Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 223, Section 222: Snowflake Salt
Ji Heng returned to Lanchi at night and saw Qin Shi saying, "Among these alchemists, there is a Taoist priest whose knowledge is not bad. If Your Majesty has some free time, you may summon him for a chat."

Ji Heng was being helped to undress when he heard this and shook his head: "Taoist teachings are incompatible with the Legalist school of our Great Qin. There is no point in saying more. Your Majesty, just urge them to refine the elixir as soon as possible."

He then asked with great interest, "Is that Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder God Pill truly so powerful?"

Qin Shi then both sighed and laughed:
"The development of new weapons has always taken a long time. Even if Your Majesty is looking forward to seeing such miraculous results, you will have to wait until next year."

"The initial work..."

Qin Shi thought for a moment: "Perhaps the initial results did not have such miraculous effects."

"That's alright." Ji Heng was very patient—when he destroyed the six states, he insisted on attacking Chu with all his might, wanting to take this place as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, the Qin army suffered a crushing defeat. If it weren't for General Yan's heroic efforts to turn the tide, who knows who would be ruling the world now?

Even the most impatient man has been tempered by this experience.

Then he sighed and said, "Didn't the Queen previously suggest that the people's livelihood is in dire need of leniency? Then I can wait another year or two."

2012...

Qin Shi pretended not to hear.

Ji Heng, however, was concerned about another matter: "How is the renovation of Ganquan Palace progressing? The weather is getting colder now, and the place is full of moisture, making it unsuitable for wintering."

Qin Shi then remembered Wu Zi's daily progress reports and said with a smile, "I should ask the Grand Astrologer to find an auspicious day so that we can move the palace."

The renovation of Ganquan Palace was not a major undertaking; it was simply a rearrangement based on living habits, with the most important part—the wall heating—being repaired.

The most time-consuming tasks were, firstly, building a heated kang (a traditional heated platform bed) in the quarters of the maids and servants for testing, and secondly, re-inserting window lattices and decorating the firewalls.

But no matter what, a month and a half has passed, and the entire Shaofu has devoted all its efforts to this. How could it not succeed?

Ji Heng nodded: "Very good."

He added, “There are luminous pearls in the treasury; the Queen may have them taken as she sees fit.”

Qin Shi shook his head: "Thank you, Your Majesty. I have already had pearls and jewels selected, but I do not favor luminous pearls."

Ji Heng didn't care about any of these things; he was just worried that the Queen would be too reserved.

After all, she was always frugal, and there were no expensive decorations in Lanchi Palace. Even the glass windows made by craftsmen were considered extravagant.

His current thoughtfulness is so great that if Zhou Ju were serving in the palace, he would probably shed tears of sympathy for the other ladies in the harem.

It's clear that we really misplaced our trust!

Outside the palace, the Red Maiden waited patiently for instructions while pondering the various matters to be aware of when moving the palace, her heart filled with excitement—

Lanchi Palace is located in a remote area, and Penglai Island is far away, so it is very difficult for the King to come here or for the Queen to travel.

Now that they've moved to Ganquan Palace, it's exceptionally close to Zhangtai Palace and Fang Palace, where the King usually rests; a round trip by carriage takes only half an hour.

As a result, the two spent more time together intimately.

After the New Year, I wonder if the Queen will be able to conceive a prince.

At the same time, some worries arose:
We will also need to find a way to get Yiming to make more nourishing soups.

Didn't she repeatedly say that the Queen was in excellent health? If she's in such good health, then she'll surely conceive soon.

It's not done yet, so surely Your Majesty should take some time to improve it?

Her mind was racing, but her expression was particularly serious due to her recent frequent handling of palace affairs.

Zhou Ju glanced at her from the side and thought to himself that this little maid from Fang Palace had now been promoted to chief secretary and was serving the Queen. She was obviously living a good life.

Thinking of this, he secretly reminded himself: the Queen is generous with her rewards and promotions, so he needs to be even more diligent in the future!
Even if the king doesn't take it to heart, it would be excellent if the queen could say a few kind words to him.

The two strolled through the Lanchi Palace and exchanged some more words—mainly the Queen giving a report while the King listened.

After returning to the Orchid Pond, they changed their clothes and sat down, then each laid out paper and pen and went about their own work.

The atmosphere was extremely harmonious and peaceful, and even Ji Heng particularly loved this kind of regular arrangement.

If that weren't the case, he wouldn't be having sex with the Queen every day, so why would he need to travel all the way to Lanchi?

Just then, a eunuch hurriedly arrived outside the palace.

"My Lord Chief Secretary."

He reported back in a low voice from outside, sweat beading on his forehead.

The Red Maiden hurried to the palace gate:

"Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

The other party quickly said:

"A messenger from Bohai County has arrived! The Grand Minister of Agriculture, Young Master Yan, has a generous gift to present to the Queen!"

Chi Nu's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Qin Shi had put a lot of effort into arranging this, and she wouldn't delay any longer.

"Bring the person here quickly, and I will go and report to the Queen."

Even so, she waited quietly for a while, watching the travel-worn official being quickly led over, before turning back to the outside of the hall and softly reporting:

"Your Majesty, a messenger has arrived from Bohai County."

Bohai County, Yan Cong, Snowflake Salt!
Qin Shi immediately became excited:
"Bring the person in quickly."

Ji Heng also remembered this matter, and at this moment he also threw down the bamboo slip:

"Young Master Yan has been entrusted with important responsibilities before he has even come of age. Now that such a generous gift has been presented to him, it seems that he has not neglected the Queen's instructions."

Qin Shi said happily, "General Yan's family is full of loyalty and righteousness. How could Your Majesty neglect the talents you have chosen?"

The Queen's words were very pleasing to the ear. However, Ji Heng recalled the unrest in Qin as recorded in the bamboo slips, and a surge of anger welled up in his heart.

If you are as loyal to me as General Yan and do your best for the great cause of Qin, would I ever mistreat you?!

He seemed displeased, which Qin Shi keenly noticed.

But it doesn't matter, the king will be happy soon.

As expected, the travel-worn official was led into the hall, where he knelt down with excitement and respect:
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, I have been ordered by the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Lord Yan, to present a gift to Your Majesty! The Grand Minister of Agriculture has not failed Your Majesty's trust!"

Zhou Ju opened the box that he was presented with and found that inside was a crystal clear, scattered thing like snowflakes, and he couldn't tell what it was for a moment.

But such a pure white and translucent gift, as white as snow, could not possibly conceal any illegal items.

He glanced at it quickly, checked that there was nothing inside, then bowed and presented the box.

Qin Shi had already quickly sat down next to Ji Heng. Looking at the box full of salt, it was now almost identical to the finished product of later generations.

She was indeed greatly encouraged: "Great!"

Ji Heng was also extremely excited when he saw this thing in front of him.

Just as he was about to ask, the Queen presented him with a small teaspoon.

He reached out and took it, gently dipped a little bit of the snow-white salt into his mouth—it wasn't astringent or bitter, just pure saltiness, and it was so delicate and white!
He accepted another cup of tea offered by the Queen and sighed:
"No wonder the Queen dared to call this Snowflake Salt; it is truly extraordinary."

Zhou Ju and Chi Nu, who were standing nearby, were also shocked:

Is this salt?!

The official below the steps bowed twice and respectfully presented a scroll of silk.

Seeing that Ji Heng was still examining the salt grains repeatedly, Qin Shi opened the silk scroll, only to find that there were no polite words inside, just respectful greetings.

Then, Yan Cong meticulously recorded the work schedule. From entering Bohai Commandery, to taking over the salt fields, to reorganizing the staff, building new salt fields, introducing new methods, and producing snowflake refined salt...

He spoke of these events in a lighthearted manner, but people's hearts were in turmoil, and he was still a minor. Traveling thousands of miles to serve the Queen, he was bound to encounter some setbacks.

Furthermore, those two thousand private soldiers were not yet integrated and could not act meticulously according to his orders...

She handed the silk scroll to Ji Heng, who glanced at it quickly and was already filled with complex emotions:
"The Yan Army has worthy successors."

General Yan Lang was calm and loyal, and for decades the Xiongnu refused to retreat in the harsh and cold border region.

Yan Ying and Yan Xuan were resilient and hardworking, and they managed to navigate the Baiyue region without diminishing the prestige of the Qin Dynasty.

Only this young man, Yan Cong, though not yet an adult and without any achievements, is excessively honest and straightforward in character... But only Ji Heng knows that the more honest and straightforward his character is, the more likely he is to remain calm and composed.

There are countless talented generals, but a true leader still needs this kind of composure and skill!

He put down the silk scroll and sighed deeply:
"In a few more years, our Great Qin will gain another important minister."

Qin Shi laughed and said, "It doesn't need to wait for many years, it is already like this now."

Looking at the proud official below, one can tell that Yan Cong has completely subdued these private soldiers; otherwise, the official would not have such an air of superiority.

She then summoned someone to inquire in detail about some trivial matters that occurred during the salt-making process. Once the person gradually relaxed, she instructed the palace servants to take him away to rest and gave him some additional rewards.

After everyone had left, Qin Shi asked:

"Your Majesty, Young Master Yan has rendered such merit. I wonder how Your Majesty intends to reward him?"

But this time, Ji Heng did not readily promote him; instead, he hesitated for a moment:
Despite this achievement, he is not yet of legal age, and his actions were solely at the Queen's behest. He is young and prudent; rewards should not be bestowed immediately. The Queen should first instruct him on further tasks.

The implication is that he doesn't intend to promote her this time.

But then she immediately instructed: "Although the Yan family is observing mourning in Pinyang, if the Queen has any free time, she should send messengers to take good care of them."

Qin Shi immediately understood.

He was promoted to the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture before he even came of age, which was an exceptional promotion.

Further promotions and attainment of high positions are clearly not good for the growth of teenagers.

Ji Heng's current intention to suppress the matter only further demonstrates how much he values ​​it.

She then laughed and said, "Once one salt field is completed, the rest of the salt fields in Qin should also be improved gradually. It's really impossible for Yan Xiaolang to be in two places at once."

“Even if Your Majesty needs people, you can’t let him stay in Bohai County in hardship. I will instruct him to teach more people. But once the saltworks are on track, Your Majesty will need to find a reliable official to take over.”

She smiled and said, "I have other missions to give him after he returns to Xianyang."

Ji Heng paused.

Then she looked at Qin Shi with a complicated expression:

"Is the Queen really willing to do this?"

The profits from salt and iron are extremely valuable!
The queen clearly had the original merit, yet she easily abandoned it...

Qin Shi laughed: "It's precisely because it's so precious that she can't keep it in her own hands."

Anyone who attempts to challenge the interests of the ruler is considered to be "disloyal".

She grasped Ji Heng's hand: "Everything I have is a gift from Your Majesty. Salt and iron are the exclusive property of Qin. When the national treasury is full and Your Majesty's private treasury is overflowing, please reward me with pearls, jade, and countless gold ingots."

She smiled broadly, her eyes filled with trust and expectation.

Ji Heng didn't say anything more, but turned his large hand over and grasped her hand.

but……

The fact that Qin Shi had produced snowflake salt was not enough to make him extremely happy.

At present, the salt and iron industries in the Qin state are state-run, and the salt tax is extremely heavy.

There is a saying among the people that "a bushel of rice is worth as much as a bushel of salt," which means that rice and grain are now priced the same.

At its most expensive, it could cost as much as 150 Qin Banliang coins to buy one shi (60 jin) of salt.

Sixty catties.

It sounds like it can be consumed for many years, but firstly, the salt content is not pure at this time. In addition to being bitter, it also contains many impurities, so the daily intake needs to be much higher.

Furthermore, modern people consume less salt because many of their daily foods contain salt.

Drinks, snacks, and energy are overflowing.

However, the Qin state was short of everything, so salt was truly only used in the three meals a day, which meant that the actual demand for salt had increased significantly.

The salt that costs 150 coins may only last a family of five or six for a year.

Unfortunately, this family of five or six, if according to the Qin bamboo slips, would be allocated upper, middle, or lower-grade land, or they would be required to perform labor service throughout the year...

After deducting all sorts of exorbitant taxes, land rent, and labor costs throughout the year, the only money left is two or three hundred Qin half-ounce coins.

Only through such a comparison can the severity of the salt tax and the high price of salt be truly appreciated.

Therefore, although the salt in Qin was sufficient to support the daily needs of the people, most of the poor were unwilling to buy it, resulting in them living on bland food all day long.

However, without enough salt intake, people are not only prone to losing strength, but also often experience dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and even edema.

With such a lifestyle, raising strong and healthy children would be extremely difficult unless one has excellent genes and exceptional talent; otherwise, even those who survived would likely not live long lives.

Of course, since the common people of all six kingdoms were in this situation before, no one could compare the differences.

But if we want to enrich the people and strengthen the military—

Qin Shi held the silk scroll in his hand and carefully examined the data on it.

This salt-making method has undergone numerous improvements. Although later generations mostly consume mine salt, it is now much more difficult to mine and therefore less convenient than sea salt.

Yan Cong was meticulous in his work, striving to ensure that everything matched the data written by the Queen.

Therefore, although the saltworks has only recently undergone restructuring, it can be preliminarily estimated that the annual output is about 1700 million catties.

This technique is comparable to the salt production of the Changlu Saltworks in Bohai County during the mid-Ming Dynasty.

If the people, both high and low, could consume enough salt, this one salt field alone could produce enough to feed 500 million people in a year.

Currently, salt fields across the country, including those in Huaihe River Basin, Zhejiang Province, Shandong Province, and Guangdong Province, have not yet officially begun renovations!

She explained all the data to Ji Heng one by one, and he pondered for a moment:
"What does the Queen want to say?"

Qin Shi said in a low voice with a slight smile, "Your Majesty, it's time to reduce the salt tax."

Today, the profits from salt production are twenty times greater than in ancient times, making the wealthy extremely rich while the common people become increasingly impoverished.

“A stone of salt costs more than a hundred coins, which is unaffordable for ordinary people, so they stop consuming it.”

"So what if the salt tax is heavy?"

"Furthermore, although the salt and iron industries in our Qin state are state-run, salt is privately contracted out to various private camps."

“All salt sold by the people was sold to the government, which then set a fixed price, which included a high salt tax.”

"The salt tax, which comes from the profits of the mountains and seas, goes into the Imperial Treasury and into the King's private treasury."

"Despite such great profits, private treasuries are gradually drying up. Clearly, the tens of millions of people in our Qin state can no longer afford such precious items."

　Elder! I'm late!

　　(End of this chapter)