Tibet

Of course, Li Xun understood what Jieduzhi meant. If he had any difficulties, he could directly raise them and solve them on the spot. But Jieduzhi's question was just an attitude. You can't really raise a bunch of difficult problems according to the situation. It would be too short-sighted.

Officialdom emphasizes being pragmatic when it comes to pragmatism, and it cannot be pragmatic when it is pragmatic. Once it goes against the grain, it is not far from stepping down.

So when should we be pragmatic and when should we be pragmatic?

For example, in front of me, Jiedushi has just got off the boat and has not yet stood firm on his feet. When they meet and greet each other, they are being pragmatic and cannot really raise difficulties.

And when the governor listens to a special report, or goes on an inspection tour to face difficulties, this is the time to be pragmatic. At this time, the exact difficulties must be raised, and not vague and foggy, making the boss feel that your thinking is unclear and your ability is insufficient.

Li Xun has been an official for several years and understands this truth. He quickly said: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I have only been in this humble position for a short time. I am investigating the situation and will make a special report when we have a clear understanding."

This is a pragmatic answer. There are definitely difficulties, but we are still understanding the situation and will report back after the investigation is clear.

Li Ye stepped off the ship and looked at his surroundings. The county seat was about two miles away. There was only one official road leading to the county seat. It was surrounded by grass and there were no warehouses. There were only a few shabby houses. I don't know if they were pubs or inns. It looks very rundown and cold.

Li Ye frowned slightly and asked, "Are there usually no ships here?"

Li Xun immediately understood the reason for Jiedushi's question and quickly explained: "There are two wharves in Hanyang County. This is the Hanshui wharf. It used to be a military wharf and a government wharf. Civilian ships cannot berth, so there are relatively few ships. Hanyang also has A Yangtze River dock where most of the ships go!”

"Is this the military dock and the government dock?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, that's right!"

"Even if it's a military wharf and a government wharf, doesn't the army have supplies? Why don't we see a warehouse? You county officials should know best, tell me!"

County magistrate Huang Yougong said quickly: "Reporting to your highness, the wasteland here was used as a warehouse ten years ago. Later, after Jiangling's naval dock was built, the army no longer used it. Officials did not like this place when they disembarked, preferring the bustling and bustling front. The Yangtze River Wharf has been gradually abandoned over time. Three years ago, a fire burned the warehouse to nothing and it has not been rebuilt."

Li Ye was not in a hurry to draw conclusions, so he smiled and said: "Then go and see the Yangtze River Wharf!"

Everyone got on the boat and continued to move forward. After traveling for a few miles, a bustling dock area appeared in front of them. Everyone's eyes lit up. This was a scene of prosperous business.

The wharf is filled with all kinds of merchant ships, thousands of them densely packed. The unloading area on the shore is piled with various goods, many of which are covered with tarpaulin. The shops in the distance are one after another, lined with rows, and there are all kinds of shouts in front of the door. Sound, behind more than a hundred shops is a large warehouse area. The warehouses are large and majestic, and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is undoubtedly revealed.

The dock was too crowded and their dozen or so ships could not berth, so Li Ye asked his fleet to return to the military dock to berth. One of his own large ships found an empty space and slowly anchored to the shore.

Li Ye got off the ship and went directly to the shopping area. He walked slowly among the bustling crowds. He looked at each shop with great interest and asked about the prices of goods. The officials followed behind.

At this time, Li Ye saw a rice shop and walked in directly. The shopkeeper saw so many customers coming in and greeted him happily. He suddenly recognized the county magistrate behind him and was startled. He immediately realized that the person in front of him was The young official was very serious and stood aside respectfully.

Li Ye came in and took a look at the shop. There was a circle of baskets placed against the wall. The baskets were full of rice, and the prices were different. Old rice was slightly cheaper, and there were differences based on the place of production.

Suzhou rice is fifty-five cents per dou, Huzhou rice is also the same price, Yuezhou rice is fifty cents per dou, and local rice is also fifty cents per dou. Li Ye asked: "Suzhou and Huzhou need transportation costs, which is understandable, but local rice It also costs fifty coins, why?"

The shopkeeper said respectfully: "Replying to the envoy, the local rice is all new rice this year, and the price is a little more expensive. The other rice is last year's rice, and it is not sold in retail at this price. You have to buy at least ten shi at a time."

"What's the retail price?"

"Add ten more coins for each bucket."

Li Ye laughed and said, "That's not right! The sign clearly says fifty cents per dou, but you pay sixty cents for a dou. Aren't you afraid that others will sue you?"

The shopkeeper smiled bitterly and said: "I don't dare to hide it from you. We have always done big business here. We don't sell anything less than ten dan, so the price has always been the price of big business. It has been like this for decades. Because of the war in the north, a large number of Refugees are fleeing south. Many refugees come to buy rice, but they only buy a few liters. Why don’t they sell it? They are pitiful, so let’s make it clear to them that we can sell rice to them, but the price will be the same as the rice shop in the county. Otherwise, everyone They all think it’s cheap here and flock here, but why can’t the rice shops in the city open?”

Li Ye nodded, turned around and said to the county magistrate: "I can understand the decades-old habit, but now that retail is allowed, the old rules must be changed. I suggest that prices should be unified in the future, and all prices should be quoted." For retail prices, if you buy more, you can lower the price instead of raising it, otherwise it will cause a big misunderstanding and affect Jingxiang's credibility, thinking that we are struggling to make money for the country."

County Magistrate Huang Yougong nodded repeatedly, "I understand the humble position!"

Li Ye asked again: "What's the current price of rice in Suzhou?"

The shopkeeper didn't dare to hide it, so he hesitated and said: "The retail price in the Suzhou market is 40 cents for new rice and 35 cents for old rice. If we buy hundreds of shi at a time, the old rice is about 25 cents."

Li Ye probably understood that if he added the transportation cost of ten cents, the cost would be thirty-five cents per dou. After deducting the rent, labor wages, and losses, he could earn more than ten cents per dou.

Calculated, one hundred shi is only a dozen guan, and a trip to transport a few hundred shi can only earn a few dozen guan. The profit is not high. It is really a small business, unless you make more than a dozen trips a year.

"How many shops like yours sell rice here?"

"Including small shops, there are eleven in total!"

Li Ye came out of the shop with a heavy heart. If they engage in government business, these wholesale shops will definitely be destroyed. Not only the rice shops, but all the goods involved will crowd out countless shops.

However, the salt and iron monopoly requires a nationwide chess game and is conducted in a single region, which has too many loopholes.

Liu Yan saw his lord's worries and understood where he was worried, so he advised: "Your Highness, don't worry too much. Shrimps have their own way, and crabs have their own way. We officials and businessmen are involved. We purchase tens of thousands of stones at a time, and the purchase price may be every day." The bucket only costs 20 coins, and the freight is only 5 coins. Then we earn 20 coins per bucket, 45 coins per bucket.

These rice merchants can buy goods from us, and they will save on shipping costs. The cost will still be the same, and it will have no impact on them. "

Li Ye smiled bitterly and said: "Our monthly military salary is 300,000 yuan. I'm worried that the government and businessmen will make too little profit. It's far from enough!"

Liu Yan smiled slightly and said: "The way to do business is to make a lot of money, to accumulate a little to make a big thing. Don't look at the fact that you can only earn 20 cents from a bucket of rice, but if you increase the quantity, the profit will be considerable. You can make millions of shi of grain a year." , you can earn 200,000 yuan, and there are other things, not just rice.

For example, when I talked about the benefits of salt and iron, we would do commercial salt instead of specializing in salt. We would make a profit of one million pounds a year.

We also have tens of thousands of camels and thousands of ships. We can provide transportation, and we can get tens of thousands of dollars a year. We mine, smelt, and mint money, buy cane from Bashu and refine sugar, and we can build and operate ships. Land, etc., as long as the transportation and capital are sufficient, there are too many ways to make money. His Royal Highness's military salary of 3.6 million yuan a year is just a piece of cake from the perspective of his humble position. "

Li Ye was silent. He understood that Liu Yan was comforting himself. If the cake could be made bigger, everyone would benefit. Of course it would be best. But if the cake cannot be made, then one more bite for them would mean one less bite for others.

But the reality is such that it is inevitable to sacrifice the interests of some businessmen for the sake of one's own grand ambitions. When it is time to harden one's heart, one must not be as kind as a woman.

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[There is something going on at home today, so I only have two chapters, morning and evening. I’m sorry! 】