Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 459: God is angry, there are changes overseas~
Fucheng, the prefect of Guangzhou,

We began to take drastic measures and pilot new business taxes.

This is a new "commercial tax system" that was finally determined after multi-party discussions at the central government and the opinions of more than a hundred chamber of commerce representatives.

First of all,

Counties are divided into three categories: upper, middle and lower, based on their economic performance and population size.

then,

According to the prosperity of the streets where the shops are located, the streets are divided into three types: upper, middle and lower.

At last,
Then, based on the level of industry profits, the industry is divided into three categories: upper, middle and lower.

(If the business area is larger than 5 square meters [1 square meter ≈ 10 square meters], regardless of industry or region, this law is not applicable and will be discussed separately.)
……

The tax base is medium-sized counties, medium-sized streets, and medium-sized industries, with an annual payment of 5 taels.

For each additional top-grade piece, add 1 tael.

For every additional inferior item, subtract 1 tael.

Therefore,
If a person opens a grocery store in a remote alley in an underdeveloped county town, he should pay 2 taels every year.

on the contrary,

If a person opened a small cloth shop on a busy street in Kunshan County, Suzhou Prefecture, he should pay 8 taels of silver every year.

If you are in the provincial capital, add another 1 tael.

If you are in a market town outside the county, subtract 1 tael.

Every year in the first month,
Each shop should pay the commercial tax in full for this year.

Can’t pay it in?
That suggests closing down.

……

When Li Yu was reviewing it, he added a sentence.

Suggest:

Local chambers of commerce will collect commercial taxes uniformly from shops in the county.

Before the end of the first month, the total amount will be handed over directly to the government.

Fu Cheng certainly understood what this meant and immediately started to execute it.

The father and son whispered in private,
Your Majesty must have been a businessman in your previous life.

really,

As soon as this move was made, small and medium-sized shop owners in Guangzhou were delighted, as it meant that "fire waste" could be avoided.

Fire consumption,
Sometimes it is even heavier than the regular tax.

Wu Ting did not have constables or yamen runners, but he had patrol police and militia.

but,

Compared with the Qing Dynasty yamen runners, their duties were unclear and they were responsible for too much.

The duties of the Wu Ting patrol and militia are relatively clear and simple. The probability of "determining the life and death of others with one word" is greatly reduced.
……

Shops with a business area larger than 5 square meters are the focus of taxation.

According to the level of profit, it is divided into two types:
General places and special places.

General places:

For example, restaurants, theaters, cloth shops, bathhouses, rice shops, teahouses, escort agencies, cart shops, mule and horse shops.
For an area of ​​5 to 50 square meters, the annual payment should be 50 taels.

If the area is more than 50 square meters, 200 taels should be paid.

Special places:

For example, gold shops, brothels, fur shops, pawn shops, silk shops, antique shops~
For an area of ​​5 to 50 square meters, the annual payment should be 200 taels.

If the area is more than 50 square meters, 500 taels should be paid annually.

……

All prefectures, counties and cities in Guangdong posted notices about the collection of new business taxes at city gates, government office gates and downtown areas.

then,

Elect the Chamber of Commerce and levy commercial taxes.

Considering that the year is almost halfway over, half of the tax amount will be levied.

Anyone who opens a business will not be able to escape.

In the words of His Majesty,

This is called cultivating tax awareness.

In the future, industrial and commercial taxes will support half of the empire's taxation.

……

One month after the Guangzhou pilot project,
He could not wait to push it to all the prefectures and counties of Wu, making the civil servants in each county very busy.

but,

The first year is hard, but it will be easy afterwards.

The good thing about this set of commercial tax standards is that they are stable. The total amount receivable in various places each year is basically stable, with very little fluctuation.

This is ideal for the hub.

That is,

In the future, the total amount of commercial taxes in various places will remain basically stable.

However, industrial and mining taxes in various places should be a steeply rising parabola.

If they don't match, there must be a big problem and you will know for sure once you check.

……

Li Yu walked out of the house and looked up again. There was a layer of lead-gray clouds in the sky and the sunlight appeared and disappeared.

Just when he was extremely confused about the weather,

The guard reported:

"Your Majesty, Manila merchant Smith requests to see you."

2 quarters of an hour later,
A red-haired man who had obviously just changed into clean clothes walked in.

Surprise kneels:

"Minister Smith, I pay my respects to your Majesty."

"Get up, sit down, and serve tea."

……

Smith looks good, which shows that he has been doing well recently.

When a man gets promoted or becomes rich, his complexion is always very good.

After some pleasantries,
Li Yu got a general understanding of the current situation in Manila and Smith's current career.

"Thanks to your majesty, the Governor of Manila has appointed me as the tax collector of Lubang Island."

"Where is Lubang Island?"

Smith pulled out a parchment map and pointed out on it.

The island is not large and is located about 200 nautical miles southwest of Manila.

Obviously,

The Governor of Manila is still a bit scheming.

“How many people are there on Lubang Island?”

"One or two thousand natives."

"How many men do you have now? How many ships?"

"More than 400 people. If needed, we can recruit another 200. These people are completely under my command. In addition, there is a Manila galleon and two galleon-type armed merchant ships."

……

Li Yu nodded and asked:

"Can you tell me more about Manila's business model?"

"Yes. The Iberian maritime trade route is roughly a triangle. Merchant ships depart from Manila, arrive in Guangzhou loaded with spices and silver, purchase goods, cross the Pacific Ocean, and arrive in Mexico. There, they exchange the goods for silver coins and then return to Manila."

"Where's the rice?"

"Rice merchants would avoid Manila and sail from small ports in northern Luzon to sell to Guangzhou."

"why?"

“Tax avoidance.”

“Is rice production high in Luzon?”

"Yes. There are large plains on the island, and the rainfall and temperature are very suitable for rice growth. The Manila Governor's Office believes that when the Qing government implemented the Guangzhou port trade, at least 100 million shi of Luzon rice arrived at Guangzhou Port every year."

"When you go back, tell these smugglers that they will accept all the rice they can get."

……

Li Yu stared at Smith.
Suddenly a question is raised:
"Do you know the defenses of Manila? How big a fleet would be needed to capture it? How many soldiers? How many cannons?"

Smith was not surprised by this question.

He grinned and said:
"I think a fleet of three level 3 ships, two supply ships, and 4 troop transports, working together internally and externally, can definitely take Manila."

"Ok?"

"The Iberian army is scattered and it will take time to gather. If your Majesty's fleet can take Manila by surprise and quickly, the garrisons scattered across the island will have to be defeated one by one."

"So, how many soldiers are there around Luzon?"

"About 1200 soldiers, spread out in at least five locations."

"so little?"

Smith nodded:

“It’s too far from the mainland, so it’s impossible to have too many troops stationed overseas.”

……

"Your Majesty, those Dutch people I saw at the mouth of the Pearl River?"

"They stole Lantau Island and set up camp there."

Smith couldn't help but complain:

"The Dutch are never satisfied with their greed, but their fighting ability is not to be praised."

"Oh?"

"More than 100 years ago, the Dutch East India Company organized a fleet to attack Manila. As you know, Your Majesty, Manila is stuck in the middle of the route from the Spice Islands to Fuso, and it poses a great threat."

"and then?"

"After fighting for half a year, the Dutch suffered heavy casualties. Even with five times the number of troops, they were unable to capture Manila."

Li Yu suddenly asked back:

"According to what you said, the combat effectiveness of the army commanded by the Manila authorities is still quite strong." Smith was speechless.
I don’t know how to explain this problem.

……

Li Yu didn't want to dwell on this issue too much.
The current focus is definitely on the south of the Yangtze River, and it is impossible to use troops overseas.

Once troops are dispatched to Southeast Asia, it will definitely "surprise friendly nations", which will in turn affect the current maritime trade situation and the continuous flow of military expenditures.

Unwise!

So he changed the subject and asked:

“Are there many Han Chinese in Southeast Asia? Where are they distributed?”

Smith laughed:
"Your Majesty, the footprints of the hardworking Han Chinese are almost all over every island in Southeast Asia. From Manila to Batavia, from Lan Fang to Siam, as long as you see large tracts of cultivated land, you know there are Han Chinese nearby. Oh, by the way, a volcano erupted some time ago."

……

Li Yu didn't react at first.

Suddenly he was startled and asked in a somewhat inappropriate manner:
"What did you say?"

"Merapi volcano erupted, probably in the middle of Java."

“Is the outbreak large?”

"It should be quite big. Merchant ships at sea saw the smoke column rising into the sky. I guess Batavia was also affected. The sulfur smell was enough to kill people."

……

Li Yu's mind suddenly became clear.
The mystery of abnormal weather has finally been solved~
The flapping of the wings of butterflies in Java created huge waves on the land.

He stood up and said seriously:

"I will provide you with 40 ship-borne guns, 800 flintlock rifles, and 2000 taels of gold. Go back and manage your territory well."

"In three years at the least, five years at the most, I will be able to free up my hands to govern the South Seas, and Luzon Island will be the first stop. By then, I intend to grant you the Mindoro Island south of Luzon as a fiefdom, and your title will be the Baron of Mindoro!"

Smith knelt down and said devoutly:
"Baron Mindoro, I am willing to be your Majesty's loyal servant for generations to come."

……

2 days later,

Smith left the Port of Guangzhou.

He couldn't wait to join the ranks of the nobility. Who said that the Irish were only fit to eat potatoes?
At least, on the surface, I haven't eaten potatoes for a month.

Every meal consisted of beef, fish, wine, and fresh vegetables and fruits mixed with mashed potatoes.

Smith was now a master of Luzon. He had close personal relations with the bishop and tax officials in Manila, and could even seek an audience with the Governor-General without an appointment.

Countless smugglers fawned on him.

Just because of his good connections in Guangzhou Port.

All of this is called "the fox borrows the tiger's power" in Chinese.

……

Li Yu had a vague impression.
There was a particularly large volcanic eruption in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, which brought serious disaster to the Qing Dynasty.

The large amount of volcanic ash emitted by the eruption entered the atmosphere and could not sink for a long time, even causing half of the earth to experience a disaster of no summer.

Food production has dropped significantly.

but,

The timing doesn't seem right!
but,
Regardless, the logic behind it is the same.

That is,
Volcanic eruptions in the South Pacific will affect the weather, resulting in a reduction in food production.

……

Li Yu was not going to stay in Guangzhou any longer. He needed to rush back as soon as possible to make arrangements around food.

on the one hand,

Increase rice imports as much as possible.

on the other hand,

Increase investment in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Water Resources.

and also
That is to speed up the pace of attacking Huguang and take over this largest grain-producing area in the south.

……

before leaving,

Li Yu summoned Zhao De and his son, two Hakka gentry from Shaozhou Prefecture.

"The common people pay their respects to Your Majesty."

"Get up."

The three of them were a little at a loss when they were seated before the emperor.

Zhao De was overjoyed.

The opportunity has finally come, and the Zhao family’s spring has arrived.

Li Yu looked past him and looked at his two sons.

asked:

"What's your name? How old are you?"

"Your Majesty, my son Zhao Wen is 19. Zhao Gong is 17."

……

Good family conditions and good nutrition.

The second son of the Zhao family was tall and strong, and showed signs of having practiced martial arts.

"Are you married?"

"Your Majesty, my eldest son, Zhao Wen, has married and has a son. My second son died young. My third son, Zhao Gong, has not yet married."

"What do you two want to do in the future?"

Zhao De quickly answered:

"But according to His Majesty's orders."

Li Yu smiled and carefully looked at the expressions of the two young men.

Then he said:
"All of you will come back to Suzhou with me, first study at the Naval Academy for two years, then go on board as naval officers."

Without hesitation, the father and his two sons knelt down to express their gratitude.

……

after that,

Li Yu also summoned Lin Chuan, who was a former servant in Yingde County and served as the leader of the civilian labor camp.

No need to be polite,

Straight to the point, he was appointed lieutenant in a newly formed battalion of the 2nd Line Light Infantry (Hakka Soldiers).

From now on, go to Ganzhou Prefecture's recruit training camp for training.

Lin Chuan knelt on the ground with his head down, trembling with fear the whole time.

Kowtow three times when entering the door and kowtow three times when leaving.

Humility is beyond words~
Li Yu was not surprised, nor did he show any gentleness to him like he did to the father and son of the Zhao family. He dismissed them with just a few words.

If nothing unexpected happens, the scale of the force required to attack Huguang and complete the encirclement will be huge.

Therefore,
The field army may be short of manpower and may need assistance from some of the 2nd line guest groups.

……

Ganzhou Prefecture,
Currently, 5000 Hakka soldiers have been assembled.

The Training Department is responsible for the training.

From formations, discipline, loading to line shooting, flags, drums, and bayonet fighting.

time is tight.

The plan to attack Huguang did not take shape.

Li Yu planned to announce this plan after returning to Suzhou Prefecture.

The 5th Corps will remain in Guangdong and will basically be absent from the Huguang Campaign.

Just like the 2nd Corps, it was absent from the entire Gan-Yue Campaign.

……

Li Yu couldn't let the battle for the world be fought by just one legion.

It is even more impossible to let one general fight the entire game.

It is rare for Miao Youlin to have served as the chief of the 2nd and 5th Corps successively.

He is temporarily stationed in Guangdong and has two tasks.

Item 1:
He continued to use military force, captured the relatively remote Gaozhou Prefecture, Leizhou Prefecture, Lianzhou Prefecture, the isolated city of Zhaoqing, and occupied the entire Guangdong Province except Qiongzhou Prefecture (Hainan).

This will achieve the strategic goal of completely blocking the seaports of Guangdong and Guangxi.

To prevent the phenomenon of purchasing weapons from overseas and hiring foreign soldiers in the late Ming Dynasty.

Item 2:
Cooperate with the Shipbuilding Bureau to collect the timber needed for shipbuilding.

First, cut down all the remaining ironwood trees in the mountains of western Guangdong, float them down the Xijiang River, and let them soak and dry in the shade for several years.
Second, buy mature ironwood from the public and dry it in the shade for several years~
Third, identify and train smugglers in Rong County, Wuzhou Prefecture, Guangxi, and purchase ironwood at a large price.

in addition,

Martial law was ended and all local affairs were handed over to the civilian system. The 5th Corps was only responsible for suppressing bandits and important checkpoints and strongholds on a daily basis.

……

Governor Zhao Shisheng, who was captured in the Battle of Guangzhou, was publicly shot in a busy downtown area!

Dozens of gentry witnessed this scene.

The Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Yierhang, fled to Wuzhou Prefecture in Guangxi under the protection of his confidants.

soon,

Welcomed Qianlong's decree:

Anyone who loses a city or border will be executed immediately, regardless of whether they are Manchu or Han!

However, Wen Yuande, the Minister of Militia of Guangdong, was cunning enough to cross the sea from Leizhou Prefecture and settle down in Lingao County of Qiongzhou Prefecture on the opposite bank.

In addition to a fishing boat, there were two or three servants and four or five family members.

Nothing is left~
But he saved his life!

……

Qiongzhou was an isolated island with no post roads and gradually lost contact with the central government.

The Wu court didn't want to intervene, and the Qing court couldn't intervene.

Self-sustaining, a paradise on earth.

As his financial situation became increasingly difficult, Lao Wen was forced to stand on the podium to make a living. He supported his family by earning a few dollars from lecturing on Confucian classics.

This is a later story~
(End of this chapter)