Chapter 88: Salt

Going down the mountain was easier than going up. Most importantly, he had managed the climb up, so being carried down would have been far too embarrassing.

Naturally, Zhu Xu did not have anyone carry him.

Zhu Xu walked while pondering. Bi Maokang's research, even with some of his reliable and unreliable pointers, would not easily achieve the results he wanted in a short time—especially mass production and full deployment, which were no simple matters.

This was not a question of cost either. To train a firearm corps with formidable combat power, the current conditions were not ripe. Zhu Xu having Cao Wenzhao select five hundred men was already a limit; any more would invite problems.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhu Xu still furrowed his brow, lost in thought.

Building an arsenal capable of batch-producing firearms was no simple feat either—gunpowder, iron, coal—none of these could draw anyone's attention. Even with Fu Changzong covering for him at the Ministry of Revenue, it was hard to guarantee absolute safety, and if word ever leaked out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhu Xu thought, glancing at Yao Qingqing. Her face was full of worry, as if her heart were broken and helpless.

"Sigh, everything is troublesome."

Zhu Xu was also listless. He hadn't been doing well lately either.

The carriage made its way back into the city, and Zhu Xu sighed again, saying, "There's still half an hour left; I need to hurry." Although Empress Zhang had lifted his house arrest, he only had one hour outside the palace, and he still had to go see Fu Changzong.

Once inside the city, he had to change carriages again, stopping before a civilian residence.

A youth dressed like a shop clerk opened the door, poked his head out to look around, then said to Zhu Xu, "Your Highness, please hurry in. The master has been waiting for you for a long time."

Zhu Xu nodded, straightened his clothes, and stepped inside.

"You went up the mountain?" Fu Changzong said at the doorway, looking at Zhu Xu.

There was still plenty of mud on Zhu Xu's shoes. He scraped it off on the ground and smiled: "It went well, but mass production will be somewhat troublesome."

The two spoke as they turned and entered the house. Sitting across from each other, Fu Changzong said, "The Bureau of Military Equipment is indeed hard to manage, but if I am promoted to Vice Minister of Revenue, things will become much easier. Secretly building a small bureau of military equipment shouldn't be too difficult either."

Zhu Xu shook his head. Fu Changzong was underestimating what an arsenal required. Even as Vice Minister of Revenue, in this capital teeming with bureaucrats, it wasn't something one could simply cover up. Besides, he wasn't planning to build a small one.

His time was limited, so he picked out the key points and said thoughtfully, "I'm still not clear on what my imperial brother is plotting, but the position of Vice Minister of Revenue is a good one. Once you're in, don't fight for fame or profit—just make sure you thoroughly understand the operating rules of the Ministry of Revenue. After all these years, there must be a set of unspoken rules in place."

The entire Ming Dynasty was rotten through and through, with the Ministry of Revenue—the money bag—being the worst of all.

Zhu Xu wanted to understand it thoroughly so he could clean it up in the future.

Fu Changzong's expression was grave. He said, "I know this. Taxes, various appropriations, and debts—I've recently been using excuses to investigate them. On the surface, the accounts show nothing unusual, but a few people have hinted something to me, as if testing me."

Zhu Xu nodded, about to speak, when Fu Changzong suddenly added, "Oh, right—I was allocated a salt field."

"Salt field? Allocated? What does that mean?" Zhu Xu was stunned, looking up at Fu Changzong. Although the Ming Dynasty's salt tax had been nearly corroded away, of the total tax revenue of over two million taels, the salt tax alone accounted for over one million. Seen that way, it was still a great deal, and all parties at court valued it extremely highly.

Fu Changzong frowned slightly, looking at Zhu Xu and saying, "I only just learned of this. Within the Ministry of Revenue, control over salt certificates is extremely strict. Therefore, the Transport Office, the Salt Monopoly Office, and the Salt Inspectors all fawn over the Ministry of Revenue. They control the production and sale of salt, forming a complete system from top to bottom. The Minister of Revenue has a fine salt field in Guangdong, and the two Vice Ministers each have a slightly inferior one, in Shandong and Jiangsu respectively. Once accepted, all output and profits belong to me—no need to worry about production or sales, just sit back and collect the silver."

Zhu Xu's mouth hung open, utterly dumbfounded. Had Fu Changzong not told him, he would never have believed it—these people were not merely corrupt; they could even privately transfer salt fields to one another.

Zhu Xu stroked his chin, a murderous glint gradually appearing in his eyes.

Seeing this, Fu Changzong hastily said, "Xu'er, you must not have any designs on the salt tax. This is no joke. If there is the slightest damage, it won't be any easier than privately casting firearms."

The corners of Zhu Xu's mouth curled up as his fingers tapped on the table, the crisp sound ringing out.

The salt tax—by all rights, the court should have no problem collecting ten million taels annually. But year after year, only a little over one million taels came in—one tenth. Rather than giving it to these corrupt officials and wicked gentry, it might as well go to me!

However, as Fu Changzong said, this salt was watched not only by the Emperor and the court above, but also by the Salt Monopoly Office and Transport Office below. Even the profiteering merchants and wicked gentry who sold it, as well as the smugglers dealing in illegal salt—at the slightest sign of trouble, it would stir up a huge uproar, eventually escalating to the national level and leading to full-scale conflict.

"Xu'er," Fu Changzong looked at Zhu Xu, knowing his mind was working, and furrowed his brow in admonition: "You must be extremely cautious about this. Otherwise, those people at court won't let go as easily as they did last time."

Zhu Xu nodded with a beaming smile, looking at Fu Changzong and saying, "Uncle, take it down, then replace everyone—all of them must be my people!"

Seeing that Zhu Xu had already made up his mind, Fu Changzong sighed inwardly, then said thoughtfully, "The salt certificates are under the Ministry of Revenue, the right to transport lies with the Transport Office, and sales go through the Salt Monopoly Office. Then there must be merchants to take over distribution. This whole chain is not so easily managed."

Zhu Xu's fingers tapped faster and faster, his eyes narrowing.

The Ming Dynasty's salt law could be called an oddity. Under the quota system, two million salt certificates went out each year, each estimated at twelve taels, for a total tax revenue of 2.24 million taels—though in practice barely half of that was actually collected.

But if calculated another way—retail at 400 wen per catty, with 20 wen per catty drawn as tax—that would come to twelve million taels a year. Yet in reality, most of it still leaked away.

Zhu Xu kept tapping, then suddenly his mind settled. He stood up and said in a deep voice, "Rather than giving it to those corrupt officials and wicked gentry, it might as well go to me. That's decided! Uncle, get a big one—one that can dry a great deal of salt, ideally enough to satisfy the entire Ming Dynasty!"

Fu Changzong looked at Zhu Xu's expression and shook his head inwardly. His nephew was good in every way except for his stubborn temperament—once he made up his mind, no one could talk him out of it.

He had no choice but to go along. He sat thinking for a long while, then said, "Very well. I'll mull it over after I return. The salt certificates and transport should not be a problem. As for the Salt Monopoly Office, I'll need to find a way. And then there's the sales—that's the big headache."

Zhu Xu had long since formed a plan in his mind. He sneered and said, "Salt certificates ultimately end up in the hands of merchants. There's no need to go through the Salt Monopoly Office—as long as there's someone inside it who can make the records match if an inspection comes. Besides, I'm not afraid of inspections. If someone does investigate, I'd like to use the opportunity to investigate as well."

Fu Changzong's heart leaped at these words. This young master before him was someone who dared to raid and seize the offices of most of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers. He couldn't help but worry: "Xu'er, you're not planning to make a move on the salt tax, are you? You absolutely must not act impulsively like last time!"