Zhao Xu didn't know the inner activities of the two prime ministers, so he continued: "It just so happens that these days, I received the seal of approval from Duke Cai and Dengzhou and Mingzhou..."

Since Cai Que went to Fujian to judge, Zhao Xu was always addressed by the honorific title of "Cai Gong" whether publicly or privately, except when he was sitting in court.

This is a reward for Cai Que's support in his previous life and Conglong's meritorious service.

It is also to ensure that there will be no constraints on what Cai Que is doing in Fujian.

Facts have proved that what Zhao Xu did was very effective.

From top to bottom, no one dared to put obstacles in Cai Que's way.

This allowed Cai Que to act freely in Fujian, eliminate the long-standing officialdom abuses, and fully promote the opening of Quanzhou Port and the development of Fujian's shipbuilding industry.

"The three ministers all mentioned the difficulty of selling some of the fish and shrimps caught by fishing boats along the coast, which cannot be sold at a high price..."

"You also told me about some things about salt drying along the coast..."

Since the Han Dynasty, people have begun to boil the sea into salt.

For example, in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the reason why Wu King Liu Bi was able to launch the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.

The fundamental reason is that he not only controls a huge copper mountain, but also mobilizes a large number of people to boil the sea into salt and controls the sea salt industry.

Therefore, Wu's economy was developed and its treasury was full.

However, sea salt in the Han and Tang dynasties was all fried over firewood.

This is ‘boiling the sea’.

Starting from the Song Dynasty, the salt-drying method began to appear.

Of course, today's sun-salting technology is still very primitive and rudimentary. It is not as complicated as the modern sun-salting method. It simply introduces seawater into the salt field, and then through natural evaporation, the brine is obtained and the sea salt is crystallized.

The salt dried in this way has many impurities and tastes bitter.

It was not until the middle and late Qing Dynasty that the salt-drying method truly matured.

And Zhao Xu pressed the shortcut button for this historical process.

Whether it was Cai Que who went to judge Fujian or Chen Mu who went to Mingzhou, they both got his orders and requested that the salt-drying method be vigorously promoted in the local area and the salt-drying technology be improved.

Later, as Su Shi became more prosperous in Dengzhou.

Zhao Xu also issued the same order to Dengzhou.

In this era, there were many islands off the coast of Dengzhou, all of which were good salt drying grounds.

In this way, the production of sea salt in Dengzhou, Quanzhou and Mingzhou has greatly increased.

So much so that the local market can no longer digest it.

And for export...

Salt, tea, iron, and wine in the Song Dynasty all had very serious local protection.

It is difficult to get the salt from Chengdu Fu Road to Zizhou Road next door.

Last year, during the Song-Xia peace talks, one of the terms that Dangxiang people fought hard for was that the Song Dynasty was required to allow Dangxiang's green salt to enter the Shaanxi Road market.

From these examples, you can know how difficult it is to sell salt from these places to other places!

Quanzhou is fine.

Because Cai did go to Quanzhou as an observer in Fujian.

Therefore, Quanzhou salt can now be sold throughout Fujian Road.

But for Dengzhou’s salt, let alone open the market on Jingdong Road.

Laizhou next door does not allow Dengzhou salt to be sold!

Similarly, salt from Mingzhou cannot enter the markets of Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou.

In these three places, there is now only one product that can be marketed everywhere regardless of local protectionism: dried fish.

Because dried fish is not available anywhere else.

Even so, the commercial tax system of the Song Dynasty made it difficult for the dried fish business to spread nationwide.

The dried fish from Dengzhou can only be sold in Jingdong, Jingxi and Kaifeng Prefecture.

No matter how far you go, the price will rise due to tax issues, and few people can afford it.

This is because the commercial tax in the Song Dynasty was divided into two types: over-tax and residential tax.

Overtax is the tax you pay when your goods pass through my territory.

Residential tax is the tax you have to pay when selling your goods in my jurisdiction.

The tax rate for both is a constant 5%.

Look less?

However, every time the goods pass through a place, they have to pay a tax.

Moreover, what's life-threatening is that usually because of local financial difficulties, local officials who are crazy about poverty will exploit merchants to the fullest extent.

The county does not recognize the state, and the state does not recognize the road.

Governments at all levels set up cards everywhere and tried their best to collect taxes.

Therefore, although the Song Dynasty was a centralized dynasty, in the field of commodity economy, it was the same as Germany before the unification of Prussia.

The entire country is divided into independent markets by layers of taxation cards.

In the eyes of Zhao Xu, who has studied abroad in modern times, this seems awkward.

I’ve wanted to change it for a long time!

However, I have never found a good opportunity or a suitable entry point.

Until he saw the memorial from the household department begging for silkworm salt.

Zhao Xu knew that the opportunity had come!

Here comes the entry point he's been waiting for!

Silkworm salt!

It is an ancestral system!

It also had the function of helping the poor and providing relief.

Therefore, Zhao Xu knew that silkworm salt was the best stepping stone.

"It just so happened that at this time, the Ministry of Household Affairs submitted a letter requesting that the silkworm salt be abolished..."

"I just checked about this silkworm salt thing..."

"I have some ideas...I wonder if we can combine silkworm salt with sea salt and dried fish?"

Zhao Xu talked about his plan, sat on the mattress, and rubbed his hands excitedly.

He certainly has reason to be excited.

As long as silkworm salt was the brick, the door to the dusty commodity economy of the Song Dynasty was opened.

Let dried fish and sea salt enter the national market unimpeded.

Then, this crack will gradually expand.

Finally, it completely collapsed!

The national policy of mercantilism can then be established.

Because Zhao Xu will have a lot of helpers by then.

The two prime ministers listened and looked at each other.

Their hearts began to tumble.

Written by Han Jiang and Lu Gong, they are both smart people.

Naturally, I can understand the meaning of Zhao Xu’s words.

Using the old system of silkworm salt to sell sea salt and dried fish, a new bottle of wine?

"Your Majesty..." Han Jiang's heart moved, and he stepped out of the queue and asked: "Please forgive me for being stupid, what is your Majesty's holy will?"

Zhao Xu looked at Han Jiang and nodded.

I am very satisfied with Han Jiang’s flattering behavior.

If there were more Han Jiang in this court, things would be easier to handle!

Zhao Xu replied: "Mr. Sir, my initial idea is that the central government will directly use the capital to purchase large quantities of sea salt and fish and shrimp that cannot be sold at high prices in Dengzhou, Mingzhou, Quanzhou and other places..."

"Then we will follow our ancestors' system of bringing grain to the capital, and use silkworm and salt methods to distribute it to the poor people all over the world..."

"At the same time, we can encourage localities to sell more sea salt and dried fish... half of the profits will go to the central government, and half will be retained by local states and counties to fund it!"

After hearing this, Han Jiang and Lu Gong were both shaken.

They naturally understood what Zhao Xu meant.
To be continued...