Chapter 56

"Xiao Lang, have you sold the sheep?"

"Yes, it's not easy to become a disciple of Master Zhang. Selling them early will allow me to focus on my studies and prepare for the final push."

"Yes, Xiao Lang, I have something for you." Zhu Huan opened the bag behind him, which contained about thirty to forty pounds of white fine salt.

It wasn't even standard refined salt, but rather toxic salt, though it did look good.

"It's all thanks to you, so I'm giving you a 20% share." As he spoke, Zhu Huan took out a stack of paper money worth a hundred strings of cash and placed it on the table.

Wang Ju stared at the stack of paper money, his eyes showing hesitation.

With the money in his hands, if he didn't consider the potential risks to the village, his income this year would be better than he had imagined. However, he still lacked money. Once in the city, everything for his family of three would need to be bought, including rent for their house. But he had already taught all his sword techniques. If he were no longer around and someone caused trouble, would he come back just to fight for his share?

However, taking this money from the Zhu family felt very uncomfortable.

"Merit should be rewarded, and faults should be punished. Clear rewards and punishments are the principles of governing a country and an army. You understand this, Xiao Lang," Zhu Huan thought Wang Ju was being stubborn and didn't want to accept it.

"Master, how many salt vouchers did you buy?"

"Fifty."

These fifty salt vouchers were just a token. When the salt from Xie reached Yanzhou, it cost over thirty coins per pound, and the green salt in Yanzhou also sold for about thirty coins per pound. But how could the taste of Xie salt compare to green salt?

Moreover, why buy salt in Yanzhou? The market price of green salt in Yanzhou was over thirty coins per pound, but the cost of smuggling salt was only about twenty coins per pound.

If you really bought vouchers to use Xie salt as refined salt, wouldn't that be crazy?

"Master, I don't know how much you sell a pound of fine salt for?"

Zhu Huan was about to say.

Wang Ju waved to stop him: "I don't want to know, but I do know one thing. If two hundred strings of cash are 20% of the profit, then Master must have made a thousand strings of cash from salt in the past two months. But no matter how much you sell it for, fifty salt vouchers definitely won't make nearly a thousand strings of cash in profit."

Zhu Huan nodded.

"Master, a gentleman is ashamed of profit, but I think that's wrong. If profit were shameful, why would the state monopolize salt, tea, wine, and alum, and have so many government-run workshops and ferries? The Zhu family is a merchant, and pursuing profit is reasonable and justified. Moreover, this salt is different from other salts. It goes through a refining process, which may result in a 30-40% loss. According to the court's regulations, buying one salt voucher gives you the right to sell one salt voucher. Just this 30% loss provides endless room for manipulation."

Zhu Huan nodded again.

He had calculated this at home. Simply put, if I buy a thousand pounds of salt, but after refining, only six to seven hundred pounds remain, I have the right to sell another three hundred pounds of private salt, and it's legal to sell these three hundred pounds of private salt!

"But it's currently a monopoly business with astonishing profits. Many people will envy it. Being at the top is not easy, but being the target of everyone's envy is even more dangerous."

"Xiao Lang, what should I do?" Zhu Huan asked. He was a very shrewd businessman. When the Zhao and Ding families were growing, the Zhu family was just a small merchant. It was under Zhu Huan that the Zhu family gradually rose. This might be Wang Ju's luck, as another merchant might not immediately appreciate Wang Ju. But it could also be the Zhu family's luck.

"Half of Yanzhou uses Xie salt, and the other regions all use Xie salt. The other half of Yanzhou's green salt should not be involved in the private salt process by the Zhu family, but should be purchased from other large households."

"This..."

"Master, the court doesn't lack salt. Decades ago, the Guangnan East Road had to close several salt fields because they had stockpiled sixty years' worth of salt. Except for a few areas in the southwest with transportation difficulties, most regions in the Song Dynasty don't lack salt, but rather how to sell more salt, especially more official salt. For example, Xie salt, as long as it's genuine official salt, the court can make at least fifteen coins per pound. Therefore, the more salt vouchers Master buys, the happier the court will be. If Master buys half of the green salt from other large households, then those households will also benefit from the private salt. Everyone benefits and is happy, and they won't envy you. Moreover, if the court investigates, the Zhu family can claim that they bought the salt and refined it, and there's a loophole in the salt regulations, so they won't violate the court's salt laws. This is a long-term strategy."

"But..."

"I know, this will无形中增加很多成本，管理也更麻烦。但是眼光一定要放长远一点，工于心计未必是贬义词。如果眼光短浅，贪占小便宜的工于心计，说不定是自取灭亡之道。然而眼光放得长远的工于心计，又学会舍得，有舍才有得，那就是大智慧。东翁，眼光何不再放得更远更远。”

“更远更远？”

“不一定非得在延州，这种盐技术简单，早晚必被人仿造出来。但它一出来，必然引起大家的惊奇轰动。”

朱欢再次点头。

当朱家第一次卖这种盐时，把大家都吓傻了。然后朱家的仆役让客人用手指蘸着尝了一尝，迅速就被抢购一空。

“所以必须用最快速度抢占更多的市场，延州、鄜州、坊州、庆州、耀州、同州……直到长安，短时间内最大限度谋取暴利。因为朱家用的全部是朝廷的盐钞，甚至额外多用了盐钞，等于替朝廷拼命地赚钱，官府也会乐于其见，乐于其成，甚至会主动帮助你家，小子以为这才是真正的商贾之术。”

当然了，若是这样，王巨这份分红拿得也不会烫手了。

“醍醐灌顶哪。”

“不过东翁，适度二字乃是做事的真正标准，小子虽有功，然而这二成分红太多，不如按照寨中桃溪剑的惯例，我依然从中抽取百分之二的利润。”说着王巨拿起二十贯交子，余下的全部眼神坚决地推给朱欢。

这也是一种舍得。

没有他的启发，恐怕得再过八九百年，才能出现这种细盐，当然那时的细精比这个质量要合格得多。

但王巨所谓的功劳，不过就是动了一下嘴巴，连研发都没有参与，经营成本全部是朱家所为。虽然朱家想笼络他，但真拿了二成的利润，长久后，朱家内部必有人不快活。可只拿其中百分之二的利润，王巨就会心安理得了。其实若是朱欢将诸州路子打通，就是百分之二的利润，对于王巨来说，也是一笔不小的数字。

朱欢长声叹息。

其实他很想说一句，程戡说高人，王巨虽然年龄小，离这个高人称号实际真的不远了。

“丁家的事有什么动向？”

“入殻了。”

“耶！”王巨欢呼一声。

虽然美好的前景渐渐冲淡了寨子的忧伤。

虽然宋朝建国就发生了类似的事，一些陕西边境不肖的汉人勾结羌人，陷害自己的同族，为非作歹，逼迫赵匡胤不得不派出许多重将镇戍陕西。

但那终是几十条鲜活的人命，都是王巨熟悉的人，甚至有的人对王巨一直很不错，因为丁家，全部长眠于九泉之下。

…………

“朱欢，你见某有何事？”程戡有些厌恶地说。

王家寨一战虽大捷了，却又让程戡丢了一次小脸，他也肯定下来，王家寨村民就是朱家以前的骡子，只是后来那个无法无天的小子发明了新的铸剑方法，王家寨百姓才没有去做背骡子的活计。而且他也肯定下来山道那一战恐怕就是朱家的管事与王家寨百姓共同发起的。

实际上朝廷也清楚下面这些乌七八糟的情况，更没有人想追究，这追究起来麻烦了，难道发起一场整军整纪运动？再将西北边境所有参与私盐者一起砍头，那得杀多少人哪？仅延州就得最少杀一万人！

而且那次事件给程戡带来了机会，正好趁机将青涧城营田种种弊病整治，正好恐吓延州商贾减少了私盐规模，正好胁迫他们捐款，兴修了许多道路，改善了十几个砦堡的交通情况。

然而朱家，以及那少年与一群村民将他玩于股掌之上，程戡能快活吗？哪怕朱家一年替朝廷带来一百多匹真正的西夏良马，哪怕还在横山地区成功地镶下一根钉子，哪怕那少年主动将新的冶钢技术交出来。

“程公，草民前来拜谒程公，是请想程公帮一下忙，草民想派人前往京城榷务货买五千钞盐钞。”

“五千钞盐钞？”程戡一下子站起来。

盐政收入在朝廷占据的比例可不小，但是私盐同样泛滥成灾，不仅是西北，整个宋朝都在流动着大量私盐，甚至一些产盐区一两官盐都卖不出去，朝廷气愤之下，强行向百姓摊派，一丁一月必须买一斤官盐回去，不买都不行。但那是内陆地区，延州可不敢这么做。

因此榷盐成了延州政绩的最大短板。

五千钞盐，一万石，两万多贯，可以说仅是这一笔单子就将延州盐政弥补上。

但程戡有点不大相信，这个朱欢难道变成好人了？

“不过要请程公帮一下忙。”

“说，坐，”程戡道，不小的政绩哪，请朱欢入坐了，语气立即变得象春风一样温暖……

“程公也知道了，草民家出了那种细盐，不过受盐法限制，拘束多多，草民只好仅在延州销售。还请程公写一份荐帖，让榷货务明令准许草民于陕西其他州府销售。若是销路得当，五千钞盐也许只是一个开始。”

“这个可以，朱欢，为何这么自觉？”程戡立即道。按照范祥新盐法，实际只要拿到解盐盐钞，就可以在陕西所有地区甚至川北销售，当然，若是在他州销售，可能还会有些麻烦，但麻烦也不会太大。实际只有朱家舍得砸一些钱，即便在他州，同样还可以用私盐代替解盐。

“有一个少年告诉草民，舍得舍得，有舍就有得，实际这个盐也是他教导草民研制出来的。”

少年是谁？

程戡摇了摇头，自己治下出现这个无法无天的妖孽少年不知是好事还是坏事，他也不想过问。

“草民来见程公，还有一件事要禀报，延州百姓很苦，因此草民愿意拿出一万两千贯钱捐给官府，让官府赈济寡儿老弱。”

程戡又再度站起来，然后仔细地打量着朱欢。

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However, this will increase many costs and make management more complicated. But one must have a long-term perspective. Being shrewd is not necessarily a bad thing. If one is short-sighted and greedy for small benefits, it might lead to self-destruction. However, if one has a long-term perspective and learns to give up, there will be gains. This is great wisdom. Master, why not look even further ahead?"

"Further ahead?"

"Not necessarily in Yanzhou. This salt-making technique is simple and will eventually be replicated. But when it comes out, it will surely cause amazement and excitement."

Zhu Huan nodded again.

When the Zhu family first sold this salt, everyone was stunned. Then the servants let the guests taste it with their fingers, and it was quickly snatched up.

"So we must quickly capture more markets: Yanzhou, Fuzhou, Fangzhou, Qingzhou, Yaozhou, Tongzhou... all the way to Chang'an, maximizing profits in a short time. Since the Zhu family uses only official salt vouchers, and even uses extra vouchers, it's like working hard for the court to make money. The government will be happy to see and support this, and might even actively help your family. I believe this is the true art of business."

Of course, if this happens, Wang Ju's share of the profit won't feel so uncomfortable.

"Like a sudden enlightenment."

"However, Master, moderation is the true standard of action. Although I have contributed, this 20% share is too much. According to the tradition of Taoxi Sword in the village, I will take only 2% of the profit." Saying this, Wang Ju took twenty strings of cash and firmly pushed the rest back to Zhu Huan.

This is also a form of giving up.

Without his inspiration, it might take another eight or nine hundred years for such fine salt to appear, and the quality would be much better then.

But Wang Ju's contribution was just a few words, without any involvement in research or development, and all the operating costs were borne by the Zhu family. Although the Zhu family wanted to win his favor, taking 20% of the profit would eventually make some people in the Zhu family unhappy. But taking only 2% would make Wang Ju feel at ease. In fact, if Zhu Huan smoothed the way in various regions, even 2% would be a significant amount for Wang Ju.

Zhu Huan sighed deeply.

In fact, he wanted to say that, according to Cheng Kan, Wang Ju, though young, was not far from being a true master.

"What's the latest on the Ding family?"

"They are in trouble."

"Yay!" Wang Ju cheered.

Although the bright future gradually eased the village's sorrow.

Although similar incidents occurred when the Song Dynasty was founded, some unscrupulous Han people in the Shaanxi border colluded with the Qiang people, harming their own people, forcing Zhao Kuangyin to send many generals to garrison Shaanxi.

But those were dozens of precious lives, people Wang Ju knew well, and some who had always been kind to him. Because of the Ding family, they all lay in eternal rest.

...

"Zhu Huan, what brings you here?" Cheng Kan said with some disgust.

Although the battle at Wang Family Village was a great victory, it also made Cheng Kan lose face. He was sure that the villagers of Wang Family Village were the Zhu family's former mules, and only after the unruly youth invented a new sword-making method did the villagers stop being mules. He was also sure that the battle on the mountain path was initiated by the Zhu family's manager and the villagers of Wang Family Village.

In fact, the court was well aware of these messy situations and no one wanted to investigate. Investigating would be troublesome. Would they launch a military and disciplinary campaign? Would they behead all those involved in the private salt trade in the northwest border? That would mean killing thousands of people, at least ten thousand in Yanzhou alone!

Moreover, that incident gave Cheng Kan an opportunity. He could take the chance to rectify the various problems in Qingjian City, intimidate the merchants in Yanzhou to reduce the scale of private salt, and coerce them into donating money to build roads and improve transportation in over a dozen fortresses.

However, the Zhu family, the youth, and the villagers had played him like a puppet. Could Cheng Kan be happy? Even if the Zhu family brought over a hundred genuine fine horses from Western Xia to the court each year, or successfully planted a stake in the Hengshan region, or if the youth voluntarily handed over the new steel-making technology.

"Sir Cheng, I have come to seek your help. I want to send someone to the capital to buy five thousand salt vouchers."

"Five thousand salt vouchers?" Cheng Kan stood up immediately.

Salt revenue was a significant part of the court's income, but the private salt trade was rampant. Not only in the northwest, but throughout the Song Dynasty, a large amount of private salt flowed. In some salt-producing areas, not even one official salt could be sold. Outraged, the court forcibly allocated salt to the people, requiring each household to buy one pound of official salt per month, with no exceptions. But this was in the inland areas; Yanzhou didn't dare to do this.

Therefore, the monopoly on salt became the biggest shortcoming in Yanzhou's performance.

Five thousand salt vouchers, ten thousand stones, over twenty thousand strings of cash, this single order alone could make up for Yanzhou's salt revenue shortfall.

But Cheng Kan was a bit skeptical. Had Zhu Huan become a good person?

"However, I need your help."

"Speak, sit," Cheng Kan said, inviting Zhu Huan to sit down, his tone immediately becoming warm and welcoming...

"Sir Cheng, as you know, my family has produced this fine salt. However, due to the salt regulations, there are many restrictions, so I can only sell it in Yanzhou. I hope you can write a recommendation letter to the Salt Monopoly Office to allow me to sell it in other regions of Shaanxi. If the sales go well, five thousand salt vouchers might just be the beginning."

"This can be done, Zhu Huan. Why are you so proactive?" Cheng Kan immediately asked. According to the new salt regulations by Fan Xiang, as long as you have the salt vouchers, you can sell in all regions of Shaanxi and even in northern Sichuan. Of course, selling in other regions might be a bit more complicated, but not too much. If the Zhu family is willing to spend some money, they can even use private salt to replace the official salt in other regions.

"A young man told me, 'To gain, one must give.' In fact, this salt was also taught to me by him."

Who is this young man?

Cheng Kan shook his head. He didn't know whether the appearance of this unruly youth in his jurisdiction was a good or bad thing, and he didn't want to inquire further.

"I have another matter to report, Sir Cheng. The people of Yanzhou are suffering, so I am willing to donate twelve thousand strings of cash to the government to help the widows, orphans, and the elderly."

Cheng Kan stood up again and carefully examined Zhu Huan.