After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Zhao Ming lifted his cup and took a sip of wine, quietly watching them leave, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

With such a lack of money and no taxes being levied, where does she plan to get the funds?

When Zhao Hanzhang left the door, she saw Zhao Hu’s carriage, a double-horse carriage draped with thin gauze. The gauze had gotten dirty along the way, and the servants were taking down the hanging ornaments like gems and jade, then taking off the gauze to replace it with new ones.

She couldn’t help but stop and ask, "What do you do with the gauze you take down?"

The servants, upon seeing her, immediately bowed and stood up straight, not daring to look at her, and respectfully replied, "We wash it clean to use as a replacement."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. Fortunately, it’s not so extravagant as to be thrown away after one use, but... it’s still quite extravagant. Can’t the carriage cover be made of stain-resistant and cheap blue cloth?

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, truly, the rich live to the point of death from wealth, while the poor die from poverty.

Zhao Hanzhang turned away, and Zhao Kuan, who stood slightly behind her, observed her expression completely. He restrained himself but couldn’t help and whispered, "This white gauze is not durable for washing, at most, it can only be replaced once. Seventh Ancestor uses three cartloads of white gauze a year, not only liking it for the carriage in summer and autumn but also for draping over pavilions."

Zhao Hanzhang looked around and whispered to him, "How much money do you think Seventh Ancestor has?"

Zhao Kuan pondered for a moment and then replied, "These past two years, since you have been waging wars, the clan had to supply military funds from time to time, so his spending was large. But he also earned quite a lot by leveraging your power. I believe that although it may not be as substantial as the property left by Elder Changyu, it is still considerable."

Zhao Changyu refers to Elder Changyu.

Zhao Hanzhang thought about the wealth left by Zhao Changyu and felt a pang of bitterness.

She handed the horse to the trusted aide behind her and walked by herself, and Zhao Kuan could only follow.

She walked all the way forward until she reached the grocery store before stopping, "Do you have salt?"

The shopkeeper recognized Zhao Hanzhang; after all, she was a celebrity. Who in the city didn’t recognize Zhao Hanzhang, who had ridden triumphantly into the city from outside so many times?

He quickly walked out from behind the counter, repeatedly saluted Zhao Hanzhang, and then ran to fetch a jar of salt.

It was a very large jar of salt, which he and his son carried out together, cautiously placing it on the ground for Zhao Hanzhang to see, "Lord, do you want to buy salt? May I know how much you want to buy?"

Zhao Hanzhang asked with a smile, "How is salt sold now?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Eight cents a he."

A he is a special small square wooden bowl, wide at the mouth and narrow at the bottom, a particularly small square bowl, which he used to fill a he of salt, then looked at Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang also looked at him in silence, and the shopkeeper realized instantly that she didn’t bring a container.

The shopkeeper immediately placed the wooden bowl down carefully, rummaged around, and found a small, decent-looking clay pot for Zhao Hanzhang, smiling warmly, "I am giving this pot to the lord."

Zhao Hanzhang thanked him, and after watching him pour the salt in, she didn’t take it but asked, "This is too little; I want to buy a little more, but two hes are too much, what should I do?"

The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then said, "Salt doesn’t spoil, the lord may buy a little more to keep."

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "I just want to buy another half he."

This was not difficult at all. He turned around and took out a small spoon, "How about another four scoops?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Zhao Hanzhang blinked and asked about the spoon he took out, "How much is in this scoop?"

The shopkeeper smiled, "One cent per scoop."

"How many scoops per he?"

The shopkeeper: "Ten scoops."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded thoughtfully, agreeing, but internally she sighed, a profiteer indeed.

Zhao Hanzhang took twelve cents from her purse and asked him, "How much if I buy a stone of salt?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment and then said, "Currently, it’s about eight thousand cash per stone; it might be cheaper after some time."

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and asked, "Why is that?"

The shopkeeper squinted his eyes with a smile and said, "The lord of great virtue, recovering lost northern lands and defeating the Xiongnu, has made the roads safer from bandits, and more people are beginning to mine salt, so the price of salt will naturally drop."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, picked up the small jar of salt and was about to leave when, by coincidence, a teenage child came in holding a small jar. He didn’t look at Zhao Hanzhang, walked directly to the shopkeeper, and said, "One scoop of salt, please."

The shopkeeper took the money from his hand and said, "Your family has five people, only consuming one scoop of salt in half a month. Be careful of getting a goiter."

"Then please make it cheaper. If it’s cheaper, my family will buy an extra scoop a month."

Zhao Hanzhang paused slightly, listening to the dialogue inside as she walked away, Zhao Kuan followed her in confusion.

Zhao Hanzhang: "Did you see it?"

Zhao Kuan shook his head blankly, seeing what?

Zhao Hanzhang said, "It’s all about money."

Zhao Kuan was taken aback and then startled, "Could it be that the lord is thinking of a salt and iron monopoly?"

Zhao Hanzhang gave him an approving look and said, "The national treasury currently lacks funds; we need a large amount of money and wealthy gentry to purchase food from the southerners and wealthy merchants. The profit from salt and iron is huge and brings quick revenues."

Zhao Kuan’s heart raced, and he quietly opposed, "Iron might be fine, but a salt monopoly... if salt monopolies are implemented, the prices will surge, won’t that still pass the pressure onto the common folk?"

Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "Now private salt is rampant, but did you see the price? A stone of salt is already eight thousand cash."

Zhao Kuan was not an entirely uninformed official; he had worked at the grassroots level, "Three years ago, the price of salt was only twelve hundred cash per stone, during the stable times in Yu State, it was even nine hundred cash per stone, and now it’s risen due to war and severe droughts and locust plagues in the Northern Land, causing the people to be displaced."

"Just as the shopkeeper said, now that the great affairs of the country are settled, and the lord is benevolent, the price of salt will slowly decrease." Zhao Kuan didn’t think government involvement would improve the situation now.

Zhao Hanzhang, however, said, "I want money, and I can also guarantee that under my control, the price of salt will decrease."

Zhao Kuan said helplessly, "This matter probably needs discussion among the court officials."

Zhao Hanzhang’s lips curled slightly, "Really?"

Zhao Kuan, then, lowered his head with anxiety, not daring to speak further.

Zhao Hanzhang slowed her voice and said to him, "I sent Sun Linghui to Guangzhou, initially intending to take things step by step, but the treasury is empty, so there’s no time for us to take it slow. Your Qingzhou should start acting together."

"Hmm?" Zhao Kuan finally understood, "You mean the salt should come from Qingzhou and Guangzhou?"

Zhao Hanzhang said, "After changing the salt policy, salt will have to come from your two states, but for now, I need to reclaim the salt fields from all the states."

Actually, the current national policy is also a government monopoly on edible salt, a policy inherited from Cao Wei, which in turn took it from the Han Dynasty, modifying it slightly to be under government supervision for the trade of edible salt.

When Jin State was first established, it could maintain this situation, but later on, as chaos ensued, and order collapsed, this policy has long been a shell of its former self. Now most of the salt in the market is either private salt or government salt turned private, sold in various shops.

Some even take private salt and sell it in the government’s name, splitting the profits with local officials.

The situation in Yu State was better because she had reorganized it when she was the Yu State Governor. Now, the salt in the market is more government salt than private salt, but outside of Yu State, government salt is hardly seen anymore.

Although government salt is hardly seen, from Zhao Kuan’s perspective, despite the large price fluctuations, it is most beneficial to the people, because before, government monopoly meant salt was not only expensive but also scarce.

The court used this to amass wealth, filling both the national and various private treasuries, with the people suffering in the end.