Cutting 1719

Chapter 269 Financial Inventory
Ning Yu's words caused an uproar, and everyone whispered under the stage, discussing a lot.

Old Master Cheng smiled, "Yu'er's words are not unreasonable, but this clever woman is hard to embarrass after all, Yu'er, you should know how big our Fuhan army is now. A few days ago, I couldn't even get the money and food for the Eastern Expedition , why talk about salary increase?"

Everyone nodded unconsciously when they heard it. The time has been tight for everyone, and even Ning Zhongyi nodded slightly. As the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, he formulated a new During the military budget planning, I didn’t lose my hair, and I was arguing with the people in the Political Affairs Hall every day. It’s really hard to live without money.

Cui Wancai had a smile on his face. At this time, he had to help his disciples, so he said softly: "The old man is really right to be worried, but the matter of money and food is also a matter of priority. After the initial determination of Jiangnan, our taxes must also be paid. If we can go to another level, it would be a good idea to increase the salary at that time, but now the people’s heart is at stake, and this bad government can be removed first.”

Old Master Cheng also sighed, and he said with a wry smile: "If we can really get rid of the bad government, it will be very good for me to restore the Han army and regain the hearts of the people. But now that the big guys are short of money, if it is really possible to increase the salary, it will be fine." It doesn't matter, if you want to come to those who are paid by officials, they won't have much opinion."

Just because you don't have much opinion doesn't mean you don't have any opinion at all.Ning Yu can naturally understand what the old man said. If you want to reform, it is impossible not to touch the interests of others, but this process needs to be slowed down. It is good to cut the mess quickly, but it may not be able to withstand the strong medicine.

With a slight smile on his face, Ning Yu bowed deeply to Mr. Cheng, and said with emotion: "Grandpa acts prudently, which is what a kid should learn, but my Fuhan army is about to enter the south of the Yangtze River. The hearts of the people in this world have to be more scruples."

Seeing that there was no objection from the others, Ning Zhongyuan formally took the first stab at the current bad government and issued a formal order.That is to say, from today onwards, all consumption funds will be completely cancelled, and donations will no longer be allowed. All consumption funds earned this year will be handed over to the Chief Treasurer. Roll out in the four provinces of Huguang, Jiangxi and Anhui.

Regarding the system of raising honesty and integrity, Ning Yu adopts the method of announcing it once a year, but it will not actually give all of it, but only give three-tenths. If there is no corruption charge for ten consecutive years, it will be given again And three-tenths, as for the remaining four-tenths, it has to wait until the official is released.

In order to win over these officials who worked for the Fuhan Army, Ning Yu set a very high amount of money to support Lianlian, which was about twice the salary. That is to say, a county magistrate of the seventh rank now pays around 45 taels a year. , but there are a full 90 taels of Yanglian silver every year, and officials can only get 27 taels that year. Want to take the rest away?Then don't do it.

This move is quite good. At least many officials of the Fuhan Army showed some joy on their faces. After all, the current Fuhan Army is a new collective, and it is already very good in terms of integrity and efficiency. It is true that they are living on these dozens of taels of silver, and their lives are tight. With this money to support honesty, they are naturally unwilling to take risks to exploit the people.

Next, came the main event.Ning Zhongyuan sent someone to bring over this year's tax account book, and said: "These are our annual income and expenses last year, which are all our current possessions. As the masters of the family, we still have to have the account book in our hearts, and we must pay attention to it. Please tell the right counselor to everyone."

Ning Zhongjing took out a small booklet in his hand, and said softly: "Let me give you an overview. Last year, my Fuhan Army earned about 800 million taels of silver, but spent a full 900 million taels of silver. deficit."

The crowd first heard that the income was 800 million taels, and their faces were overjoyed, but when they heard it again, they felt something was wrong. The expenditure was actually 9 taels of silver, and they took a deep breath.The co-author of the big guy has fought for his life for a year, but he still lost 100 million taels.

Ning Zhongjing took everyone's expressions into his eyes, and he couldn't help showing a bit of a wry smile. When the Ning family's account was calculated before, it was only a few 10 taels of silver, but now it's tens of millions of taels The expenses made his brain a little congested.

"Let's talk about the income first. Last year's income was mainly concentrated in Huguang. As for Jiangxi and Anhui, it needs to start this year. The land tax and head tax in Huguang occupy a large part, at about 350 million taels of silver, and the industrial and commercial tax and mining Taxes, etc. add up to 150 million taels of silver, which is what we actually collected.”

"Isn't there still 300 million taels?" Zheng Xian asked in bewilderment, and the others were also quite curious.

Ning Zhongjing smiled, "There are still 300 million taels, all of which are the harvest of the governor's attack all the way, especially after confiscating all the money and land of the Jingzhou Eight Banners, plus the confiscation of the property of the landlords and gentry who supported the Qing Dynasty In the end, we also got 300 million taels of silver. But obviously, this part of the silver can only be regarded as temporary wealth.”

"But in this way, even if there is no money at all this year, Prince Chu and the Huguang Chamber of Commerce raised 300 million taels of military pay, which is enough to make up for the shortfall. It's just that the 300 million taels of silver will have to be paid back in the future."

After hearing this, everyone understood that the money was earned by rich people. It’s just that everyone understands that this kind of money is collected once at most. After all, those people have already been used to mine, and they want to eat Big households can only eat the people present here.

Zheng Xian hurriedly asked again: "What about the expenditure of 900 million taels of silver?"

Ning Zhongjing glanced at Ning Yu first, and then said bitterly: "What else could be going on? Once the cannon fired, the gold was ten thousand taels. From the year before last to this year, we have never stopped and broken everywhere. The newly built Hanyang Gun Factory and Hanyang Iron Factory, as well as the dozens of mines, this money must not flow out like water."

Ning Yu smiled awkwardly, but he was also very helpless. Facing the siege of 20 people from the Qing army, he naturally had to strengthen the Fuhan army in other ways. Yin Zi, who is willing to follow Ning Yu to work hard?

But Ning Zhongjing was just making a joke, he said with a smile: "Of course, we have to spend the money, otherwise Kangxi wouldn't be so mad in the north, right?"

Cui Wancai took over the conversation, "Fortunately, most of this money was spent on our Fuhan army. Those guns and lecture halls don't need such a large-scale investment in the future. Therefore Even if our army will expand to 13 people this year, the actual cost will not be particularly high. It will just go up a little more.”

"In addition, among the 900 million taels of silver, it is not all military expenses. We still have 300 million taels of silver that were invested in the local area. Huguang also fought for a year, and the lives of many ordinary people were ruined. You have to spend a lot of money on the other side.”

Zheng Xian was also a businessman before, so he could understand what Cui Wancai said, but he still shook his head after thinking about it carefully: "But even so, our income this year is still not enough to support the needs of the army."

Ning Yu stood up again at this time, "Everyone, considering the current wealth, my army's expenditure this year should be quite sufficient, because now my Fuhan Army has reached an agreement with Huguang and Jiangxi chambers of commerce on the banner fields in the south of the Yangtze River." , That is to use the future 50 mu of flag fields to mortgage, which is equivalent to 750 million taels of silver.

In this speech, the amount of information revealed was very large, which made everyone slightly suffocated.Some of them have already begun to calculate, that is to say, from last year to this year, the amount of silver that these merchant associations have brought out has reached 1000 million taels. Although it can be regarded as emptying out the old capital of the three provinces, this figure is still very scary.

Strictly speaking, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi are not strong in industry and commerce, and they are still much worse than those in Jiangnan. However, the chambers of commerce in these three provinces, after so many years of tossing, can still take out the 1000 million taels of silver. It really shocked many people.

Of course, the Huguang Chamber of Commerce is relatively more special, because the behind-the-scenes organizer of the entire Huguang Chamber of Commerce is the Ning family itself, especially after bringing private salt and iron into the chamber of commerce, the profits created are also extremely scary. Not to mention that Sichuan salt and Huai salt have been beaten out, Chu salt has also entered Henan, Jiangxi, Anhui and other provinces.

Ning Yu's face was a little dignified, and he looked at the crowd and said with emotion: "The reason why my Fuhan army was able to start a business is on the surface with the help of firearms, but the benefits of firearms are also inseparable from the support of industry and commerce, otherwise where will the 1000 million taels of silver come from?" coming?"

"Nowadays, our military's financial reforms naturally can no longer exclude the entire industry and commerce. I think you should understand this truth."

Everyone was silent, they knew that the critical time had come, and that was the issue of industrial and commercial status.And this question has no answer in this era, and it can even be said that no answer is allowed.

As I said earlier, the so-called Chambers of Commerce of the Three Provinces are actually attached to the major gentry families. Like the so-called Eight Imperial Merchants back then, they were naturally attached to the most powerful royal families in the world. Those smaller chambers of commerce were attached to The other is the gentry in each province and government, which belongs to the relationship of symbiosis and coexistence.

Merchants are not qualified to be independent in this era. If there is no political power to rely on, they will be swallowed up by others sooner or later. However, the development of such businesses is bound to be affected a lot, and naturally they cannot become a truly powerful class, so there is no Ways to win more support and help for business.

If time goes back another 500 years, Ning Yu will definitely not choose to support industry and commerce, because the environment does not allow it, it is indeed impossible to support it, and it will offend the gentry of the whole world. Ning Yu will not do such a loss-making business.

But the times are different now. When Western colonists are staking their lands all over the world, if they continue to care about the interests of the gentry, I am afraid that even if the world is won, it will only be a Manchu dynasty ruled by the Han people. Essentially there is not much difference.

Ning Yu knew in his heart that if he wanted to accomplish this in this era, he needed to liberate the productivity of capital, that is, to fully support the growth of capital, so as to truly become a class that can exert its strength.

"Now, after capturing Jiangnan, I plan to introduce a series of regulations to support industry and commerce, including fundamentally improving the status of the industry and commerce, changing from the end of the four peoples to the equality of the four peoples, allowing the descendants of merchants to participate in the imperial examinations, and protecting their rights and interests. Property security, cancel a series of unreasonable lijin and checkpoints, create a good business environment, and promote the development of all industries."

Ning Yu's words were like throwing a stone into a pool of water, causing countless splashes in an instant.Everyone's emotions seemed to be ignited all of a sudden, and they started whispering under the stage.

Cui Wancai looked at the good student and good son-in-law who stood upright like a pine, but he felt happy in his heart. The seeds he planted so hard and the water he watered hard finally grew into a towering tree today , can shield more people from the scorching sun.

Mr. Cheng is well-versed in poetry and books, and once served as the right servant of the household department of Kangxi. He is no stranger to business and industry, and immediately sighed: "Yu'er's ideas are a bit radical this time. The so-called business and mining industry has always been Gather because of gains, and chaos because of losses, even if you can get big profits at the beginning, but after the profits are exhausted, it will only leave more and more chaos.”

What Mr. Cheng said is very reasonable, because there is no so-called labor security in this era, especially when mining, basically it is to use human life to mine. Chaos, but when the mines are dug out, the remaining people will lose their means of survival, and then become refugees.

As early as the 21st year of Kangxi, the Qing Dynasty had faced the problem of expensive copper and silver. At that time, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, Cai Yurong, set up furnaces to cast money in the provincial capital, Lufeng, Mengzi, and Dali, and used the old Ming Mu's Zhuangtian and the officials. The property was betrayed, the price was changed, and a lot of money was minted in this way.

But the problem came later, 10,000+ miners gathered in Yunnan, but there was a saying, just like Mr. Cheng's saying, that miners are easy to gather but hard to disperse, and sooner or later something will happen.

After Kangxi heard this statement, he thought it was quite reasonable, and then issued a ban on mining, and the mining industry in the entire Qing Dynasty took a sharp turn for the worse, never returning to the prosperity of the past.

Now this question is placed in front of Ning Yu, he said with a smile: "Grandpa's words are not unreasonable, but now we also have dozens of mines under the Fuhan Army, and there are tens of thousands of mining workers, but now they are not There is no such problem. The reason is that the measures taken by our Fuhan Army can completely eliminate this problem."

(End of this chapter)