Yan Tie Lun (鹽鐵論) · Volume 7

大夫曰交幣通施民事不及物有所並也計夲量委民有飢者谷有所藏也【管子曰今為國有地以牧民者務在四時守在倉廩國多財則逺者來地辟舉則民留防倉廩實則知禮節衣食足則知榮辱今君鑄錢立幣民通移人有百十之數而民有賣子者何也財有所並也今君躬犂墾田耕發草土得其谷矣民人之食有人若干歩畆之然而有餓餒於衢閭者何也谷有所藏也故為人君不能散積聚調髙下分並則君雖強本趣耕發草立幣而無止民猶若不足也】知【去聲】者有百人之功愚者不更夲之事人君不調民有相妨之富也此其所以或儲百年之餘或不厭糟糠也民大富則不可以祿使也大強則不可以威罰也非散聚均利者不齊故人主積其食守其用調其不足禁溢羨厄利塗【説文曰厄塞也】然後百姓可家給人足也

The Imperial Counselor (Sang Hongyang) said: Currency circulates and exchange is applied, but the people's affairs cannot keep up with goods, because there is some merging; calculating the basic occupation and measuring the stores, some people are hungry, because grain is hidden somewhere. [Guanzi said: Now, in governing a state that has land with which to shepherd the people, the business lies in the four seasons and the guard lies in the granaries. When the state has much wealth, people from afar come; when land is opened up, the people stay (the original reads "liu fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "chu"). When granaries are full, people know ritual and restraint; when clothing and food are sufficient, they know honor and disgrace. Now the ruler casts coins and the people circulate and transfer them to each other, and a person may have hundreds or tens of them, yet there are people who sell their sons; why? Because wealth is merged somewhere. Now the ruler personally plows and opens fields, and in tilling the grassy soil gets grain, and the people's food is by the number of paces and acres for each person (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription), yet there are those who starve to death in streets and lanes; why? Because grain is hidden somewhere. So a ruler who cannot disperse what has accumulated, adjust high and low, and break up the merging, even if he strengthens the basic occupation, urges farming, opens wasteland and keeps issuing currency, the people will still be as if insufficient.] The wise [phonetic gloss: "zhi" is read in the departing tone] have the merit of a hundred people, while the foolish cannot do what changes the basic occupation. If the ruler does not adjust, the people will have riches that hinder each other. This is why some have stores that exceed a hundred years, while others do not even have enough dregs and chaff to eat. If the people are too rich, they cannot be employed with salaries; if too strong, they cannot be controlled with punishments. Without dispersing what has accumulated and equalizing benefits, they cannot be made uniform. So the ruler stores grain, holds to expenditure, adjusts what is insufficient, prohibits excessive surplus, and blocks the road of seeking profit [the Shuowen says: "e" means to block]; only then can the hundred families be provided for and each person be sufficient.

文學曰古者貴徳而賤利重義而輕財三王之時迭盛迭衰衰則扶之傾則定之是以夏忠殷敬周文庠序之教恭讓之禮粲然可得而觀也及其後禮義弛崩風俗滅息故自食祿之君子違於義而競於財大小相吞激轉相傾此所以或儲百年之餘或無以充虛蔽形也【貨殖傳曰占之在上者道之以徳齊之以禮故民有恥而且敬貴誼而賤利慾寡而事節財足而不爭此三代之所以直道而行也及周室衰禮法墮諸侯刻桷丹楹大夫山節藻梲八佾舞於庭雍徹於堂其流至乎士庶人莫不離制而棄本稼穡之民少商旅之民多谷不足而貨有餘陵夷至於桓文之後禮誼大壊上下相冐國異政家殊俗耆欲不制僣差亡極於是商通難得之貨工作亡用之器士設反道之行以追時好而取世資偽民背實而要名姦夫犯害而求利篡弒取國者為王公圉奪成家者為雄桀禮誼不足以拘君子刑戮不足以威小人富者木土被文錦犬馬餘肉粟而貧者裋褐不完唅菽飲水其為編戸齊民同列而以財力相君雖為僕虜猶亡慍色故夫飾變詐為奸軌者自足乎一世之間守道循理者不免於飢寒之患其教自上興繇法度之無限也】古之仕者不穡田者不漁抱關擊柝皆有常秩不得兼利盡物如此則愚知【去聲】同功不相傾也詩云彼有遺秉此有滯穗伊寡婦之利言不盡物也【荀子曰義與利者人之所兩有也雖堯舜不能去民之慾利然而能使其欲利不克其好義也雖桀紂亦不能去民之好義然而能使其好義不勝其欲利也故義勝利者為治世利克義者為亂世上重義則義克利上重利則利克義故天子不言多少諸侯不言利害大夫不言得防士不通財貨有國之君不息牛羊錯質之臣不息雞豚卿不修幣大夫不為場園從士以上皆羞利而不與民爭業樂分施而恥積藏坊記曰子云君子不盡利以遺民詩云彼有遺秉此有不斂穧伊寡婦之利故君子仕則不稼田則不漁食時不力珍大夫不坐羊士不坐犬】

The Literati replied: In ancient times, virtue was valued and profit made light of, rightness was valued and wealth made light of. In the age of the Three Kings there were alternating flourishing and decline; when there was decline they supported it, and when it tipped they steadied it. So the Xia honored loyalty, the Yin honored reverence, and the Zhou honored refinement, and the teaching of the village and county schools and the ritual of courtesy and deference could be seen shining. Afterward ritual and rightness slackened and collapsed and customs died out, so ever since the gentlemen who ate official salaries went against rightness and competed for wealth, the large and small devoured each other and overthrew each other in turn. This is why some have stores exceeding a hundred years, while others cannot fill their stomachs or cover their bodies. [The Huozhi zhuan says: In ancient times those above guided with virtue and unified with ritual, so the people had shame and also reverence, valued righteousness and made light of profit, had few desires and moderation in affairs, had enough wealth and did not quarrel. This is why the Three Dynasties walked in the straight Way. When the Zhou house declined and ritual and law fell, the feudal lords carved their rafters and painted their pillars, grand masters had hill-shaped capitals and algae-painted posts, eight rows of dancers danced in the courtyard, and the Yong ode was sung in the hall to clear away the sacrifice; this flowed down to officers and commoners, and none did not leave the regulations and abandon the root. Those who farmed were few and merchants and travelers were many, grain was insufficient and goods were in surplus. Gradually, after Dukes Huan and Wen, ritual and rightness were greatly ruined, high and low offended each other, states differed in government and families in custom, appetites were not restrained and overstepping had no limit. Then merchants circulated hard-to-get goods, craftsmen made useless vessels, scholars set up conduct contrary to the Way, to chase current fashions and take the resources of vulgar taste. False people turned from substance to seek fame, cunning men committed harm to seek profit, those who usurped and murdered to take a state became kings and dukes, and those who robbed and seized to make a family became heroes. Ritual and rightness were not enough to restrain gentlemen, and execution and punishment were not enough to awe petty men. The rich had wooden and earthen structures covered with patterned brocade, dogs and horses with surplus meat and grain, while the poor had short coarse clothes that were not whole, and ate beans and drank water. Though all were registered commoners of the same rank, they treated one another as ruler by wealth and power, and even being servants brought no look of resentment. So those who decorated deceit and made cunning into crooked tracks were self-sufficient for a whole age, while those who kept the Way and followed principle could not escape the trouble of hunger and cold. This teaching arose from above, because laws and standards had no limits.] In ancient times officials did not farm, farmers did not fish, and even gatekeepers and watchmen had fixed ranks, and they could not combine profits and use up everything. In this way the foolish and wise [phonetic gloss: "zhi" is read in the departing tone] shared merit and did not crush each other. The Classic of Poetry says: "There is a sheaf of grain left over there, an ear left behind here, it is the widow's profit." This speaks of not taking everything from things. [Xunzi said: Rightness and profit are both possessed by people. Even Yao and Shun could not remove the people's desire for profit, but they could make their desire for profit not prevail over their love of rightness; even Jie and Zhou could not remove the people's love of rightness, but they could make their love of rightness not prevail over their desire for profit. So when rightness prevails over profit, it is a well-governed age; when profit prevails over rightness, it is a disordered age. When those above value rightness, rightness prevails over profit; when those above value profit, profit prevails over rightness. So the Son of Heaven does not speak of more or less, feudal lords do not speak of gain and harm, grand masters do not speak of gain and loss (the original reads "de fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "sang"), and officers do not deal in goods and wealth. A ruler who has a state does not raise cattle and sheep, a minister who has entered service does not raise chickens and pigs, a senior minister (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription) does not manage money, and a grand master does not make fields and gardens. From the rank of officer upward all are ashamed of profit and do not compete with the people for occupations, delighting in sharing and bestowing and ashamed of hoarding. The Fangji says: Confucius said: "The gentleman does not take all the profit, in order to leave it for the people." The Classic of Poetry says: "There is a sheaf of grain left over there, an uncollected spread here, it is the widow's profit." So when the gentleman holds office he does not farm, when he farms he does not fish, he eats at the proper time without striving for delicacies, a grand master does not slaughter a sheep for himself, and an officer does not slaughter a dog for himself.]

大夫曰湯文繼衰漢興乗一質一文非苟易常也俗家法非務變古也亦所以救失扶衰也故教與俗改與世易【夏侯曰文質之更用猶四時之迭興也王者體天理物必因而濟通之時彌質則文之以禮時泰侈則敕之以質董仲舒曰繼治世者其道同繼亂世者其道變】夏後以貝周人以紫石後世或金錢刀布物極而衰終始之運也【司馬遷曰物盛則衰時極而轉一質一文終始之運也】故山澤無徵則君臣同利刀幣無禁則奸貞並行夫【音扶】臣富相侈下専利則相傾也

The Grand Secretary said: Tang and Wen inherited a declining age, and the Han rose by riding on ruin (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription); one plain, one refined, but they did not change constant laws at will; when customs are corrupted and house law is spoiled, it is not that one strives to change the ancient, but also uses this to rescue what is lost and support what is declining. So teaching changes with the customs, and ruin changes with the age. [Xiahou Xuan (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription) said: Refinement and plainness are used in turn, just as the four seasons arise in turn. A true king embodies Heaven and manages things, and must follow ruin to bring about relief. When the age is too plain he adorns it with ritual; when the age is too extravagant he restrains it with plainness. Dong Zhongshu said: Those who succeed a well-governed age follow the same Way; those who succeed a disordered age change their Way.] The Xia lords used black cowries (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription), the Zhou used purple stones, and later ages sometimes used gold coins, knife money and cloth money; when a thing reaches its extreme it declines, which is the movement of ending and beginning. [Sima Qian said: When a thing flourishes it declines, when the time reaches its extreme it turns; one plain, one refined, this is the movement of ending and beginning.] So if mountains and marshes are not taxed, ruler and ministers share the profit; if knife money has no prohibition, the crafty and the upright go side by side. The opening "fu" [phonetic gloss: "fu" is read fu]: when ministers are rich they compete in extravagance, and when those below monopolize profit they crush each other.

文學曰古者市朝【音潮】而無刀幣各以其所有易無抱布貿【音茂】絲而已【貿易財也交互之義】後世即有貝金錢刀布之幣交施之也幣數【音朔】變而民滋偽【司馬貞曰古者寳貨貝食貨志有十朋五貝皆用為貨貝各有多少兩貝為朋故直二百一十六元十朋故直二千一百六十已下各有差也錢本名泉言貨之流如泉也故周有泉府之官及景王乃鑄大錢刀者錢也食貨志有契刀錯刀契刀長二寸直五百錯刀以黃金錯直五千其形如刀故曰刀以其利於人也布泉者言貨流佈故周禮有三夫之布食貨志貨布長二寸五分首長八分足枝長八分佈者佈於民間也】夫【音扶】救偽以質坊【古防字】失以禮湯文繼衰革法易化而殷周道興漢初乗弊而不改易畜利變幣欲以反本是猶以煎止燔以火止沸也【精神訓曰以湯止沸沸乃不止誠知其本則去火而已矣】上好【去聲】禮則民闇飾上好【去聲】貨則下死利也【孔子曰下之事上也不從其所令從其所行上好是物下必有甚者矣故上之所好惡不可不慎也是民之表也詩云赫赫師尹民具爾贍管子曰一人之治亂在其心一國之存亡在其主天下治亂道一人出主好本則民好墾草萊主好貨則人賈市主好宮室則工匠巧主好文采則女工靡夫楚王好小腰而美人省食呉王好劔而國士輕死死與不食者天下之所共惡也然而為之者何也從主之所欲也而況愉樂音聲之化乎】

The Literati said: In ancient times, markets and courts [phonetic gloss: "chao" is read chao] had no knife money; each exchanged what he had for what he lacked, holding cloth to trade [phonetic gloss: "mao" is read mao] for silk, and that was all. ["Mao" means trading goods, with the sense of exchanging.] Later there came money in the form of tortoise shells (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription) and cowries, gold coins, knife money and cloth money, to exchange and use. The currency was changed repeatedly [phonetic gloss: "shuo" is read shuo] and the people grew still more deceitful. [Sima Zhen said: In ancient times the tortoise was valued and cowries were used as goods. The Shihuo zhi has ten pengs of five cowries, all used as currency. Cowries had various amounts; two cowries made a peng, so they were worth two hundred sixteen; a great tortoise of ten pengs was worth two thousand one hundred sixty, and below that there were various grades. Coins were originally called "spring," saying that goods flow like a spring, so the Zhou had the office of the Spring Treasury; only in the time of King Jing of Zhou were large coins cast. A dao is a coin; the Shihuo zhi has the Qi dao and the Cuo dao: the Qi dao was two inches long and worth five hundred, the Cuo dao was inlaid with gold and worth five thousand, shaped like a knife, hence called dao (knife), because it benefits people. Bu-quan (cloth-spring) means goods flowing and spreading, so the Rites of Zhou has the cloth of three husbands. The Shihuo zhi says: Huo bu was two and a half inches long, with a head eight fen long and a leg branch eight fen long. Bu means to spread among the people.] The opening "fu" [phonetic gloss: "fu" is read fu]: use plainness to rescue falsehood, and use ritual to guard against ["fang" is the ancient form of "fang" (to guard)] loss. Tang and Wen inherited a declining age, reformed the laws and changed the teaching, and the Way of Yin and Zhou arose; the early Han rode on ruin and did not change, accumulated wealth and sought profit, and changed the currency wanting to use it to return to the root, which is like using boiling to stop burning or using fire to stop a boil. [The Huainanzi, chapter "Jingshen," says: Using hot water to stop boiling, the boiling will not stop; if one truly knows the root, one need only remove the fire.] If those above love [phonetic gloss: "hao" is read in the departing tone] ritual, the people secretly polish themselves; if those above love [phonetic gloss: "hao" is read in the departing tone] goods, those below die for profit. [Confucius said: In serving those above, those below do not follow what they order but follow what they do. If those above love this thing, those below will surely love it more. So the likes and dislikes of those above must be treated carefully, as they are the model for the people. The Classic of Poetry says: "Resplendent Master Yin, the people all look up to you." (the original reads "shan", which should be a corruption of "zhan") Guanzi said: One person's order or disorder lies in his heart, a state's survival or ruin lies in its ruler, and the Way of the world's order and disorder comes from one person. If the ruler loves the root, the people love clearing wasteland; if the ruler loves goods, people go into trade; if the ruler loves palaces, craftsmen are skilled; if the ruler loves ornament, women's work is lavish. The King of Chu loved slender waists and beauties starved themselves; the King of Wu loved swords and the gentlemen of the state made light of death. Death and not eating are what everyone under heaven dislikes, yet those who did them, why? They followed the ruler's desire. How much more so the transforming influence of delightful music?]

大夫曰文帝之時縱民得鑄【音注】錢冶鐡煮鹽呉王擅鄣【音嶂】海澤鄧通専西山山東奸猾鹹聚呉國秦雍漢蜀因鄧氏呉鄧錢布天下【食貨志曰孝文五年為錢益多而輕乃更鑄四銖錢其文為半兩除盜鑄錢令使民放鑄呉王傳曰呉王濞者高帝兄劉仲之子也上患呉會稽輕悍無壯王以塡之諸子少乃立濞於沛為呉王孝惠高後時天下初定郡國諸侯各務自拊循其民呉有豫章郡銅山濞則招致天下亡命者益鑄錢煮海水為鹽以故無賦國用益饒佞幸傳曰鄧通者蜀郡南安人也以擢船為黃頭郎文帝悅焉上使善相者相通曰當貧餓死文帝曰能富通者在我也何謂貧乎於是睗通蜀嚴道以鑄錢鄧氏錢布天下其富如此食貨志曰呉以諸侯即山鑄錢富埒天子後卒叛逆鄧通大夫也以鑄錢財過王者故呉鄧錢布天下】故有鑄【音注】錢之禁禁御之法立而奸偽息奸偽息則民不期於妄得而各務其職不反本何為故統一則民不二也幣由上則下不疑也

The Grand Secretary said: In the time of Emperor Wen the people were left free to cast [phonetic gloss: "zhu" is read zhu] coins, smelt iron and boil salt; the King of Wu seized for himself the seas and marshes and cut them off [phonetic gloss: "zhang" is read zhang], Deng Tong monopolized the Western Mountain, the cunning of Shandong all gathered in the state of Wu, and Qin, Yong, Han and Shu relied on the Deng family; the coins of Wu and Deng filled the world. [The Shihuo zhi says: In the fifth year of Xiaowen, because coins had grown more numerous and light, it was changed to cast four-zhu coins inscribed "half liang," the order against illicit casting was abolished, and the people were left free to cast privately. The Wu wang zhuan says: King Bi of Wu was the son of Liu Zhong, the elder brother of Emperor Gao. The emperor worried that Wu and Kuaiji were light and fierce and no strong king was there to pacify them, and the sons were young, so he established Bi as King of Wu at Pei. In the time of Emperors Xiaohui and Gaohou, the world was newly settled and the commanderies and feudal states each soothed their people. Wu had the copper mountain of Yuzhang commandery, and Bi summoned fugitives from the world to cast additional coins and boil sea water for salt, so that without taxes the state's expenses were even more ample. The Nixing zhuan says: Deng Tong was a native of Nan'an in Shu commandery, who became a yellow-capped boatman and was favored by Emperor Wen. The emperor had a physiognomist look at Deng Tong, who said he would die poor and hungry. Emperor Wen said: "Who can make Tong rich is me; how can you say poor?" So he gave (the original reads "shi", which should be a corruption of "ci") Tong the Yan Dao of Shu to cast coins, and Deng family coins filled the world, so great was his wealth. The Shihuo zhi says: Wu, as a feudal state, cast coins in the mountains, with wealth equal to the Son of Heaven, and later ended in rebellion; Deng Tong was a grand master, and because of casting coins his wealth exceeded a king's. So the coins of Wu and Deng filled the world.] Therefore there was a prohibition on casting [phonetic gloss: "zhu" is read zhu] coins. When the law of prohibition and defense is established, cunning and falsehood cease; when cunning and falsehood cease, the people do not hope for undeserved gain and each attends to his duties; if they do not return to the root, what else would they do? So when there is unity the people do not harbor divided hearts, and when currency comes from above, those below do not doubt.

文學曰徃古幣眾財通而民樂【音洛】其後稍去舊幣更行白金龍民多巧新幣幣數【音朔】易而民益疑【食貨志曰從建元以來用少縣官徃徃即多銅山而鑄錢民益盜鑄不可勝數錢益多而輕物益少而貴因有司言又造銀錫白金以為天用莫如龍地用莫如馬人用莫如故白金三品其一龍文直三千其二馬文直五百其三文直三百令縣官銷半兩錢更鑄三銖錢重如其文盜鑄諸金錢罪皆死而吏民之犯者不可勝數】於是廢天下諸錢而専命水衡二官作吏近侵利或不中式故有薄厚輕重農人不習物類比之信故疑新不知奸眞商賈【音古】以美貿【音茂】惡以半易倍買則失實賣則失理其疑惑滋益甚夫【音扶】鑄【音注】偽金錢以有法而錢之善惡無增損於政擇錢則物稽滯而用人尤被其苦春秋曰算不及蠻夷則不行故王者外不鄣海澤以便民用內不禁刀幣以通民施【叢談曰天道布順人事取予多藏不用是謂怨府故物不可聚也】

The Literati said: In ancient times, with much currency, wealth circulated and the people were secure and happy [phonetic gloss: "le" is read luo]. Later the old currency was gradually removed and white-metal coins with tortoise (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription) and dragon were issued, and the people mostly speculated cleverly on the new coins; the currency was changed repeatedly [phonetic gloss: "shuo" is read shuo] and the people grew still more confused. [The Shihuo zhi says: Since the Jianyuan era expenditures were small, and the county officials often went to copper-rich mountains and cast coins, and the people cast illicit coins even more, beyond counting; coins grew more numerous and light, and things grew fewer and expensive. Because officials made proposals, silver-tin white metal coins were also made, on the reasoning that for Heaven nothing is better than the dragon, for Earth nothing better than the horse, for people nothing better than the tortoise, so white-metal coins were of three kinds: the first with a dragon design worth three thousand, the second with a horse design worth five hundred, and the third with a tortoise design worth three hundred. The county officials were ordered to melt down the half-liang coins and recast three-zhu coins, weighing as much as their inscription; illicit casting of any gold coins was a capital crime, yet officials and people who violated it were beyond count.] Then all coins in the world were abolished and the three offices of Shuiheng were ordered to cast them alone, and the officials nearby infringed on profit, or the coins did not meet standards, so they varied thick and thin, light and heavy. The farmers were not familiar with the types of things and compared them to the credibility of the old, so they doubted the new and could not tell false from true. Merchants [phonetic gloss: "gu" is read gu] exchanged [phonetic gloss: "mao" is read mao] good for bad, and half for double; in buying they lost the real value and in selling they lost what was proper, and their confusion grew even greater. The opening "fu" [phonetic gloss: "fu" is read fu]: there were already laws against casting [phonetic gloss: "zhu" is read zhu] false coins, but the goodness or badness of coins added nothing and took nothing from government. When coins are selected and sorted, goods are held up, and those who use them suffer especially. The Spring and Autumn Annals says: Calculation that does not reach the barbarians will not work. So a true king does not wall off the seas and marshes toward the outside, in order to benefit the people's use, and does not prohibit knife money toward the inside, in order to circulate the people's use. [The Congtan says: The Way of Heaven spreads out and is harmonious, and human affairs take and give; to store much and not use it is called a house of resentment. So goods must not be hoarded.]

大夫曰家人有寳器尚函匣【一作匱】而藏之況人主之山海乎夫【音扶】權利之處必在深山窮澤之中非豪民不能通其利異時鹽鐡未籠布衣有朐【音劬】邴【音丙】人君有呉王皆鹽鐡初議也呉王専山澤之饒薄賦其民賑澹【古贍字】窮小以成私威私威積而逆節之心作【貨殖傳曰魯人俗儉嗇而曹邴氏尤甚以鐡冶起富至鉅萬然家自父兄子孫約俛有拾仰有取貰貸行賈徧郡國鄒魯以其故多去文學而趨利者以曹邴氏也或曰以興富於臨朐故曰朐邴呉王傳曰呉有豫章郡銅山濞則招致天下亡命者益鑄錢煑海水為鹽以故無賦國用益饒漢紀曰孝景三年春呉王濞反初上為太子時呉王太子入朝與上博爭道無禮於上上以博局擲之而死送防至呉呉王怒曰天下一家何必來葬復遣還長安後稱疾不朝隂懐逆謀時齊人鄒陽淮隂人枚乗皆逰呉數諫不聽於是楚趙有罪見削呉王恐禍及身已為使者自見膠西王合謀發使約諸侯七國同謀南使南越北連匈奴伍被曰呉王賜號為劉氏祭酒受几杖而不朝王四郡之眾地方數千裡採山銅以為錢煑海水以為鹽伐江陵之木以為船國富民眾行珍寶賂諸侯與七國合謀舉兵而西破大梁敗狐父奔走而還為越所禽死於丹徒頭足異處身防祀絶為天下戮】夫【音扶】不蚤絕其源而憂其末若決呂梁沛然其所傷必多矣太公曰一家害百家百家害諸侯諸侯害天下王法禁之令放民於權利罷鹽鐵以資暴強遂其貪心眾邪群聚私門成黨則強御日以不制而併兼之徒奸形成也

The Grand Secretary said: Even a household puts its precious vessels in a box [one text has "gui"] and keeps them hidden, how much more the mountains and seas of a ruler? The opening "fu" [phonetic gloss: "fu" is read fu]: where power and profit lie they must be in deep mountains and remote marshes, and only a powerful commoner could open up their benefit. In former times salt and iron were not yet monopolized by the court; among commoners there were Qu [phonetic gloss: "qu" is read qu] and Bing [phonetic gloss: "bing" is read bing], and among rulers there was the King of Wu, all from the time when salt and iron were first debated. The King of Wu monopolized the wealth of mountains and marshes and collected little tax from his people, relieved the poor and weak ["dan" is the ancient form of "shan" (to relieve)] to accomplish private authority, and when private authority accumulated, a heart of rebellion arose. [The Huozhi zhuan says: The people of Lu were thrifty and stingy by custom, and the Cao Bing family especially so, who rose through iron smelting and had wealth in the tens of thousands. Yet the family and sons, fathers and brothers agreed: bend your head and there is something to pick up, raise your head and there is something to take; their lending and trading spread through the commanderies and states. Zou and Lu thus mostly left learning and turned to profit, because of the Cao Bing family. Some say that because he grew rich at Linqu, he was called Qu Bing. The Wu wang zhuan says: Wu had the copper mountain of Yuzhang commandery, and Bi summoned fugitives from the world to cast additional coins and boil sea water for salt, so that without taxes the state's expenses were even more ample. The Han ji says: In the spring of the third year of Xiaojing, the King Bi of Wu rebelled. At first when the emperor was crown prince, the crown prince of Wu came to court, played a board game with the emperor, quarreled over a move and was disrespectful to him, and the emperor hurled the board at him and killed him, and sent the funeral (the original reads "song fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "sang") to Wu. The King of Wu was angry and said: "The world is one family; why bring him here to bury?" He sent him back to Chang'an, and afterward he claimed illness and did not attend court, secretly harboring rebellious plans. At that time Zou Yang of Qi and Mei Cheng of Huaiyin both traveled in Wu and remonstrated repeatedly but were not heeded. Then Chu and Zhao were guilty and had their lands cut, and the King of Wu, fearing calamity would reach him, had already as an envoy personally met the King of Jiaoxi to plot together, sent messengers to bind the feudal lords, and the seven states plotted together, sending envoys south to Nanyue and linking north to the Xiongnu. Wu Bei said: The King of Wu was granted the title of libation-presider of the house of Liu, received an armrest and staff and did not attend court, had the multitude of four commanderies and land of several thousand li, mined mountain copper to make coins, boiled sea water for salt, felled the trees of Jiangling for boats, with a rich state and numerous people, bribed the feudal lords with treasures, and plotted with the seven states to raise troops westward, broke Daliang and defeated Hufu, then fled back, was captured by Yue, and died at Dantu, with head and feet in different places, his body dead (the original reads "shen fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "si"), his sacrifices cut off, and was executed by the world.] The opening "fu" [phonetic gloss: "fu" is read fu]: not cutting off the source early and worrying about the end is like breaking open Lüliang; the torrent will surely wound many. Taigong said: One family harms a hundred families, a hundred families harm the feudal lords, the feudal lords harm the world, and royal law prohibits it. If now the people are left free in power and profit, and salt and iron are abolished to aid the violent and strong, fulfilling their greed, with many evil people gathering and private houses forming factions, then the strong and powerful will daily be less controllable, and the crafty form of the merging crowd will be completed.

文學曰民人藏於家諸侯藏於國天子藏於海內故民人以垣牆為藏閉天子以四海為匣匱【反質篇曰魏文侯御廩焚文侯素服闢正殿五日群臣皆素服而吊公子成父獨不弔文侯復殿公子成父趨而入賀曰甚大善矣夫御廩之災也文侯作色不悅曰夫御廩者寡人寳之所藏也今火災寡人素服闢正殿群臣皆素服而吊至於子大夫而不弔今已復辟矣猶入賀何為公子成父曰臣聞之天子藏於四海之內諸侯藏於境內大夫藏於其家士庻人藏於篋櫝非其所藏者不有天災必有人患今幸無人患乃有天災不亦善乎文侯喟然嘆曰善】天子適諸侯升自阼階諸侯納管鍵【音健戶鑰曰鍵】執防而聽命示莫為主也【坊記曰天子四海之內無客禮莫敢為主焉故君適其臣升自阼階即位於堂示民不敢有其室也夷維子曰天子廵狩諸侯闢舍納管籥攝袵袍機視膳於堂下天子已食乃退而聽朝也】是以王者不畜聚下藏於民【政理篇曰文王問於呂望曰為天下若何對曰王國富民覇國富士僅存之國富大夫亡道之國富倉府是謂上溢而下漏文王曰善對曰宿善不祥是日也發其倉府以振鰥寡孤獨詩傳曰晉平公之時藏寳之臺燒士大夫聞皆趨車馳馬救火三日三夜乃勝之公子晏子獨束帛而賀曰甚善矣平公勃然作色曰珠玉之所藏也國之重寳也而天火之士大夫皆趨車走馬而救之子獨束帛而賀何也有説則生無説則死公子晏子曰何敢無説臣聞之王者藏於天下諸侯藏於百姓商賈藏於篋匱今百姓乏於外裋褐不蔽形糟糠不充口而賦斂無已收太半而藏之臺是以天火之且臣聞之昔者桀殘賊海內賦斂無度萬民甚苦是故湯誅之為天下戮今皇天降災於藏臺是君之福也而不自知變悟亦恐君之為鄰國笑矣公曰善自今以徃請藏於百姓之間】逺【去聲】浮利務民之義義禮立則民化上若是雖湯武生存於世無所容其慮工商之事歐冶之任何奸之能成三桓専魯六卿分晉【聖賢群輔録曰仲孫谷文伯叔孫得臣莊叔季孫行父文子皆魯桓公之曽孫世秉魯政號曰三桓趙無恤襄子範吉射昭子智瑤襄子荀寅文子魏侈襄子韓不信簡子此六族世為晉卿並有功名實弱晉國號曰六卿】不以鹽鐡故權利深者不在山海在朝【音潮】廷一家害百家在蕭牆而不在朐【音劬】邴【音丙】也

The Literati said: Commoners store in their homes, feudal lords store in their states, and the Son of Heaven stores within the seas. So commoners use walls and fences to store and shut away, and the Son of Heaven uses the four seas as his casket. [The chapter "Fanzhi" of the Shuoyuan says: The imperial granary of Marquis Wen of Wei burned, and Marquis Wen wore plain clothing and avoided the main hall for five days; the ministers all wore plain clothing to offer condolences, but Prince Chengfu alone did not offer condolences. When Marquis Wen returned to the main hall, Prince Chengfu came in quickly and congratulated him, saying: "How excellent, the fire at the imperial granary!" Marquis Wen changed color and was displeased and said: "The imperial granary is where I store my treasures. Now there has been a fire and I wore plain clothing and avoided the main hall, and the ministers all wore plain clothing to offer condolences; as for you, a grand master, you did not offer condolences; now that I have returned you still come in to congratulate me; why?" Prince Chengfu said: "I have heard: the Son of Heaven stores within the four seas, feudal lords store within their borders, grand masters store in their homes, and officers and commoners store in boxes and chests. If one stores what one should not store, there will be either a natural disaster or human trouble. Now fortunately there was no human trouble but a natural disaster; is that not good?" Marquis Wen sighed and said: "Good."] When the Son of Heaven visits a feudal lord, he ascends from the eastern steps, and the feudal lord hands over the keys [phonetic gloss: "jian" is read jian. "Jian" means the lock-key on the door] and holds the tablet (the original reads "zhi fang", where "fang" should be a corruption of "ce") and listens to the command, showing he does not dare to be master himself. [The Fangji says: The Son of Heaven has no guest ritual within the four seas, since no one dares to be master himself. So when a ruler goes to his minister, he ascends from the eastern steps and takes his position in the hall, showing the people that he does not dare to claim possession of that chamber. Yiweizi said: When the Son of Heaven makes a tour of inspection, the feudal lord leaves his main residence and hands over the keys, lifts his robe and sets the mats straight, and watches the Son of Heaven dine from below the hall; after the Son of Heaven has eaten, he withdraws and listens to the court.] So a true king does not hoard and collect, and stores among the people below. [The chapter "Zhengli" of the Shuoyuan says: King Wen asked Lü Wang: "How should one rule the world?" He answered: "A kingly state enriches the people, a hegemonic state enriches the officers, a barely surviving state enriches the grand masters, and a state without the Way enriches its granaries and storehouses. This is called overflowing above and leaking below." King Wen said: "Good." He answered: "To know the good and not practice it is inauspicious." On that day he opened the granaries and storehouses to relieve widowers, widows, orphans and the childless. The Shi zhuan says: In the time of Duke Ping of Jin the treasure-storing terrace burned down, and the officers and grand masters, hearing of it, all drove carriages and galloped horses to put out the fire, which took three days and nights to extinguish. Only Gongzi Yanzi brought bundled silk to congratulate him, saying: "How excellent!" Duke Ping suddenly changed color and said: "What the pearls and jade stored there are the great treasures of the state, and Heaven's fire has burned them, and the officers and grand masters all drove carriages and galloped horses to save it, yet you alone bring bundled silk to congratulate me; why? If you have an explanation you will live, and if not you will die." Gongzi Yanzi said: "How would I dare be without an explanation? I have heard: a true king stores in the world, feudal lords store among the people, merchants store in boxes and chests. Now the people outside are in want, with short coarse clothing that does not cover the body and with dregs and chaff that do not fill the mouth, yet taxes do not stop, and you collect more than half and store it on the terrace, and so Heaven's fire burned it. Moreover, I have heard: in the past Jie ravaged all within the seas and levied taxes without measure, the ten thousand people suffered greatly, so Tang executed him, and he was ridiculed (the original has a rare character here, lost in transcription) by the world. Now august Heaven has sent disaster on the storage terrace, which is your good fortune, yet you do not awaken and change yourself, and I fear you may be laughed at by neighboring states." The Duke said: "Good. From now on let me store among the people."] Keep far away [phonetic gloss: "yuan" is read in the departing tone] from floating profit and devote oneself to the people's rightness. When rightness and ritual are established, the people are transformed by those above. If so, even if Tang and Wu lived in the world, they would have nowhere to apply their worries. In the matters of craftsmen and merchants and the work of Ou Ye, what crafty scheme could succeed? The Three Huan families monopolized Lu and the Six Ministers divided Jin [the Shengxian qunfu lu says: Zhongsun Gu Wenbo, Shusun Dechen Zhuangshu and Jisun Xingfu Wenzi were all great-grandsons of Duke Huan of Lu and for generations held the government of Lu, called the Three Huan. Zhao Wuxu Xiangzi, Fan Jishe Zhaozi, Zhi Yao Xiangzi, Xun Yin Wenzi, Wei Chi Xiangzi and Han Buxin Jianzi, these six clans were generations of ministers of Jin, all with achievements and fame, yet actually weakened Jin, and were called the Six Ministers], and it was not because of salt and iron. Where power and profit run deepest is not in the mountains and seas but in the court [phonetic gloss: "chao" is read chao]; one family harming a hundred families lies within the screen wall and not in Qu [phonetic gloss: "qu" is read qu] and Bing [phonetic gloss: "bing" is read bing].

大夫曰山海有禁而民不傾貴賤有平而民不疑縣官設衡立凖人從所欲雖使五尺童子適市莫之能欺今罷去之則豪民擅其用而専其利決市閭巷高下在口吻【音刎】貴賤無常端坐而民豪是以養強抑弱而藏於蹠【音只】也強養弱抑則齊民消若眾之盛而害五穀一家害百家不在朐【音劬】邴【音丙】如何也

The Grand Secretary said: Mountains and seas have prohibitions, yet the people do not crush one another; noble and lowly have the level-and-standard system, yet the people are not confused. The county government sets up scales and standards, and people buy as they wish, so that even a five-foot child sent to the market cannot be cheated. Now if it is abolished, powerful families will monopolize its use and take its profit alone, deciding market prices in the village lanes, with highs and lows determined by their mouths, and with no constant standard for dear and cheap; sitting upright they will become powerful over the people. This nurtures the strong and suppresses the weak, and hides men of the type of Zhi the robber. When the strong are nurtured and the weak suppressed, the common people vanish, just as a crowd of tares flourishes and harms the five grains. When one household harms a hundred households, how is it different from Qu and Bing?

文學曰山海者財用之寳也鐡器者農夫之死生也死生用則仇讐滅仇讐滅則田野闢田野闢則五穀熟而寳路開寳路開則百姓澹【古贍字】而民用給民用給則國富國富而教之以禮則行道有讓而工商不相豫人懐敦樸以自相接而莫相利夫秦楚燕齊土力不同剛柔異勢巨小之用居局之宜黨殊俗易各有所便【王制曰幾居民財必因天地寒暖燥溼廣谷大川異制民生其間者異俗剛柔輕重遲速異齊五味異和器械異製衣服異宜修其教不易其俗齊其政不易其宜】縣官籠而一之則鐡器失其宜而農民失其便器用不便則農夫罷【音疲】於野而草萊不闢草萊不闢則民睏乏故鹽冶之處大校皆依山川近鐡炭其勢鹹逺而作劇郡中踐更者多不勘責【如淳曰更有三品有卒更有踐更有過更古有正卒無常人皆當迭為之一月一更是為卒更貧者欲得顧更踐者次直者出錢顧之月二千是為踐更也律説卒更踐更者居縣中五月乃更也後從尉律卒踐更一月休十一日也】取庸代縣邑或以戶口賦鐡而賤乎其凖良家以道次發僦【音就賃也】運鹽鐡煩費邑或以戶百姓病苦之愚竊見一官之傷千里未覩其在朐【音劬】邴【音丙】也

The Literati said: Mountains and seas are the treasure of wealth and use, and iron tools are the life and death of the farmer. If the use that is life and death is secured, then enemies are wiped out; when enemies are wiped out, fields are opened; when fields are opened, the five grains ripen and the road of treasure opens; when the road of treasure opens, the hundred families are provided for and the people's needs are supplied; when the people's needs are supplied, the state is rich; and when the state is rich and the people are taught by ritual, then on the road there is yielding, and artisans and merchants do not cheat each other, each person holding simplicity and sincerity in dealing with others and not seeking profit from one another. The lands of Qin, Chu, Yan and Qi differ in soil strength, and the conditions of hardness and softness differ; the uses of large and small, the layout of dwellings, and the customs of the villages differ, and each has its own convenience. [The Royal Regulations says: in settling the people and their wealth, one must follow the cold, warmth, dryness and wetness of Heaven and Earth; broad valleys and great rivers have different systems, the customs of the people who live there differ, and their hardness, softness, lightness, heaviness, slowness and speed are not equalized, their five flavors are not harmonized in the same way, their tools are not made the same, and their clothing differs in suitability. One cultivates their instruction without changing their customs, and equalizes their government without changing what suits them.] If the county government lumps them together and standardizes them, then iron tools lose their suitability and farmers lose their convenience. When tools are not convenient, the farmers are worn out in the fields and the weeds and wilds are not cleared; when the weeds and wilds are not cleared, the people are in want. So the places of salt and ironworks are mostly placed along mountains and rivers, close to iron and charcoal, so that the sites are far and the work is heavy. Most of those in the commanderies who take their turn at the rotating service cannot bear the demands [Ru Chun said: there were three kinds of rotation: soldier rotation, substitute rotation and extra rotation. In antiquity there were regular soldiers, and no ordinary person, but all took turns, a month at a time, which was soldier rotation. A poor man who wanted to get hired rotation money, substitute rotation, was where the one whose turn it was paid to hire someone, two thousand per month, which was substitute rotation. The Statutes say: those in soldier or substitute rotation were changed in the county only every five months. Later, following the commandant's statutes, soldiers in substitute rotation rested eleven days out of a month.], and they hire people to substitute for them. Some counties levy iron by household and the price is lower than the standard price, and good families hire carts in turn according to the distance of the road to carry the salt and iron, which is costly and troublesome. In some towns levies are apportioned by household, and the hundred families suffer. In my foolish private view, the harm done by one office extends a thousand li; I have not seen the problem lie with Qu and Bing.

大夫曰故扇水都尉彭祖寜歸言鹽鐡令品令品甚明卒徒衣食縣官作鑄鐡器給用甚眾無妨於民而吏或不良禁令不行故民煩苦之今意總一鹽錢非獨為【去聲】利入也將以建本抑末離【去聲】朋黨禁淫侈絶併兼之路也古者名山大澤不以封為【去聲】下之専利也山海之利廣澤之畜天下之藏【去聲】也皆宜屬少府陛下不私以屬大司農以佐助百姓浮食豪民好【去聲】欲擅山海之貨以致富業役利細民故沮事議者眾鐡器兵刃天下之大用也非眾庻所宜事也徃者豪強大家得管山海之利採鐵石鼓鑄【音注】煑鹽一家聚眾或至千餘人大抵盡收放流人民也逺去鄉里棄墳墓依倚大家聚深山窮澤之中成奸偽之業遂朋黨之權其輕為非亦大矣今自廣進賢之途揀擇守尉不待去鹽鐡而安民也

The Grand Secretary said: This is why Peng Zuning, the Commandant of Shanshui, returned and said that the regulations for salt and iron were quite clear, that the food and clothing of the conscript laborers were supplied by the county government, that the iron tools cast were supplied in large amounts and did no harm to the people; but some officials were not good and the prohibitions were not enforced, so the people were troubled and suffering. Now the intention is to unify salt and iron, not only for the sake of revenue, but also to establish the root and suppress the branch, to break up cliques, to forbid extravagance, and to cut off the road to annexation. In antiquity famous mountains and great marshes were not given out as fiefs, for fear that those below would monopolize the profit. The profit of the mountains and seas and the stock of wide marshes are the storehouse of the world and should all belong to the Privy Treasury; but Your Majesty does not keep it for yourself and assigns it to the Grand Minister of Agriculture to assist the people. Idle powerful families like to try to monopolize the goods of the mountains and seas, to enrich their business and use the common people for profit, so those who obstruct this matter and raise discussions are many. Iron tools and weapons are the great use of the world and are not something the common people should engage in. In the past powerful and great families were able to control the profit of mountains and seas, mine iron and stone, cast and boil salt; one family gathered a crowd of perhaps more than a thousand, mostly taking in all the displaced people, who left their villages far behind, abandoned their ancestral tombs, depended on the great families, and gathered in deep mountains and remote marshes to build up wicked and false enterprises and thereby formed the power of cliques, and the ease with which they did wrong was very great. Now if we ourselves widen the road of recommending the worthy and carefully select governors and commandants, we do not need to remove salt and iron and the people can still be settled.