Daming: I am the most powerful emperor grandson, please abdicate the throne

Chapter 22 Daming, is it very poor?

Not long after they sat down, the shopkeeper brought over three bowls of duck blood vermicelli.

Zhu Xuan saw the movement of his index finger, picked up a strip of vermicelli with chopsticks, and was not afraid of burning it. He sucked it in and ate it for a while, then said, "The taste is a bit bland."

"It's really boring!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip of the soup, looked around again, and saw that he was the only customer at the table. He suggested: "Shopkeeper, your fans, put more salt in it, business may be better."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper sighed and said: "You are well-dressed and not ordinary people. How do you know the suffering of ordinary people? I also want to add more salt, but in this small stall, a bowl of duck blood vermicelli only sells for fifteen dollars." Wen Qian, if it is sold too expensive, no one will patronize it, if it is sold cheap, where will the money come from to buy salt?”

"Is the salt in Ming Dynasty expensive?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked instinctively.

"Of course it's expensive!"

The shopkeeper nodded and said: "There is no need to fight now. The court has issued less salt, and there are fewer salt merchants who can get it. There is not much salt on the market, so the price will naturally rise."

The Ming Dynasty Salt Service used the Kaizhong method, which allowed private merchants to obtain salt. The materials needed by the Ming Dynasty's frontiers were transported by these private teams, which was considered a kind of exchange.

There hasn't been much fighting in recent years, and not much salt has been issued. Naturally, there isn't much salt on the market, and supply exceeds demand. It's normal for prices to rise.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a while and asked again: "During the war, there was too much salt. Is it cheaper?"

"Our Ming Dynasty salt has never been cheaper!"

There is too much salt. As for why the salt is not cheap, the shopkeeper cannot explain the reason. He adds: "Not only is salt expensive, but taxes are also expensive. I can't make much money, so I can only put less salt. There is no other way!"

"The tax is also expensive?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't quite understand.

Zhu Xuan rolled his eyes, thought of something, and immediately asked a question: "Didn't Grandpa say that our business tax in the Ming Dynasty is 1 in 30? Why is the tax still so expensive?"

This was what Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled about, and he couldn't help but look at the shopkeeper.

Yan Guan's eyes became unfriendly, as if this guy dared to deceive the emperor, he would catch him and throw him to Jinyi Guards Prison.

"Thirty-one is just the commercial tax stipulated by Lord Hongwu, but it does not include other bridge taxes, tarpaulin taxes, carriage and horse taxes, etc. Although the tax amount is not high, it cannot withstand the large number of stalls like mine. , it’s still very difficult.”

The shopkeeper sighed, glanced at the restaurant next to him, and added: "The wide variety of taxes is difficult for us, but for them, just a random guest is enough."

"In that case, why don't you object?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously again.

The shopkeeper smiled and said: "Our life now is much better than it was a few decades ago! During the Yuan and Meng Dynasties, we were worse than dogs. Thanks to Lord Hongwu, who drove the Tatars back to the desert, we can Earn some money and live a good life are all given by Lord Hongwu, so how can we oppose Lord Hongwu?"

Unconsciously, he talked too much.

After saying this, he shook his head and turned back to continue his work.

"We still treated the people badly!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was very touched. He thought he had done a good job and the people of the world could live and work in peace and contentment.

If he hadn't gone out to eat a bowl of rice noodles today, he wouldn't have known that the people who were originally struggling were still having such a difficult time. Moreover, the people were very grateful to him, and the gap was a bit big.

The duck blood vermicelli in the bowl suddenly became much more fragrant.

"Grandpa did not treat the people badly. It's just that there are so many people in the world. Grandpa is only one person and it is difficult to cover everything."

Zhu Xuan comforted softly, thought for a while and then made some appropriate suggestions: "Grandpa, if the implementation of so many taxes will only make the poor poorer and the rich richer, why not abolish the many taxes and collect them uniformly? ”     Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly. After listening to the shopkeeper’s complaints today, there seemed to be some problems with the Ming Dynasty’s tax system.

However, seeing that his four-year-old grandson could still ask such a question, he asked curiously: "How do you think these taxes should be changed?"

Zhu Xuan put down the chopsticks in his hand, pretending to think hard and said: "According to what the uncle just said, there are some taxes that have nothing to do with merchants, which are completely unnecessary. At a street stall, the profit in a day may be only For dozens of coins, the tax paid is the same as that of those big restaurants, which is very unreasonable."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded again.

This will lead to a growing gap between rich and poor.

According to Zhu Yuanzhang's ideal, of course, he would take money from the rich to subsidize the poor and make the poor rich. But now it seems different from what he thought.

After calming down and thinking about it, he believed that there were real problems with Ming's taxation.

If I hadn't gone out there, I wouldn't have discovered this.

"My grandson believes that those numerous taxes can be abolished directly. From now on, taxes will be paid according to the wealth of the merchants. The richer the people, the more they will pay. For people like that uncle, they can be appropriately reduced. Grandpa thinks that this can help Can’t you achieve a balance?”

Zhu Xuan said, asked again, and looked at Lao Zhu.

"My dear grandson, this is a good idea. Our Ming Dynasty is poor, but I didn't expect to steal money from the poor people. It really shouldn't be done. After we go back, we will discuss changing the business tax."

Zhu Yuanzhang became more and more satisfied with Xiaoguaisun's views on things and the various suggestions he made.

It’s all the result of him keeping him by his side and teaching him well.

"Da Ming, are you very poor?"

Zhu Xuan asked curiously.

"Yes, but with the method of being a good grandson, we will change the business tax, so we won't be poor anymore."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly.

The Ming Dynasty was indeed relatively poor. First of all, the salt tax was opened up, and most of the salt tax was lost. Secondly, the taxation of the Ming Dynasty was unbalanced, and merchants were suppressed, and most of the fiscal revenue was lost. Finally, there was a head tax for many hidden households. It can't be collected.

Zhu Yuanzhang kept printing treasure banknotes because he had no money and wanted to use a piece of paper as real money. Inflation and devaluation of banknotes are certain.

In the final analysis, it is still because of poverty.

"My grandson also thought of some ways, but I don't know whether I should tell him or not."

Zhu Xuan thought for a while and began to propose a major policy.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his little mind was very flexible, and sometimes he could think of more things than himself. He encouraged him: "Whatever comes to my mind, my dear grandson, just say it. It doesn't matter if he is wrong. Grandpa will not blame him."

"it is good!"

Zhu Xuan had a plan in mind, thought for a while and said: "My grandson thinks that there are some people who are richer than the merchants and can help Grandpa Huang make money."

"who?"

"About a month ago, my grandson listened to the discussion between Grandpa Huang and other ministers. We have some wealthy and famous families in the Ming Dynasty, with a population of less than a hundred people, but there are countless servants and hidden households below. They are not recorded in the household registration, but they occupy the There are countless fields, but the tax paid is only based on the head count of less than a hundred people. Grandpa has been troubled for a while. "

"That's right!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, and he was indeed distressed for a while, and asked: "My dear grandson, do you think we should increase the taxes on those wealthy and famous families?"

(End of this chapter)