There was a saying in ancient times that one dou of rice and pounds of salt was to buy one dou of rice. It was normal for only one dou of rice to be only twenty yuan, but now a dou of grain costs at least two hundred yuan, so the price is not easy to grasp.

"The price is indeed expensive now, so it is better to do this. It is tentatively set to be 300 kilograms as one gutter, and each gutter is 10,000 yuan. The purchase price given to the salt owner is 2,000 yuan per gutter?" Li Chao thought for a while.

One pound is 300 pounds, and the purchase price is 2,000, which means that each pound is less than seven cents, which is nearly two cents higher than the five cents mentioned earlier. This is a nearly forty percent increase, and it cannot be said to be less.

Everyone settled the score in their hearts.

One entries are entries of 300 jin, and the official general price is one entries of 2 jin, while selling them to salt merchants is one entries of 10 jin, one in and one out, and the government earns eight jin.

People need at least one million salt intake a year, which means they can earn 8 million guan. If they pay more than two or three times, they can raise about 20 million guan in one go.

This has not counted the business tax levied from salt owners and salt merchants, and it is estimated that it can still be charged a lot.

Even if it is less than 30 million, it is still 20 million yuan. It is exciting to think about it.

"One ten thousand is the official price per catty, and the price per catty is more than 33 cents. The salt merchants have to increase the price. So the price of salt is 40 to 50 cents per catty? If this method is implemented, I am afraid that the people will suffer a lot." Fang Xuanling said worriedly.

"I think it should not be divided into districts. If it is divided, then the official sales prices will be different. Should the court implement district sales for salt merchants at that time? If it is divided, how can the salt merchants ensure that they do not sell each other across borders? Should the purchase price of each district of the court be adjusted? In this way, the management cost will be greatly increased. I suggest that all salts should be purchased and sold at a unified price, and each of them will be purchased at a unified price of 2,000 yuan, and each of them will be sold at a unified price of 10,000 yuan."

At this time, Li Shishi suddenly interrupted Fang Xuanling and asked, "Where is the salt tax, how to collect it?"

The prime ministers didn't say anything.

In fact, what you just said about unified sales is 300 kilograms and sold for 10,000 yuan, which means that taxes are already included. This way, an average of more than 33 cents per kilogram is not cheaper.

But now Li Shimin suddenly asked about salt tax, which obviously meant that he was not satisfied with the price.

The reason why Li Shimin was dissatisfied was very simple. According to this plan, the court could raise up to 20 million guan, which would have to be issued several times more salt.

Li Chao lowered his head and didn't want to speak.

It is said that the price of salt in the Northern Song Dynasty is high, but according to the records of the Consolidation of the Song Dynasty, each piece of salt is cited and 116-5 jin of salt is obtained, and the price is six jin.

In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, more than 300 million kilograms of salt were produced in a year. Under normal circumstances, the annual salt tax was more than 10 million jin.

Now Li Chao and the others plan to make a big deal, plus the high salt price, which will make 20 million yuan a year, but Li Shimin is not satisfied.

It's really a bit indifferent to human hearts and snakes swallow elephants.

"I think thirty-three cents per pound of salt is too cheap. Now the rice is 200 cents. People say that the rice is kilogram of salt, why don't we get the price of salt?"

As soon as Li Shimin said this, the prime ministers' expressions changed.

A dou of rice and kilogram of salt is a normal year. Now it is a famine year. The price of grain has reached the sky. That is a very abnormal time. How can you follow the price of rice at this time?

However, Li Shimin insisted on increasing the price.

In the end, everyone was a little helpless.

Li Chao thought he could make some concessions, and the unified sales price was 40 cents per catty, and 300 cents was twelve cents. Excluding the cost of 2,000, there were still ten cents left. The imperial court issued one million salt invoices, and could make a profit of 10 million cents. If it was twice as much as possible, it would be 20 million.

"It's better to just raise the price more than you can."

"So, if you want to buy a unified purchase or attract two thousand, and if you want to sell a unified sale, you will add a double tax. If you want to sell a salt merchant, you will receive two thousand, and you will receive one more time."

Li Chao immediately came up with a number in his mind, according to Li Shimin's approach.

One citation is profitable for ten citations, and the tax is 12 citations, and the cost is almost irrelevant. If you sell one million citations normally, that is 22 million. If you exceed twice the issuance, that is 44 million citations.

This is really a fortune.

The problem is that if you do this, the salt price will rise by more than a little bit.

The wholesale price the salt merchants received was more than 66 cents per catty, so they had to sell it at a higher price. It would definitely cost more than 70 cents per catty, and it would probably cost more than 70 cents per catty. If the court imposes their business tax again, they would probably transfer this part to the people. In the end, a pound of salt would probably cost 80 cents.

That's the least.

From ten cents per pound to eighty cents per pound, the surge was seven times.

What will the people think?

Li Chao said that it had risen too much, and suddenly it rose so much, I am afraid that the people would complain.

But this time, Li Shimin did not listen to advice, believing that the country is in danger now, and the court used to give relief to the people. Now the northern barbarians threatened, and the court must resist with all its strength.

The so-called taking from the people is also used for the people. If the money is collected, it is not something he can enjoy.

After saying this, Li Chao was a little unable to persuade him.

What Li Shimin said makes some sense.

As for the rise in salt prices, if a household eats 40 or 50 kilograms of salt for a year, it would have cost 400 to 500 cents of salt that year, but now it costs 30,000 to 40,000 yuan.

It's rising very high.

But Li Shimin also said that prices are rising sharply now. A dou of rice is 200 yuan, and a stone of rice is 2,000 yuan. A pound of salt is sold for 60 to 70 yuan, which is not high.

Li Chao thought about the reform of the salt method in the middle Tang Dynasty and directly added a salt tax of ten times the price of salt. He also thought about the high salt prices in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in later generations, and knew that this was actually an inevitable development.

The court needs money and can always find a way.

However, Li Chao still felt that the rise was too suddenly and too high.

"Your Majesty, I actually have a follow-up plan, I haven't had time to say it just now."

"What is it, let's hear it?"

Li Chao didn't want to say this at first, so he had to say it out at this time.

"I think the court can set up a company in the salt industry."

"Company?" Li Shimin frowned. Isn't the company another name for a commercial bank? It's unprecedented that the imperial court runs a commercial bank.

"It's like this. The court established a company, but it is controlled by the court. The court can issue shares and sell them to merchants to raise capital. For example, if the court issues new shares for the first time, it can raise more shares, such as raising 10 million guan and 20 million guan."

"Just like Sihai Trading Company?" Li Shimin had known that Sihai Company's stocks were very good at raising money. Shareholders of other businesses would have to pay dividends every year. Sihai Company's stocks were better, with different levels, and many people had no decision-making power at all.

Moreover, the company does not promise to pay dividends every year, which means that if they want to share, they will not be able to share the stocks in your hands for the time being. Although owning stocks is a shareholder, such shareholders are really eye-opening.

If the court also set up a Tang Yan Company, issue shares, take out one or two percent of the shares, issue shares to raise shares, and then use the money to the court for war, wouldn't it be great.

Li Shimin thought it was natural to embezzle the shares raised by Tang Yan Company to the court to fight. Tang Yan Company belonged to the court.

As for dividends and dividends to shareholders, I will talk about it when I have money in the future.

"This method is good." Li Shimin was very satisfied.

"Your Majesty, can you consider not raising such a high salt price for the time being?"

Li Shimin thought for a while, "Wenyuan, are you pleading for the people? Then should you buy it in a unified manner or two thousand, sell it in a unified manner and tax in a unified manner of 12 thousand, and tax in a unified manner of 3 thousand."

In this way, the official wholesale price of one pound of salt is fifty cents, and the distribution and retail of salt merchants is estimated to be less than sixty cents. A pound has been reduced by more than ten cents.

Li Chao was not very satisfied, but Li Shimin had already waved his hand.

"Okay, this matter is decided. First print one million citations, then issue one million more, and then form this Tangyan Company as soon as possible, and then take out 10% of the shares to issue them, raising 10 million shares."

Li Shimin calculated that one million salt entries would be 15 million guan. If two million capital is used, one million salt profits would be 13 million. If it exceeds twice the issuance, it would be 26 million. If it is issued another ten million salt shares, it would be 36 million.

Well, so much money is enough to get along with the Turks.

"Okay, the money has been resolved now, so let's discuss how to deal with Tongyehu and the Turkic ungrateful wolves!"

Li Shimin shook his sleeves and approached the map.

The latest news, Tuli little Khan has indeed defected to Tongyehu.

For him, although Tong Yehu was a great Khan of the Western Turks, the Western Turks were also a branch of the Turkic royal family to explore the Western Regions. It would be better to join him than to join the Tang Dynasty. Now, Tuli didn't understand that he was put on by the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, he would rather join Tong Ye Hu than Tang.

The Tieler people in Mobei were severely injured in the previous battle with Tong Ye Hu, and now they are fleeing far away.

The Tang Dynasty had no other choice now, and Tongye Hu was coming soon, and this battle was inevitable.

"Let Tang Jian go to Mobei to see if he can hold Tong Ye Hu for a while and give him some gold, silk and jewelry. We will negotiate with him. No matter what conditions the Tong Ye Hu proposes now, we can pretend to agree to him for the time being."

Although Li Shimin decided to start a fight, the more he was, the more careful he was. Li Chao was right. Tong Ye Hu was now strong and strong, and he was at the right time to gain foreign powers. He could not force himself, but he had to find some ways to take action.

Yu Wenshi proposed that someone should be sent to contact the Yi Nan of Xue Yantuo.

"What's the use of Yi Nan's defeat in Bei Xun?"

"Although Yi Nan was defeated, the wars on the grassland were almost the same. Even if they were defeated, they would not be defeated all at once. As long as the troops were removed, Yi Nan's strength would not be greatly lost. The key is whether he has the courage to fight again. As long as we contacted him in the Tang Dynasty and expressed his determination and attitude to start a war with Tongye Hu, I believe that Yi Nan would definitely send troops to cooperate with us. With Yi Nan in the north of the Mo, he could restrain Tongye Hu's many troops for us."

Yu Wenshi and Li Chao looked at him with admiration when he said this. He didn't expect that this old man had such a powerful side.

Li Shimin nodded, feeling that multiple helpers are always good at this time.

However, he still raised a more important question.

"I am going to transfer Changsun Wuji back. If something big happened, he is not suitable to stay in Shuofang." At this point, his eyes swept across the prime ministers and finally stopped on Li Chao's face.

"Wenyuan, I chose you as the leader, and you will be the one who will command this battle in the north. Do you dare to respond?"

Li Chao was not surprised and excited, and said lightly, "I recommend Duke Wei Li Jing. He is stronger and stronger, and he is late to become a great man. He is like a god. He can be the commander."

Li Shimin shook his head, "I have entrusted Hedong to Li Jing."

"Then I recommend the British Duke Li Ji again. General Li Ji is good at planning and using military force, so he can be the commander."

"I've handed over Hebei to Li Ji."

"Na Chen..."

"The prince strongly recommends you as the commander. I have been thinking for a long time and thinks that you are the best candidate for the commander this time. Don't refuse. This is when the court hires people. It is not a reward for you, so you don't need to push them around! Do you say it should be answered or not?"

That's what he said, Li Chao had to do if he didn't want to.

"I received the order, but I have a request. I borrowed two martial gods from Your Majesty to walk together."

"Do you want the second generals Shubao and Jingde as deputy? No problem, I will not only send the second generals to you, but also order that Li Jing, Li Ji, Chai Shao and other great commanders will be controlled by you and obey your dispatch. I have only one requirement for you to win this battle!"

The six-road military marshals of Hexi, Longyou, Guannei, Shuofang, Hedong and Hebei were the emperor's great trust, and Li Chao felt that his shoulders were heavy.
Chapter completed!