Read Novel Full Chapter 830 - 7: Making New Sea Salt (2)
Chapter 830: Chapter 7: Making New Sea Salt (2)
"Yes, the immense profits brought by salt will drive countless people to risk their lives smuggling it, it’s simply impossible to eradicate, which is why the price of salt has always been unstable." Zhao Yao continued to analyze, "Every once in a while, the price of salt rises. If it weren’t for the government’s intervention, the price of salt would only continue to rise. In recent years, the salt merchants in Jiangnan have behaved, not daring to stir up trouble, but now the salt merchants in Qilu have started causing trouble again. The main reason for the instability of salt prices in recent years is that the salt merchants in Qilu have been continually raising the prices."
"Didn’t the government crack down on the salt prices over there in Qilu?"
"Yes, the government did crack down, but it’s only a temporary solution. Before long, salt prices in Qilu will rise again." Zhao Yao said with a cold expression, his tone filled with displeasure, "This constant fluctuation in salt prices is not good for either the government or the common people."
Lian Fang listened to Zhao Yao’s remarks and gave him a long, deep look.
"I didn’t expect you to be concerned about salt prices."
Zhao Yao innocently asked in return, "Shouldn’t I be concerned?"
"The salt prices should be the concern of the government and your father, the Emperor. Why is a carefree Prince like you concerned?"
Zhao Yao felt that Lian Fang was being sarcastic towards him, "Uncle, do you know the salt prices in Lingnan?"
Of course, Lian Fang didn’t know. He never cared about these "trivial" matters.
"I don’t know."
Zhao Yao held up two fingers and said somberly, "Two thousand coins per stone."
Lian Fang was shocked by this price, "Two thousand coins?"
"Isn’t it outrageous?" Zhao Yao sneered, "Luckily, the people in Lingnan are too poor to afford it."
"Why have those officials set the salt price this high?" If the people of Lingnan can’t afford it, who are they selling it to by raising the price so high?
"To sell it to foreign countries." Zhao Yao replied, "In Annan and Siam, the salt is mainly sea salt. Their technique for drying sea salt is similar to that of Great Zhou, so their sea salt is equally unpalatable, but our salt in Great Zhou is better, so their wealthy people are, of course, willing to spend the money."
Lian Fang nodded.
"I tasted the sea salt from Lingnan before, and the taste was beyond words." Zhao Yao felt a pang of sympathy when he thought of the people of Lingnan eating salt as big as stones and tasting so bitter every day. "If it weren’t absolutely necessary to consume salt, I think the people of Lingnan wouldn’t eat sea salt even if they were beaten to death."
Lian Fang curiously asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Zhao Yao deliberately kept it mysterious, "Uncle, you’ll find out when the time comes. However, my new method for drying salt cannot be known to outsiders, or else those salt merchants will start causing trouble again."
"Are you sure the salt you produce will taste better than inland salt?"
Zhao Yao confidently nodded, "It will be very delicious, and most importantly, I plan to make fine salt. The current salt is too coarse, sometimes the salt in the dish doesn’t even dissolve, and if you’re not careful, it grinds your teeth." He had his teeth ground several times by the salt in food, and when he was seven, it directly chipped a tooth.
"Fine salt?" Lian Fang had never heard of "fine salt" before, "How fine could it be?"
"As fine as snow, I suppose."
"Salt as fine as snow?" Hearing Zhao Yao’s words, Lian Fang seemed to have some expectations.
"Yes, once I make it, Uncle, you’ll know how good it is." Zhao Yao thought that saying more at this point was pointless. "If sea salt becomes tasty, not only can the coastal people enjoy good salt, but it will also increase their income. Most importantly, it will curb the inland salt merchants from raising salt prices."
Lian Fang reminded Zhao Yao, "If you produce new sea salt, you’ll be at odds with all the salt merchants inland."
Zhao Yao was naturally aware of this, but he didn’t care.
"Do you think I would be afraid of them?"
"You’ve cut off their source of income, they won’t let you off lightly." Lian Fang was worried about Zhao Yao’s safety, "They will team up with these Lingnan officials to get rid of you, I’m warning you, salt merchants can be very ruthless when they kill."
"I know that, but I can’t refrain from producing new sea salt just because I’m afraid they’ll kill me."
"You must be aware that officials managing salt, if they refuse to conspire with the salt merchants, meet a terrible fate." Lian Fang recalled something from the previous dynasty, "There was a salt official named Lin from the previous dynasty, who refused to collude with salt merchants, and as a result, he was ruined and killed, ultimately leading to the extinction of his line."
Zhao Yao knew about this incident, but he wasn’t afraid.
"I’m not an official, I’m a Prince. Although I may not seem favored on the surface, if they really try to harm me, they’ll be the ones facing extinction. Besides, I have Hidden Guards by my side, it’s not so easy for them to send people to kill me successfully."