It was illegal to sell smuggled salt in ancient times, but what about selling salted fish?

Although salt is not expensive, it is a necessity in our life. We can't smoke and drink, but we can't eat salt. If you don't eat salt for three days, it is estimated that you don't even have the strength to get out of bed.

At present, China has strict regulations on the production, wholesale and retail of salt, because criminals often disregard people's health for profiteering, because they sell unprocessed smuggled salt, which not only contains a lot of harmful substances, but also generally contains no iodine or very low content. Regular consumption of this smuggled salt may lead to endemic goiter; Eating by pregnant women leads to fetal growth retardation, dementia and so on.

It was also forbidden to sell smuggled salt in ancient times. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, smuggling salt can be executed by a catty. Although it was relaxed in the Song Dynasty, smuggling to a certain amount was a capital crime. Why was the management of salt so strict in ancient times? Even so, salted fish was a luxury in ancient times?

Reasons for strict management of salt in ancient times

For the stability of the country and society

In ancient times, the output of salt was not very large. At that time, as long as salt can be extracted, there is no need to worry that no one will buy it. If businessmen come out to hoard profits at this time, it will have a great impact on people's lives, which is the same as drought merchants. Therefore, for the sake of national stability, salt was not allowed to be sold privately in ancient times.

For the stability of national finance

Although salt is not a valuable thing, it is a necessary consumable for everyone every day. The amount required is huge, which naturally generates huge profits. The state monopoly has naturally brought huge benefits to the state treasury and stabilized the state finances.

Environmental demand

If the state does not control salt and allows businessmen to buy and sell freely, if businessmen unite, how can ordinary people afford salt? In addition, if a hostile country buys all our salt, and the soldiers have no salt to eat and have no strength to fight, then we will become fish on the chopping block and be slaughtered by others, so the ancient environment also makes salt must be in the hands of the state.

Although the smuggling of salt is prohibited by the state, there are always some people who are not afraid of death and try to gain benefits from it. Therefore, the state strongly prohibits all forms of salt smuggling, and even fishermen's salting of salted fish is controlled.

Fishermen must declare the number of fish to the customs when they go out to sea to fish, and get salt with official certificates.

However, the salt they received is still different from the salt we usually use. Their salt has been dyed red. How much fish the fishermen have salted should be returned to the relevant departments for safekeeping, and they will come back for it when needed next time. Of course, this doesn't mean that they get salt for free, but they also have to pay for it. Coupled with the cost of tourism, fish and artificial pickling, salted fish was not affordable for every household in ancient times, but was a luxury at that time.

Therefore, selling valuable salted fish is definitely illegal, and it must be done in accordance with the express provisions, otherwise it is likely to be more serious than selling illegal salt.