Chongzhen continued to ask: "Minister Xie's people are inspecting the salt in Jiangnan. Does Minister Xie know the current salt law of the Ming Dynasty?"
"I know." Xie Sanbin seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw, and said hurriedly: "The Ming Dynasty is now implementing the Gangyan Law, and the salt permits received by merchants are compiled into Gang books..."
To sum up the Salt Distribution System in one sentence, the imperial court neither interfered with the production nor the sale of salt, but only issued salt permits to merchants selling salt.
Salt permit is a certificate for the transportation and sale of salt. When the government issues salt permits, it will collect salt tax from merchants.
Merchants would take salt permits to buy salt from salt producers, and then sell the salt within the salt fields.
Salt permits have regulations on the boundaries of salt trading, which means that merchants can only trade and sell salt within a certain area.
Since only one salt merchant was allowed in each salt-selling area, after the implementation of the Salt Law, the salt industry changed from a state monopoly to a merchant monopoly.
At first, salt merchants could still sell salt at normal prices.
As time goes by, the profit-seeking nature of businessmen is gradually exposed.
Marx said in Capital that monopolists can adjust prices and output at will in the market.
After the salt merchants monopolized the market, they immediately adjusted the price of salt. In addition, the court did not intervene, which led to the people's expenses on buying salt becoming increasingly higher.
After Xie Sanbin finished talking about the Salt Control Law, Chongzhen asked, "Minister Xie, do you think the Salt Control Law has been more beneficial or harmful to the court since its implementation?"
"I...I think the pros and cons are equal." Xie Sanbin replied helplessly.
He originally wanted to say that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages, but after seeing Chongzhen's murderous look, he changed his words.
"Since the advantages and disadvantages are equal, why doesn't Minister Xie try to make the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" Chongzhen asked.
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty is not very knowledgeable and I have not figured out how to deal with it yet."
"Be braver." Chongzhen patted Xie Sanbin on the shoulder.
Xie Sanbin considered Chongzhen's previous words and asked after careful consideration, "Your Majesty means... starting with the salt law?"
Chongzhen didn't say anything, just nodded.
Xie Sanbin pondered for a while, but still had no clue.
What should I do?
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