The Ming government's salt policy determined that the government must trade with merchants, but the government never seemed to realize that it was a contractual relationship with merchants. In its view, the country was supreme and every citizen had made sacrifices for it. Businessmen are expected to voluntarily participate in government activities and generate profits and taxes. When it is not profitable and no one is willing to distribute salt, the government will call on businessmen to complete this task, just as ordinary people need to undertake various types of military service. In fact, it is taken for granted that merchants bear some losses when dealing with the government, and officials may consider such losses to some extent the cost of franchising. According to the text, what does the term "cost of franchising business" mean? ['Government and merchant transaction costs.', 'The price of salt monopoly for salt merchants.', 'The necessary cost for the salt merchant to make a profit.', 'Taxes paid by salt dealers to sell salt.']