Chapter 139. Marx was right. ...
In ancient times, salt was money.
Otherwise, why would Emperor Wu of Han have allowed Sang Hongyang to run state-run salt and iron monopolies to amass wealth? Otherwise, why would the Western Xia have regarded salt factories as the pillar of the nation? Otherwise, why have salt smugglers throughout history always been portrayed as incredibly wealthy yet on the verge of execution?
Pure white salt is enough to silence any dissent in the court. It is even more precious than silver, which is of the same color. Without silver, humanity would at most lose a precious metal currency. But without salt, people would truly fall ill and even die.
The official asked the soldiers transporting supplies, "How much salt did you bring back in total?"
The soldier's face beamed with pride: "When we counted the cargo on the way back, it was 760 tons. Some was lost along the way, so there were still 750 tons left when we arrived in Bianjing."
750 tons of salt! What a concept!
An adult consumes six grams of salt per day. In ancient times, people didn't have such resources; let's assume four grams per day. For the hundreds of thousands of people in Bianjing (Kaifeng), this would mean consuming over three tons of salt daily. In other words, the salt transported back would be enough to feed everyone in Bianjing for more than half a year.
Moreover, the salt the Crown Prince brought back was bluish-white salt produced in Western Xia, not the inferior salt from Jie. Bluish-white salt has fewer impurities, higher purity, and a higher price! If converted into equivalent currency... it could not only cover the Crown Prince's military expenses, but even exceed them.
This isn't over yet.
"This is only part of what His Highness transported; the other part was sent to various counties in Yunzhou and to General Di. When we set off, His Highness was still at the salt mine. It is said that he has come up with a way to further improve the quality of the Qingbai salt."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the court officials, while the Emperor's face beamed with pride. A smirk played on his lips: "This child, how come he causes trouble wherever he goes?"
Anyone could hear the obvious boastfulness in his voice. But no one dared to call him out. First, the man was an official, someone they couldn't afford to offend. Second, if you had such a successful son, could you resist showing off?
The official only said a few words before stopping. He waved his sleeve and said, "All this refined salt shall be put into the national treasury. Where are the three commissioners? Remember to count it carefully. When distributing it, remember to reduce the price by two percent when selling it to the people, so that they can share in the joy of the restoration of the country and also remember Su'er's kindness."
Fu Bi stepped forward and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."
——
Su Zhen pushed open the door and leaned against it. She saw her servants carrying heavy-looking sacks, struggling to lift them inside. Wanting to lend a hand, she asked curiously, "What are you carrying?"
“Reporting to Miss, it’s salt.” The servants stepped aside to avoid her helping hands. But to satisfy their mistress’s curiosity, they put the sack on the ground and untied the bag: “The government-run salt warehouses are having a huge sale, and the lines are crazy. We managed to snatch this much.”
"Salt? Price drop?" Su Zhen was even more curious. She looked into the sack and saw a piece of crystal-clear white, like winter snow, clearly of excellent quality: "Is someone having a birthday celebration soon?"
Otherwise, why would they suddenly lower the price?
"It's not someone's birthday celebration, it's His Highness the Crown Prince!" The servant's eyes lit up. "His Highness the Crown Prince conquered Western Xia, and these salts are all transported from Western Xia's salt mines. They're all ready-made! So they're much cheaper than usual, and the quality is good too. Everyone's rushing to stock up!"
Upon hearing the words "Your Highness the Crown Prince," Su Zhen felt a sense of relief, her curiosity instantly satisfied. She recalled the young yet resourceful figure from her memory, and the brand-new spinning machine in the room, and felt a moment of reverie.
"Ah, this salt is so good. We never used to be able to afford such beautiful salt. We always..."
Su Zhen snapped out of his daze: "What?"
"Don't talk nonsense in front of Miss... It's nothing! This guy is talking nonsense, Miss, you don't need to pay him any attention!"
As if trying to cover something up, the two continued to huff and puff as they carried the sacks. Su Zhen was left alone, filled with suspicion.
Actually, it's nothing much. It's just that poor people in ancient times, who couldn't afford or even buy salt, discovered a special method to maintain their vital signs. They found that human urine contained a lot of salt, so they would search for salt crystals that had precipitated near latrines... It's a kind of authentic wisdom from our ancestors, albeit with a distinct flavor.
However, it was rather impolite to say such things to a noblewoman, and even Fusu was surprised for a long time when he found out. He had been making gunpowder balls when he sent people to search for saltpeter at the base of the latrine wall because one of the raw materials was saltpeter. In the process, he learned about this amazing little life hack.
Recalling the abundance of salt in modern times, and even the panic buying of salt in a certain year, and then thinking about the poor people in ancient times who couldn't afford salt and had to resort to such desperate measures, it's hard not to lament the hardships of people's lives.
However, upon further reflection, he realized that in nature, argali sheep can climb near-vertical cliffs to obtain salt. Fusu couldn't help but sigh, at least human life is much better. Happiness, after all, comes from comparison.
He originally thought that this flavorful method was only available in areas where salt was scarce, and that salt-producing countries like the Western Xia, especially the workers near the Lingzhou salt mine, would not use it.
As it turned out, after inquiring with the local salt miners, they learned that they too were desperately short of salt and would resort to such a desperate measure.
Fusu: "Huh!?"
His jaw nearly dropped in astonishment: "How could this be?"
The salt-producing methods of the Western Xia were quite crude. They simply dissolved salt ore in water and relied on the northwest sun and strong winds to evaporate it. The resulting crystals were the renowned bluish-white salt, famous throughout the Three Kingdoms period. When Fusu learned of this, he even criticized the Western Xia people for wasting such a precious resource.
It's that simple—just sneak a handful of salt into your pocket and repeat the process. How could the people of Lingzhou possibly lack salt?
However, after gaining a deeper understanding, Fusu realized he had been naive. In the rather simple production process, what the people of Lingzhou lacked was not salt mines, but clean water.
Yes, this is the Northwest.
Lingzhou was also an important town of the Western Xia Dynasty, and it was unrealistic to rely entirely on animal husbandry for resources, so some farmland was also cultivated here. The limited water resources were divided between farmland irrigation and salt mines, leaving very little for ordinary residents.
It's not even enough for daily drinking, let alone for dissolving salt mines to make salt.
Upon hearing this, Fusu pinched the bridge of his nose.
Due to its topography and climate, Lingzhou inevitably faces water scarcity. The only way to improve the climate is to reforest and plant more trees. However, this requires substantial increases in grain production from the agricultural areas.
In the future, salt production and export from this area will be used to purchase grain from other grain-producing regions of the Song Dynasty. Simultaneously, with the addition of numerous cash crops, the local climate will gradually improve. However, this process could take five, ten, or even a century.
What Fusu and his men need to do and can do now is twofold: first, stabilize the local population; and second, mine salt and send it into the Song Dynasty to make up for the military expenses needed for the two-front campaign, so that Di Qing can stand firm on the main battlefield for a little longer.
So, is there any way to achieve both goals at once?
There really is one.
It's just a bit too exploitative.
Torn between practical needs and a pang of conscience, Fusu pondered the situation all night and consulted with his trusted advisors. They were all astonished and exclaimed in unison, "Why are you so kind to the Western Xia people?"
Fusu: "Huh???"
He frowned slightly, looking doubtful: "You guys aren't being sarcastic, are you?"
They shook their heads in unison, one on each side.
"Do you really think that my order to split the salt mine's output 80/20 with the salt mine workers is for their own good?"
Even Zhou Bapi would shake his head at this ratio.
But those around him clearly disagreed, and even risked offending the Crown Prince to seek benefits for the soldiers below: "Why does Your Highness give all these good jobs to the Western Xia people instead of the Song soldiers?"
Fusu said quietly, "Is it really such a good job...?"
But he had previously encouraged them to dare to ask him questions. To avoid dampening their enthusiasm, he adopted this suggestion. Anyway, if it doesn't work well, it can just be shut down promptly.
As a result, he selected one thousand men who had performed outstandingly in the battle. After announcing the news, the one thousand men who were selected were overjoyed, while those who were not selected were dejected.
Salt! It's salt!
What's the difference between this and giving away gold and silver for free?
Who knows, one day I might return home in glory carrying these bags of salt as white as snowflakes, which would be more impressive and prestigious than any gold or silver!
When the news of the 80/20 profit split reached the salt miners, the factory fell silent. Their first reaction wasn't joy, but rather a near-dizzying shock. Everyone was stunned by this windfall, unable to recover for a long time.
Their cloudy eyes stared at Fusu without saying a word.
Fusu felt a chill run down his spine from being stared at: Could it be that the profit-sharing ratio was too low, and these people were dissatisfied? A 20/80 split was indeed too low. How about 30/70? Or simply 50/50?
Before he could even begin to bargain, a scream made his eardrums ache. Just like when he taught the people of Yunzhou the formula for honeycomb briquettes, someone actually prostrated themselves before him in a deep bow.
Fusu, who considered himself "Zhao the Skinflint," felt incredibly ashamed and quickly stepped aside to avoid the man's bow. At the same time, he inwardly cursed: "In modern times, is hanging people from streetlights considered doing them a favor? Li Yuanhao, just how have you exploited your people?"
Of course, upon realizing that the salt miners couldn't actually afford salt, Fusu opened the salt warehouses to the brim and distributed some to each worker. At the same time, he also transported some to Lingzhou City and sold it at a low price. Only after he finished counting the rest did he send it to Bianjing.
As a result, he gained an excellent reputation simply by using the resources he had squeezed from Li Yuanhao to bribe his subjects. On the first day after the 20/80 profit split was set, the workers and soldiers worked together and completed the same amount of work in one day as they had in three days before.
If this pace continues, it won't be long before the entire Song Dynasty is able to eat refined Xixia salt, instead of relying on the inferior, more impurity-laden salt from Jie salt. They won't be so poor as to have to search for salt near latrines.
And it all began with Fusu's self-righteous and harsh distribution law. Fusu couldn't help but sigh: Marx wasn't lying; even ruthless capitalists are far more advanced than feudal lords and slave owners.
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Author's note: I'm doomed. I've had my fill of the thrill of three days a week, but I can't keep going for six. ([Angry])
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