased, the consequences were very serious.

The salt distribution system allowed merchants to connect directly with the salt farmers.

In order to make more money, the cooks will cooperate with the merchants to increase or reduce production.

So the merchants took control of the means of production.

The Salt Law stipulated that merchants had to transport salt themselves.

Merchants used this to gain control of trade routes and gradually gained control of trade channels.

The Salt Law allowed merchants to set their own salt prices.

This regulation indirectly allowed merchants to plunder the wealth of the people.

Merchants are just the shadow of the gentry class, and it is the gentry class that is behind the scenes.

Through the Salt Monopoly Law, they successfully transformed national wealth into private property.

The end result was that the interests of the court and the people were harmed, while the gentry class made a fortune.

This cannot be blamed on the gentry class being bad.

This kind of class has existed in every dynasty.

The clans of the pre-Qin period, the princes of the Qin and Han dynasties, the aristocratic families of the Wei and Tang dynasties, and the gentry class of the Song and Ming dynasties all had the same dream: to work for the emperor while finding a way to turn national wealth into private property.

They fight for this dream all their lives...

Chongzhen is a time traveler.

He always stood on the side of the people and would not allow the gentry class of the Ming Dynasty to do so.

The previous mining has already fired the first shot for the people to resist the gentry, and the subsequent salt law reform will be another shot.

Even if we can't hurt them, we have to make the gentry feel scared.

In order to start the shooting earlier, Chongzhen sent people to pressure Xie Sanbin every day, asking him to come up with a way to improve the salt system as soon as possible.

Xie Sanbin was already under a lot of pressure as the Minister of Revenue, and the pressure from the salt inspection in Jiangnan and the currency reform was also not small.

Now Chongzhen was urging him to come up with a way to improve the salt system.

Under heavy pressure, Xie Sanbin fell ill.

When the doctor was examining him, Xie Sanbin suddenly asked, "Doctor, do you think the price of salt outside is expensive?"

The doctor sighed, and although he didn't say anything, he expressed his thoughts.

Xie Sanbin continued to ask: "What do you think can be done to lower the price of salt?"

"Sir," the doctor put down Xie Sanbin's wrist, "I thought that the price of salt would be lower only if more people sold salt."