Jingming

Chapter 154 The Spring Breeze of Reform Blows the Ground

How do these sons of honorable ministers know business?
The person who asked the question was the steward of Cheng Guogong's family.

Wei Bin actually doesn't understand business either: why does he need to understand this?

However, Wei Bin has already made a rough outline of the regulations of Huangmingji.

But he first opened his mouth to emphasize: "Things are not something you can decide in a hurry. His Majesty gave me three months, and now two days have passed. Therefore, after I tell you the regulations of Huangmingji today, those in Beijing will return as soon as possible." If you are not in Beijing, send a fast horse with a secret letter, you can only discuss with the master of the family. Do you understand?"

After getting a reply for a while, Wei Bin nodded, and the two eunuchs walked to both sides with a plate in their hands.

"Take one volume each." Wei Bin said flatly, "I'll just read it in the hall, and I can't take it home."

After that, he sat down and drank tea by himself.

When I glanced over, I saw that most of the stewards were watching carefully, and there were also a few houses that the descendants of these lords took care of themselves.Of course, there are still a few sons who seem to be illiterate, and they seem very boring for a while.

Wei Bin remembered all these situations in his heart, including the different expressions of these managers.

After a long time, people watched it one after another, and then there was a small discussion in the hall.

Wei Bin didn't stop him, but encouraged him: "If you have any doubts, you can consult each other for a while, and you won't be at a loss when you ask later."

As a result, the discussion became louder.

The more people there are, the more courage will be enough. After all, most of the Gonghou Bo's houses in Daming are here.

"How can such a huge company be sorted out in the future?"

"What kind of regulations is this resumption of accounts? Mr. Qi, have you heard of it?"

"Maritime Trading...does it want to build a fleet? Then the coastal companies..."

"..."

Wei Bin saw that no one read the brochure carefully, but only opened it to confirm when the discussion was somewhere, so he put down his teacup: "Let me explain the important points one by one, and you can ask later."

The hall fell silent, and Wei Bin also stood up, saluted in the direction of Qianqing Palace, and said: "Your Majesty has something to say, a gentleman loves money in a proper way. The families of lords are of high rank, and you can only do it if you have something to do." The Son of Heaven is divinely ordained, so the ancestors prescribe that business is not allowed. However, the family has multiplied, there are many children, and the expenses are getting bigger and bigger, so it is not a long-term solution for you to keep those salaries."

A lot of people nodded repeatedly after saying something, it seemed that the emperor was particularly aware of the situation.

But Wei Bin then put a stern face on his face: "However, relying on the laws of the country, you can't easily sanction, relying on the honor of the lord, you all know how many illegal things the lord's family has committed. Is the family still obeying?"

The housekeepers in the palace became uneasy: the traditional practice is to let the servants come forward to do it. If they are really impeached, they will deal with the servants when they want to deal with them.

"Your Majesty decided on the regulations of the Emperor's Book after much deliberation." Wei Bin emphasized, "With this Emperor's Book, it is not to change the ancestral precepts so that you and other lords' families can do business. It is to let you Do what you can, and contribute your share capital. In the future, if you participate in the affairs of Huangming Ji, you will serve His Majesty, and you will no longer violate the ancestral precepts. When you do things in Huangming Ji, you will be bound by the company's regulations, and you will not be harmed by breaking the law. The concern of the people."

He paused and looked around, remembering the reactions of many families again, and then said: "Of course, this is not as free as you run your own business. You don't know how much profit you can share every year. Our family wants to warn you , I want you to go back and tell the lord at home, the most important sentence is: The emperor's record is set up, just to reiterate the ancestral precept that the lord is not allowed to do business!"

Wei Bin knew that this matter was difficult to handle, and the emperor asked him to come forward. What Wei Bin, the Eight Tigers of the past, wanted to do was to offend others.

This sentence was not explicitly stated in the regulations, but the emperor mentioned it.Since that sentence cannot be spread to the outside world, the emperor still has room for change.

But Wei Bin must first clarify this meaning.

Everyone in the hall had complex expressions.

Those two meanings are very accurate: if you run a business in your own family, you can naturally have a lot of leeway with the status of a lord, without restraint.With this degree of freedom, the annual income is very worth looking forward to.

After participating in Huangmingji, what is the method of repaying accounts that I don't understand now, and I am under the supervision of the ministers appointed by the emperor, and even how to manage it should be in charge of someone else, right?I'm afraid that each lord's family can send a few people to be small shopkeepers.

How much money can be distributed every year is not clear.They are all old accountants. Don't they know how to do accounts?

But Mr. Wei said clearly: The purpose of setting up Huangming Ji is to reiterate the ancestral precepts.

The lord's house is not allowed to do business, so will the lord who is not involved now face a round of thorough investigation?
Of course, there will be compromises.After participating, I will secretly find another servant to do other business as before.Or, for the business of the in-laws' family, they can cooperate with Huangmingji.

Thinking about it, their minds came alive.

Wei Bin waited for them to digest, and then said with a smile: "The current business of each family, take this opportunity to report to His Majesty and estimate the price. In addition, if you think this is feasible, you can use some savings to invest in shares. It's fine. Once Huangmingji is established, the lords will no longer need to worry about impeachment by officials, after all, Huangmingji is a royal firm."

One of the stewards couldn't help asking: "Eunuch Wei, won't the courtiers go up to the Shu to advise His Majesty not to compete with the people for profit?"

"Your Majesty has his own calculations." Wei Bin looked at him indifferently, "How much kindness is it to have His Majesty shelter the lords from the wind and rain? Our family has made the meaning clear, and you will explain the benefits when you go back to report. This shareholding The method is divided into three levels, the first is the general number, dividends are distributed according to the shares, how to arrange the operation of each branch is up to His Majesty. Send the steward to be the accountant, so you can know the money coming in and out. The third is the store number, and the bank number also accounts for [-]% of the shares, so you can send the steward to be the shopkeeper, and do daily operations."

"When it was first established, there are currently seven lines. Grain line, salt line, cloth line, department store, sea trade line, transshipment line, and labor service line. You are familiar with the first four, and the last three, let's talk about one or two .”

Seeing that they were all concentrated, Wei Bin said slowly: "The Maritime Trade Company started from Guangdong. The tributary countries in Nanyang want to buy good goods from our Ming Dynasty. The Maritime Trade Company can supply and sell them; Run a fleet, go to sea to buy, and then sell to department stores and other businesses after returning to Hong Kong.”

"For transshipment, the goods are transshipped within Daming with a team of horses, horses, and ships, gradually achieving safety, speed, and low consumption."

"The labor service industry employs landless and jobless people." Wei Bin looked at them deeply. "This labor service industry was first tried out in Guangdong. There are a lot of local corvee labor. In the future, it may be that the labor service industry will do everything on its behalf." , so that many local projects will disturb the people as little as possible.”

After carefully reading the regulations, Wei Bin has already understood why the Huangmingji has a lot to do with the new Guangdong law.

Those who are entangled with Tian Fu are corvée from beginning to end.

Why are there so many contributions?In fact, for many ordinary people, the rent is not small, but the main reason is to avoid corvee.

The focus of the Maritime Trade Bank is firstly to trade in the shipping department of Guangdong, and secondly to lay the groundwork for future events in the southeast.The prospect of transshipment is quite imaginable, but in the early stage, it will only undertake the internal transshipment of Huang Mingji.

Only this labor service can be called the most important, and I am afraid it will be related to the success or failure of the new law.

Thin corvee has been a major problem throughout the ages.

How many things do local people need to use manpower?But the power of the people is only so much.

The hardship of corvee is the biggest motivation that compels many common people to surrender to the names of officials and gentry.

Wei Bin is also very hard to imagine how much manpower this labor service company will have to gather in order to meet the needs of large-scale local projects.

Where do people come from?
This question is something that Wei Bin will study later and ask the emperor for advice.

Now when these stewards ask questions, he will answer the ones he can answer first, and let people write down the ones he can't answer.

Today was just a briefing. Wei Bin settled down for a month and a half before listening to their accurate answers. Many fast horses started from the capital to go to Nanzhili and some nobles who worked in the local area.

In Guangdong, Zhang Fujing is still waiting for the decision from Beijing on what Guangdong can do next.

But first he ushered in someone.

"I have met Mr. Futai."

After the ceremony, Gui E raised her head, her small eyes looked at Zhang Fujing curiously and directly.

As soon as he was in high school, he was ordered to go south with his sword and angrily beheaded the officials. Zhang Zilin said: "The governor recommends you to go to Guangdong."

So Gui E came to Guangdong and became the magistrate of Huizhou.

From Zhixian to Zhifu, this speed is also very good.But in front of Zhang Fujing, it is really not worth mentioning.

So Gui E was very curious about Zhang Fujing.

"...I heard that brother Gui has a bad temper and has repeatedly offended the superior?" Zhang Fujing asked.

"If you are a good superior, why should you offend me?" Gui E said bluntly, and continued to look at Zhang Fujing.

His appearance, he said this sentence in this tone, and after he finished speaking, he looked at the reaction again, Zhang Fujing felt that this guy really deserved a beating.

"I heard that brother Gui also has insight into the new law?" This is what Zhang Zilin said in a letter to him.

But Gui E asked back: "I heard that Futai brings prestige to Qingzhang land, Guangdong tyrants don't dare to obstruct it?"

"...Brother Gui, what's your opinion?" Zhang Fujing felt like clenching his fist.

Gui E shook his head and sighed: "The damage to the fields is even worse in the north; the south is essential, but the disciplines are chaotic. Futai should also be clarified? Although the fields are the same, the divisions are very different in each prefecture and county. Dozens of hundreds of disciplines are the same. It is complicated, and the taxes and duties vary from place to place. When I was in Renzhi County, Wukang, I tried to implement one piece of official land and one piece of civilian land, and many service items were combined into one. In the 13th year of Zhengde, I wrote "Please Repair the Old System to Sufficient National Security" "Min Shu", this book, I wonder if Futai has read it before?"

Where did Zhang Fujing, who was only elected in the 16th year of Zhengde, read the memorabilia of a small magistrate in the 13th year of Zhengde?
But knowing that this guy had indeed tried the new method when he was in Renzhi County, Zhang Fujing humbly saluted: "Ask for advice."

Gui E no longer entrusted her to the big ones, and said after returning the gift: "Compilation and review of corvees, unified disciplines, and people's land tax and corvees are clear, so that they can farm with peace of mind. The superiors will not miss the time, and the subordinates will not be afraid of the exploitation of officials. Both the court and the local government can do it." The management of the fields and divisions is just a whip, and the officials are urged to implement according to the regulations, and it is impossible to use other clever names to disturb the people for personal gain. This is the humble opinion of the officials."

Zhang Fujing thought silently.

Once you have cleared the acres of land, you know how big the tax base is.

However, how much tax can be collected depends on the collection ratio of various outputs.Taizu stipulated that the tax of [-] acres of land in the world should be one, but this is only a land tax.

And today, the output of farmers, rice, wheat, silk, silk, cotton... There are too many kinds of real things.

Taxes are levied in fixed quotas in various places, and the tax rates are actually quite different in different places. For summer wheat and autumn grain, strips and materials, and apportionment of corvees, the tax rates and taxation contents are actually different in different places.

These subjects also include salt tax, commercial tax, storefront stall courses, wine and vinegar lessons, deed tax and deeds, work ink notes, housing voucher notes, courtyard notes, stove notes, fried notes, Fishing Reed Lesson, Slaughter and Punishment Silver, Redemption Silver...

This is what Gui E said. There may be as many as dozens or hundreds of taxation types in the local area, and most of them are formulated according to local conditions. There is too much room for local maneuverability.

In these subjects, the fee showdown is even more chaotic.Lijiayao, Junyao, and Zafan are the three types of corvee formed after the Zhengtong period, and combined with them, there are three types of year-end, sitting, and miscellaneous.The year-old office is a tribute to the royal family and the central government, the sitting office is an additional showdown with variable timing and quantity, and the miscellaneous office is the collection of labor and materials decided by the local government.

Gui E laughed sarcastically: "As far as the place where the next official worked before, the annual office is less than [-]%, the seated office is nearly [-]%, and the miscellaneous office is more than [-]%. It's exploitation by local officials. Mr. Futai, even if the tyrants are not afraid of prestige and block them, how can they compare with the resistance of local officials? If you don't touch the local laws, the new law will not be effective. If you touch the local laws, it will be There is a lot of enthusiasm, and the officials are doing their best."

He observed Zhang Fujing's reaction.

A few big officials are easy to kill, where is there a shortage of officials in the world?
But if thousands of small officials and even larger unqualified officials are killed, is it possible?
How easy is it to press them to recapture the interests they have exploited into their pockets?
To put it bluntly, even if it is only half of the money that is currently exploited by local low-level officials, if a regulation can be formed, then local taxes can be increased a lot, while the burden on the people can be reduced a lot.

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Fujing said: "Brother Gui, you have tried it out and thought about it a lot. You might as well discuss it with the magistrate Yang and take Huizhou and Guangzhou as examples to make a memorial. I will jointly submit the memorial with you, please." The imperial court discussed and tried to implement it. Although it is difficult to govern officials and officials, we must try to make a move."

After hearing Liang Chu's words, he also knew that he was indeed a soldier crossing the river.

If the new law in Guangdong is not effective and does not cause chaos, then it will not be possible to talk about implementing it in other provinces.

If the burden of the people cannot be reduced, then the momentum of donation cannot be stopped.

Is it possible to easily change the preferential exemptions for officials and gentry in taxes and corvees?
Zhang Fujing knew very well that it would really shake the foundation of Ming Dynasty.

After hearing Zhang Fujing's words, Gui E narrowed her small eyes and stared at him for a while, then saluted and said, "I'm taking orders. It's just that I heard that the magistrate Yang is famous, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get along with him."

Zhang Fujing smiled: "Since the magistrate Yang came to Guangdong, he also wants to make meritorious service. Brother Gui and him are both magistrates, so are you still worried about offending him? I don't think Gui brother is a timid person."

Gui E rolled her eyes: "His father is the chief assistant."

"This is the order of the emperor."

Gui E stared at him for a while, her mouth opened under her messy beard: "Futai is mighty!"

(End of this chapter)