Fenghou

Chapter 890 Negotiations
In the early morning of the next day, Chen Qing ordered someone to invite Zhao Kai. He took out the income and expenditure budget report written by Zhao Kai last month and put it on the table, saying: "I carefully read Counselor Zhao's report last night. I think the tax should be based on the salt tax revenue from the previous year, not last year. Last year, salt smuggling was too severe, but under our severe crackdown, more than [-] people were killed by salt dealers, and it has basically subsided. The salt tax will be doubled this year and next year."

Zhao Kai didn't have yesterday's anxiety, and said calmly: "We also discussed this issue last night and afternoon. The salt tax basis is indeed biased and needs to be adjusted. In addition, the army's meat expenditure has double counting and needs to be adjusted. After recalculation, the fiscal and tax gap should be between [-] million and [-] million guan, but if this gap is not made up, there will still be major problems.

Your Highness, the expenses are too high now, and a lot of expenses are unnecessary. The low position refers to the second expansion of the city. The expansion of the city has always been a century-old project. It is unnecessary and should not be completed in a short period of time. All the people cannot live in the city, can it? Can't there be villages outside the city, can't there be farmers? "

Chen Qing took out Jiang Yanxian's second city expansion plan and said: "I read this plan carefully yesterday afternoon, and I also think it is too hasty and unnecessary. I will discuss this plan with Counselor Jiang again, and I will not consider it for now. In fact, we are likely to attack the Central Plains or Hebei in the next year or so. These two places are huge financial burdens. An accumulation."

Zhao Kai was overjoyed when he heard that the second city expansion plan was not considered for the time being. He argued with Jiang Yanxian many times over this matter, but the princess also supported Jiang Yanxian. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, there is no problem with financial accumulation. We now have about [-] million wealth accumulation, which is also our family property, which can guarantee war expenses and the recovery of the Central Plains and Hebei. , the pursuit of fiscal balance, even a slight surplus, this is a healthy body.”

Zhao Kai is a prudent financial and tax official. Everyone criticized him for being too stingy, but Chen Qing admired his stinginess. If he was not so meticulous, how could he support their war and expansion?His army will expand to [-] sooner or later, how can he support it without a strong family background?

Just like the current imperial court, several Northern Expeditions to the Central Plains were forced to suspend due to financial and tax issues, and now they are unwilling to take over the mess in Central Plains because of financial constraints.

Doesn't Zhao Gou know the consequences of the Central Plains being taken by him?Of course he knows that the one who wins the Central Plains wins the world, but he also needs to support the [-] imperial army and a huge bureaucratic system. The expenditure of nearly two million a month can easily overwhelm the imperial court. It cannot bear the huge financial burden of the Central Plains.

If I want to seize and control the Central Plains and Hebei, I must now increase income and reduce expenditure, and carry out the necessary financial accumulation.

Thinking of this, Chen Qing said slowly: "Today I am looking for Counselor Zhao mainly to discuss the issue of increasing income and reducing expenditure. You can write a report to me about reducing expenditure. All large-scale expenditures that do not involve people's livelihood, education and military must be suspended, or Strict approval is required."

Zhao Kai was overjoyed, and quickly said: "The humble staff must follow His Highness's call to increase income and reduce expenditure, strictly examine and approve, and save as much as possible."

Chen Qing smiled slightly, and continued: "I have two ideas about open source, one is to sell our salt on Jinghu Road, in fact, it is to seize the salt tax of Jinghu Road, has Counselor Zhao calculated the income? How much is the salt tax?"

Zhao Kai pondered for a moment and said: "The humble official knows that the salt tax collected by the imperial court from the Jinghu two roads in the past two years has been very small, and the main reason is the flood of private salt. If His Highness uses the army to crack down on private salt, our official salt will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to occupy Jinghu. Two ways, the humble staff estimates that the annual salt tax is at least about [-] million guan, which just makes up for the financial gap."

Chen Qing nodded and said: "Yesterday you said that it is unfair to only levy taxes on Sichuan Road and exempt Shaanxi Road. I was also greatly touched. After thinking about it all night, I decided to continue to exempt Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road. Four years, because this is my promise, but we can increase the salt price appropriately. Except for Sichuan Road, the salt price in other places has been raised to [-] yuan per catty. The commercial tax on silk and porcelain should be restored, so our fiscal surplus will be at least two million guan every year.”

"Understood, let's go back and write a detailed memorial, and submit it to the Internal Affairs Hall for discussion."

Chen Qing also knew that this was not a matter for him and Zhao Kai to decide, and he had to convince other people. Zhou Kuan did not need to worry. Zhou Kuan also came from a financial background. He always advocated frugality. Throttle, must get his support.

When Zhao Kai went back, Chen Qing walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the white clouds like mountains in the distance, he was thinking about how to persuade Jiang Yanxian, he had to find a suitable time.

Back in the mansion in the afternoon, Zhao Yingluo rushed out at the gate of Qifeng Pavilion, and threw her head into his arms. Chen Qing put his arms around her shoulders, and smiled softly, "If you want to protect your baby, you can't run like this!"

"Doctor Liu said the problem is not serious!"

She raised her head, her bright eyes showed infinite joy, "Guardian, I'm going to have a baby too!"

"Hmm! Do you want a young man or a young lady?"

"I like them all!" Zhao Yingluo was overjoyed, with a smile on her face.

At this moment, daughter Chen Xue ran out, took Chen Qing's hand and said urgently: "Father, if you talk about it tonight, I'm going to die of anxiety!"

Chen Qing picked up his three-year-old baby girl, tapped her nose and smiled, "What are you in a hurry for?"

"Sparkling! It's a big box."

Chen Qing was startled, and then suddenly realized that the treasury should have sent the loot. Qualify for two or three.

The trophies this time were all kinds of treasures seized from Li Jinxiao, Wang Dongyuan, Zhang Jian, three Sichuan tyrants, and the uncle Wei Tong, especially the uncle Wei Tong, who seized tens of thousands of treasures from his house.

As a tribute to King Yong, the Treasury Department will naturally dedicate the most precious treasures to Chen Qing.

Chen Qing walked in the door with his daughter in his arms, and saw a large family gathered in the lobby on the first floor, discussing around a table.

Chen Qing stepped forward, saw that the lid of the box had not been opened, and said with a smile: "Why don't you open it and have a look, what good things are there?"

Xue'er whispered in her father's ear: "Daddy, they have already opened it, and they closed it again, waiting for you to open it."

Everyone laughed, and Chen Qing stepped forward to open the box. Although everyone had already seen it, when the jewels shone again, everyone couldn't help but exclaimed.

On the top is a fist-sized piece of beautiful jade, white as fat, delicate and plump, weighing more than half a catty, and covered with jujube red skin. This is the beautiful jade tribute from the Kingdom of Khotan, and it is all picked up from the river. Seed material, no cracks, no stiffness, no flaws.

Chen Qing smiled and handed the beautiful jade to his wife Lu Xiu, "Take this!"

Lu Xiu pursed her lips and said with a smile: "I saw it too. There are quite a few below. This piece is a bit too big for me. It just fits in my husband's study as a paperweight."

Chen Qing nodded and said with a smile: "Then I'll take this piece, and the rest will follow the old rules, ten pieces per person, and I'll pick a shiny bead for each of my two little ones."

Chen Qing also brought another daughter, Chen Bing, and said with a smile, "Don't be greedy, one is enough for each of you, and Daddy will give it to you when you grow up!"

Chen Bing obediently nodded and agreed, while her sister Chen Xue pouted and nodded aggrievedly.

(End of this chapter)