Abstract: The fiscal condition of the state is a significant factor influencing the relationship between the central and local governments. Prior to the Longqing Reign in Ming Dynasty, apart from the reconstruction of the salt-related school (specifically established for the young generation of salt merchants and workers) in the Hedong region, there were no established such school nationwide. The court of Ming Dynasty did not approve requests to establish such school in the salt regions of the Lianghuai Region. After Longqing Reign, with the continuous growth of internal and external expenditures, the Ming court began to respond to local requests to establish the school in the salt regions. The response manifested both as the establishment of commercial registers in the Lianghuai Region and Liangzhe Region, and as the school in Changlu. In the particularly complex context of the salt region in Lianghuai Region, the court exercised great caution regarding the establishment of the school and ultimately reached an agreement with the local authorities in Lianghuai Region through the establishment of commercial registers. Although the school in Changlu were established, the subsequent issue of examinees with false registered residence impeded the court’s further attempts to set up such school. As a consequence, the effective commercial register system was adopted in the Liangzhe Region as used in the Lianghuai Region. Throughout the process of advocating for the establishment of the school in local salt regions, there was the interaction and compromise between the court and local authorities. Ultimately, the interaction and compromise paved way for commercial registers. The commercial register, therefore, became the primary means by which the court addressed the examination needs of salt merchants’ young generation from different regions during the late Ming Dynasty.