That year, that cicada, that sword

Chapter 215

About half an hour later, Xu Beiyou personally sent Li Zhang out of the door.

I don’t know what happened recently, there has been heavy rain and light rain all the time, and occasionally when it doesn’t rain, God’s face is gloomy, and he refuses to show a little bit of sunshine.

As dusk approached, the sky, which had been raining continuously for half a month, was finally willing to open a gap in the layers of dark clouds, allowing some afterglow of the setting sun to shine on the world through this gap.

Standing in front of the door, Xu Beiyou looked up at the setting sun above his head, waved to Zhang An who was not far away, and said, "Senior Sister Zhang, Jianzong has a lot of properties in Jiangdu City. If I remember correctly, there are pawnshops, money houses, etc. There are more than a dozen types of shops, printing bureaus, gambling shops, medicine shops, porcelain shops, antique shops, bookstores, courtyards, grain shops, restaurants, blacksmiths, etc. Can you tell me the exact number of them?"

Zhang An thought for a moment, then replied: "Returning to the young master, my Jianzong's industries in Jiangdu and even the entire Jiangnan are roughly 32 pawnshops, three money shops, two printing bureaus, [-] gambling shops, eight medicine shops, porcelain There are five shops, three antique shops, one bookstore, nine courtyards, fifteen grain stores, twenty restaurants, forty blacksmith shops, nine inns, and twenty weaving workshops. Ten thousand taels of silver. In addition, there are three mansions in the city and two courtyards outside the city, with a total of more than [-] houses, more than [-] mu of land, eight farms, more than [-] tenants, and more than [-] large and small ships. There are two docks, not counting the disciples of the sect, just employing more than [-] people of all kinds."

Speaking of this, Zhang An hesitated for a moment, and said: "There is also a group of pirates who specialize in sea plundering, including more than [-] ships, more than [-] desperadoes, and three island water fortresses, equipped with bows of various colors. Crossbows, firearms, and sect disciples sit in command."

Xu Beiyou sighed and sighed: "It's really a huge industry. The bank alone has such a horrific figure. I really don't know how big the benefits are? Isn't it rich and invincible?"

Zhang An shook his head and said with a smile: "We didn't get involved in the salt and iron business. If you don't count the sea business, there is still a big gap between the rich and the enemy. Now that the commerce and trade are developed, the imperial court can tax up to 5000 million taels a year. Daoist industries are all over the world, and the annual income is probably more than 2000 million taels. Compared with these two, our Jianzong is undoubtedly insignificant and far behind."

Xu Beiyou nodded and smiled and said: "It is true that they are far apart, but these two families cannot be compared with common sense, and we cannot compare with them, and even if we are really comparable, we are still standing in the house of wind and waves. .”

Zhang An whispered: "Actually, the reason why my aunt asked the young master to take over is not entirely to test the young master. Everyone knows that the young master's adoptive father, Mr. Han Ge, has returned to the temple. The second assistant is also in charge of the household department, and now Mr. Han Ge intends to rectify the deficit of the household department, and Jiangnan is the top priority. Our Jianzong side has the young master to come forward. In terms of sentiment and reason, Mr. Han Ge has to be lenient."

Xu Beiyou smiled wryly upon hearing this.

Of the two old men, one gave him a big fortune, and the other gave him a solid background.

Without these two old men, Xu Beiyou would never be where he is today.

Xu Beiyou suddenly missed his husband a little bit, and he didn't know how he was doing in the imperial capital. After all, facing a Lan Xiangye who was in the imperial court for nearly a year, even if his second assistant had the emperor's support behind him, he would not be too comfortable , and he also provoked Duanmu Ruisheng, a potential enemy, for him, but he was really a "cheat".

Xu Beiyou silently recited Master Lan and Elder Han Ge, and said softly: "The rectification of the deficit is a later story, the most urgent task now is to deal with His Royal Highness King Qi who came all the way from the imperial capital to Jiangdu to raise money and food, Your Highness Those who are not good."

Zhang An also frowned after hearing the words, obviously very helpless towards His Royal Highness King Qi.

King Qi, the No. 1 king after King Wei, is the one who has the most hope of inheriting the great rule. If there is a grudge with him now, wouldn't he have to settle accounts after the fall when he ascends to the throne of God in the future?But if you want to follow him completely, but you don't know how much flesh and blood you will be bitten off by this highness, it is really a dilemma.

In fact, from the bottom of Zhang An's heart, she still hopes that the young master can use the affection of Her Highness the Princess. After all, I have heard that Her Highness the Princess is the closest to this elder brother, and my young master and the Princess are a little unclear. If the peace is negotiated from Her Highness the Princess, Her Highness King Qi might be able to give her a high hand, but it's not easy for her to say such things directly, so she can only wait for Xu Beiyou to take the initiative to do it.

In fact, Xu Beiyou has also considered this point, but he himself has no idea, after all, it is a matter of no account, if he asks Xiao Zhinan rashly, it may have the opposite effect.Taking a ten thousand step back, even if there is a slight horoscope, then this His Royal Highness King Qi is his legitimate uncle, and if he takes the initiative to go forward, he will be taught a good lesson by this uncle.

"Difficult." Xu Beiyou couldn't help but sigh, "It's difficult."

——Just like his younger sister, Qi Wang Xiaobai, who just arrived in Jiangdu, also chose to settle in Xie's house in Jiangzhou.Nearly a thousand guards camped outside Xie Yuan, Xiao Bai only brought a few dozen people to live in Xie Yuan.

Although Xie Yuan belongs to the border of Jiangzhou, it is not too far from Jiangdu. If it only takes two hours to ride a horse, Xiao Bai is not afraid of missing something if he lives here.

On this rare sunny day, Xiao Bai and Xie Suqing walked side by side along the lake embankment after the rain.

Facing His Royal Highness Qi Wang, Xie Suqing was not as casual as when he got along with Xiao Zhinan, and he was very courteous, but Xiao Bai did not put on airs of the vassal king, and said flatly: "I think Mr. Xie already knows why this king came to Jiangnan this time. , is to worry about the crisis of the country, and to share the worries and labors for the father. However, in my king's view, this is only a temporary solution, not the root cause. Get some money from the great families and salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River, once, twice, three times, four times. Is it next time? But natural and man-made disasters are not limited to one Qinghe? In addition to floods, there are also droughts, locust plagues, and plagues. How can this be done once and for all with mere tens of millions of taels of silver."

Xie Suqing nodded and said: "What Your Highness said is very true. The foundation of a country lies in taxation, but now the taxation is decreasing every year. Daoist sects wantonly annex land because they don't have to pay taxes. The tenants do not pay taxes to the court, but instead support the Daoist sect. However, these taxes in various names are deducted layer by layer, and very little money can enter the imperial treasury. The state of the country has been shaken."

Xiao Bai sighed and said: "Father, why don't you know this? In order to report the favor of the sect, the late emperor specially issued a decree to allow the land under the jurisdiction of the Taoist sect to not pay taxes. Today, it has become a major drawback of my dynasty. Father is enthroned. After that, a new policy of whipping law was implemented, the fire consumption was returned to the public, the land was allocated to the mu, and the treasury was abundant. It was just that the land was allocated to the mu, and several big families were surrendered, but they could not surrender the Daoist sect who held on to the emperor's favor. , took back the land, but was constrained everywhere, which led to the current situation."

The two walked into a gazebo, Xie Suqing suddenly said: "Your Highness, there is something I don't know if I should say it or not."

Xiao Bai was silent for a moment, then said: "But it's okay to talk."

Xie Suqing lowered her voice and said: "Your Highness has just said that since His Majesty implemented a new policy of whipping, the national treasury has been abundant. Although the Taoist side is a disaster, it is still not in danger. Why is the national treasury shortfall as high as 900 million taels last year?" So huge? So much so that this year there is no money for disaster relief and embankment repairs, but His Majesty still ignores this, and the deep meaning of it has to be thought-provoking."

Xiao Bai was startled when he heard the words, and said: "Master Xie, what you mean is...the emperor knows about the state treasury?"

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as knowing." Xie Suqing tapped the top of the stone table in the gazebo lightly with her fingers, "Maybe it's His Majesty who used the money."

Xiao Bai's eyes froze suddenly, and he said softly to himself: "According to what Han Xuan said, last year's budget was 900 million taels, but the actual expenditure was a full 190 million taels, an overrun of 290 million taels. For such a small amount, even the construction of the tomb would not cost so much money."

Xie Suqing pointed out: "The great affairs of the country are sacrifices and soldiers."

Xiao Bai suddenly remembered Zhang Wubing, the new left governor of the Northwest Army who was rehabilitated along with Han Xuan, and couldn't help saying in horror: "Father wants to use troops!?"

(End of this chapter)