"In our East, salt and iron are government-run monopolies, the people have no rights to manage them!" Zhu Wencong explained.
The iron mentioned here is not weaponry; at the time, iron was widely used in farming tools.
Policies are often well-intentioned, but unfortunately, the success of a policy is defined by the character of those who execute it. For talented individuals, naturally, good policies follow.
The Han Dynasty's monopoly on salt and iron was clearly a failure, but from the perspective of the time, it was the right approach!
You should never expect merchants to be selfless and wholeheartedly for the people, hence government-managed enterprises can assure a certain level of fairness.
"But these violate our market principles!" Friedrich remarked, noting the difference between East and West.
"Just change the approach! Why don't we proactively engage in operations?
With our advantages and resources, those merchants aren't even worthy competitors against us.
