The most arrogant in history

Chapter 268: Conscientious Boss.

Ye Kun shrugged: "I was just asking casually, I didn't bother you."

At this time, Xie Tong had already walked over and saluted with his fists clasped.

Ye Kun put down the work in his hands and returned the greeting: "Thank you, sir. Why are you so free today? Come out for a walk?"

Xie Tong smiled and said, "I heard that Lord Ye is here, so I came here to wait for your orders. I'd also like to take a look at the new toilet designed by Lord Ye."

Ye Kun nodded and took Xie Tong to visit:

"Okay, let me introduce you to the design and function of this toilet... The toilet is divided into two parts, the men's toilet and the women's toilet. They are built separately, 20 steps apart, and are separated by a green belt in the middle to avoid embarrassment. The toilet is 50 steps away from the main road, and there is a forest in front to avoid affecting the city appearance.

The men's restroom is divided into a toilet and a urinal, and a water tower is set up for everyone to wash their hands after changing clothes. The women's restroom also has a water tower with running water for washing hands. In the future, fixed staff will be arranged on duty to clean and check the equipment...

In order to cultivate everyone's hygienic habits and to demonstrate the strength and style of our Yizhou, we plan to distribute toilet tokens and toilet paper for free in the women's restroom."

After listening to Ye Kun's plan, Xie Tong smiled and said, "But this will require a lot of investment, right?"

Ye Kun nodded: "It will indeed cost a bit, but we can contract the manure from the toilets to fixed vegetable farmers and charge them some fees. With some subsidies from us, we can get it up and running."

Xie Tong smiled and said, "Master Ye, this is also for the people and for the cleanliness of Chengdu. How about this, I will personally contribute 500 taels of silver to support Master Ye."

"That's great. I will carve Mr. Xie's name on the toilet so that everyone will remember your contribution!" Ye Kun was very moved.

In fact, Ye Kun knew that the old man was willing to donate five hundred taels of silver just for the murder of someone yesterday.

“That’s not necessary…” Xie Tong’s old face twitched and he quickly declined.

It's so unlucky to carve your name on the toilet!

Ma Zhao followed, smiling:

"Master Xie, the case of your servant beating someone to death has been reported to me. I plan to hold a hearing tomorrow. At that time, I would like to trouble Master Xie to be present."

Xie Tong sighed, "Master Ma, rest assured, I will definitely go to the lobby. Alas, these dogs and slaves have no respect for the law, which is really hateful. Master Ma, just deal with it impartially, and I promise to obey the judgment."

Ye Kun smiled and said, "Thank you, sir, for setting an example and abiding by the law. There is great hope for the long-term peace and stability of Yizhou."

All three guys are hypocritical, each with their own agenda, and extremely phony.

After lunch, the financial director Wu Qiong reported to Ye Kun on his work and the various inventories in the treasury.

Ye Kun took the list and looked through it, and was shocked: "Why is there so much salt in stock?"

According to the list, there are 30,000 shi of crude salt and 10,000 shi of refined salt in the government warehouse.

One stone in Dading Kingdom weighs 120 jin.

The total inventory of salt is five million kilograms.

This is just the inventory in Chengdu. The major counties and prefectures below also have some salt stocks.

There are only more than two million people in Yizhou, and with this amount of salt in stock, each person can get two kilograms of salt.

Wu Qiong was very proud: "Master Ye, isn't it good to have a large stock of salt?"

"But have you ever investigated how much salt the people down there eat every month?"

"That... depends on the individual. Rich families can eat two taels of refined salt per person per month. Poor families can eat less..."

"Then do you know how much salt a person normally consumes per month?"

"Well... I don't know." Wu Qiong shook his head.

"Normally, each person should consume three ounces of fine salt per month. That's about four pounds of salt per year. If you don't reach this amount, it will affect your health, make you weak, age quickly, and have gray hair."

Ye Kun did investigate and said:

"I have asked the immigrants in the Mi Cang Mountain area. A poor family with four or five people often only needs one pound of salt for a year. So I think many poor people cannot afford salt and are very frugal. We still need to find a way to make salt affordable for the people!"

Ye Kun couldn't let the people of Yizhou eat oil freely for the time being.

But with so much salt in stock, it is entirely possible to allow everyone to eat salt freely.

Wu Qiong pondered and said, "But the price of salt in Yizhou is not high."

"Not high? Thirty kilograms of fine grain for one kilogram of salt, and you still say it's not high?" Ye Kun asked back.

The price of salt in the Dading Kingdom was not fixed according to the price of grain.

Generally speaking, thirty kilograms of grain are exchanged for one kilogram.

Historically, during the period of Emperor Wu of Han's salt and iron monopoly, the price of salt was set even higher. In the end, ordinary people simply stopped eating salt and chewed grass roots with their meals. Ironware was expensive and of very poor quality, so ordinary people switched to wooden utensils.

The situation was most brutal during the late Ming Dynasty, when the salt and iron monopolies were in place, and it took two to three hundred kilograms of grain to exchange for one kilogram of salt!

It's nothing more than taking advantage of the people's weaknesses and exploiting them to death!

Ye Kun also calculated the cost of mining Yizhou well salt. When natural gas is used to refine salt, three kilograms of grain can be exchanged for one kilogram, which is the maximum cost.

Wu Qiong guessed what Ye Kun meant and asked in a low voice, "Master Ye, do you mean to lower the price of salt?"

Ye Kun asked back: "Do you think it can be lowered a little? How much can it be lowered?"

Wu Qiong pondered and said, "If the price of salt drops too much, I'm afraid it will affect the revenue of the government treasury..."

Ye Kun thought about it, and suddenly smiled and said, "Let's call a meeting of officials from all departments in Chengdu and local gentry tomorrow, and we'll discuss it."

Wu Qiong nodded and left.

Ye Kun called Zhuge Feng to discuss the matter and find a way to distribute salt to the grassroots people.

Zhuge Feng thought for a moment, his eyes lit up:

"Master Ye, this is very easy to handle. First, at the meeting tomorrow, we will talk about using salt to replace salaries, and give officials at all levels an advance of half a year's salary, and all salt will be distributed. Officials have too much salt in their hands, so they will naturally distribute it to their subordinates at all levels, and the salt will flow downward;

Second, as a form of consolation, salt was distributed to soldiers in the army and workers in factories and mines, and they were allowed to take leave to visit their families and send the salt back.

In this way, the people will have more salt, and everyone can exchange and adjust on their own, so that everyone can have salt to eat. "

Ye Kun was delighted when he heard this: "Mr. Zhuge is very resourceful, this plan is really great!"

Zhuge Feng lowered his voice and added: "We can also sell a batch of salt to Hanzhong through merchants to solve our inventory."

Hanzhong does not produce salt, and most of the salt is purchased from Yizhou.

Ye Kun smiled and said, "Very good. Gather the merchants immediately and announce a price reduction for salt. If you buy 100 shi, we will reduce the price by 30%; if you buy 500 shi, we will reduce the price by 40%; if you buy 1,000 shi, we will reduce the price by half!"

Zhuge Feng took the order and made arrangements immediately.

The next day, Ye Kun called a meeting of officials and announced the news: "Everyone has worked hard, and the New Year is coming soon, so I decided to advance everyone's salary for half a year."

Upon hearing this, the officials present all smiled with joy.

Paying wages in advance, what a conscientious boss!

Ye Kun said again:

"However, we don't have much grain or money in our treasury, but we have too much salt. I plan to distribute salt to everyone as a salary. After all, every family needs salt, everyone needs salt, right?"

The officials stared at each other, whispered to each other, and nodded.

Salt is also hard currency. Once you get it, you can exchange it for food and money.