Compared to the salt merchants, the common people are more willing to trust the court. They have heard that the new salt was made by Prince Han himself, all for the benefit of the common people, so they can afford and have access to good salt.
This isn't the first time Prince Han has made something good for the commoners. Previously, he had made many good things, like the Quyuan Plow, which the court distributed for free.
This time, Prince Han made such delicious new salt, and the court is selling it at the lowest price to them. The court wouldn't harm the common people, but the salt merchants would.
Although the new salt sold by the court is slightly more expensive than the salt currently sold by the merchants, it is much cheaper compared to the salt previously sold by the merchants. They would rather spend a few hundred more coins to buy the court's new salt than buy the salt from the merchants. They will never let the merchants gloat, nor let them make a comeback.
