The literary giants of the late Ming Dynasty began by copying books

Chapter 11 Eunuch Gao collects taxes

Wang Wenlong was stunned for a long time after watching the chaos just now, and asked strangely: "Gao Yin is in Yuegang, how come he still collects taxes from Jianyang?"

Li Guangjin snorted coldly and replied: "As soon as Gao Yin entered Fujian, he began to count the markets in various counties in Fujian. Each market has a tax collector. Jianyang came relatively late. We have already had them in Jinjiang. .”

"When the trade started in the market in the past few days, the tax collectors erected a big wooden sign in the center of the market and wrote on it the emperor's decree to tax Gao Yin. Those guys carried the sign and ran rampant, and everyone who went to the market to buy or sell Everyone must give them money.”

Yu Xiangdou added at the side: "Not to mention the collection of things, even the books in the bookstore now, as soon as they are put on the book boat, someone comes to collect money. Ask them what evidence they rely on and bring out this imperial edict. Even if they don't want to give it, they have to give it. .”

As soon as the two talked, Wang Wenlong finally had an impression.

Wanli sent out eunuchs to collect taxes, but the whole world was in a state of uproar.

The eunuchs he sent to various places initially had specialized trades, but later they began to collect all kinds of taxes.

The salt-producing areas along the coast levy a salt tax, and Sichuan and Chongqing levy a timber tax. There are banknote checkpoints on the roads and boat checkpoints on the water. There are also special tax items for ordinary people to sell chickens in the market. Even abandoned mine pits that have not been used for many years are taxed. Special individuals were sent to collect taxes and the taxes were distributed to the people with local miner registered residence.

The eunuchs who collected taxes and the scoundrels they kept under their command all made a fortune, but they caused great trouble to ordinary people.

Contemporaries recorded a story: In the 28th year of Wanli, Suzhou merchant Lu Er shipped a boatload of lamp grass to Wuzhong for sale. The lamp grass was only worth eight taels of silver. There were countless banknotes along the way. The ship had not even gone halfway through the journey, and the tax money was already there. I paid four taels.

Lu Er sailed to Qingshan, and encountered the customs asking for taxes again. All the money he brought with him when he went out had been used up. He thought about having to pay taxes again when he went back. He couldn't go back and forth, so he had to take the lanterns to the shore and burn them. Return to the boat.

Wang Wenlong could only mock and said: "These tax servants work for the emperor. They are indeed in a high and powerful position."

Deng Zhimo said with disdain: "Not only scoundrels, but also many intellectuals followed Gao Yin's lead and fawned over him. It is said that in Zhangquan, the position of a tax collector has been promoted to 500 taels of silver, and they also have to take care of Gao Yin's side. Talent has a chance.”

Li Guangjin was born into an aristocratic family. He couldn't help but sneer when he heard this. He had fallen into officialdom since he was young and knew the virtues of some scholars.

At this time, most of the princes were not willing to go out and make friends with eunuchs, but there were also some people who had no hope of taking the imperial examination and wanted to become eunuchs.

What was originally a good meal ended hastily because the four people who ate it got very angry because of this incident.

Wang Wenlong returned home and continued to prepare for the publication of the embroidery book. He felt that the world was too chaotic and he didn't know how to change it, so he simply didn't want to get involved.

He just thought that writing some novels quietly like this would not attract anyone's attention, and he just wanted to make money first.

……

At the foot of Cangshan Mountain in the north of Fuzhou City.

Behind an elegant pavilion lies a brand new villa.

This place was originally a place with excellent scenery in Fuzhou. After Gao Yin arrived in Fuzhou, he valued this place and built a lot of construction projects.

The money spent by Gao Yin to build his villa came from official silver, euphemistically called it to build a pavilion for the local people and tourists to rest, but in fact most of the money was used to build his private residence.

Only a small pavilion was built outside the house and named "Wangjing Pavilion" to show Gao Yin's longing for Wanli who was far away in the capital.

At this time, Gao Yin was meeting guests in his brand new flower hall.

A middle-aged man with a rough appearance and plaster on his face was led into the room by Gao Yin's men.

As soon as he entered the door, he knelt down and kowtowed: "Lin Zongwen, a common man, is going to pay homage to Eunuch Gao. My father-in-law is as blessed as the East Sea, and his life span is as long as the Southern Mountains."

Gao Yin was immediately amused by him and said with a smile: "Our family is only in their early thirties, how can we listen to such words of age?"

Lin Zongwen was a smart man. He raised his head and said, "My father-in-law is blessed with good health. He can live a thousand years." "Hahaha, what a clever mouth." Gao Yin smiled with satisfaction and asked, "I heard that you want to Send your daughter to my house?"

"Cao Min was originally imprisoned for committing a crime. His father-in-law came and promoted Cao Min's brother Wei Tianjue, and he rescued Cao Min. Although Cao Min was a lowly Lehu, he also knew the principle of repaying a favor, and he always thought about how to repay a favor. I want to repay my father-in-law for my great kindness."

"The common people raised a daughter. She was 16 years old and had the appearance of a flower. When the common people saw how charming she was, they became greedy and wanted to send their little girl to her father-in-law. They didn't dare to say how to serve her. How could she serve him? It is also the common people's wish to make some menial work accessible to the public."

Gao Yin was quite satisfied with Lin Zongwen's attitude and said happily: "You are still a man of gratitude. Do you have a good relationship with Wei Tianjue?"

Lin Zongwen replied: "We used to have a life-long friendship in the arena."

Gao Yin said: "Do you know the characters?"

Lin Zongwen replied: "The common people only recognize a few words, but they can't understand the article at all."

Gao Yin thought about it and asked, "Would you like to be a tax collector?"

Lin Zongwen said: "I have never bothered to settle accounts since I was a child, for fear of delaying my father-in-law's affairs."

"Well, you are quite cautious." Gao Yin thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Can you ride a horse?"

Lin Zongwen replied: "I have loved guns and clubs since I was a child, and I have all the skills to use swords, spears, bows and horses."

"So, I am planning to raise a group of Tiqi to help me do things. Since you have traveled around the world, come and lead the Tiqi for me."

Lin Zongwen was overjoyed. Gao Yin was extremely powerful. As his thug, he also had many opportunities to pretend to be powerful, and he would definitely be able to make a fortune.

He quickly banged his head and said loudly: "Thank you, my father-in-law, for promoting this villain. My father-in-law gave this villain a way to live. I will never forget your kindness and virtue. This villain must repay your kindness to your father-in-law even if he is broken into pieces!"

After Gao Yin came to Fujian, he began to cultivate party members. Rogues like Lin Zongwen who could fight for him and help him extort taxes were the ones Gao Yin was most willing to win over.

Although Gao Yin was an eunuch, he was extremely fond of women and had four wives and concubines. Lin Zongwen knew through some connection that Gao Yin loved beauties, so he specially bought a beautiful young woman to serve Gao Yin, and she naturally gained Gao Yin's favor. .

After sending Lin Zongwen away, Gao Yin ordered his staff Lin Shiqing: "Bring Chen Xingxue's letter."

Soon Lin Shiqing sent Gao Yin a handwritten letter from Chen Xingxue, the chief envoy of Fujian.

When he opened it and looked at it, he frowned: "How did he get this little thing after giving him half a month?"

Lin Shiqing had been bribed by Chen Xingxue before, and he quickly defended Chen Xingxue in a low voice: "Chen Fantai has sent people to supervise tax collection at the seaport. Whenever there are rare treasures, he asks the maritime merchants to hand them over, but those maritime merchants are very reluctant to do things. , after collecting it for half a month, I only collected this little treasure."

Gao Yin thought for a moment and said, "I'm sending you my order. From now on, any merchant ships that go out to sea for trade will not be allowed to go ashore when they return to Yue Port. They must first be inspected by the Tax Supervision Department."

"The people who called the Yuegang Tax Supervisor collected the treasures. If the maritime merchants asked, they would say that they were used as tribute to the emperor. If the merchants made trouble, they would confiscate their ships and goods together."

Lin Shiqing hesitated: "Are you afraid that those maritime merchants will have objections?"

Gao Yin was quite dissatisfied with this dull staff and sneered: "We are collecting tributes for the emperor. The emperor's kindness is so great. Who in the world is not grateful?"

"It's too late for these businessmen to be able to deliver things to today's world. How can they have any objections?"

"Those who have opinions must be dissatisfied with the imperial court. We will arrest them then!"

(End of this chapter)