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Chapter 854: The Blade Unsheathed (2)

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    Salt has many uses, whether it is for civil or industrial use. It is particularly important. Salt is still a necessity in people's lives. The old saying goes: "A family of ten, ten people eat salt; a family of a hundred people, a hundred people eat salt."  ¡±, which shows the importance of salt to people¡¯s daily lives.

    China¡¯s salt monopoly policy originated quite early.  It can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period, when Guan Zhong proposed the "official mountain and sea" policy when he was governing Qi State, which advocated a state monopoly on the management of salt, minerals and various mountain and forest resources.

    ?Further down, there is the state-owned economic system built by Sang Hongyang for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. The most important one is the Yantie Official Business.

    One of the main reasons why Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promoted the official operation of salt and iron was to monopolize profit sources and increase national fiscal revenue, which was used to fill the financial loopholes in the perennial war against the Huns.  But there is another reason that few people know, and that is to limit the power of big businessmen and local powerful people to prevent them from growing into salt and iron riches and repeating the tragedy of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion in the early Han Dynasty.

    Therefore, the salt and iron monopoly has had the dual purpose of state control from the beginning: it is not only a struggle for economic interests between the central government and local powerful and wealthy businessmen, but also an important means of political control.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that, between economic control and political control, the further history goes, the more the former overshadows the latter.

    Liu Yan, the acting financial master of the Tang Dynasty, improved the salt law and changed it to "civilian system, official collection, official sales, commercial transportation, and commercial sales".  The biggest difference between Liu Yan's reforms is the introduction of the role of businessmen: the government is only responsible for purchasing salt from salt households and then selling it to salt merchants. The difference in price is the national finance and tax; as for the subsequent resale link, the government steps aside.  Leave it directly to the merchants.

    Although this is also a national monopoly system, the degree of government monopoly has been relatively reduced, so the all-powerful salt merchant class emerged in the imperial era.

    During the Qing government, salt tax was the second largest source of fiscal revenue for the Qing government, always accounting for more than 1/5 of the empire's fiscal revenue.  During the Daoguang period, the annual national salt tax was approximately 7.5 million taels of silver, which was higher than the land tax revenue of any province in the country.

    Among them, the Lianghuai salt tax is the largest, and the government obtains more than 4 million taels of salt profit from it every year. In this regard, Tao Shu, who served as the governor of Liangjiang and was in charge of the salt administration of the Lianghuai River, said: "The wealth of the southeast is  Huaihuan is the largest, and Huaike is the most important salt company in the world."

    Because of this, the Lianghuai Salt Affairs has been the most intense competition for the interests of China and Japan, as well as the Japanese army and the puppet regime since the outbreak of the war.

    During this time, the atmosphere in the Salt Bureau in Haizhou was very tense. Director of Salt Bureau Shizuo Shimo and Deputy Director Ma Ruxue frowned. The backbone of the Salt Bureau were also trembling, like quails in the cold wind.  .

    "Baga, it's been so many days and you haven't even caught a single smuggler. It's simply ridiculous!" Shimono Shizuo shouted angrily.

    Although his tone was unkind and his face was a little ferocious, both Ma Ruxue and others could hear a hint of fear and uneasiness in Shimono Shizuo's tone.

    "Taijun, it's not that brothers don't work hard, it's that those private salt dealers are too cunning. Brothers have been unable to find out where their purchasing channels and sales channels are after many inquiries. The anti-smuggling teams sent out are also being watched.  We must fight to the death, our people withdrew before they reached the other side, and every action was in vain!" Ma Ruxue said solemnly.

    "Idiots, all idiots, do you know that this year's salt tax has not increased compared to last year, but has been reduced by one-fifth. Do you know what this means?"

    "What?"

    ¡°It means our heads may be taken off at any time!¡± Shimono Shizuo said angrily.

    "Noit can't be. This reduction in salt tax has nothing to do with the brothers. Even if the higher-ups are to blame, the brothers can't be blamed!" Ma Ruxue said with surprise.

    "Humph, why will the salt tax be reduced?"

    "This this should be due to many factors. On the one hand, it was the destruction of the war, which led to the destruction of a large number of salt fields. On the other hand, it was natural disasters and seawater intrusion, which caused serious damage to the salt fields and reduced production  "

    "Baga, in this case, it might have been okay to use it to fool the front army headquarters last year, but I'm afraid it won't work this year!"

    "why is that?"

    "Baga, do you have a stupid brain?"

    Then Shimono Shizuo continued: "Think about it carefully. Last year, the Japanese Imperial Army and the Japanese government army fought fiercely in southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu. They fought first the Battle of Taierzhuang and then the Battle of Xuzhou. Large-scale war damage  Salt fields are inevitable, and the reduction of salt tax is inevitable. No matter what we say, we can say it.go!  "

    "But there have been almost no large-scale wars in the entire northern Jiangsu region this year. Even the previous attacks by the imperial army on the 17 counties in northern Jiangsu were concentrated in mountainous areas and small towns, with almost no salt fields involved. If we still use this excuse to fool  Do you think it makes sense to talk about the front army headquarters?"

    "this"

    Before Ma Ruxue could say anything, Shimono Shizuo continued: "Furthermore, this year's salt tax has been reduced by one-fifth compared to last year. Such a huge deficit cannot be explained in a few words. Especially this year in the Empire of Japan.  The economy is not very prosperous, and the frontline troops rely heavily on the salt tax from the Lianghuai Salt Farm, which means that our place is related to the salary and supplies of the frontline imperial soldiers, and the superiors attach great importance to it."

    "For such a huge deficit, the higher authorities will definitely hold people accountable. By then, I, the director of the salt affairs department, will definitely not be able to bear the consequences. I may be sent to a military court. But before I am sent to a military court, I have to do something  The first thing I do is to send you one by one to see your King of Hell!"

    Everyone was shocked by Shimono Shizuo's murderous words. Based on their understanding of the murderous demon in front of them, he could definitely do such a thing.

    "Taijun, please forgive me. Brothers, there is no credit but hard work for following you"

    "Shut up! Don't think that because I'm a soldier, I don't know the shenanigans in the salt affairs. Although the salt tax deficit is caused by war and natural disasters, more importantly, it is caused by the proliferation of illegal salt and rampant smuggling.  No one can escape the relationship!¡±

    "Taijun, you are wronged"

    "Baga, the Salt Bureau has six anti-smuggling teams with a total strength of more than 3,000 people. Your task is only to control the four nearby salt fields and the surrounding traffic arteries. But even in this case, you  You still can't catch half of the private salt dealers, are you trying to challenge the patience of the imperial army?"

    Ma Ruxue felt a thump in his heart, realizing that today's test was not going to be easy. This bastard Shimono seemed to want to settle the score.

    "Taijun, my brothers have been busy with you in the past two years, and they have done their best. As for the anti-smuggling matter, to be honest, our role is not big!"

    "Nani, please explain clearly!" Shimono Shizuo said in a deep voice.

    "Taijun, let me tell you the truth. It's not that our brothers don't want to catch those private salt dealers, and it's not that we can't find them. It's just that we really can't beat them!" Ma Ruxue said with a bitter face.

    "Nani, although you are not a regular army, you are equipped with long and short guns. How can you not defeat those private salt dealers?" Shimono Shizuo asked in surprise.

    "Taijun, it's true that we are equipped with long spears, but the equipment of those private salt dealers is far better than ours. Behind them are not only bandits and bandits, but also forces from Chongqing. On the surface, they seem to be just a group of inconspicuous people.  They are smugglers, but in fact they are all armed escorts. Before you took office, the brothers fought against them several times, but suffered heavy casualties. After that, the brothers no longer dared to control them!"

    "Bagayalu, is this how you do things for the Imperial Army of Japan?"

    Listening to Shimono Shizuo's roar, Ma Ruxue and others felt helpless. They usually order guns and bullets with you, but from you, the chief director, to the garrison commander of Haizhou City, everyone is digging and searching, but now they are fierce.  Get up, what did you do early?

    But in this case, they could only keep it in their hearts and dare not say it out loud. Otherwise, with Shizuo Shino's temper, he might actually kill someone with a saber.

    "Taijun, calm down your anger, you are happy and angry. Brothers have no choice. We are not strong enough, so we can only bow our heads!" Ma Ru said.

    "Do you think this explanation can be accepted by the Front Army Command? Let me tell you, once the Front Army Command knows the real reason, it will only think that we are a great dereliction of duty. Everyone, including me, should not even think about it.  Well done!" Shimono Shizuo said through gritted teeth.

    "Taijun, what should we do?" Ma Ruxue asked subconsciously.

    Shimo Shizuo thought for a moment and said, "We have to save ourselves!"

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