Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 56
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Dai Quan's voice continued to report;

"Returning to Your Majesty, there is only a lot more. The sum of the borrowings of each family is a lot. Last year, Dawu's annual income was 5800 million taels of silver. The huge expenditure was the salaries of the imperial officials, including the military expenses of the imperial army, the Beijing camp, the frontier army and the local garrison. The big head, floods and droughts a few times a year, toss a few times the money of the household department is almost gone."

Hearing this, Zhou Shihong became even angrier. Dawu didn't know how to spend so much money in the treasury every year, and there was not much left at the end of the year.

Can the finances still raise taxes? Emperor Wu thought for a while and shook his head. Dawu's annual revenue is mainly land tax, commercial tax, corvee redemption, and population tax, as well as the salt administration, the income of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the pressure of the people of Dawu. It's already onerous.

Especially the field tax, the field tax is 10 tax three, which is the main source of Dawu's income. If the father and emperor were not destined to die, the Xungui family would also have to pay the tax. No need.

The head tax is not much but the base is large. The business tax is already 10 and [-]. Those noble and wealthy businessmen from aristocratic families are crying for their father and mother as if they were dead.

Salt administration, you can find a way to do this. Now because of the large population, the salt tax is increasing, but the imperial court is getting less and less. It has sent its confidant Lin Ruhai to Yangzhou to rectify the salt affairs. Thinking of Lin Ruhai I don't know what happened.

Zhou Shihong thought about the territory of Dawu again. The ancient commercial roads in the northwest were firmly controlled by the Xianbei people, the countries in the Western Regions could not be connected, and many small countries in the southeast were fighting endlessly.

Zhang Jinyu, Marquis of Luoyun outside the Guan, can't do it either. The outside of the Guan looks huge, but the land is vast, the population is sparsely populated, and the tax is pitifully low. Besides, the military and political power has been given to that kid, so he can't go back on his word. He still has to rely on him to resist foreigners. It wasn't for the imperial court paying the money, Zhang Jinyu didn't know how many days he would be able to last.

Thinking of this, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong knew that Dawu's current annual revenue had almost reached its limit, and military expenses and salary were indispensable. In the end, there was only one way, and that was to save money.

Then let's start with the reduction of the expenses of the various ministries of the cabinet, and follow up with the recovery of the arrears of officials, and the interest must also be counted. Emperor Wu is determined to collect money.

"Understood, the next decree is to halve the expenses in the public accounts of the central government and local ministries. It is said that Dawu has been plagued by natural disasters in recent years, and we must set an example by saving expenses."

When Dai Quan heard this, his head grew bigger. It seemed that the emperor had decided to intervene in the finances. Thinking of how many people in the household department had been arrested, Dai Quan couldn't help but said softly with a tangled face;
"Your Majesty, let's take it easy."

"Well, why."

"Return to Your Majesty, this time the new year is about to change, and secondly, give the Ministry of Accounts time to prepare."

"Hubu, those moths, speaking of Hubu, how are Liang Yun and Song Zhencha doing?"

Only then did Emperor Wu remember to arrange for people to strictly investigate the moths in the household department, and he didn't know how the investigation was going.

"Return to Your Majesty, there is no progress yet, only the people from the household department are temporarily detained."

"Oh, I just don't want to investigate. You call the people from the Imperial City Department to watch the officials of the household department. I'll see who is eating Dawu's flesh and blood. The Zhongzhi will issue it today."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong had a stern expression on his face, he had endured it for a long time.

"Yes, Your Majesty, the servant will do it now."

Dai Quan wiped the sweat from his forehead, and just about to back off, he came back and asked;
"Your Majesty, do you want to borrow the money from Mrs. Yang of Luoyun Hou Mansion?"

"I'm so confused, I almost forgot about it. Borrowing, borrowing generously, building up momentum, the court either doesn't borrow money or regulates the way of borrowing and repaying money. You can disclose it a little bit and make a game with Yang Shuren to make this drama come true." It's a complete song, and this year's Ministry of Internal Affairs gave her all the property as her dowry, don't say I'm stingy."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong smiled heartily, and swept away his previous anger. This matter needs to be thought about carefully. Dai Quan was a little at a loss, didn't he have to pursue the loan before.

"Your Majesty, the slave is a little unclear, how can this be standardized."

"It's better for you to ask Dai Quan. There is a saying about this loan. It needs to be signed and pledged, and there must be interest, a loan limit and a repayment period."

"Please make it clear, Your Majesty."

"Simple, you need to add the annual interest when repaying the amount you borrow. The amount of borrowing depends on the official position and title of the imperial court. How much each family can borrow can't exceed 200 million taels. The imperial court is also required, no, use the imperial city secretary to collect the bills, and the family property that is not returned is mortgaged, or you can directly dismiss the official and reduce the title."

Dai Quan was in a cold sweat when he heard this. This has affected the interests of the nobles of the aristocratic family. This hand sealed off the possibility of not repaying the loan.

"Your Majesty, what is the interest rate, and how much title is appropriate to borrow?"

Of course Emperor Wu heard Dai Quan's worry, and Zhou Shihong also considered how much those people could offer. This must not be set high, otherwise there will be another storm,
"The interest must be less. The imperial court is not a bully. The interest is 30 yuan a year, and the interest is fixed every year. The interest in the next year will not be included in the principal. The king can borrow 200 million taels, the duke can borrow 110 million taels and the marquis You can borrow 100 million taels in descending order, civil servants can borrow 110 million taels for the first rank, and 100 million taels for the second rank, also descending from top to bottom, you can decide for yourself."

Hearing this, Dai Quan secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the interest is not much, which is affordable for each family.

"Your Majesty is wise, the servant understands."

"You write three copies of Mrs. Yang's IOU, one in the Ministry of Accounts, one in herself, and one in the Imperial City Division. The terms of the loan are all listed one by one, signed and pledged, and lent her 100 million taels. As long as there are copies printed by both parties With the IOU, you can get the silver from the treasury of the Nenghu Department, and carry it to the Hou Mansion with great fanfare, so that all the nobles and aristocratic families can see it."

"Yes, Your Majesty, the slave must do it beautifully."

"Remember that this must be performed in its entirety. As for the dowry, all the properties must be given to her. The money must be lent to her, and it is fine to return it after the event is completed. The purpose is that she is an introduction."

"The slave understands, the slave retire."

Emperor Wu nodded and didn't say anything else, but seeing Zhou Shihong writing with a brush in his hand and scratching the fine rice paper, it could be seen that his heart was not at peace.

Not long after, in the Changle Palace, the Supreme Emperor Zhou Shengzhuo heard what Xia Shouzhong reported to the Emperor of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The Supreme Emperor did not expect that the honorable nobles from noble families would be so greedy. This is also my own money, so I said;

"Understood, let the emperor handle this matter, don't ask, those people are too much, Luo Yunhou Zhang Jinyu should let the emperor take it easy, and give more benefits to win over his heart."

"It's the Supreme Emperor, and the servant obeys."

On the Yamen of the House of Internal Affairs,

Dai Quan also rushed to the yamen in a hurry. All the stewards and eunuchs along the way into the yamen respectfully greeted Dai, and Dai Quan didn't have time to talk to them. The boy speaks.

Seeing that it was Dai Neixiang who came in, the two immediately got up and greeted;
"See the inner phase, what is the inner phase?"

"Well, hurry up and tell Mrs. Yang at Luoyunhou's mansion, saying that His Majesty agreed to borrow 100 million taels of silver. This time, all the properties sold by the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be given to her, but the court has changed the conditions for borrowing silver. Not only will there be interest but also The upper limit of the loan and the repayment period must also be signed and stamped with a seal. Her Marquis Mansion can borrow 100 million taels of silver according to her title, with an interest of 30 yuan, and a maximum of five years. , if she agrees, she will sign and pledge, and she will get the money."

The eunuch in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the third master of the Xiangyang Houfu were shocked when they heard this. When did the court have conditions such as an upper limit and interest on borrowing money, especially the third master of the Xiangyang Houfu, he remembered his own Houfu for decades. I borrowed almost 150 million taels of silver back and forth.

How much is the interest, why can't you figure it out, the head of the cold sweat is coming down, why don't you pay it with the family property and official position, if you can't, go back and tell the elder brother!
Thinking of this, I couldn't sit still, and then said "Ouch", pretending to have a stomachache, and said pitifully;

"Internal Prime Minister, forgive me, the kid has a stomachache, I want to go back to the house to see the doctor, you see."

"Go, this can't be delayed."

"Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, the boy is leaving."

Before he finished speaking, he ran out of the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The speed was definitely not sick. When the eunuch in charge saw the third boy running away, he hurriedly said;

"Neixiang, why don't you stop him? Otherwise, if the news gets out, most of the dignitaries and officials will know about it overnight. This is a big deal."

Dai Quan smiled towards the door, but he didn't care. He knew that Bai Shaofeng, the eldest son of Xiangyang Houfu, was pretending, and the pretending was not so good, so he just let him know.

(End of this chapter)