Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 116
"In the beginning, I didn't have to pay business taxes, and all the profits went to my Zheng family, so I lived quite comfortably."

"However, since the imperial court sent a guard eunuch to Zhejiang during the Wanli period, my Zheng family wine shop has to pay taxes to the Zhongguan tax envoy every year, and the amount of tax silver is decided by the tax envoy, sometimes less, sometimes more, sometimes In addition to making a profit, I have to lose money, and last year alone, my Zheng Family Winery paid [-] taels of tax!"

"This is just my Zheng family wine shop, there are hundreds of other wine shops in Kuaiji!"

"Just one county in Kuaiji pays tens of thousands of taels of tax. How much does Shaoxing have in one prefecture, and how much in Zhejiang province? How many are in the eight prefectures and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River? How much tax money is there in the entire Ming Dynasty?"

"Let me ask, is Daming's annual income really only a mere [-] million?"

Yilun hall fell into deathly silence for an instant, and all the scholars fell into deep thought.

Because Zheng Zunapong uncovered a scar, Daming actually had to pay commercial taxes, but the tax money did not flow into the Taikuang of the Ministry of Households, but into the emperor's inner court secretary key vault.

Hearing this, Gao Hongtu couldn't help but be thankful that he didn't step forward to stop him just now.

Now that this scholar has uncovered the scars of the mine supervisor and the tax envoy, the following things will become much easier.

Gao Hongtu couldn't help but want to take a look at Chongzhen's face at this time, the Holy Majesty must be very angry at this time, right?
But it's useless to be angry, you are doing it on your own, who told you to call these scholars to Nanjing?Who asked you to encourage scholars to talk about the chaos in the government?
Are you shooting yourself in the foot now?

Zheng Sen also glanced at Chongzhen worriedly, but found that Chongzhen's face was calm, and he was not angry because of it. It seemed that what Zheng Zunfeng said had nothing to do with him.

Right now Zheng Sen didn't stop Zheng Zunfeng.

But Zheng Zunapology has already given up everything.

Although this person is from Shaoxing, his style of work is completely different from that of Master Shaoxing.

Looking straight into Chongzhen's eyes, Zheng Zun apologized, "Your Majesty, the grassroots would like to ask, how much tax money did the mine supervisors and tax envoys of each province send to the inner court secretary's key store last year?"

Zheng Zunapology is no longer asking, but pressing.

However, Chongzhen was happy instead of angry, this is the imperial party minion he wanted!

If you don't have the guts and courage, how can you fight against the black-bellied and cunning old bureaucrats of the Donglin Party?

As for the issue of Zheng Zunfeng's domineering, or the issue of his lack of respect for the emperor, this is nothing at all. Dealing with the Donglin Party is the main conflict, and the primary and secondary must be clearly distinguished.

Besides, Zheng Zunfeng couldn't become Zhang Juzheng or Wei Zhongxian.

At most, Zheng Zunfeng is just like Yan Song or He Kun, and he can just beat him in the future.

Chongzhen is not the young Wanli emperor who enthroned at a young age, so he can only let Zhang Juzheng decide.

Immediately, Chongzhen got up and responded positively: "Last year, royal agencies such as mine supervisors, tax envoys, and weaving bureaus in various provinces sent more than two million taels of tax silver to my inner court secretary's key bank."

"So little?" This was the first reaction of the scholars.

Gao Hongtu and other cabinet officials couldn't believe it.

The Holy Majesty sent so many mine supervisors and tax envoys to various provinces, but only collected more than two million taels of tax silver?This is very different from the feelings of workshop owners and merchants all over the country.

"You may not believe it, but there are really only so many."

Chongzhen sighed lightly, and said: "If it weren't for this, I wouldn't be humiliated by hundreds of officials for the hundreds of thousands of owed salaries in Liaozhen! Tens of thousands of taels of silver, and after the thieves came to Beijing to recover the stolen goods and pay them, they confiscated more than [-] million taels from the houses of the officials in Beijing!"

"I can testify to this matter." Changping State scholar Sun Fanzhi finally came in handy, stood up and said, "After the fall of the Jiashen Ri capital, the thieves only copied a thousand dollars from the Taikuang of the Ministry of Households and the key storehouse of the inner court secretary. There are more than [-] taels of silver, but more than [-] taels were stolen from the homes of the chief minister of the cabinet, Chen Yan, and Cheng Guogong, Zhu Chunchen, and other honorable officials in Beijing!"

"Yes, we can also testify." Fu Shan, Zhu Yanzuo and Ji Yunhong also stood up.

"This matter can be said to be known to all women and children in the capital. If you have friends in the capital, you can just ask."

"I don't believe it." Zheng Zunfeng in the hall waved his hand and continued, "In fact, the number mentioned by the Holy Majesty is similar to what I estimated."

"There are rumors in the market,"

"Speaking of mine supervisors, tax envoys and income tax silver, the insider is the first, the middle envoy is the second, the follower is the third, and the soil stick is the fourth!"

"Now it seems that this rumor is probably true. Ninety percent of the tax money collected by the mine supervisors and tax envoys of the provinces is divided up by the envoys, attendants, and local sticks, and only [-]% is sent to the inner court secretary's key bank!"

"Ten times two million is twenty million."

"In other words, my Ming Dynasty's annual income should not be [-] million, but [-] million plus [-] million, [-] million taels! It's a pity that the other [-] million tax money flowed into the private pockets of Chinese envoys, ginseng and soil sticks, and Only the [-]th will flow into the Holy Majesty's inner court secretary's key bank, so it will lead to insufficient national use, and thieves will flock, so it will cause things to be delayed for a long time!"

Speaking of this, Zheng Zunfeng finally came up with his conclusion: "In view of this, I believe that there is no need to open source, there is no need to add names and levy business taxes at all, it is only necessary to clean up the source, and let Chinese envoys and local sticks be greedy for ink. If [-]% of the tax money flows into the national treasury, the shortage of national use will be solved, and the Ming Dynasty will still have a lot to do!"

Hearing this, Chongzhen burst out laughing.

Sure enough, the ass decides the head, so it makes sense.

Zheng Zunfeng was born in a merchant, so he could not avoid speaking for merchants.

In the final analysis, it is impossible to add business tax.

"Brother Zheng's words are wrong!" Just as Zheng Zunfeng finished speaking, another scholar stood up and said with emotion, "It's just that it's far from enough to get rid of the source, and we still need to supplement it with throttling!"

Chongzhen turned his head and found that it was Gu Yanwu, a student of the Imperial Academy.

It is the one who was embezzled by Chongzhen that "every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the world".

But at this time, Gu Yanwu was still called Gu Jiang, and he was also a student of Guozijian.

Zheng Sen said with a solemn hand: "Brother Ning, please come to the hall to talk about your grand theory."

Gu Yanwu boldly went up to the Yilun Hall and said, "I'm going down to Kunshan, Gu Jiang, to see the Holy Majesty and all my colleagues."

After a short pause, Gu Yanwu said to Zheng Zunfeng: "Brother Zheng just said that we only need to clean up the source and let the world's tax money flow into the national treasury to solve the chronic problem of insufficient national use. I think it is absurd."

Zheng Zunfeng made a bow and said: "I would like to hear the high opinion of brother Taiwan."

Gu Yanwu said: "I just want to ask one thing. The number of soldiers in Liaozhen at its peak was only 2. Even if it is calculated based on the monthly salary of [-] taels per recruit, it is only [-] million taels a year."

"Even if you count the expenditure on armaments and food, it's only four million taels."

"However, the amount of Liao's payment approved by the court officials is [-] cent and [-]% per mu, and the actual collection of Liao's payment is nearly [-] million!"

"It is said that Liao's salary should be more than enough, but in fact it is not enough to make ends meet. Only now did Sheng Shang say that in order to make up for the salary owed by Liao Town, he had to cut corners and solicit donations from all the honorable officials in Beijing."

"I don't understand why Liao Town still owes wages?"

"You know, the number of soldiers in Liao Town has dropped to less than [-] in the past three years!"

"The number of soldiers in Liao Town is already less than [-]. It stands to reason that [-] military pay is more than enough!"

"However, Liao's salary expenditure is still maintained at [-] million, and it is still not enough to make ends meet. Then I can't help but ask, where did the extra [-] million Liao's salary go?"

Once again, the hall of Yi Lun fell into deathly silence.

Chongzhen almost wanted to applaud, okay, okay, finally cut to the chase!

Gao Hongtu, Jiang Yueguang, Xie Xuelong and other court officials who were watching were pale. They naturally knew the answer to this question asked by Gu Yanwu.
But there is no such thing as drifting, so you can't say it in the open!
Gu Yanwu finally said to Zheng Zunapology: "Brother Zheng, if this problem is not resolved, what's the use of rectifying the source? I'll just ask you what's the use of rectifying the source?"

"This?" Zheng Zunfeng was speechless.

Gao Hongtu knew that these scholars could not continue talking.

If we continue talking, these outspoken scholars will really mention Piaomei.

At that moment Gao Hongtu took a step forward and said loudly: "Your Majesty, why don't you listen to the arguments between the scholars after the court discussion is over?"

As expected of old bureaucrats, one argument set the sex between Gu Yanwu and Zheng Zunfeng. You are a quarrel between ignorant children, nothing.

He even secretly satirized Chongzhen.

If you listen to one side, you will be dark, and if you listen to both, you will be clear. The truth is right.

But you can't listen to everyone. A group of scholars who haven't even passed the Jinshi exam, and don't have any history of observing politics in the six divisions. Isn't it a waste of time to listen to their nonsense?

Unfortunately, this trick was of no use to Chongzhen.

Chongzhen smiled and said: "There is plenty of time for court discussions. If you can't finish the discussion today, you can continue the discussion tomorrow. However, there are rare opportunities to listen to the students who express their hearts and directly attack the current problems. I want to listen again."

"If the elders have time, you might as well listen to it. It will be beneficial."

In the end, there are three words that are good. Chongzhen also deliberately emphasized his tone, and looked directly at Gao Hongtu.

Didn't you, Gao Hongtu, say that they were a quarrel between ignorant children?Then I will tell you today that the vigor of young people is not comparable to that of you old bureaucrats. Don't rely on the old and sell the old in front of me.

Gao Hongtu hit a soft nail, his old face flushed instantly.

Shi Kefa was afraid that if Gao Hongtu didn't come to Taiwan, he would make petty temper with Chongzhen, which would ruin the hard-won good situation in front of him, so he said to Gao Hongtu immediately: "Qingzhai, we haven't been to Guozijian for a long time, we should sit down and listen Listen to these young people's arguments, stones from other mountains can be used to make jade."

Gao Hongtu woke up suddenly, cupped his hands and said solemnly: "What the chief assistant said is very true, I will teach you."

At this time, Qian Qianyi, who was appointed as the Imperial Academy's sacrificial wine with the title of Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, ordered people to move four Taishi chairs, and placed them behind the chairs of Chongzhen, father and son.

The four of Shi Kefa took their seats one after another.

The other affairs officers could only sit on the floor.

Zheng Sen in the Yilun hall bowed to Chongzhen and the four elders, and said to Gu Yanwu: "Mr. Ning, please continue."

Gu Yanwu nodded, and said again: "Following the question just now, by the [-]th year of Chongzhen, the number of troops in Liao Town had been reduced to less than [-], and only two million taels of silver was enough to maintain it, but Liao's salary was still as high as seven million. Two, then I can't help asking, where did the extra five million taels go?"

(End of this chapter)