My Ming Dynasty, I have the final say

Chapter 140: The people are suffering, I will take the blame

"How about you lend it to us first?"

As Bi Ziyan finished speaking, the atmosphere between the two suddenly became quiet.

"..."

"..."

"This, isn't it right?"

In the end, it was Zhao Han who spoke up first and broke the silence.

"Originally, we have to wait for the deposits from the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs to be escorted to Beijing before we can produce them and then accept them."

"But Yuan Shizhen felt that by the time the money from the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs was escorted to Beijing, it would be the Year of the Monkey and the Horse."

"I hereby submit that, with your Majesty's approval, I will lend the internal funds to the Nanjing Household Department. The money will be accepted first and then the money will be given."

"Moreover, these silver coins will be shipped at the end of the month. We won't be able to produce enough by then, and our Baoquan Bureau will be in trouble."

As he spoke, Zhao Han's face was filled with grievances.

"This is Yuan Shizhen."

Bi Ziyan immediately became angry when he heard that Yuan Shizhen had robbed him of his silver coin exchange amount.

The Nanjing Household Department has lost the power and responsibilities of the Household Department. You, the next Minister of Household Affairs, do not want to take over the power of the Nanjing Household Department, but instead help them exchange money?

Come angrily, go angrily.

Bi Ziyan got on the carriage and headed towards the Ministry of Household Affairs.

When Bi Ziyan arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he directly entered the room of Li Ruhua, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

"Li Shangshu isn't here?"

After entering the class room, Bi Ziyan found that the person sitting in the seat that should belong to Li Ruhua was Yuan Shizhen.

"Li Shangshu reported illness, and the emperor approved it."

After raising his head and looking at Bi Ziyan, Yuan Shizhen's eyes were focused on the official document in front of him.

"I heard that you went out of your way to borrow silver from internal funds to mint coins for the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs?"

"Correct."

Hearing this, Yuan Shizhen did not refute and nodded.

"Exchanging silver for Nanjing, what do you think?"

They were both officials from the capital, and Bi Ziyan felt that their views on Nanjing's household affairs department could not be said to be completely opposite, but they coincided with each other.

That is to say, they must want to abolish the Nanjing household department, and then deprive the branch office and the household department of their authority.

"see this."

Hearing this, Yuan Shizhen explained aloud, but handed the official document in front of him to Bi Ziyan.

"This is... a book of salt?"

After taking the official document and reading it for a few times, Bi Ziyan's eyes changed and he looked at Yuan Shizhen and asked in surprise.

"Where did you get it?"

The salt administration of the Ming Dynasty was managed by the Nanjing Department of Revenue, which did not have exact accounting books.

Even if this is an imperial edict, the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue will find a way to delay it for a month or two.

"I once reformed the salt policy of Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers. This is my achievement, which I brought back from my tenure."

After briefly explaining Bi Ziyan's doubts, Yuan Shizhen looked at Bi Ziyan seriously and said.

"Your Majesty ordered me to change the salt policy of the Ming Dynasty. Do you think I can do it with just an edict?"

"No."

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan silently shook his head.

From the day Na Liang Kaizhong was changed to Liang Kaizhong by Ye Qi, the salt policy of Ming Dynasty was considered to be abolished.

The interests in salt are basically shared by local officials, salt class officials, and salt merchants.

In order to make money for the imperial court, Yuan Shizhen came up with the Gangsalt Method to redefine the profit division.

The first is to divide businessmen through distribution rights, the second is to crack down on illegal salt, and the third is to increase the output of salt households.

However, the essence of the Gangyan Law is that the money of small people is divided into [-]% and [-]%, and the money of big households is returned to the same way.

"Do you plan to use this silver coin acceptance to exchange for the salt book of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs?"

After stroking his beard, Bi Ziyan asked uncertainly. "No, I plan to use silver coins to beat Jiangnan Province and seize the power of the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs."

I want more than you think.

Shaking his head, Yuan Shizhen stood up from his seat, took out a map and placed it on the table.

"Since the opening of Yuegang, a large amount of silver has flowed into China. You have also been an official in the south. You should also know that in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, the price of silver changes three times a day."

It's strange to say that maps are so popular now.

"A few days ago, the emperor explained the role of currency to us, and I was wondering if I could use silver coins to get money for the court from the Jiangnan provinces."

"How to do?"

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan was a little surprised. How can he make money with silver coins?
"Restart the ban on gold and silver, and increase the fire cost by [-]% or even [-]% when converting silver."

Hearing this, Yuan Shizhen stated his plan categorically.

"Private gold and silver transactions were banned, and the government opened shops to exchange silver with the private sector at a high cost, and took out the silver from the hands of wealthy merchants."

"What about the lower class people?"

Bi Ziyan opened his eyes wide when he heard Yuan Shizhen's plan.

Is this person a little too courageous?

"Add another [-]% of the fire cost, and that's [-]%. Can the people at the bottom afford this kind of fire cost?"

"Do you know how much private fire consumption is now?"

After hearing Bi Ziyan's words, Yuan Shizhen shook his head helplessly.

“In some states and counties in the south, fire consumption is already twice the regular tax.”

"hiss."

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan took a deep breath.

"so tall?"

"Otherwise, why do you think Southern Zhili owes taxes?"

Yuan Shizhen stayed in Lianghuai for three years and had a very clear understanding of the situation in the counties in southern Zhili.

"There are many officials in the imperial court, and local wealthy families are running rampant. The government cannot, or dare not, collect taxes from those people. All the royalties raised by the imperial court are shared among the people."

“People cannot afford to pay taxes, so there are tax arrears.”

"This."

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan blinked, he really didn't know this.

"Have you told the emperor about this?"

"No."

Hearing this, Yuan Shizhen shook his head.

"During the Zhengde period, there was a murder case in Qiantang, Zhejiang. The deceased was stabbed five times, fatally. The magistrate of Qiantang reported that the person committed suicide. The file was reported to the Ministry of Punishment, which dismissed the retrial as unreasonable. After retrial by the Hangzhou Prefecture, the case was still reported as suicide. , the Ministry of Punishment rejected it again and reported it to Dali Temple. The case was then reported to Tianting, and Wu Zong ordered Jinyiwei to investigate and deal with it. Finally, it was found that the perpetrator was the wife and nephew of the Qiantang magistrate."

"The county magistrate distributed the taxes of the local gentry to the common people. The deceased was a down-and-out scholar. After hearing about this, he said he wanted to go to the capital to file a complaint, which is why he was killed."

After saying that, Yuan Shizhen laughed at himself.

"If I had reported this matter, I would have stabbed myself five times and killed myself."

"..."

Hearing this, Bi Ziyan nodded.

This matter cannot be revealed like this.

It is true that with the emperor's current temper, if he knew that the officials below were doing this, he would definitely cause a wave of bloodshed.

But doing this is too offensive.

Local gentry, foreign officials, and local officials must all be offended.

"But if I follow your method, it will be another round of exploitation for the common people."

"The world is so difficult. For the sake of Ming Dynasty, I will bear this infamy."

Hearing this, Yuan Shizhen took a long breath and said.

"We can only suffer for the people."

ps: After hearing the news about the above case, Wu Zong was furious: How could anyone kill himself with five knives in his body?Do you want to compare me to Jin Hui?
In addition, I made up the cause of the case, and the real cause has not been found.

(End of this chapter)