《汉书·志·食货志下》
桑弘羊以为各官各自做买卖相竞争，物价因此而飞涨，而天下所缴纳的赋税有的还不足以偿还转运所花的费用，就请求设置大农部丞几十人，分别掌管各郡国中的大农事务，各大农部丞又往往设置均输官和盐铁官，令边远地区各自以他们跟以前商人所贩卖的物价为赋税，而互相转输。
弘羊以诸官各自市相争，物以故腾跃，而天下赋输或不偿其僦费，乃请置大农部丞数十人，分部主郡国，各往往置均输、盐、铁官，令远方各以其物如异时商贾所转贩者为赋，而相灌输。
Sang Hongyang believed that each official was competing with each other in doing business, resulting in soaring prices. The taxes paid nationwide were sometimes not enough to cover the transfer expenses. He requested to set up dozens of deputy ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture to manage the agricultural affairs of each county and state. The deputy ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture often set up grain transportation officials and salt and iron officials, ordering remote areas to use the prices of goods previously sold by merchants as taxes, and to transport them to each other.