Every inch of time is worth every inch of gold!

Li Kuan only had one year, so as soon as Li Shimin's imperial edict came out, he set off directly.

"Your Majesty, according to your instructions, the 500 guards brought this time are all highly skilled in swimming. However, judging from the statistics just now, 40% of them are still seasick."

Xue Li came to Li Kuan a little embarrassed.

This time Li Kuan went to Dengzhou directly by water, which was faster and allowed the guards to adapt to the ship in advance.

After all, Li Kuan was ready to let them go to sea.

"It's okay. It's okay to be seasick. I'm just walking on the river now. If I get to the sea, the wind and waves will be even more unusual."

"Your Majesty, we set off in such a hurry this time, and many things were not prepared properly."

Qing'er is quite adaptable. Although the boat shook from time to time, it did not affect her at all in pouring a cup of chrysanthemum tea for Li Kuan.

"We are not going to Dengzhou for fun. Why are you bringing so many messy things?"

When she first said she was going to Dengzhou, Qing'er immediately asked someone to pack several large boxes of clothes, various food items, and even the recliner that Li Kuan often used had to be carried, leaving Li Kuan speechless for a while.

In the end, the most loaded items on the ship were the temporarily recruited craftsmen and their rituals.

Dengzhou is close to the sea. In line with the idea of ​​relying on mountains to feed mountains and relying on water to feed water, Li Kuan thought of two ways to lead Dengzhou out of poverty and become rich.

"Your Majesty, this is the distribution of salt in the Tang Dynasty and its price changes over the years compiled by my subordinates in recent days, as well as the sea salt you specifically mentioned."

With dark circles under his eyes, Chu Suiliang took out a small notebook from his arms and reported the situation to Li Kuan.

Since he was going to Dengzhou for a big fight this time, Li Kuan naturally brought Chu Suiliang, Wang Xuance, Wang Xuanwu, Xue Li, Xi Junmai, Lin Ran, Wang Fugui, Qing'er, Dai Quan and others with him.

, leaving Laifu to direct the affairs of the Chu Palace in Chang'an City.

Anyway, all the businesses in Chang'an City are on the right track, and they are under the emperor's feet, so there won't be any big problems in a short time. As for Liangzhou, Ma Zhou is watching, and Li Kuan is also relieved.

"Hey, there are quite a few places producing salt in the Tang Dynasty."

Li Kuan took the notebook handed over by Chu Suiliang and quickly browsed through it.

In China's thousands of years of feudal history, salt, iron and tea are three particularly important things, and are closely related to the central government's main fiscal revenue.

However, in the early Tang Dynasty, the role of tea had not yet been fully exerted, and salt and iron were not included in the scope of the imperial court's exclusive rights in the early years of Zhenguan. Since Dengzhou was close to the sea, Li Kuan naturally had to do something about salt.

"Yes, Puzhou Anyi and Jie County have Chiwu; Yanzhou Wuyuan has Wuchi, Baichi, Wachi, and Xixiangchi; Lingzhou has hot spring pool, Liangjing Pool, Changwei Pool, Wuquan Pool and other salt pools.

, Qing, Chu, Hai, Cang, Di, Hang, Su and other states also have salt production, so although the salt in the Tang Dynasty is still relatively expensive, ordinary people can barely afford it, but it is basically coarse salt.

, it tastes rather bitter.”

Chu Suiliang felt that he was now considered an expert in the salt industry, and he naturally spoke clearly and logically.

"Is the production of sea salt so low?" Li Kuan discovered that most of the salt ponds in Datang were mineral salt, and sea salt had almost no influence.

"Your Majesty, the cost of sea salt is too high. Except for people in some coastal states and counties who cook salt for their own use, almost all people in the Guanzhong area use well salt."

"Sea salt is expensive?" Li Kuan was stunned for a moment. Shouldn't sea salt be the lowest cost?

"Yes, the most important thing is that those who cook sea salt are poor people and have no organization. However, the salt mines everywhere are intertwined with various forces from aristocratic families. Even the salt cooked by the bitter people is cheaper.

You can’t sell it to people from Guanzhong.”

Chu Suiliang told a very crucial piece of information. Li Kuan frowned after hearing this, "Didn't the imperial court have a salt monopoly? Why can't sea salt be sold in Guanzhong? The cost of boiling salt is certainly higher, but compared with Chang'an City

Compared with the selling price of twenty or thirty cents per pound of salt, it’s still profitable, right?”

"My lord, are you planning to boil salt on a large scale in Dengzhou?"

Chu Suiliang suddenly asked cautiously.

"No, I don't intend to boil salt!"

"Huh!" Chu Suiliang let out a long breath, "That's good, Your Majesty, this salt is different from briquettes, mirrors or wool. You can't touch it casually."

"Why can't we just touch it casually?"

Li Kuan looked at Chu Suiliang a little puzzled.

"Your Majesty, salt has been indispensable to people's lives for thousands of years. Salt mines across the country have been mined for many years, and the interests behind it are really complicated.

Let me put it this way, if our Prince of Chu dares to sell salt on a large scale in Chang'an City, then there will immediately be various impeachments against the prince in the court, and various businesses will inexplicably encounter many obstacles.

.

There are people from the five surnames and seven clans, even the Li family of Longyou who belongs to the royal family, and even His Majesty does not dare to act rashly."

After listening to Chu Suiliang's words, Li Kuan fell into silence.

As a business owner who can make a steady profit without losing money, the profit is still high, and the key is that it is an indispensable thing for the common people. The interests behind salt are complicated. Li Kuan was mentally prepared, but he did not expect that what Chu Suiliang said was much more serious than himself.

"Could this be the reason why Your Majesty has never implemented a salt store?"

"This subordinate doesn't dare to speculate!" Chu Suiliang said this, but his expression clearly said that, and it should be like this.

"Hmph! Complicated interests? In order for every household in the Tang Dynasty to have cheap salt to eat, in order to help the people of Dengzhou get rid of poverty and become rich, I am not afraid of any complicated relationship!"

"Ah? Prince, didn't you say you don't want to boil salt?"

Chu Suiliang was shocked when he heard Li Kuan's words.

Fighting against the major aristocratic families by oneself is like hitting an egg against a stone with no chance of winning.

"I don't boil salt, but I can dry it!" Li Kuan looked at Chu Suiliang with a smile.

Chu Suiliang:......

"My lord, my subordinates have also heard about drying salt, but it is said that it takes a very long time and the quality of the salt produced is also very poor. No one except the poor people buy this kind of salt."

Wang Xuance said softly at the side, to be honest, he was born in a poor family, so he naturally disliked those aristocratic families, but he did not support Li Kuan if he wanted to touch the salt cake on the aristocratic family's table.

It's so difficult...

"Don't worry, I have my own opinions!"

"Your Majesty, it doesn't matter whether it's boiled salt or sun-dried salt. I think the top priority is to solve the food problem of the people in Dengzhou. In the past two years, Henan and Hebei roads are close to Shandong, and the grain harvest has been unsatisfactory. I heard that many people

They are all hungry and full.”
Chapter completed!