The salt administration reform process carried out for the breakthrough in the Yang Cuixi case reached its climax when the imperial envoy met. With the suicide of the Changlu Salt Transportation Envoy, the main salt merchant in Changlu was investigated and dealt with due to the assassination incident. In Zhili, there were almost no one who dared to oppose the salt administration reform.

The reason for summing up the word "almost" is that since Zhishang Supervising Duan Fang, Zhili officials did not dare to publicly vent their dissatisfaction even if they had any dissatisfaction. In the investigation and punishment of the assassination case, Cen Chunxuan, Zaize and Duan Fang formed a tacit understanding between Cen Chunxuan, Zaize and Duan Fang: Duan Fang gave up resistance and opposition to the salt administration reform, and Cen and Zai gave up the prosecution of Duan Fang's "missing the supervision" in the assassination case.

Except for Duanfang, all officials related to the Zhili Salt Administration have to undergo a "screening". The screening standards are both simple and complex. To be simple means that they are completely judged by the official's attitude towards the salt administration reform. To be complex means that this standard is secret and flexible.

It is said that "whether you don't have any shoes to wear when you are standing by the river." As the investigation deepened, the secret collusion between salt merchants and salt officials over the years has been revealed under the instructions of many salt merchants. Cen Chun raised his butcher's knife and slashed it out.

Anyone who opposes the reform of salt administration will investigate and deal with no matter the big or small case, and there is nothing to be said about it. Although he agrees with the reform of salt administration, the larger case will be investigated and dealt with, and there is nothing to tolerated; only those who completely agree with the reform of salt administration and commit small cases will be able to escape the butcher knife of the official slaughter and survive. Although it is contrary to Cen Chun's stubbornness in "eliminating evil affairs", it shows the emperor's cleverness - only by appropriately opening the gap in the seemingly iron-clad corrupt official group can give people "hope" and guide others to the path of "awakening".

There is no fish when the water is clear. Cen Chunxuan can understand this truth, so there is no need to stick to his usual style.

With a tough attitude, the court carried out drastic reforms to the Zhili salt administration, which basically put it in a state of direct jurisdiction by the central government. Of course, the Zhili localities also gained additional benefits. With the fall of the bulk salt merchants and salt officials, the illegal income of the search became a rich mine. The total number of property seized from Zhang Zhenfang, Boss Gao and other major culprits exceeded the proportion of 55% in the proportion, and the Zhili localities obtained 2.5 million. The holes in Yuan Shikai and Yang Shixiang filled a big gap in the office of the direct administration. Moreover, this kind of flying fortune was not yet out.

The obstacles to the reform of salt administration have been wiped out, and it is extremely easy to reform. At the end of June, the Ministry of Finance officially issued a document and announced the addition of the Salt Administration Department to be responsible for the management of salt administration in various provinces. Its main responsibilities include inspections, quotations, taxes, fees, miscellaneous taxes, price increases, discounts, field classes, stove classes, well classes, and lace taxes. The Minister of Finance will also serve as the Minister of Salt Administration Supervisor, responsible for governing the national salt affairs officials and the Prime Minister of the National Salt Affairs.

Ten days after the establishment of the Salt Administration Department, the Ministry of Finance announced 55 articles on the supervision of the Salt Administration Articles. The main contents include:

——All matters in the administrative and employment of salt affairs in each province shall be under the responsibility of the Salt Administration Department. The transportation department, salt road, and the general office of each staff are all recommended by the Minister of the Supervisory Administration. After the election, the imperial edict is requested to be appointed. The appointment of the members of the Transport Department, the Salt Administration and the governors of each province shall be recommended by the governors of each province, and the Minister of the Supervisory Administration shall submit the position to the official department for appointment;

——Taking Changlu Salt Administration as a pilot, implement the reform of salt administration that abolishes the shore, levies taxes on the spot, and free trade. The free trade area will still be subject to the original shore area in advance, and the reform is required to be completed within half a year;

——After the completion of the pilot project of Zhili Salt Administration, from the third year of the reform, the two salt-producing areas of Zhili and Fengtian will be merged. No matter which area of ​​salt is produced, the original shore area can be sold freely, and the relevant reforms will be completed within one year;

——In the fourth year of the Reform Movement, the three northeastern provinces, Zhili, Outer Mongolia, Rehe, Chahar, Suiyuan, Jingji, Henan, Shanxi, Gansu, Shaanxi, Xinjiang and other places should realize free trade in salt, called the Northern Free Trade Zone of Salt;

——In the fourth year of the Restoration, Lianghuai, Shandong, and Guangdong and Guangxi should implement the abolition of the shore guide system in accordance with the reform of Zhili’s salt administration to achieve restricted free trade;

——In the fifth year of the Reformation, Shandong, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu and other places should be merged into the Southeast Salt Free Trade Zone. At the same time, Fujian, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan and other places should be merged into the Southern Salt Free Trade Zone;

——No later than the seventh year of the reform, the three major free trade zones will be abolished to realize national free trade in salt. Before the abolition, free trade will still be allowed to be implemented in this trade zone;

——Salt tax will be collected by the Salt Administration Department. It is planned to be unified across the country. Originally, the salt tax will be imposed on each local area.

The miscellaneous taxes are merged, and the court will make special payments, and will increase accordingly year by year in proportion. This tax is called the local share of salt tax;

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——Anti-smuggling will continue to be handled by the governors of each province, and the anti-smuggling income will be controlled by each province. If the salt tax is reduced due to ineffective anti-smuggling, the court will deduct the local salt tax and hold the relevant person in charge accountable;

After the 55 measures were announced, various places set off a climax in rectifying local salt administrations, namely the most stubborn Lianghuai production areas. Although there were some excuses, in the face of the unwavering determination of the court and the lessons of Changlu salt administration reform, the reform was an inevitable trend not to be diverted by individuals' will, and could only follow the trend. Not long ago, Shi Zhaoji, who had just taken over as the governor of Jiangsu, devoted a lot of effort to the salt tax reform.

After the official operation of the Salt Administration Department, the provinces that carried out reforms in advance established the Salt Administration Office, which was affiliated with the Finance Department. As an official supervision agency, it unified the management of salt affairs in the province. The Salt Administration Office has a chief and deputy supervisor, and is responsible for the original transportation department in advance, and will be replaced by the responsibilities of the latter two one after another, becoming a permanent institution for the salt administration of a province.

The introduction of 55 systems legally stipulates the abolition of the invoice sites. Although this is gradually implemented, it has gradually loosened based on the rigidity of the system caused by monopoly. Although salt merchants holding a large number of invoices in various places have suffered considerable losses, they have also received returns in other aspects. This return is reflected in both severance and open source.

The so-called ban on levying the ticket monopoly system is abolished, anyone can freely operate salt as long as they can pay the salt farm tax, so that it does not need to look at the officials' faces. The bulk quota fees required over the years can be reduced.

The so-called open source refers to a new regulation in 55 articles - "In addition to the permission of salt export tax, export tax will be collected for five times," which is a huge positive news for salt merchants, especially those with strong salt merchants.

Judging from the actual production capacity of salt, China has long coastline and good sun exposure conditions. Its production capacity can not only meet its own needs, but also be rich. Under the old and rigid system, due to the one-sided emphasis on "production based on sales", this enthusiasm advantage has not been exerted, resulting in a huge waste of production capacity. What's more serious is that the salt administration department controlled by the conservatives repeatedly rejected the proposal of salt exports and missed the opportunity to expand the sales market.

At that time, the highest average consumption of salt in countries around the world was Japan, with each person having an average annual demand of more than 18. Although Japan's coastline is also long, due to the inappropriate lighting and temperature conditions, its salt drying conditions are not as ideal as China's ideal. The production of the country can only meet nearly 60% of the needs, and the rest need to rely on imports. Especially with the development of modern chemical industry, raw salt has become an increasingly important chemical raw material, and its consumption increases daily.

Since the Sino-Japanese Treaty signed in 1874, Japan has made efforts, coercion, inducement, coercion and even forcing robbery, and has done everything possible. For example, during the Sino-Japanese War, Japan once forced the dikes to open the dam in some salt fields in the Northeast to obtain salt. It also demanded the export of salt in many places such as the Treaty of Shimonoseki and the Xin Chou Treaty. However, even with such a great pressure, the Qing government still firmly held it firmly and no grain of salt was allowed to be exported. Except for China's demonstrations of goodwill to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War and presented 100 kilograms of salt in Japan, there has never been a successful record of China's salt export.

In order to repay the "generous" action of Cixi's gift of salt, Emperor Meiji also presented Cixi with a small steamer yacht, which was placed in Kunming Lake for Cixi to enjoy - Cixi's famous "Guanyin statue" was taken on this wheel.

After the peace talks, the price increase was used to equip the outer roof of the dam of Pengwei GT Tianfan, and IRzIx won the favor.

In the 27th year of Guangshao (1901), the amount of compensation for the Boxer Campaign was even greater, and the Qing government decided to decide on each

Saving salt pounds - 'Lu 4, in order to pay off, is called compensation for the new case. Guangshao 24 years

(1908) The implementation of ban on marriages, and the tax on local medicines was reduced, and the branch prepared to save salt.
Chapter completed!