I was the richest man in Da Song

Chapter 17 The Three Envoys

"He Shao, you were born to be an official in the court. With such a literary talent, why don't you worry about being a marquis and a prime minister?" Li Hang persuaded.

"Feng Lang's ambition is not here, let alone being a merchant may be more useful than a prince." Of course He Shao dared not say clearly that he wanted to be the richest man.

"It's the first time I've heard such a statement, please tell me in detail."

"Officials, the herdsmen are governed, and the subjects have their own share, and the world is peaceful.

The merchants, in order to attract the people, open up commercial routes and goods to connect the north and the south, so that the world will prosper.

Since the beginning of Wang Hai, all dynasties have believed that merchants buy low and sell high, buy more and sell low, buy near and sell far away, and do not take advantage of farming and mulberry opportunism.

In my opinion, those who become rich and humble, adjust surplus and shortage, and measure distance are not real merchants. This kind of people are only self-interested.

For real merchants, everyone will always benefit, and the country will benefit from its convenience and the people. "

"It's a thought-provoking talk about government and business," Li Hang praised highly.

"It's all just talking on paper. I really can't stand the yamen making things difficult for me this time, so I ask Li Xiang to make the decision for me." Feeling that the time has come, He Shao also entered the topic.

"Since you want to make the country more convenient and the people more beneficial, of course the old man will take care of the country and the people."

He Shao told Li Hang that the tax collector issued false tax quotations and collected more than a dozen miscellaneous taxes.

"Although the old man is in charge of the political affairs hall, the tax collectors have always been in charge of the third division envoy. The removal of money and the customs tax in your mouth, I remember that the old man had already abolished it in the second year of Xianping. Do you remember it wrong?"

Li Hang was a little uncertain, but he knew that it was definitely not normal for an ordinary merchant to pay more than 1000 yuan in taxes and have several shipments of valuable grain seized.

"Li Zhong, you go to the Political Affairs Hall and invite the third envoy"

The third envoy is responsible for managing the financial revenue and expenditure, rent and tax, and salt and iron monopoly affairs for the Song Dynasty.

The Metropolitan Taxation Institute is under the Taifu, and the Taifu is under the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the direct supervisor of the Ministry of Finance is the third envoy.

Xiuzhengfang is adjacent to the imperial palace, and it didn't take long for the third envoy to arrive at Li Hang's mansion.

"Grandfather Taichu, are you looking for me?"

He is nearly [-] years old, seven feet tall, slightly dark complexion, sharp eyes, and dignified wherever he stands.

"Pingzhong, please sit down"

People in the Song Dynasty usually refer to each other by official titles, but these two people directly call their names, which is obviously a very good relationship.

"He Shao, this is the third envoy, Kou Zhun and Kou Pingzhong, you can tell him about your affairs."

"Kou Zhun? Is this Kou Zhun?"

This name kept echoing in He Shao's mind. If there are a few unavoidable names in the Song Dynasty, Kou Zhun is one of them.

If Su Shi is talented and Yang Yanzhao is tough, then this is the representative of tall and tough.

"In addition to Moqian and Customs Tax were exempted in the second year of Xianping, and replaced by a municipal rent of [-] taxes, everyone in the Metropolitan Taxation Court should know," Kou Zhun affirmed.

"Here are some tax references I have specially left over the past few days, take a look"

He Shao took out the tax guide and passed it over. After reading it, Kou Zhun also found the problem and frowned slightly.

"Most of the tax names here have been cancelled, and the body tax is not so much"

"Put this tax reference here first, and I will continue to check it.

But your few shipments of grain are going to go back, and the tax inspection is based on the reference. Your previous tax reference has no red seal from the government, so there is no way to check it. This can be regarded as a lesson for you.But I can guarantee that as long as you don't evade taxes, no one will trouble you again."

Please move the third envoy, although the loss is not small, but it is guaranteed that no one will come to make trouble in the future. This matter is not perfect, but it can be regarded as no worries.

The remaining problem is to re-purchase grain. He Shao has the final say, and it is difficult for him to buy grain with the money he has already spent.

"Ping Zhong, the political hall is very hot, since you are here, please cool off at my place and have a melon together"

After finishing the business, Li Hang smiled and invited Kou Zhun to take a rest.

"This year's weather is extremely hot. It's already August and the heat hasn't dropped at all. In previous summers, the Zhengshitang and other yamen have never stopped mixing ice. This year, there is not even a little ice left in the ice cellar in the palace." Kou Zhun wiped it. Khan, you're welcome to pick up melons.

"In addition to His Majesty's bedroom, the ice in the harem has been broken for seven or eight days. Looking at the pond newspaper sent up today, dozens of people have died of heat poisoning since the beginning of summer." Li Han sighed with regret, But how can manpower resist the sky?

Listening to Kou Zhun and Li Hang chatting about Li Hang, He Shao, who was worried about having no money to buy food, suddenly thought of a good way to get money.

"Master Kou, if the palace needs ice, I can supply it, as much as you want."

"The ice in the square market is too expensive. I have to wait for half a month to wait for the autumn weather to be cold."

Inside and outside the palace and even in Kaifeng City, every government office needs ice, and if you order it in large quantities, it will cost at least tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of guan.

Both Li Hang and Kou Zhun experienced the difficult days in the early years of the Song Dynasty. Diligence and thrift can not only manage the family but also the country.

"The ice here costs a penny per catty"

"A penny? Seriously?" If it's a penny, then you can still consider it.

"As much as you want"

Li Hang had just promised He Shao that he would not spread the secret of ice making, so it was a joy to see a young man who was in charge of the court and a shrewd young man talking about business.

He Shao came here only to solve the things that made things difficult for him at the Metropolitan Commercial Academy, but he unexpectedly found a business opportunity.

Right now he is short of money to buy food for brewing, as long as this business can be done, all problems will be solved.

God, the price of grain in Kaifeng City is only six yuan a catty, but the price of ice has risen to ten yuan. For the first time, He Shao discovered that there are so many injustices in Kaifeng City. If he doesn't make a fortune, he will be sorry for them.

"During the eclipse tomorrow, forty cubes of ice will be shipped to Xihuamen, and sixty cubes of ice will be sent to the 54 yamen in Kaifeng City."

A catty of ice costs two pennies, and one side of ice is worth two pennies, which means a daily income of two hundred pennies.

As for the cost, the water in the Bianhe River is endless, and the hydrazine is also very cheap. This is a very profitable business.

"Where do you live now, I will send someone to send the handbook over there, and the money will be settled after autumn."

He Shao thought about it. Although he lived next to the Yudao, there was not enough space to make so much ice.

"Solfang"

"Why do you live in that place?" Kou Zhun asked.

There are mostly beggars in Solfang, tomb dwellers who have no house, no land and only a cemetery, as well as some homeless people and rangers. The mixture of dragons and snakes is very chaotic.

"Kaifeng city is expensive and the land is expensive. If you want to make ice and you need to be close to the river, Suoerfang just satisfies all of them."

A larger mansion in other places costs at least seven or eight thousand guan, and the cheapest one in Solfang only costs about [-] guan.

As for paying the bill in autumn, no one else, He Shao, would agree to it so happily, but the person in front of him is Kou Zhun, these two words are priceless, and there is no custom of paying in advance no matter which dynasty is doing business for the public.

After He Shao left, Li Hang ordered someone to bring another basin of ice.

"What do you think of this young man?" Li Hang asked suddenly.

"I don't think there's anything unusual about being a merchant," Kou Zhun said.

"Haha, even a merchant is a merchant who can make you suffer, and make you suffer a lot"

"Disadvantage? Not necessarily, a catty of ice costs a penny, which is almost ten times cheaper than that in the market."

Even in previous years, the price of ice was more than one penny, not to mention that this year's summer was particularly long, and all the ice cellars had run out of ice, so no matter how much you thought about it, you would not suffer a penny.

"That's because you haven't seen how this boy makes ice. The old man did some calculations just now. He will earn you at least two pennies for one piece of ice. You, a shrewd third envoy who can calculate, did not expect to be tricked by a brat."

Seeing that Kou Zhun suffered a disadvantage, Li Hang gloated a little.

"It seems that Duke Taichu is very optimistic about this young man," Kou Zhun asked.

"Jia Zhe, attracts the people with benefits, opens up commercial routes and goods to connect the north and the south, the world prospers, and the country gets its convenience and the people get its benefits"

Li Hang repeated what He Shao said just now.

"The words of Lord Taichu are thought-provoking."

"That's not what I said"

"Could it be He Shao?"

Seeing Li Hang nod his head, Kou Zhun realized that the young people who left just now were unusual, even the high-ranking officials in the Taifu of the Ministry of Household Affairs did not have such an understanding at all.

"Selling ice this time is really convenient for the country, but I'm more curious about how the people can benefit from it." Kou Zhun is also somewhat curious about what He Shao will do next.

"Let's wait and see, the old man always feels that he has met a great person"

"Grandfather Taichu, the person I recommended to you earlier is also a genius"

Li Hang is a person who never cares about new weddings, and Kou Zhun also took the opportunity to recommend him when he saw that it was rare to praise a young man this time.

"Ding Wei? Ping Zhong, the old man has read countless people with his eyes. If this son lives in someone else, you will definitely suffer from it."

Mentioning Ding Wei, Li Hang didn't want to continue the conversation, so he got up and patted Kou Zhun on the shoulder to leave.

(End of this chapter)