Rule over Ming Dynasty

Chapter 309 Financial Meeting Short of Money

The light yellow light is very soft, and there is mainly a dragon bed in the bedroom.

Since the weather has turned cold, the maids will be arranged to warm the bed every night before going to bed, so the quilt on the dragon bed always has a different kind of fragrance.

It's just that the woman warming the bed today turned out to be Northern Concubine Iksi. This woman who usually likes riding horses and shooting arrows is now here to warm her bed.

Concubine Bei had a beautiful oval face. After she had just washed herself, she was wrapped in a silk quilt and sent directly to the dragon bed by two eunuchs.

She has jet black hair, and her eyes are big and lively, even revealing a kind of wildness of the prairie.Perhaps because of daily exercise, the exposed collarbone looks particularly sexy.

bang bang...

When Zhu Youtang saw the beauty on the bed, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he really liked the exotic liveliness and naughtiness of this beautiful woman.

Yi Kexi saw Zhu Youtang's initial surprised reaction in his eyes, a flash of excitement of success flashed in his eyes, and his whole face smiled sweetly and innocently.

Liu Jin saw that the two people had obviously called, and immediately sent the irrelevant people away, but she knew that the dragon bed tonight would not be too peaceful.

Zhu Youtang had already taken off his outer clothes and walked towards Yikesi on the dragon bed.

Different from the clever Qingyue and Han Youying, and also different from the quirky Fan Jinling, this Mongolian girl is a straight person, and her body seems to be hiding no secrets.

Although he had many unsatisfactory things, it was a bit of a sense of accomplishment to see the woman he had named as his concubine living happily every day.

If Concubine Bei could give birth to a prince or princess, it would be even more perfect, but God has never let her get her wish in this regard.

Faintly, he always had a worry that even though his life had gotten rid of the original sadness, he still could not get rid of the fate of extinct heirs.

"Your Majesty, are you worried?" When Yi Kexi saw Zhu Youtang lying on the bed, he took the initiative to lean over with his warm body and asked with concern.

Zhu Youtang smelled the body fragrance on her body and felt the heat of her skin. He stretched out his arms and gently hugged her body and sighed: "This has always been the case in government! If something doesn't happen here, something needs to be done over there. There is not a day that goes by that doesn’t make me worry about solving the problem!”

"The same is true for my concubine's mother. Mongolian tribes are constantly fighting and fighting over pasture, so I often see her frowning!" Yi Kexi looked considerate and put his ear against Zhu Youtang's. Chest said.

Zhu Youtang's heart moved slightly, and he asked seriously: "My beloved concubine, what kind of person is your mother?"

"Chen Concubine's mother feels like a father to me. She has been very strict with Chen Concubine since she was a child..." Yi Kexi liked the smell of Zhu Youtang very much, so he expressed his feelings.

After Zhu Youtang heard what Ikesi said, he became even more sure that the history books had greatly underestimated the Mandu Sea, so he made a decision and said: "I recently received news that Mongolia suffered from a severe cold wave, and nearly [-] cattle and sheep were killed and injured. Half!"

"Ah?" Yikesi's eyes widened, looking at Zhu Youtang with great surprise and worry.

Zhu Youtang met the girl's gaze and said with some warmth: "Since you are my concubine, I can't completely ignore you, so I plan to donate two thousand pieces of brocade clothes to your headquarters in your name!"

"Seriously?" Yikesi raised his body and asked very seriously.

Zhu Youtang couldn't help but swallowed secretly. Knowing that this girl still cared about the life and death of her clan members, she reached out and pinched her fleshy cheeks: "You are not joking!"

"Your Majesty, now that I am your concubine, you...why are you still so kind to me?" Yikesi asked with a sore nose, looking moved.

Zhu Youtang met Yi Kexi's eyes and said seriously: "Although we are in a political marriage, it is precisely because you are my concubine that I will naturally treat you well!"

"Your Majesty, lie down!"

"What?"

"Don't ride tonight, let me move!"

……

Although Yikesi has married into the Ming Dynasty, it is impossible to completely break up with the Mongolian side.

Now I suddenly learned about the disaster in Mongolia, and learned that my own people were struggling to survive in the wind and rain, and even some familiar people died in this cold wave.Because she has personally experienced the cold snap on the grassland, she understands the hardships of her tribe better than ordinary people.

Now, Zhu Youtang has taken the initiative to send two thousand cotton-padded clothes for disaster relief. How can she not be moved?

Yikesi knew that the best way to repay him was to give this man what he wanted most.

Zhu Youtang lay quietly on the dragon bed, feeling a little guilty as he watched this exotic beauty serving him diligently.It was clear that his motives were impure, but he ended up being the object of gratitude.

It was just that the bed sheet carried everything, but it was almost torn by Zhu Youtang.

The moon is very round tonight, and the Qianqing Palace in the white snow is like a picture scroll, but the uncoordinated voice of an exotic woman can be heard intermittently.

After winter arrives, everyone's pace of life seems to suddenly slow down, but time does not stop.

As the snow in Beijing becomes thicker and thicker, the end of the year has come.

Compared with the people in Beijing, the officials in the capital have become even busier because there are too many things to do until the end of the year, and they have to start looking forward to the three years of Hongzhi.

Xiyuan, Imperial Study Room.

As the weather in Beijing gets colder and colder, Zhu Youtang is now wearing very thick clothes, but he is here to preside over a top meeting.

As an emperor, sometimes it is better not to speak than to speak, and not to express a position is better than to express a position. Only in this way can it create greater psychological pressure and generate stronger majesty for the ministers below.

Zhu Youtang was well versed in the ways of an emperor, so every time the supreme meeting was held, he would sit in the attic above and drink tea quietly, while the ministers below were noisy.

Wan An and other important ministers have already arrived and are sitting on the chairs below. Most of them are familiar faces.Since today is about next year's budget, the face of Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs, has been tense.

Wan An, the chief minister of the cabinet, has a few more age spots on his face, and he seems to be sincere in setting the tone: "Where should the court reduce expenditures, where can revenue be increased, and how much money will each government spend next year? Everyone is here. Let’s all discuss it!”

"The Ministry of Rites is Qingshui Yamen, but next year's joint examination and palace examination will be held, plus various sacrificial activities, it is expected to cost 100 million taels!"

"The imperial court has already made plans to strengthen the army. Next year's goal is to upgrade weapons, so the budget is at least 300 million taels!"

"Our Ministry of Industry has stopped many non-urgent projects, but it is urgent to control the Yellow River and develop the state. The budget is at least 500 million taels!"

……

The top meeting had just begun, and several yamen were asking for money, and the amount each wanted was more outrageous than the last. The first three yamen alone already amounted to 900 million taels.Since there has not yet been a large-scale influx of overseas silver to plunder Ming Dynasty's high-quality and cheap goods, the value of silver is now very high, 900 million taels or even higher than the 9000 million taels later.

But no matter what the actual valuation is, it is impossible for Taicang in the Ming Dynasty to get so much silver at once.

Li Si, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, is a good-tempered little old man, but at this moment, his face turned dark: "Do you really think that the Ministry of Finance is a golden mountain? Even if it is a golden mountain, it is not enough for you to ask for it!"

"Li Shangshu, won't we hold the talent promotion ceremony next year?"

"Li Shangshu, updating weapons is the tone set for June this year!"

"It is urgent to control the Yellow River, and the development and establishment of the prefecture are even more important!"

……

The person who can sit in this position is naturally not an ordinary person. Rather than leaving the problem to himself, it is better to throw it to others, and immediately expressed his stance aggressively.

The officials present looked at each other, then silently looked up at the attic.

No one expected that the discussion had just begun and ended up in a deadlock.

Han Youying's long legs were kneeling towards Zhu Youtang, bringing a cup of freshly brewed tea to Zhu Youtang, and she was also curious about how Zhu Youtang would express his position.

Zhu Youtang crossed his legs, picked up the tea cup and sipped the tea slowly, as if the dispute below had nothing to do with him.

For a moment, the entire imperial study room seemed to be in a state of shock.

cough……

Wan'an didn't hear the words of the emperor in the attic, so he knew that the emperor did not intend to participate in the topic. He coughed lightly, and then said in a lecturing tone: "Don't just ask for money, let's discuss it first. How can we increase fiscal revenue!”

This……

Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, who had made the loudest argument just now, immediately closed his mouth and silently turned his head to look at the people next to him.

This problem is undoubtedly a headache. The salt policy has been sorted out, the grain tax has also achieved great results, and even the Municipal Shipping Department has a good harvest this year.

Unfortunately, the empire's tax revenue was obviously much better than that of the Chenghua Dynasty, but now the government's finances seemed to be stretched thin.

Under this premise, it is undoubtedly difficult, or even impossible, for the court to increase its fiscal revenue.

Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and Jia Jun, the Minister of Industry, exchanged glances, but shook their heads slightly bitterly, thinking that they had no good ideas to increase fiscal revenue.

There is no solution at all. Who allowed you to fight for two consecutive years?

Ji Xin, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, saw the frowns on everyone's face and smiled coldly in his heart, but he was the one who knew that the crux of the problem lay in the attic.

Conquest has always been a money-burning game.

The results of it?This emperor only took the throne for two years. He conquered the Li Dynasty in Annan in the south and established Jurchen in the north. No matter how rich his family fortune was, it would be wiped out.

Now it can be said that they have reaped the bitter consequences. They still don't know how to recuperate, and they still want to develop the weapons and equipment for establishing a state and updating the Ming army.

Wu Yu, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, noticed Shi Xin's unusual reaction, and stood up and said seriously: "The grain tax and salt tax are related to people's livelihood. The court's disposal is the best way now, so I think I can't act rashly anymore! However, Chongwen The annual revenue of the gate tax last year was less than [-] taels. Why? After a secret investigation by the subordinate officials, it was found that the Chongwen gate tax official was humble and did not dare to offend others. He tacitly allowed the passage of the goods of the powerful. This has been the common law of tax officials in the past. Therefore. The tax officer of Chongwenmen should be upgraded to be directly responsible for the six departments of the Yamen, and the upright doctor or minister should be responsible. This move can ensure that the Chongwenmen tax rate is not damaged!"

Huh?
Zhu Youtang, who was drinking tea, couldn't help but his eyes lit up and he realized that the right minister of household affairs was indeed a young official who worked hard.

Chongwenmen Customs was the main tax collection agency in the capital city of the Ming Dynasty. Since Chongwenmen Gate was the gate through which the most foreign goods entered among the nine gates in the capital, the imperial court levied tariffs on goods entering the city here.

If the tariff management of Chongwen Gate can be strengthened and the goods entering the city from the other eight gates can be strictly managed, then the collection of tariffs on goods in the capital can indeed be completed.

“Chongwenmen’s tariff revenue is indeed too little!”

“With so many goods coming into the city every day, how come we can’t even collect 1 taels?”

"The situation here is exactly what Wu Shilang said. How can a small tax official stop the goods of the powerful?"

……

Although officials such as Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, did not want to find a way to increase fiscal revenue, they undoubtedly had the vision. Now that they heard the topic of Chongwenmen tariffs, they immediately expressed their opinions.

When the emperor was silent, Wan'an would often take the initiative to guide the direction of the meeting, and asked seriously: "Wu Shilang, which department do you think is suitable?"

"Master Yuanfu, doesn't the Ministry of War want to update weapons? Then leave it to the Ministry of War?" Wu Yu, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had already made up his mind and immediately came up with the plan.

Huh?
Li Yu, the Minister of Personnel, and other officials realized that this arrangement was very clever, but they all turned to look at the officials of the Ministry of War.

Now the Ministry of War is crying for money to update weapons and equipment. Now the court has given Chongwenmen the responsibility for customs duties. If they cannot collect the tax money, it will be their own responsibility.

This kid really has two brushes!

Shi Xin, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, had already felt the hostility towards him from Wu Yu, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Now seeing Wu Yu's outstanding performance, he felt uncomfortable and despised.

Zhu Youtang gently put down the tea cup in his hand, and directly participated: "Dear ladies, do you have any objections?"

"I have no objection!" Li Yu, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and other officials all knew that this was a good way to increase fiscal revenue for the imperial court, so they immediately responded in unison.

For the emperor, it is best for the officials below to make decisions together, and then strike the hammer himself.Even if something happens in the future, the emperor and his ministers will bear the responsibility together.

Zhu Youtang saw that everyone agreed, and he felt that this plan was feasible, so he said with finality: "It's accurate! The Ministry of War recommends candidates for tax officials, the Ministry of Personnel will verify them, and then submit them to the cabinet for discussion!"

Even if it is a candidate for tax officer, the best approach is for all yamen to participate, which can reduce decision-making errors.In particular, the Chongwenmen Tax Gate is related to the entire capital's commodity tariffs, so it is natural to be cautious in selecting candidates.

"I obey the decree!" Wan An and other relevant officials immediately expressed their stance respectfully.

Zhu Youtang couldn't be happy in his heart, but he knew that Chongwenmen's tariffs were actually a drop in the bucket, so he asked seriously: "Dear sirs, do you have any good ideas to increase the court's income?"

(End of this chapter)